Harnessing Your Strengths: A Path to Success at Work

 

In an ever-evolving professional landscape, personal development and continuous learning are key to achieving success and standing out from the crowd. While it's important to address weaknesses, leveraging your strengths can have a far greater impact on your professional growth and productivity. This article will discuss various strategies to help you focus on your strengths at work.

1. Identifying Your Strengths

The first step is to identify your strengths. These could be hard skills like data analysis or software development, or soft skills like communication, leadership, or problem-solving. If you are unsure about your strengths, consider taking a self-assessment test, such as the Clifton StrengthsFinder or VIA Character Strengths survey, or seek feedback from your colleagues and superiors.

You can also look at your past successes and determine which abilities allowed you to achieve those outcomes. What tasks do you find energizing and fulfilling? What work do you naturally excel at? The answers to these questions will provide insight into your core strengths.

2. Cultivate and Nurture Your Strengths

Once you've identified your strengths, the next step is to cultivate and nurture them. This could mean taking on projects or roles that allow you to use these strengths regularly. Attend workshops, seminars, or courses that can help you further develop your abilities. The more you use and develop your strengths, the more ingrained and effective they become.

3. Align Your Strengths with Your Role

Not all strengths are relevant for every role. Therefore, it's important to align your strengths with your job responsibilities. If your strengths don't naturally align with your current role, seek ways to adapt and integrate them. For example, if one of your strengths is communication, but your role doesn't involve much interaction, propose creating a team newsletter or hosting departmental meetings.

4. Communicate Your Strengths

Your colleagues and managers need to know your strengths to leverage them effectively. Don't shy away from demonstrating and communicating your strengths in appropriate and relevant situations. During meetings or performance reviews, share your achievements and how your strengths contributed to them. However, remember to stay humble and acknowledge the team effort where it's due.

5. Turn Weaknesses into Opportunities

While focusing on strengths is crucial, it doesn't mean you should entirely neglect your weaknesses. Rather, view them as opportunities for growth. Can you pair up with a colleague who possesses your weaknesses as their strengths? This way, you not only cover up your blind spots but also learn from others.

6. Embrace a Strengths-Based Mindset

Adopting a strengths-based mindset is crucial for personal and professional development. This perspective encourages focusing on what's strong, rather than what's wrong. It's about recognizing and celebrating your unique capabilities and using them to overcome challenges and drive performance.

7. Seek a Mentor

Find a mentor who has similar strengths and has successfully leveraged them in their career. A mentor can provide valuable insights, guidance, and feedback to help you make the most of your strengths.

Conclusion

Focusing on your strengths does not imply ignoring your weaknesses, but it emphasizes leveraging what you are naturally good at to boost productivity and satisfaction at work. When you identify, cultivate, and effectively communicate your strengths, you position yourself for success and make a valuable contribution to your team and organization. By adopting a strengths-based mindset, you can build a fulfilling career that aligns with your abilities and passions. Remember, your unique strengths are your superpowers; use them wisely and watch your career soar.

Leadership May Be the Cause of Your Stress

 Are you among the millions of people who are stressed out at work?  Stress can quickly create massive declines in employee morale, well-being, and productivity. While anxiety is caused by a pretty wide range of factors, including issues unrelated to people’s jobs, one really common cause of stress for people is dealing with  incompetent leadership.

Managers and leaders have a direct effect on their employees’ stress and anxiety levels. What leaders say, feel, and do hugely influences their team’s physical and emotional well-being. And the more senior leaders are, the more people they are likely to have an influence on — positively and negatively.

But here’s the thing, far too few leaders are aware that they have this power. And many are overconfident in their leadership skills, creating a humongous gap between their perceived and actual levels of competence.

Great leaders pay attention to their behavior and they understand the impact they are having on those around them. On the flip side, bad leaders are more like loose cannons - you never know what kind of emotional reaction you are going to get in a situation.

The importance of this is even greater during times of uncertainty.  People need to know that the ship they are on has a good captain that will lead them to safety, guide them in the face of fear, and provide employees with clarity and direction.

If you are a manager or a leader, I want to give you a few simple things to consider so that you can help your people not feel overwhelmed and not get down about their jobs.

