The Hidden Cost of Layoffs

A couple of months ago, I was having lunch with a buddy and we were talking about a company that had just announced a massive round of layoffs. I don't remember which company, and that's not important to the story; but he said something I'd never thought about before. He then said; "They didn't just lay off thousands of employees; they also let possibly millions of years of experience walk out the door." 

 That stopped me. 

We usually hear about layoffs in numbers. Thousands of jobs. Millions of dollars saved. Restructuring. Efficiencies. Corporate language. AI. Stock prices. Industry blah blah blah. But behind every number is a person with knowledge. 

It's the woman who knows how to calm an angry customer because she's done it for twenty years. The technician who can hear something wrong before anyone else notices. The salesperson who remembers clients and relationships built over decades. And thousands have to tell their family they may not have an income for a while. 

Ones and Zeroes

Experience may not show up on a balance sheet, but it's real. It's valuable. It's important. Of course the company has to evaluate inefficiencies and shifting business realities. Layoffs happen. I've been on both sides. Businesses have to make tough decisions. Markets change. Technology evolves. I get that. But experience matters. 

When people leave; they don't just take a job title with them. They are not head count. They take years of lessons, relationships, company intel, instincts, and wisdom when they walk out the door with that infamous box under their arm. 

  And that's something that is difficult to replace. ____________________________________________________________

Burnout or Quietly Quit?

The global consulting firm Deloitte recently published a study on burnout. It's a sobering reminder of the challenges that many of us are facing in today's fast-paced and demanding work environment. The pandemic completely changed entire industries. Many are back in the office full-time; some are doing a hybrid schedule; and others may never go back to the cubicle. This adds complexity to workplace culture and how leaders lead their teams.

The survey found 77% of full-time US employees have experienced burnout at their current job, and over half have faced it multiple times. While companies may be offering well-being programs to address stress in the workplace. 70% of professionals feel their employers are not doing enough to prevent or alleviate burnout. I live in Canada and I'll bet the numbers are similar here. 

Workplace Culture

But it's not just about the programs. The survey also found workplace culture plays a big role in preventing burnout. The top driver of burnout cited was lack of support or recognition from leadership, and a quarter of respondents said they never or rarely take all their vacation days. I can relate! 

The survey also found 84% of millennials have experienced burnout at their current job, with nearly half saying they've left a job because they felt burned out. It's a concerning trend, and it highlights the importance of addressing burnout in the workplace. Quiet quitting has crept into our vernacular since the beginning of the pandemic. 

Preventing Burnout

It's not just about offering well-being programs or a supportive workplace culture. It's about creating a holistic approach that recognizes and values the well-being of employees. Here's a thought; if you're a leader, ask them how they are doing rather than always focusing conversations on output and results of their work.

It's a critical issue, and it's time for companies to step up and create a work environment that promotes well-being and prevents burnout. The workday is no longer punching in at 8:30am, taking the standard one-hour lunch break, and punching out at 5pm. We aren't robots; we are humans, and there's a lot going on that may not be related to our work but certainly affects it. AI may be dominating the zeitgeist but it’s my hope we don’t forget the human connection. 

A good place to start is with an honest conversation.

_________________________________________________________________

My Gramps' Advice

My grandfather used to love telling the story of his boyhood friend Campbell. One day, they were at my great grandmother’s house and she had just baked a delicious chocolate cake. She asked my grandfather if he’d like a slice and he replied; “Yes please!” and she gave him one.

She then turned to Campbell and asked him the same question and he said; “I don’t mind”. She replied; “I don’t mind either” and left the room. No cake for Campbell.

Real or Imagined

Whether this story happened or not isn’t the point. My grandfather was trying to teach his 9 year old grandson to say please and thank-you and if I wanted something someone had offered me, it was okay to accept it.

How often do we do that to ourselves? We send out confusing messages to the universe and wonder why more confusion returns. My grandfather didn’t teach his grandson to take what wasn’t his or be an arrogant self-centered person, he was showing me how to discover what I wanted and be okay with wanting it.

Say What You Mean

Now take the Campbell story into your life, your work, your company, and see how often basic communication breaks down to the point of confusion. We humans try our best but often we don’t communicate very well with each other.

