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Time Management Is Important In Every Workplace – Here’s How To Get Better At It

Why is time management important in the workplace

Productivity in the workplace is driven by efficient time management skills. In order to tackle critical tasks in an effective manner, time management is one of the most important soft skills an employee can have at their disposal. However, many people do not manage their time well.

According to a poll conducted by the Development Academy, only 1 in 5 people (approximately 18% of 500 employees from different industries) have a proper time management system in place. This means that 82% of the participants don’t manage their time in beneficial ways that serve both themselves and the company they work for. Understanding the central themes behind time management and how it can make a noticeable impact on your professional life is crucial to how we can start implementing behaviors that improve our productivity in the workplace.

What Is Time Management

What Is Time Management?

Time management is the practice of managing and allocating your time so that tasks are completed efficiently and productively. It’s a process involving careful planning and organization so even in the event that deadlines are tight and the workload appears overwhelming, you are fully equipped with a process that will help you get through it. One of the most important aspects of time management is having focus.

The methods we use to deliver the most productive outcomes are key to achieving success as a whole. For example, one unique method for effective time management is a strategy called the Pomodoro technique in which you start with four, 25 minute time frames where you’re free of distraction. In these sets, you are operating at your most productive, your time wholly dedicated to your task. At the end of the sprint, you then take a 10-15 minute break and afterward, resume with another 25-minute session. This cycle repeats until the assignment is done or if you’re just looking to maximize your time on an ongoing project. This method not only gives you an opportunity to operate with a more reliable focus but also allows for much-needed rest and restoration in order to support a healthy work quality.

There are other numerous strategies that have been developed in order to help improve the way we use our time and meet our goals. According to Trafft, the average person tries at least 13 different methods for managing time. This statistic suggests that we fundamentally understand the importance of using our time wisely and have tried different ways of incorporating the techniques into our workday, but need more practical, attainable approaches.

Why Is Time Management Important In The Workplace

Why Is Time Management Important In The Workplace?

Managing our time in the workplace is important for a few reasons:

  • Less stress – When we manage our time efficiently, we tend to feel less stressed as we like we’re always running behind schedule. Most employees and even managers will reveal that they feel there isn’t enough time in the day to get even the most basic parts of their job done. This could be due to a variety of reasons such as underestimating how long an assignment or project could take to complete, unnecessary meetings throughout the workweek, and constant interruptions. But knowing how to allocate your time to get your most important tasks completed will help alleviate some of the stress you feel at work. The more frantic and stressed you are at work, the more likely your colleagues will pick up on your behaviors, especially if you’re in a leadership position. Depending on the situation, your employees or colleagues will feel the stress themselves and reflect this in their work product.
  • Meet deadlines. SHRM reports that according to a survey conducted by CareerCast, the number one cause of stress in the workplace is deadlines. Looming deadlines can create a feeling of enormous pressure. However, practicing good time management can help you meet the most pressing deadlines on time, or even before the due date. It can help create the space you need to operate at your most efficient in order to get the most important and time-sensitive assignments done when requested.
  • Increased productivity. As you work through the different demands of your job, effective time management methods can help you be more productive throughout the day, allowing you to steadily complete your to-do list in an efficient manner. Overall, productivity is often reduced by at least 45% when an employee is engaged in multitasking according to PriAlto. This is why it’s so important to manage your time in the workplace. Usually, we’re given a variety of different tasks that require our attention. Spacing them out and prioritizing them by importance makes a huge difference in our productivity.
  • High-quality work. Having more time to do your tasks can help you be more creative in the way you approach problem-solving and can support critical thinking. Since you have more time to focus and apply yourself to the task at hand, the quality of your work will be noticeably higher than a “rushed” assignment with fewer mistakes and more innovative solutions.

Having good time management can help be more productive, less stressed, and generate quality work in a timely manner. However, it can still be a skill that’s challenging to attain for most people. In order to improve how we practice time management, we must also understand the consequences when we don’t manage our time wisely.

What Happens When We Have Poor Time Management

What Happens When We Have Poor Time Management?

Having poor time management can not only affect the quality of our work, but it can also create a whole list of other issues that we might not have expected. The way in which we use our time can help us avoid these pitfalls in the workplace:

  • Poor reputation – The more consistently your work is turned in late or is of lower quality because of the push for time, the more likely your fellow colleagues and managers will likely start to question your reliability and work ethic.
  • Increased stress – Since poor time management often leads to work being done at the last minute, people feel an enormous amount of pressure and stress to get things done on time. When this happens consistently, it can have a ripple effect, impacting all other assignments or projects that need to be completed next.
  • Poor work-life balance – Because of the increase in stress, overwhelm, and the need to get things done by the deadline, you spend more time playing catch up, rather than sustaining a healthy work-life balance and resetting at the end of a busy workday. You end up using more of your overtime hours or working at home, which eventually intrudes on our personal lives.
  • Missed deadlines, more extensions – As you feel pressed for time as the deadline approaches, you either seek to gain an extension or miss it entirely. This can become a repetitive cycle if time is not managed appropriately.
  • Resentment from colleagues – Your colleagues will eventually feel the impact of poor time management. Depending on how the department or team is organized and how the work is assigned and distributed, tasks may be structured by having dependencies. This means someone else is required to complete their end of the assignment before the next person is able to do their own part. If your work is almost always consistently late or incomplete, you might start to draw the ire of your colleagues, which can lead to interpersonal issues within the team and could potentially be a contributing factor to a negative work environment after a prolonged amount of time.
  • Low self-esteem – One of the causes of low self-esteem in the workplace is feeling constantly stressed by everything that needs to be done. While there could very well be other contributing external factors to an uneven workload, poor time management can certainly be a major player. As you are in a constant state of stress, this starts to affect your self-esteem at work. You begin questioning your capabilities, decision-making, and skill sets—leading you closer to burnout.
  • Bad habits – Continuously submitting assignments late or asking for extensions could potentially create bad work habits the more that you do them. You’ll grow used to these bad habits, even if you know it’s not productive.

Understanding how using our time poorly can lead to disastrous outcomes at work is critical to envisioning why time management is important in the workplace. While there are a number of negative results when it comes to managing our time inefficiently, there are also a number of benefits when we use our time well.

What Are The Benefits Of Time Management

What Are The Benefits Of Time Management?

When we manage our time properly, there are many advantages when it comes to our productivity in the workplace:

  • Higher self-esteem– Managing our time wisely can help us feel good about ourselves, the work we produce and can build confidence in our abilities to get the job done. Employees who practice careful time management and planning often feel higher job satisfaction than those who don’t. After an assignment is complete and off your desk, you feel that tidal wave of relief that it was not only done, but accomplished in a productive and high-quality manner. You might even feel more energized to get the next task done. Each small “win” creates momentum for the next.
  • Less procrastination – Time management is all about moving forward. One of the most understood reasons behind procrastination is that it’s a sign an employee is lazy. However, procrastination is more nuanced. Some of us have a persistent fear of failure, which keeps us from having any kind of momentum when it comes to new tasks or projects. We want to meet the deadline, but also have a fear that we’ve failed even before we began. It’s this cyclic nature of procrastination that halts productivity. Other reasons for procrastination can include low motivation, wanting to avoid situations that cause you discomfort, being a perfectionist, or just not knowing how to get started. Procrastination can also appear in not knowing how to manage your time, but when you establish a routine and reliable method that installs control into your workday, you can take the necessary steps to begin moving past feeling frozen in place.
  • Improved work-life balance – Employees place a high value on a company that encourages a healthy work-life balance. To have both a rewarding professional career and plenty of personal time, developing good time management skills is important in this endeavor. When our workday is managed efficiently, we can go home and relax, do the things that bring us happiness, rather than remaining stressed and working odd hours to get the job done.
  • Career growth and development – As you develop more time management skills, actively use them in the workplace, and produce consistent and quality results, the more possibilities you will find waiting for you. More of your daily tasks will be completed, freeing you up to explore or experiment with other higher-level assignments, exercise your creativity, and allow more time for you to consider other opportunities that have the potential to move you in an upward career trajectory within the company.

How To Have Better Time Management In The Workplace

How To Have Better Time Management In The Workplace

So now that we’ve examined how time management can affect all aspects of your work life, let’s dive into practicing effective time management so that we can be more productive and less stressed.

  • Write down your tasks: Begin every day with a plan. Whether you use your computer, phone, or pencil and paper, write down what you need to accomplish that day. Be intentional and avoid creating a “wish list.” Look at your day as a whole, and write down what absolutely must get done. You can then prioritize your tasks from there, naming your most important one first. Start with your largest, most complicated task and get it out of the way.

Try different methods that practice time management. We mentioned the Pomodoro technique previously as one method that can increase your productivity. There are many other strategies to help you get clear on the priorities for the day and others that can help you achieve them. Here are just a few others:

    • POSEC Method – Ordering tasks based on importance
    • Seinfeld Method – The process of marking off tasks and building a chain of
      “X’s” that you need to avoid breaking.
    • 90-Minute Focus Block – Similar to the Pomodoro technique but instead of
    • 25-minute intervals, the blocks are set at 90-minutes.
    • 52/17 – A method that also uses sprints and breaks as part of maximizing productivity. You work for exactly 52 minutes, and then take a break for 17 minutes.
  • Limit distractions – This is an important aspect of time management. You’re often distracted by the many notifications on your devices. There will be other things lobbying for your attention, but remember that you can always look at these when you’re done with your more important task. Set your phone to silent or airplane mode during your most productive hours, install a browser blocker for any tempting websites, and avoid social media. It’ll all be waiting for you when you get back!
  • Monitor your activities – To seize more time during the workday, you can also keep track of the hours you dedicate to other non-work-related activities so you can cut down on these. For example, how much time do you spend chatting with a colleague or having coffee breaks? This will help give you an idea of where your time is actually going.
  • Delegate – While some tasks may belong strictly to you, there still exists opportunities to delegate. Delegation helps you avoid taking on too much, causing imbalance for you and others. If others have the capacity to take on more and are willing and able to do so, take advantage. Often, many people mistake delegation as a sign of laziness, but if used strategically, it can actually be a sign of good time management skills, leading to more work being done, and the development of fundamental leadership qualities.Avoid multitasking
  • Avoid multitasking – It’s a common misconception that multitasking allows you to get more done in the workplace. In reality, multitasking breaks your focus and exposes you to multiple, varied distractions throughout the day. It’s best to pick one task that you’ve prioritized as highly important and dedicate your time and effort to a single action item, rather than splitting your attention amongst several tasks.
  • Make room for regular breaks – Breaks help restore and reset you physically and mentally so that you can return to your work refreshed. At first, it may seem to be counterproductive to take frequent breaks throughout the day. But breaks are a way to reboot, calm you down, and increase your productivity. Take your breaks often and remember to set reasonable time limits on them.

In Conclusion

Time management is a skill that delivers high-quality results, faster turnaround times, and a better work ethic. Managing our time wisely isn’t easy and takes intentional practice to build these long-lasting habits, but with a better understanding of how it works and the impact it can have on your personal and professional life, you can use these strategies to improve your own time management skills.

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How to Keep Track of Delegated Tasks and Manage Them the Easy Way

How to keep track of delegated tasks

Delegation is important for businesses to get right. It will play an important role in the business’s day-to-day operation and is key to growth. In fact, good delegation can lead to an uptick in revenue, and who doesn’t want that.

Not all delegation is created equal. Some leaders find it hard to let go of tasks and allow their staff to take over. However, in doing so you can free yourself up to work on bigger picture stuff which might be more pressing. You may want to learn how to keep track of delegated tasks to ensure work is being completed to your standard.

There are times when delegation is an absolute necessity. If business leaders or managers decide to take some time off, whether planned absence or sickness, you need to know that the business won’t implode on itself due to your absence. Leaving your business in the hands of someone else can be stressful but if you delegate tasks well, everything should continue smoothly.

Benefits to Delegation

Are There Benefits to Delegation?

Delegation is a great way to bring about the next generation of leaders within your business. It gets people thinking for themselves and challenges them in personal growth. Every leader in your organization should look out for rising stars including your C-Suite execs, department heads, project managers, and team leaders.

If your company culture includes promoting from within, delegation becomes a vital tool for getting employees ready for new challenges. The delegation of tasks also helps to foster relationships between employees and their supervisors. There’s a certain degree of trust that comes with delegating tasks to employees.

Although most employees will relish the opportunity to develop their skills and take on more responsibility, others may think delegation comes from laziness. If you’re dealing with an employee who isn’t as receptive as they should be, it may be worth explaining the personal benefits. Alongside skill development, they’ll have more experience when promotions become available.

Managers delegate tasks for a variety of reasons, sometimes there are not enough hours in the week to do everything on their plates. On other occasions, it could be to train employees in new roles or to create an atmosphere of creativity and collaboration. Effective delegation is something great leaders can do very well, getting the most out of their employees to stimulate business growth and increase revenues.

As a leader, you’re responsible for the overall result. Keeping track of delegated tasks is an important aspect of the job. Entrust tasks to your staff and avoid micromanagement. However, you need to know what’s going on, if tasks are being done correctly, and if projects will be delivered on time.

Why You Need Delegation at Work

Why You Need Delegation at Work

Managers who try to do everything by themselves end up burning out and providing work that doesn’t meet company expectations. It’s not uncommon to want to try and keep every plate spinning by yourself but learning to let go and delegate tasks are going to help keep you sane. It doesn’t mean you can retain ownership of the task, as you can monitor and keep track of progress.

Some members of staff incorrectly believe that the delegation of tasks is borne out of laziness and work avoidance but they fail to see the benefit this has for their own careers.

