Category: Articles

Sign it Digitally: A Guide on How to Create Electronic Signature

Posted on | by AI Guest Posts

Sign it Digitally: A Guide on How to Create Electronic Signature

Are you looking to replace handwritten signatures with digital ones in your business? Many companies have started utilizing electronic signatures or e-signatures to boost efficiency. 

In this guide, we will show you how to create electronic signature and sign documents digitally conveniently.

E-signatures provide a simpler way to execute agreements online compared to physical signatures. You can design secure digital signing processes without printing or mailing papers. By learning about these versatile tools, you can transform your workflows effortlessly. Let’s get started!

Understanding the Concept of Electronic Signatures

At its core, an electronic signature, also known as an e-signature, is a digital method of signing documents remotely. 

Instead of physically putting pen to paper, you can apply signatures electronically using unique identification markers. Some standard techniques involve typing your name or uploading a scanned signature image within an electronic form field.

Much like a written signature, e-signatures act as a tool for validation, consent, and identity verification in online agreements. The main concept is to apply a personalized digital code to certify that the signer acknowledges and accepts the document’s contents. 

Additional metadata like timestamps and IP addresses are captured automatically for monitoring document activities.

Steps to Create an Electronic Signature

Here are the typical steps to create an electronic signature:

  • The first step is to decide whether the signing method will be a typed name, drawn signature, uploaded image, or other option.
  • Next, you will need an e-signature service or tool—popular free or paid platforms like DocuSign.
  • Once the service is set up, create signer profiles by adding a name and email and setting a signature method. You can also upload signature images.
  • Then, design the document template with appropriate fields to capture the signer’s e-signature at the required places.
  • Test the template by signing in to ensure it works seamlessly on all devices.
  • Invite others to sign by sending templates through the e-signature system via email.
  • The document is timestamped upon signing, and an audit trail provides non-repudiation of the transaction.
  • After all signers have completed, the signed PDF can be downloaded and stored digitally for future reference.

You may also customize workflows and notifications as per your specific business needs. That covers the basic signing process when creating and implementing electronic signatures!

Tips for Safeguarding Your Electronic Signature

Here are some tips to help safeguard your electronic signature:

  • Use strong passwords and change them frequently. Your signature is linked to your identity, so use complex passwords.
  • Be wary of phishing attempts. Never share your login details over email or with unknown parties.
  • Sign documents only within a trusted signing platform. Avoid using free online signature tools.
  • Review documents carefully before signing. Do not hurriedly e-sign things you haven’t read correctly.
  • Use multi-factor authentication when available. The extra layer of security helps prevent unauthorized access.
  • Log out of signing accounts ultimately once your session ends. Do not let browsers save login details.
  • Store signed documents in a safe digital archive. Back them up on encrypted external drives for added protection.
  • Monitor signature audit trails regularly for suspicious activities—and report issues to the signing platform provider.
  • Shred physical copies of signed documents when disposing of them. Destroy paper trails completely.
  • Be mindful of malware threats. Use updated firewalls and antivirus software and only access signing platforms via secure networks.

Following these best practices will help control unauthorized use of your electronic signature and maintain non-repudiation of signed records.

Legal Implications of Electronic Signatures

Here are the key legal implications of electronic signatures:

  • Legality: Laws like ESIGN and UETA ensure e-signatures have legal standing equivalent to handwritten signatures in business contracts and official documents.
  • Intent to sign: Applying an e-signature demonstrates a clear intent to agree to the contents and terms of use, just like ink signatures on paper.
  • Attribution: Signature technology and audit trails can reliably establish that the authorized signer applied the e-signature through mechanisms like digital IDs.
  • Integrity: Signed documents cannot be altered without invalidating the e-signature. This ensures record integrity, just like preventing modifications to ink-penned agreements.
  • Non-repudiation: One must acknowledge or refute applying their e-signature later since time-stamping and signature verification prevent repudiation of signed records.
  • Admissibility: Electronically signed and stored documents hold up well in law courts as reliable evidence on par with physically signed, notarized, and archived documents.
  • Cross-border validity: International laws have promoted global recognition and enforcement of e-signatures for cross-border deals between multiple jurisdictions.

Conclusion

In this guide, you learned how electronic signatures streamline processes while providing secure digital alternatives to wet ink signatures. 

By utilizing e-signature tools, businesses can simplify document workflows from any location. If you are ready to replace outdated paper-based signing with online options, consider starting your free 30-day trial of DocuSign today. 

No credit card is needed, so you can test out paperless signing risk-free. Click here to get your trial started now!

Sustainable Business Leaders

How Business Leaders Can Support Sustainability and Achieve a Net-Zero Workplace

Posted on | by Akeela Zahair

Reducing environmental impact means investing in the right technology, adopting effective initiatives and ensuring employees are invested in the process.

 

Sustainability has become a major focus for businesses in recent years, with a significant goal being to achieve net zero emissions status. There are a number of ways organisations can achieve this, some more obvious than others. Key to all efforts, however, is a steadfast focus on the most energy-intensive activities – such as printing – and figuring out how to reduce their environmental impact. This is according to Kyocera Document Solutions UK.

 

Steve Pearce, Head of Marketing, at Kyocera Document Solutions UK commented: “In recent years the emphasis on sustainability in businesses has grown enormously, with organisational leaders being held more accountable than ever before. Companies are no longer judged purely on basic initiatives such as recycling, but on areas such as resource consumption and carbon neutrality, with greenwashing a common accusation for businesses that only half-heartedly commit to sustainable causes.

 

According to recent research, 77% of people are influenced by a company’s environmental record when deciding to buy from them. Steve Pearce outlines some key steps organisations must take to get their eco-credentials in order.

 

Monitor energy consumption

 

Steve Pearce: “It is important organisations thoroughly understand their overall energy consumption, particularly the impact of their most energy-intensive activities. This should cover not just the energy you consume in the office, but emissions related to things like staff commuting.

 

“It’s very much a case of every little helps here. Engaging only with green vendors for office equipment such as printers is a good way to go, particularly if these vendors are fully carbon-neutral businesses themselves. This can be combined with other popular initiatives such as cycle-to-work schemes and carbon offsetting projects. The end goal should always be to reach carbon-neutral status, and to get there you have to make sure you’re sustainable in every part of the business.”

 

Educate your employees

“Sustainability initiatives can only achieve lasting success if your employees are fully invested and on board. Consistent and transparent communication is key to this: for example, programmes educating employees on responsible energy usage, recycling and carbon neutrality should be carried out frequently.

 

“These can be linked to awareness days or weeks that promote sustainability, such as COP28, Recycle Week or World Sustainability Day. When staff understand the part they play in the push towards net zero, they’re much more likely to engage fully.”

 

Enhance your print estate

“There are countless ways organisations can build a net-zero workplace through technology, but perhaps a lesser known way to achieve this is by having the appropriate print devices and print management policies in place.

