How Supervisors Can Lead Effective Teams pp. 6-7 Positive Ways to Accept Criticism pp. 8-9

Transcription

1 LEADERSHIP Winter 2018/19 How Supervisors Can Lead Effective Teams pp. 6-7 Positive Ways to Accept Criticism pp. 8-9 Employee Burnout: How it Happens and What You Can Do to Help How and Why Supervisors Should Talk to Employees About Pay Is Your Workplace Harboring Bullies?

2 Leadership WINTER 2018/19 A word from your Account Management Team... Welcome to the Winter 2018/19 issue of Leadership! With the turn of the New Year there are often new and renewed resolutions aimed at making this year better than the last. At MINES, we believe anytime is a great time to strive for better. To help you do just that, we ve packed this issue with resources to enhance your leadership skills, help talk to your employees, prevent workplace bullying, and more. We hope these resources help you have a great 1st quarter, and as always, MINES is here if you need! This issue kicks off on page 4 talking about leading effective teams, then on page 5 we look at how and why you should talk to employees about pay. Next, the article on page 6 examines how you can tell if your workplace culture could be conducive to bullying. Page 8 looks at employee burnout and how leadership can help prevent it. Then we wrap things up with an article on positive ways to accept criticism on page 10. Workplace issues have you or your employees down? Remember that with MINES you have access to unlimited supervisor consultations and conflict management services. We are here to help. Please call us at anytime. MINES & Associates West Centennial Road Littleton, Colorado CREDITS Life Advantages - Author Delvina Miremadi 2019 How a Supervisor Can Lead an Effective Team pg. 4 How and Why Supervisors Should Talk to Employees About Pay pg. 5 Employee Burnout: How It Happens and What You Can Do to Help pp. 8-9 University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension 2019 Is Your Workplace Harboring Bullies? pp. 6-7 The Staywell Company, LLC 2019 Positive Ways to Accept Criticism pp To your health! The MINES Team

3 Total Wellbeing 2018 TotalWellbeing is your way to connect the dots between the 8 core dimensions of wellness: Physical, Occupational, Intellectual, Environmental, Financial, Social, Spiritual, and Emotional Wellness. Understanding these dimensions is the first step toward a sense of complete wellbeing. In 2018 we take ideas around wellbeing and tie them into the bigger picture, your community, and the rest of the world. It is important to understand the influence that the world has on our wellbeing and the influence we may have on others. All year we will be looking at ways to strengthen your connection with your community by providing information, insight, and resources to help on a personal level along with ways to give back to the people around you so we can all thrive together! Enhancing Awareness Inspire Wellbeing The 8 dimensions of wellbeing don t just apply to one person, they apply to everyone we know and everything we do. Social influence is a huge factor that contributes to each of our levels of wellness, but it all starts with the individual. With this in mind, our challenge to you in 2018 is to see how you can apply wellness goals and concepts to the activities you do everyday. Any time you learn something new, teach someone else and help them use it to enhance their own life! Total Wellbeing World View In 2018 we aim to build on the concept of wellbeing awareness. We will be providing resources, stories, and tools to help you see the bigger wellness picture from your community to the rest of the world. Check out our articles in this magazine and head to minesandassociates.com/newsletters to check out our monthly newsletter with even more great wellness information. Wellness Webinars Support from the experts Join MINES for any of our free monthly webinars will cover great new topics ranging from improving your credit, having a stress free summer, turning negatives to positives, and much more! Visit our website to learn more, or register for upcoming events at Is there a topic you d like to see us explore? We d love to hear from you. Shoot us an at communications@minesandassociates.com and let us know what you d like to see

4 How a Supervisor Can Lead an Effective Team By focusing on these four key areas, a supervisor works as a team leader to build a strong, productive group: Support A supervisor supports the team by recognizing individual and group performance, bringing in additional support from upper management when needed. Questions about other teams can help highlight and invite healthy discussion about individual team members strengths. Interaction Promoting social interaction among team members can help create valuable relationships and better communication within the group. Through connecting, members can see the value of one another, which leads to a better ability to work as a team. Scheduling after-work outings and team building events are good ways to generate member interaction. Goals Goals help keep the team on task. When a team leader encourages team-wide focus on a goal, the team s productivity is enhanced. Team members should be present when goals are made, and encouraged to ask questions about goals. Accomplishment By providing proper tools, work environments, scheduling, task allotment, and other methods geared to goal achievement, a supervisor can make sure that a group accomplishes what they set out to do. Good relationships with other groups can also support accomplishment; therefore it is essential for groups to have effective communication with one another. When a team leader demonstrates a commitment to these four values, team members follow suit. A team then accomplishes greater goals than individuals could alone. M A supervisor supports the team by recognizing individual and group performance, bringing in additional support from upper management when needed. 4 LEADERSHIP Winter 2018/19

