Email or telephone?

Do you pick up the telephone to call your clients, vendors, or co-workers? Is an email message easier or more effective? Often workplace employees will report that they typically prefer email over telephone use. Is there a generational or cultural difference in how we respond to these questions?

Many organizations are concerned about effective communication, and even more organizations report that they experience “miscommunication” too often. Should our dialog styles vary depending on the person, or only on the situation? In other words, many will say they use the telephone or face-to-face communication for more complex issues which seems to make sense; but should we consider other factors before writing that quick email or picking up the telephone?

Hiring Smart – Competency Modeling!

Many of us trust our instinct or our “gut” when it comes to making hiring decisions. Often we make hiring decisions based upon a resume or employment application and a brief interview. We tend to hire people who we like or people who give us a good feeling about their capabilities. Sometimes we make great choices and sometimes we make bad choices.

Competency modeling can help align people with the skills necessary to perform specific job duties or functions in your organization. A competency model, typically defined as a group of characteristics that drive high levels of performance in particular job or occupation, can help organizations make hiring choices based on an individual’s knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA’s) instead of based on a feeling of compatibility.

Building competency models for jobs or occupations is the first step in improving hiring practices. If your organization struggles with the costs and time associated with the hiring process, or worse yet terminations, building a competency model may help.

Harmful Conflict Increasing?

A recent LinkedIn Poll suggests that harmful workplace conflict is on the rise!

Results from a recently posted poll may suggest that harmful workplace conflict is currently increasing in organizations. The polls appears as follows:

Harmful Workplace Conflict in my Organization is:
... increasing
... decreasing
... staying about the same
... not a problem/doesn’t exist

This poll originally posted on November 27, 2009 has had the following results:


42% increasing
35% staying about the same
14% decreasing
7% not a problem/doesn’t exist

Are you on LinkedIn? Take the poll/see updated results here.

Need help with harmful workplace conflict? Coaching and training sessions are available in both on-line and traditional face-to-face formats. Visit the website or contact me directly.

www.appreciativestrategies.com
dennis@appreciativestrategies.com

Leadership Perception and Self-Deception

Perception
Few people would argue that confidence is a necessary leadership competency. When does confidence go too far and start to limit, or even worse damage good leadership and decision making skills? Leaders are sometimes labeled as having narcissistic personality traits; traits that could be doing more damage to organization growth and stability than they realize. Most leaders believe that they are in their role to make good decisions and often make them quickly, seemingly knowing the precise next move to take the organization forward or to solve a critical workplace challenge. How much of this decision making ability is based on experience? How much of that experience is based on the perception of the situation?

Self-Deception
What about self-deception? Self-deception by definition would indicate that leaders sometimes deceive themselves as they face workplace challenges. Often in the workplace employees complain about the repetitive nature of problems. The same or similar problems continue to happen over and over again. While there may be many reasons that this occurs one sometimes unforeseen reason is that the leadership continues to implement changes that are not addressing the root cause. Instead they are addressing issues that the leadership views as problems, based on their perception. Convinced that they are implementing practical, intelligent, and appropriate resolutions the leaders are suffering from self-deception. Being so fixated on a problem they fail to see other problems that are happening right before their eyes. So confident of the answers to the problems they face, they fail to realize that it is their own solution to the problems that are causing them.

Training Solutions
A recently published training program will address leadership skills and competencies in the areas of perception and self-deception. Details of this program can be found in the book The 2010 Pfeiffer Annual: Training and is available at amazon.com or pfeiffer.com.




This program can also be delivered on site at your location with expert facilitation provided by the program author.

Contact: Dennis E. Gilbert – a human performance improvement consultant and President of Appreciative Strategies, LLC may be reached at (570) 433-8286 or by email: dennis@appreciativestrategies.com.

Effort or Results?

Leadership certainly has its challenges. How we lead and perhaps more importantly how we measure results is critically important to organizations that wish to stay competitive and be successful.

