Enhancing Job Satisfaction

HR and Talent Leaders! AI is making your entry-level hiring strategy obsolete, fast. When we talk about restructuring? This is what we mean. Three things to do right now: This is a question I get *all* the time when training organizations, and it’s a doozy - ready? If AI handles all that formative work that shaped and trained the minds of our junior staff, how will they develop the skills to succeed when promoted? Or, as my friend Aneesh Raman, Chief Economic Opportunity Officer at LinkedIn says in this The New York Times piece: What happens when the bottom rung of the career ladder breaks? ++++++++++ WHAT IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING? College grad unemployment jumped 30% compared to just 18% for all workers. Gen Z is more pessimistic about their career prospects than any other generation. Why? Because AI tools are eating the tasks that used to train new workers. Junior developers learned coding on simple debugging tasks, first-year paralegals practiced on document review. AI crushes these tasks. The bottom rung of the career ladder is disappearing. ++++++++++ HERE'S WHAT SMART COMPANIES ARE DOING At KPMG, new accounting grads skip the grunt work entirely and jump straight into complex tax assignments that used to require 3+ years of experience. At law firm Macfarlanes, junior lawyers bypass document review and go directly to contract interpretation and client strategy work. Stop preserving old training methods. Start with meaningful work from day one. ++++++++++ THREE THINGS TO DO RIGHT NOW 1. Redesign Every Entry-Level Job Description Go through your current postings. If AI can handle 70% of the listed tasks, you're hiring for the wrong role. Focus on problem-solving, creativity, and human judgment instead of execution. 2. Flip Your Training Model Traditional approach: Start with basics, slowly build complexity. New approach: Start with complex challenges, use AI to handle the routine stuff. MIT research backs this up - new workers see the biggest productivity gains when they work alongside AI tools from the start. 3. Change How You Measure Success Stop tracking how fast someone completes routine tasks. Start measuring how well they can tackle problems AI can't solve. How do they think through ambiguous situations? How do they collaborate? How do they adapt when things change? 40% of Gen Z workers will take a pay cut for better advancement opportunities. They want to learn faster and do meaningful work immediately, not spend months on busywork. Companies that figure this out first will have their pick of the most talented young workers. +++++++++++++++++ UPSKILL YOUR ORGANIZATION: When your organization is ready to create an AI-powered culture—not just add tools—AI Mindset would love to help. We drive behavioral transformation at scale through a powerful new digital course and enterprise partnership. DM me, or check out our website.

It's Loneliness Awareness Week - and if COVID-19 taught us anything - it's that loneliness does not discriminate by age, race or gender. This year’s theme, "Understanding Why We Feel Lonely," encourages us to create meaningful connections. Loneliness in the workplace is a real challenge, but #futurefitleaders can make a difference. Here are three tips for building better connections: 📍 Bring the F word into inclusion and belonging Lighten up, find the "FUN" and bring it into the office. With a little effort and imagination, regular team-building activities can be a driver of connection and meaning. A supportive environment significantly reduces feelings of isolation. Gallup research shows a positive correlation between feeling included and engagement & productivity levels. 📍 Build bite-sized informal interactions Implement regular check-ins or virtual hangouts to facilitate informal interactions - better yet - allocate the first 5 mins of a meeting to a non-work related icebreaker question. These casual touchpoints help build stronger relationships and trust. According to a study by Massachusetts Institute of Technology, informal interactions can boost employee performance by up to 25%. 📍 Cross-pollinate and collaborate   Kick-start projects that require collaboration across different departments. This not only broadens professional networks but also fosters a sense of community and shared purpose. A Harvard Business Review article highlights that employees who frequently collaborate are more innovative and satisfied with their jobs. Addressing loneliness in the workplace is not just about improving well-being; it’s also about enhancing productivity and creativity. We spend up to 80,000 hours over our life time at work. Let's make that time worthwhile. What changes will you make today to build better connections in your organisation? #LonelinessAwarenessWeek #WorkplaceWellbeing #EmployeeEngagement #linkedinnewsaustralia #ProfessionalGrowth #ConnectionMatters

