We all want to see the people we care about flourish and thrive in life. Often, this means helping our loved ones take important steps towards their career goals. Sometimes, this involves motivating a youngster to explore the professional landscape, or helping a partner consider a career change. Other times, it means providing consistent support […]
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The most successful companies are those that foster creativity and adaptability, which is only possible when you build and maintain a culture of innovation. Leaders have a huge impact on an organization’s culture, and when they take the time to build a culture of innovation, the company reaps the rewards. So, how can leaders build a culture that inspires innovation, drives organizational change, and stays ahead in a rapidly evolving business landscape?
We recently asked our leading executives for their best tips on how to build a culture of innovation that fosters creativity and adaptability.
Here are their responses…
In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, organizations need to cultivate a culture of innovation that fosters creativity and adaptability. Such a culture empowers employees, drives growth, and enables organizations to stay ahead of the competition. Here are some key strategies to build a culture of innovation within your organization:
1. Encourage and Embrace Diversity
Diversity is a powerful catalyst for innovation. Create a workplace that values and embraces diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences. Encourage employees to share their unique ideas and create an inclusive environment where everyone feels heard and respected. Remember, diverse teams are more likely to generate groundbreaking ideas and adapt to changing market dynamics.
2. Foster Psychological Safety
Psychological safety is crucial for nurturing a culture of innovation. Employees should feel safe to take risks, experiment, and share their ideas without fear of judgment or negative consequences. Encourage open communication, provide constructive feedback, and celebrate both successes and failures as learning opportunities. When employees feel safe, they are more likely to push boundaries, think creatively, and adapt to new challenges.
3. Provide Resources and Support
Innovation requires resources, both tangible and intangible. Allocate time, budget, and tools specifically for innovation initiatives. Establish cross-functional teams and provide them with the necessary training and support to explore new ideas. Encourage employees to pursue continuous learning, attend industry events, and network with experts. By investing in resources and supporting employee growth, you empower them to innovate and adapt effectively.
4. Foster a Growth Mindset
A growth mindset is essential for fostering innovation. Encourage employees to embrace a mindset of continuous learning, curiosity, and resilience. Promote a culture that values experimentation, iteration, and learning from failures. Celebrate and reward innovative thinking and recognize employees who take calculated risks and drive positive change. When employees believe in their ability to learn and grow, they become more adaptable and open to new ideas.
5. Break Silos and Encourage Collaboration
Innovation thrives when teams collaborate and break down silos. Encourage cross-functional collaboration and create platforms for employees to share ideas, collaborate on projects, and provide feedback. Foster a culture of knowledge-sharing and ensure information flows freely across different departments and levels of the organization. By breaking silos, you enable diverse perspectives to come together, sparking creativity and adaptability.
6. Lead by Example
Leaders play a crucial role in shaping an innovative culture. Lead by example and demonstrate a passion for innovation. Encourage leaders at all levels to actively participate in innovation initiatives, share their ideas, and support employees’ innovative endeavors. Create a safe space for employees to challenge the status quo and provide channels for their ideas to reach decision-makers. When leaders prioritize innovation, it sets the tone for the entire organization.
7. Recognize and Celebrate Innovation
Acknowledge and celebrate innovation within your organization. Recognize individuals and teams who bring innovative ideas to life, drive change, and contribute to the organization’s success. Establish innovation awards or programs that highlight and reward innovative thinking. Celebrating innovation not only motivates employees but also signals to the entire organization that creativity and adaptability are valued.
Building a culture of innovation takes time, effort, and a commitment to continuous improvement.
Ana Smith helps people & organizations achieve their full talent potential by developing and co-creating people strategies and customized solutions, and turning them into impactful outcomes and collaborative relationships, using coaching as the “red thread.
To drive innovation within organizations, we need to set up systems and processes that allow for collective decision-making so that all stakeholders can have a say in the direction of the organization.
Within the field of education, I often work with school leaders to ensure that staff (teachers) can participate in data-informed professional learning communities where new research can be explored as to its relevance at the work site, problems of practice/case studies can be reviewed/discussed in a safe environment, and opportunities to shadow other teachers can be planned. This structure can also allow for new voices to be heard. Diversity of opinion/background can also lead to innovation. I believe that a similar structure could be set up in additional types of organizations as well.
John Schembari is a current K-12 teacher/school leader academic improvement coach and former school building and district administrator. He loves to draw, travel, swing dance, and read nonfiction.
