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.

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Org Charts and Other Data

It’s simple to develop responsibilities, titles, direct reports and deliverables. But how will you allow a place of teamwork to resemble reality? The organizational chart is probably necessary for you to chunk up the work, responsibilities and strengths of your business but how you build a great, sustaining and successful company is through your people. There are no short cuts.

If you have ever experienced a true open environment it can be exciting - yet to some - chaotic. And because most don't want chaos, they choose to keep things nice and neat and departmentalized. They may like being a boss everyone obeys. But we know the flaws in that model are vast.

Human Supply Chain

The perception of losing focus or control can block potential for significant growth in your organization and the careers of each person inside it. If ideas aren't shared, department walls get higher and silos deepen.

The position of Chairperson, CEO or President may appear to be at the top of the company chart. But it's actually in the middle. This is the person who sets the tone; makes the big decisions that could affect the workload of everyone else. It can be a very busy place. She must answer to the owners, shareholders, investors, customers, employees and the public. If a company relies solely on her decisions, millions or even billions can hang in the balance.

Great Idea

A former boss taught me about reversed delegation. This is where someone suggests a half-baked idea and you try to run with it. This neither encourages their further thought nor helps you with what you want to accomplish. Push it back on their plate and see what happens.

For decades we have followed an enterprise model that resembled a flow chart. Nice and clean, easy to follow, department and leaders, directors and work flow. But without an unwavering commitment to the people in your company you may simply be sharing a parking lot and florescent lights for 1,800 hours a year. And the four most powerful words you can use are; “How can I help?” The challenge for leaders who want a successful business is to make their people their top priority.

For real.
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Summer Leadership Tune-Up

In the Western part of the planet, summer has arrived and as we embark on this season, vacation plans come to mind. It feels less stressed this time of year and perhaps I may sound like a buzzkill but it's always dangerous as we could let up on our work when we're not off to enjoy adventures with friends and families and sunshine.

But if you are planning a road trip this summer, you will ensure your vehicles get a once over. It's also a chance to put your leadership performance on the hoist once in a while to ensure everything is in working order.

If you want to check your alignment, see below:

1 - Do you know what you believe?
2 - Will you dedicate a minimum of 25% of your time helping others?
3 - Can you keep a truly open mind?
4 - How will you ensure you have ample think time?
5 - Are you fair and do you care about the people on your team?
6 - Could you identify one personal interest of each team member?
7 - Have you clearly outlined and documented your goals?
8 - Do you encourage an open collaborative co-creative environment?
9 - Do you have trouble asking for help?
10 - Are you sure you know what each person on your team believes?
11 - Can you articulate to others what success looks like to you?
12 - Are you bringing and having fun?

Now let's hit the road!
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Wash Your Hands

There are products, sales, marketing, people, share price, competition and many other factors that keep business people up at night. In the documentary "The Corporation", producers examined the modern-day company. They evaluated its behaviour towards society and the world at large as a psychiatrist might evaluate an ordinary person.

They concluded if the corporation was human, her ultimate goal would be to make money above all else. If that is the sole purpose of your company, be nervous. Fiscal health is imperative but without strong internal customer service, it will be a struggle.

If you don’t treat people well, they won't stick around, or worse they may stay and have a hand in your demise. Treat them right with strong and fair leadership and those profits will actually increase. We all share an inherent human need to belong.

That doesn't stop when entering the work area.
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It's Time to Winterize

As you do every year to ready our vehicles for the impending season change, it’s wise to put your leadership performance up on the hoist once in a while to ensure everything is working well. Work can get busy and increased pressure to the bottom line can become the only focus. If you move your focus away from your people, trouble is ahead.

If you want to check your leadership alignment, see below:

1 - Do you know what you believe?
2 - Will you dedicate a minimum of 25% of your time helping others?
3 - Can you keep a truly open mind?
4 - How will you ensure you have ample think time?
5 - Are you fair and do you care about the people on your team?
6 - Could you identify one personal interest of each team member?
7 - Have you clearly outlined and documented your goals?
8 - Do you encourage an open collaborative co-creative environment?
9 - Do you have trouble asking for help?
10 - Are you sure you know what each person on your team believes?
11 - Can you articulate to others what success looks like to you?
12 - Are you bringing and having fun?

Let's grab some snacks and hit the road!
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People + Priority

If you have ever experienced a true open environment it can be exciting - yet to some - chaotic. And because most don't want chaos, they choose to keep things nice and neat and departmentalized. They may like being a boss everyone obeys. But we know the flaws in that model are vast.

