Dear Sylvia:Our department lost an employee and we are drowning in overwhelm! Help!

Dear Sylvia,

My company has cut back and our department lost one employee. Although my supervisor and other administrators know we cannot provide the same level of support and do everything that was done before, they still seem to be holding us to the same expectations they had when there were six employees instead of five. I have talked to them several times and explained we are all working extra and doing more than ever but still can’t keep up with the large workload and new initiatives. My department is drowning in overwhelm. How can I make them understand and adjust their expectations or provide additional help?

Dear Frustrated and Overwhelmed:

The situation you describe is both extremely common and challenging. Unfortunately, the economic crisis and slow recovery over the last three years has served as the catalyst for dramatic change in most companies across the nation. These dramatic changes have increased the stress experienced by millions of employees. While there are no easy answers to this problem, I think seeking clarity about your work-related priorities is essential. Because there are only so many hours in a day, I recommend that you engage your direct supervisor in conversation about what he/she sees as YOUR top five priorities, for example. Once you are clear about them (preferably in ranked order), you can organize your time in alignment with those priorities. Focusing on the identified priorities can help to reduce feelings of overwhelm, allowing you to be more productive in the long run. Although administrators/managers may want the work to flow as seamlessly as it once did, the reality of our times does not permit that. Trying to function as if you had more employees than you do sets all of you up for burnout. A plan for coping must be made.

My second recommendation is that you look for specific ways to nurture and care for yourself in the midst of this chronic stress. Schedule half an hour into each day when you do something just for you.

You must build it into your calendar or it won’t happen. Your body, mind, emotions, and spirit need refreshment on a regular basis or you risk getting sick. These half hour periods may revive your energy, boost your motivation, and prevent you from sinking into a low level depression that will detract from your quality of life. Figure out what makes you feel good–even temporarily–and give yourself permission to experience them. I am not talking about buying expensive items that don’t provide long-term relief but rather reading an inspirational story, walking around the block, calling a friend, enjoying a chair massage, eating an ice cream cone, taking a bath. These kinds of things seem small, but if you treat yourself to one of them daily, they have the power to make a significant impact on your overall health, contentment, and wellbeing.

–Sylvia

Do you have a business question? Send your questions via email at dearsylvia@launchinglives.biz or by mail to 4902 Carlisle Pike, PMB 297, Mechanicsburg, PA 17050. Limit one question per person, please!

Constructive, Not Destructive: Tips for Handling Criticism in the Workplace

Receiving and delivering criticism can be a tense process if not handled properly by both the supervisor and the employee. However, teams that take a mature, team-oriented approach to criticism are much more likely to deliver excellent results in terms of individual growth and the success of the company. How teams deal with delivering and handling criticism makes the difference in whether the process becomes constructive or destructive.

To the manager

Here are a few suggestions for managers when delivering feedback to their employees:

• Focus on behavior rather than personality. It’s easier for people to respond to feedback positively when it related to “what they do” rather than “who they are.”
• Avoid taking ownership of an employee’s emotional response. No matter how skilled managers are at delivering feedback, some employees will almost always have a negative reaction.

• Practice what you preach. If you want your team to handle criticism properly, you must set a good example when receiving criticism of the company or your management style.

For more information about how managers can help employees use feedback to improve performance, watch this video.

To the employee

Here are a few suggestions for dealing with feedback from a manager or supervisor:

• Keep your temper in check. No one responds well to feedback when they are angry or upset. Do not automatically retreat to the negative side of the conversation. Instead, use it as an opportunity to improve your future performance.
• Objectively listen to the criticism and take active steps to improve your performance. Identify the specific areas that your manager wants to address and set specific goals to achieve.

• Check in with your boss after a period of time to make sure the steps you have taken are making a difference.

No one likes to be criticized, and even though you may have a boss who is quick to deliver negative feedback, delivering criticism is not fun either. By taking a level-headed, team approach to using feedback to improve performance, your company and your team will be more empowered to meet its full potential.