The Secret to Sales & Marketing Alignment? Clear Swim Lanes. After years of working with both Product Marketing and Sales Enablement teams, I've noticed one consistent pattern: when responsibilities are clearly defined, magic happens. Here's how successful teams divide and conquer: Product Marketing owns the strategic foundation: → Core value props & positioning → Strategic narratives → Market research & GTM strategy → Case study development Sales Enablement transforms this into action: → Sales-ready content → Battlecards & sales plays → Competitive takedown guides → Sales readiness programs The key? It's not about ownership - it's about partnership. Product Marketing builds the story, Sales Enablement makes it sellable. What's been your experience with Marketing/Sales alignment? Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

Humanizing AI Through the Kano Model In an era where generative AI has become a ubiquitous offering, true differentiation lies not in merely adopting the technology but in integrating human values into its core. Building on my earlier discussion about applying the Kano Model to Gen AI strategy, let’s explore how this framework can refocus development metrics to prioritize ethics and human-centricity. By aligning AI systems with human needs, organizations can shift from functional tools to trusted partners that inspire lasting loyalty. Traditional metrics such as speed, scalability, and model accuracy have evolved into basic expectations the “must-haves” of AI. What truly elevates a product today is its ability to embody values like safety, helpfulness, dignity, and harmlessness. These qualities, categorized as “delighters” in the Kano Model, transform AI from a transactional tool into a meaningful collaborator. Key Human-Centric Differentiators Safety: Proactive safeguards must ensure AI systems protect users from risks, whether physical, emotional, or societal. Safety is non-negotiable in building trust. Helpfulness: Personalized, context-aware interactions demonstrate empathy. AI should anticipate needs and adapt to individual preferences, turning routine tasks into meaningful experiences. Dignity: Ethical design principles—fairness, transparency, and privacy—must underpin AI development. Respecting user autonomy fosters long-term trust and engagement. Harmlessness: AI outputs and recommendations should prioritize user well-being, avoiding unintended consequences like bias, misinformation, or psychological harm. This human-centered approach represents a paradigm shift in technology development. While traditional KPIs remain important, they are no longer sufficient to stand out in a crowded market. Organizations that embed human values into their AI systems will not only meet user expectations but exceed them, creating emotional connections that drive loyalty. By applying the Kano Model, businesses can systematically align innovation with ethics, ensuring technology serves humanity rather than the other way around. The future of AI isn’t just about efficiency it’s about elevating human potential through thoughtful, responsible design. How is your organization balancing technical excellence with human values?

As AI becomes more integrated into different aspects of our society, ensuring that it aligns with human values, ethical principles, and societal norms is critical. While this sounds simple (and common sense), it's easier said than done. [1] Universal human values tend to be abstract and can be interpreted differently across cultures and communities. Ethical considerations must be incorporated in the design early on, and red lines need to be established and tailored to adapt to the unique ethical challenges and social norms in the context of the local application. [2] AI value alignment requires active participation from different stakeholders to ensure that the AI system aligns with the diverse values of the community it serves. It also requires continuous monitoring and audits to ensure that the AI system continue to reflect and uphold these values. Value alignment is fundamentally about human accountability. "The pursuit of value alignment in AI may be a technical challenge but it is a societal imperative, requiring ongoing collaboration, transparency and accountability among stakeholders." It's a fight worth fighting for. #AI #Ethics #ResponsibleAI #Innovation