I love talking about âculture of innovationâ because innovation to me means completely changing the game. You must be willing to break stuff. You must be ready to break industry norms or business models.
I have outlined three ways to build a culture of innovation that fosters creativity and adaptability.
1. Encourage Dissent
Let people know that even though I am the boss, I donât have all the answers. You canât encourage dissent if everyone on the team thinks the same and agrees with each other. A disruptive-minded environment allows team members to share their ideas, voice opposition, and have bold and aspirational purposes beyond just making money. People that are ready to take risks. This will be a no-judgment zone.
2. Select for Diversity
Nothing makes the team more vulnerable to outside disruption than uniformity. You wonât be able to encourage dissent if everybody thinks the same. You may have a culturally diverse group, but if everyone graduated from the same business school, thereâs a good chance they will all think the same. They will be the most agreeable people you have ever worked with, but this wonât create a culture of innovation.
3. Convert Competitors
What better way to get ahead of disruption in your industry than to be the one whoâs initiating the disruption?
No matter your companyâs success, vulnerabilities, cracks, and apparent weaknesses make it ripe for disruption. Most people wonât address these weaknesses unless they affect revenue or shareholder profits.
Why not address these issues now instead of waiting like everyone else?
Get your team to identify your top three competitors and look at a way to make them customers.
Start by identifying what your company does far better than your competitors. Get specific on the how and why.
So, there you have it; I have given you three ways to build a âculture of innovation.â Encourage dissent, select for diversity, and convert competitors.
Michael Willis has 18+ years of experience working with accounting & sports organizations and has managed P&Ls of $10M – $125M+ with budgets of $3M-$50M+. He worked for the NFL for 22 1/2 years, mainly with the game officials working on the financial/accounting side of the business.
A lack of driving innovation puts any organization at risk of failure. Xerox is a great example. They were the first to invent the PC a decade before mass-market GUI machines became available. Unfortunately, management thought going digital would be too expensive and unable to replace the Xerox copy machines, so they didn’t explore the opportunity further. Consequently, Xerox missed the chance to dominate the emerging market, ultimately allowing competitors like IBM, Apple, and Microsft to seize the reins of innovation and reshape the industry.
Building a culture of innovation that fosters creativity and adaptability is crucial for organizations aiming to thrive in todayâs rapidly changing world. Here are key steps to cultivate such a culture:
Empower Employees
Empower your employees to be change agents. When an organization has high trust and empowerment, employees feel comfortable being creative, making decisions, and taking risks. Promoting a growth mindset is also important by helping employees experiment, innovate, collaborate, and problem-solve.
Innovation Advocates
Inspire change throughout your organization by allowing employees to share their ideas for innovation, improvement, and growth. Get creative on how you engage your employees with digital suggestion boxes, all-hands meetings, creative retreats, rewarding employees for great ideas, and innovation tournaments.
Failure Is the Secret to Innovation
The most forward-thinking companies embrace risk-taking and the possibility of failure. What’s wonderful about failure is the learning you receive from it. You learn substantially more from failures than successes. Failures should push you to bounce back and work harder to achieve your goals, making you stronger. Here are three things you should model as a leader within your organization:
Taking Action Quickly
If COVID-19 taught us anything, it’s that when there is a sense of urgency to create change, organizations can make it happen quickly. Organizations that spent years developing new products and services suddenly rolled them out in weeks during the pandemic to meet consumer demand. How do we continue taking action quickly to drive innovation when a crisis isn’t around? Here are three things you can do to take action quickly in your organization:
By nurturing a culture of innovation, organizations can embrace new opportunities, overcome challenges, and remain agile in an ever-evolving landscape, driving their long-term success and impact.
Lisa Perry helps companies build leadership brands, driving loyal customers & delivering profitability. She does this through a process that builds brands consumers love. Her goal is to help companies develop, monetize, and grow their brands.
What are your best tips for building a culture of innovation that fosters creativity and adaptability? Join the conversation inside Work It Daily’s Executive Program.
Recruiters are lurking in the depths of your social media profiles. Are they seeing what you want them to see?
It’s no secret that recruiters are looking up candidates online before they move them forward in the hiring process. It makes sense, though. Who doesn’t look people, places, or things up online before they commit to them? If you don’t, then welcome to the 21st century.
