Cullen Communications’ Post

𝗙𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: 𝗔 𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 Accountability in the workplace isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a cornerstone of professional integrity and organizational success. Employees should uphold their responsibilities diligently, ensuring that their job performance aligns with their role’s expectations from day one to their last day. This commitment not only reflects individual dedication but also strengthens team dynamics and trust. Equally, management must foster a supportive environment, provide clear expectations, and offer continuous feedback to ensure everyone can thrive. Let’s cultivate a culture where every team member feels accountable and takes pride in their work, driving our collective success forward. #WorkplaceCulture #Accountability #Leadership #Teamwork #ProfessionalIntegrity #EmployeeEngagement #Management Accenture in India Deloitte Prosenjit Das PARKER HR ULTRATHON COMPOSITES

A True Leader Puts Their Team First The recent incident with Anna was devastating, and it highlights a larger issue: many professionals are developing lifestyle diseases such as hypertension and diabetes due to workplace stress. As leaders, we have a responsibility to foster a healthier work-life balance for our teams. 🔸 Only Take On What Your Team Can Handle Ensure your team has the bandwidth before committing to additional work. This prevents burnout and ensures sustainable growth. 🔸 Learn to Say "No" In the past two years, we have said "no" more often than "yes" — not something we are proud of, but it was necessary given market conditions. - The CA curriculum changes led to an acute shortage of articles. - Many B.Com candidates, especially from COVID batches, lacked the skills needed. - Skilled professionals demanded high salaries, which clients with tight budgets couldn't absorb. In these cases, we chose to turn down work or pass it to teams with the capacity to deliver. 🔸 Charge the Right Price Undercutting fees may seem tempting in the short term, but it stifles financial freedom to build a strong team. More work on the same resources leads to burnout and compromised quality. Charging fairly ensures long-term sustainability, allowing for team growth and higher standards. By making these decisions, we protect our teams, deliver quality work, and create a balanced environment that fosters well-being and growth.

Defining 'what’s' toxic and 'what’s not' in a leader, partner, or friend can be highly subjective. However, decades of research have brought objectivity to this topic. Here are some insights from them that provide quick pattern recognition: - They pit team members against each other, creating power vacuums that reinforce their control (Hogan & Kaiser, 2005). - Team members often leave worse off than when they started (Lipman-Blumen, 2005). - Stress levels in the team remain consistently high (Ashforth, 1994). - suppress dissenting voices (Aravena, 2019). - Have a high need for power and admiration (Paulhus & Williams, 2002). - Demand absolute obedience and discourage feedback (Schmidt, 2008). Followers either comply out of fear or collude for personal gain (Padilla, Hogan, & Kaiser, 2007). - Thrive in organizations with weak governance or poor accountability (Padilla, Hogan, & Kaiser, 2007). - Often rise to power by achieving short-term goals at any cost (Hogan, Raskin, & Fazzini, 1990). - Display high confidence and charisma, often perceived as leadership potential. They are skilled at self-promotion, which appeals to decision-makers (Rosenthal & Pittinsky, 2006). - Team members can experience physical symptoms such as gastrointestinal issues, fatigue, and an increased risk of heart disease (Rospenda, Richman, & Shannon, 2006; Nyberg et al., 2009). while knowing this, may not necessarily reduce toxicity in organizations - however, knowing past research may help anyone entering corporate to quickly identify, establish boundaries, not take stress, doubt or blame themselves - whenever they encounter such individuals.

WSJ recently posted an article calling into question some foundational McKinsey research on the impact of diversity on profits (key 🔗 in comments) My first reaction was that real profits come from "deep" not "surface" diversity. It's something that academics have been finding for a long time (🔗 👇 ). Looking different but thinking the same doesn't unlock the power of diversity. That's why it's so critical to have deep people data like what the DRiV can provide you. What are people driven by? What are they drained by? For example, knowing if your people are driven by courage (can't help but voice their POV) or drained by it (avoid speaking up unless absolutely necessary) can really help in teambuilding and leadership. Chances are, you've got both kind of folks on your team, and knowing where they land is critical to unlocking the power of "deep" diversity. Once you know those drivers, here's how to unlock it: 🤝Create a culture of respect: Value both bold ideas and thoughtful reflections equally. 🌀 Mix it up: Pair high and low courage individuals on projects to balance approaches. 🎯 Tailor your approach: Engage high-courage folks in shake-things-up conversations, while creating safe spaces for low-courage team members. 👂 Encourage active listening: Help high-courage individuals step back sometimes, and low-courage folks to lean in . ✅ Provide multiple input channels: Mix communication channels (emails, IMs, virtual meetings, in-person, polls, surveys) to play to different strengths. Remember, the goal is to create an environment where everyone contributes in their own way. This deep diversity of thought and approach is what truly drives innovation and performance. And if you need help figuring out what is driving and draining your team - and then building a plan to shoot their performance and engagement through the roof - drop me a note anytime!

