Did you know that 85% of disengaged employees feel like they don’t receive enough coaching from their leader? Or that only 2 out of 10 leaders instinctively know how to coach employees effectively?

At FGP, we understand how coaching can influence developing your workforce effectively, but we also know that coaching doesn’t come naturally to everyone. We believe with intentional efforts that leaders can become coaches and help you to invest in your people and ultimately lead your business to achieve success.

There are many elements of building a culture of coaching at your company, starting with developing your coaches. To help us understand the basics, we are sharing the core elements of a coach:

1. Relational trust

Coaching begins with intentionally building trust between leaders and employees. Do you have a foundational alignment of working towards the same outcomes, trusting that you are working together, and feeling a part of the big picture goal for your team? Trust is the measurement of the quality of a relationship and is the foundation for building true culture of coaching.

2. Engaged listening

Another key component of a great coach is someone who practices engaged listening. Do your employees feel like they have open communication channels to support conversation and curiosity? Fostering a culture where everyone demonstrates respect and support through engaged listening helps promote open dialogue, leading to shared ideas and growth. As a coach, think about how you frame your questions and feedback to make employees feel valued and supported as they go about their work.

3. Authenticity & gratitude

As a coach, we encourage you to always operate through a lens of authenticity and gratitude. Be genuine and vulnerable as you lead your team and speak the truth to people in a way that makes them feel supported. Express your gratitude for your team and reward successes. This fosters a culture where people feel supported in their growth professionally and cared for as a person.

If you want to learn more about how our consulting team can help your organization build a culture of coaching, contact us today!

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IESF was founded in 2002 by partners in Asia and Europe, and with 40+ offices across over 25 countries, it is a growing global executive search group that continues to expand as the demand for executive search services in new markets and industries grows. In this year alone, 3 new partner companies were added.

FGP is proud to be the United States partner for IESF, enhancing our international connectivity as our clients compete for talent in a global marketplace, with our Vice President, Steve Hall, serving as the Country Manager.

In September, Steve joined country partners from the Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East, and Africa in Singapore for the annual IESF partner meeting. He shared his thoughts below.

As I made the very long trek from South Carolina to South Korea and finally Singapore, there is no way to describe the anticipation of experiencing new cultures, food, and languages for the first time. But equally as important was my eagerness to deepen and build new relationships with colleagues from around the globe. So many questions on my mind about the various economies thousands of miles away where government systems vary, and even cultural values have varied qualities. The 3 primary topics all 26 partner countries had in common were:

• The continued candidate/labor shortage (apart from a country like India where talent seems to be in great supply).
• The early adoption of utilizing AI within the Executive and Professional recruiting industry – all agree that there appears to be efficiency advantages, but all agreed we must proceed with caution and focus on validation and quality of outcomes. An AI study group was formed as a result.
• All 26 partner countries confirmed that expansion of client businesses to locations around the globe continues to grow.

To date in 2023, IESF has experienced a record year, and there is much hope this will continue within the partner network until the group gathers again in Amsterdam next year. We are grateful for the opportunity for our team to learn and grow with IESF, and we look forward to continuing to strengthen our partnership!

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Eleanor Dunlap, our Executive Organizational & Talent Consultant, has 30+ years of experience working with nonprofit organizations, joint ventures, and public-private partnerships. Eleanor has experience spanning a wide range of mission focus areas, and she is passionate about her work supporting nonprofits nationwide. We sat down with Eleanor in honor of National Nonprofit Day to learn more about her experience and her work.

How did you get started working with nonprofits?

My first job after graduate school was working for a small nonprofit in rural northern Greenville County doing home visits for a youth program. The experience was formative as I was proximate to the challenges that so many children and families face in their daily lives. As a result, I forged a commitment to seek ways to use my skills and experiences to make a difference in people’s lives. Since then, I have served in a variety of nonprofit and philanthropic roles and have spent my career building leadership, strengthening organizations, and improving communities.

What makes working with nonprofit organizations unique?

The nonprofit sector is essential. Communities rely on nonprofits to provide critical human services, protect and improve the environment, promote arts and culture, and support education and well-being. And, the people who work in nonprofits are passionate about what they do. They choose to work in this sector because they want to make lives and communities better. They are mission-focused and people-centered. This work requires compassion, empathy, humility, and trust, but also courageous leadership, systems thinking, strategy, collaboration, adaptability, and advocacy. As consultants, our people-supporting and organizational-building efforts demand these same capacities as we work alongside and with nonprofit and community leaders to propel impact. We are mission-building partners.

What are some of the challenges nonprofit organizations are facing?