 

“Moreover, organisations can look to invest in printers that have sustainability at heart. The most environmentally friendly printers function with low energy, are made predominantly of recycled materials and can themselves be recycled at the end of their lifetime, and are built with durable materials which reduce the need to frequently replace parts. Combining all of this into a carbon-neutral managed print service – covering after-sales care, device maintenance, engineer mileage and device disposal – will make a major difference.

 

“The correct print management software not only increases document security, but enables employees to significantly reduce how much they print. For example, quotas can be set for specific staff or departments based on needs, meaning energy isn’t wasted on unnecessary print jobs.

 

“Achieving a net-zero workplace won’t happen overnight, but it is vital business leaders integrate a sustainable approach into company culture. Purchasing in the right technology and committing to new initiatives are crucial steps in reducing energy consumption, but the greatest success will come when employees are fully included in the process”, concluded Steve Pearce. 

woman with hands on hips smiling

Cementing the Importance of People and Culture

Posted on | by Magdalena Lew

Moe Carrick is an internationally celebrated pioneer in the field of workplace culture, and her pioneering tools and frameworks have been adopted and successfully utilised by some of the world’s leading companies, including Nike, Amazon, Nintendo, and Reddit. Through her company Moementum, Inc., People & Culture Strategy CEO of the Year 2023 – Western USA awardee Moe Carrick acts as a trusted partner and can assist in achieving results that are demonstrable and sustainable. Moementum thus serves to make the abstract concepts of people and culture tangible, cutting through the complexity to provide practical, actionable solutions that can rejuvenate an organisation. We have the pleasure of catching up with Moe to learn more about her role as CEO and how she fosters an environment of success in an ever-changing business landscape.

 

Moementum, Inc. infuses proven business intelligence with courage and heart, guiding its clients towards the curation of an atmosphere where employees are not only willing to contribute, but eager. By working closely with leaders who possess a keen drive to bring out the best in their people, Oregon-based CEO Moe Carrick can motivate and inspire those individuals to reach their full potential, firm in the belief that is the people who make organisations great, and not the other way around. To this end, Moe promises to make work good and return to leaders their lost superpowers.

 

Elaborating further, Moementum knows that every leader is in possession of superpowers, with these being the people that they lead. As Moe explains, “where we get confused is that people are complex, imperfect, and ever-changing.” Nevertheless, people serve as the ultimate secret to success, and by teaching employees to thrive at work with a blend of transparency and accountability, an entire organisation is afforded the opportunity to shift into a higher gear, with amazing results to boot each and every time.

 

Stemming from this is Moementum’s overarching vision, in which organisations get results and people thrive simultaneously. Going to work should feel great, and when it does, performance is driven, money is made, families strengthened, employee engagement boosted, results secured, communities built, and a planet healed. In short, the benefits are endless. Spurred on by the landscape we find ourselves in today, overcoming a global pandemic with global economic issues in toe, building a workplace that is good for its people has never mattered so much.

 

What sets Moementum apart in the industry is that it truly believes in leadership and its ability build a healthy culture at work. Grounded in an incredibly human approach, the team have evolved their methods over more than 30 years, and more than have things covered thanks to a blend of intuitive models, simple scripts, and proven shifts in mindsets. Having worked all over the world, Moe and the team recognise the unique nature of every business with which they partner, and also place keen emphasis on DEI, which it expertly weaves across its host of services.

 

Moe’s two decades of direct industry experience separate her from others in the field, and she has proudly served companies in industry, healthcare, government, and non-profit sectors. Her sought-after talks have led Moe to be featured thrice on the coveted TEDx stage, twice at SXSW, and at dozens of conferences the world over. In addition to these talks and her role as CEO for Moementum, Moe has also written three bestselling books, How to Love Your Job with co-author Cammie Dunaway, Brave Space Workplace: Making Your Company Fit for Human Life, and When Work is Good: What it Means, Why it Drives Results, How You Can Build a Workplace People Love.

 

Each year, thousands of books are published in this area, yet most of them rely on tired, scripted approaches that are outdated and emphasise the importance of linear thinking and productivity centric results. Moe’s books represent a breath of fresh air for the industry and are firmly centred on her belief that tomorrow’s working world needs a whole new operating system, one that’s foundations can be found in the building and nurturing of relationships. As one of very few women in this space, the perspective Moe brings is unique and revolutionary, relying on everybody to increase their capacity for trust, connection, and patience.

 

By focusing primarily on people’s 7 needs of work and combining these with her wealth of expertise on workplace cultures, the methods Moe embodies have been gathered from thousands of leaders and comprise of more than one million workplace data points. Much of the experience she has picked up along the way stem from her previous role, employed as an organisational change leader in the tech and healthcare industries.

 

Regarding her leadership style, Moe explains, “I believe that there are three core pillars to making workplaces good for people: a conscious, brave culture, leaders who are good for people, and teams who care.” Many of these beliefs have been developed as a result of Moe’s engagement with a host of key thinkers in the organisational development sector, namely Margaret Heffernan, Peter Senge, Amy Edmundson, Dr Vivek Murthy, and other such scholars who pioneered in this field. On a more personal note, Moe too has been inspired by leaders in her own life, learning invaluable lessons from those both good and bad.

 

In the field, it is important for Moe and the team to stay current, and one of the ways that they do this is through celebrating those organisations and leaders who do the hard things in quiet ways. For example, Dr Murthy and the US Surgeon General’s Office, the World Economic Forum, and Deloitte are all undertaking groundbreaking research set to prove that the issues around people and culture are not soft, but rather paramount in ensuring the continuous success of a business.

 

With Moe being so proficient in the successful managing of people and culture, it is no surprise that this too extends to her CEO duties at Moementum, where the team are afforded transparent communication, high accountability, care, and compassion through the internal culture that has been fostered. As an entirely virtual company, flexible working arrangements are supported which also add to employee satisfaction levels, allowing them to achieve the work-life balance that is necessary for the efficient running of an organisation.

 

On the back of the hard work done by Moe and her team, the company is excited to announce the launch of its free Index for Human Thriving at Work (https://index.moementum.com/), a tool it hopes can assist business leaders in any industry hone their efforts and make their workplace one that employees love and thrive in. As for the future, the team remains steadfast in its drive to provide unique programmes and researched tools that can demonstrably help everyday leaders transform their companies and their staff.

 

Reflecting on her career journey as a whole, Moe explains, “It is all hands on deck in making every workplace good for people, and I hope my legacy lives beyond me to ensure that everyone can thrive at work.” With the stellar reputation that Moe Carrick has carved out over the course of her career, her legacy is certainly secured. The CEO leadership services offered by Moementum, Inc. serve to measurably improve workplace culture, employee engagement, and workplace well-being, arguably the three most important elements to ensuring a business’ success well into the future.

