BOOK REVIEW THE X FACTOR: A QUEST FOR EXCELLENCE

Source: Vector image is from freepik.com by @pikisuperstar

Six Serious Challenges Of Hybrid Work And How To Overcome Them

BY WILLIAM ARRUDA

THE HYBRID WORK OPTION IS COMPLICATED

Things are starting to get back to normal—whatever that is. But it’s not the pre-covid normal. Moving forward, the world of work will be more flexible, more ambiguous, and a lot more complicated too. That’s because the hybrid environment includes lots of challenges that were not part of the workplace that we were used to before March 2020 (which feels like another lifetime ago) nor is it exactly like the all-virtual workplace we were thrown into. This new paradigm has a lot of implications for how you build your personal brand and achieve your career goals. Here are the six most concerning challenges, along with how to minimize them.

1. MAKING A COMPELLING FIRST IMPRESSION

First impressions are far more likely to be virtual.

People will meet the bits-and-bytes version of you first (in fact, that may be the only version of you they ever meet). That means you need to actively manage your digital brand so you can wow the people who are checking you out. To build a stellar digital first impression, first get a handle on your actual brand, and then translate it for the virtual world so that when a colleague or client meets you online, they’ll be meeting the closest thing possible to the real, authentic, amazing you. First impressions are crucial, and they don’t come with a do-over.

2. STANDING OUT IN MEETINGS

Meetings have always been one of the most powerful ways to demonstrate value and get noticed by people who count. But in the hybrid world of work, putting the spotlight on your best traits in meetings is much harder. That’s because you need to manage what’s happening with people in the bricks-and-mortar meeting room and with those who are participating remotely—and you might be participating remotely, too. The key is to make everyone feel like you’re speaking to them individually, regardless of where they are, while engaging everyone in the conversation. Those who are not present in the meeting room will have a greater challenge staying engaged and focused, so spend a little extra time with them. This shows you’re savvy about techniques for WFA (Working

From Anywhere). 3. BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH COLLEAGUES/

CLIENTS

Let’s face it, building relationships with others is far easier, more productive, and enjoyable in person. But that’s not always possible in the hybrid world. To get as close as you can to the old days of real-world relationship building, make every inperson opportunity matter more. Even if you only make it into the office a few times a year, you can forge stronger relationships by focusing on your colleagues and clients 100% of the time when you’re together. When you have real-world connection opportunities, don’t schedule things that keep you isolated. Each time you attend a company learning program, prioritize connecting with the other participants as being equally important to the learning. If you attend a company offsite, don’t spend it on your phone. Don’t squander real-world human connection opportunities. 4. FEELING CONNECTED AND PART OF A TEAM

It’s clear that team connection and cohesion suffered when we all went virtual at the flip of a switch. And even in the WFA environment, it will be rare for the whole team to be together most of time. That means those little informal connection points, talking about what you did over the weekend, a quick chat in the coffee room, a head popping in your cubical to say hi!— those are all gone. Counteract the humanity deficit by building in human connection activities to the work that you do online, especially in Zoom meetings. Make it a deliberate act to reach out to just say hello to each of your colleagues every week. 5. STAYING VISIBLE

If you’re mostly WFH, you’re invisible. This means you need strategies to visibly demonstrate the value you deliver. One way to achieve this is with social media. Become a digital brand ambassador for your company by sharing company content with your connections. Include all the people you seek to influence in your connections and followers. 6. OBTAINING VALUABLE FEEDBACK

Feedback is hard to come by in the WFA world. That’s because most of those opportunities for immediate impromptu feedback have been eliminated or weakened. The boss who stops by your office and says, “Nice job summing up that complex client problem in that meeting” has basically disappeared in a workforce that’s distributed. Yet regular feedback is critical to helping you stay on track and course correct as necessary. You can’t wait for your annual review to learn about things you could be doing better or hear about what impresses your supervisor. To get regular feedback, overtly seek it out. Ask for honest feedback, use anonymous feedback tools to obtain insight and take action on what you learn. The hybrid WFA environment makes it tempting to stay in the shadows. But if you give in and fall back, your career will certainly suffer. Implement these tips to keep yourself—and your personal brand—visible and valuable.

