Compass Coaching & Development

Empower Your Employees More Effectively!

2010-09-11T04:05:00.000-07:00

Do you ever empower someone, only to later realize you put them in the wrong position or role?

The art of employee empowerment is something that must be done very specifically and strategically. If we use a "shot-gun" approach when giving employees new tasks and putting employees into new roles, we are setting them, ourselves and the team up to fail. While occasionally the situation will call for it, most of the time we can't blindly empower others just because the new task matches what other people with the same job title are good at or simply just because we "have a feeling" they will like it or do well - more thought and decision making must go into the process.

The first step in the process actually has nothing to do with the employee - we FIRST need to fully understand the role we are putting them in, and pick it apart as much as we can - an activity called RTR (role/task/responsibility) Evaluation. We should look at the RTR we are considering them for, and ask ourselves questions such as: What specific skills are needed, what level of experience must they already have prior to moving forward, what strengths are helpful for them to have, what resources might they need, and who has successfully done this in the past?

When we are able to gather all of the answers to the above questions, we can then take the next step which is to evaluate our team and decide who the best person for the job might be. When we are effectively (and consistently) evaluating all of the competencies, roles, tasks, and responsibilities that our employees might be empowered with, it will give us a much better chance of putting the right person into the right position - resulting in their (and our) success!

**This week's tip was taken from "Empowering Others for Success" which is the July session of The Compass Program. Click Here to view the schedule of all 12 sessions for The Compass Program.

A Great Way to Improve Workplace Communication!

2010-09-02T04:28:00.000-07:00

First, ask yourself...
Do you ever get the feeling that you don't really understand the meaning behind someone's message?

True, effective communication only takes place when the message that the "listener" interprets is a true reflection of exactly what the "speaker" not only said, but meant as well. If the listener does not fully understand the meaning, feeling and thoughts behind the speaker's words, then true communication did not really take place. Words might have been exchanged, but the real message was not understood by the listener.

A common problem many people have is that in an attempt to interpret what someone tells us, we filter it through our OWN paradigm. We reference OUR past experiences, OUR feelings, and OUR perceptions, but the person sending the message usually doesn't share any of these same things with us. It is this typical reaction on the part of the listener that most often causes miscommunication.

The next time you find yourself doing it, make it a point to ask clarifying questions and draw out as much information from the other person as you can. Do everything you can do in order to get to know how THEY feel, and what THEY really mean. Doing this will help you see things from their paradigm, thus allowing message sent to truly equal message received!

**This week's tip was taken from "Promoting Open & Healthy Dialogue" which is the October session of The Compass Program. Click Here to view the schedule of all 12 sessions for The Compass Program.

Help Your Team Become More Innovative!

2010-08-07T12:06:00.000-07:00

First, ask yourself...
Do you feel that the environment at work prohibits your employees from being innovative?

As leaders, we definitely want our employees to be innovative and proactive. We want them to always be thinking about how they can do something better, or help to make some kind of improvement for the organization. The problem is that having a natural innovative and proactive mindset is not how the majority of our employees are wired. To compensate, we must do a great job of creating and promoting the type of environment that gives our employees as much opportunity as possible to choose the right mindset.

When it comes to leading change and innovation, there are two important terms to consider: Driving Forces and Restraining Forces. Driving Forces can be anything within the environment that helps individuals choose to be proactive and implement needed change, while Restraining Forces are just the opposite - they prevent employees from doing so. Some general examples of these forces are the attitudes of the leaders, the resources employees have at their disposal, the availability of training and learning opportunities, and the frequency that employees are put into positions to collaborate with each other and work as teams. These examples can go either way...when done right, they can act as a Driving Force for innovation, but when gone about in the wrong way, they can act as a Restraining Force.

As leaders, if we desire more innovation and proactive thinking from our employees, sometimes all it takes is us evaluating the current environment so that we may begin to eliminate the Restraining Forces, and build on the Driving Forces. By being honest with ourselves and evaluating these different elements, we are likely to find many opportunities to make small and subtle changes that can have a huge impact on the motivation and attitudes of the people on our team!

**This week's tip was taken from "Leading & Embracing Change" which is the February session of The Compass Program. Click Here to view the schedule of all 12 sessions for The Compass Program.

2010-08-07T12:05:00.000-07:00

Raise the Commitment Level of Your Employees!

2010-06-29T14:59:00.000-07:00

First, ask yourself...
As a leader, are you setting the right example that will encourage commitment from your employees?

Contrary to what some people might tell you, employees today DO want to be loyal and committed to the organization. They take pride in going above and beyond. They desire to feel like they are really making a difference and contributing to the success of the company. But 99 times out of 100, they will not feel this way simply out of the blue; it begins with the actions of the leader or manager. Ensuring our employees are fully committed to the organization starts with the leader. A great leader shows the employees that they are fully committed to doing the same things that are expected out of the employees.

For instance, do you "live" the mission and vision of the company that you so often preach? Are you willing to roll up your sleeves and help out to get the "not so glamorous" work done when you know it will benefit the team? Are you proactively looking for ways to improve your performance? Do you have a positive attitude towards the company? Are you willing to do whatever you have to do in order to satisfy a customer?

Employees can't be told, tricked, forced, manipulated or "managed" into committing to the organization. They must make that choice on their own, but it is up to the leaders to help them make the right choice! As leaders, our actions ALWAYS speak MUCH louder than words. When those around us see that we "practice what we preach," they will be much quicker and more eager to fall in line and be led!

**This week's tip was taken from "Committing to a Common Vision" which is the November session of The Compass Program. Click Here to view the schedule of all 12 sessions for The Compass Program.

Help Your Employees Enhance Communication!

2010-06-12T07:43:00.000-07:00

First, ask yourself...
Would you like the members of your team to engage in open communication and collaboration more often?

