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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A Motivational Quote by Margaret Thatcher

Margaret Thatcher’s quote is a great reminder when we attempt to achieve positive results after we speak to someone during a tough conversation.  We may need to change our message when the other person doesn’t respond as well as we hoped. Believe me, I’ve been there many times!

Joyce Weiss | career coach | communication strategist#Margaret Thatcher
#fightabattle
#motivationalquote

I want to hear from you

Let us know when you attempted to communicate with someone and you had to go back and change your message. You are always welcome to send me a private email with your communication concerns.

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, M.A., CSP
Corporate Communication Strategist and Career Coach

Have a great week.

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

 

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Does Your Team Show Respect in the Workplace?  

https://youtu.be/MuFbnNvjajE

Respect in the workplace is a topic that needs to be addressed due to so many bullies and negative people harassing others.

Does your team show respect in the workplace?

  • If you answer, “NO”, this article will give you some ideas.
  • If you answer, “YES”, please send me what is working for your team!

Respect is critical to have a productive and cohesive team.  Many of my clients ask for support when their team is sarcastic, negative or even silent with each other.

This article describes 3 Strategies to help you address how you can communicate with those who are disrespectful of others on your team.

Strategy #1 to ensure that your team shows respect in the workplace:  Discuss your concerns

Speak directly to your team either when they are all together or individually.  This is one of the toughest things for many people to do.
Start out by making the environment safe by giving an example of their productive projects or successful customers service story.

Strategy #2 to ensure that your team shows respect in the workplace: Setting boundaries

  • This step may be difficult for leaders who don’t like conflict.  It may be hard, but it’s necessary to have these tough conversations.
  • Share your frustration or concern about their sarcasm or negativity and how it impacts the team and morale.
  • Give them time to discuss what is on their mind.
  • Make sure that you set boundaries on how your team shares this feedback.
  • Act as a coach to ensure that the session does not turn into a complaint fest!

Strategy #3 to ensure that your team shows respect in the workplace:  4 tips to keep you sane

When you’re practicing Be Direct with Respect® and a coworker is not communicating in a productive way, just remember:

  1. Don’t take it personally if someone verbally attacks you.
  2. Don’t make assumptions.  Once your team feels heard, there will be better communication and no more mind reading.
  3. Do have the courage to ask and express what you want – even if it is difficult.
  4. Speak with integrity.  You are concerned about the success of the team and not finger pointing.

I want to hear from you

Add a comment to my blog on how you create a respectful workplace.  What stories or expressions help you? You will receive a response from me because I enjoy connecting with my readers! 🙂  You are always welcome to send me a private email with concerns that you are experiencing at work.

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.

Do you want more information on how to help your team improve their communication skills?
Learn how I can leverage my 30+ years of leadership consulting and coaching experience to help your organization address conflict resolution in the workplace here.

 

This is Joyce Weiss

Corporate Communication Strategist and Career Coach

Have a great week.
Until next time, Remember…“You Get What You Tolerate!”

 

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Communication Strategies: How to Deal with Mediocrity

Communication Strategies to use in the workplace has been the topic for the past few posts.  This week it’s all about dealing with those people who are on the edge – the low performers or slackers.

Read the first article in the series:
Communication Strategies to use with Someone who Didn’t Receive a Promotion.

Read the second article in the series:
Communication Strategies to use with People Bringing Problems to Work.

I hope that you find this article helpful with those slackers in your workplace.

Communication Strategy #1:  Make the Conversation Safe

Make the conversation safe by using I do want – I don’t want. communication strategies
Here are a few examples:

I don’t want to discount your years of service.
I do want to discuss some performance concerns.

I don’t want to discount your value.
I do want to discuss how your behavior is affecting team productivity.

This strategy will help you create a safe starting place.  You will be more direct after using the next communication strategy.

Communication Strategy #2:  Use Be Direct with Respect®

Those of you who read my blogs know this communication strategy and it’s worth repeating as a refresher.  Be direct with respect® deepens relationships and resolves issues.

I am ________________________
(Your emotional response)

When I ______________________
(Non-judgmental)

Because ______________________
(How it affects you)

I am  concerned when I see productivity issues because you were a star performer a couple months ago.

Communication Strategy #3:  Discuss What you Notice and Ask Questions

This communication strategy gives you a chance to discuss the changes that you see and how it’s impacting the team.

Here’s what I’m noticing…
This is how it’s impacting the team…
Where are you stuck?

These 3 communication strategies will give you a plan on how to talk to a mediocre person.  The next step is to discuss the ramifications if things don’t change.  Expectations need to be clear and understood.

I want to hear from you

Add a comment to my blog on how you deal with mediocrity. What stories or expressions help you get the results that you need? You will receive a response from me because I enjoy connecting with my readers! 🙂  You are always welcome to send me a private email with concerns that you are experiencing at work.

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.

 

Learn how I can leverage my 30+ years of leadership consulting and coaching experience to help your organization address conflict resolution in the workplace here.

This is Joyce Weiss
Corporate Communication Strategist and Career Coach

 

Have a great week.