 

1) The use of negative language.

Employees are constantly trying to read their boss’s emotions and interpret their words. For this reason, try to refrain from using dramatic negative words such as failing, horrible, shocking, and saying things that express doubt in the abilities of the business or of people specifically.  Instead, use words that inspire or convey hope such as: necessary changes, opportunities for growth, improvements, or light at the end of the tunnel. Instead of whining about how far in the hole you are, talk about exactly how you are going to dig your way out!

 

2) Lack of Stability

If you are a boss, don’t make things seem worse than they really are and don’t overcomplicate things for your employees by making them guess what you will do next. Be reliable, predictable, and even boring if necessary. You may be the only predictable factor your employees can count on in a time of great uncertainty.

In simple terms, this means providing a clear format to your meetings and communications, sharing expectations up front, avoiding last-minute changes and cancellations, and, wherever possible, continuing with the same routine. For the most part, people appreciate consistency.

 

3) Emotional volatility.

Excitable bosses are like a roller coaster — they might be fun for a moment for thrill seekers, but they are stressful for almost everyone else. The last thing your employees want during difficult times is to see emotional volatility in their leaders.

This may be easier said than done, but being a leader requires a certain level of competence for dealing with pressure. Especially in a crisis, remember that your own stress will only amplify other people’s stress. The main implication here is that you should work hard to manage your reactions, keep yourself together, and you may even need to put on your best poker face in front of your employees.  If you are freaking out or acting childish in the face of opposition, your employees will basically lose any confidence that things are going to be ok.

Remember, your team is looking to you for stability and guidance amid the chaos. If you are typically calm and stable, try to remain so as much as possible. If on the other hand you tend to be more volatile, emotional, or reactive, just know that this leadership style doesn’t usually work in building high-performing teams. Challenge yourself to change and be more in control.

A few ideas that have proven to control emotional volatility include a regular practice of mindfulness, meditation, frequent exercise, better sleep quality, and internalizing feedback from others so you realize when you may be flying off the rails.

 

4) Excessive pessimism.

Although pessimism can at times help leaders to detect and prevent potential threats, minimize risks, and avoid overconfident decisions, during stressful and anxious times leaders’ pessimism is more likely to turn into a liability. Pessimism demotivates others and pushes employees to only see the bad in situation, increasing their already high anxiety to stressful levels.

Again, if you tend to be a pessimist, you’ve got to be able to control it and project calmness and composure. This will strengthen your employees and colleagues. Remember all employees are either a part of the solutions, or they are a part of the problems.  As a leader, be dang sure that you are not a part of the problem!

 

5) Ignoring people’s feelings.

Perhaps the biggest mistake you can make during stressful times is ignoring your team’s emotions. While you need to understand your own anxiety and get it under control, it is also critical to manage how others are perceiving your well-being. If they think you cannot manage yourself, they won’t trust you to manage them. The key here is empathy: You will only succeed if you are focused on the people around you, not on yourself.

Since the late 90s, starting with the work of Daniel Goleman, a great deal of research has highlighted the key role that emotional intelligence (EQ) plays in developing empathy. More specifically, we have learned that leaders with a high EQ are better at understanding and influencing other people’s emotions, as well as controlling their own. Some leaders are naturally better at this than others. Unfortunately, no one will suddenly wake up with a higher EQ overnight. But they can work on their willingness to understand other people.

A critical starting point is remembering that during tough times it is more important to stay in touch with people’s affect, mood, and stress rather than to solely focus on their work performance, productivity, or task management. Simple ways to achieve this are to have more one-on-one meetings with team members, increase the frequency of your communication, ask open-ended questions that invite people to engage, and show empathy whenever possible. As the great Dale Carnegie put it, “When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but creatures of emotion.”

As a leader, you are an amplifier of people’s emotions. If you do things right, you can bring out the best in people even in the worst of times. If you do things wrong, you will lower morale and performance even when things are fine.

Be a positive influence on your people.  Help them.  Guide them.  Lead them through tough times. They are counting on you for structure, stability, and direction!

