effective delegation

Mastering Delegation: Overcoming Hurdles for Team Success

Pick up any book on workplace leadership, and you’re likely to find a chapter extolling the power of delegation. If done effectively, delegating can lead your team to new heights and drive organizational success. Too often, though, we fall short.

To succeed, one must overcome the initial hurdles tied to delegation while ensuring meaningful follow-up.

To illustrate, consider the story of Jane. A seasoned manager with years of experience, Jane has honed her proficiency in her current role. Recently entrusted with overseeing junior staff, Jane’s superior hopes that she’ll pass on her experience by entrusting her juniors with specific tasks. Jane is initially hesitant to follow through with this request. She has grown comfortable with her responsibilities and fears giving them up. Jane worries that relinquishing tasks to the junior staff may render her role expendable, and she is concerned for her job security.

Jane’s apprehension is a sentiment shared by many. As humans, we trust first in what we know, and we avoid stepping into the unknown. That’s why we tend to focus first on the tasks that come easily to us and can shy away from exploring new opportunities. Yet, beneath the surface, delegation presents a dual advantage: it gives those under you the chance to develop new skills while allowing you to enhance your own growth.

Jane’s primary fear is becoming replaceable. However, that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. She can use her newfound capacity as a springboard to learn a new skill or to tackle assignments outside her current scope. By not delegating, Jane is inadvertently limiting her own growth. When properly utilized, delegation is a win/win for all parties involved. Jane and the junior staff open themselves up to promotions within the company. The company also benefits by promoting from within, retaining staff who are familiar with the company’s values and culture while avoiding the hassles that come with external recruiting.

Now that Jane understands the value of delegation, she’s finally ready to pass on certain tasks to junior team members. Delegating isn’t just about passing off tasks, though. Jane must be involved throughout the process to ensure her subordinates complete the tasks effectively.

That begins with clearly communicating what is expected and providing all the resources necessary to succeed. As described in the example, Jane is an expert at what she does. She already intuitively knows precisely what needs to be done. However, she must be careful not to assume that her team members will possess this knowledge. She needs to walk through the project with them at each level.

Regular check-ins can offer support and provide a safe place for questions to arise. It’s important, however, to strike a balance between support and micro-management. Trusting them to navigate challenges independently is essential to the learning experience, even if that means allowing them to falter at times.

When mistakes that require correction are made, Jane may think it best to fix them herself. It would seem quicker than having her teammate rectify the error. While that may be true, it will prove more beneficial to have invested the time in guiding her teammate through the issues in the long run. If your team members understand what went wrong and how to fix it, they will be better able to avoid those mistakes in the future.

Once her team has completed the task, feedback is essential. Jane must ensure her feedback is constructive, highlighting achievements while pointing out areas for future growth. At the same time, Jane should also ask for feedback for herself. This will help in her own development as she seeks to improve her delegation skills.

Delegation is a tool that needs to be managed appropriately. As Jane’s story illustrates, the challenges to delegating continue once the initial hurdle of handing off work is completed. It’s important to set clear expectations while providing guidance and support when mistakes are made. Following these steps will enhance your leadership and pave the way for organizational success through effective delegation.

This post was contributed by Avisar Associate Manager Caleb Barkowsky.

Disclaimer: Avisar Chartered Professional Accountant’s blog deals with a number of complex issues in a concise manner; it is recommended that accounting, legal or other appropriate professional advice should be sought before acting upon any of the information contained therein. Although every reasonable effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this post, no individual or organization involved in either the preparation or distribution of this post accepts any contractual, tortious, or any other form of liability for its contents or for any consequences arising from its use.

small business employee benefits

Small Business Employee Benefits: What You Should Offer

Small business employee benefits can be a great equalizer when competing for talent against larger companies. The big guys have more resources to offer top talent, and small and medium-sized businesses can’t always compete with the salaries offered by larger firms. A more innovative way to approach hiring as a small business is with the help of employee benefits.

A great employee benefits plan helps small businesses attract more talent and reduce employee turnover. However, there are always tax implications to keep in mind. If you are thinking about offering benefits to your employees for the first time or want to change or increase your current benefits package, then this article is for you.

The Landscape of Employee Benefits in Canada

Canadian employee benefits are usually considered standard for all full-time employees. However, each province has different regulations for employee benefits and probationary periods. Some of the more common benefits offered by small businesses in Canada include:

  • Paid time off
  • Flexible working hours
  • Personal leave
  • Medical leave
  • Family violence leave
  • Critical illness and compassionate care leave
  • Extended maternity and paternity leave
  • Holiday pay
  • Health insurance
  • Healthcare spending accounts (HSAs)
  • RRSP contribution matching

Picking the right benefits to attract talent to your company depends on the demographic you want to hire. For example, younger recruits might be more attracted to flexible hours and personal leave benefits. At the same time, older applicants might be more interested in RRSP contribution matching and compassionate care leave.

Key Small Business Employee Benefits and Their Tax Implications

While you can offer your employees a wide range of potential benefits, there are a few that can make a big difference in your recruitment and retention strategy. These are some of the most common benefits, along with their tax implications for business owners.

Health and Dental Insurance

Offering health insurance plans or dental insurance coverage can benefit small businesses. It signals to prospective employees that you care about their well-being and can help keep them healthier, leading to fewer sick days.

For business owners, there are additional benefits to offering health and dental insurance. There is deductibility for the employee and non-taxable benefits for the employer. This helps employers and employees get more out of health and dental insurance coverage.

Retirement Savings Plans (Group RRSPs)

Another benefit small or medium-sized business owners can offer employees is a Registered Retirement Savings Plan, or RRSP, matching program. This type of employer-sponsored retirement plan uses matching contributions from employers and employees with the plan option.

The tax implications from retirement plans and RRSPs involve deductions and deferrals. Typically, the amount of money that the employer contributes is tax-deductible. The employees who contribute can also enjoy tax deferrals until they withdraw the money from the retirement savings account.

