Competencies versus Skills

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Many organizations are transitioning from competency-based to skills-based job descriptions.   You Need a Skills-Based Approach to Hire and Developing Talent (hbr.org) One of the primary reasons for this growing shift is that while competencies are broad-based requirements, like innovation and team building, and are more qualitative in nature, skills are more easily quantifiable. Skills are requirements like knowing how to perform pivot tables in excel or having demonstrated the ability to lead a culturally diverse team across multiple global locations effectively. You either possess the skill, or you do not. The Future of Work 2022 | Accenture. Recruiters and search firms are finding this approach to yield better results and candidates from different backgrounds than they would have typically approached.

While this shift sounds easy in concept, creating the job descriptions to transition from a competency-based approach to a skill-based one is an arduous and lengthy initiative that could span multiple years. Not only does each job need to be broken down into granular task requirements, but for the job descriptions to be most helpful, they must be able to vet both external and internal candidates. Employees need to be able to review the job description for a position they would like to have and see clearly why they are or are not qualified. There needs to be a skills repository on your HCM to assist managers in choosing the necessary skills for each position. Likewise, employees have to complete personal profiles listing all the skills they believe they have so that a gap analysis can be automatically conducted between the requirements and the employee’s current skill set. Then comes the conundrum of being able to vet the skills. Just because someone says they have the talent to install a garbage disposal and can talk you through the steps does not necessarily mean they can complete this task in real life. Who is responsible for the vetting? L&D? Talent Acquisition? Hiring managers? How Recruiters Evaluate Candidates With a Skills-Based Lens

One of the benefits of using skills-based job descriptions is that you no longer need to depend on job titles. It opens up your positions to people from various backgrounds, positions, and titles who may far exceed the capabilities of someone from only one title. Your application flow is improved, as is the quality of your candidates. This approach also ends employees’ perception of favoritism when awarding promotions to new assignments. Both managers and HR can quickly point to the reason(s) that one employee was ready for promotion and one not quite ready.

For employees with a gap in their skills to reach the next level, HR must be prepared in their LMS to have courses, content, books, and other learnings tied to the required skills. The most frustrating scenario for an employee is being told they lack certain skills but do not have a clear path laid out in order to obtain those missing skills. Skills Development Training: Must-Have LMS Features (elearningindustry.com)

Thanks to the new approach of skills-based job descriptions, companies can attract and hire the best talent for their job openings. Job titles and degrees are not always the best indicators of a candidate’s abilities, and focusing on skills can lead to better outcomes for both the company and the employee.

Humility at Work

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A modest or low view of one’s own importance is also described as modesty, meekness and unassertiveness.    This sounds like the things long therapy sessions are made of.  Then why has humility become a trait attributable to the best organizational leaders?  How To Be Humble at Work | Indeed.com For the simple fact that humility also means that you’re free from egotism and arrogance, that you look to others for good ideas, that you understand how your actions can affect those around you and that they may have a better way of doing things than you do.  Contrast that with the leader who always thinks her ideas are the best, is not interested in what others have to say, and lacks the curiosity to explore better ways of doing things.

One characteristic of humble people is that they are open to and ask for the opinions and ideas of others. When you do this, you can learn more and discover new perspectives, and you may find that the workplace becomes a more innovative space. 10 Ways to Be More Innovative and Creative at Work | The Muse Innovation can leapfrog you in front of your competition and focus the team on a common goal.

Workplace humility is also likely to contribute to increased productivity as employees want to do well, collaborate with each other more and desire to produce high-quality work, whether it’s focused on a product or service. Humble people are also more likely to seek resources and give others the help they need to complete their tasks without thinking about the credit they should receive.

A humble work environment contributes to an employee’s job satisfaction. Leaders who practice humility by asking employees for their opinions, accepting ideas for how to better serve customers and acknowledging team members who have made a difference can make an employee feel empowered and validated. In turn, when employees have these positive feelings about their leadership and the company where they work, they tend to be more satisfied with their role, stay longer and have positive things to say about the organization they represent.

An organization may experience lower employee turnover when humility is a part of the company culture. Increased employee loyalty comes from having members of your team who appreciate the chance to be heard, feel like they are an important part of the organization and know that their work and ideas matter to the company’s success. Employees who are happy at work often choose to stay employed at the organization for longer, and may even refer other high-quality candidates in their network to the company’s open positions.