 

For business enquiries, contact Moe Carrick from Moementum, Inc. on their website – https://moementum.com/

Developing an Online Presence: Tools for Business Administrators

Posted on | by AI Guest Posts

As consumers continue to use the internet to locate and compare new products and services, it is more important than ever to have a solid online presence. If you don’t invest in your online presence, it is more difficult to attract customers, build your reputation and cultivate a positive public perception.

With that said, sometimes developing your online presence is challenging. Here’s the good news: it doesn’t have to be! On the contrary, there are a few steps to take and a few areas to focus on that can help you develop the online platform you need to boost your business. This article explores how to develop a business’s online model and how business administrators use online platforms to deliver products.

What is a business’s ‘online presence’?

Put simply, an online presence is your reputation and reach online. With a good online presence, you will have an easier time reaching potential new customers. It helps you build your brand and establish your company as an expert in your field so that you can interact with past, present and potential clients.

Are you interested in building an online presence? While we’ll take a look at some specific tools to use when creating your online presence below, it is worth noting that the best way to foster and maintain a healthy presence is to take some classes. A Marymount University DBA in Business Intelligence online, for example, is an excellent way to begin. Universities such as Marymount make it their mission to produce effective and successful business administrators with an eye for online presence building. Marymount’s program has a specific ‘Maximizing Digital Transformation’ course, which develops students’ strategies in digital technologies and examines the principles behind digital business models.

Does establishing and maintaining an online presence help businesses?

You now know what an online presence is, but why is it important? There are many reasons why an ever-increasing number of brands are choosing to emphasize their digital presence. These include:

●Reaching new customers

●Building brand awareness

●Establishing credibility

●Improving customer service

Let’s take a closer look at each of the above.

Reaching new customers

It’s no secret that many people use the internet to find the perfect product or service for their needs. Nearly 80% of consumers examine a company’s online presence before they make a purchase. Instead of being more or less confined to local sellers, it is now typically possible to pick the best provider for the job regardless of where its physical headquarters are located. For both of these reasons, online presence is a crucial part of success in today’s business landscape.

Leveraging channels such as social media, search engines and online directories allows businesses to improve their visibility and, as a result, attract new customers.

Building brand awareness

Building a strong online presence is important for more than just boosting visibility. A growing number of consumers are paying attention to business ethics before they make a purchase. By developing your business’s digital footprint, you have control over what they find when they research your company. You have the opportunity to fine-tune your brand and image so that like-minded customers feel good about supporting you.

It is important to ensure that your brand message is consistent across all digital channels so that potential customers have no problem understanding where your business falls on specific issues or values. 

Establishing credibility

We discussed this briefly above, but customers are always online looking into the product they want to purchase and the brand selling it. In addition to reassuring them that your business adheres to the morals and ethics they find important, building an online presence allows you to establish yourself as an authority in your industry. You are not just another seller, in other words, but rather an expert in the field with the experience necessary to develop quality products or deliver useful services.

Establishing trust with your customers (and potential customers) is an important step toward landing a sale and growing your business.

Improving customer service

The last way that establishing an online presence benefits your business is customer service. Customer service is the backbone of any business. You are only successful when your customers are happy, in other words, so ensuring that they have a quick and easy way to reach out to customer support is critical. Increasingly, this means online. Many customers prefer to talk via live chat or email instead of calling someone and speaking on the phone. This means that if you don’t have a healthy online presence with customer service channels ready, you could be losing out on business.

Customer satisfaction is not an area to gloss over when building your business. On the contrary, you should value your customer service team and make it easy for customers to reach out to them.

How do I build an online presence?

Building an online presence doesn’t have to be difficult. There are a few tools to use when establishing your business online:

●Brand website

●Social media

●Search engine optimization (SEO)

●Email marketing

●Paid ads

●Monitor analytics

The first step is to develop a brand website. This website will serve as the hub of your online presence. A comprehensive website should be user-friendly and visually appealing while also providing visitors with the information necessary to make an informed purchasing decision. Your website should also use SEO to ensure that it is easily discoverable by your potential customers.

The next step is to make a name for yourself on social media. This can include any of the popular (or even niche) platforms, but does not have to include all of them. If your customers and potential customers don’t use Instagram, for example, then it’s fine to let this site go in order to focus more attention and resources on more relevant platforms. The idea behind using social media to build your online presence is simple: connect with your customers and make sure that they know you are an expert in your field. Whether you produce white papers, host a podcast, or post videos about your industry of choice, use social media to promote your content – which, in turn, promotes your expertise in the field.

Email marketing is a reliable way to reach current, past and potential customers. A well-crafted email campaign can really ‘humanize’ your brand and make your customers feel like they’re supporting a home-grown business, even if you’re running a multi-million-dollar corporation. Look into utilizing demographics, such as age and location, to help personalize the way that you interact with customers. Monitoring analytics, in particular, can help you track who opens and reads your emails, who is clicking on the links inside them, and who is making purchases. As a result, you can hone your campaign to get as much interaction as possible.

Along with email marketing, consider utilizing paid ads. These ads typically place your business at the top of a relevant search result so that more people see your business. If you are running a tire repair company, for example, and someone searches ‘new tires near me’, a paid ad could pin your company to the top of the search results list. This, in turn, expands your reach and helps boost your online presence.

 

When building your online presence, the most important thing is to reach out to your customers and audience as often as possible and as authentically as possible. Using the tools that we discussed above can help you dramatically expand your reach and grow your business.

How do business administrators use online platforms?

If you’re trying to run a profitable business, then the chances are good that you’re in the market for a competent business administrator. Business administrators are responsible for a wide variety of tasks. The exact tasks vary from administrator to administrator, but in general include things such as overseeing and supporting teams, implementing and developing plans, problem-solving, meeting goals, and sending deliverables to both clients and higher-ups.

From business emails and video conferencing to online project management, the right digital tools can help businesses grow. There are many different ways that business administrators use online platforms to deliver products. Below, we’ll explore how they enhance product delivery and improve client satisfaction.

Cloud-based office suites

Collaboration is an increasingly crucial part of doing business. Whether you are working closely with clients to develop the perfect service or product or are sharing your documents between departments to ensure that everyone has the chance to contribute and correct information, collaboration is key in many different fields. Cloud-based office suites make it easy to work together.

 

There are a few main benefits to cloud-based office suites. First, files can be shared and stored online, meaning that everyone can have easy access to the most up-to-date files. They also allow you to collaborate in real time, regardless of where you and the other party are located. Finally, cloud-based tools enable you to access files from your mobile device or computer, regardless of where you are. If you have access to the internet, then you can have access to your important files.

Business email

Business email is another tool that allows business administrators to effectively deliver the product or service in question. Professional emails not only look professional but also make it simple to keep correspondence pertaining to projects or other work needs in one place. Some business email providers also allow their users to add members to their teams, which makes it much easier for them to keep in touch while working.

