Saturday, August 7, 2010
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.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Getting Your Employees Committed!
First, ask yourself...
Could every single employee of yours accurately recite the company's goals for this year?
When everyone within an organization is working towards achieving one common goal, it significantly helps to develop things such as communication, teamwork, and overall employee motivation and commitment. When this is the case, a strong competitive advantage is created, and a much stronger level of employee engagement throughout the organization will build.
There are many ways to align your employees' thinking so that they are focused on doing whatever they can to help the team accomplish its goals, but the VERY FIRST thing the organization can and should do is simple: Share the goals with employees! If the employees are going to play a role in helping the company accomplish the goals, how can you expect them to do so when EVERYONE is not crystal clear on what they are trying to achieve?
Take a moment to consider how clear your communication has been with employees in regards to overall goals. If you believe there is an opportunity for management to be more open with employees about exact goals and how the organization plans to achieve them, take a moment to re-evaluate your communication approach. Just consider this: If the company has an overall goal of expanding operations into a new state, there is no possible way for an employee to approach her manager with a great idea about how to help the company do that, if she didn't know what the goal was in the first place!
**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.
Could every single employee of yours accurately recite the company's goals for this year?
When everyone within an organization is working towards achieving one common goal, it significantly helps to develop things such as communication, teamwork, and overall employee motivation and commitment. When this is the case, a strong competitive advantage is created, and a much stronger level of employee engagement throughout the organization will build.
There are many ways to align your employees' thinking so that they are focused on doing whatever they can to help the team accomplish its goals, but the VERY FIRST thing the organization can and should do is simple: Share the goals with employees! If the employees are going to play a role in helping the company accomplish the goals, how can you expect them to do so when EVERYONE is not crystal clear on what they are trying to achieve?
Take a moment to consider how clear your communication has been with employees in regards to overall goals. If you believe there is an opportunity for management to be more open with employees about exact goals and how the organization plans to achieve them, take a moment to re-evaluate your communication approach. Just consider this: If the company has an overall goal of expanding operations into a new state, there is no possible way for an employee to approach her manager with a great idea about how to help the company do that, if she didn't know what the goal was in the first place!
**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.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Helping Your Employees to Stay Positive!
First, ask yourself...Would you like your employees to stay positive during tough times?
When things are tough and success is harder to achieve, often times the first things to be affected is our confidence, self-esteem, encouragement and motivation. We have all been there before where our attitude might be affected by external factors. Sometimes when we are going through a rough patch, all of a sudden we begin to expect things to go wrong, and we lack the confidence that we can successfully right the ship. Having these feelings doesn't make you a weak person - just normal!
When things are tough and you feel your employees might begin to feel this way, one of the best things any manager or leader can do is make sure your employees are aware of their Proof Points, which are small victories that they have already achieved that prove to them they are doing the right things, heading down the right path. A few things you can do to make sure your employees are keeping aware of their Proof Points is to try holding weekly meetings to openly reward and encourage victories, keep providing positive feedback, and post accomplishments around the office so that they are visible to them and others.
When you can help remind others of the things they have already accomplished, it helps to build the confidence that they can accomplish much more. Plus, openly communicating Proof Points helps to show them that they might be closer to achieving their goals than they originally thought, which will have a significant impact on their motivation and attitude!
**This week's tip was taken from "Being Positive & Resilient" which is the December session of The Compass Program. Click Here to view the schedule of all 12 sessions for The Compass Program.
When things are tough and success is harder to achieve, often times the first things to be affected is our confidence, self-esteem, encouragement and motivation. We have all been there before where our attitude might be affected by external factors. Sometimes when we are going through a rough patch, all of a sudden we begin to expect things to go wrong, and we lack the confidence that we can successfully right the ship. Having these feelings doesn't make you a weak person - just normal!
When things are tough and you feel your employees might begin to feel this way, one of the best things any manager or leader can do is make sure your employees are aware of their Proof Points, which are small victories that they have already achieved that prove to them they are doing the right things, heading down the right path. A few things you can do to make sure your employees are keeping aware of their Proof Points is to try holding weekly meetings to openly reward and encourage victories, keep providing positive feedback, and post accomplishments around the office so that they are visible to them and others.
When you can help remind others of the things they have already accomplished, it helps to build the confidence that they can accomplish much more. Plus, openly communicating Proof Points helps to show them that they might be closer to achieving their goals than they originally thought, which will have a significant impact on their motivation and attitude!
**This week's tip was taken from "Being Positive & Resilient" which is the December session of The Compass Program. Click Here to view the schedule of all 12 sessions for The Compass Program.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Help Your Employees Provide Better INTERNAL Service!
First, ask yourself...
Would you like employees within your company to make the effort to go above and beyond, for each other?
Focusing on providing an outstanding level of service to internal customers can do wonders for teamwork, conflict resolution and communication - but unless everyone is on the exact same page with what "outstanding service" truly is, we are setting people up to fail in terms of meeting our expectations as well as those of the organization.
The first thing that must be done to develop an effective and consistent internal customer focus is to clearly define exactly what you expect. All companies have visions, but very few have what is called a service vision. A service vision is not much different than an overall company vision - it is realistic, easy to interpret, commonly understood by all, inspiring, and meaningful. Its purpose is to describe the type of service the organization expects, and provide a road map for individuals as to how to act with, and treat others.
Remember, it is one thing to expect individual employees to provide above and beyond service for each other, and it's another thing for them to FIRST clearly understand what "above and beyond service" really is. When this is true and the vision is effectively communicated through the organization, employees will be
motivated to live it, they will be confident that that same level of service will be reciprocated for them, relationships with strengthen, attitudes will become much better, and even the service provided to the external customer will be enhanced as well!
**This week's tip was taken from "Internal & External Customer Focus" which is the August session of The Compass Program. Click Here to view the schedule of all 12 sessions for The Compass Program.
Would you like employees within your company to make the effort to go above and beyond, for each other?
Focusing on providing an outstanding level of service to internal customers can do wonders for teamwork, conflict resolution and communication - but unless everyone is on the exact same page with what "outstanding service" truly is, we are setting people up to fail in terms of meeting our expectations as well as those of the organization.
The first thing that must be done to develop an effective and consistent internal customer focus is to clearly define exactly what you expect. All companies have visions, but very few have what is called a service vision. A service vision is not much different than an overall company vision - it is realistic, easy to interpret, commonly understood by all, inspiring, and meaningful. Its purpose is to describe the type of service the organization expects, and provide a road map for individuals as to how to act with, and treat others.
Remember, it is one thing to expect individual employees to provide above and beyond service for each other, and it's another thing for them to FIRST clearly understand what "above and beyond service" really is. When this is true and the vision is effectively communicated through the organization, employees will be
motivated to live it, they will be confident that that same level of service will be reciprocated for them, relationships with strengthen, attitudes will become much better, and even the service provided to the external customer will be enhanced as well!
**This week's tip was taken from "Internal & External Customer Focus" which is the August session of The Compass Program. Click Here to view the schedule of all 12 sessions for The Compass Program.
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