5 How and Why Supervisors Should Talk to Employees About Pay It s important to talk to your employees about pay. Communicating about this issue gets a potentially uncomfortable topic out in the open, and supervisors will find that employees are happier when they feel informed about their rates of pay. To keep an employee content with his or her rate of pay, you will need to discuss a few key topics. Employees like to know: That the pay is within the salary range of their position How pay scales are established and adjusted How the pay rate was determined That all other employees wages are determined by the same structure Whether a merit-based or seniority-based system is used to determine their pay How job performance can determine their paycheck How they can increase their salary In some instances, employees may question or resent their salaries. This can happen when: Employees feel that they are not being paid equally in comparison to fellow colleagues Employees feel that supervisors aren t being up-front about compensation The best way to keep your employees happy about pay is to talk about it. Make sure that employees are kept informed about the important issues regarding their paycheck. M...supervisors will find that employees are happier when they feel informed about their rates of pay. Winter 2018/19 LEADERSHIP 5

6 Is Your Workplace Harboring Bullies? Recent research has confirmed that bullying is not just child s play. In fact, according to researchers looking at the issue in both the United States and Europe, workplace bullying could be more prevalent and cause more harm than sexual harassment. Workplace bullying refers to repeated, unreasonable actions of individuals (or a group) directed toward an employee (or group of employees), which are intended to intimidate and which create a risk to the health and safety of the employee(s). One standard often applied is the misuse of power to intimidate, degrade, offend or humiliate a worker, often in front of other employees. It can happen in person or in cyberspace. The bad news is that best-guess estimates say that nearly 40 percent of U.S. workers have experienced bullying in the workplace. In some industries (e.g., health care), the estimates are even higher. A recent study conducted by the Joint Commission for the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations found that more than 50 percent of nurses reported having experienced abusive behavior at work and more than 90 percent had witnessed it. Growing evidence also shows that the competitiveness and insecurity brought about by the recent economic downturn has caused a considerable increase in workplace bullying. Parents are learning that schoolyard bullying has much more serious consequences for students than we ever imagined. The same, it turns out, is true for workers. Being a victim of workplace bullying can cause depression, sleeplessness, increased risk of cardiovascular disease, posttraumatic stress and financial problems from missing work. Victims of workplace bullying also have reported an increase in stress at home and in their family life. There are also consequences for employers. Bullying in a workplace often leads to increased absenteeism, lost productivity, decreased employee loyalty, decreased morale, higher turnover rates, and an increase in employee grievances. In other words, this is an epidemic we should all pay attention to. Bad for the bottom line In the workplace, bullying can take many forms. Some of the most visible indicators include: Excessive monitoring or nitpicking. Shouting or humiliation. Out-of-control practical joking. Isolation of individuals from information, outings or other opportunities. 6 LEADERSHIP Winter 2018/19

7 Blaming without justification. Impossible deadlines or expectations. Undermining by not giving credit to an individual, constant negative criticism or impossible assignments. Too much power given to certain individuals or groups because of position or tenure. The message from the research is clear. If you are seeing bullying in your workplace, this is not only unhealthy for you, but unhealthy for the bottom line. Although the research hasn t caught up to the workplace, we know that children who are bystanders to bullying sometimes experience harmful effects, such as stress, depression and anxiety. The same, we can assume, may be true of workplace bystanders. Bullying is not necessarily illegal in the U.S. Many other countries have passed strict anti-bullying laws targeting both workplaces and schools. In general, a U.S. employee must prove that harassment occurred in order to get recourse from bullying. So it is up to organizations to control its spread. Among the first steps you can take is to educate yourself and your coworkers about workplace bullying. Many businesses have chosen to create zero-tolerance policies for workplace bullying. It appears to be in the best interest of every employer to pay attention to this growing phenomenon. Among the first steps you can take is to educate yourself and your coworkers about workplace bullying. Many businesses have chosen to create zerotolerance policies for workplace bullying. Others have created effective education campaigns against workplace bullying. One of the most effective anti-bullying measures that the research points to is to create an organizational culture of treating people with regard. In so doing, you will be protecting your most important organizational asset your people. Dr. Malcolm Smith is family life and family policy specialist with UNH Cooperative Extension and teaches in the University of New Hampshire Family Studies Program. M Winter 2018/19 LEADERSHIP 7

8 Employee Burnout: How It Happens and What You Can Do to Help Employee burnout happens in every workplace. Workers may start the job as enthusiastic employees, and then turn into problem people who show up late or don t show up at all. If you know of workers who have lost motivation for their jobs and show signs of apathy, they may be experiencing employee burnout. A worker can experience burnout due to a great amount of stress; this stress can be job-related, but it can also be a result of great levels of stress at home. The important thing to remember is that employee burnout can be reversed and there are things managers and employers can do to help an employee get back on track. How Does Burnout Happen? Burnout occurs when a person is placed under stress for a long time. Oftentimes, the person is physically and/or emotionally exhausted, and no longer functions like he or she used to. If an employee has been placed in a demanding situation at work or at home, the person may suffer symptoms of burnout as a result, especially if the stress is persistent and ongoing. An employee may experience burnout if he or she was passed over for a promotion or overworked without recognition, or if there is continual change in a department. An internal inability to set appropriate boundaries may also contribute to burnout. For instance, employees might bring too much work home with them. Recognizing Employee Burnout Burnout symptoms are: A change in work habit or attitude Loss of enthusiasm or motivation Absenteeism or tardiness Negative reactions or comments Emotional outbursts Health problems Drug or alcohol use 8 LEADERSHIP Winter 2018/19