Leadership recruitment, growth, and development have been on-going themes for nonprofits. As seasoned executive directors begin to consider retirement, they need to work with their Boards on succession planning, compensation alignment, and transition. Executive compensation has increased, especially post-COVID, and competitive salaries are critical to attracting high-impact leaders.  Nonprofit Boards need to examine compensation practices and ensure they are keeping pace with trends. Succession planning should also include identifying internal leadership potential and organization-wide staff development strategies. Nonprofits often lose talent to peer organizations when they fail to cultivate growth and advancement opportunities within. Building a strong organizational culture is also critical to ensuring alignment of leadership, retention of talent, effectiveness of policies, consistency of practices and leaning into organizational values. Last, the impact of COVID has demonstrated that nonprofits leaders must be adaptive and creative. The pace of change demands assessment and delivery of programs, creativity in revenue-generating strategies, collaboration around common goals and metrics, and focused action. Nonprofit leaders, like those in other sectors, need a network for growth and support, whether that be from peers, mentors, or coaches, in order to increase and sustain effective impact.

What is your favorite thing about working with nonprofits?

Hands down it is the people with whom I have the honor and privilege to work. People who work in nonprofits are special. From those on the front lines doing home visits, to those raising money for critical programs to those leading as CEO and governing board members, there is a shared purpose among them that, with strategy and aligned action, they can change lives for the better.

If you would like to learn more about FGP’s Nonprofit team, you can visit our website or contact us today.

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Tee currently serves as co-owner and board chairman of FGP. Throughout his remarkable career, he has served as a CEO, board chairman, and co-owner of many companies. In 2009, he was awarded the Order of the Palmetto, the highest civilian honor given in South Carolina for his efforts in reforming the Department of Transportation, where he was chairman from 2003-2008. In addition to his many professional accomplishments, Tee is dedicated to serving his community through many charitable contributions, volunteerism, and leadership roles. He takes pride in helping to build the next generation of entrepreneurs, serving as a mentor through NEXT, Venture.

As we celebrate Military Appreciation Month this May, we also want to recognize Tee for his service to our country, serving in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from 1971-1974 and in the U.S. Army Reserves from 1975-1976.

We are proud to have Tee as a leader at FGP, setting a great example of leadership and building a strong foundation for future generations in the workforce.

Click here to see the full ICON Honors List.

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When there is news of a potential shift or downturn in the economy, people are often unsure of what to do or how to react. But, as leaders of a company, when outlooks become uncertain, putting a plan in place that is forward looking based upon what is in your control, gives certainty, and focuses on opportunity and growth, is critical to success.

I am breaking down 3 tips for leaders to consider when times of uncertainty are on the horizon.

1. Plan ahead.

There are many ways to approach a potential shift in the market – as leaders, it is important to think ahead, focus on what is in your control, and be prepared. Stay informed and don’t wait until things change to think about what to do. Meet as a leadership team to create a “playbook” to use when things begin to shift. Dedicate the time to thinking about what the market shift will mean for your business and how you can adapt. Consider growth strategies and risk mitigation within high impact areas such as people and culture, go-to-market strategies, technology, online resources, cash, sales, marketing, and communication.

A plan creates alignment and direction, prioritizes your greatest asset—people, targets customer growth and retention, ensures financial sustainability and return, amplifies a growth focus, and optimizes operations to prepare for accelerated growth coming out of a downturn.

2. Communicate clearly.

Uncertainty is often magnified by the “noise” of headlines, opinions, and assumptions. Communication is critical! It is important that leaders communicate reality vs. “noise.” Clear and open communication keeps employees, customers, and stakeholders informed and shapes the narrative – stay out in front of communication. Leaders need to ease the minds of their audience by communicating that they are prepared and have a plan in place that is ready to be implemented when needed.

In times of uncertainty, communication should be clear, consistent, frequent, and intentional.

3. Lead by example.

Lastly, but most importantly, remember, leaders set the tone! Employees look to leaders—if leaders are nervous and panicking, employees will be more nervous. Remain calm, stay positive, be agile, demonstrate care, and lead with confidence.

Employee engagement and focus are critical to the organization’s resiliency in times of uncertainty. Leaders have an increased opportunity to build deeper relationships with employees and demonstrate effective leadership traits particularly during times of uncertainty.

When there is a market shift and uncertainty, leaders can look at things through a lens of fear or opportunity. “Lean in” to what is ahead and consider this as one of the best times for individual, team, and organizational growth!

This process isn’t always easy – if you need assistance with navigating uncertainty as leaders, contact FGP! From building a playbook, designing and implementing a communication plan, leadership coaching and development to outplacement services, our team is here to help.

