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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Do You Want to Develop Respect in the Workplace?

Have you experienced both strong and weak team leaders?
How can you develop into a more effective leader or team member?
Do you want to bring confidence back to your team?

If so…read on!

This blog post will help reduce conflict in the w0rkplace.  You will find tips on how to make leaders strong and effective.
You will also read a survey on how employer confidence is increasing.

Strong leaders get great results when they:

  • Live in the field
  • Set the tone for the team
  • First feed the troops, then feed the officers
  • Always lead by example
  • Never ask anyone to do something they wouldn’t want to do
  • Share good news with the team as often as possible

Make sure and share these few tips with your team.
My audience participants discuss that they will add the above tips to their leadership skills when they get promoted.
Some of them  don’t see their leaders as part of the team and this is detrimental to team morale.

Check out more ideas on how to reduce stress in the workplace & add respect in this blog post:

https://www.joyceweiss.com/wp/2011/07/12/how-to-increase-respect-in-the-workplace-and-reduce-stress/

The next part of the blog post will help you see how employer confidence is increasing.

Cicero said, ” Where there is life, there is hope.”

Express Professionals in Grand Rapids MI has become a new partner of mine.

I will be sharing surveys and reports that they do so well on trends in the workplace.

Check out this post on how employer confidence is increasing.

Express Hiring Trends Survey Sees Employer Confidence Increasing

Grand Rapids, MI, September, 2011 —Nearly half (42 percent) of company leaders have either recently implemented or plan to implement bringing in new staff (temporary or full-time) in the third quarter, according to a national hiring trends survey conducted by Express Employment Professionals, one of the nation’s largest privately-held staffing companies.

“We’re seeing employers’ confidence levels increase slightly,” said Grand Rapids franchise owner Janis Petrini. “Not only do they plan to hire new employees, but some are also considering reinstating previous pay and/or raises and lifting hiring freezes.”

Express surveyed more than 17,000 current and former clients across the United States and Canada. Survey results of those who responded indicate that 67 percent of companies plan to hire one to three people across all business sectors during the third quarter. Hiring trends in all regions continues to be greatest in administrative and office clerical, with 30 percent of respondents planning new hires, while 26 percent of commercial/light industrial businesses anticipate adding new staff. Additionally, 22 percent of respondents plan to fill positions in “other” sectors which include clinical/healthcare, customer service, food service, general labor, maintenance, medical/dental/nursing, sales and more.

While companies are planning new hires, the current ease of recruiting and filling positions is down, according to the survey. In fact, half of the respondents believe it is “somewhat difficult” to “very difficult” to recruit and fill positions, an increase of six percent compared to the previous quarter. Staffing firms, employee referrals and online job boards remain the top three recruiting resources for companies. When considering new hires, employers are looking closely at credible work history, job experience and specific skills.

“Recruiting is clearly becoming more difficult for company leaders,” said Petrini. “There is a huge volume of talented candidates on the market and it’s a real challenge to find not only the most experienced person, but the best overall fit for the position and the company.”

The Grand Rapids Express Employment Professionals franchise began operation in 1996 and serves the Grand Rapids and surrounding areas with temporary help and direct hire employees in a variety of fields, including warehouse, skilled manufacturing, administrative, and professional.

Worldwide, Express Employment Professionals puts nearly 300,000 people to work each year and has over 550 offices in four countries. Express provides expertise in evaluation hire, temporary staffing, professional search and human resources and works across a wide variety of industries. Sales for the Oklahoma City-based company totaled more than $1.9 billion in 2010.

The Grand Rapids office, located at 333-44th St. SW is currently accepting applications for a variety of positions. For more information, call 616-281-0611 or visit www.expresspros.com.

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I hope that you enjoyed reading this trend on how employer confidence is improving.
Thanks to Janis Petrini – Franchise Owner, Casey Jankoska-Client Relations Manager, and Jocelyn Hodack-Human Resource
Consultant for all the innovative projects that they are doing to help people grow in their careers!

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.

 

Until next time

Remember, YOU GET WHAT YOU TOLERATE!

Joyce Weiss, M.A., CSP
Conflict in the Workplace Consultant & Accountability Coach

 

 

 

 

 

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Do You Live With or Work with A Generation Y? Understanding Different Generations in the Workplace

If so, this blog post if just for you.
Generation Y was born between 1981-1995.

I had the privilege of being the keynote speaker at the Jump Start program for freshmen at Oakland University in Rochester MI.

There were 200 eager freshmen waiting to learn how they can become involved as future leaders during their stay at Oakland University.

Thanks to Chris Jensen (Assistant Director of Leadership and Service) and Meaghan Walter (Graduate Assistant for Leadership Development & First Year Programs) who coordinated & planned the most impressive Jump Start Program.

They made all 200 students feel extremely welcome and important.  The enthusiasm continued throughout the entire day.  It’s a good thing for Vitamin C and caffeine!

Both Chris and Meaghan helped me plan my portion of the program to make sure that it would be a success.
I thank both of them for their important input to help us achieve a most successful project together.

Joyce with Meaghan Walter and Chris Jensen

We started out the session discussing how these young men and women have the world in their hands.
Each one can make a difference due to their desire to share their uniqueness with the world.

The millennial generation…or generation Y has been given many choices.
They want to become active in making the world a better place.

We had a very energetic discussion on the meaning of success.
We discussed that money is good and a hot career is important.
We also discussed that their unique talents will make the true mark in this world.

They all shared their unique skills and talents that they brought to Oakland University.
This was truly book material!

We then discussed the 4 NEW WORK REALITIES which contained information on my experience dealing with conflict in the workplace between employers and employees.
I helped them discover what to expect when they graduate to prepare for their career development.

