Sometimes it can be tough to spot problem staff members. While some staff members engage in negative behavior that is obvious, there are others in whom problem behavior is more subtle. Jeff Haden writing in Inc. suggests four red flags that might suggest a staff member may be a problem.1. Staff members who act above it all.2. Staff members who lord their experience over others.3. Staff members who gossip.4. Staff members who rush to grab credit.
As a leader we'll all run into tough times. Not matter how well we plan, organize and lead, things happen. Circumstances change and unexpected problems occur. How do we endure through these tough times? Inc.com columnist Amy Morin suggest four things to tell yourself when dealing with tough times.1. This has happened before.2. Failure is the path to success.3. This won't matter nearly as much in five years.4. I live according to my values.
The most powerful leadership tool you have is your own personal example. John Wooden
There is a great deal of discussion these days about disruption. There is talk about disruptive technology, disruptive ideas and disruptive products. What is disruption? In the context of today's organizations, disruption is a concept or idea that fundamentally changes the status quo. They are ideas that not just challenge, but shatter long held assumptions.Think about what Amazon did for selling books or what Uber has done for local transportation. Both companies completely changed the market by challenging the assumptions of how things are done.
Faisal Hoque author of Everything Connects: How to Transform and Lead in the Age of Creativity, Innovation and Sustainability suggests five attributes of organizations that disrupt the status quo.1. They relentlessly pursue the truth2. They guide others through chaos3. They're decisive4. They break the rules and write new ones - but always explain why5. They thrive on uncertaintyWhat are some of the unwritten assumptions you and your organization hold to be true? Have you ever explored what would happen if they weren't true? Are there things you could do to challenge the status quo? Could you be disruptive?
Recent research published on-line by the Academy of Management Journal indicates that consistency is a key trait employees are looking for. Employees were asked if they preferred a manager who is sometimes fair and sometimes unfair or someone who is consistently unfair. The majority of employees preferred the consistent manager, even if they were unfair."Intuitively, you would think the more fairness you get, the better," said Fadel Matta, a researcher at Michigan State University and the lead author of the paper, said in an interview. "But that's not what we demonstrated. It's better if supervisors are a consistent jerk than if they're fair sometimes and not fair other times. People want to know what they can expect when they come into work. A lot of it centers around this issue of uncertainty," Matta said. "This notion of knowing what to expect -- even if it's bad -- is better than not knowing what to expect at work."How consistent are you as a leader? Does your staff know what to expect from you, in both good times and bad? Is there a predictability to your leadership that they can adapt to?
As leaders we know that recognizing the positive efforts of our staff are important. Unfortunately too often our attempts at recognition go unappreciated and have limited impact. Scott Mautz, author of Make It Matter: How Managers Can Motivate by Creating Meaning offers the following suggestions for making recognition more meaningful:
Personalize recognition so that you don't trivialize it. Adapt the recognition the the needs and preferences of the individual staff member.
Get everyone involved. Recognition doesn't have to be from just you as the leader. Recognition from other staff members and guests can be powerful.
Be frequent but not frivolous. Take regular opportunities for recognition but make sure what you're recognizing really matters.
Celebrate both the first downs and touchdowns. Certainly celebrate the big accomplishments but don't forget the little victories along the way.
Deliberate the delivery. How you deliver recognition can be just as important as the recognition itself.
Do the words and phrases we use impact our achievement? Professor Bernard Roth from Stanford and author of The Achievement Habit suggests five phrases that we can change...
Instead of "But" use "And" - But changes neutral statement into negative statements.
Instead of saying "Have To" say "Want To" - Have to implies me must rather than we choose.
Instead of "Can’t" use "Won’t" - Can't implies it's impossible. Almost everything is possible in the right circumstances.
Instead of saying "I’m Afraid To" say "I’d Like To" - Be positive and forward looking.
Instead of "Help" use "Assist" - Help often is associated with can't. Assist means I can, I just need a little direction/support
Leading a campground can be stressful. Very stressful! Between campers, our staff and the challenges of managing often aging facilities and infrastructure there is no shortage of triggers to set off our emotions. Research, however, shows that the ability of leaders to remain calm under pressure is linked to positive performance.
Dr. Travis Bradberry, the author of the bestselling book, Emotional Intelligence 2.0 suggests ten strategies successful people use to stay calm under pressure
#1: They Appreciate What They Have
#2: They Avoid Asking “What If?”
#3: They Stay Positive
#4: They Disconnect
#5: They Limit Their Caffeine Intake
#6: They Sleep
#7: They Squash Negative Self-Talk
#8: They Reframe Their Perspective
#9: They Breathe
#10: They Use Their Support System
Sometimes it can be tough to spot problem staff members. While some staff members engage in negative behavior that is obvious, there are others in whom problem behavior is more subtle. Jeff Haden writing in Inc. suggests four red flags that might suggest a staff member may be a problem.
As a leader we'll all run into tough times. Not matter how well we plan, organize and lead, things happen. Circumstances change and unexpected problems occur. How do we endure through these tough times? Inc.com columnist Amy Morin suggest four things to tell yourself when dealing with tough times.
There is a great deal of discussion these days about disruption. There is talk about disruptive technology, disruptive ideas and disruptive products. What is disruption? In the context of today's organizations, disruption is a concept or idea that fundamentally changes the status quo. They are ideas that not just challenge, but shatter long held assumptions.
As leaders we know that recognizing the positive efforts of our staff are important. Unfortunately too often our attempts at recognition go unappreciated and have limited impact. Scott Mautz, author of Make It Matter: How Managers Can Motivate by Creating Meaning offers the following suggestions for making recognition more meaningful:
Do the words and phrases we use impact our achievement? Professor Bernard Roth from Stanford and author of The Achievement Habit suggests five phrases that we can change...