Delegation is, by design, a collaborative process and is an excellent way to facilitate a transfer of knowledge between leaders and their subordinates.

It’s an exercise in trust, if a manager asks their employees to work on important tasks, it’s a show of confidence in that individual. Developing talent in your team is a great way to retain their services, if they believe they have a future at the company it will stop them from looking for outside opportunities.

Lightening your workload means you can make progress on multiple tasks at once. You’ll be able to focus on the most pressing things while overseeing the development of delegated tasks. If you have go-getters in your team, they will relish the opportunity to take on more responsibility and demonstrate their comprehension.

You’ll still be responsible for the overall result, there’s no getting around that. So, keeping track of delegated tasks will become a key aspect of your role once tasks are handed out. Try to avoid micromanagement because this creates an uncomfortable work atmosphere which can affect employees’ moods. Once a task has been handed off, trust your employees to get the job done, but be on hand as a consultant if necessary.

Comprehensive Knowledge Base

Comprehensive Knowledge Base to Answer All Questions

Create a place your staff can go to seek out your wisdom without needing to knock on your door. The more information they can find without your intervention the quicker and easier they can complete tasks. You will then be able focus on your tasks safely in the knowledge that the answer to common questions can be easily found.

To do this you should host a knowledge base on your intranet which employees should be able to access with ease. Alternatively, you may wish to use a cloud service that can house all the information. Create a one-page document that’s given to all new starters that demonstrates how to access the knowledge base and how to navigate it.

You can easily upload templates, best practices, and workflows to this sort of system. Include a comprehensive FAQ section that answers questions to do with delegated tasks. This is especially important when employees are dealing with common and repetitive tasks throughout the business.

When an employee hits a roadblock they can refer to the knowledge base and find answers to help them proceed. In the event of a roadblock that doesn’t have an answer, you should address the issue with the employee and then add this to the knowledge to avoid the issue being brought up again.

The knowledge base should have walkthroughs and workflows for every common task your team undertakes. Even the simplest of tasks should have an explainer and it may be worth including a how-to video. It may seem like overload at this point, but your knowledge base should preempt everything your employees need to know to do their job.

Define the Process for Each Delegated Task

Define the Process for Each Delegated Task

Some tasks are easy and self-explanatory. They don’t require much intervention from supervisors when handing the work off to someone else. A good example of this is when you’re transitioning to cloud-based systems and you need documents to be scanned onto the server. Asking an employee to take control of this task should be a simple show and tell and then leaving them to complete the task.

However, larger more complex tasks may require a degree of setting up and a significant transfer of knowledge. This is where the knowledge base can come in handy but it is also worth making sure the employee understands the process like the back of their hand.

If you can provide your staff with a walkthrough for how to complete complex tasks this will aid them in their understanding of the role. Think about the roadblocks you’ve encountered doing the tasks before and ask yourself what questions are they likely to ask. If you can preempt the sticking points, you can include information to keep the task progressing.

One of the best things in your arsenal is creating simple videos that show how to do the task in the right way. You can achieve this through screen recording and providing a voiceover. If the task at hand is something repetitive but time-consuming, a video to refer back to is a great asset for your team, especially if the task passes to new hands.

Creating a simple walkthrough allows you to retain control over the delegated task but allows your staff to work away without the need to seek your guidance. Of course, if members of staff have genuine questions you should be available to answer them. The goal of the walkthrough is to share knowledge and teach new skills to your employees.

What Kind of Tasks Should Be Delegated

What Kind of Tasks Should Be Delegated?

Now that we know how to delegate tasks in the workday, let’s take a look at the kind of tasks that can and should be delegated. Managers and supervisors need to be able to decide what tasks require their input and what tasks can be worked on by someone else.

  • Tiny and simple tasks

    It might even be a task that you enjoy but if it’s holding you back from the work you really need to be doing, it might be worth handing it off to someone else. Things like copy & paste responses to emails, or scheduling the meeting room for next week. It may take only a few minutes, but those minutes can quickly escalate to hours.

  • Learning opportunities

    Delegating jobs that can improve someone’s skills, experience or understanding is the best kind of task to pass to an employee. Upskilling the people on your team benefits them, the business, and yourself. It’s a rare opportunity where everyone wins.

  • Tasks you absolute hate

    You worked hard to get to where you are and one of the benefits of being in charge is getting someone else to do the jobs you hate. They may not necessarily be awful tasks, but just something that you, personally, would rather not do. Luckily, you can delegate these tasks to your employees, you may even find that someone has an affinity for the task.

  • Routine and repetitive tasks

    Tasks that are a consistent presence in your life, but require little managerial input. These sorts of tasks have a pattern that needs to be learned and followed to be completed. Teach your employees how to do this and you’ll be able to share the burden around the team.

  • Tasks that take a long time

    Sometimes you just have more pressing things to work on and some tasks just take too long. You need to stay productive and you can’t do that if you’re stuck with a time-consuming menial task that needs to be done but doesn’t necessarily need to be done by management. Ask one of your employees to take over this task if it isn’t impeding on their important work.

How to Keep Track of Delegated Tasks

How to Keep Track of Delegated Tasks

Just because you’ve handed the job off to someone else, doesn’t mean you aren’t responsible for it. Learning how to delegate tasks is the first step, but monitoring their progress is important to make sure your expectations are being met by your employees. Here are the 4 steps you should take when assigning the task to someone new:

  1. Define the deliverables. Tell the person taking on the task exactly what you expect them to do. This helps them (and you) understand when the tasks have been completed and can be signed off on.
  2. Be available for questions. The knowledge base should be an employee’s first point of call, but if there is information missing, you need to be available to answer any questions. There are no stupid questions if someone is trying to deliver results for you.
  3. Make clear deadlines. If you’ve been working on the task before, you’ll know how long it should take. Set expectations for the delivery and make them clear to your employee.
  4. Keep track of delegated tasks. You can’t assume that everyone has a good task management system. Everyone works in different ways, but as the boss, you need to be more organized. Below are some suggestions for keeping track.

Sticky notes

Nice and simple, utilize sticky notes to detail who is working on what task and when you need it to be completed. This is a really simple solution but it’s been working for years. A low-tech option like this is perfect for managers who aren’t tech-savvy and the idea of automation might sound otherworldly.

Automate with email

If you work in an office then you probably already use email to delegate tasks, or you’ll use an instant messenger and formalize via email. The next step in this process is to set up automation through email to keep track of delegated tasks. Use your built-in to-do list to assign work to your employees.

Kanban boards with Teamly

Kanban boards are a visual project management tool used to monitor the progress of tasks. In their most simple form you’ll have three columns named “to-do,” “doing,” and “done.” You can insert each task into the to-do folder and assign jobs to specific employees, they can then move the task along with the board as they progress.

Teamly has kanban boards built into it and you can use them to manage your team. It’s a one-stop shop for project management and will be your secret weapon to keeping track of delegated tasks.

Conclusion

The delegation of tasks has plenty of benefits and is something that managers should embrace. Hoarding tasks is only going to slow you down and ultimately hold your business back from growing. Share tasks with your staff to enable them to develop their professional career. Use this as an opportunity to teach and build trust between managers and their staff.

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What are the Challenges of Outsourcing and How to Master Them

Outsourcing Challenges

Outsourcing can be really beneficial for your business. If you don’t have the manpower in your organization to do everything you need to do, you need to start looking for outside help. Sometimes it will make sense to bring someone else into the fold but if your resources are limited, outsourcing can be a great alternative.

When you contract out work to a third party there are some common issues you should be aware of so you can avoid them. Charlatans can prey upon businesses looking for outside help and if you’re not careful you could find yourself significantly out of pocket. However, if you have a proper outsourcing program in place you’ll be able to mitigate your risk.

In this article, we will highlight 7 current challenges of outsourcing and what you can do to master them. As long as you have the knowledge to outsource tasks correctly, you should be able to enjoy the benefits that come with doing so.

Problems with Communication

Problems with Communication

One of the most glaring challenges of outsourcing work is communication with a new partner. Your company culture may be set in its ways of operation, as is common with most businesses. However, the freelancer or agency you outsource to will have their own way of working and this may not always align.

For example, you may be based in North America and your outsourcing partner may be based in Europe. It may be company practice to hold a meeting at 9am to discuss the details of the day. A company on the west coast may want to hop on a call but it will be the end of the workday in Europe.

It will be necessary for both companies to make compromises in these instances but an understanding of each other’s work habits will help. Alongside potential issues with time, working with overseas partners can lead to issues with language and understanding. You may think that instructions have been understood but the language barrier may prevent key information from translating.

Working with overseas partners can help to reduce costs as the cost of living varies around the world. If you only have a small budget to work with, working with freelancers abroad may be your only option. However, if you can outsource work to people in your country and timezone, you can tackle communication issues in real-time.

Sharing Intellectual Property

Sharing Intellectual Property

When you outsource to a new company you need to have a lot of faith in their integrity. It may be crucial to share trade secrets, classified information, and the internal workings of your company. Team up with the wrong person and you could see your highly important information sold to your rivals.

It may sound all doom and gloom but thankfully you can usually vet your potential partners before hiring. If you can check reviews or view a list of their other corporate partnerships, you will be able to overcome these kinds of challenges of outsourcing and hire them with confidence. If you are trusting them with confidential customer data and they spill the beans, you could open yourself up to lawsuits.

Team up with a company with a proven track record of working with intellectual property. Make sure that they have protocols in place to protect your data, including safeguards to prevent access to their buildings by unauthorized personnel.

Here’s where the lawyers need to get involved; as well as the work contracts, ensure that legally binding documents are signed to protect your data. You may want to include safeguards such as a non-disclosure agreement that can protect your intellectual property from being shared.

Cultural Differences

There are additional outsourcing challenges that come from cultural differences, whether company culture or regional. Access to the global marketplace is an amazing opportunity to find highly talented partners. You can hire the right person for the job, remotely, from just about anywhere in the world. From a graphic designer in the Philippines to a manufacturer in Japan.

Cultural differences don’t just affect communication but productivity, understanding, delivery times, and much more. If there are mounting misunderstandings it can cause stress for the workers and cause unnecessary friction between the two companies. When dealing with international companies it’s important to be open to new ideas and different working patterns.

Companies will always have different ways of doing things but being flexible can help to foster a healthy relationship. In order to keep things progressing smoothly, you should set clear expectations for things like time frames and deliverables.

One way to overcome these outsourcing challenges is to create a training program for your new partner. This can help to share your company culture with them and the outsourcing company will be able to share this with their in-house teams.

Using customer service as an example, it’s not uncommon for this to be outsourced abroad. Detailed training is shared to ensure the employees at the call center can represent the brand and deal with customers in a different country.

Unprofessional partners

Unprofessional partners

Just like hiring in-house, you can’t really get the measure of someone until they’ve worked with you for a while. You may have felt like the interview went well and you’ve found a winner, the right outsourcing partner. However, their professionalism could start and end with the interview phase.

Okay, so you’ve exchanged contracts, defined expectations, and set the deadline. Now you leave them to their own devices, assured that the work will end up in your inbox on the date requested. But it doesn’t come, so you message them, and they’re slow to respond, then they ask for an extension.

This is beginning to look like a problem. When something like this happens it’s hard to know what to do, you’ve already sunk a significant time investment in this person. It could be affecting the rest of your team, or delay the work you owe a client.

When these kinds of issues arise in-house, there’s ample opportunity to take control and manage the situation. If you’ve outsourced work that you’re unable to do in-house, you end up stuck waiting for results.

To combat this, you should build milestones into the contract, that way you can monitor the progress on a week-by-week basis. You’ll quickly be able to spot a bad player and you can look at terminating the contract early.

Beware of unrealistic offers

A lesson we all have to learn eventually is that if an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is. $2.99 headphones will probably sound very tinny and break after a single-use. Likewise, hiring someone who is promising the world and charging a fraction may not be able to deliver the quality you want.

Some companies have made it their business to bid on jobs and severely undercut the competition. They’re just looking to make a quick buck and aren’t as invested in your success as you may wish. It’s quite simple really, you get what you pay for and if you want good work you should be willing to pay higher prices.

When you’re dealing with a limited budget, take time to consider each proposal before signing on a partner. Things to take into account are their experience level, where they live, and what the going rate for your project is. Overseas candidates may be able to come in at a lower price because of their cost of living – this is great. Someone in a high cost of living area, charging something unrealistic, may be trying to take advantage of you.

After-sales support

After-sales support

This is a crucial thing to have stipulated in your contract. What happens once the goods have been delivered? Does your outsource partner wash their hands of you or can they offer some form of after-sales support? Ideally, you want to sign on with someone who can offer the latter.

If you hire someone to do some design work for you, you should try to build revisions into the contract. If the work they deliver fails to meet your expectations you can pass it back to them and they’ll rework it. You can build this kind of failsafe into most contracts depending on the kind of work that is being conducted.

Once the job is done and the deliverables have landed on your desk, it may be the first chance you get to look for defects or inconsistencies. If your outsourcing partner doesn’t offer after-sales support you may be stuck with goods that don’t meet your needs.

Outsource companies that specialize in this type of operation will typically have after-sales as a standard. When deciding on who to choose for the work, consider how extensive the after-sales support is.

Your own expectations

Setting unrealistic expectations will only lead to you being disappointed. You may think that paying an outsource company to deal with certain tasks is all you need to do. However, this can lead to the failure of projects and you risk disappointing stakeholders and clients.

You need to set clear expectations with your outsource partner with extensive parameters for the work to be completed. Leave no room for error or interpretation, explain exactly what you want, how you want it done, and when it should be completed by.

Before you exchange contracts, make sure everyone is clear on the deliverables and time expectation for goods to be back at base. As long as expectations are made extremely clear, with no wiggle room, everyone should be on the page.

