Author: collaborativity

Originally published in the Globe & Mail August 19, 2022

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/careers/management/article-lessons-in-trust-empowerment-and-innovation-after-a-preventable-90/

Air travel this summer is not for the faint of heart. Between sky-high airfares, delays, cancellations and lost baggage, many travellers are experiencing moderate annoyances to significant disruptions as they try to get back to some semblance of prepandemic leisure after two and a half years being grounded.

While some of the root causes are out of humans’ control (such as severe weather), and some will take time to resolve (such as staffing shortages), it is important that airlines address issues that are in their control, swiftly, to start rebuilding trust and loyalty among travellers. There is a lot to be learned from the airline industry’s front lines about the connection among customer (and employee) needs, employee trust and empowerment, innovation and loyalty.

A quick story as an example: On a recent flight home, upon boarding, it was clear to ground staff there would be a weight balancing issue. As we approached the jet bridge, the gate agent attempted to convince passengers to check their bags “for free” to their final destination, warning that if not enough bags were checked, the flight would be cancelled. After an hour already delayed, and with no confidence that baggage would actually make it to our destination if checked, passengers were eager to board, with carry-on luggage, as entitled with our ticket purchase.

A game of chicken ensued – everyone boarded, majority with carry-ons, expecting to call the agent’s bluff that the flight would be cancelled. Once we were all boarded, and all bags were safely stowed in overhead bins, the flight attendant made an announcement that we would need fourteen bags offloaded and checked or we would not take off. This was a safety issue. Stalemate.

We sat on the runway for an hour, no one willing to part with their bag. The flight attendants and ground crew then went through the cabin, randomly selecting bags, each one angering the passengers to whom they belonged, each with a reason why they couldn’t part with them, including running late for a parent’s funeral. At which point, an empathetic passenger turned in his bag, and one by one we got to fourteen. An hour-and-a-half delay was fully preventable, leaving many passengers irate and contemplating switching to a different carrier.

What I observed in these 90 minutes has relevant application for our organizations across industries:

1. Design incentives with customer (or employee) needs at the core: In the current environment, offering to check bags free of charge is akin to offering an ‘extra curricular’ project to a maxed-out employee, without providing reward or relief. The customer does not value this incentive, because they are fed up and do not trust that their bags will make it to the destination, which would cost them time and money. When designing a customer or employee value proposition, it is important to put the customer or employee at the centre, really understand their needs and provide engaging offerings that motivate action (for example in this customer case, handing over a bag, in the employee case, doing great work for the organization).
2. Want innovation without employee empowerment? Good luck. Innovation happens when people closest to customer needs are trusted and empowered to make suggestions, decisions and change. When I noticed we weren’t getting anywhere with the proposed free baggage check offer, I suggested to the flight attendant that they offer an incentive (for example, a monetary reward or future upgrade) for passengers who check their bags. Even though this idea was derived from a typical airline practice of incentivizing passengers to give up their seats, she looked at me like I had nine heads. “Not my job, we are order takers” is essentially what she said, even after I recommended she escalate to the person whose job it was to make these types of decisions. If we think about this scenario happening over and over in airplanes and other businesses across industries, think about how much could be solved, and how much time and money could be saved, if those closest to problems were actually trusted and empowered to solve them.
3. Customers (and employees) are loyal when they feel heard. The more transparent and timely companies are in responding to customer and employee concerns, and their plan to address them, the more customers and employees will give them the benefit of the doubt (note: a recent telecom example also comes to mind with regards to what NOT to do). When the voices of the customer and employee are ignored, people come to their own conclusions and take their business or talents elsewhere.

Safe travels to all this summer.

Originally published in the Globe & Mail July 8, 2022

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/careers/management/article-hybrid-model-work-office-remote/

Is your team working in a hybrid model, where some time is spent in the office and some time is spent remote, and you don’t know where to go from here? Whether your organization is leaving the schedule up to individual preference or mandating fixed days in the office, leaders and employees want guidance on how to be successful in this new way of working.

There are differing views on how many days are optimal in the office versus remote. Stanford professor Nick Bloom published research indicating that the percentage of days worked from home is converging at 30 per cent, and that the large majority of employees are complying with their employer’s planned working arrangements. However, mandating a fixed number or specific days in the office risks employee disengagement and frustration if they come to the office only to sit on video meetings all day.

