WHO DARES WINS

It’s too easy to get disheartened at the moment, Scurrying around for whatever business we can find. When times are particularly hard we try every business we can, channel, every opportunity that might bring us customers and revenue. We freshen up/revamp our web site, engage in more social media, visit more networking groups (sometimes these are notworking groups). For those that dare win they will.
We need to keep with what works as well as being open to other opportunities. Keeping an eye for what will work reminds me of the story of the Touchstone.

THE TOUCHSTONE STORY
When the great library of Alexandria burned, the story goes, one book was saved. But it was not a valuable book; and so a poor man, who could read a little, bought it for a few coppers.
The book wasn’t very interesting, but between its pages there was something very interesting indeed. It was a thin strip of vellum on which was written the secret of the “Touchstone”!

The touchstone was a small pebble that could turn any common metal into pure gold. The writing explained that it was lying among thousands and thousands of other pebbles that looked exactly like it. But the secret was this: The real stone would feel warm, while ordinary pebbles are cold.

So the man sold his few belongings, bought some simple supplies, camped on the seashore, and began testing pebbles.

He knew that if he picked up ordinary pebbles and threw them down again because they were cold, he might pick up the same pebble hundreds of times. So, when he felt one that was cold, he threw it into the sea. He spent a whole day doing this but none of them was the touchstone. Yet he went on and on this way. Pick up a pebble. Cold – throw it into the sea. Pick up another. Throw it into the sea.

The days stretched into weeks and the weeks into months. One day, however, about mid afternoon, he picked up a pebble and it was warm. He threw it into the sea before he realized what he had done. He had formed such a strong habit of throwing each pebble into the sea that when the one he wanted came along, he still threw it away.

So it is with opportunity. Unless we are vigilant, it’s easy to fail to recognize an opportunity when it is in hand and it’s just as easy to throw it away.

Good luck with your own pebble collection.
Stories often help you get your message over in interesting ways. For more detailed information about how stories can illuminate any business “pitch” and make presentations more memorable, contact us at www.teamskills.co.uk or telephone Conrad or Suzanne Potts on +44 (0)1903 778977

GIVING CRITICISM ASSERTIVELY

GIVING CRITICISM BADLY INCREASES THE CHANCES POOR PERFORMANCE CONTINUES

Giving criticism about unsatisfactory aspects of performance can be one of the most difficult tasks you have to face. It can be difficult because many people equate performance of the job with their competence as a person.
When done badly it will increase the frequency and intensity of what you want to change.

Talking about unsatisfactory aspects of performance can be one of the most difficult tasks you have to face (true both of giving and receiving criticism). It can be difficult because many people equate performance of the job with their competence as a person.

Because of the above, you may have had bad experiences in this area, so that now you either:

* avoid raising the particular criticism, or raise it tentatively

* work yourself into a state so that you raise the issue in an abrupt or
heavy handed way.

In either case the required change in that person’s performance may not come about or, if it does, it is accompanied by some undesirable changes, such as:
‘OK, if that’s what you want me to do in future, I’ll do it.
(Unsaid ‘….. but don’t expect me to help out next time you’ve got a rush on.’)

We stress that giving criticism is NOT an end in itself, it is a MEANS of achieving a change in the way a person carries out a particular aspect of the job.
You are more likely to achieve this end if you make your criticism assertively. You can begin by ensuring you have your and other person’s Rights in balance.

KEEP YOUR AND OTHERS’ RIGHTS BALANCED

Rights Involved…
In order to give criticism effectively you need to accept:

Your Rights
• to have staff work to an agreed standard

• to change their behaviour to achieve that standard

Other person’s Rights
• to know the standard that is required

• to question their behaviour but not their personality

Beforehand

1. Check your thinking is correct
I’m disappointed about the mistakes, but it’s not disastrous. I can raise
this in a matter of fact way with Jean.

2. Check your criticism is SPECIFIC i.e. about Jean’s behaviour
(a) What is the Jean doing or not doing that causes a problem for
me or others?

Over the last few weeks Jean has failed to put charge codes on the invoice and record changes in customer orders. This has meant we have wasted hours at month end trying to reconcile our figures.
During

3. INTRODUCE topic and, if appropriate, say WHY you want to raise the issue
Jean, I’d like to talk to you about a number of the invoices you’ve completed this week.
4. Make your SPECIFIC CRITICISM
I’ve noticed that number of them do not have the appropriate charge codes that enable final payment. We have had to spend a number of hours at month’s end trying to rectify this.

