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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Tips to Create a Winning Team

conflict 2 ppl arguing

Do you ever wonder why your team is not as productive and positive as you want it to be?
Do you want to resolve conflict in the workplace by changing things around?

If so, you are in the right place!
My clients ask me to help them deal with tough situations at work.
They know that this is the only way to make change…facing it head on.

Their challenge is that they don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings or make things worse.
They know how to have those tough conversations and move forward after they learn the techniques that I’ve already shared with you in other blog posts such as:

  • Be Direct with Respect
  • Verbal Aikido
  •  The Gap

Read this post on how to handle tough conversations
Send me any questions that you may have to improve your working condition.

 Reasons Why Team Synergy WON’T Work

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

  •  Believe it is 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.

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.

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

Until Next Time…This is Joyce Weiss
and Remember…YOU Get What YOU Tolerate!

P.S.  Click here for more information on how to deal with tough conversations

 

 

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How to Thrive on Change in the 21st Century

I will be including articles from some of my colleagues who do GREAT work in the Professional Growth and Customer Service Areas.
The topic of change is one that always comes up in the workplace.  At times people say that things change too quickly and at other times they tell me that change is too slow.  This week’s article is by a colleague of mine who is in my mastermind group.
Tom Borg is a Sales and Marketing Expert and I suggest that you visit his blog which is in his bio at the end of his article.

Thanks, Tom for allowing me to share your words of wisdom!

How to Thrive on Change in the 21st Century
By Tom Borg©2013

As the famous folk/rock singer Bob Dylan once said, “the times they are a changin’.” And changing they are!

In the last 25 years we have witnessed many historic and life altering changes that have taken place. The crumbling of the Berlin Wall, 9/11, the quantum leaps of the internet, a stock market crash, tremendous downsizing by the big three US automakers, huge layoffs, the iPhone, the country of China emerging as a huge economic leader, the BP oil disaster and the list could go on and on.

People love change and they hate change. They want to see the models of the new automobiles for the next year, but they hate the fact that they have to change their area code on their telephone number (and everything else that has their telephone number on it). They love the fact that their new cellular telephone has the latest upgrades on it, but they dislike the chore of having to sort through their trash and put recyclables in a separate container. They like the idea of ATM machines but fear the loss of their job due to a downsizing of their company.

The right amount of change in a person’s life is similar to the sun rising on a new day. It’s full of possibilities and opportunities. It is that special something that adds to the magic of life. Like a fresh diaper, some changes are needed and wanted. If not, it’s the same old stuff.

It would be boring (for most of us) to see the same old reruns of the Monk TV show week after week. We want the all new comedy program. Many of us would not want the same redundant meal, night after night; we need and want a variety of delectable and healthy foods. Change is predominantly good and of course, change will always be with us.

So how do we deal with the issue of change? Are there some guidelines that will help us through the maze of confusion?
The answer is a resounding and emphatic YES!

A famous success philosopher, Kop Kopmeyer, once suggested a system for dealing with adversity that has served me well. He called it “The Four A’s for Dealing with the Challenges of Life”. Let me share with you my interpretation of them and how they can help you deal with the challenge of change.

 The first A stands for Admit. We must first, admit to ourselves, that change is inevitable. It is going to happen. It has been, will be, and is part of every facet of our lives. So, when faced with a change at hand, the first step is to simply admit that this change, whatever it might be, is or has happened. To admit or acknowledge that this change is real is the vital first step.

The second A stands for Accept. It is important to accept the shift that is taking place. Not lip service, but a true acceptance of this modification of our present existence is needed. It means recognizing things will never be the same again. We don’t have to like the change, but we do need to embrace the reality that has occurred. The job is gone; the child is now an adult, or the strength and quickness we knew as a youth has been diminished.

Since the door to the situation as we knew it, has been closed, we must seek entry through a new door, down the hall that is now open. In order to be able to pass through that door we must first accept the change that has taken place.

The third A stands for Adapt. What are we going to do about it? What kind of a plan can we create to help us make a successful transition into this new reality? What type of help or professional assistance will we need to seek out? What kind of knowledge or skills must we acquire to help us turn this potential loss into a win?

After we have deployed the creative resources to come up with a plan to adapt, we must take the next step which is to take Action. As the saying goes, “you can’t get to second base if you leave one foot on first”.

