Joyce Weiss

I work with organizations and individuals who want to kick conflict and chaos to the curb - Queen of Conflict Resolution and Communication Coach

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Did You Ever Facilitate a Meeting That Didn’t Go As Well As You Envisioned?

If so…you are not alone.

This blog post gives you tips to help you plan a very productive meeting.

I had the honor of  presenting a workshop to members of MI Society of Association Executives (MSAE) on BEST PRACTICES AS A FACILITATOR.

Thanks to Nichole Tilma (Director of Professional Development & Special Events for MSAE) who invited me to lead the workshop and to Kathy Bart (Director of Sales at Director at DeVos Place) who did a great job as a co-leader.

 

Kathy Bart, Joyce Weiss, and Nichole Tilma

We started out the program with an important distinction between the words facilitator and expert.

A facilitator is an individual whose job is to help manage a process of information exchange.  A facilitator helps HOW the discussion is proceeding.  Facilitators ask questions versus give answers.  An expert’s role is to offer advice and give answers.
It is important to know the difference because great facilitators understand their role and don’t take over the discussion.  They make sure the group moves forward.

I hope that you find the following best practices as a facilitator helpful:

Set Priorities

Find out what the audience needs to know, wants to know and why are there

Set Ground Rules Such as:

  • Turning off cell phones
  • No side bars with people whispering to each other
  • Checking egos at the door in order to have honest conversations
  • Stopping negativity

Encourage Everyone to Share Ideas by Asking the Group to:

  • Write down 3 ideas
  • Share these ideas with a partner
  • Discuss these ideas in small groups
  • Bring these ideas back to the large group

Have Fun During the Meeting

Bring small toys for the group to play with during the meeting

  • Koosh balls
  • Stress toys
  • Play dough
  • Bubbles

Take 30 Minute Stretch Breaks

  • Have the audience stand and do easy exercises
  • Share the best idea that they learned so far

Get The Group to Take Action by Using Debriefing Questions

  • The most important concept that you learned today is…
  • The first step that you will take is…
  • The biggest barrier that you will have to overcome is…
  • You will overcome the barrier by…

If you use these 5 best practices, your next facilitating meeting will be very successful.

Please send me your most challenging issue on how to facilitate your next meeting.

Also, send me your best practices and I will post them in a future blog…giving you credit!

Enjoy co-leader Katy Bart share what she learned from the session

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Was this helpful?

Let us hear your thoughts in the comment section below.

Feel free to share these tips with your team – Just be sure to give Joyce credit when you share or publish.

Sign up at the RSS feed on the blog site to be included in future blog posts from Joyce on this subject.

Until next time

Remember, YOU Get What YOU Tolerate!

Joyce Weiss, M.A., CSP
Conflict Resolution Consultant & Accountability Coach

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Independent Community Banks of North Dakota Learns New Facts On Stress and Doing More with Less

I had the honor of working with the Independent Community Banks of North Dakota.  Wendy Ruud-Assistant Vice President of ICBND- asked me to work with her Emerging Leaders Development Group.  The Emerging Leaders are creative, bright, and open minded banking leaders who all impressed me…to say the least!

They are progressive, energetic bankers who want to better themselves both personally and professionally.
They are committed to preserve community banking and its philosophy.

We discussed The New Normal…Doing More with Less.

Check out the following topics from the training:

  • We can’t have a productive work environment if employees are stretched to the max in their work or home life.
  • All generations need to discuss their needs and challenges with each other in an open forum to create a positive work flow.
  • Boomers live to work.
  • Generation X work to live.
  • Generation Y blend the two
  • Making time for yourself is not a luxury…it is a necessity
  • Make appointments with yourself in outlook to go home at certain times to gain control in your personal life
  • Have strong conversations with negative people who pull the morale down.
  • Negative people need to understand that they waste a lot of time and energy.
  • Complaining cannot be tolerated.  Bringing ideas to solve an issue must be the new norm.
  • It is not enough to be efficient.  We also need to be effective!
  • New facts on stress:  Burn out means that it is time for a change.
  • Humor is a survival skill.
  • Improving morale is a constant challenge for all successful companies.
  • Learn the lean philosophy from Toyota.  Continuously look for waste.  Make sure people discuss the root cause of problems immediately before mistakes continue.