 

 

 

7 Strategies to Improve Employee Wellbeing in the Workplace and Increase Retention Rates

 

Good employee wellbeing is essential to a company’s success. Without it, employees become disengaged, unmotivated and unlikely to stay with the business for long. With The Great Resignation of 2022 making employers realize that their people are people too, with wants and needs, businesses must take a more strategic approach to managing mental health in the workplace. That means looking at risk assessments, providing education for both employees and management teams and defining key performance indicators so that any issues can be identified quickly and addressed effectively. Here are 7 strategies you can implement today to improve employee wellbeing in your workplace – leading to increased retention rates and improved productivity from your team!

 

1. Encourage Personal Purpose at Work and Outside of it

Having a sense of personal purpose is essential for employees to stay engaged and motivated. It’s important to help individuals find their own purpose both at work and outside of it, so they can connect with the company in meaningful ways. This will give them a sense of fulfilment, pride and inspiration that will lead to increased retention rates. Businesses should create an environment that encourages personal growth and development, offering opportunities for people to explore their talents and interests while also helping them achieve their goals within the workplace. This could include investing in training courses or providing access to external mentorship programs - all aimed at helping employees discover what they are truly passionate about!

2. Connect Employees to the Company’s Overarching Purpose

It's also essential for businesses to help employees feel connected to the company’s overarching purpose. This means understanding why the business exists, what problems it is solving in the world and how its work is improving lives. If employees don't understand or agree with a company's purpose, they are likely to become disengaged and unmotivated which can lead to decreased retention rates. Companies should make sure that their people understand their mission and goals, and how each employee contributes towards achieving them - this will help create an environment of collaboration where everyone feels valued and has a sense of ownership over their work. It's important for companies to communicate regularly about their long-term objectives so that employees remain motivated throughout the year. Regular team meetings or town halls can be used as a platform for discussing accomplishments, any challenges faced or upcoming initiatives - giving everyone a chance to provide feedback on how things could be improved further!

3. Make Mental Health a Priority in the Workplace

Problem: Mental health is often overlooked in the workplace, but it's essential for employees to feel supported and heard.

Agitate: Without proper support, employees can become disengaged, unmotivated and unlikely to stay with the business for long. This leads to decreased retention rates and a decrease in productivity from your team.

Solution: Businesses should make mental health a priority by providing education for both employees and management teams on how to identify any issues quickly and address them effectively. Companies should also create an environment that encourages open dialogue about mental health so that people feel comfortable discussing their feelings without fear of judgement or stigma. Additionally, businesses should provide access to external resources such as counseling services or employee assistance programs - all aimed at helping individuals take care of their mental wellbeing while still being productive at work!

 

4. Make It OK for Employees to Talk about Wellbeing

It's important for businesses to make it ok for employees to talk about their wellbeing. This means creating a workplace culture that encourages open dialogue and understanding around issues related to mental health, stress, and other personal matters. Employees should feel comfortable expressing their feelings without fear of judgement or stigma - this will help foster an environment of trust and respect between colleagues, which is essential for improved retention rates. Companies should provide education for both employees and management teams on how to identify any issues quickly and address them effectively. Additionally, businesses should offer access to external resources such as counseling services or employee assistance programs - all aimed at helping individuals take care of their mental wellbeing while still being productive at work!

 

5. Provide Wellbeing Benefits such as EAP Counseling Services

Providing wellbeing benefits such as Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) counseling services is an important part of creating a positive workplace environment for employees and encouraging them to stay with the company. EAPs provide confidential, professional counseling services which can help employees manage stress, anxiety, depression and other mental health issues. They also offer advice on financial concerns and legal matters which can be beneficial in times of crisis or distress. Additionally, these programs are often offered at no cost to the employee - making it easier for people to access support when they need it most. By offering this type of benefit, businesses demonstrate that they care about their employees' overall wellbeing and are willing to invest in helping them lead healthier lives both inside and outside the office. This helps create loyalty among staff members who appreciate being supported by their employer - ultimately leading to improved retention rates!