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By: John Uprichard, CEO, Find Great People

As I look back over the last 18 months, I find myself reflecting on how our business has shifted, specifically with our workforce model. Right now, we are leaning in and focusing on ‘how we make it work,’ but that hasn’t always been the case.

When COVID emerged and moving to a remote workforce became a reality, our organization had to scramble to organize and distribute technology – not just for our internal employees, but also our temporary employees working with our clients – and figure out how to keep employees safe. Once the basics were put into motion, our priorities shifted. How do we communicate with employees? How do we maintain our great company culture? How do we collaborate as teams and with clients? How do we make sure our employees are remaining engaged and productive at home?

Return to office – or so we thought.

A “return to office” taskforce was created, bi-weekly company zoom calls were scheduled, virtual events were set in motion, and new approaches were developed to run the organization. Using The 4 Disciplines of Execution operating model, we focused on the major theme of “less is more.” We emphasized weekly indicators, scorecards, and accountability through visibility. We quickly figured out how to operate remotely and focused on thriving instead of surviving. The plan was always to bring people back into the office, using our pre-COVID and traditional operating model. With multiple physical locations, we always prioritized the in-office workplace culture and valued the team experience.

But once we were at a place of bringing employees back, we paused and asked if our current model was working. And it was. Revenue in parts of our business were at an all-time high, employees were productive, employee retention was high, and people seemed happier than before. We really didn’t have a reason to mandate a fully in-office model except for “that was the way we always worked.”

How has my perspective shifted?

For me, it comes back to hiring and how you manage people. I have always said that if we have to manage you, you aren’t going to be at our company very long. We strive to hire people who can manage themselves with an ingrained self-determination and work ethic. These are qualities easily identified if we have hired correctly.

So, if we have hired the right people, what really matters when it comes to ensuring success, regardless of location? For me, it’s two important things:

Connectivity. The theory has always been that if you aren’t there in person, you can’t be connected. What we’ve learned as an organization during the pandemic is that connectivity is really about intentionality vs. physicality. Choosing to stay connected, involved and engaged with the work you are doing and the people you are doing it with contributes highly to an employee’s level of success.

Productivity. There is a common shared belief that employees may not be as productive working from home as they would in an office. Maybe it’s about structure, or maybe it’s about being able to lay eyes on employees. But if you’ve hired people who align on vision and values, and who are driven by their own personal success, this shouldn’t matter. Productivity is tied to inner drive, determination, and a passion for doing the work. If we’ve hired the right people, this will show up regardless of being in the office or working remotely.

When did my perspective shift?

I can’t pin it to a specific “aha” moment. Instead, it was a gradual shift over a period of time. The bottom line is that flexibility and autonomy are earned. Our people are showing up daily ready to work, engaged, and are achieving success. During the pandemic, our team showed up, not just for themselves but also for the greater benefit of our business. I’ve been blown away by our team’s tenacity and agility to pivot during this time. So, for us it’s simple. We aren’t going to go back to our pre-COVID traditional workforce model with people in the office 5 days a week. Our hybrid model based on flexibility and autonomy allows our employees to be their best, and most importantly they are highly engaged and happy.

Many companies are considering the right move for their organizations. At FGP, we are broken up into several divisions – staffing, search and consulting. A “one size fits all” mentality won’t work for us. Some people travel frequently to meet with clients, others need a closed door for making calls, and others thrive in a high-energy team-based environment. To alleviate the need to create a “policy,” we chose to allow decisions to be made at the business level, doing what’s right for our clients, company and employees.

Having a divisional approach comes with it lots of advantages. The division managers know their team members best and can provide a more individualized approach to workplace planning. For example, a new employee may need to be strictly onsite for several weeks while they are getting accustomed to their new role, or maybe an individual is underperforming and needs more day-to-day guidance and structure. This allows opportunities for both flexibility and specialized coaching and development where needed. What does this do? It drives buy-in. When your employees feel seen, heard, and valued, they are going to be even more committed to not just their work, but your company.

As a medium sized organization, we can do this fairly easy, but it’s still possible to be done in bigger companies as well. It just requires a deeper dive into the layers within your organization and deciding who should manage team workforce decisions, communication, and implementation. Can your maintenance team work with the same kind of flexibility as your sales team? Probably not. There is a reason clothing isn’t uniformly made in a one size fits all design. Companies, like bodies, change over time. It’s about being fair and equitable in your workforce approach. Every group is different, and everyone’s situation varies. It’s about providing transparency, allowing for autonomy, and hiring the right people.

