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Using AI in the Workplace to Make Work Feel More Human

The fusion of artificial intelligence (AI) within the fabric of our workplace's daily operations is reshaping not only how we work but how we connect with each other. While technology might seem like

07 Feb, 2025

15 Benefits of Collaboration in the Workplace + 3 Tips to Improve it

Many businesses are supported by distributed teams spread across different states or even around the world. According to a study conducted by the Institute for Corporate Productivity and Rob Cross, the Edward A. Madden Professor of Global Business at Babson College, high-performance organizations are up to 5.5x more likely than lower-performers to incentivize individual, team, and leader effectiveness in collaboration. The study of more than 1,100 companies—two-thirds of which include collaboration as a stated organizational value—found that the difference between productive and unproductive collaboration can be summed up in one word: purpose. Ask anyone to make a list of what makes companies successful, and collaboration is definitely going to be near or at the top. When you’ve got a mix of minds and talents working in harmony, you can unlock all the top achievements for innovation, efficiency, and employee satisfaction. It’s the purposeful pursuit of collaboration that is the primary reason high-performance organizations can leverage collaboration to achieve desired business outcomes. Effective collaboration results from an effective company culture that is supported by management and embraces the entire organization. Truthfully, we should not have to make a case for the benefits of collaboration, because anyone who has ever worked with a really great team knows exactly how powerful that is. Still, it never hurts to have a refresher or a few tips to reset your approach your collaboration in the workplace. So let’s dive into all the ways great teamwork spells success for everyone at your company. What is Employee Collaboration? First, what is collaboration? Employee collaboration is what happens when people in your organization work successfully together to achieve your specific goals and objectives. It’s that special magic that comes from getting everyone rowing their oars in the same direction. The sum ends up equaling a lot more than the parts when you have the joint efforts of all team members, leveraging their diverse skills, knowledge, and resources to solve problems, create innovative solutions, or improve processes. Effective collaboration requires a few starting ingredients:Communication: Clear and open lines of communication are essential, allowing for the seamless exchange of ideas and information. Trust and Respect: Successful collaboration requires trust among team members, fostering a safe environment where ideas can be shared openly without fear of judgment. Shared Goals: Collaboration is most effective when all participants are aligned on objectives and understand their roles in achieving these goals. Technology and Tools: Modern workplaces are often distributed and need to utilize digital tools and platforms to facilitate collaboration, especially in environments where team members are geographically dispersed. Cultural Encouragement: Organizational and team dynamics play a significant role, as they should enable collaboration by recognizing and rewarding cooperative efforts.In a nutshell, employee collaboration is about harnessing the collective intelligence, problem solving, creativity, and energy of your team to drive organizational success and innovation. 20 Benefits of Collaboration Curious about what effective collaboration really brings to the table? Let’s jump into the benefits of collaboration. The list below shows pretty clearly why getting your team to work together will be fundamental to completing your mission. 1. Enhanced Innovation When* brains storm *well together, thinking gets better. Collaboration turns regular meetings into new idea-fests. That’s because people feel safer in putting their ideas forward and building more innovative practices through team collaboration. 2. Increased Efficiency Two heads are better than one! Collaborative teams are able to work faster — putting the right people on the right tasks and streamlining processes. Not sure who to put on what project and in what role? That's were technology comes in. 3. Improved Employee Satisfaction Working together doesn’t just get the work done — it also makes the job fun! When employees are able to collaborate, they build relationships and enjoy a sense of shared achievement that makes every workday feel like a win. 4. Faster Problem-Solving When challenges pop up, collaborative teams are the best at pulling together and pushing forward. Used to building off of one another’s ideas, they can better clear blockers and land on solutions that solo players might miss. 5. Balanced Workloads Many hands make lighter work, as the saying goes. Collaboration allows team members to distribute tasks based on everyone’s preference, expertise, and capacity, preventing burnout and keeping spirits high. 6. A Collaborative Learning Environment Every collaborative project becomes a mini-classroom of a sort. Team members who collaborate well form a natural learning cohort that can encourage one another on shared learning journeys. Think of it as an informal mentoring program. 7. Cross-Skilling Opportunities Collaborate today, learn new skills for tomorrow! Working alongside diverse talents also lets employees pick up new skills and competencies directly from one another, turning everyday tasks into learning opportunities. 8. Stronger Decision Making When decisions are made through collaboration, they’re also built on a foundation of many diverse perspectives and experiences. This means decisions are not only stronger but also fairer, reflecting the wisdom of the crowd. 9. Higher Flexibility and Scalability Collaborative teams are more resilient — stretching to match the task at hand in a way that is both flexible and scalable. This is important because grit and adaptability is a game-changer in facing disruption — which is getting more and more common. 10. Boosted Creativity Collaboration is creativity’s best friend. It pushes employees to think outside the box and paint outside the lines, leading to solutions and ideas that are as creative as they are effective. 11. Enhanced Communication Skills Regular collaboration turns shy folks into communication pros. It encourages clear and frequent interactions that refine everyone’s ability to express ideas and listen actively. 12. Fewer Workplace Conflicts When collaboration is a core part of your culture, conflicts tend to take a backseat. Regular interaction and mutual goals help to reduce misunderstandings and build bridges over troubled waters. 13. Deeper Friendship, Trust, and Transparency Trust doesn’t just happen; it’s built through many acts of connection and collaboration. When teams work closely and well, transparency becomes the norm, and trust and friendship flourish. 14. Positive Dynamics Collaboration is one of your best ways to create a positive employee experience. A collaborative environment is the soil where a great company culture grows. It nurtures an ecosystem where support, teamwork, and mutual respect flourish. 15. Enhanced Adaptability Collaborative teams shine because they are able to adapt more quickly — moving around obstacles and reshaping themselves to fit new challenges. 3 Tips to Improve Collaboration and Connection 1. Leverage technology to boost human connections. Technology isn’t just a left-brained tool. Sure, it’s good for metrics and mechanics — but it’s also an amazing channel through which you can connect people on a deeper level and facilitate relationships. Use tools that build self-awareness, connection with others, and see how collaboration flourishes naturally. 2. Foster mutual support among employees. A supportive culture will get your new hires up to speed quickly, and it can also make everyone work better together! When everyone feels empowered to offer support, you’re cultivating a culture where meaningful micro-interactions flourish and employees feel good about sharing knowledge as a default. This sort of open give-and-take is rich soil for teamwork and will help you reap the benefits of collaboration. 3. Empower employees to shape their own connections. When employees are able to steer their own collaborative experiences, they will feel a deeper sense of belonging and mastery. Technologies that enhance decision-making and bring team members closer can also be used to help employees connect and collaborate — sharing knowledge and skills. By empowering people to connect with colleagues on a personal level you will see the benefits of collaboration soar. Bonus Tips!Encourage active listening in teams. Part of the challenge in facilitating effective workplace collaboration is balancing discussions among different team members. This can be particularly difficult when dealing with different cultures, personalities, and challenging topics. Helping employees, and especially managers, develop their active listening skills can help everyone feel heard and more involved. Organize next steps and feedback. When employees collaborate to develop a new strategy or review an important document, they can share ideas in a number of different ways. After the work of brainstorming and sharing is done – i.e. the meeting – set clear expectations for processing the notes and feedback to avoid creating a backlog of partially developed ideas that go nowhere. Asynchronous collaboration tools are an essential asset but need to be well-managed to get the most value out of the communications, and importantly, move the project along.On a final note, don’t underestimate the benefits of informal collaboration. You can certainly accomplish a lot in meetings and formally organized work activities, but a lot of the real work gets done between employees themselves. Whatever you can do to make it easy for your team members to get together or communicate more effectively not only helps improve collaboration, but also will allow many of them to forge long-term or even lifelong relationships.