 

6. Implement Regular Check-Ins with Managers and Teammates

Regular check-ins with managers and teammates can be a great way to ensure that employees are feeling supported and heard. It's an opportunity for employers to get feedback from their staff on how they're doing, what challenges they might be facing, and any initiatives they would like to see implemented in the workplace. Additionally, it allows management teams to identify any issues quickly and address them effectively - ensuring that employees feel comfortable discussing their feelings without fear of judgement or stigma. Regular check-ins also give people an opportunity to discuss accomplishments or upcoming projects - giving everyone a chance to provide feedback on how things could be improved further! By implementing regular check-ins with managers and team members, businesses can create an environment of trust which is essential for increased productivity and improved retention rates.

 

7. Develop an Employee Retention Strategy that Focuses on Wellbeing Initiatives

Developing an effective employee retention strategy is key to ensuring that your business remains competitive in today’s market. One way to do this is by focusing on wellbeing initiatives that promote a healthy work-life balance and foster a supportive environment for employees. This could include offering flexible work hours, providing access to mental health services, encouraging team building activities, or implementing regular check-ins with managers and teammates. By investing in these types of initiatives, businesses can demonstrate their commitment to the personal growth of their staff members - ultimately leading to improved morale and increased loyalty among employees which are both essential for improved retention rates. Additionally, these strategies can help create an atmosphere of trust between colleagues which will further contribute to productivity within the workplace!

 

In conclusion, there are many strategies businesses can use to improve employee wellbeing in the workplace and increase retention rates. From offering flexible work hours, providing access to mental health services, encouraging team building activities and implementing regular check-ins with managers and teammates - these initiatives demonstrate a commitment to staff members' personal growth which leads to improved morale and loyalty among employees. Additionally, creating an atmosphere of trust between colleagues is essential for productivity within the workplace! Investing in wellbeing initiatives is key for any business that wants to stay competitive while keeping their valued employees happy and engaged.

The Manager's Cheat Sheet: 101 Common-Sense Rules for Leaders

 

Management is all about connecting with the people on your team. Connecting with others leads to your increased ability to influence others positively. So how do you effectively manage a team? With common knowledge, of course. These are a few back-to-basics rules that will help you develop management skills that really matter.

Body Language

Like it or not, your body speaks volumes, even when you are silent. Here's how to express an attitude that's appropriate for a leader.

1. Stand tall. Keeping your shoulders back and holding yourself up to your full height will give you an air of confidence.

2. Take your hands out of your pockets. Putting your hands in your pockets is often seen as a sign that you have something to hide.

3. Stand with your arms crossed behind your back. This will help you adjust your posture, and it leaves your hands in a position that is open and not intimidating.

4. Make eye contact. Always look directly into the eyes of the people you are speaking with. This shows you're interested and also gives you a sense of confidence.

5. Sit up straight. Even if you're at an 8 a.m. meeting and feeling tired, it's important to sit up straight in your chair. Slouching makes you look disinterested and can give off an unwanted air of laziness.

6. Face the person you're talking to. This shows you are interested and engaged in the conversation.

7. Shake hands firmly. For many, a handshake is a reflection of the person you're shaking hands with. You don't want to come across as unsure or overbearing, so make sure yours is professional and confident.

8. Always smile. Smiles are contagious and will make others feel positive when you're around.

9. Look your best. You don't have to be model perfect every day, but you should dress appropriately and neatly. Clothes can have a big impact on the way you're perceived.

10. Walk confidently. Keep your head up and take even strides.

Meeting Deadlines

No one will be happy if your team has to rush around at the last minute to complete a project. Follow these tips to make deadlines less stressful for everyone.

11. Only promise what you can realistically deliver. Don't create deadlines that you know you can't meet. By only promising what you know you can do, you'll be able to finish on time.

12. Set clear goals. Once you know what you need to accomplish, it helps to know how and when you want to do it. Put your goals down on paper and make sure everyone on your team gets a copy.

13. Organize a team. Many of your employees will have unique strengths and training that can make them great assets to certain projects. Pick a team that has the right skills to carry out the job.

14. Delegate tasks. Spread work among your employees in a way that doesn't leave anyone overburdened while also allowing the project work smoothly.

