Responsibility – Tick, But Resource Control is Zero

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Slowing downBy Nicki Gilmour, Executive Coach and Organizational Psychologist

A bad work day can consist of a scenario when you do not manage the team but are on the hook for delivery of the product. Sound familiar? Literally, this happens everyday to many people and it is a problem that creates issues and looks like a lack of skill and efficiency because team A promised the client something but they had no control over team B actually building the product.

Would you take the responsibility of protecting the free world, if you were not allowed the nuclear codes? Most of you will say no to this yet I see so many people taking on outrageous projects and knowingly being on the hook for things that they literally have zero control over the delivery of. How can you avoid this seemingly inevitable situation?

A good case in point is diversity work.

I see a lot of great women heading up women’s networks and being tasked with creating a bigger pipeline of women in the firm. Unless you have serious formal hiring capabilities as your new day job or the ability and full power to rework all the talent processes in the firm plus all the time in the world and renumeration to do it, then why would you say yes to this? From a transformative outcome frame, you should say no since this has no resource or execution control attached to it.

Unless, the goal is advocacy in which case that is fair enough as advocacy is important but rarely formally transformative. Advocacy is what men do every single day for each other so getting them to do it for you is a strong step in the right direction as is getting women to stop burying each other to protect the patriarchy (which runs deep as we know in recent times).

Also, really good development that understands the nuances of being different to the blueprint is never wasted- train and educate as you go in these networks if formally this is not an option (arguably it should de organized and paid for elsewhere but it is often not the case). A network can be a good container to supply unique content to certain audiences who potentially face shared challenges that are systemic in nature.

Remember, only you know what you want to spend time and energy on and how to create goals that are reachable. It is worth thinking about activity versus productivity and outcomes since you all have lives and goals inside and outside of work. Reduce stress by aligning your responsibility and authority on tasks that become the sum of your job!

If you are interested in hiring an Executive Coach to help you navigate your career then email Nicki@glasshammer2.wpengine.com for further informatiom

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Raising Aspirations: When I Grow Up I Want To Be

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mother-being-a-role-model-to-daughter-featuredBy Nneka Orji

What do you want to be when you grow up? For some of us, this is a question to which we haven’t yet arrived at an answer. However as children, many of us had a view albeit evolving as we progressed through teenage years and then young adulthood; an engineer, a ballet dancer, a pop star, an astronaut, or perhaps the most popular childhood dream jobs in the UK – a doctor or nurse (according to a YouGov survey, 1 in 10 adults in the UK aspired to be a doctor or nurse in their childhoods, followed closely by a footballer and teacher). The sky is the limit…but is this really the case for everyone? Or do gender and societal expectations start limiting aspirations in childhood? The short answer – despite a notable shift in behaviours – is yes.

The London School of Economics and University of Madrid published research into how parental behaviours influence children’s perception of gender as they go through preference formation. The study found that children’s motivation and self-esteem, and thereby their job preferences and ambitions, are greatly influenced by parental “sex-typical behaviours” and their socioeconomic resources. Those children who deem only certain jobs appropriate because of their gender are more likely to go into sex-typical careers, however girls with high levels of motivation and both boys and girls with high self-esteem were both more likely to go against societal norms and choose sex-atypical jobs. It doesn’t stop there; girls who aspired and therefore joined stereotypically female jobs were more likely to earn less because of the lower wages which persist across female-dominated roles.

These findings have implications on our approach to addressing gender parity and those who continue to push for parity in the workplace have much to consider. Is there merit in shifting more focus and investment to the “preference formation” stage when prospective employees are in the process of developing their preferences and aspirations, rather than later when aspirations are almost fully formed?

Some businesses are already actively engaging with the younger generation through initiatives with schools – addressing gender equality as well as social mobility. Organisations such as Inspiring the Future and Teach First are connecting professionals with schools and teachers to facilitate this dialogue around aspirations, and providing a platform for children to engage with role models – a critical factor in shaping aspirations. MIT economist Esther Duflo whose research found that role models had a direct impact on ambitions, described the role model effect in an interview: “Seeing women in charge persuaded parents and teens that women can run things, and increased their ambitions. Changing perceptions and giving hope can have an impact on reality.”