Stock Option Plans

Depending on your company structure, stock options are another type of employee benefit that can make you stand out among your competitors. This type of benefit allows you to offer stock options to employees as a benefit, usually after a certain number of years worked for the company. 

This kind of benefit gives employees an ownership stake in the company and a vested interest in its success.

This type of benefit also allows the employee and employer to defer tax implications until later. That can help save money in years when taxes are high. The value of shares is also included in taxes for the employees, so deferring the taxation on stock options can help add more value to the benefit.

Professional Development and Education

Another valuable benefit you can offer to employees is professional development and education courses and training. By helping employees gain more knowledge and learn valuable and applicable skills, you can make a job more appealing and more beneficial to their future careers.

Many professional development and education programs are tax-free or are tax-deductible for the business. So not only are you helping your workforce learn more and grow more robust, but you can also avoid taxes or deduct the expense from your yearly tax report.

Special Considerations for Small Businesses

Small businesses operate differently from large corporations, so there are some special considerations to consider as you work on your employee benefits plan.

Tax Credits and Incentives

There are some specific Canadian tax credits available for small businesses offering certain benefits, including:

  • Apprenticeship job creation tax credit (AJCTC)
  • Film and television tax credits in Ontario
  • R&D tax credit
  • Union dues tax credits in Québec

Navigating the Complexity

Trying to figure out the best types of benefits to offer your employees and track the tax implications of those benefits is challenging. Navigating the complexity on your own can be overwhelming, especially for new small businesses that haven’t offered benefits before. In these cases, it’s best to consult with a professional accountant or tax advisor to remain compliant and maximize your tax advantages.

The Impact on Employee Retention and Recruitment

The benefits you offer can be a game-changer for small businesses in the competitive job market. Small companies like Willful have maintained their competitive edge and thrived during the pandemic thanks to their benefits packages. With only 15 employees, Willful attracted top talent with benefits like medical and dental insurance, stock options, education budgets, summer hours, and a vacation fund. 

By offering benefits that your competition hasn’t even considered, you can attract the best potential recruits to come to your business, no matter what size company you have. Benefits can help level the field for your hiring and employee retention strategies.

Conclusion

Benefits can offer important tax implications and better recruitment practices for small businesses. The benefits you offer and the depth of your coverage can help you attract top talent, keep your current workforce happy, and give you a break during tax season. Reviewing your current benefits strategy and seeking expert advice from tax professionals can help you get the most out of your plans. If you need help with your benefits planning, book a free consultation to discuss your benefits plan with certified professionals.

Disclaimer: Avisar Chartered Professional Accountant’s blog deals with a number of complex issues in a concise manner; it is recommended that accounting, legal or other appropriate professional advice should be sought before acting upon any of the information contained therein. Although every reasonable effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this post, no individual or organization involved in either the preparation or distribution of this post accepts any contractual, tortious, or any other form of liability for its contents or for any consequences arising from its use.

The 4 I’s of Missed Expectations

This post comes from guest expert, Mike Sambrook, MA, Principal, Brackish Consulting Group Ltd.

It’s been said that having high expectations of someone is a compliment and I agree.

Unfortunately, the compliment paid often leads to frustration, disappointment, or even anger when others do not live up to our expectations. Leaders often have high expectations of themselves and these expectations drive them to high achievement.

These same expectations though, when directed towards others cause many leaders to question why their people cannot “just do what I would have done”!

I have worked with leaders for over a decade now and helping them manage this gap between expectations and reality may be the most challenging aspect of my work. “Why can’t, or why won’t my employees just do what I expect?”

This is the million-dollar question – why can’t they?

As is typically the case for leaders, the answer to this question is found by looking inward. Here are four common reasons our expectations are missed:

Ignorance

A common reason our expectations go unmet is simply because our employee(s) are ignorant of said expectations. They do not know what we expect because we have not communicated our expectations clearly.

Leadership author Patrick Lencioni, in his fantastic book “The Advantage”, suggests a key attribute of great organizational leadership is to overcommunicate clarity.

If our people do not know what is expected of them, we have no one to be disappointed in but ourselves. Clear communication of expectations is a gift to our people and a significant contribution to ensuring our expectations are met.

Incompetence

The second “I” of missed expectations is incompetence. Simply defined, incompetence means our people do not know how to accomplish the task that has been assigned to them.

This is a training issue. So often I hear leaders complain, “they should be able to do this”. Whenever I hear the word should I immediately point it out and ask leaders to explain why their people should be able to accomplish the assigned task or directive?

Answers typically range from how long they have worked here to how much they are paid, but these variables have nothing to do with whether employees have been adequately trained. Most people do not like to make mistakes; if faced with a task they don’t know how to accomplish well, they will spend time trying to figure it out, stall, or avoid it all together.

A failure to properly train employees is a recipe for missed expectations.

Incapacity

A very common reason leaders’ expectations are missed is because of incapacity.

Incapacity applies not only to our frustrations with others but is often the reason we become frustrated with ourselves. We simply do not have the capacity to successfully accomplish all that we wish we could.

A simple test to ascertain if you or your team has the capacity to accomplish a task is to quickly look at the 3 T’s (time, team, tools). Ask yourself these questions: Do we have the time required to meet our expectations for this task? Have we assembled the right team? Do we have the proper tools (physical, financial, etc)?

Too often, we look at a project in retrospect to see what went wrong and we realize we did not match our budget (time, money, people) with the requirements necessary to succeed. We simply did not have the capacity to take on the job in the first place.

A leader must ask the question, do we have the capacity for this project right now? Does this person have the capacity to accomplish what I expect? Have I provided them with everything they need to succeed? If the answer to any of these questions is no, or I’m not sure, we once again have to look inward to deal with the frustrations of missed expectations.

