IntroductionWelcome| 00:04 |
Now that you're leading a team I'll bet
you're starting to think about many
| | 00:07 |
issues you've never really thought about
before.
| | 00:10 |
I mean, how do you really maximize what
your team is capable of.
| | 00:14 |
Good news.
Fine-tuning a team is a skill you can learn.
| | 00:18 |
With a little patience and a lot of
effort, you can learn to master these
| | 00:21 |
skills so that you're always building
effective teams.
| | 00:26 |
I'll start by helping you understand key
elements of employee motivation.
| | 00:30 |
This includes aspects of goal-setting as
well as the proper use of recognition and rewards.
| | 00:36 |
We'll cover topics including the employee
evaluation process, as well as managing
| | 00:40 |
underperforming employees.
We'll address several methods for
| | 00:45 |
building and developing the talent on
your team.
| | 00:47 |
Covering everything from training to
coaching, and a little special attention
| | 00:51 |
will be given to your best employees.
The ones we call high potentials.
| | 00:57 |
I'm also going to walk you through what
it means to successfully mediate
| | 01:00 |
conflict, as well as create needed
positive conflict at work.
| | 01:05 |
Real change often requires difficult
conversations and you can learn to lead
| | 01:09 |
those effectively.
I'm going to challenge you to find the
| | 01:13 |
best elements of your team and leverage
them, while at the same time,
| | 01:16 |
productively confronting areas that need
improvement.
| | 01:20 |
When you've completed this course, use
these tips to help push your team to new
| | 01:24 |
levels of performance.
| | 01:26 |
| | 59:59 |
(MUSIC).
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1. Motivating Your TeamMotivating your team| 00:00 |
As a leader you must contend with the
fact that many of the employees you lead
| | 00:04 |
will not be as self motivated as you are.
They will benefit from a little extra motivation.
| | 00:11 |
Understanding motivation begins with
knowing the difference between intrinsic
| | 00:15 |
and extrinsic motivation.
Intrinsic motivation comes from within a person.
| | 00:19 |
An employee might have an internal
feeling of motivation driven by,
| | 00:22 |
personality, or explained by a quality
fit with the work.
| | 00:26 |
Meaning they actually like what they do.
Extrinsic motivation refers to motivation
| | 00:31 |
resulting from any number of external
things we might do in an attempt to
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stimulate new motivation in others.
The vast majority of writing, and
| | 00:40 |
thinking, and tools in the area of
employee motivation focus on forms of
| | 00:43 |
extrinsic motivation.
New ways to entice people to do more and
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better work.
This isn't bad in and of itself, but it
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is not the most productive view of
motivation.
| | 00:55 |
The most effective way to think about
motivation is in a balanced manner that
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incorporates both intrinsic and extrinsic
factors.
| | 01:02 |
With a clear emphasis on supporting
intrinsic motivation.
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Think of it this way, sometimes we become
so focused on using things such as money
| | 01:10 |
and other types of rewards.
That the rewards can become a much bigger
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focus than the work itself.
That is an outcome you wish to avoid from
| | 01:18 |
the intrinsic/extrinsic perspective there
are three major approaches to employee motivation.
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The first two are the most popular, and
they're extrinsic in nature.
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I'm referring to goal setting and the use
of rewards and recognition.
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These are popular because they're the
easiest to understand and implement.
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The third approach is somewhat less
popular, but actually far more important.
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This one deals with relationships and the
work environment and how they can often
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bolster and support intrinsic motivation.
Nothing motivates a person more than high
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quality relationships in a positive work
environment.
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So, let's address four key aspects of the
work environment and relationships at
| | 01:58 |
work that have been proven, many times,
to be great explanations for employee motivation.
| | 02:05 |
Research on motivation is very clear.
The quality of relationships at work matters.
| | 02:10 |
And none matters more than the
relationship an employee has with his or
| | 02:13 |
her direct supervisor.
In fact, the number one reason that
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professionals voluntarily leave jobs, is
bad boss relationships.
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As a leader, realize that while you're
not trying to become best friends with
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the members of your team.
You are trying to develop positive,
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helpful, and supportive relationships.
Remember, for every employee their view
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of the quality of their relationship with
you, is the lens through which everything
| | 02:39 |
else at work is seen.
The next motivating aspect, is a feeling
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of inclusion, you build a sense of
inclusion by genuinely seeking employee
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input on important matters.
Make them feel like you're partners, not
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mere employees.
Third is a sense of opportunity.
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You create real belief in opportunity
when others see that great performance is
| | 03:02 |
justly rewarded.
This helps the team see the workplace as
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a fair place.
Last but not least, you want to build a
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sense of purpose.
You accomplish this by sharing comments
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about why the work matters and how the
team's work actually helps others.
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Use your comments, notes, or comments
from others in the organization supported
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by your team, or from customers or
clients you ultimately support.
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When you build positive relationships
with your employees, and build a sense of
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inclusion, opportunity, and purpose.
You will have done a great deal to
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support intrinsic motivation.
Here is one additional quick but very
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important piece of advice.
Never rely on fear as a motivator.
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It is important to understand that while
fear is effective in obtaining short term
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compliance from your employees, there are
two huge problems.
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First, using these tactics causes
resentment, which can simmer, for a long time.
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Second, use of fear stops you from
achieving the one thing that is much
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better than short term compliance which
is long-term behavioral commitment.
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Fear and negativity, should be very rare
in a productive workplace.
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Motivating others is not mysterious.
You'll need tactics that support both
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intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.
Both are important, but always remember
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nothing is more motivational than being a
part of positive and supportive
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relationships at work.
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| Mastering the goal setting process| 00:01 |
Research and common sense tell us that
goals work.
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In fact, there is no area of the
organizational sciences that has received
| | 00:08 |
as much support or attention over the
years, as goals setting.
| | 00:13 |
For individuals, groups, and
organizations, the proper use of goals
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improves performance.
The idea is simple.
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For an individual or group, goals direct
finite time and energy towards desired outcomes.
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They are the ultimate tools to help us
achieve focus, however, like any jewel,
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they must be used correctly to have a
positive impact.
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So first lets talk about the goal setting
process.
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And then we'll address the essential
components of any goal.
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For our purposes here, I will assume the
perspective of you as a leader, working
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to establish goals from one of your
employees.
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To get started the process begins with
your individual effort to establish draft
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goals for the employee.
Based on performance standards and your
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knowledge of the person's ability.
You will set initial targets for any
| | 01:01 |
relevant areas of work over the upcoming
quarter or year.
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Next you will collaborate with the
employee in question.
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You are in charge and start the goal
setting process.
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But forming a collaboration or
partnership with the employee is vital.
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When they feel ownership in the process
right along with you the motivational
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impact of goals increases significantly.
After goals have been set, agree upon measures.
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Measures help you chart progress towards
goal completion.
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Strive for a very small number of high
quality, fairly easy to use measures.
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Otherwise good measures that are wildly
difficult in terms of data collection
| | 01:43 |
will not help the process.
In addition to measures, you must be able
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to clearly define all expected
milestones.
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Milestones represent the major sub parts
or chunks of a goal.
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For example, in a sales process, you
might say, $1,000,000 is the annual goal.
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Sales per week is the measure, and
increments of $250,000 are the milestones.
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Using measures and milestones allows you
to adequately track performance on a
| | 02:11 |
calendar overtime.
Once underway, you must track performance.
| | 02:17 |
That's the feedback component.
The system you use is up to you.
| | 02:20 |
Every organization is different.
It might be a highly automated process,
| | 02:25 |
or it might be simple conversations used
to track performance.
| | 02:29 |
Finally, we have the most important part
of the goal setting process, accountability.
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Accountability refers to holding someone
liable for their performance relative to
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their goals: Based on performance, does
the person deserve a simple pat on the
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back, or is their performance so strong
they deserve a promotion?
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In the opposite direction, do they need
to have their responsibilities reduced?
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Would they benefit from coaching to
improve their output?
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Be positive and helpful, but make sure
you hold people accountable.
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Without accountability, goals actually
can be a waste of time.
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The point is, the outcomes need to
properly match the performance.
| | 03:09 |
Now you're ready to engage the goal
setting process.
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Follow the ideas outlined here, and give
your employees the clarity they need to
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be productive.
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| Elements of effective goals| 00:01 |
Likely the most important part of the
goal setting process is actually defining
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great goals.
The most famous and I think the most
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useful approach to crafty goals is to use
SMART Goals.
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This stands for Specific, Measurable,
Aligned, Reachable and Time-bound.
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Let's briefly consider each element.
S is for specific.
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Great goals are not vague, unclear or
otherwise ambiguous.
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They strive to be very concrete.
For example, instead of telling an
| | 00:34 |
employee they could provide better
customer service, you might set a goal to
| | 00:37 |
increase customer satisfaction survey
results by 10% over the next two quarters.
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The more specific the goal, the more
useful the goal.
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Next, M is for measurable.
It has often been said if you can't
| | 00:51 |
measure it, you can't manage it, and
that's true.
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We don't monitor goals through intuition.
Measures matter.
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But as noted a moment ago, be sure to use
a small number of measures to capture any
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truly needed information.
The idea is to track progress, but at the
| | 01:08 |
same time, we must be careful to not
create an unnecessarily huge measurement burden.
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This is followed by A, for Aligned.
Goals are said to be aligned when they
| | 01:20 |
support each other and do not otherwise
work at cross purposes, such that
| | 01:23 |
pursuing one goal impedes your ability to
successfully pursue another goal.
| | 01:29 |
The classic example here is to demand a
strong increase in work output or
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quantity while also asking for an
increase in work quality.
| | 01:38 |
These two goals might not be mutually
supportive.
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Next, we have R for reachable.
Here we're referring to the level of
| | 01:45 |
performance to be obtained.
Now in classic goal theory, a goal is
| | 01:50 |
motivational if it is viewed as
challenging but reasonable and reachable.
| | 01:55 |
you don't want a goal to seem terribly
easy to accomplish, but you also to avoid
| | 01:59 |
being demotivational because you set the
bar too high.
| | 02:04 |
Because you're going to use a
collaborative goal setting process.
| | 02:07 |
You have a good chance of finding a
useful level of difficulty that pushes
| | 02:11 |
the employee, while still remaining
reasonable.
| | 02:15 |
Finally T is for time-bound.
This component of goal setting is well
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knowing but it is often, misunderstood.
Because we are so busy at work and
| | 02:23 |
because it is tough to estimate how long
things will take, we often underestimate
| | 02:27 |
how much time is needed for any given
goal.
| | 02:32 |
Here's a great rule of thumb.
Make your honest estimation, then add a
| | 02:35 |
little bit more to be safe.
Trust me, adding a little room to
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complete a goal can make all the
difference.
| | 02:43 |
There you have it.
Goals should be smart.
| | 02:46 |
As useful as the smart acronym might be,
I'd like you to consider one more thing.
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The need to provide adequate resources.
If your goal setting process is crystal
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clear and you have crafted thoughtful
goals that conform to the SMART model,
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you have to be sure your employees are
properly armed to be successful.
