Tag Archive for: team collaboration

Creating a Healthy and Consistent Company Culture

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Hi, and a warm welcome to The Human Side of Business Podcast. I’m your host Ange MacCabe. I have the pleasure of introducing you to Gabriel Cowan, Chief Executive Officer at Audio Design Desk.

Audio Design Desk, won 2022 NAB Product of the Year, CES Innovator and Fast Company’s “Next Big Thing In Tech” with its AI-assisted software suite that reinvents the process of creating audio for video. Used on Netflix, HBOMax, Amazon Prime, and others, ADD gives creatives the ability to perform sound design, sound effects, and music in real-time, turning hours of tedious work into minutes of immersive fun.

In this episode Gabriel and I dive into workplace culture and discuss the strategies behind maintaining a consistent and healthy work environment.

Developing Workplace Culture

Gabriel Cowan: So I think in terms of creating a positive culture, there will always be conflict, there will always be issues. If you can remove the assumptions, remove the gossip, the minute that you start hearing people chattering and go and step into whatever the issue is and leader through curiosity – my experience is that there’s a real reason for whatever the issue is, and the person on the other side of that issue is struggling with it, and they need resources. These are the three resources we have. We have time, money and creativity. And we don’t have any more time or any more money. So we have to get creative about solving this problem. And that’s where this trust can really help.

Open Communication in Leadership

Gabriel Cowan: I think what has been positive about our culture, even though it’s on Zoom, is just keeping really open with everybody. So in these morning meetings, I really share exactly what’s going on with a fundraising thing or with a business thing, or with our business, the good and the bad. But to have people share in the challenges as well as the opportunity really does create that environment where we’ve all experienced challenges. And somebody like, literally, sometimes an intern will have a voice in one of the challenges that I’m presenting in the morning, and that’ll be the spark of an idea that solves that challenge. Not to mention that just having a community to commiserate with makes you feel better.

Utilizing Employee Skill Sets

Gabriel Cowan: You’re always going to get 200% out of somebody when they’re doing something that they like. And so as much as I possibly, I find out where people are, what they like to do, and then try to lead them towards that. My partner in this business is a guy named Ryan Francesconi, he said a job is three things: It’s how much you learn, how much you make, and how much shit you take. That’s it. Ryan is a programmer, he could be making, like, ridiculous money. He’s like, I’m not making as much, but I take zero shit and I’m learning a ton. And it is true that not taking crap, that’s a huge pressure valve that can be released. So we try to lead with empathy and we try to make sure that they’re all learning.

Defining Expectations

Ange MacCabe: Right, so my definition of good performance from a consulting perspective is that people are industrious, they can have high levels of autonomy. There’s candor and transparency, and they’re huge problem solvers. And in the consulting world, problem solving is not as commonsensical as one would think it would be. So one of my jobs in creating Intuity Performance was to really kind of check my own expectations at the door, and I guess figure out what’s my 75%, versus me having the expectation that a consultant is going to be able to step in and meet my expectations out of the gate without me saying anything? So I guess my question has multiple parts in the sense of how are people showing up in your organization if they’re not meeting your expectations?

If you’re interested in learning more from our Spotlight Leaders check out Laura Meyer’s Leadership Spotlight on: Leading with Intention.

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Leadership Spotlight: Building Transparency and Trust in Leadership

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Hi, and a warm welcome to The Human Side of Business Podcast. I’m your host Ange MacCabe. I have the pleasure of introducing you to Jeff Kelly, CEO of The Flower Cart Group, about Transparency and Trust in leadership.

Jeff dives into the challenges of leading a firmly established team and how he took a people-centric approach to leadership when integrating with his team as their new leader.

Building Trust Through Team Collaboration

Jeff Kelly: Full transparency. We know each other, so, you know, I’m not a very confrontational person and certainly not intimidating as a boss.. So I think that’s one of the things I learned. I don’t see that as a weakness. I see that as a strength. If you play it as a strength.

