Here's what the Leading Edge team is learning about culture, executives, and boards this month.
Doubling down — in a healthy way — during a crisis
On October 7, when the horrific attack on Israel took place, the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) was one month away from what was going to be their largest-ever professional FedPro conference. While others might have decided to cancel the conference with everything else going on, JFNA made the opposite decision and doubled down on offering this experience for professionals. Here are the lessons that they learned about the importance of investing in professionals in the Jewish community and being able to hold multiple truths at once.
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CULTURE
Video: Why Are Employees So Unhappy at Work Right Now?
The work world is still in flux nearly four years after the pandemic threw offices for a loop. But a variety of data show that workers are unhappier now than they’ve been in years. Wall Street Journal deputy bureau chief Vanessa Fuhrmans explains how the rethinking of work life that began in 2020, isolating effects of hybrid and remote work, and the share of workers who are relatively new to their roles after record levels of job-switching all contribute to the climbing number of U.S. workers who say they are unhappy.
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The 5 employee experience trends redefining work in 2024
In 2024, the world of work is changing yet again — but rather than restructuring the work relationship, both employees and the organizations they work for are trying to find one thing: balance amongst competing priorities. Qualtrics takes a brief look at the key employee experience trends in 2024, summarizing the main findings.
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MORE:
- The Jewish Educator Portal (Resource): Israel in Crisis: Educator Community Hub
- HBR: How to Create Your Own “Year in Review”
- BCG Global: More Than a Quarter of Employees Globally Are Ready to Move on From Their Current Jobs
EXECUTIVES
The Outsized Benefits of “Minimalist” Leadership
Although we have known about the benefits of servant leadership for a long time, many CEOs are still far from putting it into practice. While minimalist leadership may feel counterintuitive and uncomfortable, those who dare to practice it will gain an edge in industries requiring engaged and innovative employees. They’ll also eliminate the bottlenecks that often happen when CEOs insist on retaining too much control. But the shift to it will require unlearning counterproductive practices more than learning new things.
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5 leadership trends to watch in 2024
Look into 2024, and you see a swathe of uncertainty ahead occuring against a backdrop of tension between employer and employee about where and how to work, and some of the lowest employee engagement numbers ever. With no way to reduce uncertainty, focus on creating clarity any way you can around strategies for the year ahead.
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MORE
- worklife: Why employer misunderstanding of psychological safety is hurting teams’ performance
- The Speed to Hire Show with Josh Tolan (Podcast): Cultivate Candidate Relationships Early and Nurture Them Through the Full Recruitment Cycle
- HBR: Businesses Need to Bring Younger Employees into Their Leadership Ranks
BOARDS
Tips + Resources to Strengthen Your Board’s Communication
Board members have different backgrounds, views, and values, and while this diversity benefits nonprofit organizations, it can also cause conflict or stress if communication between members becomes ineffective or personal. Learn valuable tips to help your board avoid communication breakdowns and inspire authentic, creative collaboration so you can leverage the invaluable strengths of a diverse board.
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5 Board Oversight Failures and How to Overcome Them
It is becoming customary for nonprofit boards to conduct an annual performance review. An annual board assessment can help a board identify and address structural and procedural challenges to fulfilling fiduciary duties for a nonprofit. In addition to the annual approach to a more formal assessment, here are five fails boards have likely experienced. The best thing about these scenarios is the board can simply remedy them by providing board members with a high level of satisfaction and productivity.
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