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In a conversation with a CEO, he let me know he was challenged by the lack of teamwork at the executive level and that a lot of his time was spent resolving disagreements between team members. He went on to state, “Each team member produces great results and is really strong in their own areas of expertise. It is like having a garage full of Ferrari’s. They are incredibly high performers, produce strong results quickly, but…they require a full-time mechanic to keep all the parts working together.” Unfortunately, in this case, the full-time mechanic for this team of Ferrari’s was the CEO.

Disagreements are a positive, normal and necessary part of building a great relationship or a team. Therefore, as an effective leader with followers, learning how to constructively deal with, and manage disagreements is critical for your success.

Disagreements are different than conflicts. Disagreements become conflicts when one or both parties perceive there is a threat to his or her well being. When ignored, disagreements can become conflicts that trigger strong emotions. With both disagreements and conflicts, we tend to view the difference through our own perceptions and misperceptions. Last, with both disagreements and conflicts, when handled constructively, there is an opportunity to build an even stronger relationship and team.

Continue reading “8 Steps to Constructive Disagreement” »

This blog entry has been adapted from the February 2011 issue of The Quest for Workplace Excellence (sign up here)

Bad bosses. Chances are good that at least once in each of our careers we are challenged with working for a bad boss. These bosses are bad for our careers, our health and our work-life balance. Unfortunately, bad bosses are just part of the real world and we have to find a way to make it work.

The question is: how?

Several times each year, we are hired to be an Executive Coach to leaders who identify their boss as the main cause of their problems at work. More specifically, if their boss was a better leader who did what they felt needed to be done, they themselves would be a better manager or leader.

Specific examples we have heard are that their boss:

Is a micro-manager
Is not trustworthy or doesn’t keep promises
Gave a poor rating on the employee’s performance review
Gave no raise, or not enough of a raise
Does not stand behind decisions made by employees
Is moody
Is a “know it all” and does not listen
Has questionable ethics
Is disrespectful

What if you work with a boss that does one of these bad behaviors? Worse, what if you work with a boss who does all these behaviors…a real jerk?

Continue reading “6 Things Not to Do When Your Boss is a Jerk” »

Make Sure that Your Vision is More than Just a Piece of Paper on the Wall

Employees may like reading a mystery, but they don’t like working in one. Heidi Grant Halvorson, writing for Fast Company, says it right when she says, “Make a point of saying exactly what you mean, and asking for exactly what you want, and you will be pleasantly surprised by how often you get it.” It is difficult, if not impossible, for employees to arrive at their destination if you, their boss, are not crystal clear in providing them the directions and road map detailing their journey.

In our twenty years of conducting employee opinion surveys, we have collected data from 100,000 employees and have noted significant variances between the Overall PBS Benchmark and the Best-of-the-Best PBS Benchmark-the top 25% percent of organizations surveyed. (Click here for more information on PBS Benchmarks)

One thing that has caught our attention over the years is that the Best-of-the-Best PBS Benchmark is significantly higher than the Overall PBS Benchmark in the communication category. Here’s what the Best-of-the-Best organizations do better:

Continue reading “3 Keys to Clearly Communicating the Organizational Vision to Employees” »

Creativity is Today’s Competitive Weapon

Innovation is quickly becoming the word du jour despite being around as a concept since the beginning of man. For the longest time, it has simply been called creativity. The other day I noticed that on almost every TV commercial, the word innovation was mentioned at least once. And it’s not just commercials, it manages to creep its way into articles, books and now even job titles, like Chief Innovation Officer. This has got me thinking…

Who’s in charge of creativity (spotting problems and identifying new and different solutions) at your organization?

Ideally, your answer should be “everyone.”

Up until recently, creativity and innovation were typically viewed as the responsibility of a small number of people, usually those residing in the R & D department. Today, it is widely felt that those organizations that will be the most successful are those which expect, value and reward creativity throughout the organization. These organizations will work hard to create an environment where creativity thrives, leading to even greater employee engagement, motivation, productivity and ultimately, a stronger bottom line.

Continue reading “Promoting a Creative Work Environment” »