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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How Effective Communication Affects the Bottom Line

Here’s breaking news –  Even the BEST communicators need to constantly work on their effective communication!   Larry Henry, Owner/Producer of Two Floors Down Productions interviewed me on why I created the patented strategy – Be Direct with Respect®.  This week’s post contains information on why effective communication affects the bottom line.  Please listen to the short podcast below.

      

I developed Be Direct with Respect because many of clients were having a hard time getting their team to speak directly with each other when there was a conflict.  Being honest in a direct way is difficult for some of them.  They were either too direct and didn’t know any other way to communicate.  Or they didn’t tell the truth due to fear of retaliation or getting fired.

It became apparent that effective communication was lacking for both leaders and employees. The biggest reason was that they didn’t know how to be direct.  They never learned this skill in school.  Some of them were told that it was rude to be blunt.

Ignoring conflict will affect the bottom line.  Do you work in a culture where every team member speaks directly yet respectfully to anyone on the team when a customer is treated with disrespect or phone calls are ignored?  Most of the people who I interviewed laughed when I asked them the question about effective communication.  They told me the team is silent during meetings because leaders don’t encourage honest communication. Ouch!

Leaders need to decide how to communicate effectively to their team with both good and bad news especially when there will be budget cuts or certain team members don’t pull their weight.

The next few sentences will be a review for many of you who are loyal readers.  After you read the examples decide if you need a refresher on how to use be direct with respect.  You will find more articles on effective communication by searching past blog posts.

Effective Communication Case Scenario #1 effective communication

Several team members are complaining more than ever.  It doesn’t matter if you are a leader or not.  The main idea is the negativity is starting to get old and becoming the norm.

Here is one possible effective communication strategy:
I am frustrated when I hear all the complaining because this is affecting the entire team.  Let’s reboot and start to look at what the company is doing for us.   

Effective Communication Case Scenario #2 effective communication

Certain team members roll their eyes when others speak at weekly meetings.  This negative behavior goes on way too much in the workplace.

Here’s one possible effective communication strategy:
I am concerned when ideas are discounted because we decided as a team to start accepting each other’s differences.  We need more work in this area.

Let’s Get Real

The two effective communication case scenarios are examples of how productive be direct with respect can be once the skill is mastered.  My clients ask me to coach their team and leaders to improve morale, communication, and even unproductive meetings.  I encourage them to practice these skills with each other during the training and long after our time together is over.  Companies have the best success when they constantly practice being open and honest with each other in a productive way.  Humor sure does help!

I want to hear from you

Please add your comments or send me your questions on what is and what is not working with your company’s communication.
You will receive a response from me because I enjoy connecting with my loyal readers! 🙂

Please share this and any article that speaks to you or your company

Loyal readers like you help us find more people who could benefit from these posts. Help us help them reduce conflict and improve leadership skills and quality of life.

This is Joyce Weiss
Corporate Communication Strategist and Career Coach

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

PS Learn how I can leverage my 30+ years of communication and leadership consulting experience to help your organization experience my customized workshops here.

 

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Life Coaching Strategies to Set Boundaries at Home and Work

Life coaching strategies are something that we can all use in our life – especially when it’s about setting boundaries to balance our hectic life.

Do you have colleagues or loved ones that use a lot of your time talking and talking while you are in the middle of something important?  If so, this article will give you some ideas on how to take charge of this stressful situation.

Do you have a tough time saying, “no” to others who ask you to volunteer since you are the “right person” to help them with a project?  If so, you will find out how easy it is to say, “no” without sounding aggressive.

Enjoy the life coaching strategies article and please let me know your boundary issues at work and home.  I will ask you to share these with me at the end of the article.

Life Coaching Strategies #1:  Learn the Power of Boundaries

You’re invited to be on the PTA!  You’re such a great baker; “We need your help with the bake sale!”
A co-worker needs your help with a work project!  You have no time and you don’t want to disappoint people who have such high regard for you.

It feels good when people ask us to do things we’re good at. Our egos are stroked. We like it when other people can count on us.  We also need to stop ourselves when people ask us to help them when our lives are out of whack!  Stop and remind yourself that it’s ok to take care of you or your family and not save the world 24 hours a day.

