Agents2Change - Smart Business Thinking

All Change is personal - so put the personality back into change management

Anyone in business or part of a large organisation will not have escaped the rise and rise  of change management programs, they are everywhere.  Executives fret over doing it ‘right’ and employees fret over having it ‘done’ to them.  But ask anyone to describe what it is and we often find that there is little consensus of opinion.

It was Heraclitus that said ‘Change is the only Constant’ as we see in the ever changing seasons in nature.  And yet it is the very act of change that seems to be so difficult for organisations, and the larger the organisation, the more difficult that change appears to be.  Yet the view of the ‘status quo’ is only an illusion that we cling to.  For the organisation that you step into today is not the same as the one that you worked at yesterday, even if on the surface everything appears as it was; indefinable changes in people, processes, customers or products have occurred in the intervening hours between one dawn and the next.

We do of course have to use the logical tools of change management (roadmaps, project plans, gap analysis etc.)  to make things happen when we want to effect a change in direction or performance, but only in as much as it is the navigation tools that help us along our journey.  The real change has to happen in the hearts and minds of the individual, there has to be an intention to change for it to be successful.

 

The important dialogue that needs to occur is around some fundamental questions such as:

• What is getting in the way of us making these changes? 
• What are we holding onto in terms of core beliefs, attitudes or ritualised behaviours that gets in the way of making these changes?
• Why do our people not feel empowered to make the required changes?

 

In organisations big and small it can often come down to issues such as:

 

1. A parent to child relationship between the employer and the employee –  a ‘we tell you do’ attitude that is pervasive though every level of management
2. Blame is the default reaction to problems – there is little or no tolerance to good old fashioned human error.  In fact it is preferred that mistakes are glossed over rather than unearthed and learnings taken from them.  It is more important in this type of culture for managers and leaders to ‘save face’ rather than hold open a discussion on potential shortcomings.
3. A belief that nothing can ever go wrong – this is particularly strong in growing organisations or those that have not yet plateaued.  A feeling of invincibility pervades the culture often resulting in early warning signs being filtered out until the issues start to seriously harm internal performance or customer loyalty.

But if we view change management as an organic process, we can see a more holistic and encompassing approach to managing change; one that is based on clear simple changes at the individual level of leaders, managers and operators.  By focusing on tangible steps, new patterns of working and allowing time for reflection and tolerance for mistakes, it is possible to create the momentum for change and give people the confidence to take the risks, make the decisions and try out new and unchartered paths.  This can be done by:

• stating the reasons for change, what the journey will look like and why the destination is better than the current position and sharing this honestly with all employees in simple and engaging terms,
• giving employees every opportunity to get involved and make things happen (and that also means not overcrowding the space with external experts – speaking as one) and taking some chances on the untested talent that comes forward,
• regularly informing employees of how progress is made, sharing the good, the bad and if necessary the ugly stories, so that they understand and can continue to feel engaged in the process.

What do you think?  Have you examples of change management from your organisations or projects that you would like to share here?

Agents2Change specialises in Change Management, Implementation and Performance Management.  For more information visit us at www.agents2change.com

Is your Performance Management System up to the job?

 

Many global organisations have a very robust and well thought out performance management system.  Typically it will include technical competencies, behavioural competencies, have a rating scale and be linked to an end-year calibration process.  And yet many of these same organisations find that the results seem to add up to less than the sum of the parts. 

But surely I hear you ask, if they follow the process and set the goals, the results will follow?  But somehow the goals get watered down or become detached from the strategic intent as they trickle down through the layers of management from the CEO to the grassroots worker.   The overarching strategic goals are somehow lost in the cascade process and the year-end results fail to hit their target. 