02 Jan, 2025

5 Key Strategies for a Successful L&D Program in 2025

As we move closer to 2025, now is the perfect time to reimagine how your Learning & Development (L&D) initiatives can better support your employees. Gone are the days when one-off workshops or expensive consultants drove meaningful learning outcomes. These traditional methods no longer deliver the long-term results today’s workforce needs. Instead, modern L&D programs must embrace flexibility, personalization, and technology to remain relevant. With remote and hybrid work models becoming the norm, reskilling, upskilling, and internal mobility have never been more essential. Research shows that 88% of employees would stay with a company if they had opportunities for career growth. However, over 60% have left a job because they didn’t see a path to advancement. Furthermore, 66% of talent professionals expect their L&D budgets to either stay the same or increase, underscoring the growing reliance on internal development. So, how can you transform your L&D strategy to fit the future of work? Here are five key strategies to get started. 1. Embrace On-Demand Learning Traditional, in-person workshops no longer fit the needs of today’s fast-paced, often remote, work environment. Employees want learning experiences that they can access anytime, anywhere—whether they’re at their desk, on their phone, or working from home. On-demand learning integrates training into employees' daily workflows, making it more relevant and easier to retain. Studies show that employees who control their own learning schedules retain 60% of what they learn, compared to just 8% in traditional settings. By offering bite-sized, accessible learning modules, you allow your workforce to continuously improve their skills at a pace that works for them. 2. Personalize the Learning Experience Employees today expect a learning experience tailored to their specific needs, just as they do in their everyday digital interactions. Personalization has become a driving force in L&D, allowing individuals to take learning paths that align with their career goals, preferred learning styles, and areas of interest. Using AI-driven platforms, you can deliver customized content and adaptive learning paths that reflect each employee's unique journey. This approach not only improves engagement but also encourages a deeper investment in professional growth. 3. Focus on Agile, Cost-Effective Learning With the constant evolution of technology and industry trends, learning must be agile and adaptable. Outdated content and slow development cycles are no longer viable. To remain competitive, organizations need platforms that enable them to quickly deploy relevant training. Agile L&D programs allow you to respond to changes in real-time, whether it’s a new software rollout or shifting market demands. By delivering up-to-date content swiftly and cost-effectively, you keep your workforce equipped with the latest skills. 4. Build a Feedback-Driven Culture Learning should be an ongoing process that is supported by continuous feedback. Gone are the days when feedback only came during annual performance reviews. Modern L&D programs incorporate 360-degree feedback, pulse surveys, and real-time performance management into daily operations. By fostering a culture of feedback, you create a system where employees can regularly assess their progress, address skill gaps, and refine their development goals. Moreover, feedback platforms give managers the data they need to offer personalized coaching, which strengthens team dynamics and boosts engagement. Studies show that 87% of highly engaged employees are less likely to leave their jobs. 5. Scale Learning for Sustained Results How often have employees returned from training programs with certificates but without the tools to apply what they learned? For most companies, this is a common issue. Within an hour of training, employees often forget more than half of the content unless they can apply it immediately. To address this, invest in technology that brings learning into everyday workflows. Tools that offer opportunities to practice new skills in real-time can dramatically improve retention and help employees seamlessly integrate their new knowledge into their roles. This not only ensures sustained learning but also enables scalability, as the learning becomes part of the business's ongoing operations.Final Thoughts: The Future of L&D is Here The traditional approach to employee development, leadership training, and team collaboration is rapidly evolving, and companies that embrace these modern strategies will see higher engagement, retention, and overall performance. By offering personalized, on-demand learning, fostering a feedback-driven culture, and integrating learning into daily workflows, you can create an L&D program that not only meets today’s needs but is also ready for the future of work. If your budget is shrinking, and you can’t hire enough people to train and develop your entire workforce, AND you're not getting consistent post-workshop application of content, then consider an AI-driven assessment tool like Humantelligence. 🚫Your Grandfather’s Assessment: Out-of-date assessments, one-time workshops, expensive external consultants, and traditional classroom learning don’t deliver sustained results. You can’t track them well. And they’re counter intuitive to employees’ need for personalized learning. 🗝️The Future of Assessments: AI-driven tools that allow you to scale, reinforcing the traditional assessment experience by building self-awareness for employees and integrating assessment insights right into their workflows for use every day – for daily development and improvement…low cost and at least 1,000 uses per employee per year. Check it out!

17 Dec, 2024

Mastering Collaboration: Your Guide for Working Effectively with Gen Z

In today's workforce, collaboration -- specifically collaborating with Gen Z -- is key to achieving success. And as organizations become more diverse, it is essential to understand and effectively work with team members from different generations. In particular, Generation Z (Gen Z), which refers to individuals born between 1997 and 2012, has unique characteristics and work styles that require HR professionals and team leaders to adapt their strategies. From embracing AI tools to providing training tailored to Gen Z, this article will help you navigate the challenges of working with Gen Z team members and foster intergenerational dynamics for a more collaborative and productive workplace. Understanding the Gen Z mindset Understanding the Gen Z mindset in the workplace is crucial when it comes to collaborating with Gen Z. As digital natives, Gen Z individuals have grown up surrounded by technology, which has had a profound impact on their thoughts and behaviors. This generation values instant gratification, diversity, and individuality. They are known for their entrepreneurial spirit and desire for meaningful work. Understanding these characteristics will enable HR professionals and team leaders to tailor their approach and create a collaborative environment that resonates with Gen Z team members. One way to understand the Gen Z mindset is by recognizing their desire for continuous learning and growth. This generation thrives on new challenges and opportunities to acquire new skills. By providing ongoing training and development programs, organizations can harness the full potential of Gen Z team members. Moreover, acknowledging their preference for a diverse workplace will foster an inclusive and collaborative environment. In the next section, we will delve deeper into strategies for effectively communicating with Gen Z team members and how to leverage their digital skills to drive collaboration. Stay tuned for an in-depth exploration of the Gen Z mindset and practical tips for working collaboratively with this generation. How to create a collaborative work environment Creating a collaborative work environment is essential for effectively working with Gen Z team members. This generation thrives in environments that promote teamwork, communication, and collaboration. Here are some strategies to foster collaboration: 1. Encourage open communication: Gen Z team members appreciate transparency and value open communication. Create an environment where they feel comfortable sharing their ideas, opinions, and concerns. Regularly schedule team meetings, brainstorming sessions, and one-on-one check-ins to facilitate open dialogue. 2. Embrace flexible work arrangements: Gen Z individuals value work-life balance and appreciate flexibility. Consider implementing flexible work arrangements, such as remote work options or flexible working hours. This will help them feel empowered and motivated to contribute their best work. 3. Utilize technology tools: Gen Z team members are tech-savvy and comfortable with various digital tools. Leverage technology platforms and collaborative software to streamline communication, project management, and document sharing. This will enhance productivity and efficiency. 4. Foster a supportive culture: Create a culture of support and empowerment, in which team members feel valued and encouraged to contribute their unique perspectives. Recognize and reward their achievements, and provide constructive feedback to help them grow professionally. By leading with these strategies, you can create a collaborative work environment that engages and motivates Gen Z team members, leading to increased productivity and better outcomes for your organization. Leveraging technology for collaborating with Gen Z Leveraging technology is paramount for effective collaboration with Gen Z team members. This generation is highly skilled in utilizing digital tools and expects to have access to the latest technology in the workplace. By incorporating technology into your collaboration efforts, you can enhance communication, streamline project management, and foster a sense of connectedness among team members. For example, it is wise to invest in a psychometric-based tool that helps teams better understand each other so they can collaborate and connect more meaningfully in meetings, on Slack, or via email. Utilizing technology doesn’t only bridge the generation gap but also makes the younger generation feel valued and needed in the workplace. Investing in collaboration platforms and applications will also enable real-time communication and document sharing, eliminating the need for back-and-forth emails and increasing efficiency. Gen Zers are accustomed to instant messaging and video conferencing, so consider implementing tools like Slack or Microsoft Teams for seamless communication. Fortunately, it’s also easy to leverage AI tools to kick your training and internal communication up a notch. Say you have a new Gen Z hire that needs to email the head of sales, John, every week with reported leads. The problem is, they hardly know John, and have no idea how John likes to consume information. With an AI tool that utilizes your company's previously recorded psychometric data, the new hire can use pre-supplemented suggestions to ensure their emails are comprehensive and useful for John, despite having never interacted with him before. This AI-fueled approach to “on-the-fly” training can extend beyond emails to all communications, ultimately helping Gen Z employees learn new skills and making their contributions to the business more impactful. Additionally, project management tools such as Trello or Asana can help keep everyone on track, assign tasks, and monitor progress. By utilizing technology in these ways, you can create a collaborative work environment that aligns with the preferences and expectations of Gen Z, ultimately leading to improved teamwork and successful outcomes. Communication strategies with Gen Z team members Effective communication is essential for successful collaboration with Gen Z team members. This generation has grown up with instant messaging and social media, and they prefer quick and concise communication methods. Here are some strategies to enhance collaboration through communication: First, establish clear expectations regarding communication channels. Discuss with your Gen Z team members which platforms they prefer for specific types of communication, such as formal emails for official updates and instant messaging for quick questions or updates. Second, encourage open and transparent communication. Gen Z team members value authenticity and appreciate when their opinions and ideas are heard. Create a safe and inclusive space where they can freely express themselves. Lastly, don’t underestimate the power of visuals and multimedia in your communication. This is, after all, the video generation! Gen Z team members respond well to visual content, so consider incorporating infographics, videos, and images to convey information in a more engaging way. By implementing these communication strategies, you can foster a collaborative environment where Gen Z team members feel valued and can contribute their best work. Nurturing a culture of inclusivity and diversity Nurturing a culture of inclusivity and diversity is crucial when working effectively with Gen Z team members. This generation values equality and appreciates a diverse and inclusive work environment. Here are some ways to promote inclusivity and diversity within your team: First, educate yourself and your team on the importance of inclusivity and diversity. Understand the different backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences that each team member brings to the table. Encourage open dialogue and discussions about diversity-related topics. Second, establish inclusive policies and practices. Consider implementing initiatives such as unconscious bias training, diverse recruitment strategies, and equal representation in decision-making processes. Celebrate and recognize the contributions of every team member. Encourage a culture of appreciation and respect for diversity by giving credit where it is due and acknowledging the unique skills and perspectives that Gen Z team members bring. By creating an inclusive and diverse work environment, you can foster collaboration with and innovation among Gen Z team members, leading to better overall team performance. Recognizing and appreciating Gen Z contributions Gen Z team members are incredibly talented and innovative individuals who bring fresh perspectives and ideas to the table. Recognizing and appreciating their contributions is essential for fostering collaboration and maintaining a positive work environment. Here are some ways to ensure that Gen Z team members feel valued and appreciated: Firstly, provide regular feedback and recognition. Gen Z employees thrive on feedback and appreciation for their work. Take the time to acknowledge their achievements and skills, whether it's through a simple thank you note or a public commendation in team meetings. By doing so, you are not only boosting their morale but also motivating them to continue delivering exceptional results. Next, provide opportunities for growth and development. Gen Z employees are keen on continuous learning and professional development. Offer them opportunities to attend workshops, conferences, or training programs. This investment in their growth will show that you value their career advancement and are committed to their long-term success. Lastly, involve Gen Z team members in decision-making processes. Their fresh perspectives can offer valuable insights and innovative solutions. Encourage them to participate in brainstorming sessions or include them in projects that require creative thinking and problem-solving. By doing so, you are empowering them to contribute to the team's success and instilling a sense of ownership in their work. Acknowledging Gen Z team members for their contributions is crucial for creating a collaborative and productive work environment. By offering feedback, providing growth opportunities, and involving them in decision-making, you are not only fostering their professional development but also maximizing their potential to drive innovation within the team. Overcoming challenges working with Gen Z While Gen Z team members bring immense talent and a fresh perspective to the table, it's important to acknowledge that there may be some challenges in working with them – just like any generation that’s entered the workforce. Understanding and addressing these challenges can significantly enhance collaboration and teamwork. One common challenge is the need for constant feedback and validation. In fact, new studies show that at least a couple of times a week, more than half of Gen Z, 54%, want praise from bosses for their efforts at work, according to data by Australian research firm McCrindle. Almost three in five Gen Zers seek constructive feedback about how they can improve in their role at least a couple of times per week. Gen Z is also accustomed to receiving instant gratification and may expect constant praise for their work. As a leader, it's crucial to set clear expectations and provide constructive feedback regularly while balancing praise to maintain motivation. Another challenge lies in effectively managing their technological reliance. Gen Z employees are highly tech-savvy and prefer digital communication channels. It's important to establish clear boundaries and guidelines for communication to ensure effective collaboration while also providing opportunities for face-to-face interactions to foster stronger relationships within the team. Additionally, Gen Z employees value work-life balance and prioritize flexibility. To ensure their productivity and satisfaction, consider offering flexible work hours or remote work options whenever possible. By addressing these areas, leaders can create a collaborative environment that maximizes the potential of Gen Z team members while maintaining productivity and teamwork. The benefits of effectively collaborating with Gen Z In the end, collaborating effectively with Gen Z team members can bring numerous benefits to an organization. Harnessing their unique skills and perspectives can lead to innovative solutions and fresh ideas. Gen Z employees are often tech-savvy and can offer valuable insights into utilizing digital tools and platforms to streamline processes and enhance productivity. By encouraging collaboration, leaders can tap into the creativity and resourcefulness of Gen Z team members, leading to increased efficiency and problem-solving capabilities. Furthermore, effective collaboration with Gen Z team members fosters a positive and inclusive work culture. By embracing their need for constant feedback and validation, leaders can build a supportive environment where individuals feel heard and valued. This, in turn, boosts morale, motivation, and engagement among Gen Z employees, resulting in higher job satisfaction and decreased turnover rates. Embracing collaborating with Gen Z for organizational success Collaboration is an essential component for organizational success in today's fast-paced and evolving business landscape. This is especially true when it comes to working effectively with Gen Z team members. In this article, we have explored the numerous benefits that come from collaborating with Gen Zers in the workplace, along with different tactics that can empower you to build successful partnerships with this talented generation. From their tech-savviness and ability to offer valuable insights into digital tools and platforms, to their creativity and resourcefulness, Gen Z team members bring a fresh perspective that can enhance productivity and problem-solving capabilities. By embracing their need for constant feedback and validation, leaders can create a positive and inclusive work culture that fosters high morale, motivation, and engagement. We have also discussed the challenges that may arise when collaborating with Gen Z employees. However, armed with the actionable strategies and techniques, you will be well-equipped to overcome these challenges and unlock the full potential of collaboration with Gen Z team members. If you’re looking for ways to tailor your onboarding, training, and collaboration strategies for Gen Z, we can help.

