The last part of our Leadership Arsenal series covered problems like when and who to fight and how to do it. Now I am going to cover leadership ego.

Choose the Size of Your Head

So you are a leader. Either by default or by nomination. Big deal! How you handle your ego is telling of your ability to lead.

Arrogance will lead you down a path that is of no interest to your team members. People easily pick up on cues that someone thinks themselves better than others. This will lead to resentment that can manifest in counterproductive ways. For example: other team members may think “He’s so full of himself. Let’s see what happens when he falls on his face.” They may actively seek to sabotage projects knowing that ultimate blame for the project’s failure rests with the team leader. Even if they don’t resort to such tactics, there is an atmosphere of hostility that is damaging to productivity.

Be humble. Acknowledge what, and more importantly who, it took to get you to your position. Be willing to roll of your sleeves and work in the trenches. While your hard work and abilities have secured you the position, and you should never down play them, neither should you flaunt it. Effective leaders take their leadership role as a responsibility not as a privilege.

As always, there is a balance in this, as in all things. If you take too little credit for your work, if you downplay your achievements too much, you will be perceived as weak. Employees have the preconception that leaders should be better than themselves if they truly deserve their position.

Always remember that you earned your position, that you deserve it and carry yourself so that confidence is clearly visible. Confidence, not arrogance!

If you enjoyed this article stay tuned for next week when I will  tell you how to accept criticism.

If your boss tells you he wants you to “be more proactive”, s/he doesn’t want you to go out and buy acne treatment. You are being asked to be more aware of your work environment and anticipate problems.

Merriam-Webster defines proactive as: [2pro- + reactive] : acting in anticipation of future problems, needs, or changes.

While the concept seems simple enough, being able to foresee those future problems, needs and changes are not.

Most employees are reactive. A problem arises and they seek out and implement solutions. A proactive employee is one who has a plan in case something goes wrong or who is prepared for a future event that is going to happen.

For example: You are in charge of a organizing a company workshop. Previous times employees have shown up without any means to take notes so you make sure that each employee is given a pad and pen upon entering the seminar.

Another example would be you have a large printing job to be done. You ensure, in advance, that there is enough ink and paper and warn other employees so that they can make alternate plans should they have printing jobs to be done.

Depending on the size of the project you may need to have a lot of back-up plans. You must constantly be asking yourself “What will I do if…” Obviously you cannot foresee every potential problem but the more prepared you are, the more likely that you can compensate should a situation occur.

In your day to day tasks, you should know it well enough to be able to predict potential problems. However, usually knowing your own job is not enough. You need to make the effort to be aware of how your job interacts with others and the flow of operations within your company.

Proactive employees are more efficient, they are less stressed and cause less stress. They are more appreciated than the employee who simply reacts to problems. However, there is a drawback. If you are good at foreseeing and preventing problems most people are not even aware of your efforts. The plus is that people will often remark, with admiration, that your tasks seem to always run smoothly and without major incident.

It is up to you to decide what kind of employee you want to be. Do you want to be the one reacting to situations? The one running around like a chicken with its head cut off solving problems after they happen? Or do you want to be the one that says to your boss, “I planned in case this happened, here’s what we can do instead”?

Are you constantly being criticized and put down, at work, for invalid reasons? If so you are most likely a victim of workplace bullying.

Workplace bullying is an abuse of power to undermine and intimidate an employee. It is persistent and, over time, can destroy the employee’s self-esteem. People bully because of a need to be in control. This need is based on insecurity of their own capabilities, or lack thereof. They feel “less-than” and boost their self-esteem through the humiliation and criticism of others. They need to push someone down to feel better about themselves.

Open bullying is exactly that. It is the public humiliation of an employee. It can manifest by the bully being verbally or physically abusive. It usually involves humiliating a person in front of co-workers or, conversely, completely ignoring them. Demeaning, unjustified comments about an employees work performance, jokes about the employee’s appearance, personal life or manner of expressing themselves or mocking the employee are just a few examples.

Hidden bullying can consist of persistent criticism, the setting of impossible standards (i.e.: giving deadlines that are impossible to meet), spreading mean, unfounded rumors, stealing ideas and taking credit for them, over-monitoring an employee’s work performance, over-ruling the employee’s authority and blocking promotions.

