4 Steps to Dealing with Difficult Staff

Most managers will do almost anything to avoid having a "difficult conversation" with an employee, because they simply don't know how to do them!
Why? Well, most good managers were promoted into management because they almost always did the right thing - without being told. They had initiative. They produced results..
Every manager in their career stumbles across a challenging employee….one who frustrates them and takes a lot of their energy to manage such as:-
· Someone with an “attitude”
· Doesn’t work well with other members on the team
· Challenges everything
· Fail to meet expectations
· Great at some things and weak in others
· Attendance issues
· Fail to follow procedures
As anyone who has had to put up with difficult behaviour knows, it is not funny when a colleague causes problems at work, and the effects can ripple out, having a negative effect on relationships, productivity, and general staff welfare.
Managers fear that if they speak with employee they may react defensively or the issue seems minor and mentioning it could de-motivate the employee. The stress brought about by difficult behaviour at work can be serious. Many people lead pressured lives anyway, without the unnecessary stress of having to cope with the behaviour of someone who sapps our energy and enthusiasm.
The cost of disputes at work goes far beyond the direct impact on those involved. The trouble isn't necessarily the fact that conflict exists. It's the damage that it causes when conflicts aren't resolved. The impact of an ongoing dispute at work can be catastrophic to those in the dispute, but also to their colleagues and the business as a whole.
Difficult people exist in every organization and although your natural instinct maybe to ignore and avoid them, you do so at your peril. As a Manager you’re not only responsible for your own success and job satisfaction but also that of your team. Challenging people should be a top management priority as they can adversely affect self-esteem, workplace happiness, business success and team member retention.

1. Create some notes around the behaviour or performance issue you find disturbing or challenging. This helps keep you focus especially if the employee gets defensive.

2. Sit down with the employee and find out how they feel about their job and do they have any concerns or issues they want to discuss.. Don’t rush into your agenda, but rather be open to what they have to say. This open conversation can potentially eliminate a lot of stress for both of you.

3. State clearly the behaviour or performance issue you want to address with them and provide no more than three examples to support your concern. If they become defensive, listen to them for a while to see if there you can gather information to further understand how to support the employee. If they are rambling, bring them gently back to the issues and ask them what they think they need to do to correct the situation. Help them come up a suitable solution.

4. Follow Up! No matter what the outcome of the meeting, always follow up with the employee. If you need to provide further clarity for the employee, then do so. If the employee has solved their problem, then acknowledge them. Let them know that you are available to help them with any of their concerns, your role as their manager is to support them.

Yvonne Bleakley is the manager's mentor, director of http://www.coachuk.ltd.uk and creator of The Silent Motivator System, the proven step-by-step programme to maximise staff and gain true respect and commitment.
Download your free e-book "How to Maximise your Staff and Gain Respect" at http://www.silentmotivator.com
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Are You Delegating for Success?

Have you ever noticed that great leaders are also excellent delegators? Delegation saves time, develops and motivates people, and makes an organization more productive. Therefore, it is fair to say that this is one of the most critical skills for any leader or manager to acquire. For this reason, I encourage every leader to become a master delegator.

On the surface this seems like an easy task. Give your work to someone else; sounds nice, doesn't it? So why are so many leaders so reluctant to delegate? And when they do, why do so many leaders delegate so poorly?

The problem is that many leaders have acquired the skill of delegation through on-the-job learning. There is no course in school and only minimal reference to delegation in textbooks at school. Delegation is not easy and is a process that has a sequence of steps. Like any process, if you miss a step, it does not work properly.

There are Seven Steps in the Delegation Process:

Defining What to Delegate - There are really three reasons to delegate work: to better control our use of time, to build our people, or to motivate our people. So the first question you will need to answer is: why are you delegating? When looking through these three lenses, we usually find a reason to assign most of the work on our desks to others. The higher you are in the organization, the more your role should be growing and developing the organization and less "doing." Delegation is the primary tool!

Selecting the Individual or Team - Too often leaders go to the same people over and over again. They get too comfortable with specific individuals or teams. This is usually a mistake as it de-motivates other team members in the organization and may even compromise the performance of your best team members. Your team usually depends on support from the rest of the organization to get things done. If you are not using other members, this may prevent the organization from coming together to its fullest potential. While I think we should always give our most important projects to our best players, we need to involve and delegate to the entire team at some point. With each person, consider why you are delegating (motivation, growth, or time management) a task, and match the appropriate tasks to that person's capabilities.

