Be Different or be dead

January 25, 2020

How interdepartmental collaboration can be improved in cool and unique ways

How interdepartmental collaboration can be improved in cool and unique ways.

There’s a BIG problem in how businesses work today—a problem serious enough to stop work productivity dead in its tracks.

Yet, few seem to be aware of it, let alone find a solution.

Business departments are not collaborating as well as they should be.

“Yeah, no one’s working together but we’re still selling well and meeting KPIs. I don’t see what’s wrong here.”

If happier and more hard-working employees, significantly improved work performance, and increased revenue are things your business doesn’t need, then you can forget about fostering innovation.

I trust you are in the majority of leaders who want to see his or her business succeed. If that’s the case, I urge you to read on and find out what’s really disrupting interdepartmental collaboration—and how you can fix the problem.

The silo mentality

Silos are used in farms to separate different types of grains from each other. They’re wonderful inventions of machinery for agriculture, not so much for businesses.

The silo mentality can seep into business departments and affect teamwork and collaboration severely. How this materializes is that departments start to hoard valuable information and become reluctant to share it across the company.

This could happen for a multitude of reasons including power struggles, lack of belief in other team members, and poor communication practices.

The silo mentality is a serial killer of work performance.

It destroys trust and relationships when employees are reluctant to communicate with each other. Businesses cannot take advantage of golden opportunities because they don’t have enough data to make informed decisions.

Customers lose faith due to deteriorating customer service and product quality.

The problem is, it’s tricky to find out if the silo mentality is plaguing your business until something bad happens.

There are several telltale signs to be aware of in determining whether your team members are affected by the issue.

Fragmented decision making

Teams in silos make decisions for the sake of their respective departments rather than the company.

Departments want the best for themselves and don’t see a reason to address the needs of other business units.

Lack of responsibility leading to a blame culture

There is no clear indicator of who is responsible for what in completing company tasks. Project responsibilities float around departments without any sense of ownership.

If something does not go as planned, it’s always Employee X or Department Y’s fault, never themselves.

Non-existent innovation

Businesses may find themselves stuck in a rut innovation-wise. IT systems are still working on Windows XP. Department heads find themselves working overnight on stacks of paperwork.

There is seemingly a resistance to adopting new technologies and innovative systems that make work easier and more enjoyable.

Resistance to change is such an ever-present problem in businesses that the Harvard Business Review has an article on how to overcome it… back in 1969.

Incoherent company vision

Executives and department leaders have different views on how the business should move forward. For example, the sales team is demanding a new CRM tool but the CEO sees no reason to since sales are already going through the roof with the old CRM.

In other words, there is a clash in vision between the ones at the top of the organizational chart and employees who are doing the majority of the work.

Now that you know what’s causing the silo mentality, what can you do to overcome it and inspire collaboration across all business units?

Build a culture of empathy

Empathy is the key to effective interdepartmental collaboration.

You should encourage teams to take on the role of other departments for a day or two. By learning about other people’s work, your employees will be able to look at their colleagues from a different, more insightful perspective.

They can even pitch in ideas from their own experiences to solve the problems of other departments which is one of the most cited benefits of good interdepartmental collaboration.

Can you make someone who is not empathetic, be more empathetic? Of course not.

But, you’re building a culture, not forcing individuals to change their personalities. When you establish a culture of empathy, employees will collaborate by themselves with other business units, no matter who they are.

You don’t need to herd them around like sheep — that’s the power of good company culture.

Tell employees why it’s important to collaborate

Give your team members a clear and relevant cause to be passionate about — why should they collaborate?

When your employees are passionate about the vision and purpose you bring forward, they will collaborate.

The best way to drive this motivation is by telling your team members what they stand to gain from collaborating well with other departments.

It could be fat bonuses, extended leave, a higher chance of getting promoted. Whatever it is, make the purpose of collaboration important and reward employees for their efforts.

Revamp communication procedures and policies

If you’re reading this, your company’s communication procedures are likely to be outdated and inefficient. It’s time to change.

Remove all the dumb rules that impede collaboration in the first place. One common rule that should be banished forever is being able to contact other employees only at a certain time in the day or with a certain communication medium (read: emails only). Never do that.

Don’t be afraid to embrace technology. There are tons of collaboration technologies today that help your employees communicate and collaborate a lot faster than back and forth emails. Slack, Trello, and Jira are some examples of tools that are being used by many leading companies today to great success, which your business can pick up.

Make sure the workstations are working properly and glitch-free, so they support the tools you use for your business needed to enable efficient collaboration. The last thing you’d want is a piece of shoddy software with features that are merely nice-to-haves.

Communication policies should also be revamped depending on what your business needs.

Generally, communication policies should facilitate open and non-hostile interaction between employees while also enabling the free flow of information between departments.

For example, your policy can clarify who to contact in urgent times or how team members should communicate with each other daily (e.g. team chats or face-to-face meetings?)

Lead by example

The final tip is arguably the most important solution in overcoming the silo mentality.