We are all familiar with the traditional concept of dialogue, which is when you are engaged in a 2-way exchange of information with another person. Yet, there is another of effective form of communication that significantly impacts the amount of teamwork and level of trust between the two parties. It's called "Relationship Dialogue," which is a continuous flow of open communication throughout the life of the relationship. It spans far beyond one single interaction - it describes the overall willingness and ability of 2 individuals (or two teams) to have a relationship geared around open communication.

The easiest way to increase relationship dialogue is to actually put people (and yourself) in a position to interact and communicate more openly. Here are some strategic actions you can take to help increase the level of relationship dialogue in your relationships, and within your team: make yourself (the manager/leader) available and approachable, involve others in planning and problem solving, share information as much as possible with others which will encourage their input, be receptive to feedback when given to you, and provide opportunities for cross functional collaboration (which might be in the form of joint-team meetings, cross functional projects, etc).

When we have a healthy relationship dialogue, we are able to openly share information, ideas, and feedback with each other...without fear of defensiveness, conflict or reprisal. Not only will communication increase, but relationships will develop, commitment to a common goal and vision will strengthen, and the attitude overall between employees will jump!

**This week's tip was taken from "Promoting Open & Healthy Dialogue" which is the October session of The Compass Program. Click Here to view the schedule of all 12 sessions for The Compass Program.

Completely Prevent Nasty Conflict!

2010-05-01T16:14:00.000-07:00

First, ask yourself...
Do you find that some of your past conflicts should and could have been avoided in the first place?

When working in a team environment, we as human beings are guaranteed to disagree, have differences of opinion, and not see eye-to-eye with others - this is what we call "normal differences." Due to our unique personalities and unique past experiences, these normal differences are absolutely avoidable. These situations do not have to result in heated or disruptive conflicts or arguments, but when we don't handle them correctly, that's exactly what happens!

There are many ways to help resolve normal differences in a healthy way without allowing them to result in disruptive conflict. One of the first and easiest steps to take is for both parties to agree to take time to sit down and share their opinions, what they know about the situation, their feelings, and what they feel the issues are. Remember, each party will undoubtedly have their own opinions and experiences that they are drawing their conclusions from, and sharing those thoughts with each other is the ONLY way to ensure both parties are on the same page.

All it takes is the effort to open up with each other. When this simple act of casual dialogue occurs, the parties will often find that the "normal difference" is not as big or meaningful as they thought and that there is a logical solution available- therefore avoiding a full-blown conflict, and at the same time, setting the stage for another successful interaction when the next normal difference occurs in the future!

**This week's tip was taken from "Resolving Conflict Successfully" which is the September session of The Compass Program. Click Here to view the schedule of all 12 sessions for The Compass Program.

Getting Your Employees Committed!

2010-04-23T05:51:00.000-07:00

First, ask yourself...
Could every single employee of yours accurately recite the company's goals for this year?

When everyone within an organization is working towards achieving one common goal, it significantly helps to develop things such as communication, teamwork, and overall employee motivation and commitment. When this is the case, a strong competitive advantage is created, and a much stronger level of employee engagement throughout the organization will build.

There are many ways to align your employees' thinking so that they are focused on doing whatever they can to help the team accomplish its goals, but the VERY FIRST thing the organization can and should do is simple: Share the goals with employees! If the employees are going to play a role in helping the company accomplish the goals, how can you expect them to do so when EVERYONE is not crystal clear on what they are trying to achieve?

Take a moment to consider how clear your communication has been with employees in regards to overall goals. If you believe there is an opportunity for management to be more open with employees about exact goals and how the organization plans to achieve them, take a moment to re-evaluate your communication approach. Just consider this: If the company has an overall goal of expanding operations into a new state, there is no possible way for an employee to approach her manager with a great idea about how to help the company do that, if she didn't know what the goal was in the first place!

**This week's tip was taken from "Committing to a Common Vision" which is the November session of The Compass Program. Click Here to view the schedule of all 12 sessions for The Compass Program.

Helping Your Employees to Stay Positive!

2010-04-15T05:32:00.000-07:00

First, ask yourself...Would you like your employees to stay positive during tough times?

When things are tough and success is harder to achieve, often times the first things to be affected is our confidence, self-esteem, encouragement and motivation. We have all been there before where our attitude might be affected by external factors. Sometimes when we are going through a rough patch, all of a sudden we begin to expect things to go wrong, and we lack the confidence that we can successfully right the ship. Having these feelings doesn't make you a weak person - just normal!

When things are tough and you feel your employees might begin to feel this way, one of the best things any manager or leader can do is make sure your employees are aware of their Proof Points, which are small victories that they have already achieved that prove to them they are doing the right things, heading down the right path. A few things you can do to make sure your employees are keeping aware of their Proof Points is to try holding weekly meetings to openly reward and encourage victories, keep providing positive feedback, and post accomplishments around the office so that they are visible to them and others.

When you can help remind others of the things they have already accomplished, it helps to build the confidence that they can accomplish much more. Plus, openly communicating Proof Points helps to show them that they might be closer to achieving their goals than they originally thought, which will have a significant impact on their motivation and attitude!

**This week's tip was taken from "Being Positive & Resilient" which is the December session of The Compass Program. Click Here to view the schedule of all 12 sessions for The Compass Program.

Help Your Employees Provide Better INTERNAL Service!

2010-03-19T04:07:00.000-07:00

First, ask yourself...
Would you like employees within your company to make the effort to go above and beyond, for each other?

Focusing on providing an outstanding level of service to internal customers can do wonders for teamwork, conflict resolution and communication - but unless everyone is on the exact same page with what "outstanding service" truly is, we are setting people up to fail in terms of meeting our expectations as well as those of the organization.

The first thing that must be done to develop an effective and consistent internal customer focus is to clearly define exactly what you expect. All companies have visions, but very few have what is called a service vision. A service vision is not much different than an overall company vision - it is realistic, easy to interpret, commonly understood by all, inspiring, and meaningful. Its purpose is to describe the type of service the organization expects, and provide a road map for individuals as to how to act with, and treat others.