5. Get a RESPONSE to your criticism
‘What’s causing this?’

6. Ask for SUGGESTIONS to bring about change What ideas do you have, how you can avoid…?’
‘How can you go about making improvements?’
‘What changes need to be made?

7. SUMMARISE the suggestions to be actioned
‘So let’s agree that next time you’ll….’
‘So do you agree that in future you’ll… ?’

For more detailed information about these ideas and how to deal with difficult personal and work situations contact us at www.teamskills.co.uk or telephone Conrad or Suzanne Potts on +44 (0)1903 778977

HOW TO STAND UP FOR YOURSELF AND GAIN RESPECT
(Part 2)

Everybody needs Respect. It’s easier to do anything with anyone when you are held in respect and so difficult without it.
Respect comes from within – no one will respect you if you don’t respect yourself.
In Part 1 of this article we looked at the part our BELIEFS played in achieving self respect. We now consider how personal RIGHTS support our Beliefs.

GIVE YOURSELF PERMISSION
The lack of the ability to speak for instance up may not be associated with deeper underlying beliefs but may be a product of muddled thinking about personal rights.
At times we may have said either to our self or to others, ‘have I got the right to do or say that’. Rights are something we are justly entitled to, do not have to ask others’ permission for and act as personal permission to say or do things. When we are clear about our rights we are more likely to make them come true, e.g. I have a Right to my own views and opinions; I have the right to express them openly and honestly; I have the right to ask questions if I am confused or don’t know.

Make it work

Think about:

o The Rights you have in situations where you do not speak out – think of as many Rights as you can, e.g. the Right to have an opinion, the Right to be heard, the Right to ask questions, the right to be yourself etc
o Consider the benefits to yourself and others when you action these Rights
o Think of the specific behaviours of yours that support these Rights.
o For many people writing these Rights down on paper and repeating them as an act of affirmation helps – a curious magic occurs when the words are translated to paper.
o Reward yourself with some treat to reinforce the behaviour you have used.

Watch out

o As Stephen Covey said, ‘when you pick up one end of the stick you pick up the other end as well’. Every right has a responsibility.
o Where you observe a right for yourself and deny that same right to another you are likely to behave selfishly or aggressively. Although this may indeed spur you on to speak where you haven’t before, the consequences may not be favourable but you will get noticed.

o You may have a Right in a situation to speak out or be heard but may chose not to act on it because of other sensitivities. Timing is a considerable inter personal gift – choosing the best moment to speak or to hold back.

o If you are unsure whether you have a Right in a particular situation, you always have the right to check it out with someone else rather than charge in and act foolishly.

Standing up for yourself is about finding the balance between your own needs and that of others. The moral is to cherish yourself and others equally.

For more detailed information about these ideas and how to gain respect and influence better at work and at home contact us at www.teamskills.co.uk or telephone Conrad or Suzanne Potts on +44 (0) 1903 778977

HOW TO STAND UP FOR YOURSELF AND GAIN RESPECT

Ask anyone you meet how they would they like to be treated at work. At the top of most peoples’ list is the desire to be treated with dignity and respect.

In this 2 part blog we look at how you achieve this through the Beliefs we hold about ourselves and in the second part, the Rights we give, deny ourselves and others.

I FELT TALKED DOWN, TALKED OVER AND DISRESPECTED

“I’m phoning you to thank you for getting me my life back – I’m literally jumping for joy, pinching myself in disbelief – for over 15 years I have allowed myself to endure a relationship with my boss – I have felt talked down, talked over,  disregarded and disrespected. Today I started to change that: I managed to walk into my boss’ office, look him in the eye and calmly and very resolutely asserted my opinions on a work problem that has been troubling me for months. And this is the amazing bit……he sat there, begrudgingly listened and agreed with them.”

As a coach I just sat there celebrating her re-connection with her personal power and sense of self worth.

SPEAKING UPFOR OURSELVES IS DAUNTING

For many of us speaking up for ourselves is a daunting task – difficult enough to do 1 to 1 but even harder when in a group or in front of other people. We can hear our voice tremble, experience our body shaking and feel our heart pounding and racing. So much easier to let the moment go by and stay quiet.

When we do, we invariably lose out. So do our colleagues and others around us. Everyone would benefit if we had the courage to take a deep breath, engage our mind and heart and say what we want.