15. Create milestones. Creating milestones for you and your team will help you keep track of your progress and also give you a sense of accomplishment as you reach each milestone.

16. Keep communication open. Keeping everyone in touch with the status of the project is key to making sure it's completed on time.

17. Do it right the first time. Planning ahead will help prevent you from delivering a substandard product. Having to redo something for a client costs money, and, more than likely, future business opportunities.

18. Stay organized. Staying organized will help keep you from wasting time chasing down important documents and information.

19. Make sure expectations are clear. Be sure that each member of your team knows what their specific responsibilities are. This will save time and prevent tasks from being overlooked.

20. Create a plan. Compile your goals and milestones into a comprehensive plan for attacking any project you are given. This way, you can make sure you're staying on schedule and that all of your employees will be clear about how and when things should be done.

Getting Along with Employees

A happy office is a productive one. Everyone will be more cheerful if you follow these simple rules.

21. Don't make your employees come in on days they're normally not scheduled to work or call them while they're on vacation. A surefire way to make employees resent you is to invade their personal time for non-pressing work. Unless you have something that absolutely has to be done, let time away from work stay that way.

22. Don't play favorites. Playing favorites can bias your judgment and impair your leadership abilities. Treat your employees equally.

23. Give credit when it's due. Don't take credit for your employees' ideas or hog their limelight. This action not only fosters resentment but also makes you seem untrustworthy.

24. Don't micromanage. While it's fine to keep up with what your employees are working on, don't constantly look over their shoulders.

25. Never discuss employee matters with their co-workers. This kind of gossip always gets back to the person and will make you look unprofessional.

26. Don't interfere with employees' work. If your employees are getting work done, don't stress about how it gets done. Even if it's not being done the way you'd do it, it's best to let employees use their best judgment.

27. Don't push unreasonable deadlines. You don't want to spend all of your time at the office, and neither do your employees.

28. Keep your promises. Barring some catastrophic event, you should always keep promises you make to employees, especially about pay and benefits.

29. Keep work about work. Don't require employees to run your personal errands. Take care of your own personal business or hire an assistant.

30. Reward hard work. Make sure your employees feel valued for the work that they do. Employees will be more willing to put in extra effort if they know it's noted and appreciated.

31. Provide motivation. Sometimes employees need a morale boost. Provide them with encouragement to get a project rolling.

Manage Yourself

Being a good manager isn't just about what you can encourage other people to do, it's also about managing your own performance.

32. Be accessible and visible. Don't hole up in your office all day — come out and visit with your employees. Let them know that they can always come to you with problems and concerns.

33. Be open to constructive criticism. It may not always be what you want to hear, but listening to constructive criticism gives you the chance to learn and grow from your mistakes.

34. Accept responsibility. Part of being the boss is accepting responsibility for the mistakes of all that you manage, not just your own.

35. Know there's always room for improvement. No matter how good you think you are, your job can always be done better. Always be willing to learn.

36. Improve your skills. Learning is a lifelong process. You're never too old to take a class or ask a co-worker to help you improve your knowledge.

37. Explain things simply. Don't use big words or technical jargon just to sound smart and impress others. Your employees will understand and perform better if you explain simply and clearly what you need.

38. Instruct rather than order. You may be the boss, but you don't have to be bossy. You'll have more success if your requests are more tactfully delivered.

39. Include your staff in your plans. Don't make your work top secret; let your employees know what's going on and how they are expected to contribute.

40. Know your subordinates' jobs. You don't want to be caught with inferior job knowledge.

41. Be flexible. It's fine to be firm in what you expect, but allow for flexibility in how it gets done.

42. Get regular feedback. Your employees and superiors can give you valuable feedback on how to improve your performance. Use this to your advantage.

43. Know your limitations. You can't be everywhere doing everything all at once. Know the limits of your time and abilities and say no to things you know you can't do.

Boosting Productivity

Getting the most out of your day can be difficult with a busy schedule, but you can use these tips to help you maximize your time in order to be better available to employees.

44. Get the most out of meetings. Be organized and prepared for meetings to increase effectiveness and time savings.

45. Focus your energy on things that matter. Don't let trivial tasks take time away from things that are really important.

