Collaboration Strategies Archives - Page 6 of 7

June 25, 2013 By Joyce Weiss Leave a Comment

So, Do You Think You Have a Strong Team?

Skip the morning donuts and see your team get stronger!

Many people “think” that they have a strong team, yet reality does not always match this perception!
There are usually hidden agendas and conflict in the workplace.
Employees and leaders need to have an open forum to make sure that the team is as strong as possible.

You probably know that my role in all of this is to stir up conflict.
That’s right, I’m not kidding.
I find that some people don’t have these important communication skills.
I help people have tough conversations and give them the tools to improve conflict in the workplace.
There are many reasons why people don’t like to be open.

Check out this article link: Tips to Create Winning Teams

Do you see constant improvement as part of your team culture?

Here are more ideas how to make your team even stronger:

Leaders and people at all levels have opportunity to show what they can do.

Most work is done by small teams of peers, led by people who are knowledgeable about specific areas.

People are continually challenged – as well as supported – in ways that enable them to meet those challenges.

Managers coach instead of dictate.

Status is replaced by ability and valuable involvement.

Rewards are based on actual contribution.

How do you make sure that your perception matches your team’s reality?
Specifically how do you create an open environment for people to talk to each other?
Please send me how you do this in the comment section below.

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.
(Joyce Weiss Training and Development LLC > www.JoyceWeiss.com)

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 Joyce’s website

Until next time,
This is Joyce Weiss, Conflict Resolution Consultant
and remember…
YOU GET WHAT YOU TOLERATE

PS Remember to check out this article link: Tips to Create Winning Teams

April 17, 2013 By Joyce Weiss Leave a Comment

Team Synergy Worse Than Simon and Paula?

Since you can’t exactly just switch over to X-Factor, you may have to learn to get along.

Have you ever wondered why your team doesn’t work as well as it can?

Do you want to resolve conflict in the workplace safely?

Does your team…

Believe it’s already there?

Continue to use group think

Allow negative team members to zap the team’s morale?

Know the expectations and roles of others?

If so, discuss the possible reasons to remove obstacles.

Click here to find strategies to increase respect in the workplace and reduce stress

Teams work best when…

Continuous growth is part of the team culture

Leaders insist on openness and participation by everyone

Team members understand the danger of negativity and sarcasm

They have the tools to resolve conflict in the workplace

Role clarity and responsibility are understood by the entire team

Was this helpful?

Let us hear your thoughts in the comment section below.

Please share your own Team Challenges

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 FREE Resources visit Joyce’s website

Until next time…This is Joyce Weiss

and Remember…YOU Get What You Tolerate!

Don’t run away from conflict. Resolve it now to get respect back in the workplace.

I help people have tough conversations so they sleep better at night!

PS Do you want more information on this topic? If so
Click here to increase respect in the workplace and reduce stress.

January 29, 2013 By Joyce Weiss Leave a Comment

Do You Want to Eliminate Workplace Irritations?

Successful teams know that workplace irritations exist…no matter how perfect the team seems to be!
At times I hear leaders tell me that there is NO stress
at their workplace and everyone gets along just fine.

Even successful teams need to listen to all team members to insure that they are heard and understood. There are always issues to discuss since things change constantly. As long as trust is established, discussing workplace conflicts works like magic. They can be small such as having everyone come to meetings on time or cleaning up the kitchen.

A colleague of mine, Marilyn Suttle wrote a wonderful book – Who’s Your Gladys? How to Turn Even the Most Difficult Customer into Your Biggest Fan.

You are in for a GREAT read after you experience Marilyn’s interesting article directly below on Do You Know What’s at the Top of Your Customers’ Irritation Lists?
Enjoy and make sure and check out her website which is at the end of her article.

As part of an experiment, I got out a pad of paper and pen, and walked through each room of my house finding things to add to my irritation list. Anything that bugged me got put on the list. The chipped paint in my dining room, the small rip in the lining of my lamp shade, the disorganized storage area in the basement – no matter how big or small, I wrote it down.

