Assessment Tools Archives

April 2, 2017 By Joyce Weiss Leave a Comment

Working Together to Build Trust in the Workplace

Bob, a top leader in his company came to me to figure out why his team was not working together. He told me that no one gave him input and he was wondering if trust was an issue. We worked together for 3 months to work on his communication skills. This article describes 3 strategies that Bob used to improve his communication skills which supported his team to begin working together.

Working Together Strategy #1: Define what trust means to the team

The American Heritage Dictionary defines trust as – “the firm reliance on the integrity, ability, or character of a person or thing.” No wonder why there’s a challenge with people working together. It’s hard enough to rely on only one of these characteristics.

Bob asked his team the following questions:

What does trust mean to you?
How can I gain your trust as your leader?

This exercise was eye opening to everyone because each person required distinctive characteristics to gain his or her trust. Bob called me right after he conducted this exercise and expressed how people were starting to speak more openly with each other.

Working Together Strategy #2: Understand who is on your team

My clients have seen great results after we conduct a training using different assessments. It’s important to identify the different behavioral styles because we are all wired differently. Bob asked me to give each team member the DISC assessment which uncovers 4 behavioral styles.

Directors may want authority, challenges, freedom, logical approach and difficult assignments.
Interactors may want social recognition, people to talk to, freedom from details, and a chance to motivate.
Steadys may need status quo, time to adjust, appreciation, and work patterns.
Carefuls may need security, exact job descriptions, and attention to detail.

We divided the group to find people who shared the same behavioral style to discover how they are the same. We then divided the group with the assorted styles to discover how they could improve their communication with each other. There was a lot of laughter and deep conversation about the distinctive styles. They figured out in a positive way why certain groups worked well together and why others drove each other crazy.

Working Together Strategy #3: Discuss how the team can use this information to build trust

Understanding how each person defined trust and being aware of the 4 behavioral styles brought the team closer. Bob took advantage of this positive environment to go deeper with his team.

He asked them to brainstorm the following ideas:

What the team needed from each other to become more productive
What they needed from the executive team
How meetings could be improved to improve time management

The ideas were discussed with the executive team and meaningful change happened. I realize that some of you may not trust your executive team. An executive coach would have to work with top leaders to discuss communication issues and transparency. Leaders need to know how they can improve to help employees start working together. Communication is a 2-way street!

I want to hear from you

Send me an email with your questions or comments on how to improve your team so they can start working together.

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

This is Joyce Weiss, Communications Strategist and Coach

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

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

P.S. Feel free to call me at 800.713.1926 or send me an email to find out how the DISC assessment can help you or your team improve communication and career growth.

December 18, 2016 By Joyce Weiss Leave a Comment

More Leadership Secrets From a Life Coach

Life Coach Joyce Weiss shares leadership secrets to help you promote your star employees.

Do you want to coach your star employees so they can move forward to the next level?
Do you have employees who need to uncover blind spots yet are resistant to constructive feedback?

If so, this article will be extremely helpful to leaders who want to communicate deeper with their employees. This article is not for the timid or sensitive team members who are afraid of honest communication. The ideas are perfect for your employees who want to grow professionally and who want to know what behaviors could be blocking them from advancement.

Life Coach Secret #1: Create a 360 Interview with Leaders, Colleagues, and Direct Reports

Here are the basics if you want to do this on your own. Ask the employee if he or she wants to hear feedback from all of these levels. You will not share the names of what each person answered and will only share patterns. Make a list of questions that will be helpful to your employee such as:
1. What does ____ need to do to make a promotion?
2. What is something that you would like to say to ____?
3. What are ____’s strengths?

Life Coach Secret #2: Create a Report from all of the Interviews

This Life Coach secret will take some time. Include the comments that you feel will help your employee grow. Don’t reveal who made the specific comments and include patterns. It is mandatory to keep this report as generic as possible in order to create trust with everyone involved.