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Think through the tools, hardware,
software, personnel and other resources
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they will need.
Make sure they have everything needed to
| | 03:14 |
reach their goals.
Goals have long been known as very useful
| | 03:18 |
devices in organizational life.
Especially if you remember that every
| | 03:23 |
goal should be SMART: specific,
measurable, aligned, reachable time-bound
| | 03:28 |
and supported by adequate resources.
| | 03:32 |
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| Rewarding employees| 00:01 |
One of the fun aspects of being a leader
is finding opportunities to recognize and
| | 00:04 |
reward your employees.
There are just as many types of
| | 00:07 |
recognition and reward programs as there
are types of employees.
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The options are unlimited.
However, first, it's very important that
| | 00:15 |
you understand the difference between
recognition and rewards.
| | 00:20 |
Recognition refers to informal or formal
public praise given to an individual or group.
| | 00:24 |
In contrast, rewards are tangible things,
such as money or time off.
| | 00:30 |
It's important that both recognition and
rewards are given in response to a
| | 00:33 |
specific achievement.
Let's focus on recognition for just a moment.
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Informal recognition includes those
attempts to say thank you that are not
| | 00:42 |
highly planned.
These tend to be inside the group, not
| | 00:45 |
company wide, and are usually free or
very inexpensive.
| | 00:49 |
Contrary to popular belief, you don't
have to shut down the entire
| | 00:52 |
organization, for an hour or a day.
And herd every employee into an
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auditorium in order to recognize
achievement.
| | 00:59 |
Many times, the true power of recognition
is found in the spontaneous informal
| | 01:03 |
celebration of achievement within your
own team.
| | 01:07 |
Instead of waiting for the next company
meeting, look for ways to recognize
| | 01:10 |
outstanding performance on the fly
wherever it shows up.
| | 01:15 |
Of course, formal attempts to recognize
people can have great meaning as well.
| | 01:20 |
It is through formal efforts that we
often see the classic use of rewards.
| | 01:24 |
Formal recognition programs might include
ceremonies at company meetings, employee
| | 01:28 |
of the month programs, or promotion
ceremonies.
| | 01:32 |
At these types of events it is common to
see things such as plaques, certificates,
| | 01:36 |
or some form of money.
Another great tactic is to consider spot awards.
| | 01:42 |
That is, instead of waiting for yet
another big meeting, reward great
| | 01:46 |
behavior when it happens, on the spot.
This might be cash, gift certificates or
| | 01:51 |
something else of value to the employee.
But the idea is to use small formal
| | 01:55 |
rewards with on the spot recognition, to
reinforce great performance in a very
| | 02:00 |
timely fashion.
This might be a good time to mention a
| | 02:05 |
little more about money as a motivator.
Yes, we all like money.
| | 02:10 |
And different forms of compensation can
be motivational.
| | 02:14 |
However, research suggests we often
overplay the role of money as a part of
| | 02:17 |
our motivational efforts.
While we all enjoy money, we enjoy
| | 02:22 |
positive work relationships, being
respected, being recognized and being in
| | 02:26 |
the loop even more.
Money is great, but an excessive or an
| | 02:30 |
exclusive use of money as a primary
motivational tool will eventually hurt
| | 02:34 |
intrinsic motivation.
To the point that the only thing people
| | 02:39 |
care about is doing whatever it takes to
earn more money.
| | 02:43 |
Be careful to make sure your use of money
and other extrinsic tools keeps the focus
| | 02:47 |
on the work.
While the approaches mentioned thus far
| | 02:52 |
are definitely worth your consideration.
Most experts agree that the most potent
| | 02:56 |
motivational tools really are informal
rewards.
| | 03:00 |
When thoughtfully used, informal rewards,
such as food, thank you notes, or simply
| | 03:04 |
allowing someone to leave work early
often make the biggest difference.
| | 03:08 |
It's kind of like receiving a gift
someone made just for you versus a gift
| | 03:11 |
they bought off the shelf.
They're both nice, but the homemade gift
| | 03:15 |
usually means a little more.
That brings us to the characteristics of
| | 03:19 |
effective recognition and rewards.
To be motivational, make sure your effort
| | 03:23 |
is three things, above all else.
Timely, personal and earned.
| | 03:30 |
By timely I mean that you should deliver
your efforts as close in time as possible
| | 03:34 |
to the actual performance being
recognized.
| | 03:37 |
By personal I mean to strive to make each
effort unique, so you don't give everyone
| | 03:41 |
the same thing all the time.
Finally, make sure that all rewards are
| | 03:46 |
earned contingent on performance.
This is huge, make them rare and
| | 03:50 |
meaningful and attached to great
performance.
| | 03:55 |
There is often a desire to give everyone
something but you should resist this urge.
| | 03:59 |
By making rewards a little more rare and
very clearly tied to great performance,
| | 04:03 |
you will significantly increase their
motivational impact.
| | 04:08 |
Everyone needs a good dose of motivation
from time to time.
| | 04:11 |
You have many options at your disposal,
including many types of recognition and
| | 04:14 |
rewards, both formal and informal.
Make sure they're timely, personal, and
| | 04:18 |
truly earned, and you just might have a
very motivated team.
| | 04:22 |
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2. Managing Team PerformanceUnderstanding the employee evaluation process| 00:00 |
Few conversations are as important as the
employee evaluations.
| | 00:04 |
Some organizations provide appraisals two
or three times each year, but most opt
| | 00:08 |
for once per year.
Some, unfortunately fail to administer
| | 00:12 |
any at all.
Every employee deserves a thorough evaluation.
| | 00:17 |
Evaluations benefit the organization as
well by creating informed employees who
| | 00:21 |
know what is expected of them and which
areas of performance to focus on.
| | 00:26 |
In addition the evaluation process also
mitigates many employment problems.
| | 00:31 |
Performance evaluations can keep you out
of legal trouble by helping you track and
| | 00:35 |
document your employees progress and
problems.
| | 00:39 |
If you ever need to discipline a worker
or worse fire them, you will have written
| | 00:43 |
proof that you gave them notice and a
chance to correct the problem, which will
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go a long way towards convincing a jury
or a judge that you acted fairly.
| | 00:53 |
To prepare for an evaluation gather and
review all of the documents and records
| | 00:57 |
relating to the employees performance and
behavior.
| | 01:00 |
Review the notes that you've been keeping
and the employees personnel file.
| | 01:05 |
You might also want to take a look at any
other relevant company records related to
| | 01:08 |
the worker.
For example, sales records, call reports,
| | 01:11 |
or time cards.
Once you've reviewed these documents and
| | 01:15 |
gathered your thoughts about the
employee's work, write the appraisal.
| | 01:18 |
Or if your system solicits input from
other managers and employees, ask them to
| | 01:22 |
complete their evaluations so everything
can be compiled.
| | 01:27 |
In many organizations the employee will
also submit a self evaluation.
| | 01:32 |
For you and any other person submitting
information, the evaluation should
| | 01:36 |
clearly note each standard or goal for
the worker including relevant skills and competencies.
| | 01:42 |
A conclusion as to whether the employee
met the different standards and the
| | 01:46 |
reasons that support the conclusion.
After all participants have made their
| | 01:51 |
contributions, set up a meeting to
discuss it with the employee.
| | 01:56 |
Since this is a rare formal conversation,
it is best to follow a well known
| | 02:00 |
schedule that is published for all to see
long in advance.
| | 02:05 |
Remember this is very important to you
and them, so be sure to schedule enough
| | 02:09 |
time to discuss each issue thoroughly.
At the meeting, based on the input of all
| | 02:15 |
the participants let your employee know
what you think he or she did well and
| | 02:19 |
which areas could use some improvement.
Using your evaluation as a guide, explain
| | 02:25 |
your conclusions and remember to be very
specific, be honest and stay positive.
| | 02:32 |
Listen carefully to your employee's
comments.
| | 02:34 |
Take notes during the meeting, and
include those notes on the form as part
| | 02:38 |
of the employee's personnel file.
After discussing the prior performance
| | 02:43 |
period, spend at least half to a third of
the meeting addressing any revised or new goals.
| | 02:49 |
This might include target skills or
competencies that'll become a part of
| | 02:52 |
their focus for the next performance
period.
| | 02:56 |
Please note, I did not encourage you to
discuss compensation.
| | 03:00 |
To help everyone focus on performance,
the discussion of compensation changes
| | 03:03 |
should take place at another time.
Here are a few great tips to help you
| | 03:08 |
decrease tension in the room.
Make sure the location of the meeting is
| | 03:13 |
very private.
Show respect by using eye contact
| | 03:16 |
liberally as opposed to just reading a
form to them.
| | 03:20 |
And be sure you're on time and
well-prepared.
| | 03:23 |
Finally, you might also consider sitting
next to the employee as opposed to
| | 03:27 |
sitting across a desk or table, which can
often seem adversarial.
| | 03:33 |
From a process perspective, evaluation is
a continuous cycle throughout the year.
| | 03:38 |
Following the evaluation, the employee
has the burden to document their work and
| | 03:42 |
accomplishments over time until the next
evaluation.
| | 03:46 |
Similarly, the supervisor, that's you,
needs to stay in touch in order to see if
| | 03:49 |
they're following their new plan to make
sure they stay up to speed and are not
| | 03:52 |
surprised by anything.
And to simply signal to them your
| | 03:57 |
attention and support.
When executed effectively, the evaluation
| | 04:02 |
process benefits everyone.
It will give you insight about the talent
| | 04:05 |
you manage.
And importantly it will help your
| | 04:08 |
employees understand how to move forward
with confidence and clarity.
| | 04:13 |
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| Maximizing team talent| 00:01 |
Every leader faces a similar reality.
There's the talent and skills we dream of
| | 00:05 |
having on the team.
And then there's the actual talent and
| | 00:08 |
skill present on the team.
Your task becomes one of maximizing what
| | 00:11 |
you can accomplish with your current
players while planning long term ways to
| | 00:15 |
improve yourself and your team.
To assess the current state of your
| | 00:19 |
team's talent, I want you to think
through four key issues.
| | 00:23 |
First, what is the state of the company?
Is it growing and healthy, or struggling
| | 00:28 |
and shrinking?
What about the specific product or
| | 00:31 |
service line your team supports?
This all affects what you can expect in
| | 00:35 |
terms of changes, up or down, to your
team's budget.
| | 00:39 |
Next, what does your boss think about
your team?
| | 00:42 |
You are only one of several competing
priorities for your boss.
| | 00:45 |
Have you built a dialogue that will allow
you to more effectively lobby for new or
| | 00:49 |
different talent on your team?
And what about Human Resources?
| | 00:54 |
What are the policies coming out of HR
regarding hiring at your organization.
| | 00:59 |
If the composition of your team is to
change in any way, HR will be involved.
| | 01:04 |
So staying close to HR and informed about
what they are up to will always be beneficial.
| | 01:09 |
Finally, your good rapport with your team
will allow you insight to changes they
| | 01:13 |
might desire or intend to make.
Such as accepting a new job outside of
| | 01:17 |
the group, taking time off to have
children or a change in status to allow
| | 01:21 |
for educational pursuits.
