What kind of leader do you want to be? Is it someone with an aura - mysterious and revered, yet distant and disconnected from your employees? Or is it someone respected and trusted, but intimately known by everyone at your company?

This latter, transparent approach is a must-have for today’s leaders. Some of the biggest and brightest figureheads are considered “transparent,” but the path to becoming this type of professional is complicated.

Even so, here is why transparency is key for the leaders in your organization:

Transparency Will Bring Your Team Together

Put yourself in the shoes of your employees. Would you want to be led by a person who is hard to reach and detached? In all likelihood, you wouldn’t feel very connected to this leader, which would make it harder to follow him or her, and feel satisfied in your job.

In an article for the Harvard Business Review, Dorie Clark argues that this is one reason why transparency is a must for leaders. Without transparency, it is much more challenging for employees to know their superiors, let alone like them and understand their points of view. This will make loyalty harder to achieve, and a lack of real relationships can negatively impact other areas of the business as well, from employee motivation and production to customer service.

Transparency Can Protect your Business

Transparency is a critical aspect of transformative leadership. Some organizations lead through a veil, using vagueness as a way to mitigate risk and ensure that outside problems have minimal effects on operations.

A similar end result can be achieved via transparency, but with additional benefits. Clark cites Paul Levy, the former CEO of Boston-based Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital, as an example. Levy used a personal blog to connect with his employees, colleagues, patients and their families. On the site, he wrote about the inner workings of the hospital, his personal life and the things that made him tick. As he garnered a following, the respect people had for him and his organization increased.

That made a big difference when a relationship Levy had with an employee became public knowledge. The damage to his reputation and the hospital was muted thanks to the transparent approach he had taken during his nine-year tenure.

Transparent Leaders are Alive and Well

Transparency can be difficult for today’s leaders. It requires openness, effective communication skills, and confidence. Even with the challenges, there are many premier leaders using transparency to excel.

In an article for Forbes, contributor John Hall outlines several leaders who embrace the idea of transparency. Here are three leaders that set positive examples in their professions:

1. Tony Hsieh - Zappos
   Online retailer Zappos is a model of transparency, thanks to leader Tony Hsieh. He has been known to share employee communications on social media. For example, Hsieh tweeted out emails about facility operations, pulling back the curtain for customers to get a closer look at how Zappos works.


2. Andy Levine - Development Counselors
   Development Counsellors’ Andy Levine got creative with transparency. The organization created a way to share its financial outlook with every employee. Called “The Game,” this platform declares a “win” once a certain profit is achieved, and then portions of those earnings are shared with each worker.


3. Rand Fishkin - SEOmoz
   Rand Fishkin, of SEOmoz, uses transparency as a way to connect with customers and employees. He will gladly post his own performance review for all to see, plus he will even share funding decks with the public. Overall, Fishkin’s strategy is to let people see the ups and downs of the company, no matter what.

These are but three of the most transparent leaders today. This approach may not feel right for everybody, but it is important to use transparency as a strategy to build trust, improve communication and stand apart from the crowd.

A growing trend in today’s learning industry is the concept of “social learning,” or the idea that effective learning can take place in a more communal, collaborative environment. What better way to achieve that other than using internal social networking programs?

Couple the idea of social learning with CLOs’ appreciation of new technology and trends, and it is easy to see why the growth of social media will directly impact employee education, effective communication skills and the learning industry as a whole.

Networking Can Complete the Picture

In an article for Chief Learning Officer magazine, Susan Distasio and Donna Lord posited that enterprise social networking (ESN) holds great opportunities for employee learning, because these websites serve as a complete learning portal.

For example, since much of the on-the-job learning process takes place in an informal setting, the relaxed nature of social media is a complementary addition. It’s also valuable for training that occurs in a group setting, because employees can share ideas, ask questions, and offer feedback via ESN at a later time.

Best of all, CLOs and their organizations can tune into these online conversations and gain knowledge of the educational experience. Leveraging this data will help develop more efficient, effective training methods in the future.