Video conferencing

Video conferencing is an excellent way for business administrators to deliver both updates and final products. It is especially useful for businesses that rely on visuals. Designers or data analysts, for example, might find delivery via video ideal if they cannot meet with their clients or team members in person. With that said, video conferencing is also a great way to interact with clients in just about any field imaginable.

Project management

To deliver the best product or service, business administrators must be able to track their progress, as well as the progress of their coworkers and team members. Online project management software makes it easy to manage tasks for both businesses and clients. Platforms such as Trello, Teamly and Asana make it simple to stay connected with customers and coworkers.

Appointment scheduling

If there is one thing that clients always want more of, it’s your time. Most customers will want to reach out with a question or concern at some point while their order is being fulfilled. Online appointment scheduling offers an easy way to connect. These platforms allow business administrators to keep their clients in the know without requiring lengthy scheduling calls.

Online presence is key

If you’re interested in delivering the best products to customers and attracting as much interest as possible, online presence building is a must. Keep the above tips in mind as you craft your online strategy to boost your image.

Barilla

Innovation Through Tradition: CEO Gianluca Di Tondo

Posted on | by Akeela Zahair

Established in 1887, Barilla is a family-owned Italian food company that has grown to become a titan of the industry. Despite its meteoric rise, the business remains family orientated in its approach and is inspired by its rich history of delivering joy with great food. Dedicated to nurturing future generations, Barilla consistently pursues excellent recipes and prides itself on its ability to combine innovation and tradition. For his significant contributions to the business, CEO Gianluca Di Tondo has received our award for this year’s Most Influential CEO – Italy (Food Manufacturing).

Over 145 years and four generations, the Barilla family has served communities and brought people together with the joy of tasty and wholesome food. Its high-quality products are made with specially selected raw ingredients from ethical supply chains. The business is passionate about making quality the natural choice for a better future. Its core values of courage, curiosity, integrity, passion, and trust continue to provide the foundation upon which Barilla has built its success. These guiding principles define Barilla’s company culture and enable the business to protect the interests of all individuals and our planet. By working towards this shared goal, the team at Barilla can overcome challenges and develop sustainable solutions that contribute positively to our environment.

For around 30 years, brothers Guido, Luca, and Paolo have nurtured the company that first began with their great grandfather, Pietro Barilla. In 1877, Pietro opened a bread and pasta shop in Parma and began the company’s journey to become the world’s largest pasta manufacturers. In 1910, Barilla built its first factory which consisted of 80 workers who produced eight tons of pasta and two tons of bread every day with the company’s state-of-the-art ‘continuous baking’ oven. The business is a renowned innovator of pasta production and in 1936, it created six continuous cycle presses that combined the functions of a kneader, mixer, and press. As of 1952, Barilla ceased its production of fresh baked bread to focus on furthering the brand’s presence in the pasta market.

Over the years, Barilla has acquired many well-known international brands to expand its portfolio of tasty products including MISKO pasta in Greece, Pavesi in Northern Italy, and Harrys in France. In more recent times, the company has continued to innovate with 3D printed, customised pasta and in 2022, it launched Al Bronzo pasta, made from premium quality Italian wheat.

Gianluca Di Tondo, CEO of the Barilla Group, has worked alongside the Barilla Group over the past few years to further the company’s esteemed legacy. With over 25 years of extensive experience in the food and beverage industry, Gianluca has worked in sales and marketing positions for numerous brands. Among his roles, he assumed global responsibility for the Heineken brand, taking full accountability for the company’s profit and loss, long-term vision, and strategy. In March 2020, Gianluca joined Barilla as Group Chief Marketing Officer. His contributions resulted in the Al Bronzo line, the launch of new logos for Barilla and Mulino Bianco, and the establishment of the Barilla Acceleration Team, a centre of excellence for digital skills and advanced analytics in London. In April 2023, Gianluca Di Tondo was appointed Barilla Group CEO.

On his leadership, Gianluca shares, “I have three main priorities at the top of my agenda: to strengthen our brands even further in Italy and make them even better ambassadors of the Italian way of enjoying food around the world; to continue to nurture our values and diversity, to further improve the sense of belonging among our people, and to attract new talent; for our consumers all over the world to acknowledge us as the most trusted food company.”

Barilla has invested significant time and resources into researching and educating others about the food chain, from production to waste, consumption, and sustainability.

Consumers’ purchasing habits continue to evolve, and Barilla has dedicated teams to address customers’ changing demands. By leveraging the expertise and experience of its workforce, the business can continue to meet the needs of today’s consumers. Since 2010, Barilla has reformulated 491 products by reducing the fat, salt, and sugar content, increasing fibre, and creating new products with cereals, legumes, and dried fruit. To meet the growing demand for high quality products, the company has returned to the traditional use of bronze dyes with its Al Bronzo pasta. Barilla has established long-lasting relationships with farmers who responsibly grow the premium Italian durum wheat for its pasta.

By investing in sustainable agriculture practices, Barilla can guarantee that its products are ethically produced. The business supports 9,000 farms involved in regenerative agriculture projects and thousands of farmers across 13 Italian regions. 100% of the Mulino Bianco brand is produced using renewable energy, and its pasta factories are trigeneration plants, which repurpose the heat produced to generate chilled water for air conditioning and refrigeration. In Barilla’s 2022 Sustainability Report, the business revealed that 99.7% of its packaging has been designed for recycling. Since 2010, Barilla is proud to report 32% reduced greenhouse gas emissions per tonne of finished product and 24% reduced water consumption in its plants.

In the production of its pesto, Barilla works in collaboration with farmers in Northern Italy to protect biodiversity. The Carta del Basilico, a basil charter, was developed to ensure consistent quality and sustainable agriculture. Since 2020, all basil has been sourced responsibly, with each member of the company’s basil-pesto supply chain annually reviewed under the sustainability criteria of the ISCC PLUS Certification Scheme. The Carta del Basilico is also committed to preserving soil health by continuously rotating crops and biodiversity areas. Lastly, Barilla empowers farming communities by signing multi-year contracts which provide them with a safe income.

For over 146 years, Barilla have opened its hearts and kitchens in its mission to provide tasty, wholesome food to customers all over the world. Committed to creating high quality products from sustainable ingredients, Barilla has brought families together for generations with exceptional food. The business has made significant contributions to the food industry with its research on waste and sustainability.

Gianluca Di Tondo, the CEO of Barilla Group, has furthered Barilla’s revered legacy with his contributions and passion to drive the company forward. With his vision and experience, Gianluca has guided the business through transformative change to become even more competitive on the international scene. Alongside the Barilla brothers, Gianluca is dedicated to progressing the Barilla story to nurture future generations and create a brighter future. For his influential leadership, Gianluca Di Tondo has been honoured as this year’s Most Influential CEO – Italy (Food Manufacturing).