23 Apr, 2024

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Teams at over 300 companies run on SaaS from Humantelligence

Using AI in the Workplace to Make Work Feel More Human

07 Feb, 2025
AI

The fusion of artificial intelligence (AI) within the fabric of our workplace's daily operations is reshaping not only how we work but how we connect with each other. While technology might seem like a cold mechanism, AI holds the potential to enhance the human touch in the workplace, creating more dynamic, engaging, and personalized experiences for employees. By integrating AI, the complex layers of human interactions and emotional intelligence can be amplified, offering a more human-centric approach to work -- AI that makes work more human. Overview of AI in the Workplace In the digital age, AI serves as a pivotal tool in transforming how organizations operate, particularly in recruitment, communication, and productivity enhancement. Whether it's automating mundane tasks, analyzing employee feedback, or facilitating cross-functional collaboration, AI efficiently addresses some of the workforce's most pressing needs. By utilizing AI's predictive capabilities and real-time analytics, companies can optimize workflows, ensuring that employees are both content and productive in a seamlessly integrated digital environment. The Importance of the Human Touch Human interaction in the workplace is crucial, as it fosters a sense of connection, empathy, and shared purpose. The nuances of human emotions and interpersonal relationships play a significant role in team dynamics and individual performance. AI should not be seen as a replacement for this essential human element. Instead, it can serve as a bridge, enabling deeper insights into team dynamics and facilitating environments where trust, empathy, and effective communication flourish. Ultimately, AI can help nurture a more emotionally intelligent workforce by providing personalized recommendations and insights that enhance the way we understand and respond to each other. AI's Role in Learning and Development Adapting to New Skills and Training Methods The workplace is experiencing a seismic shift with the growing reliance on remote and hybrid work models. This has accelerated the need for new learning and development (L&D) strategies. Traditional training methods, such as one-time workshops or external consultants, no longer meet the dynamic needs of today's workforce. Companies are transitioning to digital platforms that can provide on-demand, flexible learning experiences, which better support the way employees learn today. These platforms allow for the integration of reskilling and upskilling into daily workflows, fostering continuous professional growth. Personalized Learning via AI Personalized learning has emerged as a key component of effective L&D programs. AI-driven platforms can tailor educational content to individual career aspirations and learning styles, empowering employees to take ownership of their development journey. These platforms can provide adaptive learning paths, helping individuals focus on specific skills they need to advance in their roles. This approach not only enhances engagement but also aligns with today’s workforce that desires personal and professional growth opportunities. The Impact on Employee Retention A well-crafted L&D program significantly impacts employee retention. Research shows that employees are far more likely to stay with a company if they see clear paths for advancement and skill development. Companies that offer comprehensive training have witnessed higher income per employee and greater overall performance. Therefore, investing in personalized, AI-enhanced learning solutions can be a strategic advantage in retaining top talent and reducing turnover costs. Enhancing Communication and Collaboration with AI Bridging Gaps in Remote and Hybrid Work Setups The advent of remote work has posed challenges for maintaining effective communication and collaboration within teams. AI has the potential to bridge these gaps by facilitating seamless communication across different locations and times. AI-driven tools can manage virtual team interactions, ensuring that communication remains consistent and effective. They provide insights into team dynamics, enabling smoother transitions and interactions among distributed team members. Utilizing AI to Improve Emotional Intelligence AI technology can assist in enhancing emotional intelligence within teams by analyzing communication patterns and providing feedback. These insights help employees tailor their interactions to better suit their colleagues’ emotional and motivational preferences, fostering understanding and empathy. This capability is particularly beneficial in remote settings, where misunderstandings can easily occur due to the lack of non-verbal cues. Tools for Real-Time Communication Insights Modern AI-powered tools can deliver real-time insights during meetings and collaborative sessions. These tools analyze discussions, suggest relevant documents, and provide conversational prompts, thus improving the quality and outcome of communications. Additionally, AI can offer real-time translation services in global teams, ensuring language barriers do not impede collaboration. By integrating these tools into daily workflows, organizations enhance productivity and enable more meaningful interactions among team members. By leveraging AI in these areas, organizations can create a more human-centered work environment, fostering growth, better communication, and deeper connections among employees. This not only improves individual performance but also propels companies towards achieving higher overall objectives. Creating a Feedback-Driven Culture Fostering an environment where employees feel heard and valued has become more pertinent than ever. Modern workplaces demand an adaptive feedback culture that progresses beyond traditional annual performance reviews. AI’s Role in Continuous Feedback Mechanisms Artificial intelligence introduces a transformative approach to feedback in the workplace. By leveraging AI-driven platforms, organizations can seamlessly integrate feedback into daily workflows. AI tools can facilitate continuous feedback loops through employee engagement suites that incorporate psychometrics to enhance understanding. These platforms can provide insights into employees' work behaviors, motivators, and energizers, allowing managers to tailor feedback more effectively. Automated feedback reminders and real-time coaching tips can also encourage a culture of continuous improvement. This not only aids in addressing issues promptly but also in reinforcing positive behaviors, ultimately leading to enhanced employee satisfaction and retention. Building a Supportive and Inclusive Workplace AI also plays a crucial role in nurturing a supportive work environment by providing data-driven insights into team dynamics. AI tools can identify trends and patterns in employee behavior and sentiment, offering insights into workplace inclusivity and team cohesion. These insights empower HR professionals to make informed decisions on diversity and inclusion initiatives, ensuring that every team member feels valued and included. By promoting open communication and understanding, AI can help to dismantle existing barriers, fostering a more cohesive and inclusive work environment. Benefits of AI in Team Dynamics Harnessing AI’s potential in team settings can vastly improve how teams interact, collaborate, and perform in the workplace. Improving Team Collaboration with AI Insights Artificial intelligence can significantly enhance collaboration by analyzing communication patterns and providing insights into areas of improvement. AI tools assist teams by highlighting collaboration bottlenecks and facilitating more effective communication strategies. For instance, AI can recommend optimal communication practices tailored to individual team members based on their preferred communication styles. By understanding these nuances, teams can reduce miscommunication and enhance collective problem-solving capabilities. Enhancing Team Performance Metrics AI offers dynamic analytics capabilities that track and predict team performance metrics. These tools enable managers to pinpoint specific areas that require development and provide real-time feedback to align efforts with organizational goals. By utilizing predictive analytics, AI can forecast potential team challenges and suggest proactive measures, thus maintaining consistent team performance. Furthermore, AI's ability to personalize learning paths ensures that team members acquire the skills necessary to overcome challenges and contribute more meaningfully to team objectives. Overall, the integration of AI in the workplace is not about replacing human interaction but enhancing it. By promoting continuous feedback, supporting inclusive environments, and optimizing team dynamics, AI enriches the human touch at work, creating a more connected and humanized workforce. Final Thoughts Embracing AI tools in the workplace represents more than just technological advancement; it signifies a bridge to a more human-centric work environment. By enhancing emotional intelligence and offering personalized learning experiences, AI contributes significantly to fostering a culture of inclusion and connection. It's crucial for organizations to leverage AI not only as a tool for efficiency but as a means to enhance the human touch and impart genuine connection in daily interactions. This dual focus ensures that as we scale operations, we also nurture the vital human elements that drive engagement and productivity, ultimately creating workplaces where people feel valued, understood, and integral to their team's success.

