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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Professional Development Strategies To Manage Upward (Part 2)

Many of you sent me private emails after you read the last post on Professional Development Strategies to Manage Upward.  I decided to continue the conversation.

Here are 2 questions that will be covered in this post:

  1. What important conversations do you need to have with your boss?
  2. How have you used an experience with a bad manager/boss so you don’t become like him or her?

    The content comes from numerous client interviews who shared this valuable information.  As you read their responses, think how you would answer me if I asked you these questions.  You may decide to have important conversations with your boss!

Professional Development Strategies #1:  What important conversations do you need to have with your boss?

A Director of an organization told me that he has career uncertainty.  “It’s like a race and fighting for the position.  I have the aspiration to be the CEO of the company.  I keep in check with superiors and I’m having the necessary conversations.  I ask them what I need to do to get there.  Am I doing something that you want me to change?  I have received important feedback to work on my professional development. Some of my colleagues think that I’m being aggressive.  I don’t feel that way because I’m not being pushy.  I’m asking top leaders what I need to do to get promotions.”

Thoughts from Joyce about Professional Development Strategies #1

My client will probably become the  CEO in the future because he is asking the right questions to the best people.  Many people are too timid to ask for what they want/need.  This passive behavior doesn’t work very well because if we don’t show that we are strong leaders, we won’t become one.  Remember, “You Get What You Tolerate!”  If we wonder internally why we don’t get promoted…and don’t take action, we will continue not advancing in our career.  People tell me that they are shy and just can’t have these important conversations.  I tell them to stop labeling themselves as “shy” since that behavior will not be beneficial if they want to become a future leader.

How have you been promoted?  What important conversations have you had OR do you need to have with your leaders?

Professional Development Strategies #2:  How have you used an experience with a bad manager so you don’t become like him or her?

An emerging leader told me that her former boss never appreciated the team.  She said, “As a result of my previous boss, I make sure to do what I can to appreciate my team.  Food seems to work well at this job!  We have hot dog Fridays and grill outside for lunch.  They decide what restaurant they want to visit when it’s their birthday.  I give them gift certificates yearly and they appreciate this a lot.  We give a generous yearly bonus for all employees no matter how long they have been here.  We have weeded out the slackers because everyone on the team deserves this recognition especially when we do well during the year.”

Thoughts from Joyce on Professional Development Strategies #2

It’s not rocket science to know the importance of appreciation.  The challenge for many leaders is that they take appreciation for granted.  At least 50% of my coaching clients have told me that appreciation is something that doesn’t come easily to them.  This is not surprising because many of them did not have the best bosses to learn from in their own experience. 

Food really does work.  It does not need to cost you a lot of money.  Ask your team what kind of food to include in future meetings.  Invite them to plan a pot luck lunch.  This is an easy fix to improve morale.  Celebrate the diversity of your team by encouraging them to share foods from their culture.  Your team will learn about each other and watch the morale improve.

I want to hear from you!

CLICK HERE to send me your questions about creating important questions with your boss.  What is your experience with a bad boss and how have you learned from him or her? Have you read any good business books lately? I’d love to hear about them.

Do You Want to See How Your Communication Impacts Your Success at Work?
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? We can set up a 15 minute laser FREE phone coaching session to discuss your results since I appreciate you being a loyal reader.
Here’s the LINK

Until next time,

This is Joyce Weiss, Communication Strategist and Coach

You can start improving relationships at work and develop your career once you learn the powerful strategies. I will do whatever it takes to help you improve your quality of life.

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.

CLICK HERE to learn more about Joyce’s career coaching system and put your career on track to your next promotion

Read more articles and listen to podcasts at our Career Skills Knowledge Base https://www.joyceweiss.com/resources/knowledge-base/career-skills/

 

 

 

 

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An Important Video on Working with a Bad Boss

working with a bad bossDo you have experience working with a BAD Boss?
Do you want to quit your job because your boss yells or ignores you?
If so, the information covered in the video and article below will show you that you are NOT alone!

Watch the video to show you what others experience with a Bad Boss. Then read the article that follows for specific stories.

The Video Content on Working with a Bad Boss

I interviewed several leaders for my newest program called Managing Upward.  I asked them the following questions:
1.  How have you used an experience with a bad boss so you don’t become like him or her?
2.  What would you do if you were the president or CEO of the company?
3.  What tough conversations do you need to have with your manager?

Every person who I interviewed had a horror story to share.  They described bosses who ignored certain people, yelled at employees who didn’t agree with him or her, and didn’t make an effort to get to know the team.

Question #1  on Working with a Bad Boss:  How have you used an experience with a bad boss so you don’t become like him or her?

The following is an answer from one of my interviewees.  “My former boss never appreciated our hard work.  As a result of this experience, I bring in food and serve hot dogs every Friday for lunch.  Each employee decides what kind of food to bring in when it’s his or her birthday.  My team is very appreciative of this special attention.  They even bring in donuts on their own to thank the team for covering for them when they have an appointment with a doctor.”

Question #2 on Working with a Bad Boss:  What would you do if you were the President of your company?