Work Reality #1:
Generation Y is Both Colliding and Clicking with Gen X, Baby Boomers, & Traditionalists.

Generation Y:  Millennials want to express themselves and their unique gifts.
They are on the move because they see many opportunities that are offered to them.

Other generations watch Gen Y change jobs and see this as a lack of work ethic.
This generation may be finding a better job that fits their skills and talents better.

Each generation has its own positive contributions.
All generations need to be ready to collaborate with each other and discuss challenges openly and respectively.

Here’s a question for you…
How do you think other generations feel about your own generation?

Are these assumptions accurate or generalizations?  The same goes for all generations.

Different equals different.
Different does not equal wrong!

Work Reality # 2:
Commit Fully to Your Education

Commitment …

  • Is a gift that you can give to yourself
  • Empowers you
  • Brings out your very best potential
  • Makes you a more valuable student and future employee

I’ve noticed that people who do whatever it takes to get the job done…

  • Seem to be fulfilled in their life
  • Become experts in their field
  • Understand that “just doing my job” is a sign of mediocrity

I have a question for you…
How are you showing your commitment to be the best at what you do at school or at work?

Work Reality #3:
Constantly Learn

Lifelong learning is the only way to remain competitive.
This relentless drive to acquire new skills & stay informed creates enthusiasm in what you do.

Here is another question for you…
What is the best class that you ever took and why?

The answer may reveal some important information on future training or exploration for you.

Work Reality #4:
Learn From Setbacks and Convert Challenges Into Success

I told the freshmen the following message:

“You won’t always do the right thing.
Maybe you didn’t do well in high school and Oakland University will be your fresh start.
You may get your first C in school or even fail a class.
Do you drop out or start over, learn and improve?

I know what I’m talking about.  Look what I do for a living.
Most people would rather die than give a speech.
Professional speakers face rejection every time they open their mouth.
Some people will not like the speaker’s message, sound of their voice, pattern of their business suit…etc.
I’ve become an expert in helping others turn their challenges into an opportunity due to my own work related challenges.”

Here are two more questions…
What challenge may be stopping you at this moment?
What do you need to do to face the challenge in order to grow?

Failure is never final.
Success does not last forever!

We also discussed multitasking and balancing time between doing homework and having a social life.
Look for these tips from the keynote speech Take the Ride of Your Life in a future blog.

Check out these video testimonials from 3 very bright and positive future leaders at Oakland University.
I enjoyed my time with each and every student and look forward to hearing about their continued success!

Share this blog with your own Gen Y and let me know the result of your communication.
I love staying in touch with my loyal readers!

Was this helpful?

Let us hear your thoughts about your own experiences with different generations.

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.

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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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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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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.

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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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.

Until next time…Remember

You Get What YOU Tolerate!

Joyce Weiss

 

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How to Increase Respect in the Workplace and Reduce Stress

Do you want to increase respect in the workplace?

Do you want to re-energize your team?

Do you want to reduce conflict and stress?

If you said “yes” to even one question…please continue reading!

All teams need a wake up call from time to time – an energy boost or an attitude adjustment. How do you know when it’s time for your team to get re-energized? Look at them. Is there energy in the team?  Are they communicating with respect?  Do your teams make time for stress relief exercises? Are people excited about work? Are employees talking to each other? Is there laughter and fun in the air? If you answered “no” to even one of these questions, then it could be time for you to initiate your team for ideas on how to increase respect and reduce stress.  It helps if you are open and will use some of their ideas.

For many companies, it’s the “same old” routine day in and day out. People grudgingly go through the motions of work, but they don’t have their heart into it. There’s so much stress or negativity in the air that you can cut it with a knife. The silence is deafening, and when someone does talk, it’s laced with sarcasm and retaliation…there is an over abundance of conflict in the workplace.

But work doesn’t have to be this way. You can help your team learn new facts about stress so everyone is focused and having fun again. Here’s how.

  • Create a stress relief committee.

Ask for volunteers to head a stress relief committee. Typically the people who want this role are the overly optimistic people who are full of energy anyway, but that’s okay. You need someone to take the lead. Empower the committee to determine when the team needs to do various stress relief exercises and allow them to organize a group break so everyone can recharge.

  • Ask the group for their input.  Ask them the question…What does respect mean?

You can’t mandate what the team “should” do to reduce stress and re-energize. That approach will always backfire because someone (or maybe everyone) will think the activity is “dumb” or a “waste of time.” Therefore, have the stress relief committee find out what each person would like to do to reduce stress and increase respect in the workplace. It could be anything from bringing in a chair masseuse once a month to getting everyone to dance to some upbeat music to having a 15-minute silence break. There are numerous respect activities and I will include a few examples in the next article.  The possibilities are endless so long as you get everyone’s input.

Check out this blog post on New Facts about Stress to Reduce Conflict in the Workplace.

  • Address the nay-sayers.

Invariably you’ll have at least one person who won’t want to go along with the group’s activity. The key to winning this person over is to find out what he or she needs to do to reduce stress. Whatever you do, don’t let the nay-sayer sit out from the designated activity. That will only cause others to look down on him or her and erode the team’s spirit and increase workplace gossip. Instead, say to the person, “As the manager, it’s my job to make sure everyone has some stress relief. Tell me what will help you re-energize.” Listen to what the person says and do that activity next (as long as he or she participates in the current activity).

The Energy to Succeed

Everyone needs a fun break from time to time – an escape from the stresses of work and life. So give your team the opportunity to discuss how to reduce stress to increase respect in the workplace. By doing so, they’ll have the strength and creativity to get more done in less time…and with better results.

Was this helpful?
What is your most pressing issue on your conflict in the workplace?
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 this subject.

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

Until next time…REMEMBER
YOU GET WHAT YOU TOLERATE!

Joyce Weiss

Contact Joyce

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