Another way to think about it is which activities are best suited in-office versus remote. And “activities” are not confined to tactical work tasks, they also include less-tangible ones like apprenticeship, relationship building and serendipitous collisions. Here are some steps that guide how I approach hybrid working, both now as an entrepreneur and in my prior role as a leader at an organization that migrated to hybrid working in 2010:

1. Plan in-office and WFH days: I scan my calendar each Friday for 2-4 weeks out and look for patterns – do I have certain days that are heavy on collaboration / social / sensitive meetings that would be better suited in-person? Depending on how many, I try to cluster them on one to three days. I then ask myself whether there are meetings or activities that are better suited remote (for example, meetings with people from other offices / time zones, prep time or writing time)? I try to move these to another day.

2. Optimize in-office days: When I am in the office, I choose a visible space and encourage open-floor dialogue to maximize face-to-face time. I schedule one-on-one meetings with colleagues I want to catch up with in person, and periodically full team meetings or events so that I have an anchor or pull to the office for the entire team. I always communicate “why” I think we should all be in the office for a particular activity or day. Note – the cadence of full-team in-person days largely depends on the type of work we do.

3. Communicate with my team(s) and / or clients – People are not mind readers – don’t assume that because you think a meeting or activity should be in person, everyone else does. I also clearly indicate where I am each day in my calendar and messaging apps. For example, if I am a part of multiple / cross-functional teams, and all have regular in-person meetings on different days, I rotate and communicate my in-person attendance, depending on my role in the meeting (observer, presenter, decision maker).

A few additional considerations:

1. Assume positive intent and trust your team (and your leader): Regardless of how prescriptive your organization’s hybrid model is (from “everyone makes their own decisions” to “everyone in the office Mondays and Thursdays”), most people don’t want to be rule enforcers: trust is the foundational element for success. However, it is also fair to assume that not everyone (particularly more junior team members or newly formed teams) have enough of a sense of what they’re missing in terms of in-office nuance. You may need to be more prescriptive at first (and provide the “why”), while you are building new team habits.

2. Be clear about exceptions: Life happens. As always, there will be exceptions to established organizational and team norms – it’s important to acknowledge this and, at an organization-wide and team-level, make the exception process simple and clear.

3. As a meeting owner, set clear expectations: If you are scheduling an in-person meeting, be clear (in the subject heading or otherwise) that this is the expectation. For example, don’t include a Teams / Zoom link in the invite. This will put the onus on the attendees to ask for an exception by requesting a link if they can’t make it in person. Also, give people as much advanced notice as possible for in-person meetings so they can plan accordingly.

It is also important to use common sense. Especially in organizations that are less prescriptive, both as a leader and as an accountable team member, there is a reasonability check that needs to take place: “when was the last time I saw my leader / team member face-to-face?” While there is no one right answer, if the answer is “I don’t remember” or “seems like forever,” it may be good to schedule some coordinated face-to-face time, for general good team hygiene and human energy exchange. Everyone should feel empowered to suggest coordinated face-to-face time, not just team leaders.

Originally published in the Globe & Mail June 10, 2022

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/careers/management/article-with-economic-headwinds-layoffs-may-be-coming-what-leaders-can-do-to/

Naomi Titleman Colla is founder of Collaborativity Inc., a Toronto-based consultancy focused on driving progressive talent strategy in this new world of work. She is also a co-founder of Future foHRward.

At last month’s Economic Outlook panel in Davos, a widely expected global recession was top of mind. As we continue to see volatility and uncertainty in our economic environment, many companies are grappling with what to do about their workforces. Despite it currently being a tight labour market, layoffs may be inevitable at some companies, compounding the pain felt through the pandemic through the loss of talent.

While layoffs are never easy, there are things leaders can do to make them less painful for all:

