Apology is a powerful — and often underused — conflict resolution tool. One reason for not apologizing that I often hear in my work with clients is the concern that apologizing either totally admits fault for the conflict or reveals a weakness. While those concerns may be legitimate in some situations, they are overblown in most cases. Conflicts usually escalate because … [Read more...]
7 Fundamentals of Successful Problem Solving
Everyone has problems. Big problems, little problems, work problems, relationship problems. Pick an area of your life, and you probably have at least one issue you are dealing with. When you step into management, you pretty much become a professional problem solver. And if you haven't received any kind of training on the subject (like many first-time supervisors), the role … [Read more...]
Find Balance When Work and Home Are in the Same Place
When you work from home, the “workday” becomes a slippery slope—especially when you’re constantly interrupted by your kids, pets, neighbors or spouses. If you’re not careful, meeting your work demands in this chaotic environment can crowd out your other priorities. Below are some healthy habits to help you take back control and protect your work/life balance in these unusual … [Read more...]
The Best Way to Share Bad News With Employees
No doubt, bad news has been the norm lately, and you may have already had to be be the bearer of it more than once. As a leader, especially a new leader, the last thing you want to do is deliver bad news to your employees, who may assume that you are somehow responsible for it. Unfortunately, you will have to make unpopular decisions, enforce changes that are initially seen as … [Read more...]
6 Ways to Stay Calm and Keep Stress Under Control
No leadership job is without stress, and when it hits, you can either spiral or figure out a way to stay calm under pressure. Diana Hendel, PharmD and Mark Goulston, MD, authors of Why Cope When You Can Heal?: How Healthcare Heroes of COVID-19 Can Recover from PTSD offers this advice to better manage your stress: Do frequent self “check-ins” When you’re busy and under … [Read more...]
3 of the Smartest Words You’ll Ever Say
In her new book Heartfelt Leadership: How to Capture the Top Spot and Keep on Soaring, Deb Boelkes lays out the path to leading with the heart. Full of real stories and lessons from top heartfelt executives, the book will help you learn to transform from a person people follow because they have to, to one they want to follow. One lesson that really stood out to us comes from … [Read more...]
How to Master the Art of Respectful Truth-Telling
Most people have suppressed their true feelings to avoid conflict at work. “When you need to have a difficult conversation with someone, it’s best to be prepared,” says Jackie Gaines, Wearing the Yellow Suit: A Guide for Women in Leadership “Having an idea of the actual words you plan to use ahead of time makes the experience easier and will help you feel calm and in control … [Read more...]
How Do Your Employees Feel About Returning to Work?
For many organizations, the new norm is work from home, and for many managers and employees, there is a great deal of uncertainty about if and when they will return to an office or on-site location. If you are one of them, your transition back to the office may be completely out of your hands, but one very critical role you can play is communicating with your employees to … [Read more...]
How to Talk to an Angry Person
Emotions are running high, and people seemingly get angry for no reason. If you’re like most of the people, you managing someone's emotional outburst is the last thing you one to do. While some people seem to have a knack for helping others “back off the edge,” most people feel at least a little bit nervous or apprehensive about such situations, especially new managers who have … [Read more...]
Helping Grief-Stricken Employees
Death is an incredibly tough subject to discuss, and one we are confronted with daily these days, but it's also been an issue that managers and leaders have dealt with for a long time. How should you act when an employee loses a loved one? What should you say? How do you respond without coming across as invasive? When one of your employees suffers the loss of a loved one, … [Read more...]