Choose Your Words Wisely: Insight from Dale Fallon, Founder of The Communication Gym®

We all know the language used in a conversation is important. It’s even more significant when we have to give negative feedback; we must choose our words carefully.

In this YouTube video, I discuss some of the language managers should use when they have to criticize an employee behavior or performance.

Dale Fallon

I’ve asked Dale Fallon of The Communication Gym® to offer some insight into language and communication. I recommend following his advice and using it as a roadmap to verbal and non-verbal conversations.  Below is the Q&A with Mr. Fallon.

Tell me about The Communication Gym® and your role within the business.

TCG is a training company focused on delivering business results for small business teams.  We teach fundamental and role specific communication skills that bring real world solutions to business owners.  I am the founder and President of The Communication Gym®.

In your opinion, how much weight does language carry in communication (versus other factors such as tone?)

As it relates to rapport and influence, up to 93 percent of communication is non-verbal (volume, pace, tone, and physiology).   Although it only references situational (specifically exerting influence and building rapport) it is still a surprising number.  With that being said there is a large part of the equation that includes the words you choose to communicate.  There are words and phrases that are hot buttons for some people.  There are also words and usage that will create a hostile environment vs. creating a trusting and open environment.  Non-verbal may be weighted higher than verbal, but the fact of the matter remains, it only takes one stone (a poorly chosen or misplaced word) to tip the scale.  The words you choose will have a large impact in the effectiveness of your communication.  Choose wisely!

Today, many communicate via email or by other electronic means.  Should language be stated differently when using electronic communication, as opposed to more traditional ways of communicating such as the telephone or a or face-to-face meeting?

I don’t think it should be stated differently as much as it should be prepared for differently.  In face to face interactions, or even phone interactions, you have the gift of immediate feedback.  When you express yourself, you are going to get an immediate response as to how it was received.  With this information you can make decisions and adjustments to your message.  Without the closed feedback loop you cannot adjust course or make clarifications to your message.  Once you hit “send,” it is out of your hands.  You have to pay more attention to how your audience is likely to interpret what you are saying, or how they could miss-interpret what you are saying.  The other component of electronic communication is that there is a permanent record of the communication. Think about who else could see this communication and how they could interpret it as well.

Can you give us some examples of language a manager should not use when criticizing an employee?

• Stay away from extreme language (always, never)
• Don’t use “loose” descriptions (i.e.  You are frequently late vs. you have been 15-20 minutes late three times in the last three weeks).  Use facts.
• Don’t use subjective language that points to personal judgments or character attacks.

What other advice or tips can you offer as it relates to language and communication?

• Practice awareness of your own language and the effect it has on others.  Too often we miss key lessons and learning opportunities because we are too focused on “getting through it” or “just get this over with.”
• Practice and prepare for key conversations.  Even if you are a seasoned manager, there are seeds of knowledge in your interactions and opportunities to grow with every conversation.
• When discussing consequences you can use two categories: natural consequences, and imposed consequences.  This helps you to focus behaviors on things that will keep you out of disciplinary actions while still affecting corrective action.

How to Properly Address Uncomfortable Conversations

To begin this blog, please check out this YouTube video, which answers the question, “What is the secret to giving meaningful feedback that involved criticism?” You can access the clip by clicking here.

Patty Bowen has been kind enough to answer a few questions on this topic. Her insight refreshing and spot on!

Sylvia suggests that employee criticism be specific. She also says to address an incident within 24 hours and to do so privately. Based on your experience, do you agree? Can you add anything to this?

Yes, any criticism or disciplinary action should be addressed as soon as possible, in private and with confidentiality. Do not call an employee to your office in front of his or her co-workers making it obvious that they are going to be reprimanded. Make personal contact with them, and arrange a time and a place that will minimize the chance of disruption by others. And yes, I do believe this has to be said even to managers: turn off your cell phone; be courteous to the employee. You will lose credibility and respect as a manager if you do not devote you full attention to the specific situation. Criticism should not be a personal attack but rather should reflect the specific infraction. Do not use words such as “I feel” or “I think”.   Use verbiage such as “I observed or it has come to my attention” or “I have witnessed and/or documented” a specific situation.

