Archive for the ‘Building Morale’ Category
Don’t Allow Bad Bosses to Rule the Roost
14August 2009
When workplace frustrations seem overwhelming because of cranky, bad or childish boss actions, a.k.a., a Terrible Office Tyrant (TOT) behavior in your company, you can stop the dynamic for the sake of your business. Specifically, you can remind managers how bad timing can make them act poorly or impulsively, to the detriment of staff morale.
As TOT readers know, and as explained in Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant™ (TOT): How to Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job, managing unruly TOTs and toddlers often requires the same principles—and one is good timing.
As national career columnist Joyce Lain Kennedy mentions in her article Dealing with a bad boss isn’t easy for hamptonroads.com, and VIVMag.com states, both bad bosses and children behave in strikingly similar ways. Also visit the Boston Globe’s very pictorial pages of TOT behaviors at Boston.com (in fact, you can go ahead and vote and view results).
Toddlers throw tantrums, scream “No!” and can be stubbornly demanding. Bad bosses can have sudden angry outbursts, and say “No!” without any apparent reason. Knowing how to tame your TOT managers will give you control and help you increase productivity. So does role modeling CALM to your managers, as mentioned in my interview with career luminary Tory Johnson on GMA/ABC-News for “The Job Club.”
As a young mother, I learned that it was highly unwise to take my two tykes down the candy isle when it was feeding time. Taking bosses down the cubicle aisle at 11:30 a.m. while trying to get project approval? - also a bad idea. So what does that mean for you as their fearless leader? Encourage managers to speak up if the timing IS bad rather than lash out, for one. Also, remind them of the old saying “count to ten,” before letting off steam. After all, isn’t it loyalty and dedication we want most from our team?
To keep the sanity of your staff, plan ahead. When you schedule an afternoon meeting, make sure there are high protein snacks available. They help regulate blood sugar. If you go for the sugary snacks, then you are just adding to the blood spiking problem, which will result in a later crash and fatigue. It can bring out Demanding, Fearful and other TOT inclinations - meaning, the worst in anyone. See my regular blogs on Psychology Today, including one on Demanding bosses. Try to plan meetings for earlier in the day when everyone is fresh and mental activity is up and running. Everyone will be healthier for it.
With your good role modeling and reminders to any Terrible Office Tyrant (TOT) behaviors you spot, you’ll prevent TOT attacks and keep the peace. For more details on timing and TOTs, order the book at Amazon, Barnes&Noble.com or Borders.
P.S. I thoroughly enjoyed my interview today with Terri Trespicio, the host of SIRIUS Radio “Martha Stewart Whole Living.” Visit TameYourTOT.com to listen. She is a real pro and knew precisely what the book and topic was about; a lot of fun! Great caller questions, too.
Help is Here for TOT-Laden Workplaces
23July 2009
It has been a very exciting week! In the first week’s launch of my book, Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant™(TOT): How to Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job (John Wiley & Sons), it has received extensive media attention. The book’s release represents my seven year passion, which continues - to help employees become more empowered in their jobs, and to foster a more humanized workplace. Along the way, I’ve had the support and encouragement of amazing business colleagues and friends, for which I am very grateful.
It’s rewarding to hear reactions to the book from employees, reporters and, yes, even business leaders! Comments have run the gamut from “Oh, of course!” to outright laughter. Overall, there’s a common, instant response to the core premise – the striking parallels between difficult bosses and children.
“That’s how my boss acts,” many people exclaim, finally realizing that they’re not alone.
“Boy, do we have TOTS in our office!” is another familiar statement.
“Wow, you’ve really hit on something here!”
And that’s one of the important messages of my writing and training – TOTs really are everywhere and all of us can deal with them.
As I discussed on ABC-TV this week with Tory Johnson, its important that we don’t lose sight of the fact that employees and employers must share the responsibility to tame their TOTs. Too many bad bosses are acting like unruly children who have trouble modulating their power. They’re throwing tantrums, being demanding, needy, distracted or moody.
