Executives, let's bring connection to work.

The last month, I was able to participate in a debate on Quitting smoking during the annual World Economic Forum meeting in Davos. We live in a rapidly evolving world for employees It's clear that our leaders, too, are engaging in many of the appropriate concerns. There are pros and cons to working remotely . There are risks and opportunities presented by AI and the necessity to establish an atmosphere that's more friendly and long-lasting.

But, there is a problem that is worthy of focus: if the Generation X workforce is developing technologically, with post-pandemic behaviors as well as expectations changing...don't us as leaders have to adjust?

There's an entire Generation of Digital Natives making their way into the work workforce. They grew up creating videos and sharing them rather than making calls or texts. They are now able to think of TikTok or YouTube the best sources of information. For their personal lives, they're incredibly connected in addition to being extremely energetic.

In their workplaces, however, it's an entirely different story. We're witnessing dramatic decreases in engagement and employee satisfaction for employees who work remotely Gen Z and younger millennials. Fewer than four in ten young remote or hybrid employees are aware of what is expected of them in the workplace, and nearly half Gen Z employees are ambivalent or aren't engaged in their work. In the event that we view worker engagement as being the leading indicator of productivity for the workforce, it has enormous implications for every enterprise and its profitability.

Why is this disconnect? As in work and in everyday life, it's normal for us to want to be part of some bigger picture than we are. We all have a strong need to be part of something and to have an identity that is open, honest and human. However, the more our population becomes digitally distributed and AI-enabled as a result, it becomes more challenging for us to experience a feeling of the sense of belonging every single day. Particularly, if we haven't modified our working methods to adapt to the changing needs of our workforce. We still have a habit of us to require employees to understand a plethora of paperwork, send lengthy emails, and then take part in inefficient meetings. They learn about layoffs and their company's goals from communication that are so automated and scripted that they could be created through ChatGPT. And the only pulse we as executives have comes through cookie-cutter engagement surveys and live events which have low tune-in and high drop-off percentages, as well as occasionally snarky chat or Q&A.

The traditional managerial model is ineffective. We must change the way our leaders present themselves and interact with employees. When we are focusing on training our workforce to meet the evolving demographics of our population and technological developments We also have to improve our leadership skills to be able to establish trust and build connections with a large.

I've been through a lot of this in the past several years . This is what I'm discovering and accepting, which I believe can help us become more effective and show our best more effectively.

     1. Be who you really are and live your life as you want to.

At the start of the epidemic, I participated in the world's first town hall at the home of my parents near Flint, Michigan -- exhausted and sleeping in my pajamas made of velour, along with my son who was a toddler and my grandmother moving between backgrounds.

It was perhaps my most efficient communication to date.

Why? because it's not scripted, vulnerable, and chaotic. It's easy to fall into "us against us and us versus them" dynamics when we work in a company, especially in times of stress or challenges. It's not difficult to see "leadership" as a faceless and faceless machine. Being video-first and visual with your messages is a powerful method to counter this. It forces you to let go of the mask and protection of the written or edited communications. The best way to break through is to be yourself who you truly yourself.

There have been instances of leadership becoming vulnerable, and backfiring...but I would guess that in the majority of these instances the problem was that the leader was performing too much. It's important you to allow that portion of you make errors when you are with your team. Everyone has flaws, which are human. All of us want to see our leaders be brave -- it only encourages us to become more than them.

     2. Start by asking "why . "

Similar to many others, leaders have had to make difficult choices in the last year. From executive cuts and layoffs to the reorganization and shutdown of projects in the name efficiency. It is my job to make the hard difficult, controversial decisions and implement quick changes within the business.

In a growing number of cases workers are seeking transparency behind these choices - not just"the "what" however, but it is also the "why". In order to fully comprehend the bigger context of competition which is fair and weighed, and the method employed and when it was.

The standard comms plan will say that when you're facing a significant communication issue that requires your concentration to be strained, start by asking "what" before moving on to the essential action. In my experience, I've been more successful in getting individuals to make a difficult option when I think of my staff as important participants who need to understand the situation.

In the end, starting with "why" is a first rule for any communication . There will be always limitations to fully transparent communication (legal or PR-related, governance, risk for customers) however, I've observed that, in the majority of cases, that those obstacles are mostly. Perceived. A few people might not be on your decisions, but I could argue that if they do they are not performing the task you're supposed do. They'll nevertheless appreciate and accept your choices beginning with the reason.

     3. Consider investing in either in-person or online gatherings, making the experience personal.

Sure, I understand the irony of the head of a firm that makes videos declaring that. But one of my biggest learnings from the past couple of months has been that we've waited too long, and weren't aware enough about connecting our teams in real life.

In January, just two days after cuts, the company held an official kickoff party for the company in NYC. This event was attended by people from over a dozen countries. It was attended by people from Ukraine that took trains airplanes, cars, and trains to get there. The event was not a usual one that included confetti, and opted for a low-key vibe with a tight budget. It was one of the most enjoyable and essential investments I've done.

Power is increased when the leaders take a flight and accompany your staff wherever they are. We have an entirely dispersed executive team spread across eight cities, ranging with Seattle to Switzerland. The majority of the team was hired in this past year, which means we they are relatively new and are only beginning to gel as an organization. For speeding the process of creating the team we started offsites in the homes of the leaders' cities. We hung around with the mom of our CFO by her fireplace in Vermont. Our Head of Sales was wearing his apron. He made us frittatas for breakfast. The entire group was at the table of the Chef of Product.

The deadly outbreak has given us the ability to see into other's homes and private lives. If we lean into that, and incorporate it into the daily routine and at work, we can have the chance to form greater cohesion and higher-performing teams.

     4. It is possible to switch from "lean back" to "lean forward" experience.

One of the most important abilities in the field of communication is taught to be able to develop "lean forward" experiences instead of "lean back" broadcasts. Human attention spans are becoming shorter (now only the eight-second mark and shorter than what required to catch a fish!). Yet, we are still able to send one-to-many messages, either by email, which you can read or in a long town hall where you relax and enjoy.

This burden on engagement reflected in our own data and the time it takes to be lost from a video has decreased in recent years. If we don't change our methods, the possibility of losing a viewer will significantly hinder our ability in keeping our teams focused and efficient.

It's vital to change our thinking and openness to different issues. There is a new generation entering the workforce who have advantages over us due to their ability to develop as well as capture authentic, rich information. They're ahead because they're not subject to the limitations that our generation faced through the decades in standard workplaces.

The truth is that workers don't leave their jobs. Managers leave their jobs. Actually, CEOs are the most effective managers and according to an research study that included more than 113,000 executives the most important factor to effective management is trust. As leaders we must teach our employees how to present their personalities in more authentic, interesting and authentic methods. I'm betting that executives who are open to this digital age will be effective in guiding the next generation of employees. They'll be better informed and engage distributed teams and align them to greater productivity and establish lasting connections that produce outstanding results. They'll cease communicating, and instead, better connect.

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