There are three choices on how to handle workplace bullying. Quit, ignore it or take action. If you decide to take action make sure to document everything. Keep record of every situation, no matter how trivial, where you felt bullied. Include dates, times, names of people who witnessed the occurrence. Keep all documentation where there instances of bullying such as memos, emails, chat logs or letters. Build your case and once done take it to someone higher up the management chain. If that does not produce results find the appropriate government agency to help you or take legal action.

Remember bullies are adept at spotting and exploiting weakness, so be assertive, even if you don’t feel it. Most bullies will back down when confronted. Do not let them get a reaction from you since your reaction is what they feed off of. In other words, “Never let them see you sweat!”

Have you been subjected to workplace bullying? We’d love to hear about how you chose to deal with it and the outcome.

How do you know if you’re burnt out or you’re just feeling tired?

Burnout is considered an emotional state where you are emotional and physically exhausted. Usually, burnout caused by excessive and prolonged stress when someone is overwhelmed and unable to meet workplace demands. You lose interest and your productivity and energy decreased. You feel trapped in your job, you become detached,withdrawn, you are frustrated and feel drained of energy. You feel sad and irritable and have a cynical edge to your outlook in life and at work. You may find yourself wanting to sleep all the time and you may seek out ways to escape by drinking, drugs, eating or shopping binges.The difference between stress and burnout is a fine line. If you are stressed over your work, you are capable of seeing that once the project is completed things will fall back into place. With burnout you are unable to see the light at the end of the tunnel, you are spinning your wheels and not getting anywhere.

Ways to Avoid Burnout at Work

Get a Clear Job Description
If you are unsure exactly what you are suppose to be doing, you may be doing too much. If you feel that you cannot possibly accomplish the tasks you’ve taken on, this can lead to burnout.

Transfer within your Company or Ask for New Duties
If you’ve been doing the same tasks for a long time try a lateral move. Changing up your work environment can relieve stress and make the day more interesting and thus more productive.

Change Jobs
Find something, within your field, that is different from what you are currently doing. Again, changing things up in your daily routine can ease the stress that leads to burnout.

Change Careers
If you feel that it is the career you’ve chosen and not the environment that is causing your burnout, decide on something new. Start taking whatever training you need and slowly educate yourself in this new area.

Your personal life also contributes to decreasing your stress levels. Be sure to take the time to interact with people, be it close personal relationships or social ones. Everyone needs to blow off steam and feel appreciated for who they are, not just what they do. Doing charity or community work, take up a sport or taking up a new hobby is a good way to combat stress. The most important aspect to avoiding burnout is to change your outlook. Find social interactions and activities that are pleasurable for you and that will take your focus off the stress at work.

If you find that no matter what attempts you make to change feelings of hopelessness and helplessness you can’t seem to pull yourself out, it is time for professional help. Seek out counseling in your community to help get you through the situation.

I have a friend of mine who is the least stressed person I have ever met. I asked him his secret and he said, “Whenever I find myself stressing over something I ask myself ‘In 100 years will anyone care?’. Oddly enough the answer has always been ‘No!’ and that gives me the perspective I need to not take things overly seriously.”

So ask yourself….”In 100 years….?”

If you don’t know our leadership arsenal section, then you should know that last time we covered Choosing Your Managerial Style. Today I would like to talk to you about some other things : who to fight with and how!

Choose your Battles and Your Battle Style

There comes a time when someone is not doing what is expected of them. It could be a myriad of any number of problems. Constant lateness, absences, not carrying their share of the weight or attitude problems. As leader you will be forced to deal with these and how you do so will reflect on your abilities. Again, you will be faced with a number of ways to act. You could be aggressive, passive or assertive.

An aggressive approach will usually lead to yelling, demeaning and threatening. “How could you be so stupid, I told you this had to be done by today. If you screw up again I will fire you.” The result is team members working in fear. Your aggressive behavior will erode their self-confidence and will likely lead to more mistakes. Workers grow resentful and become unwilling to contribute more than is minimally necessary to complete the job. Their stress levels are always at peak and can result in health issues that further reduce productivity. Your own health can be adversely affected by such an approach.