1. Check your bias: be careful not to disproportionately lay off remote workers – In a recent New York Post article, Brian Kropp, chief of human resources research at the consulting firm Gartner, said that managers believe employees who work remotely are lower performers than those who come into the office, and will on average be more likely to lay off remote workers. He also pointed out a gender discrepancy. “Women work from home more frequently than men, “ he said, and “if companies axe employees based on whether employees work in-person, they therefore risk ending up with a male-dominated work force.” This is of course especially concerning on the back of the pandemic-induced “she-cession,” in which women have stepped back from their careers to take on a disproportionate amount of home responsibilities during periods of lockdown and home schooling. If workers have been hired as fully remote or have otherwise been granted the flexibility to work in this way, they should not be negatively affected as a result. Cutting corners by cutting remote workers first is a sure way to inadvertently let go of great talent. The answer shouldn’t be to get everyone back in the office, either. Instead, organizations should have clear guidelines to set up remote workers for success. This includes transparent communications detailing individual and leader responsibilities to ensure they aren’t “out of sight, out of mind,” as Mr. Kopp suggests. Leaders then need to clearly prioritize for their teams, regularly communicate performance expectations and assess progress, and in the unfortunate scenario of layoffs, use objective criteria.
2. Pro-actively help people find a new gig – When preparing for layoffs, take time to have career conversations with those who are affected. You may discover employees who have hidden skills that would be useful in other areas of the business, which is a great opportunity to redeploy talent within the organization. In cases where that can’t be done, being transparent about layoffs can help workers find new positions elsewhere. For example, website Layoffs.FYI lists tech companies (and in some cases employee names) affected by layoffs since the start of the pandemic. While many of the companies listed are U.S.-based, companies that can accommodate workers based anywhere will be able to access broader talent pools. And thanks to social media like LinkedIn, employees and leaders can quickly communicate at scale that they are either open for hire or that they endorse those who are. I’ve seen great examples of leaders vouching for affected employees through posts on LinkedIn. Conversely, leaders looking to hire talent have also used this channel to offer interviews to workers who have been laid off.
3. Tap into your human-centred leadership – human-centred leadership, simply put, is focusing on the people so they can take care of the business. On the flip side, business-centred leadership focuses first on financial metrics, and then on how people can help achieve them. Finding equilibrium between business-centred and human-centred leadership in tough situations like layoffs is a delicate balance. While layoffs are business-driven imperatives, leaning into human-centred leadership principles can make or break how people feel, react, and talk about your company on the way out. It is of course important to communicate the business reasons for the layoff, but it is equally important to treat people with respect, dignity and compassion through the process. Also pay attention to those remaining – survivors’ guilt can lead to disengagement and voluntary attrition, especially if they feel they are left with an unfair workload to bear.

As we face economic headwinds, many leaders will conduct layoffs for the first time in their career and most will be conducting them for the first time in a hybrid or fully remote setting. Supporting leaders with the tools and skills they need to lead through these challenging times in a human-centred way will mitigate bias and enable those who are affected to leave with dignity.

Originally published in the Globe & Mail May 13, 2022

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/careers/management/article-is-thinking-in-extremes-getting-in-the-way-of-hybrid-work-working/

3+2, 4+1, 2+3. In today’s business context, these are not simple math equations but rather the way companies are trying to build consistency for their employees in their hybrid working models.
The figures represent the number of days employees are expected to be in the office versus not. According to Nick Bloom, Stanford Economics professor and co-founder of wfhresearch.com, the optimal mix may be 3+2 … or maybe 2+3, and he believes the arrangement will last, “in part because of technological advances improving the hybrid work-from-home experience.”
Laszlo Bock, former CHRO of Google and founder of Humu, concurs with the 3+2 balance; however, Bock predicts hybrid won’t last more than three to five years, because of various reasons including “bosses wanting people back in the office” and “a lopsided system for employee evaluations.”




But does the ratio of office-to-home days actually matter? Does it need to be uniform and set in stone? Indeed, many organizations are still stuck at the point of figuring out whether hybrid working is a viable option at all.


Part of the challenge is people think in extremes when they are uncomfortable with the unknown. Hybrid working, by definition, is a blend of in-office and remote work. This means employees will be in the office, but not necessarily full-time – which is subject to interpretation and therefore fills leaders with uncertainty and fear that their people will never be in the office.
In a hybrid model – different from a remote-first or fully remote model – it is fair to expect employees can get to their workplace within reasonable commuting time, unless they have an explicit arrangement otherwise. Therefore, we need to trust and empower employees to show up when they need and/or want to – when it’s the better choice for themselves and/or their team and/or their client, whether it’s for social, productivity or collaboration reasons. This will take time to normalize, and people will occasionally make the wrong decision, but it’s important we keep the lines of communication open to learn from mistakes and course-correct quickly.


Several financial services companies were first out the gate declaring that hybrid working wasn’t for them. For example, JP Morgan’s chief executive officer, Jamie Dimon, was quoted saying, “Working from home doesn’t work for people who want to hustle, doesn’t work for culture, doesn’t work for idea generation.” But some, including Mr. Dimon, seem to have had a recent change of heart. Last month, it was announced that JP Morgan would allow most workers to work remotely at least part of the time. Whether this decision was based on a true change in belief or because of fear of attrition (anticipated or real), employees have spoken and it’s clear that if their employer doesn’t offer flexibility, they will find one that does.




There have been some arguments against hybrid working that we need to address and manage as leaders as we embark on this next chapter.
 A few to consider:


“If they’re not in front of me, they’re obviously not working as hard.” Leaders need to focus on being clear about goals, including timelines and driving desired outcomes. I always say, if someone is shopping online or streaming Netflix instead of working, I would rather they do that at home than in an open floor plan for all to see. If they don’t deliver, it’s a performance conversation, not a location one.


