In a fast-paced, disruptive and continually evolving business environment, it’s essential that companies remain flexible..
Business leadership brings with it a host of personal as well as..
Networking is regularly cited as one of the most powerful tools for..
In this episode of Maestros in the Making, I had an interesting conversation with Gina El Kattan, a co-founder of Nuba Tisane. She opened up about her story of immigrating to Canada with her family from Egypt and co-founding a company with her mother.
In this episode of “Maestros in the Making“, I was joined by Karla Briones, an entrepreneur, business coach and college professor based in Ottawa.
Karla opened up about her inspiring immigrant journey to Canada from Mexico 25 years ago. Although my family and I are immigrants, it was fascinating and eye-opening for me to hear a different perspective of what it is like to be an immigrant in Canada. Watch the full podcast and let me know what you think in the comments below!
In episode 4, Dasha and I talk about the surprises, challenges, and happiness of raising our little humans, Sofia and Leonardo.
In a fast-paced, disruptive and continually evolving business environment, it’s essential that companies remain flexible and adaptive. Now more than ever companies need to continually expand their collective skills, embrace new learning and ensure everyone has the opportunity to grow and develop.
A motivated, open and continually developing workforce gives your company a range of competitive advantages but it can be hard to implement. A culture of inertia or crisis management can easily set in with a business focusing purely on immediate pressing needs rather than its future development. When your business starts treading water, it starts to fall behind.
How can companies build a culture of continuous development that enables them to move quickly as the market changes, foster innovation and strive for excellence?
Leadership Commitment
The foundational element in any strategy to develop a culture of continuous learning is a clear commitment from the leadership team. Leaders who demonstrate a real interest in learning and prioritize their own development set an example for employees to follow.
Leaders should be actively engaging in learning initiatives, sharing their experiences and knowledge, and providing resources to support others in their own development journeys.
Have a Strategy
Developing a culture of continuous learning and growth can be challenging so it’s important to have a strategy that clearly sets out your ultimate goal and direction of travel. Such a strategy begins with a clear understanding of the organization’s vision, goals, and core competencies.
By aligning your learning and development initiatives with these strategic objectives, businesses can ensure that their efforts are focused on enhancing the skills, knowledge, and capabilities needed to drive success.
Develop a High-Performance Team Culture
As we’ve explored in our previous blog, high-performance team culture is a work environment where employees are engaged, motivated, and committed to achieving their own and collective goals.
Continuous learning and growth are likely to be a key part of a high-performance culture. A collective expectation will be developed that every team member will be undertaking their own learning and development journey, enhancing their skills and looking for opportunities to grow.
Provide Opportunities for Development
A motivated and engaged team that is keen to learn and develop will soon become disengaged if opportunities for development are not available. In practical terms, this means ensuring that work opportunities in the form of courses, whether online or in-person, mentoring schemes and collaborative partnerships are all available.
Businesses may also wish to formalize support for an individual’s self-directed learning and development through financial assistance or time away from the workplace. You may wish to institute a formal leadership development program that individuals with the right skills, aptitude and attitude can undertake to achieve a leadership-level position.
Regular Evaluation
All of your learning and development initiatives need to be regularly evaluated. Gathering feedback from the leadership team and employees allows businesses to understand their learning needs, preferences, and challenges. This feedback can guide the refinement and enhancement of learning programs to ensure they remain relevant and valuable.
As with any cultural change within an organization, building a culture of continuous learning and growth takes time, a meaningful strategy and application. It also means keeping alert to changing market dynamics, innovations and ideas that might shape the future direction of your organizational learning.
Stay tuned through our socials and website for the latest information, podcasts, more blogs and upcoming events.
Business leadership brings with it a host of personal as well as professional challenges. When someone steps up into a leadership role there is often a period of adjustment as their workload and responsibilities expand and develop.
Seasoned leaders can be prone to taking on more work or may find that tried and tested ways of working are no longer enough. Economic downturns, organizational change and unexpected events can all place extra strain on the leadership team. Balancing all of this with family and community life adds another range of challenges.
When people exceed their capacity to handle competing pressures and demands, they are liable to burn out. This can be costly, not only in personal and professional terms but also for organizations. Businesses that do not enable successful stress management of their leadership team will be liable to greater disruptions, periods of absence and increased costs.
What strategies can individuals and organizations put in place to help reduce stress and prevent burn out?
Develop Empathetic Leadership
Empathy is key to developing a workplace culture that supports better stress management. That not only means ensuring that leaders are empathetic towards the stresses and struggles of their workforce, but also in regard to themselves.
