Motivating employees, especially during economic downturns, requires an empathic approach. Or, as I prefer to call it—the “connecting your heart-to-your-head approach.” The pressure of too-much-work-to-be-done with too few people often causes a low level response to the threat of job loss as a stimulus for more production. Simply, their emotional well is dry and any increase in productivity is short-lived. Threats don’t work.

Managers expect employees to be self-motivated and to a degree that should be the case. Self-motivation is the ability to get things done without being directed by others. But, this does not absolve a manager from providing the reason employees should be working or behaving in a particular way. The best way is to show employees how their role is connected to something bigger than their job tasks.

The more removed an employee is from the ultimate consumer or beneficiary the more difficult it is to motivate employees to see beyond their job tasks. This can result in employees defending their job, being stingy with sharing information, or a demonstrating a lack of cooperation with other departments. The loss of connection to both internal and external customers constricts work flow and squashes creative solutions.

For example, accounting may never have any direct exposure to the ultimate consumer and hold strict that rules, policies and terms be executed “by the book.” Sales people may feel stymied by accounting’s lack of flexibility when they are attempting to help a customer find a creative way to afford their products or services. On-the-other-hand, sales people may not have contact with a customer at the time of delivery when delivery people may feel anger towards sales people for ordering products that don’t fit a customer’s home, business or needs. And around it goes.

An employee’s exposure to the bigger picture opens up the pathway for inspired solutions to emerge and greater empathy for customers and co-workers. As a sales person and a manager, I learned to handle problems before they began and to call attention to details that would help my customers because of exposure to all the people connected to my job.

Spending a day with the delivery team was an invaluable learning experience when I worked in the home furnishings business. Not only did I learn how to load a truck, what paperwork needed to be completed and signed, what physical challenges it required but also what questions, concerns and reactions customers had at the time of delivery. And, I learned a whole lot about what can go wrong!

This experience taught me to highlight to customers the written instructions of what to expect on the day of delivery, who to contact and in what order, if there were problems. What they could expect from the delivery people and what not to expect. It cemented my relationship with the distribution center’s staff and with the drivers because I experienced their jobs first hand. It connected me to customers and co-workers at a deeper level.

I was motivated to sell more when I saw delight on the faces of clients when products they purchased enhanced their lives or solved a problem. I was motivated to spend a few extra minutes filling out paperwork that made it easier for accounting to finish reports (reports I ultimately used to do my job) and I was motivated to help co-workers finish projects so they too could please a customer. When things did go wrong I had a greater understanding of what my customers were feeling, what frustrations drivers, co-workers or direct reports were facing and how to uncover the real issues because I had this greater awareness. My heart was now connected to my head.

The “something bigger” is the gratitude of the ultimate consumer or beneficiary.  It’s the acknowledgment that you have made a difference—to something or someone. Get your people connected if you want your team to be self-motivated.

What are your thoughts?

Read more tips on managing and customer service in Misunderstood! The Fast Guide to Communicating at Work–What to Say, How to Say It and When to Shut Up. You can get it at Amazon.

Presence, Engagement, Connection, Confidence, Interaction, Credibility, Attitude, Success

Leave me your thoughts below.

Active and attentive listening is not always easy to do-but it is critical to success.  Poor listeners can damage their reputation and hurt their careers. Today I want to talk a bit about making assumptions vs. really listening.

You might be making assumptions if you answer yes or sometimes to the following questions: Do you frequently finish other people’s sentences? Do you use phrases such as “I already know that” before your have heard a complete sentence?

If you do the message you send is, “I know more than you do, so let me help you out.” This is not only rude (and arrogant) but it will brand you as a know-it-all.

Instead listen patiently, ask clarifying questions, and paraphrase the speaker’s words to ensure you really do comprehend what they are saying and intending. Seek to understand the speaker before making suppositions. This positive behavior will brand you as an excellent communicator.

What do think?

Excerpt from the book Misunderstood! The Fast Guide to Communicating at Work–What to Say, How to Say It and When to Shut Up. Pick up your copy at Amazon today.

Employee resistance to change in the workplace is nothing new. Leaders and managers accept the pushback that comes when rolling out new procedures, changes in operations, shifts in hours, status, or even the loss of a prime parking space. How you deal with resistance makes the difference between gaining cooperation and respect and being viewed as an uninvolved, autocratic administrator.

Whether the resistance comes from a single dissenter or an entire department, use the following steps to gain cooperation:

Step1. Clearly state what you want, when you want it and how it will affect individual jobs. Use a firm but neutral or positive tone of voice. Refrain from conveying disappointment, anger or defeat. Your particular situation or location will dictate the appropriate vocal expression.

Step2. Decide before hand how much time you will allot to objections, groaning and griping. Inform the person or team you are addressing about the time limit. Let them vent.