For further information, please contact Elena Botturi or visit https://www.barillagroup.com/en/

man standing on road smiling

Lead Generation’s Leading Expert

Posted on | by Magdalena Lew

Trueleads Ltd was established in 2020 in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, and today the company serves to liberate the sales teams of its clients, reducing stress and freeing up time for making deals, forging relationships, and delivering proposals. In the dynamic landscape of modern sales, traditional prospecting is a thing of the past, with sales professionals now managing a diverse range of tools, systems, and data to help make the most of early opportunities. Cold calling too is history, and the future belongs to digital lead generation. Founder and Lead Generation CEO of the Year 2023 – UK awardee Tom Happé has cultivated a successful career in the tech sales and software industry, one that culminated in the founding of Trueleads and the subsequent successes it has faced. We catch up with Tom to learn more about his duties as CEO and how he has spearheaded the future of digital sales channels.

Through the career journey of Trueleads Founder and CEO Tom Happé, hard work and innovation are immediately apparent. Beginning as an internal sales representative, it was not long before Tom had secured the role of VP of Sales, and it was during this tenure that he first identified a key gap in the market, one that could be filled with a global and digital-first lead generation company. It was this realisation that laid the foundation for the curation of Trueleads, a business boasting the mission of assisting technology and software companies in the generating of repeatable and constant leads, without the need of resorting to outdated methods such as cold calling or mass email campaigns.

Starting a business during a global pandemic was tough, and Tom was forced to bootstrap the company, helping it to its current seven-figure enterprise in just three years, all while balancing family responsibilities. As a natural leader, Tom has embraced these challenges, meticulously solving them through the adopting of a mindset that looks forward to tackling adversity. Although challenges related to cash flow, recruitment, staffing, the market, and technical obstacles are not uncommon for CEOs, those who tackle them enthusiastically and learn from their mistakes are the ones who will ultimately succeed.

Tom’s prior position as VP of Sales showed him the true power of digital channels such as LinkedIn, and the impact these can have in lead generation marketing settings. Covid-19 spawned the rapid acceleration of the already on-going digital transformation in the industry, cementing such current statistics as 70% of the buyer journey having been completed before speaking to sales and the prediction that almost 80% of B2B interactions will have shifted to digital channels by 2025. Having been founded during the throes of this rapid evolution, Trueleads possesses a firm aim to, “bring honesty, transparency, and humility to an industry historically lacking in these qualities.”

By embodying a method of positive disruption and providing an ethical approach to the lead generation concept, clients are afforded the best possible opportunities to achieve success at the hands of Trueleads. Tremendous growth has followed as a result of this ethos, with the company today partnering with three of the top ten global software companies and a host of others. Further stimulating growth is the adherence to strict core values, with these emphasising trust, honesty, flexibility, and integrity above all, echoing Tom’s own key qualities that have been honed over a successful period working as a tech sales professional.

Skills and competencies Tom has picked up over the years allow for a style of leadership that is ultimately characterised by a supportive, direct, and open approach that is neatly combined with a keen self-awareness. The latter of these is vital, as it allows for strengths and weaknesses to be recognised and either solidified or worked upon, and Tom has no qualms about delegating responsibilities to trusted individuals in areas where he is weaker than the team of experts he has curated. By proudly empowering his team through a careful blend of autonomy and responsibility designation, the growth of employees is effectively fostered by the wider organisation.

Further cementing this is Tom’s overarching goal to cultivate a workplace ethic that is equal parts innovative, inspiring, and fun. This results in an excellent work-life balance for team members, and as a father of four himself, Tom is acutely aware of the importance of securing such a balance and is passionate about ensuring that the same opportunity is afforded to all within the company. It this added personal approach that truly makes Trueleads an excellent place to work, and Tom an excellent leader to work for.

With this quality to boot, Trueleads works with clients on a global scale across a variety of sectors and industries, but with a particular focus on helping the leading software and technology companies. Since these larger organisations are oftentimes in possession of larger sales teams, there is a general lack of a repeatable, scalable, and measurable lead generation programme. Although big companies invest in an array of tools, they frequently struggle to extract demonstrable value from them. With Trueleads, the existing data and building processes of clients can be leveraged for future success, as well as being replicated throughout sales teams and channel partners.

For Tom and the Trueleads team, the advent of AI has created both challenge and opportunity. Although AI is being used to carry out such tasks as content creation, messaging, and prospect targeting on a mass-scale, the results lack authenticity. For this reason, Trueleads prioritises the human connection, refusing to rely on AI and yet recognising that in the future, those companies who effectively combine it with their existing services will lead.

Tom, and by extension the wider company, is a firm believer in the ageless saying practice what you preach. To this end, Trueleads utilises its own services across 100% of the business, such as high-quality data, website visitor insight, and targeted account-based marketing through its LinkedIn platform. As Tom explains, “we take pride in this approach and can readily demonstrate its effectiveness to our clients.” After all, is there a better marker in a company’s trust in its own products than using them across its entire service catalogue?

All of the success that Trueleads has bred starts with its employees, who not only are integral to the company’s growth, but also essential in successfully combining automation and human interaction. Roles offered by the firm in the fields of customer success, data, and automation are critical in measuring the tangible value clients receive from their existing tech/data tools, and in return for their hard work, employees are rewarded with a stellar internal culture that celebrates collaboration, progress, and an unwavering dedication to providing exceptional service.

Looking ahead to the future of the company and his own career, Tom tells us how, “Trueleads is on a mission to become the global leader in B2B lead generation.” In order to achieve this, plans are in place to further expand the team with fresh talent, in addition to developing the platform the company provides to offer even greater value to clients, not only saving them time, but generating genuine, measurable results. For Tom, there is a like-minded drive to continue growing as a leader, developing himself and his team to guarantee prosperity well into the future. Tom is deeply passionate about the direction in which the business is heading, and he aspires to craft a world-leading team to join him on the long-haul journey.

Quintessentially, Tom explains, “my motivation, passion, and humility will remain steadfast as we work to position Trueleads where it deserves to be.” The journey that Tom and Trueleads has already been on is incredibly impressive, as just three short years ago, the business was being operated from his garage. It is the drive to make Trueleads a global leader in B2B lead generation that has led to such sustainable success and growth. With Tom at the helm, the company is sure to encounter continuous prosperity, and his dedication, hard work, and undeterred spirit make Tom Happé more than worthy of being celebrated for his excellence.

For business enquiries, contact Tom Happé from Trueleads Ltd on their website – https://trueleads.com/

The Benefits of Strategic Partnerships by Collaborating with Budget-Friendly Shipping Solutions

Posted on | by AI Guest Posts

In the ever-evolving landscape of courier services, strategic partnerships have emerged as a powerful tool for not only expanding reach but also for making shipping more cost-effective. The synergy created through collaborations allows courier services to pool resources, optimize operations, and ultimately offer customers more budget-friendly shipping options.

