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Let’s be honest – we have all used AI in one shape or form by now. Whether it is to draft a communication, answer a burning question or reformat something we just can’t get right, the benefits and time savings you get from AI are numerous.

And alongside us all discovering AI, so will your team, giving rise to a new wave of “experts” across almost every subject field.

More and more we are seeing complaints or queries that our clients are faced with from their employees come through to us with quoted AI responses in support. On everything from holiday pay to disciplinary processes to change processes.

So, employees are using AI platforms to inform them of their rights and to answer their employment questions.

The problem with this is that AI only responds to a specific question without taking into account the nuance, background or the specific circumstances.

We tried two common examples to see what answers we would get:

Q – Can my boss give me a warning for being sick?

AI answer:

Your boss should not give you a warning simply for being sick, especially if:

• You notified your employer properly.
• You provided required documentation, like a doctor’s note (if your workplace requires it).
• Your absence falls under protected leave (e.g., under laws like the FMLA in the U.S. or Statutory Sick Leave in the U.K.).

The answer obviously isn’t NZ specific. And what about excessive absence? Or Joe who has a sick day every second Monday?

Q – What should I be paid for working a public holiday?  

AI answer:

If you work on a public holiday, you are entitled to at least time and a half pay, plus a paid day off at a later date if the holiday falls on what would otherwise be a regular working day.

This might seem accurate, but what about if you only work for two hours not a full day? You are only entitled to time and a half pay for the hours worked and the addition of “for the hours worked” can make an important difference to an entitlement.

You can see from the questions above how problematic this may become, especially if you have an employee who has read this answer and 100% believes you are doing something you shouldn’t be.

So, how do you combat the AI “experts”? And what should you do to prepare for the increase in AI use, to ensure it doesn’t cause employment problems?

1. Be prepared – Have an AI policy and education in place in advance of needing it.

If you haven’t got an AI policy, now is the time to put one in place before you have to use it. Alongside this, education is key. Our approach is to use different platforms and enter questions different ways. This always ends in multiple different responses.

This helps your team to fully understand that AI isn’t the expert on everything. The particular circumstances of the situation matter, and they need to sense check and verify all information properly.

2. If a problem arises – Communicate back the correct answer using verified websites or parts of legislation.

 (Home | Employment New Zealand is very helpful).

While we wouldn’t normally recommend responding to a quote with a quote, putting in writing the correct answer from a trusted source can be helpful.

Get expert advice if you need it to make sure you are 100% correct, and make sure your response is very clear. This is especially helpful if the issue proceeds to a PG (which we have seen happen), and you have the correct advice clearly documented and on record.

3. Keep up a personal connection – Meet and talk through the problem with the employee face to face.

On the occasions when we have seen incorrect AI information used, the employees are usually feeling disgruntled, because they feel that they have been short changed or taken advantage of in some way. Having these conversations face-to-face and assuring them you will always do things correctly is important. Looking up the information from a trusted site or asking an expert’s opinion together will help to mend and strengthen your relationship. It will show that you are open to listening and solving a problem together.

As expected, AI is bringing change across all industries. And with any change, unexpected problems do arise.

We can help you front foot this with your team before it becomes an issue.

Call us now on 09 445 1077 if you need help.

The program will consist of 4 x 3-hour workshops across 3 months and cover best practice theory and experiential learning so that the skills are directly transferable to the workplace.

Details are: 

Dates: 21 May, 11 June, 3 July, 23 July

Time: 10am – 1pm

Location: Richmond Yacht Club

Price: $250+GST per workshop, invoiced monthly at the completion of each session

To register your leaders on the program please complete this form: Register now.

Workshop Overview

Workshop 1: Leadership

* Understanding yourself as a leader

* Understanding the importance of varying your leadership style

* Being confident using different styles for different people

Workshop 2: Communication, Feedback & Coaching

* Different communication styles

* Barriers to good communication

* Feedback models

* Coaching models

Workshop 3: Team Building, Motivation & Influencing

* Building trust and understanding within your team

* Positional power vs. Personal power

* Motivational models & factors

Workshop 4: Holding Your Team Accountable, Dealing with Difficult Conversations, and Conflict

* Understanding conflict, the good and the bad

* Resolving conflict using the conflict model

* Having accountability conversations

The Reserve Bank has just cut the Official Cash Rate again this week. This is good news. It builds on the emerging confidence that has been starting to show it’s head.

