how to improve communication skills Archives - Page 11 of 19

August 24, 2014 By Joyce Weiss Leave a Comment

Even Hondas, Volvos & Chevys Can Get Along!

Is your workforce diverse?
Does everyone get along?
Is there some “we’ versus “they” going on?
Do you want to get all cultures talking to each other?

I’m preparing for a training on Diversity. My client has communication challenges and he wants to decrease conflict in the workplace. This blog post will give you some ideas on how to celebrate your diverse workforce. I’ve even included an exercise that is guaranteed to increase laughter and understanding.

Definition of Diversity
Sharing the collective mixture of similarities and differences among people. It creates an environment that allows all individuals to meet their capabilities and potential without being pushed or pulled.

Today the melting pot is the wrong metaphor in business
Not only is it impossible to melt down the many diverse groups that make up the American workforce, but most individuals are no longer willing to be melted down.
When we feel valued by an organization, we feel a sense of control. We feel more competent in our job and sense of support from those people around us. We feel more productive and a sense of achievement. We can feel more loyal to the organization.

“I don’t like that man. I have to know him better.”
Abraham Lincoln

“In spite of our differences, we are all the same. When we are all stripped of our differences, cultures, languages, race, and our color…we then come face to face with our oneness.”
Dali Lama

Click here to get your own copy of Full Speed Ahead: Become Driven by Change. This easy read has exercises to use at your own meetings on communication, stress, diversity, etc.

Diversity Inclusion Exercise

Divide into groups.
List categories of groups at work (men/women, age, race, culture etc.)
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________

List the ones that you fit in.
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________

List the ones that you don’t fit in.
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________

What can the company do to make you and others feel inclusive?

This exercise will bring out issues that your team will be able to resolve. Make sure that there is a facilitator who can ease any tension that may come out. Please send me your team’s results after you take this exercise. You can send me a comment or question since my clients ALWAYS learn new things after using this important strategy.

Want to 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:
A recognized expert on Resolving Conflict in the Workplace, Joyce Weiss, M.A., CSP is an author, accountability coach, and a Certified Speaking Professional. To book Joyce to speak at your event or company call: 800.713.1926 or email: Joyce@JoyceWeiss.com
Visit her website at www.JoyceWeiss.com to sign up for your own FREE video series and Communicate with Impact Weekly to Resolve Conflict in the Workplace.

Was this helpful?

Please send me any comments that you may have about this article. Hit the link at the end of this post to share your ideas or questions. 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.

Until next time,

This is Joyce Weiss, Business Conflict Resolution Consultant
I help people become top level leaders who get GREAT results.
How do I do this?
I teach them to tackle the tough conversations with bullies and negative people to build employee engagement, accountability, and rock star performance…
The Result? My clients get a better night’s sleep!

Feel free to call me concerning your own team/executive retreats, workshops, on line professional growth coaching, and keynote speeches.

Remember…You Get What YOU Tolerate!

PS Click here to get your own copy of Full Speed Ahead: Become Driven by Change. This easy read has exercises to use at your own meetings on communication, stress, diversity, etc.

August 17, 2014 By Joyce Weiss Leave a Comment

2 4 6 8…Who Do You Appreciate? Employees!

Do you want to

Build morale?
Improve team spirit?
Get people talking about something positive for a change?

This article has strategies that my clients use and they receive GREAT results. They liberate their team so they WANT to come to work.

Read this short article on Quick Questions to Check Your Team’s Intentions for more ideas on how to get input from your team,

1. Celebrate Small Wins:

• Birthdays
• Work oriented accomplishments increase morale

2. Manage the Junk Pile:

• Ask the following question to your team: “The most demeaning, annoying, and humiliating rule/procedure/form/regulation/policy with which I have to live with
is…”

3. Crystallize your mission: Ask…

• What am I doing that gets in the way of achieving this goal?
• What am I doing to sabotage it?
• Launch a campaign to eliminate these mission-stoppers

4. Appreciate them now:

• Write notes to two or three people each week (taking risks, speaking well on the telephone, educating themselves, handling a tough member).

5. See windows of opportunity:

• Organize a team to visit other organizations
• Study their leadership training, employee involvement, managing change, hiring, quality assurance, etc.

Thoughts From Joyce

These 5 strategies are just the tip of the iceberg. I will be including a powerful interview in a future blog from the QUEEN of Morale Boosters, Harriet Meyerson who developed ConfidenceCenter.com. She will give you ideas like the ones included in this article to help you reduce conflict in the workplace and bring back smiles to even the doubting team members. Look for this interview soon.

Please let me know what you or your company does to appreciate employees. I will send a copy of my booklet, 19 Secrets for Successfully Navigating Life’s Potholes, Ruts and Obstacles if I use your ideas in a future blog.

Want to 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:
A recognized expert on Resolving Conflict in the Workplace, Joyce Weiss, M.A., CSP is an author, accountability coach, and a Certified Speaking Professional. To book Joyce to speak at your event or company call: 800.713.1926 or email: Joyce@JoyceWeiss.com
Visit her website at JoyceWeiss.com to sign up for your own FREE video series and Communicate with Impact Weekly to Resolve Conflict in the Workplace.

Was this helpful?

Until next time,

This is Joyce Weiss, Business Conflict Resolution Consultant
I help people become top level leaders who get GREAT results.
How do I do this?
I teach them to tackle the tough conversations with bullies and negative people to build employee engagement, accountability, and rock star performance…
The Result? My clients get a better night’s sleep!

Feel free to call me concerning your own team/executive retreats, workshops, on line professional growth coaching, and keynote speeches.

