Whether it’s for yourself, or your business; monitoring your spending is extremely important in reaching your financial goals. Budgeting isn’t just about cutting costs and being cheap, it lets you track where your money is going and how much of it has gone. Don’t think of a good budget as strict, but rather, realistic and achievable. With proper budgeting practices you should notice a decrease in spending on unnecessary items, and more money to allocate to the things that you enjoy or prioritize. Your Goal Before you begin creating your budget you need to understand your financial goals. Do you simply want to reduce costs? Or save up for either a large purchase or to pay off outstanding debt? From a business perspective your goal might be to reach a certain return on investment (ROI), or to achieve a 10 per cent increase in profitability compared to the prior year. Whatever it may be, budgeting makes it significantly easier for two main reasons. Firstly, by determining your goal, you can create your budget in accordance to reaching that desired outcome. And secondly, by having a budget, you can follow your progress and adjust throughout to ensure you remain on track and don’t overspend in the wrong areas. Creating the Budget Allocation Once you understand what you are saving for, you can go ahead and start creating your budget. The first step in the creation phase is allocating your expenses. Now remember, in the beginning I said that budgeting isn’t about cutting costs or being cheap. What I mean by this, is that you should allocate your spending based on what is important to you and necessary to reaching your goal. With good budgeting you can afford anything you want, just not everything you want. For example, I am a big Toronto Raptors fan, so, if I am making a personal budget, I might allocate any spending I have after my basic life necessities towards playoff tickets. Although they can be expensive, this is something I would consider important to me. By doing this, I would then have less to spend on other luxurious items that aren’t required for basic living. But because I made a budget, this is a sacrifice I have already agreed upon making for the given time period, and when I see my credit card bill at the end of the month there won’t be any unexpected costs. In order to know how much you can allocate to these luxury items; you need to first determine how much you plan on spending on the necessary items in life or within your business. These items include: Personal • Rent/Mortgage  • Food and Groceries  • Savings  • Outstanding Debt  • Personal Care  • Utilities Business • Rent/Lease  • Salaries & Benefits  • Marketing  • Outstanding Debt  • Procurement  • Utilities The remaining amount is what you would spend on things you enjoy or will help you reach your goal quicker. You should allocate your spending on your basic life items or business expenses with the same mindset. Meaning, prioritize which items are most important to you. For example, if you take your health very seriously, you would allocate more towards groceries, gym memberships, workout equipment, and less towards fast food restaurants, junk food, and non-active lifestyle activities (like going to the movies and ordering a large popcorn and Dr. Pepper). If you travel a lot and spend only a limited amount of time at home, there would be no reason to spend a ton of money on rent. And from a business perspective, if for example, the nature of your business requires a lot of storage for your inventory, you would prioritize those expenses before others as it is a need for your business operations. It may seem like common sense, but it’s so easy to tap your credit card on a machine or purchase goods on account, that nowadays you don’t realize how much you’ve spent until you get your credit card bill or invoice. Budgeting will let you focus on where your money is going and see how much you are spending on one category versus another. Tracking Once you’ve determined how you want to allocate your spending, you need to determine a consistent tracking period for when you will monitor your progress. I would recommend doing this on a monthly basis. If you don’t have enough free time then quarterly is a good alternative, but monthly would be ideal. This makes it easier to compare prior months to see how you’ve improved, and lets you catch bad habits on a more frequent basis. It’s important for me to mention that it’s okay if you went off track in one period. As long and you have a solid method of tracking your spending and understanding of why you went over budget you should be able to adjust your spending habits to avoid this mistake reoccurring. When creating a budget for a business, it should be done for the entire fiscal year, and the same monitoring strategy (on a monthly basis) should be done. Analyzing I would recommend using an Excel spreadsheet to track your expenses, if you have a good understanding of how to use it. Otherwise, some banks provide a template for you already, or you can download a budget app on your smartphone. Before choosing which app to download do your research and read some reviews you can make sure you download the best one for your strategy and goals. I use Excel because I prefer doing it on my laptop rather than my cell phone (use whichever platform you prefer). I simply download my bank statements each month into Excel and categorize them. Once that is done, I create bar graphs and pie charts to see how much I am spending on each category by dollar amount and by percentage of total expenses. The goal here is to transform the data in a way that makes it easier to read and compare (see sample below). Figure 1: This chart was created using sample data. If I notice one month, I spent too much on a luxury item that isn’t extremely important to me, I would go back to my bank detail and see what I spent it on and determine if it was reasonable or not. By doing this I am also putting it in the back of my mind for the upcoming month that I just overspent on this item, and maybe I should wait another one or two periods before I make my next purchase. From a business perspective Excel will allow for the most customization when analyzing your budget progress depending on which ERP system you are using. Again, I would recommend you do your research to find the best strategy for your business needs. Below is the same sample as the one used above, except for a business. Figure 2: This chart was created using sample data. Final Thoughts I encourage you to do your own research before you start, as every budget varies depending on the individual or business and the goal they want to reach. This will help you discover what kind of strategy you want to pursue, and you can then determine how you are going to pursue it. Remember, budgeting isn’t meant to be strict, and you can afford anything you want, just not everything. Author Adam Rifai Accounting & Business Analyst / Associate Consultant Toronto Email | LinkedIn