I have seen my part of #purposewashing: Great taglines what a company stands for, and in the end, it is not that great. According to this article (👇) in Harvard Business Review, there is a method to check and create a great purpose, the so-called SABRE framework. A purpose should be: 🔘 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗹: Explicit reference to specific human, societal, or environmental problem(s) to address or alleviate. Avoid general references; focus on pressing issues. 🔘𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰: Reflects the organization's true aims and operations. Avoid inconsistencies between stated purpose and organizational actions. 🔘𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲: Realistic and achievable aspirations. Clearly states how the organization can realistically deploy resources to achieve the purpose. 🔘𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀: Specifies the segments of society or the environment that will benefit. Avoid vague statements; clarify intended beneficiaries. 🔘𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴: Worded in an engaging and inspiring manner. Memorable and concise to hold attention and resonate. But still, if you have that purpose, a lot goes wrong. Let's name three elements: - 𝗡𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗶𝘁: This happens quite often. A company believes it contributes to a societal problem but disregards the negative side-effects (https://lnkd.in/e3PMbHqJ). To make it Dutch: if your purpose is "growing a better world together" and a report shows that you finance (also) nature destruction (https://lnkd.in/eZEg9J9j) you have a purpose-problem. And since a purpose should be inspirational from what an organisation does for its clients, only stating, "we are here to make as much profit as possible, and for the rest, we don't care" will not work... - 𝐍𝐨 𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐲: If you have a fitting purpose, the trick is to align with strategy (and execution thereof) fully. This relates to both authentic and believable. Mentioned as a good example of authenticity in the article was Blackrock (see above). However, you can also question it regarding strategy: is it everyone? I don't think so... - 𝐍𝐨 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭: This is the most tricky part. Once you have a purpose (mission) and strategy and execute it, it depends on the people. They should live the purpose. And there it often goes wrong.... A tricky thing, a #purpose. It is not in the wording but in what you do. If the marketing department is in charge of creating a purpose, you are in the danger zone.... But that is also culture. ✨🚀

Let’s get real; those chats around the water cooler were never that great. There’s a reason why this photo looks like a generic stock photo—this situation is fictionalized. While people may have shared casual stories about the weather or the latest movies around the water cooler, deep relationships were never built there. Remote and hybrid work is criticized for a perceived inability to build culture. If people aren’t talking about their weekends in the break room, the thinking goes, how can we build a cohesive team? In reality, those surface-level conversations don’t do much to build a strong culture, and they certainly aren’t more important because they happen in person. In fact, Gallup research shows only 20% of fully in-office employees feel connected to their company’s culture, slightly below the rate of hybrid employees. What people need more than serendipitous chit-chat is focused, intentional moments of connection - and you don’t need an office building for those. Instead, managers can adopt a few strategies to create connections in hybrid/remote (or in-person) settings that build cohesiveness, decrease feelings of isolation, and boost morale. Good examples are outlined in @Rising Team’s new Guide to Maximizing Hybrid Work Success, including strategies like: 🛠️Dedicate time to build understanding:  Activities that foster authentic understanding are essential for maintaining connection in hybrid environments. While happy hours may be fun, learning about people’s workplace preferences, like how they like to be appreciated and how they prefer to receive feedback, go a lot further towards building strong relationships. 🔗Create micro-connections:  Quick, intentional check-ins about work and life can do much more than casual conversations. Try asking, “How do you like to be supported on a hard day?” or “What is something you’re proud of outside of work?” instead of small talk about weekend plans. Questions like these enhance trust and understanding. 👥Maximize in-person time:  When your team does meet in person, focus on activities that the research shows benefit from face-to-face interaction, like brainstorming or collaborative projects. These in-person moments should strengthen virtual connections and keep the team aligned on shared goals. Find the full list of examples by downloading our free Guide: https://lnkd.in/g9ditxXA Building a strong team culture isn’t about casual in-office encounters—it’s about fostering intentional connections that have real impact. Whether through meaningful check-ins or focused team activities, managers have the tools to create a cohesive, engaged team in any environment. Hybrid and remote work aren’t obstacles to culture-building—they’re opportunities to redefine it. #HybridWork #RemoteLeadership  — This is the final post in my series on maximizing success in remote work. Check out my LinkedIn channel for past posts on best practices for leading hybrid/remote teams.