Remember…You Get What YOU Tolerate!

PS Click here to read an article on Quick Questions to Check Your Team’s Intentions for more ideas on how to involve your team.

August 10, 2014 By Joyce Weiss Leave a Comment

You Don’t Need a Lever to Turn it Up a Notch

Do you want…

An easy activity to do with your team to get their input?
Constructive feedback from everyone during a meeting?
Ideas how to improve your team?

If so, this strategy will help you improve communication and reduce conflict in the workplace. I have found that when large groups are asked to give their input, the response is not always great. Divide your team in groups of 3 or 4 people. There are many ways to divide groups in a creative way -ask them to find people who have a birthday in the same month or season. Then find out if there are any team members who share the same birthday.

Give each team a sheet with the following information on it:

Team’s Need for Improvement

A Great Need for improvement = Great Energy Drain.
Some Need for improvement = Some Energy Drain.
No Need for improvement = Positive Energy.

Great Energy Drain
Great need:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Some Energy Drain
Some Need:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Positive Energy
No Need:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Once teams have enough time to share their ideas in small groups ask them to give their best ideas to the large group. Ask someone to write all the ideas down. Once all the teams have given their input, start discussing each idea and prioritize which ideas to work on first. Ask ALL team members to sign up on committees to follow through on the team’s need for improvement. I strongly suggest that there has to be an accountability factor built into this process. Deadlines and follow up feedback need to be part of the accountability plan. I see the biggest mistake when groups get together and become very motivated to make changes and there is no follow up or resolution. Remember when people respect the process, they resolve issues and get outstanding results.

Click here to read an article on You Have an OK Team…Now Make it An A Team

Want to Use this Article in Your Newsletter or on Your Website?

Was this helpful?

Until next time,

Feel free to call me concerning your own team/executive retreats, workshops, on line professional growth coaching, and keynote speeches.

Remember…You Get What YOU Tolerate!

P.S. Click here for an article to get more ideas on… You Have an OK Team…Now Make it An A Team

August 3, 2014 By Joyce Weiss Leave a Comment

Discover Secrets to Add 26 Days to Your Year

Do you want to…

Add 26 days to your year by reducing conflict in the workplace?
Stop others interrupting you so you can do what you need and want to do?
Set boundaries for those “talkaholics?”

Is so, you will really enjoy this post. I was interviewed by RECHARGE! publication on how to set boundaries with others.
Click here to read the article.

RECHARGE! is designed to help you move forward daily in every sphere of your life. Visit the RECHARGE! website to see articles and videos by experts on self-development topics, such as career, wellness, time management, wealth, and much more.
Click here to find more articles and videos on RECHARGE!

Want to Use this Article in Your Newsletter or on Your Website?

Was this helpful?

Until next time,

Feel free to call me concerning your own team/executive retreats, workshops, on line professional growth coaching, and keynote speeches.

Remember…You Get What YOU Tolerate!

July 27, 2014 By Joyce Weiss 4 Comments

Hello…Is Anyone Listening?

Do you know how your team really feels about work?
Do they give you ideas on how to improve processes?
Do they feel comfortable coming to you with ideas on how to improve morale?

The most important question is…Do you want to know the answers to these questions?

Hello…Is anyone listening?
Both leaders and employees tell me that their ideas are not listened to at work. As a result I’ve been talking a lot about RESPECT in my trainings. We all need to feel comfortable to express ourselves. The challenge is – not everyone wants to hear constructive feedback. There is an art on how to give and receive constructive feedback.

Check out this video and article on Confused about Constructive Feedback?

The following questions will help you create an environment of RESPECT

What are 3 things I do that you like and dislike?
What can we do about this?
How do you think we can improve meetings?
Do you think some employees get better treatment?
What would you do first if you became the leader of this business?
What should I know about your work that I don’t know?
What do you need to know about the business that you don’t know?
Do you feel confident to speak your mind without worrying about negative consequences?

Thoughts from Joyce

The questions above are great ways to start removing barriers. Make sure that you are open to this constructive information. Train your team how to give feedback. Tell them that this is NOT the time to become sarcastic, negative, or silent. It is your way of showing that you want to listen to their ideas. Once they give their feedback, tell them what you plan on doing or not doing as a result of this conversation. Feel free to contact me with questions if this is new for you or if you want more details on how to have a successful conversation with your team. Let me know the results after you ask these questions.

Want to 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:
A recognized expert on Resolving Conflict in the Workplace, Joyce Weiss, M.A., CSP is an author, accountability coach, and a Certified Speaking Professional. To book Joyce to speak at your event or company call: 800.713.1926 or email: Joyce@JoyceWeiss.com
Visit her website at www.JoyceWeiss.com to sign up for your own FREE video series and Communicate with Impact Weekly to Resolve Conflict in the Workplace.

Was this helpful?

Until next time,

This is Joyce Weiss, Business Conflict Resolution Consultant
I help people become top level leaders who get GREAT results.
How do I do this?
I teach them to tackle the tough conversations with bullies and negative people to build employee engagement, accountability, and rock star performance…
The Result? My clients get a better night’s sleep!

Feel free to call me concerning your own team/executive retreats, workshops, on line professional growth coaching, and keynote speeches.

Remember…You Get What YOU Tolerate!

Check out this video and article on Confused about Constructive Feedback?

Even Hondas, Volvos & Chevys Can Get Along!

2 4 6 8…Who Do You Appreciate? Employees!

You Don’t Need a Lever to Turn it Up a Notch

Discover Secrets to Add 26 Days to Your Year

Hello…Is Anyone Listening?

Contact Joyce

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