Introducing role models into the lives of young children doesn’t just come through family and professionals connected formally. We don’t always have direct access to role models who can inspire and encourage us along the journey, however entrepreneurs Francesca Cavallo and Elena Favilli believe that storytelling can be an effective tool. Rather than being surrounded by the traditional tales of trapped princesses and saving knights, parents and teachers should be sharing real stories such as those in their book “Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls”, detailing the lives of past and present female role models – including Malala Yousafai and Serena Williams. Both girls and boys are able to see beyond the traditional sex-typical roles, and can reflect the stories and lessons from the successful women in their thinking as they develop their career aspirations and later into the workplace.

The power of storytelling in influencing and inspiring others has been widely discussed, but where possible, we must continue to provide platforms to give girls and women direct access to role models. A paper published by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) in 2014 pointed to the need for a “role model revolution”. Women continue to look for role models who inspires other, stands up for their beliefs, build confidence in others, make a difference to society, and demonstrate that they are able to overcome challenges. Acknowledging that no one person can provide all of this, 86% of the survey respondents were looking to develop relationships with more than one individual.

Yet only 55% of those surveyed by CMI said there are enough role models across their organisations and industries – even though 81% saw the benefits of role models in raising aspirations. CMI also asked survey participants to name their most inspirational role models; of the top 10 listed, only 2 were women and have now passed away (Margaret Thatcher and Mother Teresa).

We all know female role models exist and many of them continue to engage successfully with both women and men in the workplace and before. However we all have more to do:

  • Talk about your successful female colleagues and friends so others know they exist and the great work they do
  • Share these success stories with children and young adults by engaging with schools and local communities – waiting until they are 16 isn’t benefiting anyone
  • Lead by example and put yourself forward as a role model – you too can inspire

This isn’t an action list just for women; men also have a role to play – both in the workplace and at home. Assistant Professor Alyssa Croft’s research found that those fathers who not only talked about gender equality but also demonstrated it in sharing household responsibilities were more likely to have daughters who aspired to more sex-neutral or male-dominated jobs.

If we truly want to remove the need for the multiple gender-focused diversity networks and reports, and see the end of headlines such as “without action gender pay gap won’t close until 2069”, we must each take responsibility for positively influencing how the next generation develop their aspirations so that the sky really is the limit.

In the words of Albert Einstein, “setting an example is not the main means of influencing others; it is the only means.” It’s not just about talking the talk, but also walking the walk.

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Want to Win in the Fight For Female Talent? Urgent Change Needed!

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Contributed by Aoife Flood. Based in Dublin, Ireland, Aoife is Senior Manager of the Global Diversity and Inclusion Programme at PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limitedaoife flood featured

Around the world, the workplace gender gap is an area in need of immediate and serious attention and at PwC we believe that we must, and can, drive change more quickly.

The good news is we’re seeing a tidal wave of organisations across the world inject greater urgency into their efforts to tackle gender imbalances, in fact 87% of CEOs globally told us they are actively focused on talent diversity and inclusion. The bad news is we are still decades away from achieving gender parity in the corporate world, and in most countries in the world women still remain underrepresented at every level in the corporate pipeline.

One lever that organisations across the world can leverage to incite more rapid change is their attraction and selection efforts. To create energy and debate in this area I had the privilege of leading a ground-breaking global research study focused on gender inclusive recruitment. And I’m very excited to share that we released the results of this research in PwC’s Winning the fight for female talent report in honour of International Women’s Day.

Female hires in hot demand

The report makes one thing clear, explicit hiring targets have emerged as a core driver of change, in fact 78% of large organisations told us they are actively seeking to hire more women – especially into more experienced and senior level positions. As organisations fight to attract female talent – particularly at levels and in sectors where they’re currently underrepresented – we’re now seeing competition for female talent escalate to a whole new level.