Humility often leads to collaboration because employees and managers alike realize the strengths of those they work with. You can better appreciate the experiences, education and skill set your coworkers have that balance your own, which can help grow your professional relationships into ones that improve output for the business and make the work environment more pleasant.

The goal is confident humility. Confident Humility: A Way to Lead so Everyone Wins | by Alana 🌴 | Personal Growth | Medium Not the type of humility that has you giving away credit constantly for the work you do, but the kind of humility that has you saying “ thank you.  It was a lot of hard work, but the team had some great ideas which got the project over the line” Constantly downplaying the role that you have and what you have accomplished, is a recipe for someone picking you first in the lay line.  Confident humility Confident Humility: Paradox of Successful Leadership – TechTello allows you to be open to others thoughts and ideas, work collaboratively and still feel a great deal of pride for the work you have accomplished.

Sometimes It Is Just Old Stuff

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Recently we moved and everything came down from the attic.   Years’ worth of memorabilia from my parents, grandparents, aunts, and great uncles.  Treasures that had been carefully saved over the years.  It was the proverbial walk down memory lane, reminiscing about different life events from before I could walk and taking a peek into a life that was lived long before I was born. Life in the 1800s (morsesociety.org) At the end of multiple sorting weeks, though, came the question of what to do with it now?  Store it back up in the new, tiny, and insulation-filled attic?  Place it around the house fully realizing it wasn’t going to accentuate my mostly transitional/modern vibe.  Or make sure it got into the hands that would truly cherish it, the way I was supposed to? After a few guilt trips and another week of ignoring it, door #3 won and I started a campaign of picture taking and editing to showcase each treasure in its best form.  Then I advertised them everywhere and I waited…. and waited.  Finally, one person reached out to ask if I would take $10 for all three antique Kodak cameras Kodak No 3A Folding Pocket Antique Bellows Camera with Anastigmat Lens WORKS V11 | eBay and could I please package them up and send them to Oceanside.  For $10?  I don’t think so.  I felt inundated, defeated, and overwhelmed.

The moral of this story is that sometimes, it is just old stuff or even just stuff.  And it really isn’t of value to you or to anyone else.  Not unlike the myriad of messages, we get in our inbox every day.  Some thinly veiled advertisements for something, some hawking wares like the latest seminar, and some actually the news of the day or more likely, someone’s interpretation of the news.  We feel inundated and overwhelmed, but hesitant to let any of it go for fear we might miss something important or let go of something of value. Declutter Your Inbox In 5 Easy Steps (forbes.com) Our day is full of should’ s.  I should flag that to read later.  I should spend more time determining strategy.   I should ( you fill in the blank).  Sometimes, we have to realize that maybe it is just like old stuff.  It is really not of value.  Not of value to you and not of value to anyone else and we just need to let it go and move on.  If something is critically important it will come back around or someone else will have added it to their to-do list and will forward it to you with bullet points. 

We artificially determine what to spend our time on by allowing the shoulds to intrude on what we already know we want to do.  Strategic plans for 2022 have long been established and it is unlikely, barring another pandemic type of event, COVID-19 pandemic – Wikipedia that those will become derailed by the latest e-mail communication. Focus on what you want to do- what you want to have accomplished-whether it is an attic cleaning session or an Outlook inbox.  Control your time, add value and let the clutter go.

The Great Resignation Becomes The Great Regret

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It is no secret that employees have been quitting in droves, leaving the safety of positions where they have built up political capital for new positions that promise greener pastures and can come with 25%, 50%, and higher increases. Employees say they are leaving to work for employers who are more people-centric, where they feel like their work has a purpose and can add meaning to their lives. According to Pew Research Pew Research Center | Pew Research Center in a new study, “low pay, a lack of opportunities for advancement, and feeling disrespected at work”, are the top reasons why Americans quit their jobs last year. But are all these workers leaving their jobs for new jobs finding that the new jobs are that much better than their old jobs? That their new employers are that much better than their existing employers? In many cases, the resounding answer is “No”.