In our relationships, if we aren’t clear, how on earth can we expect others around us to have a clear sense of what we want, mean, or say? So the next time someone offers you a piece of cake, simply say yes please or no thank-you. It’s all you would expect if you were doing the offering.

Thanks Gramps.
__________________________________________________________________

Is it Magic?

There are a thousand ways we can go with leadership development and talent training but without knowing the specifics, it can be a lot of activity with disappointing results.

The best way, in my experience, to build anything is to include everyone. This isn't to suggest you take the committee approach forever, but you need to find the waterline. Here's one simple tactic you may want to try if your company or department or team are stuck. Give everyone the day off.

You read that right. Without letting important deadlines or projects drop, give the team a work day away from the office to think and gather their thoughts. Then it's time to get back together and do a brainstorming session. I love to facilitate these because it allows everyone to have a voice and ideas to be streamlined into realistic and executable chunks. So wave your magic wand and dream big. Then get to work.

It will be worth it.
__________________________________________________________________

Grandfather's Lesson

My grandfather used to love telling the story of his boyhood friend Campbell. One day, they were at my great grandmother’s house and she had just baked a delicious chocolate cake. She asked my grandfather if he’d like a slice and he replied; “Yes please!” and she gave him one.

She then turned to Campbell and asked him the same question and he said; “I don’t mind”. She replied; “I don’t mind either” and left the room. No cake for Campbell.

Real or Imagined

Whether this story happened or not isn’t the point. My grandfather was trying to teach his 9 year old grandson to say please and thank-you and if I wanted something someone had offered me, it was okay to accept it.

How often do we do that to ourselves? We send out confusing messages to the universe and wonder why more confusion returns. My grandfather didn’t teach his grandson to take what wasn’t his or be an arrogant self-centered person, he was showing me how to discover what I wanted and be okay with wanting it.

Say What You Mean

Now take the Campbell story into your life, your work, your company, and see how often basic communication breaks down to the point of confusion. We humans try our best but often we don’t communicate very well with each other.

In our relationships, if we aren’t clear, how on earth can we expect others around us to have a clear sense of what we want, mean, or say? So the next time someone offers you a piece of cake, simply say yes please or no thank-you. It’s all you would expect if you were doing the offering.

Thanks Gramps, you are still teaching me!
__________________________________________________________________

The Daily Art of Being Human

There are over seven billion of us on this planet, over two billion online, and the noise is unbearable most days. Look at this, click on that, check my offer, attend this event, go to that store, read this article, buy that cool gadget, the list is endless. Then we're expected to share it, text it, tweet it, connect it, friend it, email it, or blog it.

The cries for attention seem unrelenting and perhaps as we have trained ourselves to sift through endless data, content, and advertising, we have forgotten ourselves? But it would be good to think we take more care with our relationships and careers. This creates strong bonds, great friendships, and successful companies.

Culture Matters

Leadership and culture are not job titles and your team is not a group of robots carrying out mindless tasks to grow the revenue for your shareholders. Like you, they have dreams and goals and a need for more meaning and passion in their work.

If you focus on the meaning of your business, significance of your people, and importance of creating a collaborative culture, the focus on revenue will no longer get in the way of creating all of your goals.

Daily Care

If you feel yourself wanting more on a deeper level, you are certainly not alone. In a busy world with too much going on, keeping relationships our biggest priority will serve us well. Letting the distractions replace the interactions is dangerous.

If you understand that everyone around you is not too different than you, have a need to belong like you, and want contribute and be a part of something like you, that will go a long way. As a leader, be human.

Your team will thank you.
__________________________________________________________________

Be Human. The End.

There are over seven billion of us on this planet, over two billion online, and the noise is unbearable most days. Look at this, click on that, check my offer, attend this event, go to that store, read this article, buy that cool gadget, the list is endless. Then we're expected to share it, text it, tweet it, connect it, friend it, email it, or blog it.

The cries for attention seem unrelenting and perhaps as we have trained ourselves to sift through endless data, content, and advertising, we have forgotten ourselves? But it would be good to think we take more care with our relationships and careers. This creates strong bonds, great friendships, and successful companies.