Assess Appropriate Level of Delegation - Typically, leaders delegate using the same style for every person on their team and this is a mistake. The level of delegation should be adjusted based on the task and the person being delegated to. Delegation is not just telling people what to do and expecting them to do it. There are many different degrees of supervision and involvement required of the person who is delegating the task. The more experienced and reliable the other person is, the more freedom you can give. The more critical the task, the more cautious you need to be about extending a lot of freedom, especially if the company's financial future or reputation is on the line.

Communicate Tasks In Specific Terms - This is where most delegation fails. Many leaders and managers do not do a good job of expressing what they want. People are not mind-readers. Many hours have been wasted doing re-work because leaders failed to explain what they wanted up front. If you want something done a specific way, tell them. If you are not clear about what you want, take the time to brainstorm with your colleague before they start working. Ask for feedback to ensure that your instructions have been understood.

State Measurable Results - Explain how a task fits into the overall organizational picture, describe the measurable results you are looking for, and let them know how you will rate their performance.

Agree on Deadlines - The deadline is the most underappreciated part of delegation. Too many leaders give people tasks without asking what else they have on their "to do" list. This is a motivation killer. Not only is it disrespectful to the recipient, it is disrespectful to anyone who is depending on the person you just delegated to. Most people are trained to never say "no." They have been wired to say "yes," even when they know they already have too much on their plate. Often, the delegator already knows this, but chooses to take the position of "not my problem," which in the long run destroys trust and respect for the delegator and decreases employee morale, organizational productivity, and profitability. When you delegate a task, you must sit with the person you are delegating to and make sure that realistic deadlines are being created. It is your job as the delegator to help your people be successful and not set them up for failure. If you are delegating to someone who has a history of over-committing, it is important to help reconcile commitments to make sure that the most important things get done first.

Follow-up and Feedback - It is essential that you have a feedback system in place so that you know that things are on track. Provide support should they need help in getting the task accomplished. It is essential to let the person know how they are doing and whether they did a good job. In the end, as the leader, you should take the blame for failure and pass on the credit for success.

Delegation is one of the most important tasks as a leader. When done correctly, it develops your succession, increases your personal productivity, and motivates your people. Many leaders develop excuses not to delegate that include: they can do things faster themselves; they like doing things themselves; their people are not ready. These excuses and others all have short-term benefits but long-term adverse consequences. However, the investment in delegation is usually worth the positive long-term benefits.

Actions

1. Start keeping a time log. Record everything you are doing every 15 minutes. Be completely honest with yourself. You will be surprised at how much time you are spending doing simple tasks.
At the end of each day look down your log and make a note of all the tasks that you could have got someone else to do.

2. If they are regular tasks, create a system or instruction sheet. This allows you to delegate the same task to different people at different times without too much effort. You may have to put in a little effort with this at first but it will save you heaps of time in the long run and means that you always have a contingency if your regular assistant is unable to complete the task, or indeed, leaves the company.

3. Delegate!

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How to Lead a Team and Gain Respect

Most of us start at the bottom of the career ladder and work our way up. We become so proficient at our job, earning respect of the management and becoming a valued member of our team. Eventually promotion is offered, usually within the same team and we can find ourselves leader of the team we were once part of.

This does have its advantages, however, doesn't come without its problems. There is nothing that can gain respect more than people knowing that you have been there and done the job for yourself. You know the systems and procedures, what is expected and the problems that your team may encounter. You can see things from their point of view. This can be a great advantage when leading a team. You know when to cut the slack because of genuine difficulties, but you also know an excuse when you hear one.

The problems arise though when some of the team members may have been there much longer than you, may be older with more experience, or may feel that they were the ones that deserved the promotion. You may find it difficult to be assertive and to feel that you are taken seriously as a manager. Since you were once in their position,you will know how hard the job is and may feel guilty for enforcing deadlines. So how can you gain respect from your team and get them to do what you need them to without them thinking that power has gone to your head?

Firstly, stop beating yourself up and congratulate yourself on your promotion. It is quite normal to feel this way when you have been used to working on the other side ofthe fence, as it were. The dynamics of your team have now changed so now you need to embrace this change and take control. In order to gain respect, you have to give it. Show your team that you value them and support them by listening to how you can help them. Listen to any ideas that they may have. Think back to when you were in their position. If you had a problem, how would you have liked your leader to have handled it? Remember that the only way to get what you want is to ask for it. Never assume that anyone in your team knows exactly what is expected of them. When enforcing a deadline, explain to them when it has to be done by and why, then ask how they think they can achieve it, what do they need to make this happen, how can you best help them?

