Culture – It is an increasing importance for attraction and retention

Research has been done and has been found that there is usually a positive correlation (It basically means, both have to increase at the same time) between company’s profit as well as worker’s satisfaction. What affects worker’s satisfaction and retention is the company’s culture.

It helps in attraction of good candidates

You will probably understand when a good candidate has your offer, as well as another company’s offer. Both offer packages are similar, with little discrepancies – a common situation for quality candidates. What is the distinguishing factor is your company’s culture, and how well it is being represented and communicated to your stakeholders.

This is even more important if your salary package is not market competitive. Your culture could be the deciding factor why quality candidates might reject the higher salary package over yours.

It helps in ensuring a good fit between the company and the potential new entrant

Regardless of how long your interview is, it is not long enough to define your culture or how you can alter the judgement from your interviewees. Candidate already has formed a perception about what this company is, it’s reputation and the culture and purpose of this company.

The preconceived information is attained from news articles, word of mouth and social media – and they are likely information disseminated by your very own employees who could be currently employed, and fully involved in the daily activities.

Hence, it is important to not only communicate your culture but to continuously reinforce your culture

Leaders actions and decisions reinforce the culture of the company. It influences the way people act and communicate with each other. Your existing employees will reinforce the company’s culture to the group of new entrants.

Ultimately, the culture that your company have assist in the employer branding - which makes you unique compared to your competitors. Your culture is then defined by your goals and objectives that your company have, or that leaders emphasize on their employees. 

Allow Employees to Take Naps during Work

Allow Employees to Take Naps during Work

In the recent years, afternoon naps are no longer strange and link to laziness. Some companies start to understand and see that sleeping in on the job to allow employees recharge energy for the rest of the day. Your bosses will never want to do the team or any one starts going into food coma after lunch hours. As much as there are some companies which have accepted such way to recharge, there are a number of companies who may find it unacceptable but it does aid in promoting a healthy environment for employees to work in. The best nap time is approximately 15 to 30 minutes, which helps in increasing alertness and memory.

Successful Power Nap

Effective and successful power nap will help if the environment can let you fall asleep fast to have a comfortable rest. Since there is a limit time for such naps, always keep any electronics or communication devices out of reach. With the periodic vibrations and light alerts from the phone will make it even harder to sleep well. Your sense of hearing will naturally send signals to your brain to do something – check out the phone in case if there is any urgent matter – you will never get to rest properly.

Body works best when you get to keep it in routine. Regulate your nap routine and your body will tell your brain to take a break naturally. For example, you may want to try sticking your nap to the same time and place. Your body clock will instinctively send a signal to you.

Safe and Designated Place

Companies can always build a dedicated corner especially for employees to take their naps. Dedicate certain time of the day for rest and encourage employees to switch off their computers to avoid interruption. Keep such session as comfortable as possible – you may even want to consider employees bring in their own pillows and with a dedicated corner will mean that you can design the space conducive to go into relaxation mode, such as the temperature of the room, the colors of the walls and the furniture.

Try it today! 

4 steps to build a strong team

It is every leader’s envision building a strong team but how many has actually done it and successfully driving and retaining the team? Leaders see each individual as key contributors and when built a team who is of a group of understanding people and they are willing to put in the extra mile to work, you are on the right track.

Understand and know each team member

It is essential to embrace the differences of the team. While taking the opportunity to understand each individual, you can help each member understand their strengths and the area which they can contribute to the team. Additionally, keep outings relevant on a monthly basis to have offsite interactions and this will give members an opportunity to appreciate each other and build a strong camaraderie.

Celebrate milestones and overcome failures

Always remember that your team member is not a robot. Human works with feelings and emotions, and they like to be recognized and appreciated with their hard work put in. Thus, be sure to spend time to give members the proper accolades that they deserved. Leaders should rewarded as deem when necessary and never take job performed for granted. Give them a shout out to make efforts seen by others.

In contrast, if the team has not performed well in certain area of work, take some time to salvage and conduct damage control. This will help everyone put their thoughts together to resolute any situations as a team. Never jump into finger pointing and lectures without understanding what went wrong with the work put in.

Value every individual

Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses and since it is put together as a team. Bring the best of each individual’s strengths for the team to make a stronger team. While you get busy with your every day’s work, never forget that each individual is unique in her ways, and every contribution to work functions and operations are crucial to the team. Valuing them will drive them to strive with the team. Make every day a purposeful day to attend work for everyone and it will be appreciated. I’m sure no one ever wants to come to work dragging their feet and feels devalue each time you see your leader. 

Holds effective meetings

Every meeting comes with proper agenda to address official matters but informal discussions must be held for the team members to share some of their day-to-day work concerns or even help to bring in new ideas to improve work processes. When they know that their ideas are being considered to be implemented, they will feel that sense of belonging and usefulness to help the organization improve

Is being a good leader always superior to being a good manager

If you are given the opportunity to lead a team – how do you distinguish between being a leader and a manager? There might be sometimes that you wonder if you should place priorities on the development of your team, or in ensuring things get done right in the fastest time possible. Like what Peter Drucker said “Leadership is doing the right things; management is doing the things right”

The following are the main consideration factors between when you should use which leadership style

Your current team culture

If you have a team who does not like change, and who prefer to be instructed than empowered – the team requires a manager instead of a leader. Leaders constantly challenge status quo and often have the courage to take on risk and it would be disastrous if the team is constantly fighting against change.

A leader also has a tendency to have highly stretched goals and the audacity of the goals and would be disastrous if the team feels it is unattainable, with a lot of self-doubts.

Urgency of tasks and amount of resources

If the tasks at hand are urgent, a manager would be better than a leader because they are more results and tasks orientated. Managers would be taking the defined goals and executing by having a list of detailed plans – so the goals would be achieved by average employees in the shortest time.

Existing culture of the company

If the current culture of the company is also risk adverse and where the Key Performance Indicators (KPI) of employees and incumbents are strictly monitored – then a leader would not be able to excel in this environment as well. Imagine if a leader invents to define new paradigms, using his creativity to be constantly rejected his Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

Ultimately, one leadership style is not a superior form over the other. To sustain and to remain competitive with their competitors, companies should have a good mixture of transformational leaders as well as good managers. When companies are hiring management levels, they should also understand what is the current culture of the company as well as the needs of this team. This can help define the purpose on why this new incumbent is brought on board