Life Coaching Strategies #2:  Remember Boundaries from Your Past

We had boundaries as kids such as – “Come home when the streetlights come on. No TV until your homework is completed.”

Too often, though, we don’t set them for ourselves as adults.

Think about recent commitments and make a list of duties you wish you had said, “no” to.  This can help you prepare a response for the next time.  Firmly enforce your boundaries. If you set boundaries and people still take advantage, it’s your fault for not taking care of your own time restrictions.

Remember, “You get what you tolerate.”

Life Coaching Strategies #3:  The Power of Family Boundaries

Shannon, a busy working mother, wanted to return to school to earn her degree. She knew the extra hours would life coaching strategiesaffect her family, so she called a family meeting.  She explained it was a two-year commitment.  Her kids would need to make their own lunches and life might be a little more stressful for a while.

The payoff was a better job for Shannon, allowing the family to have money for the vacation they wanted, or for her kids to attend college.  They agreed to her plan. To this day, when they complain, she reminds them about the family meeting.  This worked out for Shannon because she was focused and spoke about short-term stresses for her and the family.

Life Coaching Strategies #4:  The Power of Work Boundaries

Do you have a co-worker who stops by your desk, seeking help for her or his projects and leaving you with less time for your own?  Use ‘I’ language to deflect them.  For example, “I’m frustrated because I’d love to help you out.  I have a deadline on this project.” Or set a time limit:  “I can give you five minutes because I need to leave at 3:00 for my daughter’s soccer game.”

Life Coaching Strategies #5:  Friendship Boundaries

What about that friend whose number on your caller ID makes you Life coaching strategiesgroan?  These energy vampires are talkaholics, and it’s all about them and what they need.  You don’t have to pick up the phone. Or you can say up front, “I’m tied up this week; I’ll be glad to call you back or email you.”

Let’s Get Real

We encounter demands for our time and energy from many directions.  When those demands become too much, the continual stress can lead to an array of health problems.  Create and enforce boundaries to help manage your stress levels, and you will feel better about the commitments you make.

It can mean a longer, healthier, happier life.

 I want to hear from you

Send me what boundaries you set for yourself at home or work.  What boundary issues do you need to control?  You know I answer all comments and questions.

Please share this and any article that speaks to you or your company

Loyal readers like you help us find more people who could benefit from these posts.  Help us help them reduce conflict and quality of life.

Until next time,
Joyce Weiss
Corporate Communication Strategist and Career Coach

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

PS Learn how I can leverage my 30+ years of communication and coaching experience to help you or your organization address life coaching strategies here.

Read more articles and listen to podcasts at our Life Coaching Strategies Knowledge Base

 

 

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Team Building Strategies to Improve Morale

Leaders constantly ask me the following question:  What are team building strategies to improve morale?

Have you ever had a great idea for your company and got everyone excited about doing it, but then no one took       action and the great idea died? Such is a common occurrence in organizations across the country. In fact, in most companies generating great ideas isn’t the problem – it’s turning those ideas into action that stalls a company’s growth.

In order to help your team take action on new ideas, use the following team building strategies to get from idea to final delivery.

Team Building Strategies #1:  Generate at least 50 ideas for your current dilemma Team Building Strategies

How do you know if an idea is truly great unless you challenge it with new ideas? That’s why you need to generate a lot of ideas to get the idea process started.

Have people write one idea per “sticky note.” During this phase, temporarily ignore rules and budgets. Anything goes. Don’t self-edit and don’t think anything is “stupid.”

Encourage wild ideas from everyone; be playful. And since this is a group effort, feel free to expand on other people’s ideas. Remember, it’s not a competition.

Team Building Strategies #2:  Move the most exciting ideas forward

Take all your sticky notes and group similar ideas together. Decide on a category heading for each group. Then, rather than decide on a single idea to pursue, begin by deciding on an idea-group what is most attractive given the current situation. Use past experience and the current need to help with the decision process.

Team Building Strategies #3:  Remove hurdles and identify holes Team Building Strategies

Analyze the selected group and come up with reasons why the ideas may not work using the following questions to refine the idea to implementation:

  • What are the consequences if we do these ideas as presented?
  • What could potential challenges arise in the workplace?
  • How will these ideas work within the available resources of time, money, and people?