Once they know that they have your full support, then they will do whatever they can for you.

Goal Setting - 6 Simple But Effective Steps to Get What You Want When You Want It

Happy new year to you all!

What goals have you set for yourself this year? How determined are you to achieve them? Here is a reminder of the criteria we use to set powerful, achievable goals.

Did you know that 70% of people who set new years resolutions will have abandoned them by the 3rd week of January and of the 30% that don’t, 90% of them will have given up by June?

SO……..what can you do now to ensure that you arrive at the end of 2009, in the top 5% of those that do follow through and achieve what they set out to achieve at the beginning of the year?

Follow my top tips for setting and achieving goals and notice the difference when you see yourself still on track as the months go by.

Step One
Always write your goals down on paper. It is proven that you are 70% more likely to achieve your goal if it is written down.

Step Two
Use my SPADE criteria when setting your goals:-

S stands for specific. Be as specific as you can. If your goal is to earn more money, then exactly how much? If you earned an extra £1 you would be
earning more so your subconscious needs to know exactly how much more.

P is for present and positive tense. Write your goals as if they are happening now and always in the positive so don’t write what you don’t want, write what you do.

A is for achievable, you don’t want to set yourself up for failiure.

D is for date, When are you going to achieve this by?

E is for emotional evidence. You need an end step so that you know that you have got your goal and put some feelings into it.

SPADE - The essential tool for digging great goals!

Step Three
Now you have your goal you need to chunk it down into manageable milestones and diarise them.

Step Four
Read your goals every day and visualise yourself there. Imagine that it’s happening now. Remember, you get what you focus on so focus on what you want to be happening.

Step Five
Take action. Ask yourself everyday, “what can I do to get me closer to my goal.” “Is what I am doing now moving me closer or further from my goal?”

Step Six
ENJOY THE JOURNEY

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Get the Work Life Balance Right - Take Time to Relax and Recharge Your Batteries

The season of good will is upon us, and for many people, this will be the first time that they have taken a complete break from their business or job for a few months. Make the most of this and promise yourself and your family complete down time. Do not start preparing reports or proposals, sorting out your office or anything else that is work related or takes mental effort. Let your mind relax and busy yourself with your friends and family or potter around the house, take a walk or simply just watch television. Do the things you wouldn't normally do in a working week.

Regular relaxation is essential for your wellbeing which will result in a longer and more fulfilled life. Commit now to be good to yourself in the year to come. Here are a few tips for keeping yourself energised and relaxed:-

1. Take time off every week

When you run your own business it is very easy to get caught up in doing something towards it 7 days a week. Every single study I have ever come across in this area confirms that we are far more productive if we take a least 1 complete days rest.

2. Take Mini-breaks

Try to take a 3 day break every 3 months. During that time, as suggested above, do not get tempted to catch up on work. Busy yourself and your mind on other things. If you do anything work related you are keeping your mental gears in motion which means you wont be getting the rest you need.

3. Take at least one holiday a year

Have at least 2 full weeks off per year during which time you do nothing that is work related. If you go away and take any work with you, you will not be giving your mental batteries the chance to re-charge and you will come back just as tired as when you went. You can either work or relax, you can't do both!

4. Take a break today

If you are caught up in a task, discussion or you are finding yourself emotionally drained at work, take a break from what you are doing and do something different for a while. As the saying goes, "a change is as good as a rest." If you are able, take a walk and clear your head. Let your mind wonder and think relaxing thoughts, thoughts that make you smile such as a time on holiday or a loved one. You can not perform at your best when you are feeling emotionally charged. Just taking yourself away from the situation for a while will clear your head and you can come back to the task with renewed vigour.

5. Eat Well

Since your diet has such a big impact on your physical and mental energy, start thinking about what you put into your mouth. Digestion uses a lot of energy, especially if we are eating processed foods with high proportions of fat and sugar. Natural foods are much easier to digest and stops that sluggish feeling.

Actions

Plan your diary to include regular breaks and stick to them. Don't be tempted to put them off. Book holidays months in advance and get them paid for. This way you are committed to taking them and not tempted to put them off and let work get in the way.

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How to Get the Respect You Think You Deserve

Well actually you don't get respect, you earn it.

Respect is earned by words, and by actions. Things like keeping your promises or proactively providing service. Things like becoming more personally involved with the success of your customer, or taking responsibility when responsibility is not really yours. It's the extra effort. It's the extra mile.

One of the keys to respect is the word personal. How personal are you in your actions? How personal are you in your communication? The more personal you are with others, the more respect you will earn.

