Archive for the ‘Humanizing Your Workplace’ Category
When Bad Bosses a.k.a. TOTs, Mark Their Spot
28August 2009
The recession isn’t over yet, but some economic sectors are sprouting again, so some of your managers if left unchecked, a.k.a. TOTs, may be taking this opportunity to act out in some specific ways.
As BusinessWeek and MSNBC point out this week, Terrible Office Tyrants (TOTs)TM are in full season.
In particular, TOTs are now marking their territories like never before. Maybe they’re attempting to amass office space, sales forces, or “marking” sales territories with hoarded executive office pens! They might as well hang a sign on their doors that reads “This is MINE; go get your own stuff!” Territorialism is rampant, as mentioned in detail in my Psychology Today blog and in Forbes.com.
The problem is your staff may have just been assigned a part of your TOT’s old sales territory - and he’s not real happy about it - even though he’s been your employee’s mentor for 11 years and has diligently learned some of his best sales techniques. Now your Terrible Office Tyrant manager is calling on his former clients, telling them that your staff member is a “rookie” and they should contact him because he’s the “real deal.”
What makes your Terrible Office Tyrant (TOT) display these territorial claims in the office?
It stands to reason that the same skills your TOT used to survive childhood and/or a former job would serve him well in the hand-to-hand combat of corporate life, as explained in Psychology Today entitled Why Bosses Act Like Toddlers. His goal is to get stuff - and keep it. Your goal is to have him let go of it and delegate.
To avert conflicts, make sure that your TOT knows how much you value his mentoring of more junior staff. Assure him that you value managers whose staff is strong.
Once your TOT realizes that you’re not a divisive leader, and that a solid staff is an asset that helps the company grow, you’ll mitigate the power grab syndrome. In Tame Your Terrible Office TyrantTM (TOT): How to Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job, there are many more suggestions on how to handle difficult managers in your ranks.
Territorialism is just one of 20 Terrible Office Tyrant behaviors outlined in my book, by chapter. I am often asked to describe all of them. See if you can find one, two or more of these bad behaviors in your office in a given day or week:
BRATTY
These are the more aggressive traits that are typically activated when your TOT is operating under stress, has been taught that this behavior will achieve self-serving results, or your boss is fearful of an impending outcome:
1. Bragging
2. Bullying
3. Demanding
4. Ignoring
5. Impulsiveness
6. Lying
7. Self-Centeredness
8. Stubbornness
9. Tantrums
10. Territorialism
LITTLE LOST LAMBS
These traits are often born out of incompetence or general fear of inadequacy. While they seem benign, these boss behaviors can be just as irritating - and equally as unproductive in the workplace.
11. Whining
12. Endless Questioning
13. Fantasy World
14. Fickleness
15. Helplessness
16. Irrational Fears
17. Forgetfulness
18. Mood Swings
19. Neediness
20. Short Attention Spans
For more details on TOT-proofing your company and creating a humanized workplace that is safe for success (meaning decreasing territorialism), you can order the book at Amazon, Barnes&Noble.com or Borders.
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.
“So, What’s Your Book About?”
27June 2009
In my daily travels, after people ask me the name of my forthcoming book, their first reaction is usually laughter. They immediately understand that Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant™ (TOT) is a self-help guide to make the workplace more manageable, offering some laughs along the way. Mission accomplished! But the follow-up comments are always fascinating. “I could have written several anecdotes for your book!” “Gosh, [to a nearby subordinate], I’m not a TOT, am I?!” The dutiful subordinate blushes and replies: “Ha. Of course not!” “You must be the Dr. Spock of the workplace.” “Yeah, I cringed when I heard how some (former) managers spoke to employees!” When people want to know more, and ask, “What’s it really about?” – I usually say something to the effect of: “It helps you define your career rather than letting it define you.” I quickly describe the “TOT™” and toddler parallel of out-of-control office behavior. Then I explain how mastering the “parental” techniques of dealing with the similar traits is invaluable and, transferable –and that it will help them in their careers –maybe even in life. But one of the cornerstones of Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant™(TOT): How to Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job is about shared responsibility. When I first realized the similarities between children and bosses with too much power, I knew that by offering that perspective to employees, it would help them manage up. But the other side of the coin was that it would also help managers do their part from an employer’s’ perspective – it would help them humanize the workplace. A win-win, collaborative proposition. No matter your level in an organization, having the ability to master relationships with those around you is a legitimate, personal growth commitment. Not surprisingly, it also the secret to being a great leader. CEOs and senior business leaders can “TOT-proof their companies” and make their environment safe for success. More than anything else, my book makes it crystal clear that it’s incumbent upon everyone to set limits to bad office behavior and reinforce the good. Just as a good parent can reward good behavior and rebuke the bad, the same techniques work 9 to 5. So, what’s my book about? It’s a customizable guide to assist you in taking command of your own personal career currency. In the process, you can help your boss and fellow employees humanize your workplace.
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.
Being a “Balanced” Manager
25May 2009
Everyone can have a bad day. It’s part of being human. The problem is when we’re charged with managing a team and being our best for the sake of others and something bigger than ourselves each day: the company. In a recent discussion with ABC News, I pointed out that even the best managers have trying days or times of the workday when they just aren’t their most diplomatic selves!
Being a manager and “getting the big bucks” as they say, comes with this price – being able to separate emotion from the business at hand so that others, including colleagues and those we manage, are motivated as often as possible – even through difficult challenges.
Building a great department and team is best achieved together. That doesn’t mean adopt a “misery loves company” management style, though! Unfortunately, in the absence of information, most employees assume that they’re at fault. An office is an eco-system or fabric of mood swings and energy cycles.
