Future Fit Leadership

How often have you clicked on an ad on social media or watched a marketing video online and thought to yourself either - what was that add about or I want that product. Like many of you during COVID there was a parcel being delivered to my door step just about every day. I took to online shopping like I had been doing it for years. It was interesting how quickly brands and consumers pivoted to digital marketing platforms. In fact many brands had their best years in regards to revenue during this time. Marketing your brand as a business or as an individual where you connect with the customer is mostly based on experience. I once worked with renown brand strategist Ross Smith who said a brand was an experience wrapped up in a promise.  Post COVID peoples expectations have changed on what they want to see and hear from brands.  To talk more about this and how marketing will continue to change I reached out to Lion CMO anubha sahasrabuddhe who brings a global view to this conversation having worked with Mars and Coco Cola to share with us what marketing in the post COVID world looks like   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We have a talent war on our hands, finding and keeping people in our businesses has become harder.  The pandemic blended the world of work and home in a way that has never happened. We went from sharing stories about our pets, children and partners at work to seeing them online as we held our meetings. The workplace got humanized, we saw people in their natural environments and the concept of work life balance that we searched for, did training and coaching on simply moved to being about life. So before you go on your next recruitment drive consider exactly what you are offering, is it competitive and who is the talent you are trying to attract into your business.  Hybrid models enable people to work from anywhere, how you manage their work flows and productivity becomes a challenge. And there isn’t a one size fits all. Remember we have gone from – you come into the office to do the work, to finding out how you prefer to work, overlaying that with the business needs and finding a win win solution that works for the employee and the business. We have gone from standard workplace contracts or agreements to bespoke ones, we now need to match how the work is done to how the employee prefers to do the work.  There is no going back, the horse has long bolted on this issue, I know many people who have said to me that if they take the flexibility away then I am leaving the job. Employers who feel that they can hold onto the “old” ways of recruiting and retaining talent will the most under threat. If how we work has changed then how we recruit must also change and wouldn’t hybrid models actually increase the talent pool and make you attractive as an employer. To dive deeper into this topic, I reached out to Michelle Loader who is the Managing Director of Future Leadership. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Communication is one of the most critical skill sets you need as a leader. And it's not communicating by hiding behind a keyboard, or only when things are wrong. It is the constant and everyday conversations that have the most impact.  I don’t know how many of you watch the Apple series Ted Lasso, if you don’t you must! The show is about an American football coach who finds himself in the UK coaching a soccer team.  I started watching it, curious as it had great reviews. Now I am binging it and soaking in the leadership lessons.  Lasso is an extremely positive character, even when the entire football ground is calling him a wanker (you need to watch the show) he still manages to have a smile on his face.  Lasso is focused on the long term goals, however also very realistic about the talent of his players, he understands what they are insecure about and what their long term goals are. And because he does, he can provide feedback that supports them and ensure they believe in themselves and the team goals.  He is comfortable being open and vulnerable and an awesome communicator. He is curious, wanting to learn more and almost an annoyingly positive outlook on life.  Some of the lessons on this show are about, being curious rather than judgmental, asking better questions, being a goldfish – not dwelling on our mistakes rather learning from them and teamwork makes great work.  Communication from a CEO, Director, team leader, manager can make or break that team.  It is so much easier when everyone is in the office to have a conversation while making a coffee, walking past a desk, saying good morning, in  your office, you can eyeball them, watch their body language and assess if you have gotten through.  This is much harder virtually. If you come across as confusing, nervous and lack confidence, people will lose confidence in you and your ability to lead  Today, leaders need to be able to communicate clearly to build connection with the company values, goals, culture, performance - not just when they are face to face, but virtually as well.  You need to be present – “be where your feet are”, as Gilbert Enoka used to say. Listen actively. We all know how easy it is to get distracted virtually and keep everyone else connected to the conversation as well.  All this is not as easy as it sounds, especially today in a virtual world. In Episode 2 of Future Fit Leadership we talk to Maritza Barone about her 9 communication tips in a virtual world.  She takes us through the importance of preparation, listening, storytelling, breath, language, interaction, the pause, pace and tone and authenticity.  Combine this with the lessons from Ted Lasso and you will definitely fine tune your communication skills. click here to download your copy of the 9 communication tips https://www.guideyourlightnetwork.com/_files/ugd/5b253a_f32217d96f5048dd9b6e319ee6a25bc9.pdf  If you want more information on conscious conversations click here  https://www.consciousconversations.live/buy  to connect with Maritza Barone  www.maritzabarone.com & www.guideyourlightnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I have been following with interest the trials of the 4 day work week that is being run by various groups globally. The results are resounding, employees love it, productivity is high as is employee engagement. Will it last and can we sustain this long term? Let’s face it, 2 days isn’t really long enough to recover when many of our people are doing long hours due to inefficient technology, increased client expectations, outdated systems and process, people not willing to drive and adopt change. All of which causes high levels of stress, unhappy clients  and employees and ultimately loss of people from the business. So would you be willing to work for a business that enables you to work four days a week where you must do 100% of the work in 80% of the time for 100% of the pay. It would mean that we potentially would have less meetings, high levels of efficiency and automation, less emails, high levels of productivity and more connection and collaboration with our teams. Imagine what you could do with that extra day off. And you must leave you phone behind at work, so you are genuinely not disturbed and those doing your work take the calls. However, the key for a four-day week to work long term, I believe, is the ability for us to keep up the productivity. Can we do 100% of the work in 80% of the time long term?. We do need to rethink the world of work, we are being challenged to do so and the old paradigm of work is only done in the office is certainly dead. The other consideration is will remuneration be impacted long term, will it open up the door for more job share opportunities, could we bring more women back into the workplace part time? The four day work will trial is in play, the results will be in over the next 6 months. It isn’t something I recommend you implement without these results and a strategy that involves your people. In the meantime, here is my podcast with Michelle Rigg from Rent West in WA who is currently participating in one of the trials.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to Future Fit Leadership a podcast for emerging and experienced leaders to learn, grow and become future fit, hosted by Sadhana Smiles. There has been a global shift in how we lead people. Traditional models are being challenged, and our workplaces are now dynamic.  In this podcast you will hear and connect with leaders, CEO’s and change makers who will challenge the status quo and share their future ready strategies to unlock your growth.  No matter where you are on your leadership journey this podcast will give you practical ideas and tools to help you think outside the square and become a changemaker in your industry.  Future Fit leadership is your place for bite sized learning, for time poor executives. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.