 |
|
|
|||||
The plight of the middle manager has taken a turn for the worse since the pandemic, leaving many in the role prone to burnout as they juggle competing expectations with limited support from their employers. Managers were already tasked with addressing low morale and absorbing additional work as companies have been hit with layoffs in recent yearsbut now a number of employers are more pointedly culling their ranks, too. A dwindling force Amazon is reportedly cutting thousands of middle managers by the end of this month, following in the footsteps of other tech companies like Meta and Google that have sought to flatten their workforces. Additionally, Gartner analysts estimate that as employers rely more heavily on artificial intelligence, 20% of companies are likely to cut more than half their middle manager roles. Yet the latest edition of Deloittes annual Human Capital Trends Report finds that managers remain a crucial element of the workforce, even as many of them are struggling to manage their workloads. According to the reportwhich polled nearly 10,000 leaders and compiled input from manager-specific surveysmanagers spend almost 40% of their time on administrative tasks or putting out fires on a day-to-day basis. Just 15% of their time is spent on long-term strategic thinking, and another 13% on developing their direct reports. More than a third of managers reported feeling like they were not sufficiently prepared to handle the people management and leadership aspect of their jobs, and that their company had not given them the tools they needed to perform. The future of middle managers As meQuilibrium CEO Jan Bruce recently wrote in Fast Company, this could be the year we see a manager crashand companies may not be equipped to deal with the fallout. The Deloitte report noted that 40% of bosses surveyed said their mental health suffered after they took on managerial duties. Whats more, younger employees may not be ready to step up as managers burn out or step away from their roles; in surveys, Gen Z workers have expressed little desire to become managers themselves. Companies seem aware of the challenges facing middle managers, not to mention the fact that their jobs may need to evolve accordingly. But that doesnt mean theyre taking appropriate action to better support these employees or reevaluate what their function should be in todays workforce. Per Deloittes report, nearly three-quarters of employers said they understood the importance of revamping the role of managers, but only 7% claimed to be making meaningful progress to address the issue. The impact on team morale While cutting middle managers may seem like an efficient move during times of belt-tightening, taking that approach can leave their reports feeling adrift and may even reduce their autonomy by enabling senior leadership to wield more decision-making power. The Deloitte report posits that one of the most important facets of a managers job is to coach and develop the employees who report to them: In fact, 67% of employees claimed that their manager knows best how to motivate them at work.
Category:
E-Commerce
Restaurant diners can be a sticky-fingered bunch. Who hasnt been tempted to slip a particularly nice cocktail glass or a tiny saltshaker into their bag after lunch? But as dining out gets more expensive, more people seem determined to get their moneys worth, swiping everything from cups and plates to steak knives and even cheese graters. And not only are they getting away with it, theyre proudly flaunting their loot online. In a viral video with more than 900,000 views, one creator boldly holds up a stolen cheese grater and asks, “What’s the best thing you’ve ever stolen from a restaurant?” @sovilay And i use it all the time #fyp #foryourpage #whatsthebestthing #pasta #cheese original sound – sov. Rather than backlash, the comments section reads like a confessional. Spoons. little baby spoons. from every restaurant. every time. I can’t stop, wrote one user. I need to step up my game. I just have little sauce containers, added another. For some, the habit has turned into a full-blown collection. In another video, a TikToker proudly displays a stash of stolen bowls, cutlery, jugs, and glasses. I really enjoy these – it’s why I have so many, she says of her small black soy sauce bowls. That’s my collection, she concludes cheerfully. I am going to be getting more soon. @clairetalking lmk what i should get next #steal #restaurant #fyp original sound – claire Some restaurants are leaning in to the joke. Upscale London restaurant Sexy Fish stamps the bottom of its chopstick holders with a label that reads: “Stolen from Sexy Fish.” Another London eatery, the Ivy Asia, marks its fish-shaped table ornaments with a similar disclaimer: “Stolen from The Ivy Asia.” But not everyone is laughing. Creator YoungKaren called out the trend as a clear case of “normalized theft,” saying that even otherwise normal people seem to pocket items without considering the impactespecially on smaller businesses. “If I was sitting with you and you stole something, I would tell the waiter on you,” she warned. “Even if you’re my friend, I still would.” @youngkaren_official I would 100% tattletale #youngkaren #dailyrant #storytime original sound – youngkaren_official Anyone whos worked in or run a small business knows how fast those harmless thefts add up. Replacing stolen dishes, cutlery, and glassware isnt just annoyingits expensive. And ultimately, those costs are passed on to other diners. So while that copper mug might look great in your home bar, just remember: Someone else is paying for it.