14 Steps to Becoming a Better Manager in 2025

27 Jan, 2025
Collaboration

While it may be easier, to some, to lead a team that occupies the same office, acquiring and strengthening the skills associated with being a good manager for virtual or hybrid teams is more relevant than ever. The Future of Work is evolving, and the number of people who work remotely at least once per week has grown by an astounding 400% since 2010. In Robert Half’s August 2021 survey report of more than 2,800 senior managers, companies in cities most receptive to hybrid work -- including Boston, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Dallas, and Pittsburgh -- have figured out that many employees are productive no matter where they’re sitting. Still, in Lattice's recent 2025 State of People Strategy Report, managers truly recognize the importance of staying connected with their teams. Most managers (78%) have daily or weekly check-ins with direct reports, and of those, 97% say they feel somewhat or very connected to direct reports. Managers who are meeting or exceeding their goals also report feeling very connected to their team. Still, managers in these companies cite the complexities of supporting a distributed workforce long term, and indicate their top challenge as “communicating effectively with team members” quickly followed by helping staff avoid burnout. For them, being a good manager means addressing these items head on. So as teams settle into distributed work models, it’s clear that effective communication and collaboration can no longer remain dependent on in-person interactions. As a remote-first organization since its inception, we asked our Humantelligence Culture Success Coaches for their short but most impactful tips for better supporting hybrid and virtual team members. These quick tips are meant to enable better communication, collaboration, and team performance. Being a Good Manager Means Better Communication Demonstrate empathy any time the team member expresses a problem or frustration. Use The Empathy Formula to acknowledge the team member’s feelings based on facts. Here’s the formula: “It sounds like you’re (feeling) because/about (fact).” Here’s a real-life example: “It sounds like you’re feeling overwhelmed (feeling) because of the reduced number of people on the team (fact).”Establish a new one-on-one meeting routine.According to Lattice, most managers (78%) have daily or weekly check-ins with direct reports, and of those, 97% say they feel somewhat or very connected to direct reports. Managers who are meeting or exceeding their goals also report feeling very connected to their team. Have a scheduled meeting at least twice per week over video conference. If these meetings are currently less frequent, use the same amount of overall time divided up over more meetings. Always have your camera on and ask that the employee does the same -- it’s a way to build connection and drive resonance. Talk to your team members every single day. If a meeting is not scheduled, call them on the phone and talk to them. Sometimes just a quick check-in call is all it takes for some days. One of the most important elements of being an effective manager is keeping lines of communication open with your team members, especially when it has nothing to do with assignments or project statuses. Do note that talking to a team member in a team meeting doesn’t count here, nor does exchanging texts or leaving voicemails. We have to put in the work! 2. Demonstrate your availability. End your meetings with your team member by encouraging the team member to contact you by phone or to request an unscheduled meeting. Always answer the call when possible. 3. Establish line of sight and continue to reinforce it. Ensure work assignments, expectations, and deadlines are perfectly clear. Break down current goals into smaller chunks that are measured on a more frequent basis. Find opportunities during your one-on-ones to talk about how the specific work they do contributes to a specific team or company objective. This is not as obvious to them as it might be to you. 4. Do not hold hybrid meetings. Being a good manager entails leveling the meeting playing field so all team members can contribute equally. This is a best practice in general, and particularly important for any struggling team members. If some of the team members are in the same location and some are remote, have the onsite team members split up and join from their own computers. It equals the playing field, and makes remote employees feel less on the outside. 5. Leverage a Culture Playbook Use Humantelligence at least once a week with your teams. The first step is deepening your understanding of the team member’s motivators and behavioral preferences to best know how to help them. Once you have a deeper understanding of his/her psychometric-based Talent Profile, use the one-on-one comparison tool to go over your and the team member’s similarities and differences, which will help the team member feel “seen.” Uncover how the team member’s unique strengths shown on their Talent Profile can be better put to work for the benefit of the team, and then tell them. From here, you can then leverage the team culture playbook. Being a good manager entails taking stock of your team’s dynamics, monitoring it, seeking feedback on it, and then shifting, building, or sustaining it. The Playbook enables you to align culture to strategy so you can improve your team’s performance. It’s a simple three-step process to help guide you through driving better collaboration, inclusion, and team effectiveness more quickly. With ongoing and frequent assessment of your team’s culture, you’ll be well on your way to better engaging team members and ensuring optimal effectiveness. 6. Address Employee Burnout In today’s climate, employee burnout is inevitable. It’s everywhere, just recently classified as an occupational phenomenon by WHO, and felt by most at some point. In Visier’s survey of 1,000 full-time employees across the U.S., findings revealed:89% of employees report experiencing burnout over the past year 70% of employees would leave their organization for one offering resources to reduce burnout 42% of women feel uncomfortable talking to their boss about burnout, compared to only 30% of menGood managers remain on guard for signs of burnout, and more importantly, effective managers monitor some of the top causes for it and then actively address them. Root causes of burnout often include:Underlying team structures, such as the size of the team, how they collaborate, and how they get things done Atmosphere created within the team, such as the degree to which people communicate openly and are able to take risks Level of transparency in the organization, such as how readily leadership shares significant information with employees Organizational structures, like a lack of role clarity caused by:These causes often manifest themselves in some of the following ways.Unclear Job Requirements Impossible Deadline Requirements High-Stress Times With No “Down” Times Big Consequences for Failure Lack of Personal Control Lack of Recognition Poor CommunicationBeing a good manager requires you to adapt to the unique needs of your team – a team that may still be navigating the challenges brought on by Covid-19 – in order to create team cultures which value the whole individual, not simply the sum of their efforts. Below are ways to make culture shifts that can help better support and retain your employees. 7. Developing Sustainable Workloads Workload is often one of the top reasons employees cite when feeling burned out. Despite some reports showing that productivity went up as teams transitioned into remote work, leaders must not take it as a clear invitation to increase workloads. For many, throwing themselves into work was one way to cope with the vast unknowns which have characterized this year, and productivity levels may dip simply because they’ve been firing so hot for so long. It’s also important to consider competing challenges employees may be facing, such as childcare or Zoom fatigue, and assign tasks and the complexity of the workload based on your assessment and each employee’s abilities. 8. Set Clear Performance Expectations High levels of stress due to performance expectations can often be solved by analyzing your teams in the current context. The abrupt shift to virtual teamwork created a lot of strain for individuals, and the pressures on teams will continue as companies shift their focus to how, if, and when to bring employees back to the office -- or completely transition its workforce model. Evaluate the makeup and status of your organization’s teams, giving consideration to both tasks and people. Are their objectives still relevant and are their timelines appropriate? Are you spreading certain individuals too thin by placing them on unnecessary teams? Or are there teams who need more resources to work more effectively? Approaching performance with curiosity can help organizations better identify problems and ease the pressure to perform. Additionally, being a good manager requires that you give employees clear priorities can help them focus on what’s most important and balance their responsibilities. Ensure your teams have a solid understanding of goals or deadlines they’re expected to hit and feel empowered to weigh in on those expectations. 9. Good Manager Practice Balance With the boundaries between work and home blurring more than ever, cultivating a culture that prioritizes rest is critical. Rest goes hand in hand with innovation, creativity and results; however, the pandemic has made traditional travel fraught with challenges, if not impossible. Most employees continue to work with no vacation in sight and forget they can still use their paid time off, even if there’s nowhere to go. Remind them of the importance of taking a break. It’s also important to adapt your notion of what constitutes a workday. For some, traditional work hours may still fit with a working-from-home landscape, while for others, a less-traditional schedule may do wonders for their wellbeing. Create ways for your teams to reflect on when they work best and adapt their workflow. Are they most inspired in the evenings after the kids are in bed? Do they need a couple hours between meetings to give themselves time to recharge? Be open to new timelines and structures, and lead by example. Additionally, the increased reliance on virtual communications and home offices means that for many, it is more difficult to unplug and turn work off. Ask employees what rest looks like for them in this new landscape. Is it having a day of no meetings? Having cutoff times for phone calls? These small steps can be crucial in ensuring that your teams have the time and space they need to recharge. 10. Build employee commitment by actively encouraging feedback During any period of rapid change, all employees need to understand the company’s future vision and direction. An unknown future can make employees feel very unsafe and insecure. It could also lead them to imagine and predict outcomes that may (or may not) happen. Creating a culture of trust, transparency and openness is critical to reducing the stresses felt by today’s workforce. Last year was filled with uncertainties, so being a good manager means you must be open with your teams about the organization’s return-to-work plans and pivots in structure or projections can help give them a sense of control when it comes to childcare planning, personal financial decisions, and how they prioritize their tasks. With clear, regular updates from leadership, organizations can boost morale and increase employee engagement, as well as help their teams feel empowered to make well-informed decisions for themselves and their families. Employees’ thoughts about work then become dominated by these fears. However, workers are reassured when their leaders encourage them to give feedback about new goals and strategies. They are also more likely to feel their thoughts are valued. And they will be more likely to commit to achieving new goals. The American Psychological Association’s Center for Organizational Excellence outlined the importance of communicating to prevent burnout, recommending “regular, ongoing opportunities to provide feedback to management.” Doing this allows leaders to recognize when it may be time to dial demands back and expand resources, such as child-care assistance and increased wellness and mental health support. 11. Connection and Engagement One of the toughest challenges currently facing companies is how to help mitigate their employees’ feelings of isolation. Feeling disconnected can compound stresses due to workload and performance, and with many organizations still fully remote or transitioning to remote-first, leaders must find new ways of inspiring authentic connection. Finding ways to allow for connection not related to workload is key. For some organizations, hosting virtual happy hours, trivia nights and even karaoke parties have been innovative ways they’ve created a culture of online fun. Slack can also be used for more than productivity — consider starting a channel that invites people to share birthdays, posts pictures of pets and funny WFH moments, and of course, share memes. 12. Good Managers Practice Active Listening Disgruntled employees often talk to each other. And this can create a subculture of resistance and poor performance. However, not all employees are willing to talk about their issues with their leaders, even though these issues may occupy a loud place on the office grapevine. By listening actively and compassionately to employee complaints, leaders can identify potential problems before they begin to affect team collaboration. 13. Create an honest, fair, and equitable culture across all levels Office politics can make work highly stressful. And they can get worse when people are working remotely, without face-to-face conversations. Problematic office politics can also violate your organization’s code of ethics and potentially expose the organization to legal problems. Strive in policy and practice to treat all employees honestly, fairly, and equitably. 14. Provide tools that help people develop Consider the opportunity to develop the communication, collaboration, and leadership skills of each of your employees -- without extra work or time. Using personalized virtual AI coaches built right into the tools employees use every day, you can drive more effective interactions that lead to more agile and productive teams. In the increasingly complex world of the Future of Work, being a good manager means we have to use technology, emotional intelligence, empathy, and communication as team leaders to build the person-to-person connection. Doing so is the definition of being a good manager because it makes our team members feel trusted and empowered to perform.