Culture Matters

Leadership and culture are not job titles and your team is not a group of robots carrying out mindless tasks to grow the revenue for your shareholders. Like you, they have dreams and goals and a need for more meaning and passion in their work.

If you focus on the meaning of your business, significance of your people, and importance of creating a collaborative culture, the focus on revenue will no longer get in the way of creating all of your goals.

Daily Care

If you feel yourself wanting more on a deeper level, it’s safe to say so does every person you work with, every partner you do business with, and every connection. In a busy world with too much going on, keeping relationships our biggest priority will serve us well. Letting the distractions replace the interactions is dangerous.

If you understand that everyone around you is not too different than you, have a need to belong like you, and want contribute and be a part of something like you, that will go a long way. As a leader, be human.

Your team will thank you.
__________________________________________________________________

Doing the Right Things

We are all judged and measured by our performance. But before calculating revenue, memberships, or constituents, the key to any organizational growth begins with the relationships within the organization. Great culture brings results. Ensuring people enjoy coming to work every day so they can bring their best must be a top priority.

With that in mind, some words of wisdom.

It's hard to lead a cavalry charge if you think you look funny on a horse.
Adlai E. Stevenson II

Power isn't control at all. Power is strength, and giving that strength to others.
Beth Revis

Be gentle and you can be bold; be frugal and you can be liberal;
Avoid putting yourself before others and you can become a leader.
Lao Tzu

You get in life what you have the courage to ask for.
Nancy D. Solomon

Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.
Peter Drucker

Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person.
Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.
Mother Teresa

If you're not passionate enough from the start, you'll never stick it out.
Steve Jobs

The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains.
The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.
William Arthur Ward
__________________________________________________________________

Your Real Bottom Line

Training is important for any business, but I believe action learning is the best way to create positive and lasting improvement in your company. We spend more than 12,000 days at work during our life, so why not find a way for us to enjoy them?

Your employees want to enjoy being at work. Your profits will grow if you make your people your priority. It's not a nice to have; it's essential to the growth of your business.

Every employee in your company wants to know they can bring their best work and have the chance to improve, grow, and learn. You may think selling more products is the fastest way to improve your bottom line, but it’s people who will get you there and strong internal culture is the critical ingredient.

Each year, Gallup does a survey of the global workplace and through over 60,000 one-on-one interviews in 90 countries last year, only 13% of respondents said they were emotionally invested in creating value to their companies and organizations. That’s a problem. Engaging your employees is the most important way to realize measurable results. Your bottom line depends on your people.

Leadership and Team Development

I provide workshops and webinars customized to your company and team’s needs. We begin where you are right now and we address your specific needs integrated with your current business challenges.

These can take on various iterations from half-day and full-day workshops to ongoing team, department, and individual sessions, to leadership development programs which include your employees working on their growth while solving a real business project.

Business and Executive Coaching

There is a myriad assessment tools and training methods available and I deploy many of them but like the leadership and team development, we begin where you are right now. From one-on-one to team to group sessions, we create solutions-based meetings and modules to address those things that are keeping you up at night.

Call me at 519-803-7130 or email knealemann at gmail dot com and we can chat about your needs. We will create a customized solution with identified goals and objectives to ensure measurable results.

It begins with a conversation. Let's chat!
__________________________________________________________________

Nine Questions

You don’t have to look far to find someone who has a model or gadget or program that promises to help you with your business. I’ve been in corporate and consulting roles for three decades. I’ve used assessment tools for talent development, programs for team development, coaching and facilitation tools, and a myriad others but I’m asked all the time to define my ideal client.

It begins with a willing participant. That wasn't always clear. I used to think I could share my wisdom or make money or some other misguided reason. Without that willingness, your offer won't mean a thing to them. I found that out the hard way.

I like working with companies that are growing and want to grow more. This isn’t about cutting costs and making cheaper products to increase the profit margin. This is about becoming an even better company – inside and out. Rarely do I meet a leader or owner who isn’t interested in improving. I often meet leaders who think it's simply about making more sales calls.

Do You Know Your Why?