Life Coach Secret #3: Take Time to Share the Report with your Employee

I need to repeat that this Life Coach process takes time and advanced coaching skills. Make sure that the person who is communicating the report is a solid coach. There will be sensitive areas to reveal. Ask the employee if he or she agrees with each statement. If they don’t agree, remind them that these areas could be blind spots. The process will be productive when your employee is open to the feedback. You may need to stop the 360 if the employee becomes defensive about the comments. This could be an indication that the person who is conducting the 360 needs to coach better or the employee is not open to direct feedback and continuous improvement.

So, Joyce What Are Your Thoughts?

Many of my clients have successfully conducted the 360 exercise, especially when their leaders are strong coaches. Other clients ask me to create and conduct the exercise since they want a communication strategist and coach who they know will handle sensitive issues carefully and receive outstanding results. Feel free to call me to discover how your organization can benefit from this powerful exercise at 800.713.1926 or send me an email.

More Personalized Coaching Opportunities for YOU

Attention Executives, Managers, and Anyone Seeking Advancement- Communicate With Impact™ Now Available

Are you a senior level executive, manager, director or an individual looking to increase outcomes or leadership advancement for you or team members?

Communicate with Impact is a premier program that grows leadership and improves employee participation, workflow, productivity, and outcome in less than 30-days.

Take this short quiz to find out if this course is right for you! http://bit.ly/1UtxsI7

I, Joyce Weiss, created this powerful step-by-step program specifically to help the hundreds of business people like you, who continually contact me for expert communication advice.

It’s ideal for individuals as well as entire teams.

Take this short quiz to find out if this course is right for you! http://bit.ly/1UtxsI7

CLICK HERE for details how your or your employees can benefit from working with me for 2 months on improving communication and leadership skills.

Ready to sign up? Click here!

I want to hear from you!

CLICK HERE to send me your questions about creating your own 360. What is your experience with 360s at your workplace? Please share what worked and what challenges you experienced.

Until next time,

This is Joyce Weiss, Communication Strategist and Coach

You can start tackling tough conversations with employees who need to hear your straight talk. Believe me, it’s worth every minute of uncomfortable moments…especially when your employees discover blind spots and resolve their communication issues to grow professionally and add value to your organization. I will do whatever it takes to help you improve your culture!

Learn how you can work with Joyce Weiss, your own personal life coach https://www.joyceweiss.com/services/personal-life-coach/

Feel free to call me (800.713.1926) concerning your own team/executive retreats, workshops, and on line professional growth coaching.

Remember…You Get What YOU Tolerate!

See YOU Next Week.

PS Read more articles and listen to podcasts at our Life Coaching Strategies Knowledge Base https://www.joyceweiss.com/resources/knowledge-base/life-coaching-strategies/

June 28, 2015 By Joyce Weiss Leave a Comment

How Effective Are You At Setting Boundaries At Work?

This week’s question…
How do I avoid time-wasting interruptions from others? This is a question that comes up frequently in my programs. People often ask me, “Joyce how do I set boundaries so I can stop interruptions and do the work that I want and need to do?”

Many of my clients have difficulty setting limits with others and speaking up for themselves. Their time is not their own because they are continually being interrupted. They may have a difficult time saying “NO” to the request or demands of others.

We waste a lot of time when we don’t set boundaries when they interrupt us.

International Communications Research (ICR) in New York surveyed over 1000 people on how many minutes per day they are interrupted with things they don’t want to do. This did not include time spent on line or E-Mail. Over 42% of those surveyed said they spend 100 minutes or more every day on interruptions. This comes out to the following:
• 100 minutes per day
• 11 2/3 hours per week
• 26 days per year
And that’s a five week vacation!

While you can’t make up for lost time, you CAN have more time to do what you WANT to do…starting today!

Here’s the SECRET to realizing this dream of having more time to do what you want. Be Direct with Respect® is a skill that will show you how to stop interruptions at work in order to do your priority tasks. It is the art of telling others that you can’t take care of their needs without sounding like a selfish person. It allows you to do what you need and WANT to do and gain respect from others at the same time.

To some, “Can I have five minutes of your time?” really means, “Can I steal more than five minutes of your time?” Energy vampires who ask this question can suck the lifeblood out of you! They are people who interrupt you and complain constantly. Be Direct with Respect® is about those moments which are stolen from you. Stolen moments are when you want to take care of specific tasks and one person or another interrupts you and won’t let you get back to your priorities.