The Power of Collective Efficiency

At the core of strategic partnerships in the courier industry lies the concept of collective efficiency. By joining forces with other businesses, carriers, or even fellow courier services, companies can streamline various aspects of their operations, from logistics and warehousing to last-mile delivery. This collaboration-driven efficiency translates into reduced costs, which can be passed on to customers in the form of cheap shipping.

Pooling Resources for Economies of Scale

One of the primary benefits of strategic partnerships is the ability to leverage economies of scale. When multiple entities work together, they can collectively negotiate better deals with suppliers, access bulk purchasing discounts, and share infrastructure costs. For instance, by sharing warehouse space or transportation fleets, partners can significantly reduce their individual overheads, leading to substantial cost savings.

Expanding Geographic Reach

Strategic partnerships enable courier services to expand their geographic reach without the need for massive investments. By tapping into the existing networks of their partners, companies can offer more extensive delivery coverage without the associated high costs of establishing new distribution hubs or delivery routes. This not only benefits the courier services involved but also provides customers with more affordable shipping options to a broader range of destinations.

Cross-Carrier Collaboration

In a world where multiple carriers operate concurrently, cross-carrier collaboration has become a key strategy for improving shipping efficiency. When different carriers collaborate, they can create interconnected solutions that seamlessly transfer packages between networks, ensuring a smoother and more cost-effective shipping process. This level of coordination is particularly valuable for international shipping, where multiple carriers may be involved in a single shipment’s journey.

Technology Integration

Strategic partnerships often involve the integration of advanced technologies, further enhancing operational efficiency. This may include shared tracking systems, route optimization software, or joint investments in automation. By harnessing the power of technology collaboratively, courier services can not only streamline their processes but also reduce the costs associated with manual tasks, such as sorting and routing packages.

Customer-Centric Solutions

Strategic partnerships enable courier services to offer a more diverse range of shipping options that cater to the varied needs of customers. For example, a partnership between a traditional courier service and an e-commerce platform could result in specialized last-mile delivery solutions tailored to the unique requirements of online shoppers. By combining strengths, partners can create solutions that are not only efficient but also cost-effective for both businesses and end consumers.

Risk Mitigation

In a collaborative ecosystem, risks and challenges are shared among partners. Whether dealing with unexpected surges in demand, supply chain disruptions, or regulatory changes, the collective strength of the partnership allows for a more robust response. This risk-sharing model contributes to overall stability, allowing courier services to adapt to challenges without compromising the affordability and reliability of their shipping services.

Environmental Sustainability

An additional dimension to strategic partnerships in the courier industry involves a commitment to environmental sustainability. Collaborating with partners who share a dedication to eco-friendly practices allows courier services to implement green solutions throughout their operations.

Conclusion

In the dynamic world of courier services, strategic partnerships stand as beacons of innovation and efficiency. By fostering collaboration, companies can navigate the complexities of the industry while offering customers budget-friendly shipping solutions. As the landscape continues to evolve, the importance of these partnerships will only grow, creating a more interconnected and cost-effective shipping ecosystem for businesses and consumers alike.

5 Tips to Enhance Your Business’s Project Portfolio Management

Posted on | by AI Guest Posts

Businesses can better match their programs, projects, and resources to their objectives by strategically using project portfolio management (PPM). PPM ensures that resources are allocated to projects that support the company’s long-term goals by evaluating potential initiatives and their alignment with organizational strategy. Let’s look at five suggestions for better project portfolio management of your business.

Adopt a Top-Down Approach

A top-down project prioritization approach ensures teams focus on significant tasks and coordinate projects with the overarching company plan. In this approach, only the top leadership communicates with all project participants about decisions made, compared to a bottom-up or democratic approach where decisions are taken mutually.

As communication flows in one direction, misunderstandings and mix-ups happen less frequently. It is also easier to locate, diagnose, and solve problems efficiently and quickly as you can track issues to their source. This helps your business secure profitable project outcomes by ensuring its portfolio aligns with its long-term business objectives, providing greater control over the project’s progress and delegating tasks accordingly.

Risk Management

Project Portfolio Management (PPM) must incorporate strong risk management (identification, assessment, and mitigation of risks) to reduce disruptions and optimize profits.

Identification of risks: The first stage is identifying any risks that may impact the project portfolio. This entails thoroughly examining all internal and external variables that may jeopardize the success of the portfolio projects.

Risk assessment and prioritization: After identifying risks, you must evaluate and rank them based on their likelihood of occurrence and potential impact. This will let you focus on managing the most critical risks that could significantly impact the portfolio’s goals.

Risk mitigation planning: This entails developing precise plans of action and tactics to reduce the likelihood of unfavorable occurrences and associated risks.

By implementing these procedures, your company can protect the portfolio’s value and increase the likelihood of project delivery success by efficiently anticipating and responding to potential hazards.

Strategic Alignment With Business Objectives

If your company aims to enter a new market, your project portfolio should include product development, marketing campaigns, and market research. By aligning your projects with your business objectives, you can focus your resources and efforts on the tasks that will have the most significant impact on the expansion and success of your company.

Regularly Evaluate the Performance

Regular performance evaluation helps your business learn more about the health and performance of the portfolio through proactive evaluation of key performance indicators (KPIs) such as risk, return on investment, budget adherence, and financial analysis.

This procedure entails gathering project-related data and using an assessment technique such as financial or performance metrics analysis to identify areas for improvement. By coordinating performance evaluations with strategic objectives, your company can ensure the portfolio produces the expected results, leading to improved overall performance. This human-centered approach fosters a culture of growth and continuous improvement by proactively discovering and resolving problems or inefficiencies within the project portfolio.

Improving the Project Selection Process

Improving the quality of your project portfolio management and optimizing the portfolio’s potential returns necessitates a more refined project selection procedure. You can significantly enhance portfolio planning, project scheduling, headcount forecasting, and overall project execution by developing a high-level picture of resource availability and demand. This strategy may result in more efficient resource distribution.

Endnote

Finally, project portfolio management is a critical discipline requiring a strategic and well-structured approach. Organizations can significantly improve their project portfolio management practices, driving better outcomes and maximizing the value of their project portfolios by adopting a top-down approach, risk management, ensuring strategic alignment with business objectives, and improving the project selection process.

How Software Is Revolutionizing B2B Client Management

Posted on | by AI Guest Posts

The B2B client management landscape is undergoing a dynamic shift, influenced significantly by software solutions that are redefining traditional methodologies. In today’s highly digitalized world, the strategic deployment of client management software is not just a trend but a foundational component for business success.

This evolution is underscored by a revealing statistic: in 2022, it was found that a striking 90% of B2B buyers researched between 2 and 7 different websites before making a purchase decision, highlighting the crucial role of online presence and digital tools in influencing client decisions​​.

As businesses navigate this complex environment, the integration of sophisticated software solutions in client management has become more critical than ever, offering a myriad of opportunities for enhanced efficiency, improved client relationships, and strategic growth.

