Team Development - C-Link Consulting https://www.c-link.consulting Drive value and maximize your exit Tue, 07 May 2024 21:08:39 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://www.c-link.consulting/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/cropped-C-Link-Site-Icon-32x32.png Team Development - C-Link Consulting https://www.c-link.consulting 32 32 The Great Knowledge Loss https://www.c-link.consulting/the-great-knowledge-loss/ Tue, 03 May 2022 02:15:00 +0000 https://www.c-link.consulting/?p=1764 Companies will struggle when they lose the people who know how to get things accomplished in the organization's culture. The interpersonal relationships that these employees formed over the years and the social capital they built up are lost.

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The Great Knowledge Loss

ResignationRateByTenure

You probably have seen many articles about "The Great Resignation" but his Visier Insights Report report shows a critical increase in resignations for long-term employees. When you look at the trends, what really becomes apparent?

Companies are losing their knowledge

Companies are really going to struggle when they lose employees who know how to get things accomplished in the organization's culture. The interpersonal relationships that these employees formed over the years and the social capital they built up are lost.

Replacement is a struggle

Companies with long-term employees are generally not set up for a sudden increase in hiring; it puts a strain on the system. When you have a few new employees it is much easier to vet them and ensure they are fit for your values.

How can you prevent this and prosper?

Consider tools like The Predictive Index to:

1. Ensure that your workforce is in the right seat, happy, and engaged.
2. Reduce the frustration and burden of recruiting; Selecting employees that match your values and will integrate into your teams.

Your solution

C-Link Consulting is a Predictive Index Certified Partner. Call us at (248) 781-0150 or fill out the contact form below to learn how the predictive index can help you.

Learn more

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]]> Effectively leading remote meetings https://www.c-link.consulting/effectively-leading-remote-meetings/ Wed, 25 Mar 2020 15:33:39 +0000 https://www.c-link.consulting/?p=1637 Effectively leading remote meetings requires a different approach to preparation, execution and follow-up. Be aware of how much of your message is lost using a virtual medium

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Prepare for the meeting in a different way

  • Optimize your presentation. What are the minimum amount of data/slides to set the scene and get attention?
  • Use the system to set ‘poll’ questions to keep people’s attention. Plan what are you going to ask and when. What will you do with the responses to engage the audience?
  • Circulate an attendee list in the invite to avoid lengthy introductions in the meeting

How much of my message is getting through?

How much your message is lost

In the meeting

  • Articulate a clear purpose for the meeting and why it is important
  • Assign roles at the beginning of the meeting, so people know what to pay attention to
  • When assigning a task, ensure everyone is clear on who is responsible and the timeframe

After the meeting

  • Be empathic and understanding to what your employees are going through (fear, sickness)
  • Check in individually after the event to give everyone a chance to voice any concerns

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]]> 3 Key Points about Staff Turnover https://www.c-link.consulting/turnover/ Tue, 26 Mar 2019 21:46:18 +0000 https://www.c-link.consulting/?p=1155 1. It’s bigger than you think 51% of your employees are considering a new job. Realistically, they won’t all quit at once, but the average turnover rate was 26% in 2017. Look around the office and imagine how difficult it will be to replace a quarter of your team and the impact it will have…

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Don't let your employees quit on you.

1. It’s bigger than you think

51% of your employees are considering a new job. Realistically, they won’t all quit at once, but the average turnover rate was 26% in 2017. Look around the office and imagine how difficult it will be to replace a quarter of your team and the impact it will have on the business. How will it affect your workload?

2. It’s preventable.

52% of those who quit said that their manager could have done something to prevent them from leaving. Moreover, 51% said that in the three months before they left, neither their manager nor any other leader spoke with them about their job satisfaction or future with the organization.

Managers need to overcome their fear of asking employees if they are happy. Employees know how they feel and asking isn't going to suddenly make them realize they are unhappy. It may not be possible to "fix" everything, but everyone likes it when their leader shows an interest in their wellbeing.

3. It’s costly.

Do you know how much your retention issues are costing you? The Pew Research Center has found that 40% of employees leave before the 13-month mark. The Michigan Talent & Economic Agency estimates the costs are around $15,000 for the average ($22.50 p/h) employee.

For a 100-person company, the average 26% turnover costs around $390,000 every year. If your company is mostly new-hires, who are more likely to leave, it could be as high as $600,000.

What is it costing you?