We need to shift the energy from self protection and introspection to projection and engagement through our views and ideas.

Let’s look at our BELIEFS and how they help or hinder our sense of self worth

WE ARE MADE TO FEEL GUILTY OR SELFISH

Some of us grew up in a generation where we were told ‘wants don’t get’, ‘children are heard and not seen’. Such early imprinting can make us reluctant to stand up for our own needs and wants.

We begin to believe conflict and standing up for yourself is not a good thing and if we do we are made to feel guilty or selfish. And so we take on a belief that insidiously can ‘make us’ reluctant to stand up for ourselves and our views. Such beliefs are disempowering they prevent us from growing, developing and changing the world in which we live from becoming more rewarding.

Make it work

• Ask yourself: How you see the situation – What      would it take to deal with the situation standing up for yourself in a way      that is successful?  What would you      need to believe about yourself? What would you have to believe about      others?
• What are the disempowering beliefs? How would you      change or reframe these to make them empowering, achievable, albeit      challenging.
• Have there been occasions in the past when they      can recall standing up for yourself very successfully and you achieved      what you wanted?
• Can you remember this occasion and recall how you      behaved, what you did, and what you believed at this time?
• Do you know anyone who you think is very      competent at stating their own views in a way that earns respect? What do      they believe about themselves and others? Ask them and learn from what      goes on for them.

Watch out

• Beliefs that are empowering enhance your potential and bring about win:win results. Beware of beliefs that may deliver a personal sense of power but may not bring about win:win, e.g. my views are more important than anyone else’s and are worth stating in all situations (no matter what).
• Beliefs expressed in the negative are not as self empowering as if it is stated positively – they reduce our motivation to succeed because they emphasise what we don’t want rather than what we do want; and often materialise the negative element in the belief. Better to say “I can remain calm and resolute” rather than, “I won’t be afraid”.
•  Check that holding this belief has no detrimental effect on other parts of their life, e.g. you may normally be very quiet and now become very vocal about everything and may not be as discerning when to speak and when to hold your peace.

For more detailed information about these ideas and how to gain respect and influence better at work and at home contact us at www.teamskills.co.uk or telephone Conrad or Suzanne Potts on +44 (0) 1903 778977

MOTIVATING AND REWARDING REMOTE TEAMS
In continuation from my last post thought I’d talk a little bit about the importance of extending your approach to recognition and reward to include the remote team members.
NO NEWS ISN’T GOOD NEWS
It’s all too easy to assume that because you haven’t heard anything that everything is OK but don’t make the mistake of forgetting that although there are many, many benefits to remote working it can be a lonely place.
Regular appraisal of your remote workers efforts and recognition for their effort and success are critical to the management development of the team.
9 CHEAP WAYS TO KEEP YOUR TEAM MOVITATED
Here’s 9 very simple ideas to help you, not all of them are cheap but with a little imagination it’s amazing what you can achieve. If you would like more ideas please get in touch with us via www.teamskills.co.uk or on 01903 778977
1. How about buying some really great postcards and sending one out occasionally – either just as (in the words off Royal Mail) “I saw this and thought of you” or to recognise a specific effort, or achievement.
2. Or if sending email then find something great to send – a quote (loads of great quote websites around) or a cartoon (I think dilbert is great!) or an interesting article or fact or website link?
3. How about printing up and sending vouchers that say something like THIS VOUCHER IS IN RECOGNITION OF…..and ENTITLES YOU TO FINISH WORK AT LUNCHTIME ONE DAY OF YOUR CHOICE NEXT WEEK (or other rewards that will be valued by the individual people – and for this I’d suggest asking them what would be great for them!).
4. Send a great poster that can be put up somewhere everyone will see it.
5. Make use of “community pages” on company intranet or internet. Have a newsletter.
6. Remember birthdays and send a card. Know when someone has been unwell and contact them on their return, know when someone has been absent with a sick child or relative, or attending a funeral, and ask them how they are doing on their return. Remote geographically doesn’t have to mean not involved, aware or interested in workers lives.
7. Do the things that would happen if the team worked in the same place – flowers when a baby is born, a gift if getting married etc.
8. Get people together sometimes – this depends on budget but if possible pay the costs and if the geographical spread is far, invite partners along, put on an evening do and pay for or subsidise accommodation?
9. Give people a voucher to take themselves and a partner or guest out for dinner at a restaurant local to them – their own “Christmas Do” (or alternative celebration) perhaps?
For more detailed information about these ideas and how to build high performing teams contact us at www.teamskills.co.uk or telephone Conrad or Suzanne Potts on +44 (0)1903 778977

12 Top Tips for Managing Remote Teams

How do I manage a remote Team?
How do you manage remote or virtual teams when they are scattered in different geographic locations which make regular physical contact nigh impossible?