Networking Can Lead to ROI

While there are plenty of benefits to social networking - especially from a learning perspective - CLOs must be aware of the potential pitfalls as well.

In a separate article for CLO magazine, Distasio and Lord explained that the rise of networking means dealing with the risks. Organizations must take a new approach to ensure employees are safe online while receiving the benefits of this strategy. That can be achieved via employer-to-worker communication, technology training, and planning.

For starters, employers need to discuss the implementation of ESN closely with their staff members. This will help facilitate the rollout of new programs and prevent problems from forming. Social networking will also be approached differently depending on the department. How sales use these resources will be unique compared to marketing, for example. Outline each strategy and communicate that with each team.

Above all else, remember the value of enterprise social networks - you can provide employees a hands-on learning solution all while addressing your corporate confidentiality and privacy needs.

Project managers can set themselves up for failure by not properly planning for risk. Overly optimistic proposals run over budget, past deadlines and through resources if there isn’t a comprehensive plan for mitigating and responding to expected risk.

John Juzbasich, D.Ed., a risk management expert who has taught courses both in the U.S. and internationally, says that too many project managers underestimate risk because they don’t think about what can go wrong at each step. They don’t recognize the variety, number or prevalence of risk.

For example, Juzbasich recalls an exceptional project leader in one of his courses. This woman, who had an M.D. and Ph.D. worked in the pharmaceutical industry and was in charge of a project with 50 steps. Juzbasich told her that even if she was 99 percent effective at completing the earliest steps, she would have an increasingly higher risk of failure with each ensuing one. With so many balls in the air and so many more potential risks, her effectiveness would decrease. In fact, after completing all 50 steps, her effectiveness had dropped to about 60 percent.

Why Risk Management Training is Important

To be successful in the face of numerous unknown and unpredictable risks, project leaders need to plan for emergencies and unexpected disruptions within their budgets and timelines. Juzbasich explains that there are a variety of techniques and methods that project leaders can use for risk management.

For example, the fishbone—or Ishikawa—diagram helps determine risk by analyzing a problem and pinpointing possible causes. Breaking each possible problem down to its most preventable and actionable sources, the diagram can be used for dealing with current challenges or discovering potential causes of a feared issue.

Juzbasich also uses scenario planning, the Socratic method and seven other techniques for teaching risk management. Although these techniques are familiar to most project leaders, Juzbasich finds that few people actually employ them or fully understand how they can be beneficial. So, he only spends part of the first day of his course explaining the techniques. The rest of the time is used for putting these techniques into practice.

Real World Applications

The purpose of Juzbasich’s course isn’t to learn the techniques—it’s to practice them for future real-world use on actual projects. Risk management techniques are useless if project leaders aren’t able to take them to their team or upper management and present a solution.

Juzbasich points to an example from one of his courses: The class broke into small groups and each worked on one class attendee’s actual project issue. From there, the entire class tackled this issue and employed Juzbasich’s techniques to find solutions. That group member then took the information to her upper management. Her superiors adopted the solution, saving the large project and benefiting her company.

“What we had done during class, and as a team, worked on her situation. She was then immediately able to apply it to a work environment,” Juzbasich explains. “It isn’t theoretical at all. It’s truly hands-on learning. It benefited the overall company as well as her team because of the work we did that day. It was cool to make a difference in one day. That told me we were doing something right.”

Coordinating virtual instructor-led training courses can be challenging when participants are literally signing in from around the world. Timing and coordination are hurdles, but one of the most common barriers to learning is simple communication.

According to Jim Spaulding, Ed.D., technical instructor at Merit Career Development, managers can make training come alive through calculated decisions. With international employees, trainers can facilitate connections and communication through personal experiences, stories and insight.

Bringing Classmates Together

The immediate benefit of virtual training is obvious: global reach. But that geographic range necessitates fluid communication for effective learning. Conversation is much more than just discussing ideas among peers. By talking with one another, participants create meaning out of the information being presented and can glean valuable conclusions from the data.

