Deepen Employees' Respect with These 5 Behaviors

Leader's Digest Quick Tips

Respect doesn't come automatically with the title of “manager.” You need to earn it, every day, from your employees.

Here’s what wins a workforce over:

1.      Share the big picture. Your employees want to know what’s going on in your organization and industry. Don’t assume they only care about doing their jobs and going home. Give them as much information as you can about the challenges you’re facing and how they’re likely to affect your organization.

2.      Support their development. Some employees want to become managers; others just want to learn as much as they can so they can do their jobs better. Find out what your people want from their jobs and from your organization, and work with them to achieve their career goals. When they realize that you see them as people, not worker-drones, they’ll trust your guidance.

3.      Hold everyone accountable. Employees who work hard are unhappy when they see others get away with careless mistakes, slacking off, insubordination, and other forms of inappropriate behavior. Set clear standards for performance and workplace behavior, and enforce them consistently, without favoritism. Employees want to know they can rely on coherent rules.

4.      Be available. Employees need to see you, talk to you, and know that you’re willing to get involved in the work that they’re part of. You’ll get a better sense of the challenges they face, and when you talk together about problems, they’ll know you understand what they’re up against

5.      Show your human side. You’re a manager, not a computer. While you don’t need to become your employees’ best friend, let people know that you value your personal life just as much as they do. Talk to them about your experiences, your ambitions, your disappointments, and your feelings to build a common bond and show that you’re all on the same team.

Leading the Employee Who Isn't A Team Player

From the Leader's Digest Mailbag

Dear Leader’s Digest,

When I recently became the new head of a department in my company, I "inherited" a veteran employee who is pretty productive with tasks but has a history of poor employee relations such as being negative, discourteous, sarcastic, "stirring things up," and not working with coworkers as a team player.

How do I influence this person to change their way when the company has played into his behavior for some time?

Dear Inherited,

Leading employees with a history of poor behavior is a concern for any leader. We strongly recommend your first conversation with this employee not be a "shake-down" or a "you'd better be careful cuz I'm watching you!" speech. Rather, you ought to extend a sincere handshake followed by a friendly get-to-know-them chat.

The next step is orienting all your employees to your leadership style and expectations. Even before exploring specific duties or concerns, explain the operating values of your team and your expectations of employees. It's best if this is a two-way conversation involving the entire team, but at a minimum, everyone needs to be clear about the department’s values. Explain that employees are not only responsible to produce results but are also responsible to produce results in a way that strengthens the team in the process. Give specific examples of what is acceptable behavior and what is out of bounds. This kind of orientation with your team sets clear expectations and gives everyone a chance for a fresh start—independent from past patterns and personality conflicts.

Your next leader-role with the employee is mentor and coach. This requires gathering data through contact and observation, especially with the employee you have concerns about. Over the next few days, catch the employee, in the moment, doing things right. Acknowledge when his or her behavior approximates an important company value and thank him or her.

For example, you might say: "Hey, Brent, I noticed in the team meeting this morning when Alice asked for ideas about her project, you gave several helpful suggestions. That is a great example of our department values of cooperation and mutual respect. Your input helped Alice and helped to build a stronger team. Thank you."


Similarly, when you see behavior that violates your team values, confront it as soon as is reasonably possible. Do this by first describing the gap by factually detailing what happened compared with what is expected. Next, ask why it happened this way.

You could say:"Brent, I noticed that when Alice presented her ideas for her project, you sarcastically said her plan wasn’t thought through and asked her if she ever heard of ‘project management’ before. One our most important team values is the golden rule--to treat others as we would want to be treated. That is to say, to be treated with respect. Your comment was clearly disrespectful. I'm curious, why did you say that (And why did you say it in that sarcastic way)?"


If he responds that he didn't realize his comment was disrespectful, take the opportunity to define more precisely what is meant by teamwork. If he replies that it's no big deal, then you have the opportunity to teach consequences and make the invisible visible. It could be that one reason for his past friction with employees is that no one helped him understand the negative, natural consequences his behavior had on others. If he replies that he knows he shouldn't do that, but can't help himself, it becomes an opportunity to teach him the skills of proper communication.


After each conversation, move to action. Get a clear and specific commitment from him about who will do what by when, and then follow-up on that commitment.Clear expectations, as well as frequent coaching, follow up, praise, and corrective feedback, are your best chance to help someone work well with others.