For performance management to underpin and achieve strategic goals a more holistic approach needs to be taken, one that rewards the greater efforts of the whole and not just the a few outstanding individuals.  For example:

• To rate or not to rate – that is the (frequently asked) question.  The answer depends on your organisation and culture.  Ratings are good and do give an easy way to compare across teams and occupational groups.  But other levers could be equally useful, such as performance of profit centres, talent management processes and 360 degree appraisals. Rather than get bogged-down in the debate about whether they are needed or not, think about what data will help you to make effective decisions and reward high performers.
• Data-driven decisions – Executives cannot hope to make informed decisions about performance, reward and succession unless they have good data to support them.  Investing in a good performance management system – some of which are quite affordable with the new SaaS (Software as a Service) model, can ensure that performance is taken in the round, against variables across the organisation and linked to overall achievement of strategic goals.
• Transparency motivates performance – Some of the reasons that performance management systems fail comes down to a lack of consistent reinforcers.  If employees cannot see a clear link between performance and success and its converse – poor performance and failure, then they are less likely to go the extra mile to achieve something extraordinary.  Why should they if no one notices?  So ask yourself if the relationship between effort and reward is clear in your organisation.  If you find yourself scratching your head for the answer then it’s time to rethink your succession and promotion processes.

Performance management at its best is hard-wired into the way things are done within an organisation.  Feedback about performance is not left until the review meeting but becomes part of the natural ebb and flow of conversations.  Goals are not poorly thought out tasks to get the dreaded yearly goal setting form out of the way, but are clearly linked to what the organisation has set out to achieve.  The best performance management systems give employees a sense of purpose and room to grow and develop in their current role, whilst having their sights firmly set on their next role.  If you can say that these qualities are evident in your organisation, then it sounds like you have a performance management system that lives and breathes the values of your organisation, rather than something that is done to you. 

Agents2Change is a specialist implementation consultancy that has been improving the performance of global organisations since 2006.  For more information visit www.agents2change.com.

There are no shortcuts to good management, Silicon Valley

One of the rising trends with the silicon valley based industries has been to create a fun ‘anything-goes’ type workplace to encourage its (usually) young teams to feel relaxed, see work as fun and generally hang out with the guys in a cool, happening place.

That’s great, and I’m all for making workplaces fun and enjoyable places to be, except when this is done as a shortcut to managing people well and giving them the skills and setting them up to succeed.

But the iPhone generation is getting wise to the all bells and no whistles approach to employment and starting to realize that work stops being fun and cool when you are just not getting the nuts and bolts support to do your job.

Google, despite its reputation for being an employer of choice has an average tenure of 1.1years  according to a survey last year by Payscale.  Others are not far behind, with many of the high-tech companies failing to get an average tenure above 2 years.  This compares to an all-sectory average of at least 4 years.  Even factoring age into the equation,  (under 25’s being the most mobile workforce), we still see that something is turning more people off than on in these high-octane environments, so what is it?

The fact remains that there is no shortcut to good employment practices.  Yes of course offering employees a free iPad and an unlimited supply of Mars Bars sounds amazing.  But if that goes with unlimited work hours, unmanageable workloads and poor or just plain absent managers, then reaching for another candy bar rarely fills the gaping hole that is left.

In an era where everything needs to be cut down to 144 characters or less, management has become a cliché.  But like all industries that are on the rise in their trajectory, the plateau and the inevitable decline will come at somepoint.  And when organisations don’t have a bottom-less pit of resources, the lack of stability will hurt and cost more than can be sustained.

So as high octane as the party might feel, far better to wean off the party poppers now and start to build more sustainable, grounded organisations, that can still be agile, creative and be motivating for everyone involved.

What do you think?  Share your thoughts or comments here.

 

A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still - or the art of persuasion.

Benjamin Franklin offered this nuggest of advice on persuasion.  But can we really change someone else's mind?  

Before we even contemplate the question, we need to consider is it even valid in the first place?  

Just because someone holds a different opinion or set of beliefs to ourselves, does that really matter? Quite often we spend enormous amounts of time and energy trying to get people to come to our own way of thinking, just so we have the satisfaction of feeling right.