You may have come across the words, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together,” but if not, you’ve read them now. Over the past year they have revisited often and served as a guidepost, a self-check of intention and ultimately, a trigger to reflect on the best way to produce results typically beyond reach as an individual. As my project tenure of more than three years nears end, it seems a tailor-made moment to share what the word Team has meant. Ahead are a few takeaways from “the team formerly known as retail.” An eclectic, eccentric bunch, we shaped into all the gears and cogs needed to create our desired output. And we did it with co-autonomy, laughs, and a few cries too. Your Way Will Do, And More It’s great to perform, obviously, but it can often come with the conjoined pitfall of thinking there is only one way forward. Another one is confusing requests for information to be asks on how to do something. This applies to seasoned professionals and those beginning their careers too. Handholding doesn’t only risk being controlling, it prevents team members from being self-sufficient and owning areas of work. “Takes direction well” is passé, while “finds a way” is here to stay. Dunning-Kruger Throw in the Dunning-Kruger effect, a cognitive bias identified in a 1999 study. That is, being aware of it is in itself a measure to guard against it while interacting with peers and colleagues. Among other points the effect indicates: 1.People with lesser knowledge tend to be unaware of it and can rate themselves too highly. 2. People with more knowledge tend to be unaware of how difficult tasks can be for others. We may all be playing out multiple roles on the knowledge spectrum simultaneously. Why not keep this in mind then and keep humility in sight. Chances are each of us lacks knowledge in not one but many areas, and we deserve both kindness and patience to allow learning to be a reality. Share the Limelight The above two sections intend to contribute to an empowering, nurturing environment, so what comes next? Partnering, collaborating on a given objective goes beyond healthy discussion and review when drafting deliverables. A step further is proactively rotating who leads intra-team and client activities. This creates organic growth opportunities: increased visibility raising each individual’s profile and skill development at managing discussion, surely an artform. Byproducts include a spreading of accountability, prevention of information bottlenecks, and avoiding overreliance on one or a few individuals. Asked what I love the most about teams, my answer was “winning together,” with the undercurrent to that being to see a teammate take on a challenge and succeed. How powerful can working as a team be? I see it as exponential. Empowered, expressive, collaborative people create at a rate of “1+1=3” and “3 to 5 is more than 20,” writes Ray Dalio in his masterclass, Principles. A short while ago the team convened in a city none of us call home. Nothing new there except for it likely being the last time we would all be together, be it at the office or out for dinner. I couldn’t help remark how far we had come as a group and as individuals in such a short time. That’s how this blog came about, and it’s why I’m so excited to carry forward with my next team. Zero doubt about what we will achieve together. There is one more descriptor that needs to be called out to produce the rate of output mentioned above. Transparency. In communication, in happiness, and failure. Mostly in humour though, that’s the key. Author Monem Ansari Learning and Change Management Consultant Toronto Email | LinkedIn

Harbinger Travel Diaries is a blog series documenting various worldly experiences from our team of consultants. This week Siri Maldonado, director marketing & communications, sits down with Krista Schaber-Chan, partner, and Gregory Roth, partner, to discuss some of their greatest memories from travelling with their pets. SM: Let’s start by telling me more about your beloved pets. KSC: I currently have two cats named Genghis Khat (also known as BKhat or Putput) and Midnight Louie (also known as Lcat). They are both mixed breeds, part Russian Blue or Nebulung, and have been a part of my family for a few years now. Their daily routines include getting some relaxing bird and squirrel watching time in the backyard and lounging in Amazon delivery boxes. They are also great sous chef’s and enjoy a good wine with dinner. A piece of my heart however, will also always be with Mr. Frodo, our Golden Doodle who was my best friend and travel partner for almost 15 years. GR: We have always been a family who loves cats and currently have a Maine Coon named Hudson. Hudson is a gorgeous animal and also happens to be Harbinger’s CFO (Chief Feline Officer). While he doesn’t currently travel with me, I started out my consulting career by travelling with Haimish, Bailey and Grendel, our three cats who unfortunately are no longer with us. SM: Travelling with pets doesn’t seem like an easy feat. What prompted you to do this? KSC: I was working on a project that required me to be onsite for three weeks per month over a 12-month period. This project happened to be in Stuttgart, Germany and it just made more sense for me to move Mr. Frodo and myself there instead of travelling back and forth. GR: It was at the onset of my career and my motto at the time was to always say yes and follow the opportunities. One of these opportunities was a multi-year contract and took my family to Sweden and Germany for over four years. SM: Tell me about one of your earliest experiences of travelling with your pets. KSC: One that will forever stand out is definitely my secondment in Stuttgart. While Mr. Frodo did not physically travel with me in the cabin on this trip, I must say he got luxury treatment upon landing. When I arrived to pick him up in the airport in the pet area, I found him in great spirits. They not only fed him and walked him, but he was having a great time playing with the airport staff there. Better yet, they made a German Pet Passport for him that was stamped! This was such a lovely surprise and well used as we used our time there as an opportunity to travel to other European countries. At the end of our trip, Mr. Frodo had many stamps. GR: While most of my travelling experiences with our pets have been great, there is one standout trip that does not have the same happy story as Krista’s with Mr. Frodo. It’s definitely my time in Sweden. There was a delay and I remember being in the airport waiting for our cats. A lot of time passed only for us to find out they weren’t going to release them to us and allow them to enter Sweden. The problem? We didn’t know that we needed to have a signed certificate from the Swedish Bureau of Agriculture—despite our best investigations of what was required before making the trip. One missing piece of paper with a stamp caused so much drama! Fortunately for us we figured out a workaround and made our way across the water to Denmark. We kept them there and I had to travel back and forth between these countries until we had the proper paperwork in hand. SM: Best places to visit with your furry family member? KSC: I really loved my time in Europe with Mr. Frodo. Almost all of the Western-European countries I travelled to, allowed us to bring him into every store and restaurant with no questions asked. He was such a lovable guy and I enjoyed seeing him bring smiles everywhere we went. GR: My favourite destination with our cats will always be Wiesbaden, Germany. While it’s a city rich in history and culture, it also represents my first experience as an ex-pat. I had many lessons to learn with my support network 6,300 km away. No matter how difficult the days might have been, my “niedliche kleine Kinder” were always there to send me off in the morning and welcome me home at night. SM: What tips do you have for others who are planning to travel with their pets? KSC: I would strongly recommend travelling to countries that treat pets in the same way that we do in Canada and Western-Europe. I once travelled to this country in Eastern Europe and stayed in a well-known hotel chain that I knew accepted pets. Once I got arrived it was a very different story and they were not accommodating about having Mr. Frodo with me. Luckily, after some negotiation, they changed their minds and we didn’t have to change hotels. GR: Remember the rules that apply to people apply to animals too when you travel. For example, never assume both of you will make your connecting flight. Always, always, always choose direct—even if the cost is substantially higher. Every penny spent will buy you peace of mind and an assured arrival with the furry friend(s) you hold most dear. Interested in learning more about the Harbinger family pets? Check out our Instagram and Facebook accounts for regular animal updates. Author Krista Schaber-Chan Managing Partner Toronto Email | LinkedIn Gregory Roth Managing Partner Toronto Email | LinkedIn Siri Maldonado Director, Marketing & Communications Toronto Email | LinkedIn

