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?