Aside from staying on top of all of these issues.
| | 01:27 |
There are three additional areas of
activity I want you to consider in terms
| | 01:30 |
of assessing team talent.
They are, employee development plans.
| | 01:37 |
You group's training and development
plan.
| | 01:39 |
And your personal succession plan.
We'll briefly discuss each one.
| | 01:44 |
First the employee development plan.
This is an extension of the discussion
| | 01:49 |
and documentation begun as a part of the
employee evaluation process.
| | 01:53 |
Whereas that discussion is focused
squarely on the next performance period.
| | 01:58 |
Now we wish to think more long term.
Sometimes development plans are formally
| | 02:03 |
submitted and become part of the
personnel file.
| | 02:05 |
Other times, they are encouraged but
treated informally as a reference point
| | 02:08 |
for coaching and mentoring discussions.
Either way, you can prepare the employee
| | 02:14 |
by asking thought provoking questions,
such as.
| | 02:18 |
What aspects of your job do you like
least or the best?
| | 02:22 |
How can I help you do a better job?
Are there changes required in your
| | 02:27 |
current job?
Where do you see yourself in five years?
| | 02:30 |
What activities would help you develop
professionally?
| | 02:35 |
The development plan helps the employee
clarify a long term path.
| | 02:39 |
A map for long range developmental needs
and goals.
| | 02:42 |
In short, it begins to define a bigger
picture for their advancement within the organization.
| | 02:48 |
It's worth noting that companies who
engage employees in these types of
| | 02:52 |
discussions, often retain talent better.
This is because they are clearly
| | 02:56 |
signalling to the employees, their
willingness and ability to invest in
| | 03:00 |
their success, over the long haul.
With a good understanding of the state of
| | 03:04 |
the company, your bosses thoughts, the
mood in HR and with the knowledge of your
| | 03:08 |
employees development plans you're now
able to create an overall training and
| | 03:12 |
development plan for your team.
Training can play a great role in
| | 03:18 |
creating new skills and polishing
existing skills.
| | 03:21 |
Your task is to solicit desired training
options from you employees.
| | 03:26 |
You will combine that with what you
believe they need, to create a training
| | 03:29 |
plan that covers the people, the topics,
the budget, and the timing, for all
| | 03:33 |
training activities for the year.
Of course, there are many forms of
| | 03:39 |
training, from online instruction to
classroom instruction to applied
| | 03:41 |
activities in the field.
Here's the best advice.
| | 03:45 |
Do your homework, and choose the best
resource you can afford.
| | 03:49 |
Don't choose the cheapest option.
You really do get what you pay for.
| | 03:54 |
Finally, a long term view of talent in
your group includes you and your
| | 03:58 |
professional aspirations.
You need a succession plan.
| | 04:03 |
This is not a formal document for your
personnel file.
| | 04:06 |
It's just for you, but it might be more
important than any formal document.
| | 04:10 |
The succession plan is your effort to
develop and identify talent that can
| | 04:13 |
conserve to back fill you should you be
promoted.
| | 04:18 |
First, this is the right thing to do for
the group.
| | 04:20 |
Always try to leave them better than you
found them.
| | 04:23 |
Second, this is often required for you to
be promoted so that the leaders above you
| | 04:27 |
have confidence that your team will
succeed without you.
| | 04:32 |
Talent must be managed, just like any
asset.
| | 04:35 |
Sometimes you will have control over
staffing and hiring, and sometimes you
| | 04:39 |
will not.
Either way, assess and develop the talent
| | 04:42 |
on your team by knowing the environment
around you.
| | 04:45 |
Encourage solid development plans.
Create a clear training plan, and of
| | 04:49 |
course, think through your own personal
succession plan.
| | 04:54 |
| | Collapse this transcript |
| Dealing with underperforming employees| 00:01 |
In a perfect world, you would never have
to worry about performance problems with
| | 00:03 |
your employees.
Of course, life's not perfect.
| | 00:07 |
Understanding when and how to intervene
with your employees to discuss poor
| | 00:10 |
performance can be challenging.
It's nonetheless one of the more
| | 00:14 |
important tasks you will face as a
leader.
| | 00:17 |
The good news is that it doesn't have to
be difficult, and when done correctly,
| | 00:21 |
you will get your employee back on track.
When you notice an unwanted performance
| | 00:26 |
deviation, your first task is to
understand whether the issue is best
| | 00:30 |
described as a one time incident or a
pattern.
| | 00:33 |
Assuming the deviation is small, try to
resist intervening too quickly.
| | 00:38 |
Should the issue recur or persist then
it's starting to look like a pattern that
| | 00:42 |
you need to address.
Let's be clear.
| | 00:45 |
It needs to be a pattern of behavior that
is not merely odd but one that you
| | 00:49 |
genuinely believe can hurt moral and
productivity in the group.
| | 00:54 |
Under those conditions, your next task
becomes, finding the root cause of the problem.
| | 00:59 |
Be careful not to assume you know what is
causing the performance drop for the person.
| | 01:04 |
I want you to carefully consider both
ability and motivation.
| | 01:09 |
Don't assume, for example, that they have
an ability problem, when they could be
| | 01:12 |
experiencing a motivation problem.
Similarly, you can't assume they're
| | 01:16 |
simply unmotivated because they may have
an ability issue.
| | 01:20 |
Be careful about making assumptions.
Instead, start a dialogue.
| | 01:25 |
It sounds so simple, but it might
surprise you how often people fail to do this.
| | 01:29 |
Be specific and be positive.
Start by asking them how they're doing.
| | 01:34 |
When you begin to address the issue, make
it matter of fact, not monumental.
| | 01:39 |
Tell them you've noticed an issue and be
very clear about the details.
| | 01:43 |
Strive to be an even better listener than
a talker, and you'll likely uncover
| | 01:47 |
what's really going on.
No matter what the root cause, your job
| | 01:52 |
is to seek to help.
Re-establish performance expectations,
| | 01:56 |
and, when needed, to clarify consequences
moving forward.
| | 02:00 |
Sometimes the issue is motivational in
nature, say they're really tired, not
| | 02:04 |
feeling well, or, maybe, the work in
question, simply fails to engage them.
| | 02:08 |
In any case, it's your job to be
supportive and provide the needed motivation.
| | 02:14 |
If however, the issue is related to
ability, you have four main approaches
| | 02:18 |
you might consider.
First, the use of informal check-ups.
| | 02:24 |
If you have high confidence in the
person's ability to self correct, maybe a
| | 02:27 |
good conversation, followed by a few
check-ups is all that's necessary.
| | 02:32 |
Stop by where they work to see how
they're progressing.
| | 02:35 |
This may be all that is required to get
them back on track.
| | 02:39 |
If the problem is big enough or
persistent enough, you might want a
| | 02:42 |
formal approach, such as a Performance
Improvement Plan, or PIP.
| | 02:46 |
A PIP is a simple, short document used to
record all of the specifics.
| | 02:53 |
The performance issue at hand, relevant
dates and times the issue has been discussed.
| | 02:58 |
A clear statement of how the behavior
will change.
| | 03:01 |
What, if any, new training or remedial
work must be completed?
| | 03:05 |
And importantly, any consequences that
might materialize moving forward.
| | 03:10 |
The employee signs this document and it
goes in their personel file.
| | 03:13 |
Do your best to be very positive and
helpful, but understand that using a PIP
| | 03:18 |
sends a strong signal that behavior must
change.
| | 03:23 |
If you believe it's warranted, you can
take an even more decisive step by
| | 03:26 |
reshaping the persons role.
The idea here is simple, change the
| | 03:31 |
persons responsibilities to better fit
their abilities and interests.
| | 03:35 |
This is not a step to be taken lightly.
There might be significant paperwork
| | 03:40 |
involved including new job descriptions
or other HR documentation.
| | 03:44 |
In addition, it's never clear exactly how
others will view the effort you are
| | 03:47 |
expending on behalf of the target
employee.
| | 03:51 |
It can be a legitimate move.
But it's never your first move and should
| | 03:54 |
be used with caution.
Finally, in the case of serious
| | 03:58 |
persistent performance problems, the most
drastic move is to release the person.
| | 04:03 |
This might mean finding them a new role
outside of your group where hopefully
| | 04:06 |
they will find a better fit.
My advice here is simple and very important.
| | 04:11 |
Make sure the entire process from initial
intervention to the final separation is
| | 04:14 |
well documented.
And that you've had proper involvement
| | 04:18 |
from HR and or the legal department from
the very beginning.
| | 04:22 |
Letting someone go is a very difficult
thing to do.
| | 04:24 |
But sometimes, it is the best thing for
your team.
| | 04:27 |
And believe it or not, it could be a
needed wake up call for the person you
| | 04:30 |
let go.
Anyone can lead a team that is perfect
| | 04:34 |
and never experiences any performance
problems.
| | 04:37 |
However it takes a strong thoughtful
leader to successfully intervene when
| | 04:41 |
performance problems show up.
Do yourself a favor and follow the advice
| | 04:45 |
we just discussed.
Helping improve occasional under
| | 04:49 |
performers is a skill you can build like
any other.
| | 04:52 |
| | Collapse this transcript |
|
|
3. Developing OthersLearning how to delegate| 00:01 |
Bad news, you can't do everything
yourself, sometimes you feel like you
| | 00:04 |
should but you can't.
That's why you need to learn the art of delegation.
| | 00:09 |
Delegation is the process of proactively
defining value added tasks or projects to
| | 00:13 |
be assigned to one of your employees to
be able to increase the scope of their
| | 00:17 |
responsibilities or the breadth of their
skill set.
| | 00:22 |
Learning how to delegate is important for
two main reasons.
| | 00:25 |
First, it's your job to develop your team
members and delegation is a classic
| | 00:29 |
development tool.
Second, when used correctly, delegation
| | 00:34 |
allows you a little bit of room to better
focus on the more important work you are
| | 00:37 |
responsible for completing.
Unfortunately professionals often avoid
| | 00:43 |
delegating to others.
For example, we often feel so rushed at
| | 00:46 |
work that we don't believe we can take
the time needed to delegate effectively.
| | 00:51 |
To delegate means we have to find the
right resource.
| | 00:54 |
Spend the time explaining the work to be
done.
| | 00:57 |
And then spend time following up.
In addition we often feel only we can do
| | 01:01 |
the best job possible.
We believe in quality work and we feel
| | 01:05 |
that only we can do the job correctly.
Thus delegation might be viewed as a risk
| | 01:10 |
to your reputation.
Finally, some professionals feel that to
| | 01:14 |
delegate is to give up power.
They think that others might receive
| | 01:18 |
credit that is rightly their's.
They might even view delegation as a way
| | 01:22 |
to work yourself out of a job.
While not completely unfounded, these
| | 01:27 |
threats are trivial at best.
