What´s Bothering Managers?
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Where do we begin? Tired of playing `piggy in the middle´?
They cop flack from both sides – upper management and the people they `manage´. Tired of being one of the first to blame when things go wrong?
Frustrated by the lack of back up and support from the upper echelons who expect them to perform the daily miracles required to produce excellent results?
They don the title of Manager or Supervisor and suddenly they are expected to know all about Human Resource issues, communication, handling people, Unions, etc.
One day they are `the best´ at whatever they do and on the strength of that, chosen for promotion. The next day they are the Manager, still the best at whatever it is they do, but no further ahead with the knowledge they need to succeed in their new position.
Do they complain and possibly risk losing their new hard-worked-for position or the respect of upper levels of management?
Or do they struggle on doing the best they can? As individuals, they can seek further training in their own time to learn effective people handling skills, and many managers do this.
However, if you take an honest look at an overall Organization, you´ll probably find many departmental Heads in the same position – good at what they do, but lacking the skills needed for effective `management´.
So when does the responsibility for further training become an Organizational issue and not an individual issue?
For those with their eyes on a promotion, it would be in their best interests to have this training now. Then, when they are the best at what they do AND they have the skills necessary to be effective Managers and Supervisors, they have a lot more to offer a Company.
For those who have already been thrust into the position of Supervisor or Manager, it is the company´s responsibility to ensure they have all the tools and training necessary in order for them to perform their duties effectively.
One step Managers can take to make their job easier is to take a long hard look at their own areas of weakness.
Be honest. Brainstorm with your department and ask for their honest opinions – make it clear that this is not a blame apportioning exercise and that opinions shall be treated with respect.
Instead of feeling that one is on their own in the improvement stakes, make it a departmental responsibility.
What can everyone do to ensure your department runs more smoothly and easily? Create a focus on what is already working and build from there.
For those things which definitely are not working, brainstorm as a team.
Ask your workforce what they need from you in order to do their jobs more efficiently. Do they need more training? More autonomy? More supervision? Regular feedback? Weekly meetings with you?
Tell your workforce what you need from them. If you want them to just get on with the job and only bother you when there is a problem that only you can help with, let them know. If you´d rather they reported weekly to you on the progress of certain projects, tell them. Chances are none of you are mind-readers!
Your role as Manager will be greatly improved if you open the lines of communication. Do not apportion blame.
Rather than seeing your role in terms of "managing", think of it in terms of coaching or mentoring. Experience has shown that employees respond better to coaching/mentoring techniques than they do to the traditional management methods.
This means never being too busy for your staff, never being too self-important, and making time to be their Team Leader. Pay attention to what they say to you.
Take the time to listen and learn from and with them. And expect your own `Manager´ or President/CEO to do the same. Have a meeting and be open. You cannot work in the dark. Say what you need in order to do your job properly.
When talking with your staff or higher management, here are 6 tips to help you get the most out of it:
1. Listen carefully. Don´t be thinking ahead of what you want to say – put that aside while the other person is talking and just concentrate on what they are saying to you.
2. Repeat back what you think they said to ensure you have understood. Use phrases like "I understand what you mean," or "I see your point", and when you don´t, ask them to clarify. Get to the bottom of it.
3. Be honest about your own shortcomings and admit to your mistakes. And if you are going to give feedback, be careful not to do it in a blaming sense.
Keep emotion out of it and just stick to the facts. Do not resort to name-calling or putting anybody else down in order to justify your position.
4. Apologize where an apology is called for. Don´t try to make excuses for poor performance – focus instead on what can be done to improve/rectify the situation.
5. Ask for input/ideas on how to improve the situation.
6. If the timing is bad for your discussion, be honest and say that you need time to think over what has just been said and make a time for follow up.
As a Manager, you may sometimes feel you have to be all things to all people. It doesn´t have to be that way if you focus on a team spirit. You are all in it together and the responsibility for making anything "work" should be a team effort.
Five Habits of Highly Effective Conflict Resolvers
By Dina Beach Lynch, Esq.
Steven Covey had the right idea. There are discreet skills and attitudes, habits if you will, that can elevate your conflict practice to a new level. This article shares a selection of habits and attitudes that can transform a good conflict resolver into a highly effective one. By that I mean someone who facilitates productive, meaningful discussion between others that results in deeper self-awareness, mutual understanding and workable solutions.
