Many of us grew up learning the 3 R’s throughout our education (reading, writing, and arithmetic). However, as technology changed and the needs of the workforce became more complex, educators realized the true skills necessary for success had changed as well. For the past decade, educators have been focused on teaching the four C’s that have been deemed 21st Century Workforce Skills. The 4 C’s necessary for workforce readiness are critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity. Many organizations report that, despite higher education’s focus on the 4C’s, new graduates still lack basic proficiency in these areas.
The Right Way to Reward Employees
We all know that employee recognition is important. Not only do we naturally want to acknowledge the high-functioning teams we lead for their hard work, but we want to be recognized for our own contributions to the organization’s success. Recently, IBM’s Smarter Workforce Institute published a white paper with great data on the importance of rewarding employees. Here are a few key findings from their survey of 19,000 workers: Employees who receive recognition are more likely to be engaged at work. The engagement level of employs who receive recognition is almost three times higher than the engagement level of those … Read More
The Power of an Introverted Leader
In last week’s post, we talked about how to unleash optimal performance from your introverted team members. This week, let’s talk about how to unleash your own potential as an introverted leader. While it is true that extroverts are over-represented in leadership roles, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a place for introverts in the C-suite. In fact, many admired leaders such as Bill Gates, Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln, and Larry Page have proven that introversion isn’t a quality that hinders success. There are several aspects of introversion that are strengths in a leadership role. Here are a few examples:
How to Lead an Introvert
The best teams are made up of very diverse individuals. They come from varied backgrounds, have different experience levels, and bring with them unique thoughts, ideas, and perspectives. Leading an introvert can be perceived as a challenge for managers who are disproportionately extroverted. You may not feel very connected to your introverted employees or feel as though they don’t participate enough in group discussions or projects. However, there is so much value in having an introvert on your team if you can identify and flex to their unique needs. Here are some tips for spotting the introvert on your team:
The Golden Rules of Tough Feedback
Feedback comes in many forms: solicited, unsolicited, positive, negative, constructive, etc. Whether you’re in the C-suite or just starting your career, feedback is a crucial component to your development and career success. But we often fail to effectively solicit, deliver, and receive feedback. Here are 6 golden rules for handling tough feedback:
Find What Fits and Make it Stick
You know the phrase “There’s a sucker born every minute”? Well, that same phrase could be applied to new leadership development programs as well. It seems every training organization and leadership coach has unlocked the mystery of developing successful leaders with their unique programs, and they’ll share that secret with you for only a few thousand dollars per person. Practitioners receive dozens of emails a day pitching these new programs. They’re all compelling in different ways, and several of them likely have quality content.