As leaders, the clarity of our vision and mission not only defines the path our organization follows but also the impact we make. The true power of a vision and mission lies far beyond the pages of our strategic plans. They are not just statements; they are the heartbeat of our organization. Here’s how I approach cultivating a leadership style deeply rooted in our vision and mission: Define Clearly: A clear and compelling vision and mission is the starting point. It should not just guide your company's strategic decisions but also inspire every team member to strive for excellence. Communicate Effectively: Regularly communicate the vision and mission through all layers of the organization. This ensures that every employee, from the executive team to the front line, understands not just the 'what' but the 'why' of our daily operations. Align Strategically: Every goal and strategy developed should directly support the vision and mission. This alignment turns abstract concepts into concrete actions, driving the organization forward. Empower Relentlessly: Empower your team by tying their personal and professional growth to the company’s larger objectives. This not only motivates but also embeds the vision and mission into the organizational culture. Celebrate and Learn: Take time to celebrate the milestones while also reflecting on the setbacks. Each success and challenge is an opportunity to reinforce the vision and refine our approach. Review and Revise: The business landscape is ever-evolving, and so should our vision and mission. Regular reviews allow us to stay relevant and responsive to industry changes and internal growth. By embedding our vision and mission in these practical ways, we do more than lead; we inspire. Let's strive not only to achieve our goals but to empower our teams and lead with purpose. #vision #mission #culture #organizationculture #team #growth #LeadwithRajeev #leadership #strategy

The most important lesson I've learned as a leader is the power of aligning each individual's sense of purpose with the organization's shared purpose. When people understand how their role contributes to the collective goals, something remarkable happens. The "why we" transforms from an abstract concept into a personal, tangible force that boosts motivation. Years ago, I found myself at a crossroads with my business. We could continue forward as-is or make a major pivot, winding down a large part of our decade-old operations. Both options required hard choices. Where should we focus? Did we have the right resources? I chose to make the pivot. While researching for my book "Alignment," this lesson hit home. Neuroscientist Dan Cable explained how leaders can craft a purpose that people feel through their work. When people see their role in the bigger picture, performance excels and unity strengthens. I've since experienced this firsthand, helping both startups and Fortune 500s achieve remarkable outcomes by painting a vivid alignment between individual and shared purpose. This skill allows you as a leader to connect strategy to outcomes by bridging the "why me" and "why we" gap. With a "why we" approach, you can build focus and help people understand their vital contribution. The key is making organizational purpose meaningful on an individual level.

Role Clarity and the Large Picture Having role clarity and understanding the large picture are crucial aspects of individual and organizational success. Here's a breakdown of each concept and how they connect. Role Clarity: Refers to a clear understanding of one's responsibilities, goals, and expectations within a specific context (e.g., job, project, team). Encompasses aspects like: Tasks and responsibilities: Knowing what you need to do and how it contributes to the team's goals. Boundaries and authority: Understanding your decision-making power and limitations. Evaluation criteria: Knowing how your performance will be assessed. Relationships with colleagues: Identifying your collaborators and understanding how your roles interact. The Large Picture: Refers to the broader context and purpose of one's role. Encompasses aspects like: Overall organizational goals and vision: Understanding the "why" behind your work and how it contributes to the bigger picture. Impact and value creation: Knowing how your role makes a difference for stakeholders and society. Interconnectedness and dependencies: Recognizing how your role interacts with other functions and teams. Future direction and change: Understanding upcoming initiatives and how they might impact your role. Benefits of Understanding the Large Picture: Increased motivation and engagement: Knowing how your work contributes to something larger fosters a sense of purpose and meaning. Improved decision-making: A broader perspective leads to better-informed choices that align with organizational goals. Enhanced adaptability and resilience: Understanding the bigger picture helps individuals navigate change and adapt to new situations. Greater creativity and innovation: Seeing the larger context allows individuals to identify opportunities and contribute beyond their specific roles. Connecting Role Clarity and the Large Picture: While role clarity provides the micro-level perspective of individual responsibilities, understanding the large picture offers the macro-level view. Ideally, these two elements work hand-in-hand: Role clarity without the large picture can feel meaningless and restrictive. Understanding the large picture without clear roles can lead to confusion and inefficiency. By combining clear roles with a broader understanding of the context and purpose, individuals can perform better, collaborate effectively, and contribute significantly to organizational success.