Do you ever empower someone, only to later realize you put them in the wrong position or role?
The art of employee empowerment is something that must be done very specifically and strategically. If we use a "shot-gun" approach when giving employees new tasks and putting employees into new roles, we are setting them, ourselves and the team up to fail. While occasionally the situation will call for it, most of the time we can't blindly empower others just because the new task matches what other people with the same job title are good at or simply just because we "have a feeling" they will like it or do well - more thought and decision making must go into the process.
The first step in the process actually has nothing to do with the employee - we FIRST need to fully understand the role we are putting them in, and pick it apart as much as we can - an activity called RTR (role/task/responsibility) Evaluation. We should look at the RTR we are considering them for, and ask ourselves questions such as: What specific skills are needed, what level of experience must they already have prior to moving forward, what strengths are helpful for them to have, what resources might they need, and who has successfully done this in the past?
When we are able to gather all of the answers to the above questions, we can then take the next step which is to evaluate our team and decide who the best person for the job might be. When we are effectively (and consistently) evaluating all of the competencies, roles, tasks, and responsibilities that our employees might be empowered with, it will give us a much better chance of putting the right person into the right position - resulting in their (and our) success!
**This week's tip was taken from "Empowering Others for Success" which is the July session of The Compass Program. Click Here to view the schedule of all 12 sessions for The Compass Program.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Thursday, September 2, 2010
A Great Way to Improve Workplace Communication!
First, ask yourself...
Do you ever get the feeling that you don't really understand the meaning behind someone's message?
True, effective communication only takes place when the message that the "listener" interprets is a true reflection of exactly what the "speaker" not only said, but meant as well. If the listener does not fully understand the meaning, feeling and thoughts behind the speaker's words, then true communication did not really take place. Words might have been exchanged, but the real message was not understood by the listener.
A common problem many people have is that in an attempt to interpret what someone tells us, we filter it through our OWN paradigm. We reference OUR past experiences, OUR feelings, and OUR perceptions, but the person sending the message usually doesn't share any of these same things with us. It is this typical reaction on the part of the listener that most often causes miscommunication.
The next time you find yourself doing it, make it a point to ask clarifying questions and draw out as much information from the other person as you can. Do everything you can do in order to get to know how THEY feel, and what THEY really mean. Doing this will help you see things from their paradigm, thus allowing message sent to truly equal message received!
**This week's tip was taken from "Promoting Open & Healthy Dialogue" which is the October session of The Compass Program. Click Here to view the schedule of all 12 sessions for The Compass Program.
Do you ever get the feeling that you don't really understand the meaning behind someone's message?
True, effective communication only takes place when the message that the "listener" interprets is a true reflection of exactly what the "speaker" not only said, but meant as well. If the listener does not fully understand the meaning, feeling and thoughts behind the speaker's words, then true communication did not really take place. Words might have been exchanged, but the real message was not understood by the listener.
A common problem many people have is that in an attempt to interpret what someone tells us, we filter it through our OWN paradigm. We reference OUR past experiences, OUR feelings, and OUR perceptions, but the person sending the message usually doesn't share any of these same things with us. It is this typical reaction on the part of the listener that most often causes miscommunication.
The next time you find yourself doing it, make it a point to ask clarifying questions and draw out as much information from the other person as you can. Do everything you can do in order to get to know how THEY feel, and what THEY really mean. Doing this will help you see things from their paradigm, thus allowing message sent to truly equal message received!
**This week's tip was taken from "Promoting Open & Healthy Dialogue" which is the October session of The Compass Program. Click Here to view the schedule of all 12 sessions for The Compass Program.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Help Your Team Become More Innovative!
First, ask yourself...
Do you feel that the environment at work prohibits your employees from being innovative?
As leaders, we definitely want our employees to be innovative and proactive. We want them to always be thinking about how they can do something better, or help to make some kind of improvement for the organization. The problem is that having a natural innovative and proactive mindset is not how the majority of our employees are wired. To compensate, we must do a great job of creating and promoting the type of environment that gives our employees as much opportunity as possible to choose the right mindset.
When it comes to leading change and innovation, there are two important terms to consider: Driving Forces and Restraining Forces. Driving Forces can be anything within the environment that helps individuals choose to be proactive and implement needed change, while Restraining Forces are just the opposite - they prevent employees from doing so. Some general examples of these forces are the attitudes of the leaders, the resources employees have at their disposal, the availability of training and learning opportunities, and the frequency that employees are put into positions to collaborate with each other and work as teams. These examples can go either way...when done right, they can act as a Driving Force for innovation, but when gone about in the wrong way, they can act as a Restraining Force.
As leaders, if we desire more innovation and proactive thinking from our employees, sometimes all it takes is us evaluating the current environment so that we may begin to eliminate the Restraining Forces, and build on the Driving Forces. By being honest with ourselves and evaluating these different elements, we are likely to find many opportunities to make small and subtle changes that can have a huge impact on the motivation and attitudes of the people on our team!