Here is one thing to keep in mind to take back control

CLICK HERE to watch my short video on the Power Talk Formula.

So, how about you?

Where would you like to improve your ability to stay in control of your time?
How well are you able to execute the one skill that you have to manage your time effectively with others?

How do you manage interruptions at work? What would be possible if you tolerated fewer interruptions at work?

I want to hear from you!

CLICK HERE to send me your questions or concerns. I enjoy hearing from my readers plus they get their questions answered.

Take my simple quiz and get a snapshot of your strengths and opportunities of improvement.

CLICK HERE to take the easy and fun Communicate with Impact Quiz. You will get your results immediately and learn more about setting boundaries to be more effective at work and in your life. Sound good? Here’s the LINK.

Interested in more resources to take charge of your work experience?
Check out my Communicate with Impact Master E-Course. It’s a great way to learn the Power Talk Formula very fast without having to go anywhere. You can learn at your own pace from anywhere.

Want to share or use this Article in Your Newsletter or on Your Website?

Of course! You are welcome to print this, and any other articles we send, if you use the following byline:
A recognized expert on Resolving Conflict in the Workplace, Joyce Weiss, M.A., CSP is an author, communication strategist, and a Certified Speaking Professional. To book Joyce to speak at your event or company call: 800.713.1926 or email: Joyce@JoyceWeiss.com
Visit her website at ConflictInTheWorkplace.com to sign up for your own FREE video series and Communicate with Impact Weekly to Resolve Conflict in the Workplace.

Until next time,

This is Joyce Weiss, Communication Strategist

I help people become top level leaders who get GREAT results.
How do I do this?
I teach them to tackle the tough conversations with bullies and negative people to build employee engagement, accountability, and rock star performance…
The Result? My clients resolve their conflict and they get a better night’s sleep!

Feel free to call me (800.713.1926) concerning your own team/executive retreats, workshops, on line professional growth coaching, and keynote speeches.

Remember…You Get What YOU Tolerate!

See YOU Next Week.

CLICK HERE to take the easy and fun Communicate with Impact Quiz. You will get your results immediately. You will discover how your communication is impacting your success at work. Sound good? Here’s the LINK.

CLICK HERE to find out how you can start setting boundaries immediately!

June 21, 2015 By Joyce Weiss Leave a Comment

Computer/Internet Addiction Causes and Effects

As you know I share articles from colleagues from time to time. This article written by Mel Bellfield is extremely interesting. Many of us are addicted to the computers and the internet and WE KNOW IT! But what to do?

Check out how your communication skills may be impacting your success at work at the end of the article.

Computer Addiction – A Worrying New Problem
As we all know, computers and the internet have transformed the way in which we live and work. In many cases, this transformation has been for the better. It is a rare business indeed which could conduct itself without the aid of computers nowadays! However, the internet can also be a source of problems within the workplace. Browsing the internet during ‘downtime’ or even during work time can become problematic, productivity-wise, and measures like restricting the use of certain websites are likely to cause conflict between managers and workforce.

More desirable is if employees choose of their own accord to use the internet responsibly – but this is becoming harder and harder as our culture becomes more and more saturated with cyberspace. A growing problem is that of ‘computer addiction’, which can cause as many workplace troubles as any other addiction – if not more so.
‘Computer addiction’ or ‘internet addiction’, while known about for years, has only recently made it into the definitive list of mental disorders, the Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders.

However, what the manual has to say about it is worrying. According to leading experts in the field, as many as one in every four children may have an internet addiction. This manifests in the same manner as any other addiction – with compulsive seeking out of the internet, a sickly euphoria when on a computer, and even withdrawal when internet access is restricted. In a workplace, it can result in antisocial behavior, in a loss of productivity, in lack of motivation, and in problematic behavior regarding workplace computers. If you suspect that internet addiction may be a problem in your workplace, then you need to act immediately.

Click HERE to Read the Article

I want to hear from you!

CLICK HERE to send me your questions or concerns. I enjoy hearing from my readers plus they get their questions answered. Let me know what topics you want me to write about concerning your own conflict in the workplace “issues.”

Want to share or use this Article in Your Newsletter or on Your Website?

