Leadership Minute: Have Fun

fun

Fun is good. – Dr. Seuss

For all of the important and serious things that occupy a leaders day one thing worth mentioning is the need for fun. The price of leadership is great responsibility. And yet your temperament as a leader is important. It’s important not just for those around you but for yourself. Are you wound too tight? Would your colleagues agree? The decisions you make are serious but try not to take yourself too serious. Don’t forget to laugh. Remember that the troubles you have today are preparing you for better things tomorrow. Your ability to have fun along the way is just as necessary as any other decision you make. At the end of the day, whether good or bad, let it be said that you find it all most rewarding and fun. Life is just too short for you to be miserable as a leader. Lighten up!

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Leadership Minute: What You Leave Behind

legacy

True happiness comes from the things that cannot be taken away from you. Making the full effort to do the right thing can never be taken away from you. – John Wooden

In the arena of sports, John Wooden’s legacy is forever secure. But however successful he was, it was secondary to his faith, family, and the guiding principles that shaped the lives of so many people. At the end of the day, what is most important to you? Your legacy is the product of your leadership. But your legacy transcends your leadership. Where you place value it will be returned in like manner. Give your time, energy, and your very best to that which will give you greatest return and to that which will outlive you. After all, what can’t be taken away from you is that which will live on long after you are gone.

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Leadership Minute: Where Is Your Attitude Taking You?

attitude

Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.- Winston Churchill

Have you ever stopped to consider why your attitude is so important? As a leader you set the tone for others around you. In short, workplace attitudes are mirrored by you. What does your attitude say about the direction of where your organization is headed? Organizational attitudes are the sum of the personal attitudes of those that work in it. But the attitudes of leaders are especially important. To be sure, we all have bad days and there are times when we are tempted to have a bad attitude. But be mindful that your team is watching and reacting accordingly. Move your organization forward with the right mindset. Is your attitude taking you in a positive direction or a negative one?

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Leadership Minute: Let It Go!

letgo

Don’t sweat the small stuff…and it’s all small stuff. – Richard Carlson

It’s no secret that life can get complicated and we all have our fair share of stress to contend with. Leaders are not exempt. Couple the many daily decisions you make along with your other responsibilities and you can see why it can take a toll. How do you handle the stress? Some of the most stressed people I’ve met over the years are that way because they don’t know how to let things go. Inventory the major stress points in your life right now- which ones are really not your battles? Why are you fighting them? There comes a point in time when you just have to let go of battles that are not yours and reclaim your peace of mind. Simply put: let it go!

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Leadership Minute: Working Together

work

There is nothing wrong with competition. The problem for many leaders is that thy end up competing against their peers in their organization in a way that hurts the team and them. – John Maxwell

Hopefully within your organization are a group of committed individuals who have a strong desire to succeed. The energy they generate is vital to your future. The more of them you have the better positioned you are going forward. But be careful not to allow that energy to be used in a negative way. Healthy competition is good but it can be counterproductive when it turns friends into enemies or colleagues into adversaries. Don’t allow factions to emerge because of the actions of a few. Your team must be reminded that you are all working toward the same goals and everyone’s success must be celebrated. When you work together you can succeed together.

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Leadership Minute: Practice Kindness

kind

Be kind to one another, because most of us are fighting a hard battle. – Ian McLaren

One of the misconceptions about leadership is that once you are a leader you have fewer problems. One of the truisms of leadership is that leaders are no different from anyone else. We all have our share of hardships and troubles. What will separate you as a leader is when you go out of your way to show kindness to those in the battle. Going through the battles of life is not uncommon, but you shouldn’t go through them alone. While it’s not your place to solve everyone else’s problems, you can show acts of kindness and give encouragement. Be the type of leader that has not only open eyes; but also an open heart.

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Five Ways to Protect Office Morale

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Never hold discussions with the monkey when the organ grinder is in the room – Winston Churchill

The early American Indians, as the story goes, had a unique practice of training young braves. On the night of a boy’s thirteenth birthday, after learning hunting, scouting, and fishing skills, was put to one final test. He was placed in a dense forest to spend the entire night alone. He was blindfolded and taken several miles away. When he took off the blindfold, he was in the middle of a thick woods and he was terrified.

Every time a twig snapped, he visualized a wild animal ready to pounce. After what seemed like an eternity, dawn broke and the first rays of sunlight entered the interior of the forest. Looking around, the boy saw flowers, trees, and the outline of a path. Then, to his utter astonishment, he beheld the figure of a man standing just a few feet away, armed with a bow and arrow. It was his father. He had been there all along.

Good leaders know a thing or two about protecting that which is important. The success of your business or organization is linked to the morale of its employees or volunteers. While everyone’s happiness is not the responsibility of the leader, it is in the best interest of the leader to see to it that strong morale in the work environment is maintained for maximum benefit.

Why does this matter to the leader and why should it be on his or her radar? Workplace morale seems to always be a challenge. The Daily News last year (http://nydn.us/1insfoc) cited a Gallup report showing that 70% of Americans polled either hate their job or are “disengaged” from their work, and even perks don’t work if they’re unhappy with management. Until you make the building and maintain of strong morale a priority it will continue to be a negative issue you contend with. Here are five ways you can work to protect it.

1.) Put others first.

This is a basic leadership principle but one that yields high returns when applied. System-wide, when people within your organization learn to put others first it sends the message that you are committed not only to your own success but to the success of those you work with. The all-in is a signal of your buy-in which makes coming to work much more pleasant. When you don’t have to question where others loyalties it’s like a breath of fresh air. You build and protect morale by putting others first.

