This newsletter curates productivity insights across the internet. It keeps you up-to-date on productivity tactics and startup news. On this issue we will cover how to build a successful team and what leadership skills a leader must have.

In order to reduce turnover in the workplace, you may wonder what the main skills you can focus on are. Here are some that caught our attention from Paulise’s article.

"You may be surprised that compensation ranks 16th in predicting employee turnover, while a toxic corporate culture ranks first, ten times more powerful than compensation.”

This sentence really stood out to us because it showcases what sometimes gets lost in business. Company culture is more important than many think and is often neglected. Organizations that lead a more collaborative culture have been shown to ensure employee loyalty to the company.

This article highlights six drivers for creating a strong culture of teamwork

A Clear MapAs Jim Collins, the author of the best-selling management books, said "If you have more than three priorities, you don't have any." Having too many priorities can cause problems for your team in the long run. Focusing on one or two priorities will help you make an uncomplicated plan and set your team up for success.

Have a Shared ScoreboardAn additional advantage of having a straightforward plan is that it will create a common goal for everyone to aim for, preventing people from identifying themselves as part of smaller groups due to the lack of a shared goal.

You May Feel Like a Broken Record...Keep reminding your team of the priorities, even if it may seem repetitive at first, as you have to tell them repeatedly for them to remember them. People often have to hear something a few times before truly absorbing it.

Create Your Team's CultureSet some shared guidelines for how people will work together because, like families, certain behaviors should be encouraged and discouraged.

...And Stick to ItThe most important thing for the team or company is to live by their stated values instead of just going through the motions.

Here are the following productivity predictions for the coming year according to the financial post, as well as including our thoughts.

1. An end to flex shaming:Because of the pandemic, the rise of working remotely has skyrocketed over the past few years, yet some leaders “flex shame” this working style — a phrase coined in 2022 by HR expert Gemma Dale, indicating poor leadership among some companies. Even so, remote work is here to stay as more legislative changes are happening worldwide. Embrace remote work because there’s no place for flex-shaming in 2023.

2. Softening Hybrid’s hard edges:Even though remote and hybrid work has been on the rise, there is still work to be done. As hybrid offices become more widespread, anxiety about social cohesion and productivity becomes more prevalent. We need to remember that people are different, so we must be mindful of how we can create a suitable environment for everyone. We at Optemization want our remote team to feel connected, even if it's via a Wi-Fi network. We know how challenging it is for any leader, manager, or startup that wants to achieve goals and look out for their team. One of the tools we introduced to increase connectedness and promote psychological safety was Kona. This simple yet powerful Slack integration allows our team members to check in daily and share how they feel that day. We've had many great conversations started, allowing us to support each other when needed. The feedback from our team about this tool has been very positive and well-received. Kona's data also helps us keep a pulse on our team's well-being.

3. The workplace as a social space:"It's called ‘The Pantry’ and is designed as a social hub for meeting, snacks, hot drinks and exchanging face-to-face contact before people continue to workstations or meeting rooms." People need connections, and we understand that everyone on our team deserves a workplace that brings a space to connect from time to time.

Have you heard about Notion AI? We never saw this coming from Notion, but here we are writing about it. They released this new feature late last year, which has been amazing, to say the least. They recently got 2nd place on Product Hunt's “Product of the year for 2022” award. The feature is still in Alpha, but we, and many others, can see its potential. Check their website, and join their waiting list. It's worth it.😉

Image by ASH.LMB

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Until next time,

Optemization⚡️

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