Yet, 30% of women globally said they feel employers are too biased in favour of men when it comes to attracting talent, compared with 13% of men. This is a number that has been on the rise when we consider specifically women from the millennial generation; 16% of female millennials felt this way in 2011, 25% in 2015 and 28% feel this way today.

There is also a clear mismatch between the views of women and employers regarding the barriers limiting greater levels of female recruitment. Of the top five barriers employers identify, four explicitly point to external factors, such as the lack of a sufficient candidate pool (37%) and our industry sector not being viewed as attractive by women (24%). While of the top five barriers identified by women, four explicitly point to internal systemic challenges within employer attraction and selection activities and processes. For example, the impact of gender stereotypes in the recruitment process (45%) and concerns over cost and impact of maternity leave (42%).

Focus on gender inclusive recruitment is critical

Simply focusing on hiring more women, will not be sufficient. Yes, organisations will need to get really good at knowing where to find and how to attract female talent, but that’s not all. They also need to look inside, and transform the objectivity of their own recruitment and selection process and activities if they are to succeed in fostering fair and equal recruitment. And female talent today have their finger firmly on the diversity pulse, 56% of women – rising to 63% for women who are starting out on their careers – said they look to see if an organisation has made progress on diversity when deciding whether or not to work for them. Furthermore, when deciding to accept their most recent position, 61% of women looked at the diversity of the employers leadership team and 67% explored if the employer had positive role models they felt where similar to themselves.

Opportunities for career progression – yes please

Opportunities for career progression, competitive pay, and a culture of flexibility and work-life balance come out as the three most attractive employer traits for men and women overall. Women starting their careers, and female millennials (born 1980-1995) rank opportunities for career progression as their most attractive employer trait. While women with career experience who have recently changed jobs say a lack of opportunities for career progression is the top reason they left their former employer.

Traditional stereotypes associated with gender or life stage, for example, the over association of career ambition with men, and flexibility and work-life balance demands with women, specifically mothers, are well and truly out of date. To be a magnet to the modern talent pool, organisations must equip themselves to offer opportunities for career progression, a culture of flexibility, and competitive pay as workforce-wide realities for all their talent. And to attract the best and brightest male and female talent, they must also make these an integral part of their talent brands and talent systems.

In today’s highly competitive job market, it is incumbent on every organisation to revisit its policies and processes to make sure they are meeting the needs of the modern workforce, in particular the woman of today who is truly a trailblazer. Women today are looking for much more from their careers than previous generations – and organisations need to keep up if they are to secure the talent they need to grow their business.

We invite you to find out more by visiting www.pwc.com/femaletalent.

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Career Fantasy – A Future Job or a Serious Distraction to Your Success Right Now?

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woman thinking - pipelineBy Nicki Gilmour, Executive Coach and Organizational Pyschologist

Most people have a career fantasy. What do I mean? Well, think about it right now; do you want to start a business that involves a cozy bed and breakfast in your favorite holiday spot? Or a cupcake business or a dog groomers? You get the picture and feel free to insert your own fantasy here as most of us have them.

You are not on your own as many folks day dream their way through their current job with a future fantasy of how the future might be.

It is real? Is it a fantasy? Does it matter? I think it matters for two reasons.

Firstly, if it is real, then what is stopping you from doing it on the sooner side? When pushed, my clients often realize that they have gotten no further than the headline and a surefire way to test your own assumptions is to start researching the feasibility and competition of the future industry you are considering entering. if you get this far, then maybe it is not a fantasy, maybe you are on the way to being an entrepreneur? Next step then is to perhaps apply SMART goals? Deep dive into real possibilities as it might be the ride of your life.

However, if you really do not want to own a B&B to the north, south, east or west of where you are now, you might find that out by truly not wanting to do any research or upon investigation find it not to be a viable job. If that is the case, then what role does it serve in terms of your mental involvement at work- is it keeping you engaged at work or distracted and disengaged?

