Cal Wilson / August 1, 2023

At some point in your career, chances are you’ll have to deliver some kind of presentation. Some of us thrive under that type of spotlight, and some of us struggle. In either case, there are always ways to improve.  

In this issue of the Pulse, we’re looking at seven tips that will help you excel at presenting.  

Proofread everything ahead of time.  

When you’re done working on your presentation, the last thing you want to do is proofread, scanning every last word for mistakes. But it’s an important task, and one that might save you from stumbling or having to correct something as the presentation is happening.  

Get yourself in the right headspace. 

Easier said than done if you’re nervous of public speaking, but being in the right headspace to present is important. Focusing on your nerves and doubting your abilities won’t help you deliver a good presentation. Instead, try: 

• Reminding yourself that your presentation message is important. 
• Visualize yourself delivering a great presentation, rather than imagining the worst-case scenarios.  
• Don’t apologize for being nervous; embrace it and use it as a kind of energy to put into your presentation.  

Ensure AV and lighting isn’t an issue.  

Some people need to rehearse more than others – so do what feels right for you. However, a test run to ensure the audio-visual equipment and lighting is working smoothly is critical.  

Be prepared to be cut short. 

There’s nothing worse than feeling rushed or like you’re running out of time. Oftentimes, if we know we have a ten-minute window, we will plan for those entire ten minutes. But sometimes things run late, or your time gets cut in half, and you’re left scrambling to fit your entire presentation into a smaller chunk of time than you prepared for.  

You can be ready for this by: 

• Having a full version of the presentation you planned, and a version that’s 50% of what you’ve planned. 
• Know ahead of time what content can be cut, and what is integral to your overall message.  
• Don’t get too attached to unnecessary details. 

Don’t forget a hook.  

If you’re worried about audience engagement, a strong hook at the beginning of your presentation is a solid strategy. This could be anything from a relevant joke to an icebreaker activity.  

Prioritize being interactive.  

Humans do better when we’re being spoken to rather than spoken at. Avoid sounding like a lecturer by including interactivity, such as: 

• Actively listening to audience questions. 
• Encouraging audience members to engage with each other and the material. 
• Asking for opinions and questions.  
• Including a group activity, when relevant.  

Don’t forget a strong finish. 

Just like a good hook will get your audience engaged, a strong ending will leave them reflecting on your presentation long after it’s over.  

In conclusion… 

Whether you love or hate giving presentations, following these seven tips will make any talk you give go a lot smoother.  

Cal Wilson / July 18, 2023

Employee engagement is an important indicator of your company’s health. Engaged employees are more productive, happier, and overall, do better work. Keeping employees engaged, therefore, is an important part of any business strategy.  

In 2023, are employees engaged? Studies show, not as much as they could be. In this issue of The Pulse, we look at the state of employee engagement.  

Employee engagement is consistently low.  

A recent Gallup study revealed that 85% of global employees don’t feel engaged in their workplace. Meaning, only 15% of employees are engaged with the work they’re doing.  

That might seem like a catastrophic statistic, but you might be shocked to know, it’s pretty normal, despite experiencing a recent, significant drop. In 2022, employee engagement actually reached record highs, with 23% of employees reporting they felt engaged with their work.  

While an 8% drop is significant, it’s not entirely unexpected.  

So, if employee engagement is typically low, why bother trying to change it? 

Disengagement costs you.  

There is a price to low employee engagement. According to Team Stage, disengaged workers “have 37% higher absenteeism and 49% more accidents. They also make 60% more errors.”  

In contrast, companies with higher employee engagement see an average of 21% higher profitability, as well as better client relations.  

So how do you fix it?  

Employee disengagement has a lot to do with job stressors. The Gallup study found “44% of employees said they experienced a lot of stress the previous day.”  

High stress levels lead to exhaustion, burnout, compassion-fatigue, and overall lower engagement.  

Employee stress isn’t a problem you can will away, either. It takes meaningful work to resolve. According to the Society for Human Resource Management, “organizations that try to buy their employees’ enthusiasm and commitment are likely to be disappointed. While higher pay and better benefits generally improve a worker’s satisfaction and overall contentment, they don’t truly drive engagement and the extra effort that comes with it.” 

The best way to lower employee stress and increase engagement is by paying more attention to their needs.  

What employees need for better engagement. 