At just this very inconvenient time, the scary tariff scenario hits centre stage!

So, doubts creep in.

Amid all the “to-ing and fro-ing” and negotiation games being played with tariffs, we understand it might be challenging to find a positive “go forward” mindset. A wait and see approach might feel like the one to take.

However, the problem with this, for businesses, is that the economy turns on confidence, and confidence breeds confidence. When we see others take positive steps forward, it encourages us to do the same. When no one takes the lead in this space, we stay stuck in the current environment. And if we want change for forward momentum in our business, we all have a part to play in getting things going again.

“If you think it’s going to rain, it will. “

Clint Eastwood. 

This strongly filters through to your team and ultimately impacts your results. If your team sense hesitancy or negativity from you, they will behave accordingly. Engagement usually decreases, innovation is stalled, and productivity is low.

Expressing confidence when you don’t necessarily feel it can feel disingenuous. It can also undermine your team’s trust if the future picture doesn’t turn out as rosy as you promised.

The good news is that there is such a thing as realistic and cautious optimism and that forms a very important part of motivating your team in the right direction.

So, it is a delicate balance to get right. You need to build an environment of positivity and optimism, balanced with realism, to get optimum results right now.

“A positive mindset brings positive things.”

Peter Reiter.

So, where to start?

1. Change your mindset – You get back what you project out, so what attitude are you showing your team? Things won’t get better unless you believe they will, so starting with your own motivation is the first step.
2. What positive actions can you take? – A lot of what’s happening right now is beyond our control, but what is in your control? Can you increase your marketing efforts? Build stronger relationships with key clients? Make a product improvement? These forward actions will help you and your team start to build momentum and mean that you are well positioned when the market does improve.
3. Express belief to your team – If you believe in yourself, believe in your business and believe in your team, despite the challenges, this is a powerful message. Communicating this to your team will help them to get in behind you and rise to the occasion.
4. Celebrate the small wins and have a bit of fun – We all feel a lot better after a good laugh or something makes us smile. It is easy to let these things go when times are tough, but they are more important than ever at the moment. These don’t have to be costly exercises. Focusing on regular positive reinforcement, having a Friday BBQ, a shared morning tea – all easy to implement with such positive results.

Being deliberate about what energy and attitude you want to share with your team, and what you need from them will make a big difference to their efforts and the results you achieve.

And while we can’t influence a lot of what’s happening externally right now – each of us still have much that we can control. Focusing on this, doing it well and doing it deliberately will help your team, and your business keep scoring the runs you need right now.

Positive People have over 30 years’ experience helping to build positive high performing cultures. Contact us now on 09-445-1077 or info@positivepeople.co.nz to help you create a culture of realistic positivity.  

Performance issues? Staff lacking motivation? Absenteeism problems?

What do all these things have in common?

Yes, they are to do with your staff, and yes, they impact on business performance, but more often than not they are caused by a gap in leadership skill. 

As an HR consultancy we are often called in to help when things have gone wrong, when managers are at the end of their tether and small problems have escalated to something significant. While these problems can be solved, by the time they have reached this stage they end up costing time, money and can be very disruptive to your business.

We find that many of these problems could have been nipped in the bud early on by some clear constructive feedback, open dialogue and coaching, and saved everyone a lot of trouble.

We understand that this can be difficult. Leadership can be complex, tough conversations are hard, and we are all busy people. It does, however, pay off in the long run when you have less of the “big” people problems to deal with.

“The pessimist complains about the wind,

The optimist expects it to change,

The leader adjusts the sails.”

John C Maxwell.

The key to this is having well developed leaders who have the skills and confidence to handle any conversation, give regular feedback and can solve people problems before they spiral out of control. Taking a pro-active approach and ensuring that your leaders have these skills will pay off through improved team performance.

