Sorry managers, but training employees is not just a necessary part of your job, it’s essential. Employees may go through corporate training programs to learn the basics of their jobs, but knowing the basics isn’t enough to succeed.
Managers often complain about how much time it takes their people to get up to speed. When I begin asking questions, inevitably it’s clear that no one is shepherding these people through what they need to learn.
Sometimes leaders make decisions that impact clients that may also inadvertently have a negative ripple effect on your employees. For example, you could change policies, terms of service, pricing, or even account executives.
Those are perfectly justified decisions. But sometimes your clients may resist the change and take it out on your staff. They may resent the changes and instead of discussing it with leadership, they display negative or passive aggressive behavior with your employees.
No one has a crystal ball to the answer to this question, in fact, economists seem to be all over the map in terms of their predictions. Since the outlook is uncertain, leaders need to use their best information and insights to decide how economic conditions will impact their organizations.
Your business strategy will determine decisions you make in terms of growth in 2023, but as important is to understand how the undercurrent of this uncertainty affects your employees. Here are three key factors that are on their minds:
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.