The perception of losing focus or control can block potential for significant growth in your organization and the careers of each person inside it. If ideas aren't shared, department walls get higher and silos deepen.

Org Chart vs Reality

The position of Chairperson, CEO or President may appear to be at the top of the company chart. But it's actually in the middle. This is the person who sets the tone; makes the big decisions that could affect the workload of everyone else. It can be a very busy place.

She must answer to the owners, shareholders, investors, customers, employees and the public. If a company relies solely on her decisions, millions or even billions can hang in the balance.

Good idea vs Let them try

A former boss taught me about reversed delegation. This is where someone suggests a half-baked idea and you try to run with it. This neither encourages their further thought nor helps you with what you want to accomplish. Push it back on their plate and see what happens. The challenge for leaders who want a successful business is to make their people their absolute top priority.

Let's keep trying!
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Kneale Mann | People + Priority = Profit
New Book out in 2016 – Details soon!

The Truth About Facts

Einstein said; “If the facts don't fit the theory, change the facts. Maya Angelou added; "Don't let the facts get in the way of the truth". Mark Twain pondered; "How empty is theory in the presence of fact?”. And Felix Cohen opined; “The theories we believe we call facts. The facts we disbelieve we call theories.”

It’s been said few will argue with their own data. But how do we separate fact from theory? Tom Asacker ponders that very question in his recent TEDTalk.


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Kneale Mann | Leadership and management consultant helping leaders, teams, and companies get clear on their goals and results.

TED | Tom Asacker

Lead with Their Gut

Have you ever thought of an idea then talked yourself out of it? Gladwell wrote a book about it. The thesis behind Blink was the power of thinking without thinking. We sense it’s the right call, and then we spend an inordinate amount of time trying to convince ourselves we could perhaps possibly be maybe wrong I don’t know what do you think am I over thinking it perhaps maybe?

We ask for opinions to endorse our idea and when we meet resistance, we often fold. Yeah, it was a dumb idea. It wouldn't have worked, Joe said so.

Your Gut is not Alone

I was speaking with a colleague recently and he proclaimed that his staff often comes to him with what they think are good ideas but they’re not usually that good. I think that’s short-sighted. Sure, having a clear vision of your company and understand how your experience has arrived at that decision is key but if you make time to ask someone to elaborate and expand their ideas, you might be surprised.

If you’re not familiar, Google used to allow employees to spend 20% of their time working on ideas that may or may not have anything to do with their day job. Many products have come from employee ideas. Some of them may not have been that great to start, but there is an environment to flush them out and see if their gut is on to something. Some (me) think they should bring back the policy.

What Do You Think?

There are plenty of data to clearly show how disengaged employees will be the most destructive element of any business. And it’s not always easy to measure. A late meeting here, sloppy work there, missed deadline here, and suddenly the quality of work suffers. There’s a malaise that just seems to hover over everyone’s desk. The days of all for one have been replaced by everyone for themselves.

Leadership is not easy. But it’s nearly impossible if you think your gut has to make all the decisions. If you’re in a leadership position, write down a list of the times you have asked for others’ opinion – and meant it – in the last month. Now take the next month and triple that number.

No One Bats 1.000

Some of their ideas may not initially be great, but have a close look at your batting average before you act too fast. And this is not to suggest you have to create a suggestion box where everyone's ideas are immediately accepted. Just adopt an open mind policy and see what happens.

If you rely solely on your gut to create ideas for your business, you will run the risk of creating a culture of employees carrying out what they’re told.

Their real efforts will be seeking employment elsewhere.
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Kneale Mann | Leadership Strategist, consultant, writer, speaker, executive coach facilitating performance growth with leaders, management, and teams.

pizzaschmizza

Curiosity Cured the Cynic

The minutiae of daily commitments and poor internal customer service can crush a company faster than a nimble competitor. We watch with amazement while companies like Apple, Facebook, and Zappos seem to thrive within a hyper creative environment. This is not to suggest these companies don't make mistakes - in fact, many make them in front of the world in spectacular fashion.

It is not also to suggest it is all rosy and fun every moment because real work is being done. But what is the difference between the companies that many read, write and talk about compared to the businesses we pass by every day?

Perhaps successful business owners and managers keep these ideas fresh in the minds.

Stay curious for learning. Be curious about improving.
Be curious like a child. Stay curious through searching.
Stay curious about now.

Be curious, not judgemental. 
Walt Whitman

Be curious in life. Stay curious about your mistakes.
Stay curious for questions. Be curious in discovery.