Such childish behaviors sap productivity – at a time when we least need that to happen! But the great news is that employees can turn this around… almost instantly, with some honed parental-style, humanistic techniques!
As I pointed out in my recent “When TOTs Run the Office” article on the Psychology Today website, at some point in our working lives we’re likely to be confronted with a TOT. Too many offices resemble a chaotic schoolyard, replete with bad bosses playing sandbox politics. But therein lies an opportunity to save your sanity and everyone else’s.
By “decoding” the boss’s true emotions, employees can better align themselves with their manager’s goals, and become indispensable. Jihan Thompson of Marie Claire talks with me about this approach in the magazine’s August 2009 cover story, where I provide insights on interpreting a boss’s childlike statements.
Taming your TOT is not just for employees. In Forbes magazine’s CEO Power section this week, I point out how CEOs can also “Make Room at the Top” for strong leaders by avoiding “territorialism.” While doing so, they promote an environment where there’s space for everyone to grow and do their best work. A place that’s safe for success. This boosts productivity, employee morale and, profits.
So the next time you spot a TOT, don’t reach for a pacifier, pack your boxes or order a mass layoff. First get your copy (or copies!) of Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant™(TOT) from Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Borders …and tame your office TOTs – for a workplace that works!
Now is the Time to Focus on Your “Career Currency”
7June 2009
In BusinessWeek.com, I’ve been talking to career professionals about “Increasing Your Career Currency” during a time of hopeful impending economic turnaround. No matter where you sit on the organizational chart, you have a career currency. It’s easy to get caught up in recession-related headlines, but the fact is that, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
Friday’s announcement that layoffs have slowed supports a new positive mindset and a focus on your career currency. The available workforce is surging albeit with increased jobless claims that are expected to peak next year. This signifies that there is an expected lag time – and build up in – those filing claims. Companies like yours may not be actively hiring yet, but are not laying off staff as before, either. Orders are gradually reappearing – and while you may be managing this work through existing staff and other resources – your needs will ultimately exceed current labor supplies. All of these trends bode well for a future economic rebound.
Increasing your career currency is part of my passion to help employees and managers become empowered in their careers. And that includes the ability to humanize your workplace™ and mitigate Terrible Office Tyrants™ in the office, as in Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant™ (TOT): How to Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job (John Wiley & Sons, July 31, 2009).
I would be pleased to get your feedback, comments and questions.
Knocking Down Doors – Literally!
26May 2009
Keeping the lines of communication open in the workplace is critical – both metaphorically and literally, as illustrated by a national independent workplace study commissioned by Lynn Taylor Consulting, and released in March. Interestingly, in April, AOL’s new CEO, Tim Armstrong, took a significant symbolic step consistent with this study which made some headlines. He ordered that the locked glass doors which sealed off staffers from the executive suite in the company’s New York headquarters be removed. In doing so, he immediately earned the praise and respect of employees.
Armstrong’s gesture is also consistent with the theme of this blog and my upcoming book, Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant™(TOT). To employees, closed doors often suggest (intentionally or not) an unwillingness to communicate – or an exclusionary mindset. Especially during times of downsizing, they can instill unnecessary anxiety, hinder the free flow of information and impede interaction. In the end, they shut out more than people, but also morale and productivity.
Admittedly, AOL will be taking many other steps to bolster itself in the marketplace. But this micro version of taking down an “executive Berlin wall” was a great first step in bridging the communications gap.
Employees and employers alike can and should talk up this simple yet memorable move, because if nothing else, it says to a workforce: “we are a team,” as opposed to: “stay away.” Occasional privacy is understandable, but a non-stop blockade isn’t. Maybe in the latter case, an inexpensive alternative is to hand out free doorstops.
Build Trust and Counter the Office Skeptics
24April 2009
As a manager, you may be alarmed if you read a recent independent national survey we commissioned on bosses. It reveals that 86% of U.S. adults believe that public failures of large companies are similar to the much less conspicuous, yet far reaching, poor daily decisions of bosses in general. It adds that both go under the radar until disaster strikes.