As technology both in the home and workplace has become more pervasive, virtual teams are on the rise. Companies are increasingly going virtual for the plethora of benefits. For employees, virtual teams allow more flexibility in their work hours and increase productivity by eliminating time typically wasted by commuting. A recent survey by Deloitte also found that millennials (expected to take up 75 per cent of the workforce by 2028) are more likely to stay in a role for more than five years if they are empowered to determine when and where they complete their work. Companies can see more direct benefits from transitioning to virtual teams. Encouraging employees to work remotely can lower office costs significantly. Furthermore, it opens up a greater availability of talent to draw from by hiring workers based in countries­­—or even continents—other than that of the one single location. Despite these many benefits, virtual teams can quickly become plagued with feelings of disconnect or a general lack of productivity. At Harbinger, we have operated as a tight-knit virtual team for many years to accommodate our frequently travelling consultants and workers in need of flexible schedules. To help with other companies already working remotely or considering transitioning to virtual teams, here are our four principles for ensuring the success of your virtual team. 1. Communication is Key The most important aspect of any virtual team is communication. Without frequent communication, employees can start to feel isolated and disconnected. The solution? Regular and consistent touch points with the team can make sure everyone is on the same page and gives the opportunity to debrief past achievements and plan next steps.  At Harbinger, we are frequent users of Skype and don’t hesitate to connect through a group phone chat. The solution for effective communication must primarily come from the leadership. If employees don’t have trust in the leadership, it will be impossible to foster open and honest dialogue. Leaders can guide their teams along to success by establishing clear, well-articulated goals for the work that needs to be done. Leaders must also be wary of conflict in online communication as people can often become excessively harsh in their criticisms online to others without any face-to-face contact. Miscommunication can also arise when people read written text differently based on their interpretations. It is essential that team leaders strive to resolve these conflicts amicably and ensure employees are comfortable approaching them with any and all concerns. “The biggest mistake you can make when beginning a virtual relationship is to assume that your previously successful face-to-face approach is going to be effective in a virtual setting.” – Lynette Van Steinburg, Virtual Effectiveness Driver 2. Onboard for Success One of the most effective strategies for building a cohesive virtual team is preparing employees even before they join the team. That’s why a well-designed onboarding process is critical for a virtual team’s success. This requires laying out well-defined roles with transparent responsibilities right from the get-go. This also means, perhaps, investing extra time to ensure employees are comfortable and proficient in using the technology required for virtual communications. If employees feel confident in themselves and their team right from the start, any other issues that arise later down the line will be more easily resolved. Lorena Klingel, a Harbinger friend, is an expert in this field.  Check out her blog for onboarding tips and tricks. 3. Keep it Small and Connected One of the biggest concerns about virtual teams is a lack of bonding and cohesion. This, however, can be resolved by focusing on keeping the teams small—or at least within a manageable size. OnPoint Consulting’s research puts the ideal team size at 10 people or less. However, a simpler principle to keep in mind is just that employees should be put into teams where they have the chance for frequent and repeat contact with colleagues. Employees should know, at any time, who to reach out to for help or collaboration while also having open channels to contact their leaders for further direction. Another way to promote team bonding is to hold occasional employee or team events in person. While virtual communication can be effective, almost all of the time for work-related matters, holding quarterly or annual events face to face can help form and strengthen more personal relationships to help your team flourish. 4. Select the Right Tools A final point to keep in mind when it comes to virtual teams is selecting the right tools for your company. Simply adhering to a one-size-fits-all perspective by applying the technology used at another company to your own will almost never work. There is a multitude of different tools out there for a virtual workplace, including instant messaging programs, email, cloud storage services, and video conference call services. Matching the right tools to the people on your team and the types of projects your team deals with is necessary for effective communication. Furthermore, don’t be afraid to integrate multiple forms of technology to customize the ideal solution for your team. So Why Go Virtual? It’s clear that virtual teams provide a wide range of benefits for both employees and their companies. Despite these, companies remain hesitant to make this seemingly daunting leap. However, by following the tips above, companies can feel more confident in transitioning towards the increased flexibility and productivity virtual teams can offer. Interested in learning more about how Harbinger stays connected as a thriving virtual team and how to successfully integrate technology into your workplace? Feel free to get in touch with us or check out our case study with RSA Canada who made the shift to an agile and flexible culture. Author Krista Schaber-Chan Managing Partner Toronto Email | LinkedIn

Change is happening all the time and while one would think we’d be used to it by now, there’s still a strong perception that most people don’t like change. Why is that? Krista Schaber-Chan, Partner, drills into this week’s MythBuster to understand what is truly behind this misconception. I think about change all the time and one of the things that has intrigued me the most is when someone states “people don’t like change”. It has been my experience that there are in fact many instances where they do! Smart devices are a prime example of this. Many individuals are constantly upgrading their smart phones and look forward to having new functionalities with system updates or newer models. The Apple ‘special events’ garner a lot of attention from media and buyers alike. These special events provide previews for new or upgraded products and the excitement they build results in significant sales on launch day. What is interesting about this is the fact that there are literally millions of people looking forward to change with a new Apple product. What’s more interesting is how there are minimal instructions on how to use these new gadgets, yet people want to play around and experiment with them. For the most part, I believe that many Apple users figure it out on their own. Another example is how we watch television and movies. We’ve talked about the demise of Blockbuster before and if you look at the timelines it did not take long for Netflix to take over. The transition from renting DVDs to streaming movies online is significant and yet this was welcomed with minimal direction on how to use the new digital service. (On a side note, Netflix has done a phenomenal job using data and artificial intelligence to create a strong user experience). All of this raises the question – why do we like some types of change and not others? After a lot of personal reflection, reading about neuro-psychology, and having conversations with people about what makes them want to change and does not, I have come to the conclusion that people do actually like change. What people don’t like is being forced to change. And sometimes , even if people are receptive to the change, they show symptoms of what many call resistance but is actually an indication of being stuck (Gregg Brown recently gave a great ted-style talk on this subject – you can watch it here). Let’s take a look at iOS updates. If you’re anything like me, you are an Apple fan but have a love hate relationship with iOS updates. Doesn’t it always feel as if they’re updating just when you are starting to get