Problems at more senior levels of management are rarely because individuals lack intelligence, skills, experience or confidence. A problem boss is almost always about behavior — poor behavior.
Sure, the guy is smart, but his default motivator is yelling. She’s knowledgeable but takes credit for everything. You either know, work with, or watch, these so-called “leaders.” So, have I! [Read more…]
When I was growing up the worst thing you could be called or described as was “bold.” It implied brazen, outspoken, bucking the system, and not a team player. Being bold was alien to my culture, gender role, and family messages. Fast-forward a few decades. I have taken a 180-degree turn. I now pressure myself to be bold enough to push the envelope, speak up, do the unexpected, and ask for, or give myself, what I need. [Read more…]
Our current office environment encourages silence. Look at the layout of an open office space. Initially conceived to facilitate interaction has resulted in making people more self-conscious about speaking. A greater number of us are working remotely, rarely having face-to-face contact with anyone. The vast array of headphones available are used more at work than in any other location. No wonder no one has the opportunity for office small talk. That’s a problem for you, your colleagues, and the company culture. [Read more…]
Here are promises I made to myself and/or encouraged my executive coach clients to consider for their 2020 actions and attitudes. [Read more…]
In Part One of this “Skills for Creating a Collaborative Team” series we discussed some of the tools and behaviors seen in effective and collaborative team groups. This is based on the research performed by Francesca Gino, a professor at the Harvard Business School. In her article in the Harvard Business Review “Cracking the Code of Sustained Collaboration,” the author identified “six tools for training people to work together better.” [Read more…]
Collaboration often ranks last or at least close to the bottom for many people’s way of dealing with conflict and getting things done. When trying to build a collaborative team environment, collaboration should be the top priority. [Read more…]
I had a strong reaction to an October 10, 2019 New York Times article, by Ruth Whippman, titled “Enough Leaning In. Let’s Tell Men to Lean Out.” It hit me hard! Much of what she said I see in my female executive coaching clients, relatives, and friends. The problem? I sarcastically call it the “women failing to meet the guy standard.” [Read more…]
Since the industrial revolution, when many people left the family farm or emigrated from a foreign rural countryside to urban environs, people worked in groups. These consisted of others, like themselves, they saw every day for years. The iconic photo of steel workers enjoying lunch together while sitting on a steel beam high above the streets of New York first tests our fear of heights and then rests with the comradery of people who rely on one another for safety and companionship. They are work buddies, no sign of loneliness.
Fast forward to today’s workplace. I have several executive coaching clients who manage staffs thousands of miles from their desks. They have little or no communication with most of the team (surely don’t know their faces) and if they do need to converse, it is always through a messaging system like Slack or e-mail. There is interaction of sorts, but little human contact.
Working remotely has brought many advantages — reducing commuting time, allowing parents to attend daytime school events of their children, afforded the quiet environment needed for the deep think.
It also encourages loneliness. Forty percent of workers who exclusively work remotely report loneliness as being a major issue. What distance working does is limits face-to-face interaction and casual encounters. Research tells us these employees are less committed, less connected to the organization, more likely to report burn-out, have lower productivity, and quit their jobs more often. It’s clear people are beginning to feel the impact of workplace loneliness as more people are returning to the office, even if only part-time, after testing working from home.
Casual encounters: I am a big advocate of this simple behavior. Take a different route to the bathroom or the elevator. Walk the office floor space looking for someone and simply say “hi.”
Greetings and observations: It’s shocking how few people say, “good morning” or “have a great weekend.” They see it as trivial, but it isn’t and brings big results.
Shared purpose: Leaders need to share the mission and values of the team on a regular basis. If asked, “why are we here?”, there should be a similar reply by everyone.
Kindness goes a long way: Offer to bring a colleague some water. Ask if you can help with something. Share a laugh.
Encourage relationships: Management needs to provide situations and activities that bring people together. Celebrate birthdays, have a group plan for the next holiday party. It doesn’t matter what it is, just that it happens.
Onboarding: Loneliness in the workplace can start when a person first enters the office. Make sure to introduce and welcome new employees. Use the buddy system, so they have connections from day one.
Conference call participants: Too often people are observers on conference calls. They’re rarely asked to participate. Change the dynamic, so everyone is a contributor.
Survey the team for loneliness: Twelve Step programs use the word HALT as a warning for when someone might be having trouble. It stands for hungry, angry, lonely, tired, and can easily be applied in the office. If a member of your team or a colleague is exhibiting any or all these traits, address it early. I don’t mean pry but tell them if you’re concerned and ask if you can help. Often the act of caring makes a difference.
Lonely in a crowd: Just because 10,000 people work at your company doesn’t mean they aren’t lonely and in need of engagement. This can be especially true with more senior leaders. The phrase “lonely at the top” has considerable truth. Few people want to be a team of one. Be a relationship advocate and leader.
Don’t assume: The belief was that open workspace would encourage more collaboration. It didn’t happen. Because group-living proved to be distracting, people isolated more into their computers, headsets, and smart phones.
Use the phone: I know many desks no longer have phones. However, if your desk has one, try calling a co-worker. Your voice shares tone accurately and tells urgency. It also is human contact. Tim Cook, Chief Executive of Apple, spoke of a new feature on iPhones. It measures how and how often you use your smart phone by category. He was surprised by his own amount of use, asking, “Was this necessary?” He wondered how he could have better spent the time. He’s right.
Loneliness in the workplace is at a critical juncture. Changes in how and where we work have contributed to this epidemic. There are many simple, easy, attitudes and behaviors that can be used to combat the problem and bring people and organizations together.
Being a perfectionist is a personality trait characterized by a person striving for flawlessness and setting high performance standards. I would add sometimes unachievable standards.
Everyone wants to do well in their career and produce work that is top quality. We strive towards delivering with impact in a way we can be proud to attach our name. The question comes up, or should be asked, is, “When is it good enough and not necessary to be absolutely perfect?” [Read more…]
I’ve been thinking about leadership. It’s the lack of leadership that has occupied most of my thoughts while working with executive coaching clients. These smart, ambitious people are frustrated with the absence of brave leaders, leaders with vision, leaders who can confront a dysfunctional system, leaders with big ideas, leaders with emotional intelligence as well as high IQ, who can motivate others to higher levels. Clients long for their bosses to be influential, mission-driven, able to take the heat, and share their successes. They don’t need management — they want leadership. [Read more…]