Managing Conflict » Great Workplaces

Do Star Performers Make Good Leaders?

Carol Bowser — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 18:13:43 +0000

Hope and faith are important things. I don’t think that humans could survive with out hope and faith. Unfortuately, too often hope and faith are used to make promotional decisions.

Case on point: hoping that the Star Performer will become a Star Leader.

By placing faith in a Star Performer to transform into a Star Leader is foolish. A well-intentioned, but foolish, choice that places the organizatioh at risk and can negatively impact peoples lives.

It is often said that “people don’t leave companies; they leave bosses.” The traits that make some one look like great pomotion potential from above: task focused, high achiever, go-getter, works well with out direction, innovator, driven are THE SAME traits that can make poor leaders.

Why?

Because the go-getter attitude may sideline important LEADERSHIP TRAITS such as empathy, time to listen, relationship building, willingness to listen to contrary opinions, in short…all those elements that insprie TRUST in others.

Without TRUST from those who CHOOSE to follow-there is NO LEADER . Therefore, NO LEADERSHIP.

So look beyond, the Star Performance. Look to the ACTUAL STAR LEADERSHIP that currently exists.

Who do people TRUST in the organization?

Who looks out for their TEAM as much as themselves?

Who continually holds themselves ACCOUNTABLE?

Who is ADMIRED by thier peers, not just liked by those up the food chain?

Who has a THIRST for learning?

Who has the HUMILITY to know that there is alot to learn-no matter how long they have been around the block?

Who WOULD YOU CHOOSE TO FOLLOW COME HELL OR HIGH WATER OR BOTH?

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Through the looking glass- What are you looking for and what do you see at work?

Carol Bowser — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 08:50:33 +0000

the looking glass

Here is something for you to ponder. I received it in an email this morning from a colleague:

In the morning my new mantra before I step on the floor to say good morning to my friends. I say to myself-

“Today I will look at this floor through the eyes of an owner.”

I find if I am subconsciously asking myself “If this was my building and my business, how would I see the things around me?”

In the evening I ask myself

“Did I do more good than harm today?” and “Why did I just answer that way?”

This forces me to “STOP!” and take a personal inventory of the day. If I am off track then I use that as my focus for tomorrow.

So how is your day going?

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The Power of Perception & a “Bless You”

Carol Bowser — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 17:03:32 +0000

Bless you

This is an email I received from a colleague. I thought that I would share it with all of you -after getting permission and redacting. It is an excellent example of how1 statement can make a difference at work! READ on…

Good Morning ****,

I just had this happen to me and wanted to share it with you both…

To me there seems to be three types of people in this world � Optimists (the glass is half full), Pessimists (the glass is half empty) and your Optimistic Pessimists (the glass is half full � of POISON) ;o). I guess it is true however that perception is reality and we take things as we choose to see them.

Case in point my little email parlay with our front desk receptionist.

From: ***
Sent: Wednesday, May 20, 2009 10:37 AM
To: ****
Subject: BLESS YOU!
________________________________________

From: ***
Sent: Wednesday, May 20, 2009 11:04 AM
To: ***
Subject: RE: BLESS YOU!

Well Thank you Miss *** You just made my day. I am not sure what I did to deserve it but I will sure take it. Bless you, ***! I am glad that you are here with us!
T

________________________________________
________________________________________
From:***
Sent: Wednesday, May 20, 2009 11:41 AM
To:***
Subject: RE: BLESS YOU!

I actually heard you sneeze.
Your welcome!
And thank you for the comment!

****

________________________________________

From: ***
Sent: Wednesday, May 20, 2009 11:56 AM
To:****
Subject: RE: BLESS YOU!

HA HA HA! It wasn�t me you heard but I will save your bless you in my pocket for next time. ;o)

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The Collaborative Leader – What are the Keys to the Castle?

Carol Bowser — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 10:00:33 +0000

I am a geek for reading articles about leadership. Why? Because I hear over and over and over again from folks that they are desparate for their leaders to control, moderate, address bad stuff at work. So when I found this article from HR Executive online I stood up and cheered.

According to the authors (didn’t save that part of the article) six attributes that distinguish successful collaborative leaders:- Here is their list and my (sometimes snarky) comments.

Patience

Amen to that! But Patience for what??? Dealing with people most likely. Yet, how many executives actually, exhibit this so that the people feel it? Most people want others to be patient with them, but patient doesn’t mean sacrificing business objectives so that people have unlimited time “to figure it out”. Patience generally comes from the leader knowing what the answer is and giving the other person room to figure it out.