Of course, this approach requires patience and persistence, and you must always give people the opportunity and the help they may need to improve. However, if over time, he does not comply and his poor behavior continues, make sure he understands that following the department’s principles and values is not a suggestion, it's a requirement of his job.


At this point, it's time to move from helping him understand the natural consequences of poor behavior to the consequences you will impose on him if he doesn't comply. Clarify that the consequences of not working within the team standards are the steps of discipline identified by the company, even including termination. Make sure he understands that failure to comply with your requirements around teamwork will result in you applying the steps of progressive discipline. Moving this far is very serious and will most likely damage your working relationship with him, but at some point, his failure to abide by the your standards is a detriment both to the results you're after as a leader and your other employees quality of the workplace.

Choosing what's best for the team is more important than trying to preserve a troubled relationship.


Our experience has been that this approach helps most —even those with a history of poor behavior—to improve their behavior and relationships with others. It also improves the team's results. Please keep in mind this approach does not guarantee the changes in others you desire; it's not a way of controlling others; it's not a trick for manipulating others. This is a way to respectfully help individuals choose to be successful. Ultimately, it's the individual's choice whether or not to be a part of the team you lead, and that's as it should be.

All the success!

PM in the AM

smartdevelopmentinc.com

A Short Course in Human Relations

The six most important words:	"I admit I made a mistake."
The five most important words:	"You did a good job."
The four most important words:	"What is your opinion?"
The three most important words:	"If you please."
The two most important words:	"Thank you."
The one most important word:	"We"
The least important word:	"I"

Good feedback avoids these pitfalls

Good feedback is an essential management tool. Unfortunately, some feedback does more harm than good, leaving employees resentful, defensive, and unmotivated. When you need to give feedback to correct an employee’s mistake or performance problem, steer away from these common errors:

• Sugarcoating your feedback. Respect the employee’s feelings, but don’t hide your real concerns behind vague language that doesn’t tell employees what they need to do. “You do great work when you’re here,” doesn’t communicate the same message as, “Your absenteeism is becoming a problem.”

• Starting out too strong. Some managers take a harsh approach at the outset to preempt possible arguments. Take a tone that’s businesslike and firm, not angry or confrontational, so you don’t alienate the employee right away. You want employees to listen and respond to your concerns so you can work together.

• Focusing on the problem instead of the solution. Yes, you need to describe the problem so employees understand what you’re talking about and why it’s important. But move on quickly and emphasize that your goal is to find a solution, not a scapegoat.

• Forcing an improvement plan. Your employee needs to understand the nature of the problem before he or she will accept the need to change. Just telling him or her what to do differently won’t win real commitment. Work together as much as possible to develop an action plan you can both live with.

• Mistaking explanations for excuses. Don’t jump to conclusions when employees explain the situation. There may be a valid reason for a missed deadline or mistake—an overload of work, for example, or faulty equipment that you’re unaware of. Employees should be responsible enough to deal with problems, of course, but don’t dismiss their explanations out of hand—they may point to structural problems that only a manager can resolve.

• Forgetting to follow up. Most people don't integrate feedback without some follow up from the feedback giver.

Life and Leadership Lessons from Master Yoda

 

 

Yoda was a master mentor. He had a lot of wisdom to impart to young Luke Skywalker and the other Jedi warriors. I believe there are things we can learn about personal development and leadership from Yoda’s teachings (here in our own galaxy).

Three of my favorite pearls of truth from the green little awesome guy are:

 

 

 “Named must your fear be before banish it you can.”

“Do or do not…there is no try.”

“You will find only what you bring in.”

1.  Overcome your fears. 

“Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.”

“Named must your fear be before banish it you can.”

Overcoming our fears is one of the most important things to improve ourselves and grow. If we don’t we will just get stuck. But how do you do it? Well, first, as Yoda says, you have to stop avoiding your fear. You have to think about it and see what you really fear.

After you have brought some clarity to the situation, here are few tips for actually overcoming that fear.

Face your fear.

Maybe this is not what you want to hear, but in my experience and from what I’ve learned from others this is the best way to overcome your fear. And if you have handled a big fear, whatever it may be, and later realize you actually survived it, many things in life you may have feared previously seem to shrink. Those fears become smaller. They might even disappear. You may think to yourself that what you thought was a fear before wasn’t that much to be afraid at all.