Conclusion

It may seem like there are a lot of challenges of outsourcing but there are many reasons to partner with a third party. If you need someone to do something you can’t, hiring an outsource partner can be the best thing for you. Just have your wits about you when you start looking into outsourcing and partner with a reputable company.

Remember, if a service sounds too good to be true, it is, and you shouldn’t fall for it. Partnering with the wrong agency can be a massive drain on company finances and lead to delays in projects. Look for a company with good reviews and proven work with other recognizable businesses.

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Why You Should Outsource To The Philippines and How it Works

Outsourcing to Philippines

The Philippines is rapidly becoming one of the most popular outsourcing destinations in the global market. Coming consistently at number 6 in Tholon’s Services Globalization Index Top 50 Digital Nations, the Philippines has held the title of the “Call Center Capital of the World ” since 2010.

With its biggest competitors being tech giants such as India and major eastern European countries, the Philippines is attracting clients from all across the world, solidifying its place as one of the most valuable resources for outsourcing. More and more companies have the Philippines top of mind as they consider offshoring their essential business operations. While the COVID-19 pandemic has affected many aspects of the workplace and the way in which we communicate and collaborate with one another, the Philippines continues to remain a thriving force in the global market, particularly for companies looking to outsource their services.

The State of Outsourcing

As more and more businesses turn their attention to focus on their core competencies, the decision to outsource other essential services either domestically or globally has only increased in the last few years. In the United States alone, the business process outsourcing market was valued at $232.32 billion in 2020 (according to GrandView Research) and is expected to grow by at least 8.5% over the next 7-8 years (at least by 2028). Comparatively, in 2019, Statista reports that the global outsourcing market was valued at 92.5 billion USD with this number continuing to trend upwards. Major and well-known organizations are seeing the value in outsourcing as it can produce a variety of benefits that can help support their main team. Not only that, but as more companies shift to a largely remote (or hybrid) workforce, the idea of streamlining internal procedures and seeking professional expertise in specialized areas has become one of the most important priorities in order to stay on top of pressing business needs.

Outsourcing business operations has increased in popularity for several reasons:

  • Allows the team to focus on their core competencies – An organization’s core competencies are its strengths. It’s the level of skill and experience needed in order to fulfill its mission and objectives. In order to truly scale and achieve the success rooted deep within the company’s vision, the talent that comprises the company must be focused on this true goal for this to be a reality. It’s easy for employees to feel overworked and overwhelmed, especially if they’re cross-trained in different areas of the work and are regularly pulled out of their usual job functions in order to accommodate for a gap in the process. Eventually, the team will have less focus, motivation, or desire to keep working at a breakneck pace. Unclear standard operating procedures can leave employees feeling frustrated and confused about the overall expectations for their roles. A company must review its internal staffing structure, processes, and needs in order to make the best decision about what is needed to support the team. Outsourcing is an excellent option to provide extra hands, a new level of much-needed expertise and skills, and allow the core team to focus on what they do best and improve from there. To give an organization their best work, they must be able to feel grounded in their role with abundant opportunity to grow and excel.
  • Streamline processes – The creative work is what typically excites everyone in the company, including leadership. But it’s important to not forgo the importance of the day-to-day processes and procedures that make the company run smoothly and efficiently. Outsourcing some of these services is an exercise in streamlining internal processes in order to give the team a chance to pursue the more innovative parts of their work, which ultimately can help foster a positive work environment and healthy workplace culture. Employees are more likely to stay with the company for the long term, so long as the internal procedures make sense and make a noticeable difference in the way of its business operations. For example, it’s common for companies to outsource their payroll (or other financial services), IT support, customer/tech service, R&D, Human Resources, or recruitment to third parties so that these essential functions are completely taken off their plate.
  • Diversify workplace culture – Outsourcing presents an opportunity to diversify the workplace and increase inclusivity. An increasing number of companies are looking to outsource abroad, which helps them collaborate and build long-lasting partnerships between themselves and other countries with vastly different cultures. When making the decision to outsource services globally, leadership must take into account what the impact may be on their own workplace culture. It’s not enough to simply outsource to a country beyond the border because of the lower costs of labor. Cultural competency, respect, and integration are key to achieving the success that so often accompanies global outsourcing. For instance, internal meetings scheduled at a mutually agreeable time for all parties from all across the world can result in a new way of learning, increasing understanding and awareness of what it means to be part of a cross-cultural team.
  • Opportunity for more creative innovation – Generally, another beneficial aspect of outsourcing is having access to more innovative thinking and even advanced technology due to the varying levels of experience. Collaboration between different teams, especially if on a global scale, can result in an exchange of ideas and creative processes that would have not been normally achieved in-house.
  • Larger talent pool – Companies have the opportunity to also reach their hands into a bigger talent pool, extending across the globe. By outsourcing to a different country, such as India, Romania, or the Philippines, an organization has access to professionals in a variety of specialized fields, giving them more options in a number (and sometimes very particular) areas.
  • Decreased operational costs – Cost-savings are the most common reason to outsource business process operations. Outsourcing essentially cuts out a number of standard costs of an employee including fringe/benefit rates, the cost of training, equipment, or space. Additionally, the hourly rate for a team abroad is typically much lower than it is in the United States, usually due to the lower cost of living. For example, the average hourly rate for a senior developer may range from $75-125 per hour. However, in the Philippines, the hourly rate for the same level of experience ranges from $18-$40 per hour, according to Geniusee. This drastic reduction in cost can allow a company to not only remain within the confines of its budget but have some flexibility to strategize where they choose to invest their money.
  • Less stress with hiring or firing – The recruitment process of finding the right fit for a particular role can often be considered a long-term process, especially given all the regulations in place to demonstrate fair, open, and inclusive hiring practices from the beginning of recruitment all the way into onboarding. The same goes for the firing process, which can be an HR nightmare and a headache for many managers, with all the various hoops to go through in order to demonstrate that the company has done everything in its power to support the employee in question. It’s even longer if there are illegal circumstances involved. The outsourcing process of finding the right team, and then subsequently ending that relationship when the work is no longer needed, is much simpler and moves quickly. Put simply, outsourcing can be a huge time saver for everyone involved. Once the appropriate paperwork is in place, the outsourced team can get right to work the next day without the official hassle of true onboarding procedures and HR intervention.

Outsourcing can help a company with its most important standard business operations and produce other supportive benefits. Now that we understand why many organizations choose to outsource, let’s talk about one of the most attractive and popular destinations for outsourcing: the Philippines.

Outsourcing To The Philippines At a Glance

While the Philippines has felt the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic alongside the rest of the world, the Filipino economy continues to hold steady in the outsourcing market, becoming a favorite among companies looking to outsource to Southeast Asia.

The Philippine economy is being bolstered by increased support towards infrastructure, vaccinations rollouts, and social assistance and is predicted to only grow from here. According to the Asian Development Outlook 2021 (ADO), the Philippine economy was expected to grow by 4.5% in 2021 and 5.5% in 2022.

Business process outsourcing in the Philippines continues to expand. Over 1.2 million individuals are hired for companies looking to outsource and account for over 60% of the services in the United States, with Australia coming in at a close second, followed by the United Kingdom. The freelance economy has also experienced an increase, with more and more talent looking for flexible and remote ways to work given the conditions of the pandemic. Top talent is looking for reliable income, manageable work schedules, and the ability to work from anywhere in the world even in the face of time zone differences. The opportunity to gain meaningful work through digital platforms has been an accelerant for those looking to have this flexibility in their careers.

Another major contributing factor is the long-lasting, historical relationship between the Philippines and the United States. With a strong trade and investment relationship, the United States is the largest foreign investor in the Philippines. The Philippines continues to be one of the United States’ oldest Asian allies and strategic partners.

Let’s now take a look at why companies in the United States often look towards the Philippines as one of the most sought-after countries for outsourcing.

Why Outsource Work to the Philippines

The Philippines is known for hosting services in a plethora of different fields such as:

  • IT services
  • Software Development
  • Web Design
  • UX/UI
  • Financial Services/Accounting/Payroll
  • Administration
  • Data Entry
  • Chat Support
  • Banking/Insurance
  • Manufacturing

But the top area of expertise that the Philippines is well-known for is its customer support and services. This is mainly due to their natural inclination towards hospitality.

So why do companies want to outsource to the Philippines over other Southeast Asian countries? Outsourcing to the Philippines holds several notable advantages:

  • English is one of the official languages of the Philippines – The Philippines has two official languages: Tagalog and English. However, the English language is more commonly used in the media or in publications. Often, when the Filipino news is broadcasted, it’s a blend of both Tagalog and English which the audience is quickly able to understand and digest. However, in the more rural or provincial areas, English is less common. Menus, tickets, hotel information, transportation signs, and billings are more likely to be written in English. Companies looking for an easier time working around the language barrier are attracted to the Philippines for this very reason. More than 95% of its population speaks English and is considered the third-largest English-speaking country in the world. Compared to some eastern European and Asian countries, where English is a language they must actively pursue to learn, English as one of the official languages is a huge advantage when it comes to the global outsourcing market. In fact, as Filipinos become more adept at speaking English, they develop a more neutral accent, which can be helpful in particular cases such as customer service or technical support.
  • Reduced costs – One of the biggest reasons for companies to outsource outside of the United States is because of the cost-savings and impact on overhead. Generally, the cost of outsourcing services to the Philippines is at least 50% cheaper than the United States or Central or Eastern Europe. Let’s take a look at the software industry field as an example. The hourly range for a junior software engineer in the United States is $50-$80 per hour. If this entry-level professional is not a freelancer/contractor, a company will need to factor in other details such as hiring costs, training, benefit rates, and other important pay package essentials to understand the true cost of hiring an employee. Now, if we look towards Central Europe as an outsourcing destination, the range decreases to $30-50 per hour. And if we include Asia as another viable option, the average range is $20-30 per hour for the same level of experience. Overall, outsourcing to the Philippines reduces the cost of overhead, allowing the company to stay within its budget and potentially make room to invest in other areas of their business. Outsourcing also eliminates too many extraneous hiring costs and recruitment efforts. Although outsourcing to the Philippines boasts much lower rates, that doesn’t mean the quality of the work goes down, too. With the level of education and high-quality services produced from the Philippines year after year, the Philippines remains a highly competitive country for various business needs.
  • Powerful Government Support – The Philippine government is fully aware of the impact that business process outsourcing has had on its country and the benefits it has on its economy. As a result, the government has thrown its full support towards the outsourcing industry. What makes this particularly exciting for businesses abroad is that the government enacted the Republic Act No. 7916 back in 1995, also known as the Special Economic Zone Act. Basically, these are selected areas or zones that have the potential to have the most impact on economic growth. This act also grants foreign investors various tax breaks and other crucial incentives within these special economic zones.
  • Cultural Compatibility – The Philippines has had a long history of exposure to both western and eastern cultures, resulting in Filipinos adapting much of the western culture into their own through language, education, religious freedoms, and even some foods. Their understanding of western culture is integrated into the fabric of their day-to-day lives, making it easier for the Filipino workforce to seamlessly adapt to working for a western company.
  • Increased Data Privacy – One of the biggest concerns over outsourcing is data security risks. As outsourcing is a major factor in the economic growth of the Philippines, the government enacted a few data protection laws. Most notably is the Data Privacy Act of 2012. This is a law to protect all forms of information (private, personal, or sensitive). It is required that all organizations appoint a Data Protection Officer (DPO), to ensure that the company is in compliance with the appropriate data protection laws and regulations. Although, this appointment isn’t limited to only one individual. There can be more than one person in this role. Additionally, this law applies to anyone who maintains an office, branch, or agency in the Philippines. The Data Privacy Act gives a critical layer of protection against any breaches of information as a result of a partnership with an outside entity.
  • Excellent track record – The Philippines has an impressive record when it comes to business process outsourcing. Some of the largest companies in the United States have chosen to outsource to the Philippines including Amazon, Slack, Skype, and AT&T. Since 1992, the Philippines has been in the business process operating market, providing jobs for half a million Filipinos every year, and that number continues to grow. The Philippines is continuing to grow its reputation across the world, with major companies relying more and more on their many services.
  • Highly skilled workforce – In 2019, the UN named the Philippines the most literate country in Southeast Asia. Year after year, top graduates from different schools across the country join the workforce in earnest, looking to gain meaningful employment with companies that value their high level of skills and talents. With experience ranging from entry-level to more senior-level experience, there are a variety of specialized fields in which these employees can contribute, giving the Philippines a competitive edge against many other neighboring countries and bolstering the Philippines’s reputation of having a talented workforce.
  • Work ethic – The work ethic of the Philippine culture is second to none. Employees from this country have several desirable traits that make them especially attractive for business success. As respect is highly ingrained into their culture, Filipinos speak with sincerity, openness, politeness, and tactfulness. This is especially important when it comes to hiring a professional into the customer service, tech support, or virtual assistant field. Professionalism shines through in everything they do in the workplace, taking great care in delivering timely, high-quality work and always with a calm, collected demeanor and attitude even in high-pressure or high-stress situations. Well-mannered, hard-working, and equipped with a great attitude, the Filipino culture has something called “bayanihan.” This essentially translates to a group of people coming together to reach a common purpose or goal. This is reflected in every part of their culture, creating a true sense of community, which is relevant when it comes to thinking about workplace culture as a whole. If an organization wants to build a positive work environment in which everyone supports each other and is willing to step in when needed, choosing to outsource to the Philippines can contribute greatly to achieving this goal and fostering an environment that employees are proud to be a part of.