used to the changes? And what is even more frustrating is how they force you to make the upgrade to your iOS if you keep delaying it. There was also that time Instagram briefly changed their feed scrolling to side-to-side. This was a complete disaster and was not well received with users. There was an immediate uproar and it didn’t take long for Instagram to make a claim that it was just a test. This is another great example of how people don’t like being forced to change. The key to understanding why we like change, but do not like to be forced to changed is perspective or mindset. Having a positive mindset is a powerful tool and is said to often be the difference between success and failure. Another key to understanding why we like or do not change can be tied directly to the planning, or lack of planning that happens before a change is made. “Surprise, surprise! Decisions imposed on people suddenly, with no time to get used to the idea or prepare for the consequences, are generally resisted. It’s always easier to say No than to say Yes.” – Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Top Ten Reasons People Resist Change, Harvard Business Review In a corporate environment, a positive mindset for leadership plays a crucial role as they are often needed to explain the changes, support their employees through the change, and are required to implement the changes with their teams. This is one of the reasons why the change management process includes a focus on empowering leaders to LEAD change. At Harbinger, we do this by completing a business readiness study via surveys and anecdotal discussions with key leaders within the organization. The combination of these efforts provides us with a strong picture of the current state, and helps us to determine how we will create a plan and work with leaders to assure the change is a success. It’s nearly impossible to do so without leadership buy-in and from personal experience, much of this does involve having the right mindset. It’s important to remember that leaders are just like the rest of us. They too struggle to find that desire to change even with the everyday things in their lives like iOS updates. The good news is there are several tips we can use to accept change. Think bigger picture and not short-term. The change that is presented in front of you is not final. Everything evolves and more often than not, the change is what you make of it. Get over that mental block and be open to trying something new. How will you ever know if you like it, if you don’t try it? Have a plan. Stick to the plan. But be flexible and able to pivot if required. Sometimes change isn’t good and that’s ok too. Use what you’ve learned from this experience to grow. Ask for help! This is one of the best ways to learn and is also a great way to discuss your concerns or fears. Stop thinking about it as being forced. Instead, find that desire you have for the changes you welcome and use this positive energy towards the change you are having a hard time accepting. Change is constant and if anything, it’s now a regular part of our everyday lives. Different types of change will impact people differently, but a change in mindset and a bit of support can go a long way in transforming how you approach change. Author Krista Schaber-Chan Managing Partner Toronto Email | LinkedIn

Adam Rifai is an accounting and business analyst / associate consultant with Harbinger SCR. Adam works both internally, dealing with the financial aspects of Harbinger, and is currently learning the ropes of what it takes to be a consultant. Define what a Harbinger is? What I’ve learned about Harbingers is that they are pioneers of change. What that means to me, is that they are leaders of improvement. The only reason to instill change is to seek improvement or new perspectives which would hopefully lead to improvement. And, to be a pioneer in this, you become the one that others will follow. To be a good harbinger, would mean to be someone who ensures that the individuals you are guiding through change and learning are fully optimizing their experience. What makes you most excited about joining the team? I am most excited to be a part of a team that is growing, because I am in the same stage of my career, where I want to learn and grow as much as I can. I think our values align nicely, and you can’t beat the vibrant downtown Toronto location. Tell us something most people don’t know about Finance & Accounting. It’s actually fun. Numbers have this prejudice of being boring and complex. But, if you know what you’re doing, you’ll realize there is actually so much you can learn about a company or industry solely based on their numbers. Once you start learning how to read trends, forecasting opens a whole new outlook on everything around you including maintaining your own personal finances. What do you love the most about what you do? I really enjoy the freedom I have, compared to if I was working for a large firm with concrete structures. This freedom allows me to do my job in an enjoyable fashion at my own pace; and the flat organization structure gives me the ability to express my ideas with the confidence that they will be heard and acknowledged. As a recent graduate, do you have any tips or advice on learning?  How do you personally learn? Be optimistic and open to taking on new challenges and experiences. Personally, I learn by doing, so I learn a lot by trying new things and taking on different perspectives. You have to do this with the mindset that you’re either going to succeed or fail. If you succeed then good job, move on to the next task. But, more importantly, if you fail, then even better. Learn from your failures; because if you don’t, you will find yourself in the same spot. In order to grow you need to be proactive and adaptive towards improving from your past failures. How will you apply what you know from Finance and what you’ve learned from the team so far, into Consulting? One of the most important things I’ve learned in Finance is to double check your work and understand the story behind each number. You cannot present financial data to others without knowing the background of each number, and you must be prepared to answer any and all questions. I feel like this will be very helpful in my transition to consulting, because when dealing with clients you absolutely need to know what you are talking about. As a consultant, you become the one that clients go to for their questions, so you need to be three steps ahead in your preparation. If you could describe yourself with one word, what would it be? Poise. I try to make sure I keep my stress down, and not to overreact when things go wrong. By maintaining my composure and making logical rather than emotional decisions I am always confident any problem can be solved. Now that you’re a Harbinger, what are your predictions for the Raptors this year? The same as it was at the beginning of the year, winning it all, and Kawhi Leonard is re-signing! Author Adam Rifai Accounting & Business Analyst / Associate Consultant Toronto Email | LinkedIn

