Tag: management | The Caraires Consultancy

Top tips to stop high employee turnover

22nd November 2019 by Molly Billings

Employee turnover has always been a challenge that organisations are keen to correct. There are many reasons for this. Losing a high calibre of talent is detrimental to the business and this can impact the bottom line.

According to research, an oft-cited reason for high turnover figures is due to poor line managers. Gallup research found that 75% of employees had voluntarily left a company because of their manager. If employees feel like they aren’t valued or respected, and really given the opportunity to flourish at work then employees may feel leave for a more stimulating role at a competitor brand.

So, what can managers do to prevent high employee turnover?

Coaching

Managers should never undermine the power of coaching. An important deciding factor for employees wanting to walk is whether they believe that their company offers development opportunities.

What this means for managers is that they can develop an approach that involves continuous feedback so that employees can work on their weakness and play to their strengths. Setting goals will help encourage employees to get better rather than giving them a spiel of negative criticism.

Involving employees in decision

While the traditional, autocratic style of management has effectively got the world to the place that it is today, the nature of working is changing and employees are continually demanding for their voices to be heard at work.

Therefore, involving employees in the decision-making process will help with engagement and encourage people to stay at a firm for longer.

Striking up meaningful conversations

Having frequent discussions with the team will help create an engaging company culture. According to John Kanoski, CEO of Legal Files: “Regular conversations help keep our team members aligned with organisation-wide goals. Our managers seek to connect personal aspirations with the bigger overall vision of Legal Files.” Therefore, conversations that bring the team together and help them connect not only helps with moral but it positively influences the bottom line too.

(Credit to Executive Grapevine Daily)

How to make better professional decisions

8th November 2019 by Molly Billings

Making important decisions is a fundamental part of any business leader’s role. Whether it’s determining how to better improve company policies or how to enhance an organisation’s profits, these decisions are never easy and can result in a number of repercussions.

According to The Balance Careers, managers often face unstructured issues within the workplace, which are there to test their abilities as a decision maker and will therefore ultimately impact their success as a manager.

It’s imperative that every leader gets these right, as getting them wrong can all too often lead to a lack of trust in you as a manager, which would likely lead to a loss on morale as employees lose faith.

Below are three tips to help you make better career decisions as a leader:

Removing emotion

When it comes to making key decisions, leaders should be aware not to let their emotions play a part in this. Emotions can rush a judgement or slow a process down, therefore The Balance Careers suggests stepping back and reflecting on the situation before making any snap decisions.

Reversing decisions

Once a decision has been made, every leader should be aware that this can’t be reversed as easily as they hope. However, The Balance Careers warns that managers should not fall victim to self-doubt when they have a called a decision, as this can lead to extra stress and frustration among teams and employees.

Learn from your mistakes

This well-known phrase is imperative for every business leader. As such, to strengthen your capabilities to make decisions you should reflect on ones you have made in the past and review them to help you improve your decision-making in the future.

(Credit to Executive Grapevine Daily)

How to position yourself as a thought leader

7th November 2019 by Molly Billings

Good business leaders are hard to come by; whilst many may fulfil the basic functions of a senior manager in that they make decisions based on sound financial and productivity data, it’s rare to find a leader that sports the qualities needed to be considered a thought leader.

This is often reflected in the way in which they are viewed by their staff. Some are also blinded by the bottom line, and therefore unaware of how basic changes could positively impact their company.

Gallup research claims that around 70% of UK employees are actively disengaged at work. Why? Because of their leadership; a recent study by Career Builder claims that 58% of leaders haven’t actually received management training, and 89% are completely unaware that the main reason that employees quit is because of their leadership – actively misconstruing this as a push for more money.

And this is having a massive impact on the way that professionals view their bosses. Harvard Business Review data suggests that 58% of workers would trust a stranger more than their own boss, whilst 79% of people who quit cite a ‘lack of appreciation’ from their leadership.

What is a thought leader?

It may sound like a classic business buzzword, but actually thought leadership literally simply refers to being as informed as you possibly can be, and then seeing the broad spectrum of your industry, with a view to implementing policies based on this in your own company. No one definition for a thought leader

exists, yet most agree that it’s someone who is a trendsetter, and someone who is a ‘top dog’ in their field.

Russ Allan, leadership specialist and contributor for Forbes magazine, stated that his view of a thought leader is this: “A thought leader is an individual or firm that prospects, clients, referral sources, intermediaries and even competitors recognise as one of the foremost authorities in selected areas of specialisation, resulting in it being the go-to individual or organisation for said expertise.”

Yet his next point is slightly more poignant. He said that almost as important as being a thought leader, is being viewed as a thought leader. He said: “A thought leader is an individual or firm that significantly profits from being recognised as such.”

How do you become one, or at least be viewed as one?

Build credibility

Becoming a thought leader isn’t an overnight process; it takes groundwork. This means working hard to build credibility in your field. Your workers should trust you implicitly. Other leaders should value your advice. You should be seen as someone who could hold their own in a debate or be invited to speak at industry events.

Know your audience

Knowing your industry is essential, and so is knowing your audience. Who are you advising? What positive change is coming from your input? How are you affecting outcomes and who do you need to address to do so? These are questions you must answer.

Tell your story

Context is essential in any road-map. Where have you come from and how does this affect where you’re going? Where were your expertise honed? Anyone can read a book – how are you actively using your past experiences to implement good change?

Network

This doesn’t just mean sipping wine at an annual business conference. This means immersing yourself in the experiences of others in your field. Build a powerful LinkedIn community around you and be active on it. Read your trade news and engage in as much conversation as you can. Be passionate and build passion. This also helps you build on the last point…

Gain knowledge

…which is, gain as much knowledge as you possibly can. This is the route of all things. You must know your industry inside and out. Read everything, watch everything, listen to podcasts and build your own opinions. Use this information to see patterns and understanding.

(Credit to Executive Grapevine Daily)

3 signs your team thinks you’re a terrible manager

24th September 2019 by Ethan Smith

It’s never nice to have to accept that you’re the problem. However, there are two different routes you can go down once this becomes clear.

One will help you progress, flourish and ultimately become a better boss, and one will lead you down a path of anxiety and maybe even being fired. You can choose to lead into the criticism that’s floating around about you; you can choose to speak to your boss and your team and work out exactly what the issue is, and then work to overcome it; or you can choose to deny to yourself that there’s any issue at all, ignore what people are obviously saying and pretend it isn’t happening.

Which path do you believe will lead to success?

Yet the first step is to ascertain if there is an issue. One disgruntled employee’s opinion is not law, nor is a grumpy comment uttered when they didn’t think you were within earshot. It may be that you’re simply creating a mutiny out of nothing, so here’s how you tell.

1. You’re ignored

There are a few key signs that you simply aren’t liked as a manager and one is that you’re largely treated as if you weren’t there at all. Employees who hate their manager often just want them to go away, and presume that if they don’t make any contact, they’ll leave without having to endure a long conversation. This is especially true when large groups of employees are together – such as in breakout rooms or work gatherings.

2. You’re constantly disobeyed

It takes respect to command your own team. Those below you have to believe in your leadership to feel confident in actioning your decisions. If you find that you have to ask multiple times before anyone will do what you say, or that you receive constant push back and second-guessing before they finally relent, then you’re not receiving the respect that you crave.

3. You’re undermined

Workers will never trust the verdict of a boss who they believe is bad at their job. Often, even if you give them the information they’ve requested, they’ll either go above your head to ensure that it’s correct, or even go to a co-worker to verify your answer. Whilst this may seem innocent, by avoiding taking your advice, they’re essentially displaying how little confidence they have in your knowledge.