If after considering the question, we come to the view that, yes it does matter and we need to have a point of agreement, then we need to consider how to do this, without undermining the person concerned, or losing ourself in the activity of arguing a case.

Deepak Chopra in a recent article offers some wise advice that includes:

 

Let’s consider each of the five points a bit further.

1. Be sincere and truthful. Don't be manipulative.

You can't sell other people on something you don't actually believe in.The upshot is that you shouldn't try to be a master manipulator. It only works on weak-willed people, and in the end they are fickle allies. Rely on your listener's natural ability to detect sincerity.

 

2. Appeal to what someone else already believes. Don't impose your own belief system.

People identify with their beliefs. With that knowledge at hand, you can align yourself with their beliefs. Without that knowledge, you are throwing darts at a brick wall. If you try instead to impose your own beliefs, the other person will feel that you are making him wrong, and immediate shutdown follows.

 

3. Be aware of the other person's blind spots. Don't assume they are open-minded.

A blind spot is a fixed opinion that is so strong, the person shuts out any input to the contrary. It's the supreme example of rigid thinking. If you are self-aware, you know that you have your own blind spots - there are certain things you simply can't stand or that bring out your most stubborn reactions. Almost no one has an open mind, yes, even you; but it's a fact of practical psychology that must be considered. Your task is to avoid sensitive topics and to appeal to the part of your listener that wants to agree with you.

 

4. In general, persuade through reason, not emotion. Don't assume that emotions aren't in play, however.

One of the most confusing aspects of persuasion has to do with being reasonable. Everyone thinks they are, and decision-making is supposed to be rational. Yet psychological research has shown time and again that emotions cannot be separated from the choices we make. To be persuasive, you must argue rationally while always monitoring the emotional atmosphere. (It's worth noting too that competitive personalities regard a show of emotion as a sign of weakness - with them, you must muster all the rational reasons you can.) 

 

5. Make the other person feel right. Don't make them feel wrong.

We all feel wrong when we are judged against. We feel right when we are accepted, understood, appreciated, and approved of. If you make someone else feel accepted, you have established a genuine bond, at which point they will lower their defenses.

So if you have an important area that you need to get to a big 'yes' from a person with an opposing view, think about how you would use these skills to positions yourself better for the conversation.  Remember to put your own ego aside, become the passive listener and see how easy it can be to turn around the most staunch of opponents, always remembering to do it with a smile.

Please do share your experiences here.. or if you would like some further information on how we can support you in becoming more persuasive contact us on:  [email protected]

 

 

Look beyond the skills, see the soul

Deepak Chopra is a hugely influential figure in the fields of Leaderships, self awareness and well being.  In this article he challenges the way that we find new talent for our organisations. 

Chopra reminds us that recruitment is not just a match of skills to role, but a connection of a people to an organisation, its culture and its values.  Here he gives us some great questions to consider when next recruiting. 

 

Since my life's work has always focused on self-awareness and well being, I have made those two attributes the criterion for people I want to work with. In my course, The Soul of Leadership, I advise employers not only to get references and bios from prospective employees, but also to engage with them before hiring in creating a "Soul Profile". Here are the questions that we ask when we create a soul profile:

via www.linkedin.com  

Take a look at the full article here.  Does this resonate with you?  Are these the type of questions that you can imagine asking of your candidates.  Type a comment here.  Or if you want to know more about how we can help you to get a soul based approach to recruitment, management and leadership, contact us at [email protected]. 

Financial Alchemy for Business from Morganan Rae

Today I have the great pleasure of being the host on Day 8 of the Virtual Blog Tour of author Morgana Rae whose book Financial Alchemy: Twelve Months of Magic and Manifestation launches on Amazon on Wednesday January 23, 2013.

