With business owners and heads of corporate departments looking at ways of tightening their budgets to cope with the global financial crisis, a new corporate challenge is starting to emerge. That new challenge is how to contain the potential increasing cost of health challenges due to the increasing levels of stress in the corporate world.
So how can corporate departments and business owners address the impending health issues during a time when most businesses are considering cutting back on various corporate training or corporate health programs?
You may be surprised that the answer lies outside the realm of most corporate training or stress management programs. If you manage a small or large team in the corporate arena you can significantly improve your team’s health and wellbeing without getting them to change anything. New research suggests that you can boost the health of your team by simply being a good leader.
A study published in the August Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine suggests that good leadership has positive effects on employee health and well-being, including decreased sick leave and disability.
All you corporate managers and business owners may be wondering what constitutes good leadership?
In the study these four qualities were associated with good leadership:
1) A good leader treats employees considerately and truthfully. (Honest)
2) A good leader cares and provides social support for their employees. (Caring)
3) A good leader provides inspirational motivation. (Inspirational - being a good role model)
4) A good leader provides intellectual stimulation. (Knowledgeable)
Led by Dr. Kuoppala Jaana of Siinto, Kiiskilampi, Finland, the researchers searched for studies of the effects of good leadership on key measures of employee health and well-being. Based on the 27 studies, the review provided “moderately strong” evidence linking good leadership to better health of their employees.
A lot of you may be thinking, “That’s nice but what does it mean for the business?”
Workers who had a boss or manager who was a good leader were 40 percent more likely to be rated highest category of job health and well-being (i.e., with low rates of symptoms like anxiety, depression, and job stress). There was also substantial evidence linking good leadership effect on their workers health with reduced sick days and disability. Good leadership was associated with a 27 percent reduction in sick leave and a 46 percent reduction in disability pensions.
It pays to have employees with good health.
These results highlight the financial benefit of entrusting management positions to true leaders who demonstrate honesty, caring, inspiration and knowledge. There is a tendency for management positions to be filled by people who demonstrate superior levels of knowledge without taking into account these other important traits of leadership.
Many a corporate head, manager or boss may be so used to being an agressive disciplinarian -type of boss that we are unsure of how to display these more genuine leadership qualities in the workplace. Here are two simple steps that i took that transformed my own leadership qualities overnight. It not only helped my team’s health and stress levels but made a significant improvement in my own health and stress levels.
Improving The Health And Stress Levels Of Bosses and Workers By Displaying True Leadership Qualities Step 1…
Be Yourself And Don’t Act like You Think A Boss Needs To Be
I have to admit, when I started my first business I took on the persona of what I thought a boss should be. Tough, intense, overbearing and controlling and to my employees i was your typical ‘pain in the ass’ type of boss. I wasn’t being myself. It wasn’t until one of my employees, Heather had the guts to stand up at a team meeting and let me have it.
“We don’t have to take this rubbish (she actually used a different word). If this is how I’m going to be treated I’m out of here.” she snapped defiantly.
As she sat down, Heather continued. “And tell me why do you act so different at work?
Your wife says you’re nothing like this at home and with your kids.”
As soon as i got home i asked my wife, Angela . “Do I act completely different at work compared to home?”
“Oh, yes. I wouldn’t be able to work there with you.” she replied without hesitation and quickly changed the subject in an effort to make me feel better. I then compared my life at home and at work. Things were great at home but i was so frustrated at work. So at that moment I decided to be me all the time. I stopped putting on an act of what i thought was “professional”and just focussed on being me. And the staff were amazed by how much nicer I was. The atmosphere and enjoyment improved overnight and it wasn’t long before the business was in a very healthy state.
Improving The Health And Stress Levels Of Bosses and Workers By Displaying True Leadership Qualities Step 2…
Allow An Avenue Where Your Employees Can Express Their ideas/Opinions/Concerns Without Fear Of Being Put Down
The biggest source of stress that i continue to hear from employees is that their manager or boss doesn’t listen. This comes across as being uncaring, inconsiderate and creates more repulsion than inspiration.Most employees and team members are hesitant to share their ideas for fear of being berated or being put down.