At first, my irritation list was long, and … irritating. Prioritizing and delegation changed all that. After a family meeting, the who, what, and by-when’s were added to the list. (I admit this idea got a cold reception at first, but my husband and son got on board, adding some of their own irritations to the list and negotiating responsibilities.)
One by one, over the next six months, the house shaped up. As the list grew smaller, my energy and enthusiasm skyrocketed.

Consider what might happen if you were to create a customer irritation list at your place of business. It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day running of your business and lose sight of the irritations that ultimately undermine your success.
It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day running of your business and lose sight of the small things that ultimately undermine your success.

Do you know what’s at the top of your customers irritation lists? Over time, those irritations may be the deciding factor that pushes customers toward your competitor.

Points to help you break through irritations:

Be eager to learn what’s on your customers’ irritation lists.

(Don’t forget the people inside your company, aka your internal customers. Their irritations ultimately spill over onto your paying customers.)

Notice your role in creating the problem or allowing it to continue.

For each irritation, brainstorm several ways to handle it and pick the best one. Divvy up or delegate.

Enjoy the results!

What do you think? What workplace irritations are you committed to eliminating?

2012 Copyright Marilyn Suttle

Marilyn Suttle is the coauthor of Who’s Your Gladys? How to Turn Even the Most Difficult Customer into Your Biggest Fan. Marilyn travels internationally to deliver service excellence keynotes and workshops. Marilyn inspires her clients to excel by creating strong, productive relationships in every area of life. She specializes in creating “Suttle Shifts” in the way people think and act to produce massive results. When you need a keynote speaker or success coach, Marilyn can be reached at (248) 348-1023, marilyn@marilynsuttle.com or visit www.whosyourgladys.com
To access additional free customer service resources – including blog articles and video tips – visit www.whosyourgladys.com

I will be including several guest authors to contribute their articles on my Bold Solutions Blog.
Let me know how you enjoy their words of wisdom.

If you want more information on this subject make sure and check out my post on How to Create Strong Teams.

Let us hear what workshop issues drive you crazy.
Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Until Next Time
This is Joyce Weiss, Conflict Resolution Consultant
and Remember…YOU GET WHAT YOU TOLERATE!

Check out Someecard.com for creative cards.

January 23, 2012 By Joyce Weiss Leave a Comment

Questions to Encourage Cooperation and Respect in the Workplace

Sometimes no matter how hard you try, you just can’t get along with a certain co-worker which creates a lot of conflict in the workplace. Maybe your personalities are just too different, or perhaps your work processes and preferences conflict. Despite this fact, you still have to work together – sometimes very closely – so you need to establish a relationship of cooperation and respect.
But cooperation and respect can be hard to maintain. The key is to get the other person to agree on this one working relationship goal, and then to work together (rather than singularly) to keep the cooperation and respect strong. Therefore, meet with the co-worker who is troubling you and together answer these seven questions. Only with this insight can you move forward toward productive results.

1. What is our main challenge?
You need to pinpoint what specifically keeps you from having a working relationship based on cooperation and respect. Does it have to do with work styles, personalities, ethnicity/cultural differences, etc.? You need to know what you have to overcome before you can actually do it.

2. How are we different?
Suppose that you figure out that your conflicting work styles cause the friction. The next step is to identify specifically how your work styles are different. For example, maybe you discover that while you prefer to have e-mail communications, your co-worker finds e-mail cold and impersonal and wants face-to-face meetings. At this point remember not to blame each other for the difference or defend yourself. You want to find how to capitalize on your differences.

3. How are we the same?
Despite your differences, you likely have a few similarities. In fact, at one point in your history together, you probably did one thing – even one small project – together well. What worked then? The key is for you to build off your sameness to establish cooperation and respect.