“We can’t preserve our culture if we are in a hybrid or remote working model.” The truth is, culture must evolve to be relevant. It is not the physical structure of an office building that matters most, it’s the values and relationships that have been built in its four walls and outside of them. An organization’s culture remains deeply rooted within us and our work practices – it just evolves as we move along our journey. Companies that didn’t already deliberately manage their culture, aligned with their purpose, will need to do some soul-searching to ensure they build the culture they want and need to be successful in this next chapter.




“If I don’t assign set days in the office no one will show up.” There may be days where leaders wonder where everyone is, but giving people a reason to be in the office (and not just free lunch) is the work. Creating pull to the office, a “want to” as opposed to a “have to,” is more sustainable in the long run than having fixed mandated in-office days. People are craving in-person interaction – but they are also looking for signals from leaders regarding when and for what (hint: not for more Zoom calls).


At the end of the day, a hybrid model will not be successful without strong leadership buy-in and role modelling. Like Mr. Bock said in a recent LinkedIn post, ” 3+2 schedule maximizes happiness and productivity, but only if companies and managers are willing to do the work needed to make it successful. Most don’t know how.” Let’s support leaders in developing new capabilities, instead of mandating everyone back to the office because leaders don’t yet know how to lead in this way.

Originally published in the Globe & Mail April 13, 2022

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/careers/management/article-want-to-make-human-centred-business-decisions-use-design-thinking/

In the rapidly evolving world of work, there’s constant pressure on organizations, leaders and individuals to get more done with less.

Teams that are under time constraints or facing looming deadlines sometimes adopt solutions with inherent biases or that lack creativity. While innovation is often a stated objective, these pressures can cut into the spaces that are necessary to spark creativity and generate new ideas.

How can workplaces know where innovation is called for without taking the time to understand customer needs? How can leadership do better for their staff if they don’t truly listen?

Design thinking is a human-centred approach to innovation and problem solving. “It encourages organizations to focus on the people they’re creating for, which leads to better products, services, and internal processes,” the global design firm IDEO says.

You don’t have to understand the full technical framework and process to apply the key principles of design thinking in day-to-day business decisions and people leadership. Adopting a human-centred approach at work can help generate more – and often better – solutions for customers and staff.

Inspired by the process used by IDEO, here’s the process to implement design thinking:

• Identify the challenge: Teams often stumble right off the blocks because they don’t agree on the problem they are trying to solve. To avoid wasting time and resources, make sure all team members understand the challenge from the outset.
• Gather inspiration: Avoid creator’s bias by gathering a wide range of ideas and insights to understand the end-user. Use surveys and other tools to research your audience. To ensure you’re considering enough viewpoints and mitigating blind spots, think about the extremes in your population.
• Generate ideas: Team members should be encouraged to build on each other’s ideas. If your team is remote (or a hybrid of virtual and in the office) or in different time zones, try using an online collaboration tool such as Miro or Mural to be inclusive and avoid groupthink. After ideas are generated, meet as a team to create – and agree on – a short list of solutions to explore in more depth. A work culture where all members are comfortable speaking up promotes inclusion and team well-being, in addition to better business solutions.
• Make ideas tangible: With ideas in hand, encourage team members to have fun using their imagination to design solutions with the user’s needs front and centre.
• Test to learn: This might feel unnatural in organizations where teams are accustomed to waiting for perfection before releasing a solution. However, testing and learning or “failing forward” by constantly incorporating user feedback, builds the agility required for innovation.
• Share the story: Even the best solutions fall flat without a thoughtful communication plan. Get buy-in and adoption for your ideas by sharing the why behind decisions, including user feedback. Overcommunication is a must: Do not assume you’ve reached the hearts and minds of users with one corporate memo.

A Design Thinking approach can also apply in day-to-day people leadership. For example, understanding the needs of individual team members ensures you can support them with personalized and relevant resources.

Gathering inspiration from a variety of sources enables us to tailor our leadership style to the unique individual needs of our team members. Asking for and acting on feedback – after meetings, throughout difficult projects – is a great way to develop vulnerability, a key leadership capability.

This type of human-centred approach to business and people leadership fosters a more inclusive, inspiring culture, essential to both innovation and organizational well-being.

Naomi Titleman Colla is founder of Collaborativity Inc., a Toronto-based consultancy focused on driving progressive talent strategy in this new world of work. She is also a co-founder of Future foHRward, a Josh Bersin Academy partner.