That theory has been echoed by another study released this week by the job search site the Muse. Muse Jobs (Hiring) – ItsMyCareer Its study of more than 2,500 workers found that almost three-quarters of them (72%) experienced either “surprise or regret” that the new position or new company they quit their job for turned out to be “very different” from what they were led to believe. Nearly half (48%) of these workers said they would try to get their old job back thanks to a phenomenon that the Muse is calling “shift shock”.

“They’ll join a new company thinking it’s their dream job and then there’s a reality check,” the company’s CEO, Kathryn Minshew told FOX Business. “It’s this really damaging phenomenon where people are brand new in their role, and they suddenly realize it’s not at all as advertised.” They have given up the solid relationships and reputations built over the years at their previous positions, to chase the next best thing.

Much of this confusion is being driven by Gen Z, Generation Z – Wikipedia those generally born after 1995 who make up more than a quarter of the workforce. According to a recent study by career counseling provider Zety, Zety – Professional Resume & Cover Letter Tools For Any Job those workers report that the factors that are most appealing in a new job include, of course, a good benefits package (67%). But just as important to them is a company with “values that match their own” (62%), that has a purpose for being that “goes beyond merely making a profit” (61%), offers “plentiful career development and progression opportunities” (59%) and has a “strong brand reputation” (49%).

Ask any baby boomer who’s been in the workforce for a number of years and they’ll tell you that the grass is often the same color at the new job. But few, if any Gen Zer’s are seeking the advice of boomers.

The good news is that companies have a choice and research firm Gartner Gartner | Delivering Actionable, Objective Insight to Executives and Their Teams urges employers to adopt a more “human-centric” work model that includes better working hours, more productive meetings, and greater flexibility to reduce this turnover. Having clear growth opportunities and career paths are a must for a generation that grew up with instant gratification. Neither the great resignation nor the great regret is in employees’ or employers’ best interests. A strong people-centric philosophy will likely cure both.

The Changing Face of Human Resources

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There has been an earthquake-like shift in the employee-employer relationship and it has happened, not over decades, but within 2 years. It has changed the way employers interact with their employees and the way employees show up for work. In the past, even the advanced HR functions were still primarily transactionally based. This shift has necessitated that employers look at each employee in an authentic Are you an authentic HR leader? (humanresourcesonline.net)way, taking into account their needs on a holistic basis and not just during the workweek. Employees more than ever before are coming to the table with demands. Demands for work/life balance, for enhanced benefits, for more pay, and most importantly, for meaningful work where they can serve a greater purpose and be a part of something bigger than themselves. They are holding employers accountable in record numbers for taking a stand on important issues and being able to eloquently articulate how they are improving the world.  

COVID, while an incredible health travesty, has in some ways, sped up this revolution. It has caused people, employees, to step back and assess what is important to them, where they want to work, how they want to work, and what they are willing to sacrifice, if anything, for a job. In record numbers, over 4.4M in Nov 2021 alone, People Explained Why They Resigned During The Great Resignation, And Their Points Are Sooo Valid (yahoo.com)employees are quitting and quitting without necessarily having another position lined up. Quitting to pursue their passions and their interests and realizing that money is only a part of the equation to leading a happy life. The term The Great Resignation, Great Resignation – Wikipedia coined by Anthony Klotz, a professor of management at Mays Business School at Texas A&M University, who predicted the mass exodus in May 2021, is on everyone’s minds.

I feel very fortunate to be a part of an organization that started this journey long before the world had ever heard of COVID, to have embraced our WHY, and to have established inspirational Guiding Principles that serve as a daily roadmap for our teams for how we want to serve our employees, our residents and our broader communities. Well-being has always been at the forefront of our message and wellbeing in the broader sense of the word, incorporating physical, financial, social, emotional, and career wellbeing. As a people-first company, we continue to take the individual needs of our workforce into account, personalizing our offerings and doing what is right.

While the staggering numbers of employees who are quitting their jobs and moving on may slow in the coming months, the seismic shifts surrounding flexibility and employee demands that have occurred will remain. I am frequently asked by our employees and others if we will revert to the old ways of working without the flexibility and the hybrid The Next Great Disruption Is Hybrid Work—Are We Ready? (microsoft.com)schedules. My answer is always the same “No”. Once we enter a period of enlightenment it is impossible not to know what we know. People can be highly productive working from someplace other than the office, working irregular hours and days, and can be trusted to get the job done, whether you can “see” them or not.

