2010-2 Leadership Summer by Ryan Lucas

Leadership Quarterly Supervisor Magazine: Summer 2010

In This Issue: Learning to Delegate Conducting Performance Reviews How to Stop Office Gossip

Communicating Diplomatically 10 Tips for Stress Management Quiz: Coaching vs. Counseling

You Can’t do it All

Learning to Delegate

There is not a single management skill more critical to your personal and professional success as an entrepreneur than learning to delegate.

here is much more to delegating than meets the eye. It does not mean to simply hand out assignments. It is a science and an exercise in understanding one’s self. Some of us have been lucky enough to find our strengths and at the same time recognize areas traditionally referred to as weaknesses. It takes mammoth strength to let go and say, “OK, this is not my area of expertise and here is where I need help. This is how I will get this help.” Often, there are things we wish we were good at but somehow cannot seem to grasp (not for lack of intellectual ability, but for lack of experience/exposure). We must learn to accept this fact. In this fast-paced world we live in, we must choose what it is we wish to conquer and what we need to let go of. An artful business person learns what he/she does best and does that to the best of his/her ability. He/She lives it, breathes it, and sleeps it. It is a passion. The rest can be left to someone else. Unfortunately, that someone else does not just appear from thin air. Networking or relationship building, as it is referred to 90’s style, is the initial key component of delegating.

You need to determine how your time would best be spent. For example, as a fundraiser, I know that in a given month, I can raise $X with uninterrupted, focused time. At the same time, I also want to publish a newsletter and send it out to my budding clientele. I have no experience creating a newsletter. While all of the software is at my fingertips, the question is, do I really have time to learn it? I ask myself, “Should I learn the newsletter software and design my own newsletter or should I spend $X and hire a designer who already knows the software and just supply the content?” Better yet, I could ask a local graphic designer to barter their services, but how do I find the local skilled person to barter with? You can find this person through networking and relationship building. The key is to determine what you need to know, want to know, must know, and already know. Keep lists with these headings to remind you of these things. It is a great feeling to cross things off your list.

Becoming an Expert

Jack of all trades, master of none. The old adage holds a lot of weight in today’s entrepreneurial environment. No one can possibly run a small business alone. I know this because I have tried. Know what you do and do it the best you can. I recently started a small business. I could never have gotten it off the ground without the help of a CPA, lawyer, graphic designer, and administrative assistant. My expertise lies in the areas of people skills, marketing, and fundraising. I realized from the start that if I attempted to be anything but those things to my business, the long-term success of the business was doomed. I set out immediately to find the experts I needed. It is important to surround yourself with competent individuals who have complimentary areas of expertise. Choose carefully and wisely and be ready to compensate these individuals for a job well done. In some cases, I was able to defer payment until the business took off. In other cases, I made long-term promises such as potential employment if and when the business was viable. When I was really lucky, I bartered. In fact, in most cases I bartered. Payment need not always come in the form of dollars. Remember your area of expertise and be ready to trade it for what you need. When bartering you need to follow a few simple rules: be nice and respectful, send thank you notes, and recognize those individuals who have helped you both publicly and privately. In doing so, you will gain respect and be known as someone who gets the job done.

the process and progress frequently. The same applies to the newsletter example mentioned above. As with everything, there are risks associated with delegating.

Do not Over-Delegate

Excessive delegating can lead to disaster. Overburdening others and excessively monitoring their progress are habits of an excessive delegator. A completely hands-off approach will not do, either. Not being a CPA is no excuse for not understanding the budget of your company. You must understand how the budget works and why and be accountable for it. You must also be able to communicate this information to your board of directors, shareholders, creditors, and, depending on your business, even your customers. Most importantly, you must understand how the critical pieces of your business fit together to form the whole so you can make sound and effective business decisions. Should you not understand these processes, you run the risk of losing control. Losing control has a domino effect; when the quality of goods and services becomes compromised, customer satisfaction quickly falls.

One Last Note

It is nice to want to do all the work yourself. For one thing, on the surface, it appears that it will save you money. However, time is also money, and your time is valuable. If you can not pay cash, try to negotiate a fee or a share of future profits, or my own personal favorite, barter. Just do not try to do it all alone! Business.gov ©2010

When you are an expert, people will come to you in need of your talent. Be prepared to use it. Be proud of your skill and share it.

The Power of Delegating

It is quite liberating once you really do let go and put your trust in other people. The key here is to identify good people, enlist them in your cause or business, give them the ball, and then allow them to run with it. Only you will determine if the ball gets dropped. You must manage and oversee the game on a consistent basis. You must give the right ball to the best possible player. For example, you would not hire a person with an associate’s degree in accounting to do the job of a CPA. Likewise, a CPA needs certain facts to achieve the task of budgeting and forecasting cash flow for your business. You need to supply him/her with the necessary information to get the job done. You must understand the process and know what you need the outcome to be. You must also communicate these objectives clearly and monitor the progress. Set meeting times for updates and a time line for completion. Review

don’t try an impossible balancing actknow when to ask for help.