Centralized Data Management and Accessibility

Centralized data management is pivotal in the modern revolution of B2B client management. This approach ensures that all client information is consolidated, providing a unified view of client interactions and making data readily accessible. For businesses inundated with extensive client data, this centralization is not just beneficial; it’s imperative for efficiency and effectiveness.

Take, for instance, the Umbraco CRM integration. By blending Umbraco’s robust content management features with traditional CRM functionalities, businesses can achieve a more streamlined process. This integration not only enhances the overall management of client relationships but also ensures a seamless flow of content and data, fostering a more integrated, responsive, and effective client management ecosystem.

With this upgrade, businesses can leverage the power of content management in their client relations, ensuring that every interaction is informed, relevant, and strategically aligned with their content strategy.

Enhancing Communication and Collaboration

Software solutions have significantly upgraded the way businesses communicate and collaborate with their clients. These tools have opened up new avenues for interaction, allowing for more immediate, engaging, and effective communication. These advanced communication channels include interactive dashboards, direct messaging systems, and collaborative platforms that allow for shared document editing and project management.

This improved communication is vital to building stronger relationships and fostering a collaborative environment. Software solutions enable real-time collaboration and feedback, allowing businesses to respond swiftly to client needs and preferences. They also provide a platform for regular updates, milestone tracking, and shared goal setting, which reinforces a sense of partnership and mutual progress between businesses and their clients.

Automation of Routine Tasks

Another major benefit of these software solutions is the automation of routine tasks. Automation minimizes the need for manual intervention in mundane activities, freeing up time for more strategic tasks.

This includes automated responses to client queries, scheduling, and data entry. The efficiency gained from automation not only reduces the likelihood of human error but also speeds up the overall process of client management. Automated analytics and reporting tools provide ongoing insights into client interactions, helping businesses to continuously improve their service offerings and client engagement strategies.

Customization and Personalization

Customization and personalization are key in today’s client management software. Businesses vary greatly in their needs and processes, and a one-size-fits-all approach is often ineffective. Personalized software solutions cater to specific business requirements, enhancing the overall effectiveness of client management.

This tailored approach not only improves operational efficiency but also demonstrates to clients that their unique needs are understood and valued. Advanced customization options include client-specific interfaces, tailored reporting, and the ability to integrate with a variety of third-party applications to enhance functionality.

Data-Driven Decision Making

Data-driven decision-making is another critical aspect of modern client management software. These solutions provide powerful analytics and reporting features, enabling businesses to make informed decisions based on client data and interactions.

Understanding client behavior and preferences through data helps in fine-tuning strategies and improving client satisfaction. It is also about transforming the raw data you have into actionable insights that you can use. This strategic use of data enables predictive modeling, trend analysis, and enhanced forecasting, allowing businesses to proactively address client needs and market changes.

Security and Compliance

In an era where data breaches are commonplace, the security of client information is paramount. Client management software must offer robust security features to protect sensitive client data.

Additionally, compliance with various regulations is a must. Businesses must ensure that their software solutions adhere to the necessary legal and ethical standards, especially in industries where client confidentiality is key.

Regular updates and rigorous testing of security protocols are essential to maintaining the integrity of client data. Moreover, training staff on best practices for data security and compliance is critical for safeguarding client information.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the role of software in revolutionizing B2B client management cannot be overstated. From enhancing communication to automating routine tasks, and from ensuring data security to enabling data-driven decisions, these solutions are integral to modern business operations. As we look to the future, the continued evolution of these software solutions promises to further elevate the standards of client management in the B2B sector.

In a modern office setting, a group of business professionals attentively listens to a captivating presentation delivered by their young colleagues, showcasing their teamwork

Top Tips On Creating Active Learning Environments Within The Workplace

Posted on | by Magdalena Lew

By Professor Fawad Inam, executive principal at Oxford Business College

Active learning environments in the workplace can significantly enhance employee engagement, foster creativity, and promote continuous skill development. In an era where adaptability and continuous skill development are paramount, the traditional concept of learning within the workplace is undergoing a transformative shift. Today, organisations recognise the need to go beyond conventional training methods and embrace dynamic approaches that actively engage employees, foster collaboration, and promote ongoing learning. Creating active learning environments within the workplace has emerged as a key strategy for enhancing professional growth and staying ahead in a rapidly evolving business landscape.

Here are some top tips on creating dynamic and interactive workspaces that propel professional growth:

  1. Flexible Learning Spaces: To stimulate active learning, organisations should invest in flexible learning spaces that cater to diverse learning preferences. The importance of creating environments that allow for both collaborative group activities and individualised learning experiences is crucial. Adjustable furniture, designated brainstorming areas, and well-equipped training rooms can all contribute to a versatile atmosphere.
  2. Technology Integration: Embracing modern technology is fundamental to active learning. At Oxford Business College we advocate for the integration of interactive tools, online resources, and e-learning platforms. By incorporating technology into training sessions, workshops, and daily tasks, employees can access information at their own pace, fostering a self-directed learning culture.
  3. Encourage Collaboration: Active learning thrives on collaboration. Try implementing team-based projects, group discussions, and interactive workshops to encourage employees to share ideas and perspectives. This not only enhances problem-solving skills but also cultivates a sense of community within the workplace.
  4. Continuous Training and Development Programs: Recognising the importance of lifelong learning, establish continuous training and development programs. These initiatives can include workshops, seminars, and online courses that align with employees’ career goals. By investing in ongoing education, organisations empower their workforce to adapt to evolving industry trends.
  5. Real-World Application of Knowledge: Applying theoretical knowledge to real-world scenarios is crucial for active learning. To encourage this try incorporating practical exercises, case studies, and simulations into training programs. This hands-on approach helps employees connect theory with practical skills, reinforcing the learning experience.
  6. Encourage a Growth Mindset: Encouraging employees to embrace challenges, learn from failures, and seek opportunities for improvement creates a culture of continuous learning. This mindset shift contributes to a more resilient and adaptable workforce.
  7. Feedback and Reflection: Actively seeking feedback and encouraging self-reflection are key components of effective learning environments. Examples of how this can be applied can include implementing regular feedback sessions and self-assessment tools to help employees track their progress, identify areas for improvement, and celebrate achievements.
  8. Leadership Support: Leadership plays a pivotal role in promoting active learning. Make sure that leaders are actively supported and participate in learning initiatives. When leaders prioritise and value continuous learning, it sets a positive example for the entire workforce.
  9. Diversity and Inclusion: Acknowledging and embracing diversity is essential for creating inclusive learning environments. Incorporating diverse perspectives and experiences into training programs is a great starting point. This not only enriches the learning experience but also promotes a culture of inclusivity and respect.
  10. Embrace Collaborative Learning Initiatives: In the pursuit of fostering an active learning environment within the workplace, a crucial tip is to embrace collaborative learning initiatives. Instead of viewing learning as a solitary activity, encourage employees to engage in shared experiences that leverage the collective knowledge and expertise within the organisation. Collaborative learning capitalises on the diverse skill sets and perspectives present within a team. It not only enhances the learning process but also strengthens interpersonal relationships and promotes a culture of knowledge-sharing and camaraderie.

