Linked – 6 Problems L&D Can’t “Out-train”

Linked – 6 Problems L&D Can’t “Out-train”

ByMike McBride Reading Time: 2 minutes

I’ve also spoken to some in-house trainers who see this up close. People come to them because they lack some knowledge and hope the training will help them because their manager hasn’t given them clear direction. They don’t realize that they haven’t been getting a clear direction. They assume there is some skill or knowledge they are missing. Where do you go when there’s a skill you need? To Training and Development!

But the trainer can’t give you that clear direction about your job. That has to come from your manager.

Linked – Monitoring Individual Employees Isn’t the Way to Boost Productivity

Linked – Monitoring Individual Employees Isn’t the Way to Boost Productivity

ByMike McBride Reading Time: 1 minute

I am convinced that the best managers are the ones who help remove obstacles to doing good work. Every organization has them. It’s a question of how effectively they can be navigated. In toxic environments, it’s not possible. In healthy ones overcoming obstacles is possible, and that is where managers focus their efforts. Monitoring every action of an individual employee does nothing to help them navigate the obstacles and does nothing to support them. It’s all a top-down case of the “gotchas.”

Linked – How many workers are looking for workplace mental health support?

Linked – How many workers are looking for workplace mental health support?

ByMike McBride Reading Time: 1 minute

These are significant numbers for business leaders to consider.

“The vast majority of workers—eight in 10—are seeking workplaces that offer mental health support, according to a survey of employees from the American Psychological Association. The organization’s 2022 Work and Well-being Survey was conducted online by the Harris Poll among more than 2,000 working adults between April 22 and May 2. The survey also found that 71% believe their employer is more concerned about the mental health of employees now than before the pandemic, while 39% of employees have stated that their workplace environment has had a negative impact on their mental health.”

Linked: Addressing employee burnout: Are you solving the right problem?
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Linked: Addressing employee burnout: Are you solving the right problem?

ByMike McBride Reading Time: 1 minute

Kudos to McKinsey for the research, but really just for the first line of this paragraph:

“As an employer, you can’t “yoga” your way out of these challenges. Employers who try to improve burnout without addressing toxic behavior are likely to fail. Our survey shows that improving all other organization factors assessed (without addressing toxic behavior) does not meaningfully improve reported levels of burnout symptoms. Yet, when toxic behavior levels are low, each additional intervention contributes to reducing negative outcomes and increasing positive ones.”

Linked: How to Survive Constant Change at Work
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Linked: How to Survive Constant Change at Work

ByMike McBride Reading Time: 2 minutes

The interesting thing to think about is not just in regards to your own managers. This extends out to clients, partners, customers, etc. When they are allowed to constantly shift the goalposts and your response to your employees on the front lines of those relationships is “eh, you know how they are”, consider the fact that you are not keeping them safe. It’s not just an irritation, it’s creating an environment that is not psychologically safe for them. It is doing harm.

This gets old, and as the quote above says, it contributes to a loss of trust and cynicism. It might also lead to a ton of burnout too.