Simon Sinek in his book “Start with Why” states repeatedly that great leaders find people who believe what they believe. He writes about Apple and Southwest Airlines; companies that are beacons for knowing why they exist while Walmart – the largest retailer on earth – has lost its why and it’s now all about the bottom line.

I have nine questions that will unlock everything you and your company does, stands for, and wants to do. Let’s book a call (519-803-7130) and we can uncover your nine answers. The call will cost you nothing. You’ll be amazed what you discover.

Email me and we'll set something up!
__________________________________________________________________
As a passionate leader, Kneale Mann has extensive experience in project management, leadership development, business, marketing, media, and talent coaching in numerous industries and organizations including; radio, digital marketing, corporate training, real estate, financial services, healthcare and more. He is always open to meeting companies and organizations who want to become even greater.

Wave Your Magic Wand

I was on a call with a prospect this week and she asked me a great question; "If you could wave your magic wand, how would you design the program for our team?" The discussion usually drifts from my experience to their pain points to a series of calls and meetings to determine how I can help.

I said that the best scenario is when I can include all the voices in the discussion from mid-level managers to senior leaders. There are a thousand ways we can go with leadership development and talent training but without knowing the specifics, it can be a lot of activity with disappointing results.

All Voices Wanted

The best way, in my experience, to build anything is to include everyone. This isn't to suggest you take the committee approach forever, but you need to find the waterline. Here's one simple tactic you may want to try if your company or department or team are stuck. Give everyone the day off.

You read that right. Without letting important deadlines or projects drop, give the team a work day away from the office to think and gather their thoughts. Then it's time to get back together and do a brainstorming session. I love to facilitate these because it allows everyone to have a voice and ideas to be streamlined into realistic and executable chunks. So wave your magic wand and dream big. Then get to work. It will be worth it.

If you need a hand, let me know.
__________________________________________________________________
Kneale Mann | People + Priority = Profit

Do You Want Some Cake?

My grandfather used to love telling the story of his boyhood friend Campbell. One day, they were at my great grandmother’s house and she had just baked a delicious chocolate cake. She asked my grandfather if he’d like a slice and he replied; “Yes please!” and she gave him one.

She then turned to Campbell and asked him the same question and he said; “I don’t mind”. She replied; “I don’t mind either” and left the room. No cake for Campbell.

Real or Imagined

Whether this story happened or not isn’t the point. My grandfather was trying to teach his 9 year old grandson to say please and thank-you and if I wanted something someone had offered me, it was okay to accept it.

How often do we do that to ourselves? We send out confusing messages to the universe and wonder why more confusion returns. My grandfather didn’t teach his grandson to take what wasn’t his or be an arrogant self-centered person, he was showing me how to discover what I wanted and be okay with wanting it.

Say What You Mean

Now take the Campbell story into your life, your work, your company, and see how often basic communication breaks down to the point of confusion. We humans try our best but often we don’t communicate very well with each other.

In our relationships, if we aren’t clear, how on earth can we expect others around us to have a clear sense of what we want, mean, or say? So the next time someone offers you a piece of cake, simply say yes please or no thank-you. It’s all you would expect if you were doing the offering.

Thanks Gramps, you are still teaching me!
__________________________________________________________________
Kneale Mann | People + Priority = Profit

A Living or A Life?

We can pretend that work is one part of our lives and life is the other but we live a blended existence. It’s the second question most people ask when we meet them – what do you do for a living? A living? Is that where we’ve come? We get paid to provide a service and we call that a living. I’m not sure if that’s sad or a reflection of how far we have gotten off track.

Perhaps the perfect scenario is you work at something you truly enjoy; watch the Alan Watts video I posted recently and it might give you insight into what will do it for you.

Last week I had lunch with a colleague I hadn't seen in years and he reflected on the time he sold his brand new car because he realized he bought it to get to work to pay for it to get to work to pay for it. He stressed about the payments and it affected his work and then his life. He replaced the car with a bicycle.

Show me the Money

I have another friend who says he’s stuck in a bad relationship because he doesn’t want to lose his life’s savings. How sad is that. I wonder where that will be on his list of life’s passions and enjoyment as he takes his final breaths.