Morgana Rae is an internationally acclaimed life coach, speaker and author of Financial Alchemy: Twelve Months of Magic and Manifestation. Widely regarded to be the world's top Relationship with Money Coach, she has been featured on ABC-TV, PBS, NPR, FOX News Radio, United Press International and The Wall Street Journal online, and is frequently a featured expert on programs with Deepak Chopra, Marianne Williamson, John Gray, John Assaraf and T Harv Eker. Named one of 2012's Top Women in E-commerce by WE Magazine, Morgana has guided thousands of entrepreneurs, artists, healers and humanitarians to thrive in their purpose, attract more than they chase, and make things happen with ease, flow and synchronicity.

In her book, Financial Alchemy, Morgana walks you through her time-tested program to turn your personal Money Monster of scarcity into a Money Honey of abundance. The book is a self-guided system to help you uncover your limiting blocks to abundance, and transform your relationship with money using a SUCCESS FORMULA that keeps you on track and positively "magnetic".

Yesterday, Morgana visited Krystalya Marie’ at http://www.empoweredspiritinsights.com/spirituality/morgana-rae-financial-alchemy-virtual-interview/2013/%monthnum/14/, where they talked about why smart/skilled people get stuck around money, why living a charmed life is not egocentric and how money can get in the way of love. 

Today, I'd like to share with you a recent interview I had with Morgana when I got to ask her some questions on the subject of big businesses and incorporating financial alchemy.  I hope you enjoy it.

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Can organizations also attain Financial Alchemy® in the same way that individuals can? 

Morgana Rae: Yes, we can change the relationship within an organization because any organization has its own sort of flavor and its own personality.

But organizations don’t attain Alchemy in the same way an individual can, because the individual journey is so personal.

The way to change an organization’s relationship with money is through the individual relationship transformations within the organization.  It’s the only way. 

I would start at the top with the CEO, with the decision makers.  When they have a healthy relationship with money – and now I’m going to sound economic – it trickles down.  They set the tone.

If they feel confident and they feel generous and they are making good decisions based on value and integrity, it will set the tone for the whole company.  And the employees will feel more safe and follow that model. 

The way to change the organization is through the individual, by addressing individual issues of values and personal worthiness, safety, and truly bottom line, love and love-ability.   And that’s how you teach a company to make money by putting love first: work with the individuals to change their relationship with money. 

Inner change has this magical ripple effect that who you are and your own personal breakthrough will touch the lives of everybody around you.

Can companies create Money Honeys and dispel their Money Monsters?

Morgana Rae: Yes.  And again, I would do that through the individual.  Money Honeys are contagious and so are Money Monsters. 

Even after you’ve changed your own relationship with money, there are going to be things going on in the world, in the news, with family members, with other companies.  They have their own Money Monsters which can be very, very seductive.

To you need to commit to your own Money Honey--your new relationship with money that champions your value and your values. This is a personified money that brings out your best as a human being, your joy in living, your confidence, and your ability to respect others and add value to other lives.

I would not design a group Money Honey.  This is way, way, way too personal for that.  But it would be interesting to see what evolves in a culture of Alchemists--the community aspect of everybody talking the language of Money Honeys and Money Monsters.  There’s so much potential to support each other. 

When somebody comes to work, and they’ve had some personal setback, or life happens and they’re feeling off-center; it’s so wonderful to be surrounded by people who are on a healthy conscious path. Imagine being surrounded by people with a good, healthy relationship with money to reinforce a good, healthy relationship with money for yourself. 

If everybody is coming from that place, can you imagine what is possible financially for that company?  I have individual clients who are making tens of thousands of dollars within a day or two? Imagine a whole company of people with that power. Wow!

How can public sector organizations benefit from the principles behind Financial Alchemy®? 

Morgana Rae: Oh my lord!  The thing about public sector and not-for-profit organizations is they are always created from such a good, altruistic service base, very often with spiritual principles in the background.  

And the problem is that the very people who are drawn to service--because they want to give back and save the world--are also often the people with the most antagonistic relationships with money! I call this “reverse snobbery” around money. And I'm only sharing this because I’m part of the club. We’re “too spiritual” to charge. We’re “too spiritual” to talk about money.  We show contempt, fear, and disgust about money; because we’re spiritually “enlightened.” 