46. Identify your time-stealers. Everyone has little things that detract their attention and make them lose focus. Figure out what these are and work to eliminate them, if only for a few hours a day.

47. Be punctual. Being on time is a big deal. Never keep people waiting for appointments or meetings if you can help it.

48. Respond to your correspondence within a reasonable amount of time. You don't have to be chained to your inbox, but make sure you respond to emails within a few hours whenever possible.

49. Do only what is necessary. There are times when going above and beyond works, but doing so on a daily basis can derail your progress on more important issues. Get the key things done first, then see if you have time for additional things.

50. Stick to schedules and routines. While they may not be the most exciting things, schedules and routines can help streamline and improve your productivity.

51. Organize and manage your schedule. Use any tools and utilities you have at your disposal to prioritize your day and keep track of what you need to get done.

52. Plan more than you think you can do. While this may sound stressful, it can actually be a great motivator. If you manage to get everything done, you'll enjoy a great sense of achievement.

53. Get to work early on occasion. Sometimes an uninterrupted half hour in an unoccupied office can help you get key things done or allow you to plan your day before there are any distractions to slow you down.

54. Know that sometimes stress is good. While too much of anything, especially stress, can be bad, sometimes a little stress can be the motivation to get you moving, allowing you to get more done.

55. Do your least favorite tasks first. Get your most tedious and least desirable tasks out of the way earlier in the day. After that, everything else will be a breeze.

Managing Finances and Resources

Whether you're a business owner or a manager, staying on top of tangible items is vital to success. These tips can help you keep track.

 

56. Set up a realistic budget. While it's good to be optimistic, don't plan for more spending than you know you can afford. Make sure you plan for emergencies and contingencies as well.

57. Save costs where they matter the most. Don't just pinch pennies for the present. Make sure your savings will pay off in the long run. Compromising on quality might cost you later on in repairs and replacements.

58. Spend only when it's necessary. Don't spend if you don't need to. Every bit you save goes toward your profit.

59. Find alternative sources of finance. Sometimes even successful businesses need a little help. Business loans and investors can help you through leaner times.

60. Stay true to your contracts. Not only will you gain the respect of your clients, you'll also avoid legal battles that can be a serious financial drain.

61. Make sure employees are well compensated. Employees deserve to be rewarded for hard work. Make sure yours are well compensated for their time and they'll be more productive and happier to come to work.

62. Learn to do more with less. Quality is much more important than quantity, so make what you have count.

63. Assign equipment wisely. While it might be nice for every employee to have a PDA, budgets often don't allow for such conveniences. Make sure the employees that need tools the most have access to them.

64. Invest in solid technology. This doesn't always mean the latest technology, but what your office needs to do work effectively.

65. Update when necessary. Using obsolete equipment and programs can really slow you down. Update when it makes sense so you won't get left behind by competitors.

66. Don't be wasteful. Every sheet of paper, paper clip and pen is a cost on your budget. Use materials wisely and don't waste them out of haste or carelessness.

Communicating with Clients

Whether you're a business owner or a manager carrying out a project, one thing is always the same: The client is dominant voice in decision-making. Learn to communicate with them effectively and you'll set a good example for the people you supervise.

 

67. Remember that the customer is the boss. At the end of the day, your job is to make the customer happy. Act accordingly.

68. Differentiate your products. Don't get lost in a sea of products and services like yours. Make sure you stand out from your competitors.

69. Retain customers as much as you recruit new ones. While you always want to bring in new business, it's very important to maintain relationships with loyal customers.

70. Provide effective channels of communication. Make sure your clients can contact you easily and quickly if they have a problem, concern or question. They can also provide a valuable source of feedback.

71. Maintain customer data. Use this data to make your customers feel special by remembering occasions like birthdays and anniversaries. It's also helpful for keeping track of purchasing preferences.

72. Segment your customers. Not all customers are alike. Divide your customers into groups that allow you to provide attention and services that meet each customer's unique needs.

73. Provide effective after-sales services. Don't let contact fall off after the work is complete. Make sure your client stays happy.