Additionally, Spaulding recommends that instructors encourage sharing pertinent personal stories and insights throughout the lesson. Integrating participants’ perspectives as much as possible can help form connections between students, which can lead to deeper and more practical discussions. Generally speaking, when learning is couched in stories, participants learn better. Even digressing into interesting off-topic conversations can tie the class together and allow participants to be more engaged.

Making real connections in online international training environments can make the difference between wasted resources or effective learning that translates back to the workplace and creates viable business solutions.

Review a course list or contact Merit today for more information.

A communication plan is an essential tool for project managers to plan for resources, establish deadlines and reduce the likelihood of costly surprises. Project managers can use communication plans to create goals, set expectations, allow room for criticism and enable a dialogue for all stakeholders.

Although communication plans are important, not all project management training focuses enough on the critical skill of creating a reliable plan. Improve your effective communication skills and follow these three tips next time you develop a plan for a major project.

1. Identify All Stakeholders and Their Influence Levels

When you establish a communication plan, the first step is to assemble your stakeholder team and assess what members’ roles will be and how they can be most effective. Because stakeholder teams are made up of people from various departments or even separate companies, there are numerous barriers to communication. An effective plan removes these barriers, establishing clear lines for discussion among project members.

In order to make more effective use of time and resources, analyze the influence level of each stakeholder and plan accordingly. For example, a meeting without a decision maker present may end up wasting resources and the time of those who attend. Conversely, meetings should not be set for high-level stakeholders when only minor details are discussed and their presence is unnecessary.

2. Select an Appropriate Method of Communication for All Stakeholders

A common cause of miscommunication is the multiple channels used in today’s workplace. Business communication can take place via email, over the phone, through texts or on video chats. When you create your plan, set a clear mode of communication so that no records are lost and key stakeholders aren’t left out of conversations. Video chats are often the best for keeping remote stakeholders engaged with the rest of the team, but email can help by providing a clear record. Help your team decide on the modes that work best for them.

3. Establish the Frequency and Level of Detail

A communication plan should plainly and unequivocally lay out the times and dates that members are expected to meet, talk or present data. Meetings held too often may lead to reduced attendance, while meetings held too infrequently may create gaps in communication and loss of productivity.

The level of detail required for each should be established beforehand, so that everyone is on the same page and prepared, leading to less wasted time. Regis College also points out that communication plans that improve productivity also contribute to lower resource costs because work is more efficient.

When project managers are focused on approaching deadlines and meeting specific goals, it can be easy for team creativity to take a back seat. But allowing room for creativity can result in numerous benefits for the project, like innovative problem-solving techniques, better ideas for the client, or managerial skills that can aid the project manager in completing the project.

As a project manager, it’s your role to balance the time it takes to foster creative thinking to get the optimal results without delaying your timeline. Here are a few tips for encouraging creative thought without wasting time and resources.

Eliminate Common Reasons for Lack of Innovation

Innovation is vital to all businesses. Leaders often adopt the technological and creative innovations from industry leaders or consultants but hesitate to encourage real creativity and innovation in their own organizations. Employees can be restricted in their creative abilities by the culture of an organization, rules and regulations, or their role expectations.

As Chief Learning Officer Magazine explains, many leaders who appreciate innovation may still accidentally suffocate creativity in their own business. The magazine points to a few of the most common ways that businesses unknowingly stifle innovation.

• Don’t think about the “big idea” – Because too many leaders are looking for the next “big idea,” they miss the numerous small ideas that can offer a better competitive advantage than one big one. Other businesses copy big ideas quickly, but small innovations can make a significant impact on a daily basis.
• Focus on creativity, not control – Too many businesses are focused on control and approval, which can limit employees working on fringe ideas that could advance the company. Siloing employees in different departments and restricting budgets can hurt the kinds of small cooperation that encourage new ideas. CLO suggests removing some bureaucratic restrictions to allow for more idea-driven work.
• Don’t limit who can be creative – By assigning only some employees creative tasks, you may get some creativity, but you’re missing out on all of the other employees’ ideas. A widespread culture of creativity can be far more successful.