All the planning in the world is useless, unless we take action. What happens to some people is that they go through the first three steps of this formula, but hesitate to take action. A good example of this is when Chrysler, Ford and General Motors created an electric car but failed to totally commit to marketing and selling it. In the meantime, automakers like Toyota and Honda did, and gained a huge head start on the big three. The key here is take action.

Another example, on an individual level, is when a person loses his or her job. The first move might be just a telephone call or simply doing some research on the internet about the change he or she is contemplating. It may mean securing the services of a career planning specialist, doing some informational interviews, or enrolling in a training program to begin the process of upgrading ones’ skills. The important thing is to get moving; like the saying goes “the universe rewards action.” It is vital to move in the direction of our goal. Once we get moving, adjustments and corrections can be made.

In summary, the four steps to successfully deal with change are:

Admit – admit that the change has happened or is about to happen.

Accept – accept the change, and welcome it with open arms.

Adapt – come up with a plan to help you adapt and make the best of the situation.

Action – take the necessary action and follow through to insure your get the desired results.

By implementing the above formula for dealing with change in our lives, we can grow and benefit from the myriad of challenges and transformations that are sure to come our way in the months and years ahead. Not only will the times be a changin ‘, but so will we.

To learn how to help your company succeed contact Tom Borg and request your free e-copy of his white paper report entitled: “The Five Biggest Customer Service Mistakes Small Business Owners Make and What to Do about Them.”

Tom Borg is president of Tom Borg Consulting, LLC. He is a business consultant, speaker, coach and author. His consulting company helps companies and organization become more profitable by increasing their value and lowering their costs through the professional development of their business owners, managers and employees. You can reach Tom at 734-404-5909 or visit his website:

Check out my article How to Feel Empowered to Reduce Conflict in the Workplace.
You will learn secrets on empowering others.

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Let us hear your thoughts in the comment section on my blog.
Sign up at the RSS feed on blog site to be included in future blog posts from Joyce on this subject.

Until next time…
This is Joyce Weiss
and Remember…YOU Get What YOU Tolerate!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Team Members Got NO Respect? How to Fix Team Communication

conflict man holding out hand..stop

Are your team members losing R-E-S-P-E-C-T for others on the team?
How can you increase team communication and get people refocused?

If there are unresolved issues festering below the surface, they eventually cause energy to be diverted from your team.
Learn how to Be Direct with Respect®.

 

Here are some ideas to start your team opening up with each other:

  • By standing up for our rights, we show that we respect ourselves and achieve respect from others.
  • It’s a form of selfishness when we don’t let others know how we feel and think.
  • Sacrificing our rights results in training other people to mistreat us.
  • We all have a natural right to courtesy and respect.
  • When we use Be Direct with Respect®, everyone involved benefits.

Do you want more detail on how to implement this powerful tool… Be Direct with Respect®?
Check out this video…Direct Communication to Reduce Conflict in the Workplace

Was this helpful?
Let us hear your thoughts in the comments 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.
For more information, articles and podcasts, visit Joyce’s Website for FREE Resources

Until next time…This is Joyce Weiss
and Remember…YOU GET WHAT YOU TOLERATE! 🙂

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So, Do You Want to Retain Free Spirited Employees?

Are you frustrated that your younger employees are leaving?
This creates an enormous amount of stress and conflict in the workplace.
Your company spends time and money training and mentoring them.

You may feel lucky if your new hires stay employed for 2 years!

This is a new work reality.
The challenge is how to keep the younger and very gifted employees from jumping ship and engaged at work.

I just read a very interesting article on this subject from one of my favorite clients – Express Employment Professionals
from Grand Rapids, MI.  They gave me permission to share this article with my loyal readers.

For more workforce and workplace trends, please contact Express Employment Professionals, www.expresspros.com

Retaining the Free-Spirited Employee
By James C. Price • November 6th, 2012

Technology is making the world smaller. With the swipe of a finger, images and videos from all over the globe can appear on a smartphone in a matter of seconds. Satellite and internet radio have opened listeners to thoughts and ideas about anything and everything. Now more than ever, the free spirit’s adventurous nature is whetted with temptations and passions to discover these places for themselves. Younger generations are finding that work should revolve around their lives, shifting the mindset that has driven workplace thinking for decades. This, mixed with the itch to experience new and exciting things, has left employers with a retention problem. Generally, Generation Y workers leave at the two-year mark and Gen Xers move on after five years, compared to the Baby Boomer generation that averages seven years at each position. This descending trend, including younger people’s desire for adventure, has created a revolving door of sorts in which go-getting, creative individuals are hard to come by.