I’m often asked by clients and prospects how I can help them. The bigger question is understanding why they do what they do and what they want to accomplish. If there were easy answers and instant results, we’d all be millionaires.

Transformation Imminent

If we’re running a company that isn’t doing as well as it should, if we’re in relationships that aren’t making us happy, if we’re in a job that is restraining us from our true gifts, or if we’re simply unhappy where were are, what should we do? Or better stated, what are we prepared to do to change it?

The late Jim Rohn once said; “Your life doesn’t get better by chance, it gets better by change”. And the change needs to start with ourselves. I’m as guilty as you in the making excuses department.

Let’s start making a living not a paycheck.
__________________________________________________________________
Kneale Mann | People + Priority = Profit

All Wretch No Vomit

The question seems simple but the answer is clearly complicated. What would you do if you didn’t have to worry about the financial elements of life?

Alan Watts was a writer, speaker, philosopher, teacher, and spiritual leader who posed the question in his legendary speech about our quest to find passion and purpose. If you haven’t heard it, listen. If you have, it’s worth another.


__________________________________________________________________
Kneale Mann | People + Priority = Profit

Passion and People

If you are in business, managing a department, or leading an organization, you are judged and measured by your financial performance. The bottom line is one of the essential pieces of the matrix. Some say if you focus on revenue, the rest will take care of itself. If it was true, every company would enjoy infinite growth year after year.

The key to any organizational growth begins with the relationships within your company. Great culture brings profit. Ensuring your people are well trained and enjoy coming to work every day must be your top priority.

With that in mind, some words of wisdom.

It's hard to lead a cavalry charge if you think you look funny on a horse.
Adlai E. Stevenson II

Power isn't control at all. Power is strength, and giving that strength to others.
Beth Revis

Be gentle and you can be bold; be frugal and you can be liberal;
Avoid putting yourself before others and you can become a leader.
Lao Tzu

You get in life what you have the courage to ask for.
Nancy D. Solomon

Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.
Peter Drucker

Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person.
Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.
Mother Teresa

If you're not passionate enough from the start, you'll never stick it out.
Steve Jobs

The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains.
The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.
William Arthur Ward
__________________________________________________________________
Kneale Mann | People + Priority = Profit

What Your Team Wants Most

There are over seven billion of us on this planet, over two billion online, and the noise is unbearable most days. Look at this, click on that, check my offer, attend this event, go to that store, read this article, buy that cool gadget, the list is endless. Then we're expected to share it, text it, tweet it, connect it, friend it, email it, or blog it.

The cries for attention seem unrelenting and perhaps as we have trained ourselves to sift through endless data, content, and advertising, we have forgotten ourselves? But it would be good to think we take more care with our relationships and careers. This creates strong bonds, great friendships, and successful companies.

To reveal yourself is a test of your humanness.
Isabelle Adjani

Leadership and culture are not job titles and your team is not a group of robots carrying out mindless tasks to grow the revenue for your shareholders. Like you, they have dreams and goals and a need for more meaning and passion in their work.

If we focus on the meaning of our business, significance of our people, and importance of creating a collaborative culture, the focus on revenue will no longer get in the way of fulfilling our goals.

If we do that, I like our chances.
__________________________________________________________________
Kneale Mann | Leadership and Culture strategist, writer, speaker, executive coach engaging leaders, collaborative teams, and strong business results.

shutterstock

Be a Human Leader

There are over seven billion of us on this planet, over two billion online, and the noise is unbearable most days. Look at this, click on that, check my offer, attend this event, go to that store, read this article, buy that cool gadget, the list is endless. Then we're expected to share it, text it, tweet it, connect it, friend it, email it, or blog it.

The cries for attention seem unrelenting and perhaps as we have trained ourselves to sift through endless data, content, and advertising, we have forgotten ourselves? But it would be good to think we take more care with our relationships and careers. This creates strong bonds, great friendships, and successful companies.

Culture Matters

Leadership and culture are not job titles and your team is not a group of robots carrying out mindless tasks to grow the revenue for your shareholders. Like you, they have dreams and goals and a need for more meaning and passion in their work.

If you focus on the meaning of your business, significance of your people, and importance of creating a collaborative culture, the focus on revenue will no longer get in the way of creating all of your goals.