Intentionality

The final “I” of missed expectations in intentionality. At this point we have answered the questions inherent in the first three I’s: my people know what to do, they know how to do it and they have been properly resourced; they have capacity.

So why can they still not get things done the way I want them done? Perhaps they lack intentionality.

As leaders, we know what is important to us and to the outcomes we require. We are motivated by our desire to succeed; however, we define success. But do our people have that same definition? Are they working with the same motivation we are?

Each of us is wired differently and we are motivated by different inputs and outcomes. What is important to one person is not necessarily naturally important to another and therefore our intentionality towards tasks differs.

What we may find to be extremely important, another may think is a minor detail. As leaders, we are responsible to understand how our people are motivated and how to steward these motivations towards the necessary outcomes of the organization.

If our people do not appear to be working with enough intention or motivation, we must figure out how to communicate expectations in a way that matches what our people are working for. One of my mentors once said, “What people want to do, they do”; leaders must engage people on the level of their “wants”. Why would they want to do this job well?

Leadership is Difficult

This sounds like a lot of work! Wouldn’t it be easier to simply lower my expectations?

You have probably gone down this road many times in your leadership journey and you already know the answer to this question – no, it isn’t easier! Lowering our expectations of others ends in the same frustration and burnout that led us to this conversation in the first place.

Additionally, if having high expectations of someone is a compliment, then having low expectations is an insult. Leadership is hard work but it is worthy work. If we put in the work to ensure our people know what to do, know how to do it, have the capacity to be successful, and are appropriately motivated we will realize the benefits of a successful team and our expectations will be consistently met.

Disclaimer: Avisar Chartered Professional Accountant’s blog deals with a number of complex issues in a concise manner; it is recommended that accounting, legal or other appropriate professional advice should be sought before acting upon any of the information contained therein. Although every reasonable effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this post, no individual or organization involved in either the preparation or distribution of this post accepts any contractual, tortious, or any other form of liability for its contents or for any consequences arising from its use.

Leading in a Tough Labour Market

Our guest author this week is Cameron Keller, a Professional Certified Coach with the International Coach Federation, and Principal at Kaleidoscope Training and Consulting.

I am typing this as I sit on a plane heading back home to Vancouver from Toronto. Just about 15 minutes ago I overheard a conversation between a woman and her seatmate. The woman was likely not far from retirement age and explained to her seatmate that she can work from anywhere. She went on to explain that she hadn’t planned on still working, but as long as she can work remotely, she’ll keep working because she enjoys it.

We’ve all had those conversations in the last couple of years where we find people reflecting on how different life is, if remote work is an option. This will be relevant further down in this article.

Over and repeatedly these days I have conversations with clients about the challenges in the labour market. Who could have ever predicted that in 2022 we’d have 1.95 jobs available for every unemployed worker in Canada? We knew that this was coming, but most of us didn’t expect this reality for at least another 7 – 10 years. Things have changed rapidly.

This reality has all kinds of implications. My clients face a few significant challenges with this. Beyond the obvious of being able to recruit workers, retention has become an issue. It just seems that people are willing to jump ship, often with little notice – as something seems more attractive elsewhere. Additionally, many company and agency recruiters are finding they are forced to lower the bar when it comes to the quality of individuals. We love to say we are only going to hire A players, but how realistic is that? Many of my client companies are finding they are settling for B players in hopes that they can support them to become A players down the road.

So how do we address this problem? This problem of not enough workers and having to compete with other employers for people’s services. Just last month I was in Maui and I saw a sign advertising a $1,000 signing bonus to work at a small convenience store / gas bar. Is the answer that we simply must find a way to pay higher? Is it all about the paycheque?

Although it is partly true that the “highest offer” may be what gets someone through your employment door, I can promise that pay alone is not what will keep them. I suggest there are three critical things that employers need to consider if they want to recruit and retain good talent. These are: Employee Engagement, Health and Wellness, and Standing for Something.

Engagement

Employees, particularly the younger generation, long to feel like more than just an employee. The world of work is no longer just something we do, it’s something we are. I am not trying to suggest that our work entirely defines who we are, but it is certainly beyond just a job. People have a wired-in need as mammals to belong. As people become more and more isolated in life as a result of social media, the pandemic, and other factors which make connecting with others in meaningful ways more difficult, they want to belong at work.

If you want to keep employees, you need to promote employee engagement. That is done by supporting individuals to contribute in meaningful ways to decisions that impact them, through to the overall direction of the business. Clearly, you must give direction and sometimes you have to be prescriptive. However, if you can find ways to allow workers to have power over some decision-making, even if it’s how they go about prioritizing their tasks in a given day, it makes a huge difference for the worker and how they feel about their value. Employees also really appreciate being informed regarding the overall direction of the company, as well as its strategy and what sets it apart. They also appreciate knowing if the company is being successful or not, and yes, that includes being aware of profitability. A lot of business owners don’t want to share financial metrics with people, as they want to hide the fact that they are so profitable if in fact, they are. This is a mistake.

People on your team want you to be successful, and letting them know where there is success, including in profitability, helps them become more engaged. Business owners fear that if their workers know they are so profitable they will demand more money. That simply does not play out. If individuals are compensated, they are seldom greedy. If you can find ways to reward your workforce for overall profitability, it makes a big difference as well.

Pay attention to Health and Wellness

These days, there are so many pressures on individuals which are contributing to much more complexity in life. People are finding it more and more challenging to manage things like anxiety and mood problems. Moreover, relationships have become so much more complex through the pandemic, etc. Gone are the days when an employer can say, “leave your personal stuff at home and don’t bring it to work.” In fact, the research tells us this is impossible. You as an employer have both an opportunity and a responsibility to offer a level of support to your employees.

I am not saying that all of a person’s personal problems and issues become your problems and issues. However, if and as you do pay attention to overall health and wellness, you will get a great return. Sometimes this takes the form of flexible work arrangements…other times it’s providing support for employees who have challenging parenting or marital situations that create limitations. It can also take the form of being sure that your employee benefits allow people to access the support of paramedical professionals to help with physical and mental health promotion.