Arguably, having a little dream can be a lovely way to keep you working so that you can save up for it, at least in your mind’s eye and this is a motivator (retirement is a different thing to being a business owner unless you can afford a working hobby).

But, what you do not want to do is to mistake this future perfect state as a “grass is greener” option instead of actually understanding why you do not like your job today. Examine with a coach what is really going on to see how to work out how to stay successfully or leave successfully but not to live in a dream your life away state so that you cannot engage in the present. Talk to a professional coach about real options for your future career and take a vacation to recharge if you feel like a rut is forming so that you can enjoy the present.

If you are interested in hiring an Executive Coach then email nicki@glasshammer2.wpengine.com for a no obligation chat

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Idolize Your Boss? Not So Fast.

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team-meeting-in-office-5lNobody likes to work for somebody who doesn’t respect their employees, make fair decisions, or is more concerned with their own professional advancement than the good the whole team. It’s easy to spot a bad boss, but what does a good boss look like? You might picture her being open to your ideas, easy to talk to, supportive of your professional development and excited about your work. These are nice ideas, but sometimes what seems like a good boss at first can quickly sour when you find out that great performance review was rooted in their own desire to be liked. And sometimes, that tough to please boss who never lets you get a word in has the potential to teach you lesson that will grow your career by leaps and bounds.

How can you learn to manage a relationship with your boss, whether they are good or bad? And, when things do go bad, how can you steer the relationship back to healthy?

When Love Hurts

Annie McKee is a senior fellow at the University of Pennsylvania, director of the PennCLO Executive Doctoral Program and the author of Resonant Leadership. In her work with leaders, she often sees the downside of having a boss who grows their leadership style from the root of having a congenial relationship with their employees. Mckee lists three primary issues that can arise from idolizing or loving your boss.

First, strong emotions tend to cloud our judgment, making it more likely that we will be passive when we should be assertive. Probably, having good judgment is one of the reasons you were hired in the first place—you don’t want to leave it at the door when you go into work each day.

Second, a relationship that is based in ‘liking’ one another can often lead to favoritism. This is never a good scenario; as soon as there is a problem, your boss is likely to distance themselves from you, as their likeability is their top concern. You will soon be replaced by the next easy target.

Finally, blind dedication to a leader can actually be truly dangerous as it leaves you vulnerable to making decisions which can compromise your values.

The bright side of a bad boss

While recent research shows that a boss who is truly abusive—somebody who uses public humiliation and personal attacks to impose fear and blind cooperation—is absolutely bad for your health and will most likely have a negative impact on your family life, it is possible to manage the relationship in a way that will benefit you, your team and the your company.

There is a lot of research supporting the negative impacts—on every aspect of business from the employee’s personal health to the company’s bottom line—of bad bosses, but there is not so much research on the positive impacts. Even so, there are many people whom have found that they have learned as much from challenging bosses as they have from those whom were easier to work with. If you are able to take a step back, you will learn what not to do, become more resilient, and self-reliant. These are stellar qualities that can help you become ready for your next leadership position.

A difficult relationship with your boss could be rooted in a number of different conflict types. They could be plainly harsh in their criticisms, irrational in their decision-making process or you could simply have a personality conflict. Either way, how can you find your way through it to the next phase of your career without damaging your personal brand, or your job performance?

Moving onward and upward

According to the American Psychological Association, the best way to manage a difficult boss begins with understanding the reasons your boss’ chooses to behave the way she does. If it seems that the behavior stems from stress due to work overload, it is likely to change in response to changes in the amount of workload or other factors. But if your boss’ behavior seems to follow a consistently hostile or abusive patter of interacting with co-workers and employees, it is less likely that the behavior will change. In this case, the APA recommends seeking the counsel of a trusted mentor.

