December 3, 2015 By TEC Resource Center

Are you in the game?

The best leaders are coaches. Like coaches, they give direction. They scrutinize performance. They strategize when the team is struggling and they are there to praise the victories. They motivate their players to reach higher and achieve more. They don’t just get involved when things go wrong. They are in the game from start to finish.

At work, it’s easy to get bogged down in the minutia of day to day managing, that we forget the leadership part. If you believe that successful managers are great leaders, and great leaders are great coaches, it makes sense that we should be spending more time coaching. Here are some coaching tips I have found have a real impact in the workplace:

Meet with your employees on a regular and formal basis. I know many of you feel like you talk to your employees every day, but that is not the same as a formal weekly meeting. When you take the time to meet with them either one on one (and I recommend that for key people or supervisors or managers that work for you,) or in a group, they immediately feel more engaged. It provides them with the opportunity to ask questions or raise concerns without feeling like they are bothering you during the day.

Think about their professional development and discuss it with them. Great leaders care about their employees’ happiness. Research shows that one of the most important engagement influences at work is the opportunity to grow and the opportunity to use the skills they have. You can only help them if you understand what these factors are. Sometimes the employee themselves isn’t even sure of the direction they want to go in. Help them figure it out. Ask probing questions like what is it you like most about your job? What is it you hate most about your job? Often that can be a great indication of the path they should take.

Tell stories. If you have ever played a sport and had a great coach, I bet one of the things you remember most are the stories he or she told in the locker room or on the bus after the game. People like to know you are real and even a little vulnerable. Share your experience. The more your employees feel you “get it,” the harder they will work for you. And nothing proves you get it like a great story.

So let me ask again, are you in the game?

Thoughts…….. Contact me at abbe@TECResourceCenter.com

November 24, 2015 By TEC Resource Center

It’s not what you say; it’s how you say it.

I was recently out on the west coast for a conference and decided to extend the trip and go to The Grand Canyon; magnificent, by the way. I had to change my travel plans a few times as I was planning the trip, but by the time I left I had everything all set…..or so I thought.

The conference went well and we set off for our 5 hour drive. When we arrived at The Grand Canyon and checked into our lodge, the customer service rep confirmed we were there for 3 nights leaving on the 27th. As she said it, I knew it didn’t sound correct. I distinctly remembered putting that I would be out until the 28th on my voicemail and email messages. I looked at the woman and told her I was pretty sure my flight back to New York was on the 28th. We both looked down at the confirmation and clearly it said 3 nights, checking out on the 27th. Instead of pointing that out to me, or saying that it was my mistake, not theirs, she immediately smiled and said, “OK, don’t panic. We will find you a room for the last night. It may not be the same room you’re in now, but I promise you will not be sleeping on the rim of the Canyon.”

I couldn’t believe that with all the times I checked and re-checked my paperwork, I didn’t notice this, but it was true. I had booked this lodge almost a year in advance because the lodges on the rim get booked up very fast. When I realized that I had no room for the last night my first thought was that I was in big trouble, but that woman immediately made me feel like everything was going to be ok. She told me to double check my documents, make sure that my flight was indeed on the 28th and then come back down and she would talk to a manager to see what they could do.

So I messed up. I did in fact need a room for the last night. I went back down, but now there were a lot of people at the desk, so when my turn came I spoke to a different person. I relayed the story. He looked at me with an expression of, “Oh boy, big problem!” He started punching on the computer keys and said, “There’s really nothing I can do for you at the desk because we can only see room availability for today and tomorrow here. And things change all the time so I have no idea what will be open on the 27th.” Keep in mind, this isn’t a Hilton, it’s a lodge at the National Park, but still. “Why can’t you just create a new reservation? “Sorry, we can’t do that, but you can stop down again the day before and we can check then.” Of course I couldn’t live with that. I’m not the type who could relax and leave things to chance. I asked him if I called the reservation line myself, could that work?” “Probably,” he said. Thanks for your help!

My husband convinced me to take a breath, grab a drink and enjoy the breathtaking view for a few minutes and to go back to the first lady when she wasn’t busy. Good thinking, husband.

I revisited my favorite customer service woman a little later. She remembered me and went to speak with her manager. You want to hear something funny? She came back and told me essentially the same thing the other guy said, except she told me that because people do make reservations so far in advance, they always have cancellations at many of the rim lodges and the likelihood of us having to even move to a different lodge was very unlikely. Even if we had to move, they would take care of everything for us and we could go about our activities for the day and all would be ready for us when we got back. She gave me the phone number for the reservation line so it was nice and easy for me. She said to make a reservation wherever there was room and then to check back with the desk on the 26th and let them know if we wanted them to keep checking for a more desirable room.

That’s what I did. I got a room reserved in our same lodge immediately and I did go back to the front desk on the 26th to let them know I would prefer a larger room if one became available. It did, and they moved all our stuff for us for the last night and all was well.

Both reps really said the same thing, but every time I spoke to the women, I felt reassured. Every time I spoke to the guy, I felt frustrated and angry. So often, it’s really not what you say; it’s how you say it.

Thoughts…….. Contact me at abbe@TECResourceCenter.com

November 17, 2015 By TEC Resource Center

What have you done for me lately?

WIIFM? What’s in it for me? That’s what everybody wants to know. So tell them!

As a manager, it can be frustrating to work with this type of attitude; especially if you are a true team player, where the good of the team matters more than the good of the individual. If you are willing to sacrifice for the greater good, it may be particularly hard for you to understand where people with this type of attitude are coming from, but it pays to take the time to try.

