KINDLY LISTEN UP

In reflecting on our observations of our clients over the past six months, we have noted a range of responses to the unusual situation in which we have all been living and working. Without question, each organization’s workforce has expressed an evolving set of emotions; what workers were feeling in the earliest stages of the pandemic has been largely replaced multiple times over as the duration of the crisis has lengthened. Keeping a finger on the pulse of employee needs and emotions has been one of our strongest recommendations to our clients; knowing where their workforce is “at” is a critical component of keeping employees engaged and productive. It also underscores the reality that what got workers engaged in February 2020 cannot be assumed to have the same effect in October of the same year.

Career success, Team-building, Leadership, Partnerships, EmpathyMarcie Schorr HirschDecember 23, 2020workingfromhome, Pandemic, Flexibility, listening

Perfect Partnership

In his excellent book WISDOM@ WORK (Doubleday, 2018), author Chip Conley lays out a road map for organizations to create lasting benefit for success by tapping into the wisdom of the ages. By creating partnerships and teams of both younger, frequently more tech-savvy professionals, and also older more work-wise individuals, he argues that we will build stronger and more agile places of work—and ensure a healthy teacher/student relationship that flips from one group to the other. He also tells his own story about his journey to become a “modern elder.”

Conley’s basic premise, which aligns beautifully with SmarterWisdom’s philosophy, is that people who have been on this earth for a while have amassed work and life experiences that are invaluable. He also makes a strong argument for “rewirement,” positing that open-minded, growth-oriented professionals have plenty of time and space for learning more. He acknowledges, as we all do, that younger people have grown up in a time where uses of technology, social media and other modern tools have become part of their lives—the intersection of the generations, then, provides an enriched source of learning and creative possibilities for organizations.

High performance, Career success, Partnerships, Team-buildingJane MouldingDecember 2, 2020Covid-19, Flexibility, Time-of-change, Partnership