This anti-money prejudice is so unhealthy. It kills your ability to really serve your people if you cannot be grown up and healthy in relationship with money.  It’s really dysfunctional. So this group of people, who I will call the do-gooders of the world, have a naturally monumental Money Monster. 

We were told that loving money is the root of all evil. We don’t want to be the Bernie Madoffs and the bad guys. We took this other path.  Nobody goes into the public sector to become rich.  So what we’ve done instead is we’ve rejected money.

Financial Alchemy® creates a new relationship with money that puts love first.  There’s a way, a new way of putting money and love and service on the same team, where when you make money you’re being your best self. 

And the conflict of the greed and the scarcity, it’s out of the picture.  When I talk about loving money, I’m talking about real love, unconditional love, love as if money were a person worthy of your deepest admiration-- that has nothing to do with cash. 

Love is not greed, or theft, or stealing, or hurting people.  It’s not scarcity.  It’s not a sin.  Love is generous.  Love is healthy.  Love brings out our best. 

And if we could get every non-profit person, every public sector employee in that kind of relationship with money, based on self-respect, self-worth, and respect for others, as well as love and service and joy… can you imagine what we could do in the world if money wasn’t the bad guy anymore?

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 I hope you enjoyed this interview with Morgana Rae and that you’ll check out her book Financial Alchemy: Twelve Months of Magic and Manifestation at http://morganarae.com/book-launch/pages/pre-launch.php

 

Here's why:

 

Money, Love & Magic Telesummit!

 

11 Money, Love & Magic Mentors Share Their Wisdom on this

FR*EE 3-Day Online Event

January 15th, 16th & 17th, 2013

12pm Pacific/3pm Eastern/8pm UK

 

Book your place FREE at
http://morganarae.com/book-launch/pages/telesummit.php  

 

Over the course of 3 days, Morgana and her guests will be exploring how unlock your magical powers of manifestation to attract money effortlessly by putting LOVE first.

 

Here's Morgana's wonderful guest line-up:

 

• Morgana Rae – Coach, speaker, author of Financial Alchemy: Twelve Months of Magic and Manifestation 
• Lynn Serafinn - Coach; marketer; author of The 7 Graces of Marketing
• Bob Doyle – Author; CEO of Boundless Living, Inc.; Teacher in The Secret 
• Chris Howard – Author; philanthropist; founder/CEO Academy of Wealth & Achievement; CEO of Million Dollar Mastermind
• Noah St. John -  Author; trainer; creator Inner Game of Success; media personality
• Mali Apple & Joe Dunn – Relationship coaches; authors; founders of Soulmate Experience
• Cynthia Kersey – Author; speaker; founder non-profit UNSTOPPABLE Foundation
• Jeffrey Van Dyk –Conscious business movement leader; found Expansion Lab
• Debra Poneman – Law of Attraction leader; Founder Yes to Success Seminars
• Debbie Bermont – Author; business growth strategist; transformation agent

 

This special 3-Day telesummit is Morgana’s FR*EE gift to you

to celebrate the launch of her book, Financial Alchemy

coming out on Wednesday January 23, 2013.

Getting to grips with prioritisation

Prioritisation is a great concept when you have the space and time to do it.  The trouble for busy managers and executives is that they often don’t.  They find that their already stretched capacity continues to be spread thinner and thinner, as the responsibilities and priorities increase.  It can become a vicious circle that is very difficult to break.

 

“Jack had a demanding role as head of operations for a global manufacturing group.  He had always been good a delegating and getting things done and had worked his way up from junior management to his current role and was good at thriving under pressure and delivering against all the odds.

Lately however the demands of his peers and his directors in this matrixed organisation were becoming overwhelming.  Everything was urgent; every was a 'Strategic' initiative with a Board member behind it; and saying no was just not an option.  As a result, he and his team felt like they were working their way into the ground.”

