Great piece on 2018 business trends by the Forbes Coaches Council
I. Clear Perspective: In-house training and coaching is great. Sometimes perception can be cloudy due to seeing the people daily. Having an independent outside set of eyes can help with clarity.
II. Everyone is a Brand Ambassador: Each team member can provide insight into the culture, quality and standards of the organization. Expand your reach with the strength of your team!
III. Invest in your employees: Developing happy employees in all aspects of life, not just work, will result in more engaged and productive teams.
IV. Empathetic Leadership: Command-and-control cultures will struggle to retain employees. Listening, relating and coaching will be the focal point of successful business teams.
V. All For One: Leaders will no longer be above the organization. Unacceptable behavior will no longer slide. Leaders need to hold themselves and their team accountable for proper behavior.
VI. Customer Service: Customers are no longer loyal to a brand, they are loyal to the experience. With the vast amount of customer feedback it is time to truly listen and adjust to what what customer is saying.
VII. Work/Life: Proper work life balance can help reduce burnout and increase output. This trend will continue to grow as companies will create schedules that allow this balance.
VIII. Focus internally on what you can control: Nothing is for certain. Focusing internally on the organization and focusing on things you can control will help make decisions that are impactful and matter.
IX. #MeToo : Sexual harassment will no longer be taken lightly. Claims will be taken more seriously and resolved quickly.
X. Women in Leadership: Elevating and retaining women leaders will likely be a trend in 2018. Creating new strategies to retain skilled employees will continue to grow.
XI. Continuing Education: Competitive advantage will come through continued education to increase the knowledge and understanding of growing business landscape.