Author Archives: Larry Janis

How to Break Free From Herd Mentality

 

 

by Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries

 

Nurturing independent thought can help us overcome dangerous sheeple behaviour and groupthink.

We have all been in situations where it is easier to follow the crowd than to go against it. We change our mind and succumb to group pressure just by being told that most people think about an issue in a certain way. By unconsciously internalising the opinions, feelings and moods of others, we can end up thinking these ideas are our own.

Even though we treasure our individuality and like to imagine that we are in control of our lives, we are hardwired to imitate others and follow the herd. And when stressful situations arise, we are even more likely to acquiesce to other people’s suggestions without taking much of a critical stand. Worryingly, our brains maintain the illusion that whatever we’re doing is based on our independent judgement.

Herd mentality or “sheeple” behaviour can be found everywhere from the financial sector to outbursts of mob violence, political movements, religious gatherings, sporting events, riots, strikes and even consumer preferences such as fashion trends. In each of these instances, individuals adopt opinions based on what other people say and do without considering the evidence for themselves.

Many threatening situations – real or imaginary – can provoke sheeple behaviour. These are not just circumstances of physical danger, but also the fear of being different, uncertain or the odd one out. For example, people will make irrational or non-optimal decisions and behave in a herd-like fashion when motivated by the desire to fit in, which can result in groupthink.

When following the crowd is dangerous

Without herd instinct, our ancestors would not have banded together to fight off animals or help each other collect food. While there are many benefits to be gained by living and working cooperatively in groups, sheeple behaviour also makes us easily susceptible to manipulation. This is particularly the case in the context of leadership, where neo-authoritarian leaders exploit herd mentality to rise to power.

The dark side of sheeple behaviour manifests when individual judgment and opinion-forming processes shut down. Essentially, a process of social contagion takes place, meaning a tendency to automatically mimic and synchronise expressions, words, postures and movements with other people, which contributes to behavioural convergence. (more…)

Want to set yourself apart? Own your job

 

 

by Adam Bryant

 

For the ambitious employee, a deep sense of accountability is the one thing that matters most.

 

“The most important thing….”

It’s hard to beat those four words for drawing people into discussions on big topics like life, career, and leadership. If somebody says she has cut through the noise to find the one thing that matters most, we can’t help but listen. But how helpful is an answer like “Follow your passion”?  A lot of people don’t know what their passion is when they are starting their career, and those who do probably don’t need to be told to follow it.

This is why I’ve generally steered clear of the “one thing” game. Simplifying complexity is an art form, but such an exercise can easily fall into the trap of oversimplification. And yet, through all my years of asking leaders about the X factors that separate employees, I have wondered what quality actually makes someone stand out and get that promotion.

Here’s my vote: an extreme sense of accountability and ownership of the job. People with these qualities figure out how to get something done, even if the path to success is unclear. When things get tough, they don’t point fingers or throw up their hands in frustration or complain that something isn’t fair or is too hard. Ownership is not just about having a strong work ethic—it’s about having a sense of responsibility to follow through and deliver. (more…)

5 leadership lessons from the Navy SEALs to build a high-performance culture

 

 

BY MARTY STRONG

A retired SEAL says elite teams thrive when challenged, and so do exceptional people.

Navy SEALs, and most special operations teams in general, commit a significant amount of time and resources working to shape a disparate group of people, of strangers really, into a team of respected friends and close colleagues. In business, as in the SEALs, everyone must know their role, their part in the overall plan, and everyone should be cross-trained to build organizational resilience and establish the foundation for success. Of the many things one might learn from studying these elite warriors, knowing how to build a winning team has to be at the top of the list. Here are five leadership lessons that will help you build your high-performance team:

CREATE A MISSION-FOCUSED CULTURE

Navy SEALs and other elite military units have one thing in common: an intense awareness of, and focus on, the mission. This mission focus permeates an entire military organization, from the most senior leader down to the most junior technical expert. Without a specific purpose for being and doing, a business is left to wonder, and worse, to wander.

Businesses can take a page from elite units and start communicating the mission, strategic, operational, and technical, from the minute they interview a candidate through to employee retirement. This should become a habit, a philosophy, a continuous exercise in positive influence that binds an organization together and prepares it for both success and adversity. (more…)

new opportunity

 

 

 Sales Director USA – Net New Business / Hunter / Rain Maker

 

 

 

 

OUR CLIENT

Is a pioneering IT Consultancy Company with over 20 years of experience, their global network of passionate technologists and pioneering craftsmen deliver cutting-edge technology and game-changing consulting to companies on the brink of transformation. They are organized in complementary chapters – teams with a tremendous amount of knowledge and experience within a particular field, such as Agile, DevOps, Data and AI, Cloud, Software Technology, Low Code, and Microsoft.

LOCATION

  • Location – Anywhere in the USA

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • Business and Market Development for US markets
  • Revenue Generation and new logo hunting
  • Negotiations and contract finalization with the help from delivery teams and legal teams
  • Collaborate cross-functionally with business and other IT teams across the client
  • Champion development and integration standards, best practices, and their related deliverables
  • Aim to deliver processes and components that can be maintained by the business into the future using native features and functions whenever possible
  • Embraces diverse people, thinking and styles
  • Understanding of technology selling in the areas such as Agile, DevOps, BI/AI and ML, Cloud, Full Stack Dev and Low Code.

JOB REQUIREMENTS:

  • Bachelors Degree with IT selling and outsourcing experience of 10-15 years
  • Act with urgency and a sense of ownership in the broader scheme of client’s success
  • Hunger for business
  • Good past rolodex to close deals and hit the ground running

If you are interested or know someone who might be, please let me know.

Thank you in advance,

Sincerely,

Larry Janis

Managing Partner I Integrated Search Solutions Group

P-516-767-3030

HOW TO REWARD WORK-AT-HOME EMPLOYEES

 

 

The trend of working from home has grown in popularity, especially during the past two years due to the coronavirus pandemic. While the role of employers doesn’t end with employees working from home, it provides for different challenges. At times, working at home becomes difficult for employees to stay engaged, so you need to find a way to keep these at-home employees motivated and satisfied, so they stick around but continue to be productive.

Including fitness benefits

Studies have shown that remote workers tend to be more sedentary due to no commute. Those working from home averaged 9.2 hours spent sitting, compared to 7.3 hours for those in an office. Fitness combats stress gives employees a routine and helps them feel better physically and emotionally. Consider offering to pay for a gym subscription or fitness program, with some of these programs even offered online. You might also offer a health budget that employees can put toward purchasing new running gear, enrolling in yoga classes, signing up for meditation courses, or setting up a home gym.

The fitness benefit might be part of your wellness incentive program. These programs typically encourage healthy behaviors among employees, such as quitting smoking or walking a certain number of steps each day. If you offer such a program, your employees might receive a certain number of points depending on their activities or meeting certain goals. They might then be able to cash out your points for certain items, such as paid time off, gift cards and merchandise, or health insurance rebates.

Hosting virtual team-building experiences

Before the shift of employees working from home, they likely had a chance to participate in the time-honored tradition of the after-work happy hour. Once people began working from home, they lost the in-person socialization aspect. However, some employers who have at-home employees have gotten creative in adapting to this new working situation by offering virtual happy hours. Sometimes, employers send alcohol directly to the employees’ homes, and the employees log onto video conferencing sites to socialize.

Another option is to plan virtual game nights. The isolation of being at home often leads to loneliness and disconnection, so by setting up these virtual game nights, your employees can connect with others and share some laughs. They might also learn how to collaborate, and this carries over to their work. Virtual games are available, so you don’t even need to send anything like you would for virtual happy hours. (more…)