Remember, it is one thing to expect individual employees to provide above and beyond service for each other, and it's another thing for them to FIRST clearly understand what "above and beyond service" really is. When this is true and the vision is effectively communicated through the organization, employees will be
motivated to live it, they will be confident that that same level of service will be reciprocated for them, relationships with strengthen, attitudes will become much better, and even the service provided to the external customer will be enhanced as well!

**This week's tip was taken from "Internal & External Customer Focus" which is the August session of The Compass Program. Click Here to view the schedule of all 12 sessions for The Compass Program.

Encourage Your Employees to Embrace Accountability!

2010-02-26T04:35:00.000-08:00

First, ask yourself...
Would you like for more of your employees to take ownership in achieving their goals?

Everyone has goals they are working towards. Obviously, your employees are no different. But spending time trying to "hold them accountable" to achieving those goals can be time-consuming, frustrating, and give you the feeling that all you do is go around putting out fires. What we, as leaders, need to do is to help others make the choice to take ownership in achieving their goals...so you don't have to!

For this to happen, there are many critical steps that leaders should follow. One of the easiest is to involve your employees in the goal-setting process. If they are involved in determining the goals, and are given the chance to provide their input, they will be much more likely to do whatever is necessary to ensure success. Plus, involving them in the goal-setting process helps to ensure that the goal is emotionally meaningful to them (which will have an impact on their motivation to achieve it) and in the situations where the goal might NOT be meaningful, or possibly too unrealistic (which will deter them from putting in max effort) they will have the chance to tell you so it can be adjusted!

When you are successful in this practice, you will spend less time trying to hold others accountable because you have successfully created a culture of accountability!

Motivate Your Employees Through The Change Process!

2010-02-17T17:00:00.000-08:00

First, ask yourself...
Do your employees ever "lose steam" at some point of the process during a big change?

Going through change is difficult for many reasons. Change requires people to take a chance, step out of their comfort zone, and possibly do things they have never been asked to do before. We as leaders must do all that we can to ensure we get the best possible result from the changes we decide to implement.

To achieve the best possible outcomes from change, we will need the commitment, motivation, and effort from each and every one of our employees throughout the entire change process. To help make sure this happens, we should try to "create victories" for them as much as possible. They desire to know that their efforts are working, and that they are making progress or accomplishing something with all of their hard work. Creating victories can come in many different forms- anything from sharing a weekly progress report, to e-mailing an update, to giving periodic awards to people for accomplishing specific goals related to the change.

Showing our employees that they are doing a great job, the changes they are trying to make are working, and that they are on the right path, will help to keep them properly motivated and their minds focused on the end goal.

Do a Better Job Resolving Conflicts!

2010-02-04T07:51:00.000-08:00

First, ask yourself...
Would you like to have better success resolving conflicts with your colleagues?

Contrary to what most people think, successful conflict resolution does NOT begin with the actual realization that there is a conflict at hand. So, where does it start? It starts with the relationship you have with the other party! This means that your ability to resolve a conflict in October might have begun in January when you first started working with that person.

Having a track record of working with the other party to resolve conflicts, having an open line of communication already established, and trusting that the other party has integrity and a mutual best interest at heart are all things that will come into play when trying to resolve the conflict at hand.

Without a solid relationship already in place, when a conflict does arise, both parties will be much more likely to only care about their own interests and not be willing to have an open dialogue - which will significantly hinder your ability to find a quick and positive resolution to the issue. The stronger and more trusting your relationship is with the other party, the greater the chances are that you will be able to find common ground on your issue, ensuring BOTH parties leave feeling satisfied.

**This week's tip was taken from "Resolving Conflict Successfully" which is the September session of The Compass Program. Click Here to view the schedule of all 12 sessions for The Compass Program.

Motivate Your Employees to Commit to a Common Vision

2010-01-26T18:30:00.000-08:00

Is each member of your team moving in the exact same direction, pursuing the same objectives?

As leaders, it is critical that we create a culture where everyone is working to achieve one common goal, pursuing one common vision. If there is NOT a common vision for the team to work towards, there is no way we can expect the individuals to put the team first, to go above and beyond for the good of the team, and to ultimately put in maximum effort to help ensure that the team goals and objectives are accomplished.

If you don't currently have a vision (one that is communicated throughout your entire team or company), create one! When getting started on your vision, keep in mind that effective visions have 5 main characteristics: Realistic, Easy to Understand, Commonly Understood, Inspiring, and Meaningful.

Creating a vision, and helping others to become motivated to work towards it is the only way to create an environment where employees are willing to put in the absolute highest level of commitment. An organizational vision is something larger than each person's job title or duties. It is something each employee can rally around, something they can be proud of, something that motivates them to be the best they can be day in and day out, even when nobody is looking!

Tip for Coaching Employees

2010-01-20T05:03:00.000-08:00

First, ask yourself...
Would you like to be a more effective coach for EACH and EVERY employee of yours?

Today, more and more companies are trying to build an "environment of learning" by attempting to coach employees, rather than simply manage them. For this to be effective, leaders must first understand that coaching everyone in the exact same way, with a broad brush, is not effective or acceptable. A successful coach/coachee relationship is completely reliant on the coach first knowing as much about the individual coachee as possible.

To successfully coach an employee (which will ultimately help them to learn and produce better results) there are many questions about the coachee you should be able to answer. A few of them are: What are THEIR strengths and weaknesses? How do THEY prefer feedback, and how often do they prefer it? What motivates THEM? What are THEIR personal and professional goals? Do THEY desire to be promoted? What skills would THEY like to learn and develop for themselves?

Knowing the answers to these questions will not only strengthen your relationship, but will set the foundation for you to lead/coach them as an individual. Doing so will also help you to align their goals to your goals and the goals of the organization- creating a strong level of synergy and commitment between all parties.

Providing Better Service

2010-01-13T12:31:00.001-08:00

First, ask yourself...Would you like to provide better service to each and every unique customer that you have?