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Originally published in the Globe & Mail September 27th, 2021
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/careers/management/article-is-conflating-the-return-to-offices-with-hybrid-working-creating/

As more and more companies firm up vaccination policies and children return to school, so too are many employees returning to offices. In what capacity colleagues are returning varies significantly based on two factors. The first is return-to-office (RTO) policies – the requirements to be granted entry, which can include vaccination, testing, attestations and masking. The second is the degree to which companies are implementing hybrid working models that include a blend of in-office and remote work. While these two factors are very much intertwined, we must not conflate them.

Even as we take into consideration some of the work practices we have tested over the course of the pandemic – particularly, the notion that work can be done productively from home – we must be cognizant that we are still living through a pandemic and there are factors at play that prevent putting an ideal hybrid model into effect.

It appears that many are struggling to imagine today’s return to office as distinct from a future hybrid model in which we are not as constrained by health and safety concerns. As a result, guidelines are being launched too soon, with arbitrary dates (some U.S. banks pushing back their highly-publicized September RTO dates to October, or later) and employee reactions are biased by pandemic-induced emotions (“How can I go to the office 60 per cent of the time if I don’t feel comfortable taking public transportation?”).

While many companies are planning to implement a hybrid model, we must take into consideration that certain guidelines, such as requiring that a predetermined amount of time or certain activities must be conducted in the office, may not be fully achievable until the real threat of the virus is behind us. So what do we do in the meantime?

Recognize variability in employee-comfort levels: Having an option to go into an office is a huge step forward on the freedom scale. And yet, many employees may not feel comfortable in doing so. Yes, new and evolving innovations like vaccines, rapid tests and space-reservation systems have enabled the implementation of more robust RTO policies. And good news from Pfizer/BioNTech this week gives parents some hope that our kids will also have the opportunity to be vaccinated soon – but we still need to respect that not everyone has the same comfort levels or reasons to return to the office. We need to be empathetic and mindful of inclusion, especially as we start to see a mix of in-office and remote working.

Have a plan, with room for exceptions: Given the variability in pandemic waves taking place across the globe, we are not yet able to adopt an ideal hybrid model for “normal” times – but will we ever be? Perhaps the key to success is allowing for the maximum amount of flexibility to optimize work by empowering people to work from where and when they are most productive, not just during normal times, but also during the current and any future “black swan” events.

This is achieved through some overarching “business as usual” guiding principles, allowing for exceptions based on individual, team, organization or global circumstances. For example, guiding principles for an ideal hybrid model in normal times can be launched now, with the caveat that we are still operating under an exception due to global circumstance. While timing as to when the exception will be lifted is still unknown, this distinction helps differentiate between the current pandemic situation and a “business as usual” hybrid model.

Be the tortoise, not the hare: Organizations that have been too quick to pull the trigger on mandating a full return to office have been faced with mismanaged expectations and a lot of internal friction. Creating arbitrary timelines and trying to control an outcome that cannot be controlled causes anxiety and erodes trust. We often think about the word “lead” as having to be the quickest, the first to come up with a definitive solution – but this is not always the case. In many ways leading during these times hasn’t been about being quick or having complete conviction, but more about constant communication, adapting to a situation and actually admitting that we don’t have a quick or perfect solution.

As RTO plans start to unfold, it is important to be ambitious and deliberate about your ideal working model – it will have implications on your culture and talent strategy. However, it is equally important to remind colleagues that we are not quite “there” yet, that we are still operating under exceptional circumstances. Constant communication is the key to building trust and mitigating disruption as we continue to navigate these uncertain times.

Naomi Titleman Colla is founder of Collaborativity Inc., a Toronto-based consultancy focused on driving progressive talent strategy in this new world of work. She is also a co-founder of Future FoHRward, a Josh Bersin Academy partner.

Originally published in the Globe & Mail September 11th, 2021
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/careers/management/article-on-the-20th-anniversary-of-911-looking-back-on-some-life-and-career/

I will never forget the beauty of the morning. The sky was clear blue, and the temperature was warm for September. I was one year into my post-university adventure at a Big 5 firm in New York City. On a typical day, I would have put up with the sweltering commute, trudging with hundreds of thousands of others, exiting the subway tunnels through the World Trade Center to get to my desk before 9 a.m. – but something told me to pay the extra fare and treat myself to the luxury of the air-conditioned bus that day, a decision that perhaps saved my life.