9 Additionally, as an employer or supervisor, there are steps that can be taken to help avoid employee burnout affecting the workplace: If your company is downsizing, readjust workloads in creative ways. Ask employees for input, and see which tasks they would prefer to do and which tasks they would like to avoid. Give ample notice about changes in positions or tasks. If downsizing has occurred, firm up schedules to give a sense of routine and continuity. Redistribute workloads if employees seem overwhelmed. Listen to employees and try to counsel them the best you can. Pay attention to what motivates each individual employee and utilize that when assigning projects. Understand your personality style and be aware of how that can play a role with individual employee communication. Schedule after-work events to boost employees spirits. Refer employees to resources provided by your Employee Assistance Program (EAP). M Don t forget that with MINES EAP you get unlimited management and HR consultations, conflict management, and workplace performance referrals. Call us today to utilize these services! Winter 2018/19 LEADERSHIP 9

10 Positive Ways to Accept Criticism Do you hate being criticized even when you know you ve made a mistake? If so, it s no wonder -- criticism can make people feel incompetent, angry and just plain awful. How do you, personally, respond to criticism? Do you make excuses or lash back with criticism? This fight-or-flight response is natural and common, but it isn t very productive. It cuts off communication, often just when it s needed most, says Jean Lebedun, Ph.D., author of the video program The Art of Criticism -- Giving and Taking. Many supervisors don t give criticism in a tactful manner. Nevertheless, you should accept criticism so you can learn from your mistakes. But don t fret; it ll be easier when you use Dr. Lebedun s 4-A Formula -- Anticipate, Ask questions, Agree with something and Analyze. Anticipate Accept the fact that everyone makes mistakes and that you ll probably be criticized for yours. That way, criticism won t come as a surprise. You anticipate criticism by asking yourself, What can I learn from this criticism? Then, whenever you feel yourself growing defensive or getting angry, you repeat the question What can I learn? advises Dr. Lebedun. Here s another way to anticipate: Take the wind out of the sails of criticism by admitting your mistake first, before your supervisor has an opportunity to say anything to you. This makes your supervisor s job easier and makes you appear more professional. When faced with criticism, most people focus on the part of the negative feedback that may not be true and ignore the rest. This doesn t solve any problems, and you don t learn anything. Ask questions Many times, people who criticize are letting off steam and may be exaggerating the problem. This is especially true when the criticism contains the words always and never. Therefore, it s important to pinpoint the criticism by asking questions like these: What part of the report didn t you like? What aspect of my attitude makes life at work difficult for you? Could you give me an example? Asking questions accomplishes two things: It gives you specific information on how you can improve, and it teaches people they ll have to be specific when they criticize you. 10 LEADERSHIP Winter 2018/19

11 Agree with something When faced with criticism, most people focus on the part of the negative feedback that may not be true and ignore the rest. This doesn t solve any problems, and you don t learn anything. When you agree with one part of the criticism, you become open to learning. An easy way to agree is to say something like this: You might be right; my report doesn t have all the details. You don t have to agree with everything; even agreeing with one small aspect of the criticism will create an atmosphere of teamwork, says Dr. Lebedun. The focus then can become how you ll work together to solve a problem, which will lessen your feeling of being attacked. Analyze Finally, take a break and evaluate what you ve heard. You need time to process the information, determine if it s a valid criticism and decide what you ll do to solve the problem or correct the mistake. If this is a complaint you ve heard repeatedly, you should think about what you can learn from the situation so it doesn t happen again. The benefits of the 4-A Formula are that you ll look for solutions rather than excuses and you ll be in control of your emotions, Dr. Lebedun says. You ll also appear more professional. M Anticipate, Ask, Agree, Analyze Winter 2018/19 LEADERSHIP 11

12 A note to Supervisors... From time to time, situations arise when a supervisor is not sure how to respond to a particular behavior. The Employee Assistance Program is available on a 24/7 basis for consultation on issues such as: referring an employee to the EAP, how best to respond to and manage difficult behavior in the workplace, and whether training or some other form of group intervention (such as an organizational intervention or a conflict resolution) may be helpful for a particular situation. The EAP can serve as an ally to anyone who is working with a troubled employee. 24/7 supervisor consultation regarding problems in the workplace Assessment of behavioral risk on the job Return-to-Duty conferences Advisory services in writing, revising, and implementing policies Supervisor and Manager training Unlimited formal Work Performance Referrals Coaching for management and leadership skills Conflict resolution for supervisor-employee problems MINES believes that employees are an organization s most valuable resource. Your EAP is always available to provide you and your employees with support. The MINES Team Questions? Reach us at