According to a recent survey, 94% of recruiters use social media to find high-quality candidates. And if that doesn’t get you hyper-aware of what’s out there about you online, this will: 54% of employers have rejected candidates based on the content found on their social networking profiles. Woof.
There are certain things recruiters are looking for when they search for you online. And if you want to make a great first impression on these recruiters, you need to do some recon work.
Is there anything out there you don’t want them to see? If so, take it down.
While you’re cleaning up your social media, you should take some time to give recruiters what they want too. During these online searches, recruiters are eager to learn certain things about you, and there are specific qualities/behaviors they are looking for when they’re checking out your online presence. So, it’s important you make those things easy for them to find.
Recruiters want to know that…
If you’ve been bragging that you’re an expert in whatever it is that you do, you better back it up. What proof do you have that what you’re claiming is true?
You know recruiters, employers, and clients are going to be looking for you online, so have something to show them. Brand yourself as an expert in your field by starting a blog or creating an online portfolio of your work.
If you’re trashing your old boss, colleagues, or company all over the Internet, you need to sit down because (surprise) recruiters are not impressed. In fact, they’re thinking something like this: “If we hire them and, for some reason, they don’t work out, what if they bash us all over the web? That’s not a good look for our brand⦓
So, please don’t broadcast your woes all over the internet.
Now more than ever, companies are hiring people based on their “fit” instead of just their work experience. Employers are realizing that hiring the wrong person can completely throw off a team dynamic and cause workplace issues that can affect the business.
So, finding people who share the same values, passions, and goals is becoming more and more important.
This is a huge red flag for employers and recruiters. According to a recent study, employers have little tolerance for bigoted comments and mentions of illegal drugs. Stay clean, my friends.
The good news? They don’t care so much about your beer pong photos anymoreâas long as drinking isn’t the only thing you post about. So yay for that!
These are just a few things recruiters are looking for when they search for you online.
Of course, each recruiter has different things they want in a job candidate, so make sure you do your homework. That way, you can prove that you’re a great candidate to bring in for a job interview.
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.
Product managers wear many different hats within a company. And that means the interview questions they get will vary quite a bit! This list of product management interview questions will help you get prepared and make a great impression. 1. What does a product manager do? While it seems silly, interviewers ask this product manager […]
The post 23 Product Manager Interview Questions (With Answers) appeared first on Career Sherpa.
In today’s competitive job market, you may be wondering how to use career coaching to your advantage, or if you need a career coach at all. Here’s the truth: the key to getting ahead in your career is career coaching, and it’s easier than you think to get the help you deserve.
Society raised us to think that if you need a career coach, there’s something wrong with you. There must be a problem. You’re not hireable. So now everyone thinks that they need to do this all by themselves. But dentists, doctors, lawyers, accountants, personal trainersâall these specialists out thereâthey help us get results, more results than we could get on our own.
Career coaches are no different.
@j.t.odonnell How to use a career coach. â¥ï¸ For only $9/month! #careercoach #careercoachontiktok #careercoachtok #careeradvice #careerhelp #careermode #career ⬠original sound – J.T. O’Donnell
But here’s the thing: career coaching needs to be affordable. After we pay all our bills at the end of the month, there’s not a lot of money left over, if any. And the last thing we want to do is spend hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars, on career coaches.
Traditional career coaches charge so much because they use the theory that says customers who spend more money are more likely to be satisfied because they don’t want to look stupid and say that they overpaid for a product or a service. There’s a whole marketing ploy about this pricing strategy. So most career coaches price themselves really, really high. But the right career coaching for you is affordable and effectiveâand it does exist.
Not only does career coaching have to be affordable in 2023, but it also has to be easily accessible and available on demand. When you work with a traditional career coach, they sit down with you for an hour. And maybe they get you all hyped up for an hour, but then you’re all alone again.
What you really need is a career coach every single day. But who can afford hundreds of dollars every single day? This is why only executives and wealthy people ever use career coaches.
Until now.
At Work It DAILY, we have been building something special for the last two years. What we realized was you don’t need an hour of our time. You need a few minutes of our time every day, and you need a place to go that’s private and secure, where you can log in, talk with like-minded people, vent your frustrations, and access materials from trained career experts. You need a place where you can do the things you need to do to figure out and solve your career problems and move ahead, whether that’s choosing a career path, getting a new job, getting a promotion, dealing with your manager, dealing with co-workers, or changing careers.
