A full order book is no longer a sure sign of company prosperity. These days, cash in the bank is the only real indicator of success.
In the current pressure cooker economy, the most effective leaders are the ones who have their finger on the financial pulse of their organisations. Leaders have long-term strategies to even out cash flow and flag bottlenecks, whereas managers focus on short-term gains.
What is an emotional contract? According to Adrian Furnham, author of The Talented Manager, “The psychological contract is essentially concerned with a set of expectations and obligations. Employees come to believe […] that they are being offered various things, such as: security of employment; promotion prospects and opportunities; training and development programmes; help and care in times of trouble; and being treated fairly and with dignity. And employees usually offer something in return: a soft form of conformity and obedience: obeying the rules and abiding by the requirements of the job and the instructions of supervisors. They also offer loyalty by staying on in the job, perhaps when they have had attractive offers from elsewhere. And, linked to this, they offer commitment”.
The Rottweiler school of management – insisting that employees leave their home lives firmly at the door – is thankfully dying out. There is a growing understanding that to get the best out of people, you have to actually treat them like human beings, not commodities, or resources, or worse still, robots.
There are times in life and business when you’re presented with a set of new decisions or choices that will define the future for you or your company. But how do you know if you’re making the right choice? Or even if there’s a right choice at all? You may be facing a “which is least-worst or most-beneficial?” situation.
If you’re going to achieve success as a leader, you need to understand that perception is reality. It doesn’t matter who you think you are, or who you are underneath: the way people perceive you is, to all intents and purposes, who you are.
So, how can you control how your team perceives you?
Millennials are finishing their education and joining the workforce – but, according to motivational speaker Simon Sinek, they’re finding this transition hard.
For all your experience and finely tuned business acumen, sometimes what you need, in order to grow your profit, is a leap of faith.
When you think of infamous sports teams, your attention is often drawn to the glitz and glamour of superstar players and pivotal moments. However, an incredibly interesting new line of research seems to suggest that a strong, inspirational captain is far more important to continued success.
Part of being a high performing leader is ensuring your staff members are comfortable in their working environment, as well as being supportive to watch them grow and take their first step to success. By comfortable, I don’t mean that the desk is at the right height or the chair is well adjusted! For many new employees, this may be the first job they have taken on since leaving school/university or they may return to work after maternity or another break from work. Even if they are moving from job to job using familiar skills, there will be some anxiety about fitting into a new working environment and making a good impression.
How can you ensure your employees aren’t afraid of taking their first step within your organisation?
If you have commissioned a customer satisfaction survey, or worked with stakeholders on their expectations of your business, you will understand the value of honest feedback. As wonderful as it is to hear how brilliant your company is performing and how satisfied your customers and stakeholders are, it is imperative to the growth and future success of you and your organisation that you receive both the good and the bad news.