The best avenue for allowing feedback from other team members is to have a WIFLE during a regular team meeting. A WIFLE stands for What I Feel Like Expressing and during a WIFLE no one can be interrupted during their allotted time period. To avoid the WIFLE session becoming a complaining and bitching session we created this rule: You can’t make a complaint or criticism without proposing a solution.
Don’t be surprised if the first one or two WIFLE sessions are a bit tense.It is natural for people to be hesitant and wary about voicing their opinions if they had been shouted down in the past. After a couple of months, it was rare for many people wanting to contribute during a WIFLE. The fact that they knew that there was an opportunity for then to be heard demonstrated two of the major leadership qualities caring and consideration for the employees.They were more happy to respect my decisions because they had an opportunity for input.
Many factors work can affect employee health. Studies have shown that factors like job control and support influence measurable health outcomes, such as sick leave. The authors said that the findings support the theory suggesting that a strong foundation of leadership, healthy work environment, and good working conditions reduces worker health problems. A number of good studies found an important link between the role of leadership and employee job satisfaction, job health and well-being, sickness absences and disability pensions.
It supports my view that the health of your company may not be best determined by your balance sheet. I believe that the best measurement of a company’s long term health is by the physical and emotional health of its employees.
In these tougher financial times when your budget may not allow for a large corporate health and wellness program, you can begin to significantly improve the health of your balance sheet by ensuring that your various managers aren’t just intelligent, but they possess the true attributes of a leader.
About the Author:
For more ideas to improve the health,energy and stress relief in your business visit www.WorkLifeBalanceFoundation.com
Many managers do indeed talk straight. They identify problems, decide on solutions, allocate responsibilities, and communicate it all to their people with standards and deadlines. For many reasons however, things often do not turn out as planned. When that happens, managers react by talking even straighter, and often louder, with more instructions, clearer priorities, and more deadlines. But still the job is not done! Management would be easy if only people would do what they have been told to do. And they have been told: straight!
Although managers say they want to obtain commitment from their people, the process they use to do so goes wrong right from the start, and before a single word is spoken. It is all about mindset. When you approach a problem with an employee with the intention of getting the person to solve the problem using your solution, you have already lessened any chance you had of obtaining commitment to that solution.
With this mindset it is likely you will start by describing the problem, then jump into describing the solution you have decided will work, and when the other person obeys your instructions with a muttered, OK, you take it as a sign of commitment. When the issue is important and you know exactly how you want it to be resolved, you are even more likely to focus on the solution that YOU want, pushing harder and harder to persuade, convince and if necessary, bully the other person into submission.
The problem is that when someone is not committed to a plan of action, then every obstacle, no matter how small, is an excuse for non-performance. If, as a manager, you do not obtain real commitment to action, it is more than likely you will find yourself facing the same problem some time later. However, when you obtain commitment from an employee, no problem is too big to prevent the goal being achieved.
Submission is not commitment. Today, employees expect to be involved in decisions. They want to think and decide for themselves. They demand responsibility and they have career ambitions that involve their personal growth and development. Most managers recognise that developing their people is one of the most important roles they play, but often lack the communication skills to make it happen successfully.
Managers need to focus on getting into dialogue around problems. They need to hear ideas from others. They need to work with their teams, helping each other think creatively through possible solutions before developing the best of them for implementation. What makes us believe that other people think better if they take on OUR thoughts without question?
It can be difficult to hold back on offering ready made solutions to problems you have seen many times before, especially when you are under pressure to deliver against standards of quality, time and budget. Sometimes, it is the only thing you can do. At other times however, you need to slow the thinking process down and use every opportunity to encourage employees to think through problems and their solutions, for themselves. The more they are involved in generating solutions, the more they will be committed to ensuring their success.
Resist the temptation to assume you have all the answers. Ask your people what they think; find out how they see the situation; and be prepared to consider views different from your own. Then step back and watch as new and creative solutions emerge.
Talking straight does not mean doing all the talking.
About the Author:
Maureen Collins has a B.Sc. degree in Psychology from Edinburgh University and over 25 years of consulting experience. She specialises in communication skills in the business world. In Straight Talk, she trains people how to handle difficult conversations, on difficult topics, with difficult people. Get free Straight Talk Tips. http://www.straight-talk.co.za
Over the years Human Resource Departments have become more and more sophisticated in designing performance appraisal processes and documentation. We have goals, objectives, targets, outputs and key performance areas. We achieve them, using inputs, competencies, and behaviours. We add in measures, standards, criteria, and key performance indicators, then roll it all up in a performance contract. It is no wonder that managers complain of the time and effort the process takes!