A passive approach does not deal with the existing problem. Perhaps you hope the issue will resolve itself. Maybe you take every little thing into consideration. For example: “It’s not their fault they missed another deadline. This time their cat died and they were upset.” Whatever the reason you do not confront the person in an upfront manner. This can lead to another batch of problems. Firstly, the problem does not get resolved and thereby leaves the door open for it to reoccur. Secondly, you won’t have the respect of your team. They will quickly come to realize that they can take advantage of you and are likely to do so at every opportunity. This passivity will most likely affect productivity and as a result substandard work will be produced.

Using an assertive approach is the most affective.

Take the time to evaluate the problem. Analyze the reasons the problem occurred and devise a solution. Once you have this clear in your mind, call a meeting with the team member. Clearly outline what you see as the problem and give them the opportunity to express themselves. Listen for any new information that may force you to re-evaluate and incorporate it into your plan. Ask the team member what they think is a solution. If it is reasonable alternative or if it is the solution you’ve already devised, implement it. If not, calmly and clearly explain what you expect and what the consequences will be should the team member fail to comply. Be sure to set a future meeting to ensure that your expectations are being met. A lot of companies expect such meetings to be documented and a copy given to the employee. This is a good idea because it ensures that both parties remember “correctly” what has transpired so there is no confusion.

Again, there are exceptions. At times, I’ve found that a full out “Come to Jesus Meetin’” was necessary to stir up the pot and get team members back on track. Other times, I’ve found it more useful to ignore a problem and let the team member(s) come to terms with it themselves. Each situation, each person, merits a different approach. Finding the right one is always the challenge.

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The SAFMEDS model of Remembering

Probably the most used method of studying is Flash Cards. You pick a chapter to study and take notes. You then transcribe them onto flash cards and rapid test yourself. You use them to write speeches, either by writing point form or the even whole speech. You use them for rapid learning, as with Multiplication Tables. These are just a few examples of the many uses of flash cards. They are pretty handy to have around.

Have you ever noticed that using flash cards doesn’t really benefit you? This article is for you. To put it bluntly, you are probably using them incorrectly. This leads to hours of wasted time and lots of frustration.

Ogden Lindsay invented the SAFMED method of using flash cards that has been proven through studies to actually work. The SAFMED method is used once you have transcribed the needed information onto the flash cards.

Say All Fast Minute Each Day Shuffle

This experimentally proven method goes as follows:

• Say the answer before you turn over the card. This will be an indicator to whether you really know the answer.
• Go through All the cards, as many as you can at a time of course, as Fast as you can. This has to be done in one Minute. Do this Each Day. Do not study your speech or your chapter notes the night before. Of course, you have heard this already. Countless studies have shown that studying the night before is helpful only up to a certain point. After this point it is detrimental to study. You will forget more easily because information will start working against you. New information will replace old information and old information will make it impossible to learn new information. These are called Retroactive Interference and Proactive Interference. These interferences will stress you out even more causing you to do even more horribly on your speech or test.
• Shuffle your cards so that you are not learning them in a specific order. Sure, you may get to the point where you can speed through the cards getting everything right. This is because you are always cueing the next answer. Shuffle them so that you will learn them out of order and then it will not matter what order they are on your test.

As with any method, this may take practice to work. With time and dedication not only will your learning and retention improve but also your learning rate will also get better. It will be difficult as first. I know when I use cue cards that I get these urges to peek at the answers. I tell myself “I know this! I need a little hint!” Don’t look at the answer. If you cannot get it right in the time allotted, put that card aside in the “not yet ready” pile. Go over that pile over and over. Then integrate it into the “I know this pile”! Don’t forget to Shuffle!!!

[Photo Source: Flickr]

Before this article where I’ll be covering managerial styles, I told you guys how too choose the right person for the job, and to how to work together. Let’s see how this new one can help you.

Choose the right managerial style.

You’ve picked your team. You’ve assigned the tasks. Now what? You have to decide how you are going to lead your team. There are reams of books you can read, endless classes you can take all with the goal of developing the best managerial style. However, if you don’t have time to get your MBA there are a number of simple styles that can be used. As with anything is life there are no absolutes. Every situation is different and every managerial situation may call for a different style.