Challenges With Outsourcing to the Philippines

While there are many positive benefits to outsourcing to the Philippines, it’s important that we also go over some of the various challenges for a complete picture.

  • Time zone – The Philippines has a major time zone difference between itself and the United States. For example, Los Angeles is 16 hours behind the Philippines. With such a wide gap, it’s important for managers and project managers to stay on top of assignments, projects, and their teams. Detailed coordination is key in making sure that nothing substantial slips through the cracks.
  • Loss of control– As with outsourcing in general, a company is removing an essential business process that would normally be performed by the in-house team. By outsourcing these services, there is a loss of control over this very process. It takes a certain level of commitment and trust in the third parties’ capabilities to ensure that the process continues to run smoothly and serves its purpose of alleviating the core team so they can focus their talents on other business functions and making standard operations easier.
  • Bad weather – As the Philippines is a tropical country on the west side of the Pacific Ocean, they experience many storms, with the average being about 20 storms per year. With the frequency of the bad weather, this could ultimately lead to bad internet connection, loss of power, and cancellation of work and school in areas more prone to flooding. Additionally, the Philippines experiences about 100 due to its location within the Pacific Ring of Fire. Currently, the Philippines also has 53 active volcanoes, but no major eruptions have occurred. Despite the many storms and reoccurring national disasters, it’s important to remember that the Philippines still has to maintain business continuity. As more of the workforce transitions to a work-from-home arrangement, Filipinos are accustomed to remote work and know how to get it done even during less than favorable weather conditions.
  • Holidays – The Philippines has a total of 18 official holidays (both government and religious holidays) during the year, in which employees of the Philippines are not required to work, although, depending on the company, some individuals could be asked to come in if they’re available to do so. Comparatively, the United States has 11 official holidays. However, it’s important to remember that the Philippines is a pro-employee labor country. If they are asked to come in during a legal holiday, their hourly rate increases.

Keep in mind that similar challenges arise in any scenario concerning outsourcing outside of the United States. These are valid factors and must be fully reviewed by internal leadership in order to make the best decision for the team moving forward.

How to Outsource to the Philippines

Now that we understand both the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing to the Philippines, let’s talk about how to begin this process.

  1. Type of industry – First, a company must assess its internal business needs. For example, if a company is looking to have general administrative support in the form of a few virtual assistants, the Philippines would be an excellent resource for this endeavor. If you were looking for a specialized professional in the field of software development, then India or Romania are other options to consider. It’s important to identify the niche markets that would best suit the needs of the company.
  2. Scope of business process or project – Another important aspect to consider before outsourcing to the Philippines is the type of process or project that requires extra support.
    • Is it a short-term project?
    • Is it an ongoing essential business process likely to be supported for an indefinite amount of time?
    • Is the current team overwhelmed and in need of more support?
    • What is the value of outsourcing?
    • Will this help the company get closer to the overall objectives and mission that it set out to achieve?These are the vital questions a company must ask and assess before they move forward with the process.
  3. Be as detailed as possible with the job description – No detail is too small. A company should be upfront and clear about its expectations for the project or process. By providing information such as the equipment needed to perform the task, anticipated deadlines, and expected communication platforms to be used when collaborating with the team, the company minimizes the amount of confusion and miscommunication that may arise.
  4. Review the budget – It’s important to review the budget in order to narrow down your search. Outsourcing to countries outside of the United States generally results in a cost-benefit for the company, but there are still other expenses to consider. The cost of posting the job ad, platforms used for recruiting and onboarding, and the potential wages that the company will be paying. Creating a realistic budget that encompasses all these small details will help build a clear picture of any existing restrictions.
  5. Start small – If a business is new to outsourcing, it’s best to start small. The smart practice is not to hire in bulk, and only start with a relatively small team – sometimes, limiting this to one individual at first or starting with a basic project. This helps the business build familiarity around the process and gain relevant experience in sourcing potential hires.
  6. Be clear with expectations and make it official – Once a company has identified a third party to take over a project over business process, it’s time to make things official with a contract. The contract should be reviewed thoroughly, with even the possibility of bringing in legal counsel to make sure the language covers all relevant areas of outsourcing from abroad. A few details to incorporate are overall expectations on deadlines, communication, and deliverables. Having all these details in writing will help smooth out all the potential issues that could come up in the future.

In Conclusion

Outsourcing to the Philippines comes with many advantages, beyond the potential cost savings. In addition to securing some of the country’s top talent, the quality of services remains high and extremely competitive in the outsourcing market.

Companies considering outsourcing to the Philippines must review their internal business needs with intention and have a full and comprehensive understanding of what will truly support their operations in order to thrive.

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The Advantages of Domestic Outsourcing and How It Works

Domestic outsourcing

Many organizations are looking for ways to better support their internal operations while providing their team a chance to focus on the bottom line. While offshoring business essentials have gained popularity over the years, (with the quality of services being high and the language barrier posing little to no issue in particular countries) there are still many complications that exist which can have unexpected consequences for the organization. As a result, some companies are looking for support much closer to home.

Domestic outsourcing provides an organization the opportunity to gain services at lower costs, gives their team a chance to focus on the bigger picture and their essential duties, and still have the high-quality services that are common with offshore outsourcing. Choosing to domestically outsource important business functions leads to higher productivity for the business and can have many benefits for the company as a whole.

What is Domestic Outsourcing

What is Domestic Outsourcing?

Domestic outsourcing, commonly referred to as onshore outsourcing, is having a third party outside the company perform one of the company’s essential business functions. However, instead of outsourcing to a different country, or otherwise known as offshoring, the company has decided to outsource its services to a third party within the same country.

Note that there is another facet of outsourcing that exists called nearshoring. In this specific type of outsourcing, an organization decides to outsource its services to a neighboring country outside of its own. For example, the United States frequently outsourcing to Mexico is considered nearshoring. Conversely, an organization within the United States can also outsource their business functions to either the Philippines or Romania, which is offshoring.

What Is The Purpose of Onshore Outsourcing

What Is The Purpose of Onshore Outsourcing?

Onshore outsourcing enables a company to focus on its core mission and objectives while having a third-party tackle some of the behind-the-scenes operations. This checks off a few important boxes when it comes to business:

  • It allows the team to focus on their main projects and assignments without being pulled into other areas of the company that potentially need additional backup or extra support. Outsourcing essential services can keep the team moving forward with steady momentum, letting the company’s final product be the main driver of performance.
  • Onshoring outsourcing can potentially open up the business to new partnerships, alliances, and opportunities by extending its network to other professionals. This collaboration can eventually lead to new ways of thinking, improved lines of communication, and the exchange of innovative ideas that bring about new and creative solutions.
  • Onshore outsourcing can also streamline many processes – both internal and external – creating seamless operating procedures that make sense for the company and the team. Once the standard operating procedures are enacted, everyone can feel the benefit of having clear and effective processes.

Onshore outsourcing is a major decision made by an organization, so it must be done with utmost care and only after a thorough review of any third party they’re considering to work alongside their team. But if the relationship between the two is effective, stable, and produces obvious results, it could be for the benefit of everyone involved. Let’s take a look at a few examples of domestic outsourcing in action.

Examples of Domestic Outsourcing

Examples of Domestic Outsourcing

Outsourcing has become an increasingly popular choice within the United States, as many organizations look for better methods to support their entire infrastructure. To better understand how domestic outsourcing works, let’s go over some examples in a variety of professional fields.

  • Human Resources – A HR department is having a heavy influx of complex employee relations matters, which have been needing more thorough review from HR’s leadership team in order to provide the proper guidance. However, because of the intense workflow and the variety of delicate subject matters, the department has decided that they need more nuanced counsel – another branch dedicated to these types of employee issues. Thus, the HR department, with the permission of the business owner and other leaders, decides the best course of action is to hire a third-party investigative team dedicated to complicated employee relation matters. They want a third party that can easily be reached, within the same time zone, and preferably within the same city to help support this endeavor. This team supports HR by relieving them of the more intense issues, which allows the core HR team to focus on their everyday tasks.
  • Editing/Writing – A small business with a handful of writers who have been editing each other’s work for some period of time. Although editing is an integral part of the process, the leadership team finds that the best course of action when it comes to supporting their writing team is to free up their writers to focus on the creative part of the writing process so they can continuously improve their craft. As a team, they decide to outsource their editing services to someone within their own country who is familiar with their grammatical rules, can be in their same time zone for easy communication and quick turnaround time on deadlines, and is solely dedicated to the editing parts of the assignments.
  • Technology Support/Customer Support – An automotive insurance company has found that they have a high call volume during particular hours (such as 12 PM to 3 PM) and during certain times of the year, especially in the summer where more people are on vacation, driving more, and prone to getting into accidents. The company decides that the best way to ensure they have enough support during peak hours (and during seasonal times) and provide some relief to their current employees, is to outsource this part of their services, especially during these periods. This would ensure they would be fully staffed when needed. Additionally, the company wouldn’t need to worry about the third party having a specific specialty. Because their need is mostly in the number of people they have on the floor that can act as another area of customer support, the core team can come in where needed if it’s a special case, but otherwise, the outsourced team would handle the call center with just the fundamental requirements of those roles.
  • Information Technology (IT) – Another small business with a handful of employees decides that they need to outsource their IT, as it’s a much–needed branch of their business, but they don’t have the capacity or expertise to keep up with the demand of their customers. In order to save some costs, avoid employee burnout, increase efficiencies, and get the most tailored and experienced professional behind the driver’s wheel, the business decides to go with a third party within the country that will take over this essential business function.
  • Research and Development – Some organizations like to keep their R&D in-house, and while that may serve some companies better than others depending on what kind of industry they’re in, it still can be a costly affair. Organizations will need to take into consideration the cost of training, fringe, equipment, space, and other increasing overhead costs. However, outsourcing their R&D to an outside enterprise can virtually reduce or eliminate these expenses and keep them within budget. As another added bonus, the organization may gain access to advanced technology that could support their projects at new levels. Having a third party be within a quick travel distance is another added benefit as the organization would have access to the right resources when needed. In some cases, having R&D close to the core business location is paramount to success.

Now that we’ve gone over some examples of domestic outsourcing, let’s talk about its many benefits.

Benefits of Domestic Outsourcing

Benefits of Domestic Outsourcing

There are many benefits that come with domestic outsourcing.

  • Little to no time zone difference – When a company chooses to onshore their services to a third party within the country, time zone differences are minimal (if any). Having a similar time zone makes it easier to schedule necessary meetings, create timelines and associated deadlines, and have the relevant people be accessible during the majority of core working hours.
  • No language barrier – While other countries boast an impressive number of talented individuals who are multilingual and have a strong grasp of the English language, onshoring services can eliminate the concern about having miscommunication due to language barriers within the team.
  • Business culture – Onshoring can help maintain the current approach to work and business. When a company chooses to offshore, there are some stark cultural differences that can inevitably cause some misunderstandings or confusion. For example, in some Asian countries, the approach to business is to first establish a relationship beforehand, which develops trust between the two parties in order to effectively do business with one another. This is a different approach to business in the west, so it may take some time to adjust to this particular approach. Or, in other cultures, the idea of speaking up or openly disagreeing with a proposed plan of action or solution, may be considered rude and unnecessary and something to avoid entirely in the workplace. This can also lead to miscommunication issues within the team. Onshoring eliminates any risk of distrust or breakdown in communication.
  • Readiness and availability – Since domestically outsourced third parties are easily accessible, any unplanned emergencies or other circumstances that require a quick turnaround time is readily available. The organization won’t need to wait until the next day (or longer) because of any time zone differences. They can handle the issues and troubleshooting quickly as they are on-site ready and operating within standard working hours.

Domestic Versus Global Outsourcing

Domestic Versus Global Outsourcing

While domestic outsourcing has many positive benefits, it’s important to understand the differences between onshoring and global outsourcing in order to decide what option may be the best fit for the company.

Global outsourcing involves hiring a third party outside of the US for a company’s business operations. And there are many benefits with this option as well, one of the biggest being in its cost savings. As the cost of living is generally lower in countries abroad, their hourly rate is also lower. The talent pool is also especially diverse, boasting an impressive roaster of unique skills and experience that may not be found in the US. Global outsourcing also gives an organization the opportunity to work with different cultures across the globe, offering unique ideas and solutions. However, global outsourcing does have its challenges. Language barriers and sizable time zone differences can make communication difficult across remote teams. Companies outside the country are less accessible and require a more strategic form of collaboration, one that takes some time to build.

Regardless of whether an organization decides to outsource domestically or globally, there are pros and cons to each option. It’s essential that a company thoroughly review its internal business needs to make the best decision for the group.

In Conclusion

Domestic outsourcing can help a company with their essential business operations that would otherwise be done in-house. By outsourcing some of their services to a team within their own country, they can streamline their processes, cultivate additional support for their core team, and create long-lasting, accessible partnerships.

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20+ Of The Best Books on Remote Work

Remote Work Books

One of the best ways to learn about anything is to read books from those with experience and expertise on the topic. Here, you will find a list (in no particular order) of great books on the topic of remote work to inspire you to join the club or improve your existing remote work situation.

1. Remote, by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson

Remote Book

While this book was published well before the pandemic, reading it today feels as though it was some kind of premonition. In a time where work from home was not as widely accepted, it’s comforting to know that people like Jason and David have been pushing this movement along even before it became mainstream. This book is written from the perspective of a business owner with the vast majority of their team working remotely and from around the world and offers insight into the benefits of being able to source a diverse team working from anywhere with an internet connection.