Purposeful improvement

If you'd like to avoid the disappointment and frustration of employees quitting, and the impact it will have on your profitability, consider implementing a purpose-driven organization.

Purpose-driven organizations engage your employees with the mission and their work, reducing the incentive to look for other opportunities. This begins with a great onboarding system to quickly connect new employees with the mission, so you can drive up your retention rate by 26%.

We are looking for passionate leaders who not ready to watch their best employees leave. C-Link Consulting can help you. Call us now at (248) 781-0150 to start the change.

Take our free assessment

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]]> Want to retain your talent? https://www.c-link.consulting/want-to-retain-your-talent/ Thu, 03 Jan 2019 23:29:41 +0000 https://www.c-link.consulting/?p=1074 Want to retain your talent? Many studies have shown that how you make decisions has a dramatic impact on not only how effective the outcome is, but also whether your team wants to stay working with you. You may be frustrated by how difficult it is to find good candidates for your open positions now,…

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Want to retain your talent?

Many studies have shown that how you make decisions has a dramatic impact on not only how effective the outcome is, but also whether your team wants to stay working with you.

You may be frustrated by how difficult it is to find good candidates for your open positions now, but this is going to get worse in the coming years.

Picture of a team engaged in a learning exercise

The percentage of employees looking for a new job:

%

This Gallop survey also found that 47% thought that now was a good time to find a quality job.

There are currently around 105,000 unfilled positions in Michigan.

The Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budgets estimates there will be 800,000 unfilled jobs in Michigan by 2024

How is this happening? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' JOLTS report, since January 2015 nationally there have been more jobs created than candidates being hired.

What does the future look like?

It currently costs around $15,000 to fill the average vacancy1, based on the average wage in Michigan ($22.5p/h) and average time (43 days) to fill a position. 

$
days

Over the next few years, the length of time needed to fill vacancies will increase. If the wait time doubled and you had to increase wages to $25 p/h to get noticed, then costs jump to around $21,000.

$
days

A $6,000 increase is painful, but imagine how stressful it would be waiting 86 days to fill a position. Who will be willing to pick up the workload for 3 months? A couple of other points for consideration:

  1. What will it cost you in additional overtime?
  2. Will your customers suffer?
  3. Will the other employees stay?

A July 2018 survey2  showed that 67% of employees sometimes, very often or always feel burnt out at work. 

 

In 2024, if there are 8 times more vacancies...

If the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budgets' projections of 8 times more vacancies are correct, what if it takes 8 times longer to fill vacancies?

$+
days

The real question is what are you going to do if you can never fill a vacancy?

Real results

A client felt embarrassed about having the same positions open on the website month after month. They felt like they had to remove the postings and then re-add them at a later date, to "keep them fresh".

A review of their hiring and on-boarding process revealed issues in three key areas:

  1. Design of the job descriptions was functional and did not inspire candidates to apply
  2. Selection processes were focused the organization's needs, not what the candidate was looking for
  3. Selection processes did not offer the candidate a realistic view of what the job was like, leading to a high drop out rate

A redesign of the process to focus on organizational purpose focused on these areas:

  1. What would inspire the candidates to apply?
  2. Hiring managers had to keep the organization's purpose in mind and take time to understand if the candidate was interested in that vision.
  3. Requiring candidates to shadow staff so they knew what the upsides and more importantly, the downsides of the job were.

The result was a 20% increase in retention of new hires.

Its more than just a job

You will be disappointed if you assume that paying your employees a fair wage is enough to keep them working for you. There are a lot of other employers out there who are prepared to offer more.

We can help you transform your business into a purpose driven organization where employees feel good at the end of the day about what they have achieved. That keeps them coming back.

Don't wait for your employees to leave, call us at (248) 781-0150 to start a conversation and learn how to keep your business secure.

1 (Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey)

2 Gallop Research  Employee Burnout, Part 1: The 5 Main Causes By Ben Wigert and Sangeeta Agrawal (July 2018)

3 Our calculator is a little more conservative as it takes into account the wages you save by not employing someone. However, it does not factor in the overtime you may have to spend. Click here to use it

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]]> Stop Complaining About Your Colleagues Behind Their Backs https://www.c-link.consulting/stop-complaining-about-your-colleagues-behind-their-backs/ Mon, 15 Oct 2018 12:52:04 +0000 https://www.c-link.consulting/?p=1006 HBR posted an interesting article about how a “confirmation expedition” affects the reputation of those who gossip more than their targets. I think that the third strategy for not engaging in this behavior (towards the end of the article) should have been: “Make it a personal policy to talk to the person you have a…

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Stop-Complaining

HBR posted an interesting article about how a “confirmation expedition” affects the reputation of those who gossip more than their targets. I think that the third strategy for not engaging in this behavior (towards the end of the article) should have been: “Make it a personal policy to talk to the person you have a misunderstanding with, so you can appreciate their issues and explain the effects of their actions”. While you can ask others to come to you, actions speak louder than words. Anyone (and especially leaders) who can resolve issues in a non-contentious manner will boost their reputations as trustworthy problem solvers.