**This week's tip was taken from "Leading & Embracing Change" which is the February session of The Compass Program. Click Here to view the schedule of all 12 sessions for The Compass Program.
Do you feel that the environment at work prohibits your employees from being innovative?
As leaders, we definitely want our employees to be innovative and proactive. We want them to always be thinking about how they can do something better, or help to make some kind of improvement for the organization. The problem is that having a natural innovative and proactive mindset is not how the majority of our employees are wired. To compensate, we must do a great job of creating and promoting the type of environment that gives our employees as much opportunity as possible to choose the right mindset.
When it comes to leading change and innovation, there are two important terms to consider: Driving Forces and Restraining Forces. Driving Forces can be anything within the environment that helps individuals choose to be proactive and implement needed change, while Restraining Forces are just the opposite - they prevent employees from doing so. Some general examples of these forces are the attitudes of the leaders, the resources employees have at their disposal, the availability of training and learning opportunities, and the frequency that employees are put into positions to collaborate with each other and work as teams. These examples can go either way...when done right, they can act as a Driving Force for innovation, but when gone about in the wrong way, they can act as a Restraining Force.
As leaders, if we desire more innovation and proactive thinking from our employees, sometimes all it takes is us evaluating the current environment so that we may begin to eliminate the Restraining Forces, and build on the Driving Forces. By being honest with ourselves and evaluating these different elements, we are likely to find many opportunities to make small and subtle changes that can have a huge impact on the motivation and attitudes of the people on our team!
**This week's tip was taken from "Leading & Embracing Change" which is the February session of The Compass Program. Click Here to view the schedule of all 12 sessions for The Compass Program.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Raise the Commitment Level of Your Employees!
First, ask yourself...
As a leader, are you setting the right example that will encourage commitment from your employees?
Contrary to what some people might tell you, employees today DO want to be loyal and committed to the organization. They take pride in going above and beyond. They desire to feel like they are really making a difference and contributing to the success of the company. But 99 times out of 100, they will not feel this way simply out of the blue; it begins with the actions of the leader or manager. Ensuring our employees are fully committed to the organization starts with the leader. A great leader shows the employees that they are fully committed to doing the same things that are expected out of the employees.
For instance, do you "live" the mission and vision of the company that you so often preach? Are you willing to roll up your sleeves and help out to get the "not so glamorous" work done when you know it will benefit the team? Are you proactively looking for ways to improve your performance? Do you have a positive attitude towards the company? Are you willing to do whatever you have to do in order to satisfy a customer?
Employees can't be told, tricked, forced, manipulated or "managed" into committing to the organization. They must make that choice on their own, but it is up to the leaders to help them make the right choice! As leaders, our actions ALWAYS speak MUCH louder than words. When those around us see that we "practice what we preach," they will be much quicker and more eager to fall in line and be led!
**This week's tip was taken from "Committing to a Common Vision" which is the November session of The Compass Program. Click Here to view the schedule of all 12 sessions for The Compass Program.
As a leader, are you setting the right example that will encourage commitment from your employees?
Contrary to what some people might tell you, employees today DO want to be loyal and committed to the organization. They take pride in going above and beyond. They desire to feel like they are really making a difference and contributing to the success of the company. But 99 times out of 100, they will not feel this way simply out of the blue; it begins with the actions of the leader or manager. Ensuring our employees are fully committed to the organization starts with the leader. A great leader shows the employees that they are fully committed to doing the same things that are expected out of the employees.
For instance, do you "live" the mission and vision of the company that you so often preach? Are you willing to roll up your sleeves and help out to get the "not so glamorous" work done when you know it will benefit the team? Are you proactively looking for ways to improve your performance? Do you have a positive attitude towards the company? Are you willing to do whatever you have to do in order to satisfy a customer?
Employees can't be told, tricked, forced, manipulated or "managed" into committing to the organization. They must make that choice on their own, but it is up to the leaders to help them make the right choice! As leaders, our actions ALWAYS speak MUCH louder than words. When those around us see that we "practice what we preach," they will be much quicker and more eager to fall in line and be led!
**This week's tip was taken from "Committing to a Common Vision" which is the November session of The Compass Program. Click Here to view the schedule of all 12 sessions for The Compass Program.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Help Your Employees Enhance Communication!
First, ask yourself...
Would you like the members of your team to engage in open communication and collaboration more often?
We are all familiar with the traditional concept of dialogue, which is when you are engaged in a 2-way exchange of information with another person. Yet, there is another of effective form of communication that significantly impacts the amount of teamwork and level of trust between the two parties. It's called "Relationship Dialogue," which is a continuous flow of open communication throughout the life of the relationship. It spans far beyond one single interaction - it describes the overall willingness and ability of 2 individuals (or two teams) to have a relationship geared around open communication.