The real problem is that if you only have the process and the documentation, no matter how perfectly completed it all is, you have very little at all. People do not grow and develop on the basis of paperwork. Personal development is a function of the relationship between manager and employee, the quality of the coaching and support provided to the employee, and finally the work opportunities available.
It starts with the relationship between manager and employee and the quality of their conversations when they talk about the performance of the employee. There are four sets of behaviours that managers can use to create high quality conversations.
1. Talk more about the positive than the negative
It is a common mistake for managers to stress what an employee has done wrong, and to make little mention of what has gone well. The result is a conversation with a negative and accusing tone; not a conversation that encourages an employee to feel safe in speaking up with his ideas, concerns or aspirations. When people think positively about their abilities and achievements they are enabled to think for themselves, to make decisions and to move forward. It is said that you should give five times as much positive feedback as negative. Be positive about things you know have gone well. Be honest. Be generous. Ask questions to find out how the employee sees his own performance. You might get some surprises! Try these.
What has gone particularly well?
What are you most proud of?
What have you learned about yourself?
2. Listen more than you talk
A performance appraisal conversation should be a time when people can be appreciated for their efforts and the value they add to the organisation. It can be an opportunity for them to receive help and support in making changes where needed, to ask questions, raise concerns and put forward their own ideas for future growth. What they need is the attention of their manager; an unhurried attention that actually helps them to think better.
We think we listen, but we do very little. We interrupt, get distracted, argue, and at the first moment we get a chance, we put our own ideas on the table. How did we come to believe that the way to help someone think better was to give them our ideas? Stop telling others what to do. Listen while they work things out for themselves, and in the process, allow them to create their own motivation and energy.
3. Ask for more information than you give
The employee is on the ground. His view of a situation is, by definition, sharper and more accurate than yours. So ask him how he sees the situation. This is your chance to really learn about what is going on. It is ironic that the people who make the most important decisions in an organisation are usually most distant from the action and know least about what is really happening. A performance appraisal interview is your chance to get in touch with the realities on the ground. Keep it simple. Start with, Tell me about it; and follow on with what, how, when and why questions.
4. Invite the employee to propose solutions before you offer yours
It is hard for many managers to accept that they do not have all the answers. When an employee is not performing to his potential, it is more his problem than yours. Just as he is aware of the problem, although he may not realize it, he has the solution in his head somewhere. It is the job of the manager to help the employee find that solution by asking questions. Be sure to distinguish questions that lead to action from those that merely ask for more information about the problem.
How would you tackle this?
What will your target be?
Where could you start?
Is there any help you need from me?
Use these four sets of behaviour; talk about the positive, listen, ask for information and invite solutions, and watch how the effectiveness of your performance appraisal discussions improves and how your people start to develop and think for themselves.
About the Author:
Maureen Collins has a B.Sc. degree in Psychology from Edinburgh University and over 25 years of consulting experience. She specialises in communication skills in the business world. In Straight Talk, she trains people how to handle difficult conversations, on difficult topics, with difficult people. Get free Straight Talk Tips. http://www.straight-talk.co.za
Leadership is kind of like being pregnant. You can’t be a little bit of a leader. You’re either a leader or you’re not.
A lot has been written on what makes a good leader. Extensive research on proven leaders by Target Training International over a number of years identified five soft skills leaders all have in common. Excellence in leadership includes mastering these skills:
Interpersonal skills
Influencing others
Goal achievement
Personal accountability
Self management
Interpersonal Skills
Leaders have mastered the art of relating to and interacting with others. They understand what “makes people tick” by knowing their behavioral and communication styles and values/attitudes. They know what to say and do to motivate individuals.
They know how to develop positive relationships with a diverse range of people. They care about what others say and listen actively. They’re not thinking about what they’re going to say next when someone is talking. Leaders give feedback, ask questions, and rephrase what people say.
Good interpersonal skills are vital to generate trust and respect for leaders to be effective.