Once you have determined the reason for your boss’s behavior, you will want to manage your own negative emotions. You do not want to engage in self-defeating behaviors such as counter-attacking your boss or stonewalling them. Remember your purpose at work, do your job, and remain professional.

Third, communicate your feelings with your boss or another trusted supervisor. It is important to frame your concerns in a positive manner. Perhaps this will bring a change, but some experts say this is unlikely. The administration of the company has already expressed their opinion by promoting the difficult boss in question.

In the meantime, the APA advises to try and separate your personal ego from your business persona. When your supervisor is critical, be rational in your response. Is there something for you to learn from the criticism? If so, use it as an opportunity to work with your boss on a play to address the problem. But if you don’t think it is reasonable or valid criticism, then take solace in that. Their lack of judgment does not have to take over your entire sense of self.

By Rebecca S. Caum

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Why Self Promoters Get Promoted

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Nicki GilmourBy Nicki Gilmour, Executive Coach and Organizational Psychologist

We have all seen it. The loud person, usually a guy, gets the job. If women are loud, do they get the job? Sometimes yes and sometimes that same approach can backfire as being assertive as a trait seems to have a different impact depending on your gender. We know that there is unconscious or conscious bias around promoting and paying men more for the same job even if women have the same qualifications and experience ( and paid the same money for the same expensive ivy league degree).

But that aside for a second, research shows that self promoters do get promoted more despite everyone deep down knowing that confidence can outweigh actual competence or skill.

How do you feel about self-promoting yourself? Most people do not overly enjoy the thought and go straight to an extreme image. Stop there. Maybe it is easier than you think? Maybe it does not have to be so extreme.

Here are 3 ways to gently self- promote:
  • Tip #1 Talk about your project and the goals out loud ( and throw in how it is all going from your perspective in a positive way)
  • Tip #2 Update direct reports, managers, stakeholders and clients with a “Have a nice weekend, here is where we are at” email.
  • Tip #3 Mention where you want to be for your next role, project or team so that people know you are ambitious and engaged.

Best of Luck!

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Black History Month

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We hope you have enjoyed our featured articles and career profiles during Black History Month.

Take a look at some of our Featured Black History Month articles from previous years:

Black-History-MonthBlack History Month 2016 – Honoring African American Women in Business

In honor of Black History Month 2016, this month The Glass Hammer will feature interviews with notable African American women at leading firms on their career experiences, aspirations, and advice for other women in their field. Theglasshammer.com all year long and over the past nine years ensures we profile women of all social identities and experiences and we have always stated from the beginning that we want our readers to have many different role models.

diverse women in the boardroomBlack History Month Coverage: Diversifying Diversity for Better Results

Leadership diversity pays off, and a new study by McKinsey “Why Diversity Matters” has the hard numbers to prove it. It also points out that most corporate diversity programs don’t go far enough to be inclusive of ethnically diverse leaders. The Glass Hammer has long upheld the “business case for diversity,” and senior women in the corporate space will be pleased to see statistically significant results supporting this argument.

black female leader featuredBlack Women in Business: An update on progress

When we talk about the progress that has been made by women in corporate America, using gender to mean ‘all women’, what we’re actually referring to is the progress and gains that have been made by white women.

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Old Myths, New Mindsets: Strategic Leadership

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Elegant leaderExecutives, across all industries and levels, have one goal in common. They want to run a successful team and a successful organization. Without question, the business dynamics and competitive climate in which they operate has changed dramatically over the years, yet many leaders lean on old corporate myths to drive their success.

I have encountered many leaders, both within and outside of healthcare, who think:

1. There is no ‘I’ in team.
2. Great outcomes come from perfect plans
3. During times of rapid change wait for clarity before acting.
4. There are no stupid questions.
5. Everyone’s opinion counts.
6. Nice guys/girls finish last.
7. The customer is always right.

What I’ve found through experience and the changing mindset that I’ve developed as a leader is that a lot of this is no longer, and perhaps never was true.

Myth: There’s no ‘I’ in team.