The easiest way to increase relationship dialogue is to actually put people (and yourself) in a position to interact and communicate more openly. Here are some strategic actions you can take to help increase the level of relationship dialogue in your relationships, and within your team: make yourself (the manager/leader) available and approachable, involve others in planning and problem solving, share information as much as possible with others which will encourage their input, be receptive to feedback when given to you, and provide opportunities for cross functional collaboration (which might be in the form of joint-team meetings, cross functional projects, etc).
When we have a healthy relationship dialogue, we are able to openly share information, ideas, and feedback with each other...without fear of defensiveness, conflict or reprisal. Not only will communication increase, but relationships will develop, commitment to a common goal and vision will strengthen, and the attitude overall between employees will jump!
**This week's tip was taken from "Promoting Open & Healthy Dialogue" which is the October session of The Compass Program. Click Here to view the schedule of all 12 sessions for The Compass Program.
Would you like the members of your team to engage in open communication and collaboration more often?
We are all familiar with the traditional concept of dialogue, which is when you are engaged in a 2-way exchange of information with another person. Yet, there is another of effective form of communication that significantly impacts the amount of teamwork and level of trust between the two parties. It's called "Relationship Dialogue," which is a continuous flow of open communication throughout the life of the relationship. It spans far beyond one single interaction - it describes the overall willingness and ability of 2 individuals (or two teams) to have a relationship geared around open communication.
The easiest way to increase relationship dialogue is to actually put people (and yourself) in a position to interact and communicate more openly. Here are some strategic actions you can take to help increase the level of relationship dialogue in your relationships, and within your team: make yourself (the manager/leader) available and approachable, involve others in planning and problem solving, share information as much as possible with others which will encourage their input, be receptive to feedback when given to you, and provide opportunities for cross functional collaboration (which might be in the form of joint-team meetings, cross functional projects, etc).
When we have a healthy relationship dialogue, we are able to openly share information, ideas, and feedback with each other...without fear of defensiveness, conflict or reprisal. Not only will communication increase, but relationships will develop, commitment to a common goal and vision will strengthen, and the attitude overall between employees will jump!
**This week's tip was taken from "Promoting Open & Healthy Dialogue" which is the October session of The Compass Program. Click Here to view the schedule of all 12 sessions for The Compass Program.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Completely Prevent Nasty Conflict!
First, ask yourself...
Do you find that some of your past conflicts should and could have been avoided in the first place?
When working in a team environment, we as human beings are guaranteed to disagree, have differences of opinion, and not see eye-to-eye with others - this is what we call "normal differences." Due to our unique personalities and unique past experiences, these normal differences are absolutely avoidable. These situations do not have to result in heated or disruptive conflicts or arguments, but when we don't handle them correctly, that's exactly what happens!
There are many ways to help resolve normal differences in a healthy way without allowing them to result in disruptive conflict. One of the first and easiest steps to take is for both parties to agree to take time to sit down and share their opinions, what they know about the situation, their feelings, and what they feel the issues are. Remember, each party will undoubtedly have their own opinions and experiences that they are drawing their conclusions from, and sharing those thoughts with each other is the ONLY way to ensure both parties are on the same page.
All it takes is the effort to open up with each other. When this simple act of casual dialogue occurs, the parties will often find that the "normal difference" is not as big or meaningful as they thought and that there is a logical solution available- therefore avoiding a full-blown conflict, and at the same time, setting the stage for another successful interaction when the next normal difference occurs in the future!
**This week's tip was taken from "Resolving Conflict Successfully" which is the September session of The Compass Program. Click Here to view the schedule of all 12 sessions for The Compass Program.
Do you find that some of your past conflicts should and could have been avoided in the first place?
When working in a team environment, we as human beings are guaranteed to disagree, have differences of opinion, and not see eye-to-eye with others - this is what we call "normal differences." Due to our unique personalities and unique past experiences, these normal differences are absolutely avoidable. These situations do not have to result in heated or disruptive conflicts or arguments, but when we don't handle them correctly, that's exactly what happens!
There are many ways to help resolve normal differences in a healthy way without allowing them to result in disruptive conflict. One of the first and easiest steps to take is for both parties to agree to take time to sit down and share their opinions, what they know about the situation, their feelings, and what they feel the issues are. Remember, each party will undoubtedly have their own opinions and experiences that they are drawing their conclusions from, and sharing those thoughts with each other is the ONLY way to ensure both parties are on the same page.
All it takes is the effort to open up with each other. When this simple act of casual dialogue occurs, the parties will often find that the "normal difference" is not as big or meaningful as they thought and that there is a logical solution available- therefore avoiding a full-blown conflict, and at the same time, setting the stage for another successful interaction when the next normal difference occurs in the future!
**This week's tip was taken from "Resolving Conflict Successfully" which is the September session of The Compass Program. Click Here to view the schedule of all 12 sessions for The Compass Program.
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