Leaders must embrace whatever change they want to see in their companies. If you want your team members to practice the pillars of successful collaboration, you should be doing the same. Always lead by example.

Inspiring collaboration across all business departments is achievable only if you overcome the silo mentality that is affecting communication and information sharing.

Practice the tips mentioned above and your team will be working seamlessly with each other in no time.

— Lisa Michaels is a freelance writer, editor and a thriving content marketing consultant from Portland. Being self-employed, she does her best to stay on top of the current trends in business and tech. Feel free to connect with her on Twitter.

• Posted 1.25.20 at 05:55 am by Roy Osing
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November 30, 2019

9 fantastic quotes from some amazing lady bosses

9 fantastic quotes from some amazing lady bosses.

We must keep celebrating the strong leaders in our life.

FTD created an infographic with some of the most iconic and inspiring women in leadership –– from Michelle Obama to Indra Nooyi.

These women take no prisoners and have some words of wisdom to share with the world. Use their lessons to boost your own self-confidence or share them with a leader you value to say “thanks” for their guidance.

— Marielle Lea is a passionate writer who loves putting pen to paper (or fingertips to keyboard) whenever she can. In her spare time, Marielle loves to be with her family, enjoying the outdoors and finding the next great taco truck!

• Posted 11.30.19 at 03:48 pm by Roy Osing
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November 16, 2019

3 simple ways to make a strong work ethic for small businesses

3 simple ways to make a strong work ethic for small businesses.

There are two types of work ethics: good and bad.

Someone with a bad work ethic rushes through projects, is often absent from work, or misses deadlines — in other words, an unproductive employee with a tendency to slack off.

On the other hand, an employee with a good work ethic possesses the willingness to work hard, has great time management skills, and is adaptable and flexible to different tasks. Business World’s Rajguru Tandon explains that having a strong work ethic is directly correlated to productivity and a good work culture, and it’s not hard to see why management must value and work towards it.

But how does one encourage good work ethic? Out of all the soft skills employees can have, it is the most challenging to cultivate. This is because it consists of multiple secondary skills, such as time management, responsibility, and adaptability, all of which have to be finely tuned over time.

Fortunately, organizations can develop this skill by showing one key value: integrity. Management must walk the talk by creating an environment that supports good work ethic and responds well to improper behavior.

But if you’re a little lost on how to start, here are a few ways you can begin promoting good work ethic in your workplace.

1. Help them prioritize

Learning how to prioritize tasks promotes productivity and cultivates an employee’s time management skills. Thus, encourage your employees to get into the habit of planning and prioritizing, which involves looking at everything they need to do for a day or week, and then figuring out which ones are most critical.

In this way, Verizon Connect’s Taylor Fasulas notes that they will be able to set clear goals for their day and avoid wasting lots of time feeling overwhelmed. Start by setting clear expectations and timelines, and throw the idea of multitasking out the window.

Encourage your team to create centralized to-do lists, so everyone can see what each one is working on for the day and can avoid adding to it unless really necessary.

2. Provide praise and feedback where necessary

Employees want to do better — but they also want to know what they’ve been doing right. Guest writer Smith Willas explains that employees begin to lose their confidence when their accomplishments aren’t appreciated, and will eventually think of themselves as just another number in the company.

Show public recognition of achievements, small or large, and prioritize face-to-face compliments over virtual ones where possible. Rewarding people will motivate them to work hard, and inspire others to do the same.

Of course, it’s still important to give feedback where necessary, but make sure it’s in a manner that’s constructive in order to improve performance. After all, no one wants to hear all the negatives without hearing about how they can do better.

3. Be flexible and adaptable yourself

With 77% of Canadians believing that flexible work is the new normal, encouraging flexibility and adaptability has to work both ways.

Today’s working generation seeks a healthy work-life balance, and why shouldn’t they? Reduce occupational stress of commuting and traffic jams by allowing your employees to have flexible work schedules, and adapt to your employees’ needs where necessary.

For instance, consider allowing them to have a more flexible work schedule if they’re going through a hard time with their personal life. But also, be flexible and adaptable to what works for your employees — not all their work routines are the same. Give them space to do their tasks, and step in with guidance whenever required. In turn, they will make an effort to meet your expectations and be flexible when needed.

In short

Encouraging a strong work ethic is a two-way street — both employees and employers have to work on it. Practicing simple solutions such as offering praise and feedback, remaining flexible, and encouraging prioritization can help significantly encourage a strong work ethic in your workplace.

— TheLeadingJ is a passionate poet, a long-time HR manager, and a questionable singer. After travelling the world for two years, she’s finally decided to settle down in the bustling city of Toronto, Canada. When she isn’t working, she loves to bake and try out new recipes from all over the world.

• Posted 11.16.19 at 06:32 am by Roy Osing
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November 2, 2019

How doing digital marketing will make you an unbelievable winner

How doing digital marketing will make you an unbelievable winner.

