The internet has changed the world in ways that would have been unimaginable just a few decades ago. It has revolutionized the way we live, work, and communicate with one another. Without the adoption of the internet, our world would be vastly different, and we would still be mailing letters, waiting for folks to return our messages and waiting hear about family updates from our Sunday night phone calls.
Our founder and CEO, Christine Mikhail began her career in talent development and training. Her passion for talent development led her to complete a masters in Industrial Organizational Psychology. Christine leverages her 15 years of experience in Leadership and Talent Development to enhance Organizational Design, Culture, Workplace Transformation, Change Management & Communications Strategies. She has developed a firm that specializes in growing businesses that have found success without pausing to curate successful change initiatives. She has built a team that guides your organization through Cultural Identification and/or Transformation.
Communication has always been at the core of human interaction, enabling the sharing of ideas, knowledge, and emotions. Throughout history, communication has evolved from oral traditions to written language, from the printing press to telegraphs and telephones. Each advancement allowed for greater reach and faster information exchange. Over time, advancements in technology have significantly influenced how we communicate. Two game-changers in recent history are the advent of cell phones (or handheld computers) and the rise of social media.
Last week we blogged about the Evolution of Communication in the Workplace. Our research mentioned the increased loneliness of our society, which made me ponder… how does that loneliness infiltrate our workplaces?
Workplaces are meant to be spaces of collaboration, connection, and engagement. Yet, we often find ourselves in meetings that could’ve been emails; am I right? We’ve all seen the meme! The evolution of meeting culture, along with the dependance on cell phones contribute to feelings of workplace loneliness.
We all KNOW meetings are a fundamental part of the modern work environment. Sadly, certain meeting practices and trends have inadvertently contributed to workplace loneliness.
We’ve all read in recent news about the removal of GameStop CEO, Matt Furlong, but what the news doesn’t tell us…? the impact the sudden removal of a CEO can have on the employees struggling to find a reason to stay at your company. Matt Furlong was hired only two years ago; in those two short years, he had constant turnover in C-Suite & Executive positions. In one article I read that nearly 5 Executive positions had seen folks head for the exit, including the CFO, COO & several VPs. The swift removal of a CEO can have a profound impact on your organization; couple that with the voluntary exit of several other executives and your organizational impact can be devastating. The repercussions of these board decisions reverberate differently to each employee, add to that the mass exodus of executives, you could be facing a culture crisis!
In recent years, there has been a notable shift in the realm of employee engagement, with a decline in actively disengaged employees and a rise in disengaged employees. Newly coined, by Gallup “Loud Quitting” & “Quiet Quitting”, respectively. This shift presents unique challenges for organizations seeking to create a motivated and committed workforce.
Employee engagement refers to the emotional commitment and dedication that employees have towards their work and the organization in which they belong.
On the one hand, disengaged employees (quiet quitters) are characterized by a lack of motivation, passion, and commitment to their work. They neither hinder nor advance productivity within the organization. On the other hand, actively disengaged employees (loud quitters) are characterized by their lack of commitment, negative attitude, and overall dissatisfaction with their work - sometimes costing organizations ~$500B each year (The Engagement Institute).
Professional athletes are lauded figures who inspire us with their exceptional skills, dedication to their craft and community outreach. However, when these sports icons display poor behavior, it can have a ripple effect that extends far beyond the world of sports. I’d like to give you my thoughts on the impact professional athletes have on our workplaces when they display poor behavior and the lessons we can learn as organizations and individuals.
Professional athletes are often seen as role models by people of all ages. Their behavior, both on and off the field, can shape societal norms and influence, if not influence, the behavior of each one of us. When athletes make decisions which lead to misconduct, such as cheating, promoting violent behavior on their social platforms or any disrespectful behavior, it sends a message to us that such behavior is not only tolerated by our most highly paid members if society, but that it is also acceptable for everyone, which bleeds into our workplaces.
Starting your own consulting practice can be a thrilling and rewarding journey. As a consultant, you could leverage your expertise, offer valuable insights, and make a significant impact on your clients' businesses. I can certainly share that my practice began out of sheer need in the market for my skillset. I was a pandemic lay-off and after two verbal offers of employment failed to convert into signed contracts, I decided I was no longer willing to subject my life to anyone else. I realized my unemployment wasn’t sufficient and soon running out, so I started finding freelance work through Upwork. However, converting those gigs into a thriving consultancy required careful planning, dedication, and a clear vision. Just a reminder, my vision was to never let someone else tell me what I was doing with my life. This was my powerful motivator.
In the ever-evolving landscape of technology giants, the rivalry between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg has been captivating the world's attention for months, for all the wrong reasons. Although we admire their innovative contributions, it is essential we refuse to give credence to their toxic masculinity that is invading our newsfeed and address the more pressing issues within their respective companies. Recent events, such as Meta's layoffs and rehiring controversies, as well as Twitter's toxic workplace culture, shed light on the need for change and reflection in these two billionaire’s companies.
Have you seen this commercial? A woman is standing outside of her vehicle while her son changes the light setting of the headlights of her car; this is a setting that she will not even enjoy, yet she’s incapable of making the tiniest choice and she’s commissioned her son (who’s clearly annoyed by the time commitment) to help her, as if the color of the light setting outside of her vehicle is the most important decision she is going to make today. This is why recognizing that change has become a constant companion in our lives. As the options multiply, so too does the potential for decision-making paralysis and dissatisfaction. This phenomenon, often referred to as "choice overload," has significant implications for our well-being and ability to adapt to change, which makes our course that much more impactful in your life!
On this long weekend, I attended my cousin's wedding. As I celebrated the happy couple, it struck me how significant personal life changes can influence employees' receptiveness to organizational changes. If you are leading an organizational change, it's essential for you to recognize that your employees are not immune to personal changes outside of the workplace. In this week’s blog post, I share with you the importance of measuring and addressing employee personal change as it relates to the resistance encountered during your organizational transformation(s).
As the world reflected on the anniversary of one of the most heinous attacks committed on US soil, I thought about the long-term changes that day made on all of us. The tragic events of that day not only had immediate consequences but also brought about profound and enduring changes that continue to shape our everyday lives.
Let’s reflect on the change impact on our daily travel adventures. The most obvious change following 9/11 was the transformation of airport security; now we take our shoes and jackets off before we go through metal detectors. We’re also asked to pull our phones out of our pockets and our laptops out of their sleeves. Don’t forget about the 9/11 tax that we now pay in perpetuity anytime we purchase a plane ticket. These changes became the new norm for all of us overnight.
I recently heard in the news that Disney was in preliminary talks with Nextstar Media Group to sell ABC studios. As @yourorganizationalpsychologist, of course I thought about the culture impact. In the world of business, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are common strategies for growth and expansion. However, the success of these endeavors often hinges on more than just financial considerations. One of the many reasons CEOs hire me is because they’ve overlooked the importance of culture clarity during their merger or acquisition. This week’s blog explores the significance of culture clarity when a company buys or merges with another organization.
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