If you don’t like your answers, refine the ideas – don’t kill them.

Team Building Strategies #4:  Create a specific step-by-step action plan

Create a plan to ensure that the idea can be implemented successfully. Consider such things as:

  • Training and resources: Does the timeline and task schedule require training or resources not currently at hand? If so, how do you get them?
  • Budget: Do you have the financial resources to see the idea through to completion? If not, what creative things can you do to offset costs (trade out products or services, use contract labor, etc.)?
  • Timelines: What is the chronological order for doing each step?
  • Celebration points: At what point will you celebrate milestones, and what celebration activities will be most appropriate?

Let’s Get Real

When people have a thought-out plan for carrying out an idea, they are better equipped and better able to turn that idea into reality. So use these team building strategies for every dilemma, whether large or small. You’ll get the most creative solution for your current challenge, as well as the ability to turn that idea into action. This will reduce conflict in the workplace to move your team to the next level.

I want to hear from you

Send me an email with your most pressing issue that you are experiencing with your team. Please share your team building strategies in the comment section.

Please share this and any article that speaks to you or your company

Loyal readers like you help us find more people who could benefit from these posts. Help us help them reduce

Joyce Weiss
Corporate Communication Strategist and Career Coach

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

PS  Learn how I can leverage my 30+ years of communication and leadership consulting and coaching experience to help your organization address team building strategies here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Collaboration Strategies to Reduce Stress in the Workplace  

Do you want to:

  • Use new collaboration strategies to improve communication?
  • Increase respect in the workplace?
  • Reduce conflict and stress?
  • Re-energize your team?

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 use new collaboration strategies, 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 overabundance 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:

Collaboration Strategies #1:  Create a stress relief committee Collaboration Strategies

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.

Collaboration Strategies #2:  Ask the group for their input Collaboration Strategies

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
  • Getting everyone to dance to some upbeat music
  • Having a 15-minute silence break.

There are numerous collaborations strategies and I will include more examples in the next article.  The possibilities are endless so long as you get everyone’s input.

Collaboration Strategies #3:  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).

Let’s Get Real

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 and which collaboration strategies work for them. By doing so, they’ll have the strength and creativity to get more done in less time – and with better results.

Was this helpful?

Send me an email or add your thoughts in the comment section.
Feel free to share these collaboration strategies with your team.

This is Joyce Weiss
Corporate Communication Strategist and Career Coach

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

P.S.  Read more articles and listen to podcasts at our Team Building Strategies Knowledge Base.

 

 

 

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Timely quote from Albert Einstein

There seems to be a pattern these days about people not being vocal reporting unethical or inappropriate behavior.  Here are several reasons why this behavior is swept under the rug:

  • You could get in trouble with the boss by reporting sexual harassment or discrimination of any kind
  • Your complaints are ignored by HR due to corporate politics
  • Your family member could get mad or even arrested (drug or alcohol abuse).

I strongly agree with Einstein’s quote below because the only way one can make positive changes is to confront these issues to the appropriate person, even though the perpetrator is a high profile an powerful person.  It’s a risk.  I realize this.

I have several clients who find it difficult reporting harassment or discrimination.  I ask them to weigh the pros and cons for reporting and not reporting these issues.  About 50% of them decide to report the situation because they could not live with themselves if this behavior continues.  They found a support system with trusted advisors on who to report the dangerous behavior.  The other 50% are risk adverse and decide it’s something that’s just too difficult to do.

Fear is a big part of this entire equation.All we have to do is watch or read our favorite news outlets to see how some of the situations are hidden for years.  Shame and fear play a dual role.  Listening to their stories remind us how brave people have to be to come forward.   I challenge all of you to weigh the options and do what you feel is best.

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I want to hear from you

When did you take a risk to report a delicate issue concerning a relative or someone at work?
Send me your response and I won’t share since it could be a sensitive issue.  I will respond to you privately.

Please share this quote and previous articles that speak to you or your company.

Loyal readers like you help us find more people who could benefit from these posts. Help us help them reduce conflict and improve leadership skills and quality of life.

 

 

This is Joyce Weiss
Corporate Communication Strategist and Career Coach

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

 

Contact Joyce

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