Without accountability it's likely that you and your team will suffer from a lack of Responsibility. Accountability fosters a sense of responsibility among team members. Without clear expectations and consequences for non-compliance, individuals may become complacent, contributing to a culture where no one feels responsible for the success or failure of initiatives. #accountability #businessgrowth #businesscoaching

Happy end of financial year! To all the Australian business leaders and professionals who have been sprinting to the end of the financial year - I see you, I appreciate you, and I hope you can now pause to breathe, celebrate, and cherish your team members. Make sure to schedule some reflection time for later. I especially want to tip my hat to the leaders who have been focusing efforts upstream where results may not yet be available or tangible, and the reward for that effort minimal or non-existent. Dan Heath captured it perfectly when he wrote, “There is a maddening ambiguity about upstream efforts.” Reactive work, although not necessarily easy, is both easier to see and measure. Here are some examples of upstream effort impacts that you won’t see clearly captured in the numbers, at least in the short term, or at all if success is defined as something NOT happening: ✅ Employees who have been headhunted but stayed because they are deeply connected to their teams, their leader, and the work they do. ✅ Road accidents prevented because of thorough maintenance schedules, prioritised rest times, or predictable finish times. ✅ Customers who made quick decisions because marketing campaigns over the last five years have subtly built trust, humor, expertise, and care. ✅ Executives with years of corporate knowledge or critical industry relationships who have renewed their commitment because their leader showed that having a family or life outside work is both understood and valued. ✅ Learning, communication, and problem-solving moments that happen because of active collaboration. ✅ Crises averted because relationships have been built on solid ground with a deep understanding of common interests. My bias leans towards seeing the human-centric examples, but there are plenty more. What are your call-outs? 🎥 this short video was taken of the upper reaches of the rushing Yarra River, originally called Birrarung by the Wurundjeri people, in regional Victoria last year.

Most leaders think they're making the right choices⤻until the data proves them wrong. Are you leading with facts or just guessing? Relying on gut feelings isn’t enough anymore. If you’re not using data to guide your team, you’re guessing ↳ and guessing often leads to mistakes. → Data shows you what’s working and what isn’t. → It helps you make quick changes when needed. → It makes feedback clear and useful. Leaders who use data ↳ Can avoid costly mistakes ↳ Make better decisions ↳ Give feedback that actually helps their team improve. When you lead with data, you get a clear view of what’s really going on. This lets you stay ahead, avoid costly mistakes, and give your team feedback they can actually use. When your team knows how they’re being measured, they take ownership of their work and focus on doing better. Being a great leader isn’t about working harder → it’s about working smarter, and data helps you do just that.

Here is an exciting question discussed in The Healthcare "She" Suite this week, “does the team always have to agree?”  The short answer is yes🤝.  Now let’s discuss:   Have you heard the phrase “disagree behind closed doors🚪, but a single message of agreement has to leave the room.”  Jen heard this phrase early and often during her first manager role.  She never understood the impact of this phrase until years later, when she started leading her own teams.  Teresa shared that she saw several projects fail because the team did not have a critical conversation about whether we could all agree to move forward with a single message. Instead, some leaders were talking poorly about the message of a project, and it ultimately failed.   Leaders play a crucial role in fostering a culture that values team disagreement. By recognizing the importance of diverse thinking, they can steer their teams toward innovation and effective decision-making. Imagine🧠 a meeting where various opinions are not only welcomed but encouraged.  As a leader, you might find that some of the most heated debates lead to the best ideas.   Gifford Thomas shared, “No leader should surround themselves with people who agree with everything they say and do.  To build a great company, you must have some sense of respectful disagreements among your team.” As a leader, practice encouraging your team to offer different points of view🗺️ and create an environment where individuals feel safe expressing their opinions & challenging assumptions; this, in turn, will help your team contribute to the overall growth and success of the organization🏨. #thehealthcareshesuite #womeninhealthcareleadership Jen Jackson Teresa Ash

In this insightful article, Malcolm Gladwell discusses the "Law of the Magic Third," which emphasizes the importance of having a balanced team composition. According to Gladwell, successful teams thrive when they include a mix of perspectives, particularly when one-third of members possess differing opinions. This diversity fosters innovation and problem-solving. Want to build a stronger team? Embrace diverse voices and perspectives! Read the article here - https://lnkd.in/eskbi3HV

📢 Poll results are in! 📢 "What is the top priority for you in your manager?" Very interesting poll results. Out of all four options, an overwhelming amount of votes opted for "follow through on commitments", with 46% of respondents making this their top priority. I mean, it makes sense right? Nothing diminishes trust in leadership faster than when words aren't actioned. A lack of consistency leads to a lack of trust, which is a huge requirement for success in the workplace. It's also my number one priority in leadership personally. To tip this around from a management perspective; this can be hard. I know there was times that I'd personally not followed through on verbalised commitments, and I felt horrible every time I'd done this, which was usually due to me not accurately assessing my workload, or not being realistic on what I could achieve. Easy trap to fall into, and there were many strategies I'd implemented and developed over my time in Clinic Management which allowed me to stick to my commitments, gaining trust from my team. Extremely crucial topic. Thanks to everyone who participated! Video on what a lack of follow through does to a team, and how to overcome this, coming soon. 💪 -Marita