Leadership development can take many forms and involve the transfer of knowledge and learning a variety of skills.

If you want to encourage early intervention and stop problems before they escalate, we recommend ensuring your leadership development covers the following areas:

1. Giving (and receiving) feedback – Changing behaviour is most effective when it is done as soon as the behaviour occurs and at the first example. Feeling confident to give clear, forward focused feedback often is an essential leadership skill for early intervention. Equally important is being able to receive feedback, so that your leaders can amend their leadership style to get the best from their team.
2. Setting expectations and holding teams accountable – How can your team deliver what you expect when they don’t know exactly what that is? This is a step which is often missed with team members and can result in confusion around delivery. Alongside this, understanding how to have conversations when your team miss a mark, in a way that is supportive and outcome focused, will keep things heading in the right direction.
3. Building trust – Staff are more open to feedback and perform better when they trust the person they work for. If they question your motives and feel they can’t rely on you it makes it difficult to have honesty and openness in the relationship. Without these problems occur.
4. Having courageous conversations – Small things are easy to discuss, big things or regularly occurring issues aren’t. This is often why leaders shy away from addressing some topics until it’s too late. Learning how to make these conversations a safe space, managing emotions and handling conflict will encourage your leaders to step up to the plate for these conversations when they need to.
5. Managing change – Many issues arise from change, and in today’s world, change is inevitable. A proactive approach to communication and planning will mitigate these risks, reduce problems and, ultimately, make your changes more successful.

Bear in mind that leadership skills are significantly different to technical skills.

You may have the most capable operational team in the world, but if they aren’t bringing their team on the journey your business results will suffer. If you want your leaders to be pro-active with managing their team, get pro-active around giving them the skills to do so.

Positive People have over 30 years creating leadership development programs which deliver tangible results and are best fit for your needs.

Call us now on 09 445 1077 or click here. 

The silly season is upon us, and all across the country HR professionals hold their breath…..what festive mess will we be dealing with this year?

Yes, the annual Christmas celebration. Loved by your team, also slightly feared by your senior team, but always important to say thank you for a year of hard work.

Even though it’s been a tough year for most businesses, it is likely that you will be looking to do a little something for your team to celebrate the end of the year. Whether it’s a low-key BBQ at the office, dinner out or simply an after-work drink, there is always the possibility of mischief.

Best to be pro-active, set expectations up front, and make sure you are mindful of what can go wrong.

Here are a few Do’s and Don’ts from us; to help make sure your function is the special celebration you are hoping for, and you don’t have any doozies to deal with.

Do:

• Set clear expectations before the event – Making sure your team consider their behaviour and what’s acceptable prior to the function can head off any high jinks they may be planning.
• If alcohol is involved, have a plan – Don’t forget you still have H & S responsibilities, even at a function. Consider how you limit the quantity available, what to do if someone has too much and how you will make sure your team all get home safe.
• Have a definite end time and make sure everyone leaves the venue – Some of your team may like to kick on, and that’s great for them. You just want to make sure it’s very clear any behaviour following the event is not your responsibility.
• Take time to talk to as many of your team as possible – It’s a really nice way to finish the year getting a personal “thank you for your hard work” from your boss and this is a great time to do it.
• Enjoy yourself – It’s time for you to celebrate the end of the year as well so try and have fun too

Don’t:

• Skip it – It may be tempting to think “this is mostly for the team” but this sends a very big message around how much you value them and their efforts. This is a must attend event.
• Drink too much – If you have a small team, you feel close to, it may feel like you can completely relax and totally let your hair. You can’t! Make sure you are not the one everyone is talking about on Monday morning.
• Get too familiar with individuals in your team – Have fun but keep it professional throughout
• Be anti-social or look bored – Appearing like you would like to be somewhere else is as bad as not showing up at all. This event is all about making your team feel valued and important.
• Forget to acknowledge the people who did the organising – This is just good manners and will encourage them to take the lead on this in the future.

And once again – enjoy yourself! Even if you have host responsibilities, this should still be a fun night.

And if it isn’t, you can always call us – we have 30+ years’ experience dealing with the Christmas doozies!