Of course! You are welcome to print this, and any other articles we send, if you use the following byline:
A recognized expert on Resolving Conflict in the Workplace, Joyce Weiss, M.A., CSP is an author, Communication Strategist, and a Certified Speaking Professional. To book Joyce to speak at your event or company call: 800.713.1926 or email: Joyce@JoyceWeiss.com
Visit her website at ConflictInTheWorkplace.com to sign up for your own FREE video series and Communicate with Impact Weekly to Resolve Conflict in the Workplace.

Please CLICK HERE to Leave a Comment or Question

Send me any comments that you may have about this article. Loyal readers like you help us find more people who could benefit from these posts to reduce conflict at the workplace and home. There may be someone in your life who is feeling stressed out…who could benefit from the inspiration and knowledge on improving their working condition or home life. Let them know about the “Communicate with Impact Weekly” so they can sign up for their own weekly articles.

Until next time,

This is Joyce Weiss, Communication Strategist

Feel free to call me (800.713.1926) concerning your own team/executive retreats, workshops, on line professional growth coaching, and keynote speeches.

Remember…You Get What YOU Tolerate!

See YOU Next Week.

PS Discover how your communications skills impact your success at work. Take the quiz.
www.CommunicationSkillsatWork.com/quiz

June 18, 2013 By Joyce Weiss 1 Comment

Joyce’s Recommendation of a GREAT Book

I just read a very powerful and interesting book that blew me away!

The ideas will help reduce conflict in the workplace and immediately improve morale.

You don’t need to be a leader to read this book.

Check out the book only if you want to think about the importance of WHY you do the things you do and the impact on your future .

Simon Sinek has a simple but powerful model for inspirational leadership all starting with a golden circle and the question “Why?”
His examples include Apple, Martin Luther King, and the Wright brothers.

In 2009, Simon Sinek released the book “Start With Why” — a synopsis of the theory he has begun using to teach others how to become effective leaders and inspire change.

Check out this link to my podcast on “Bold Solutions to Boost the Bottom Line.”

Here are some key points that “spoke” to me.

People don’t buy WHAT you do but WHY you do it.

WHY is a belief that is consistent with your values.

Trust emerges when another person or company is driven by things other than their own self gain.

When you share the same values with others you will earn their trust.

The role of a great leader is to create an environment where great ideas can happen.
Steve Jobs did not come up with the ideas for the ipod…others in the company did.

Great leaders serve those who serve them.
Costko takes care of their employees and the results are reciprocal.

My WHY is that I get to inspire others to do things to make their life a bit easier.

I help people have tough conversations so they get a better night’s sleep.

Once I became clear on my WHY it is so much easier to connect with people who want what I offer to them.

Here is a direct quote from Start with Why

“If you believe what we believe and you believe that the things we do can help you, then we are better.
Our goal is to find clients who believe what we believe and work together so that we can all succeed.
We’re looking for people to stand shoulder to shoulder with us in pursuit of the same goal”

As some of you know I have launched a new FREE communicate with impact assessment which includes a 15 minute phone evaluation. I decided to do this to introduce the new on Demand E-Course, Communicate with Impact. I realize that not every client will be interested in the assessment or course. This is a good thing. I also realize that the clients who see the value for their professional growth and their team will take the assessment and tell others about the E-Course.

Click here if you want to take the FREE Communication Assessment.
Once you take it, we can set up a time for a 15 minute phone evaluation where you will get a personalized action plan.

I have a few of questions for you…

Are you very specific on the reasons why you do what you do?

Do you communicate your WHY to your clients or prospects?

Do you market to the right clients?

Feel free to send me your answers to these questions.

I will respond and give you some ideas on how you can become as specific as possible.

Was this helpful?

Please share this post with your team or others who you feel will benefit from the content.

Just be sure to give Joyce Weiss credit. (Joyce Weiss, Conflict Resolution Consultant, JoyceWeiss.com)

Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Until next time,

This is Joyce Weiss

and Remember…You GET with YOU tolerate!

PS
Remember…Check out this link to my podcast on “Bold Solutions to Boost the Bottom Line.”

Click here for the FREE Communication Assessment