Building Better Teams: 9 Strategies for Employee Collaboration & Leadership Development

06 Jan, 2025
Collaboration

Effective collaboration and leadership are at the heart of every successful organization. In a world where remote work, cross-functional teams, and technological advancements define the workplace, companies must prioritize training that equips employees with the skills they need to excel. With the integration of AI, advanced technologies, and the tools they already use, the way organizations approach these critical skills is evolving rapidly. Here's nine of the best ways companies can train employees to collaborate more effectively and develop their leadership abilities--without extra time, budget, or manpower.1. Foster a Collaborative Culture Before diving into training programs, organizations must establish a culture where collaboration is valued and encouraged.Open Communication: Promote transparency through open-door policies, regular team check-ins, and tools like Slack or Microsoft Teams. Inclusivity: Ensure diverse voices are heard by fostering an environment of mutual respect and psychological safety. Recognition: Celebrate collaborative efforts and team successes to reinforce the value of working together.2. Leverage AI to Enhance Teamwork AI-powered tools can transform how teams collaborate, providing insights and support that weren’t possible before.Dynamic Scheduling: AI tools like Clockwise can manage calendars, minimizing scheduling conflicts to enhance meeting productivity. Real-Time Collaboration: Platforms like Miro or MURAL use AI to streamline brainstorming and visual collaboration, even in remote settings. AI-Mediated Communication for Efficiency: Tools like Grammarly or Otter.ai help improve clarity and in written and verbal communications. AI-Mediated Communication for Effectiveness: Tools like Humantelligence take communication a step further and can craft emails for inclusivity, belonging, and personalization -- all based on the personality of the recipient.3. Invest in Leadership Development Programs Leadership training should go beyond technical skills to focus on emotional intelligence, decision-making, and strategic thinking.Experiential Learning: Simulations, role-playing, and case studies can immerse employees in real-world leadership challenges. Mentorship Programs: Pair emerging leaders with seasoned mentors to foster growth through guidance and feedback. AI-Driven Feedback: Platforms like BetterUp use AI to provide personalized coaching, tracking progress in leadership behaviors.4. Adopt Technology for Skill Building Advanced technologies can make training programs more engaging and effective.Gamification: Use platforms like Kahoot! or Quizizz to gamify learning modules, increasing engagement and retention. Virtual Reality (VR): VR simulations allow employees to practice collaboration in lifelike scenarios, preparing them for high-pressure situations. Learning Management Systems (LMS): Utilize tools like Cornerstone or Udemy for Business to deliver and track employee training programs.5. Prioritize Cross-Functional Teamwork Encourage employees to work across departments to develop broader perspectives and stronger collaboration skills.Cross-Functional Projects: Assign tasks requiring input from diverse teams to build mutual understanding and break silos. AI Collaboration Tools: Tools like Trello or Monday.com streamline project management for teams with varying expertise. When you add in Humantelligence to this mix, you'll foster more effective and collaborative interactions between the people working on these projects too!6. Use AI to Identify Collaboration Gaps AI analytics can reveal bottlenecks and opportunities for improvement in team dynamics.Network Analysis: AI tools like Humanyze analyze communication patterns to highlight disconnected team members or overburdened employees. Sentiment Analysis: Platforms like Zoom IQ analyze meeting transcripts to gauge emotional tone, providing insights into team morale.7. Promote Continuous Learning Effective leadership and collaboration training aren’t one-time events but ongoing processes.Microlearning Modules: Deliver short, targeted training sessions using platforms like Axonify or Blinkist. AI-Powered Learning Paths: AI tools can customize training plans based on individual skill levels and career aspirations.8. Encourage Feedback and Iteration Feedback loops are essential for refining collaboration and leadership skills.360-Degree Feedback: Use platforms like Lattice or Leapsome for comprehensive feedback from peers, managers, and subordinates. AI-Driven Insights: AI tools analyze feedback to identify patterns and recommend actionable improvements.9. Measure Success with Data Finally, track the impact of training initiatives to ensure they’re driving results.Performance Metrics: Monitor collaboration tools for increased engagement and productivity. AI-Driven Analysis: Use AI analytics to measure changes in leadership behaviors and team dynamics over time. Employee Surveys: Regularly collect feedback to assess the effectiveness of training programs and identify areas for improvement.L&D Coaching from Anywhere The traditional approach to employee development, leadership training, and team collaboration is rapidly evolving, and companies that embrace these modern strategies will see higher engagement, retention, and overall performance. By offering personalized, on-demand learning, fostering a feedback-driven culture, and integrating learning into daily workflows, you can create an L&D program that not only meets today’s needs but is also ready for the future of work. With it, companies can create tailored, engaging, and impactful training programs. Investing in these strategies not only boosts productivity and innovation but also cultivates a workforce ready to tackle the challenges of the future.