First evaluate the type of people you have working for you. Do they function better with little guidance? Do they need constant supervision to ensure the task is completed? A balance of both these extremes?

If you have team members that function best under little or no supervision, you could just leave them be. You could choose to not expect updates and only review the work upon completion. This approach can lead to major problems if your team misses the mark with what was expected of them. The entire project may have to be redone.

You could choose to micro-manage your team. Hovering over them constantly to ensure that they are progressing in the task and that they are always on the right track. While this ensures that the job is being completed to your satisfaction it also fosters negative feelings amongst the team. They will most likely come to feel that you don’t value their abilities and have little faith in them. Chances are that they will be more concerned with your opinions and reactions than dedicating their focus to their task. They might even, consciously or unconsciously, resort to requesting your approval on inane things which decreases your productivity as well as theirs.

Personally, I find a balance approach the best. Make sure they understand that you are available for them should they need the help and make sure they are aware that you expect to be updated on their progress on a regular basis. This approach builds self-confidence in team members. They know that you respect their abilities and have confidence that they are capable of completing the task. They also know that should they need help you are willing, without reproach, to step in and guide them. Expect regular progress updates to ensure that the team is achieving the required objectives. Unexpected review of the job is also a good idea. This gives you a better idea of how the team works before they polish things up for your review.

One last point, should things fall apart, which they are prone to do, make sure you are willing to roll up your sleeves and get in there with your team. People respect those that are willing to pitch in, especially when not required, and help out.

[Photo Source: Flickr]

You have a “situation”, if needs to be resolved but you just can’t get your head around it. You’re stuck. Try these steps to help solve your problem.

1. What is the problem?

Write down exactly what the problem is. Concrete facts that clearly define the problem.

2. Causes of the problem.

Again write them all down. Sometimes knowing what caused the situation helps you get to the root and thus to a solution.

3. Possible solutions

There are a few ways to come up with solutions. You could make a list of every possible solution, from the impossible to the insane. ie: Need money: Win lotto, rob bank, get another job, budget, borrow… Brainstorm with friends or family. People are great resources for solutions. Research the problem. Go to the library or search on the internet. It’s doubtful that you are the first person to ever experience the problem so there is likely a solution out there for you.

4. Narrow list to the best solution

Some solutions will be easy to eliminate, robbing bank is not the best solution for being short on cash. Depending on winning the lotto neither.  Narrow done the list to solutions that have a chance of working. Number the remaining solutions according to how likely they are to work. Choose the best one.

5. Plan of Action

Write out the steps you will need to take to implement the solution.  Be specific. If you’ve decided you need to get a 2nd job to solve your money problem, list the steps you will take to acquire the job, what you will do with the money once you are paid, how you will prevent yourself from spending it frivolously.

6. Implement the plan

This one is easy, take the steps that you’ve written out in step 5 and put them into action.

7. Evaluate

You’ve put the plan in motion now you have to evaluate whether the plan is accomplishing your goal. With the money shortage example, you may find that 2nd job is costing you more in traveling or babysitting than you are making or you might find that the problem is solved.

8. Start over again.

If you’ve found that the solution you’ve chosen isn’t working start the whole process over again. Define the problem, its causes and solutions again. Maybe you missed something the first time, maybe your situation has changed and you need a new solution.

These are some pretty basic steps to problem solving. Write everything down. It is easier to think something through when you can see it. You are less likely to forget the bits and pieces of the problem and solution if they are written. You will also have it in writing to be able to go back over should your solution fail or should you encounter a similar situation at a later date.

[photo source: Flickr]

I have one daughter who was a walking petri dish. If there was something out there to catch, she did! Everytime. For 3 years there was an epidemic of lice infestations running rampant in her school.

The first few infestations I used the recommended pharmacy products. They were horrid. They smelled so bad and once some had dribbled down the back of her neck, unnoticed, and she had a painful chemical burn as a result.