Augmented Reality for Management Development Training

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In this day of consumerization of personalization, employees are not looking for a one size fits all approach any longer, but for learning and development opportunities that are specific to their needs.  Augmented reality is a unique way to supplement your existing e-learning content and to engage your employees in the Learning and Development journey.  Using Augmented Reality For Hands-On Training (forbes.com)

Augmented reality (AR) is an interactive experience of a real-world environment where the objects that reside in the real world are enhanced by computer-generated information. AR can be defined as a system that incorporates three basic features: a combination of real and virtual worlds, real-time interaction, and accurate 3D registration of virtual and real objects.

For organizations looking to implement the next level of training, Augmented Reality or AR-based training is quickly cementing itself as the technology of choice. How Augmented Reality Is Changing the Training Industry (trainingmag.com) Augmented Reality training in a corporate setting is the ideology of bringing training to life by animating daily objects and scenarios that an employee interacts and engages with. 

Experts agree that for a behavior change to take place, learners must remain engaged throughout training. This is an ongoing challenge in L&D. Whether it be in a classroom or an eLearning course, with all of today’s distractions it is often difficult to grab and hold the attention of learners. E-mails are pinging, phones are ringing, text messages are coming in, all of which seem to demand immediate attention.

Another challenge can be providing learners with experiential learning opportunities, where they are actually able to interact or practice with whatever they are learning. When learning is engaging and experiential like this, the knowledge retention of learners increases dramatically. In addition, when learners are placed in an environment where they are “pulling” content through their own discovery versus being “pushed” content, that feeling of control can also result in much higher knowledge retention. Higher retention is critical to achieving behavior changes.

Printed learning materials can be brought to life by taking something static and creating animation and interactivity that engages the learner and demonstrates perspectives that simply can’t be shown with something static. Group activities can be transformed into interactive experiences that get the learners up and moving and working together as they scan various items to solve clues and obtain new knowledge along the way.

For example, a training app for a forklift may ask the user to sit down and aim their device camera downwards, and their screen will light up with virtual pedals next to their feet and driving controls above their knees.  This allows the user to practice in a safe environment, without any of the real-world risks.  Augmented Reality Training: Benefits, Types, Use Cases | Program-Ace Multiple people could be trained simultaneously without having to give up forklifts for production.

Augmented reality is a promising technology with a strong future in eLearning and especially for corporate training.

Perks in a Work from Home World

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While working from home, in and of itself, used to be considered a perk, it is quickly becoming the norm, whether 100% remote or the more popular hybrid model where employees work two or three days from home and the remainder in the office.  However, this change has made other “in-office” perks more elusive.  5 HR trends you should be paying attention to in 2022: HowNow (gethownow.com)Benefits like free lunches, after-work happy hours, and casual Fridays are difficult to consider when working in an all or partial work from home environment.  So, what perks do employees want most in this new world?  

Global benefits and rewards platforms are popping up all over that allow companies to care for, connect with and celebrate their employees no matter where they are or what they want.  These platforms focus not only on physical wellbeing but also on social/emotional and financial wellbeing.  As the lines between work and home continue to blur, employees have growing expectations that employers will view them as holistic human beings where work is a part of their identity, but certainly not their whole identity.  A study by Perkbox Global Employee Benefits and Rewards Platform | Perkbox suggests that over half of the employees surveyed said Employee discounts are the most coveted.  This was followed by a three-way tie for greater recognition for your work, unlimited amount of vacation time, and at-home entertainment.  There is also growing demand for mental health or wellness days and extended free mental health counseling services. 

Employee Discounts

There is a myriad of market leaders who provide Employee discounts.  Some of the larger include names like Corporate Offers, www.corporateoffers.com Next Jump www.nextjump.com, and Anyperk www.anyperk.com.  Most of these services have both a free, limited option service and a paid service.  Normally these will differ in the way an employer can customize the specific offerings to their employee base.  If you choose to go this route, do your due diligence.  A common complaint is that these services may not offer better discounts than employees can get on their own

Recognition

Study after study has proven that there is a very weak correlation between remuneration and an employee’s job satisfaction.    A study from the Saratoga Institute looked at more than 19,000 exit interviews. When they asked the managers or supervisors why their employees had quit, nearly 90% of the supervisors cited reasons related to remuneration. In nine out of ten instances, they believed their employees quit to pursue a job with a larger salary. On the other hand, 88% of employees said clearly that their reasons for leaving had nothing to do with their salary. The data on this issue is pretty cut and dried. In most instances, people choose to leave their current position because of poor leadership from the person they report directly to.  What employees really want, once they feel they are compensated fairly, is to be appreciated personally and professionally by the company and their manager.  They want to be connected to a larger purpose, but they also want their work and contributions to be acknowledged and appreciated, no matter how small.  