This article was originally published on forbes.com

WILLIAM ARRUDA

William Arruda is the bestselling author of the definitive books on personal branding: Digital YOU, Career Distinction and Ditch. Dare. Do! And he’s the creative energy behind Reach Personal Branding and CareerBlast.TV – two groundbreaking organizations committed to expanding the visibility, availability, and value of personal branding across the globe.

Photo Source: The Star

Sarawak plans to prioritise its environmental sustainability and align its development path with its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the state will pursue a balanced economic growth by adopting a responsible approach towards the development of its natural resources.

Sarawak would also develop master plans on developing smart cities that would consider environmental sustainability related to urbanisation, with Kuching Smart City Master Plan being the first that had been developed with low carbon mobility and smart city infrastructure.

Today, as the Premier of Sarawak, you have my word that Sarawak is committed towards preservation of six million hectares of land as permanent forests and one million hectares as Totally Protected Areas (TPAs).

The Right Honourable Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri (Dr) Abang Haji Abdul Rahman Zohari Bin Tun Datuk Abang Haji Openg Premier of Sarawak | 29 March 2022

Leadership and Facilitation are a Great Partnership

BY MICHELLE GIBBINGS

Source: Illustration vector created by freepik

Why are Facilitation Skills Important in Leadership?

What characteristics spring to mind when you think of the word ‘leader’? Perhaps character traits such as decisive and visionary or skills such as great communicator and negotiator or something else.

One word that isn’t likely to arise is that of a facilitator. Yet, so much of leadership – outstanding leadership – requires good facilitation.

A great facilitator knows how to draw out the ideas and thoughts of others and balance competing and diverse perspectives. They pay attention to what is going on around them. They notice what’s said and unsaid, what’s glossed over or ignored. They can ensure that everyone involved feels heard and valued during discussions. They are adept at creating the space for those around them to share their ideas and perspectives and focus on unifying rather than dividing.

Leadership isn’t a solo venture

When leaders apply facilitation skills to their leadership, they recognise that leadership isn’t a solo venture. They know they can’t progress and succeed alone.

Consequently, they focus on ensuring clarity for each team member on their role and contribution. They draw people into the conversation to involve the right people at the right time.

Make others feel heard

In team meetings and discussions, the leader ensures that people feel heard, recognising the positive impact this has on team engagement.

When a person feels heard, they feel like they matter to you. They feel that their point of view has been considered and you are genuinely interested in what they have to say.

Being heard doesn’t mean you need to agree with the other person’s perspective. It means you are fully present when the person is talking to you. You focus on them and ignore distractions.

You demonstrate interest by asking questions and clarifying before sharing your ideas or providing a solution. You listen empathetically and with compassion because you seek to understand what they need in a non-judgemental manner.

Embrace the wisdom in the room

Facilitators know they don’t have all the answers. They accept that the wisdom is in the room. So, their role isn’t about directing the conversation and telling people what the answer must be.

Instead, they embrace their role in guiding conversations and helping surface the answers, thoughts, and perspectives of others.

As Sam Kaner wrote in the Facilitator’s Guide to Participatory Decision-Making: “The facilitator’s job is to support everyone to do their best thinking. To do this, the facilitator encourages full participation, promotes mutual understanding, and cultivates shared responsibility”.

The same applies to leaders.

Leaders who facilitate conversations spend time creating a psychologically safe space to share. They ensure everyone feels comfortable contributing ideas and challenging existing constructs and dominant paradigms.

They also actively facilitate diverse perspectives. They welcome collaboration and discussion across teams, business units, and geographic boundaries, knowing that it will help secure better organisational outcomes. Challenge yourself and consider:

• Do you facilitate conversations or chair meetings? • Are you surfacing ideas or shutting down conversations? • Are you open to different perspectives or holding fixed views? • Do you find ways to uncover the wisdom that is in the room? • Are you creating safe spaces to share and learn?

Like all leadership skills, facilitation is a skill that is teachable, learnable and observable. So, how would you rate your facilitation skills? If your answer to that is ‘not sure’, ‘low’ or ‘could be better’, then you know where you need to direct your learning.

As Author Max De Pree wrote

Leadership is much more an art, a belief, a condition of the heart, than a set of things to do.

MICHELLE GIBBINGS

Michelle Gibbings is a workplace expert and the award-winning author of three books. Her latest book is ‘Bad Boss: What to do if you work for one, manage one or are one’. www.michellegibbings.com.