Sports Talks Should They Be Banned In Offices ?

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Hey Everyone!,

Sports Talks 

Should They Be Banned 

In Offices ?

 Photo:Sameer/auracompletsolutions.blogspot.com/ AdobeStock

The vast majority of companies place a large premium on creating an inclusive environment in which all employees feel welcomed and comfortable.

This is an admirable and lofty goal, as achieving it is not always easy. There is an array of big issues and everyday occurrences that need to be discussed.

On BBC Radio 4’s Today, guest Ann Francke, the CEO of United Kingdom-based Chartered Management Institute, which offers services relative to human resources issues (including talent management, employee engagement and managing change), asserted that discussing soccer, cricket and other sports in the workplace have led to women feeling left out at the office.

She claimed that the constant chatter about sports ultimately leads to locker-room banter. This, in turn, can create an uncomfortable climate, as the male employees start “slapping each other on the back and talking about their conquests [on] the weekend.”

Francke did not demand a boycott of sports talk, but thought it prudent to discourage and tamp down on these conversations and make an attempt to push for more inclusive talk. A lively debate erupted in which some people considered these remarks sexist, considering that many women enjoy participating in or spectating sports and discussing it at the office. 

Some people fear that this type of idea furthers the “cancel culture” trend. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, it refers to a form of boycott in which a person, celebrity, television show or movie is deemed offensive and a mob mentality pushes to shut it down. 

Concerns were raised that limiting speech at work becomes a slippery slope. It's no secret that, in these politically charged times, some people are self-censoring themselves over concerns that they may lose a job or become ostracized. Others openly espouse their views, which alienates and offends the people around them. 

Bev Shah, the founder and CEO of City Hive, a self-described network for change, says  “water-cooler moments” discussing a variety of interests helps enhance a company’s culture and fosters working relationships. She added, “There should be a cultural contract in the workplace where colleagues are mindful of the intensity, volume and duration of the conversations they are having—this goes for any topic.”

Sports journalist Jacqui Oatley said it would be a “terrible idea” to crack down on office sports talk. She told the Today program, “If you ban football [American soccer] chat or banter of any description, then all you’re going to do is alienate the people who actually want to communicate with each other.” Oatley added, “It would be so, so negative to tell people not to talk about sports because girls don’t like it or women don’t like it, that’s far more divisive.”

The questions arise as to what types of conversations should be policed—if any. If married people discuss their children, will that make single employees or those who don’t—or can’t—have kids feel isolated? If politics, religion or the economy is raised, will that set off red flags and create ill will? 

This becomes a very delicate subject with serious ramifications. If free speech is limited or clamped down upon, employees will feel insulted and angry that their opinions are silenced. In today’s politically charged environment, some people are afraid to offer their thoughts and opinions out of fear of retaliation or harsh judgement. If too much free speech is permitted, workers can feel targeted if they are in the minority. Either way, it may create a toxic culture and alienate a segment of the workforce.

It could be a Herculean task for management and human resources to set restrictive guidelines of what can be said and what’s not deemed permissible to talk about. By trying to be inclusive, it may have unintended consequences.  

Francke said, "They don't follow those sports and they don't like either being forced to talk about them or not being included." 

Hope you enjoy reading this;)

“What Do You Think? Do you agree or Disagree or Have any other ideas?  as I learn just as much from you as you do from me!” 

Bye for Know,

Sameer 

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Know And Understand These Tips To Build A Culture For An All-Remote Team

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Hey Everyone,

PHOTO: gettyimages

Know And Understand These 

Tips To Build A Culture 

For 

An All-Remote Team

Working remotely is becoming more and more common among today's professionals. The convenience of being able to work from anywhere allows for more flexibility, greater work-life balance and can even increase productivity. However, when employees are so physically and geographically spread out, it becomes even more difficult to create a sense of camaraderie and teamwork.

Top strategies for building company culture and improving morale in an all-remote team are. 

Develop A Common Cultural Language

Get the team physically together for a leadership training in which all members are able to learn about themselves and each other through a common cultural language. Afterward, hold weekly video meetings where time is withheld for team members to continue to explore themselves and give and receive feedback. Encourage vulnerability and mutual respect. 

Stay In Touch Through Video

Give up thinking in the three-dimensional paradigm and get creative. We are completely virtual and flexible, with unlimited PTO. We do many things to stay in touch: a weekly email thread where we share our personal updates, we hold brown bag lunches, have hosted wedding and baby showers, hold an annual holiday party with games, shipped gifts—all using an inexpensive video platform. 

Encourage Cross-Collaboration

As someone that has worked 16-plus years remotely, the single most important cultural tool is cross-collaboration. Remote teams that integrate cross-collaboration among team members tend to create deeper and more personal relationships. It ultimately tends to translate into deeper personal bonds that not only help maintain but also evolve the organizational culture. 

Host Regular 'Virtual Coffees'

With today's great video conferencing tools, a great tactic is to host regular virtual coffees with the entire team. Everyone literally comes to the conference with a coffee, tea or water to catch up in an informal way. You can have a mixture of topics—work and non-work related sessions—to add a ton of variety. For global teams, remember to rotate times to accommodate the multiple time zones. 