74. Listen attentively. Pay attention to exactly what clients are asking for to help you better meet their needs.

75. Don't be afraid to say you don't know. It's OK not to know the answer to every question. It's better to say you don't know and get back to a customer than to try to bluff your way through a conversation and have to backtrack later.

Keep Up with Change

There is no way to stop the world from changing, so follow these tips to keep up and ahead of the game.

76. Don't fight change. You can't stop markets, trends and technology from changing, so learn to go with the flow.

77. Adopt a predictive managerial style. Don't wait for things to happen to make a move. Anticipate problems and provide contingency plans.

78. Test your contingency plans. Waiting for disaster to strike is a dangerous way to find out if your emergency plans will hold. Test them out from time to time to fine-tune them and make sure they're still relevant.

79. Identify the positives. Even the most negative changes can have positive aspects to them. Being able to identify and maximize them can help make adapting less painful.

80. Be quick to adapt. Learn to adapt to changing situations quickly and be able to change plans on the spur of the moment if the situation requires it.

81. Stay tuned to external factors. Your business is affected in many ways by outside factors. Keep abreast of these so you can anticipate any sudden market changes that would affect how you need to manage.

82. Put in place a Research and Development plan. Encourage innovation and creativity to stay ahead of the demand for newer and better products and services.

83. Keep an eye on the competition. Don't let the competition get the best of you. Keep up-to-date with what they're doing and use it to your advantage in managing your business.

Resolving Problems

Whether problems are internal or external, they can make your management duties a nightmare if you don't handle them correctly. Here's how to stay on top of them.

84. Stand up for employees. If other departments or managers are bearing down hard on your employees, stand up for them.

85. Fix what's broken. Don't waste time placing blame. Take care of fixing the problem before dealing with any possible repercussions.

86. Manage and control your emotions. Don't let anger or frustration affect your problem resolution. If you are emotionally invested in a situation, cool down before discussing it or bring in an outside mediator.

87. Learn when to step in. Some problems might resolve themselves if you just let them be, but you need to be aware of times where you'll need to step in and take control of a situation.

88. Take the blame. If you've made a mistake, fess up. It'll give you more time to work on fixing the problem instead of talking your way out of taking the rap.

89. Get the facts first. Before you pass judgment on a situation, make sure you have the whole story. Listen to employees and refrain from questioning anyone's integrity without first ensuring that you've gathered all the data.

90. Rise above the crisis. Learn to separate yourself from the problem and rise above the fray. You'll be able to think more clearly and make a better decision on how to rectify the issue.

91. Don't ignore problems. A small problem can easily snowball and become something much more difficult to fix.

92. Try to depersonalize problems. Let employees know that the problem isn't with them but with their actions. Don't make it personal.

Go Above and Beyond

Managing people isn't just about getting the job done. To truly be a great leader, sometimes you need to go above and beyond what the job calls for.

93. Lead by example. You can talk until you're blue in the face, but the best way to get a point across is to be the model to emulate. Let employees follow your lead.

94. Get your hands dirty. Sometimes you need to show your employees that no one's above doing unattractive tasks.

95. Make a difference to your employees. Don't just be a generic manager — stand out as a leader and role model for your employees.

96. Gain your employees' trust and respect. You'll have a much easier time managing employees when they respect your rules and boundaries and trust your leadership.

97. Be empathetic to personal problems. Whether it should or not, what happens outside of work can have a big affect on the quality of work produced. Be sensitive if employees have personal issues that keep them from concentrating on work.

98. Be unique as a manager. Every position demands something different and you should be proud to be adept at your particular role rather than trying to emulate other managers.

99. Remember that ethics matter above all. Be honest and reliable in all of your business and personal relationships.

100. Be on the lookout for new ideas. You never know where your next great inspiration will come from.

101. Get to know your employees as a person, not just as an employee. Learn more than just their names. Get to know your employees' family backgrounds, likes and dislikes. Doing so will make you more personable.

Always remember – people do business with those they know, like, and trust!