Often managers discuss with me the effort that they or their employee teams put in on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. I listen with empathy as employees discuss long hours, missed family, and lack of work/life balance. While many of these stories are strikingly real, like any good story some begin to shift from fact to fantasy. Effort is very important but strong leaders should avoid comparing effort with results. Working long hours doesn’t necessarily indicate that you are getting the best results, and getting results doesn’t guarantee you have given your best effort.

Leadership Action: Create a culture that is stimulated by results, measuring effort alone will not necessarily generate success.

Right Sizing - Managing Human Capital

Are you making the correct choices as it relates to human capital? Many organizations are being faced with challenging human resource decisions, in part because of weak economic conditions here in the United States. Unfortunately many business owners and managers find themselves aggressively engaged in “right-sizing,” a term made popular during the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. Often this term has been used to describe human capital needs aligned with revenue or profitability.

While there are many different ways to pursue economic lay-offs, these decisions and choices are never easy. Organizations need to focus on the strategic objectives and be very honest about the organizations direction. As difficult as it may be, if you are faced with these tough choices you need to focus on what is the best choice for both short and long-term survival. Often when discussing these situations many business owners and managers will quickly divert into external factors, such as the employee’s personal situation, family size, and medical conditions. As sensitive human beings we feel the pain and sorrow associated with such difficult decisions, but the reality is that we need to make choices which allow for the survival of the organization.

Below are a few points to consider, keeping in mind that every situation is unique and the appropriate call to action could vary drastically from organization to organization.

1. Headcount to revenue ratios: Are we right-sized? How much revenue does each person need to produce? (Gross Revenue / Headcount = Ratio) or (Gross Profit/Headcount = Ratio)

2. Gross Profit / Products and Services: What areas yield the most GP? Who can add value to this revenue stream? How can we capitalize on what is working well, instead of focusing on what is not working.

3. Technical/Trade Skills: What employees bring the most skills and how do they relate to items 1 and 2?

4. Outsourced Opportunities: What can be outsourced to reduce costs? While not always a good solution, it often is very effective short-term.

5. Fight of your life: If you are in the fight of your life, who do you want standing beside you? This should be based on 1 through 4 and not based on emotional choices because of compassion. Who can really make the most impact while keeping the organization progressing.

Sound too tough or too “cut-throat?” During leadership workshops and coaching sessions I have often facilitated discussions on this topic and consulted with organizations to help them think more strategically about their human capital. Nearly all employee terminations are difficult, but economic lay-offs I always find the most challenging.

Remember your responsibility to the organization for survival and profitability. Part of that responsibility is the organizations reputation, so don’t disregard the stigma of becoming a “cut-throat” entity. If you become identified as “cut-throat,” when the economic conditions improve you will have new challenges to face with rebuilding a workforce in your local community.

Thinking Outside of the Box!

Many times as we approach problems we tend to place an imaginary frame around the problem or situation. This framework that we establish may limit our ability to find alternative choices or solutions to the problem. Check out this short (3 Minute) video on problem solving and thinking outside of the box!

Leadership and Risk

Risk taking is one of the most fundamental aspects of leadership, yet sometimes formal leaders are only moderate risk takers. In some regards, true leaders may also have some identity crisis with the rebel stereotype. While this may sound extreme, it often is not too far off. True leaders are willing to take risk.

In our workplaces we may sometimes take a risk as simple as speaking up in a meeting or during a decision making process, in other cases the risk may be much more involved and with serious consequences. Risk in our workplace should be reasonable, calculated, and manageable.

Are you leading?

Find out more about leadership and risk by watching this short video clip:

Decision Making and Problem Solving

Economic woes have organizations scrambling to find ways to improve employee performance. Some employees are claiming burn-out after having to pick up work loads of other employees who have been laid off or otherwise have left the organization and their position has not been replaced. In other workplace struggles harmful conflict situations are building, in some cases they are being recognized by organization leaders and some are going seemingly unnoticed. Regardless, workplace teams often express a desire to work better together but simply cannot close the gap on conflict or negative feelings.