The Society for Human Resource Management says that, to support meaningful employee engagement, some of the things employees need include:  

• The right tools to do their jobs – otherwise known as an ‘enabling infrastructure.’ 
• Individual attention from their managers/supervisors. 
• Training, coaching, and opportunities for continuous development. 
• Proof that their voices matter, and that they’re being listened to by higher-ups. 
• Social connections with their colleagues. 
• Opportunities to give back to the community/service projects.  
• Impactful recognition for their work. 

In conclusion… 

Employee engagement is suffering all around the world in 2023. However, if your business is suffering from low employee engagement, there are solutions to take before it becomes a crisis.  

Cal Wilson / July 4, 2023

In July of 2013, we published an issue of the Pulse looking at the growing power of LinkedIn, a platform that, at the time, had 225 million users and was quickly growing. Now, ten years later, the twenty year-old social network has over 930 million users, and has become a part of the standard corporate networking experience.  

So, is LinkedIn still a powerful tool a decade later? In this issue of the Pulse, we investigate.  

Is LinkedIn oversaturated? 

With nearly a billion users, LinkedIn has become a lot more crowded than it was a decade ago. Many users are simply creating profiles because they feel it is necessary for their careers, without putting significant effort into the networking aspect of the site. Your inbox is likely to fill up with promotional messages about things you don’t care about. Your timeline might be congested with personal posts that seem like they belong more on Facebook or Instagram than a professional networking site.  

So, is LinkedIn past its point of usefulness? Not quite.  

LinkedIn still brings a lot of value to the table. 

While the platform has certainly changed and expanded through its massive growth, there is still tremendous opportunity to bolster your career and connections.  

Given, this isn’t true for all professionals. Although we may all feel the pressure to hop on LinkedIn, it tends to be the most successful for those in traditionally “white collar” positions and professional practices.  

So, if that’s you, what are the benefits of being purposeful and consistent with your presence on LinkedIn?  

Expanding your network.  

Like any social media platform, LinkedIn is designed to help you expand your network. Specifically, your professional network. It’s a great way to keep up to date with colleagues, clients, contacts, and prospects, as well as keep them updated with your professional accomplishments.  

Participating in groups. 

LinkedIn supports the creation of and participation in groups focused on specialized topics, industries, locations, etc. This is a great way to maintain your professional network in a relevant way, focusing your social media effort on the topics that make a difference to your career. Especially with virtual networking on the rise in the past few years, these kinds of groups are a more organic way to meet likeminded professionals.  

Establishing your expertise.  

Various posting options on LinkedIn, such as articles and videos, allow you to establish yourself as an expert in your field. Knowledge-sharing is an important part of thought-leadership, and optimizing LinkedIn to build that credibility with your network could have significant benefits for your career.  

Researching positions/applicants.  

Whether you’ll be looking for a new position in the future, or will be hiring applicants for your organization, LinkedIn is a good platform for keeping up to date, researching organizations and people, and reaching out to potential options.  

Likewise, your profile gives you the opportunity to keep others informed about your past and present accomplishments, positions, and skills, meaning potential recruiters can find you.  

In conclusion… 

Although LinkedIn is a much more crowded platform than it was when we wrote about it ten years ago, and those extra users can come with extra filler on your newsfeed, there are still a lot of benefits to maintaining your profile. 

Cal Wilson / June 20, 2023

Many of us know we need to set boundaries in our personal life, whether that be with friends, family members, or romantic partners. When it comes to our careers, it can often be a bit harder to establish boundaries and look out for ourselves; with income and future success on the line, sometimes it’s easier to roll over and put up with things that don’t serve us.  

However, for your long-term wellbeing, it’s important to set boundaries at work, as well as at home. In this issue of The Pulse, we look at why.  

The benefits of boundary-setting.  

Ensuring you set healthy boundaries at work isn’t just good for you. It benefits your entire team, as well.  

Clear communication of your boundaries allows everyone working with you to understand your limits, capabilities, strengths, and weaknesses on the job. This doesn’t mean you’re never going to be pushed outside your comfort zone – that’s still a healthy part of growth – but by communicating your boundaries, your colleagues will understand how to best work with you, leading to everyone’s success. 

Likewise, establishing and sticking to healthy boundaries helps build your self-esteem, protect your emotional and mental wellbeing, and prevent burnout. 

What does this look like in the workplace? 