2.) Have your people’s backs.

Nothing will promote strong morale among your people quicker than when they know you have their backs. You give your team the ability to excel and create when they know you support them and when they know you have their backs not just in the good times but in the down times. Loyalty cuts both ways and when you demonstrate it both in words and actions you are protecting your morale not just for today but for tomorrow. Having their backs is about trust and it is a much needed stabilizer when team members don’t have to second guess you.

3.) Keep your word.

Protecting morale is saying you will have their backs and then having it. Having the backs of your people is not giving them carte’ blanch for things that are not in keeping with your values and goals. But it is about you as the leader giving team members permission to use their creative powers to grow and produce. You keep your word by giving your support and equipping them with the necessary tools for their development. You keep your word by being their chief defender when they come under unfair attacks. Keep your word and you will protect morale. It’s an issue of respect.

4.) Be consistent

Nothing will undermine the morale in your office or organization quicker than the inconsistencies of the leadership. Sadly, petty turf wars, jealousies, and office politics can sabotage office morale when self-interests and the actions of a few create a climate that affects the whole. As the leader, this is on-going battle you must be on guard against. A strong leader will be consistent in their dealings with everyone.

5.) Effective communication

There is a difference between regular communication and effective communication. A smart leader will not take it for granted that just because they put forth information that it is enough. George Bernard Shaw said, “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” Effective leaders communicate, and protect morale, not by edict but by relationship. The burden is on you, not your people, for how well you communicate. Don’t leave it to chance. Protect morale by strong communication skills.

What do you say?

© 2014 Doug Dickerson 

I invite your feedback!

1. What have been the biggest contributors to poor office morale that you have experienced?

2. Which one of these five tips would be most helpful in your office?

3. What would you add to the list?

4. What additional encouragement would you give to fellow leaders?

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4 Ways to Lead Complainers

complain

Maturity is the ability to reap without apology and not complain when things don’t go well. – Jim Rohn

A story is told of a guide at Blarney Castle in Ireland who was explaining to some visitors that his job was not always as pleasant as it seemed. He told them about a group of disgruntled tourists he had taken to the castle earlier in the week.

“Those people were complaining about everything,” he said. “They didn’t like the weather, the food, their hotel accommodations, the prices, everything. Then to top it off, when we arrived at the castle, we found that the area around Blarney Stone was roped off. Workmen were making some kind of repairs.” “This is the last straw!” exclaimed one lady who seemed to be the chief faultfinder in the group. “I’ve come all this way, and now I can’t even kiss the Blarney Stone.”

“Well, you know,” the guide said, “according to legend, if you kiss someone who has kissed the stone, it’s the same as kissing the stone itself.” “And I suppose you’ve kissed the stone,” said the exasperated lady. “Better than that,” replied the guide, “I’ve sat on it.”

Like the lady in the story, I bet your office has a chief faultfinder. You know the one (hopefully it’s not you) I am talking about; nothing is ever right and this person feels that it’s his or her duty to criticize everything.

These people are not only a nuisance but they have a negative impact on the rest of your office and undercut morale.  In a recent article put out by Seton Doctor Link (http://bit.ly/17Llub2), some 18% of U.S. employees are ‘actively disengaged,” negative, and likely to complain about their employers, according to a Gallup poll of 31, 265 employees. When this high a percentage are disengaged or complaining it can have serious consequences. Here are four tips to help you deal with the habitually complaining employee.

Engage

The purpose here is to get to the root of the problem as to why this person feels compelled to complain all the time. It could be completely legitimate but the employee simply has chosen the wrong vehicle to express their concerns. On the other hand it could just be an ill-content employee who is making noise. Regardless, get to the bottom of it quick before this person does any more damage. You can turn their poison into praise simply by engagement. But if the poison remains then keep on reading.

Encourage

On your hands is a person with passion that needs to be channeled in the right direction. Instead of just hearing their gripes you can commission them to bring viable solutions to the table. Don’t just give the person a forum to vent, convey your expectation that if they have something to complain about then you expect solutions from them. This will either cause them to step up and take responsibility to make things better or at the very least quiet them down. Either way, make your expectations clear.

Elevate

No one wants a complainer or whiner in the office. They drain the positive energy out of the office and their negative energy is toxic. If you feel that this person’s heart is in the right place (although their vocal chords may not be) and their contributions outweigh their complaining, then do what you can to elevate this person to a higher level. It could be that their complaining ways is a blind spot that needs to be pointed out. Let them know that being the office critic is not constructive and that there are better ways to channel their concerns. If all else fails then you may have no other choice than to do what’s next.

Eject

While this is a last option it is nevertheless an option that you should not take off the table. You cannot allow the constant critic to continue on with his or her toxic ways and bring down office morale and camaraderie. Go through these steps with every intention of a positive outcome and consider what’s best for everyone. It’s been said, “What you tolerate, you promote,” and so you must decide the type of environment and office culture you want to promote. If one bad apple is making everyone miserable then let the bad apple go.

On balance I must stress that there should be room for disagreement and open discussion in your workplace. That is healthy and necessary when done properly. But the constant whiner should be engaged, encouraged, elevated, and if all else fails, ejected.

What do you say?

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© 2013 Doug Dickerson

If you enjoy reading Doug’s leadership insight you will especially enjoy reading his books, Leaders Without Borders & Great Leaders Wanted!  Visit Doug’s website at www.dougsmanagementmoment.blogspot.com to order your copies today.

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For speaking inquiries email Doug at [email protected]

 

 

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