Regardless if we are referring to external customers or internal customers (internal customers being our employees, co-workers, superiors, business partners, etc.), the only way to build strong, loyal relationships in today's extremely competitive environment is to provide the absolute best, most above-and-beyond service possible. But here is the problem: each and every customer is different, which means that what one customer might consider to be excellent service might simply be average to the next.

The only way to provide the absolute best service to ALL of our customers is to service them through what's called The Customer Paradigm. This means that instead of worrying about what you feel to be good service, you are only concerned with their opinion. We can begin to operate under The Customer Paradigm by asking ourselves specific questions, such as: How do THEY feel about my service? What do THEY really want? What do THEY consider to be excellent service? What do I know about THEIR preferences? How can I improve on our past interaction to make it better, according to THEM?

The key is remembering that just because YOU feel you did a great job doesn't mean they feel the same way, and their opinion is the only one that really counts. In order to make sure your customers have an A+ experience every time, you should evaluate every aspect of your service (through their eyes) which will also help you to decide if there are any parts that could be fixed, changed, eliminated or improved to enhance their experience.

Achieve Better Outcomes While Empowering Employees

2010-01-05T16:58:00.000-08:00

First, ask yourself...
Are your employees ever unsuccessful when they are empowered with brand new tasks for the first time?

Empowering someone is an excellent way to develop their skills, and increase their commitment to the goals of the team/organization. However, if the proper steps are not followed, the act of empowerment can backfire - often resulting in conflict, mutual lack of confidence, and a regression in that particular employee's performance AND desire to be empowered again in the future.

The 1st step (out of many) to successfully empower someone is to provide them with an extremely clarified description of the role or responsibility that you would like them to perform. Seems like common sense, right? Unfortunately, this easy but important step is often overlooked due to our tendency to assume that since WE know exactly what to do and how to do it, that means the OTHER PERSON does as well.

Clearly communicating exactly what the task is will ensure the employee fully understands what to do. Going into specific detail will also proactively uncover questions they might have - usually ones that you would have never thought to address!

Develop More Trust Within Your Relationships

2009-12-30T05:14:00.000-08:00

First, ask yourself...
Would you like to see your relationships continue to strengthen over time?

Strong, trusting relationships are not simply created out of thin air. They take time, and they take work. If we desire to have the type of relationships where a strong, mutual level of trust is shared, then conscious effort must be made on our end to "build" the relationship in order to get it to that point.

Affirming is a technique that we (especially as leaders) can use to help strengthen our relationships. To affirm our relationship with someone means to consciously and proactively communicate to them any of the following: what they do well, what we like about them, why we respect them, the good work they do, etc.

When we affirm, we do it with sincere purpose and intent. It is much more than simply giving a compliment. It is indicating that we believe in them and truly value their relationship, and at the same time, indicating they should also do the same for us. The more we affirm our relationships with others, the stronger the relationship will get, which will allow for more trust to be built over time.

Leading Others Through Change

2009-12-22T12:34:00.000-08:00

First, ask yourself...Do you ever feel like you don't get a full "buy-in" from your employees when you implement a change?

When change takes place, it is human nature to have concerns about it. The level of accuracy with which those concerns are addressed will significantly impact the type of reaction (either positive or negative) we have towards the change. If our employees' concerns are not addressed, fear and resistance will overcome other emotions, and they will have little motivation to "buy-in" to whatever the change happens to be.

Often the most overlooked concerns that must be addressed are the personal concerns our employees have. They will always have questions such as "how will this change effect me?," "what's in it for me?" and "what must I do to be successful in relation to this change?"

If these questions/concerns are not addressed and we leave employees wondering or guessing, there is a strong likelihood of immediate resistance to the change and an even stronger likelihood that fear will take over. Luckily for us, the best, easiest, and most effective way to ensure our employees DO NOT fear the change is to simply answer questions proactively, and be open and honest about information.

Enhancing Your Productivity

2009-12-15T13:27:00.000-08:00

First, ask yourself...
Do you ever go home at the end of the day, feeling like you didn't get enough accomplished?

Have you ever worked a 12-hour day or a 60 hour week, and then looked back and felt like "nothing got done?" I'm sure we can all recall times when this has happened. One of the main reasons for this is because we're not always efficient AND effective with our time.

To be efficient with our time means to get things done right. To be effective with our time means to get the right things done. With those definitions in mind, its easy to see how we might work "hard" all day and get a bunch of "tasks" accomplished (we are efficient), but if those tasks are not the ones we should even be working on in the first place, then we are NOT being effective- which leads to stress, frustration, and the feeling that we didn't get much done.

So how can we ensure this does not happen? Simple! Make sure our tasks are directly related to our ultimate goals. When the work that gets accomplished is meaningful and is moving us closer towards accomplishing a desired outcome or goal, we will feel much better about the time that was invested.

**This week's tip was taken from "Maximizing Productivity" which is the March session of The Compass Program. Click Here to view the schedule of all 12 sessions for The Compass Program.

Increasing Employee Commitment

2009-12-04T16:01:00.000-08:00

Would you like your employees to be more committed to the team and/or organization?

Employees today can't be told, tricked, forced, manipulated or "managed" into committing to the team. They must make that choice on their own, and it is up to us, as the leaders, to help them make the right choice! It is our actions, and the environment that we create/promote that plays a significant role in the level of commitment our employees choose to have.

To help our employees become excited about the team, and consequently raise their level of commitment, one of the most important things we can do is to actually help them feel like a bigger, more important part of the team. Some examples are things like: encouraging and soliciting their input and opinions, reminding them of the importance of their role to the team's success, and openly sharing information with them (such as info about the company, team goals, future opportunities, etc).

When our employees truly feel that they are integral to the long-term success of the team, they will be much more likely to increase the level of effort they put into their job, and ultimately care much more about contributing to the team's success!

Providing Feedback to Employees

2009-11-24T16:09:00.000-08:00

First, ask yourself...
Would you like to get better outcomes from the feedback you provide to others?