I have used the term ‘conflict resolver’ intentionally to reinforce the idea that human resource professionals and managers are instrumental in ending disputes, regardless of whether they are also mediators. These conflict management techniques are life skills that are useful in whatever setting you find yourself. With these skills, you can create environments that are respectful, collaborative and conducive to problem-solving. And, you’ll teach your employees to be proactive, by modeling successful conflict management behaviors.
UNDERSTAND THE EMPLOYEE’S NEEDS
Since you’re the ‘go to person’ in your organization, it’s natural for you to jump right in to handle conflict. When an employee visits you to discuss a personality conflict, you assess a situation, determine the next steps and proceed until the problem is solved. But is that helpful?
When you take charge, the employee is relieved of his or her responsibility to find a solution. That leaves you to do the work around finding alternatives. And while you want to do what’s best for this person (and the organization), it’s important to ask what the employee wants first– whether it’s to vent, brainstorm solutions or get some coaching. Understand what the person entering your door wants by asking questions:
•How can I be most helpful to you?
•What are you hoping I will do?
•What do you see my role as in this matter?
ENGAGE IN COLLABORATIVE LISTENING
By now everyone has taken at least one active listening course so I won’t address the basic skills. Collaborative Listening takes those attending and discerning skills one step further. It recognizes that in listening each person has a job that supports the work of the other. The speaker’s job is to clearly express his or her thoughts, feelings and goals. The listener’s job is facilitating clarity; understanding and make the employee feel heard.
So what’s the difference? The distinction is acknowledgement. Your role is to help the employee gain a deeper understanding of her own interests and needs; to define concepts and words in a way that expresses her values (i.e. respect means something different to each one of us); and to make her feel acknowledged—someone sees things from her point of view.
Making an acknowledgement is tricky in corporate settings. Understandably, you want to help the employee but are mindful of the issues of corporate liability. You can acknowledge the employee even while safeguarding your company.
Simply put, acknowledgement does not mean agreement. It means letting the employee know that you can see how he got to his truth. It doesn’t mean taking sides with the employee or abandoning your corporate responsibilities. Acknowledgement can be the bridge across misperceptions. Engage in Collaborative Listening by:
•Help the employee to explore and be clear about his interests and goals
•Acknowledge her perspective
I can see how you might see it that way.
That must be difficult for you.
I understand that you feel _______ about this.
•Ask questions that probe for deeper understanding on both your parts:
oWhen you said x, what did you mean by that?
oIf y happens, what’s significant about that for you?
oWhat am I missing in understanding this from your perspective?
BE A GOOD TRANSMITTER
Messages transmitted from one person to the next are very powerful. Sometimes people have to hear it ‘from the horse’s mouth’. Other times, you’ll have to be the transmitter of good thoughts and feelings. Pick up those ‘gems’, those positive messages that flow when employees feel safe and heard in mediation, and present them to the other employee. Your progress will improve.
We’re all human. You know how easy it is to hold a grudge, or assign blame. Sharing gems appropriately can help each employee begin to shift their perceptions of the situation, and more importantly, of each other. To deliver polished gems, try to:
•Act soon after hearing the gem
•Paraphrase accurately so the words aren’t distorted
•Ask the listener if this is new information and if changes her stance
•Avoid expecting the employees to visibly demonstrate a ‘shift in stance’ (it happens internally and on their timetable, not ours)
RECOGNIZE POWER
Power is a dominant factor in mediation that raises many questions: What is it? Who has it? How to do you balance power? Assumptions about who is the ‘powerful one’ are easy to make and sometimes wrong. Skillful conflict resolvers recognize power dynamics in conflicts and are mindful about how to authentically manage them. You can recognize power by being aware that:
•Power is fluid and exchangeable
•Employees possess power over the content and their process (think of employees concerns as the water flowing into and being held by the container)
•Resolvers possess power over the mediation process ( their knowledge, wisdom, experience, and commitment form the container)
•Your roles as an HR professional and resolver will have a significant impact on power dynamics
BE OPTIMISTIC & RESILIENT
Agreeing to participate in mediation is an act of courage and hope. By participating, employees are conveying their belief in value of the relationship. They are also expressing their trust in you to be responsive to and supportive of our efforts. Employees may first communicate their anger, frustration, suffering, righteousness, regret, not their best hopes. You can inspire them to continue by being optimistic:
•Be positive about your experiences with mediation
•Hold their best wishes and hopes for the future
•Encourage them to work towards their hopes
Be Resilient. Remember the last time you were stuck in a conflict? You probably replayed the conversation in your mind over and over, thinking about different endings and scolding yourself. Employees get stuck, too. In fact, employees can become so worn down and apathetic about their conflict, especially a long-standing dispute; they’d do anything to end it. Yes, even agree with each other prematurely. Don’t let them settle. Mediation is about each employee getting their interest met. Be resilient:
•Be prepared to move yourself and the employees though productive and less productive cycles of the mediation
•Help the employees see their movement and progress
•Be mindful and appreciative of the hard work you all are doing
Hopefully, you’ve discovered that these are your own habits in one form or another and that your organization is benefiting from your knowledge. You can learn more about workplace mediation and mediation in general from these books and websites:
The Power of Mediation
Bringing Peace into the Room
Difficult Conversation: How to Say What Matters Most
www.ne-acr.org (The New England Association of Conflict Resolvers)
www.mediate.com (mediation portal site)
www.workwelltogether.com (conflict management toolkit)
"Mediation is based on a belief in the fundamental honesty of human
beings. Which is another way of saying we all want to be treated justly
- that is according to our unique situation and viewpoint on the world.