Be curious through listening. Stay curious in business.
Stay curious for you.

Be less curious about people and more curious about ideas.
Marie Curie

Stay curious about others. Be curious with think time. Stay curious for next.
Be curious of leadership. Stay curious toward answers.

Curious people are interesting people, I wonder why that is?
Bill Maher

Be curious about possibilities. Stay curious about your strengths.
Stay curious and motivate others. Be curious for what drives people.
Be curious always.

Celebrate and embrace curiosity with everyone in your company and watch what happens next.
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Kneale Mann | Leadership Strategist, consultant, writer, speaker, executive coach facilitating performance growth with leaders, management, and teams.

wikipedia

Compassionate Leadership

The sugar buzz from the Holidays may not have worn off yet but it is almost back to business. To many, this will be the toughest stretch of the year. Shortbread cookies and turkey comas are replaced by a look at a few months of work before the Spring or Summer breaks. To many, the cold reality of winter can seep into the consciousness.

So it's soon back to products, sales, marketing, people, share price, competition and many other factors that keep us up at night. As the 10 year anniversary comes up, a look back at the documentary The Corporation which examined the modern-day company. They evaluated its behaviour as a psychiatrist might evaluate you and me.

The Bottom Line

They concluded if the corporation was human, her ultimate goal would be to make money above all else. If that is the sole purpose of your company, be nervous. Fiscal health is imperative but without strong internal customer service, it will be a struggle.

We all share an inherent human need to belong which doesn't stop when entering the work area. Or again, think back a few days or weeks when people were a bit more relaxed and in better moods. We don't need eggnog and brightly colored ornaments to remember the importance of human connections.

Leading with compassion will serve you well.
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Kneale Mann | Leadership Strategist, consultant, writer, speaker, executive coach facilitating performance growth with leaders, management, and teams.

buyusedoffice

Revenue and Other Human Stuff

There are products, sales, marketing, people, share price, competition and many other factors that keep business people up at night. In the documentary The Corporation, producers examined the modern-day company. They evaluated its behavior toward society and the world at large as a psychiatrist might evaluate an ordinary person.

They concluded if the corporation was human, her ultimate goal would be to make money above all else. If that is the sole purpose of your company, be nervous. Fiscal health is imperative but without strong internal customer service, it will be a struggle.

Infrastructure Investment

I love the old joke about the CFO asking the CEO why they were investing so much in training and people and cautions; "What if we spend all this money and they leave?" and the CEO replied; "What if we don't and they stay?" If you don’t treat people well, they may quit, or worse stick around and have a hand in your demise.

This is not to suggest work is a country club - well, unless you work in an actual country club - but we need to find a new way to engage the culture while keeping a keen eye on the bottom line. I met someone a couple of weeks ago who cannot get his head around virtual teaming and flex time. Yes, they walk among us.

As we embrace four generations in the workforce, it's safe to say the old rule book is due for an overhaul.
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Kneale Mann | Leadership and Culture Strategist, Writer, Speaker, Executive Coach engaging leaders to build successful talent and profitable business.

istock

Your 12-Point Inspection

As you do every few thousand miles with your car, it’s good to put your leadership performance up on the hoist once in a while to ensure everything is working well.

Work can get busy and increased pressure to the bottom line can become the only focus. But if you want to see an immediate drop in revenue, stop caring about the people around you. If you want to check your leadership alignment, see below.

1 - Do you know what you believe?
2 - Will you dedicate a minimum of 25% of your time helping others?
3 - Can you keep a truly open mind?
4 - How will you ensure you have ample think time?
5 - Are you fair and do you care about the people on your team?
6 - Could you identify one personal interest of each team member?
7 - Have you clearly outlined and documented your goals?
8 - Do you encourage an open collaborative co-creative environment?
9 - Do you have trouble asking for help?
10 - Are you sure you know what each person on your team believes?
11 - Can you articulate to others what success looks like to you?
12 - Are you bringing and having fun?

Let's get back on the road.

Kneale Mann

borescope

How Important Are Your People?

If you have ever experienced a true open environment it can be exciting - yet to some - chaotic. And because most don't want chaos, they choose to keep things nice and neat and departmentalized. They may like being a boss everyone obeys. But we know the flaws in that model are vast.

Leadership is action, not position.
Donald H. McGannon

The perception of losing focus or control can block potential for significant growth in your organization and the careers of each person inside it. If ideas aren't shared, department walls get higher and silos deepen.