The truth is that delegation is widely valued.
| | 01:34 |
In fact, your ability to use delegation
to develop others will be one variable
| | 01:37 |
carefully examined when you're considered
for your next promotion.
| | 01:42 |
Before talking about who you should
delegate to and exactly how to delegate,
| | 01:46 |
now might be a good time to mention when
not to delegate.
| | 01:51 |
This is a simple idea with big
implications.
| | 01:54 |
Don't delegate simply because you're too
busy to do the work yourself.
| | 01:59 |
Delegation is not a time management tool.
It's an employee development tool.
| | 02:04 |
If an employee believes you are
delegating simply because you're too busy
| | 02:08 |
to do the work yourself, the effect will
not be motivational.
| | 02:12 |
In fact it might be the opposite.
You can actually create a sense of resentment.
| | 02:18 |
Let's assume you have some work you wish
to delegate.
| | 02:21 |
Well, should you?
Consider these three questions when
| | 02:24 |
deciding whether or not to delegate.
Do you have enough time to delegate?
| | 02:30 |
You must be able to give sufficient
instruction and support and follow-up as needed.
| | 02:36 |
Next, is there someone willing and able
to do the work?
| | 02:40 |
You must have people with the necessary
skills and expertise to complete the job
| | 02:43 |
successfully, otherwise you risk simply
creating the need for corrections and
| | 02:47 |
re-work later.
Lastly is the work of strategic importance?
| | 02:54 |
For particularly important work, you must
have a low tolerance for mistakes.
| | 02:58 |
Thus, for very important work, err on
doing it yourself.
| | 03:02 |
Having said that, be sure that you don't
consistently delegate trival work.
| | 03:08 |
You're shooting for something in the
middle so the work is developmental for
| | 03:11 |
the employee.
As far as who you should delegate to, be
| | 03:15 |
sure the person has availabillity, is
competent to do the work, is interested
| | 03:19 |
in growth opportunities and importantly a
person who reports to you.
| | 03:25 |
Yes, it's important to stay within the
chain of command.
| | 03:30 |
Finally, let's consider the main steps in
effective delegating.
| | 03:34 |
They're fairly straightforward.
Remember to make sure any instructions
| | 03:38 |
you provide are crystal clear.
Make sure they know precisely what the
| | 03:42 |
deliverable looks like and when it's due.
Clarify your role as well.
| | 03:48 |
Let them know what help if any you intend
to provide.
| | 03:52 |
Also be sure they know of any relevant
resources available to help them get the
| | 03:55 |
work done.
You might consider giving them process
| | 03:59 |
advice but try to air on assigning them
the outcome to be achieved without
| | 04:02 |
micromanaging how they get the work done.
Delegation.
| | 04:08 |
It's simple if you do it right.
Use a chunk of meaningful work,
| | 04:11 |
thoughtfully assigned to a competent
employee who's provided with good
| | 04:14 |
instructions and adequate resources.
That helps you stay focused and helps
| | 04:19 |
them grow.
And that's a win for everyone.
| | 04:22 |
| | Collapse this transcript |
| Coaching and mentoring| 00:01 |
No matter how good you are at what you
do, sometimes we can all use a little
| | 00:05 |
expert advice and guidance.
You might be smart and accomplished, but
| | 00:09 |
there are always people a few steps ahead
of you.
| | 00:12 |
Finding them and connecting with them can
be an enriching experience that
| | 00:15 |
accelerates your career.
The two most common forms of advisory
| | 00:19 |
relationships are referred to as coaching
and mentoring.
| | 00:23 |
Coaching typically involves a
relationship between a target employee,
| | 00:26 |
and a profession who is ahead of them.
But relatively close in terms of career progression.
| | 00:33 |
Coaching is focused on short term
tactical skill building, related to the
| | 00:36 |
role the employee currently occupies.
The goal here is specific short term
| | 00:41 |
behavioral change.
A coach might be your boss, another
| | 00:46 |
internal leader or expert, or an outside
expert hired for a fee.
| | 00:50 |
A coach learns about you through your
past interactions, direct observations,
| | 00:54 |
assessments, and your employee records,
especially evaluations.
| | 01:00 |
The behavioral targets for change might
be hard or soft skills, and in either
| | 01:04 |
case you will strive to set goals over
one or two performance periods.
| | 01:09 |
That is, over months not years.
Great coaches follow a few common guidelines.
| | 01:14 |
For example, they set clear and reachable
goals for the employee, that are modestly challenging.
| | 01:20 |
The keep the employee focused by
communication regularly.
| | 01:24 |
They ask great questions to stimulate
thought as opposed to always giving advice.
| | 01:29 |
And they also try to remain open to
feedback and advice to make the
| | 01:32 |
relationship mutual.
Please note that it's typically useful to
| | 01:37 |
structure coaching relationships over a
finite period.
| | 01:41 |
Usually months, to ensure they're very
focused and provide the person being
| | 01:44 |
coached a sense of positive urgency.
I know that as a leader, you want to help others.
| | 01:50 |
But let's be honest.
Not everyone wants to be coached and not
| | 01:53 |
everyone is coachable.
Strive to read the person and the
| | 01:57 |
situation effectively.
So you can have confidence that if you
| | 02:00 |
try to coach someone, they are willing
and able to be coached.
| | 02:04 |
Thus, not wasting your time or theirs.
Now let's turn to mentoring.
| | 02:09 |
In contrast to coaching, mentoring tends
to be a relationship with a person a bit
| | 02:14 |
more advanced in the career, focused on
longer term strategic career issues.
| | 02:20 |
The goal of mentoring is improved, long
term career decision making.
| | 02:26 |
Every successful professional needs a
quality relationship with at least one
| | 02:29 |
successful, seasoned professional.
Many organizations have created formal
| | 02:34 |
mentoring programs, whereby, a junior
person is paired with a senior person.
| | 02:39 |
Formal programs can be great, but it's
worth noting, that organically grown
| | 02:43 |
relationships tend to be the most
effective.
| | 02:47 |
Mentoring is all about providing advice
and insight concerning big career issues.
| | 02:51 |
Such as whether or not to change roles,
or change companies.
| | 02:55 |
Mentoring is also a great informal way to
begin learning about executive level
| | 02:59 |
leadership skills.
And to broaden your network beyond
| | 03:02 |
current circles.
In any case, effective mentoring
| | 03:06 |
relationships share two common
characteristics.
| | 03:09 |
First, they involve people who are not
directly linked in the organizational hierarchy.
| | 03:15 |
Though it is possible your boss could be
your mentor, it's not ideal.
| | 03:18 |
The required confidentiality and freedom
to speak about long-term career related
| | 03:23 |
issues suggest that the mentee should not
directly report to the mentor.
| | 03:29 |
Second, in order to make progress, both
parties must strive for serious honesty
| | 03:33 |
and candor.
No sugar coating and no beating around
| | 03:37 |
the bush.
Whether addressing aspects of the mentee
| | 03:40 |
or challenges one might face in a career,
strong honesty is the way to go.
| | 03:46 |
As a leader, you will find plenty of
opportunities to coach others.
| | 03:49 |
And you might eventually become a
positive mentor for others.
| | 03:52 |
But don't forget, you are never done
growing.
| | 03:54 |
So keep your eyes open, because you never
know when you might spot a person who
| | 03:57 |
could be your next coach or mentor.
| | 04:00 |
| | Collapse this transcript |
| Managing high potentials| 00:00 |
All employess have value.
But let's be brutally honest, some add a
| | 00:01 |
lot more value than others.
Truly great talent is invaluable.
| | 00:02 |
As a leader one of your most important
tasks is identifying and then retaining
| | 00:10 |
your most gifted employees.
Let's call them high potentials.
| | 00:17 |
By high potential, I'm referring to
around the top 5 percent of your employees.
| | 00:21 |
Those who are great candidates for fast
tracking, whereby their progression is
| | 00:25 |
intentionally accelerated to take
advantage of their ability, and to keep
| | 00:29 |
them engaged.
These are the people who consistently
| | 00:33 |
outperform their peer groups.
It's important for you to not assume that
| | 00:37 |
your strongest employees are happy and
engaged.
| | 00:41 |
In fact, research suggests that as many
as 25% of high potential employees say
| | 00:45 |
they plan to change jobs within the next
12 months.
| | 00:50 |
Retaining this talent is more difficult
than you might imagine.
| | 00:53 |
There tends to be a big divide between
what employers think motivates high
| | 00:57 |
potentials and what actually motivates
them.
| | 01:01 |
It's not just about money, because a high
potential employee, even in difficult
| | 01:05 |
economies, can go find the same or more
money elsewhere.
| | 01:09 |
Instead, they seek more opportunities to
more directly influence the organization,
| | 01:14 |
and more challenging assignments, with
bigger risks and rewards.
| | 01:18 |
Here are several specific strategies you
can use to boost moral and engagement
| | 01:22 |
with your high potential employees.
First, don't be shy about telling them
| | 01:27 |
they're special.
Let them clearly know of their high
| | 01:31 |
potential status.
If your best talent isn't sure of their
| | 01:34 |
status, they are more likely to consider
leaving the organization.
| | 01:39 |
Next, find ways to get them involved.
High potentials want to be involved in
| | 01:43 |
planning their development, instead of
being dictated to.
| | 01:46 |
Try not to propose a you do this and
we'll give you that type of situation.
| | 01:52 |
Instead, strive for a real dialogue,
where interests on both sides are balanced.
| | 01:57 |
And for your best talent, try not to
think of your developmental conversations
| | 02:00 |
as once or twice a year events during
performance evaluations.
| | 02:04 |
Strive to create an open and continuous
conversation.
| | 02:09 |
Another great guideline to remember, is
when you give them challenging new
| | 02:13 |
assignments, be sure to delegate real
responsibility.
| | 02:16 |
High potential employees excel when they
have the needed power to act.
| | 02:21 |
And when they're truly accountable for
something.
| | 02:24 |
It's smart to also make a special effort
to find them effective mentors.
| | 02:29 |
You can only do so much.
If you have a highly talented employee,
| | 02:32 |
think beyond yourself and actively
encourage them to seek out a mentor.
| | 02:37 |
Also, think about ways you can create
high visibility for your best performers.
| | 02:42 |
Find ways to link them to higher level
decision makers in order to help them
| | 02:45 |
feel connected and appreciated.
Here are two final thoughts worth remembering.
| | 02:51 |
First, for all of your efforts in support
of high-potential employees.
| | 02:56 |
Be sure to get buy-in from your
supervisor and top leaders in the organization.
| | 03:01 |
In the case a high-potential program
exists, you will want to operate within
| | 03:04 |
the parameters that have already been
established.
| | 03:08 |
If there is no such program, you still
want higher level help and guidance to
| | 03:11 |
ensure your efforts are aligned well with
organizational strategies and goals.
| | 03:17 |
Finally, inevitably, some high potentials
will choose to seek opportunities elsewhere.
| | 03:22 |
Even if you've endeavored to really
engage your top talent, this is normal,
| | 03:25 |
it happens.
Here, your goal is to ensure you part on
| | 03:30 |
good terms.