Leveraging flexibility as a competitive advantage

I’ve spoken a lot about hiring the right people, and it’s now harder to do that. In today’s candidate-driven hiring market, potential employees can be highly selective in their next job opportunity. Sure, benefits and salary are critical in your offer package, but now more than ever workplace flexibility is a key factor in a job seekers decision to join an organization. It is now a candidate’s first question.

Not only is flexibility a competitive advantage, it’s also a factor in employee satisfaction and retention. We have increased our workforce at FGP by 15% since the start of COVID and have maintained the highest retention rates we have had in years. Giving our employees flexibility has provided them the ability to work hard but also be present in the lives of their families and friends. It’s the balance everyone talks about, and we are trying to provide that to our people.

If you want to grow as a company – whether you’re a small business or multi-site organization – you must operate with a growth mindset and commit to employee engagement. That perspective first starts with asking yourself how you make it work vs. why it won’t work. With this attitude, your ability to evolve as an organization is endless.

The post Remember the past and embrace the future – the effectiveness of today’s workforce model is about hiring great people. appeared first on Find Great People.

For those who have always worked remotely, this shift in work-life balance hasn’t impacted culture too much. However, for those who have worked to construct and nurture a healthy in-person culture, this impact may be more difficult. While developing culture usually happens organically, it is now more important than ever to be intentional and redirect planning.

With the help of modern technology, here are actions that company leaders can take to ensure a successful and positive remote work culture:

Communicate intentionally: A lack of communication can develop among employees when working remotely. Because of this, it is essential to prioritize communicating intentionally, frequently, and differently. Since values direct company culture, it is extremely important that these values are reiterated company wide. Share what you’re working on, your successes, and any changes. Keeping others up to date allows employees to feel connected while dispersed. It is important that communication channels are open, allowing for two-way movement and the promotion of transparency.

Encourage structure: Through remote work, employees miss out on informal and unstructured communication between one another. Therefore, it is important to be deliberate in creating structured channels of communication and encouraging intentional ways for employees to experience one another live. This doesn’t mean more emails – it means using video calls, and other creative ways to engage on a more personal level. This encouragement of informal and formal communication structures allows employees to develop intimacy that is often missed when working remotely.

Prioritize fun: Even when a company’s workforce is not together it is important to maintain a sense of fun. Remote work presents the opportunity to be creative and increase communication to promote connectivity among employees. Examples of fun can include prizes for the best Zoom backgrounds, celebrating birthdays with music, acknowledging work anniversaries, and celebrating stellar employees as the “Rock Star of the Week.” Outside of work hours, consider hosting a virtual happy hour or a virtual family bingo night.

While adapting to a remote workforce can be challenging, it presents a great opportunity to be creative and think about doing things differently. The best thing leaders can do during this process is to maintain a contagious, positive mindset. If leaders emulate positivity and show that they are excited for change, it will encourage others to get on board. Positivity and workplace mindset will be the crux of sustaining a great office culture, even when the building may be empty.

The post Maintaining a Great Office Culture While Working Remotely appeared first on Find Great People.

Staying Sane

Coaching isn’t just about reflecting on what could have gone better or how you can improve yourself. It’s about success, it’s about recognizing the value that you bring to the company, the good that you do and reminding you to celebrate achievements. It’s a reminder that all those late nights and early mornings are worth it, and although things could have always gone better, things could have gone a lot worse without you.

Improve Communication

Communication isn’t a one-way street and ensuring that what is communicated is understood correctly is the goal. Coaching will not just highlight areas of improvement, but it can also be a playground where you can practice your communication skills. Coaching will guide you through understanding different thinking styles based on your team’s composition; is the audience conceptual, are they numerical, are they verbal, are they accommodating. A great coach will help ensure your communication delivery is understood appropriately and productively. 

Gain New Insights

Flexible leadership means quick, creative, and precise decision making under pressure. A great coach will open your thought patterns by asking the questions you may never have thought of, helping you to uncover deeper problems and create a plan for a better future. Coaching will help you to get out of the weeds, step back, and gain new perspective. 

Be Successful

We all want to be successful, right? Reflective sessions will not only help you to intentionally recognize your areas of improvement, but they will also allow you to identify and acknowledge flaws in others. Recognizing the imperfections of your team will allow you to fill in the gaps where needed and creative a cohesive group of people that enable success. Being a great leader isn’t about you – sure, you need to do work on your own – but it’s about helping others be the best they can be and achieve greatness through your guidance.