Certainly, ensure each of your team members is fairly compensated for the work they are doing, but remember to take the time to truly appreciate what they are contributing and help them to see how it is connected to the larger company goals and purpose.  Take time to call out the traits that are unique and let them know you appreciate them!

Internal Mobility

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Internal mobility The Complete Guide to Internal Mobility — Paddle (paddlehr.com)refers to the movement of existing employees across different departments or roles within the organization.  These may be “permanent” roles such as an employee who moves laterally from an Accounting position into a Finance position or an employee who is promoted from Accounting Supervisor to Accounting Manager.  

An internal mobility program can ensure employee retention, leadership development and produces well-rounded employees who truly understand the various aspects of the business. It also reduces cost, time, and effort in hiring outside talent.

The successful cross-functional movement of employees starts with a well-thought-out program and a receptive work culture. In order to grow, leadership and HR must develop a culture where employees have an opportunity to learn new skills.

https://harver.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Attractive-Employers-According-to-Millenials.png

In PwC’s most recent Millennials at Work survey, they found that the #1 most attractive employer attribute was the possibility of career progression.

Talent Profiles

Internal mobility is only truly possible if you know what each employee is capable of and the skills that they already possess. Auditing each team member, preferably during the hiring stage, and then again annually, will enable you to track the skills each employee has, what skills are needed and what gaps remain.  Managers should use Talent Profiles to assess career opportunities for each person on their team.

Career Paths

Develop learner pathways that employees can reference and develop self-directed training programs that will assist employees in transitioning into new roles or to learning new skills

Succession Planning

Succession plans are necessary so you have a clear idea of what will happen if an employee leaves their position. Who in the organization could be tapped for a promotion?

As Harvard Business Review Succession Planning: What the Research Says (hbr.org) bleakly highlights, all CEOs will inevitably leave office, yet research shows most organizations are ill-prepared to replace them. However, a CIPHR study found that although 92% of companies admitted it was a risk to not have a succession plan in place, only 25% felt they had the right candidates to fill vacant positions. To fill the void, you can look within your current talent pool, or hire externally.

According to PaddleHR, The Complete Guide to Internal Mobility — Paddle (paddlehr.com) 66% of job seekers look at the current company before looking elsewhere for a job.  Now is the time to stem the tide of the Great Resignation The Great Resignation: Why people are quitting their jobs (cnbc.com)and ensure you are offering your employees a reason to stay!

Unlock Your Potential

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We have all heard the staggering statistics around the rise in mental health issues over the last 18 months as the world and the people who populate it struggle through COVID. The coronavirus (COVID‐19) pandemic’s impact on mental health (nih.gov). The pandemic is not just a medical phenomenon; it affects individuals and society and causes disruption, anxiety, depression, stress, stigma, and xenophobia. Quarantine and self‐isolation can most likely cause a negative impact on one’s mental health. A review published in The Lancet said that separation from loved ones, loss of freedom, boredom, and uncertainty can cause a deterioration in an individual’s mental health status. Patients with mental health disorders in the COVID-19 epidemic (nih.gov).  Whether your workplace is your kitchen table or your high-rise office, the fact of the matter is that most of us spend the majority of our waking hours “at work”.  Employers, therefore, have an obligation and a societal duty to offer solutions to this ever-growing mental health crisis.

Never has the focus on employee well-being been so critically important and been quite as honestly the difference between life and death. The Impact Of Covid-19 On Suicide Rates (psycom.net). A new report by The Well Being Trust released last month found that 75,000 additional people could die from what they called “deaths of despair,” (which include suicide and substance abuse) because of Covid-19. Suicide is likely to become a more pressing concern as the pandemic spreads and has longer-term effects on the general population, the economy, and vulnerable groups,”  according to David Gunnell, professor of epidemiology at the University of Bristol.

