Helping CEOs, Managers & HR Professionals  858.451.3601

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

It’s a basic fact of employment… you can choose your friends, but not your co-workers. If you’ve worked for any length of time, you’ve probably come to realize these two simple premises about workplace relationships:

• Some people are a whole lot easier to get along with than others
• Sometimes you have to work with people that you just can’t stand

Those that drive you crazy might be a micromanaging boss; a controlling co-worker; a gossipy team member; someone who works at a snail’s pace; an arrogant, self-serving, incompetent peer; or an intimidating communicator with an advanced degree in sarcasm. Whatever the deviant behavior is, you’re stuck with trying to make the relationship work and achieve a positive outcome.

We recently worked as executive coaches with two senior level managers who had a history of not getting along. By the time we were asked to facilitate a process to get their teamwork back on track, the relationship between the two could be described as dysfunctional, at best. Neither manager was talking to the other. The relationship had soured to the point that not only were the managers not talking to each other, their employees had ceased talking to their counterparts in the opposite department. Both managers could articulate a litany of character flaws in their counterpart and had ample documentation to prove the wrongs.

Continue reading “9 Ways to Handle Challenging Co-workers” »

What is a distinguishing characteristic of a great leader?

Great leaders make sure that team members have the tools and skills necessary to get their jobs done. Being a phenomenal leader is a lot easier when you’ve got great team members. An exemplary employee is one who communicates their goals and what they need from the leader to maximize their success.

These employees are:

Thinkers: They are constantly thinking about ways they can improve their work, the business, help their leader become even stronger or improve the service they provide to customers.

Confident: They go into the job motivated because they deeply believe they can make a positive difference.

Empowered: Many people believe that empowerment starts with the boss. Great employees tend to make good decisions, take action and keep their boss in the loop each step of the way so there are no surprises.

Continue reading “What Employees Need to Shine” »

Why the Benefits of Empowering Employees Through Decision Making Outweigh the Risks

We have worked with many managers who have created great organizations. They are strong, technically. They make the right decisions. They produce great outcomes. But, when we interview their employees, we find out that people are not happy, even though they work for a successful organization that has a great reputation. This is because they are not included in the decisions that impact the work they do on a daily basis. It’s important to note that the employees we interviewed are the ones who are doing the great work that enables the leader to be successful.

It is our belief that these leaders could be even more successful if they would involve their team members in the decision making process. It is also our belief that if the team members were not qualified to make decisions regarding the work they do daily, they probably should be working for a competitor and not the leader’s organization.

Although we are proponents of getting employees involved in the decision making process, we acknowledge that there are four very real risks involved in allowing employees to make decisions.

Continue reading “Employees and Decision Making” »

Navigating the Slippery Slope of Employees Using Social Media at Work and at Home

We live in interesting times, as evidenced by the provocative Tweet erroneously sent by Congressman Anthony Weiner recently. As high profile examples similar to this incident seem to be surfacing on a regular basis, they certainly highlight the power of social media.

Without a doubt, the Internet is the greatest technological innovation of the 20th century. It is an extraordinary tool, helping us find answers in a keystroke or two, increasing our efficiencies and productivity, and of course, connecting us to the world and potential markets.

Despite all its tremendous benefits, if not managed appropriately, the Internet’s strengths can quickly become an organization’s worst nightmare.

Recently, two Domino’s Pizza employees filmed a prank in the restaurant’s kitchen, then posted it on-line. While preparing sandwiches, they jokingly included foul ingredients that clearly violated health-code standards. In a few days, thanks to the power of social media, the clip was viewed more than a million times on YouTube, causing Domino’s Pizza a huge PR problem and earning the pranksters a felony charge.

Continue reading “Employees and Social Media” »