Providing constructive feedback to someone at work can help facilitate important change, and have a tremendous impact on their future performance. But if certain steps in the feedback process are not correctly followed, we run the risk of providing ineffective feedback, which will prevent us from experiencing the outcome we desire.

The first step for providing effective feedback is to share your desire to provide the feedback. This step is quite simple to perform, yet often overlooked. An example of this is, "Dan, I would like to talk to you about your presentation yesterday. Do you have a couple of minutes right now?"

When you let the other party know that feedback is coming, it will prepare them (possibly for some constructive comments) and they will be less likely to be defensive. It's also important to understand that "right this second" is not always the best time for someone to hear the feedback you are about to provide to them. They might be busy, angry, tired, upset, or distracted at that given moment - all things that could cause your words to go in one ear and out the other. Prefacing your comments by asking if this is a good time allows them to let you know if there might be a better time to talk - a time when they will be in a better place to listen, give you their full attention, and truly understand your message and intent.

Helpful Time Management Tip

2009-10-23T05:38:00.000-07:00

First, ask yourself...
Do you ever find yourself doing way too many things during the day that are not ultimately important?

One of the main reasons we sometimes feel that even though we worked hard for 10 hours at the office, we "really didn't get anything done" is because we react too quickly to the tasks presented to us, instead of taking the necessary time to evaluate their importance. We live in a fast-paced world, so we are wired to want to attend to everything right away. But when we don't take the necessary time to evaluate the importance of the task at hand, what often happens is the 'not so important' things take up most of our time.

Before just jumping into action the next time you get an e-mail telling you about a task or "emergency" that needs your attention, take 30 seconds and think about what this task REALLY is. Is there anyone else who can handle it? Can it be taken care of over lunch instead of right now? Is it something that might simply go away on its own, if given time?

If we can get into the habit of properly evaluating the tasks presented to us before actually acting on them, we will find that a good number of them are not as "code red" as we initially assumed. And when we can then postpone them, delegate them, or simply decide not to do them, we will free up much more of our time, and decrease our stress levels dramatically!

How to Succeed in Challenging Situations

2009-10-16T06:28:00.000-07:00

First, ask yourself...
Do you ever over-react to challenging situations, ultimately preventing yourself from moving on?

We face challenges every single day, some bigger than others. Often times, these challenges require us to formulate a response and then take action. Our reaction to these challenges will significantly influence the success we have in relation to the challenge moving forward. These challenges (also known as Key Moments) can be just about anything that require a response. Some examples can be an employee not turning in a report on time, not acquiring a new account we were hoping for, or even our top employee suddenly quitting because he/she took another job.

It's up to us to decide how to react in these situations. We can spend time being upset, or try to figure out a way through the problem. We can decide to only look at the immediate negatives, or choose to evaluate all of the long-term positives that could potentially come from the situation.

Just because you are faced with a challenge, or something doesn't go your way does not mean you must have a completely negative reaction towards it. It is important to learn from our experiences, and continue to push forward with a positive mindset to ensure we set ourselves up for the best possible result both now, and the next time something like this might occur.

**This week's tip was taken from "Being Positive & Resilient" which is the December session of The Compass Program. Click Here to view the schedule of all 12 sessions for The Compass Program.

Expectations for Conflict Resolution

2009-10-09T05:53:00.000-07:00

First, ask yourself...
Is everyone on your team in agreement as to how to approach a conflict?

Conflicts in the workplace don't just appear out of the blue. They are typically caused by what is known as a normal difference, which includes things such as: a difference in opinion, difference in goals, difference in communication styles, difference in past experiences, a difference in motivation, etc. When working side by side with other human beings, normal differences are common and often unavoidable. But in order to help reduce the number of these normal differences that turn into full-blown conflicts, it's vital for everyone to be on the same page as to how to handle them when they do come up!

How should you approach someone you don't agree with? How quickly should you make the confrontation? Should you involve others, or go right to the source? What sorts of things should you personally consider prior to approaching the person in the first place? The above questions were just a few potential expectations that when determined, communicated, and agreed upon by the team will help to stop the normal differences from turning into something much more disruptive.

These normal differences can't be counted on to work themselves out. It is vital to have agreed-upon expectations and even a formal process in place as to how to approach others when a normal difference occurs, and then how to work it out to ensure that both parties are happy with the result.

Setting the right example as a leader

2009-09-30T05:11:00.000-07:00

First, ask yourself...
As a leader, do you set the right example?

Contrary to what some people might tell you, employees today do want to be committed to the organization. They take pride in going above and beyond. They desire to feel like they are really making a difference and contributing to the success of the company. But 99 times out of 100, they will not feel this way simply out of the blue; it begins with the actions of the leader or manager. Ensuring our employees are fully committed to the organization starts with you. As the leader, show your employees that you are fully committed to doing the same things that you are expecting out of them.

For instance, do you "live" the mission and vision of the company that you so often preach? Are you willing to roll up your sleeves and help out to get the "not so glamorous" work done when you know it will benefit the team? Are you proactively looking for ways to improve your performance? Do you have a positive attitude towards the company? Are you willing to do whatever you have to do in order to satisfy a customer?

Employees can't be told, tricked, forced, manipulated or "managed" into committing to the organization. They must make that choice on their own, but it is up to the leaders to help them make the right choice! As leaders, our actions ALWAYS speak MUCH louder than words. When those around us see that we "practice what we preach," they will be much quicker and more eager to fall in line and be led!

**This week's tip was taken from "Committing to a Common Vision" which is the November session of The Compass Program. Click Here to view the schedule of all 12 sessions for The Compass Program.

Coaching Employees for Success

2009-09-23T17:32:00.001-07:00

First, ask yourself...
Do your employees keep coming back to you when faced with the same challenges, over and over?