When leaders cultivate empathy, they develop a deep understanding and compassion for their own emotions, limitations, and well-being. This self-awareness enables them to recognize the signs of burnout early on and take proactive steps to manage their stress levels effectively.
Empathetic leaders also consider the well-being of their employees and proactively implement strategies to prevent burnout. By demonstrating empathy and prioritizing the emotional needs of their team, leaders foster a culture of care and support that helps alleviate stress and promotes overall well-being.
Effective Self-Care
When we’re under pressure and have a weighty workload, it can be easy to neglect to look after ourselves. Proper self-care is essential to managing physical and mental well-being. This includes getting enough sleep, eating a balanced diet, and engaging in regular exercise.
Taking breaks, practicing mindfulness, and pursuing hobbies or activities that bring joy and relaxation can alleviate stress. Leaders must establish clear boundaries between work and personal life. They should define specific times for work, leisure, and rest to prevent work from encroaching on personal time. This includes avoiding excessive work hours, unplugging from technology during designated periods, and honouring personal commitments and relationships.
Time Management
Effective time management can help reduce stress. By prioritizing tasks, setting realistic deadlines and being willing to delegate tasks when appropriate, leaders can better manage their available time and workload. Being able to say no and avoiding overcommitting themselves enables leaders to prevent overwhelm, which over time is the leading cause of workplace burnout.
Self-Reflection
Being self-reflective enables leaders to assess their own well-being. It gives them the opportunity to identify potential stressors and make any necessary adjustments. Taking time for introspection and self-assessment enables leaders to recognize signs of burnout or excessive stress early on. They can then take proactive steps to address the situation.
Self-care, empathy, good time management and boundary-setting are all key strategies for leaders to support themselves and model healthy behaviours for their teams.
Stay tuned through our socials and website for the latest information, podcasts, more blogs and upcoming events.
Networking is regularly cited as one of the most powerful tools for career development. Connecting with fellow professionals, inspiring voices and key players within your industry is a great way to learn about new opportunities and showcase your own talents.
Networking with professionals outside of your field can provide even more opportunities for development. It can bring new perspectives and insights, as well as opportunities for professional development and collaboration. Inter-industry networking is often the catalyst for cross-disciplinary learning and unexpected career advancements.
While industry-based networking opportunities are usually straightforward to access, how can professionals effectively network with people from outside of their own field?
Attend Industry-Specific Events
Think about the kind of industries you are interested in and which you believe could provide fruitful connections. Then look for conferences, workshops and events that cater to these industries. As they bring together professionals from diverse backgrounds, they offer an excellent opportunity to expand your network beyond your own industry. Be proactive at any event, engage in conversations and seek out common ground to establish meaningful connections.
Join Professional Associations
Take a look at the kind of professional associations and groups that cover the industries you’re interested in. While many will limit membership to people working in particular fields, others will have affiliated membership categories for anyone who is interested in industry developments.
These organizations often host networking events, webinars, or forums that facilitate cross-industry interactions. By becoming a member, you gain access to a network of professionals from various fields, enabling you to connect with individuals who can offer unique perspectives and insights.
Leverage Social Media Platforms
Social media platforms, such as LinkedIn, provide an excellent means to establish a connection with professionals from different industries. Join industry-specific groups, engage in discussions, and participate in online forums. Share your expertise, seek advice, and build relationships with professionals who can provide diverse perspectives.
Look for Opportunities for Collaboration
Where appropriate, look for opportunities to collaborate with companies and organizations working in different industries. These might be companies you already work with on some level, such as suppliers or customers. This can make it easier to develop new projects because a relationship has already been established.
Alternatively, you may wish to approach an entirely new organization with a collaborative proposal as a means of establishing a new professional relationship.
Seek Mentorship
It’s possible to establish a mentoring relationship with professionals from outside your own particular field. Mentors from diverse fields can offer fresh perspectives, challenge your thinking, and provide guidance beyond your immediate industry. They can help you expand your horizons, develop transferable skills, and open up new opportunities.
Volunteer in the Community
Getting involved with volunteer work or community activities can allow you to work with professionals from different fields while making a positive impact. Joining community organizations, charitable initiatives and non-profit boards can provide a platform for individuals who share common values but who come from different professional backgrounds. This can be a worthwhile way to gain new skills and work with people from different industries on a shared goal.
These are just some of the ways that you can expand your horizons. The more you explore, the more you will find.
Stay tuned through our socials and website for the latest information, podcasts, more blogs and upcoming events.