Collective decision-making

Yeah, just wish that there was more definition of what that was or that people had a shared definition of it or what it looks like in practice. Collective decision-making could be taking information from multiple sources or it could be negotiating a solution.
Quick thinking

One would hope so. My impression is that the “quick thinking” attribute relates to problem solving and not delaying making difficult-and perhaps unpopular decisions. Leaders know that “things will resolve themselves”.
Tenacity

A big Double AMEN!!! According to our friends at Websters’ on line, tenacity is a persistence in maintaining or seeking something desired or valued. I love that. I love that so much that you can hear me telling colleagues and clients that “you must be tenacious and deliberate in applying conflict resolution skills!”
Relationship building

YEP–becuase it is really hard to be collaborative with strangers becuase you don’t know what their interests are, if they are as smart as you think you are, or if they are telling you the REAL STORY- not just a PR spin.
and DRUM ROLL PLEASE!!!!

CONFLICT HANDLING!

Leaders lead by example. You may be the best business person ever, but if you can’t set the tone at the highest levels for how differing opinions and poor behavior is addressed, no one will follow you through a buffet line let alone a risky venture or a new initiative.

So … how do you stack up, as a leader? As an informal leader? Is there more to add to the discussion? Eagerly awaiting your comments…..

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The Flip Side of Same Coin: Employee Conflict – Employee Recognition.

Carol Bowser — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 00:19:15 +0000

Conflict, conflict, conflict. I love conflict. It is amazing what lengths managers and companies go to to avoid addressing conflict. I regularly attend a local Recognition Roundtable sponsored by Recognition Works. Simply, it is an informal gathering of employees who are trying to create or sustain recognition programs. Why do I go? Because sometimes -well … often – employees and managers mistakenly try to use a recognition program to address a workplace conflict issue.

Workplace conflict and tension cannot be resolved by implementing an employee recognition program – unless the cause of the problem is lack of recognition and appreciation. Otherwise, time, effort and $$$ are wasted on the wrong solution.

So what do conflict and recognition have in common? When done well, there is an increased sense of well being and engagement in the workforce. WHY? Because recognition involves acknowledging the needs and values of the employees and managers. SO DOES RESOLVING WORKPLACE CONFLICT.

Here are some statistics that show the importance of recognition. When I see these stats, I think how easy it is to improve the workplace and how easy it is to spoil the workplace.

1. 91% of employees ranked "recognition for a job well done" as important for motivation. Recognition Professionals International (RPI)

2. 79% of employees who quit their jobs cite "lack of appreciation" as the #1 reason for leaving. Jackson Organization

3. Managers are the single largest influence on employee retention and productivity. Gallup Organization

4. 65% disagreed with the following statement: "My supervisor does a good job recognizing my accomplishments." RPI

5. Training managers on the right way to deliver recognition increases recognition usage by more than 30 percent – which has a direct impact on employee retention and engagement. Dose of Recognition Newsletter, Gostick & Elton

6. 30% of employees improve performance after being criticized. 90% improve performance after being praised. J. Pfeffer, Stanford School of Business

7. As the economy improves, 83% of employees indicate they plan to look for a new job; 34% of those are your top performers. SHRM

8. It takes an average of 2.5 times a person’s salary to find a replacement. Sharon Jordan Evans, Love ‘Em or Lose ‘Em

9. Companies that have a thriving employee recognition strategy are more profitable – outperforming S&P 500 companies by 30-40%. Contented Cows Give Better Milk

10. Companies that have an employee recognition strategy have 50% less turnover than companies that don’t recognize their employees. Contented Cows Give Better Milk

11. In 2006, "recognition & trust" were identified as key factors in creating and sustaining a positive work culture in the 100 Best Companies to Work For. Fortune Magazine

Compiled by Recognition Works

www.recognitionworks.net

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What Great Employers Know

Carol Bowser — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 17:19:02 +0000

So what do to be a great employer? Well lots of things. My focus is on how the culture and the management treats employees (even the management) and how organizations foster good conflict management. As you may know, I regularly write a Free Enews (see www.managingconflict.com) to help people deal with workplace tension and conflict.

I solicit feedback. Here is one piece of feedback that got me thinking and my response.

————————–

I read your newsletter every time it comes and I like the format generally. I am trying to think why it doesn’t really grab me.

I think I finally figured it out.

Human resources and work place conflicts are due to people getting together to do business. It is like carpooling. If the driver is reckless the ride will be difficult not to mention the wear and tear on the occupants and the business/vehicle itself. But if the ride is smooth and deliberate the ride will be successful with pleasant and comfortable occupants.

It is almost as if the part of business is ignored unintentionally. I wonder how many owners come away with this same feeling. Unless a conflict rears its head I am not going to worry about this. It is like business fraud though – only a fraction of the amount that is really going on gets detected and then by accident after a great part of the damage has been done. These are just my thoughts – I may be wrong.

- DAN

————————–

Carol Responds:
Awesome insight. Conflict does lurk under the surface and often goes undetected. AND well run work places often take what goes well for granted.

So let�s take the conversation to a different place. I want to hear from those of you whose workplaces DO handle things well. What are your secrets, tactics, strategies?

So folks, what are your secrets, tactics, and strategies. What does your company or a singular person do that makes your workplace fairly stress free?

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