 

Jack’s situation is not unusual, and in modern matrixed organisations, competing priorities are often evident.  But prioritisation needs two key levers in order to be most effective.  

1. It needs to be clearly linked to the company strategy.  When new lines of business or new sectors are targeted, then efforts need to be justified in terms of how they support this strategy.
2. Efforts must show a relationship to the bottom line. Strategic initiatives are almost always linked to growth, but it's not unusual for senior managers to lose sight of this; and the relationship of their teams in delivering it.  At the end of the day, or your performance year;  you will be measured as much by business performance as you will on any other target that has been set.

 

Some tips to help you with prioritisations include: 

• Ensure that your annual performance targets are clear and comprehensive.  They become your employment contract for the year ahead, so a clear and well documented set of priorities will help you when the pressure starts to build.
• Where there are priority conflicts, such as competing department goals, escalate this through the hierarchy for resolution  (up to the board if necessary) rather than getting in the cross fire with peers or functional directors.
• Always keep the consequences of non-delivery clear in your mind.  Some targets will have minimal impact, whilst others may have a major impact further down the line. Consider the inter-connectivity of some priorities, which may not be your immediate concern, but will have a major impact for other areas of the business further down the line.  If it becomes a major resource drain on your area, ensure it gets included in your annual targets.

 

If you would like to hear more about how our coaching packages can help you to become better at prioritising, contact us at:  [email protected], for a free, no obligation chat.

 

We can also provide public speaking engagements on the subject of prioritisation.  Contact us at:  [email protected].

Authentic Leaders Only - Apply Within

Authenticity is one of those words that is bandied around quite a lot these days, almost to the point where it loses credibility.  But before you are tempted to throw it in the ‘new age mumbo jumbo’ bucket, let’s just take a few minutes to consider its relevance for the modern business leader.

 

Today’s leaders are under constant pressure to perform, to engage their staff and to communicate to their shareholders.  It is far greater than anything that was experienced by leaders of the last century.  With the global economic crisis, this pressure has intensified considerably, as we see the fall of major corporations like Lehman Brothers, the finger has pointed not only to the policies and strategies of the corporation, but also the behaviours and characters of their leaders.

 

Authenticity is defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as ‘of undisputed origin’.  The word originally comes from the Greek word ‘Authentikos, meaning  'principal or genuine'.

 

If the global crisis had taught us anything it is the need to be principled and genuine in business.  Leaders of today’s global organisations need to be able to display a consistent set of behaviours and values that reflect steadfast and reliable principles in how business should be done, if they are to rebuild trust in their institutions and regain the support of their shareholders.

 

Qualities associated with Authenticity include:

 

• Being a really good listener – Authentic people know how important it is to understand and acknowledge other people’s perspectives.  This does not mean agreeing with everyone.  In fact most studies on engagement and communication show that acknowledging differences in opinion heightens rather than diminishes trust.
•  Admitting your limitations – Authentic leaders know that they are not super-human and therefore understand that creating an illusion of being all-knowing is a recipe for disaster.  Acknowledging your limitations openly has a counter-intuitive effect, in that it enhances people’s perceptions of your abilities.  Why?  Because you have displayed self awareness, one of the highest character traits for the authentic leader.
• Empowering others to be creative - Authentic leaders are really good at creating an environment of engagement and participation; it is second nature to them.  They do this because their leadership style is not driven by a power-hungry ego.  Instead, they see power, status and control coming through sharing responsibility across a wide network of players. 
• Deeds and words are in sync – perhaps the most important rule of them all for the authentic leaders is sticking to his or her word.  Reliability in actions is the ‘killer’ ingredient.  It only takes one or two slips on your promises to lose huge ground in the trust of your people. 

 

If you have some experience of authentic leaders, or the impact of not having authentic leaders, please do share your comments below.