At 8:46 a.m., the bus driver asked us to disembark, having not quite yet reached my destination at 1 World Financial Centre: It looked like there was a serious incident at the neighbouring World Trade Center. While I looked up at the smoke and flames, horrified by what I thought was a terrible accident, I was somewhat annoyed that I had to walk an extra couple of blocks to get to my office. The next few minutes changed my life forever – the second plane struck the World Trade Center at 9:03, and I, like so many others, ran. I didn’t know where we were running – I remember feeling intense heat and the sense that we were running away from a colossal fireball. Miraculously, I was able to hail a cab with two other bus passengers – and asked the taxi driver to take us as far away from the scene as possible.

In a world before social media and wifi, television and spotty phones were our only source of information and communication. As the news broadcasts began, my mother reached me on my newly purchased cellphone before the telecom grid went dark. I was fine.

The next few days were filled with angst – as we dialled daily into our company’s disaster recovery hotline, we were acutely aware of who wasn’t on the line. After a few seemingly endless days, all of my immediate colleagues were accounted for. As we know, thousands of others were not as fortunate. The following week would have marked the kickoff to the annual review my team and I usually conducted at Cantor Fitzgerald, one of the companies experiencing the most human loss at the World Trade Center.

After what seemed like months but was likely only a few days, the city rallied. People were kind and compassionate, having experienced collective hardship – and, for many, unthinkable loss. We cautiously started gathering at local establishments, toasting and commemorating first responders, supporting local businesses and celebrating our privilege of life.

On this twentieth anniversary of 9/11, I reflect on some lessons that have guided me through my career journey:

1. You only live once. After going through such a traumatic experience, many of us went through a time of reflection, realizing that life is too short to be in a job or career that does not fulfill us. One of my colleagues left a big corporate gig to become a pastry chef, another an ER doctor, and yet another a teacher out west. It was a time to pause and reflect on the impact we wanted to have and the legacy we wanted to leave, while charting a path that would get us there.

2. Great leadership emerges in times of crisis. As a young leader in a post-9/11 world, I felt incredibly ill-equipped to lead my team through such uncertain and volatile times. I was heavily influenced by my own leaders, who demonstrated a balance of confidence and vulnerability. Only recently did I discover that those individuals did not behave this way by chance – they were following the lead of the senior-most leaders in our firm, who operated with a sense of calm; and, through it all, perspective. Perspective was the key to unlocking swift and rational decision-making that was needed in this very emotional time.

3. True urgency bonds people together. Teams, no matter how well-formed prior to the crisis, emerged stronger post-9/11. We were forced to lean on one another, not only in getting back to business for our clients and firm, but also in support of one another as humans. The number-one priority quickly became the well-being of our teams. Therefore, it was critical to align the team to focus on driving impact, not on logging hours at all costs.

Finally, it was critically important not to lose sight of what mattered – and what needed to continue, not just in the weeks and months following the terrorist attacks, but indefinitely. Sure, in the weeks that followed, we put our most human leadership capabilities to the test – empathy, vulnerability and growth mindset were necessary for our collective survival. But those leaders who continued embracing and developing these skills set themselves apart and enabled healthier, more resilient organizations for the longer haul.

Personally, in retrospect, the experiences on and surrounding 9/11 were likely the most influential of my career: I developed a curiosity about and interest in the “people” side of the business, leading to a career shift from risk management to human capital. I learned the importance of perspective, of focusing on what is in our control (and letting go of what is not), and not to take for granted the people and opportunities that life affords us. Never forget.

Naomi Titleman Colla is founder of Collaborativity Inc., a Toronto-based consultancy focused on driving progressive talent strategy in this new world of work. She is also a co-founder of Future FoHRward, a Josh Bersin Academy partner.

Stay ahead in your career. We have a weekly Careers newsletter to give you guidance and tips on career management, leadership, business education and more. Sign up today.

Originally published in the Globe & Mail August 2nd, 2021
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/careers/management/article-as-the-covid-19-pandemic-recedes-heres-how-to-prep-for-a-hot-talent/

An impending resignation boom is on the horizon, with everything from “the great resignation” to “the big quit” to the “turnover tsunami” making headlines. Accordingly, companies are bracing for what could be a very active talent market in the coming months. According to a recent study conducted by Microsoft, 41 per cent of workers globally are considering leaving their jobs this year. This is not necessarily surprising given the pandemic-induced volatility over the past year (causing people to want to hold on to any sort of job “security” they have), the collective exhaustion caused by endless online meetings, and the inclination for humans to re-evaluate life goals after experiencing crisis.

Meanwhile, official Statistic Canada’s job figures still show plenty of volatility. Although the 230,700 jobs added last month beat economists’ expectations of 175,000 jobs, and reversed job cut figures from April and May, all the gains were in part-time employment. The number of full-time jobs remained down. With the supply and demand side of the employment equation restless and ready for change, now is a great time to re-evaluate your career aspirations. It might be time to consider entering the gig economy, raising your hand for a stretch assignment or even contemplate a career change.