The march of technology has changed our world. We have instant access to almost everything. There have never been so many channels open to us to keep in touch and exchange information. Smart phones, email, social networks, personal computers, smart phones and
Tele-conferencing enables people to work together whilst not sharing the same geographical location. Managing remote employees is becoming more the norm than the exception.

Managing remote teams is similar to managing regular teams

Managing remote teams is similar to managing regular teams, but requires greater emphasis on building trust, fostering communication, implementing team processes and using technology.

90% of your problems will be people related.

Start by working with your team to create a team plan – the team plan might take this form:

1. Set up your communication plan
Outline what needs to be communicated, how it will be communicated, who needs this information, when do they need it and what happens if communication breaks down

2. Outline the decision making process
How, as a group, will you make decisions: what is your back up plan to make a decision: what escalation path have you set when a decision cannot be made if your prime decision maker is either unavailable or unable to decide.

3. Determine your conflict resolution strategy
How will you deal with conflict and what are your rules for avoiding them.

4. Distribute goals, roles and responsibilities
Set out the goals, then communicate who does what, including their specific responsibilities.

5. Ensure fair work distribution
This some times need to be adjusted as time goes along and work changes.

6. Decide your leadership level
What will your leadership be? It needs to be appropriate both to your team and its individuals.

7. Face to face
If at all possible have face to face meetings, especially vital if a new team or a team with new team members. Face to face connections help build trust quickly. If your budget permits travel to a central location, or at the very least, use video conferencing or teleconferencing.

8. Can’t meet face to face
Then try distributing photos of team members on a communication list, or attached to their chat identity so that team members will be able to relate to each other personally.

9. Socialise
Encourage social interactions between remote teams

10. Virtual meetings
Test video conferencing equipment thoroughly before each and every meeting. At any virtual meeting, have someone make introductions at the beginning of meeting and include what their responsibilities to the team are. Make sure everyone participates, otherwise, silence will be taken as agreement.

11. Personal communication
Encourage personal communication whenever possible such as face to face or over the telephone, as long as it does not interfere with the work being done – technology tends to be very impersonal and can easily lead to misunderstandings.

12. Updating
Keep your information tight, such as up to date mailing lists, to keep everyone informed of current questions, answers, and general progress
For more detailed information about these ideas and how to build high performing teams contact us at www.teamskills.co.uk or telephone Conrad or Suzanne Potts on +44 (0)1903 778977

In the next article we’ll look at 8 ways to motivate and inspire virtual teams.

A Different Approach to Leadership
A tangential approach to leadership, but one I find very powerful, is the Ancient Greeks approach towards Rhetoric – the art of influencing.
Leadership is all about influence. Influence is determined by Ethos + Pathos + Logos.
Ethos reflects integrity, values, character, conduct. Foundational, in the sense that if someone we think lacks these wants us do do something for him / her (influence), we are highly unlikely to do so, without some form of coercion.
Pathos reflects sympathy, empathy, care, concern – i.e the leader must have the best interests of his followers at heart, and this must be evident to them. Many times, we have people who are ok on ethos, but we believe they act exclusively in their own self interest, and we resist on this count.
Finally Logos – the proposed plan or action must appeal to our sense of logic and reasoning.
If a leader gets Ethos, Pathos and Logos right, there is very little resistance to people following. What I find fascinating is the sequence
Ethos first,
Then Pathos,
Then Logos.
Very often we seek to convince on logical grounds, and find people resisting – question to ponder – something missing on the Pathos front? On the other hand, with close friends and people we trust, relationships etc. – we sometimes go along with what they ask, even if we are not fully convinced in our minds.

9 ways to manage your difficult boss

“Life at work is just impossible. My boss is the most difficult manager I’ve ever met!
This clown thinks that his only important function is to criticise”.

