DALLAS — In an education session at NEXUS, powered by BEMA and the American Bakers Association (ABA) and held September 25-28, attendees received a hands-on lesson about what the incoming workforce expects from its leadership.
How to Be Relevant in a Changing Workforce, led by Naomi J. Hardy, chief impact officer of Dunamis Change Solutions and CLC speaker, centered on ways that leaders can connect with and remain relevant to the new workforce.
“We’re in a changing workforce now,” Hardy said. “In order to be relevant, we have to do some things differently. We have to change our mindset.”
The three keys Hardy outlined are communication, collaboration and commitment, with all three dwindling down to one essential component: trust.
Communication nowadays is much more than just sharing information; it’s about communicating effectively and being heard. Effective communication can provide an array of benefits to companies, ranging from stronger business relations and increased consistency in the workflow to strong decision-making and more productivity.
“When you are communicating effectively, you’re communicating and being heard,” Hardy said.
This also comes into play in terms of professionalism, as taking the time to communicate well can bring an assortment of benefits to a work environment.
“We’re in a changing workforce now. In order to be relevant, we have to do some things differently. We have to change our mindset.” — Naomi J. Hardy | CLC speaker
The second key, collaboration, focuses on how the next generation of workers seek a sense of belonging.
“In this changing workforce, people want to know that they are part of a team; people want to know that they are a part of something,” Hardy said.
Some examples of collaboration in the baking industry include involvement in trade associations such as BEMA and ABA, and participation in activities such as Spark Sessions, which are being held throughout the NEXUS event.
The final key to remaining relevant is a commitment to an assortment of levels. From a team level to the entire company, commitment can take form in the loyalty practiced through agreements and pledges as well as reflecting that practice for others. Again, it all comes back to establishing trust.
“This generation that’s coming up, trust is the biggest issue,” Hardy said. “They don’t trust that you’re going to do what you say you’re going to do. They don’t trust that you believe in them … How can you as a company show trust as you attract, retain and grow with your employees?”
The answer is emotional intelligence, also known as emotional quotient or EQ, the ability to understand and manage emotions to build strong relationships and achieve goals. Having that knowledge of EQ in relation to self-awareness of emotions, self-regulation and management, motivation and passion, empathy, and social skills can make a difference in communicating with the next generation.
When combined, the three keys unlock the secret to cultivating a culture for growth.