Here’s what one interviewee shared with me.  “I would create opportunities for next level management training.  I would help employees prepare to get to the next level.  My former boss didn’t believe in continuous growth and development.  I learned some valuable lessons while working with a bad boss.  This is very important to me and my employees tell me that they stay at our company because they know how much management believes in them.”

Question #3 on Working with a Bad Boss:  What tough conversations do you need to have with your boss?

Here is an answer from my interviews:  “My CEO is not very good.  The only time when I hear from him is when we have a problem.  I am feeling stronger with my communication and want to share my concerns with him.  I ask myself what is the worst thing that can happen to me? I will have the tough talk the next time we receive positive feedback from our customer.  I will start by sharing the information with him.  I will then discuss how I learned about the importance of positive reinforcement after attending your workshop :).  Hopefully, he will listen.  I am ready to have this important conversation since the morale is sinking quickly.”

Joyce’s Thoughts On Working With a Bad Boss

We all have options.  We can go to a trusted leader to discuss our workplace conflicts about working with the bad boss.  Many of my clients have successfully been transferred to another department in order to keep them from leaving the company. Some of my clients decided to leave because their stress level was too high. They needed to get out of dodge before they really became sick.  I usually don’t encourage clients to leave the company because their next boss may be even worse!  Do your best to have tough conversations with them.  It is a risk.  Ask yourself what the worst thing that could happen to you.  Plan the conversation.  Research previous articles on Communicate with Impact about Be Direct with Respect®.

Check out my article on Strategic Communication to Get Noticed More in the Workplace to give you strategies to practice and use even when working with a Bad Boss.

I want to hear from you!
CLICK HERE to Respond to send me your questions about working with a Bad Boss.  Please share your experiences on how you resolved these issues.

Until next time,

This is Joyce Weiss, Communication Strategist and Coach

You can start tackling tough conversations with a bad boss, bullies, different generations, and even narcissists once you learn the powerful strategies. I will do whatever it takes to help you improve your quality of life.

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.

CLICK HERE to learn how Joyce can help your company eliminate destructive conflict in the workplace

Read more articles and listen to podcasts at our Conflict in the Workplace Knowledge Page https://www.joyceweiss.com/resources/knowledge-base/conflict-resolution-in-the-workplace/

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Professional Development Strategies to Manage Upward

Do you want to learn professional development strategies to help you work with your boss?
Have you ever worked with a bad boss?
Are you experiencing stress with leaders who you are working with now?
If so, you are in the right place!

Professional Development Strategy #1:  What to do if you have a bad boss

Most of my clients have had experience with both great and poor bosses.  The 3 examples below describe some of their experiences.  See if any of them sound familiar.  I will share more examples in future articles.

1.  The hands-off boss who doesn’t share details with you.
2.  The boss who is like a bull in a china shop and explodes during conversations with the team.
3.  The boss who closes down conversations when someone doesn’t agree with him or her.

Professional Development Strategy #2:  Know how to communicate with a hands-off boss

It’s important to let your boss know what you need from him or her.  One way to be taken seriously in the workplace is to ask for what you need.  Of course,  there is a risk to let others know.  If you don’t do this, you’ll find yourself frustrated and complain to colleagues without getting any results.  Let your boss know that you need more details to finish a project.  Ask who else you need to speak with in order to resolve issues.  This may seem obvious to some of you.  Many people have been treated so poorly at work that they fear even the smallest conversation with their boss.  

Professional Development Strategy #3:  How to work with an explosive boss

Some of my clients have left companies because the pressure of working with a horrible boss caused them physical and mental stress.  I’m not suggesting that you suffer in silence.  I’m asking you to look at all options.  Go to other leaders in the company who you trust and ask them what you can do.  CAREFULLY plan the conversation with your boss when the time seems safe.  You can always start the conversation with, “I was caught off guard at the meeting when I was scolded how I treated a customer.  I want to hear how to improve my communication and would appreciate any future constructive feedback told to me in private.”  I know some of you are saying that you would never say this to your boss.  So, don’t.  Then think of another way to speak to him or her.  Suffering in silence is not an option. 

Professional Development Strategy #4:  How to speak to a boss who shuts down the conversation

This is very common and again there are options besides not doing anything.  You can say, “I am frustrated when the team makes suggestions about improving the systems and our suggestions are ignored because our customers are demanding these changes.  We all want to make improvements and hope to make productive changes so we can help resolve our production challenges.”  Again, there is a risk with this kind of communication especially if you have a BAD boss.  Figure out what you and your team need to do in order to be heard.   

Professional Development Strategy #5:  Thoughts from Joyce

Remember, “You get what you tolerate!”  We all need to look at how to communicate differently when we aren’t getting the desired results.  Always seek out support from trusted leaders within your company.  You’ll feel better about yourself and get the respect that you deserve when you take the initiative to have these tough conversations. The good news is that my clients who move into leadership roles do what they can NOT to behave like their poor bosses.  They learned what not to do with their team! 🙂  

I want to hear from you!
CLICK HERE to send me your questions about your experience with bad bosses. Do you have any tips on how to initiate a conversation with a poor boss?