We had some very interesting group interaction on each one of the above topics.
Participants walked away with ideas on how to set boundaries at work and home.  They commented on how they enjoyed learning new facts on stress to reduce conflict in the workplace.

A special thanks goes out to Wendy Ruud, Anita Quaglia, Dawn Flaten, and David Mason who allowed me to interview them before the program.

Check out the video from Anita Quaglia and Jeremy Jensen – 2 Emerging Leaders on how they will set boundaries after learning new facts about stress.

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Let us hear your thoughts in the comment section below.

Feel free to share these tips with your team – Just be sure to give Joyce credit when you share or publish.

Sign up at the RSS feed on the blog site to be included in future blog posts from Joyce on this subject.

Until next time…Remember

You Get What YOU Tolerate!

Joyce Weiss

 

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How to Increase Respect in the Workplace and Reduce Stress

Do you want to increase respect in the workplace?

Do you want to re-energize your team?

Do you want to reduce conflict and stress?

If you said “yes” to even one question…please continue reading!

All teams need a wake up call from time to time – an energy boost or an attitude adjustment. How do you know when it’s time for your team to get re-energized? Look at them. Is there energy in the team?  Are they communicating with respect?  Do your teams make time for stress relief exercises? Are people excited about work? Are employees talking to each other? Is there laughter and fun in the air? If you answered “no” to even one of these questions, then it could be time for you to initiate your team for ideas on how to increase respect and reduce stress.  It helps if you are open and will use some of their ideas.

For many companies, it’s the “same old” routine day in and day out. People grudgingly go through the motions of work, but they don’t have their heart into it. There’s so much stress or negativity in the air that you can cut it with a knife. The silence is deafening, and when someone does talk, it’s laced with sarcasm and retaliation…there is an over abundance of conflict in the workplace.

But work doesn’t have to be this way. You can help your team learn new facts about stress so everyone is focused and having fun again. Here’s how.

  • Create a stress relief committee.

Ask for volunteers to head a stress relief committee. Typically the people who want this role are the overly optimistic people who are full of energy anyway, but that’s okay. You need someone to take the lead. Empower the committee to determine when the team needs to do various stress relief exercises and allow them to organize a group break so everyone can recharge.

  • Ask the group for their input.  Ask them the question…What does respect mean?

You can’t mandate what the team “should” do to reduce stress and re-energize. That approach will always backfire because someone (or maybe everyone) will think the activity is “dumb” or a “waste of time.” Therefore, have the stress relief committee find out what each person would like to do to reduce stress and increase respect in the workplace. It could be anything from bringing in a chair masseuse once a month to getting everyone to dance to some upbeat music to having a 15-minute silence break. There are numerous respect activities and I will include a few examples in the next article.  The possibilities are endless so long as you get everyone’s input.

Check out this blog post on New Facts about Stress to Reduce Conflict in the Workplace.

  • Address the nay-sayers.

Invariably you’ll have at least one person who won’t want to go along with the group’s activity. The key to winning this person over is to find out what he or she needs to do to reduce stress. Whatever you do, don’t let the nay-sayer sit out from the designated activity. That will only cause others to look down on him or her and erode the team’s spirit and increase workplace gossip. Instead, say to the person, “As the manager, it’s my job to make sure everyone has some stress relief. Tell me what will help you re-energize.” Listen to what the person says and do that activity next (as long as he or she participates in the current activity).

The Energy to Succeed

Everyone needs a fun break from time to time – an escape from the stresses of work and life. So give your team the opportunity to discuss how to reduce stress to increase respect in the workplace. By doing so, they’ll have the strength and creativity to get more done in less time…and with better results.