Instill Creative Discipline

The way to innovation isn’t through letting team members sit around all day thinking. Fruitful creativity requires just as much effort as meeting deadlines. In his book “Creative, Efficient, and Effective Project Management,” Ralph Kliem explains that people frequently underestimate the importance of discipline in creativity. Kliem points out that creativity must be expressed sparingly to keep ideas fresh, and thoughts must be fleshed out so that they’re understandable and logical to others.

As a project manager, strive to create a structured and disciplined routine that fosters creativity within the boundaries of a schedule. Build it into your communication plans and meeting schedules.

Foster Curiosity

Curiosity is often the beginning of innovation. Tomas Chamorro-Premmuzic, Professor of Business Psychology at University College London explains in a Harvard Business Review article that the curiosity quotient (CQ) can be as important as the intelligence quotient when it comes to complex situations. People with higher CQs are able to take a more nuanced approach to ideas and problems, and are much more invested in learning. Helping a team member explore this curiosity can lead to different viewpoints, creative ideas, and a true investment in the project.

With today’s advanced communication tools it’s easier and less expensive than ever for people from different cultures to communicate with one another.

Although business professionals across the globe converse face-to-face or screen-to-screen, it doesn’t mean that their particular cultural mores and language discrepancies won’t interfere with their ability to effectively communicate. In order to manage an international project with multiple teams, complete an acquisition or otherwise manage a prosperous business, it’s critical to be sensitive to other cultures and improve business communication skills to fit the conversation.

A recent article in Chief Learning Officer magazine argues that there are a number of flaws in the way that many businesses undertake their cultural sensitivity training. Improperly designed cultural training programs can create a larger divide by adding to the “us versus them” narrative that the training should dispel. Many programs are more focused on avoiding offensiveness rather than successfully navigating different cultures to advance business goals. The author, Susana Rinderle, advocates for more training that stimulates “authentic relationships” and “effective communication.”

Follow these tips for improving effective communication skills across cultures.

Be Aware of Cultural Timelines

Project managers and other business personnel should be conscious of what their foreign partners’ calendars look like. Certified IT project manager and project management instructor at Merit Career Development Prince Knight explains that project timelines should acknowledge cultural holidays and other periods, otherwise there may be delays and missed deadlines that better cultural awareness could avoid. As examples, Knight notes that the entire month of August as a popular vacation time in Europe, Christmas is an extended holiday period in Scandinavia and in the U.S., and September as a busy back-to-school time.

Knight also advises people to acknowledge cultural differences within their own country, since many U.S. companies have diverse employees from different cultures, religions and ethnic backgrounds.

Strive Toward Universal Communication

To ensure effective communication, businesses should work toward succinct, universal speech and writing that is consistent and identified so that all team members understand. Many companies conduct business in English or other major languages. However, fewer problems arise from language issues than from idioms or expressions that are “lost in translation” or misunderstood. A famous gaffe involved American and British businesspeople negotiating an agreement. All was going well until the Americans attempted to wrap things up by asking for a “John Hancock” on the document. The British were confused. “Who is this, John Hancock?” they said.

Frequently checking with cross-cultural counterparts and recapping the conversation can help ensure that everyone is on the same page and there won’t be misunderstandings, but it’s also smart to eliminate some common mistakes.

