More and more generations are working together than ever before. Why might you ask? Well people are living longer, social generations are getting shorter, and the retirement age is depressingly ever-increasing.

It’s now down to today’s leaders – no matter their own generation – to match the varying expectations of these 4 generations to create workforces that are inclusive to all ages.

Apologies for stating the obvious, but the pandemic changed a lot of things.

None more so than the business world. What once pulled the strings of our everyday lives, has now been relegated to a small laptop at home.

While remote working has been a blast for most, it’s been a real drag on others. Some remote workers have been experiencing loneliness, weakened social ties and feelings of isolation. Going into an empty office doesn’t offer much respite from these feelings - unless you enjoy the company of tumbleweeds.

We’re at an age now where four different generations find themselves working together (Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z). This generational gap can be tough to bridge, but the answer may lie in reverse mentoring.

So, join us as we explore the topic of reverse mentoring, including what it means, where the idea came from, and tips for creating your own reverse mentoring programme.

Working in a virtual environment during “interesting times” has led to an abundance of employees burning out.

Sometimes, it’s even tough figuring out you’re going through burnout as you may end up blaming it on unrelated health factors, or just think you’re down with the flu.

But you might be wrong, an astounding two-thirds of full-time employees say they have experienced burnout at some point in their careers. With 3.32 billion workers worldwide, that amount of burnout is staggering, to say the least.

In this article, we look at the common signs of work burnout and tips for both employees and leaders on how you can avoid it getting out of hand.

In a time of constant flux, it seems like there’s a new threat to our collective consciousness around every corner.

The pandemic alone triggered a staggering 25% increase in the prevalence of anxiety and depression worldwide.

In this article, we look at how you can create psychological safety in the workplace and why leaders, of all walks of life, need to take it more seriously.

The push for LGBTQ+ inclusion in the workplace has seen great momentum over the last few decades in the UK. It’s one of a great many battles being fought today to stamp out discrimination against those marginalised in our society, and ensure a safe working environment for all.

In this article, I give you a clear guide to implementing LGBTQ+ inclusivity strategies in your workplace, so all your employees can feel welcomed, respected and represented at work.

Show of hands: how many of you have a list of dream goals or experiences or achievements that you crave in your life? Maybe it’s an actual list, maybe it’s the stuff of your daydreaming and procrastination at your desk. Finding true love? Lying on a beach in the Seychelles? Making a million? Don’t get me wrong, I love a bucket list. But the danger comes when you are forever envisioning these items – like a carrot on a stick – as the things that will make you happy.

It just won’t let up. From leadership transitions and restructurings to mergers and acquisitions, to regulatory changes, to new working models, to new roles and new skills required to fill them, there is constant unrest in the workforce. However, according to one survey of more than half a million U.S. employees, almost one-third don’t understand why these changes are happening. That creates friction, fear and resistance.

Not simply among employees – but among leadership and HR teams too. This is no longer an option. The sustainability of your workforce depends on you bridging these gaps in understanding, and moving past these fears. All this fear, confusion, loss of confidence and butting heads – that’s how mistakes happen, how you lose creative sparks, lose sight of the bigger picture, and lose your mojo in general.

Imposter syndrome has levelled up. And leaders are struggling.

Hybrid offices are breeding grounds for imposter syndrome. All too often, leaders have not been equipped with the right skills and emotional intelligence to manage different experiences, emotions, skillsets, and values, all trying to work together, but now under countless roofs.

If you’re not already familiar with imposter syndrome, it’s the persistent inability to believe that your own success is deserved or has been achieved legitimately because of your own efforts or skills. It’s more than fear of failure. It arises when we don’t feel capable. Have you ever been in a room of hugely talented people and felt like the one who shouldn’t be there? It’s that.

You have to look the part. That’s especially true for leaders.

It’s what people expect – a snappy suit, perfect hair, always on form, always exuding confidence and authority, every moment of every working day. After all, leadership is all about attraction – attracting people, potential, possibilities, talent, results and outcomes. But it’s unfair that better-looking people may be better placed to achieve those outcomes.

“I hope...” We say it to ourselves so often. It’s something we all crave, and need to survive and keep going (especially the last couple of years, jeez). So why does that word not come up more with leaders? And I’m not talking about, ‘I hope you’re not going to miss that deadline,’ or ‘I hope my team relationships are going to recover,’ or ‘I hope I’m cut out for leadership.’

Who inspires you?

Why doesn't humanity learn? Why do we keep fostering cultures that support the same types of leaders in power, disrupting harmony and attacking innocent people to satisfy egomaniacal needs?

We’ve seen it since the dawn of civilisation, read about it in history books, learned about it from our grandparents, and are looking at it on the news right now, surreal, and terrifying in it its echoes of World War 2. These sorts of leaders aren’t always in charge of a country; sometimes they’re ruining lives on a daily basis by running companies.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you could wake up tomorrow morning knowing that all your work relationships were miraculously perfect?

Wouldn’t it be great if every conversation with every direct report from now on went smoothly, with zero friction, zero miscommunications, zero awkwardness, and zero difficulty? Just you and them, constantly and happily on the same page?

Picture this: A leadership development consultancy visiting an organisation for a workshop with the senior leaders. Except the first part of the process of developing leaders is to administer microdoses of psychedelics (amounts too small to incur hallucinations) to the whole team. Next, we wait a little while, perhaps engaging in a group meditation. Once everyone starts to feel an increased sense of awareness and openness to emotional connection, the workshop begins, focused on an out-of-the-box topic that would otherwise be off the table or not considered. Now, with a slightly altered state of mind, incredible new conversations and explorations can be had.

Sustainability doesn’t just mean looking after the environment. Those skills gaps are threatening our development as individuals, as businesses, and as a species. Enough time has been wasted. Start 2022 right, by nurturing a highly skilled talent base that can future-proof your business.