Whether or not you are considering participating in this global game of career musical chairs, there are a few things you can do to prepare for it:

1. Practice good resume hygiene: Regardless of whether or not you are pro-actively seeking alternative employment, now is a great time to refresh your resume and online professional profile. This will not only ensure you are ready if that opportunity you can’t resist falls on your lap, but also is a good way to showcase some of the skills and capabilities acquired over the last year – particularly digital literacy and “human” leadership capabilities like growth mindset and empathy.
2. Reconnect with your network: Lost touch with important professional contacts over the past 18 months? It’s OK – many have been in a blur of “survive mode” and have de-prioritized networking. Given the recent and ongoing reopening across Canada, there is impetus to reconnect with mentors, sponsors and other professional contacts and to make them aware of your short and longer term aspirations.
3. Anticipate and take advantage of the inevitable change: With the amount of talent movement anticipated, even if you are not planning to change jobs in the near future, there will no doubt be opportunities (e.g., backfills, secondments, stretch assignments, internal gigs / special projects) you can raise your hand for, within your current job or company. Don’t forget – many employers are now offering location flexibility so you can cast a wider net for opportunities both within and outside of your current job, department and geography.

As for organizations and leaders, it is important to note that the upcoming war for talent will likely not be won through money, titles or job security – it’s all about the employee experience. Most organizations are grappling with their approach to hybrid work and work flexibility, though that’s just one piece of the employee experience. Prioritizing the holistic employee experience (EX), which is coined as a term to capture all that employees encounter in their tenure at an organization, not only attracts and retains top talent, but also drives key business outcomes. According to a recent study conducted by Josh Bersin Academy, companies leveraging the right EX practices are 2.2 times more likely to exceed financial targets, 2.4 times more likely to delight customers and 4.3 times more likely to innovate effectively. The top three of fifteen such practices which have a disproportionate impact on business, people and innovation outcomes were found to be:

1. Fostering a culture of integrity and helping others
2. Embedding mission and purpose as part of every activity
3. Inspiring trust in leaders to be ethical and operate with agility.

Ensuring that leaders, and the enterprise as a whole, focus on and internalize these practices helps to build trust in the organization, and thus higher engagement: This is the way to win the war for talent post-pandemic.

Naomi Titleman Colla is founder of Collaborativity Inc., a Toronto-based consultancy focused on driving progressive talent strategy in this new world of work. She is also a co-founder of Future FoHRward, a Josh Bersin Academy partner.

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Originally published in the Globe & Mail July 5th, 2021
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/careers/management/article-as-employees-begin-to-head-back-to-the-office-workplaces-can-help/

As cities around the globe progress through reopening phases, many workers are preparing to transition back to the office after many months of remote work. While some companies are already reopening their offices at varying capacities, many are offering their employees options for how often and how long they might be required to be at the workplace.

In fact, many companies are contemplating a hybrid model (a combination of in-office and work-from-home time) or fully remote model indefinitely, as part of their long-term talent strategy. As leaders and colleagues, it is important that we acknowledge the wide range of emotions that people may experience through this transitional time – from elation to relief to anxiety. These emotions will be triggered for different colleagues at different times and for different reasons. Some may feel uncomfortable getting into an elevator in proximity with others. Some may be eager to socialize and interact with others. Others might be anxious about fitting into their old work clothes, or could be keen to get some space from the roommates they’ve been sharing close quarters with for over a year. Many might experience a combination of all of the above.

The more we can tap into our emotional intelligence – which is the capacity to be aware of, control and express one’s emotions and to manage interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically – the more adept we can be at supporting our colleagues through their own emotional journeys. A few practices to consider:

1. Name our emotions: If we feel like we are being forced to do something against our will, emotions can quickly take over, impacting our engagement, productivity and overall well-being. Being honest with ourselves about (or even writing down) the emotions we are experiencing, and their real or perceived cause, can help identify what is holding us back and empower us to make decisions more deliberately, responding with our six mental faculties (reason, will, intuition, imagination, perception and memory) instead of reacting with emotion.
2. Tame our emotions: Getting practical and organized keeps us focused on small steps that are within our control and can help keep our emotions from getting the best of us.