• Cut the small talk - Although chit-chat is common in offices around the U.S., small talk in another culture or language may just become confusing and not the ice breaker you’d hoped for, Boston World Partners explains in an article posted to Boston.com. “The weather is not the catch all topic you think it is, neither are sports,” the article advises. “Both are a favorite way to start a meeting here in Boston (It’s 100 degrees! Did you see the game last night?) But if you’re doing business in a climate with very little variation or extremes, the weather is probably not something people naturally discuss. It’s also worth noting baseball is a sport where we play a world championship against ourselves and possibly Toronto. Once you leave the continent, most people just don’t care.”
• Avoid idioms, analogies and phrases - Speaking of sports, there are a number of sports analogies that can easily play into casual business conversations, but when you’re working with other cultures where a given sport isn’t popular, talking about “hitting a homerun” can come off as confusing or—worse—potentially insulting. Before you try to explain your thoughts or ideas, think through what you’re going to say and filter it for any https://www.businessenglishresources.com/learn-english-for-business/student-section/business-vocabulary/most-common-business-idioms/. It’s also a good idea to do some research on the other cultures’ common phrases and misconceptions—there’s a lot to learn from past business embarrassments.
• Prepare for varied emotions or behaviors - Just as different cultures have various expressions for common thoughts or events related to popular culture, people also express themselves and their body language differently. The University of Colorado’s Conflict Research Consortium explains that in some cultures behavioral constraint expectations can make “reading” another person difficult, while in other cultures people may react more strongly when arguing or debating than expected based on the cultural norms.

Analyze Differences

One of the most effective ways to improve cross-cultural communication is to take an analytical look at what makes two cultures different. Merit Career Development’s 2-day Cross-Cultural Communications course tackles this head-on by exploring the Big Five culture differences exposed by business: time, space, things, friendship and agreements.

By looking at these differences in small groups and analyzing their effects on thought, emotion and communication, people are more truly culturally sensitive and can have a more fruitful dialogue with other cultures.

Managing Different Generations in the Workplace: Part Four

The modern workplace is now home to four generations of employees—Baby Boomers, Gen X, Gen Y and Gen Z. Each has its own unique perspectives and varying experience levels. Although generational differences can affect everything from team building to company morale, managers can leverage these differences to create a cohesive work environment and an effective training experience.

In our previous posts, we discussed Generations X, Y and Z. Now it’s time to look at all four generations and discuss how leadership can bridge communication gaps in the workplace.

Using Generational Differences to Improve Training

Training magazine explains that the core values of each generation can vary widely. Gen Xers and millennials desire an even alignment between work and home life, while Generation Z longs for social opportunities. As a result, older generational employees may view Gen Zers as less loyal to the business. And in turn, the youngest staff members might see their counterparts as workaholic stalwarts who refuse to change.

But playing on these differences in the training setting can increase learner retention and build relationships between the generations. Managers should mix generations during instructor-led training and design the training to include activities that energize each generation like lectures, group activities or online polls. Gen Xers can impart experiential wisdom to their younger constituents, who can reciprocate by sharing their knowledge of the latest technology and cultural trends.

Accommodating for Communication Styles

The generations also handle communication differently from one another. Baby Boomers and Gen Xers tend to prefer direct and immediate contact, such as phone or face-to-face conversations. Conversely, millennials and Gen Zers tend to favor e-mail and text messaging. However, they all want frequent, quality feedback.

To avoid crossed signals, Forbes suggests that managers set clear guidelines for what’s expected from company communications. This way, all age groups are aware of one another’s learning preferences and aim to bridge the gaps. Too much reliance on a single approach might alienate some employees, so a combination of face-to-face meetings and emails is the right medium to communicate across generations.

Ditch the Stereotypes and Mentor Instead

Finally, the three generations of employees are driven by different motivators. Generation X workers have entrepreneurial spirits that are fed by completing projects individually, while both the younger generations enjoy working collaboratively with like-minded, creative people. Millennials and Gen Zers seek more guidance and acknowledgement in comparison to Gen Xers, which can cause misunderstandings, Forbes magazine explains.

As with most things, responsibility lies with all the parties. Leaders need to understand the importance of feedback, but Generations Y and Z have to realize that praise isn’t handed out with ease. The beginning of real communication is understanding what the other person prefers and finding a good middle-ground. Assuming particular intention—like a Baby Boomer accusing a millennial of disrespect because she emails rather than picking up the phone—is a recipe for conflict. And relying on stereotypes—like Baby Boomers are technologically challenged or Gen Yers have no loyalty to the organization—can really get in the way.