When you, as a leader, choose to coach your employee rather than simply manage them, you are putting in time and effort to help that employee become better in the long term. The way you can have the biggest impact on the employee when coaching them is by helping them to figure things out, complete tasks, make decisions and accomplish their goals - all through their own efforts, using their own brain!

The best way to put them in a situation to do so is to first, think of all the ways you are always fixing, advising, telling, directing or rescuing them - and stop! When they come to you with a problem (one that you would like them to ultimately be able to solve on their own) or a question (one that you would like them to eventually know the answer to on their own), put the ball back in their court. Help them to figure things out by asking things like: What do you think the solution to this problem is? What resources do you have to accomplish this task? What do you think the best choice would be in this scenario? How else might you get around those obstacles? What is your plan to get it done? What experiences can you draw from in the past that will help you in this situation?

Simply asking questions like these will help you to engage employees in the decision making process, help them to be creative and think outside the box, and help them to take responsibility for getting the job done. But this process takes time, effort and patience on your end, so what are the benefits for you? Simple! You will have more capable employees who have more confidence in themselves, and best of all - the time you spend now being proactive will result in time saved putting out fires and reacting to problems in the future, making you and the team more productive!

**This tip was taken from "Growing by Coaching & Learning" which is the May session of The Compass Program. Click Here to view the schedule of all 12 sessions for The Compass Program.

Providing Excellent Internal Service

2009-09-16T18:25:00.001-07:00

First, ask yourself...
Would you like ALL members of your team to collaborate more, to provide BETTER service?

Providing the absolute best service to our customers is complicated. It goes much deeper than simply the interaction a customer might have with their sales rep or the customer service department. For example, how quickly their order is shipped (warehouse), the accuracy of their invoice (AR department), and even the type of greeting they get when entering your facility (receptionist) are all significant parts in the overall level of service.

What was just described is the concept of interdependence,meaning different people (and areas of the company) all contribute towards one end goal, and the quality of their work will ultimately be affected by the quality of the work of others (i.e. if the warehouse is slow with shipments, then the sales rep would have to spend more time on the phone with unhappy customers, rather than prospecting business).

It is vital that all employees not only understand the extreme importance of interdependence, but fully embrace it as well. When everyone considers everyone else as important and a contributing partner, they will be more likely to go above and beyond for each other, they will communicate better (and have less conflict), show a higher level of respect, and ultimately work better as a team. And ultimately, where does all this lead? Better end service to the final, external customer!

Setting Expectations to help with Productivity

2009-09-09T15:49:00.000-07:00

First, ask yourself...
Do expectations (or lack thereof) influence your team's effectiveness or productivity?

Today's organization is run (and structured) much differently than that of years past. Organizations today are MUCH more interdependent - meaning other people and other departments play a role (sometimes a significant one) helping one another accomplish ultimate goals. We interact with more people in many more areas of the organization as well- we are no longer confined to our silos within our respective departments or locations/branches. Finally, it is much more common today to "bounce around" within one company due to broader job descriptions, the desire to have cross-functional skills and employees, and the increase of technology.

The above are just a few reasons why having clear expectations for our teams is so vital. These expectations are referred to as Team Operating Norms (TONs). A few examples of common TONs are: the way members of the team approach conflict, the process for meetings, how we give/receive feedback, and how we communicate with each other.

TONs help to ensure that any new members joining the team (whether the stay will be permanent or simply for a single project) are crystal clear on expectations, and understand how to interact with the other members of the team - especially when the new team members are already used to working and interacting in a DIFFERENT way based on their last job or team. And don't forget, TONs also help to significantly increase productivity, strengthen relationships, and enhance the effectiveness of communication amongst the current members of the team!

Promote Open Communication With Your Employees!

2009-09-01T17:07:00.000-07:00

First, ask yourself...
Would you like your employees to feel more encouraged to share their ideas and opinions?

We are all familiar with the concept of "walking the talk" which means to follow through on what we say because in reality, our actions speak louder than words. As leaders, it is vital to walk the talk when it comes to promoting the idea of "open" communication, because when our actions do not mirror our words, dramatic negative fallout can occur. When employees feel that they cannot approach their manager with a question, concern, or simply to challenge something they don't agree with, the following are likely to happen: more long-term conflicts will take place, innovation will be stifled, reactive attitudes will form instead of proactive ones, and there will be a lack of trust within relationships.

If an environment of honest, open communication is something we desire to have, we can't simply just talk about it; employees must see it taking place, and it starts with us, as leaders, actively promoting it. Actions such as proactively soliciting feedback (even if we know it might not be all wonderful compliments), encouraging others to play devil's advocate (especially to our opinions), and commending others for proposing ideas that might be different from ours will show that we actually mean what we say about open, honest dialogue.

Taking these proactive steps makes it clear to the others on the team that their opinions matter and that we value what they bring to the table - likely resulting in an increased level of employee engagement and sense of ownership.

**This tip was taken from "Promoting Open & Healthy Dialogue" which is the October session of The Compass Program. Click Here to view the schedule of all 12 sessions for The Compass Program.

Successfully Empower Your Employees!

2009-08-25T15:38:00.000-07:00

First, ask yourself...
Would you like to be able to empower your employees to make more decisions on their own?

Empowering employees helps free up the manager's time for more important tasks, and helps to develop the employees' skills and increase their engagement at the same time. Empowerment is obviously a good thing, but how come we are not always able to empower our employees as much as we would like? Well, many factors contribute, but one that is often overlooked is the amount of information we share with them, and how this act (information sharing) directly impacts our ability to empower, and their success when empowered!

When we actively and openly share information with our employees, 3 major outcomes are likely to occur:

Commitment and overall employee engagement will increase since they will feel like a bigger and more integral part of the team
The amount of innovation and proactiveness on their part will skyrocket
They will have the knowledge and ability to make decisions on their own (no longer will they have to run to us every time they have a question, or encounter a problem or challenge).

So what info do we share? Well, each organization is different, and each employee is different. A few ideas to get you started: company financial data, the needs and wants of the customers, strengths and weaknesses of the organization, info about competition, and overall organization and team goals.