You never know when your paths will cross again.
| | 03:34 |
And it's very possible you could work
together in the future in a different capacity.
| | 03:39 |
If you hire employees effectively they
will all be solid assets for the team.
| | 03:44 |
However, a few always emerge as real
superstars.
| | 03:47 |
Be ready to look for them, and use the
strategies we just discussed.
| | 03:51 |
As a result, you'll increase the odds
that you retain a high percentage of your
| | 03:55 |
strongest talent.
| | 03:56 |
| | Collapse this transcript |
|
|
4. Understanding Team DynamicsImportant team roles: Task roles| 00:00 |
Every team has a mix of different people
and that helps create a unique team culture.
| | 00:04 |
Think about the team you work with and
the different roles people play.
| | 00:08 |
Now, I'm not talking about the tasks they
do, but the roles they fill.
| | 00:12 |
You likely have someone who acts as a
director, someone who acts as a process
| | 00:15 |
observer and if you're lucky, you might
even have a comedian.
| | 00:19 |
There's a well known set of roles that
when filled correctly help a team become
| | 00:23 |
as productive as possible.
Your task is to figure out which roles
| | 00:27 |
are being filled by whom.
Or, which roles should be filled by whom,
| | 00:31 |
in order to help the team function
effectively.
| | 00:35 |
Let's be a little more specific about the
types of roles you typically see in a group.
| | 00:39 |
There are two types of very positive and
productive roles.
| | 00:42 |
We call them task roles and social roles.
And there is one group of unproductive
| | 00:47 |
roles you have to look out for.
Let's call those negative roles.
| | 00:53 |
Let's start by talking about the task
roles.
| | 00:55 |
These are the behaviors that help us
directly get the work done.
| | 00:59 |
Most high-performing teams have a balance
of these roles, and remember, it's common
| | 01:03 |
and natural to see people filling
multiple roles.
| | 01:07 |
Okay, first is the director.
Whether formally in charge or informally
| | 01:12 |
leading through charisma and expertise,
they direct the show.
| | 01:16 |
As the leader, this is typically your
role, though it is not uncommon for
| | 01:20 |
multiple directors to emerge on any given
team.
| | 01:23 |
They love to say, I like that, but I
think we can do better.
| | 01:27 |
Or, I realize this is a challenge, but
we're going to get through it.
| | 01:32 |
A good director has the ability to secure
needed resources, give useful advice and
| | 01:36 |
they're a strong voice in proposing
goals, tasks and responsibilities.
| | 01:42 |
Next, meet the Analyser.
This person is ultra sensitive to the
| | 01:45 |
need for information and numbers.
They do not enjoy opinions, hunches or guesses.
| | 01:51 |
Just the facts.
They know when the group needs particular
| | 01:55 |
information and they find it.
And they like to analyze it a lot.
| | 01:59 |
You might hear them say, let me take
another look at the numbers.
| | 02:02 |
With them, you must be wary of timelines.
The less time you have, the more you have
| | 02:07 |
to manage the analyzer.
Because, at some point even in the face
| | 02:10 |
of imperfect information, you have to
make decisions and move on.
| | 02:15 |
Every good team also has a task master.
This person is particularly sensitive to
| | 02:20 |
time and responsibilities.
They often remind others how much time
| | 02:24 |
they have left to work on a particular
task or project.
| | 02:28 |
Sometimes they can be averse to the
social aspects of the group, because they
| | 02:31 |
do not like to waste time.
You might hear them say, I'm enjoying
| | 02:36 |
this conversation, but don't we need to
make a decision?
| | 02:40 |
They might rub you the wrong way once in
a while, but they're important and will
| | 02:43 |
keep the group on track.
Somewhat related to the task master is
| | 02:49 |
the process observer.
This person's obsession is corrected here
| | 02:53 |
is to process.
Most companies have a particular way of
| | 02:56 |
doing things and when people don't adhere
to that standard, the process observer is
| | 03:00 |
the one who speaks up.
You might often hear them say, nah,
| | 03:04 |
that's not the way we normally do it.
Or, you're not following the rules.
| | 03:08 |
Sometimes they're rigid, but they have
good intentions and always support
| | 03:12 |
quality work.
Any good team also needs the Practical One.
| | 03:17 |
This person is level headed, even keeled,
full of common sense, in touch with
| | 03:22 |
reality and aware of constraints.
They provide a constant validity check as
| | 03:28 |
work unfolds.
They also see how the group's work might
| | 03:31 |
ruffle feathers, in other areas of the
firm or with some external party, and
| | 03:34 |
they raise the caution flag.
For example, you might hear them say, I
| | 03:39 |
don't think IT's going to be on-board
with decision.
| | 03:42 |
Or, have we thought about how the
customer is going to perceive this?
| | 03:47 |
So long as the practical one is not too
loud or too quick to speak up, they keep
| | 03:51 |
the team safe.
Finally, we have the dreamer.
| | 03:56 |
Sometimes, you need to play it safe and
stick to the rules; other times, you need
| | 03:59 |
to get a little creative or radical.
The dreamer has imagination, they see
| | 04:05 |
possibilities and connections, and they
love to ask, Why?
| | 04:10 |
Uncertainty in the unknown don't frighten
them.
| | 04:13 |
You'll often hear them say, what would
happen if we tried, or hey, I've got an idea.
| | 04:19 |
The main trick to working with dreamers
is to encourage them more when generating
| | 04:22 |
possibilities and to contain them a
little more, when it's time to make and
| | 04:25 |
execute decisions.
What makes a team productive is not a mystery.
| | 04:31 |
Think about these roles and ask yourself,
who on your team might fit that description.
| | 04:36 |
Don't forget, any person might fill
multiple roles.
| | 04:39 |
Once you understand these roles, this is
powerful information that you can use to
| | 04:43 |
communicate and coach your team in a more
tailored fashion.
| | 04:47 |
| | Collapse this transcript |
| Important team roles: Social roles and negative roles| 00:01 |
Social roles in the group can be thought
of as indirect roles.
| | 00:04 |
These behaviors are not about doing the
work per se, but instead they concern
| | 00:08 |
inter-personal behaviors that support
strong performance.
| | 00:12 |
In many ways, if these roles are not
effectively filled.
| | 00:15 |
No amount of task skill will make the
team successful, because the team has no
| | 00:19 |
shared social foundation.
Again, remember that balance is your
| | 00:22 |
goal, and that people typically play
multiple roles.
| | 00:26 |
There are four key social roles in an
effective team.
| | 00:29 |
First is the always-important spark.
The spark provides the biggest infusion
| | 00:35 |
of energy, excitement, a positive
perspective, and lots of encouragement.
| | 00:41 |
They exude positive emotion, and have no
problem seeing the glass half full.
| | 00:45 |
Next, meet the peacemaker.
Sometimes we do need a little positive conflict.
| | 00:51 |
However, most of the time, conflict is
damaging.
| | 00:54 |
Whether you're dealing with small petty
personality clashes or even huge
| | 00:58 |
conflicts that threaten to destroy the
very fabric of the group.
| | 01:02 |
The peacemaker can be a lifesaver.
They validate others, point out common ground.
| | 01:06 |
And in general are good at defusing the
level of tension in a situation.
| | 01:11 |
Most great teams also have at least one
Comedian.
| | 01:15 |
They are great at diffusing conflict and
stress through humor.
| | 01:19 |
They might tell a funny joke, make a
funny face, or find some other way to
| | 01:23 |
make people laugh.
In the process, they build perspective
| | 01:28 |
and soothe nerves.
Finally, look for the helper.
| | 01:33 |
The helper wants the group and each
individual to be successful.
| | 01:37 |
They like it when things work, so they
try to make it happen by looking for ways
| | 01:40 |
to help.
This desire to make the team successful
| | 01:43 |
often makes the helper the team's best
utility player.
| | 01:47 |
Always there when someone needs a hand.
Unfortunately, I also need to mention a
| | 01:51 |
few negative team roles.
To be honest, sometimes certain people
| | 01:56 |
can be problematic, don't worry, there
are ways to manage these folks.
| | 02:01 |
First, we have the dominator.
This refers to the sometimes difficult
| | 02:06 |
talking head in your group who just can't
keep quiet.
| | 02:10 |
They always have something to say, and,
sometimes, they can be belligerent about it.
| | 02:14 |
They are too quick to argue, interrupt,
and start unnecessary conflict.
| | 02:18 |
You manage the Dominator by positively
acknowledging their views.
| | 02:22 |
And then, taking the focus to you, or
another person, to keep the conversation moving.
| | 02:27 |
If required, speak to them offline,
respectfully.
| | 02:30 |
But be sure to clarify expectations
moving forward.
| | 02:35 |
Next, look out for the paralyzer.
This person exemplifies the saying
| | 02:41 |
paralysis by analysis.
They want more time than is humanly
| | 02:45 |
possible to consider the situation, to
plan, analyze, check, recheck, and then,
| | 02:49 |
check some more.
They have good conditions but they can
| | 02:53 |
help the team get stuck.
The best way to manage the paralyzer is
| | 02:57 |
by referencing relevant deadlines and
sometimes by overtly asserting the need
| | 03:01 |
to move on.
Next are the quiet wallflowers.
| | 03:06 |
Here, I'm not referring to introverts.
Be careful not to mistake the two.
| | 03:10 |
Wallflowers are not putting in their fair
share of effort.
| | 03:14 |
To deal with a wallflower, first seek to
understand the root cause of their
| | 03:18 |
behavior in case you are facing a
significant ability issue.
| | 03:23 |
Assuming it's not an ability issue,
mandate specific work for them.
| | 03:27 |
Clarify expectations and consequences and
follow up regularly.
| | 03:32 |
Finally, we have the dreaded prima donna.
This person is important to the group and
| | 03:37 |
may have superior skills, but they tend
to look down on others and become easily
| | 03:40 |
irritated and uppity.
Long-term, their Prima donna attitude
| | 03:45 |
will breed more conflict within the
group.
| | 03:48 |
So they need to be properly confronted.
Consider these steps.
| | 03:52 |
Validate the value they add.
Privately address the interpersonal
| | 03:56 |
issues you've observed.
Clarify new interpersonal expectations
| | 04:00 |
moving forward.
And, as always, don't forget to discuss
| | 04:03 |
the consequences should the behaviors not
change.
| | 04:08 |
Here's a great challenge.
Think about your team, and ask yourself
| | 04:10 |
if you can match the names of your
employees to the roles we've discussed.
| | 04:14 |
In the process, you might identify a few
gaps.
| | 04:17 |
Which then become great behavioral
targets to work on moving forward.
| | 04:21 |
Finally, don't hesitate to start needed
conversations when you see any of the
| | 04:25 |
negative rolls.
| | 04:27 |
| | Collapse this transcript |
| Re-energizing the team following burnout| 00:01 |
The challenges of competition in the
marketplace often create a lot of
| | 00:04 |
pressure on people inside organizations
to work relentlessly.
| | 00:08 |
Even in positive work cultures filled
with high performing teams, you will
| | 00:11 |
inevitably encounter periods where teams
experience a low in positive emotion.
| | 00:17 |
A low in terms of motivation and
productivity, what is sometimes called
| | 00:21 |
team burnout.