Workplaces that provide a high level of social support contribute to the health and wellness of their employees. A culture of support, where the human side of the organization is held with high importance and people feel valued as individuals first and foremost, leads to greater retention and productivity. Leaders have a role to play in creating and maintaining this culture, through how they take time to focus on individuals and show genuine support and care for their overall wellness.

Stand for Something

Sometimes it can be hard to articulate a higher-level purpose to our business beyond the obvious of trying to make money. As hard as it is though, it is always possible. It is possible to create a purpose statement that well describes what your business is doing to contribute positive outcomes beyond just the business. Moreover, it is important that your workplace stand for something. This can be a social justice issue, supporting a not-for-profit, or being a voice in community for something that makes a difference.

The worker of today wants to be part of something that has meaning. The younger worker in particular thinks a lot about social justice issues, the environment, etc. What does your workplace/company stand for? What are you actively doing to create meaningful change in the world, even if it has absolutely no connection to the kind of actual work your business does? I have many client examples where a company is actively doing something of meaning in the community that has nothing to do with the actual business, but employees rally around it.

If you haven’t found a cause or a way to contribute above and beyond where you are actively involved as a company in supporting something, it’s time to get on it!

Call to Action

It may be that you are doing a good or great job in one or more of these three critical areas. However, chances are there is room for continued improvement. Perhaps undertake a staff survey related to these areas to see how your workforce feels about these issues. Through the survey, you can find out what is most important to them, as well as what their perceptions are regarding how your company is actually doing in these areas. Create a plan to move the needle forward in meaningful ways.

Remember the woman on the airplane? Think of how her employer is benefiting by being able to keep her employed through the way they are honoring her wellness through flexibility. It makes a difference!

Cameron Keller www.vancouverexecutivecoaching.ca is a Professionally Certified Coach who works individual with executives and leadership teams. He has walked the walk of the executive world himself and knows what it’s like to carry large scale responsibility for national initiatives. Cameron specializes in creating healthy workplaces and fully aligned executive leadership teams. He is an expert in working with businesses to develop and execute on industry leading strategies.

Disclaimer: Avisar Chartered Professional Accountant’s blog deals with a number of complex issues in a concise manner; it is recommended that accounting, legal or other appropriate professional advice should be sought before acting upon any of the information contained therein. Although every reasonable effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this post, no individual or organization involved in either the preparation or distribution of this post accepts any contractual, tortious, or any other form of liability for its contents or for any consequences arising from its use.

Increasing Productivity by Redesigning Your Workplace

Our guest author this week is Dan Boram, CEO, Aura Office Environments, a leading firm offering workspace planning, location advisory, interior office design and construction management.

Research suggests there is a direct relationship between workplace design and employee performance. According to 46% of professionals, their current workspace has significantly affected their productivity. Moreover, a poorly designed workspace can negatively affect employee performance and attitudes towards the company.

But how precisely can an office layout be altered to produce a more productive and purposeful work environment?

Here are three strategies for increasing productivity through office design.

Have a variety of different work areas

Some people require isolated spaces, while others prefer open areas for collaboration. The first step is to determine how your staff performs best. Finding out how your workforce works best can be accomplished in different ways, including employee assessments, surveys, and individual or group discussions.

Once you have determined how your team works best, you can modify your office layout and design to include different types of workstations. 

For example, if your sales team requires a noise-cancelling section away from others to make their best sales calls, you can include a section for modular phone booths. If the marketing team wants an area to collaborate and bounce ideas around, you can incorporate an open workstation with dry-erase boards for brainstorming.

Alternatively, if the accounting staff needs a highly private spot to concentrate on payroll, isolated offices with closed doors can be beneficial. Everyone produces their best work in their own unique way. By restructuring your office layout to include multiple workstations, you can ensure that everyone is equipped to do their most productive work.

Place emphasis on ergonomics 

Another strategy to boost productivity in your workplace is to ensure that your office design plan includes options for increasing ergonomics.

Ergonomics is the “science concerned with fitting the job or task to the physical and mental capabilities of the worker.” Using ergonomics concepts in the workplace can minimize injuries, accidents and health problems while also increasing productivity and quality of work.

Some ways to boost ergonomics include adding adjustable chairs and desks to workstations to encourage good posture and a neutral body position. Furthermore, lighting, temperature, and humidity are ergonomic essentials and must be a high priority when designing a productive workplace.

One suggestion is to ensure there is sufficient lighting in the workplace. Limited or weak lighting forces your eyes to work overtime to make sense of the task, causing visual fatigue and headaches. 

Cultivate a dynamic company culture and employee experience

Company culture is the foundation of a business. When teams are connected to each other, the company’s vision, goals, and mission, everyone flourishes, and the organization performs better in the short and long term.

Office design can have a significant impact on company culture. Providing an engaging work environment is one way to enable a strong company culture. However, an office design should reinforce an already strong culture, and a ‘fun’ working environment should not substitute for poor leadership and unsupportive management.

Creating third spaces where employees can engage with one another and discuss non-work-related subjects is an excellent way to improve your company’s culture. Integrating an office café, picnic area, or fitness facility are fantastic additions to any office and can catalyze employee connection.

By introducing these third spaces into the workplace, employees can feel at ease with one another and have a comfortable environment that encourages social interaction and fosters a sense of belonging. When employees feel like they belong and have a deep connection to one another and the company, it promotes a strong company culture, which leads to a productive workforce.

The bottom line

Workplace design has a significant impact on productivity. When different working styles, ergonomics, and employee experience are considered an office can increase productivity, company performance, and create an environment that benefits everyone.

The workplace needs to be adaptable and motivating. Results require creativity, commitment, and dedication from everyone involved. The result will not only look aesthetically stunning, but it will also significantly boost business performance.