We spend most of our waking hours during the week at work. You might spend additional hours in the evenings on the weekend thinking about work. So it stands to reason that you’re emotionally invested in your professional life. The mettle of a manager is tested particularly during tough times, but when the angst is separated from this “emotional investment,” managers are the most effective leaders.
So, some simple steps to take are to allow that red flag to be seen internally when you’re about to deflect stress onto others:
Take a Breather, a Walk, Preoccupy Yourself with Work: Sometimes it pays to do anything but interact with others until you’ve had a chance to simmer. The “problem” may be one of perception – you may be blinded by the seemingly urgent nature of an unexpected event.
Type Up the Issues – for Yourself First: There may well be legitimate issues that you need to take care of, but you may think them through more clearly by writing them out and reviewing them. Notice I said “for yourself” – so you have time to evaluate how much of a problem this is, and the possible solutions. Rather than taking a knee-jerk approach with an instant e-mail or phone call, think things through. Talk to others if you have to and be armed with facts before you leap to conclusions about issues based on fear.
Avoid “False Highs”: The same reflective time applies to judgment about something you think is the answer to all the company’s problems! This seesaw dynamic can create an unpredictable environment for employees that engender anxiety and disappointment. If you change your mind frequently, dash hopes on earlier-approved projects, or compliment someone in the morning and then admonish them two hours later, it can hurt productivity – and employee loyalty.
Pause Before You Hit “Send”: When someone has let you down, it can be very tempting to “let them have it”. Just like the old adage, “count to 10 first,” dowse your fired up communications with a blanket of even-keeled energy before sending them out. You can rarely “recall” an e-mail, just as you can’t “recall” a verbal dialogue. But you can either in your “draft folder,” or else tone it down with more positive language.
Put Your Communications Through the Collaborative-Checker: Everyone has a “spell checker,” but create your own “collaborative checker” software – to ensure that your communications encourage cooperation, not defensiveness. No computer program offers this etiquette software (just yet), but you can help Humanize Your Workplace™ by creating your own customized version.
Find Lessons in Mistakes: If you do slip and someone is in the line of fire when you can’t handle a pressure cooker moment, you can always apologize. Employees are greatly appreciative of this and it doesn’t take away your power – it wins loyalty and dedication for you, as it does in life. It also helps you catch yourself next time in seeing those red flags in more brilliant red the next time around.
Being a “balanced manager” is a sound strategy for getting the best from your team. It’s an effective way to elevate your status as a thoughtful and prudent leader, which earns trust, respect and loyalty. P.S. Good luck with the new “software!”
Employee “Stress Tests”: Invest Now in Human Capital
12May 2009
The recent banking Stress Tests just revealed that an infusion of $74.6 billion in capital will be necessary for banks to withstand the recession. Shrewd managers might be well advised to follow suit with their employees and conduct a “stress test” of their own.
The goal? To similarly determine how their staff is withstanding the recession, the downsized workforce and the oversized workload. I can’t think of a better way to “invest” – only it’s investing in invaluable human – not banking capital.
Performing a “wellbeing audit” of employees is not a costly, timely or complex proposition. By proactively checking in with your team, keeping an “open door” policy, being a good listener, and letting the team know that it’s okay to make mistakes, you’re off to a very good start. A humanized workplace versus a sanitized workplace is a lot more enjoyable for everyone.
Recently, in the Society for Human Resource Management’s publication, SHRM Online, we explained why it makes good business sense to reach out to your team, especially during difficult times. The alternative is fear and mistrust – an environment that encourages what I call Terrible Office Tyrants™ (TOTs).
From a future recruiting standpoint, when we’re in recovery mode, every resume will become a valued commodity. Employees (and customers) have long memories, and in every industry there are key players that somehow make the field very small: good to remember if you’re in a recruiting capacity.
Imagine a workplace that becomes so “efficient” and de-humanized that you walk past the conference room and witness an apparition of robotic staff winding up with: “LOL”, “Well, IMHO…”, “K”. You walk down the hall, and a colleague apologetically bumps into you, gasping, “OMG!” (P.S. Did you read that as letters or three words?) Let’s hope for a more humanistic style of management before this happens!
National studies commissioned by Lynn Taylor Consulting suggest that the recession has created a lot of pent up tension from overworked staff – which will hopefully ratchet down soon. When the rebound occurs, employees will be sure to seek those environments that invest the most in collaboration and human capital. Will that be yours?
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.
Calming Job Jitters In Your Office
31March 2009
Although the unemployment climate has given nearly everyone job jitters as underscored in Inc. and our national survey, you can do your part to ease the concerns of your staff.
Beyond the basic approach of open, honest, and direct communication, there are additional steps you can take that will help keep your team motivated and productive. These include:
- Be aware of your verbal and nonverbal communication, which includes words, tone, and body language. This is part of my mantra: Humanize Your WorkplaceTM.
- Let your employees know there is room to rise in the organization. Clearly articulate career pathing and outline opportunities.
- Own up to any mistakes. Apologize genuinely and move on.
- Show your staff the same respect as you would a peer or senior personnel, e.g., uphold scheduled meetings and arrive on time; honor your commitments.
- Tell your employees what they did right, which is especially powerful when done publicly.
Dedication, loyalty, and productivity are all characteristics that managers want most from their teams. Put yourself in your employees’ shoes, and think about whether you are inspiring these qualities each day. Think of the old adage: People won’t remember what you said or did, but they’ll remember how you made them feel.
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!