Ange MacCabe: Very much so, because I hear you in the sense that you’re utilizing that from a place of authenticity. Like you’re using that from a place of what I call positive vulnerability. Right. So you’re saying, hey, I have a thought that I really want to put out here. You’re my subject matter expertise. Let’s solve this problem. This together, essentially, is what I’m hearing. And based on that transparency and that continued effort that you put in over time, Jeff, what I’m hearing is you build strong trust across the team, especially your management group.

Learning How to Be Vulnerable As a Leader

Jeff Kelly: When I took over here, I was in my early forties and it was my first overall senior leadership role. I had leadership positions in other organizations, but I as the director at the time needed to do a check on my own energy and enthusiasm, which is crucial, but at the same time, that ability to understand when it’s appropriate to overshare or when you do overshare – maybe that was not such a great idea. Right?

Looking to Your Team for Their Expertise

Jeff Kelly: Early days, an opportunity came up with a local business not too far from us. And I wanted to work towards training, experiences being compensated, participants to be compensated. And I basically said, Guys, we’re going to do this. We’re going to do this. Let’s make it happen. Let’s put ideas out on the table. And to the credit of my team at the time, I think it was well understood that this was a line in the sand for me. I wasn’t going to back down from this.. But at the same time, I was looking at them saying, you guys are the experts in delivering this, how we can make this work. And they rose to the occasion.

Staying People-centered With an Open Door Policy

Ange MacCabe: There’s a lot that you’ve said that is piquing my interest. So I really like your approach to getting to know me. Integration. So there’s still boundaries, right? Because oftentimes what you hear from leaders is, yes, I always have an open door policy. And that can be disheartening to some employees when they see that your door is closed half the time. Right. Because the realistic approach of things is that you do have to close your door sometimes to have confidential conversations, just to have some space to focus as well as continue to lead the organization. So really appreciating your thought process. Hey, when my door is open, please come in. Get to know me, interrupt me. That is an authentic approach to transparency, which I’m sure helped you along the way with trust.

What is Transparency?

Jeff Kelly: Being transparent means you have to come from a place of vulnerability. Because for me, being transparent means being open to hear both support and criticism. I’m talking about it in the context of new ideas and new directions and change essentially in a change management environment which I still find myself in.

For more leadership insights check out my blog: 5 Questions to Ask Yourself to Become a Better Leader

Link to full podcast episode

Creating a Culture of Communication in the Workplace

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Critical to ensure employee performance and positive team dynamics, efficient communications don’t come easily to all, which explains why it can be such a sensitive topic for leaders. Establishing a clear communication strategy is the first step but managers have a role to play to create a true culture of communication in the workplace.

On our Elevate Business podcast, Michael Jansen put it this way: you’re the boss but your job is to enable your staff’ success.

Effective workplace communications can bring people together and get them to stand behind a shared goal and vision. It’s the glue that makes a team stick.

On the other hand, underperforming workplace communications can bring teams to fall apart.

As a leader, it is your responsibility to set the example, whether when dealing with a single individual or an entire team. It is also your responsibility to ensure your team has the resources and the know-how to operate in a concerted way.

Now More Than Ever

In a context where staff are working remotely, proper communication is even more important.

Teams need to know what to expect. What communication channels are being used? How often can they expect to hear from supervisors and management? When, how and where can they access the information they need?

In highly collaborative virtual or hybrid environments, leaders should reflect expectations and obligations through programs and informational tools that allow staff to perform tasks with ease, even when located outside of the physical workplace or collaborating with other staff based elsewhere.

According to a McKinsey survey on the future of hybrid work, the companies supporting small connections between colleagues were the ones enjoying higher productivity levels during the pandemic.

Virtually onboarding new hires are good opportunities to test out an internal communication strategy. If new staff can easily find answers to their questions and start developing relationships with their teammates, chances are that you’re on the right track.

Strong Leader, Strong Communicator

Strong leaders know to communicate regularly with their teams, sharing relevant if not short and simple information. They make a point to maintain communication, even when there is not a lot to say.

Strong leaders know to communicate with integrity. Being honest doesn’t mean sharing everything. It means being able to say that a given information is too sensitive to be shared. It means being able to explain the facts as they are. Everyone may not agree but they will understand and will respect you for it.

Strong leaders know to communicate clearly. A clear message is one that is presented in such a way that it is impactful and easy to understand, and that cannot lead to interpretation.

