A Great Place to Work

Want to find a great place to work?  Turn where you work into a great place.  I have been a trainer for many decades.  In that time I’ve seen some work environments become incredibly more enjoyable because of training.  A properly trained supervisor will know how to build teams that work together harmoniously instead of fighting against each other.  A trained worker will have more confidence in their job and be more satisfied with their work.  Sometimes there will be employees that just don’t “fit”, even after training.  In those cases the best thing for the team and even for the individual may be to let them go.  A misfit can bring the whole atmosphere down.  I’ve seen many times when an employee was let go and upset.   But then they found a job that was a better match for their talents.  In the end, everyone came out better.

No matter your position in your organization you matter.  You play a part in the overall atmosphere of the place.  If you go in to work grumpy the first person you talk with will catch a bit of your grumpy.  If you go in to work with a good attitude, that good attitude will be contagious as well. 

Purpose to be a game changer by being the best you can be everyday. 

Still learning,

Honey Shelton

http://www.interaction-training.com

P.S.  Over the years of training I have answered a lot of  tough workplace questions.  Have a tough question?  Send it my way in a blog response and I’ll answer your question.

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Nix Rudeness

You just can't allow rudeness in your workplace.  Rudeness quickly ruins teamwork.  Teamwork is a key element in a welcoming environment.

A rude employee brings down the morale of his colleagues, decreasing productivity and work satisfaction. If the employee shows his rude side to co-workers or customers, he could hurt business. Rude behavior often falls outside the scope of basic workplace policies, making it difficult to remedy and discipline. Squashing the rude behavior is essential to creating a more productive, positive work environment that all employees deserve. Learn to deal with the negative employee effectively to get the lousy behavior problem under control quickly.

You have choices:  Kill them with kindness, ask them to stop being rude, seek counsel from your manager but don't ignore it for long or try to get even.  Protect your happiness and job satisfaction and seek a solution!

Rudeness is contagious, don't start it and never spread it!

Still learning, 

Honey
www.interaction-training.com

What Stage is Your Team In? Teamwork Series

The Team Handbook*, says that teams go through four predictable stages of growth as they learn to work together effectively.  Key word here is "effectively."

Stage 1:  Forming

When a team is first organized or when there is a change up in who is on the team or who leads the team, forming will be the best way to describe the team.

At this stage, team members are exploring the boundaries of acceptable group behavior and trying to establish their position and status with the team.  While being somewhat excited about the opportunity to be on a team or reorganizing a team, they may be suspicious and anxious about how everything will work.  It is perfectly normal at this stage to see little progress, as the team may complain about the purpose of the team and are inclined to get stuck in discussions that end up nowhere.  Impatience and frustration are common symptoms of members on the team in this stage.

Stage 2:  Storming

At this stage the team members are beginning to realize that the task and responsibilities of the team are different and more difficult than first imagined.  Some may become impatient with the lack of progress and begin to vocalize their ideas and resist the need to collaborate. Others might simply withdraw as discussions may start to heat up.  They are beginning to understand one another and realize how the differences in personalities, agendas and communication style are going to impact them.  Storming takes on many different faces, but it is part of the predictable process of a team trying to work together.  Sometimes a team stays in stuck in storming and has a low success rate.

Stage 3:  Norming

This is the stage when team members are accepting the individuality of each person, beginning to trust the ground rules to keep equality in the process, and realizing that competitiveness must give way to cooperation.  They begin to look forward to the contribution of the others on the team as a sense of team spirit and dedication to a common goal unfolds.  With this shift in team energy, they begin to make significant progress.

Stage 4:  Performing

Team members now have insights into personal and group processes.  They recognize, and even anticipate, how they can each contribute to the mission.  They quickly identify and resolve interpersonal communication problems.  They develop a synergy that enables rapid progress.

What stage is your team in?  Encourage and lead the team to the performing stage!  For your free copy of a Team Effectiveness Survey, email honey@interaction-training.com.

Still learning, 

Honey

*Scholtes, Peter R. and other contributors, The Team Handbook.  Madison, WI: Joiner Associates, Inc. 1988

Teamwork Series - What Kind of Team Player Are You?

What are your contributions to your team?  Do you help it function effectively or contribute to it creating havoc?  Are you the leader?  Who is the leader?  Is your team well-fed or suffering from malnutrition?

Teams that are neglected will begin to malfunction.  Soon havoc and morale issues will set in for all those on the team and can quickly spread to those that have to interface with a dysfunctional team.  What shape is your team in?  Are you working at helping the team succeed or are you a bystander?  What do people on the team say about you?  How would you rate yourself at teamwork?

Signs your team is in trouble include:

Nagging

Judging

Sarcasm

Complaining/Criticizing

Blaming

Backbiting

No Accountability

Maybe you have a ringleader or member on the team that just can’t let something go or frequently uses sarcasm.  Scapegoating or blaming others is an ideal way for a troublemaker to take the focus and shift it to someone else. 

“Confrontation simply means meeting the truth head-on.”  Coach Mike Krzyzewski

Do your part!  Become a quality contributor and play a key role in the team working well together. Check out the following if you want to play for a great team!

Keep it real - What's the purpose of this team?

Have a compelling direction - What's the vision?  What are we trying to do?

What's the game plan? - Who is to do what?  Where are the limits and boundaries?

Where is the top of the food chain in all this? - How does the company encourage and model teamwork?

Can leadership lead?  Who has the whistle?  Can team members follow? - Who's the coach?  How supportive are you about coaching or being coached?

Still learning,

Honey