If the particular issue has been brought to your attention by another co-worker, make sure that you have documentation or personal knowledge of the incident. There could be other issues underlying one colleague reporting to you about another; investigate before jumping to a conclusion, or, if you are not sure, open up a discussion to get specifics with the one who is reporting and also the one who has been faulted. Of course, if the issue is in regard to personal or workplace safety, you must act forthrightly to ensure the welfare of all concerned.

There are some specific questions you must ask yourself before addressing any workplace impropriety. A manager must look at and understand the seriousness of the problem, its duration and its frequency; is it an isolated incident or ongoing? Is there an extenuating circumstance the otherwise stellar employee is experiencing that has caused this misconduct? For example, is there a major health issue or death in their family that has caused them to miss work or not turn in a project by deadline? Also, has the management team made an effort to educate employees on existing rules and procedures? Is there a written, formalized rulebook or employee handbook? Disciplinary actions should coincide with what the violator knows or understands about an organization’s acceptable behavior. A new employee may not know all the guidelines or rules as well as a 10-year employee, and each should be addressed accordingly.

Finally, you must be aware of how similar cases have been handled in the past. There must be consistency and a continuity of disciplinary actions. You must also make sure that, if there is a need for criticism or disciplinary action, you have the backing of your management. This cannot be personalized.  Document and have the data necessary to back up your decision to do so. There is something called the Hot Stove Rule: Discipline should be immediate, provide ample warning, be consistent, and be impersonal.

How would you advise/train managers in handling an employee who does not respond well to criticism?

No one particularly likes constructive criticism or negative feedback; expect that this individual will be uncomfortable with the discussion. Do what you can to approach this meeting in a calm, professional manner. Do not wear your emotions on your sleeve; make sure you are getting the message across but not in an accusatory manner. You want the employee to take personal responsibility for the issue but you, as a manager, want to help them develop a plan to correct the problem. Let the employee know you are there to assist, but also let them know the specific outcomes for failing to correct the problem.

Prior to addressing any employee infraction, plan for your meeting. Do not go into any consultation, especially one to address employee conduct, without having a plan. Prior to the meeting have documentation of the performance behavior. Make sure you deal with the specific employee.  Be objective and treat them fairly. Your main objective is to focus on those things that are immediate and affect performance, not something that happened a year ago. Tailor your criticism to that particular employee’s level of understanding and rank. A supervisor should have a better understanding of rules than possibly a new, frontline worker. Speak to a particular employee using appropriate words and terminology. Don’t try to impress an employee, specifically a new one, by using company acronyms or terminology they do not understand; they could walk out of the meeting not having the vaguest clue of why they were there in the first place.

If the employee still continues to respond in an inappropriate manner, even after you have tried to work with them on a corrective action plan, you may have to readdress the problem. If you have not already done so, this would be an ideal time to sit down together and document the issue/s, devise a plan of action, and set specific deadlines for doing so.  Both parties need to sign off of this.

Do not forget that any communication should include both sides of the story. Find out the employee’s point of view and understanding of the matter. Although their point of view may not abide by specific company procedures, it is their personal responsibility to adhere to organizational guidelines.  It is an employee’s obligation to adapt to their organization’s cultural environment, not the responsibility of the company to comply with a specific employee (I am not addressing religious issues here but specific work related responsibilities).  If they do not wish to do so, they may want to find a company that better fits their ideal. Employee retention is important but not at the cost of one employee versus the disruption of an entire department.

Are there any other issues you would like to address?

One last item I would like to address:  Unless you are the owner of a business, remember, as a manager, you are also an employee and are not above or immune to company specific HR rules; they also apply to you. If there are specific issues that have been addressed with you, the way you react or conduct yourself afterwards can affect the workplace environment. Do not take constructive criticism from your own supervisor(s) as a negative but rather as an opportunity for personal and professional growth.

