Leadership Summer 2018

LEADERSHIP Summer 2018

Getting Along with a New Boss pp. 6-7 Workplace Violence pp. 8-9

Helping Employees with Personal and On-the-Job Problems How to Be Assertive, Not Aggressive at Work Remember: Call MINES for questions and support anytime!

Leadership Summer 2018

A word from your Account Management Team...

Welcome to the Summer 2018 issue of Leadership!

Summer can be productive and fun, other times it can be hot and grueling. As a supervisor or manager, it can be hard to keep things on the productive side when you have to take care of your employees while managing your own priorities, which is why we’ve packed this issue with articles to help balance your efforts to support others as well as yourself. We hope these resources help you keep your cool this summer, and as always, MINES is here if you need!

This issue we start off with two articles to help your employees with both on-the-job and personal issues because we all know one affects the other. Next, even if you’re a boss, chances are you have a boss yourself and sometimes, especially with new bosses, it can be tough to see eye-to-eye. To help with this, head to page 6 for tips on getting along with a new boss. To get along with everyone else, while also excelling, look at the article on page 10 to help keep your levels of aggressiveness and assertiveness in harmony. And finally, while it’s not very fun to think about, now more than ever it is imperative that you have a good workplace violence policy in place.

Check out page 8 for some key elements on the subject, and don’t forget to access your unlimited management consultations for help with policy development and review.

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 1-800-873-7138 anytime.

To your health!

– The MINES Team

MINES & Associates 10367 West Centennial Road Littleton, Colorado 80127 800.873.7138 www.MINESandAssociates.com

. . . . . . . . Credits . . . . . . .

Life Advantages - Author Delvina Miremadi © 2018 Helping Employees with On-the-Job Problems pg. 4 Helping Employees with Personal Problems pg. 5 The Staywell Company, LLC © 2018 Getting Along with a New Boss pp. 6-7 Workplace Violence pp. 8-9 How to Be Assertive, Not Aggressive at Work pp. 10-11

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. 2018 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 www.minesandassociates.com/webinar.

Is there a topic you’d like to see us explore? We’d love to hear from you.

Shoot us an e-mail at communications@minesandassociates.com and let us know what you’d like to see.

www.MINESandAssociates.com | 800.873.7138

Helping Employees with On-the-Job Problems Problems in the workplace are common, yet when they go unresolved they can become very distracting. Counseling your employees is an effective way to help resolve conflicts and remove some of the on-the-job stress they can create. When something goes wrong and an employee is struggling to work through the issue, giving him or her a listening ear is often the best thing you can do. In turn, your employees will be more focused on the task at hand and better able to do their jobs. By being a counselor, you can help boost morale and enthusiasm, and also increase quality of work and productivity.

When counseling an employee

Listen Carefully: Listen to the person without judgment. Try to understand his or her perspective, and aim to listen with empathy.

Share Your Story: After you’ve listened to the person’s experience, think about times you went through a similar problem.

This shows employees that their feelings about the situation are normal, and they aren’t alone in the way they feel. For instance, when you say, “I remember when I was turned down for a promotion I really wanted…” or, “I remember once when I didn’t put my best foot forward in a meeting either…” you can help ease some stress in showing you understand.

Suggest Looking Forward: Invite the employee to think about what has been learned from the experience. Note that the experience gave valuable information to help the person move forward with new knowledge. Ask how he or she can avoid the same problem in the future and how this new knowledge can help the employee achieve their goals.

Refrain from Giving Advice: Giving advice can backfire. If you suggest doing a certain thing, and the outcome isn’t what you said, the employee could feel angry, hurt, or even more disappointed. Instead, ask employees what they think is the best thing to do. Listen to their reasoning, and invite them to choose what they think is best.

Motivate the Employee: Don’t accept excuses for poor performance during this time. Tell employees that it’s important to maintain reasonable performance in spite of the problem.

Help Locate Other Counseling Avenues: If your employee is still distraught and the problem appears more serious, help the person locate professional counselors or referrals. Check with your Human Resources Department to find out what your company provides or suggests. MINES, your Employee Assistance Program is a great place to start.

Follow Up: After some time has passed and your employee has had a chance to recoup, check back in. Reinforce the individual’s progress with praise and enthusiasm. Ask if the employee is considering any further steps toward resolving the problem. If little or no improvement has been made, see if disciplinary or other procedures are necessary. Talk with the person about how the future looks from here. M

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Helping Employees with Personal Problems When large life events occur in an employee’s personal life, they find that it will affect their work as well. Suppose you notice that one of your employees who used to be consistently on time, productive, and jovial, is now consistently late, sad, and apathetic. When you see a drastic change in an employee’s attitude or performance, there may be a non-job-related problem that’s affecting him or her. As an employer, you can help your employee work through their problems so that he or she can get back to being an effective team member.

Investigate the choices your employees have: • Can they take time off with pay to handle an at-home problem?