But there is a secret to respect. The secret is: In order to earn the respect of others, you must first respect yourself.

This means you have to have confidence in yourself. You have to like what you do. You have to be willing to serve. You have to like yourself. And you have to love yourself. Like and love are two separate issues. You may like yourself for how you look, or how you sell, or how you communicate, but you love yourself for who you are, what you believe in, and what or who you seek to become.

Try writing a list of all the good things that you've done for yourself, and all the good things that you've done for others. Be real enough with yourself to admit what you like about yourself, and what you love about yourself.

Then list what you need to change about yourself that will make you better and stronger. Maybe your self-respect suffers from the way you see yourself in the mirror, or some of the personal choices that you make. Maybe it's your environment. But whatever it is, if you don't acknowledge it, you will never be able to change it or enhance it. You'll never be able to grow in earning respect from others until you grow in respecting yourself.

The secret is easy. Do the right thing all the time and respect will be yours. Say the right words, take the right actions, and believe in your heart that you're doing the best you can do -- for yourself first, and for others second.

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Get More From Life by Understanding the 80/20 Rule

The 80/20 rule was discovered by Vifredo Pareto in 1895 who observed that 80% of the wealth in Italy was owned by 20% of the population and it followed that 80% of income was received by 20% of the people.

It has since been discovered that this statistic can be observed in any area of your business or life. For example, 80% of your business comes from 20% of your customers or 80% of your sales is generated by 20% of your marketing or 80% of problems or complaints come from 20% of your customers. The list is endless.

This is a useful statistic to know since if you know what or who the 20% is then you can deal with them accordingly. For example, if you know which 20% of your customers give you 80% of your business then you can nurture these customers.

Other examples include 20% of your employee’s produce 80% of your output or 20% give you 80% of your problems.

This is not a hard and fast rule but if you study the facts you will find that a minority is always creating a majority.

This doesn’t just apply to business. If you look at your daily habits, you will find plenty of areas where this 80/20 rule applies.

• 80% of your money goes on 20% of the things you buy
• 80% of your phone calls are made to 20% of the numbers you have in your phone
• 20% of your activities produce 80% of your results

Once you start to break down your life into 80/20 rules, the trick is to stop wasting time on all the activities that produce little satisfaction or results and focus on the activities that produce the best outcomes. Work on one area at a time. You can do this for literally anything. What would you like to work on first? Here are some more examples:-

•Hard drive - sort through your computer documents, comparing the last modified date for various major folders. Create a separate folder system where you can move these rarely used files. This will eliminate your computer clutter and make it far easier and faster to find the stuff you actually use.
• Home Appliances - Determine which appliances cause the most frustration, stress and break down the most. Once you’ve done this you have three options: learn to use the tool better to understand it and prevent stress, buy a new one or find a substitute that is less damage prone. Save yourself the headache and 80/20 your lawnmower.
• Habits - Figure out which behaviours (or lack thereof) contribute the most to your life. Exercise? Rising Early? Family Dinners? Use this as a basis for making new habits.
• Relationships - Look at your social circle and friends. Do a rough estimate of the amount of time and energy you invest in each relationship. Compare that to the amount of stress or satisfaction. You might find that certain relationships are toxic and others are valuable and should be invested in more.
• Food - Record your eating habits for a week. Calculate up the calories of the different items of food. Some treats contribute a high percentage of your calorie pie for no nutritional value, when other vices consumed in smaller portions take up only a sliver but still offer a tasty treat.
• Daily Time Log - Do a time log on your activities for an entire day. Record the stop and start point for any activity. Then broadly shuffle the different activities into categories. Figure out what parts of your day aren’t contributing to productivity, entertainment or personal happiness and cut them out.
• Work Tasks - Write down all the broad categories of tasks you do at your job. You can make a little table that shows the amount of hours spent at each category (say, 1 hr for E-mail, 1 hr for contacting clients, etc.) and on another column write down a value estimate for what percentage you believe it contributes to your productivity. Eliminate, simplify or delegate low %’s and focus on high %’s.

The most valuable tasks that you do each day are often the hardest and most complex but the reward for completing these tasks can be huge.

Of all the tasks on your to do list, work out which one will give you the biggest and best results. For all your tasks, ask yourself “is this task in the top 20% or of activities or the bottom 80%.

Time management is all about taking control over what you do next and your ability to choose between the important and none important tasks is the key to determine your success and happiness.

Make the decision today that you will spend more time on activities that will make a real difference in your life and less on those that won’t.


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