Fact: A strong “I” or commitment to personal accountability and professional achievement from each member leads to high performing teams.

Action: A comprehensive operations plan includes clear role assignments and timelines at every phase of a project leaving no question which team member is accountable for driving the success of that element. It also provides ample opportunity for the leader to recognize individual contributions along with team achievements.

Myth: Great outcomes come from perfect plans.

Fact: Great outcomes come from consistent, forward-moving action. Poor implementation or an overly rigid plan will often sabotage great outcomes.

Action: Execution starts when the Leader fulfills their responsibility to: 1. Clearly and consistently communicate the desired future state AND 2.) Secure the resources necessary for success. Wise leaders adjust goals when they are unable to fulfill one or both of these leadership accountabilities or when business circumstances change.

Myth: During times of rapid change, wait for clarity before acting.

Fact: While it is always wise to fully examine the circumstances surrounding change, complete clarity is typically hard to come by in the midst of a rapidly evolving business cycle.

Action: Just as in the previous example, leading an organization during times of heavy change requires clear communication and necessary resources, including employee education. Arming the team with information and expertise is a sure way to drive out fear and get ahead of the curve. Don’t be afraid to take action on the known and plot course corrections as new facts become available.

Myth: “There are no stupid questions.”

Fact: We’ve all heard stupid questions being asked in a business setting, let’s face it. The damage can be immediate as the collective perception of the individual goes down a notch. Various possibilities run through the listener’s mind – none of them good. Didn’t she/he prepare for this meeting? Haven’t they been listening? If this person does not grasp a fundamental concept, will they be a capable contributor?

Action: It is time to evaluate which of the many possibilities noted above is accurate. With this knowledge and the full engagement of the individual involved, a high impact remedy is possible. Ideally, the result is an improvement in this colleague’s ability to perform as a well-respected contributor.

Myth: Everyone’s opinion counts.

Fact: Leaders must make tough decisions. Facts and the wise consul of strong subject matter experts count. In many cases the opinions of the full employee population simply do not.

Action: Once a key business decision is made, the immediate next step is to inform others with a legitimate “need to know.” Although that sometimes includes all employees, partners, and customers, more often the audience is limited. A comprehensive communication plan with well-developed talking points will help the full leadership team engage in meaningful dialogue with those impacted.

Myth: Nice guys or girls finish last.

Fact: Committing to being the best version of you does not mean you are soft or a pushover OR that you will finish last. Many of the world’s most successful leaders are genuinely nice people who make deals and solve problems through the mutual relationships formed with people they like and trust.

Action: The work of staying humble and treating others as you’d like to be treated requires frequent, honest self-evaluation. Don’t be afraid to engage an effective career coach to help you stay grounded. It’s okay to be human. It’s okay to be compassionate. Your employees will respect you for being your genuine self: intelligent, bold, and kind.

Myth: The customer is always right.

Fact: No. No. No. In fact if the customer were always right, they wouldn’t need us. Your customers surely have fantastic ideas and insights, but so do you! Working together you can find the right path and solution set to achieve their goals.

Action: Regardless of the organization’s product or service, you have been chosen for the ability to favorably impact your customer. When they have chosen a strategy, product, or service that will not achieve the desired future state, it is your job to respectfully lead them to a better solution. Make the art of consultative guidance a part of your employee education program.

This group of business myths is far from complete. It’s important to note that, along with the many examples included here, many industries or individual organizations have their own set of myths that protect the status quo. Courageous leaders aren’t afraid to challenge long held beliefs regardless of their origin.

Guest Contribution by Jackie Larson, President, Avantas

Jackie is a healthcare industry veteran and recognized thought leader. She joined Avantas in 2008 and has been the driving force in building out the company’s client management, analytics, and consulting groups into world-class teams providing guidance and support to clients on a wide range of issues including workforce optimization, productivity, business analytics and more.