Burnout is a state of emotional, mental
| | 00:25 |
and physical exhaustion caused by
excessive stress and long hours, even
| | 00:28 |
when they were all in service of creating
huge successes.
| | 00:33 |
If you notice a serious dip in motivation
and work engagement, carefully begin
| | 00:36 |
examining your team members.
Ask yourself if you're seeing any of
| | 00:41 |
these signs of team burnout.
Statements that the work seems chaotic or
| | 00:46 |
always under pressure.
Team members who seem to be fatigued and
| | 00:51 |
exhausted all the time.
People expressing a feeling of no longer
| | 00:55 |
making a difference.
The presence of increased procrastination
| | 01:00 |
and less social interaction.
A sharp increase in negative attitudes
| | 01:05 |
within the team.
Taken together, these issues can erode a
| | 01:09 |
sense of team cohesiveness and belonging.
Of course, the negative effects of
| | 01:13 |
burnout spill over into every area of
life for your employees.
| | 01:18 |
What starts as work related stress always
becomes stress at home with family,
| | 01:21 |
friends and loved ones.
Your job is to possibly push your team to
| | 01:25 |
the heights of their potential, and it's
also to sense when they've run out of gas
| | 01:29 |
and need to refuel.
The team has been pushed into burnout and
| | 01:34 |
it is you that has to pull them back into
a happier and more productive space.
| | 01:39 |
Consider these strategies for helping
your team when they experience burnout.
| | 01:43 |
First, slow down.
Now, I know what you're thinking.
| | 01:47 |
We can't slow down, there's too much to
do.
| | 01:49 |
Fine, but let me reframe this for you.
Slow down a little bit for a little
| | 01:53 |
while, or your team will crack and you'll
be forced to slow down a lot more.
| | 01:59 |
You can slow down in one of two ways.
First, find the folks who are most
| | 02:02 |
stressed, and be sure they're actually
using their time off.
| | 02:07 |
If you need to, tell them to get lost and
enjoy a day or more away from the office
| | 02:10 |
and assure them you've got their back.
Second, among the deadlines you're
| | 02:16 |
facing, try to identify the one or two
that can legitimately be pushed back and
| | 02:19 |
do what it takes to do just that.
Push them back a week or a month so that
| | 02:24 |
the team can take a deep breath and have
a little extra room to work.
| | 02:29 |
Let's take this idea a little further.
Sometimes, you should consider the need
| | 02:32 |
to re-evaluate the team's goals.
You might have to move one current goal
| | 02:36 |
to the back burner, and get to it later,
in order to ensure success on the other
| | 02:39 |
four or five goals the team is chasing.
Think of it this way, 100% success on
| | 02:45 |
five goals is a lot more preferable than
70% success on six goals.
| | 02:52 |
Next, start talking.
Specifically, start an open dialogue with
| | 02:56 |
the team about their mood and
productivity.
| | 02:59 |
Make it acceptable, if not positive and
therapeutic to publicly discuss the
| | 03:02 |
stress everyone is facing.
It's amazing how much stress relief can
| | 03:07 |
be achieved through candid conversations.
It's also useful to consider injecting
| | 03:12 |
new things into the group to shake up
routines and help build a sense of revitalization.
| | 03:17 |
For example, this might include new
members, schedules or tools.
| | 03:21 |
Small intentional changes once in a
while, helps to keep people on their toes.
| | 03:26 |
Finally, don't forget the old classic,
offsite team building.
| | 03:30 |
There are innumerable fun, active,
game-based ways to learn about your
| | 03:34 |
teammates and build team spirit.
Shared laughter within your team is one
| | 03:38 |
great antidote to high stress.
Even if you're great in your new role as
| | 03:43 |
a leader, stress naturally builds in you
and the team.
| | 03:47 |
Watch for the warning signs we discussed
and be on the lookout for stress that is
| | 03:50 |
approaching burnout levels.
Use the strategies we listed to keep
| | 03:55 |
people away from their breaking point.
You have to push your team, but you also
| | 04:00 |
have to avoid burnout.
| | 04:02 |
| | Collapse this transcript |
|
|
5. Managing ConflictRealizing the rules of positive conflict| 00:00 |
Wouldn't life be great if everyone was
nice, in a good mood at work, and always
| | 00:04 |
easy to deal with?
Of course.
| | 00:06 |
But we all know that sometimes people can
be very difficult to work with.
| | 00:11 |
The bad news is that many workplaces have
too many of these employees, which hurts
| | 00:14 |
morale and productivity.
The good news is that it doesn't have to
| | 00:18 |
be that way because you have it in your
power to manage difficult employees effectively.
| | 00:24 |
Let's start with the basics.
What exactly is a difficult employee?
| | 00:28 |
I'm not referring to a person you simply
dislike.
| | 00:32 |
Two people can dislike each other, for a
variety of reasons, even when both people
| | 00:36 |
are good people.
It's also important to note that all good
| | 00:40 |
people have bad days.
That just makes us human.
| | 00:43 |
Displaying difficult or unacceptable
behavior on a very rare basis, doesn't
| | 00:47 |
make someone a problem employee.
The problem is when these behaviors
| | 00:52 |
become common instead of rare.
Here's a good definition.
| | 00:57 |
A difficult employee is a person who is
consistently rude, demeans others,
| | 01:01 |
negatively personalizes issues, is
insensitive to the challenges others
| | 01:06 |
face, often refuses to help others, is
disrespectful and, in general, is not
| | 01:11 |
well liked.
Believe it or not, most of these folks
| | 01:16 |
are meaningfully unaware of their
negative status.
| | 01:19 |
They typically don't have any intention
to be unpleasant or cause you to be unproductive.
| | 01:24 |
It's just who they are, and they are in
serious need of feedback from you, the
| | 01:28 |
boss, in order to change their behaviors.
For a moment let's consider why they even
| | 01:34 |
exist at work.
No one likes someone who is difficult.
| | 01:38 |
So why do we see so many of them?
Two reasons.
| | 01:41 |
First, many bosses are blinded by talent.
Strong talent is valuable.
| | 01:47 |
But you can't allow it to blind you to
negative interpersonal skills that some
| | 01:50 |
people bring to the team.
Second, in general, people love to avoid conflict.
| | 01:57 |
So, even if they're not blinded by
talent, they choose not to engage a
| | 02:00 |
needed but difficult conversation.
Here's a truth I really want you to remember.
| | 02:07 |
No amount of amazing performance
justifies consistent negative behaviors
| | 02:11 |
from any employee.
Feel free to write this one down because
| | 02:15 |
it is really that important.
No amount of amazing performance can
| | 02:19 |
justify consistent negative behavior from
anyone.
| | 02:23 |
Here's why.
When you choose not to deal with a
| | 02:25 |
difficult employee in the office, lots of
bad things happen.
| | 02:29 |
Consider these unpleasant outcomes.
First, they get worse.
| | 02:35 |
If they do not experience negative
consequences, they will feel emboldened
| | 02:38 |
and typically escalate their negative
behaviors.
| | 02:42 |
Next, they can multiply.
If turns out that bad behavior can be contagious.
| | 02:48 |
One difficult employee at work,
unchecked, can quickly turn into several.
| | 02:53 |
Challenging employees like these can't be
validated since they hurt morale and productivity.
| | 02:59 |
Just because someone does not become a
difficult employee in response to other
| | 03:03 |
difficult employees, they will still be
distracted and experience negative
| | 03:07 |
emotions, which limits their output.
Last, but certainly not least, if left
| | 03:13 |
unchecked, a difficult employee will
damage your reputation.
| | 03:18 |
If you're the boss, you could expect
others to lose respect for you.
| | 03:22 |
No matter how good the person is at their
job, if you allow them to continue
| | 03:26 |
behaving negatively, others will start to
think you are difficult too.
| | 03:32 |
So now I know you're ready to proactively
manage these types of employees.
| | 03:35 |
Consider these four progressive steps to
gain control of the situation.
| | 03:41 |
First, provide private feedback.
Play on this encounter carefully before
| | 03:46 |
you do it.
You want to state your view of their
| | 03:49 |
difficult status at work, while being
particularly careful to check your emotions.
| | 03:55 |
Steer clear of generalities.
List as many specific examples as possible.
| | 04:00 |
Clarify expectations moving forward and
be explicit about potential consequences.
| | 04:05 |
At this stage, you will be wise to seek
the advice of the appropriate human
| | 04:08 |
resources representative.
Your next option for escalation, if
| | 04:13 |
needed, is to change the person's role.
For most problem employees, the steps
| | 04:18 |
we've already listed will be enough.
You can go further, however, and change
| | 04:22 |
the actual nature of their job.
The goal here is to limit their
| | 04:25 |
interactions and mitigate the damage they
can cause.
| | 04:28 |
It requires some thoughtful effort, but
it could reposition them for success.
| | 04:34 |
Finally the last possibility is to remove
them from the company.
| | 04:38 |
You never start by thinking about firing
someone.
| | 04:41 |
You begin by making reasonable
investments to try and help them improve.
| | 04:45 |
Only after taking these actions should
you consider removing them from the company.
| | 04:50 |
This is a difficult last resort but
sometimes it's far wiser then continuing
| | 04:53 |
to invest in the person.
Having created a solid paper trail and
| | 04:58 |
consulted with Human Resources, you
should be in a safe position to make this
| | 05:02 |
move when needed.
Nobody wants to work with a difficult employee.
| | 05:07 |
Fewer still want to be in charge of one.
However, when you're the boss, it's your job.
| | 05:12 |
Follow the steps we've just discussed and
address the matter in a straightforward manner.
| | 05:17 |
Your team will thank you.
| | 05:19 |
| | Collapse this transcript |
| Mediating conflict between others| 00:01 |
All leaders at one time or another, help
others resolve disputes.
| | 00:04 |
It's a delicate skill, given the
heightened emotions involved, but when
| | 00:07 |
successful it can also be one of the most
rewarding aspects of running a team.
| | 00:12 |
When you serve as a conflict mediator,
you're attempting to be a neutral third
| | 00:15 |
party interested in facilitating a
discussion.
| | 00:19 |
That results in a mutually acceptable
solution to the dispute.
| | 00:22 |
At all the times you should approach the
conversation impartially and
| | 00:25 |
respectfully, in an effort to help all
parties save face.
| | 00:30 |
Don't feel compelled to play mediator too
often.
| | 00:33 |
If you intervene often, in essence,
you'll be training your team to rely on
| | 00:36 |
you to deal with all conflicts in the
team.
| | 00:39 |
Instead, when you become aware of a
conflict between two or more employees.
| | 00:44 |
Seek first to understand whether the
conflict is relatively small or of
| | 00:47 |
significant importance.
Small or more trivial conflicts involve
| | 00:52 |
mild personality clashes and work issues
that do not have a big impact on group productivity.
| | 00:58 |
Significant problems are different and
might include very aggressive
| | 01:02 |
interpersonal tensions or issues which
could seriously harm the team's
| | 01:05 |
productivity or reputation.
Such as who to hire, or which vendors to
| | 01:10 |
work with.
When the issue is significant, and you
| | 01:13 |
decide to engage the matter.