 

If you would like to hear more about how our coaching packages can help you to become a more authentic leader, contact us at:  [email protected], for a free, no obligation chat.

 

We can also provide public speaking engagements on the subject of authenticity.  Contact us at:  [email protected].

The Rise of the Corporate Bully

One of the things that we have observed in our work is the rise of the corporate bully.  Bullying in the workplace has the same characteristics to the playground bully, and the motivations of the bully are also similar, but as they are masked in adult behaviour, they can often be ignored or even encouraged by organisations.

Why, I hear you ask, when so much evidence tells us that supportive and engaging leaders achieve more and get far greater levels of commitments than a bullying leader, would organisations encourage such behaviour?

One word – Fear.  The playground bully is a child that feels compelled to bully because he or she feels fearful.  This may be because they are not very smart in the classroom, or they observe dominant and bullying behaviours at home.  They bully to gain power and control.  They crave this because at a deeper level, at the sub conscious, they do not feel worthy of love or respect, and therefore believe that if they can’t have both, they will settle for respect, or at least what they misconstrue as respect. 

Those very same feelings that are observable in the school child of 10 or 12 years old, are virtually identical to those motivations behind the senior corporate bully.  The head of marketing who insists on humiliating under-performing team members; The Head of IT that shouts and screams when team members have missed an important deadline; The Head of Finance that forces his or her team to work late to fix accounting issues to ensure a positive report to the Board, each and every one of them is driven by an innate sense of their own unworthiness or likeability.  They mask the deep hole that these feelings bring by creating fear, distrust and keeping everyone at a distance.

But what of the bosses of these bully managers?  What motivates them to tolerate this behaviour, even if they personally do not sign up to such tactics?  The answer also brings us back to the same issue – fear.  Whilst their fear is not wedded to their sense of self, it is linked to poor organisational performance, a track record of poor delivery and a belief that something is needed to turn this around.  Often exacerbated, they turn to the corporate bully to pull everyone up by their boot-straps to ‘get us out of this mess’.  But does such a strategy work?

According to the CIPD bullying cost UK businesses over £2billion per year (2005 CIPD report).  A workplace bullying survey found that over 38% of Americans have reported bullying at work.  Corporate performance does not fare well in bullying environments.  In fact the losses may be even higher than some estimates have suggested, if we factor in reduced creativity, low morale, and increased turnover — all factors that weigh heavily on the bottom line.

Strategies to help you or your team if bullying is a factor:

• Have your targets and delegated duties written down.  If your boss has a tendency to change their mind, or blame you for not delivering something that was outside of your control, written documentation will help.  Always follow up with an email confirming your understanding of requirements.
• Find an independent mentor  (either in your department, or in another division) who can be a sounding board and the voice of wisdom when you are feeling under pressure.
• Think deeply about how important this role or this organisation is to your long term plans.  If it is very important, then start to network to build a wider span of influence beyond your immediate team to build support.  If it is not important, then start to consider your exit strategy and focus on what qualities and culture will be important in your next role.

If you are affected by these issues, website resource that might help include:

http://www.cipd.co.uk/hr-topics/bullying-harassment.aspx

http://www.bullyfreeatwork.com/blog/

http://blogs.hbr.org/research/2010/03/create-a-bullyfree-workplace.html

http://www.workplacebullying.org/individuals/problem/being-bullied/

If you would like more personal support, then we can offer confidential, focused and targeted coaching package to give you strategies to support your needs.  Contact us at:  [email protected].

 

We can also offer engaging and highly participative public speaking and seminar sessions if you would like to bring this or matters of people and performance to your corporate event.  Contact us at:   [email protected].

 

 

Virtual Teams Can Outperform Traditional Teams

We've featured the value of virtual teams in the past. Once seen as the poorer cousing to real teams, as technologies adapt, companies become more diverse and cultures merge, we see the real value that can be derived from virtual team. This article from HBR blog network, gives a great overview of how to do virtual teams well.

via blogs.hbr.org