With 20+ years’ experience in business, Patty has held multifaceted roles delivering a variety of positive results in sales training, human resources, customer service, and business development.  Patty worked at UPS for 15 years and was a member of the Pennsylvania Workforce Investment Board within the PA Department of Labor and Industry. Currently she serves as an adjunct faculty member at Eastern University’s Campolo College of Graduate and Professional  Studies, facilitating various business classes, and is the Sales and Marketing Director for Emeritus at Harrisburg, a senior personal care and memory care community. She  earned her Associate’s degree in Business Studies at HACC, and her Bachelor’s in Applied Behavioral Science and  Master’s in Education in Adult Training and Development from Penn State – Harrisburg.  In addition, she has a certificate in HR Management.*

*Comments made are from the professional, personal, and educational experiences of Ms. Bowen and are only intended for guidelines and informational purposes.

Judging and Labeling Go Beyond the Workplace

Do you the #1 mistake managers make when criticizing employees? You might be surprised that we are quick to label or judge them. My YouTube video explains this in more detail. Meanwhile, let me explain we tend to label employees, how can avoid it, and if there if this is a bigger societal problem, at large.

Why do you suppose we tend to label employees?

Bosses and entire organizations tend to label employees as good and bad, competent and incompetent, promising or unpromising, considerate or inconsiderate.   We label people simply because it’s quicker and easier.  Putting folks in categories takes less time and effort than considering the whole of them.  It’s rare to hear someone refer to a colleague or direct report as “very competent in project management responsibilities but less competent in sales ability.”

How can we avoid this generalization?

We can avoid making sweeping, general statements about people by stopping ourselves for a moment or two before we speak about them.  Pause long enough to think about and offer several observations related to an individual—not just one.  You may say something like:  “I find John to be unusually intelligent, creative, and thoughtful.  While he’s a great asset to our team, he seems to struggle with getting to work on time a couple of days each month.”  This approach is very different from saying “John is a tardy employee.”

Do you think labeling or judging others is a societal problem? If so, do you have any advice to help us begin to change our way of thinking?

Yes.  I do think our society judges others harshly and labels them freely.  This common habit is unfair, and it can damage people.  Think about it.  If your boss labels you as “inadequate, uncaring, or stupid”, what effect does that have on you?  Most likely, it cuts to your core.  It causes you to question yourself and your character or abilities.  It triggers a lot of self doubt.

This doesn’t serve you well.  And it certainly won’t serve the company well either.

What your boss needs to say to you is something like this:  “I am disappointed in your project results.  They don’t meet my expectations.  Usually you deliver exactly what I need, but this time you fell short.”  Do you see how this differs from calling you “inadequate” or “stupid” which implies an ongoing trend or theme?

 

 

 

Dear Sylvia: I Suspect My Employee is Not Being Honest

Dear Sylvia,

I have an employee who does strong work and shows enthusiasm for the job; however I believe this person is not being completely honest about the hours written on the timesheet when I’m not around. I have caught this once before and have said something, however I suspect it’s happening again. What should I do?

Signed,

New Boss

Dear New Boss:

Thank you for asking this important question.  I’m sure others also can benefit from my response to it.

My recommendation is that you design a time audit sheet to accompany the expense sheet.  The audit sheet requires employees to account for the specifics of what they are doing during a particular time block.  You may want to set it up in half hour increments.  Employees must complete the audit comprehensively, including each and every phone call.  I suggest that you ask people to do this for three consecutive months.  You can tell them that your purpose is to gain greater insight into how your company overall is spending its time.  This information will help you, as the business owner, to make more effective decisions going forward.

If you continue to have serious questions about how honestly one employee is completing his or her timesheet, I recommend that you speak privately with that person and express your concerns forthrightly.  Make sure you provide reasons for your questions.  Tell the person what you are observing and what leads you to draw these conclusions.  Ask the individual to tell you if your observations and conclusions are accurate.  In other words, probe for his or her side of the story.  Whatever you hear will undoubtedly be educational.  Finally, tell the employee exactly what you expect when folks fill out timesheets.  Be clear about the consequences to breaches of those expectations.  AND–document the conversation after it is over.