Prioritize Two-Way Communication And Dialogue

Communicate, but not the usual way. Yes, sharing info is important—clarifying goals and strategies, celebrating wins. But the secret sauce is two-way dialogue: talking with people, not at them. Fully listening, hearing, understanding and answering what's asked shows your respect. Encourage remote folks to connect and get to know each other. Building engagement builds commitment.

Schedule One-On-Ones And Virtual Office Hours

You don’t have the benefit of being able to walk by someone’s office when you’re working remotely. Be deliberate in scheduling one-on-ones and holding virtual office hours when anyone can “drop by” and catch up or ask questions. Also, be creative—virtual happy hours with non-work related discussions can help build stronger connections. 

Host A Team Retreat

While my team is spread across the entire U.S., once a year we all come together for a few days in person for a team retreat. It doesn't have to be expensive—we rent a house and keep it simple! This is a great opportunity for us to really plan what is next for the business as well as spend some quality time nurturing the team and culture we are building. 

Restate Your Company Mission At The Start Of Team Calls

Our behavior today is a function of the future that we see for ourselves. Keeping the vision, the mission and the future of the company front and center will unify your team no matter where they are. Give them something to brag about. Use your mission to create meaning for the team. Making money isn't meaning. Tell them why you do what you do. Share stories of the difference they are making. 

Ask Your Experts

Ask your team members from far and wide for their ideas and suggestions on how to build culture and improve morale. Suggestions from the top might not hit the mark for virtual workers. Also, what works for one may not work for another, hence why soliciting a variety of responses gets everyone involved, provides a range of ideas and often encourages even more innovative solutions. 

Share Progress With Your Colleagues

An issue I frequently run into with clients who have remote teams is that team members often wait until a project is complete (or nearly so) to share it with colleagues. At that point, it might be too late to incorporate helpful feedback. Sharing early—and often—can help teammates feel more connected to each other, build trust and yield better results too! 

Leverage Digital Engagement For Connectedness And Inclusivity

Utilize digital technologies to increase interaction, strengthen bonds, solicit ideas, provide feedback and amplify the effects of good leadership on remote teams. Use video communication tools so teams see each other live while collaborating. Integrate emojis into digital messaging to reinforce organizational values, positive emotions and intent, show appreciation and promote team connection. 

Have A Non-Work Group Chat

Remote employees need a place where they can communicate to their colleagues to let off steam. Starting group chats on apps like Slack or WhatsApp where they can build personal connections, poke fun at each other and discuss non-work related topics will go a long way in building morale. I have seen this in other companies and it has worked very well for their remote employees. 

Establish 'Check-In' And 'Check-Out' Processes

Building a sense of community in an all-remote team is essential. Start with a brief "check-in" and end with a brief "check-out" practice. This helps team members to connect with each other at another level before diving into work topics and before signing off. Sometimes it's just one word, sometimes it's a sentence that is shared. Video calls versus audio only also make a big difference. 

Regularly Share Best Practices

One of the significant advantages of an all-remote team is the diversity it brings. Teams can leverage this and learn from it. Having regular opportunities to share successes not only helps apply best practices across the whole team, but also creates a sense of unity around a common mission. Each member feels valued and appreciated for their contribution to the team's success. 

Build High-Performing Teams

When building high-performing teams, we need to ensure that we are giving the team the ability to self-direct, and not micromanaging the team members. This is the No. 1 killer of morale when fostering a culture that focuses on team collaboration. 

Hope You Enjoyed Reading This.

“What Do You Think?Do you agree or Disagree or Have any other ideas?? Please Share your thoughts in the comments below as I learn just as much from you as you do from me!” 

Bye for Know

Sameer 

There’s more to that

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Know People You Will Meet At Work And The Jokes That Explain Them

This post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon.com(and affiliate Sites/Stores.)Any One Can Shop from this blog.Using links to these sites means I may earn a small percentage from  purchases made at no extra cost to you.

Hey Everyone,

Whoever said that the definition of Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results has obviously never had to reboot a computer
-William Peterson      

               

 Know The People You

 

Will Meet At Work

       

                                             
                                                And  The Jokes That 

                             
                           Explain  Them

THE LAZY GUY 

My boss told me to have a good day, So I went home.

THE HELPFUL COLLEAGUE

The 'high - priority' email notification loses a bit of its meaning when used to announce leftover birthday cake every week,

THE GRAZER

Adorable idea,Colleagues have been writing names on their food in the office fridge.I am currently eating yogurt called Debbie.

THE COMPLAINER

Oh,you hate your job? why didn't you say so?. There's a support group for that,it's called EVERYBODY, and they meet at the bar.

THE OUTSIDER

It's weird how many people at my office are named 'Hey,'

THE PERRY ONE 

Is there ever such a thing as too much coffee? I am about to find out.

THE ANNOYING GUY 

I wonder how many consecutive Mondays Todd will respond "Not long enough" in regard to how his weekend was. We're at seven.

THE SUCK UP

Our boss just banned overly specific nicknames,and the whole office is staring at Rat Snitch Brian the Good Time Ruiner.

Hope You Enjoyed Reading This.

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Bye For Know

Sameer

There’s more to that

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 Wit,Days Work, Work, Jokes, All Ages,  All Ages , Optimize

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