If the success of your organization depends on the effectiveness of your employees how are you encouraging good communication and perhaps more importantly how are the employees solving workplace problems? Are they solving them in a vacuum? Are they making group decisions?

How people work together to solve problems can make the difference between a good decision, and a harmful one. Are workplace teams responsible to make decisions and solve problems in your organization? How effective are the teams at making good choices?

Tough Times, Tough Actions!

During an economic slowdown organizations should consider how they can change or adapt to different market conditions. In workshops on change management, innovation, or strategic planning I often discuss the idea of “you cannot just do things differently, you must do different things!” Individuals, departments, or the entire organization need to re-think old behaviors and traditions.

Naturally, we are more predisposed to function in our comfort zones and to rely on our past experiences to guide us. Certainly this is not all bad, and should always be taken into consideration. The heart of this matter lies in the idea of, what are you going to do that is new, innovative, or refreshed? Don’t get caught in the trap of “we tried that before and it didn’t work.” Perhaps it didn’t, and more importantly perhaps it won’t, but don’t be afraid to take some reasonable risk and discover new strategies.

What will you do differently to survive in our “new” economy?

Tough Times Mean More Workplace Conflict

During times when many organizations are tightening their belt, some leaders believe conflict decreases, but does it? Watch this 2 minute video to learn more:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPznQsR9wSs

Does conflict exist in your workplace?

Workplace Motivation and Fun

How is the energy at your workplace? Are employee’s motivated? How about teamwork, are groups working together effectively? Keeping employees motivated during these challenging times can be a difficult task. Many organization development experts would likely agree that managing motivation should come from strategic vision and not from a tactical approach.

A tactical approach is more of a “fighting fires” position; we throw something at the problem and see if it fixes it. This sometimes happens in the workplace through a Company picnic, a “fun” staff retreat, or even hired entertainment. While certainly there is a place for many of these activities and likely some benefits, this really only addresses the presenting problem.

A strategic approach would dig a little deeper to discover or analyze the root cause. Many people are quick to tell you that they believe motivation comes from within. If this is true, then each employee needs to discover their own individual motivators. Organizations should consider interventions that allow for individual values and motivators to be explored.

Contagious Attitudes

Staying motivated during challenging economic times is the responsibility of all employees. Organization supervisors (supervisors, managers, directors, etc.) need to be conscious of the signals they are sending. Body language, tone, small jokes, and other communication signals may unveil some supervisor’s inner most feelings during these times. Many workers will follow the style and attitude of the boss. Workers believe that if it is okay for the boss then it must be okay for me as well. Being disciplined and enthusiastic can be challenging but it is essential for leadership and organization success. How is the energy and enthusiasm at your workplace?

More Job Losses Reported – Who Will You Hire?

As job loss reports continue to climb many valuable people are out of work. Small businesses owners have an opportunity to select some great talent at a great value. Of course, some would argue that the best choices are those who are still employed. This idea assumes of course that organizations have retained the best talent and dismissed those who are not as valuable. Who would you hire?

Tactical vs. Strategic

How do you assess training needs? During these difficult economic times organizations often base training needs on a tactical approach. Tactical implying that they are targeted for current or immediate needs. Tactical needs are important but organizations should also consider their strategic needs. Strategic needs will help the organization or the individual employee in the future. I am a firm believer that organizations should assess their needs by searching for root causes and not focus solely on the presenting problems. How does your organization approach its training and development needs?