To lead the people, walk behind them.
Lao Tzu

The position of Chairperson, CEO or President may appear to be at the top of the company chart. But it's actually in the middle. This is the person who sets the tone; makes the big decisions that could affect the workload of everyone else. It can be a very busy place.

Don't try and do everything yourself because you can't.
Anthea Turner

She must answer to the owners, shareholders, investors, customers, employees and the public. If a company relies solely on her decisions, millions or even billions can hang in the balance.

Organization charts and fancy titles count for next to nothing.
Colin Powell

A former boss taught me about reversed delegation. This is where someone suggests a half-baked idea and you try to run with it. This neither encourages their further thought nor helps you with what you want to accomplish. Push it back on their plate and see what happens.

The challenge for leaders who want a successful business is to make their people their absolute top priority. For real.

Kneale Mann

2012 Top 10 - May 2012 | cnn

Enterprise Compassion

There are products, sales, marketing, people, share price, competition and many other factors that keep business people up at night. In the documentary The Corporation, producers examined the modern-day company. They evaluated its behaviour towards society and the world at large as a psychiatrist might evaluate an ordinary person.

They concluded if the corporation was human, her ultimate goal would be to make money above all else. If that is the sole purpose of your company, be nervous. Fiscal health is imperative but without strong internal customer service, it will be a struggle.

If you don’t treat people well, they won't stick around, or worse they may stay and have a hand in your demise. Treat them right with strong and fair leadership and those profits will actually increase.

We all share an inherent human need to belong which doesn't stop when entering the work area.

Kneale Mann

communityofmindfulparents

How Important are Your People?

Leadership is action, not position.
Donald H. McGannon

It’s simple to develop responsibilities, titles, direct reports and deliverables. But how will you allow a place of teamwork to resemble reality? The organizational chart is probably necessary for you to chunk up the work, responsibilities and strengths of your business but how you build a great, sustaining and successful company is through your people. There are no short cuts.

If you have ever experienced a true open environment it can be exciting - yet to some - chaotic. And because most don't want chaos, they choose to keep things nice and neat and departmentalized. They may like being a boss everyone obeys. But we know the flaws in that model are vast.

The perception of losing focus or control can block potential for significant growth in your organization and the careers of each person inside it. If ideas aren't shared, department walls get higher and silos deepen.

To lead the people, walk behind them.
Lao Tzu

The position of Chairperson, CEO or President may appear to be at the top of the company chart. But it's actually in the middle. This is the person who sets the tone; makes the big decisions that could affect the workload of everyone else. It can be a very busy place.

She must answer to the owners, shareholders, investors, customers, employees and the public. If a company relies solely on her decisions, millions or even billions can hang in the balance.

Don't try and do everything yourself because you can't.
Anthea Turner

A former boss taught me about reversed delegation. This is where someone suggests a half-baked idea and you try to run with it. This neither encourages their further thought nor helps you with what you want to accomplish. Push it back on their plate and see what happens.

Organization charts and fancy titles count for next to nothing.
Colin Powell

For decades we have followed an enterprise model that resembled a flow chart. Nice and clean, easy to follow, department and leaders, directors and work flow. But without an unwavering commitment to the people in your company you may simply be sharing a parking lot and florescent lights for 1,800 hours a year. And the four most powerful words you can use are; “How can I help?”

The challenge for leaders who want a successful business is to make their people the absolute top priority. For real.

Kneale Mann

image: msoffice

Theories and Memes

There are more scientists alive right now than have been alive in any other time in history combined. They are working on cures for diseases, concepts that will defy our own capacity and ideas to revolutionize industry. They are writing opinion papers and research pieces that are challenging conventional wisdom and they are reversing past beliefs with regularity.

There are more writers alive today than in the collective history of humankind. They are writing books, compiling and dissecting historical data, relating daily events, adding to our collective education and publishing digital content faster than the two billion online users can consume it.

We all contribute to the conversation with our biased view.

My grade ten history teacher once proclaimed there is no such thing as an unbiased opinion and that has stuck with me ever since. The battles continue between science and religion, news agencies and the blogosphere, pro life vs. pro choice, conservative against democrat, my opinion or yours.

Our differences become escalated when we begin to read what others are preaching and feel compelled to discard our own beliefs.

What about your career or your organization?

You rely on suppliers and clients and fellow stakeholders to build something together. Each has an opinion yet somehow you are expected to piece together your memes with their theories and come up with solutions to increase the bottom line.