So, we built our premium membership that combines coaching, courses, and community. It’s private, affordable, and ad-free, and every resource (including career coaching) is easily accessible and available on demand.
We created the Work It DAILY premium membership to help you get the career results you deserve. We are disrupting the industry to prove that good career coaching does not need to be expensive.
So if you need career coaching, come join me inside Work It DAILY. Getting the career help you need has never been easier.
Are you a student on the cusp of entering the professional world, eager to embark on a thrilling adventure of finding that perfect job? Look no further! In this comprehensive guide, we will unravel a treasure trove of invaluable tips, ingenious strategies, and life hacks specifically tailored to empower and equip students like you with […]
The post How a Student Can Find a Job: Tips and Life Hacks appeared first on Jobacle.com.
A career as an electrician has become increasingly lucrative in recent years, but in the face of tough competition, just skills and certifications are no longer enough. Becoming a successful electrician requires more than just technical knowledge and practical skills. While technical expertise is undoubtedly crucial, it is equally important to possess a range of […]
The post 4 Soft Skills Youâll Need To Succeed As An Electrician appeared first on Jobacle.com.
Finding solid job search advice online and on social media can be frustrating and confusing. You’ll find job search advice comes in many forms and many times is contradictory. You’ll also find job search myths perpetuated without substantiating data. I tackle one of these myths in today’s Summary. In this week’s Summary Sunday, you’ll learn […]
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Have you ever been at a job for such a short period of time that you wondered if it was even worth it to list it on your resume or LinkedIn profile?
A job seeker recently asked us, “Should I list a job if I wasn’t there for a very long time, and state whether or not I was laid off or fired?”
That’s a great question that a lot of people have when writing their resumes. Here’s what you need to do if you’re in a similar situation:
The first thing you have to ask yourself is what a short period of time is to you. Is it a week, month, or year?
This is going to vary from person to person. But it’s important to know that any company that does a reference check on you, or a background check, is going to see every employer that ever paid you.
You have to understand that when you leave employers off the list, and they do a reference check and suddenly see that you worked at this company or that company, it’s going to look like you’re lying.
I usually advise people to create a section in their resume called the “Additional Experience” section. This is where you’re going to list unrelated work experience. Maybe you’re working a retail job, or are in some kind of hobby career, or had some super-short assignments that you weren’t at long enough for them to make an impact on your career. This way, it’s on paper.
In a job interview, if a hiring manager asks you about the short-term job, you can say, “No, I listed it. I was there for such a short period of time that I didn’t put it in my main resume.”
That’s the best way to handle these situations. More importantly, you need to know how to answer the question, “Why are there gaps in your resume?” or “Why were you at this company for such a short period of time?”
These days, it’s hard enough to get an interview in the first place. You don’t want to blow it by hiding anything. So, make sure to include a short-term job in the “Additional Experience” section of your resume. It’s an easy and effective solution.
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.
If you’re submitting your resume through a job board or company website, there’s a good chance your resume is being run through an applicant tracking system (ATS), the software many of today’s employers use to read and rank resumes they receive in the hiring process.
The higher the ranking, the greater the chance your resume will be seen by a pair of human eyes. Those that don’t get a high rank fall into a black hole. So the question is, âHow can I ensure my resume gets past the applicant tracking system?”
Here are some basic tips:
Have your resume saved in the right format. Not every ATS can read documents in .doc or .docx format. So, to be on the safe side, always submit your resume as a PDF. Also, in the event your resume does get past the ATS, you want to make sure the formatting stays the same. The best way to do that is by utilizing the PDF option.
Another thing to remember is to not use tables and text boxes. The ATS can’t read them, so they will only hurt your chances of moving on in the hiring process.
The ATS looks for keywords to help identify sections of the resume, so make sure each section of your resume is clearly labeled and uses consistent formatting.
Those sections you should focus on include your headline, your experience summary, your work history, your education, and any additional experience.
The exact list of keywords an employer enters into the ATS varies, but you can figure out appropriate keywords by looking at the job description. You will notice certain keywords come up over and over again. There may also be certain terminology or lingo that defines the work of your profession. Utilize those keywords in context on your resume.
If you’re going to use the “/” between keywords, add a space before and after it. For example, the ATS may not see “Web Design/Graphic Design” as keyword matches, but it will when it reads “Web Design / Graphic Design.”