Obviously, boundary setting in the workplace is going to look a little different than in your personal life. Especially if you’re trying to set a boundary with a supervisor. It may involve a little more tact or subtlety in some situations, and assertiveness in others.  

There are many strategies you can implement to effectively establish boundaries.  

Prioritization.  

Reflect on and prioritize what’s most important to you in setting boundaries. You may be able to set hard lines in some areas but need to compromise in others. Being clear about where you’re flexible and where you are not critical to setting and maintaining boundaries. 

Clear, respectful communication.  

If someone has crossed a line or made you feel uncomfortable, tell them. Be honest but respectful when approaching a situation, not confrontational.  

Follow through.  

If you set a boundary, but don’t follow through, you’re giving others precedent to continue to overstep your boundaries.  

Practice ways to say “no.” 

You can’t always say no on the job. However, there are a lot of situations where you should. It can be hard to find the right words, so have a toolbelt of effective, assertive ways to say no. These can include: 

• “I’m not comfortable with that.” 
• “I can’t take that on right now.” 
• “My plate is already pretty full.” 

Utilize your “out of office” and “do not disturb” functions.  

We’re trained to be on all the time in the digital age. Putting on your “do not disturb” function outside of work hours, or during busy work periods, is a way of setting a boundary about your work-life balance.  

Ask for help when you need it.  

Don’t struggle alone. If your workload is too much, or a co-worker is violating boundaries, seek support from the systems available in your workplace.  

In conclusion… 

Boundary-setting is a critical skill in all aspects of life, including in the workplace. When everyone communicates and follows their colleagues’ boundaries, we’re all more likely to succeed and avoid burnout.  

Cal Wilson / June 6, 2023

In any business or organization, innovation is important for a number of reasons. Be it creative problem solving, new marketing methods, strategies for employee retention, or any number of important leadership initiatives, innovation is key.  

In this issue of the Pulse, we look at ways employers and managers can cultivate innovation in their workplace.  

Innovation starts at the door.  

Hiring a wide range of applicants, from different backgrounds and experiences, is critical to fostering a culture of innovation. This brings a multitude of perspectives to your team, which is key in sparking innovation.  

It’s important to be aware of this because many of us unconsciously tend to hire people with similar backgrounds and thought processes to our own. But, as innovation strategist Alex Gonzalez told the World Economic Forum (WEF), it’s dangerous “not to bring a multitude of voices, values, thought mechanisms, needs, and belief systems to the innovation gallery.” 

Be committed to constant learning.  

According to Deloitte, “high-performing learning organizations” are 92% more likely to innovate. Meaning, along with having a Learning & Development team on staff, it’s important to be committed to the lifelong learning and skill development of each member of your staff.  

This includes ensuring employees have access to the necessary resources, such as time, tools, training, and technology, to pursue innovative ideas and skills-development.  

Foster openness, belonging, and collaboration.  

Innovation is a natural conclusion of inclusive, supportive teamwork. It can only result within an organization where belonging, acceptance, and collaboration are a priority. The security that comes with a sense of belonging and acceptance leads to curiosity, which then fosters innovation.  

Your organization can help foster this kind of environment by encouraging open communication and valuing and acknowledging employee input, ideas, and feedback.  

Resist micromanagement.  

The death knoll of innovation can often, unfortunately, happen when middle management micromanages their staff.  

According to the WEF, “micromanagers tend to use the authority of their position to control how work gets done, create unnecessary bottlenecks, and focus on employees’ weaknesses and failures. All of this has a negative impact on engagement, productivity, and teamwork.” 

Encourage risk-taking.  

Innovation can only happen when employees feel safe to experiment, make mistakes, adjust, and try again. That’s part of why micromanaging is so detrimental. If your employees don’t feel safe to take risks, they will never progress, innovate, or come up with solutions to new problems.  

Recognizing and rewarding this innovation is critical in encouraging more, as well. Celebrate successes and publicly acknowledge individuals or teams who have made significant innovative contributions. 

Establish cross-departmental collaboration.  

It’s important to foster collaboration and knowledge-sharing across different departments and teams. Encourage employees from diverse backgrounds and skill sets to work together on projects, as this can lead to fresh perspectives and innovative solutions. 

In conclusion… 

Innovation is crucial for the longevity of any business or organization. There is a lot you can do, as an employer or manager, that unintentionally stifles innovation. Proactively taking steps to foster curiosity, problem-solving, and collaboration among your staff will greatly aid overall innovation.