Employers have a responsibility to create robust employee well-being programs and to ensure that they offer something for everyone.

Physical well-being

Employees are being told to isolate and many gyms have been shut down for months, leading to a lack of physical exercise and all the added health benefits it brings. The Mental Health Benefits of Exercise – HelpGuide.org  That shouldn’t stop you from offering exercise opportunities through programs like Vitality Online Fitness Training | My Vitality Coach.  You can run group engagement activities with prizes galore!

Emotional Wellness

Outside of the standard EAP’s which have experienced a jump in employees utilizing their resources, there are also programs like TalkSpace Talkspace – #1 Rated Online Therapy, 1 Million+ Users that offer one-on-one counseling, couples therapy, and Psychiatry, all 100% virtually with licensed practitioners.

Financial Wellness

Large numbers of employees in the hospitality business sector were impacted by COIVD when restaurants, hotels, and the travel industry literally ground to a halt.  While stimulus checks and increases in unemployment staved off starvation, the stress associated with not being able to pay your rent or mortgage and not knowing when you will be employed again is huge.  Offer employees the opportunity to engage with a financial coach to understand how to best manage through this difficult time.

Social well-being

We are social creatures by nature and the stress caused by not being able to hug, interact, and see our loved ones and co-workers is tremendous. Consider forming online interest groups that are designed to foster not only an inclusive workplace but to organize learning opportunities and discussions to encourage and elevate open and honest conversations around the topics that matter most.  Sometimes just knowing you are not alone, is all that is needed to help you realize that this will eventually pass.

Employers have a unique opportunity to engage with their workforces during this pandemic, to do the right thing, and to come out as a stronger team on the other side!

Is Patience a Virtue?

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We live in a world where the pace is constantly increasing.  An analysis of the history of technology shows that technological change is exponential, contrary to the common-sense ‘intuitive linear’ view. So we won’t experience 100 years of progress in the 21st century—it will be more like 20,000 years of progress (at today’s rate), according to Wikipedia. Accelerating change – Wikipedia

90% of the world’s data was generated in the last 2 years How Fast Is Technology Growing Statistics [Updated 2021] (leftronic.com).  The adoption of mobile devices has led to the mass adoption of mobile banking technologies.  5G network technology is expected to be 100 times faster than the 4G standard, delivering 10 gigabits per second. The technological progress of mobile broadband networks will enhance IoT, bringing faster wireless internet to cars, refrigerators, and other innovations.

Workers in technology companies and other high-growth industries, routinely work 60+ hour weeks just trying to keep up.   In the last 40 years, Americans, just on average, have been working longer hours for more weeks a year. The average worker in 1980 put in 38.1 hours for 43 weeks a year. Today, the average employee works 46.8 weeks a year for a total of 38.7 hours a week.  Small increase but hey add up!

So, does patience Four Reasons to Cultivate Patience (berkeley.edu)have a place any longer in our amped-up society?  It does when it comes to human interaction.  You can be impatient with the process, focus on meeting deadlines and project plans and strive to deliver ahead of schedule.  However, there is an inverse relationship between being able to achieve the above and the amount of patience you show to the individuals on your team.  Give your employees time to finish their thoughts before jumping in.  Make sure you listen more than you speak.  It can be tempting to jump in right away with your own ideas but resist that urge and just listen and ask probing, not leading, questions. For many people, silence is uncomfortable. A break in a conversation for too long can feel awkward. Rather than succumbing to it. Use it to your advantage. Next time you feel like jumping right in to say something, pause and count to 10 in your head. You’re likely to find the other person in the conversation will step in to fill the silence. If you’re a manager, this is a powerful tool. It gives your people an opportunity to fully share what’s on their minds. How Managers can be more Effective Listeners to Better Lead their Teams (getlighthouse.com)

Different people process information at different speeds.  Giving your team members the freedom and opportunity to process all of the information and then revert back with questions will likely yield superior results in the end.  They will usually be more receptive to whatever change you are bringing forth as they will have had the time to adjust.  Not everyone can move at the same pace and human nature is to resist something until you have had time to think it through.

Start with the strongly held belief that everyone comes to work wanting to do their best.  Giving your employees the space they need and being patient with those who move at a different pace is the key to successful leadership!