Until next time,

This is Joyce Weiss, Communication Strategist and Coach

You can start tackling tough conversations with leaders, bullies, different generations, and even narcissists once you learn the powerful strategies. I will do whatever it takes to help you improve your quality of life.

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 CLICK HERE to learn a powerful tool to plan your next tough conversation.    

CLICK HERE to learn more about Joyce’s career coaching system and put your career on track to your next promotion

Read more articles and listen to podcasts at our Career Skills Knowledge Base https://www.joyceweiss.com/resources/knowledge-base/career-skills/

 

 

 

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How to Deal with Mediocrity at Work

Mediocrity at work is a topic that many of my clients want me to cover during their training sessions.  Are you a President or Leader of your company who wants to eradicate mediocrity at work?  Great!  This article and video will provide a simple exercise that you can share with your team.  

 A new work reality is that companies reward employees for their value and not just for the amount of time that they are at the company.  This was normal years ago.  Your organization may still reward mediocre employees.  

The video below may help you discover how to eradicate this kind of behavior so that you can reward the stars and high productive employees.

The best and brightest places to work know that adding value is more important then just putting in the time.  I get into heated discussions about this topic from those who don’t agree with this New Work Reality.

An exercise for Leaders to Use to deal with mediocrity at work

I use this activity during my Shift Happens:  Thriving in Change Programs.  I ask the audience to select a partner and share why the company should keep them.  Both partners respond by answering the question.  

What happens after this exercise?

The answers always amaze me because there are still people who think that they deserve a raise just because they have been a loyal employee.  Adding value to the company counts…not longevity!  This exercise gives leaders an opportunity to address mediocrity at work.

What Leaders can do to reduce mediocrity at work

  • Be very clear about expectations concerning productivity.
  • When employees slack off, let them know the consequences.
  • Reward the high producing individuals to keep them motivated.
  • Use the above exercise to start this important dialog.

I want to hear from you!
CLICK HERE to send me your questions or concerns. How would you answer the question:  Why should the company keep you?  How do you deal with mediocrity at work?

Until next time,

This is Joyce Weiss, Communication Strategist and 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 Click Here to share my video with your team on Adding Value

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:
Joyce Weiss, M.A., CSP is a recognized expert on building leadership and communication skills that make her clients top performers in their industry. Joyce is an Author, Communication Strategist, Coach and a Certified Speaking Professional. To book Joyce to work with your team or members Call 800.713.1926 or email: Joyce@JoyceWeiss.com 

CLICK HERE to learn more how Joyce can help you take your company and your career to the next level with her comprehensive coaching system.

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

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A Secret to Gain Control In Tough Conversations

Have you ever responded to a person and wished that you did not hear what came out of your mouth? We can ALL answer a loud, “YES, Joyce!”  I have done the same thing at times.  The good news is that this post describes a secret tool that I share with my clients and it really works.

The video below is # 18 from my video series:  20 Tips to Reduce Conflict in the Workplace. 

 We all hear the words stimulus and response.

  • The stimulus is something that happens to us…
    For example when someone speaks in a sarcastic way.
  • The response is how we react to something.
    In this example it would be how we react to the sarcasm.

 I’d like to add creating a gap to our equation. This is where you decide how to react. I always suggest that we take a breath and pause for a quick moment to decide what you want to say to the person.

 You can react in the following ways when you create a gap:

  • Use sarcasm
  • Ignore them
  • Take revenge
  • Let it go
  • Thank them

The Rake Story

One of my favorite stories is the rake story. You go to a neighbor to ask him to borrow his rake and he says, “No.” Next week he comes to your house and asks to borrow your shovel. You can either:

  • Say “You’ve got to be kidding.”
  • You can give it to him with a sarcastic comment such as, “I’m better than you.”
  • You don’t say anything and give him a mean look.
  • Or you can ask him the reason why he did not give you the rake and give him the shovel without any hesitation.

What is a Good Answer?

I recommend that we ask ourselves, “What is the best way to respond so that we feel good about ourselves?” It does help to let go of things that happened yesterday and to give up revenge. Keeping score takes too much energy.

We usually have more ways to respond. We don’t have to get defensive, be sarcastic, take revenge or suffer in silence. Of course we don’t always respond the best way we can. Take a moment and ask yourself what you learned about your response so that you don’t repeat this pattern. It is better to pull back and not push someone when they attack you with sarcasm.

I hope that these tips will help you take your communication to a new level.

I want to hear from you!

CLICK HERE to send me your questions or concerns.  What is your experience with either using the gap or not using the gap?

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.

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:

Joyce Weiss, M.A., CSP is a recognized expert on working with clients to build leadership and communication skills that make them top performers in their industry.  Joyce is an author, Communication Strategist, and a Certified Speaking Professional.  Call 800.713.1926 or email:  Joyce@JoyceWeiss.com and explore options on working with Joyce to learn powerful techniques on tackling tough conversations.

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 and Coach

I share powerful techniques on tackling tough conversations to build employee engagement, accountability, and improve my client’s quality of life.

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.

CLICK HERE to sign up for your FREE Video Series 20 Tips to Resolve Conflict in the Workplace

Contact Joyce

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