Everything is relative. And every triumph, problem, fear and experience becomes bigger or smaller depending on what you compare it to.

Be curious.

A curious frame of mind makes it easier for us to face our fears. When we are stuck in fear we are closed up. We tend to create division on our world and mind. We create barriers between us and other things/people.

When you shift to being curious your perceptions and the world just opens up. Curiosity is filled with anticipation and enthusiasm. It opens you up. And when you are open and enthusiastic then you have more fun things to think about than focusing on your fear.

How do you become more curious (are you curious now? Then you already know how)? One way is to remember how life has become more fun in the past thanks to your curiosity and to remember all the cool things it helped you to discover and experience.

All is one.

Our ego wants to divide our world. It wants to create barriers, separation and loves to play the comparison game. The game when people are different compared to us, the game where we are better or worse than someone else. All this creates fear whether you call it unease, anxiety, worry or concern.

Doing the opposite removes fear. Namely, that there is not real separation between beings, that we are one and the same. This might sound bit corny or new agey but it’s been demonstrated by quantum physics that we all come from the same source.

2.  Don’t Try Do. 

“Do or do not…there is no try.”

When we tell ourselves and/or someone else we will try we are more likely to give up or just stop when the first obstacle shows up.

When you say that you will do something there is more determination and power behind the decision. When the inevitable obstacles that always show up start to block your path you are determined. You will do this. So you find ways over, under, around and through the obstacles. And that’s what you have to do most of the time to actually get things done. Smooth sailing with no problems at all is pretty rare.

By actually making clear choices to do or not to do something—and putting power behind those choices—you are likely to preserve until you succeed.

3.  Your world is a reflection of you.

“You will find only what you bring in.”

That’s what Luke is told in “The Empire Strikes Back” (The best of the original series in my opinion) before he goes into the cave on Yoda’s home planet. Inside the cave Luke battles his demons—more specifically an illusion of Darth Vader—and is confronted with his own inner darkness. The darkness he brought into the cave that could pull him over to the dark side if he allowed it to.

I think this is relevant in our world too. We find in our world what we bring into our world. And in your world you can see yourself—your thoughts and behaviors—reflected. By observing the world around you, you gain insights into yourself and what you may need to change.

Because even though there is a big, big world out there with many possibilities and people—in the end change in your life comes down to changing yourself.

It’s very easy to get stuck in thinking that your perspective, the lens though which you view reality is reality itself. But you can’t really see reality. You can only see if filtered through a lens. And the lens is you.

Changing, for example, a negative attitude to a positive one changes how you view yourself and your entire world. But it’s very hard to convince people of this truth. You just have to choose to try another perspective or frame and use it for a month or so. Your old thought patterns may want to draw you back to the comfortable stability of your old view point.

One of our greatest gifts in life is the power to choose. We can choose to see things differently. And when we do all kinds of great things show up to help us move forward.

May the force be with you.

Peter Mclees, Leadership Coach, Trainer and Performance Consultant
SMART DEVELOPMENT

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contact: Email: petercmclees@gmail.com  or  Mobile:323-854-1713

Smart Development has an exceptional track record helping service providers, ports, sales teams, restaurants, stores, distribution centers, food production facilities, wealth management services, real estate services, nonprofits, government agencies and other businesses create a strong culture, leadership bench strength, coaching skills and the teamwork necessary for growth.

Having worked with several companies throughout their growth cycle, we have valuable insights and strategies that would help any late stage startup, small or medium sized company achieve sustained growth and prosperity.

You can't fake engagement

Quick Tips

“Engagement” may just be a fresh word for a familiar idea: Employees are more productive when they're happy and committed to your goals than when they're miserable and just trying to get by. But whatever you call it, you can't ignore the challenge. Here’s how to drive engagement in your team:

• Set clear expectations. Tell employees where your team is headed—its mission—and how you plan to get there. A clear sense of direction helps people see the connection between their daily work and their employer’s long-term success.

• Pay attention to your culture. Engagement can’t thrive in an environment that ignores employees. Listen to your workforce; ask employees what resources and training they need to do their best work; and support them in developing their skills so they feel that you’re all on the same side. Provide simple, clear and regular feedback.