One way to aid this kind of understanding is to form mentoring partnerships between employees of the different cohorts. Each generation has something to contribute, and it’s often in one-on-one relationships that this becomes apparent. Managers and trainers can use this technique to enhance learning, deepen understanding and build stronger communication between the generations. Realizing that there is more than one way to see the world, and learning from each other, can lead to employee growth, new ideas and unique solutions to business problems.

No matter how informative the content of a project management training session is, employees won’t benefit from the content if it’s not engaging. In order to get the most out of your training investment, project managers should use fun, interactive teaching methods. Here are four examples of training techniques that help teams learn better.

1. Involve Corporate Culture
   
   Every business has a specific culture among its employees, services and leadership. Training that doesn’t take the organization’s culture into account can come off as boring and out-of-touch. Chief Learning Officer (CLO) magazine recommends that managers engage employees through understanding and adopting the corporate culture as their own.
   
   "Understanding a company’s cultural strengths, then effectively tapping into the energy and emotional commitment those strengths engender in employees, provides incredible momentum to accelerate transformation," CLO explains. "Learning leaders can instill a sense of employee pride and commitment. Look for ways to connect workers to something larger than a new policy on paper."
   
   Using culture as a tool is a subtle but powerful leadership technique that can bring people into the conversation. This can mean appealing to pop culture—a marketing firm implementing metaphors or examples from "Mad Men" - or the office culture. Integrating culture into training reinforces a sense of community, but it can also be played for humor. Does the office have a notoriously small kitchen? Is there a row of coveted parking spaces in the lot? Use these as corporate "in-jokes" to reinforce the content of your presentation.


2. Take Advantage of Simulation Training
   
   It doesn't matter how important the information being taught is if it’s not put into practice. Simulation training allows you to teach, test and improve your team’s habits for quick decision-making in high-pressure situations without the risks of an actual crisis.
   
   Customized simulation training solutions engage a team more than standard presentations because they force employees to learn and apply the information in real-time. With multiple team-based training sessions, simulations can give your team experience by testing how they’ll work under accelerated timelines. For example, by turning weeks into minutes within the realm of the simulation, the ticking clock function of simulations allows employees of a pharmaceutical company to balance Food and Drug Administration approval deadlines with website redesign projects ahead of launch within a span of a few hours. This allows employees to have real experience about prioritizing one project over another and managing time and resources.


3. Leave Room for Improvisation
   
   While practicing a training exercise or presentation is important for effective execution, Tom Yorton, CEO of Second City Communications, explains in Training magazine that leaving space for improvisation in your presentation can be an excellent tool for engaging a diverse team. Yorton suggests starting light and negative. Discuss ten bad team management ideas that people have experienced. This can be fun and will bring people into the conversation. From here, you can talk about why these didn’t work and bridge the conversation to new ideas that will work. Everyone’s brains will be firing on all cylinders as they improvise fresh ideas.
   
   By using the same techniques that improv comedians use, Yorton argues that corporate managers can think better on their feet, be more receptive to new concepts and come up with cost-effective solutions that are out-of-the-box. This method engages employees because it’s focused on participation from everyone and thinking about concepts from different angles.


4. Incorporate Cross-Training or Cross-Teaching
   
   It’s important for team members to understand their own roles. Set some time aside during your training to allow each member to teach or explain their role and how it affects the other employees. Not only will this improve communication among team members, but increased understanding can help streamline tasks through the project. Rather than burdening the project manager with questions, team members may be able to better communicate issues directly among one another.
   
   Cross-training or cross-teaching improves interaction among team members in multiple ways. Not only do they get a chance to learn about other positions, but they’re also involved as presenters within the training session.
   
   Think back on the most memorable lectures, classes or training sessions you’ve experienced. Chances are, they hooked you because they shared certain qualities: entertainment, a feeling of inclusion, hands-on practice or improvisational exercises, to name a few. Take these qualities to heart and make them a part of your own memorable management training.