In all likelihood, most of us have had similar thoughts. Some managers do project “compulsive, counter-productive, or just plain odd” behaviours. And yet, since most organisations have a top-down flow of authority and evaluation, it may seem very unnatural to think about managing your boss. But the alternative is unpalatable – a good manager is not doing him or herself, the boss or the company any good by continuing meekly to endure a problem boss-subordinate relationship.

THE DIFFICULT BOSS

Difficult implies hard to manage, hard to satisfy or hard to comprehend. However, before addressing the individual, you must identify whether the boss is merely acting out the philosophy of the company. If it is the company that is difficult, start looking elsewhere! Assuming it is a good company and your boss is unusual, you must identify what, specifically, is difficult about the boss. As applied to the work environment, a difficult boss is incongruent, inconsistent or unpredictable on at least one of three levels.

Difficult individual. The problem may be the boss as a person. The boss may march to a different drummer, and his or her personal idiosyncrasies drive subordinates crazy. Directives, responses and moods may all appear unpredictable and unpatterned. Your boss is known as a “real character” to some; to others, your boss’s personality inconsistencies would rate the label schizophrenic.

Difficult relative to you. The problem may be the relationship between you and your boss. The signals and directives you receive are varying and often conflicting. One day you are told to do one thing, the next day you are informed that the task was never requested. Similarly, the boss may be your pal and mentor in the morning, but your inquisitor and tormentor in the afternoon if things go amiss. In short, interpersonal conflict abounds because of poor communications. As the subordinate, you become increasingly frustrated because of the resulting role ambiguity or role conflict.

Difficult relative to group or organisational culture. Finally, the problem may arise because the boss does not behave in the manner expected in your organisation. Work groups and organisations amass symbols, rituals, and values over time; not unlike tribes, organisational members operate in cultures with distinct leadership and communication styles, judgements of performance, rewards and punishments, and even ways of approaching decision making. For example, the organisational culture may value its bureaucratic structure, autocratic leadership styles, and status perks like separate executive offices with elaborate furnishings. Your boss is difficult in this setting if he or she favours open communications, participative decision making, and a team spirit that discourages badges of status.

WHY IS YOUR BOSS DIFFICULT?

Your boss is difficult for many of the same reasons that others in the organisation, sometimes even including you, are “difficult”. Difficult people, whether bosses or not, leave those around them frustrated, drained, and hostile. Difficult bosses are often perceived as being negative, argumentative, frivolous, incompetent, non-committed, over-zealous, belligerent or fickle. Whatever the issue, they can drain energy and enthusiasm from everyone they encounter.

But labelling your boss as difficult because of personality conflicts is usually a great deception. While we each have different personalities, they do not necessarily clash. Most personality conflicts are, more
accurately, conflicts pertaining to goals, roles or values. Lack of co-operation, misunderstandings and bad feelings usually result when individuals pursue different targets. Personalities are usually only a small part of the conflict. The real conflict is different expectations about what we are trying to achieve, how we are trying to achieve it, and each person’s part in the activity. Thus, your boss may be difficult, not because he/she is your natural adversary but because your targets, methods and work distribution conflict. However, this does not mean you should excuse, ignore or even change your boss’s behaviour. It does mean you can take positive steps towards managing them.

WHY MANAGE YOUR DIFFICULT BOSS?

You should ask yourself – can it be corrected? Is it worth the effort? For political reasons? Personal gain? Improved organisation effectiveness? The answer is “yes” on all counts. Whether intentional or not, your actions can affect your superiors, so why not be systematic in your impact!

A recent study implied that effective managers take the time and effort to manage their bosses and subordinates. After all, the boss is but another resource at your disposal. Just as some managers have more extensive financial resources at their disposal, some subordinates’ efforts at managing their bosses reap greater benefits for them and their organisation. A supportive and progressive boss is an abundant resource and a luxury most employees envy, but the supportive and progressive boss is at least partly the product of a subordinate’s efforts. The organisation and its participants also benefit when the subordinate and boss do not regard each other as natural adversaries.

STRATEGIES FOR DEALING WITH DIFFICULT MANAGERS

One psychologist suggests that you “stand straight up” and listen when dealing with difficult people; however, when dealing with the difficult boss the problem becomes more sensitive. Although managing the difficult boss demands more skill than managing other employees, the task can be aided by the following suggestions:

1. Know yourself. Do you really know who you are, as an organisation actor? Within the organisational context, what is your role and how does it contribute to the organisation’s goal? With whom/ what are you interacting and how does it shape your view of the organisation? Does your job experience or training confound your view of your task? Do you think in terms of short or long-term goals? What personal values and goals do you bring with you to the workplace? Answers to these questions help you sketch your identity.