Do you have a business question? Send your questions via email at dearsylvia@launchinglives.biz or by mail to 4902 Carlisle Pike, PMB 297, Mechanicsburg, PA 17050. 

Finding Ways to ‘Flow’ At Work

By Peter Strella

In this YouTube video, Sylvia talks about her belief that “flow” is the No. 1 indicator that a person is truly in the right job or position. “Flow is when you are so focused on what you are doing, that no distractions short of the building burning down can possibly pull you away,” she says. Sylvia goes on to discuss how flow involves a “blissful sort of joy” and ease of creativity.

Rachel, Pete’s wife (left) Pete (center), and Mary Kelly (right) at a recent event

As a writer, I’m all too familiar with the importance of flow. I’ve been writing with a purpose ever since I can remember, whether that has meant answering essay questions or writing research papers for school, writing articles for my college newspaper or a local weekly news publication, or crafting press releases and video scripts for business purposes. All told, most of my life has been spent finding ways to let the words flow. As anyone who has experienced writer’s block can attest, finding that flow isn’t always easy.

And that’s what struck me about Sylvia’s comments. Finding flow has been a defining struggle in my professional career. My search for the perfect words has driven me to employ tactics as logical as taking quick breaks and as unconventional as performing my in-office stretching routine. Does this struggle mean that I’m not in the right career?

I wrestled with this question over the next few days before asking two questions that are more specific: Have I ever experienced flow? Do I have this “blissful sort of joy” when I get there? The answer to both questions was a resounding “yes,” so I’ve since redirected my thoughts to an even better question: How can I get there more often?

I’m happy that, since then, I’ve been able to pinpoint a few promising opportunities, ways to break down the dam and allow the river to roll easily into the ocean. Here are a few observations I made:

• Just Do It. As you can probably tell by this blog post, I do a lot of thinking. Sometimes that’s my biggest enemy because it keeps me from getting started. There is value in having a good plan, but there comes a point when simply diving in and getting your feet wet is the best way to find your flow.

• Don’t fight the flow. I’m a recovering perfectionist with instincts that drive me to perpetually search for something better. At work, I’ve succeeded because of this drive, but it has also prevented surrendering to the flow and letting it take me to where I need to be.

• Achieve Balance. I’ve realized that I could probably benefit from having more “flow” in my life away from work. My career is very important to me and I want to put my best foot forward at every moment. But there are many times when I’m so exhausted from work that I’m not up for doing much when I get home. Finding constructive outlets – such as writing creatively, playing guitar and exercising more frequently – has helped me recently to find flow at home so that I can find it more often at work.

What ways can you think of to help find flow at the workplace?

Pete Strella works in Rite Aid’s Creative Media Services department, based at the company’s corporate headquarters in Camp Hill, Pa. He manages the retail pharmacy chain’s employee newsletter and supports internal video and web communications.

Handling Feelings of Work Stress and Inadequacy: An Interview with Barry Davis

This week we answer the question, “Can a person be well matched to a job but still feel overly stressed and inadequate?”

To supplement this discussion, we interviewed Barry Davis who is the Director of Career Services and a Career Coach for LMA Consulting Group.

Tell me about LMA Consulting Group.

LMA Consulting is the Consulting arm of LMA Systems Group, along with our sister organization Life Management Associates, and Employee Assistance Services and behavioral healthcare provider. Our consulting group’s areas of specialty include Strategic Consulting, Human Resources, Coaching, Career Services, Outplacement, Team Building/Conflict Resolution, Training & Development and Family Business Consulting.

In Sylvia’s YouTube video, asks, “Can a person actually be well matched to a job or position but still feel overly stressed and inadequate?”  How would you respond to this question?

They certainly can, particularly if they do not employ wise stress management principles, including practices like eating well, exercising, forging supportive relationships, developing a reasonable work/life balance, etc. Actually “good stress,” often called eustress, can be as debilitating as “bad stress,” typically the distress that we associate with the term. You really can get “too much of a good thing.” Failure to establish healthy lifestyle practices in dealing with both sides of the stress phenomenon can be equally damaging to one’s health, both physically and psychologically.