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As senior executives look for the next generation of leaders within their firms, they want to know who has the raw material to become an inspiring, effective influence on their teams; who, if nurtured, could truly make an impact on the culture and the output of a team and the company as a whole. 

While these are considerations, there are a hundred questions behind each one of these. How can one know? Are the determining factors entirely subjective? Is anything about people development predictable? What can be introduced into the equation to minimize risk and maximize potential? What role does the possible key leader play in their own development?

While there are no guarantees, there are five key signals that point to leadership potential.

Exuding Initiative. 

Is the potential leader ahead of the curve when it comes to stepping into an activity, role, responsibility or task?  Are they proactive or reactive? Traits often displayed are initiative, spotting opportunities and identifying problems early on. But a real leader also finds simple ways to solve those problems and comes to the table with problem-solving ideas. Contribution is key. 

Vacuum Above the Head.

Six colleagues are sitting around the table. As the potential leader steps out to head back to her desk, someone comments that she is constantly performing above their expectations. Just like nature hates a vacuum, this person is literally creating a vacuum above their head by delivering more value to the organization than their role normally demands. Someone else comments, “She’s been in this position for how long? We have a larger role, and we’ve been talking about who can fill that position. We’re hearing great things about her, and we should look at moving her into that role. There’s so much more she could be doing.”

That’s what we mean by “vacuum above the head.” Who has one at your organization?

Learning Through Osmosis.

Learning agility is the ability to learn various skills and processes combined with a curiosity and drive to learn as much as possible. In essence, this person can’t learn enough. They are a sponge. Often, they quickly learn the basics of the role, and then begin to harvest information and knowledge outside of their specific area in order to bring knowledge back to the team. 

Influence Runs Deep.

At its very core, leadership is influence. When a leader has an opinion, a view, a direction or a question, it should make a difference to others in the room. For example, when this person speaks, people lean forward and listen, they take notes, they value what they have to say. Contrast this attribute with those who dominate conversations during meetings but do not add value. It’s not hard to observe how coworkers react and quickly see whether a person is an influencer or not.

Collaboration is key.

Collaboration is the natural overflow of influence. A true leader empowers others to become leaders as well. It’s great to see leaders who, before they’ve even taken on a new role, are already bringing the next line of leaders along. They’ve been collaborating; they’re not seeking the limelight. They are constantly thinking “Who can I bring along with me? and how can I build a team?” And they reach across the organization to find others who think differently to learn from them.

The X-factor.

These five attributes work in concert. The leader who is ready for the next step shows initiative to overdeliver, has a hunger to learn, possesses a desire to share knowledge with others, and displays a potential for growth. This leader is having a positive influence on colleagues and is developing a reputation as a collaborator.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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The meaning can vary widely from organization to organization, but it can also vary within organizations themselves. One leader may focus on employee satisfaction and wellbeing while another may point to community engagement and external client perceptions. Now, more than ever, understanding how company culture is created is critical. 

Culture, at its core, is intertwined with a company’s identity. It is comprised of several elements working in concert to create a cohesive experience and perception that are evident from both within and outside of the organization. Culture defines, in part, how employees and managers interact, but it is also a product of the company’s vision and the values exemplified by the leadership team. In order to fully understand culture, one must examine, not only what is said, but also what is done. Where is the company investing resources? What flexibility do employees have when performing work? What values are being rewarded? 

Why culture matters:

Studies have shown that a strong company culture contributes significantly to employee retention, which leads to reduced recruitment and training costs. In fact, some studies rank culture above traditional attractors such as pay and perks. Companies with a strong culture also have employees who are more engaged and, therefore, more productive and more willing to serve as company advocates, which can have a direct impact on an organization’s branding and business development efforts. Companies with strong cultures also experience higher increases in revenue growth and stock price. 

Building a strong culture:

While companies tend to understand the benefits of a strong culture, an industry study by Deloitte found that less than a third of executives understood their own organization’s culture and only 12%believed their companies were driving the “right culture.”  Ensuring your leaders live and breathe the company culture, both behaviorally and through their communication, is essential. 

Recognizing that culture shifts as new employees onboard is an important milestone. And leaders need to shift with this.  

Enlisting employees to help assess and steer culture, engaging in transparent communication, celebrating successes internally, and evolving as company culture evolves are also key. 

Organizational design:

Culture and organizational design often go hand in hand, and yet can also be overlooked. If your organizational design doesn’t compliment your company culture, your culture can be diluted or even lost, overnight. 

Building company culture and looking at the organization takes intentional steps over a period of time, ensuring everyone buys in. Those who strategically use organization design to amplify culture are the ones who win and attract and retain the best people.

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