15 Benefits of Collaboration in the Workplace + 3 Tips to Improve it

02 Jan, 2025
Collaboration

5 Key Strategies for a Successful L&D Program in 2025

17 Dec, 2024
Talent development

Workplace Belonging: Essential Strategies Every Leader Should Implement

03 Dec, 2024
Inclusion & Belonging

High-impact strategies for fostering belonging can reduce turnover and burnout across industries. Key approaches include cultivating psychological safety, offering equitable pay, and embedding inclusive practices. Building a culture of belonging enhances job satisfaction, creativity, and productivity, creating a supportive environment where employees feel valued, engaged, and authentically included. A recent report from the Charles Butt Foundation clearly indicates that many experienced and novice educators are leaving the profession due to a myriad of factors. For instance, today’s educators face strict scrutiny about what they teach, how they teach it and what materials they assign, especially in light of record-breaking book bans. Faculty and staff shoulder similar pressures in higher education where work life tends to be student-centered, team-oriented and results-driven, requiring employees to labor long hours, wear multiple hats, juggle competing priorities and go above the call of duty. As if that’s not enough, reports show that approximately two-thirds of education professionals feel undervalued, unappreciated and underpaid, which compromises their sense of belonging at work (hereafter, workplace belonging) and leads to burnout. Consequently, they silently resign, stay with little motivation or leave the profession altogether. In this article, we offer a perspective on workplace belonging, explain how it is linked to key outcomes in all business sectors and present several actionable steps or promising practices for recruiting and retaining diverse professionals, while also fostering belonging and success as leaders. This is particularly relevant for those who lead education at the K-12 and higher education levels, but may also prove useful to corporate leaders and entrepreneurs in business, government, medicine and technology, to name a few. Workplace belonging Workplace belonging refers to the sense of connection and acceptance employees feel within a work environment. It involves feeling valued, respected and included while also being able to fully participate and contribute to the organization, according to sources. Belonging is one of five essential workplace qualities that ensure workers’ psychological health and well-being, according to APA’s 2023 Work in America Survey. Whether at home, school or work, a sense of belonging is a basic need, a human right. It’s a universal motive sufficient to drive behaviors — that is, people do something to satisfy their urgent need to belong. They may join a club (e.g., employee resource groups), go back to school, seek new employment or dye their hair blue. The weight of empirical evidence shows that belonging is context-dependent, meaning that its value and significance rely, in part, on the background or situation in which it is used for proper interpretation. When employees experience a sense of belonging in the workplace, it creates a positive work environment that fosters collaboration, innovation and productivity. Feeling valued and accepted allows individuals to bring their authentic selves to work, leading to increased engagement, cooperation, help-seeking (and giving) and commitment to their tasks and employing organization. Other studies have discovered several positive outcomes consistently associated with workplace belonging. For instance, employees who rate higher on workplace belonging also tend to feel better about their jobs and work cooperatively with others. Results from the study showed that employees who experience true belonging are:3x more likely to look forward to work 3x more likely to say their workplace is fun 9x as likely to believe people are treated equitably 5x more likely to stick aroundResearch has shown that a strong sense of workplace belonging can have significant positive gains, especially for education personnel. It can lead to increased job satisfaction and work-related happiness, which can result in higher productivity and lower burnout. It can also foster deeper institutional commitment, leading to less turnover, more stability and greater creativity and innovation. In short, the key to workplace belonging is trust, and trust is defined as a foundational building block for culture. It depends, in part, on staff knowing your intentions, believing your commitments and understanding your behaviors. Boosting employees’ sense of belonging at work takes time, and thus, belonging is built at the speed of trust. Ways to recruit, retain and regain employees Building a culture of belonging requires a proactive approach from organizational leaders and managers. It involves creating an inclusive environment where every employee feels valued, respected and supported. Here are some strategies organizations can implement to foster workplace belonging for staff and broaden professional pipelines: Cultivate psychological safety using a variety of evidence-based, proven strategies: Psychological safety refers to feeling able to speak up freely, ask questions, make mistakes and take risks without fear of judgment, negative consequences or retaliation. Promising practices include active listening, open dialogue, “no-judgment” zones and creating “brave spaces” where diverse perspectives are celebrated though they courageously challenge the majority. When employees feel comfortable bringing their authentic selves to work, they thrive and flourish. Offer equitable pay and financial incentives to help attract, (re)gain and retain diverse, talented educators and employees: For example, ZipRecruiter reports the average teacher salary in Texas is $41,544, ranging from as low as $19,565 to well over $64,000, which means some public school teachers are paid less than a living wage. District leaders, administrators and policymakers must advocate for higher, more equitable pay for such teachers — it’s hard to feel like you matter and belong when you’re not compensated fairly for the work you do. Financial incentives like salary raises, relocation assistance, tuition reimbursement, paid time off and signing bonuses can go a long way in improving the perception of prospective staff. Foster an inclusive culture of acceptance and respect to ensure staff can show up authentically and feel safe and secure at work: By authentic, we mean freely expressing oneself without fear of judgment or pressure to alter one's true identity to fit in. Leaders might consider creating ERGs for underrepresented groups, book clubs and/or offer training about positive workplace culture to ensure psychological and physical safety and security across and within teams. Take it a step further and employ tools that allow people to see themselves and each other more fully. Tools that embed psychometrics and then apply AI can help employees better understand each other, feel more connected, work more effectively together, and feel more like a team. To further support an inclusive environment, consider incorporating tools that provide objective assessments of individual strengths and growth areas. For example, web-based exam software offers valuable insights into employee performance, helping to ensure that assessments are fair and unbiased. By using such platforms, leaders can create a more transparent and supportive atmosphere, where everyone feels equally seen and heard, ultimately fostering a sense of community and mutual respect. In the end, whether your working within or across teams or leading them, following these tips will help you implement the right foundation to foster a more natural version of belonging and inclusion. By establishing clear communication channels, fostering safe spaces of trust and mutual respect, and celebrating the strengths each individual brings to the the team, organizations can leverage the unique strengths of each team, enhance collaboration, and achieve better results.

Improve Belonging in the Workplace to Re-engage Employees

13 Nov, 2024
DEIB

Companies continue to struggle to retain talent because leaders don’t understand the real reason why people are resigning -- and part of it revolves around the need to improve belonging in the workplace. Wonder no more. According to a recent McKinsey study, the top reasons people are resigning have less to do with money, work life balance, or mental health and more to do with inclusivity. One of the top reasons people are resigning is because they didn’t feel a sense of belonging in the workplace. And those employees from traditionally marginalized communities are more likely to say they left because they didn’t feel like they belonged in their organizations. Jeanine Stewart, senior consultant with the Neuroleadership Institute says, “Being surrounded by other human beings doesn’t guarantee a sense of belonging. Belonging actually has to do with identification as a member of a group and the higher quality interactions which come from that. It’s the interactions over time which are supportive of us as full, authentic human beings.” When you improve belonging in the workplace, you will help your team members feel this sense of community, which is important to their fulfillment and to the success of the organization as a whole. Belonging as a Fundamental Workplace Need In his article, Why Belonging Is Such A Big Issue In Business Today, Josh Bersin notes that at work, a sense of “not being included” can be deadly. When people feel left out of meetings, don’t have input on their work assignments, or sense that they have been excluded from decisions or opportunities, they feel stress, anger, mistrust, and anxiety. This, of course, results in turnover problems and ultimately makes the company brittle and underperforming. We need people, and this need is hardwired into our brains. A recent study from MIT found that we crave interactions in the same region of our brains where we crave food, and another study showed we experience social exclusion in the same region of our brain where we experience physical pain. Work at the University of British Columbia found when we experience ostracism at work, it can lead to job dissatisfaction and health problems. In a similar vein, a study at the University of Michigan found when people lack a sense of belonging, it is a strong predictor of depression. In fact, it is an even stronger predictor than feelings of loneliness or a lack of social support. And since we spend so much of our waking lives at work, it only makes sense that belonging at work would be a major contributor to satisfaction and productivity. How to Improve Belonging in the Workplace 1. Focus on Building Community It has never been more important to be intentional about building community in your organization. A sense of community is key to belonging, and a key driver of retention. Be consistent with all company and team gatherings where you share updates and ensure people feel like they are part of the mission. Talk about your organization’s failures and struggles, and celebrate the big and small wins. Make everyone feel like they own a piece of the mission to deepen engagement and commitment. As an employee, embrace groups. Build your friendships with individuals, but also consider joining personal or professional groups with which you feel a common sense of purpose and solidarity. That will help create a greater sense of belonging. 2. Make an Effort to Check on People’s Well-Being Leaders must ensure they spend dedicated weekly one-on-one time to check in on how employees are doing. 1:1s are one of the most important tools at a leader’s disposal to ensure employees feel seen, heard, and feel like they have a place on your team. Be sure to prioritize this valuable time to connect with employees. It’s especially important to use this time to ask colleagues about issues you know impacting their communities. You could also use this time to ask employees why they choose to stay. Ask them what would make them leave. Be prepared to hear something you might not like. And be prepared to take accountability and action on how you and the organization can ensure they feel like they can belong. This is an opportunity to turn the Great Resignation into a Great Awakening. 3. Signal Acceptance When people lack a sense of belonging, they may feel threatened or alone, causing them to withdraw or hold back. When people feel a sense of comfort, they are in the best state for engaging. Colleagues can signal acceptance and help ensure the people around them feel safe, by asking questions, listening and demonstrating focused attention. The start of a meeting can be an opportunity. Choose to take a moment, if you’re leading a meeting, to ask how people are doing and then really listen. If we can’t create belonging through physical closeness in the ways we used to, we can and must think about how we might create that through focused attention and listening. To Improve Belonging in the Workplace, Identify the Need Social belonging is a fundamental human need, hardwired into our DNA. And yet, more than 40% of people say that they feel isolated at work, and the result has been lower organizational commitment and engagement. In a nutshell, companies are blowing it. Businesses in the U.S. spend 8 billion dollars each year on diversity and inclusion (D&I) trainings that miss the mark because they neglect our need to feel included and that try to treat this need as the same for everyone. The truth is, everyone is different, and depending on their background, experiences, personality, and role, the degree to which someone feels the need to belong can differ. The question becomes, how can you identify and determine the needs of your team -- and then improve belonging in the workplace. Using a psychometric-based self-assessment can help you unlock your employees' behaviors, motivators, and ideal work energizers. When you have this kind of data for all of your employees, you can then map your team, and then use the above tactics in a more targeted way -- working to break down barriers you didn’t know where there, better understand others’ perspective, and close gaps -- all of which leads to a more inclusive environment in which individuals feel a greater sense of belonging within their team.