This tip was taken from "Empowering Others for Success" which is the July session of The Compass Program. Click Here to view the schedule of all 12 sessions for The Compass Program.

Take More Responsibility!

2009-08-18T17:03:00.000-07:00

First, ask yourself...
Is your reaction to a situation ever to immediately avoid responsibility, without even realizing it?
Given the choice, most people would choose to accept responsibility for their lives. After all, who doesn't like being in control of their own destiny? The problem is that we often fall into a reactive, or victim-like state of mind without even realizing it, simply due to the language that we use on a regular basis! Think about it...how many times in a given day do you use phrases like "I can't..." or "I need to..." or "I have to..."?

When we use reactive phrases like these, it automatically puts us into a subconscious "victim" state of mind where we are giving up control of what happens, and basically saying to ourselves "I have no power, it's not up to me anymore." When this is the case, it's no wonder we disown responsibility, and then tend to blame others or make excuses.

The next time you are about to say one of these phrases, try changing the words you use and see what happens to your attitude. In the future:

Replace I can't... with "I won't..."
Replace I have to... with "I choose to..."
Replace I need to... with "I want to..."

Build Trust With Employees

2009-08-09T06:34:00.000-07:00

First, ask yourself...
Does the lack of trust you share with a co-worker ever decrease your ability to be effective?

Trust is one of the main foundations of any successful organization. Why? Because of the need for interdependence: other people, teams, and departments have an influence on how well we perform or the success we have in doing our job 100% right.

When considering trust, there are 3 components that contribute to the amount given and received:

Integrity - The individual acts in accordance with values/principles, and they can be counted on to keep their word (ex: Your employees arrive on-time to work when you are out of town at a conference and there is nobody watching)

Competence - The individual is fully capable of performing their roles and responsibilities well (ex: Your sales people are able to successfully compare your product/service to your competition's, which will help close the sale)

Compassion - The individual cares about the needs of others and is committed to contributing to the good of the team (ex: People volunteer to stay in during lunch to help another department finish a big project for an important customer which is due that same day)

Each of these components carries more important in different situations, but one fact remains constant: the lack of any one of these components will weaken the relationship, which will have an adverse effect on areas such as productivity, communication, service to the customer, efficiency, and teamwork- just to name a few!

Helping Employees With Change Management

2009-08-07T06:03:00.000-07:00

First, ask yourself...
Do your employees ever seem to "lose steam" at some point of the process during a big change?

Going through change is difficult for many reasons. Change requires people to take a chance, step out of their comfort zone, and possibly do things they have never been asked to do before. We as leaders must do all that we can to ensure we get the best possible result from change.

To achieve the best possible outcomes, we will need the commitment, motivation, and effort from each and every one of our employees throughout the entire change process. To help make sure this happens, we should try to "create victories" for them as much as possible. It is important to show them how well they have been doing. They desire to know that their efforts are working, and that they are making progress or accomplishing something with all of their hard work. Creating victories can come in many different forms- anything from sharing a weekly progress report, to e-mailing an update, to giving periodic awards to people for accomplishing specific goals.

Showing our employees that they are doing a great job, the changes they are trying to make are working, and that they are on the right path, will help to keep them properly motivated and their minds focused on the end goal.

This post was made by Jeff Rosset, President of Compass Coaching & Development. Visit us at www.Compass-CD.com to learn more about our leadership development services.

Effective Time Management

2009-07-24T08:34:00.000-07:00

First, ask yourself...
Do you have important tasks to get done that you never seem to get around to doing?

We have all done it before. We look at our to-do list on Monday, identify something important that we have been meaning to get done for a while (ex: "spend 3 hours to research and find an effective customer feedback survey"). We then realize the 8 million other things we HAVE to get done today, and automatically transfer the survey research task to Tuesday's to-do list. And what happens? You guessed it! Tuesday comes (this time 9 million things to do) and we transfer it to Wednesday, and so on, and so on.

For many reasons, it can be difficult to make time for those important activities. The problem is, it is those activities that will ultimately help us free up MORE time in the future (using the above example, if we could spend the time now to find a way to get useful feedback from customers, we could reduce the time spent each week handling customer complaints). What we need to do, as leaders, is start thinking more proactively about how we are spending our time each day/week/month, and how what we do today will affect us down the road.

So how do we get ourselves out of this time-wasting, reactive cycle? It's called "backfilling your schedule." We should block off chunks of time (even months in advance) for those important tasks that are likely to get pushed aside for something more urgent - and then hold ourselves accountable to keep to that schedule! By doing this, we will ensure those important tasks are completed, which will free up MORE time in the future!

This post was made by Jeff Rosset, President of Compass Coaching & Development. Visit us at www.Compass-CD.com to learn more about our leadership development services.

Communication & Leadership Development

2009-07-20T18:48:00.000-07:00

First, ask yourself...
Do I ever feel that I don't fully understand the true meaning behind what others tell me?

True communication only happens when message sent equals message received. If the listener does not fully understand the meaning, feeling and thoughts behind the speaker's words, then true communication did not really take place. Words might have been exchanged but the real message was not understood by the listener.

A common problem we ALL have is that in an attempt to interpret what someone tells us, we filter it through our OWN paradigm. We reference OUR past experiences, OUR feelings, and OUR perceptions, but the person sending the message usually doesn't share any of these things with us. It is this typical reaction on the part of the listener that most often causes miscommunication.

Make it a point to ask clarifying questions and draw out as much information from the other person as you can. Do everything you can to get to know how THEY feel, and what THEY really mean. Doing this will help you see things from their paradigm, thus allowing message sent to finally equal message received.

This post was made by Jeff Rosset, President of Compass Coaching & Development which is a firm that helps companies in Chicago, Naperville, Schaumburg, Oak Brook, Deerfield and the surrounding areas increase employee engagement by providing leadership, organizational and employee training and development services. We focus on skill sets such as change management, communication, attitude, coaching & mentoring, empowerment, time management, customer service, trust, and accountability. Learn more at http://www.Compass-CD.com

Employee Teamwork

2009-07-19T06:27:00.000-07:00

First, ask yourself...
Does my team consistently fail at solving problems right, the first time?