With this being said, a good communicator is nothing if no one is listening.

Instilling A Culture of Communication

Strong teams seek to understand and rely on transparent and open communications. Employees feeling misinformed will tend to question and disagree with decisions, leaving them dubious and disengaged and resulting in a divide amongst team members.

Ultimately, this will affect employee satisfaction and retention, recruitment, and overall organizational performance.

A good communicator knows to listen and to create a space where people feel comfortable sharing, expressing their ideas, and even questioning other viewpoints.

Working with our clients, we’ve observed the challenges they face in fostering an environment that is conducive to regular, productive, meaningful and sometimes difficult conversations and communications.

These typically emerge as a result of a deficient communication strategy, a lack of awareness on the part of management or a need to develop leadership skills further. Even when personality conflicts arise between individual team members, managers should be able to quickly spot the situation and take action.

Setting Your Organization Up for Success

If establishing yourself as a credible communicator is the first step, understanding team dynamics and personalities will make your interpersonal communication skills that much more efficient. Everyone is different and reacts to information differently. Knowing how to address each one of your staff based on their own style will allow them to better understand where you want to go and persuade them to join you on your journey.

Staff also need to take ownership of their own workplace relationships, developing strategies to find their place and to address communication issues as they arise.

At Intuity, we use the DISC evidence-based model to help individuals better understand their colleagues’ behaviours as well as their own. We have also developed a multi-day workplace communication training based on the model.

In the workplace, DISC is useful in many ways:

  • It helps individuals understand how they show up and how to adapt themselves based on the situation or the person they are interacting with
  • It provides for more honest interpersonal communications based on mutual respect
  • It gives staff the knowledge and training to address miscommunications or to avoid potential conflicts
  • It generates better productivity and problem-solving within teams

Whether it’s in a physical, hybrid or entirely virtual workplace, adopting a proactive communication model and adapting communications not only to the environment but to people can make a big difference in your organizational success.

Contact Intuity today to find out about our workplace communication training and coaching, and our DISC assessments.

The Human Skills of Leaders

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In leading a team, being an efficient and strong communicator is not the only thing that matters. Your overall behaviour plays a big role. Getting to know yourself and further developing your human skills as a leader can have a great impact on your team’s performance as well as your own.

Indeed, Assistant Vice President of Continuing Studies at York University Tracey Taylor-O’Reilly says that “While technical skills may get workers hired, it’s their human skills that will allow them to excel in the workplace”.

Self-awareness and empathy often top the list of the most in-demand human skills in the workplace – along with curiosity, communication, and decision-making, which are directly correlated.

Self-Awareness for Better Performance

How we behave as professionals is no different than how we behave as individuals. We may be able to adapt but who we are transpires in everything that we do and influences our behaviours and our relationships at work.

However, society has placed the focus on assessing performance first. Growing up, schools hand out report cards and the process continues throughout our professional career with performance reviews.

But such processes have been developed to measure our knowledge and actions and fail to analyze the root causes of our performance. They don’t take into consideration the beliefs, the emotions and the behaviours that we are made of.

The reality is that practising introspection and self-awareness gives us the opportunity to truly perform to the best of our ability. In fact, it has been demonstrated that there are significant correlations between emotional intelligence and leadership effectiveness. If emotional intelligence is such an essential human skill to have in the workplace, it’s that it allows us to identify our limiting beliefs and to manage and adapt our behaviour so it doesn’t affect our performance and our relationships with others.

We rarely stop to reflect upon ourselves and on how our actions might affect others.

What makes us cringe at a colleague might be appreciated by others. What aims to express respect can sometimes be perceived as disrespect. But beyond knowing what you dislike in others and recognizing that no one is perfect, it may be worth asking yourself a few questions to assess the situation.

  • What are the behaviours that characterize you?
  • What types of behaviours can’t you stand in others?
  • Do you have a routine and what does it look like?
  • Do you go with the flow and rarely plan ahead of time?
  • Do you ever experience anxiety and when does it show up?
  • What sort of feedback have you gathered from others about yourself?
  • What sort of leader and communicator are you?