And we cannot expect to be treated justly if we do not honestly reveal
ourselves." ~ the Honourable Neville Chamberlain, British Prime Minister 1937
About the Author
Dina Beach Lynch, Esq. is a mediator and conflict coach who launched WorkWellTogether.com Formerly Dina was Ombuds for Fleet Bank where she assisted 48,000 employees to resolve work tensions. Dina can be reached at Dina@workwelltogether.com
Advantages and Disadvantages of Outsourcing
By Peter Carter
Outsourcing is an arrangement wherein a company subcontracts services to another company. The aim of this is, if not to cut costs, to employ skills that are not available in-house. Today, the increase in the number of outsourcing companies has put outsourcing in the spotlight, and debates on whether it is undesirable or desirable have been many. Summing it up, a lot of commercial companies are all for it, while employee unions are often against it.
Business enterprises usually opt to go for outsourcing for the following benefits:
(1) Cost savings, including cost re-structuring. Businesses become successful when they are able to minimize costs, and outsourcing provides this advantage. For example, an automobile company can cut on their expenditures if they buy the parts they need, and simply put them together.
(2) Quality control. By outsourcing, companies are able to tap better into pools of expertise and gain access to intellectual property, as well as sustainable sources of skills. Moreover, this method avoids the time-consuming process of training to develop the particular services in-house. Also, by providing new service-level agreements in their contracts, enterprises are able to make sure that the quality of the outputs or products isn’t lost. These contracts usually contain penalties or legal redress for transgressions.
(3) Time-related advantages. It is possible that services are made available everyday, at any time of the week. This is achievable because the services can be done in different locations with time zones. When the organization from Country A goes off-duty, the organization from Country B can take over. Not only that, a product can also be speedily developed and marketed because of outsourcing.
Going back the automobile company example, they can stock up on the different parts of cars in their warehouses, and just assemble. There is no time needed to manufacture the parts, and they are always at hand in their depots.
Unions, on the other hand, argue that outsourcing harms a local labor force. Outsourcing results in fewer jobs, and this can be observed everywhere. This happens because services that can be done in home organizations are now shifted to other locations, especially to countries that work for cheaper labor.
Consequently, the labor rates will decline, especially since there will be competition for jobs. Unemployment will definitely affect a country’s economy. There are also some complaints that the true business value of services aren’t realized and so aren’t paid enough for. Some take it further and call it exploitation of lower-paid employees.
In another angle, language barriers are eyed as being detrimental to the quality of service. When the services are drawn from places with different culture or when the first language is dissimilar, it could do more harm than help.
Furthermore, it is possible that since data is moved around, leakages or even misuse of information can happen. There was a case before of bank accounts being tampered with when call center workers were able to get a hold of customer accounts.
There also exist claims that outsourcing is actually counter-productive, and that instead of purchasing actual technology to improve the company, enterprises are instead, resorting to outsourcing. This could lead to dependency.
In conclusion, there are two sides to a coin. To outsource or not is up to the company. Whatever methods they choose have both good and bad effects, although the good part will mostly be enjoyed by the business enterprise.
Peter Carter owns the popular blog http://www.make-cash-on-the-net.com where he discusses a number of topics relating to making money from home.
Management at Its Best
Eileen M Penrose
Eileen M Penrose specializes in managerial coaching. You can read more articles on the subject of management at ManagementFYI