Follow these steps to increase the odds
| | 01:16 |
of a successful mediation.
First, always begin by listening.
| | 01:21 |
If you want the team to develop effective
conflict management skills.
| | 01:25 |
You have to let the conversation begin
without you immediately micromanaging and
| | 01:29 |
trying to dictate a fast solution.
Assuming you have the time your role is
| | 01:35 |
to facilitate not dictate.
Next feel free to call it a conflict.
| | 01:40 |
When the conflict label is used
participants tend to become more
| | 01:43 |
thoughtful about how to proceed.
People don't wish to be associated with
| | 01:47 |
conflict, thus typically following the
use of this label.
| | 01:50 |
A less emotion, and more reasonable,
conversation unfolds.
| | 01:54 |
Another important aspect of mediation is
to ensure adherence to the rules of
| | 01:58 |
positive communication.
In particular, the biggest two, which are
| | 02:03 |
being respectful, and not interrupting.
As the mediator, when you see a
| | 02:08 |
violation, you must call it out.
Otherwise you're merely allowing the
| | 02:11 |
person to further contribute to the
conflict.
| | 02:15 |
Next, be sure to add input where needed.
Especially when you're aware of another
| | 02:19 |
person who may have data or information
that bears on the conversation.
| | 02:23 |
Also remember, that facts are often
interpretted differently by different professionals.
| | 02:27 |
Thus it's not only new data that might be
added, but new perspectives you might
| | 02:31 |
share, as well.
One of the most important tasks is to
| | 02:34 |
spot common ground.
Many times there are a shared agreement
| | 02:38 |
between two or more people engaged in a
conflict yet they don't see it due to
| | 02:41 |
heightened emotions.
As the impartial referee you can more
| | 02:45 |
easily identify the common ground and
point it out.
| | 02:50 |
Finally, strive for conclusion, it's a
delicate balancing act.
| | 02:54 |
On the one hand you need to facilitate,
not dictate.
| | 02:56 |
On the other hand, you're supposed to
help them get past being stuck, so they
| | 02:59 |
can agree on a solution.
You should try to remain a little
| | 03:03 |
reserved, but eventually you must call
for action that everyone can support.
| | 03:08 |
Even the best of teams sometimes have
emotional flare-ups and principal disagreements.
| | 03:13 |
More effective employees often
self-regulate and deal with conflict many
| | 03:16 |
times, they do not.
Using the tips we just discussed, you can
| | 03:20 |
step in and succcessfully help them to
find a solution everyone can accept.
| | 03:24 |
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| Creating positive conflict| 00:00 |
Everyone thinks that conflict is a dirty
word.
| | 00:03 |
It's not.
Yes, we have too much negative conflict,
| | 00:06 |
but what we really need is positive
conflict.
| | 00:09 |
Which are sometimes tense but principled
discussions about ways we can improve how
| | 00:13 |
we do what we do.
Negative conflict tends to be focused on
| | 00:17 |
ugly exchanges about people and work
issues.
| | 00:20 |
But positive conflict is squarely focused
on respectful dialogue and debate about
| | 00:24 |
important work issues.
That's the type of conversation that
| | 00:28 |
creates the foundation for creativity and
innovation.
| | 00:31 |
Begin by understanding that you need to
choose your battles wisely.
| | 00:36 |
To voluntarily engage positively intended
conflict.
| | 00:39 |
It had better be a really important
issue, with the potential to move the
| | 00:42 |
group forward significantly.
It has to be since you're risking your
| | 00:47 |
time and the time of others.
Your personal reputation and the quality
| | 00:51 |
of the relationships on the team.
In addition you also risk increasing your
| | 00:55 |
workload, or the workload of other
members of the team.
| | 00:58 |
So choose carefully.
After determining this is a worthy issue,
| | 01:02 |
but before pulling the trigger and
initiating conversation.
| | 01:05 |
You still need to consider how much
social capital you possess?
| | 01:09 |
Social capital is an intagible asset you
amass over time.
| | 01:13 |
It represents the amount of personal
latitude and freedom you have at work to
| | 01:16 |
speak up.
Engage positive conflict, and sometimes,
| | 01:20 |
not adhere to group norms.
It's like chips one might spend in the
| | 01:24 |
game of poker.
Based on your tenure, performance record,
| | 01:27 |
and personality, you have a certain
number of chips to spend.
| | 01:31 |
Spend wisely.
Okay, here are few more questions to ask
| | 01:34 |
and issues to consider before kicking off
a new positive but challenging conversation.
| | 01:42 |
Be very honest with yourself about your
odds of success.
| | 01:45 |
Think about the leaders above you in the
organization.
| | 01:48 |
Based on what you know about them their
loyalties and their recent decisions.
| | 01:52 |
Would you expect them to support your
position on this issue?
| | 01:56 |
Next, be ready to paint a picture for
others.
| | 01:59 |
Can you vividly describe the interesting
and valuable end state, that will be
| | 02:02 |
achieved should they decide to engage in
this conversation?
| | 02:07 |
Also, be sure to stick to the facts.
When you prepare your case, don't rely on
| | 02:13 |
opinions, innuendo, half truths, or
unproven assertions.
| | 02:17 |
Start with and faithfully stick to the
facts of the matter.
| | 02:22 |
Here's a great one.
Remember to count your friends.
| | 02:25 |
Strive to find out where everyone stands
on the issue, before going public with
| | 02:28 |
the conversation.
The more friends you have, meaning the
| | 02:33 |
more who share your view on the issue,
the better your odds.
| | 02:37 |
Next, remember the classic maxim about
turning lemons into lemonade.
| | 02:41 |
Basically, this encourages you to
articulate how your position actually
| | 02:44 |
helps others who might be part of the
opposition.
| | 02:48 |
It becomes quite difficult for them to
disagree with you when your solution in
| | 02:52 |
some way helps them.
Another vital tactic is to make your
| | 02:56 |
position a no-brainer for the leadership
team.
| | 02:59 |
Think about the best way to sell your
idea to senior leaders.
| | 03:03 |
When you can frame your position as
supporting the company's higher level
| | 03:06 |
goals and objectives, you've got a good
shot.
| | 03:10 |
It is also useful to validate points made
by those who don't support your view.
| | 03:15 |
Try to find some part of the opposition's
position with which you can agree.
| | 03:19 |
Your goal is to build some honest mutual
respect, that will help them want to
| | 03:23 |
listen to your position.
Finally, get ready to volunteer.
| | 03:28 |
If you're going to ask others to help you
make positive change, you need to be the
| | 03:32 |
first one standing in line, ready to
donate precious time for the cause.
| | 03:38 |
Conflict is a very stigmatized word.
That's thanks to the preponderance of
| | 03:42 |
negative conflict at work.
Use the advice we just discussed to
| | 03:45 |
challenge that reality.
By preparing for and initiating more well
| | 03:49 |
intentioned, and positive conflict.
| | 03:52 |
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|
|
6. Making Work FunCelebrating performance| 00:00 |
We spend the vast majority of our waking
hours at work.
| | 00:04 |
For some people, that's a wonderful
reality because they love what they do,
| | 00:07 |
so work is always fun.
For others, it's a difficult challenge
| | 00:11 |
because they don't love what they do, and
fun is hard to come by.
| | 00:15 |
Most people, however, are in the middle.
And their experience of fun as a part of
| | 00:19 |
work is up to you, their boss.
I'd like you to think about why fun is
| | 00:23 |
actually an important needed part of work
life.
| | 00:27 |
Let's stop for just a second now.
I know what some of you are thinking.
| | 00:30 |
Fun and play are not what we are paid to
do.
| | 00:34 |
Or you might be thinking, this is great
for the big creative companies but it's
| | 00:37 |
never going to work for us around here.
I would like to respectfully disagree.
| | 00:42 |
There's mountains of research linking fun
to productive thinking.
| | 00:46 |
We're not making this stuff up in a very
literal sense.
| | 00:49 |
The science connects fun and higher
performance.
| | 00:53 |
Think of it this way.
I know you want people to be focused on
| | 00:55 |
the work 100% of the time.
But if you give employees a small amount
| | 01:00 |
of time to engage fun, non-work
activities, their productivity will
| | 01:04 |
actually increase.
5% of their time spent having fun makes
| | 01:09 |
the other 95% of their work time far more
productive.
| | 01:14 |
There are four main reasons that you
should take having fun a little more seriously.
| | 01:19 |
First and most obviously, fun is fun.
Everyone likes to have fun.
| | 01:24 |
It's amazing how sometimes we forget that
simple reality.
| | 01:28 |
Second, making work fun is the right
thing to do.
| | 01:31 |
I'll stop short of saying, you have a
moral obligation to make work fun, but it
| | 01:35 |
is your responsibility, as a leader, to
not only maximize productivity, but to
| | 01:38 |
maximize the employee experience, too,
and fun can play a huge role.
| | 01:45 |
Next, increasing the level of fun at work
benefits your employees.
| | 01:49 |
The experience of fun supports the
experience of positive emotions in general.
| | 01:54 |
Guess what?
Positive emotions actually support mental
| | 01:57 |
and physical health.
Finally, more fun at work is good for
| | 02:02 |
your teams productivity.
Why?
| | 02:04 |
Because employees who are experiencing
fun at work will tend to be more
| | 02:08 |
creative, more motivated, and more loyal.
Don't forget, the better your team
| | 02:13 |
performs, the better you'll look.
So how do we make work a little more fun?
| | 02:18 |
Let's consider four main strategies that
have found to be very effective.
| | 02:23 |
First up, leader self-deprecation.
You and the rest of the leadership team
| | 02:29 |
all have a status bubble.
This is the odd feeling of social
| | 02:32 |
distance between you and anyone beneath
you in the hierarchy.
| | 02:37 |
This bubble makes conversation more
difficult in the experience of comfort
| | 02:40 |
less common.
Your job is to break the status bubble
| | 02:43 |
and making fun of yourself or others in
the leadership is a classic tactic.
| | 02:49 |
On its face, it's hilarious to see a
person in authority humble themselves by
| | 02:52 |
happily being the butt of a joke.
It shows people that you're human and
| | 02:57 |
that joking and laughing can be good
medicine for everyone.
| | 03:01 |
The second category to consider is
celebrations.
| | 03:04 |
A good celebration doesn't have to cost a
lot and doesn't require huge planning.
| | 03:08 |
Just be simply, honest, and genuine.
There are lots of legitimate things worth celebrating.
| | 03:14 |
For example, milestones in projects, big
wins with a client, an anniversary, or
| | 03:18 |
any other significant team or personal
event.
| | 03:22 |
The point is to find genuine
opportunities to share our achievements
| | 03:26 |
and enjoy a few smiles together as a
team.
| | 03:30 |
Next is the group of activities I like to
refer to as things you do just for fun.
| | 03:35 |
This is a reminder that there's a
never-ending series of silly things one
| | 03:38 |
might do at work for a quick break in
order to break the tension or just to
| | 03:41 |
make folks laugh.
