當今時代,商業領導者面臨的最大風險并非政治動蕩、氣候變化、網絡安全乃至科技革命,而是如何在日益孤立化、孤獨化和去中心化的世界中領導企業獲得成功。 在全球范圍內,這種疏離感導致85%的員工不能主動投入工作,或者故意消極怠工,由此導致的生產力損失高達7萬億美元。當代的企業領導者必須有能力管理身在各個國家的異地員工和自由職業者,以及不同性別、年齡、民族和教育背景的員工。 為了應對這一挑戰,很多企業希望利用科技手段促進溝通和協作。一些企業在應用了某些技術工具之后,似乎產生了職場氛圍已經變得更加緊密的幻覺。然而這些工具如果使用不當,卻會使員工更加疏離,對工作更加消極。 我們之所以越來越依賴科技設備進行協作,是因為它使我們的溝通變得更容易和高效。但我們對它們的濫用也到了無以復加的地步,乃至于大多數的“面對面”交流都是通過視頻電話的方式進行的。據Future Workplace和Virgin Pulse公司聯合進行的一項全球調查顯示,一名員工每天至少有一半的時間花在使用科技產品進行溝通上,然而超過一半的員工仍然有孤獨感。 盡管員工越來越依賴電子郵件進行交流,但研究表明,面對面提出請求的成功率,要比電子郵件高出34倍。所以如果你有事相求,與其發一封電子郵件,然后反復回復,你還不如直接走到同事的辦公桌前,直接跟他溝通。這樣會節省大量時間與精力。 以下五個建議有助于領導者構建更加堅實的企業文化,提高員工的參與度: 鼓勵開放協作 鼓勵所有團隊成員互相之間做到開放、友善、誠實。你可以給團隊成員制訂一份共同的任務清單,大家都可以查看進度并且對其負責。如果大家都知道每個人在忙些什么,也就更容易互相幫助了。另外,不要因為一個員工提出了一個不好的點子就懲罰他,而是要通過紀律讓大家嚴守工期,促進大家聽取團隊成員的意見。 認可團隊的表現 雖然點評個別團隊成員的表現是必要的,但更重要的是,你要認可整個團隊的表現。每個員工都有集體歸屬感,都希望自己是一個優秀集體的一部分。在說明你為什么認可團隊的表現時,你不妨舉一個具體的成功案例,談談團隊中的每個人如何付出了努力,最終促進了目標的成功實現。 促進共同學習 在學習上,與其讓團隊成員集體學習一門在線課程,不如打造一種人人相互支持的文化。當你從一篇文章、一門課程或其他途徑學到一些新知識時,你可以公開地把它與你的團隊進行分享。你可以鼓勵大家效仿這種行為,這樣大家就可以共同進步了。 做一位好教練 在向團隊成員答疑解惑時,要根據你的經驗,提供具有可行性的反饋和建議。另外,你要持續關注他們的進展,好在整個過程中給予他們正確的建議,而不僅僅是指導一次便放任自流。最好每月或每季度對他們進行一次培訓,讓他們感受到你的支持與關心。在培訓過程中,你可以詳細解說你所期待他們的行為和成果,以及他們需要做出哪些調整以獲得更大的成功。 展示你的弱點 學會適時承認錯誤,并且向團隊成員展示你的生活,這樣會使你看起來更加人性化。而且當員工遇到問題時,他們也更有勇氣向你尋求幫助。弱點并不等于軟弱,它也是一種力量,它能打造一個安全的空間,允許員工與你建立更深層的關系。 員工之間的情感越疏離,他們對企業的參與度就越低,另謀高就的可能性就越大。替換一名老員工的成本是很高的,我們必須要對此做些什么。而培養一種開放和鼓勵的公司文化,會有助于你成為一名更成功的領導者。(財富中文網) 本文作者丹·肖貝爾是《變回人類:偉大的領導者如何在孤立的時代創造溝通》一書的作者。 譯者:樸成奎 |
The biggest challenge facing business leaders today isn’t politics, climate change, cybersecurity, or even disruption—it’s leading in an age of increased isolation, loneliness, and decentralization. Globally, this lack of connection has resulted in 85% of employees not being engaged or actively disengaged—a $7 trillion loss in productivity. In today’s workplace, leaders have to be able to manage remote workers and freelancers living in various countries, as well as employees of different genders, ages, educational backgrounds, and ethnic backgrounds. In order to confront this great challenge, many have turned to technology to foster collaboration and communicate. While tech tools have created the illusion that the workforce is more connected, if not used appropriately they can make employees feel isolated and disengaged. We rely more on tech devices to do our collaboration for us because it feels easier and more efficient, but are guilty of abusing it to a point where FaceTime is the new face time. In a global study by Future Workplace and Virgin Pulse, we found that almost half of an employee’s day is spent using technology to communicate, and more than half feel lonely as a result. While workers increasingly rely on email communication, research shows that face-to-face requests are 34 times more successful. Instead of sending an email, then replying over and over again, all you have to do is walk over to their cubicle and be direct. It saves a lot of time—and headaches. Here are five tips for leaders to create a stronger culture and increase employee engagement: Embrace open collaboration Get everyone on your team to commit to being open, accessible, and honest with each other. One way to do this is to create a shared to-do list that everyone can view and is accountable for. When your coworkers know what everyone is working on, it’s easier for them to help each other. Instead of penalizing employees for bad ideas, focus more on discipline for missing deadlines and not being open to advice from fellow team members. Recognize team performance While you should give feedback to individual team members, it’s even more effective if you talk about your entire team’s performance. People want to feel like they are part of something bigger than themselves. In order to recognize your team, you can share a specific story of how the team accomplished a goal. You can explain how that goal was met based on the efforts of each individual. Practice shared learning Instead of having team members learn in solidarity by reviewing an online course, create a culture where everyone is supporting each other. When you learn something new from an article, class, or other resource, openly share it with your team. Encourage them to mimic this behavior so that you can all learn together. Become a coach Instead of just mentoring your teammates, provide actionable feedback and advice from your experiences. Keep track of their progress so that you can give them the right advice along the way, not just in a single moment. Hold a monthly or quarterly coaching session so that they know you’re there for them. During the session, give them specifics on the behavior and outcomes you’re looking for and how they can adjust to be more successful. Show your own vulnerability Admitting your faults and opening up about your life humanizes you and makes it easier for your teammates to approach you when they experience problems. Vulnerability isn’t a weakness; it’s a strength that creates a safe space and allows people to have a deeper relationship with you. The more detached your employees are, the less committed they will be to your organization and the higher likelihood they will depart. The cost of replacing an employee is too high for you to not do something about it. Fostering an open and encouraging workplace culture will make you more successful as a leader. Dan Schawbel is the author of Back to Human: How Great Leaders Create Connection in the Age of Isolation. |