(Views and opinions of Guest Contributors are not necessarily those of theglasshammer.com)

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Maybe Next Year: The Promotion or Bonus Promise That Was Not Kept

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By Nicki Gilmour

What do you do when you are told that you did great work this year but you are not getting the promotion or the bonus you were set up by these managers or HR people to expect? Nicki Gilmour

Many people come to me with this issue and frankly are not very happy about it. Depending on the exact circumstances, this could be a deal breaker for some professionals who start looking around for a different opportunity in a new firm. For others, it is time of working with their boss to plan to replay what the goals were and to look at instances which met, exceeded or came close to the expectation. Why do this? Why delve into the past? Well, sometimes it can be useful to  ensure that the criteria to progress is made explicit for this year. This process is helpful to set up a system, so that during the year you can have formal or informal check-ins to show that you are meeting the milestones and that your success is hard to refute. Moreover, maybe it is about making busy people notice.

How can you have this conversation without it being inappropriate, weird or reflect badly on you?

Firstly, know your boss. How will he or she react to an after action review? Will they find it constructive if couched as such?

Secondly, know the cultural norms of how things are done there. Stay safe, play within norms (unless you have a huge appetite for risk in which case do what you need to do but be able to live with the consequences).

Lastly, understand the importance or including or excluding HR as each firm is different on the use of human resources and talent processes. I say this with respect, because if you have a strategic and involved HR team who really get the talent retention piece and can see you are trying to develop yourself, then that can help you immensely as their systems might make for a less subjective process. Conversely, if they are all police and there is no strategic process then perhaps finding a different route to your manager as it pertains to how you reach the next level is ok too.

Is it as easy as asking your manager the following? In some cases, yes.

A direct question like “What do I explicitly need to do to get the x title and be paid y with z in bonus starting January 2018?” is suitable for some firms and not for others as is, “If I fulfill on tasks as discussed and fulfill on what we agree realistic success to be, can you give me a reassurance that we are going to be both happy and rewarded this time next year?”

This gives your manager a chance to think about what success looks like for you and them at the very least and in more subtle environments, just asking “what does success look like?” might be a good way to build that relationship and clarify some benchmarks.

Getting any sort of criteria in writing can be useful and on a weekly, monthly or quarterly basis as appropriate, send an email to your boss and other stakeholders with an update on how the activity is furthering or completing the stated goal.

And, if it is a moving target then ask your boss to break it down based on today’s live time view and suggest a formal time every month or quarter to talk about how goals are evolving based on the external environment or whatever stimuli is making them constantly move. Just make sure this is not an easy out for your manager to stay vague on purpose.

Because, you do not want to be having the same conversation this time next year now, do you?

(If you are interested in hiring an Executive Coach please contact Nicki@theglasshammer.com to discuss further)

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Burnout Isn’t “Their Issue”: Changing Our Behaviours to Benefit Us All

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By Nneka Orji

For many, burnout is a familiar concept; its association with emotional exhaustion and reduced motivation is widely acknowledged.

