New self and career opportunities emerge every day when working in a community of diverse cultures like The KPI Institute (TKI). Discover what it is like to learn and improve in TKI, directly from the top performers for August 2022.

The TKI People Awards series features the employees and teams recognized by TKI for going above and beyond expectations, excelling as team players, and creating a tremendous impact on the company.

 

 

Kellen Adelvia

Business Development Specialist

Kuala Lumpur Team

 

1. What does receiving the Employee of the Month award mean to you?

Kellen: It is an appreciation from my team members, which means that I contribute and make an impact on what I am doing. They recognize my performance, value, and work. 

2. What is your favorite accomplishment so far at TKI?

Kellen: My favorite accomplishment so far is when our team won the Team of the Month award, working closely with my team members is an honor for me. 

3. How do you find a solution when you are faced with a challenge at work?

Kellen: I was always supported by my team. Challenges feel lighter since my team is always able to help me with suggestions and solutions. Often, we brainstorm together to achieve solutions.

4. What would be the three main career lessons that you have learned thus far?

Kellen: The main three career lessons that I have learned so far are the importance of diligence, collaboration, and having great motivation at work.

 

 

Shaza Bsat

Marketing Manager

ILMS

 

1. What does receiving the Employee of the Month award mean to you?

Shaza: I will always remain grateful to my coworkers for considering me for the Employee of the Month award.  In light of the acknowledgment of my efforts, I am more committed than ever to contributing my full potential to the success of the organization. Working in ILMS, where every new idea is heard and nurtured, has been a wonderful experience for me.

2. What’s your favorite accomplishment so far at TKI?

Shaza: One of my proudest moments as a Marketing Manager for ILMS and LMSL was participating in the rollout of both organizations, including all their centers and labs. I carried out market research, conducted interviews with potential customers, and developed an overall launch strategy.

In addition, my coworkers relied on me to manage several distinct marketing streams, each with its own unique set of tasks and responsibilities.

However, the greatest achievement I can think of is being part of the most incredible marketing team and getting to know all those wonderful people. Whenever their team needs them, marketers are always there to step up.

3. How do you find a solution when you are faced with a challenge at work?

Shaza: Cultural differences make working at a young startup an intriguing experience. Working together over the past year has shown me that having a team with such varied cultural tendencies can be challenging. But it also has a lot of benefits and opportunities. Working in a startup is a fantastic way to gain experience in a variety of fields, discover your ideal working conditions, and launch a successful career. 

Something I have learned is to always remind myself that my efforts are serving a cause I care deeply about and believe in. I always have faith in my abilities and know that I have the support of my teammates.  Adopting a “growth mindset” has been the most effective way for me to overcome any obstacles and challenges.

4. What would be the three main career lessons that you have learned thus far?

Shaza: As you might imagine, working at ILMS is a one-of-a-kind opportunity. The lesson I have learned is that education is lifelong and ongoing. Throughout your career, you will inevitably come across individuals with more relevant work experience than you do. The knowledge and wisdom of those more experienced can be invaluable to your own development. You can become a well-rounded, knowledgeable, and content person if you have a growth mindset throughout your life. 

I have realized that working and improving as a team is the key to professional success as well. Certainly, I am responsible for my own tasks but the progress of enterprises depends on the efforts of a dedicated team. In order to be successful, large-scale projects require input from multiple stakeholders.

One last thing I have picked up is faith in the strength of defeat. A new opportunity for self and career improvement is presented with every setback. Nothing beats experience to learn what doesn’t work. Successes and setbacks alike can be viewed as stepping stones on the path to eventual mastery. You get to decide the lessons you learn from setbacks.

 

 

Islam Salahuddin

Data Analyst

Research Division

 

1. What does receiving the Employee of the Month award mean to you?

Islam: I highly appreciate it as a sort of recognition and more importantly as feedback, which is essential to individual and organizational development.

2. What is your favorite accomplishment so far at TKI?

Islam: My favorite accomplishment so far at TKI is working on TKI’s first global index for government performance. I had the opportunity to practice many of my skills and learn new ones. The project involved critical thinking and problem solving as well, two sets of skills that I always welcome to sharpen. 

3. How do you find a solution when you are faced with a challenge at work?

Islam: I recognize that challenges are an integral part of the learning process. I give myself first the space to reflect on the challenge and find a way to overcome it. Also, I look for help! Whether referring to online communities or colleagues, asking for help when needed always has a learning benefit.

4. What would be the three main career lessons that you have learned thus far?

Islam: First, it is okay to be uncertain. Second, it is normal to feel overwhelmed. Third, what may help with the previous two lessons is to be flexible, adaptable, and a little more resilient.

 

 

Soha Abozaid

Marketing Manager

Maentae

 

1. What does receiving the Employee of the Month award mean to you?

Soha: It was priceless to me, and having my work appreciated is what makes me keep up the good work all the time.

2. What is your favorite accomplishment so far at TKI?

Soha: We are making huge progress in our startup so far. Having a full business created from an idea is making me more excited about my role at TKI.

3. How do you find a solution when you are faced with a challenge at work?

Soha: Every time I face challenges at work, I always search for new techniques that would help me cope with a particular challenge, and this practice eventually helps me upgrade my skills.

4. What would be the three main career lessons that you have learned thus far?

Soha: The three main career lessons that I have learned are (1) to never give up on an idea, (2) to keep upgrading your skills, and (3)  the main power is in the team.

 

 

Shorouk Mohamed

Senior Graphic Designer

Biodigy

 

1. What does receiving the Employee of the Month award mean to you?

Shorouk: I received it on time because I have worked restlessly for the past months on important projects that were totally out of my comfort zone. So, it feels good to know that my hard work through the last period has been noticed and appreciated and that I can achieve things that I thought I was not good at.