No two people are alike yet we attempt to arrange relationships within the business sphere and remain surprised when there is friction or conflict.

Status quo is often not practical.

Seth Godin wrote yesterday about the common practice of adopting the mantra - that's not the way we do things around here. That is perhaps the single most important phrase to immediately eradicate from our vernacular. The way you've done it is not enough of a compelling reason to keep doing it that way.

And when it gets to the online, digital, marketing, public relations, social media or advertising silos, the best place to start may be with a clean slate. After all, the brightest minds once thought the world was flat.

How do we manage memes and theories in a team environment and continue to build business?

knealemann | email


image credit: seekingalpha

More Inconvenient Truths

Our planet is a complex place. It is fascinating that we can go online and find information on anything we want from the comfort of our own environment. But you and I know there are conflicts beyond our scope that we wish we could solve. Economic issues, environment concerns, conflict and turmoil are everywhere.

Of course we need to strive for our dreams while working together on enjoyable projects and improve our careers but when you think of the big stuff, our grievances seem absurd.

Dr. Jason Clay is vice president of market transformation for the World Wildlife Fund. He says our goal must be to figure out how to produce more with less land, less water and less pollution, so we won't be the only species left living on this planet. He says we are using 130% of the world’s resources and the population will be nine billion by 2050.

Jason Clay is targeting 100 key companies to lead the charge but as part of the community, we can all do our part. [video]



knealemann | email


video credit: TED

10:10:10

You may be familiar with 10:10, this year it has been expanded to 10:10:10.

From the website.

10:10 is helping to coordinate 10:10:10, the biggest-ever day of positive action on climate change, on Sunday 10 October, 2010. 


Across the world, thousands of people will take simple steps to reduce their emissions, cutting carbon and sending a powerful message to world leaders that people everywhere are ready to tackle climate change.

You could mark 10:10:10 with a low-carbon Sunday lunch, make your home or workplace more efficient, or maybe try something extra-ambitious.

Do what you can, for more, go here www.1010global.org

Seven Deadly Business Sins

"History teaches us that men and nations behave wisely once they have exhausted all other alternatives." Abba Eban

Technology has evolved, medical breakthroughs have lengthened lives and new inventions have changed the world.

Some things haven't changed.

"It's not evil to make money, it's evil to make money being evil."
Chris Brogan

We are flawed, help each other, make mistakes, create solutions, smell bad, collaborate, eat too much, save lives, don't get enough rest, consume far too much coffee, need more bran, complain about our lot, can create miracles and wear stress and busy like badges of honor.

If humans run companies, let's treat companies more like humans. If we applied the seven deadly sins to your company, how would it do?

Greed | Desire for wealth

Wrath | Fierce anger

Sloth | Disinclination to exertion

Pride | Inordinate opinion of importance

Lust | Desire for power

Envy | Admiration towards others

Gluttony | Excessive consumption

Again, this is about your business for a moment.

Which would you keep? Which will help build your offering?

@knealemann
Helping you integrate all you do with all you do.

photo credit | spauldingcomm

Is Your Business Earthy?

Befriending the Environment.

Today is Earth Day as you know. It’s the one day where it seems almost everyone is a bit more environmentally conscious.

I could recycle everything and live in a mud house and still not do all that some of my friends do for our planet.

How Green Are You?

A couple of decades ago, it was a daunting task to become more planet friendly but there are more recycling options, greener products available, it’s cool, it’s cheaper. But how green are we, really?

There is progress every day with those little things we can do – like turning off the laptop every night and refusing to eat take-out from any place that uses Styrofoam! We could all drive smart cars and eat organically grown food but will we do it?

We still have wars over oil and an unrelenting desire for stuff.

How Green Is Your Business?

There seems to be a story every few months about someone protesting big business or government about their waste of energy as they keep a full office tower of fluorescent lights on at night where there isn’t a soul in the place. And often the spokesperson coughs up some lame reason tied to security for why thirty floors need to be lit up like it’s noon at 3am.

I consult on marketing, social media and overall business strategy. Often managers or owners have items in their budget listed as an “expense” rather than money better spent on marketing or staff or training or other useful things. Those expenses can also be paper and pens and waste.

What Can We Do?

So as we all get warm and fuzzy about the Earth today, look at your budget and see where you can cut costs. Take a look at the wasted items that do nothing to advance your business strategy.

You may even save a few trees and lessen your carbon footprint while you’re at it. Do you think you can do it?

@knealemann
strategy. marketing. social media.

photo credit: nasa