Inspiring Conversations, LLC

1. When an employee expresses anger, deal with it as soon as possible. That doesn't mean in two weeks! By showing a desire to make time to discuss the situation, you are showing that you are concerned, and value the employee and his or her perceptions and feelings. Many performance problems reach crisis proportions as a result of delay in dealing with anger.

2. Certain situations require privacy for discussion since some people will be unwilling to air their feelings at a public staff meeting. However, if anger is expressed in a staff meeting, you can develop a positive climate in the organization by dealing effectively with it in public. One technique is to ask the angry employee whether they would like to discuss it now, or prefer to talk about it privately. Let them call the shot.

3. Always allow the employee to talk. Don't interrupt. If they are hesitant to talk, encourage them by using a concerned, non-defensive tone and manner, and gently use questions. For example: "You seem a bit upset. I would like to help even if you are angry at me. What's up?"

4. If an employee refuses to talk about what's bothering them, consider adjourning by saying: "I can understand that you are hesitant to talk about this, but we would probably both be better off if we got it out in the open. Let's leave it for a few days and come back to it." Then follow up on the conversation.

5. Respond to the employee's feelings first, not the issue underlying the feelings. Use empathy first by saying something like: "It sounds like you are pretty annoyed with me. I would like to hear your opinion."

6. Before stating "your side" or your perception of the situation, make sure you have heard what the person said. Use active listening. "George, if I understand you correctly, you are angry because you feel that I have not given you very challenging assignments, and you feel that I don't have any confidence in your abilities. Is that right?

7. If the employee's perceptions do not match your perceptions express your perceptions in a way that tries to put you and the employee on the same side. Your job is not to prove the employee wrong (even if they are). Trying to prove the employee is incorrect is likely to increase the anger level even if you are right. "George, I am sorry you feel that way. Let me explain what I think has happened so you can understand my thinking. Then we can work this out together."

8. A technique used by expert negotiators is to establish agreement about something. Before getting into the issues themselves, lay the groundwork by finding something the two of you agree on. Again, the point here is to convey the message that you are on the same side. For example: "George, I think we agree that we don't want this issue to continue to interfere with our enjoyment of our work. Is that accurate?"

9. At the end of a discussion of this sort, check with the employee to see how they are feeling. The general pattern is: a) Deal with feelings first b) Move to issues and problem-solving c) Go back to feelings (check it out) Ask the employee if they are satisfied with the situation, or simply ask "Do you feel a bit better?" You may not always get a completely honest response, so be alert to tone of voice and non- verbal cues. If it appears that the employee is still upset or angry, you may want to let it pass for the moment. Allow the person to think about the situation away from you, THEN follow-up in a day or two. This is important because someone who is angry initially may "lose face" by letting the anger go immediately. Or, the employee might just need time to think about your discussion.

– Good luck! Source: Work911 – Reproduce permission by Bacal & Associate

By Susan Nielsen

Personal growth always involves positive behavioral change. But some people don't grow because they don't want to change. They're just stuck. If your goal is to be the best you can be, then resistance to change is self-defeating. Life offers opportunities to everyone, but only those who actively pursue their goals realize their dreams.

You may be sensing some resistance to change within yourself. That's natural. All new experiences create some level of anxiety, doubt and fear. To move ahead, you will have to confront your fears and doubts. You will have to understand the obstacles to change if you want to overcome them.

Fear of the unknown tops the list of obstacles to change. Uncertainty is scary. The risk of failure accompanies all change; therefore, we tend to resist change. As humans, we prefer predictability and familiarity. We naturally prefer our old habits, even when they are counter-productive, because they are safe and familiar. Fear of conflict is another common obstacle.

When we decide to move positively forward with our lives, other people in our sphere of influence are affected. Their relationships and interactions with us much change in various ways. Such disruptions often create conflict, and conflict is uncomfortable. Our natural tendency is to avoid it.

Changing our ingrained habits also causes discomfort. To a rather significant extent, we define ourselves by our behaviors and attitudes. Changes push us outside our comfort zone. Before we can change, we have to acknowledge how we have been viewing the world and ourselves. That can be very uncomfortable to our egos.

Many people resist change because they don't have a clear vision of where they are going. Change for the sake of change is meaningless. All meaningful change is driven by purposeful goals. In order to change, you will have to confront your fears. You will have to be committed and willing to push through the temporary obstacle of pain and discomfort for the sake of the future joy and excitement you will experience when you achieve your goal.

You must know what it is you want and focus on the end-game to make change meaningful and exciting. You can't have everything, but you can have anything: you just have to decide on the anythings you want—and then pursue them relentlessly, addressing and overcoming your fears and doubts and making the changes you need to succeed.