Burnout

Image via Shutterstock

However those most vulnerable to burnout are more likely to take a “not me” approach, assuming that burnout is something which others suffer from. However, with studies such as that commissioned by Virgin last year which found that just over half of full-time employees in the UK have suffered from anxiety or burnout, individuals and business leaders can no longer see burnout as an infrequent occurrence to be dealt with by someone else. The scale of burnout and its implications – including low levels of engagement – now calls for a much more concerted effort to ensure work environments and organisational cultures mitigate against the risk of burnout and allow all employees to thrive throughout their careers. It can’t be seen as “their issue” – it impacts us all.
Someone who has taken burnout very personally is Arianna Huffington – founder of Huffington Post who recently set up Thrive Global. Following her burnout experience in 2007 as she was setting up Huffington Post, she took a particular interest in the impact of burnout on her life and the lives of others. “For far too long we have been operating under a collective delusion that burning out is the necessary price for achieving success. This couldn’t be less true.” In her recent interview, Arianna talks about the importance of sleep (and nutrition and exercise) in achieving a healthy and successful lifestyle, and some of the key changes organisations need to make to ensure that mitigating burnout doesn’t sit solely in HR departments but with each business leader and every employee.
It isn’t just a nice to have; being able to manage the risk of burnout and perceptions of burnout directly influence an organisation’s ability to recruit (particularly millennials) and impacts the bottom line. According to Gallup’s recent survey, 24% of German employees interviewed felt “tired or burned out” and 12% said they had dealt with mental or emotional stress including burnout and depression in the preceding 12 months. As a result, employees are taking sick days and working less effectively which Gallup estimates to be costing German employers 9 billion euros in lost productivity each year. With economists highlighting the increasing global productivity gap, business leaders and policy makers should be addressing all aspects negatively impacting productivity – including burnout. Where employees felt that their organisations cared about their overall wellbeing were less likely to feel stressed and burned out, and therefore likely to be more engaged and more productive.
Looking beyond productivity at diversity, another top agenda item in leadership discussions, addressing burnout is also an important aspect when considering workforce gender diversity. Last year Cosmopolitan surveyed over 750 women; with over half of the respondents saying they “obsessed over work” even after working hours and a third (71%) suffering from anxiety and panic attacks at some point, the survey suggested that today’s female workforce had become “generation burnout”. However this isn’t unique to women; research published in 2010 in the Journal of Vocational Behaviour challenged the widely-held belief that women are more likely to suffer from burnout than their male colleagues. Instead the research found that women are more likely to be emotionally exhausted, while men are more likely to be “somewhat more depersonalised” – both signs associated with burnout.
Burnout affects our colleagues, our organisational cultures and our economies. Surely we should each be doing more to challenge the status quo? Yes working effectively and sometimes longer than we would like is sometimes necessary, but it should not be the norm.
We can all play a proactive role in changing the association of unsustainable hours with success. And we do that by spotting the signs of burnout – in others and in ourselves, speaking up to ensure we change the culture and ensure the well-being of our colleagues, and role modelling the right behaviours.
1. Spotting the signs
It’s important to know the signs you should be looking out for and how you identify those colleagues most at risk of burnout. While not all burnout leads to employees quitting, the behaviours demonstrated by those burned out and those quitting are similar. According to Timothy Gardner and Peter Hom, following detailed research on the topic of quitting, there are 13 key signs to look out for – including decreased productivity, reduced focus on job related matters, and expressing dissatisfaction with their supervisors more frequently than usual.
While most of us complain from time to time about tiredness, exhaustion and significant disengagement are very different. By being aware of these 13 behaviours (and more), we are not only better positioned to support the burned out individual in what is a challenging period, we are also able to be more cognisant of the impact his or her behaviours impact the rest of the team.
2. Holding up the mirror
Of course it is much easier to observe these behaviours in others, but we must also be able to spot these behaviours in ourselves. Particularly for top performers who always want to give 100% and sometimes see themselves as invincible to the stresses of work life, it is important to pause and ask if one’s pace is sustainable.
3. Speaking up
Once we have identified the signs of burnout, we must take action and the first step is to talk about it. Ignoring the real challenge of burnout and hoping that one good night’s sleep will address the exhaustion is far from realistic. By talking with colleagues who have been affected by burnout, we are able to address it head on.
Arianna Huffington first started speaking up about burnout after her own personal experiences and has since reached millions of employees – and students who will go into the workforce. When asked about why she has been so proactive in getting the message out to millions of people, Arianna talked about the importance of changing perceptions for the next generation so they are able to associate success with sleep-rich careers.  Sweeping it under the carpet will only lead to the next generation emulating poor behaviours.
4. Being a role model
Finally, role modelling the behaviours is critical. Talking about burnout and how we want to change it will have very little impact if each and every one of us doesn’t commit to changing our behaviours. This isn’t easy – bad habits die hard. However, if we are to enjoy fulfilling careers over the long term, and ensure the next generation of leaders have healthier lifestyles, then we must respond to this call to action.
 
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