Why Improving Emotional Intelligence and Team Dynamics Go Hand in Hand

21 Oct, 2024
Collaboration

Psychology Today explains that emotional intelligence (EQ or EI) refers to the ability to identify and manage one’s own emotions, as well as understand and navigate the emotional responses of others. For managers and people leaders -- where the stakes are high -- having EQ can spell the difference between effectively driving performance or losing valuable talent. In this article, we'll share some tips and strategies for improving emotional intelligence. Why Emotional Intelligence is Important for Team Leaders Emotional intelligence is generally said to include a few key areas:Emotional awareness, or the ability to identify and name one’s own emotions; The ability to harness those emotions and apply them to tasks like thinking and problem solving; and The ability to manage emotions while interacting with others, which includes both regulating one’s own emotions when necessary and helping others to do the same.When applied in a business setting, high EQ helps all employees communicate and collaborate effectively, empathize with others, and defuse conflict. When you do that, you build stronger relationships, turn intention into action, and make informed decisions about what matters most. Add to this, the remote & hybrid context we now work in, and EQ becomes even more important, useful, and necessary for the success of distributed teams. Leaders who possess high emotional intelligence are able to build strong rapport with their team members, inspire and motivate them, and handle conflicts or setbacks in a positive and constructive manner. Further, emotional intelligence enables leaders to demonstrate empathy, which is essential for creating a supportive and inclusive team dynamic. By understanding the emotions and perspectives of their team members, leaders can better communicate, collaborate, and provide the necessary support for personal and professional growth. This not only fosters a sense of trust and loyalty within the team, but also leads to improved performance, innovation, and overall success for the organization. So let's get started on how we all can be improving emotional intelligence at work. Key Elements of Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace According to American psychologist Daniel Goleman, who helped popularize emotional intelligence, there are five foundational components of emotional intelligence -- all of which are essential for better performance in the workplace:Self-management– You’re able to control impulsive feelings and behaviors, manage your emotions in healthy ways, take initiative, follow through on commitments, and adapt to changing circumstances. When you can put self-management into practice, you display an ability to redirect disruptive moods and impulses, reframe your feelings with positivity. Self-awareness – You recognize your own emotions and how they affect your thoughts and behavior. You know your strengths and weaknesses, as well as the impressions you leave on others. When you’re self-aware, you often appear confident and receptive to constructive criticism. Social awareness – You can understand the emotions, needs, and concerns of other people, pick up on emotional cues, feel comfortable socially, and recognize the power dynamics in a group or organization. These social skills are necessary to guide people effectively in a specific direction and influence them in any particular way. Motivation: You work with passion and portray an optimistic attitude. There is intrinsic energy to continue improving oneself and the business. With motivation, there is a sense of accomplishment, and reaching goals is enjoyed for the sake of the achievement alone. Empathy & relationship management – You have insight into the emotional state of others. You know how to develop and maintain good relationships, communicate clearly, inspire and influence others, work well in a team, and manage conflict. In business, showing empathy means you’re sensitive to cross-cultural differences, and are more inclined to support others and be open to collaborating more meaningfully with others.The Impact of High Emotional Intelligence at Work So let’s get down to business. It’s widely known that intellectual ability or your intelligence quotient (IQ) isn’t enough on its own to achieve success in life or in business. In fact, experts agree that IQ explains only about 30 percent predictive performance, whereas EQ explains 60 percent of predictive performance. (The other 10 percent correlates to varying factors based on situation/circumstance, culture, and location of the business.) For those aspiring to lead teams, it’s also well-known that emotional intelligence is a key element of effective leadership. The ability to be perceptively in tune with yourself and your emotions, as well as having sound situational awareness can be a powerful tool for leading teams -- at the organizational, business unit, or functional levels. As one of the leading management training grounds that has produced more Fortune 500 CEOs, Procter & Gamble has proven that the best leaders, managers, and employees are agile in their behaviors and work styles, especially in learning how to adapt to each team member differently. Communication is Key No matter your role, improving emotional intelligence is directly related to your communication. It's how you internally and externally possess, express, and impact others. There have been a number of studies on the complex topic of nonverbal communication with varying results. However, most experts agree that 70 to 93 percent of all communication is nonverbal. This study showed that effective communication is 7% the words we say and 93% tone and body language. How do these findings translate at work? Well, think about your colleagues. One of the most common factors leading to resignation is communication deficiencies, which create disengagement, doubt, and mistrust. Misunderstandings and lack of or poorly regulated communication are usually the basis of problems between most people. When people have high EQ, then they’re better able to understand another’s point of view and/or context, and thus connect, communicate, and collaborate in a more powerful way. An inability to do so at work often causes frustration, bitterness, and confusion between employees. While effective communication can eliminate obstacles and encourage stronger workplace relationships. When employees know their role within a company and understand how they benefit the overall direction and vision, there is a sense of value and accomplishment. Good communication results in alignment and a shared sense of purpose. Improving Emotional Intelligence at Work: The Impact Some of the most respected CEOs are well-adjusted leaders who know how to harness their emotional intelligence as a way to bring out the best in others. There’s a fairly well-known story out there about American business executive, chemical engineer, and writer Jack Welch, that’s worth a re-tell. In his mid-twenties, Welch was the manufacturing head of a pilot plant focused on producing a new plastic. He was sitting in his office across from the plant when he heard a huge explosion. He looked out his window and saw nothing but smoke...the roof destroyed and shattered glass everywhere. Incredibly, no one was hurt. He was called to New York to explain what had happened to the higher ups and says (in a podcast) that this drive was the longest ride of his life. Mentally prepared for the worst, he thought he was going to get fired. But instead of being raked over the coals, Welch says the executive — a chemical engineer and former MIT professor — calmly asked him what had happened and if he knew how to fix it. “He took the Socratic Method with me and did an incredible job of engaging me in learning about what I did wrong in the process. I learned to never kick anybody when they’re down. No one would ever say that I was soft by any means. But they would never say that I beat on anybody when they were down.” Welch would eventually become chairman and CEO of General Electric between 1981 and 2001. The workplace encounter was filled with empathy, turning an expensive mistake into both a lesson for Welch and an opportunity to innovate. In the end, the failed project resulted in a better product than GE’s more risk-averse competitors. Benefits of Improving Emotional Intelligence When there is low EQ in the workplace, people tend to not take responsibility for mistakes. It’s harder for people to work together as a team. When communicating, people are either passive or aggressive and not assertive. Another noticeable characteristic of weak emotional intelligence at work is an inability to accept constructive criticism. Problem Solve & Self Manage However, with high EQ, they solve problems better and make suitable decisions. People with high emotional intelligence tend to keep a level head under pressure, display greater empathy and listen, reflect and react appropriately to the opinions of others. Strong self-management means you can adapt effectively to situations as they change. You don’t hold anything in or bottle up your emotions, but at the same time, you don’t react impulsively. The benefit of emotional intelligence at work is that you can express feelings appropriately in constructive ways. Combined with excellent social skills, teams often find themselves working together with more cohesion and better communication. With empathy, you’re not only acknowledging how others feel, which values their feelings, but you’re also recognizing your own reactions to expressions of emotion. Emotional insight reveals dynamics between employees. Empathy allows you to see how those power dynamics affect interactions and behaviors within those relationships. Emotional intelligence is also essential to conflict management in the workplace. The benefit of emotional intelligence in situations of conflict is that you can often establish a middle ground in disagreements. By paying attention to how others respond to you, you can try to help people feel heard, which in turn, will help them be more willing to compromise. All of these critical EQ components tie together and work in harmony, and as every individual team member focuses on improving emotional intelligence at work, the sum of this work creates better company cultures. How to Improve Your Emotional Intelligence as a Team Leader It takes time to develop and practice emotional intelligence, but here are a few tried and true tips for improving emotional intelligence at work. Self-awarenessKeep a journal – Journaling helps you improve your self-awareness. If you spend just a few minutes each day writing down your thoughts, this can move you to a higher degree of self-awareness. Slow down – When you experience anger or other strong emotions, slow down to examine why. Remember, no matter what the situation, you can always choose how you react to it.Self-regulationKnow your values – Do you have a clear idea of where you absolutely will not compromise? Do you know what values are most important to you? Hold yourself accountable – Make a commitment to admit to your mistakes and to face the consequences, whatever they are. You'll probably sleep better at night, and you'll quickly earn the respect of those around you. Practice being calm – The next time you're in a challenging situation, be very aware of how you act. Do you relieve your stress by shouting at someone else? Practice deep-breathing exercises to calm yourself.MotivationRe-examine why you're doing your job – It's easy to forget what you really love about your career. So, take some time to remember why you wanted this job. If you're unhappy in your role and you're struggling to remember why you wanted it, try the Five Whys technique to find the root of the problem. Be hopeful and find something good – Motivated leaders are usually optimistic. Adopting this perspective puts you into a growth mindset. Every time you face a challenge, or even a failure, try to find at least one good thing about the situation. It might be something small, like a new contact, or something with long-term effects, like an important lesson learned.EmpathyPut yourself in someone else's position – It's easy to support your own point of view. But take the time to look at situations from other people's perspectives. Pay attention to body language – Remember that 93% of communication isn’t what you say! Perhaps when you listen to someone, you cross your arms, move your feet back and forth, or bite your lip. This body language tells others how you really feel about a situation, and the message you're giving isn't positive. And learning to read body language can be a real asset in a leadership role, because you'll be better able to determine how someone truly feels. This gives you the opportunity to respond appropriately.Social SkillsLearn conflict resolution – You must know how to resolve conflicts with others and among team members, customers, or vendors. Learning conflict resolution skills is vital if you want to succeed. Learn how to praise others – To be an excellent teammate and inspire others to act the same, give praise when it's earned. Learning how to praise others is a fine art, but well worth the effort.Want more tips and strategies for improving emotional intelligence...check out Tony Robbins’ six steps to developing emotional intelligence. Finally, it’s important to know where you stand on all of this -- to take stock of your own behaviors, motivators, and work energizers. Using a quick psychometric self-assessment, you can uncover the why, how and what of your work. When you couple that with an EQ-based communication tool in your toolkit, you’re fast-tracking EQ development because it infuses actionable EQ insights into your daily communication workflows -- helping you to interact with and collaborate better with others on the spot. At the end of the day, as colleagues, we have the responsibility more than ever to work on our own personal and professional development. And emotional intelligence is a powerful tool critical for exceeding goals, improving critical work relationships, and creating a healthy, productive workplace and organizational culture. To learn how you can improve emotional intelligence at work, visit humantelligence.com.