Step 3. Listen to understand concerns. What underlying emotions are behind the complaints? What are the real fears behind the protests? Often the real fears will not be voiced in the initial session and until further questioning your understanding may be based on false assumptions.

Step 4. Check your perceptions by reflecting back your understanding of the concerns. Do not allow another round of protests, rather simply check for confirmation.

Step 5. If appropriate, ask for suggestions. Not every circumstance will allow for this but to the degree that employees feel engaged in the process the quicker the cooperation. Once again, do not allow suggestions to go on forever and keep the conversation on suggestions only—not grousing. Be involved. Listen and list possibilities without judging. Put it all down. Be open to viable proposals.

Step 6. Suggest a review or an opportunity to revisit the impact of the change after a test run or implementation. This is a good practice to put into place whenever a new procedure or shift has taken place, regardless of the initial response. Small changes made at this re-visit may prevent a complete breakdown if left unchecked. This is also an excellent opportunity to increase face-time, engage employees and learn something new.

Step 7. If these steps fail, explain the costs of noncooperation. Change is what makes an organization stay competitive, robust and profitable. Dissenters may be in the wrong position or job so act accordingly.

Cooperation comes when people know and feel they are part of something bigger. Employees know that changes occur but welcome the opportunity to influence the outcome and success. However, just because you communicate openly and involve employees by asking for suggestions, does not mean they make the final decision. Be a leader—listen, learn and them implement.

Now get your 6-Part Audio Series – The Power of Effective Communication-FREE. Be a leader and implement this information. Go ahead. Just put your first name and email in the boxes on the right and the information will be yours instantly.

Trust in the workplace, trust in leadership and connecting with others were the key phrases I found in a recent search for the best selling business books. It’s a sign of the times. A lack of leadership and trustworthiness in the workplace appears to be the norm.

Leadership is something everyone in the workplace can practice—not just CEOs and business owners. Communicating trustworthiness starts with honest intention and self-awareness. Additionally, you cannot be an effective communicator or leader if you do not provoke trust in others.

Here are 5 strategies for developing leadership and establishing trust:

1. Tell the truth. Easy to say—difficult to practice. Yet truth is what your customers, co-workers, employees, shareholders and vendors want from you. If a product is going to be delivered late, if a report is not completed, if quality is a problem, if earnings are down tell the truth about it. Most people CAN handle the truth. And, it prompts others to be honest. Truth requires no managing or memorization. Tell the truth—it’s easier.

2. Take action. Leadership means evaluating the available information and moving forward. The best leaders make difficult and timely decisions with about 70-80% of the information. You may never get all the details and waiting to act may result in tragedy. Evaluate and be proactive.

3. Do what you say you are going to do. Okay, this may be a combination of the first two strategies but it bears its own heading. Both actions and inactions influence others. If you promise to return a call, handle a matter, or show up on time—follow through.

4. Be consistent. Leadership requires consistency in behavior, mood and communication both at home and at work. Nothing kills trust like incongruence between what you do and say to one person and what you do and say to another.

5. Model what you expect from others. Don’t ask others to do something you wouldn’t do. Trust is developed when you live to ethics.

Communicating leadership requires an inner confidence and an outer personality that can convey that confidence to others both verbally and non-verbally. Many leaders possess the self-confidence to perform tasks and reach goals but lack the ability to connect with people. Trustworthiness is earned through communication not just results.

If you’re serious about developing your leadership qualities start by assessing your listening skills by filling in your name and email address in the boxes on your right and grabbing  your copy of my free listening skills assessment. You’ll be surprised by your answers–try it it’s fun!

Leadership requires  far more than a list of 10 qualities but for the sake of space and feedback I’ve listed a few I don’t usually see mentioned.

It goes without saying that the broad category of  communication skills is a quality I believe every leader needs to succeed so I’ve chosen not to put it on my list.  I  consider communication skills to include speaking, presenting, selling and  persuading. I did, however, include listening on my list simply because some things require emphasis.

Here’s my list:
1. Listening--and being able to ask “is there anything more?”
2. Empathy–and having a deep understanding of priorities (using the 10,10,10 method)
3. Inspiring–and developing an environment that supports motivated people
4. Courage–and the conviction to carry out intentions and tough decisions
5. Clarity of intention–and the insight to question your motives
6. Servant Leadership–and the wisdom to know what that means
7. Humor–and humility, they often travel hand-in-hand
8. Vision–and the ability to enroll your team in the journey
9. Vitality–even the physically incapacitated can possess the extraordinary mental vigor to lead
10.Confidence–not arrogance but faith in your abilities to lead

and 10+ Trustworthiness and Moral Fortitude

Your thoughts?