Sylvia states that feelings of stress and inadequacy are often the result of low self-esteem and constant stress.  However, this doesn’t mean that a person isn’t suited for a particular job or position. What advice would you give to someone in this situation?

There are excellent cognitive interventions to aid the individual in altering their perspective, reducing self-censure and developing what Dr. Martin Seligman would call “learned optimism.” The combination of lowered self-esteem and unaddressed stress in a person’s life can easily spiral out of control, creating something of a self-fulfilling prophesy regarding their perceived lack of competence. A favorite reference of mine for this issue is a book titled “The 10 Dumbest Mistakes Smart People Make and How to Avoid Them,” by Freeman and Dewolf.

Do you believe it’s possible for stress to become habitual?

Although there are some individuals who are energized by challenge (sometimes referred to as “adrenaline junkies”), there is a higher likelihood that stress becomes “habitual” due to its constant, overwhelming presence in the individual’s life. Stress cannot (and really should not) be avoided, but effective stress management techniques like the ones cited earlier should be part of their daily routine. A good metaphor for balance would be the tuning of a musical instrument – if the string is too loose, the music is out of tune; if too tight, it could break. Soothing music occurs when it is just taut enough.

What can both employees and managers do to overcome feelings of stress or inadequacy?

On the stress side, training, practice and modeling of effective stress management techniques will aid in achieve the balance noted above. Feelings of inadequacy need to be traced to their source and addressed. For example, has the individual received the training and resources to perform their job effectively, are the placed appropriately in the organization to tap into their strongest abilities, etc.? Open and honest communication between employees and managers is the best place to start.

If you find someone is in the wrong job or position, how would you coach him or her especially in an economy/job market such as the one we are experiencing?

Since statistics consistently report that around 8 of 10 individuals are vocationally misplaced (to use the title of a book from my reading list by Julie Jansen – “I Don’t Know What I Want, But I Know It’s Not This”), I encounter this situation almost daily. Initially I will spend time with them in clarifying what I like to call their “Best Stuff” – strongest interests, deepest values and most satisfying skills – through consultation and assessment. The next best step is to seek any opportunities to engage these factors in their present position and company. If this is not possible, we begin to investigate alternatives, whether short time and informal like volunteer work, hobbies, etc., or more formal through consideration of a change in employer or even career. I believe there are two basic ways one gets paid – with money and with personal satisfaction. There is never enough money to replace the lack of fulfillment in one’s work and life. To quote the last “rule” from Dan Pink’s excellent Manga book on career development, “The Adventures of Johnny Bunko”- “Leave an imprint.”

Barry Davis is Director of Career Services for LMA Consulting Group.  Holding a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Millersville University and designated as a Master Career Development Professional by the National Career Development Association, he has contributed to the Association’s online newsletter, Career Convergence as well as presenting as a keynote speaker for Middle Atlantic Career Counseling Association (MACCA) annual conferences. Davis has also received the title of Certified Talent Consultant for advanced assessment training with the Institute of Personality and Ability Testing. Over his 20+ year career, Barry has worked with thousands of people in diverse industries in dealing with the age-old question “What do I want to be… next?” He has extensive experience in working with companies and individuals in the throes of employment and life transition, and is still working on answering this question for himself!  On a personal side, he is an inveterate reader, pushing books on anyone who comes within earshot (he has well over 100 book reviews on his LinkedIn profile), and has completed 31 full marathons.

The Role of the Manager in Employee Satisfaction

This week, we continue the discussion of how to know if you are suited to a particular job or position.  Please take a moment to watch this clip to learn some of the practical indicators that a person may be in the wrong job or position.

Management consultant, Peter Drucker, says, “The productivity of work is not the responsibility of the worker but of the manager.” The duty of a manager is not simply the delegation of responsibility, but the continuous challenging of one’s employees to rise above the level of mediocrity.  This is a task that is often overlooked by many people in management positions.  It is natural to get caught up in your own responsibilities and commitments and remove yourself from the work your employees are doing. By paying a little more attention to your employees, you can determine whether there is something that they can do better or even whether or not they belong in that position at all.