The answers to such questions can help you identify how you show up for others, what are the superpowers you need to leverage and which areas require improvement.

Don’t limit yourself to the workplace. Source examples from your private life as well.

The Role of Empathy

Self-awareness and empathy go hand in hand when it comes to the human skills of which the best leaders are made of.

In a recent blog post on self-awareness, I wrote that empathy is “a mindset and a comprehensive approach to being – in the workplace and in life”, and that it is “what gives us the ability to put ourselves in other people’s shoes so we can see and feel from their perspective”.

A high-performing team is one where resistance is at its lowest and trust is at its highest. Without trust, there is no collaborative mindset and no commitment to the team nor the company. And without empathy, there is no trust.

Empathy can be expressed by demonstrating interest, showing appreciation, practising active listening and asking questions. Empathy is about gaining context about where others are coming from, questioning our own beliefs and biases, avoiding criticism and being fully present.

When there is empathy exhibited by leaders and peers in the workplace, trust can automatically follow. This lends itself to a ‘safe to fail’ work environment that we’re all striving for.

At Intuity, we support leaders wanting to adopt trust-based leadership and improve their human skills in different ways.

We often start by working with organizations to understand their team dynamics. Showing our curiosity, we lean into questions like: What kind of leader are you and how do you show up with your team? What type of individuals are part of your team and how do they interact?

This can be done through observation, interviews, as well as our DISC, 360 Leader, Emotional Intelligence-Q, and other assessments and reports.

Coaching is also a great resource to increase self-awareness and help you find the answers within yourself.

Lastly, our Showing Leadership Blueprint Training is a full-day virtual group training that helps teams assess their individual and joint behaviours and how they influence team dynamics and performance.

Want to find out more? Contact us!

Addressing Employee Scarcity as an Employer

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These days, we can’t go anywhere or browse the news without hearing about employee scarcity. Job vacancies are peaking across Canada, the United States and elsewhere, in all industries, and employers are deploying immense effort to attract new talents. At Intuity, our take is that retaining your existing resources is at least as important if not more than addressing employee scarcity by hiring new talents.

Trying times for organizations

Let’s face it. Organizations are facing trying times.

If skilled resources and labour were already hard to come by before the pandemic, the situation in which they find themselves right now is far from easy. The future remains blurry, immigration is at a standstill, competition for candidates has increased thanks to remote work and abolished geographical restrictions and employees want more safety and flexibility and are ready to leave their employer to find what they’re looking for elsewhere.

With staff turnover and increased consumer demand requiring additional staff, focusing on measures to attract talent can seem to be a valid solution. But hiring is not an end-all-be-all. In fact, staff retention is the key that will then allow for attracting and hiring to take place more naturally and easily.

Instead of spending time developing new coop partnerships with educational programs that are struggling themselves, spending time screening candidates who have already found jobs elsewhere, establishing virtual hiring protocols and so on, why not devote your time and effort to those who are already on your team?

Remember how Arnold said he was ready to take on a new challenge? Now is the time to give him the opportunity! Help your team find meaning in their work, challenge them, equip them for the future and ensure their wellbeing, and you’ll have addressed at least a portion of your employee scarcity problem by preventing more departures.

After all, employee recognition is something many organizations lack at, and what better way to do it than providing advancement opportunities to the faithful individuals who have helped your business thrive all this time?

This in turn will help you attract more people, inspired by the culture you’ve created and the feedback of existing staff, therefore making your recruitment processes that much easier.

The ideal employee

Start by reflecting on the fabric of your existing team. What are the characteristics of the people you’ve employed so far? What makes them assets to the organization?

Now, how does your ideal candidates differ from this profile? What additional qualities or skills do they bring to the table?

Can you work with your team in place and help it get to where you’d like it to be? What tools and resources can you offer to better support them? Are there trainings, courses or coaching opportunities that would help them get them closer to your ideal employee?

And what about you? What can YOU do to improve as a manager and leader?

Retaining and attracting talent beyond compensation

Let’s not kid ourselves: if employees appreciate feeling they can grow and contribute meaningfully to the organization, it’s not to say that pay and benefits aren’t important.