To see the article at HBR.org

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]]> Is it possible to be a manager and a coach? https://www.c-link.consulting/is-it-possible-to-be-a-manager-and-a-coach/ Mon, 27 Aug 2018 20:30:38 +0000 https://www.c-link.consulting/?p=838 Do you know how time pressure often results in leaders telling employees what to do without looking for input? When you are overwhelmed, it’s hard to take a moment, go beyond what you want done, and ask for feedback. Pressure closes us off from our creative side, which allows us to consider alternatives. It also…

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Picture of a leader getting feedback from team

Do you know how time pressure often results in leaders telling employees what to do without looking for input? When you are overwhelmed, it’s hard to take a moment, go beyond what you want done, and ask for feedback. Pressure closes us off from our creative side, which allows us to consider alternatives. It also reduces our listening skills and empathy.

If leaders go beyond communicating the task, relay their reasoning, and ask for input, then there are some very positive effects for employees and their organization:

1.     They become engaged and motivated to find and implement a solution

2.     They are provided with a full understanding of the problem domain, which should allow them to adapt to changes in circumstances rather than asking you questions. They don’t necessarily know what you know, and this investment can save you time in the long run

3.     They can add information to the problem domain. Their perspective is a valuable insight from the person doing the work and they can provide feedback on customer reactions, system issues etc.

As this HBR article below says, this requires a safe environment with trust on both sides. A litmus test of this would be if one of your team asked you “why” they had to do something, would discomfort be felt on either side? Would you feel challenged, or think “good question, let’s talk about it”?

To talk more about these issues, send me a message on LinkedIn or email me at nick.welham@c-link.consulting

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]]> Is your Team powerful and dynamic? Or only you? https://www.c-link.consulting/is-your-team-powerful-and-dynamic-or-only-you/ https://www.c-link.consulting/is-your-team-powerful-and-dynamic-or-only-you/#respond Wed, 11 Jul 2018 18:50:31 +0000 https://www.c-link.consulting/?p=709 Just me? The feeling that you are the only one driving the decision-making process forwards can be a lonely and frustrating experience. Leaders should be in the position to ensure the best decision is made, not having to make every decision. One option would be to remove yourself from the decision-making process, which may sound…

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Just me?

The feeling that you are the only one driving the decision-making process forwards can be a lonely and frustrating experience. Leaders should be in the position to ensure the best decision is made, not having to make every decision.

One option would be to remove yourself from the decision-making process, which may sound like a risky idea, but one which could free up a lot of your time. Would the team be able to come up with a viable solution without you, and how long would this take?

Business people and city
Group of executives meeting around a table

Making the change

Changing your level of involvement in the decision-making will be a challenge for everyone involved. Your willingness to step back from the process will convey trust in your team, and be an opportunity for them to take greater responsibility and autonomy. However, your absence can create a vacuum which needs to have structure in place, to ensure everyone knows what role they must fulfill.

Your expectations

You must clearly outline your expectations of the team:

  • How much fact finding is necessary for the research and who is responsible
  • The criteria used to validate solutions
  • The timeframe they must accomplish this in
  • Who will make the decision as to which solution is chosen

Sharing responsibility

Limiting your engagement may feel uncomfortable due to the lack of control, but after you give your team the rules for discussion, you should step back and trust them to rise to the challenge. This will allow them to take ownership of the decision-making process and increase their engagement in the process. Both are crucial to a successful implementation.

Picture of a leader in control of a meeting

One of the key expectations to set is who will make the decision on which solution is chosen.  If this is set at the beginning of the process and conducted with fairness and empathy, you as the leader can still make the choice!

Learn how to reduce the tension that decision-making can cause and improve the dynamics in your workplace by contacting C-Link Consulting at (248) 781-0150, info@c-link.consulting, or fill out the form below.

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