As much as a new year can inspire a fresh start, sometimes the opposite happens. Some people may feel unmotivated to jump start the new year and will lay low as long as think that no one notices.
It’s worth exploring whether such malaise is affecting any of your staff, and if it is, you need to help them reframe and redirect. The longer the discontent, the more likely it can develop into a negative pattern.
The Chinese New Year (also known as the Lunar New Year) begins on Sunday, January 22, when the Year of the Rabbit will be ushered in. China, Korea, Tibet, Singapore, Vietnam, and other Asian countries celebrate this holiday. Over a quarter of the world’s population celebrates this holiday.
Chinese New Year is celebrated for 7 days in China. In the U.S., it is also celebrated as a state holiday in California and New York City recognizes it as a school holiday.
Sometimes you need to make an announcement or take an action that will likely cause discomfort. Leaders who recognize this in advance can shape the message by foreshadowing empathy.
This means that although the impact of the bad news may be hard, you understand its effect and are standing in the shoes of the people receiving the message.
How often do you hear those words in the workplace? Not as frequently as you’d like, I imagine. Instead, often, you probably hear either silence or those career-limiting words, “it’s not my job.”
People who are eager to help and take on new responsibilities are primed to advance in your company. They don’t think about whether it’s what they were hired to do; rather, they see these situations as opportunities to learn and grow in their jobs.
One of my clients is going through the interesting exercise of articulating “what he stands for” so that he can make more informed career management decisions. This interests me for many reasons, not the least of which is that enhanced self-awareness is a vital asset for any executive.
What’s he really doing is clarifying his values. When you understand your values, everything from making decisions to business development to managing your employees is easier.
Have you ever made assumptions about what someone is thinking, reacted based on those assumptions, only to find out that you were completely wrong? Of course, you have! We all do this from time to time, but frankly, it’s a bad habit.
You never know what’s going on with someone…unless you ask…and the person actually responds fully.
There comes a time when conflict inevitably percolates in the workplace. How you handle it makes a difference in whether it permeates, lingers, or fades.
Sometimes you have little control over a decision, such as deeply cutting expenses when cash flow is tight. Other times, you might take an unpopular position that upsets some of your staff.
How do you deliver feedback? Some people embrace opportunities to offer positive accolades for a job well done. Others are quick to criticize what didn’t work well and focus on what needs to be done differently the next time.
Both types of feedback are necessary. You need to acknowledge the good as well as offer suggestions for improvement.
I have a friend who is a litigator by profession, and true to her calling, she sounds like a litigator in all aspects of her life. She is smart, interesting, and fun to be around….that is, when she’s not badgering people.
Her tone is often contentious and argumentative, even if we’re talking about something as mundane as what to order in a restaurant.
Some managers fall into the trap of stepping in and bailing out their lower performing employees. If certain staff members are not doing their jobs satisfactorily, a knee-jerk reaction is to jump in and do it yourself.
This isn’t a good idea. Not only do people not want to be micromanaged, snatching work from them (because you’ll meet the deadline or think you can do it better) is demoralizing. Over time, they will think, “Why bother? The work will never be good enough for my boss and she’ll just do it anyway.”