Mission Critical: The Future of Our Workplace

Have you noticed that there are aspects of the workplace that are broken? Yeah, me too. And do you not want to settle for the status quo anymore? No, me either. Do you want to fix what’s broken? Yep. Same.

I wrote Staff Matters as a wake-up call to all the stakeholders in our global workplace who know that the status quo cannot sustain. Yes, that means you. I interviewed a lot of staff for this book (1,500+) and you told me your stories. In your words. And your stories are in the book.

You cannot make this stuff up. Here's the trailer.

Here are just a few of the truth bombs in Staff Matters.

·        Training is mission-critical. Winging it and learning on the job isn’t cutting it anymore. Not for Leaders. Not for Executive Assistants. Not for HR Professionals. Training is an urgent and pressing need across the board in our new workplace. Money needs to be spent. Budgets need to be created and strongly supported.

·     We have an identity crisis going on and a war with perception and words. Executive Assistants are now being called Executive Business Partners and HR professionals are being called People & Culture Officers. The clamoring for clarity of roles via titles is growing every day.

·     And speaking of words, “boss” is being phased out too. Why? It is derived from the Dutch word “baas” which translates to “master,” as in “master and slave.” We are so done with that. (Note the home improvement tv shows that no longer refer to the “master” bedroom.) Let’s move on with different words.

·     It used to be that the administrative staff was a dead-end job with no career path. Furthermore, they were not seen as contributors to the bottom line nor looked at seriously to fill the pipeline in talent acquisition. No more. The post-pandemic workplace has put a spotlight on the administrative staff as HR’s golden natural resource right inside their companies. If you are nodding vigorously, check out www.globalskillsmatrix.com as a solid fix to restructuring that works. Share with everyone involved with HR.

On top of all of this, we have toxic work environments that tolerate workplace bullying, sexual harassment, and unfair compensation policies which poison companies from the inside out.

Do you see how aspects of our workplace are broken? It's not OK.

The premise of Staff Matters is that no one group of staffers can fix what is broken alone. Not Leaders. Not Executive Business Partners. Not People Officers. Not Recruiters. We must collaborate and cooperate on new systems and ways of working.

The Ultimate New Workplace is comprised of all the staff from the CEO on down. The backbone of the company, the right arms to leaders, the eyes, the ears, the face, and the lifeblood. Pretty important people, right? That’s YOU. Not robots. Staff Matters is about you.

With my 40+ years of experience and extensive research and interviews, I am thrilled that my new book Staff Matters, People-Focused Solutions for the Ultimate New Workplace published on February 24. It is already making serious waves around the world with staff at every level. The book is being read in book clubs and is being purchased for every member of the staff as a tool to open up vital conversations that are changing people’s lives.

That feels awesome and is exactly what I hoped would happen.

Except I want it to reach even more staff. I hope you will help me to do that.

This is literally THE book on how to fix what is broken in the workplace. Given the nature of the remote, virtual, and hybrid workplace, I feel the urgency to address the fragmentation and the fractured environment right now. Don’t you?

Here’s what Dr. Laura Crawshaw says about Staff Matters. Laura is the author of Taming the Abrasive Manager.

"Staff Matters is a masterwork for managers who want to achieve their management objectives while at the same time building a people-focused workplace.

Comprehensive, practical, and filled with expert advice, any manager would benefit from reading this book and sparing themselves from making mistakes that don’t need to be made!"

Order your copies here. And…when you read the book in your Book Club, I am happy to drop by virtually to your meeting. bonnie@bonnielowkramen.com

If you are interested in me speaking directly to your CEO and/or your People and Culture team to discuss training, it would be a pleasure.

The time is right now to break the inertia toward systems that actually work. Here are just a few examples of what you will find in the 21 chapters.

·        Ways to break the cycle of workplace bullying and toxic work environments, issues that are

     poisoning companies from the inside out.

·        Job Descriptions that are detailed, accurate, and reflect what you really do combined with a

     respectful title and fair compensation.

·        Clear ways to address sexual harassment and gender inequity, including the wage gap.

·        Unfiltered approaches to racism and discrimination.

·        Onboarding systems that support new staff (including leaders) to get off to a great start.

·        Disaster plans that contain well-thought-out plans for the “next time.”

Staff Matters is meant to be a catalyst for the conversations that need to happen in order for you, the staff, to build the ultimate new workplace. Or, as close to it as we can get.

You matter. Be a part of the solution and the movement of change. Right now. Order your softcover or e-books here. I’ve got you and we must have one another. The staff of the future (aka our kids) are depending on us.

PS. Please share this information with your colleagues who would benefit. Just forward this newsletter to them. And thank you for writing a review which helps others to see how Staff Matters will actually make a difference.