2. Work Together Anywhere: A Handbook on Working Remotely Successfully, by Lisette Sutherland

Work Together Anywhere A Handbook on Working Remotely Successfully

Work Together Anywhere is a more recent perspective on the work from home movement, published in 2020. Author Lisette focuses on the team and the shift from working face-to-face to screen-to-screen. She writes about the various levels in a team and how each one can better support and connect in our new digital reality. This book is packed with material and actions that will support cultivating a team mentality, even if your team is 100 miles apart!

3. The Art of Working Remotely: How to Thrive in a Distributed Workplace, by Scott Dawson

The Art of Working Remotely How to Thrive in a Distributed Workplace

Another pre-pandemic gem of a book that asks the question: how do we thrive in a physically distributed workplace? Scott has over 20 years of experience in working remotely and he generously shares his best practices. Not only can you make it work, but you can actually thrive in remote working conditions with the right tools, mindset and a good book with some great tips.

4. Working From Home: Making the New Normal Work for You, by Karen Mangia

Working From Home Making the New Normal Work for You

Apparently, 2020 was a great year for books on the topic of remote work, inspired of course by the realities of the ongoing pandemic. Karen outlines (with impressive detail) how to make working from home, work for you. She starts with the basics of creating a great home office that works with the space you have available. Once you have a great and functional office, she offers great advice for managing your time without the external pressures of a manager breathing down your neck. On top of this very practical advice, she also touches on the less sexy topics of working remotely like the issue of isolation.

5. The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere and Join the New Rich, by Timothy Ferriss

The 4-Hour Workweek Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere and Join the New Rich

All of the books on this list are must-reads but this one is near the top when it comes to setting the tone for the “why” behind remote work. This pre-pandemic work of art really challenges the notion that working 9-5 in an office is the best and most productive use of your time. Tims book focuses heavily on travel and living a good life but he finds meaning in a more detached and digital approach to work, sharing his valuable lessons along the way.

6. Digital Nomads Living on the Margins: Remote-Working Laptop Entrepreneurs in the Gig Economy, by Beverly Thompson

Digital Nomads Living on the Margins Remote-Working Laptop Entrepreneurs in the Gig Economy

While the digital nomad life isn’t for everyone, there are many transferable lessons for the average remote worker whether they are traditionally or self-employed. Digital nomadism tends to be a western concept where you can imagine a good-looking Millenial living out of a van, laptop open to a backdrop of beautiful mountains or white sand beaches. Okay, not realistic for most of us but this perspective is incredibly valuable for a holistic view of the new remote work reality.

7. The Holloway Guide to Remote Work, by Juan Pablo Buriticá and Katie Womersley, along with contributing authors

The Holloway Guide to Remote Work

Appropriately, this book is completely digital and (at the time of writing this blog) has been very recently updated with the latest findings. I doubt that there is a more complete and comprehensive read on this list than The Holloway Guide to Remote Work, but it is certainly a heavier read than others on this list. The impressive list of authors and contributors provides a variety of perspectives from a wide range of digital industries and they dissect what works and what doesn’t at some of the top remote work serving companies.

8. Remote Work Revolution: Succeeding From Anywhere, by Tsedal Neeley

Remote Work Revolution Succeeding From Anywhere

The shifts that happened with the pandemic have certainly inspired some great books, Remote Work Revolution is one of them. Tsedal is a Harvest Business School professor and an expert on the topic of virtual and global work. She recognizes that the shifts brought on by a global pandemic were significant and greatly reduced (or eliminated) commutes and operational costs but also opened the door wide to a whole world of new talent. It isn’t all sunshine and rainbows though and Tsedal discusses and offers solutions to some of the more challenging parts of remote work.

9. 33 Tips for Working Remotely: A Productivity Guide for Remote Workers, by Carmen Corral and Amber Aguilar

33 Tips for Working Remotely A Productivity Guide for Remote Workers

Who doesn’t love a good top “x” list? Adapting to the realities of remote work can be challenging and Carmen and Amber offer 33 tips to help ease the transition. The duo offers very practical tips on how to adapt quickly, be productive, and best manage your time. This book is definitely best for people who are just starting out with remote working but even seasoned remote workers can benefit from returning back to the basics.

10. Remote Working: The Home Worker’s Guide on Effective Remote Working, And Coworking for Maximum Productivity and Leisure, by Jones Carwell

Remote Working The Home Worker’s Guide on Effective Remote Working, And Coworking for Maximum Productivity and Leisure

Jones argues that remote work is here to stay, and we have to agree with him! Pulling from the most recent and credible studies, he offers a complete look at the benefits of remote work but also the effects on overall wellbeing and productivity. Like those that came before him, he smashes the myth that remote workers will simply lounge around the home and do the bare minimum. Jones helps his readers find an appropriate balance of productivity and leisure to fully embrace the remote work lifestyle.

11. Parenting While Working from Home: A Monthly Guide to Help Parents Balance Their Careers, Connect with Their Kids, and Establish Their Inner Strength, by Shari Medini and Karissa Tunis

Parenting While Working from Home

The unfortunate reality of the world today is that many people are working from home with tiny humans running around in the background. Whiles these conditions are not ideal for productivity, Shari and Karissa offer some relief and best practices for managing to parent children and working remotely. Creating a kid-friendly environment, building a support system, and managing your time and attention are just a handful of the topics that the authors touch on. This is a great read for anyone who may be struggling to balance work and parenting responsibilities.

12. The Long-Distance Leader: Rules for Remarkable Remote Leadership, by Kevin Eikenberry and Wayne Turmel

The Long-Distance Leader Rules for Remarkable Remote Leadership

Another pre-pandemic book that was ahead of its time. Unlike most books on this list, this book focuses on the leadership qualities needed to lead remote teams. Being a leader is hard, being a leader to a remote team brings with it a host of additional challenges and stresses. Authors Kevin and Wayne help leaders navigate this new terrain, form good habits, and embrace the best practices of digital leaders.

13. Work-From-Home Hacks: 500+ Easy Ways to Get Organized, Stay Productive, and Maintain a Work-Life Balance While Working from Home!, by Aja Frost

Work-From-Home Hacks

You read that right, more than 500 work-from-home hacks! Books like this are an example of good things that have come out of the pandemic, where people have actually had an opportunity to put these hacks to the test. Aja shares a variety of tips on creating a workspace, reducing distractions, dressing for remote work, and more! Even if you are a seasoned remote worker, you will find hacks that will help you refine your existing system and reap all the benefits of working remotely.

14. Influencing Virtual Teams: 17 Tactics That Get Things Done with Your Remote Employees, by Hassan Osman

Influencing Virtual Teams Book

This is another great book to add to your list if you happen to be responsible for a virtual team. Based on the latest understandings in psychology, Hassan provides tangible actions that you can take to better manage your team… from anywhere! You will learn how to encourage your team to use the appropriate systems and respect deadlines, as well as increase productivity and trust. The urge to micromanage is strong and it is how we have done things for so many years, but Hassan will help you develop the leadership skills that are more appropriate for today’s workforce.

15. The New Corner Office: How the Most Successful People Work from Home, by Laura Vanderkam

The New Corner Office Book

This cleverly titled book plays on the fact that the corner office was once the ultimate goal of any office worker. The author herself has over 18 years of experience working remotely and she graciously shares them with an eager audience. Developing habits and learning how to physically and mentally detach from work in the same space that you binge-watch Yellowstone takes practice, but this book will help.

16. Virtual Culture: The Way We Work Doesn’t Work Anymore, by Bryan Miles

Virtual Culture The Way We Work Doesn’t Work Anymore Book

Believe it or not, even with a title like this, this book was actually published pre-pandemic. The author is acutely aware that we are working in a way that just doesn’t jive with the changes we have seen over the past century. Bryan argues that it does not account for the rapid advances in technology that would (in a perfect world) make our lives and jobs much easier. Productivity happens outside of a cubicle and Bryan tells us how.

17. Have Fun Working Remote: Work From Home Transformation Guide For Everyone, by Sheila Kennedy Ph.D.

Have Fun Working Remote Book

You can both work and have fun. Dr. Kennedy has a Ph.D. in Behavioural Science and real experience working remotely. She admits that remote work is not a new concept but that it is newly widely embraced, and for good reason! She examines what works and what doesn’t work when it comes to working remotely and how to add a little fun into the mix.

18. Remote Working: A Post-COVID19 Guide for Employees & Employers, by Frederik Haentjens

Remote Working A Post-COVID19 Guide for Employees & Employers Book

The title says it all. COVID19 (the great disrupter) has changed how and where we work in profound ways. Frederik is a self-described digital nomad and an expert in human capital and organizational transformation. Combining his experiences with the realities of the changes thrust upon us by a pandemic, this is a must-read to better understand how even remote work was not immune to changes in our society and environment that resulted from COVID19.

19. The Productive Virtual Workspace: Making Remote Working Efficient & Sustainable, by Nitasha Nijhawan

The Productive Virtual Workspace Book

Finally, someone is talking about making remote work as sustainable as possible! Nitasha describes a sustainable culture as one that is considerate of financial, environmental, and social implications. While the obvious decline in world travel and commuting is having a positive impact on our carbon footprint, she challenges the reader to consider the pace at which we work and the disruptions we continually face and how that relates to sustainability.

20. Remote Working: How to Effectively and Efficiently Work from Home in Challenging Times. The Essential Guide., by Andrew Priestley

Remote Working Book

This book combines the expertise and advice of 25 remote work professions for a one-stop shop especially for HR, management, and entrepreneurs. Written in the context of the pandemic, this book is especially relevant to the challenges of remote work that we face today.

Honourable Mentions

There are countless amazing books on this topic, it is impossible to talk about all of them in detail. Below, you will find an impressive list of additional 22 books on the topic of remote work.

  1. Working Remotely: The Telecommuter’s Guide to the Galaxy, by Rocket Matter
  2. Working Remotely: Secrets to Success for Employees on Distributed Teams, by Teresa Douglas, Holly Gordon, and Mike Webber
  3. Leading from Anywhere: The Essential Guide to Managing Remote Teams, by David Burkus
  4. Office Optional: How to Build a Connected Culture with Virtual Teams, by Larry English
  5. The Digital Nomad Handbook, by the Lonely Planet
  6. The Year Without Pants, by Scott Berkun
  7. The Remote Revolution: How the Location-Independent Workforce Changes the Way We Hire, Connect, and Succeed, by John Elston
  8. The Digital Nomad Survival Guide, by Peter Knudson
  9. Remote, Inc. How to Thrive at Work . . . Wherever You Are, by Robert C. Pozen Alexandra Samuel
  10. Your Work from Home Life – Redefine, Reorganize and Reinvent Your Remote Work, by MJ Fievre Becca Anderson
  11. Surviving Remote Work, by Sharon Koifman
  12. Remote Work: Get a Job or Make a Career Working From Home, by Will Gant
  13. A Quick and Dirty Guide to Make Remote Working Not Suck Even if You Are Doing It Against Your Will, by King Siu
  14. R.E.M.O.T.E. – Leverage the Distance and Achieve Excellence When Working Remotely, by Marci Powell
  15. Work From Abroad: Travel the World While Working a Full-Time Remote Job – Learn How to Digital Nomad and Work from Anywhere, by Drew Sing
  16. Virtual Teams and Remote Working – How to Successfully Work Remotely and Lead Virtual Teams, by Andrew James Robinson
  17. Great Pajama Jobs – Your Complete Guide to Working from Home, by Kerry E. Hannon
  18. REMOTE iT!: Winning with Freelancers—Build and Manage a Thriving Business in a Virtual World—Run a Booming Business from Anywhere, by Michael Brooks
  19. Transforming the Remote Work Experience, by Melanie Gass
  20. Have Fun Working Remote: Work From Home Transformation Guide For Everyone, by Sheila Kennedy Ph.D.
  21. HBR Guide to Remote Work by The Harvard Business Review
  22. Working from Home with a Cat, by Heidi Moreno (just for fun)

Conclusion

Remote work is truly a hot topic and it isn’t going away anytime soon. Every situation is different and every organization has different needs so it is important to gather as much information as possible and figure out what best applies to your situation.

So cozy up, grab a hot drink, and get reading!

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Cross-Cultural Collaboration in the Modern Workplace

Cross-Cultural Collaboration

Culture shapes our lives to a considerable extent. Everyone is born into a culture of their own, and failing to take this into account could yield misunderstandings and conflicts, which is why it became a crucial topic in the modern workplace.

Our backgrounds define the way we interact with our peers and seniors and define our expectations from social interactions. Being knowledgeable and curious about other cultures doesn’t just help you avoid uncomfortable misunderstandings and flawed assumptions but will also allow you to improve your communication with your colleagues at work.

In this blog post, we’ll explore the intricacies of cross-cultural collaboration, and we’ll take a look at a few useful do’s and don’ts when it comes to making people around you accepted and understood.

Let’s dive right in, shall we?

Cultural metacognition

1. Cultural metacognition?

Cultural metacognition is a term coined by Harvard Business School professor Roy Chua. So, first off, what in the world is metacognition? Cognition typically refers to the process of thinking, perceiving, or reasoning. The easiest way to explain metacognition is “thinking about thinking,” in this particular case, it’s being conscious of the cultural assumptions you make about other people.

Developing this skill is essential in building trust with your colleagues and taking your collaboration to a whole new level.

Okay, but how does one even do that?

Fortunately, there’s a fairly simple analogy that can help us get to the bottom of this term. Imagine that you’re driving in a foreign city. Most people will experience a sense of heightened awareness since they need to take in a lot of details to navigate this new area efficiently. You need to pay attention to road signs, speed limits, means of transportation you’re not used to, and so forth. On the other hand, visiting foreign places can be a fulfilling and illuminating experience. 

So fundamentally, cultural metacognition is a heightened sense of awareness when thinking about other cultures, as well as how you interact with people from cultures different from yours. This will invariably enable you to be mindful and respectful of people’s differences and, as a result, ensure better cross-cultural collaboration.