I've seen many examples of this,
| | 03:46 |
including workspace decoration
competitions.
| | 03:48 |
Funny clothing days, such as, Hawaiian
Shirt Fridays or even ping pong or random
| | 03:53 |
use of Nerf toys.
Small amounts of simple play reduces
| | 03:57 |
stress and helps the team think more
clearly.
| | 04:01 |
Finally, and this is a classic.
Use food.
| | 04:05 |
People need food.
People love food.
| | 04:07 |
And food is very often associated with
fun.
| | 04:09 |
Don't believe me?
Bring donuts to the office and see what happens.
| | 04:13 |
How about cookies at the next meeting?
Take a great employee to lunch at a place
| | 04:17 |
of their choosing.
When the team really earns it, cater
| | 04:20 |
lunch in the office and watch them smile.
Break out a cake at one of the
| | 04:24 |
celebrations we mentioned earlier and the
smiles will become infectious.
| | 04:30 |
Life is short, we spend a lot of it at
work.
| | 04:33 |
Maybe it wasn't part of your job
description, but I want you to make it
| | 04:36 |
your responsibility to inject as much fun
as possible into your workplace, morale,
| | 04:40 |
and productivity will get a boost.
But more importantly, fun is an
| | 04:45 |
experience that builds meaningful
personal bonds, between you, and your employees.
| | 04:50 |
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| Using team members' life events to build camaraderie| 00:01 |
I know that you feel you already spend
enough time each week with your
| | 00:03 |
colleagues and employees.
So, the idea of socializing outside of
| | 00:07 |
work might not be appealing.
I understand.
| | 00:10 |
However, in small thoughtful amounts,
once in a while, socializing outside of
| | 00:15 |
work can pay big dividends.
Recall our discussions about
| | 00:19 |
authenticity, and what it means to be
real and human as opposed to only being
| | 00:22 |
the competent boss.
The more you all know eachother as people.
| | 00:27 |
The better the team will function.
There are three main types of
| | 00:30 |
extracurricular socializing.
Things you might do purely for fun,
| | 00:35 |
charity related events and team building
events.
| | 00:39 |
First, don't forget that it is okay to
simply do things for fun once in awhile.
| | 00:44 |
Consider these examples, laser tag,
paintball, bowling, going to sporting
| | 00:49 |
events, happy hour, or even going to see
a movie.
| | 00:54 |
Next up are charity-related events.
There are so many great nonprofits and
| | 00:59 |
charity organizations that there's always
a fun social even to try.
| | 01:04 |
These include things such as walks and
runs, repairing or building homes or
| | 01:07 |
cooking for and feeding those in need.
Finally, we have team building activities.
| | 01:13 |
Team-building is a hybrid of pure fun and
training.
| | 01:17 |
Whether you're surviving a ropes course,
tossing eggs for distance or rafting down
| | 01:22 |
a river, they each represent fun.
Lighthearted and invigorating
| | 01:26 |
opportunities to share smiles and build
teamwork skills.
| | 01:30 |
When you think about doing things just
for fun, for charity, or traditional
| | 01:34 |
team-building, there's no end to the
options.
| | 01:38 |
In addition, here are a few guidelines
that will increase the chance people want
| | 01:43 |
to participate and enjoy participating.
First, you have to be genuine.
| | 01:49 |
You must be honestly interested in the
activity that is chosen, and in having
| | 01:53 |
the team participate.
Stated differently, you can't create
| | 01:58 |
socializing opportunities simply because
you think you're suppose to.
| | 02:03 |
People greatly appreciate sincerity.
Next, never assume that just because you
| | 02:08 |
love something, others will as well.
It's not a safe assumption.
| | 02:11 |
For example, you might enjoy bowling,
others might not.
| | 02:15 |
You might love riding go karts, but maybe
nobody else on the team does.
| | 02:19 |
Whenever possible, let the team drive the
discussion.
| | 02:22 |
If you want to build participation.
And enjoy an outing that actually
| | 02:26 |
improves morale and engagement.
Let the team be your partner in making
| | 02:29 |
these kinds of decisions.
Here's another great guideline.
| | 02:33 |
Remember to mix it up.
If you find something they love to do
| | 02:35 |
once or twice each year, great.
But you will still want to mix it up a
| | 02:39 |
little to ensure that everyone finds a
reason to engage.
| | 02:43 |
It's true that you can never please
everyone but with a little variety in
| | 02:46 |
your social events you can certainly get
close.
| | 02:49 |
Finally remember that you pay people to
do their jobs, not to have fun, thus you
| | 02:54 |
can't make social events mandatory.
You want to take great care to genuinly
| | 02:59 |
position and discuss any social events as
completely and utterly volentary.
| | 03:05 |
If you inadvertently make someone feel
that to not participate is somehow a bad
| | 03:09 |
thing, well that's the opposite of fun
and here fun's our main focus.
| | 03:14 |
Let me say it again.
When it comes to socializing with your
| | 03:17 |
team outside of work, a little goes a
long way.
| | 03:20 |
Having said that, it's worth it.
Great teams need trust and clear communication.
| | 03:25 |
Very often, social events provide the
best context to develop both.
| | 03:30 |
Be genuine.
Let them drive the decision.
| | 03:33 |
Mix it up once in a while.
And of course, make it voluntary.
| | 03:36 |
You do those simple things.
And socializing outside of work should
| | 03:39 |
have great benefits for the team when
back in the office.
| | 03:42 |
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| Creating a positive work environment| 00:01 |
People often find it difficult to see the
impact of their work.
| | 00:04 |
The larger the organization, the more
this is true.
| | 00:06 |
Work arrives for them to complete.
They do what they're paid to do and then
| | 00:10 |
the work leaves and goes to the next part
of the process.
| | 00:13 |
This is likely how it works for you.
The result of this reality is that people
| | 00:17 |
sometimes feel disconnected from the
final product or service they're supporting.
| | 00:21 |
They don't understand why their work
matters.
| | 00:24 |
Your goal is to help them feel connected,
to help them feel purpose, and to make
| | 00:27 |
sure they know their contributions
matter.
| | 00:31 |
Here's the good news.
As the leader of the team, you have many
| | 00:34 |
options to make this happen.
Most of them fall into one of three main strategies.
| | 00:39 |
Tell them about the outcomes they
support, show them evidence that their
| | 00:42 |
efforts support great outcomes, and have
others outside of the group show
| | 00:45 |
gratitude to your team.
Helping your employees feel purpose by
| | 00:50 |
connecting them to the outcomes they
support begins with you.
| | 00:54 |
You don't have to remind them ten times a
day why their work matters.
| | 00:58 |
But once or twice a week would be
spectacular.
| | 01:01 |
Pick up a form, point to a computer
screen or hold up a report and tell them
| | 01:04 |
that if it were not for them successfully
completing this stage in the process, the
| | 01:07 |
work of the organization could not be
done.
| | 01:11 |
Simply reminding people that they're an
important link in the chain is a simple
| | 01:15 |
and important way to help them see why
their job matters.
| | 01:20 |
Next, find creative ways to tell them how
their work matters.
| | 01:24 |
Show them as vividly as possible.
Think of the creative use of pictures,
| | 01:28 |
video or audio to help them make the
connection.
| | 01:32 |
Imagine these examples.
The leader of a team of mortgage analysts
| | 01:35 |
shares pictures with the team of the new
homeowners who've been served by the team
| | 01:38 |
this year.
A nurse manager shares a video with her
| | 01:42 |
team from a former patient, thanking them
for taking such good care of her during
| | 01:46 |
her recent hospital visit.
A sales manager forwards a voice mail
| | 01:51 |
from her boss to the entire team, in
which her boss raved about her team
| | 01:54 |
exceeding expectations, and being a model
for the entire organization.
| | 02:00 |
I want you to get creative, capturing
moments of outside feedback that can be
| | 02:03 |
funneled to your team.
Here's an even better idea.
| | 02:07 |
Once in a while, have people other than
you, who are ultimately served by your
| | 02:11 |
team, stop in to say thank you.
Here's one of my favorite examples that I
| | 02:15 |
actually had the pleasure of watching in
person.
| | 02:18 |
It involved a team of civilian financial
analysts working on a large United States
| | 02:22 |
Air Force base.
They were in charge of purchasing parts
| | 02:25 |
used in various airplanes.
Their jobs were not glamorous.
| | 02:29 |
It involved a lot of paper pushing.
It would be easy for them to get lost and
| | 02:33 |
feel disconnected sitting alone in a cube
every day.
| | 02:37 |
One day, unannounced, two US Air Force
pilots walked into the office.
| | 02:42 |
They spent an hour walking around the
office shaking hands.
| | 02:45 |
And saying, thank you, for helping them
to be successful every time they climbed
| | 02:49 |
into a cockpit.
That day those analysts felt deeply and
| | 02:53 |
emotionally connected to their job.
They felt purpose.
| | 02:56 |
Now it's your turn, no matter how mundane
work can feel sometimes, it's your job to
| | 03:01 |
find a way to make people feel connected
to the outcomes they ultimately support.
| | 03:07 |
Tell them about it.
Show them some of the evidence, and think
| | 03:10 |
about creative ways to have others help
you make the case.
| | 03:13 |
Your employees will thank you.
| | 03:15 |
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|
ConclusionEmbracing continuous improvement| 00:00 |
Your long term success is all about
continuous learning.
| | 00:05 |
Continuous learning refers to the ability
to continually develop and improve one's
| | 00:08 |
skills in order to perform effectively
and adapt to changes in the workplace.
| | 00:14 |
This involves keeping up to date on
current research and technology and
| | 00:17 |
pursuing areas for development that will
enhance job performance.
| | 00:21 |
It's been said that change is the only
constant.
| | 00:24 |
Ultimately, this is why you must embrace
continuous learning.
| | 00:28 |
You need the mental flexibility to
effectively cope with the always evolving
| | 00:31 |
and changing environment.
Think about it, technology changes,
| | 00:35 |
rules, regulations and laws change.
Organizational processes (UNKNOWN)
| | 00:39 |
partners change.
And products and services change.
| | 00:42 |
In today's workplace, very little stays
the same.
| | 00:45 |
And the best teams are often the one's
that are best at learning to embrace change.
| | 00:51 |
At the individual level ,this takes place
for both you and your employees in small
| | 00:54 |
ways everyday, as you strive to see
opportunities to do things differently
| | 00:58 |
and better.
It takes place when you read an industry
| | 01:02 |
trade magazine, or a blog or a book
related to your area of expertise.
| | 01:07 |
More formally, it happens through
seminars and workshops, special project
| | 01:10 |
teams, as well as coaching and mentoring.
All of these help professionals build new
| | 01:15 |
knowledge and new or improved skills.
Finally, realize that continuous learning
| | 01:21 |
isn't just a job skill.
It's a life skill.
| | 01:24 |
And don't forget, this applies to you, as
well.
| | 01:28 |
Take this course as one example.
When you're done, it's not like your
| | 01:31 |
leadership education is complete.
It's a continuous process.
| | 01:36 |
The more the team sees you model what it
means to be a continuous learner, the
| | 01:39 |
more likely they'll follow your lead.
| | 01:42 |
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