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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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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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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Lean Culture and Resolving Conflict in the Workplace

I had the privilege of co presenting a program for the MI Lean Consortium.  G.S. Clarke shared his knowledge on measuring, analyzing, and changing an organization’s existing culture focusing on thought patterns and behaviors.  I continued the discussion on how to deal with resistance during change.   The members asked great questions and they shared their best practices using Lean.

MI Lean Consortium is a diverse network of knowledgeable Lean professionals who come together to share innovative practices.  The organization aims to create a lean culture in MI to ensure sustainable competitive advantage, which could translate into healthier businesses that offers more job opportunities leading to economic growth in the state.

I’m so impressed with this group and will be become a member soon.

Check out some of the main ideas that we discussed on resolving conflict in the workplace especially while convincing naysayers about the benefits of cultural change.

  • When you change culture, you will get conflict
  • We need to convince leaders that they will be able to do what they want to do after lean processes are implemented
  • Front line employees will see how their working condition will improve when waste in time and resources are reduced
  • Everyone has to be responsible for lean every day.  It is not a passing fad and takes a long time to implement
  • The role of Lean leaders is to create change based on learning
  • It is more important to be effective than right

It is NOT an easy task to deal with people who are resistant to change, but it is possible…once we learn how to improve communication skills.

Lean consists of the following:

  • Philosophy:  Long term thinking
  • Process:  Eliminate waste
  • People and Partners:  Respect, challenge, people
    Problem Solving:  Continuous improvement and learning 

    Here are a few more ideas on lean:

  • Signs of good leadership include high morale and consistent achievement of objectives within the group…growing people while still doing tasks to accomplish greater results.
  • A lean company forbids its people to do what they did yesterday.
  • Learning and experimenting are expected and required for every job.
  • Leaders provide the emotional safety for those who are willing to risk and shrink the comfort zone.

If you want more information about the MI Lean Consortium or on
resolving conflict in the workplace
feel free to contact me and I will introduce you to the fine people at MI Learn Consortium

 

Check out the 2 videos from Debra Levantrosser Setman who is the co founder of MI Lean Consortium and Phil Berry who sits on the Board of Directors on what they learned from the program


Debra Levantrosser Setman, Les Sutherland, Joyce Weiss, G.S. Clarke, Phil Berry

Was this helpful?
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 the subject.

Until next time, Remember…YOU GET WHAT YOU TOLERATE!

Joyce Weiss
Conflict Resolution Consultant and Accountability Coach

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New Facts About Stress to Reduce Conflict in the Workplace

The MI Insurance  Accounting and Systems Association (IASA) asked me to present a keynote speech on my signature program…Take the Ride of Your Life (Shift Gears for More Balance, Growth and Joy).  IASA offers members continuing professional education, conferences, publications and seminars.   The members were open to learning new facts about stress to reduce conflict in the workplace.  We had an open dialogue.  They were an ideal group of people to work with on this subject.

I have included some of the main ideas for you to use for your own work/life balance and conflict issues.

  • Balance is important to all generations
    Work centric:  Those placing a higher priority on work than family.
    Family centric:  Those placing a higher priority on their family.
    Dual centric:  Those placing the same priority on their jobs/family.
  • Understand how each generation views their work life balance differently.  Discuss these differences in meetings.
  • Making time for ourselves is a necessity…not a luxury.
  • Set boundaries in order to make time for the things you want to do.
  • Include work/life balance in your mission statement.
  • Acting like a victim or blaming others will not make positive change.  The idea is to look at life differently.
    Remember, you get what you tolerate!
  • There is good news and bad news about burnout
    The bad news is that we allow burnout to wear us down.
    The good news is that is is time for us to make changes in our life when we start burning out.

Please let me know if you want  more information on this program.
Let me know if you want me to call you to discuss how we can bring this topic to your team… to improve conflict the workplace.

Check out Michelle Goss, an IASA audience member share ideas she learned from the  Take the Ride of Your Life Program:

 

What is your most pressing issue about stress in your life?  Please let me know since I enjoy connecting to my readers.

Was this helpful?
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 conflict in the workplace.

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

Until the next time…Remember…YOU GET WHAT YOU TOLERATE!
Joyce Weiss
Conflict Resolution Consultant & Accountability Coach

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Resolving Conflict in the Workplace by Using Lean Thinking

I have the honor of co-presenting a workshop on Lean Culture and Resolving Conflict in the Workplace sponsored by Michigan Lean Consortium.
Gerry Clark and Thomas Smith will be conducting the lean part of the workshop…which requires a complete transformation on how an organization collectively thinks and conducts business.

I will be addressing how changing a culture automatically creates conflict.  Participants will learn strategies on how to get people on board.

Participants will learn how to:

  • deal with naysayers
  • build trust by resolving conflict
  • stop wasting time by not dealing with conflict
  • gain control
  • use the power talk strategy
  • protect themselves when being verbally attacked
  • create solutions even during conflict

If you are not able to attend this powerful workshop, here are some questions that you can ask at your next meeting:

1.  Does your organization have top leaders who are seriously dedicated to becoming a lean learning enterprise?  If not can they at least seem seriously coachable?

2.  Are you committed to this process for the long term?

3.  What steps will you need to take to prepare yourself for this process?

4.  Are you willing to make enough of a commitment to take time to learn, to observe deeply and to participate in continuous improvement?

5.  How will you mentor others?

6.  How will your organization get the support needed for this transformation?

7.  Is your organization full of conflicting and inconsistent messages?  If so, develop a communication plan for beginning the process for sending consistent messages.

8.  What will be necessary to change the culture so that a singular consistent message develops?

Lean consists of the following:

  • Philosophy:  Long term thinking
  • Process:  Eliminate waste
  • People and Partners:  Respect, challenge, people
  • Problems Solving:  Continuous improvement and learning

Here are the details of the meeting if you are able to attend.  I would love to see you there!

Date: June 17, 2011
Time: 8:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

Location: Oakland—Macomb INCubator
Address: 6633 18 Mile Road, Sterling Heights, MI 48314

The event will be cut in half by lunch with the culture piece from 9:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m. and the conflict
resolution piece Noon-2:00 p.m. Light breakfast & lunch included.
To register, email: register@michiganlean.org Limit 50
Cost: $20 for non-members; free for members; check out www.michiganlean.org for more events!

Please let me know if you would like me to present this program to your organization.
Feel free to contact me at 800.713.1926 or joyce@JoyceWeiss.com and I will answer any questions that you may have for me.

Was this helpful?
What is your most pressing issue on keeping your company continuously learning?
If you already are a lean company, please share your successes.

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.

Contact Joyce

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