Have you ever noticed that one of your colleagues gets continuously interrupted during meetings? Or that one of your colleagues very rarely makes contact with other people in the office? Consider whether those tendencies relate to their cultural background, their personal characteristics, or a mix of both.

Assumptions and value systems

2. Assumptions and value systems

People make assumptions all the time. Very often, these assumptions are incorrect, but, unfortunately, there’s very little we can do about it. This is a feature that we had to learn throughout evolution in order to increase our chances of surviving in hostile environments that we didn’t understand. Assumptions were an extremely important development for people, because they generally require very little thought, allowing us to react quickly.

Can we change that? Not really. At this point, this is just a part of how people operate in the world, and it will take many, many years to undo this if that would ever be necessary, so trying to stop making assumptions is pretty much futile. However, that is not to say that we can’t really do anything about the assumptions we make about the people around us, especially those that come from different cultures.

Something that would actually improve cross-cultural collaboration in your workplace is understanding that you’re prone to assuming things by default, and it’s always a good idea to challenge these preconceptions whenever you can. As a leader, it’s also a good idea to remind the people around you to do the same.

Eliminating erroneous beliefs about people that come from cultures that are different from your own will not only improve morale in your organization but will also enable people to collaborate more efficiently by getting to know each other on a more personal level.

An excellent way to dispel a wide array of misconceptions your colleagues may have about each other is a creating a questionnaire that would cover different critical aspects of their work-related preferences—stuff like the time when they’re most productive, how they prefer to interact with their colleagues, how they’d like to get the feedback, and so forth.

How is this useful? The things you can learn about your colleagues will shed light on their value systems that are partially derived from their cultures.

Fundamentally, a person’s values are expressed through what they prefer to work, how they behave, and how they expect others to behave. Respectively, understanding their values will help you tailor the best approach to collaborating with them and learning about how they prefer to execute tasks and interact with their colleagues.

Value systems contain a number of essential parameters to keep in mind. Here are a few of them:

  • Hierarchy—the extent to which people from different cultures welcome or accept a vertical distribution of power in an organization. Some cultures appreciate well-defined leadership roles, and people are expected to follow their managers’ orders. On the other hand, there are cultures that value a flatter distribution of power and questioning management’s decisions is accepted and normalized.
  • Ambiguity—the extent to which people are comfortable with uncertainty in their work. Some cultures value risk-taking and trying novel approaches, whereas others are typically inclined towards more structure and choose not to experiment with untested methodologies.
  • Individualism—the extent to which people from certain cultures value individual success versus collective success.
  • Achievement orientation—a spectrum that reflects the type of achievements a culture is typically drawn to. Some cultures value success, wealth, and self-actualization, whereas others seek to achieve a better quality of life and relationships with the people around them.
  • Long-term orientation—the extent to which particular cultures prefer long-term gain versus immediate gains.

It’s crucial to underline that while certain cultures have dominant value systems that define how well they tolerate ambiguity or how individualistic they are, they are but generalizations. It would be unreasonable to assume that everyone from that country will share the same views or values.

So going back to questionnaires—consider wording your questions in a subtle manner that will allow your colleagues to expand on their preferences, ideally on a video call. This insight into their personality and value system will be an invaluable asset when it comes to streamlining collaboration in your team.

People view time differently

3. People view time differently

An essential part of people’s cultural differences in how they choose to deal with time. All of us fall somewhere between monochronic and polychronic behaviors. The former is a preference for working on one task at a time, while the latter is an inclination towards multitasking. Monotaskers typically like to compartmentalize their time in order to start working on a task only after they’ve finished the previous one.

Members of both groups are subject to bias against one another. For instance, people that have a more monochronic attitude can sometimes see their polychronic colleagues as disorganized and even chaotic. In contrast, multitaskers can often be frustrated with monotaskers’ reluctance to jump in an ad hoc meeting to address an urgent problem.

To eliminate misunderstandings and promote a more mindful approach towards people with differing attitudes to time, it’s essential to create an environment where everyone can openly discuss their preferences.

Language matters

4. Language matters

A substantial part of effective cross-cultural collaboration and leadership in modern organizations revolves around the ability to deliver messages in a thoughtful manner. There’s a wide array of language parameters that can cause issues between people from different backgrounds. The things we have to pay close attention to is our vocabulary and language style, as well as non-verbal behaviors.

1. Language

In the vast majority of cases, international teams use English as a lingua franca (bridge language) in order to communicate with people from different cultural backgrounds.

Language problems may occur if all individuals within a team do not use the same first language. In these situations, for ease of communication, the team often chooses a common language that they can use for group communications. Language differences between individuals can occur at two different levels:

  • Vocabulary—the words native speakers use can often be a source of confusion in a cross-cultural workplace. It’s always a good call to tailor your communication in terms of vocabulary, pronunciation, and slang to accommodate your foreign colleagues.
  • Style of communication—different cultures have different styles of interacting across hierarchies. Some people are very direct by default, while others choose to be more cordial. The same applies to cultures that choose to be brief in their communication, while others prefer to be expansive.

2. Non-verbal behaviors

Non-verbal behaviors are a critical part of communication. However, unfortunately, there are very few gestures that have the same universal meaning. The same applies to body language. Making eye contact with people can be considered a sign of politeness in some cultures and rude in others. It’s essential to be mindful of these things in order to establish an effective cross-cultural collaboration at work. Of course, taking these things into account at all times can be a daunting task, but at least attempting to do so will surely eliminate a great deal of misunderstandings.

Microaggressions

3. Microaggressions

Derald W. Sue, a psychologist that published two books on microaggressions, defines them as: “The everyday slights, indignities, put-downs and insults that people of color, women, LGBT populations or those who are marginalized experience in their day-to-day interactions with people.”

Typically, these behaviors aren’t always intended as an insult, they’re often meant as a compliment, yet they carry a negative connotation that assaults the dignity of marginalized groups. Here are a few examples:

  • Asking a gay colleague, “Who is the ‘man’ in your relationship?”
  • Choosing to simplify or mispronounce a person’s name because it sounds too foreign or is hard to say correctly.
  • Complimenting a non-white coworker on speaking good English.

There is also a type of microaggression relatively common in the workplace called behavioral microaggressions. These are behaviors that assault one’s identity. Here are a few examples:

  • Assuming that a Latinx colleague is a service worker.
  • Suggesting that a female coworker should smile more.
  • Not inviting a disabled coworker to an after-work event because you assumed that they couldn’t participate.

While most of us are willing to learn how to behave in a way that’s accepting and inclusive of people from other cultures or marginalized communities, almost all of us have at one point committed a microaggression. Here are a few things you should take into account when you’ve been called out for doing so:

  • Don’t be defensive—while you probably didn’t intend to offend anyone, it’s important to empathize with the person you’ve committed a microaggression against.
  • Listen intently—if you happen to insult someone, instead of deflecting by saying that “it was a joke,” consider listening to what they have to say.
  • Acknowledge—it’s absolutely critical to recognize and verbally acknowledge that you’ve wronged someone.
  • Apologize, but don’t expect to be forgiven—people from minority groups have to deal with microaggressions throughout their entire lives, so it’s only fair to expect that you won’t be forgiven straight away. While what you said seemed like an inoffensive joke to you is an insult they are probably tired of hearing.

The bottom line

Developing cultural mindfulness and making the necessary adjustments when interacting with your colleagues from other cultures is challenging, but this is a critical part of creating an inclusive and diverse environment that’s also productive. Instead of viewing these changes in your behavior as a sacrifice, understand that they are critical in ensuring that the people that come from other cultures feel welcome in the workplace, and it’s one of the important things we can do to work towards creating an equal society.

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The Undeniable Benefits of Proactive Problem Management

Proactive Problem Management

Do you ever go through periods at work that feel like a constant game of whack-a-mole? Just when everyone swarms to solve one problem, a new one surfaces, and you never get a chance to clear your head and get anything in order.

Proactive problem management is about rooting out some of these “work surprises,” and putting together a system and strategy for solving and preventing problems. It’s also helpful in developing a business strategy.

Let’s briefly define proactive problem management with examples, then discuss its benefits and how to implement it into the workplace.

What is Proactive Problem Management

What is Proactive Problem Management?

We’re presented with so many rapid changes and problems in the workplace, and wrangling them all requires some finesse. Proactive problem management is one facet of a successful strategy.

The Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) codified many of the concepts around problem management with clear terms and definitions. Let’s look into their definition of proactive problem management, and some of the key terms surrounding it.

An incident is anything that disrupts the regular workflow or the performance of equipment. It can also mean a decline in performance, such as a weak internet signal.

A problem is an incident where the cause isn’t known. Addressing a problem requires an investigation into the cause.

Let’s distinguish between an incident and a problem. An incident is something that happens, let’s say an email bounces. A problem is when the cause of the incident isn’t known; so the reason for the bounce is unclear.

Reactive problem management is the process for addressing a problem that has already occurred. This is the most common form of problem management. After investigating the cause of the problem, a team often swarms together to fix it.

Proactive problem management is about anticipating potential problems and preventing them. It entails looking at data and incident reports to identify trends and patterns, then putting systems into place to preclude or prevent incidents. It’s very similar to the risk management concept of mitigating controls.

Event Management Process is the system for monitoring proactive project management. It’s about stopping a problem before anyone is even impacted by it.

Examples of Proactive Problem Management

Examples of Proactive Problem Management

With these definitions in mind, let’s look into a few examples of proactive and reactive problem management, to see what they look like in real life.

A Doctor Visit

Let’s say you go to see the doctor about a stomachache, and he or she examines you, diagnoses it as an infection, then prescribes some antibiotics to treat it.

In this scenario, the stomachache is the problem, as you don’t know what caused it. The doctor’s investigation into the root cause is an example of reactive problem management.

On another occasion, you visit the doctor for a checkup, and everything looks fine. As part of the checkup, the doctor advises you to eat well, take vitamins, and exercise.

In this scenario, there was no incident. However, steps were taken to prevent one from happening, with the doctor’s advice for healthy living. And so this is an example of proactive problem management.

Audio Fail

Now, let’s look at a workplace problem. Let’s say a remote team is having a meeting on a conference platform, and the audio stops working halfway through.

At this point, the IT team swarms around the problem to identify the cause and fix it. This is reactive problem management.

Over the next few days, the IT team does its due diligence, investigating what caused the audio to fail and putting preventative measures into place. The very next week, the team has the same meeting, and everything proceeds without a hitch.

This is an example of proactive problem management: there was no incident, as preventative measures were taken to keep one from happening.

As you can see, proactive problem management is about researching and addressing causes before they have a chance to happen. And reactive problem management means rooting out the cause of an incident that has occurred, and fixing the problem.

How to Implement Proactive Problem Management

How to Implement Proactive Problem Management

Implementing proactive problem management is about planning, brainstorming, and looking ahead. It also entails collecting data and identifying patterns.

Proactive problem management benefits any department within an organization, not simply IT. Let’s look at a few ways to implement it into the workplace.

Track Data on Problems and Incidents

For most departments, particularly IT, you tend to see the same incident over and over again. Proactive problem management looks at what you’re doing to reduce these incidents.

Reactive problem management plays an integral role in putting systems in place to prevent further hangups. After a team has investigated a problem and identified the cause, they’ve developed a system. Codifying this system is a central component to mitigating and reducing incidents.

Keeping data on problems is important, too. By knowing the frequency of incidents, and when and where they occur, it’s possible to create procedures. Understanding which incidents occur the most frequently also helps with resource allocation.

Research and Know Customers

Customer needs change so rapidly with market trends that it’s necessary to constantly refresh and update products in order to meet these needs.

A proactive approach to product development means brainstorming ideas in light of current and anticipated trends. This forward thinking results in a product that serves customers, and prevents creating something that’s irrelevant or outdated.

Promote a Mindset of Growth

A company culture can cultivate a proactive approach to problems as well.
When a culture is open, welcomes debate, and listens to feedback and constructive criticism, it creates an environment where people are making improvements all the time.

One effective process for developing a proactive culture is with a weekly meeting, where everyone reflects on the activity of the week, and brainstorms ways to improve processes, products and services.

In sum, proactive problem management is helpful in many parts of an organization. It benefits the operations that allow people to communicate and use equipment. It also benefits the product and services a business produces.

Benefits of Proactive Problem Management

Benefits of Proactive Problem Management

Proactive problem management is a systematic approach to reducing the interruption of workflow. Let’s look at some of the ways it benefits an organization.

It Reduces Incidents

Most clearly, proactive problem management keeps systems running smoothly. It’s about looking ahead to things that might happen, and then avoiding or reducing the occurrence.

When organizations utilize proactive problem management, people don’t even realize they’re avoiding problems. Meetings run smoothly, the internet works, and a business consistently produces a solid product or provides top-notch service.

The Work Day is Predictable

When a department exclusively uses reactive problem management, it’s constantly swarming around one problem and then another. It forces a team to work on whatever fire happens to be burning at the moment.

Proactive problem management, on the other hand, is systematic.

It’s easier to know what to expect from a workday when energy is geared toward researching data and putting processes into place, rather than playing whack-a-mole.

A Time Saver

Have you ever noticed that the first time you do something, it takes forever, but then after you’ve done it a dozen or so times, it takes way less time?

Reactive problem management is about solving a problem for the first time. For this reason, it tends to be a time-consuming process.

With proactive problem management, on the other hand, a system has been put into place (thanks to the knowledge gained from reactive problem management). And so you’re doing something that you’ve already done many times before, which uses up much less time and energy.

You’re also not going out and fixing things, as many problems don’t happen in the first place.