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

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Communication Strategies to Use with Someone who Didn’t Receive a Promotion

Communication strategies will be the topic for the next few posts.  You will find case scenarios taken from recent Be Direct with Respect® workshops.

The following Topics will be covered:

  • How to deal with someone who constantly complains about being passed over for a promotion
  • How to have a tough conversation with a direct report who brings problems from home to work
  • Having a direct conversation about mediocrity
  • How negativity lowers morale

Have you dealt with any of the following issues?

  • A colleague didn’t receive a promotion and you don’t know what to say.
  • You want to tell a productive direct report that she needs to develop a couple of skills.
  • A friend is dwelling on how he was passed over a promotion.  You want to suggest that he moves on in order to look for more opportunities and not be so negative.

This article has 2 communication strategies to help you support a friend, colleague or direct report.

Communication Strategy #1:  Make the conversation safe

Make the conversation safe by starting it out with I do want – I don’t want.executive coach| communication strategies

Here are a few examples:

I don’t want to minimize the effort that you are making.
I do want to discuss how to improve your performance.

I don’t want to discourage you.
I do want to help you with your career.

I don’t want to dwell on what didn’t happen.
I do want to encourage you to look at this as an opportunity to refocus on career development.

I don’t want to lose you as an engaged member of our team.
I do want to discuss efforts to improve your future opportunities.

I don’t want to downplay the importance of what the promotion meant to you.
I do want to remind you of your strengths and all the things you bring to the team.

I hope that you get the idea.  You can make the conversation safe by using this strategy.  You can also change the words around by using I don’t want at the beginning or start out with I do want.  Everyone’s comfort level is different.

Communication Strategy #2:  Use Be Direct with Respect®

Be direct with respect® is a powerful communication strategy that allows you to be direct in a respectful way.  It is a communication strategieslearned skill; a willingness to risk rejection by communicating directly, yet gently.  It deepens relationships and resolves issues.
I am  ___________________
(Your emotional response)

When I __________________
(Non-judgmental)

Because __________________
(How it affects you)

I am concerned when I see you so down about not getting promoted because I believe you can get past this and achieve your goals.

I am concerned when I see your frustration because you can move forward in the organization.

I understand your situation when I see you disappointed because I want to see you keep going in the right direction.

These 2 communication strategies will give you a plan on how to approach this delicate subject with someone who may need some support.  Find more communication strategies in the search option of this blog.

I want to hear from you

Add a comment to my blog on how you have helped someone who didn’t get a promotion.  Let me know what other communication or conflict resolution topics you want me to write about to fit your specific needs. You will receive a response from me because I enjoy connecting with my readers! 🙂  You are always welcome to send me a private email HERE with concerns that you are experiencing at work.

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.

 

Learn how I can leverage my 30+ years of leadership consulting and coaching experience to help your organization address conflict resolution in the workplace here.

This is Joyce Weiss
Corporate Communication Strategist and Career Coach

Have a great week.

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

 

 

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A Bold New Strategy to Use with Bullies in the Workplace

  • Do you walk on eggshells with bullies in the workplace?
  • Are you caught off guard when someone constantly interrupts you?
  • Would you like to learn how to protect yourself from these negative behaviors?

I’m continuing my quest to help my clients gain control from the bullies in their workplace and home.life.  This article contains a new strategy to use when the power talk formula just won’t work – especially with certain bullies.

A participant in my Be Direct with Respect® Communication Workshop shared an incident that happened to him.  Doug is a manager and Sue, one of his direct reports interrupts Doug numerous times.  Doug has already used the power talk formula with Sue.  He said, “Sue I’m frustrated when I’m interrupted because I have already asked you to wait until the question and answer portion of the meeting.”  Doug is tired of Sue’s rude behavior plus his team has complained to him about Sue’s constant interruptions.  As one team member bluntly asked, “Can’t you shut her up?”

We brainstormed several ideas and came up with the following strategy to control Sue and other bullies in bullies in the workplacethe workplace.  The next time Sue interrupts Doug during the meeting he will say, “Sue. Stop!”  Some of you may think this is an aggressive strategy.  Doug already had discussions with Sue and nothing ever changes.  I encouraged Doug not to sound like a bully himself, but to say, “Stop!” in a strong and assertive tone.

Doug called me a week later and told me that this strategy worked.  Sue was caught off guard and didn’t say a word until the question and answer portion of the meeting.  This strategy may backfire.  It’s always a risk to communicate with bullies in the workplace.  The good news is that when the strategy works, the bully won’t push you anymore.  You won’t be fun to push.  The bully will find someone else to antagonize.

I want to hear from you

Add a comment to my blog on how you control bullies in the workplace.  What stories or expressions help you get through the stress?  You will receive a response from me because I enjoy connecting with my readers! 🙂  You are always welcome to send me a private email HERE with concerns that you are experiencing at work.

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.

Do you want more information on bullies in the workplace?

Learn how I can leverage my 30+ years of leadership consulting and coaching experience to help your organization address workplace bullying here.

READ more articles and listen to podcasts at our knowledge base bullying in the workplace here.

 

This is Joyce Weiss
Corporate Communication Strategist and Career Coach

Have a great week.

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

 

 

Contact Joyce

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