2. What is your favorite accomplishment so far at TKI?

Shorouk: My favorite accomplishment so far, working at TKI, is designing the brand identity for ILMS and LMSL Centers and Labs.

3. How do you find a solution when you are faced with a challenge at work?

Shorouk: I usually search for a solution first online if it is related to a design challenge and if it does not work, I contact my art director for his opinion and help.

4. What would be the three main career lessons that you have learned thus far?

Shorouk: The three main career lessons I have learned so far are:

1. No matter how experienced you might be, there will always be something new to learn.
2. Sometimes accomplishing a task on time with an acceptable outcome is better than (and much needed) accomplishing a task with a perfect outcome but missing the deadline.
3. A manager that is supportive, understanding, and believes in the capabilities of employees can definitely make employees do wonders and boost their self-confidence.

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The KPI Institute is an internationally recognized organization that specializes in business performance. It offers research projects in 12 practice areas, such as strategy, key performance indicators, employee effectiveness, and customer service, as well as innovation performance.

In order to share insights, the KPI Institute makes use of a number of publications, subscription services, and a knowledge portal that is accessible to registered members. To learn more about TKI, visit https://kpiinstitute.org/

The World Health Organization (WHO) observes World Mental Health Day on October 10 each year. 

With this year’s theme, “Make mental health and wellbeing for all,” WHO believes that people with mental health conditions and advocates can come together to celebrate the progress made in this matter and speak  about what needs to be done “to ensure Mental Health & Well-Being becomes a Global Priority for all.”

According to WHO, the cases of people experiencing anxiety and depression increased by 25% in the first half of the COVID-19 pandemic, where the gap in treatment for mental health disorders has expanded as mental health services have been severely interrupted. Professionals or employees were one of the populations who were affected the most.

Based on report, 55% of 1,425 U.S. workers surveyed share that their mental health issues have been affecting their productivity on the job since the pandemic began. The same report shows that workers suffering from mental health issues increase to 46% (during the pandemic) from 39% (pre-pandemic), and more than 10% suffer from serious mental illness. 

How To Performance Manage Employee With Mental Health Concerns

WHO believes that strengthening awareness and response to mental conditions at work, especially for those with supervisory responsibilities like managers, is a key component of protecting and promoting wellbeing at work. They recommend mental health training for managers and employees and programs for people to learn stress management techniques and lessen mental health symptoms.

Training in mental health promotes greater awareness of how occupational pressures affect mental health and may be controlled. It also assists supervisors in recognizing and responding to supervisees who are experiencing emotional distress. Aside from mental health training, here are a few things managers can do to support employees’ mental health while managing performance:

1. Cultivate a culture of connection by checking-in with employees, especially now that many individuals work from home, it may be more difficult to spot the warning signals of distress.
2. Enhance managerial competency. Focusing on employees’ strengths while promoting efficiency and performance is an essential skill to develop.
3. Build a strong system for employee management. Managers should still adhere to performance management practices when managing employees who have mental health difficulties. They must modify this procedure when mental health concerns are present to balance fairness.

In establishing a competitive employee performance management system, The KPI Institute offers a Certificate in Employee Performance Management Maturity Assessment. This micro-certification course examines the key components required to develop an employee performance management system in businesses and also uses a maturity model to evaluate the system’s complexity.

Enrolled professionals in this course have the chance to access the Employee Performance Management Maturity Model Framework v2.0 and learn first-hand how to weigh the upsides and downsides of organizational processes and develop ideas for improvement in six important areas:

• Performance Planning
• Performance Measurement
• Performance Review
• Performance Recognition
• Performance Improvement
• System Governance

Establish the proper framework for defining, evaluating, and motivating performance in your organization; invite your colleagues and enroll now! For further information, visit https://kpiinstitute.org/

The KPI Institute recently interviewed Dr. Keith A. Clinkscale, the Strategic Planning and Performance Management Director at Palm Beach County, Florida, USA, to find out how the hospitality, travel, and tourism industry has been recovering from drought during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Here is an excerpt of the interview, which will be published in the next issue of Performance Magazine – Print Edition.

TKI: Can you share any “legacy” management practices that have lost their relevance in recent years? 

Dr. Clinkscale: Our recognition of operating in “silos” is driving more team collaboration. Some of the legacy practices in government were about “staying in your lane.” Many departments and organizations develop vertical expertise. Sometimes, they do it without input or knowledge of what is happening to their left or right. The trend is to move forward, collaborate, team up across disciplines, and generate more creative solutions through diverse and different perspectives.

TKI: What are your major challenges in managing performance? 

Dr. Clinkscale: One of the major challenges in managing performance is busy people. Sometimes people think they are too busy to manage performance. However, they are too busy not to measure performance. Taking a deep breath and looking at the data can position organizations to do the right thing based on data. Repeatedly convincing them of this can be a challenge.

TKI: What does the corporate performance management system of the future look like in the hospitality, travel, and/or tourism industry? 

Dr. Clinkscale: In the hospitality, travel, and tourism industry, the future of corporate performance management systems will make tracking trends over five years faster and easier.

We need to see how people respond to travel, hotel stays, and vacation activities. It is essential for us to understand what people value, and we need this information quickly, easy to decipher, and frequently as things change every day.

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Keep an eye out for Performance Magazine – Print Edition No. 23 to be released on Amazon and TKI Marketplace this October, to dive more into our conversation.  For further updates. visit and follow The KPI Institute’s LinkedIn page.