Disclaimer: Avisar Chartered Professional Accountant’s blog deals with a number of complex issues in a concise manner; it is recommended that accounting, legal or other appropriate professional advice should be sought before acting upon any of the information contained therein. Although every reasonable effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this post, no individual or organization involved in either the preparation or distribution of this post accepts any contractual, tortious, or any other form of liability for its contents or for any consequences arising from its use.

mental health in the workplace

Mental Health in the Workplace and Beyond

Our guest author this week is Cameron Keller, a Professional Certified Coach with the International Coach Federation, and Principal at Kaleidoscope Training and Consulting.

Just a couple of weeks ago as I was part way through delivering a workshop on mental health in the workplace, a gentleman pulled me aside at a break to tell me his story. His mental health had become so poor that he had been having frequent thoughts of self-harm and suicide. The story was like far too many stories these days – stories that are becoming more frequent, more severe, and more troubling.

In my world, as an executive coach and business consultant I have come to realize that poor and declining mental health in the workplace is becoming the norm amongst entrepreneurs and executives, and then all the way down the line in organizations.

I originally trained as a mental health professional, earning a graduate degree in counseling/psychology in the 1990s. When I retired from the executive world nine years ago and started coaching and consulting, I had no idea that my mental health training would dovetail so critically with my coach training in serving my clients.

I am starting to believe that our industry should require a certain minimum training in mental health. Fellow coaches out there simply must be able to speak the language of mental health, understand signs and symptoms, recognize that stigma and other things become barriers to care, and recognize that recovery is possible.

We have too many leaders living with high levels of anxiety, utilizing substances, and navigating through pain, loss and loneliness in their personal lives that negatively impact their abilities to perform at the highest possible level at work.

I have been saying for years now that once someone has been on my coaching roster for a handful of months and we develop a deeply trusting relationship, the topic of mental health almost always emerges in some form. I estimate that approximately 70% of all coaching topics that my clients bring to me on a weekly basis have direct links to their own mental health. If not their own mental health, it’ll frequently be about the mental health of a key colleague or a family member. Because things happen in the context of a system, the indirect impact in a family or workplace of someone else working through a mental health challenge can be significant.

Canada was in a mental health crisis long before the pandemic. The impact on the workplace of increased absenteeism, presenteeism, and turnover has been huge. Now, just recruiting people to the workplace is a challenge due to the labour market.

I have become a true believer that employers that pay attention to workers’ mental health and wellness will become the employers of choice. And the good news is that there is a lot that an employer can do to promote mental health in the workplace. I am fortunate enough to work with a few CEOs and senior leaders that are investing in meaningful ways in their teams’ mental health.

What about the impact of the pandemic? It’ll be a long time before we’ll really know, but a recent news release from the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) about the mental health of physicians and health learners is worth looking at as I expect there are a lot of cross-industry similarities.:

  • 60% of physicians and residents indicate that their mental health has worsened since the onset of the pandemic
     
  • Nearly half of respondents (48%) screen positive for depression, up significantly since 2017 (34%)
     
  • One-quarter (25%) of physicians and residents experience severe (10%) or moderate (15%) anxiety
     
  • More than half of physicians and medical learners (53%) experience high levels of burnout
     
  • Nearly half (49%) of respondents are considering reducing their clinical work in the next 24 months 
  • More than one-third (36%) of respondents have had thoughts of suicide at some point in their lives, and 14% have had thoughts of suicide in the last 12 months
     
  • Moral distress is pronounced among physicians and medical learners, with one in five saying they have felt it “very often” or “always,” and a further 33% saying “sometimes,” since the start of the pandemic
     
  • Nearly half of physicians (47%) report low levels of social well-being — feeling that you have something important to contribute to society, for example, or have a sense of belonging in a community — a proportion that has significantly increased from the 2017 survey (31%)
     
  • Eight in 10 (79%) physicians and medical learners score low on professional fulfillment; less than six in 10 physicians and medical learners indicate being satisfied with their career in medicine

Again, this is just from one profession, but it does paint a picture. We know that approximately 50% of Canadians will experience a mental health issue in any given year. And, by that, I am not talking about the Monday Morning Blues. I am talking about something that is having a significant impact on the individual’s ability to perform well in one or more important areas of life. This stuff is real and has touched every person reading this article, directly or indirectly.

Supporting mental health in the workplace

First, if you are reading this and you know you are not doing well in your mental health, the first step is to speak up.

Speak at the very least to a friend or family member who you can trust. You should also contact a professional – your GP is one place to start, or contact a Registered Clinical Counsellor, Registered Marriage and Family Therapist, Registered Social Worker, or a Registered Psychologist. It’s important to understand that “it is okay not to be okay…” however, it’s not okay to do nothing about it

Second, if you are a business leader responsible for others, make a commitment to talking about mental health at a team meeting. It is important to remind people they are not alone and that help is available. Everyone deals with some challenges associated with mental health. Speak with your fellow leaders and determine some meaningful steps you can take in discussing mental health in the workplace and supporting your staff to access mental health support. You may consider bringing in a professional to do some training that will help individuals in the workplace have open conversations about mental health, without the stigma.

Keep in mind that Mental Illness Awareness Week is October 2 – 9, 2022 here in Canada. You could use this important opportunity to launch an awareness campaign at your workplace to promote conversations on the important topic of mental health and mental health awareness!

Cameron Keller is an Executive Coach and Consultant specializing in business growth and creating psychologically healthy workplaces. He has walked the walk of the executive world himself and knows what it’s like to carry large-scale responsibility for national initiatives. Cameron is recognized nationally for a number of significant achievements including the implementation of Canada’s first-ever Mental Health Strategy, the implementation of numerous national workplace mental health training initiatives, and the implementation of Canada’s National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace. He weaves in topics of mental health and wellness in his work with individuals who want to perform at the highest level possible in business and leadership.