– Adapted with permission from Leadership. Copyright © Resource Associates Corporation. All rights reserved. Susan Nielsen. (888) 850-2206 Ext 701

By Arno Ilic

Absenteeism is a common occurrence in businesses today. When regular employees take time off, planned or not, your company needs to manage the cost. Companies have guidelines when it comes to paying their absent employees: some pay employees after they have been absent for a certain number of days, some pay from the first absence, while others do not pay at all. Even if your company has insurance to cover the cost of absent employees, your premiums may be affected by replacement costs. While employees are absent from work, replacements must be hired and paid, raising the costs.

If you are thinking, “This does not apply to me”, perhaps you should revisit your notion. If you have built in coverage for absenteeism, you may ask yourself, how much are you paying to carry that additional “relief” person? For example if you have an absenteeism rate of fifteen person-years (PYs = approximately 2,000 hours per year) that means you will need to carry an additional fifteen employees to ensure that you have sufficient coverage. (If you do not carry additional people and you do not need to cover your absences, perhaps you are already overstaffed). In a good year you may reduce your absenteeism to ten PYs. You haven’t saved money yet because you may still be carrying that additional staff, not knowing that your attendance has been reduced until the end of that fiscal year.

This need for additional staff can cause a lack of productivity. In order to keep additional staff onboard, the work load must be sufficient, which means giving them tasks, but not necessarily keeping them busy therefore causing a reduction in the pace at which they work. This also causes an issue with supervision; supervisors come to view the reduced pace as normal.

There are a number of things that can be done to fix this problem.
• Proper documentation: each person receiving a paycheck must have a position number and a specific set of tasks.
• Track how many days each employee has off and how frequently they are absent.
• What is your current absenteeism rate and how many people are hired to cover those absences?
• If your company has a job security provision, you may want to produce an “on-call” list. This list can be used for bringing people in on short notice to replace absentees or to reduce overtime costs.
• Familiarize yourself with the labor laws on innocent absenteeism.
If you haven’t already been watching this, START TODAY. Once you begin tracking absentees, you will be able to create an effective strategy.

There are many great tools out there for managing absences. Generally the problem is not the tools, but the ability to use them effectively. An attendance tool with an untrained supervisor could lead to disastrous consequences. I have seen supervisors grieved for sexual harassment and invasion of privacy all because they asked inappropriate questions. Similarly some use the tools to the letter resulting in worse statistics than they started with. Tools should never be used as a weapon.

There may be several factors that result in an employee’s absenteeism. In most cases I will wager that they are not engaged in the work they are doing. There may be a poor fit with the job they are doing and they may not have the insight to recognize this.

Is it possible that the work environment is so poisoned that they do not feel comfortable in being there. Chances are, if you look at what motivates you to go to work each day, you may be closer to seeing if your employees have the same experience. If you say that the prospect of a paycheck motivates you, then perhaps this may not motivate some of your employees. If on the other hand, you are excited to come to work each day because you know you can make a difference with your company then see if your employees are getting the same message. Do they feel needed? Do they feel that the job they are doing is meaningful and important? Do they see how they fit into the vision of the company?

It may be the supervision. Is the supervisor just trying to get through the day? Do they meet with each employee at least once a week? Do they take an interest in their employees? This does not mean that the supervisor has to get into their personal business. You want your supervisors to establish a level of rapport that your employees feel safe and comfortable with. That way, you may see trends coming that can be headed off. As a team leader, you should always remember your role. You are not the psychiatrist or the father confessor. You should have the knowledge to be able to direct your employee to the right resource. If you don’t know find out.

Absenteeism can be managed and reduced. Having the right tools is always a good start. Having a level of engagement is an even better start.

– Copyright protected worldwide. Arno Ilic. (888) 850-2206 Ext 705

Broadcast Goals

Are you frustrated because you've made little progress on achieving your goals? One way to prod yourself to action is by sharing your goals with others. Issuing a formal public declaration of your plans to your trusted friends or colleagues will make you accountable to someone other than yourself. But proceed cautiously. Don't step onto that platform unless you're sure you really want to achieve this goal and have devised a step-by-step plan for moving forward. Otherwise, you could be setting yourself up for a public failure.

– Adapted from "Goals: Public or private?"
Contact Jeff Johnston.  (888) 850-2206 Ext 704

While one hesitates because he feels inferior, the other is busy making mistakes and becoming superior.
— Henry C. Link

Of course it's hard. It's supposed to be hard. If it were easy, everybody would do it. Hard is what makes it great.
— From the movie A League of Their Own

When people say to me: "How do you do so many things?" I often answer them without meaning to be cruel: "How do you do so little?" It seems to me that people have vast potential. Most people can do extraordinary things if they have the confidence or take the risks. Yet most people sit in front of the TV and treat life as if it goes on forever.
— Phillip Adams