In this digital world, applicant tracking systems have made job seeking more difficult, so you need to make sure your resume gets through this important filter. We hope these three tips help you write and format your resume to get it past the ATS.
Need more help with your job search?
Become a member to learn how to land a job and UNLEASH your true potential to get what you want from work!
This article was originally published at an earlier date.
While it’s important to stay safe while you’re on the job, there are also measures that employers can take to ensure a safer work environment for employees. Here are some tips for avoiding injuries. Wear protective clothing. There is no such thing as too much protection regarding work-related injuries. Wear protective clothing, including gloves, gaiters, […]
The post How To Avoid A Workplace Injury: 4 Tips Everyone Should Know appeared first on Jobacle.com.
Losing your job is hard, no matter the circumstances. When you’re part of a layoff, your bank account isn’t the only thing that takes a hit. So does your self-esteem.
Being laid off is probably one of the most professionally traumatic experiences you’ll ever have in your career. Within a day, you lose part of your identityâarguably the most important part.
When you have a job, you have a purpose. You have a reason to get up in the morning. You’re “needed.” So what happens when all that goes away? The things that so clearly defined you before are now gone. Who are you as a professional? Are you really as valuable of an employee as you thought? If you’re not needed at this company, will you be needed, wanted, somewhere else?
It’s completely normal to grieve the loss of your job when you get laid off. But as difficult as losing your job may seem right now, it can lead to something positive. This so-called “bad career experience” could very well bring you a better opportunity and give you a fresh start.
Here are seven tips to help you deal with being laid off:
Give yourself a few days to process the layoff. You need time and space to go through the five stages of grief. This is an opportunity for you to take a break and reflect on your career. Ask yourself some questions. Think about your career goals. Remember what you have already accomplished.
Don’t rush into the job market the day after you’ve been laid off, and don’t make any big decisions in that first week of unemployment. Use this as a sign that you should relax and take a deep breath.
Money is always a huge stressor for those who get laid off. To keep your anxiety and stress under control, do a financial assessment as soon as possible.
Figure out how long you have to look for a job before the money runs out and give yourself enough time to do so. Look at what you spend money on. How can you cut back?
After being laid off, you’ll likely feel angry, resentful, sad, and maybe even depressed. These feelings could be amplified if you really loved your job and the company that you worked for. When you move past the denial stage, make sure you talk everything out with a loved one.
When you’re at your lowest point, family and friends will remind you of your strengths, accomplishments, and dreams. They’ll validate your feelings and remind you to be grateful for all that you have. Get that negativity out of your system before you meet any recruiters. They will sense your bitterness, and it won’t reflect well on you.
Surround yourself with positive people and be kind to yourself. Don’t beat yourself up about what’s happened, and make sure you’re eating well, exercising, and getting enough sleep.
If you’ve been part of a big layoff that is all over the news, it is easier to explain why you got laid off. But otherwise, you will have to explain to prospective employers what happened.
A short, positive, and concise story is best. Perhaps your department was restructured or your job was moved to a different location. Take ownership and explain what you learned from the experience. Make sure your story will be backed up by your manager or any other references your future employer might want to contact.
Before you contact your network or send out any applications, make sure your resume and LinkedIn profile are updated. Then, you can reach out to former colleagues, friends, or any other connections who work for organizations that interest you.
Create an interview bucket list. Conduct some informational interviews if you’re looking to work in a different industry or make a career change. Depending on what you do and your location, you might want to start looking at contract/temp/interim work in the meantime.
Conducting an effective job search is all about “working it daily.” You need to be proactive and strategic.
Make sure you tailor your resume to specific jobs to maximize your chances of getting hired. Write compelling disruptive cover letters. Network your way around the ATS. But most of all, don’t stop your job search activities, even if you’re in the advanced interviewing stages with one company. You may think you’re a shoo-in for a position, but anything can happen.
It is easy to feel sorry for yourself when you’ve lost a job. You might have regrets about not saving more money, not looking for a job earlier, or not doing enough to keep your job in the first place. However, this negative self-talk will only hold you back in your career and prevent you from getting back on your feet.
Make a conscious effort to stay positive. Surround yourself with positive people and think of the obstacles you’ve dealt with in the past and what you’ve achieved. Build your confidence, and potential employers will take note.
We hope these tips help you deal with being laid off in a positive and productive way. You can and will overcome this career setback. We think you’ll find it isn’t really a setback after all…
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.