2. Know your boss. Do you really know your boss and what he/she does within the organisation? What is your boss’s role and how does it contribute to the organisation’s goals? What shapes his/her view of the organisation? With whom/what is your boss interacting and how does it shape his/her view of the organisation? Does job experience or training confound your boss’s view of his/her task? Does your boss think in terms or short or long-term goals? What personal values and goals does your boss bring into the workplace? Answers to these questions help you sketch your boss’s identity.

Awareness of roles and power relationships within your organisation provides a basis for management of your boss. However, managing your boss involves management of communications and power relationships.

3. Improve communication

The best planned message is lost if the source of the message is distrusted.

4. Build trust. Trust increases if you establish a history of honesty and dependability. Keeping your word and doing your job well may necessitate getting your act together, if you have not in the past. Introspection may reveal that your own work habits, and not the boss, have been the major contributors to a poor work situation. Moreover, you and your boss do not have to like each other to trust each other. An atmosphere of mutual respect is all that is needed to create a relationship characterised by loyalty, support, and integrity.

5. Adjust your communication style to complement your boss.
If your boss is a talker, become a better listener. If your boss is comfortable with “garden variety” explanations of technical operations, reduce detailed technical jargon in your messages to him/her. In short, adjusting your style can reduce the distance between you and your boss; however, “adjusting” your style does not equate with “changing” your style. A radical change encourages scepticism, not trust.

6. Open up lines of communications. Opening up lines of communications is important because it may increase the information your boss needs to perform his/her job and it may increase your boss’s awareness of you and your job performance. However, communications are not limited only to good news. You should never surprise your boss by allowing him or her to hear the bad news from others. When communicating with your boss, it is also essential to tell the story in his terms, within his framework. and in a way that links it to his personal and organisational goals. Demonstrate the same sensitivity with your boss that you would like to see shown to you by your boss.

7. Give Feedback. Step 7 relates to a common worker complaint; ‘my boss never gives me positive feedback’. Unfortunately, many bosses may lament that their subordinates are equally at fault. Rewarding and praising desired behaviour is as effective with superiors as it is with subordinates. Reinforce your boss by praising the behaviours you desire, and you may modify his/her behaviour. This doesn’t mean compromising your integrity; if you look hard enough, there is always something worthy of a pat on the back.

Another way of promoting positive feedback to your boss is to “share the credit” when good things happen. Cultivate the bond between you and your boss. As a rule of thumb, give credit where credit is due, but don’t forget that your boss is a team-mate and a helper. If your department’s performance hits a record high, all in the department, including your subordinates and your boss, deserve to bask in the glory.

However, communications is just one part of the puzzle of managing the difficult boss. Identifying and modifying power relationships are equally important.

8. Identify and modify existing power relationships

Organisations can be thought of as political arenas with organisational actors serving as power brokers with both individual and organisational objectives. Managing your difficult boss involves changing how you think as well as how you take action to change power relationships.
Regardless of who is or who is not dispensable to the organisation, make your boss think he/she cannot operate without you. Even though your boss may feel vulnerable and easily substitution, you can still let him/her know you are a team player and that you are a valuable asset to him/her.

In this case, be all that you can be. If you are a good performer – and your boss knows it – it works to mutual benefit. Enthusiasm and dependability are essential, but you must be your own salesperson. By enhancing your boss’s awareness of your performance, you are increasing your chances of being viewed as indispensable in his/her eyes.

9. When all else fails!

What can you do if the suggested strategies don’t bring fruition? Some bosses are hard cases and may not respond to subtle and caring actions. It may become necessary to adopt some more serious, yet sometimes necessary strategies.

(a) If you work for a large organisation, begin to look laterally in the company for a respected mentor and possible future openings. Build bridges and credibility with the desired boss. Become visible and exhibit your expertise when the opportunities arise.

(b) Start to document your activities and personal encounters carefully. In extreme situations, it may become necessary to prove your merit and your boss’s incompetence. A systematic, careful documentation of what you and your boss have been doing may be vital to proving your position.

(c) In some situations, going over your boss’s head may be in the best interests of you, the boss and the company. While going above is a serious move and should not be taken lightly, a competent, progressive company has top executives who are fairly accessible and honestly interested in problems that seriously hamper the accomplishment of organisational goals.