There are some simple questions that you should ask yourself in order to determine that your employees belong with your company.  Do they show up to work on time?  Do they take sick days?  If so, how frequently?  Are they motivated and fully engaged? Do they conduct themselves in a professional manner?  Do they respond well to constructive criticism?  These may seem like obvious questions, but most executives and managers neglect to ask them and think about them critically.

Moving forward, do they understand core concepts and ideas related to your business?  Do they understand basic instructions?  These questions are a bit less obvious and even harder to find definite answers for.  It’s a frequent occurrence that an employee will be given a task by his or her manager that he or she does not understand.  Instead of the employee simply telling the manager that the task is not understood, he or she will simply go off and try to figure it out on his or her own, so as to not seem incompetent.  This kind of behavior results in decreased productivity and wasted time.  Looking back to Drucker, this is the responsibility of the manager.  You must make sure that your employees understand exactly what is expected of them. You can make sure employees understand what is expected of them by simply asking them to explain the work back to you, the manager.

Your time is valuable, and you should not need to watch employees’ every move; however, you should be assessing yourself, your employees and the workload regularly to make sure everyone is on the same page.  If you have to explain something multiple times, then this person may not be a good fit for your company.  Someone may be a good fit for a company but not a good fit for a particular position there.  Maybe the person needs to be matched to another job within that company.  The person may not need to leave the entire company, just a particular job there. It is crucial that you find the proper balance between the laissez-faire approach that could keep you from seeing that an employee is not for you and the micromanagement approach that very often leads to resentment on the part of the worker.

Employees and Managers: Time for the “Unfiltered Truth” about Job Satisfaction and Competency

This week, we begin a new series about knowing if you are suited for the right job or position. In this YouTube clip, I answer the question: What are some of the emotional indicators that a person may not be in the right job?

Below are three questions, related to this topic. My answers reflect some of the emotional indicators discussed in the video.

1. What role does emotional intelligence play in finding the right job or position?

 Finding the right job requires a solid sense of self awareness, which is the foundational component of emotional intelligence.  You have to know what kind of person you are, how you feel about many different things, and how you react and respond to a variety of situations.  If you are not in touch with your inner self—if you are detached from who you are—then you can expect to land jobs that just aren’t right for you.  If there is a pattern of “wrong jobs” in your life, it may be because you are taking jobs that are not in alignment with the REAL YOU.  Whenever you take actions or make decisions that are out of alignment with who you are at the core, then you open yourself up to disappointment, frustration, and failure.  For example, if you are not a people person, then it wouldn’t make sense for you to accept a customer service position even if offered.

2. When you are coaching an executive, can you tell when his or her employees are unhappy? How do you approach the subject and what guidance do you offer him or her?

Frequently people in management roles hire me to help them learn how to motivate and engage their staff in a way that yields the results they and their companies need to get.  However, even when managers don’t specifically hire me for this type of work, I make it a point to inquire up front about their relationships with employees and the level of staff satisfaction they observe on a daily basis.  So the bottom line is that I don’t wait for the subject to come up during coaching sessions.  I ask about this directly.  I do it because staff satisfaction is a critical foundation for optimal productivity, creativity, and retention.

When it is clear that a manager’s employees are generally unhappy (or even just a few of them), I coach the manager around specific strategies for increasing motivation and engagement as well as content for conversations the person may choose to have with particular employees or all of them.  Employee dissatisfaction cannot be ignored.  Not without a big price.  It must be dealt with, the sooner the better.

3. Have you ever met an executive who was not meant to be a supervisor? How do you handle this?

There are lots of executives and mid level managers who are not well matched to their positions.  In fact, this is a common situation, unfortunately.  If a company is paying me to coach such a person, then I tell the folks who hired me that my professional opinion is that this person should not be supervising staff.  And I am very clear about the reasons supporting my statement.  If a manager hires me on his own and I discover that he should not be supervising employees, then I am candid with this individual in a way that he can hear.  Credible coaching always includes “the unfiltered truth”, but it needs to be communicated professionally– and with empathy.