Charlotte Dobbs’ Post

"Were more leaders to be guided by the science of change, or by the stories that people on the front lines share, they would quickly discover that it is stability that is the foundation of improvement. Only once we begin to honor people’s psychological needs at work, by thinking twice before launching into the next shiny change initiative and by paying more heed to the rituals and relationships that allow all of us to point our efforts in a useful direction, can we begin to do justice to the idea that a company must be, first, a platform for human contribution if it is to be anything else at all." https://lnkd.in/exisCpQd

“Were more leaders to be guided by the science of change, or by the stories that people on the front lines share, they would quickly discover that it is stability that is the foundation of improvement. Only once we begin to honor people’s psychological needs at work, by thinking twice before launching into the next shiny change initiative and by paying more heed to the rituals and relationships that allow all of us to point our efforts in a useful direction, can we begin to do justice to the idea that a company must be, first, a platform for human contribution if it is to be anything else at all.” #valuestreammanagement https://lnkd.in/g9AVdyCE

What do you for your team *after* the layoff has happened? It’s not the topic we always want to openly talk about, because we hope the worst is over and it’s smooth sailing after… But unfortunately, reality says otherwise. When the shape and size of our team changes, our culture changes too. With a reduction in force or layoffs, even months (or years) later, low morale, fear, and uncertainty can linger – we as leaders must find a way to rebuild that culture and chart a positive path forward. How can we best operate as leaders in a post-RIF landscape in our companies? I'll address this head-on during our free webinar TODAY May 1st, IN JUST A FEW HOURS at 11AM PT, "Rebounding from a RIF (Reduction In Force) ." Specifically, I'll cover: 💔 What can you do to assuage the fear or trepidation that your team may be feeling that “they’re next”? 🔮 How can you communicate both positively AND accurately about the potential future, even when you’re not sure (or haven’t been told by senior leadership) what will happen next? 🌱 How can you equip your team to move forward and get the work done, while simultaneously validating the trauma of a RIF experience? 👇 LINK TO ATTEND FOR FREE IS ABOVE AND in COMMENTS👇 https://lnkd.in/gqmxSWKD Know a fellow leader navigating a #rif or post-RIF? Feel free to send this invite to them 📩 Can't join us this time? No worries, we share our webinar recordings publicly here as a way to give back to our manager community – you'll just want to register below.... See you in a few hours… #layoffs #leadership 

If executives (and those who advise and reward them) read only one paragraph in this article, I encourage them to read the last (though the entire article is a must read): "Were more leaders to be guided by the science of change, or by the stories that people on the front lines share, they would quickly discover that it is stability that is the foundation of improvement. Only once we begin to honor people’s psychological needs at work, by thinking twice before launching into the next shiny change initiative and by paying more heed to the rituals and relationships that allow all of us to point our efforts in a useful direction, can we begin to do justice to the idea that a company must be, first, a platform for human contribution if it is to be anything else at all."

What's the Difference Between Well Orchestrated Change and Disruptive Chaos? How well the Leadership Team can NAVIGATE the process! Change is a fact of life and is NOT AN ENEMY! Where most companies FAIL in their change initiatives is in their Executive Leadership COMPETENCY. Great Leaders (which there are too few of in general): 1. Have an On-Going Narrative on their Life Cycle Evolutions---No Surprises! 2. Have a Vision they can Operationalize---Big Picture Links to My Job! 3. Are Proactive + Make CHOICES at the Right Time---Not Avoiding then Being Impulsive! While this article will stir up a lot of support.....blaming CHANGE initiatives is misplaced. CEO and Executive Leadership Skills are the DIFFERENTIATOR between being part of CHANGE that is positive in its impact or just CHAOTICALLY preserving their EGO or RELEVANCY! TALENT must CHOOSE to work for companies they feel offers them GREAT LEADERSHIP and not just a great technical job! #ceocoaching #leadershiptraining #culturalevolution

𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐬 is never easy. 😣 Over the past weeks there have been countless announcements of layoffs, especially in the German industrial and auto sectors. It has reminded me that these moments define our integrity and compassion as leaders. Here are six principles that have guided me during challenging announcements over the last decade: 1️⃣ Don’t bury the lead – Be upfront and direct. Clarity reduces anxiety. 2️⃣ Pause – Let people process before continuing. 3️⃣ Offer understanding and take responsibility – Explain the reasoning and acknowledge differing perspectives. 4️⃣ Show empathy – Validate emotions and acknowledge the impact. 5️⃣ End with openness – Create space for conversation and offer support. 6️⃣ Prove it – Follow up with meaningful actions to demonstrate your care. These principles don’t make the experience pleasant, but they make it human. They also build trust and respect, even in difficult circumstances. Leadership isn’t just about making decisions - it’s about showing up for people when it matters most. How do you approach sharing tough news? Let’s learn from each other. 👇 Oliver Aust Elisheva Marcus Remarkable MedTech #Communications #BadNews #Integrity

Leaders: It’s Time to Deal in Hope Because, right now, it feels like the walls are closing in for a lot of people. Major layoffs. Return-to-office mandates. Higher-than-ever expectations. The pressure? It's real, and it's heavy. We all feel it. Our teams feel it. But as leaders, we have to be more than just taskmasters. We need to speak life into these tough moments. 𝐖𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞. Your team doesn’t need more reminders about what’s at stake, they already know. What they need is the belief that things can get better. They need to know that you see a way through, even when it feels impossible. Here’s how we, as leaders, can deal hope into every situation: 📍𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐠𝐚𝐫-𝐜𝐨𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: Your people don’t need false optimism. They need honesty and clarity about what’s happening 📍𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐬, 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡: No matter how hard things get, there are always small victories to celebrate. 📍𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐚 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞: Break down the path ahead into smaller, achievable milestones. 📍𝐁𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐛𝐞 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧: Be visible, listen deeply, and let your team know you’re in this with them 📍𝐁𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐦 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐦: You don’t have to have all the answers, but your demeanor sets the tone As leaders, hope isn’t a luxury. It’s a necessity. 𝐇𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬. Be the one who spreads it.

In a past post, I wrote about the top 10 most common cultural mistakes leaders make when joining a new company. Here's a link to that post: https://lnkd.in/gpSeAddb  Here’s a couple more:   Attempting too much, too fast. I get it. When we join a company, we want to show our value quickly. We want to prove to the new organization (and ourselves) that we are a great choice.  I worked with a company that did an amazing job onboarding. Each month, an exec came in to talk to the new hires about the company and the culture.  He said something to the effect of “We’re so glad you’re here.  You don’t need to prove yourself. We asked you to join because we see who you are and what you can contribute to our company and our customers. We also see how you will make us better.  Go slow, get curious about what we do, who we serve, who your colleagues are, how our mission aligns with yours”. You could feel the shift in the room.  I still get goosebumps.   Get your feet under you before you start running. Not taking action quickly enough. Joining a company overwhelmed me with all the things I needed to figure out.  I wanted to be confident and assured in the decisions and moves we need to make.  So I waited until I felt like I had enough information so I could make the ‘right’ decision.  What I hadn’t learned yet was to make a decision or set out in a direction without having all the information. Or to separate the big decisions that needed deep analysis from the ones we could experiment through.        It’s like we’re looking for the ‘Goldilocks’ pace - not too fast, not too slow.   In their book ‘Leadership on the Line’, Ron Heifetz and Marty Linsky offer a definition of leadership: ‘Leadership is disappointing people at a rate they can tolerate’. I've shared this with business leaders. They often get disappointed. It's not the inspiring definition of leadership they expect.  But the reality is, there is no ‘Goldilocks’ pace we can decide at the beginning. We need to experiment, see how the organization reacts, and adjust.

Why is the tech sector experiencing so many mass layoffs? I read a report from NPR citing Jeff Shulman (Business Professor at the University of Washington) who had this to say, "There is a herding effect in tech,... The layoffs seem to be helping their stock prices, so these companies see no reason to stop." Shulman continues: "They're getting away with it because everybody is doing it. And they're getting away with it because now it's the new normal.... Workers are more comfortable with it, stock investors are appreciating it, and so I think we'll see it continue for some time." https://lnkd.in/eREQvJwa So what can you do if you are in an industry expected to have frequent layoffs? ✅ Market yourself as more than just a "subject matter expert" ☑ Pay attention to your boss's initiatives and communicate how your projects help them to achieve their goals ⭐ Develop your technical and interpersonal skills in tandem If you cultivate a reputation of excellence in your craft as well as a savvy understanding of how to work with people, you'll attract opportunities everywhere you go (regardless of a layoff). Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/en5pmctc