Disclaimer: Avisar Chartered Professional Accountant’s blog deals with a number of complex issues in a concise manner; it is recommended that accounting, legal or other appropriate professional advice should be sought before acting upon any of the information contained therein. Although every reasonable effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this post, no individual or organization involved in either the preparation or distribution of this post accepts any contractual, tortious, or any other form of liability for its contents or for any consequences arising from its use.

mentoring and coaching

Workplace Mentoring and Coaching: Develop and Keep Your Talent

Our guest expert for this post is Sofia Arisheh, Principal at Upskill Consulting.

“Turnover Tsunami,” “Resignation Boom,” and “The Great Resignation.” Retaining talent has become paramount for organizations across industries and as leaders, we must “build the kind of work environment that attracts, focuses, and keeps talented employees.” (Marcus Buckingham, “First Break All the Rules: What the Worlds Greatest Managers Do Differently”).

Workplace mentoring and coaching are ways to develop your employees’ skills, confidence, engagement levels, and performance. All of this while also helping to build stronger workplace connections and company culture.

“Coaching is the single most important part of expanding others’ capabilities … good leaders regard every encounter as an opportunity to coach.” (Larry Bossidy and Ram Chran, “Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done”)

“I don’t have time!”

“It’ll be faster if I get it done myself!”

“There are more important things to focus on!”

Sound familiar? Amidst this challenging labour market, organizations have understood the tremendous power and benefits of putting people first and providing them with an environment where they can learn, grow and develop. The benefits to workplace mentoring and coaching are expansive:

  • Retention rates were higher for both mentees (22% more) and mentors (20% more) than for employees who did not participate in a mentoring program. (Forbes)
  • Millennials planning to stay with their employer for more than five years are twice as likely to have a Mentor (Forbes)
  • 79% of millennials believe mentorship programs are crucial to their career success. (Deloitte)
  • 71% of Fortune 500 companies have a structured and formalized mentoring program. (Forbes)
  • 77% of companies said mentoring programs increased retention. (Forbes)

When delivering training on mentoring and coaching to organizations, one question I often ask is ‘Why is mentoring important for you, your people, and your company?”. Their answers are below:

While there is alignment and a clear understanding of the importance of mentoring, we continue to choose to spend our time and focus on other areas of the business. Investing time in mentoring and coaching does not have to be formalized. It’s the everyday interactions that can be seized as opportunities to connect with, support, and guide your people.

A good mentor:

  • Invests the time
  • Assists with the growth and development of others
  • Shares stories, experiences, and knowledge
  • Guides, advises, coaches, role models, challenges, and encourages
  • Sets clear goals
  • Follows-up on progress
  • Provides honest feedback

To begin to embed mentoring and coaching into your day-to-day conversations, start with these two tips:

Be inquisitive, ask questions

Questions can be powerful and successful leaders ask the right questions. The approach is … talk less, ask more!

Rather than giving an answer or telling a team member what they ought to do, a strong leader asks the right questions to help them discover the answer themselves. When a team member feels empowered to make decisions, problem-solve and navigate their challenges, there’s heightened accountability for their performance.

Below are some powerful open-ended questions you can begin to introduce into your conversations (whether in your formal mentoring meetings or informal conversations):

  • What is the most important thing for us to focus on?
  • Of all the things that we could talk about, what will give you the most value? What has happened lately that makes this an important topic?
  • Where are you now in relation to your goals?
  • Over the last week/month/quarter, what were your greatest wins/challenges?
  • How would you like to develop yourself this upcoming year? What specific skills/competency areas would you like to develop?
  • What specific actions will help you achieve these goals?
  • What will your first steps be? When will you start?
  • How will you stay focused on your goals and plans?
  • Who can support you in moving forward? Who can help hold you accountable?
  • When should we touch base on this again?
  • What would you like from me in terms of accountability?
  • How can I support you?

Provide and solicit feedback

Coaching and mentoring is a two-way street. It’s the role of the leader to give advice and feedback but also to solicit it. To ensure that your team member is getting the support and guidance they need, ask them what they need more of or less of.

Ask them for their feedback in the conversation, at the end of a meeting, or even through a quick quarterly survey. You could ask three simple questions:

  • What would you like me to continue doing?
  • What would you like me to start doing?
  • What would you like me to stop doing?

Mentoring and coaching are strategic tools directly correlated to business success. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to mentoring or coaching. However you choose to embed mentoring and coaching into your organization, find what’s right for you to begin to create meaningful connections with your employees, drive performance, build a stronger workplace culture and support the professional and personal achievement of your people.


About Upskill Consulting

At Upskill Consulting, we understand that the moment your business starts expanding is also the moment you get to a tipping point with your people. Without the right training, development and HR processes and practices, you can quickly feel like you’re in over your head.

That’s where we come in. For more than 15 years, Sofia Arisheh from Upskill Consulting has been serving growing companies with training, consulting, and HR services. We roll up our sleeves and get to know your business and your people so we can offer you custom services that fit your specific needs.

Don’t get caught up in cookie-cutter training or HR forms that don’t solve the problem. Our team has helped business after business streamline and strengthen their HR and people processes and practices that keep them legally compliant, support their growth with HR strategies, and deliver custom training that makes a difference. To learn more about our training programs, visit https://upskillconsulting.ca/services/.

Disclaimer: Avisar Chartered Professional Accountant’s blog deals with a number of complex issues in a concise manner; it is recommended that accounting, legal or other appropriate professional advice should be sought before acting upon any of the information contained therein. Although every reasonable effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this post, no individual or organization involved in either the preparation or distribution of this post accepts any contractual, tortious, or any other form of liability for its contents or for any consequences arising from its use.

hiring virtually

Ask the Right Questions When Hiring Virtually, Pros Say

With remote interviews, many of the cues you would normally use to read a person are lacking. But there are still tactics you can use to help make the right choice when hiring virtually.