AI to Enhance Humans...Not Replace Them at Work

17 Oct, 2024
AI

Emotional intelligence at work has become a cornerstone for effective professional interactions in modern society. As workplaces become more complex and diverse, the ability to understand and manage emotions—both one’s own and those of others—has become essential for fostering productive and integrated work environments. The World Economic Forum's "Future of Jobs Survey" highlights that by 2025, emotional intelligence will be one of the top skills required in business, highlighting its growing importance in the professional sphere. Despite its recognized value, developing and applying emotional intelligence at work present numerous challenges. Traditional training methods, which are often costly and difficult to scale, fail to provide the practical, real-time application necessary for true skill acquisition. Of the employees who received traditional training, 43% considered it ineffective. Furthermore, identifying and recruiting talent with high emotional intelligence is a complex process, often relying on subjective measures and lengthy evaluation periods. Enter artificial intelligence (AI). By leveraging AI technologies, organizations can improve emotional intelligence in the workplace and overcome potential hurdles by offering scalable, personalized, and effective solutions. How Can AI Help Individuals Develop Emotional Intelligence? AI technologies can play a pivotal role in overcoming the challenges associated with developing and applying emotional intelligence in the workplace. At Humantelligence, I've seen firsthand how AI-powered assessments can scan entire companies and enhance collaboration. By analyzing communication patterns in meetings and written interactions (both offline and virtual), these tools provide real-time, personalized feedback on how to improve emotional interactions. Employees then receive insights on how to adapt their communication to better suit their audience's preferences and motivations, ensuring more effective and empathetic exchanges. In our own workplace, we use AI tools to rewrite communication at the push of a button, tailoring messages to the emotional preferences of the recipients. This feature enhances day-to-day interactions and fosters a more emotionally intelligent workplace culture. In meetings, our AI engine scans the dynamics and provides the emotional intelligence insights needed to improve productivity and collaboration. This proactive approach integrates emotional intelligence into everyday workflows, rather than letting it be a neglected aspect of professional development. We also address the challenge of scalability in emotional intelligence training. While traditional training methods are often focused on a small percentage of leaders and managers, all employees receive personalized training up to 20 times a month, equating to 240 interactions a year. This consistent use makes the training more impactful and transformational across the organization. During recruitment, we utilize advanced psychometric evaluations and behavioral analysis to assess candidates' emotional competencies. This approach allows us to identify high emotional intelligence candidates early in the hiring process, leading to better team dynamics and performance. 3 Best Practices to Integrate AI with Emotional Intelligence Training for Improved Professional Interactions Integrating AI with emotional intelligence training can significantly enhance professional interactions and workplace dynamics. The following are just a few of the best practices we've learned while integrating AI across our organization and navigating the challenges that arose along the way. 1. Look for Personalized Learning Opportunities Seventy-five percent of Fortune 500 companies use emotional intelligence training, and for good reason. These AI tools can analyze individual learning styles and preferences to deliver tailored training programs that meet the specific needs of each employee. At Humantelligence, we've seen how AI tools can adapt training content with a click of a button to meet the needs of each user. For example, if an employee struggles with a particular aspect of emotional intelligence, AI can provide additional resources and exercises to address that specific area. An effective AI-driven platform should provide personalized insights and training modules that help employees develop their emotional intelligence skills in a way that is most effective for them. This approach ensures that employees are more engaged and can apply what they learn sooner rather than later. 2. Implement Real-Time Feedback Mechanisms Real-time feedback is crucial for the practical application of emotional intelligence skills. AI technologies can provide immediate insights and suggestions based on an employee's interactions and communications. In fact, Gallup data show that when employees receive meaningful feedback within the last week, they’re almost four times more likely to be engaged. To meet this need at Humantelligence, we implemented a tool that offers real-time feedback on email communications and meeting dynamics. These real-time insights are surfaced within an employee’s workflow, which helps them adjust their behavior and improve their emotional intelligence in the moment. This continuous feedback loop is essential for reinforcing learning and promoting ongoing development. 3. Integrate Emotional Intelligence Training into Daily Workflows Emotional intelligence training should be seamlessly integrated into the daily workflows of your employees. In our daily workflows, we use AI tools that can be embedded into existing work processes, such as communication platforms and meeting tools. This integration makes it easier for employees to access and apply their training in real-world scenarios. For those who struggle with soft skills, AI-driven training insights can also be an essential resource for enhanced productivity and job satisfaction. According to research from IDC, organizations stand to benefit up to $1 trillion in productivity gains worldwide over the next two years by implementing skills development powered by generative AI and automation. AI can significantly improve collaboration among teams by providing real-time insights into their communications, helping them work better and faster together. This ensures that emotional intelligence training is not an isolated event but a continuous part of their everyday interactions. As emotional intelligence becomes increasingly important in the workplace, leveraging AI to provide scalable, personalized, and real-time training can address many of the challenges associated with traditional emotional intelligence development methods. By adopting best practices for integrating AI and emotional intelligence, organizations can foster a more emotionally intelligent workforce, leading to better communication, stronger teamwork, and improved overall performance.

The Best Team Assessment Tools Help You Understand Your Team Dynamic

02 Oct, 2024
Collaboration

Collaboration makes the world go round, and having teams that consist of people whose dynamics work well together and are constantly working to improve themselves are key to sustaining business success. As an L&D and people leader, you likely already have an overall perspective on your team’s productivity and how it impacts the company's financial goals, but do you truly know what motivates and empowers your team to succeed? Do you know your team dynamic? The best team assessment tools will help you answer those questions. The Best Team Assessment Tools Measure Your Team Dynamic Successful teams must be agile. However, it’s impossible to be an agile team without fully understanding employees' behaviors, motivators, work energizers and the kind of work that truly engages them. Without this baseline knowledge, you run the risk of having a team that lacks problem-solving, seems disengaged, and exhibits poor team dynamics. For example, let’s say you are onboarding a new executive team member. Everyone on your existing team is a self-starter and decisive in their actions. Your new team member, on the other hand, is more team-oriented and deliberate. While the rest of your team is independently working on their initiatives, your new team member is trying to get feedback and approval from others. This disconnect between the new hire and the existing team may cause the new person to feel like they don’t belong and that they can’t engage with the rest of the team. Because of this, the new hire may decide this isn’t the right role for them and leave, ultimately leading to lost time, resources, and finances for the rest of the team. Understanding a Team Dynamic Archetypes are universal, inborn models of people, behaviors, or personalities that play a role in influencing human behavior. They were introduced by the Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung, who suggested that these archetypes were archaic forms of innate human knowledge passed down from our ancestors. In Jungian psychology, the archetypes represent universal patterns and images that are part of the collective unconscious. Jung believed that we inherit these archetypes much in the way we inherit instinctive patterns of behavior. He identified four major archetypes but also believed that there was no limit to the number that may exist. Of the four main archetypes described by Jung, one was the persona -- or how we present ourselves to the world. The word "persona" is derived from a Latin word that literally means "mask." It is not a literal mask, however. The persona represents all of the different social masks that we wear among various groups and situations. Over the course of development, we adapt and behave in certain ways in order to navigate society's expectations and norms. In practical application, an employee persona derives from this thinking and is the sum of one’s psychometric self-assessment. This sum is called a Humantelligence talent profile and details a team member’s behaviors, motivators or values, work energizers and life priorities -- using three primary business archetypes or personas. All together, the best team assessment tools take your team members' assessments into account and show you your team culture. The Benefits of Measuring Your Team's Dynamic Like the traditional customer/buyer persona, your employees’ talent profiles -- and their dominant personas -- are valuable on many levels -- and unlike the buyer’s persona, your employees’ persona summary is specific, personalized, and measured. As a result, use of this kind of data is nearly limitless. Here are just a few of the high-impact ways employee talent profiles are valuable. Greater Self-Awareness Once reserved for the executive level and requiring extensive consultation and workshops, deep insight into how you prefer to think, engage, and apply one's self is available for all employees. It’s that kind of self-awareness -- when people better understand their success factors and are more deeply engaged in their work -- that helps them leverage their strengths and more easily identify the kinds of opportunities that best align with their professional motivators and career goals. Accurate self-knowledge is the key to getting what you want out of life. And with a talent profile that goes deep into your behaviors, motivators, work energizers, and life priorities, employees can see their tendencies in real-life action and get the right guidance to help them achieve your goals. Improved Team Collaboration & Coaching So you’ve helped your team members become more aware of their tendencies. Great! Now, it’s time to leverage these predominant behavioral themes for your team to achieve better communication and collaboration -- and that starts with elevating emotional intelligence across your team. Imagine being able to take emotional intelligence insights from your team members’ profiles and put them right where employees communicate most often -- think meetings, chat, and email. You’re probably already using communication technology like Slack, Microsoft Teams, Gmail, and more! But you’re probably not optimizing your use of those tools by integrating emotional intelligence for your team. With a simple integrated plug-in, you can give your staff the kind of information needed to better communicate and collaborate with one another -- based on their talent profiles & personas -- taking all of the guesswork out of it and allowing them to spend time on the work that matters.For example, imagine giving every employee a collaboration coach that helps them work more effectively with anyone! We call it the HT Coach, and it uses assessment insights and applies AI to help team members work better together. With the HT Coach feature, all you have to do is ask a question (or use the pre-loaded questions) about your colleague, and like magic, you have a response that will help you communicate more effectively with your teammate. Imagine the day-to-day leadership training you could instill while encouraging better connection and collaboration among employees! You can do the same for a team and gain insights into the makeup of your team in order to drive productivity. You’ll see your team’s similarities and differences -- the overall team dynamic -- on a continuum with team strengths highlighted and potential gap identified. This kind of information can help you finally manage the dynamics in a way to drives team effectiveness:Map current vs. target cultures for teams or the entire organization Pinpoint strengths and gaps to identify necessary shifts -- what do we need more of or less of Understand what work motivators contribute most to your team’s cultureThen, take those team culture analytics and apply them to your hiring plans. Resumes, LinkedIn, and educational backgrounds only tell some of the story. Besides being self reported, they are limited to only showing past experiences — whereas leveraging a psychometric-based talent profile more clearly reveals a person’s fuller potential when it comes to situational behavior, actions, opportunities for improvement, communication styles, and values — now and in the future. Building Stronger Teams More Efficiently For each role, region/geography, and department within the same company, the needs will be different and there is no out-of-the-box formula or one size fits all approach. Each individual you add or remove from the team will play a part in your culture’s evolution. That means it’s imperative to hire and train individuals who share or have demonstrated the values you have identified as paramount, believe in your vision, and are excited about the work your team is doing. Consider employing technology designed to help you identify your team's strengths and blind spots so you can build stronger, more engaged teams.

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