If you haven’t done a comparative analysis in a while, now is the time to do it. Evaluate how you are compared to other organizations in your industry. Also, evaluate each position in the more global context. How are you faring in terms of salary, vacation, pension and other standard benefits? Do you find your business to be at par, below or above?

Although being above is a definite asset, it’s not the only thing that matters. What are other perks that make you stand out or that could help you stand out?

If you listen carefully, your staff will tell you what they want. You might be surprised to find out that a higher pay is not always at the top of the list of priorities.

Perhaps they’d like you to contribute to their RRSP. To develop partnerships to allow them to take care of their physical health at a discount or to receive an ergonomics specialist in their home office. Maybe they’d appreciate PD days, like those enjoyed by staff at numbercrunch. Or an opportunity to unwind in a dedicated, quiet space of the office.

Our solutions to employee scarcity

In alignment with organization goals, Intuity Performance offers a variety of services to help you address employee scarcity and increase team engagement and collaboration – from strategic human resources planning to HR infrastructures, policies and performance systems, to culture alignment programs.

The sky’s the limit. Find what it is that makes your people tick, respond to that need, provide them with a positive atmosphere and the proper resources and opportunities, and you will increase your likelihood of keeping them – while also attracting the right people to fill those vacancies.

5 Questions To Ask Yourself To Become A Better Leader

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When stepping into a new leadership (team) role, there’s often a lot to take in. You are now responsible for your team’s productivity in addition to the myriad of other responsibilities your new role requires of you.

While you may not be brand new to the workforce, learning how to lead and manage people can be daunting. Pulling from our experience working with growing start-ups, we’ve compiled the top 5 questions emerging leaders want to know.

1. How Do I Motivate My Team?

There are a lot of moving parts when it comes to motivated teams, but there are some key ingredients to success.

First, what are the goals of the organization? Think about the company’s vision and what it’s looking to achieve. Clear expectations help people to feel invested by letting them know what they are working towards. This encourages teams to work collaboratively.

In addition, if you can follow the vision piece with clear and measurable goals it will allow your team to track their progress in a measurable way.

Next, consider how each member of your team fits into this equation. Is there something in particular that makes each person excited about the work they do? If so, how can you use those interests in alignment with desired outcomes? When we look at the work we do from the human side we can better understand why 2 people with the same training/skills perform differently within a role.

2. How Much Work Should I Delegate vs. Execute Myself?

Delegating effectively means assigning work to people that align with the desired outcome of the task/project – by evaluating synergies you can then capitalize on your team’s skills while simultaneously motivating them as we previously touched on.

Delegation also means giving people the autonomy and the trust to make decisions and overcome obstacles.

Some leaders are reluctant to delegate out of fear of being “out of the loop”. Others have difficulty relinquishing control over work historically they were responsible for.

But delegation isn’t about letting go of control; it’s about gaining perspective and providing your team with the tools and a safe-to-fail environment in order for them to grow and succeed.

3. How do I Have Difficult Conversations With my Team Members?

It may sound obvious, but it’s important to be honest about your concerns and expectations before you start a conversation with a team member. If you’re not being clear about what’s going on, then it’s harder for them to respond appropriately.

Communicate in person. It’s always better to talk face-to-face, but that’s not always possible — especially if you and your team work remotely. Emailing or messaging back and forth can create misunderstandings, which could make reaching a resolution difficult. Having a flexible goal in mind will give the conversation direction – the solution to a problem isn’t always immediately clear but if you discuss and can openly brainstorm a resolution it will go a long way in building trust with your team members/team.

4. How do I Build Trust and Accountability Among my Team?

Show up as your best self; as a leader, you set the tone for organizational culture and performance, so if you are perpetually late, push deadlines, or don’t acknowledge your own mistakes your team will see this as an acceptable way to conduct themselves.

In addition, teams need feedback; if behaviors or outcomes surface that don’t align with organizational objectives, there is a good chance there is a lack of clarity around expectations. Communicate with your team to try and identify where you can help close the communication gap to realign your team.

And, most recently…

5. How Can I Get The Most Out of A Remote/Hybrid Team?

Working remotely has presented new workplace challenges for leaders. Still, with some flexibility and the utilization of some great networking and organization platforms, leaders can find themselves successfully leading dynamic and organized teams from the comfort of their living rooms.