Imagine going to the doctor because you have developed a rash on your arm. The doctor says that you must have rubbed up against some poison ivy, and gives you some ointment. But strangely, 2 months go by and it has gotten worse. You go to another doctor, and come to find out that the reason for your rash is due to you being allergic to a food you have been eating for lunch lately! The first doctor obviously tried to solve the problem without first making sure to identify the root cause.

Of course, this sort of situation is one none of us ever want to be in. But why is it that at work (especially when working as a team) we are always so quick to think we "know the answer" to a problem, and begin to "solve" it without first spending the proper amount of time to be 100% sure? This results in feelings of frustration and helplessness, and anger.

Perhaps the most important step to being able to truly SOLVE problems as a team is to make sure we take the proper time to find the true root cause. This simple act will make the team more efficient, and can also increase the level of buy-in the team members have towards solving the problem. Spending 5-10 minutes as a team to brainstorm possible causes is time very well spent, in comparison to spending weeks (or even months) failing to solve the issue because the team is focused on the WRONG root cause!

This post was made by Jeff Rosset, Pesident of Compass Coaching & Development which is a firm that helps clients around the Chicago area increase employee engagement by providing leadership and organizational training and development services. Learn more at http://www.Compass-CD.com

Great Customer Service

2009-07-19T06:25:00.000-07:00

First, ask yourself...
Is there a disconnect between the level of service you provide, and what your customer expects?

In today's highly competitive marketplace, your customers have many choices and options. One of the key reasons that they will choose to work with you (or your competition) comes down to the level of service they receive. But average service simply is not good enough anymore; you need to provide outstanding, above-and-beyond service every single time - and the ONLY way to do that is to shift your paradigm so that you can evaluate the service you provide, from the eyes of your customer.

You should ask yourself questions like: What do they experience? How do they feel about our service? What do they really want? What else can we be doing to make things even better for them?

Just because YOU feel you did a great job doesn't mean they feel the same way, and their opinion is the only one that really matters. In order to make sure your customers have an A+ experience every time, you should evaluate every aspect of your service (from their eyes) and decide if there are any parts that could be fixed, changed, eliminated or improved to enhance their experience.

This post was made by Jeff Rosset, Pesident of Compass Coaching & Development which is a firm that helps clients around the Chicago area increase employee engagement by providing leadership and organizational training and development services. Learn more at http://www.Compass-CD.com

Coaching, Mentoring Employees

2009-07-19T06:12:00.000-07:00

First, ask yourself...
Are you confident that you can successfully coach each of your employees individually?

Today, more and more companies are attempting to build an "environment of learning." For this to occur, leaders must first understand that coaching everyone in the exact same way, with a broad brush, is not effective or acceptable. A successful coach/coachee relationship is completely reliant on the coach first knowing as much about the individual coachee as possible.

To successfully coach an employee - to help them learn and produce better results - there are many questions about the coachee you should be able to answer. A few of them are: What are THEIR strengths and weaknesses? How do THEY prefer feedback, and how often do they prefer it? What motivates THEM? What are THEIR personal and professional goals? Do THEY desire to be promoted? What skills would THEY like to learn and develop for themselves?

Knowing the answers to these questions will not only strengthen your relationship, but will set the foundation for you to lead/coach them as an individual. Doing so will also help you to align their goals to your goals and the goals of the organization- creating a strong level of synergy and commitment between all parties.

This post was made by Jeff Rosset, Pesident of Compass Coaching & Development which is a firm that helps clients around the Chicago area increase employee engagement by providing leadership and organizational training and development services. Learn more at http://www.Compass-CD.com

Being Positive & Resilient

2009-07-18T15:59:00.000-07:00

First, ask yourself...
Do you ever wish that you had more control over certain things in your life?

In today's business world, people who are proactive are the ones who experience the most success. Constant change is necessary in order to improve ourselves, others around us, and our companies. It is important to remember, however, that we cannot change things that we are unaware of or refuse to admit.

The ability to change, be proactive, have a positive attitude, grow, and ultimately achieve success first starts with our mental state. Without being aware and really taking control, we are conceding to the idea of being a victim in life, simply allowing life to "happen to us." If we ever find ourselves in this state, we need to pause, take a step back, and evaluate what is going on. We should ask ourselves questions, like: How is what is happening right now affecting me? What do I really want to achieve in this situation? What are all of the potential outcomes - both positive and negative?

When we are fully aware, we are conscious, awake, and paying attention to the things that are happening all around us. We are able to put ourselves in a position where we can proactively live our lives, rather than having to react to them.

This tip written by Jeff Rosset, President of Compass Coaching & Development. To learn more about Compass C&D, visit http://www.Compass-CD.com.

Tip of the Week 7/14/09

2009-07-14T17:28:00.000-07:00

Tip of the Week

First, ask yourself...
Do you ever find that conflicts you are in escalate too quickly, from a small issue to a big problem?

One of the major causes of conflict in the workplace is lack of communication. The unfortunate thing is that most of the time, the conflict could (and should) have been avoided in the first place. Unfortunately too often one or both parties involved are either too angry, in too much of a hurry to get it resolved, or too convinced that they are 100% right - and an effective dialogue is inevitably skipped.

If you look closely, many "conflicts" are not conflicts at all - they are misunderstandings or perceived conflicts because people had different information and saw only isolated pieces of the whole situation.

If both sides will take time to sit down and share what they know about the situation, their feelings, and what they feel the issues to be, they will often find the problem is not as big as they thought and there is a logical solution available- therefore avoiding a full-blown conflict.
This tip was taken from Resolving Conflict Successfully which is the September session of The Compass Program. Click Here to view the schedule of all 12 sessions for The Compass Program.