In today’s economy, SMEs are faced with the challenge of continuously improving efficiency to remain competitive. This means strict oversight and tight controls on those elements that effect their cost structure. Historically, the focus has been on tangible costs that are easily identifiable and can be accurately measured. Now, to continue down the path of efficiency, many SMEs are focusing on costs that do not appear on the financial statements and that may not be easily measured with traditional systems. In a more culturally complex and age diverse workplace, managers must appreciate and better understand the filters and differences in communication and listening and develop the emotional intelligence required to be an effective leader. According to the Edelman "Trust Barometer" (published in 2018) (a survey of 33,000 people in 28 countries), one in three people don’t trust their employer. They also discovered that trust decreases from top positions to the lowest. For instance, 64% of executives trust their organizations, while only 51% of managers and 48% of other staff stated they trust their organizations. Employees remarked that they trust their peers more than the boss and upper-level executives of their company. That means the higher up you go, the more critical it is to build trust with those beneath you. Building trust starts with leaders….. This project for SMEs Managers will educate and train them in collaborative arts and advocacy skills for recognition and early intervention of conflict resolution within their organisation. The preservation of workplace relationships, resolution of disputes, advocacy in conciliation and early intervention, and interest based approaches to conflict are attainable through training, education, and coaching. Unhealthy relationships within the workplace are a leading cause of employee turnover. Employees have high expectations and expanding legal rights, while today’s increasingly diverse workforce only adds to interpersonal challenges. Our training will give SMEs the tools to recognize problems and turn organizations into a harmonious workplaces. The component parts of this INNOVATIVE project defines the dynamics of conflicts and various tactical alternatives associated with resolving them. It provides the manager with confidence to make informed decisions as well as the permission to use third party intervention resources such as conflict coaching, conciliation services, conflict resolution, and facilitation sessions and brings with it some emotional intelligence training. The production of 3 outputs: 1. Development of Trust Leader Training Programme (TLTP) 2. Production of Handbook for implementing Trust Leaders in SMEs 3. Development of On-line ‘Container’ for the training programme and the Handbook Upon completion of the project it is envisaged that SME managers will be abe to foster a strong sense of trust within their organisation which will result in a number of benefits including: • Increased productivity amongst staff. • Improved morale amongst employees and staff. • The ability to work more effectively as a team, rather than individuals. • Reduce the time to make and discuss key issues as each individual trusts in the judgement and expertise of their colleagues. The project aims to reach over 5,000 SME managers throughout Europe over the life of the project using a variety of dissemination tools and activities.
According to the Edelman "Trust Barometer" (published in 2018) (a survey of 33,000 people in 28 countries), one in three people don’t trust their employer. They also discovered that trust decreases from top positions to the lowest. For instance, 64% of executives trust their organizations, while only 51% of managers and 48% of other staff stated they trust their organizations. The objective of this project is to educate SMEs Managers in collaborative arts and advocacy skills for recognition and early intervention of conflict resolution within SMEs. The preservation of workplace relationships, resolution of disputes, advocacy in conciliation and early intervention, and interest-based approaches to conflict are attainable through training, education, and coaching. Trust forms the foundation for effective communication, employee retention, employee motivation and contribution of discretionary energy—the extra effort that people voluntarily invest in work. When trust exists in an organization or in a relationship, all aspects of the relationships involved become easier. Healthy organizations are built upon the constructs of trust, leadership example, and the culture built by the leaders.
‘…..When trust is low, in a company or in a relationship, it places a hidden "tax" on every transaction: every communication, every interaction, every strategy, every decision is taxed, bringing speed down and sending costs up. My experience is that significant distrust doubles the cost of doing business and triples the time it takes to get things done….’ How the Best Leaders Build Trust - Stephen M R Covey (Leadership Now (2019) In today’s economy, organizations are faced with the challenge of continuously improving efficiency to remain competitive. This means strict oversight and tight controls on those elements that effect an organization’s cost structure. Historically, the focus has been on tangible costs that are easily identifiable and can be accurately measured. Now, to continue down the path of efficiency, many businesses are focusing on costs that do not appear on the financial statements and that may not be easily measured with traditional systems. In a more culturally complex and age diverse workplace, managers must appreciate and better understand the filters and differences in communication and listening and develop the emotional intelligence required to be an effective leader.