As leaders:

1. Continue employee listening: A strategy to gather employee sentiment at regular intervals, and quickly take action based on that feedback, will be key to maintaining colleagues’ well-being and engagement, and minimizing business disruption through this transitional period and beyond.
2. Show vulnerability: As an example, in an e-mail sent to all employees, one of the executives I work with shared some of the things that tripped her up on her first day back in the office (dusty shoulders on suit jackets, misplaced jewellery, “hard pants” and social anxiety). She equated the apprehension to the feeling you get before a high school reunion. Communicating in this honest, relatable way undoubtedly alleviated some of the pressure felt by colleagues contemplating their own re-entry.
3. Help set priorities: Distractions abound, colleagues will be looking to leaders to help set priorities, including expectations regarding in-office versus remote work. At the onset, managers may need to be more prescriptive while new habits and norms are still forming.

As we have seen through the pandemic, tapping into leadership capabilities such as empathy, vulnerability, growth mindset and emotional intelligence will continue to be critical during this transitional period – and ongoing uncertain times. Continuing to develop and practice these principles under varying conditions will ingrain stronger human leadership in our organizations, better supporting colleagues to thrive.

Naomi Titleman Colla is founder of Collaborativity Inc., a Toronto-based consultancy focused on driving progressive talent strategy in this new world of work. She is also a co-founder of Future FoHRward, a Josh Bersin Academy partner.

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Originally published in the Globe & Mail June 7th, 2021
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/careers/management/article-find-a-safe-brave-space-that-will-help-you-flourish-post-pandemic/

As the pace of COVID-19 vaccination accelerates and the number of cases decline, many of us are seeing new glimmers of hope. The past 15 months have been a tough slog, personally and professionally – many have been laid off, furloughed, displaced or have opted out of the work force entirely to care for family or to recuperate from burnout.

Even for those whose jobs have not been directly affected, the burden of the pandemic has weighed heavily, In a piece in the New York Times in April, organizational psychologist Adam Grant referred to a collective feeling of “meh” or “languishing … a sense of stagnation and emptiness.”

While the pandemic is not over, as more companies and countries continue to reopen in various phases, it’s a great time to dust ourselves off and think about how we are going to get back in the saddle. As we’ve heard many times throughout the pandemic, the world of work we are returning to will not be what it was; so how can we return to something better – at both a company level, and an individual level? How can we move from languishing to flourishing, feeling more connected to who we are, gaining real clarity on what we want, and being deliberate about how our work will enable it?

The first step in the journey from languishing to flourishing may very well be getting to know ourselves better.

Greg Smith, a partner at management consultant Lighthouse Nine, explores self-discovery through the lens of searching for “safe brave spaces,” as his new book is titled. When we feel safe, we understand, trust and value ourselves; when we feel brave, we discover and activate our courage and voice. The combination of the two empowers us to maximize our own potential and help others to unlock theirs.

To discover our own safe brave spaces, Mr. Smith proposes the following phases:

1. Knowing: Asking ourselves What are my strengths? What are my values and passions? What is my unique way of working? What are my unique contributions?
2. Growing: Testing and learning from what we’ve discovered in phase 1 with a few people who will be honest and encouraging, to help move toward “brave” action planning.
3. Letting go: Acknowledging and unshackling ourselves from the patterns and responses that get in our way (often our inner critic or ego). For example, to free ourselves from the negative narrative in our minds, Mr. Smith suggests tactics such as singing that narrative to the tune of Happy Birthday, to bring consciousness to how silly or unfounded the negative narrative is; another is saying out loud “Thank you, not now” to dismiss the inner critic and own the space.
4. Showing up: Being true to who we are in order to confidently pursue what we want.

Mr. Smith suggests that starting from their own safe brave spaces, leaders of teams and organizations can begin to cultivate them for others, creating a psychologically safe environment where employees can thrive. He cautions that organizations that lean too safe (without enough “brave”) risk breeding “toxic positivity” where everything on the surface is great, but colleagues are not motivated to challenge the status quo. On the flip side, organizations that are too brave (without enough “safe”) risk becoming overbearing, overlooking the need for empathetic leadership, leaving colleagues feeling unheard and undernurtured. Great leaders recognize the need for both safe and brave and strive to bring them to life through their actions and in the environments they enable.

I encourage us all to think of this time as an opportunity for a reboot, individually and collectively. Self-reflection and being true to who we are can enable us to emerge from the hardships of the pandemic stronger, wiser, and ready to flourish.

Naomi Titleman Colla is founder of Collaborativity Inc., a Toronto-based consultancy focused on driving progressive talent strategy in this new world of work. She is also a co-founder of Future FoHRward, a Josh Bersin Academy partner.

Stay ahead in your career. We have a weekly Careers newsletter to give you guidance and tips on career management, leadership, business education and more. Sign up today.