U.S. Job Losses Mount - Conflict Increases

As U.S. job losses continue to mount, so does workplace conflict. Informal surveys have indicated that many experts believe workplace conflict continues to increase during difficult economic times. Some would perhaps argue the opposite. While our workplaces continue to be shattered by the economic downturn many employees will avoid expressing conflict or may suppress conflict feelings. Employers sometimes believe that this is good, noting that workers have stopped “whining” and are “getting back to business.” In one sense this may be true, but the consequences of conflict suppression are far more detrimental to the future of the organization. Employees who are suppressing conflict will tend to stop being team players, will avoid communication efforts, and may even purposely sabotage others pursuits of relationship building or production and service efforts. During these times it is often difficult to detect conflict situations at first glance, while we may feel a sense of teamwork (some whining has stopped) a far worse case scenario is occurring. When employees express conflict it is much easier for business leaders to recognize and take appropriate action. How is the conflict climate at your workplace?

Communication and Trust

Often businesses report that they have a problem with communication. They strive to understand why their employees do not communicate effectively. Pondering the situation they believe employees simply do not wish to communicate effectively or perhaps the employees do not understand the importance of information transfer. In many of the cases employees lack trust in their peers or worse yet in their superiors. Effective communication requires trust and a balanced flow of upward and downward communication. How is the communication climate in your workplace? Do the employees trust each other?

Effective Listening Skills - Video Brief

Being a good listener is a necessary competency for everyone in the workplace. View this brief video segment and take the three item mini-assessment. Remember that improving your listening skills really only requires -you- to make a difference.

Appreciating Employees

During leadership training workshops I will often ask participants when was the last time you heard "good job" or "nice work", responses are sometimes surprising. I believe that this is one of the most fundamental ways to help build the team and inspire direct reports, co-workers, and even your boss. How appreciative is your workplace? When was the last time you heard this? (On LinkedIn? Take the poll, it is quick, easy, fun, and free!)

Change Management and Employee Motivation

Poll results are indicating that change management skills and employee motivation are top runners for the most important leadership skills. Take the poll. What are your thoughts? Are there specific skills outside of those listing on the poll that you feel are important for leaders during these tough economic times?

Employee Motivation

What drives motivation? How can we get our employees to be more motivated? Is motivation entirely driven from within or can people be trained or coached to gain more motivation?

There are at least three issues driving employee motivation:

1) The employee’s intrinsic desire to perform
2) Length of time spent with an organization in the same job
3) Understanding or buy-in of organizational goals and objectives

Intrinsic desire to perform is arguably the hardest issue to deal with. However examining the circumstances of each individual may unveil sources of motivation. Often employees claim that their number one motivator is pay. Typically with a deeper investigation we find that pay may rank in the top three, but is not the number one motivator. After all, we can always find a job that pays more if we are willing to endure a change in commute, work hours, or risk.

Length of time spent within the same job at the same organization often tells a story about motivation. Many employees will be very motivated during the first one or two years, then years three through eight they experience a drop in motivation. Many start to regain lost motivation around year nine or ten as they have more vested interests in the organization. They may be in a position where they do not wish to change jobs at this point in their career or they may simply feel a deeper sense of belonging and genuine interest in the success of the operation. How can these values be engrained in employees earlier in their tenure?

This brings us to the third motivation driver. The employees’ understanding of why the organization exists. Why does it produce a certain product or provide certain services? Often the organization founders are entrepreneurs who were deeply motivated and genuinely believed in the product or services. Sharing that belief, desire, and motivation to succeed often yields employees gaining similar interests. Driving these organizational values downward and outward throughout the organization spreads motivation. Remember that employee attitudes are contagious and employees with a positive outlook on organizational success will drive the motivation.

Ask your employees if they know the organization mission, vision, or values statements. Incorporate employee orientation programs that spread knowledge early and revisit values frequently throughout employee tenure. Model positive belief in goals and objectives, and make enthusiasm for job performance a cultural value.

How do you rate your level of motivation? Is motivation a problem with employees in your organization?

Leadership Skills

What leadership skill do you think is most important during these challenging economic times?

Take the poll - see your results!