By adopting a flexible mindset, leaders can benefit from shifting focus from hours to outcomes. A stellar Q1 report remains stellar regardless of when it was sent/received.

Flexibility filters into team interactions as well. No longer are we meeting at the copier or popping into an office for a quick chat; setting up weekly team meetings and one-on-ones helps keep your team on the same page and allows the human side of your remote team to stay in focus.

In many cases, new leaders jump into the role and react to the challenges they face, learn from (hopefully) good managers and evolve their leadership skills with time. But what if there was a way to practice PROACTIVE LEADERSHIP?

Proactive leadership aims to eliminate or reduce the impact problems have on your team by implementing measures based on identified risks.

Want to know more? Using a coach-approach Intuity Performance can be your bridge from knowledge to actions so that YOU can become an effective human-centric leader.

3 Ways to Develop an Intentional Approach to Leadership

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What is Intentional Leadership?

Good leaders care about the people they lead. They make sure their teams are clear on goals and objectives and that they are empowered and aligned with the organization’s overall direction.

Intentional leadership is effective in the workplace because it empowers teams with the knowledge and tools they need to meet objectives. When everybody is confident in their role and understands their contribution’s impact on the big picture, it sets leaders and teams up for success.

Why is Intentional Leadership important?

Lack of intention in leadership can cause harm to teams and affect confidence and motivation. Without clear direction, teams can become confused and frustrated, which can negatively impact organizational outcomes.

3 Ways to Develop an Intentional Approach to Leadership + Bonus Leadership Self-awareness Checklist(s)

1. Prioritize Personal-development

We’ve all heard the saying: “Leaders are made, not born.” But what does that mean?

Leadership is a skill, not a talent. It’s one thing to have a natural ability to lead, but empowering yourself through continued learning helps leaders guide and inspire others to show up too.

What does it take to be an effective leader? First and foremost, you must be committed to your own personal development. A leader who knows that there is always more to learn and improve upon will be able to help others grow as well.

Personal-development Checklist:

  • Do you know your leadership style?
  • Do you understand the different leadership styles and how they can be adopted for different scenarios?
  • Are you communicating clearly and effectively
  • Are you a self-aware leader?

2. Build Trust

Leading with intention requires leaders to help their teams discover the answers for themselves. Sometimes as a leader, it’s essential to get out of the way – this may seem hard at first!

You might be worried about losing control over what happens next, but this is where leading with intention comes in: Instead of telling your team what to do, ask them what they think is the best course of action. Encourage them to come up with their own solutions. Don’t make decisions for them—instead, guide them to figure it out independently.

It takes practice to let go of your ideas and suggestions. But when it works, it’s beautiful. Teams feel empowered, which motivates and builds trust because they can see their contributions are valued.

Fostering Trust Checklist:

  • Acknowledging your shortcomings (I’m human too)
  • Having your team’s back
  • Proving space for your team to be heard
  • Being proactive vs. reactive
  • Leaving ego at the door when communicating/collaborating
  • Leading with empathy over judgment

3. Engage and Show Interest

Good leaders know the value of taking an interest in their teams.

Team connection is about more than status reports and delegation. Taking an interest in your team members individually helps you understand their talents, motivations, and goals and can build respect between you and them. Respect is a huge motivator for both parties and can be huge for productivity!

This is especially true for employees who are not just seeking a salary but also fulfillment and job satisfaction.

Fostering Engagement Checklist:

  • Understanding the needs of your team
  • Asking questions/staying curious
  • Carving out time for routine check-in’s with team members
  • Identify/acknowledging your team members working styles
    • Who likes to work fast and requires communication that is direct?
    • Who is more methodical and needs time to understand and plan before starting a task.

On the surface intentional leadership seems simple: It’s creating a plan and effectively communicating it to a team of people to execute. However from the leadership lens intentional leadership is much more nuanced than that. It’s actually a layering of hard and soft skills that require training and development, and well…the intention to do so.

Are you interested in developing your skills to become an intentional/human-centric leader? Check out our Whole Person Leadership Cohort info page to learn more.