Surely no boss is perfect or can make the right decisions 100 percent of the time. But you can help to dial down the mistrust that seems to be so prevalent today. It’s key to the success of your business. While staff trimming may be a necessary evil, you must show you’re committed to getting through this difficult time as a team. Like so many aspects of achieving success, maintaining an objective, healthy perspective - and being proactive can make all the difference. Here are some simple workplace strategies:
Provide your employees with highly specific input and direction: Cutting corners on time upfront may seem expedient. But it will have your team spinning their wheels. If you take the time to organize and strategize with a thinly stretched staff, you’ll reap the rewards in productivity gains.
Don’t allow negativity to devour you: Despite the prevalent “sky is falling” mood in corporate America, set a positive tone. When things are in flux, let it be known that chances for advancement still exist as always for your team.
Give those who manage others in your firm the benefit of the doubt: At the same time, operate with your eyes open and your ear to the ground. Ensure that they are good motivators during this difficult time. Keep an open door policy, as mentioned in my last blog. If their actions are caught too late, you may lose morale, top talent, customers, significant revenue - or even the company.
You likely have a manager yourself: Make it clear to others that you’re a reliable, solutions-oriented person. Read my Managing Up tips at TameYourTOT.com -News/Articles, to find out more about how to effect change through diplomacy and problem solving.
Everyone can agree that this is an unusual and very challenging period of our history. While you can’t control Wall Street or the economy’s effect on the business, you can help engender more trust and positive energy in the office. Your skillful communications, dedication to greater transparency and peace making will all make a difference. The results? Immeasurable benefits now, but particularly when the uptick returns.
Boosting Morale in a Down Economy
25February 2009
Human energy is the fuel of business. So what if everyone around you is dragging? Current economic pressures can make anyone depressed, and the effect is reverberating throughout the hallways of corporate America.
In recent HR related studies, the biggest category cost cutting category is in the area of team building and morale. Yet it’s never been more imperative for managers to retain the best and brightest employees to tough out the economy.
Psychologist Abraham Maslow talked about the hierarchy of needs, which suggested that humans are motivated as their needs are fulfilled in areas like safety, security, belonging, and esteem. You can easily improve the workplace environment by thinking about what each person in the company needs. And fulfilling those needs doesn’t need to cost a lot of money.
Tips for morale boosting in a sluggish economy:
• Heartfelt praise and recognition is priceless, especially when given in front of others.
• Get input from staff by reframing challenges into opportunities and encouraging employee suggestions so they become an invested part of the solution.
• Build in “fun time” and start by soliciting your own people to find out what activities or ideas they have that are cost effective, but worth the effort.
• Communicate, communicate, and communicate some more with everyone to ensure that roles, goals, and expectations are clear. Do it often and not always at expected times.
• Reward employees at low or no cost. Consider small gift cards to a local coffee shop, two movie tickets, grocery store certificates at the holidays, pizza party during lunch, ice cream social in the afternoon, a themed potluck, casual dress day
• An active employee recognition program is easy to set up and can cost the company nothing. For example, acknowledge a job well-done in monthly staff meetings. Or create a Super Star board where employees can post a description of the outstanding work of their co-workers.
• Mind your “P’s and Q’s” by saying please and thank you often. Stop by your co-workers’ desks to say thank you for something they have done recently, whether it was a great job on a project or pitching in to meet a deadline.
• An employee mentoring program can provide effective motivation and increase leadership skills. Pair employees with managers. They can meet regularly to share ideas or collaborate on a project.
• A walk in the park, even if for a half hour, can mean a lot. Everyone enjoys time away from the office. Offer employees the chance to leave early on a Friday afternoon if a major success has been achieved.
Morale boosting and employee motivation do not cost a lot of money. Consistency, clarity, and creativity will go a long way. In my next blog, I’ll talk about some pitfalls in employee motivation. In the meantime, stick with these positives, and you can’t go wrong!