In conclusion, by fostering flexibility, leveraging technology, promoting collaboration, and embracing a growth mindset, businesses can cultivate dynamic workplaces that empower employees to thrive in today’s ever-changing professional landscape.

 

About the author: Professor Fawad Inam is the  executive principal at the Oxford Business College. With a career spanning over two decades, he is widely recognised for his research, teaching, knowledge exchange and leadership skills. As an active principal fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA), he has received several accolades and awards for his contributions to the UK’s higher education sector. He is also an honorary visiting professor at the University of East London.

Professor Fawad Inam
Professor Fawad Inam
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The HuPerson Project Launches a New Business Category: Executive Design

Posted on | by Magdalena Lew

Renowned leadership agency the Taylor Group is launching The HuPerson Project, an innovative, privately owned company on the frontier of business development. Founded by Jill Taylor, and co-founders Michelle Cooper and Daniel Goodenough, this innovative design agency aims to cultivate freedom for leaders and deliver them to ‘the new world’ of leadership by pioneering a new way of doing business.

The HuPerson Project enables leaders to change the way business does business in a fundamental way by presenting an alternative, an executive customised design for CEOs and their teams. The company is dedicated to co-designing a profitable enterprise with leaders, while helping them to become the powerful remedy the world needs today.  

The HuPerson Project and new website will launch on December 7th, here, along with Season 2 of their podcast, titled ‘The CEO’s Dilemma’.

Drawing on their years of combined leadership experience, Jill, Daniel, and the team are already working with leaders of industry, including Johnson & Johnson, Wells Fargo, and Burgerville, with the aim of helping CEOs transform awareness to include new possibilities for stewardship of our world and to radically change perspective on how business can be done well.  Leaders will experience an opening into a new intelligence, able to co-create with the future and to stay ahead of the curve in a complex, chaotic world. With these tools, business leaders are able to open new pathways of thinking, and in turn to be functionally and strategically fluid in the face of the multiple complexities of our time.

Modelled on haute couture, the HuPerson Project co-designs highly individualised and customisable sessions, based on CEOs’ unique leadership styles and their business. The HuPerson Project trains business leaders to make decisions from an entirely new perspective, responding to the call of the future by delving deeply into their unique signature and transforming their awareness of what’s possible.

Jill Taylor, former Burgerville CEO, co-founder of The Taylor Group and leading co-founder of The Hu Person Project commented on the launch saying: “We’re in a new era of leadership. In order to take care of our whole ecosystem, we need to become whole human beings, skillful with new ways of knowing beyond our habitual ways of thinking, doing, and being.”

Daniel Goodenough, co-founder of The HuPerson Project, of The Way of the Heart and author of The Caravan of Remembering, also commented, saying: “Through The HuPerson Project leaders will be aware of their awareness and able to discern the right problems to solve and to find a fresh way to solve them.”

The HuPerson Project is delivering a new era of leadership. Created to support leaders in all aspects of their development, the HuPerson Project can drive the change needed to transform business sustainably, holistically and with passion. This will enable leaders to have a deeper understanding of their value and presence in the marketplace, combining profit and goodness.

Gender Leadership

Impactful Strategies to Plug the Gender Imbalance in Leadership

Posted on | by Akeela Zahair

According to government-backed research, nearly 40% of UK FTSE 100 board positions are now held by women, which suggests that British businesses are gradually getting female employees in higher, more influential roles.

While this is a promising statistic, it has also been found that 45.7% of these roles were in non-executive positions. So, it is fair to say that there is still significant work to do to plug the gender imbalance in leadership.

As well as hindering the career of individual women, the gender gap in leadership positions can limit a company’s potential, too. In fact, inclusive and diverse organisations are 50% more likely to make better decisions and 36% more likely to have higher efficiency levels.

With this in mind, as a business owner or HR director, what strategies can you put in place to plug the gender gap in senior executive roles? Impact, a world-leading expert in leadership development and experiential learning, shares some tips on how to start minimising the gender gap in higher roles.

 

Set up strengths- and skills-based development plans

One of the first steps you can take to tackle the gender imbalance in your senior board roles is to put professional, strengths-focused plans in place for emerging women employees. 

Generally, women are more likely to undervalue or underestimate their potentialities than men, meaning that they might find it trickier to self-promote themselves and express their true worth.

So, in this respect, setting up development plans that aim at identifying and leveraging people’s capabilities is an effective way to recognise individuals’ strengths.

As well as offering a platform to enhance their competencies, these plans should also include consistent, 360-degree feedback. This will help you spot your employees’ strongest assets and determine any areas for growth as future leaders.

Skills- and strengths-based development plans, in turn, can also boost women’s confidence and trust in their abilities. And thanks to increased self-awareness, they might be more likely to stand out and push for the higher role they deserve.

 

Educate senior executives about the importance of leadership diversity   

As a business owner, you should consider sharing with your seniors the wide range of benefits that come with having a diverse board of leaders within the company.

For example, diverse leadership can help attract new talent from all backgrounds and walks of life, as candidates want to see themselves represented at the top level. This way, as an organisation, you have a better chance to find the best fit for the role.

What’s more, diversity in leadership is crucial to retaining valid employees who are currently facing challenges. In some instances, female higher-ups might be able to relate better to women in their team and identify more adequate ways to improve work satisfaction and minimise turnover.

So, educating your current executive leaders about the importance of (gender) diversity in leadership can benefit the company.

With a more diverse and inclusive range of individuals in executive positions, you can ensure your staff is as happy as can be, which will then help drive your organisation forward.

 

Review paternity leave policies

Where possible, think about reviewing your internal paternity leave policy.

As things stand, employees on paternity leave in the UK are entitled to two weeks off work, but this doesn’t prevent companies from offering the new parent a more generous policy.

As well as allowing the new dad to spend more precious time with their baby, this can benefit the mother in a number of ways, both personally and professionally. In fact, it can have a positive impact on the fair advancement of women’s careers, as longer paternity leaves allow both parents to flexibly share their childcare responsibilities.

More balance in childcare duties can help ease the pressure on women, meaning they can allocate more time and energy to focus on progressing in their role and climbing the company ladder.  

 

Tackle gender bias in leadership recruitment

Another method to plug the gender gap in leadership and promote more higher-up opportunities for women is to actively tackle bias in the recruitment process.

To do so, provide your recruitment team with ample training on the existence and dangers of unconscious bias. This should cover anything from stereotypes to the importance of diversity in the workplace.

You may also want to consider standardising your job description. In what way? For instance, you could use gender-neutral language, focus on required skills and experience, and reduce references to gender-specific traits.

With a few tweaks in your recruitment process, you will be able to attract a wider pool of talented candidates and encourage more women to apply for leadership roles.