Fostering Leadership Excellence

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In today’s highly demanding and rapidly changing environment, there is no question that the ability to develop and retain effective leaders at every level is a cornerstone for success. Not only do leaders have an impact on organizational results, employee engagement and retention, they also impact your employer brand in the market and subsequently your ability to attract top talent to your organization. At Verity, we’ve been helping people to stay ahead of the game by providing practical and relevant development on critical leadership skills…We are passionate about helping people step outside of their comfort zone, test their skills and prepare for success.

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Success Through Innovation in the Workplace: innovateworkTO

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Innovation can be defined simply as the introduction of something new, such as a new idea, method, or technology.  However, the true importance of innovation can only be understood when one relates it directly to progress, success and even survival, particularly in the business world and the workplace.

With this critical understanding of the role of innovation, Verity was pleased to sponsor the second innovateworkTO event, “Shape the Future World of Work”, on June 20, 2017.  Read more

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Controlling Excessive Work-Related Communication

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Highly skilled office workers spend an alarming portion of their work week managing email and other digital communications. Moreover, they spend a substantial amount of time trying to get “back on task” after dealing with countless electronic and personal interruptions throughout each work day. But they cannot escape by simply leaving the workplace. Digital communications follow people wherever they go, from morning to night, meaning that many employees – whether by necessity or by choice – are never disconnected. Read more

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Talent Management: Accelerate in 2017

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Canada is turning 150 in 2017.  Looking back to Canada’s centennial year, 50 years ago, one can only marvel at how much has changed since 1967.  There was no digital technology.  No email; no internet; no cellphones.  There was no truly globalized economy.  White-collar offices operated on a “9 to 5” schedule, and tended to be relatively stable, homogenous, and hierarchical.  Blue-collar workers still dominated the workforce with factories and manufacturing plants often operating three shifts each day.  Career progression was more defined, commonly taking place within a single organization.

The drivers and realities that shape the workplace of today would be unrecognizable to someone magically teleported here from our centennial year.  As business models have changed and technology has begun to dominate, the nature of the workforce itself has altered.  A “non-traditional” workforce now plays an important role in influencing the way in which employers manage talent. Read more

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Facilitating Knowledge Transfer Across Generations

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Why are so many employers becoming more concerned about effective knowledge transfer?  After all, there have always been retirements within organizations, and employee turnover is nothing new.

Moreover, it has always been the case that much of the institutional “know-how” within organizations is never committed to paper but instead resides within the brains of its most experienced senior staff, who – ideally – pass it on to those who will follow them.  Essentially, that is the definition of knowledge transfer:  training or learning that passes on the knowledge of an organization’s most experienced people.  Read more

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Failure is the Flipside of Innovation

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True ingenuity and innovation require organizations and their people to have the courage to fail.  Albert Einstein once said, “A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new”.  To continually fear making mistakes is detrimental to success and progress.

Most of us are comfortable with the notion of experimentation under controlled conditions, “in the lab” where the archetypal great inventor works amongst his or her test tubes, the contents of which sometimes must blow up on the road to producing the perfect formula.  Yet, outside of the science lab or classroom setting, where not every experiment is expected to succeed, people tend to want to avoid the potential for failure. Read more

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More than Good Intentions: Resolutions to Keep in 2016

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Despite the fact that many people feel as if September marks the true beginning of a “new year” in the sense of returning with fresh energy to work or to one’s studies after a relaxing summer vacation, January is still the time when people traditionally form new year’s resolutions.

On a personal front, we may resolve to become more fit, to read more “serious” books, to spend more time with family and friends, or to finally clean out the basement. The resolution bug usually hits around January 1st but, with the possible exception of one or two positive new habits which may be formed, by February or March our busy lives overtake our good intentions and it is business as usual once again.

Business as usual may be the preferred option for those of us who would just as soon put off eating more vegetables or going to the gym, but it is not a sound option for any organization that aims to stay on the competitive cutting edge in its field. Business leaders know that good intentions are never enough. Read more

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The Science Behind Employee Engagement

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Employee engagement goes above and beyond having employees who are committed to their company’s goals and motivated to contribute to its success. It’s also about having employees who feel they are able to achieve their own professional and personal objectives through their engagement with the company.

The fact that employee engagement is a top concern for organizations was demonstrated by the enthusiastic turnout at our breakfast seminar on “The Science of Employee Engagement” early this spring. It was hosted by Craig Dowden, Ph.D., Verity Executive Advisor, Coach, Author and Keynote Speaker.

Craig presented an overview of scientific research to showcase the most effective strategies to motivate employees. He also provided attendees with practical and evidence-informed ideas and strategies which they could apply within their workplaces to enhance employee engagement and performance.

According to Craig, while the traditional approach to engagement has focused on financial incentives, research indicates that increasing monetary rewards can negatively impact performance and impair our ability to make ethical decisions. If employees receive what they perceive as an equitable wage, non-financial factors become more important to maintaining or improving their engagement. At the top of the list, people need an emotional attachment to their work. Read more

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Succession Planning and Transparency (Part 2) — Why You Should Inform Employees of Their Part

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The first part of this series examined some reasons why organizations might not want to let employees know about their part in a succession plan, but it also discussed how the potential negative consequences of disclosure can be avoided or lessened.  This installment will examine the reasons for telling employees about their part in a succession plan. Read more

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Succession Plan Transparency (Part 1) — Why Not To Inform Employees of Their Part

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Organizations tend not to disclose details of their succession plans or inform individual employees that they may be chosen to take on critical roles in the future.  The discussion below examines a number of reasons why organizations elect not to inform candidates about their part in the succession plan.  However, the discussion also touches on how the potential negative consequences of disclosure can be avoided or lessened.

A subsequent installment, “Succession Plan Transparency (Part 2): Why You Should Inform Employees of Their Part”, will examine the reasons why companies should tell employees about their part in the succession plan. Read more

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