Category:
E-Commerce
We live in a world that seems to get busier and busier! Not only do we have our daily work tasks but we also have more meetings, longer commutes, and more interactions with more people in more locations than at any time in the history of work. In addition to the many real and present external distractions, there are also internal obstacles to great listening. Our internal worlds can be loud. At times, they are a blaring noise of emotion, attitude, and motives that can make it impossible for us to give others our full attention. As two positive psychology experts, weve identified six of the most common internal barriers that can interfere with your ability to listen well, and developed a framework of six “radical listening” skills that can help you have better conversations and build better relationships. Six barriers that prevent you from listening well: 1. Comparing: It happened to me! Sometimes, the topic of a conversation seems to invite you to share your own, similar experiences. Rather than appreciating the speakers experiences, you are mentally reminiscing and preparing to offer your own carefully chosen anecdotethat time that you scheduled a business meeting in a dim sum restaurant where the waiting staff interrupted every couple of minutes to offer you some delicious delicacies. We call this comparing. What is it they are implicitly asking for in the conversation? It might be admiration from you, an acknowledgment of their enthusiasm, or a bit of respect for their work. 2. Competing: Thats nothingI have had it much tougher than that! People are social creatures and it is common for friends and colleagues to share challenges they are experiencing. An office mate might say Im really struggling to get through my emails! I have over 200 unread emails sitting in my inbox! It is easy to assume that they are looking for some sympathy or perhaps some ideas for dealing with the overwhelm. Instead of offering either of these, however, you respond, Just 200? I have over 1,000 emails that I need to respond to! We call this competing. Again, there is nothing wrong with sharing your own experience, but it runs the risk of appearing unsympathetic, self absorbed, or checked-out. 3. Mind reading: I know what youre going to say. Can you think of any recent interactions in which you were pretty sure what was going to happen even before the conversation took place? This is called mind reading. This biaseven if it was rooted in experienceinterfered with our ability to engage positively with the team. Mind reading runs the risk of focusing on your own assumptions rather than the views and interests of others. Unless you are actually a mind reader, believing that you know what other people will say becomes a barrier to genuinely listening. 4. Unsolicited advice: If I were in your shoes . . . A leader of a team in another department confides in you how difficult it is for them to take a vacation and totally unplug from work. This is an instance that calls for optimal support matching. Rather than breaking out the toolbox, it is wiser to listen to what is being asked for. It might be that your colleague would appreciate some suggestions. Or, it may be that they just want someone to commiserate with them. Whatever the case, one thing is certain: If you are busy giving unsolicited adviceattempting to solve another persons problemwhile they are talking to you, then you are not listening. 5. Priority status: I know best. Imagine you are in a work meeting, and people are discussing a technical issue that is in your area of expertise. You have had years of experience resolving technical issues just like the one being discussed! The problemwhere listening is concernedis that it is easy to believe that this expertise should give you priority. We call this priority status and it occurs when people quit listening and, instead, rush to share their own ideas. To be certain, people typically share their own perspectives out of a desire to help. Although there may be some merit in doing so, it is still the case that your enthusiasm to share your own ideas is likely to mean that you will have stopped listening to the conversation. 6. Time poverty: I dont have time for this. Unfortunately, there are only twenty-four hours in a day, so there is a tendency to feel like time is always in short supply. This so-called time poverty can interfere with our concentration and focus. In these situations, we can come across as impatient or appear to have made a judgment about the significance of what they are saying. This impatience will make people feel that you do not value what they have to say and that you are not listening. How to practice radical listening: So what can you do instead? Weve developed a framework of six core radical listening skills. Instead of letting barriers take over, try to implement these skills instead. Using these skills does not mean that you must agree with the person speakingrather you are letting the other person openly express their views, leading to conversations that foster stronger connections. 1. Noticing requires the listener to be attentive during conversations. When a person is good at noticing, they can direct their attention to what is most important for a particular interaction. Noticing includes the ability to pay attention, scan for information, and determine what is relevant. 2. Quieting is the ability to bring a sense of calm to the conversation by using silences and strategic pauses. This involves managing internal dialogue and emotions so that the listener can give their full attention to the conversation. 3. Accepting can be particularly challenging for some people. This involves adopting a stance of openness to what others may bring to the conversation. The listener respects the right of others to hold personal opinions and accepts their views as permissible within the conversation. 4. Acknowledging is the act of explicitly recognizing the efforts, perspectives, strengths, values, or principles of the other person. When we acknowledge others, they feel seen, understood, and appreciated. 5. Questioning is the skill of asking thought-provoking questions that demonstrate interest and curiosity. When used intentionally, questions can encourage deeper reflection, new perspectives, and innovative ideas. 6. Interjecting, at first glance, may seem out of place as a skill of listening. In this case, interrupting your conversational partner is used to show full and enthusiastic engagement. Interjections are used to build energy, strengthen connections, and show interest. Excerpted from Radical Listening: The Art of True Connection by Dr. Robert Biswas-Diener & Dr. Christian van Nieuwerburgh. Published by Berrett-Koehler Publishers Copyright 2025, All Rights Reserved.
Category:
E-Commerce
All news |
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||