Even in normal times, selecting the right candidate for a position can be challenging. But, for many organizations, COVID-19 has made the process even more difficult by requiring employers and candidates to adjust to remote interviews that lack the kind of human connection – including direct eye contact and collegial handshakes – that in-person exchanges can bring.

The shift comes with consequences, experts say. According to new research from Robert Half Canada, more than half (56 per cent) of employers say the cost of making a bad recruiting choice is higher than it was pre-pandemic.

Still, given that remote work is likely here to stay for many and that virtual hiring offers access to larger talent pools, we are likely to see more, rather than less, remote recruiting going forward.

Here are four tactics that can help you make the right decision when hiring virtually.

Prepare your questions

With remote interviews, you have to be slightly more pointed in the way you ask questions, says David Dial, founder of Calgary-based Dial Solutions Group.

“Some people are professional interviewers. They do a great interview. Then they show up and within the first week you’re saying, ‘This isn’t the person we interviewed.’ ”

One solution, Dial suggests, is to ask questions that put the candidate into unique or challenging job-related scenarios. Listen for evasive responses, he adds.

“Take the person away from a script and observe how they behave,” he says. “If they’re feeling uncomfortable answering, dig in a little bit with follow-up questions.”

Connect creatively

When interviewing in person, you can often get a feeling about a candidate by reading their body language, Dial says.

“Remotely, you miss that … so you need to listen very carefully,” he says.

To help compensate for a lack of in-person cues, Michael French, regional vice-president of Robert Half Canada, suggests spending a few minutes getting to know the candidate. Choose questions that showcase their personality and why they are interested in the role and organization, he says, and pay attention to facial expressions and tone.

“Get a good understanding of how and why they came to meet you,” he says. “Make sure their tone comes across as comfortable.”

Connections can also be made with prospective teammates, adds French. Once candidates are shortlisted, arrange video conferences with future colleagues and consider their feedback during the final selection process.

Stay alert to cues

The pandemic has brought added stress for many employees, and it’s important to show flexibility and understanding, says French.

There are limits to employer flexibility, though. If a candidate reschedules an interview more than once, it may indicate someone who is unreliable. If they have persistent technical issues during the interview process, this could be a knowledge gap.

Beyond having the right skills, it often comes down to a candidate’s attitude and the overall impression they make, French says.

“Look out for someone who responds negatively,” he cautions.

This could be a sign they’re not the right fit for the role, adds Dial.

Probe for solutions

Finally, if you find yourself with a bad hire on your hands, try to avoid the knee-jerk reaction of firing on the spot, says French.

Instead, exhaust all options to keep the new employee rather than waste time and resources used to replace them, he advises. For example:

  • Consider whether talking about any issues – such as punctuality, meeting deadlines – could put things on track.
  • Assess whether retraining could be easily executed.
  • Find out if the employee has personal issues because of the pandemic.
  • Determine whether your virtual onboarding process is effective.

If you must let an employee go, Dial adds, do it fast and within the probationary period. “Mistakes are made when people hire because they’re desperate to fill the role,” he says.

“Take your time hiring the person. But, if it’s wrong, change it quickly.”

Disclaimer:
Avisar Chartered Professional Accountant’s blog deals with a number of complex issues in a concise manner; it is recommended that accounting, legal or other appropriate professional advice should be sought before acting upon any of the information contained therein.

Although every reasonable effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this post, no individual or organization involved in either the preparation or distribution of this post accepts any contractual, tortious, or any other form of liability for its contents or for any consequences arising from its use.

A group of people in a meeting

Return to work raises crucial legal questions for organizations

Reviewing and updating workplace policies are a key priority for employers.

As employees return to the workplace, there are many questions around the legal ground rules for employers. Adding to the challenge is the fact that there are few, if any, legal precedents to guide organizations in these unprecedented times. “There’s not a lot of clarity at this point,” says Emily Siu, a lawyer at the SpringLaw employment law firm in Toronto. Here are three key issues keeping employers up at night.

The shift comes with consequences, experts say. According to new research from Robert Half Canada, more than half (56 per cent) of employers say the cost of making a bad recruiting choice is higher than it was pre-pandemic.

Still, given that remote work is likely here to stay for many and that virtual hiring offers access to larger talent pools, we are likely to see more, rather than less, remote recruiting going forward.

Here are four tactics that can help you make the right hire.

Workplace safety

Health Canada’s ongoing guidance on COVID-19 prevention includes a layered approach of common practices – keeping interactions to a minimum, avoiding crowds, masking, hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette – along with vaccination. The common practices can easily be adopted into workplace safety policies, but actually mandating vaccination is something each employer will need to weigh out carefully. The nature of their industry and the working conditions will influence this discussion. Whether to implement a workplace vaccination policy is definitely front and centre of employers’ conversations, says Howard Levitt, of Levitt Sheikh Chaudhri & Swann (LSCS Law). Many of the legal decisions moving forward will depend on whether the courts will consider safety more important than individual privacy, he says.

“Employees that don’t get vaccinated have a mistaken sense that privacy and human rights are valid legal arguments. Although privacy rights apply, they are trivial compared to the overriding safety considerations, so have no legal impact. As a result, vaccination policies are legally permissible, particularly if employees are working closely together or in situations in which working from home is not an option.”

Accommodating exceptions

As with any employment situation, there will be exceptions that need to be addressed. 

“Employers should not discriminate against employees who have legitimate human rights reasons for not getting vaccinated,” says Siu. “These workers should be accommodated up to the point of undue hardship for the employer.”

This specifically pertains to people with medical conditions or religious reasons for not getting vaccinated. “However, they must be substantive reasons, not simply a matter of minor medical issues or a personal opinion, particularly one recently adopted rather than genuine adherence to an organized religion, which bans vaccinations as a significant tenet,” says Levitt. 

