May Top 5 LinkedIn Recap

This month, we had the opportunity to read many thought-provoking articles about leadership and mindful approaches to the workplace and then share those articles with our community. And the community spoke—as we approach the end of the month, we want to share some of the most popular articles from the past three weeks with you. We based our picks on our LinkedIn engagement, which includes reactions, shares, clicks, and comments. If you want to join us on LinkedIn, click here. For each article, we’ve shared a summary and key points, as well as a link to the full article.

This month, we saw articles looking at bullying, company culture, questions, and complaining. There was also an article full of book recommendations for your spring reading list. Take a look and let us know what you think of the articles in the comments below.

5 types of workplace bullies and how to identify them

LinkedIn engagement number: 1,439

Bullying can happen anywhere, including at work. Understanding that bullying is about power and control, and a way to dehumanize the victim, is essential to getting to the root of workplace bullying. Naming something as bullying is the first step to dealing with it. Workplace bullying has affected almost 80 million US workers, according to a study conducted by the Workplace Bullying Institute, and it can absolutely change the lives of its victims. Here are five types of workplace bullies to watch out for:

• The In-Your-Face, the bullies who want an audience and will be very visible with their bullying.
• The Rat Face, who also enjoy power over their victims but are sneakier about their tactics.
• The Two-Face, who is friendly or supportive in public but demeaning and rude in private.
• The About-Face, who is passive aggressive and hard to pin down.
• Gaslighters, who are excellent at head games and always leave their victims guessing what is true.

Read the full article from Fast Company here.

7 Reasons Why Creating the Right Culture Should Be a Leaders Top Priority

LinkedIn engagement number: 1,412

The culture of an organization shapes its values, behavior, and attitudes. Having the right culture can have a lot of benefits for an organization, which leaders should be aware of when they begin to try to craft their own culture or step into a new role at work. This article outlines some of the most important reasons creating a positive or the right culture for your workplace is so important. 

• Improves employee morale and satisfaction.
• Attracts top talent.
• Increases collaboration and innovation.
• Supports employee retention.
• Improves communication.
• Promotes a positive reputation.
• Encourages personal and professional growth. 

Read the full article from Entrepreneur here.

Want To Be A Better Leader? Ask Better Questions

LinkedIn engagement number: 603

No one knows the answer to everything, not even top executives at global brands. But there is a way to start learning the answers to as many things as possible, and that is to ask questions. Not condescending questions designed to trip employees up or prove how smart the asker is. These are genuine questions coming from a place of curiosity about the subject. Asking open questions also shows that a leader cares about their employees and their thoughts on a subject. Questions allow the asker to get a better sense of someone else’s perspective and where they are coming from, which can be far more helpful than making assumptions or believing a certain narrative automatically. What are the benefits of good questions?

• Complex and difficult problems are solved in an innovative, systems way.
• High performing teams are formed.
• A culture of openness, sharing, and learning are created.
• Positive relationships and strong friendships are built.
• Leadership skills are built throughout the organization.
• Everyone in the organization becomes continuous and better learners.
• Energy is created to help people take meaningful and sustainable action.

Read the full article from Forbes here.

When Your Employee Tells You They’re Burned Out

LinkedIn engagement number: 594

77% of professionals have experienced burnout at their job, according to a recent Deloitte study. When those employees go to their managers, many don’t know how to help them in the moment, let alone address the systemic issues that lead to burnout. A lot of knowing how to respond to employees suffering from burnout comes from understanding what it is and what causes it, which can be difficult as managers are trained in business, not as mental health professionals. Here are five steps that managers can use in the moment when a burned out employee comes to them for help:

• Treat the employee’s burnout concerns seriously.
• Understand their experience of burnout.
• Identify the root causes of their burnout.
• Consider short- and long-term solutions.
• Create a monitoring plan.

Read the full article from Harvard Business Review here.

4 Types of Employee Complaints — and How to Respond

LinkedIn engagement number: 594

Having a chronic complainer on the team can be a conundrum. Complaints themselves are an essential part of workplace communication, especially when the complainer comes up with a solution on their own. Ineffective complaining can be problematic for workplace culture, but effective ones can help mitigate risk or avoid red flags. Also, dismissing all complaints can be negative for workplace culture too, because it signals to employees that their leadership does not care about their opinions or thoughts. Caring about complaints makes it easier for managers to gain their employees’ trust and helps create a culture of psychological safety. So how can managers figure out how to promote the helpful complaining without creating too much space for the ineffective complaining that damages workplace relationships and harmony?

• Start with interest and curiosity when discussing complaints with an employee.
• Encourage and help facilitate constructive complaints.
• Tackle destructive complaints.
  

Read the full article from Harvard Business Review here.

Were any of these your favorite articles of the month? Have another one you think we should look at? Let us know in the comments!