 

Five Benefits of Organization Development

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In 1999, I decided to formally make the transition from my academic focus on Clinical Psychology to the world of Organization Development and Industrial & Organizational Psychology.   What I remember most about this transition was how fascinated I was with certain organizational dynamics:

• how companies operated
• differences in organizational cultures
• the impact of leadership on company performance
• employees who are engaged in their jobs and their impact on company performance

Throughout my career, I have continually been engaged in asking questions that don’t always come with simple answers.  Just take for instance the question: How do you build a high-performing company?  This is not a simple question by any stretch of the imagination.  It requires an in-depth analysis of branding, market analysis, the quality of your product or service, funding, operational structure, leadership, employee management, employee development, and performance management.

Asking complicated questions and generating simple solutions is the magic and art of Organization Development (OD).

OD is the practice of planned, systemic change in the beliefs, attitudes and values of employees for individual and company growth.  The purpose of OD is to enable an organization to better respond and adapt to industry/market changes and technological advances.  I want to focus on five clear benefits of OD and specifically how OD initiatives can take a company from continuous improvement to increased profits.

1) Continuous Improvement – Companies that engage in organization development commit to continually improving their business and offerings.  The OD process creates a continuous cycle of improvement whereby strategies are planned, implemented, evaluated, improved and monitored.

Take for instance the Core10 Model which provides a focus on 10 simple principles (envision, enlist, communicate, clarify, strategize, design, implement, evaluate, adjust, and increase).  Notice the flow of these principles.  They can be applied to the management of the company as a whole, or to specific projects.  (More to come in our blog regarding the Core10 Growth Principles) Organization development is a proactive approach that embraces change (internal and external) and leverages it for renewal.

2) Increased Communication – One of the key advantages to OD is increased communication, feedback and interaction within the organization.  The goal of improving communication is to align all employees to shared company goals and values.  Candid communication also leads to increased understanding of the need for change within the organization.  Communication is open across all levels of the organization and relevant feedback is recurrently shared for improvement.

Whenever we see a breakdown in communication in an organization, we quickly are able to identify patterns of interaction that lack CONNECTION.  When people sense a lack in communication, it usually is not due to a lack of people being able to formulate a message using accurate words.  It is more a result of people not being on the same page, conflicting agendas, lack of trust, or simply the lack of effort placed on connecting with others in the organization.   In other words people are failing to make common that which is important in operating the organization.  “To make common” is the actual root meaning of the word communicate.

3) Employee Development – Organization development focuses on increased communication to influence employees to bring about desired changes.  The need for employee development stems from constant industry and market changes.  This causes an organization to regularly enhance employee skills to meet evolving market requirements.  This is achieved through a program of learning, training, skills/competency enhancement and work process improvements.

We recommend to all companies that they establish a formal training entity – an academy or a corporate university.  Even small businesses can establish a clear roadmap for personal development.  Here’s what we must remember – we all want to grow!  Every one of us is hard-wired for growth.  We want to be better next year than we are today.  If we fail to meet this need for employees, they will go elsewhere.  Again, the war on talent is real!  The most talented employees want to keep growing personally and they also want to be a part of a growing and thriving business.

4) Product & Service Enhancement – A major benefit of OD is innovation, which leads to product and service enhancement.  Innovation is achieved through employee development, which focuses on rewarding successes and boosting motivation and morale.  In this scenario, employee engagement is high leading to increased creativity and innovation.  Employees want their opinions to be heard!  Organization development also increases product innovation by using competitive analysis, market research and consumer expectations and preferences.

The more you invest in your people, the more they will invest in the business.  If you give the minimum, they will give the minimum in return.   It is amazing just how reciprocal this relationship is.  You get what you give!

5) Increased Profit- Organization development impacts the bottom line in a variety of ways.  Through raised innovation and productivity, efficiency and profits are increased. Costs are also reduced by minimizing employee turnover and absenteeism.  As OD aligns objectives and focuses on development, product/service quality and employee satisfaction are increased.  The culture shift to one of continuous improvement gives the company a distinct advantage in the competitive marketplace.

As OD initiatives are implemented throughout the business, your people strategy aligns more and more with the business strategy, becoming one in purpose.  The end goal of OD initiatives is to maximize the potential of people so as to maximize the potential of the organization as a whole!