Why Adventure-Seeking Workers are Immensely Important

A great team is made up of a diverse group of people. Hard workers, go-getters, followers, leaders, free thinkers, and self-starters all create an atmosphere of symmetrical synergy. Though some employees may be extremely loyal, they may lack the creativity and spontaneity needed to stay relevant and innovative. Enter the dreamer. This person may be hard to cooperate with and find commonality in work ethic, but this is exactly the catalyst needed to spark passionate creativity in the workplace. Adventurous people are constantly searching for the next big thrill, wanting to experience life in new and exciting ways. This mentality can easily be harnessed as a strength, not a weakness, as employers understand the potential that sits below the surface.

How to Corral the Untamed World

Utilizing people’s personality and character traits as tools to carve out high productivity is one of the best things a leader can do to bring balance in the workplace. To begin, creativity needs to be the number one focus. Whatever it takes to keep this delicate entity alive and well is paramount in engaging the roaming employee. This is by far the main reason why companies hire these types of individuals. Thwarting this gift by being overly rigid is the quickest way for your top talent to walk out the door – or even worse, for them to continue coming into the office after they have checked-out mentally. If an employee has a case of restlessness, companies could offer to send them on trips to conferences or office visits in other parts of the country. And if there are several branches or franchises affiliated with a company, a manager could send the employee for a temporary transfer to one of the other offices. Though, more often than not, the easiest way to achieve employee engagement is by offering this type of worker the ability to work remotely.

Loyalty Begets Loyalty

One misconception about younger generations, especially Millennials, is that they aren’t loyal to any particular company and are eager to leave and move on to greener pastures should the opportunity arise. In truth, workers who are pegged with this mentality are actually a product of the times. They saw their parents and older siblings lose their jobs during the Great Recession, along with their pension plans, investments, and benefits. Younger workers have devalued work tenure and have become less loyal as large companies have become less loyal to them. Employers view Millennials and some Gen Xers in the wrong light. With a few changes, adventurous, creative workers can be retained and help bring companies into the future.

 The Journey is the Adventure

Adrenaline and travel junkies would be the first to say that how they get somewhere is just as important as where they are going. This is the most important thing to remember when wanting to retain and use creative, adventurous people. They want to know that it’s not just a means to an end, but that the means are as exciting as the goal itself. One can use these opportunities to make a shift in mindset. Though not everyone is going to be this type of person, everyone can learn from their spontaneous, fly-by-the-seat-of-their-pants approach. Who knows, it could be the beginning of innovation unforeseen by their leaders.

Check out my short video on “Communicating with Generation X and Y”

Was this helpful?
Let us hear your thoughts in the comments below.
Tell us how you retain your spirited employees.
Feel free to share these tips with your team – just be sure to give Joyce and Express Employment Professionals 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,
This is Joyce Weiss
and Remember…”You Get What YOU Tolerate!”


 

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Hello…is Anyone Listening? Communicating with Different Generations in the Workplace

I decided to include a very interesting article from one of  my clients,
Express Employment Professionals in Grand Rapids, MI since so many of my loyal readers
tell me how much they enjoy posts that I write on communicating with different generations.

If you want more information on Workforce and Workplace trends, visit www.expresspros.com
and call them at 616.281.0611.  They are a very dedicated group who really work hard for their
clients!

Enjoy the article by clicking on this link.

Was this helpful?
Please share your challenges about communicating with different generations in the comment box below.

Check out my video on Communicating with Gen X and Y from my
“Resolving Conflict in the Workplace Video Series.”
View the video here.

Check out another video on Communicating with Boomers and Traditionalists Here.

If you enjoy these 2 videos make sure and sign up for the entire 20 Video Series which is FREE
Click here to sign up for the series.

Until next time,
This is Joyce Weiss…and Remember…YOU GET WHAT YOU TOLERATE!

Contact Joyce

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