Employees may not be selfish, entitled or disengaged if they always seem to be looking for what’s in it for them. This is actually quite natural. Different generations and different behavioral styles approach things from a variety of ways. People look at work differently. Some people work to live, some people live to work. Neither is right or wrong, but as a manager, it’s important to know what motivates your employees.

Employees who think about work as a means to a paycheck are not going to be motivated in the same way as others who are more focused on specific achievement, but that doesn’t mean they will not work as hard or be as successful. Their motivator might be money, and at this point in their life, that may be the most important thing because money is tight. They may not have the luxury to make a little less as long as they are challenged and interested at work. For those people, you have to tell them about the financial reward for them exceeding your expectations. They need to know there is a raise in their future. That’s what’s in it for them. And if it’s not going to happen, you will have a disgruntled employee. And a disgruntled employee is not a productive employee.

Employees who are motivated by praise, status, etc. must be handled differently. They will care less about the financial reward and more about public acknowledgement. They need to be recognized for the job they did; the pat on the back, the employee of the month award, etc. That’s what’s in it for them. If they are not feeling appreciated, no amount of money will motivate them the same way.

So don’t be put off by employees who seem to only care how much money they make. Successful managers recognize that everyone is different so different things will motivate them. They don’t look negatively on employees because their need or motivator is money. The common denominator for success here is appreciation. Employees need to know they are appreciated and doing what you can to provide the motivation they need shows you know them and appreciate their work. Managers and organizations also need to feel that employees appreciate them. So as an employee, when your motivators are acknowledged and management is paying attention to what’s important to you, saying thank you will go a long way on that end. Win / win. Everyone gets what they want and the organization thrives.

Thoughts…….. Contact me at abbe@TECResourceCenter.com

June 11, 2015 By TEC Resource Center

How Do You Keep Your Best Employees?

When I come across highly engaged employees I like to ask, “What can your company do to keep you?” As leaders in an organization, it’s important to keep you finger on the pulse of your employees. Here are some things employees want from their companies and leaders:

More efficient processes – It’s very frustrating, particularly to the newest Y generation employees when processes are outdated or inefficient. They come from a quick paced perspective. They want their leaders to care about what’s working and what is not.

Invest in my learning – People want to feel like they are valued and that the company is willing to invest in their training. Even if your budget does not allow for high level outsourced training, taking time on the job to train your employees is important. Pair them with a seasoned employee who is willing to train them. Assign a mentor, but make sure the mentor is on board with their responsibilities. It can be counterproductive if the person you pair your new employee with is not invested in their success.

More representation at the C-Suite level – Employees want to feel like people high up know about their achievements and the success of their department. Often times, there is no representation in the C-Suite for support service departments. It can be very empowering when employees know they are valued by the highest ranking employees in the organization.

Recognition from their boss – A little pat on the back goes a long way. Yes, money talks (that’s a given when it comes to keeping employees) but praise from their boss, especially in public makes employees want to continue doing a good job for them, even when the raises fall a little short.

It reminds me of an episode of the show Friends. Chandler had a boss who had a habit of patting his employees on the butt for motivation as they left a meeting. Chandler found this really weird and uncomfortable. He finally decided to tell his boss that he didn’t like it and that he would rather he not do it to him. His boss agreed; he didn’t realize it bothered Chandler.

Next meeting, everybody walked out of the meeting and got their pat on the butt from the boss, except for Chandler. In true sit-com fashion, he was dramatically left out and of course Chandler felt de-motivated, and started re-thinking his decision. The pat on the butt, however inappropriate, was his boss telling everyone, “Great job!” And now Chandler didn’t get to feel that. Disappointed, he now wondered if he spoke too soon. As you can imagine before the episode was over, Chandler ate some crow and got his boss to include him in the motivational pat on the butt again.

Not advocating the pat on the butt, but praise from the boss, in most formats, is always a good thing!

June 1, 2015 By TEC Resource Center

“Do as I say, not as I do.” Really?

Sure you get some extra perks when you are the boss. Your position may allow you to take a longer lunch, or work from home, but there is no need to flaunt your status, (they get it,) and it certainly shouldn’t get in the way of you getting your tasks completed or become an excuse for you dumping more work on your staff. That’s not delegating.

As a leader in your organization you should make sure you are setting a good example so you develop and keep the respect of your staff. You are the one who sets the standards for work and behavior. Think about what you expect and what is important to you and your organization. Make sure you are modeling the way and not creating obstructions. Here are some basics:

Always be prompt. If you want people to get to work on time, make sure you do. If you are going to be late, let them know so they are not waiting around for approval on something. If you are respectful of time, they will be inclined to do the same.
Be wary of friendships at work with your staff. It happens, but you need to remain impartial when it comes to the work. If you do develop a friendship with a member of your staff, don’t hide it, it will only cause more speculation and increased attention. Keep everything as in the open as possible. Avoid behind closed door meetings. Friendships can often turn quickly into lawsuits, so try to keep your work relationship separate from your personal relationship. Don’t make promises you can’t keep, or that could be misconstrued as favoritism. Use common sense and monitor other staff members’ behaviors and comments. If you see other staff members avoiding your friend, the perception of your relationship may be something you did not intend. In the workplace, perception is reality.
Communicate with professionalism. Don’t raise your voice. As a leader, you are expected to remain calm and unemotional when communicating with your staff. Don’t take things personally so you won’t become defensive. It’s all about reaching a common goal. If they are not meeting your expectation, speak to them in private and focus on the problem and solution.
Be accountable. Don’t hesitate to say you are wrong when you are wrong. Don’t over-react, pass blame or lie. Accept any negative consequences and work toward a solution. This will make it easier for your staff to do the same when necessary.
Show your appreciation when things go right. Celebrate and share the glory.

Thoughts…….. Contact me at abbe@TECResourceCenter.com