As you can see, proactive problem management brings a lot of order into a workplace, so it’s definitely a boon to any department.

Conclusion

Proactive problem management is one approach for addressing problems. It is used in IT, company operations, product strategy and anywhere, really.

Developing the systems and processes for proactive problem management leans heavily on investigating and solving existing problems. It’s also important to collect data, in order to understand which problems occur the most frequently.

We see proactive problem management wherever we go. Even a stop sign alerts us to prevent the possible incident of hitting another car.

The forward-thinking aspect of proactive problem management allows an organization to run smoothly. People fix problems before they even start.

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Get Rid of Virtual Clutter and Organize Your Digital Files

Digital File Organization

Thankfully, computers have virtually eliminated the need for any kind of paper clutter. Gone are the days of crowded filing rooms and physically searching for an invoice that was sent over a year ago.

While the amount of paper that fills our filing cabinets is significantly reduced, we’ve managed to shift the problem from one place to another – our digital space.

According to a recent survey by Wakefield Research, more than half of professionals admitted that they spend more time searching for relevant documents than they do responding to emails. This is significant considering that workers are spending more than a third of their time responding to emails.

At least back in the file room days, you knew that all documents existed in one physical space. Today, files can also live locally on personal or work devices or exist on the cloud. You can no longer physically see the space they take so it is much easier to have files floating around in the digital space. Programs such as Google Drive and One Drive that allow you to share files are fantastic for easy collaboration and updating, but without clear guidelines, they can also also be saved, edited, and emailed without ever once touching the original.

Is that _FINAL version actually the final one?

Digital file management will look different for each organization but they should all reach the same goal: find what you need, when you need it.

Why You Need a Digital Filing Organizing System

Why You Need a Digital Filing Organizing System

Understanding why you need a system in the first place will help to motivate you to create and maintain one that works.

Here are three reasons that you need to establish a digital filing system:

Unexpected Employee Absence

Whether they are ill or quit in a fit of rage, if that person is the only one who knows where everything is saved, you may be in trouble. A digital filing system should be understood and used by the entire team to ensure usability but also accessibility to any relevant file at any time.

The last thing your higher-up wants is an email in their already full inbox asking where client invoices are saved.

Legal Reasons

More often than not, your hiring contract will state that all work-related files are the property of the organization. Whether you drafted that document or not, it still belongs to the organization and they have a right to access it and keep it even after you leave.

Saving documents locally or otherwise only accessible by one person may breach your contract and could land you in hot water.

Productivity

Having a digital file organization system that makes sense and is easy to follow will ensure that people actually use it and spend less time searching and more time doing what they are being paid to do. Not only is wasted time frustrating, but it can also derail someone’s train of thought.

How many great ideas were lost in that search party for the missing invoice?!

Overview of Your Current System

Start Here: Overview of Your Current System

Overviewing your current system will take time but it will save even more time in the long run so it is worth doing right.

It is helpful to do some spot checks, invite someone from your team to find a certain document and observe their process. You may be surprised to witness that not everyone would think to take the same path to get to their destination. Record your observations and note the most common trends as these can form the backbone of your new system, already endorsed by the majority.

Common questions to ask the team include:

  • What is currently working?
  • What isn’t working?
  • What files were the hardest to find?
  • Which ones were the easiest to find?
  • What files do you need access to regularly?
  • Who needs access to these files?

In regards to that last question, it is important to make sure to maintain a list of who should have access to the files and consult with them individually (small team) or via a digital survey (large team) to gather as much input as possible on the effectiveness of the current system.

Communicate the System

Communicate the System

You could develop the perfect system but if you have not communicated the process or guidelines to the team, it will be all for nothing.

Be clear with the instructions for effective use of the system but, more importantly, set expectations that everyone follows the system. To ensure that people will comply, you will need to write it down and make the instructions and guidelines clear. Consider the following elements when drafting this guide:

Folder Hierarchy

How you organize your files will vary greatly depending on the organization. For one organization, it may make more sense to organize them by project, for others by the client. Start with the largest categories first and then use subfolders to further break it down.

Your structure should resemble a tree with the main trunk being the main shared documents folder containing your high-level categories. The branches represent subfolders, getting more and more detailed about their contents.

Naming Files

File names will also vary depending on the organization but it is helpful to look back at your notes from initial consultations with the team. Would they prefer a file that includes the client’s name or the date first? Do you need to include the project title in each name? Also, consider your operating system as well because you may not be allowed to use spaces in your naming and instead need to use underscores.

Names need to make sense to be useful. Choose something that would be easy to search in a pinch by the people who are most likely to access the file.

Date Format

Dating your files or the folders themselves can be incredibly helpful, especially for any year-end work. Establishing a dating system will ensure that files can properly and automatically order themselves on your screen and make it easier to find what you need. Gather consensus on the most used system, whether you use numbers (YYYY-MM-DD or YYYY-DD-MM) or fully write out the date (January 1st, 2022) does not matter so long as it is consistent.

Version Control

There is nothing more frustrating than realizing that you do not have the latest version of a document, especially after adding your own updates. To avoid this, set some ground rules for file updates and version naming. Using watermarks is one way but you can also ensure that “draft” is in the name of the file. It is also helpful to include vision dates in the title or the document itself. Make sure that “final” is only used on actual final documents and have a place where finished documents live.

Images

Images can be tricky to manage, but it’s doable! Depending on your organization and the number of images, you can include the following descriptors:

  • Date
  • Event name
  • Name of the people in the picture
  • Purpose (stock, website, headshot, etc.)

Avoid the automatically generated combination of numbers and letters as they are impossible to search for. Grouping by the event is helpful, especially if the event is a regular occurrence making it easy to pull photos for promotional purposes though some organizations will find it more helpful to name the people in the photo.

Tips to organize digital files

Top 10 Tips for any System

Your digital file management and organizing system will be unique but consider the following tips that can be applied to any system:

1. Have an Archive Folder

When it comes to work-related files, it is best to keep them but that doesn’t mean they need to take up valuable real estate in your folders. To stay focused on relevant and useful files, ensure that each category also has an “Archive” folder. This folder is where you will drag files you no longer use or need but still be able to reference them if need be.

2. Use Colour

Most systems will allow you to change the colour of the folders, for visual people, this can be super helpful! Whether by category or by the client, being able to distinguish between files quickly based on the colour will save you time but also look great in the process.

3. Schedule Regular Maintenance

Even the best systems benefit from regular maintenance. When you have a good system in place, be sure to schedule maintenance at least once a month to go in and ensure that everything is named and saved in the appropriate place. This could be the job of one person or a regular task for each team member to encourage accountability to the process.

4. Post a One Page Summary of the System

Whether it is a physical printout or a pinned document in a common area, ensure that it is easily accessible to be referenced. It may require several reminders to fully onboard the team to the new system so practice patience.

5. File as you Go

As tempting as it is to create a document in a shared spot and resolve to move it to the proper place later, we all know that doesn’t always happen. Getting in the habit of creating and saving the file in the appropriate place right away will keep the system organized and usable. Try screen recording this process and showing that it only takes an additional 5 seconds to properly name and save files to the appropriate place.

Back up Files Regularly

6. Back up Files Regularly

Thankfully, cloud technology has made it easier than ever to back up our files but it never hurts to be extra safe. If you have an IT department, be sure to consult them on the best practices for protecting and backing up files, chances are that they can automate the process for you. If your team is small or you are a solopreneur, you can always save your files to the cloud as well as back them up on an external hard drive regularly.

7. Use Abbreviations as Needed

To avoid excessively long file names, use recognized abbreviations to save on characters. It is helpful to have a standard list of abbreviations to ensure consistency but also to be clear, what may seem obvious to you may not be obvious to someone else. Some common and recognized abbreviations include:

  • Gov = Government
  • Org = Organization
  • V = Version, followed by the version number
  • ACCT = Account
  • Jan, Feb, Mar, etc, = The first 3 letters of the name of the month
  • EN, FR, SP = English, French, Spanish or any other language can be abbreviated

8. Keep Desktop Clean

While it may be tempting to have all your files front and center, things get cluttered quickly. Your desktop should ideally only hold your trash/recycle bin and one folder called “Files”. Some people find it helpful to have the files they are using that day on the desktop but that will only work if you can trust yourself to click and drag the files back to their home once you are done with them.

Avoid Going Overboard With Folders

9. Avoid Going Overboard With Folders

In an effort to be organized, you may end up with more folders than you need. If someone is having to make 30 clicks before finding what they need, you may have gone too far. While the number is not exact, too few clicks will also mean that your categories are too broad which will also make finding files difficult. Gather feedback along the way and use that to refine your digital file organizing system to ensure that you make use of the right amount of folders.

10. Make Use of Templates

Templates are a great way to save time but they also ensure consistency in your organization system. If your organization deals with external clients, having a standard file architecture for new clients will keep you organized and the client satisfied. The main folder may simply be titled the name of the client. Within that folder, subfolders can exist for invoices, contracts, and reports. Consider the services or needs of your clients and develop a series of folders that meets them that can be replicated each time you onboard a new client.

Implementing Your Digital File Organization System

Implementing Your System

After observing the most common pathways, consulting with the team, and drafting a one-page guide on how to use the system, it is time to fully implement it. All of the preparation in the world will not foresee every single bump in the process so be prepared to be flexible and responsive to feedback.

It is helpful to have an onboarding-type session with everyone who will be using the new system. This session is also a great opportunity for people to ask clarifying questions.

One of the most important components of the implementation process is that leadership models the correct use of the system, setting the tone. Leading by example and resisting the urge to fall back into old habits will ensure that the team embraces the new system and gives a real-world example of the process in action.

Conclusion

A clear and easy system will reduce stress as it increases efficiency. Stop sacrificing your valuable time with file search parties. Embrace an organized and consistent method for your digital file storage needs and reclaim lost time. Digital file management can help your team take back the time they spend searching and instead focus on the work that matters.

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10 Strategies to Overcome Resistance to Change in an Organization

How to overcome resistance to change in organizations

In the Greek myth “Sisyphus,” the crafty and power-hungry Sisyphus tries to cheat death and life forever. In retaliation, Zeus curses him with the punishment of eternally pushing an immense boulder to the top of a hill, only to have it roll all the way back to the bottom, where he resumes the exhausting task all over again.

This may look familiar to someone encountering resistance while making a company-wide transition. Just when it appears you’ve achieved a hard-won vision, resistance threatens to push you all the way back to where you started.

It’s a very frustrating and defeating sensation. And it may cause someone to think that motivating a team to collaboratively work toward change just isn’t possible.

Don’t lean too heavily on messages from myths, however. Whether you’re making a digital transformation, going agile, restructuring the chain of command, or adjusting the culture, achieving a successful transition is well within the realm of possibilities.

It requires finesse. Partly, it entails having a good plan beforehand, mitigating various types of resistance and communicating the significance of the change to every employee.

Let’s look at some of the reasons why a company would want to make a big change, the types of resistance you typically encounter, and finally go over ways to overcome resistance to change in an organization.

Why Do We Need Change

Why Do We Need Change?

“He who rejects change is the architect of decay. The only human institution which rejects progress is the cemetery,” said former British Prime Minister Harold Wilson.

Change is inherent to growth and progress. No one changes simply for change’s sake. The ever-evolving landscape in which an organization interacts demands constant growth and adjustment.

Let’s look at a few reasons why an organization might need to make a significant transformation.

New Generations in the Workplace

Time marches on, and the working landscape constantly evolves as new generations come of age and previous generations retire.

Currently, it’s estimated that Millennials and Generation Z (everyone born after 1981) constitute 40% of today’s workforce. Around 10,000 Baby Boomers retire each day, and so before long these two younger generations will outnumber Generation X and Baby Boomers, who currently represent 58% of the workforce.

These two younger generations have distinct preferences and priorities. On balance, both Millennials and Generation Z are looking for meaning behind the work they do; it’s about much more than receiving a paycheck. When they don’t like changes they see in a workplace, or the culture doesn’t jibe with their needs, they are quick to move on.

And so this new landscape demands that organizations change. In order to accommodate Millennials and Generation Z, workplace cultures must provide the work-life balance they crave, and create a culture in tune with their core values.

The Gig Economy

Oftentimes, bringing a project over a finish line requires special skills and expertise. However, this need is only temporary. For example, it doesn’t make sense for a company to hire a freelance artist full-time, if it only requires these services periodically.

The gig economy of freelancers and contractors is a rapidly expanding sector of the workforce. The number of people working in the gig economy is increasing fifteen times faster than the regular job market of salaried employees. Almost one third of Fortune 500 companies utilize part-time labor, and some rely entirely on freelancers and contractors!

This trend forces organizations to change in all sorts of ways. Human resources must develop new protocols for onboarding and training freelancers and contractors.

And culture changes, too. Project managers have a different strategy for building rapport and fostering communication when as much as half the team is temporary.

Attracting and Retaining Talent

Attracting and Retaining Talent

In the modern-day working landscape, people regularly move in and out of jobs for a variety of reasons. This makes recruiting and retaining talent a real challenge.

Culture is central to enticing an employee to stay with a company. A thriving culture invests in employees and provides them with opportunities to develop new skills and grow professionally. Additionally, it regularly demonstrates gratitude to employees for their time and contribution. Many younger employees are looking to work in a flat organization where the culture allows everyone to contribute to changes and leadership.

In order to keep ahead of the game, leadership looks closely at its own culture, and molds it to attract the workforce it needs.

Improving Products and Strategy

In today’s economy, products and customer needs change faster than ever before. If things like apps and online marketplaces aren’t constantly adjusted and improved, they’ll become obsolete in a matter of months.