4. What opportunities are within our reach?
In other words, if we work together what can we accomplish together? This question gets you to think positively about the other person so you can have the motivation to work together in a way that fosters cooperation and respect.

5. How can others in the department or company help us?
Remember that you’re not alone. Others in your department or company want you to develop mutual cooperation and respect. Identify who those people are and get their input.

6. How can we communicate with each other better?
In order to work on your relationship, try spending some time together. This does not mean hanging out together on weekends. It simply means for you to go to lunch together once per week or agree to meet for 20 minutes every Monday to go over weekly goals. Do something to get the dialog started.

7. How can we amaze ourselves?
Determine what would be an amazing experience for the two of you working together. Describe it in great detail. Use that vision to guide your future working efforts. Before you know it, you’ll have a solid base of cooperation and respect to build from.

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.

Until next time…Remember, You Get What You Tolerate!
Joyce Weiss, M.A., CSP
Conflict Resolution Consultant and Accountability Coach

P.S. Sign up for your own FREE video series – “20 Tips to Reduce Conflict in the Workplace” HERE

December 12, 2011 By Joyce Weiss Leave a Comment

Do You Want to Feel Empowered to Reduce Conflict in the Workplace?

Do these questions sound familiar?

How can I encourage people to make decisions when management is absent?
How can I encourage calculated risks so our company stays current?
How can we act as a team, instead of individuals striving for separate goals?

The answer is in one word…EMPOWERMENT. Empowerment gives confidence, strength, and trust in your own authority. Successful businesses especially know the impact of an empowered team.

Learn the 5 P’s of empowerment to support motivated people who’ll bring long-lasting results:

1. Permission…to make decisions and take risks.

Help people see how they’re setting up roadblocks to their success. You may hear people saying “I’m not ready yet”, or “I don’t know enough”. If I waited until I was ready to make that perfect keynote speech, I’d still be waiting!
Encourage calculated risks! These positive statements should become standard in your workplace:

“Everyone fears new things when they are on unfamiliar territory.”
“The only way to get rid of the fear of doing something is to go out and do it.”
“There are three kinds of people – those that make things happen, those that watch things happen, and those who wondered what happened!”

2. Protection…even if they make a mistake.

Make sure the penalty for failure is not greater than the penalty for doing nothing. Part of growth is learning from our mistakes.
Make sure you stand by your coworkers, even when they fail. If they make a mistake, ask this very important question, “What did you learn, and how would you handle it differently if this situation came up again?”

3. Purpose: Know the company’s goals and answers to the typical conflicts that arise.

Challenge your coworkers by asking why and why not. This forces constant improvement.
Recognize market changes. Encourage problem solving and brainstorming. Technology is expanding at an amazing rate, making some present techniques obsolete. Look at trends and then be ready

4. Proficiency: Know the difference between complacency and excellence.

Encourage people to think of themselves as the owners of their own careers. Help them learn features and benefits of every product and service in the company.
Train people to listen to the client’s needs. Role play with common objections, so staff is prepared when they’re rejected. This way, everyone will be more prepared.

5. Pay-off: Appreciate and recognize superior work.

All people have a basic need for appreciation don’t be afraid to speak up. Let your coworkers know the success of the business is partly due to their efforts and achievements.

When you use the 5 P’s of empowerment you’ll see an increase in morale, productivity, and success. These are my tried and true methods – experiment with your own, then sit back and enjoy the fabulous results!

Do you want to go deeper and find out the benefits of accountability coaching? If so, check out the link below to see how Joyce can help you get to your next level in your your career and improve your working condition.
What is accountability coaching?

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

So, Do You Think You Have a Strong Team?

Team Synergy Worse Than Simon and Paula?

Do You Want to Eliminate Workplace Irritations?

Questions to Encourage Cooperation and Respect in the Workplace

Do You Want to Feel Empowered to Reduce Conflict in the Workplace?

Contact Joyce

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