Daily Care

If you feel yourself wanting more on a deeper level, it’s safe to say so does every person you work with, every partner you do business with, and every connection. In a busy world with too much going on, keeping relationships our biggest priority will serve us well. Letting the distractions replace the interactions is dangerous.

If you understand that everyone around you is not too different than you, have a need to belong like you, and want contribute and be a part of something like you, that will go a long way.

As a leader, be human, they will thank you.
__________________________________________________________________
Kneale Mann | Leadership and Culture strategist, writer, speaker, executive coach engaging leaders, collaborative teams, and strong business results.

flickr

It Has to Go to Space!

One of the most watched videos online in the last few years is Louis CK on the old Conan O'Brien Show discussing the fact that we are the most technologically advanced era in history yet we’re miserable. Our collective impatience has gotten worse.

He covers wi-fi, ATMs, the miracle of human flight, and more. When using smartphones, we wonder why the signal is down or why it's taking so long to send a message. Louis says; “Give it a second! It has to go to space! What, the speed of light is no longer fast enough for you?” Been there? Done that?

C’mon Hurry Up!

His commentary points to a topic we discussed here recently. We have less patience than a three year waiting for her ice cream. We want it now, we want it to work, and we we may even look for a shortcut.

You see it with marketing campaigns that don’t garner instant results, new hires who aren’t up to speed in their first week, careers that aren’t moving as fast as we’d like, customers who don’t sign right away.

We're All The Same

I recently made a major purchase that took me three months to decide on. I’ve had prospects who have taken longer to get to a no or not right now. We want others to move fast, but we’re not always happy to reciprocate. Decades from now, we'll be complaining the newly invented gadget isn't working properly.

This isn't an era or technology issue. And it's often worse when you look to business culture and leadership. But we can learn to harness our impatience by managing realistic expectations before we begin and take breaks for perspective. We can have more open collaboration and look at how we can positively affect the situation rather than continuing to hope the situation morphs to our wishes.

Now if I could only get this stupid phone to work!

Kneale Mann

cbc

Key Elements of Presenting Ideas

Much of my work and passion is helping people with their leadership, collaboration and business development. Whether it's a keynote address or a small group in the office, your ability to explain your plan or concept is critical. An idea often dies because we are unable to articulate it to our intended audience. It’s not about simply creating a slick deck of slides. We must focus on the idea and how we want it to resonate with the audience. Then we need to ensure something happens to turn it into reality.

Sebastian Wernicke has created a template for developing a successful TEDTalk which may help you to prepare for your presentations. You might find this entertaining, but there are actually some good tips in here.

Watch, enjoy, and have fun presenting your ideas!


Kneale Mann

TED | Sebastian Wernicke

Social Media: A Twelve-Step Program

Change Takes Time.

Our humanness can work against us. We make mistakes, none of is perfect yet we expect it of others.

We get a new thing and expect it to be perfect every time.

Amber Naslund wrote a great piece recently about how we are quick to complain while our desire grows for business to embrace the social web.

We ask that companies become more inclusive, interactive and social yet we are fast on the send button the moment there is a slip up. If the gadget we first heard about a week ago does not perform to our highest standards of excellence, we say it’s a failure.

And we do that to ourselves.

This has become even more prevalent in the social channels many of us spend time navigating. We look around and see confidence and we don’t know if we can live up to that scrutiny.

If you have gone through, going through or know someone going through a twelve-step program, you know it requires time, work and dedication.

Here are twelve steps to enhance our online experience...

• Ask a lot of questions.
• Recognize that our information is ours to protect and grow.
• Know that our voice is just as important as anyone else’s voice.
• Grasp that others' opinions are just their opinions.
• Have patience.
• Understand there is no one way of doing it.
• Accept we are all just trying to figure it out.
• Acknowledge that we have to work at it every day.
• Trust our instincts.
• Agree that our expertise is just as vital as anyone's expertise.
• Recognize it takes time for others to get to know us.
• Comprehend we are not too late to join the conversation or start a new one.

What would you add to the list?

knealemann
Let's create experiences not campaigns.

image credit: no12cirencester