In 2021 I was both a student and a teacher. To be successful in any industry or in any role, you must know and understand your audience and their deepest challenges. While I spent 16 years in Corporate Healthcare and had learned my fair share of trials, tribulations, and pros and cons, etc… every year offers new challenges and opportunities. 2021? No exception.
I enjoyed learning more about the challenges among corporate employees across all industries from a new viewpoint. As an executive business coach, I was able to teach leadership skills, empower confidence, connect solutions, and spread hope in an environment where many still feel the future is unreliable. I am excited to share 6 common trends that I learned from corporate employees in 2021. This information is brought forth my learnings via LinkedIn (surveys, comments, post topics, trending articles, and blogs).
- The only thing keeping people in a job they hate is fear of change. Well, that’s good news and bad news. If someone fears change, there is a strong likelihood they are not performing well in their current role as change is the only constant in the new working age. If you think your long-tenured employees are a feather in your HR cap, dig a little deeper and make sure they aren’t blocking change or withholding opportunities for growth within an organization.
- Most employees don’t trust that management has their best interest in mind. These feelings stem from a lack of conflicting communication from leadership within an organization. Employees reported that managers blame other managers for changes that come down the chain of command and never hear from top leaders in the organization. Never meeting leadership face to face (because of remote hiring and working environment) also had a negative impact on trust among teams.
- Morning routines are extremely important to people. I read countless articles, polls, and posts about how people start their day, but never one about how they end their day or even a nighttime routine. Whether it is a morning workout, a cup of coffee, a school drop-off, meditation, or quiet reflection, a morning routine seems to have a profound impact on the overall productivity of a day among the working class. Respecting the morning hours and celebrating these routines could have a positive impact on corporate cultures.
Friday is the chosen day to take off during the week. We have all been there; from stressful Mondays to a consistent climb for a high of the positive-vibe Friday! I wouldn’t go as far as suggesting a four-day workweek, but letting employees go early on a Friday, or summer Friday BBQs, or even a floating Friday Holiday would be sure to score with employees to put in the extra effort the other working days.
Heading into 2022, corporate leaders are most focused on building brand authenticity and integrating strong partnerships. Now more than ever leaders are investing in their relationships with their customers, soliciting feedback, and accentuating loyalty programs. The market is ripe for consumer transition both from disruption of a competitor’s service or finding a new marketing access channel. Investing in strong partnership integration is another place of focus in 2022. Vested partnerships, preferred vendor relationships, or strategic alliances can mitigate some of the risks in the labor shortage, gig economy workforce, and create opportunities to feature niche expertise.
- Working hours is the number one reason individuals seek out new employment opportunities. While some of this frustration may stem from checking email around the clock, monitoring software on top of the working hours was also a hot topic in 2021. Employees felt anxiety when they had to step away to pick up a sick child from school, run an errand during the day, or juggle the reality of family members at home in quarantine or with a sickness.
I think at this point, we can all agree that the American workforce will never return to what it looked like in 2019. The reality is work-life integration is real and people want to be treated not as employees but as human ‘teammates’ enduring the same realities. Competing with one another for the survival of the fittest (or can spend the most time at work) is not necessary.
As a certified, professional business coach, my mission is to help corporate executives in healthcare or corporate wellness exit their 9-5 and start their own business. And my superpower is to build businesses from scratch. I look forward to digging into the details to uncover your passion, purpose, and help you with a smooth transition from corporate to business owner!
Apply for a free discovery call here: https://anucoaching.com/discovery-call
Kelly Daubach, CPC, ELI-MP, Executive Business Coach for Corporate Executives
Your Business. Your Vision. Your Freedom