Adequate Team Effort

The other evening Tabitha Takes Over came on the television.  What caught my attention about this episode was the business owner's expression of exhaustion and lack of passion.  It drew me to the TV to listen.  The owner of the salon looked exhausted, worn down and defeated.  It was clear she had given up on her business.  It was also clear that her team had given up on the business as well, and, they had also given up on her.  As Tabitha went about her masterful Takeover process she expressed shock at the degree of complacency that had developed in this business and the team.  Not only had the team given up but they had adopted the mindset of settling for low to no standards on cleanliness, reputation (their own included), and customer service.
What disturbed me the most was what happened at the renovation and on the subsequent "reveal day".  During the renovations the team collaborated to do a spring cleaning on the salon.  When Tabitha pointed out the filth in the salon and at their workstations each staff member blamed someone else on the team and the owner.  No one took ownership or responsibility for their work area and said things like, "Not my job!" and, "Why should I have to help clean this place?".  WOW!  Then, after Tabitha's team remodeled the business and gave it an extreme makeover inside and out, aside from the owner, there was not one smile.  They walked through their newly renovated, spotless and modernized salon with no enthusiasm.  They appeared to completely lack interest in all the effort and upgrades that were completed, in part, for their benefit.  Immediately the team members began making comments about everything they did not like.  "I think there are too many colours" and "I wouldn't have picked this type of chair" or "They should have chosen new toys for the waiting area, kids won't like these" were the only things they could find to say.
To bring the team back to a more healthy level of performance, and to stop the complacency, the following steps were implemented to help raise energy and passion:

• A policy manual and procedural expectations were set and documented.  Staff were advised that these must be adhered to.
• The team was held accountable to the new standards.
• The owner was also held accountable to uphold the standards.
• Training and coaching were made available to the team.
• The owner was more present and spent more time in the business

If your team is struggling and has become complacent, revisit the tips that Tabitha offers.  Ensure people know their roles and the roles of others.  Ensure that issues are addressed and dealt with immediately.  Don't allow them to build and grow complacent with them.

Here Comes the Pitch...

So often in meetings we are approached by people that come on so strong with their elevator pitches. A few short sentences that answer who you are, what problem you solve and your business is all you really need to present. Sometimes people work so hard on coming up with something so exciting and catchy that the listener has absolutely no idea what you do. Often they won't ask for clarification because they are so overwhelmed by the pitch. So, what happens is that you are left meeting someone who has no clue what you do.

I have heard hundreds, if not thousands, of elevator pitches, and the ones that resonate for me are the ones I can remember the person's name and what they do, what their business is and what problems they solve. Keep it simple and concise. Too much information combined with too much emotion can often create confusing situations. If people don't understand who you are and what your business is they will never think to call you after the meeting, even if they do need your help, because they won't recognize that you can help.

It is also important to be passionate about what you do. Be sure not to be overwhelming though. Confidence, clarity and desire or excitement are enough to show that you love your business and how you help others. This is another great opportunity to practice with friends and colleagues, and in front of the mirror.

Ghosts of the Past

It's unfortunate but everyone of us has probably experienced the "conversation of the past" in our workplace. This conversation is usually brought up more than once and revolves around a change that occurred well in the past. Perhaps you weren't even with the organization when this change occurred but there just seems to be a person that cannot stop bringing it up. They continue to bring up any issues they perceive resulted from that change and how those issues continue to make them unhappy. What do you do?

First, I would put some limits on how many times this conversation will be repeated. You can accomplish this through feedback, being very specific about what you have seen, heard and observed. Make note of the impact of these things and what you would like to see instead. The past can't be undone, however, one can make changes for the future.

Second, it might also be very important to query why these past issues continue to be raised and explore how the person can move beyond the issues. This would be important information for the person as well. Find out if there are any opportunities to provide coaching to the employee to help him/her move forward. You may also consider a referral to your EFAP benefit provider, if you have that support in your organization.

The two key elements to remember when trying to move through the past is to limit and explore. Limit the influence of the past on the present and explore options in helping the organization cope with changes and Bounce Forward!

Over My Head

I have been asked many questions at the seminars and workshops I have presented. One of those questions pertains to a common situation and I have been asked it so often. As a supervisor, how do you cope with a staff member that won't accept your answer and goes over your head to your manager for "a second opinion"?

Believe it or not, this is so common there is an actual term for it. We refer to it as "triangulation". It needs to be met with firmly yet with diplomacy and compassion as well.

One way to deal with these situations is for the manager to let the supervisor know about the conversation. If the supervisor has already dealt with the situation, the manager could advise the employee that it was not appropriate to disregard the supervisor and bring him/her forward in such a manner. But, communication is essential between the supervisor and the manager. Not just in this situation but also in the time leading up to it. Both the supervisor and the manager need to know that they can comfortably approach each other and discuss these situations in order to come to a resolution in them. It is also essential for the supervisor and the staff member to have open lines of communication because it may well be suggested by the manager for them to come together and discuss the situation again. It needs to be found out why the staff member was not happy with the original decision made by the supervisor. It should also be requested that the supervisor provide feedback about how the employee handled the situation and provide coaching about the organizational expectations around issue management.

I would like to point out two very important factors in this becoming a successful conversation. As mentioned, open lines of communication between all levels of an organization is very important. It needs to be a part of the corporate culture. The second factor is that there needs to be a clear plan regarding issue resolution within the workplace and all employees need to be educated as to what that plan is and the expectations of the organization when such situations arise.

Following these guidelines will help to ensure a healthy and happy workplace environment that can move through issues quickly and smoothly.