Conducting Performance Reviews Most employees are nervous when faced with a performance review. If a performance review is to be effective, it must be conducted in a positive, reassuring tone that emphasizes goals for continued improvement and development of potential. Advance Preparation

Do your homework to set the stage for a successful review. • Review employee records. • Get data on performance. • Note specific examples of performance to address. • Make an appointment: private, interruptionfree, a week in advance. • Give the employee some questions to consider in advance, such as: • What were your biggest achievements during this period? • What improvement would you most like to make? • What would help you make that improvement? • Are there any questions or concerns that you’d like to share?

During the Meeting

• Review the agenda. • Emphasize the purpose: to help employees work as closely as possible to their potential. Explain that you will spend some time discussing strategies for continued development and improvement. • Set the employee at ease: if the employee is nervous, engage in general discussion until the signs of nervousness (rigid posture, highpitched voice, limited response) subside. • Use specific examples when discussing the employee’s behavior. • Go beyond numbers: employees are more likely to accept the 1-5 rankings on the typical evaluation form if you have given qualitative feedback in each category.

Helpful Tips

• Be supportive. • Encourage conversation by restating the employee’s opinions and by asking for more information. • Be open to new information. • Ask appropriate questions, such as: • What parts of your job do you enjoy the most? Why? • What do you see as your major strengths? • What else would you like to talk about? • Limit questions that have a yes or no answer.

Ending the Discussion

• Emphasize your support for continued improvement. • Check employee’s understanding: ask for a summary of the key points. • Make sure the employee understands performance requirements for the coming period. • End on a positive note.

Following the Meeting

• Summarize for the record. Have the employee review the summary. • Complete administrative details, such as forms and reports, immediately, while your memory is fresh. • Keep commitments, if you promised to do something or provide information for the employee. • Get employee feedback on effectiveness of the evaluation meeting.

HAVE YOU HEARD? How to Stop Office Gossip

If you’ve been the victim of office gossip, you know it can be both cruel and destructive. Such malicious gossip has shattered many people’s lives and careers. Gossip is a type of verbal terrorism. “To destroy somebody’s good name, is to commit a kind of murder,” says Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, author of “Words That Hurt, Words That Heal.”

What is Gossip?

job performance can be devastating to that employGossip is anything negative you say about someone ee’s career. to someone else -- whether the information is true or false. Some people, however, believe it’s OK to talk Why People Gossip about others if what they say is true. While it’s legal to Spreading secret information, especially something spread truthful information about someone, it is gos- negative, makes people feel important. It also adds a sip, and unethical. bit of intrigue to the same old boring workday. “For most of us, exchanging critical evaluations about others is far more interesting and enjoyable than exchangGossip Ruins Lives Obviously, gossip causes damage because it can ruin a ing good news,” explains Rabbi Telushkin. person’s reputation. Spreading rumors about someone else’s personal life can lead to the breakup of a mar- Another Type of Gossip- Complaining riage and family. Talking negatively about someone’s This type of gossip happens all the time at work. One

employee gets mad at another employee, so the disgruntled person complains to a third party to vent his or her feelings. This type of office triangle damages companies for the following reasons: Nothing gets resolved between the two angry employees. A third person becomes involved and must take sides. Pretty soon the entire office gets caught up in an undercurrent of damaging gossip, with everyone choosing sides. The resulting tension lowers office morale and affects employee productivity.

What You Can Do About Office Gossip

If you’re the target of gossip, or if office gossip is a general problem, ask your supervisor to create an office policy on it. Management should announce the policy at a staff meeting or in a written directive all employees must sign. The policy should spell out that: • Gossip about anyone’s personal life or work life is unacceptable. • If two employees can’t resolve a problem between themselves, they should each write down the problem and possible solutions and submit it to their supervisor. The supervisor can then meet with the two employees and help resolve the problem. • An employee upset with a supervisor should talk directly with the supervisor and not with anyone else. • Employees who violate the rules will suffer consequences, which should be clearly noted.

What if You’ve Done It?

Notice how often your talk unintentionally drifts toward discussion of other people. Next, notice how often you’re a willing recipient of gossip. If you listen to gossip, you’re guilty, as well. A listener must complete the gossip connection. “If you have publicly said something cruel and regret it, call the victim of your remarks immediately and apologize,” advises Rabbi Telushkin. “Gossip spreads like wildfire, and you have no control over which direction it heads or how much damage it leaves in its path.”

“For most of us, exchanging critical evaluations about others is far more interesting and enjoyable than exchanging good news.” - Rabbi Joseph Telushkin

Communicating Diplomatically No matter how difficult it may be to communicate certain information, you can make it easier if you follow five simple recommendations. These tips are not steps in a sequence; they interact with each other. Using them when you communicate can help you build the alliances and achieve the results you need at work.