Was this helpful?
What is your most pressing issue on your conflict in the workplace?
Let us hear your thoughts in the comment box below.
Feel free to share these tips with your team – Just be sure to give Joyce credit when you share or publish.
Sign up at the RSS feed on the blog site to be included in future blog posts from Joyce on this subject.

For more information, articles and podcasts, visit https://www.joyceweiss.com

Until next time…REMEMBER
YOU GET WHAT YOU TOLERATE!

Joyce Weiss

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Make Time for Yourself! Work Life Balance Articles & Tips

Does this sound familiar?
“I don’t have time to do what I really want to do!”

I’ve launched a new site, www.TipstoBeHappy.com that contains free tips on how to be happy in your life, career and with your team. Each tip will contain a quote, stress relief exercise and quick activity so that you can live your life the fullest.

Here is a sample of a tip and a favorite quote for you to use to make that time for YOU!

“We are always getting ready to live, but never living.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson, writer

List the activities you’d like to do – like taking a trip, going for a daily walk, or organizing your day. Then, prioritize.  Put those items that most closely match your life’s purpose at the top of the list. Get started accomplishing what’s most important to you!

Sign up for your own tips here.
You will receive weekly tips on how to deal with work and home.
They will also contain new facts about stress.

There are numerous articles written on stress and work life balance.
Click here for a blog post that I wrote on “New Facts About Stress to Reduce Conflict in the Workplace.”

Please write your biggest challenge that you are experiencing at work in the comment box below.
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Let us hear your thoughts in the comment section below. Feel free to share these tips with your team. Just be sure to give Joyce credit when you share or publish.

Sign up at the RSS feed on the blog site to be included in future blog posts from Joyce on this subject.

Until next time… Remember, You Get What YOU Tolerate!

Joyce Weiss
Conflict in the Workplace Consultant

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How to Stay in Business for a LONG Time

Do you want to know how to stay in business for a really long time?

I was asked to share answers to this very important question to a very creative group -SE MI Entrepreneurs Association.
There were several generations in workplace represented in the packed room.

SE MI Entrepreneurs Association is designed to help members grow their business.
They provide training, network opportunities, information and valuable resources.

ZaLonya Allen, PhD is the Executive Director and did an excellent job letting the community know about this important event.

 

Here are the main points that I covered:

  • Learn from your mistakes and hopefully you wont repeat them.
  • “Failure is never final and success does not last forever.”
  • Be creative during slow times.  Take advantage of this time to write articles, contact former clients or re brand
  • Ask yourself the important question…Who is my client?  Stay focused and service to that market.
  • Don’t scatter yourself too thin by attempting to service to everyone.
  • Make smart financial decisions when hiring consultants and make sure to check on references.  (It is amazing how many
    people in the audience shared horror stories on this one!)
  • We are never there.  Continuous learning is constant and exciting.
  • Take time to re brand every few years to stay current and fresh.
  • Build relationships before asking for referrals or favors.
  • Learn skills in leadership consulting to get and give respect.
  • Constantly improve communication skills. Please let me know if you want me to share more ideas with you on this topic.
    Feel free to call me at 800.713.1926 or email:  Joyce@JoyceWeiss.com

Check out the tips that Dr ZaLonya Allen will use as a result of the program

Your conflict in the workplace consultant says… 

Remember to run away from energy vampires.
There are many possibilities.
We need to see them…believe me you will find them.
Make sure to run away from those telling you that there is no business anymore.

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Was this helpful?
Let us hear your thoughts in the comment section.

Feel free to share these tips with your team – Just be sure to give Joyce credit when you share or publish.

Sign up at the RSS feed on the blog site to be included in future blog posts from Joyce on this topic.

Until Next Time….
Remember, YOU GET WHAT YOU TOLERATE!

Joyce Weiss, M.A., CSP
Conflict in the Workplace Consultant

Contact Joyce

Email: joyce@joyceweiss.com
Phone: 248-681-5831