We all know how important communications is especially during change. In fact, most of the change management methods recognize the importance of communications and includes it as part of the process. While this is good news, there’s certainly a misconception that communication is just a check box and developing a plan is enough. The truth? Developing a communications plan to align with the overall change management plan is critical, but effective communications takes much more than this. Every communications practitioner will have their own approach but here’s a breakdown of the process I follow when I begin supporting a new change project. Step 1: Learn about the company including its’ culture, history and business strategy Now that I am on the consulting side, I find it more important than ever to take the time to really get to know the company I am supporting. Getting to know the details about its’ culture helps me to understand what they care about, how they work together and how they have dealt with change in the past. This is all great insight and helps me to think about the communications approach and tone I want to take. For example, I have been able to pick up on how well teams work together or how decisions are made based on observing and listening. This is useful intel especially when I think about where the business may be at this point of the change – if teams are working in silos and the success of the project requires collaboration, I know I need to add in activities that will promote this way of thinking and certain behaviours. The history of a company is useful as it will tell me how well they have navigated change in the past, and tells me more about how they got to where they are today. Knowing this also provides me with good information to help develop my plan. For instance, a company that is hundreds of years in age may be less adaptable to certain types of change as they’ve been able to succeed and do things the way they have for a long time, whereas younger ‘start-up’ like companies may be more open to change but uncomfortable being in a position where they just need to keep the status quo. Finally knowing the business strategy is also key! You definitely don’t want to spend too much time promoting or engaging people on the wrong thing. An example that comes to mind here is if the business has multiple lines of business but is focused on growing only one of them. It’s also much easier to plan ahead with communications activities once you understand where they want to go. I often think about technology and how important it is to the success of a company today. By knowing that they are open and want to embrace this tells me that the desire to become more digital should be a part of the key messaging. Step 2: Get to know the leadership team and their personal communications style Part of the change management process involves knowing who the influencers of the organization are, as well as, tapping into the leadership team who will help to drive the change throughout the company. I’ve always made it a point to develop relationships with the leadership team so that we can work collaboratively to determine what communications are required, but to also determine what their communications style is. Leaders deliver the messages much better when they can bring their employees along with them, are authentic, and confident in the delivery. How they do this really depends on their personal approach to communications, in addition to, how people are accustomed to receiving such messages within the organization (e.g. face to face, email etc.). Everyone has their own unique way of communicating and I always advise leaders to communicate in a way where they feel most comfortable. I have worked with many leaders, and all have their own communications strengths and opportunities. I find that leaders are most effective when they feel confident delivering the message in a way that feels natural to them. I also make sure to tie in any common sayings they use and ask them to simplify the language as much as possible (conversational is usually best!) This is not to say that I also don’t push to get them to try new things. The way people communicate is constantly changing and I strongly believe that this has to be reflected in a corporate environment as well. Something that stands out to me here is the way we use our phones and other devices today. Don’t get me wrong, I know that there are still people out there who don’t use their phones or devices for everything, but the majority of us do, so we have to make sure we tap into this to get our messages out. With people scrolling and looking for headlines, it’s now more important than ever for communicators to support leaders in being clear and succinct with their messages. It’s also a great idea for them to leverage new tools like Yammer that allow two-way communications with their employees in real-time. Lastly, having strong relationships with this group has not only made it easier for approvals to happen, but has also made it possible for me to have a seat at the table. It is much better when we are there to contribute and engage in discussions versus just executing on business decisions without having any input or the opportunity to ask the right questions. Having strong relationships and trust also makes it easier for leaders or the organization to try new things and be open to your suggestions. Step 3: Work in tandem with the project team and change leads One thing is for sure – communications alone cannot lead or manage change. It is truly a collaborative effort. You must work together to ensure all of the plans align, otherwise it’s just not going to work! You cannot work in isolation and understanding the priorities of the other parts of the project is important as it will also help drive what you put in a communications plan. Similar to what I’ve mentioned above, relationships are key. Each individual on the project team brings invaluable expertise and it’s important that everyone feels comfortable enough to develop their plans with different perspectives and input from several people. There are always a number of communications activities included in my plans that have been provided by others on the team from different parts of the business. Working together also gives you much greater influencing power. More often than not large change projects require the help of both internal employees and external consultants. As a consultant, it can often be challenging to get things over the line, but if you leverage the power from several consultants, you’ll have a much better chance in getting approvals or moving something forward. So, while a communications plan is critical and an important way to drive change through an organization, there’s much more to it than just putting a plan together. Effective communications requires staying up to date on current trends, collaboration and must be adapted for every project or person you work with. As a communications professional, I will never stop learning and always look forward to the variety I get from working with new clients and teams. Author Siri Maldonado Director of Marketing & Communications Toronto Email | LinkedIn

Ever hear the words, “you lack empathy?” Chances are you have in some shape or form. When I did, it didn’t sit well and certainly not as truth. I often found myself caring and feeling a great deal in response to others, so how could it be true? A couple of years ago our team took the Clifton Strengths Finder test and to the sound of cackling laughter, the results ranked empathy as my 27th strength out of the 34. Something had to be done since you know, it is an attribute of significance. As a consultant, trainer, and in my personal life, I can attest to how empathy has enabled trust and genuine sharing of ideas. Ahead are a few way points that may be useful if like me, empathy doesn’t come naturally to you. Did I miss the memo? Yes. Take the above statement about caring, feeling, and not knowing what could be lacking when it comes to empathy. Turns out that statement doesn’t relate much to what the word means. Like many things that are a struggle, I had to consider what degree empathy remained a blind spot. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel though. Strengths Finder articulates empathy as an instinctive ability to understand, “hear the unvoiced questions…anticipate the need.” Jedi mind trick, right? Truly successful collaboration with clients and colleagues, winning together, depends on understanding the need. What are us mere mortals to do? NVC Like any muscle or fitness goal, practice makes perfect and a defined process certainly helps. Enter Nonviolent Communication (NVC), a book I chanced upon, written by Marshall Rosenberg, Ph.D. Flip the soft cover over and see the words, “Put your primary focus on connection through empathic listening rather than ‘being right’ or ‘getting what you want.’” Sounds like the place to be. Here are just a few teasers that resonated: Nowhere else to be Pulling unvoiced questions out of minds and into the world, and your ears, begins with listening…and stays there longer than perhaps typically assumed. Rosenberg shares in NVC, “Don’t just do something, stand there.” It’s difficult to understand what people are truly saying at first pass, so gifting more time to allow full expression is key. Needs versus Solutions Keeping a clear, unadulterated mind when listening to others speak is no small feat. Muscle memory, as stated. What it allows for and where the magic lies, is tuning into potential needs. The easier path of assuming where words are going, leads to the solution trap, where we already formulate an action plan and solve the problem in our minds while listening. Reminder that the needs identified here are only potential ones and need to be validated. Paraphrase This is where the plot can be lost most often. Good intentions allow near understanding, but the next step requires paraphrased repeating of what was just heard. NVC outlines this shapes conversation to: Confirm the understanding of the speaker Give the speaker a chance to correct the paraphrasing Invite the speaker to revisit their words and share more This practice expands into how best to respond to others’ observations, feelings, and requests. NVC is not as simple as an open-ended question like, “What would you like me to do?” Rather, it is an implicitly vulnerable way of inviting more information, “I’m confused by the ask here, would you mind elaborating on these areas?” Making it a point to paraphrase may feel awkward at first. However, in my experience the effort does not go unnoticed, and I may have given myself the nickname “awkward Ansari.” Consider that finding solutions, being strategic, and executing may feel like bread and butter but without empathy the true ask, the need, remains hidden. So what are we even being strategic about? Learning to be empathetic does not equate to a retiring of contrasting communication methods, including humourous ones like wit and sarcasm, or being disingenuous if it isn’t in your nature. It’s hard work. If caring about others – especially those you lead – is truly important, then it might not be just a tool for the belt, but one carried in hand. Author Monem Ansari Learning & Change Management Consultant Toronto Email | LinkedIn

February is known as the shortest month of the year and is also a time when many reflect about what is happening within their lives. Maybe this has something to do with the long, cold days, or maybe it’s just how humans operate. All of this got me thinking about my personal experiences of helping others break through the noise and remain focused on leading their people through change. As a Change Management Professional and a Life/Business coach, I am often asked for advice or coaching on a variety of topics ranging from how to lead a team through a difficult change that may have no obvious immediate benefits to the people who are impacted, to how do I get my spouse, boyfriend or kids to listen to me (and there is a huge spectrum in between!). One of the things I love most about my job as a Change Manager is building relationships with my stakeholders and becoming the “trusted advisor” which luckily often grows into genuine long-lasting friendships. As a Change Manager in business or ERP projects, the lines are usually clear – I am engaged to support the organization and its leaders, so they can lead their change. Sometimes, however, stakeholders will migrate the need for help into more personal areas which I am still happy to listen to and provide support or coaching where possible. In either situation two things are always top of mind: I am not a therapist, even though sometimes that is what it feels like. I need to be able distinguish when the person seeking advice is looking for consulting or when they are looking for coaching. Fact: A Change Manager or Life/Business Coach is NOT a Therapist This can be a slippery slope and it can be tempting to act like a therapist. But it is vital that the distinction and line is clear. Consulting and coaching are not, and cannot, replace therapy or counselling. Fact: It is important to be able to determine when someone needs Consulting vs. Coaching These two are also tricky at times, especially when wearing both the consultant hat and coaching hat for a client. Consulting is just that – providing consultation, advice, proposed solutions and the plan or steps for how to achieve the desired solution regarding a particular problem or change. Often as a consultant I will also be involved in actioning, supporting or leading those changes. A coach, according to Tony Robbins, is someone who helps a person identify goals and develop an actionable plan so that the person requesting coaching acts to achieve them; someone professionally trained to help another person maximize their full potential and reach desired results. Confused? Basically, a consultant provides direction and often does much of the work, whereas a coach provides guidance on how a client takes ownership and is the sole player in their own change. As mentioned, one of the true joys of working with stakeholders through business or people change are the relationships that are built – the trust and bond that come from working so closely with people. This bond and trust often migrates organically from a business focus to something personal. I have had, on more than one occasion, people whom I was working with on a project ask for my advice on how to handle {insert personal topic here}. I always make time to listen, because I believe that as humans, most of us do not turn off our personal lives when at work; our kids, our spouse, our personal finances are all topics and maybe burdens we carry with us. I often find that to help someone through the process of embracing a business or work change, they need to reconcile and balance it with what is going on in their personal lives – the change at work can sometimes be the straw that breaks the camel’s back, so understanding what else is going on is sometimes critical. I once worked with a key stakeholder who was integral to the success of the procurement process for the organization. She was smart, no doubt. But she was not only hesitant, but almost hostile to the change. I collected some data points. Everyone, from her direct manager to her peers and even some senior leadership said she was by far the most knowledgeable person when it came to the company’s procurement process. But something was causing her to sabotage the project and her own career. At one point, the sponsor of the project suggested she be let go and get someone in who had a better attitude. I was not convinced. There was something there – call it spidey senses or sixth sense or intuition. I just felt like there was more to her story. One day I asked her to join me for a coffee. I had to encourage it a bit, but finally she agreed. Once I got her talking through asking some pointed questions she let it all out. She talked for over two hours. I listened. At the end, I had a much better understanding of what she was going through personally and why she was behaving at work the way she was. I asked her some tough questions and made her take a lot of accountability for what she was feeling. But I also listened and let her talk through some of the personal things she was facing which were directly impacted by the changes she was experiencing at work. Long story short, she began to see her part in her own story – that while she may not be able to control many of the things happening in her personal life at that time, she was in a position of control of her experience at work and could actually curate a better work experience by being more engaged and involved. Within a week everyone noticed a difference in her attitude and her output. I later found out, a year after the project went live that she is now a VP with that organization and is leading her people following much of the same coaching principles I employed with her. Working with people and supporting them through change is not hard, but it does take time, a genuine interest and an arsenal of tools. Fact: You need to follow a process regardless of the issue or the change that is required. Observe. Observe the people involved, and the surroundings they are in. A lot can be learned simply by observing. Listen. Listen to the problem, or the concerns, or feelings. Ask questions. Ask questions that will help understand what a person (or people) is going through and what they are actually looking for in the way of help, guidance, support, advice etc. Also consider that they may not want help – and that is also okay. Determine the right support. Determine if a consulting hat, or a coaching hat is required, or if more specialized support is needed. Have a conversation. Discuss with them the type of help that can be provided (or not provided). Develop an action plan. Based on the type of support that best suits the situation, come up with an action plan and define the steps and due dates to ensure progress. Make sure they are willing to own their part. Follow-up. When an effort has gone into reaching out to someone and building a plan with them, follow-up and help keep them on track. They may have the best of intentions, but change is hard. We all need a coach, a cheerleader and sometimes a drill sergeant to keep up the momentum of the change to reach the full potential. Change is happening all the time, to all of us, every day. Sometimes we can go with the flow and handle or cope. But sometimes we need help. And sometimes we don’t know how to ask for the help or don’t know what to expect when we do ask for help. If there is anything I have learned over my career is that everyone is going through something – always. It may not seem big to you or me, but it could mean the difference between success or failure for someone else. Compassion, humility and understanding will go a long way when supporting others through change, as will a genuine interest in understanding when someone is struggling or when someone wants to talk about a personal issue that may or may not seem related. Author Krista Schaber-Chan Managing Partner Toronto Email | LinkedIn

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has always been a bit of a daunting topic for me; thinking that there could one day be robots walking alongside us without us even realizing it made me a little paranoid. My thoughts would immediately go to movies like iRobot and the Terminator where humanity would be overrun by self-aware robots. However, the more I began to investigate what AI is and the uses it’s currently being developed for, I began to take a more pragmatic view of the technology. Most interestingly, there’s a myriad of uses for AI in learning and development, making training more effective for trainees, and facilitating the development of material for trainers. AI uses for Learning and Development Perhaps the biggest impact of implementing AI in learning and development is the ability to create individual learning plans based on data collected and created by trainees. With the ability to analyze data, AI can effectively recommend courses based on a multitude of factors related to educational backgrounds, organizational standing, and employee behaviour. Being able to tailor educational experiences for an individual can make learning more effective, as trainees receive only what is pertinent to them, and not standardized training for the masses. AI can also help trainees further their learning journey’s by consistently recommending, prompting, and reporting on training; a massive task in larger organizations. On the organizational side, AI can significantly improve learning and development operations by streamlining the creation, analysis, and reporting of training activities. With AI, instructional designers are free to focus on creating quality content for users, instead of focusing on what to create content on. Instructional designers are aided by the fact that AI can help analyze which courses are being taken, how the audience is receiving them, and where problems lie in curriculum – allowing for more time spent creating materials, and less time deciding what to create. Besides the benefits to instructional designers, organizations themselves can receive major benefits from AI. Likely to be the most significant benefit of implementing AI into learning and development platforms, are the overall cost savings stemming from greater automation in course selection, delegation, and approval. Alongside cost, the organization can help sway cultural change and accelerate education in critical areas at a much more rapid pace than without the help of AI due to the real time insight provided by AI. The flip side of AI AI, however, doesn’t come without its challenges, as there can be many barriers prior to successful implementation. The initial cost of implementing AI in your learning and development platform can be very high because the human capital required to design, implement and maintain the platform is significant. People can also be negatively affected by an AI implementation – especially those with a predisposition to fearing a future with AI. Those not used to having their computer software know more than them, or those uncomfortable with the mass collection of their personal data, will be slow to adopt and trust automated systems. Existing learning and development workers may also feel their job security is threatened with the presence of an automated platform, when in reality it means that roles would be adapted or new roles will be created to supplement the benefits of AI. Artificial intelligence is prevalent in many of our daily tasks; it’s in our emails, browsers, and movie streaming services, usually without us recognizing it. These benefits from AI will only continue to grow as it creeps into more of our professional and personal activities. As change management and learning consultants, it’s important for us to keep up to date on technology advances and embrace their numerous advantages. As such, AI should not be ignored as it will provide numerous benefits to those companies managing change and learning activities. Author Teresa Cimino Marketing & Communications Coordinator Toronto Email | LinkedIn

Change management (CM) is picking up steam – organizations have begun to understand the discipline and importance of having a strong CM strategy to help LEAD their business and people through change. Having more than 18 years of experience in this field, it’s refreshing to see the evolution of this area but it’s also important to keep this momentum going by dispelling a very important CM myth: You use the same CM approach for all types of change. What’s the same Yes, there is an overarching CM approach common to all methodologies regardless of the one you use and yes there are fundamentals that need to be followed. This includes doing the proper work to understand the change including magnitude, type and impacts. This can be done by developing a plan with clear activities like communications, training and readiness or impact assessments. It’s also beneficial to do your due diligence by completing a stakeholder analysis so that you can understand the culture and who you will be working with. Another similarity for all CM initiatives is not wanting to instill fear in people. You want to strike the right balance with strong relationship management and by ensuring impacted stakeholders understand why the changes are taking place, the direction of the business and what this could mean for them, all in a timely planned manner. The activities above form the foundation of CM, but it’s important to note that there are many variances depending on the type of change you are supporting. Your approach to managing the change needs to reflect this. What’s different There are constant changes occurring within the workplace such as acquisitions, new products, change in strategy and more. However, the two that we are seeing more frequently include technology or system implementation and organizational design (OD) change. Both examples are significant changes that could negatively impact the direction of a company if not done right. System implementations such as ERP are amongst the most challenging changes to manage for a number of reasons. For one, it is rarely simply a technology change. Most system implementations impact people which leads people to immediately fear how the new system will impact their jobs. Words like increased efficiency and automation are immediately associated with job loss or change. What’s more is that this is among the most expensive changes for any