As product managers vigilantly research customers and the market, it often becomes apparent that an organization needs to fine tune a product or develop new skills in order to keep up to speed with trends.

These transformations require flexibility, and an ongoing willingness for the team to make changes.

In sum, organizations are constantly forced to adapt and improve. Whether to suit employee or customer needs, change is integral to keeping pace in the world.

Why We Resist Change

Why We Resist Change

At the same time that change is unavoidable, resistance is guaranteed. We are creatures of habit, and from the very top of an organization all the way down through each rank in management, people easily become set in their ways, and generally prefer for things to just keep on as they are.

An effective transition plan anticipates this resistance, and seeks to understand the reasons behind it. Let’s look into various shades of resistance.

Comfort With the Status Quo

Most people find comfort in the familiar. They feel safe in a work environment where everything and everybody remains predictable, and they can expect their work day to proceed just as it did the day before.

When they suddenly have to report to a new boss, learn a new system or perform a different task, it threatens this sense of security and well-being.

They feel this loss of control especially when these changes come from the top down and they haven’t been given any say in implementing them.

Distrust the Leader

Any venture into the unknown is scary, and when an employee has a guttural dislike for upper management or certain persons in leadership, this poses an extra challenge to making structural or managerial changes.

A successful transition requires universal trust from the team, and so identifying distrust is the first step to overcoming it.

Challenge of Learning New Skills

Whenever we embark on doing something new and challenging, a little voice inside of us wonders if we’re really capable of it.

Whether a company is changing to a new software system, or going through a complete systematic transformation from something like waterfall to agile, everyone feels some apprehension. They wonder if they’ll be able to grasp the new concepts, and be able to keep up in time with everyone else.

In sum, change robs people of their sense of stability. We’re most inclined to remain in familiar territory, with known processes and systems. Letting go of the staid and steady requires courage and trust.

A healthy company culture is concerned with employee well-being. And so an effective leader understands these common forms of resistances, and anticipates them. In this way, he or she is able to assuage employees through change and transformation.

Types of Resistance

5 Types of Resistance

The classic image of resistance looks like someone slumped in her chair with her arms crossed, eyebrows furrowed and her mouth curved down in a distinctive frown.

“You can’t make me,” the posture suggests.

Some resistance to change is overt and in-your-face. However, more often than not, it’s far more subtle.

When a manager facilitates a transition, it’s good to know what kinds of resistance to look out for, in order to prevent or mitigate them.

1. Active Resistance

Sometimes employees resist change in direct ways. This includes things like acerbic exchanges with managers, hostility with coworkers, and a decline in work performance. Teams may exhibit more dysfunction than usual, and people may stop showing up to meetings or responding to emails.

Although it’s a challenge to work amidst active resistance, fortunately it’s easy to spot, and from there it can be diagnosed.

2. Passive Resistance

Sometimes employees look like they’re playing along agreeably with changes, while in fact they’re rebelling against them in barely perceptible ways.

Passive resistance includes things like someone showing up to a meeting, but not contributing much, or employees completing baseline work requirements, and then checking out.

Due to its covert nature, passive resistance is harder to recognize and diagnose. Having open dialogue and meetings where people are free to air frustrations are ways to decrease passive resistance.

3. Intellectual Resistance

Sometimes work procedures and protocol entail all sorts of requirements that make no sense at all to the person who’s doing the work.

When employees don’t ever see anything behind the curtain, they may not appreciate the need for the transition. For example, when an employee doesn’t know the bottom line and never interacts with upper management, they may not appreciate the need for a software transition or the reason behind a switch to agile.

The good thing about intellectual resistance is that it’s fairly easy to diagnose. It’s cured by good old fashioned communications. When people are let in on the reasons for a transition, this intellectual resistance breaks down.

4. Emotional Resistance

When you’re really in a groove, and know just what to expect from a software system or your weekly workload, making a change is just no fun.

It may feel like the “one more thing” that people just can’t take on at the moment. Or maybe it’s downright scary.

Handling emotional resistance is about creating space. It takes some time to learn a new system, or interact with a different team. Let people ease themselves into it, and allow for hiccups and a slower pace of production. Accept that workplace tension will be the norm for a time.

5. Personal Resistance

It’s pretty painful to make a change when you don’t want to. But when the orders come from a manager or boss you can’t stand, that really adds insult to injury.

When employees have marked dislike for the leadership, or good reasons to mistrust a company, then making a change is like trying to wade through concrete.

First, the management has to work on rebuilding broken trust and repairing relationships, and then it can proceed with the transition.

In sum, you’ll rarely have an employee tell you with perfect clarity: “I am resistant to this change, and here is why.”

Resistance, rather, manifests itself in all sorts of ways, and is caused by a variety of factors. It depends somewhat on the personality of individuals, as well as the type of change that’s taking place. Knowing what kind of resistance you’re up against is key to overcoming it.

Ways to Overcome Resistance to Change

10 Ways to Overcome Resistance to Change

Navigating change is an art. Even when leadership has conviction about where it needs to take a company, they still need to gauge how much a team can handle.

When a plan rolls out too rapidly, or it’s too ambitious to begin with, the entire effort collapses.

Additionally, “solving” resistance by pushing tension under the rug only makes things foment. And then change becomes impossible.

The objective with a big transition is to move past the growing pains, and bring a company into a new place: either with simpler systems, a transparent culture, or a better product.

Let’s look at ten strategies and methods for overcoming resistance to change within organizations.

1. Explain Why

Do you ever find yourself doing things at work just because you know you have to? And no one’s ever really explained the reason why?

No one performs to their potential when work seems meaningless, or they feel like a cog in the wheel.

Conversely, when people understand the reason behind tasks, they’re way more likely to perform proficiently.

Clarifying the reasons behind a change, with as much transparency as possible, is central to achieving compliance and cooperation.

If a company is transitioning to agile, for example, then it helps for employees to understand how the current system just didn’t cut it, as well as an explanation for how the new system should correct for these flaws.

When employees embrace the “why,” then they are more willing to accept the change.

Talk and Listen

2. Talk and Listen

As we’ve all experienced, when communication is limited mostly to emails, a whole lot gets lost in translation. The tone can be misunderstood, and it’s impossible to tell how the recipient receives the information.

Face-to-face communication has become a rare commodity these days, but as it turns out there’s really no substitution for it. All non-verbal communication comes across when people speak in-person. You recognize facial cues, and hear tone and voice inflection.

When making a big change, communicate 1:1 with employees, and then listen to their response. This allows for every perspective to be heard and alerts management to concerns and anxieties.

Written correspondence has a place, but when communicating major organizational transitions, it’s best used as a follow-up.

3. What’s in it for Me?

Leaders, clearly, are hugely invested in the success of their company. In order to navigate a big change, however, they also need to see the scenario from the employees’ point of view

Many employees, particularly Millennials and Generation Z, see their job as an opportunity to build a skill set and a personal brand. Even when they understand how a change benefits the company, this doesn’t entirely motivate them to get on board. Their loyalty, that is to say, is more to themselves than to the company.

This perhaps represents a kind of “enlightened self-interest,” as it’s important to look out for our own benefit and well-being. This is simply part of our nature. And so a leader needn’t condemn this tendency, but rather embrace it.

When rolling out a transition, communicate clearly how the change benefits individuals. Will learning a new software build their skills set and so help their career? Sure it will.

Clarifying the personal payoff helps bridge the motivation gap.

4. Embrace the Contrarian

When a company encounters outspoken, active resistance to change, the inclination is to silence it. Maybe this means excluding “difficult” people from meetings, or simply ignoring any dissident voices.

A healthy, transparent workplace, however, allows for the expression of all points of view. It welcomes debate and criticism and actively works through it.

Listening to dissident voices may well in fact help the organization. The person who’s voicing concerns sees things from a different point of view, and so hearing them out is tantamount to risk mitigation.

When an organization goes through change, it’s important to allow for open exchanges, and to actively listen to resistance, ask questions, and let anyone who wants to bring up criticism feel safe doing so. This benefits not only the employees, but the organization as well.

5. Monitor the Change Saturation Meter

Even when a team understands the reason for the change and is aligned to the vision, there is still a threshold for the amount of change it can handle.

If people are too overwhelmed by new processes or information, it generates apathy. This could lead to a mass exodus, where people collectively throw in the towel and move on.

In order to avoid this sort of disastrous pitfall, leadership must stage the rollout of a transition. This entails managers regularly checking the temperature of the work environment to gauge how things are going.

Troubleshooting includes active listening, as well as listening to what people aren’t saying. Is there a lack of camaraderie in the break room? Or decreased contribution in meetings? These both may be indications of passive resistance.

6. Cushion the Most Impacted Stakeholders

While drafting a plan for a major company overhaul, leadership can’t look at the organization as a monolith.

Big changes impact various departments and employees differently. Some are hardly impacted at all, while others have their entire routine upended.

Good leaders are highly aware of which employees and departments are affected the most. Providing these groups additional training, support, guidance and incentives helps to mitigate resistance and ease everyone through the process.

Enkindle Intrinsic Motivation

7. Enkindle Intrinsic Motivation

“It’s hard to hold someone accountable to a decision that they did not make,” says transformation consultant Pam Marmon.

Rather than being told what to do from leaders on high, people are more amenable to change when they feel as though they’ve played a part in the process. They want the freedom to be innovative.

Creating this freedom and internal motivation requires strategy. In his book Drive, author Daniel Pink outlines three central components to intrinsic motivation:

  1. Purpose: This means giving a team an aspirational goal to work toward.
  2. Mastery: This means expanding knowledge and developing new skills.
  3. Autonomy: This allows a team to be self-determined and plot its own course.

Cultivating teams with these qualities makes them feel like they’re helping to bring about the change. They are more aligned to the overall vision.

Of course this is a delicate balance, as the big tension of any change is allowing for autonomy, while at the same time steering the company in the direction the leaders feel it needs to go.

8. Align on the Vision

Change is about creating a new system within an organization, or introducing new methods for employees to interact and work together.

Before implementation, the entire company should understand the overall objective, as well as the specific changes in their day-to-day.

Aligning on this vision is accomplished most easily with an all-hands meeting, where the change is communicated in a few simple statements.

Coming up with a message for presenting and framing the change is key. When people hear “change” they synonymously hear “hard.” When it’s rather framed as an opportunity, this generates an exploratory attitude, and genuine interest in the endeavor. Passing out swag helps to further impress the vision.

Next, the leader implements processes to guide everyone through the transition phase.

A good process starts with leadership. Not only do the leaders model the change, but they also monitor performance and reactions across their department. Listening for feedback plays a part as well.

9. Harness the Middle Managers

Company culture in every organization is trickle-down, for sure. A manager who wants to facilitate a transformation needs to embody the change.

For example, when a team makes an agile transformation the leaders must demonstrate agile principles themselves. They discuss big issues with the team before making a decision, converse with each other face-to-face daily, and regularly take time to reflect.

Identifying the key influencers and managers, and getting them on board is instrumental to making a change.

When charismatic and well-liked managers model the new behavior, and encourage others to do so, then you’ve gotten the boulder to the top of the mountain, and it’s downhill from there.

Change the Culture

10. Change the Culture

Systemic problems in a work culture can pose huge challenges to a transition effort.

For example, a work environment with many rules and protocols generates distrust of leadership. A bureaucratic organization usually means that work performance is slow, and there’s always a ton of backlog.

When implementing a change, a company starts by evaluating its culture with complete honesty. It’s necessary to identify tendencies that would make a transformation unduly difficult.

If an impediment is found, the next task is to set about changing it. This is a slow process, as cultural habits are usually ingrained and cemented into a workplace. However, with a systematic approach, it is possible. Here are three steps to facilitate a culture shift:

  1. Establish Clarity

    First, it’s important to make sure everyone understands why a change is happening. Maybe you’re expanding the workplace to encourage more collaboration.

    Then, lay out the practicalities. Make sure everyone understands the new protocol around collaborative spaces versus work spaces and what not.

  2. Demonstrate Consistently

    When everyone understands the new system or protocol, it’s time to start implementing it. By following the plan you lay out for the team, grooves start to develop and new behaviors become habitual.

    It’s important for the leader to model behavior at this point. If the leader says one thing then does something else, it completely derails the initiative.

  3. Celebrate!

    A final step to making a cultural change is providing incentives for work performance and celebrating milestones reached. Appreciating employees for everything they do is central to creating a healthy company culture.

    Changing a culture won’t happen overnight, but with diligent effort, it is possible.

    In sum, in order to overcome resistance to change, leadership must anticipate it. Bringing the organization successfully through a transition means having a plan for assuaging and mitigating any tension and reluctance within the team.

Conclusion

Change is part of any successful organization. At some point, everyone faces unavoidable pressure to make a change. Sometimes this has to do with changes in the market, other times it’s about keeping up with competitors, or else it has to do with changes in the employee landscape.

At the same time, people push back on the change. It’s much easier to remain with the known and the familiar. Regardless of whether you’re handling a merger or acquisition, or streamlining processes, you will encounter resistance.

Making a transition in an organization needn’t be a Sisyphean effort, however. In order to overcome resistance, it’s necessary to anticipate it. People resist in various ways, and for various reasons, and so an organization needs to understand its culture and employees in order to mitigate the resistance. It’s good to have a plan going in and to know what types of resistance to expect.

Sometimes, systemic problems in the company cause resistance, and in this instance it’s necessary to adjust the company culture.

Change is hard. The dust will be unsettled for some time, and you have to accept that it’s just the way things are. But with a good strategy, it won’t be that way for long.

If you’re really looking to have a feather in your cap, then navigating your organization successfully through a huge transition will certainly be your pièce de résistance!