I’d do the standard routine. Wash, comb, nit pick. Over and OVER. I spent an entire summer picking those eggs off strands of her hair. I also spent countless hours listening to advice on how to fix the problem. From cutting off her gorgeous long blond hair to mayo and vinegar treatments. I came close a few times to trying them. The worst part was that the little buggers became immune to the products. I actually watched them swim contentedly in a puddle of solution on the bathroom counter.

I needed a better solution before we all ended up drooling from toxicity related brain damage. I searched the net and found many of the same wacky types of solutions. None of which I was too eager to try. I finally ran across a posting in a forum that said something about the lice not liking coconut shampoo. I searched  and managed to find coconut cream rinse/conditioner. It didn’t work but it did eventually lead me to the following solution:

Go buy the biggest, cheapest bottle of cream rinse/conditioner you can find. $ store stuff is fine.

Coat the child’s entire head with the conditioner. I mean glop it on, as much as you can put on without it falling on the floor.

Leave it on the child’s head 10 mins and then use a metal lice comb to comb through the hair. Do this for as long as it takes to remove the bulk of the cream rinse. Make sure you empty the comb into paper towel or something that you will immediately throw out. Wash hair as you normally would.

Repeat the procedure every 2 days for the next 8 days. Then every 4 days for 8 days.

Check the child’s head after the last treatment. You may still find a few eggs but since the hatching time of a nit is 8 days, you’ve prevented it from hatching. It will grow out or fall off harmlessly.

Be sure to treat all member of your family and wash all bedding, clothing and headwear. Wash anything that would normally come in contact with a person’s head, that might include stuffed animals. The bugs only live a day away from a human head and the eggs 8 days so you don’t have to go nuts washing everything in site.

Personally, I found the best lice comb to be one like this:

The teeth of the comb are close enough together to “grab” the bugs and some of the larger nits and the fact that they are made of metal makes them harder to break.

The process is very simple because the cream rinse makes the combing easy. It won’t kill the lice nor prevent a re-infestation but the thickness of the cream rinse makes the bugs unable to move quickly. They get stuck in the glob of cream rinse, as you are combing down the length of the hair, making it easier to remove them. Just be sure to repeat the process over the 16 days. This will ensure that any stragglers will be killed since it is 2x the length of their life’s cycle. Also be sure to do it, at minimum, every other day to catch any eggs that are hatching.

Try it. It’s worked for me and it’s worked for people I’ve recommended it to. Our kids don’t need the products sitting on their heads and they sure don’t need to have the patience it takes to sit through a thorough de-lousing the old fashioned way, one nit at a time.

Let me know how it worked out for you if you do try it.

Last week I kicked around some ideas about what it takes to be a leader now it’s time to get a little more detailed. So here’s Part 2 of our Leadership Arsenal articles.

Choose the right person/people for the job

Everyone has natural abilities and being able to see those abilities and utilize them to the best potential is essential. Sometimes it’s just being able to see that potential in the person that is necessary. Realizing that they need a little support and encouragement to become better in certain areas where they are lacking. Alternately, realizing that no matter how hard a person tries, the task is beyond their abilities. It shows poor leadership skills to have unrealistic expectations of a person’s abilities. Expecting too much or too little of them hampers the progress of that task at hand.

Choose the right people to work together

Obviously a leader is not there to cater to egos but putting people together when there is an obvious major personality conflict serves no purpose. I’m not talking about “I don’t like him/her” stuff. I’m talking about conflicts that reduce productivity because they are a distraction or are counter productive. You wouldn’t put the wife of a man who’s left her for someone else with the other woman but there are less obvious conflicts.

For example some people do their best work in chaos. The bigger the mess, the noisier the locale, the more activity, the better. They thrive on constant activity and mental stimulation. Now imagine them paired with a person that is super organized. Someone that plans out every step, who functions best in a quiet atmosphere, who develops a detailed timeline and follows it. Normally, pairing these types of people together serves only to frustrate each of them and thus reduces their productivity so why start a project off with problems, there are sure to be enough task related issues to resolve. However, this is not always the case. Sometimes team members need to be shaken up. Need to see that their “way” is not “THE way”.

Chaotic, uncontrolled creativity can always be better directed with a little control and planning. Good ideas get lost in chaos. Over planning something, to the smallest detail, can take away the opportunity for spontaneous creativity.