When it comes to making your marketing efforts a success, standing out from the crowd is a key aspect of how you can ensure you’re going to be seen. Consumers are constantly flooded with a sea of various advertisements right now. If you aren’t joining in and using great digital marketing techniques you’ll miss out on this huge opportunity.

Digital marketing is essential to grasping a customer’s attention and getting them to your website to buy your products or services. If you haven’t put a lot of time and effort into why digital marketing is so important, that’s understandable. It can be overwhelming to think about, but now is the time to take the plunge and make some time to learn more.

There are a lot of great ways digital marketing can help you stand out, grasp attention, and beat out your competition. If you’re doing things correctly you’ll find a lot of success as a result of your digital marketing efforts. Pros from companies like Nelson Internet Marketing can help you learn more.

Here are five proven ways digital marketing will make you stand out from the crowd.

1. You’ll get the chance to amaze your customers

Customers can be picky (and who can blame them?) so you need to make sure you’re taking every chance you can possibly get to amaze them. Digital marketing is one way you can amaze both current and future customers. You can use social media posts, videos, or even a blog post to grab their attention and wow them.

With digital marketing, you can create an ad that isn’t easily ignored. You can make something that your customers will be actively interacting with. If you post on social media they’ll be compelled to comment. If you create a blog post they’re going to be spending time reading it. A video will be something they can play and watch intently.

All of these things add up to you being able to grab their attention and stand out from the crowd. You’ll need to make sure you’re creating great, engaging content, but that’s not something that should deter you from using digital marketing.
You can always get help with creating good content if you need to.

2. You’ll get the chance to reach a wider audience

Being online and using digital marketing opens you up to a world of possibilities you may not have considered before. There are obvious things like social media platforms where you can post and engage with your customers, but you also have a few opportunities you may not have considered.

Social media influencers are a huge benefit to businesses using digital marketing to stand out. You’ll be able to use someone who has a personal touch and direct connection with their followers to advertise your product. Your social media reach will increase exponentially by using the right influencers based on your product or service.

There are some great marketing tools out there to help you figure out which influencers would be ideal for you to contact. Yes, you could just reach out to anyone with a large following, but that’s not going to give you the targeted traffic you’re hoping for.
Using the tools to your advantage and finding the right influencers will be a key step in social media marketing.

3. You’ll get the chance to add a personal touch

Customers love knowing they’re valued and that the people getting their business are also real people who truly care about their customers. With digital marketing, you’ll get the chance to add that personal touch with every strategy you use. This goes beyond posting and engaging with your followers on social media, although engagement is definitely important too.

When you put yourself in a greater position of being an online digital presence you get the chance to add a personal touch to your brand. That could be anything from a video highlighting the people who work for you to a better chance to respond to customer complaints more efficiently through reviews or social media posts.

Whatever you put out there as a digital marketing effort is going to reflect who you are as a brand and a person. That extra personal touch is what will make your product or service more appealing to customers than anyone else out there. Who you are as a person will shine through and that will make you stand out.

4. You’ll get to put a face to a name

This goes along with your personal touch but it’s still a little different. Digital marketing gives you a chance to put a face to your product or brand’s name. That’s a new way to stand out that your competitors might not be using. If they’re using outdated marketing techniques you’re going to stand out because your brand now has a face.

Being a memorable face in a sea of similar products is going to be a great chance for you to gain new customers. They may not click your link and buy right away but if the product is something they need they’re likely to remember you over other similar products because you put a face to your name. It’s another chance to enhance that personal touch. Use it.

5. You’ll get to have some fun

Digital marketing is a fun way to market. It doesn’t have to be as complicated or overwhelming as you might be thinking it is right now. You’ll get the chance to exercise some creative muscle and have some fun creating posts and content your customers will love. Having fun is another way your customers are going to remember you and how you stood out from everyone else.

Think about the last time you saw a post from a brand like Wendy’s on Twitter. They’re known for having a great time online and they’re getting a huge boost of traffic to their social media accounts and their stores because of it. This is just one way to have some fun and make digital marketing a way to stand out from your competition.

You don’t have to steal the Wendy’s playbook and use it word for word, just think of the general idea. It’s an account that doesn’t cost anything to start, and posting on the platform is free. They’re just having some fun with everyone that sees their tweets and it’s working for them. You can use that idea and make it work for you too.

Conclusion

Digital marketing truly can help you stand out in a myriad of ways. If you’ve underestimated the chances you have to pull away from the pack and stand out before now, it’s time to realize the power digital marketing has.

You don’t have to use every digital marketing strategy out there but finding the ones that work for your business can make a huge difference in your bottom line. Take the plunge and start working on your digital strategy. You won’t regret it.

— Gabe Nelson is a content specialist of over 7 years of experience. Just out of highschool he set off crab fishing on the bering sea in Alaska. From there he went back home to finish his college degree at the University of Montana. He has a passion and keen understanding when it comes to Amazon inside and out. He has written hundreds of content pieces in numerous niches. Currently, he lives in Missouri with his wife and kids enjoying the peaceful town of St. Joseph.

• Posted 11.2.19 at 04:22 am by Roy Osing
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