• Are there policies or resources at your company that help with drug or alcohol addiction? Again, an Employee Assistance Program is a great resource here.

• Are counseling services or referrals (for fee-based and non-fee-based agencies) available from your company? Again, your Employee Assistance Program is a gret option here. Call MINES for more information.

• Does your personnel officer or human resources department suggest any further options?

Stay aware as you are helping an employee through his or her problem: • keep in touch

• monitor progress and give them support

• ask how he or she is doing, and help with further counseling if needed

• determine what your expectations are, and when you expect the employee to return to full productivity • decide what you’ll do if the job performance is still unsatisfactory after a certain period of time

Be helpful but firm

Be helpful towards employees, but after a reasonable time period, if the employee still has a decreased productivity, you may have to excuse the employee. M

Summer­2018 Leadership

5

Getting Along With a New Boss There’s probably never a better time to make a good first impression or a worse time to end up on the wrong side of the fence than your first few encounters with a new boss.

“This is a critical time in your career,” says Jim DeSena, president of Performance Achievement Systems Inc. in Merritt Island, Fla., and author of The 10 Immutable Laws of Power Selling. “Treat your new boss as if he or she were a customer, and you’ll find you get a lot better results because many times people are a lot more patient with a customer than with someone in their company.”

Mr. DeSena suggests you also take the following critical steps to get along with a new boss.

Align your goals “Your new boss may have different goals than your previous boss, so it’s important you understand what your boss wants to accomplish,” says Mr. DeSena.

It’s up to you to communicate with your boss to learn his or her goals. Then it’s your job to get behind these goals 100 percent. “Unless you’re asked, don’t say things such as, ‘We’ve always done it this way.’ Your boss may have been hired to make changes.”

Adapt your style It’s possible that your new boss has a very different way of working than your previous boss.

“Once you get into a pattern of working with someone, and then you get a new boss, it’s often a very difficult adjustment,” says Mr. DeSena.

To help with the transition, ask how your boss wants to be kept informed about your progress on projects.

If he or she wants a lot of details, and wants to know everything, you may feel like he or she doesn’t trust you if your previous boss was more inclined to let you turn in a finished product.

“Arrange a daily or weekly meeting just to say, ‘Here’s what I’m working on, and here’s the progress I’ve made,’ “ says Mr. DeSena. “The reason your boss wants the details is to feel assured things are OK.”

If your boss wants little or no detail, all he or she wants to know is that it’s going to be done on time. A boss with this style will likely say something like, “Here’s what we’re going to do, and here’s when it needs to be done. Got it? Great! I’ll see you when it’s done, or let me know when there’s a problem.”

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Leadership Summer 2018

In this case, if you’re accustomed to giving a lot of information, you may feel like your new boss doesn’t care about you and doesn’t want to understand what you’re involved with.

“This person prefers you find solutions to most of your problems,” says Mr. DeSena. “Go to your boss only when there’s something you can’t solve. Be short and to the point. If your boss requests more, then you can provide it.”

Make your goals clear Tell your boss about your job goals and career aspirations, so your new boss knows which direction you’d like to go.

“Don’t do this too early, but don’t wait too long, either,” says Mr. DeSena. “Choose an appropriate time within the first month or two.”

This is also a good time to mention something special you’re working toward, such as a master’s degree or advanced computer training. Doing so will give your boss an opportunity to put you to work on projects that will put your skills to good use.

Look for the positive Try to learn ahead of time what the boss is like so you’re not surprised. If he or she has managed a different department, try to find out his or her work style. Ask about his or her positive qualities so you can focus on the best in your new boss. M

“Align... Adapt... Make Your Goals Clear... Look for the Positive.

It’s up to you to communicate with your boss to learn his or her goals.

Then it’s your job to get behind these goals 100 percent.”

Summer 2018 Leadership 7

Workplace Violence

What is workplace violence?

Workplace violence is any act or threat of physical violence, harassment, intimidation, or other threatening disruptive behavior that occurs at the work site. It ranges from threats and verbal abuse to physical assaults and even homicide. It can affect and involve employees, clients, customers and visitors. Homicide is currently the fourth-leading cause of fatal occupational injuries in the United States. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI), of the 4,547 fatal workplace injuries that occurred in the United States in 2010, 506 were workplace homicides.

Homicide is the leading cause of death for women in the workplace. However it manifests itself, workplace violence is a major concern for employers and employees nationwide.

Who is at risk of workplace violence?

Nearly 2 million American workers report having been victims of workplace violence each year. Unfortunately, many more cases go unreported. The truth is, workplace violence can strike anywhere, anytime, and no one is immune. Research has identified factors that may increase the risk of violence for some workers at certain worksites. Such factors include exchanging money with the public and working with volatile, unstable people. Working alone or in isolated areas may also contribute to the potential for violence. Providing services and care, and working where alcohol is served may also impact the likelihood of violence. Additionally, time of day and location of work, such as working late at night or in areas with high crime rates, are also risk factors that should be considered when addressing issues of workplace violence. Among those with higher risk are workers who exchange money with the public, delivery drivers, healthcare professionals, public service workers, customer service agents, law enforcement personnel, and those who work alone or in small groups.