If an organization decides to implement a vaccine policy, protocols will need to be established around employees who are not vaccinated, adds James Fu, partner with Borden Ladner Gervais (BLG) in Toronto. “Will there be different rules for distancing and masking? Should employers have badges or stickers to designate who is vaccinated? Each organization will have its own culture and approach.”

Employment terms

The impact of COVID-19 has also opened the doors to potential constructive and wrongful dismissal actions, particularly for remote workers not wishing to return to the workplace. As such, employers need to be mindful of the terms of employment on record. In many cases, these may need to be updated and signed to accommodate the current climate and requirements.

“Employers can provide a time frame for the employee to return to work,” says Levitt. “If they refuse to return, then the employer has the right to terminate their employment.”

Siu confirms she is seeing a strong interest on the part of employers around return-to-work requirements. “It’s really dependent on circumstances, such as the safety of the work conditions, the employer’s capacity for risk and the industry,” she says.

How employers can minimize their risk

There are both legal and practical measures employers can take to mitigate potential risks. For example, they can:

  • Review workplace policies, taking into account all the current factors and circumstances, as well as local law requirements, and then adjust their policies accordingly.
  • Be transparent about opening plans with employees. Providing clear direction reduces the chances of potential legal challenges.
  • Ease the employees return to the workplace and be supportive during the transition. “Returning requires time for adjustment,” says Siu. “Considering the employees’ needs can go a very long way to avoiding resignations or tricky legal proceedings down the road.” 
  • Take all reasonable measures to create a safe work environment. Prepare a safety plan and ensure it is up to date with current health guidelines. Employers are legally required to have a safety plan that can be provided to visiting health and safety inspectors.

Given the lack of legal precedents, employment issues will be determined on a case-by-case basis. In the meantime, Levitt notes, “What employers should be doing is decide what they want to do and build a legal strategy around that.”

Disclaimer:
Avisar Chartered Professional Accountant’s blog deals with a number of complex issues in a concise manner; it is recommended that accounting, legal or other appropriate professional advice should be sought before acting upon any of the information contained therein.

Although every reasonable effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this post, no individual or organization involved in either the preparation or distribution of this post accepts any contractual, tortious, or any other form of liability for its contents or for any consequences arising from its use.

Accessibility and Inclusion

Online + Accessibility = Inclusion

You can no doubt relate to how it feels when you’re scanning through links within text and half of them don’t work. Or your friend sends you a link to a cool podcast but, when you load it up, you can’t hear the speaker over the background noise.

As a listener, you likely got frustrated and decided to move on to something easier on your ears (and your patience). Seamless user experiences are often something we take for granted, but facing barriers to retrieving online content can be a common experience for people with disabilities.

The key difference? If you’re just annoyed or frustrated by a site, you can probably still get information from it, or choose to find something else. But what if you need that information, from that source – right now! – and can’t access it properly? If it wasn’t designed with accessibility in mind, this would not be a matter of choice.

Assistive Technologies Help Break Access Barriers

As businesses and organizations have focused on providing virtual services and information many workplaces are already learning how to implement ways for individuals to control and customize their experience. But universal access is about more than just adding closed captioning for persons who are hard of hearing, or about adding control buttons for those wanting to jump through an audio presentation.

People may also bring their own tools to help them access online content (you may notice some now come built-in with your systems).

ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY EXAMPLES:

  • Screen reading: Reads out loud what’s onscreen, announcing navigation elements
  • Speech recognition: Will follow spoken commands from the user or type out their dictated words
  • Screen magnification: Makes part or all of a screen larger so that words or images are easier to see

If you’ve ever needed your vision corrected, think about the difference you felt the first time you donned those new glasses or contact lenses. You suddenly could see things you’d maybe missed before, in their full array of light and colour!

Eliminating barriers to access is an integral step toward diversity, inclusion and belonging. The key goal is for everyone, no matter their situation, to have the same experience using the “glasses” that work for them.

(Dis)Ability Is A Spectrum

According to Accessibility Services Canada, accessible information serves the needs of people with “vision, motor and cognitive impairments.” This concept acknowledges that the need for help navigating content exists on a spectrum. For example:

  • Think of the “brain fog” experienced by people with fibromyalgia, severe food intolerances and even temporary “pregnancy brain.”
  • Consider visual perception impairments, including colour blindness, migraines, or dry eyes due to menopause.
  • Remember that some of us process information differently and need plain-language information that’s broken into shorter, more manageable units.

While this list is by no means exhaustive, maybe you already recognize yourself here or know someone whose needs can be overlooked in the design of online content.

Universal Online Access Spans Decades

The need for universal access has gained political traction, but it has been on the minds of information designers practically since the Internet began:

1995: Initial guidelines are drafted about making an “Information Superhighway” that works for everyone.

2005: The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) is the first provincial act of its kind to become law, with other provinces following in later years. Compliance is encouraged in stages, depending on the type and size of the organization. This is in response to research and guidelines for coding and writing web content by the World Wide Web Consortium through its Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).

AODA guidelines require that documents and content be updated so that people are able to navigate websites using technologies that make browsing possible beyond looking at the screen or clicking a mouse.

2008: The most recent set of approved WCAG guidelines and checkpoints is released, updating the 1999 version 1.0.

2019: The federal Accessible Canada Act goes into effect.

2021: All websites and web content were required to comply with WCAG 2.0 level AA to meet AODA requirements by January 1.

With more training and building our understanding, Canadian workforces are coming together to create a more inclusive experience, no matter how online information is used.

Learn More

Excerpts of this article are republished from CPA Canada’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion series.


Disclaimer: Avisar Chartered Professional Accountant’s blog deals with a number of complex issues in a concise manner; it is recommended that accounting, legal or other appropriate professional advice should be sought before acting upon any of the information contained therein.

Although every reasonable effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this post, no individual or organization involved in either the preparation or distribution of this post accepts any contractual, tortious, or any other form of liability for its contents or for any consequences arising from its use.