Plan Ahead

another person or group of people. • Make sure you understand exactly what you • Choose jokes or anecdotes that everyone can rewant to say and why. You’ll be more confident in late to. your communication and better able to explore the options you’ll be discussing. Allow Enough Time • Make an outline of the key points. Issues resolved merely to meet a deadline rarely stay • If appropriate, ask others involved in the discus- resolved. sion to prepare for the specific topics they need • Avoid pushing others to give or receive informato discuss. tion or make decisions faster than is comfortable • Get background information on the people for them. you’re dealing with, and take their viewpoints • Allow enough time to cover the subject. into consideration. • If the discussion requires more time than you planned for, set another time to continue the Take a Seat discussion. Throughout history, people have stood to fight and sat down to negotiate. Sitting down invites people to slow Really Listen down, consider carefully what they say and go into Good communication requires good listening. But it’s greater depth. not enough to listen just once.

Remember Your Sense of Humor

The need to communicate often results from unresolved tensions that make everyone anxious. A little humor breaks the tension and brings people together. • Be careful to avoid humor that’s directed against

• Keep listening, even when you think you understand what’s being said. Deeper levels of meaning may emerge during your conversation. Repeat to the other person in your own words what you feel he or she is trying to say to make sure you got it right: “I believe you are saying...” Parity International 2010

10 Tips for Stress Management

Exercise Regularly.

Physical activity plays a key role in reducing and preventing the effects of stress. Make time for at least 30 minutes of exercise, three times per week. Nothing beats aerobic exercise for releasing pent-up stress and tension.

Eat a Healthy Diet.

Well-nourished bodies are better prepared to cope with stress, so be mindful of what you eat. Start your day right with breakfast, and keep your energy up and your mind clear with balanced, nutritious meals throughout the day.

Reduce Caffeine and Sugar.

The temporary “highs” caffeine and sugar provide often end with a crash in mood and energy. By reducing the amount of coffee, soft drinks, chocolate, and sugar snacks in your diet, you’ll feel more relaxed and you’ll sleep better.

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Get Enough Sleep.

Adequate sleep fuels your mind, as well as your body. Feeling tired will increase your stress because it may cause you to think irrationally.

Set Aside Relaxation Time.

Include rest and relaxation in your daily schedule. Don’t allow other obligations to encroach. This is your time to take a break from all responsibilities and recharge your batteries.

Connect With Others.

Spend time with positive people who enhance your life. A strong support system will buffer you from the negative effects of stress.

Do Something You Enjoy Every Day. Make

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time for leisure activities that bring you joy, whether it be stargazing, playing the piano, or working on your bike. Keep Your Sense of Humor. This includes the ability to laugh at yourself. The act of laughing helps your body fight stress in a number of ways.

Don’t try to Control the Uncontrollable.

Many things in life are beyond our control— particularly the behavior of other people. Rather than stressing out over them, focus on the things you can control such as the way you choose to react to problems.

Learn How to Say “No”. Know your limits and stick to them. Whether in

your personal or professional life, refuse to accept added responsibilities when you’re close to reaching them. Taking on more than you can handle is a surefire recipe for stress. http://helpguide.org/mental/stress_management_relief_coping.htm

Coaching and Counseling Quiz Every manager needs to be both a coach and a counselor. Coaching involves working with an employee to overcome their barriers to effective job performance. Counseling involves helping employees work with personal problems or decisions that may affect their job performance.

Are you clear about the differences between coaching and counseling?

Try this quiz. Each of these situations requires coaching or counseling. Put a check mark in the column you feel best fits the situation. Some items may require both, depending on the situation. COACHING

COUNSELING

1. An employee faces a new work experience. 2. An employee has a personal problem requiring support. 3. A new job skill is required. 4. There is a need to explain standards of the work unit. 5. An employee has a conflict with a peer. 6. Persistent performance problems occur in spite of a training review. 7. You are new to a group. 8. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re teaching a new job skill. 9. An employee needs reinforcement for good performance. 10. Many coworkers are laid off. 11. An employee needs to develop self-control 12. An employee has been promoted and is unsure of her ability. 13. An employee has had a death in the family. 14. On-the-job performance is below standard. 15. An employee is suffering from stress. 16. Departmental goals or work conditions have changed. 17. A follow-up to a training session is needed. 18. An employee shares a personal problem. 19. An employee is disappointed in her new job. 20. Performance reviews are coming up. 21. An employee is faced with a lack of career opportunity in the organization. 22. The business is experiencing salary freezes and an uncertain future. 23. An employee needs help with work priorities. 24. An employee asks for help in preparing for future career goals. 25. An employee asks for a more challenging work assignment. KEY: Counseling situations: 2, 6, 10, 11, 13, 18, 21, 22; Coaching situations: 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 16, 17, 20, 23, 24, 25; Could be either, depending on circumstances: 5, 12, 14, 15, 19.

Parlay International ÂŠ2010

A Supervisor’s Guide To Employee Assistance Programs From time to time, situations arise when a supervisor is not sure how to respond to a particular behavior. The EAP 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

• Supervisor and manager training • Unlimited formal work performance referrals

• Assessment of behavioral risk on the job • Return-to-Duty conferences

• Coaching for management and leadership skills

• Advisory services in writing, revising, and implementing policies

• Conflict resolution for supervisor-employee problems

Toll-Free: 800-873-7138 • www.minesandassociates.com