company. It’s no secret that system implementations require many resources, take a long time and are very expensive to implement. Lastly, technology changes at a much faster pace than people do. So, what’s the solution? In addition to following the best practices and fundamentals of CM, it’s critical to look at these pain points and enhance your focus on learning and training, communications and stakeholder engagement. Learning and training is amplified here because it’s crucial to ensure adequate time is spent on training people on how to use this system in the future state. It’s also important to remember that everyone has different learning preferences and you need to ensure that you have developed a learning and training plan that reflects both the intended behaviour change as well as everyone’s diversity. Communications is always key but the pace and content is different for system implementations. This is because you will likely be required to communicate to a large number of different audiences, will need to communicate on a number of changes or activities, and will need to do so in a non-technical, easy to understand way. Stakeholder engagement is also different in this circumstance as you need to have insight and buy-in from key stakeholders from the get-go to get this off the ground. Identifying, supporting and engaging key stakeholders such as sponsors, executives, and leaders is the recipe for success, but it takes a lot of planning, coordination and relationship building. Organizational design change is another important one to highlight as this usually makes significant ripples throughout the company. These types of changes do impact the whole organization but rarely at the individual level the way a system implementation often does. Most commonly, the organizational structure has already been determined due to the number of individual contributors to managers or leaders, but the gap here is to ensure you have the right spans of control, and roles and responsibilities in place to make this successful. Finally, one of the most challenging aspects to consider is that OD will likely have the highest impact on the leadership group. The first step in the CM process for OD involves understanding the direction of the organization – what does the organization look like today and what does it want to be? Do they have the right people and skills to reach this goal or is more work to be done? Again, stakeholders are important but in this case it is more stakeholder management than engagement as you need to tread carefully and be mindful of what you are communicating. It’s true that some structural decisions will have already been made, but more often than not, more work will need to be completed to understand if an individual has the right skillset for certain roles or can have the right skillset to succeed in this structure. Another significant difference with how you should approach OD is with learning and training. Unlike other CM initiatives such as systems implementations, there is traditionally minimal learning and training required with OD. It’s great to see CM at the forefront of business and technology changes and being given the spotlight it deserves, but we need to begin dispelling the myth that there is one-size-fits-all approach to manage change. In addition to staying true to the fundamentals, every CM project will require its’ own unique approach as demonstrated by system implementations and OD examples above. I’m happy to share a bit of my insight and want you to know that this is one of many CM and Learning mythbuster’s to come. Stay tuned! Author Krista Schaber-Chan Managing Partner Toronto Email | LinkedIn

There are numerous articles that speak about the importance of leadership development, especially during times of change. While leadership is not the sole contributor to successful change, it is a very important component for many reasons. I recently read an article by Jessica Bronzert in Forbes, who discusses the importance of leadership development and the need to look at this beyond competency (what) to capability (how). Becoming a leader The path to becoming a leader typically goes like this – an individual is promoted to a leadership position because of tenure, skills or due to a simple need to fill a role. Once a leader, the next step involves the company investing in leadership development. As Bronzert mentions in her article, this includes things like how to have difficult conversations, time management and delegation. All of these are incredibly important, however I would agree with Bronzert that the missing piece is definitely the focus on developing leadership capabilities in addition to competences. From competency to capability Change is happening at a rapid pace and businesses need to keep up to remain relevant. Leaders play a critical role in ensuring a company is successful for the long-term, and yet the training required for them to do this well is not evolving fast enough to keep pace with the influx of changes coming at them. That’s why organizations need to expand their leadership development to include capability. Capability is the power or ability to do something. The role of a leader during change Change is hard and employees will be looking to their leaders to guide them through this. Transparency, clear and timely communications, goes a long way but it’s no longer enough. The magnitude of the changes taking place today are calling for much more from leadership. Leaders have a huge responsibility to lead their people through change but they must not forget about the importance of focusing on their own abilities to drive change. Having the skills and knowledge are key, but it’s equally as important as ensuring they are upskilling themselves to evolve with these changes. For example, if your company is implementing an new enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, leaders need to not only understand how the system works, but they also need to make sure they know how to use the system so that they can determine how this impacts their people and how it will improve the way they work today. In addition to being walked through the ERP system, leaders should be taking the initiative to stay up to date on current business trends by reading reports or articles on industry disrupters, or by completing their own research. Finally, another great way to build capability includes training. This can be done in traditional post-secondary environments, networking events, through e-learning or company training. The next step is to make sure leaders have the ability to build capability with their people too. This means, they need to be able to upskill their people to adapt to these changes. Implementing new technology is scary to many, but the good news is people can and want to learn how to use technology so that they can enjoy their jobs, as well as, develop and flourish in their roles in this new environment. This isn’t an easy task, but a great way to gain some momentum is for leaders to take a close look at each individual on their team and ask: What are their strengths? What are their goals and how can I help them reach their goals? What opportunities are available to help them develop? How does this change benefit them? What sort of impacts does this change have on their roles? It’s true. Technology does make some roles redundant, but it also creates a flurry of opportunities for new roles. Change management consultants are a great example of the opportunity’s technology creates. With that said, leaders must be confident in their ability to lead their people through change by upskilling and presenting them with opportunities for growth either in their current roles or new roles that are based on current business needs. I’m sure you agree that leaders are critical in leading their people and businesses through change. The rapid pace and size of change leaves little room for leaders to rest on their laurels. Now is the time for leaders to embrace change by taking charge of their own development and focusing beyond competency to include capability for themselves and for their people. Author Gregory Roth Managing Partner Toronto Email | LinkedIn