(d) If the above strategies do not prove effective and the situation is unbearable, you can always take the final, positive step and accept a position in another company. The opportunity costs can sometimes become to great to remain where you are. If you feel good about having tried the available options, it may be time to find a better environment. Life is to short to dread going to work every morning.

MANAGING THE DIFFICULT IS DIFFICULT

In summary, the difficult boss frustrates, antagonises, and, in general, tests an employee’s psychological and physical well-being. No-one should have to tolerate this forever! They should strive to manage the situation. Define what makes your boss difficult. Understand the roles within your company. Strive to improve communications and modify power relationships.
Finally, it may come down to the risky decision of going over the boss’s head or leaving. If you think managing the difficult boss is hard, consider living with the alternative!

Values to live by…
Most companies have explicit and often espoused corporate values, usually containing notions of strong positive cultures. These are often formalized into mission statements, tag lines, and branding and marketing promotions. The problem is that most of so-called corporate values are not values at all. They are little more than a compilation of platitudes and slogans.
Values have to be internalised by employees in organizations to be real, and that rarely happens.
Corporate values are often used interchangeably with the concept of corporate culture. The problem is that corporate goals–predominantly stated in financial terms–bear no resemblance to articulated corporate culture and values. In fact, more often than not, they are in conflict.
In this context, corporate values, usually chosen by senior executives, are adopted to prevailing business circumstances and are not rooted in fundamental philosophical convictions, morality or ethics. In this sense, corporate values are often selected as a strategy to “rally the troops,” and therefore, manipulative in nature.
Values, in a true sense, are basic, fundamental, enduring and meant to be acted upon. In contrast, slogans, platitudes and tag lines are ephemeral, transitory and relative, and often not meant to be taken seriously. For example, if a company’s prime goal is short-term profits for shareholders, how can it espouse a corporate value of “people are our greatest asset?”
One of the biggest problems, is how language is used.
Manager’s language is provisional, tentative, euphemistic, full of vagaries and contradictions and yet often presented with force and charisma and are used by many executives to manipulate and distort true intentions. Further, much of executive language associated with values or goals have little true meaning. For example, a company that says they put the customer first is rarely held accountable for that statement when the company is in financial trouble.
To play a meaningful role in creating an enduring organization, corporate values must be, “first-order values.” Such values are not mere rankings of preference couched in operational phrases such as “getting close to the customer,” but are derived from fundamental philosophy about what constitutes the good for people inside and

outside the organization. Visionary companies that have succeeded for decades were guided by core ideologies that included a sense of purpose beyond making money.
First order values can’t be altered in an economic downturn or used to confront an immediate problem. They exist to see the organization through good and bad times. They are in essence a constitutional framework for corporate governance and the moral rationale for the existence of corporations in our society.
Morality and ethics too are central to the issue of meaning in corporate values. Too often, corporate executives justify a breach of ethics and morality on the basis of financial profit. While profits are the fuel that feeds the economic engine, it is not the sole essence of the corporation. Profits are at other times sacrificed for new product or production innovation. It is a choice, not an imperative.
Finally, values do not drive the business; they drive the people within the business. Values must be internalized by the people in the organization to have meaning. It’s time to stop playing around with cute slogans and tag lines masquerading as corporate values.

Kxy Pxrson

If you are anything like me you find typing a challenge and thank goodness for “spell check”. I never had a type writer with a “stuck” key but my typing often looks like I have more than ONE stuck key!!
So for those who like a gentle amusing story and can resonate with the message, here goes:

One manager let employees know how valuable they are with the following memo:

“You Arx A Kxy Pxrson”

Xvxn though my typxwritxr is an old modxl, it works vxry wxll — xxcxpt for onx kxy. You would think that with all thx othxer kxys functioning propxrly, onx kxy not working would hardly bx noticxd; but just onx kxy out of whack sxxms to ruin thx wholx xffort.

You may say to yoursxlf — Wxll, I’m only onx pxrson. No onx will noticx if I don’t do my bxst. But it doxs makx a diffxrxncx, bxcausx an xffxctivx organization nxxds activx participation by xvxry onx to thx bxst of his or hxr ability.

So, thx nxxt timx you think you arx not important, rxmxmbxr my old typxwritxr. You arx a kxy pxrson.

Havx you any similar storixs?