“In most workplaces where risk factors can be identified, the risk of assault can be prevented or minimized... One of the best protections employers can offer their workers is to establish a zero-tolerance policy toward workplace violence. �

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Leadership Summer 2018

How can workplace violence hazards be reduced?

In most workplaces where risk factors can be identified, the risk of assault can be prevented or minimized if employers take appropriate precautions. One of the best protections employers can offer their workers is to establish a zero-tolerance policy toward workplace violence. This policy should cover all workers, patients, clients, visitors, contractors, and anyone else who may come in contact with company personnel.

By assessing their worksites, employers can identify methods for reducing the likelihood of incidents occurring. OSHA believes that a well written and implemented Workplace Violence Prevention Program, combined with engineering controls, administrative controls, and training can reduce the incidence of workplace violence in both the private sector and Federal workplaces.

This can be a separate workplace violence prevention program or can be incorporated into an injury and illness prevention program, employee handbook, or manual of standard operating procedures. It is critical to ensure that all workers know the policy and understand that all claims of workplace violence will be investigated and remedied promptly. In addition, OSHA encourages employers to develop additional methods as necessary to protect employees in high risk industries.

Where can I get information on workers’ rights and employers’ responsibilities?

This information can help you properly prepare to eliminate or reduce the likelihood of violence at your workplace. For other valuable worker protection information, such as Workers’ Rights, Employer Responsibilities and other services OSHA offers, read OSHA’s Workers page. M

Editors note: If you want someone to review your workplace violence policy or need a consult to help develop or update your policy your EAP can help! Call your MINES account manager to access unlimited manager consultation services.

Summer 2018 Leadership 9

How to Be Assertive, Not Aggressive at Work

Are you reluctant to speak up when you’re being treated unfairly at work? You don’t have to suffer in silence. You can learn how to assert yourself without jeopardizing your job.

“Assertiveness isn’t complaining about what you don’t like, it’s requesting what you would like,” says communication expert Sam Horn, author of Tongue Fu: How to Deflect, Disarm and Defuse Any Verbal Conflict.

Seek balance

Many employees can’t decide about when it’s appropriate to speak up. They have mixed feelings. “Am I being selfish?” “Do I have a right to complain?”

“When people don’t speak up, it’s because they really don’t have clarity about their right to speak up,” states Mr. Horn. “You can get clarity in making the decision about when it’s appropriate to speak up by picturing an old-fashioned scale of justice with its two interconnected scales.”

Because the scales are connected, when you put a weight on one it goes down and the other one rises. The success of any relationship depends on whether the scale is kept in balance.

Therefore, if managers think only of what they want and disregard the needs of employees, over time it will be an unequally weighted relationship. Likewise, if employees think only of their own wants and not what the company needs, the scale also will be unbalanced, and it won’t be an effective relationship.

For example, a typical complaint of employees is being asked to work overtime. If it’s a one-time request or an unusual occurrence, the scale will still be in balance, and it’s appropriate for you to go along with the request and stay late, even if it’s inconvenient, without speaking up about it.

If it’s an ongoing occurrence, however, and you’re continually being asked to work overtime, then the scale gets overweighed on the manager’s side, and it’s appropriate for you to speak up for yourself.

Avoid aggressive language

An aggressive person will attack using “you” language. “You’re asking me to work late all the time and it’s not fair.” “You should be more considerate.” The word “you” makes it attacking, aggressive language.

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Leadership Summer 2018

Use assertive language Instead of complaining about the past and what you don’t like, Mr. Horn suggests you use these three assertiveness strategies: 1. Use the word I instead of You. 2. Focus on the future.

3. Request or suggest what you would like.

In one sentence state the facts, and then state what you want. Use the word “and” in your sentence as a bridge to what you want in the future, instead of the word “but,” even though it may seem awkward to you. The word “but” is adversarial and invites an argument.

“By being assertive, you’re not attacking the person or selfishly asking to leave early,” says Dr. Horn. “You’re keeping your service to others and yourself in balance.”

Here’s an example of an assertive response to the overtime situation: “In the past couple of weeks I’ve been asked to work late several times, and I was happy to do that because I understood that we were short staffed, AND starting next week I will be coaching my daughter’s little league [or other reason], and I will need to leave by 5:30.”

“By being assertive, you’re not attacking the person or selfishly asking to leave early,” says Dr. Horn. “You’re keeping your service to others and yourself in balance.”

Always speak up

Not speaking up and hoping the situation will get better is a losing proposition.

“If you’re unhappy about a situation, and you haven’t spoken up about it, you’re equally responsible for it,” says Dr. Horn. “By using assertiveness techniques, you can stand up for yourself without stepping on toes.” M

Summer 2018 Leadership 11

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 800.873.7138 | www.MINESandAssociates.com