• Inspire your workforce. Employees want to know that their work is about more than making money for the executives or shareholders. Tell them why their work is important and how it helps customers, the community, and the world. Just be sure to back up your inspirational talks with decisions and actions that demonstrate you’re not just mouthing slogans.

• Be authentic. Your employees won’t feel passionate about their work if they think you’re faking it. Express your own feelings about why the work is important. Celebrate successes, and be honest about setbacks. Sincerity is the foundation of engagement.

All the success!

Peter Mclees, MS LMFT
Principal

Smart Development, inc

From the Leader's Digest Mail Bag: Managing Mediocrity:

Dear Leader’s Digest:

I am struggling with some employees who are just not cutting it. Their performance is mediocre at best, but there is not enough cause to terminate them. Other employees have complained about them. Customers have not complained about them but they never receive compliments either.

I feel as though I am stuck with these people who are not up to par. How can I better handle employees who just skate by doing the minimum?

Dear Managing Mediocrity:

We hope you're sitting down because our answer is going to suggest more work than you might have hoped. But we can assure you that if you really want to raise performance for not only these low performers, but for the entire employee, this is an approach that may help.

First, let’s agree on the real problem. The issue you're facing is not low performers. The issue is low expectations. If these two employees are truly low performers and yet “there is not enough cause to terminate them,” then you are operating in a culture with mediocre norms. And if that’s true, then the work you have to do is not first and foremost with the low performers, it is with chronically bad group norms. If your team was crystal clear on high performance expectations, mediocrity would be painfully apparent and you wouldn't have to make a tough call when it came time to coach, counsel or redeploy.

So, how do you reset norms? How can you set a high performance standard that makes dealing with mediocrity much clearer?

1. Confirm the Company/Region/HR Standard. You, your peers, your supervisors, and HR need to have a uniform and explicit understanding about the kind of performance you expect from employees, their position and the duties they are performing in your store.

2. Go Public. Once you have sufficient support from the people identified in step 1 for the hard decisions involved with a higher performance standard, you'll have to go public. Let people know the bar is being raised. Let them know of any implications for jobs, for development, and any other consequences people will need to understand so there are no surprises. Acknowledge that the norms-expectations were different in the past, without sounding self-righteous and judgmental of past leadership. Frankly state how things will be going forward and why this is right for the store and good for those involved. Sell the vision as a way of instilling pride and ambition. Let people know that there will be ample and just opportunities to upgrade their contribution, as well as how you'll support that with candor, coaching, and development.


3. Coach, Coach, Coach—Redeploy. Now live the standard. If someone performs below the standard, coach them—have the “content” conversation to let them know the gap between what they did and what you expected. Three factors set those who are adept at talking about mediocre behavior apart from the rest of the pack: research, homework and connection. First, you need to gather data. Have a talk with the marginal employees about what they like and don't like about their current work situation. What are their frustrations, aspirations, and concerns? Approach your “research” conversation with a genuine desire to discover underlying barriers and then see if you can find ways to resolve them.

Next, scrupulously gather facts—from memory and observation—that will allow you to describe in illuminating detail the difference between mediocrity and excellence. This is crucial. Many managers are so vague about the difference that they end up using the feel-good, mean-nothing terms that typically pepper pregame speeches, such as “We need you give 110 percent.” This advise may make sense to those giving it but it only confuses and insults the people who are supposed to change. Ask yourself, what actual behaviors can I describe to make this distinction clear?

Finally, connect your homework with your research. Explain how your recommendations will not only bridge the performance gap but help them achieve their aspirations. When you make this link your influence will increase enormously. Also, this would be a great time to use goal setting to engage the employee in identifying and resolving the performance shortfall.

If it continues, coach again—but this time have a “pattern” conversation—let them know this is now a chronic concern, not an isolated concern. If needed, this escalation is documented and any necessary support in the form of training, mentoring, work process change, etc., is offered. If it happens again, it’s time for a “relationship” conversation. At this point the person must know that redeployment is an option. This must be put in writing to allow no wiggle room in understanding.

In conclusion, the greatest challenge you'll face in coaching is not the individual's performance, but your own clarity. Far too few managers know how to articulate the difference between mediocre performance and good performance. And if you can't describe it you can't expect it. You must do the hard work of detailing the behaviors and results you expect to see and contrasting those with typical mediocre performance. Every minute you spend more expertly articulating expectations will save you an hour in debate and resentment later.

All the success,

PM in the AM