Influencing Others
Leaders have the ability to personally affect other people’s actions, decisions, thinking, and opinions. They’re masters at building a team that will follow them. They know how to gain commitments from others. Leaders accomplish these things by being trustworthy, ethical, and dependable. People know leaders stand behind what they say and will be there when needed.
Leaders have also mastered presentation skills. They can give a talk on a moment’s notice because they are education-focused and have a wealth of knowledge about a variety of subjects.
Goal Achievement
Leaders have a clear vision of what they want to accomplish and do so in a timely manner. They plan strategies to achieve their desired outcomes and have SMART goals:
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Timely
Leaders use teamwork to accomplish their goals, capitalizing on the strengths of the individual members of their team. They know how to delegate even when they believe they could do it better themselves.
Leaders are always “on target;” they’re constantly adjusting and making course corrections to achieve desired results. They begin with the end in mind.
Personal Accountability
Leaders accept personal responsibility for the consequences of their actions and decisions. They don’t play the “blame game,” or the “if only game,” or the “yeah, but game.” They stay committed to their objectives even when they make mistakes or bad decisions.
Leaders lead by example, not by ordering people to follow them. They know that actions, indeed, speak louder than words.
Self Management
You notice we’re not saying “time management.” Stephen Covey said there’s no such thing as time management; it’s all about self management - what we do with the time we have.
Leaders know how to prioritize and complete tasks to reach their desired outcome. They manage themselves and their activities; they know where they want to go. Leaders are confident of success; they maintain their poise and composure under fire. They stay focused on reaching goals in an efficient, organized, and innovative manner.
Leaders are constantly working on self improvement, reflection, and continual learning.
It’s possible to develop these five skills on your own or through training. However, the best way to develop your leadership skills is with a mentor. Ideally, you and your mentor will work through a program specifically designed to help you master these five crucial areas of leadership.
Don’t expect to master these five skills in a short time. A formal mentor-protégé program should take six months to a year to complete.
A colleague of mine, Randy Widrick, says, “If you think you’re a leader but no one is following, you’re just out for a walk.”
About the Author:
Discover a mentor-protégé program to help you develop these skills and get a free leadership skills assessment at http://www.coachannette.com Annette Estes is a Certified Professional Behavioral and Values Analyst. Order her ebook, “Why Can’t You See it My Way?” at http://www.resolveconflictnow.com ©2008 Annette Estes. All rights reserved.
Do you know the biggest mistakes employers make in hiring? One of the biggest challenges we find is that sales professionals and business owners think they can find somebody who is both people-oriented and great on follow-through and detailed work.
The five common mistakes employers make in hiring are:
-I need a body right now.
The manager hires out of desperation and it is common when the manager finds himself overwhelmed. Maybe somebody just quit or the manager received a number of leads and does not know how to get the transactions closed or tasks accomplished.
-Hiring close family, friends or referrals without any evaluation.
We have known a client for a while who continues to hire her close friends and family members without evaluating whether they are the best fit for the position.
She finds it difficult to motivate and get any worthwhile performance out of these employees. Teamwork is a struggle and she seems frustrated. She feels that there is a magic bullet which will solve her problems.
Unless she starts hiring the person who is most suitable for the position instead of using nepotism, she will always have this challenge.
Unfortunately I have been guilty of this as well and it cost me money, time and relationships.
-No process to screen candidates.
Most sales professionals and managers are quick decision makers and do not have the necessary patience to do the due diligence before hiring people. It sounds simple, but it is hard for people who pride themselves on their quick thinking and decision-making ability to slow down and go through all the steps necessary to get well-qualified people.
Why is this attitude a major business risk? Just using your gut feel to make a hiring decision is not a smart idea. Again, most managers are not trained in this skill.
-Hiring the candidate who is just like you.
This individual reminds you of yourself when you were younger. You have a good gut feeling about this person.
Many managers tend to hire a person with whom they feel comfortable. Of course, you like people who are like you or remind you of yourself. If the candidate is too much like you, then why are you hiring your clone? It is rarely a good idea to hire your clone.
-You hate to do the work that you should be doing.
Let us say that you hate detailed paper work and you are poor in following through. You feel that all you need to do is to hire somebody who likes that work and is competent at it and your worries will go away.
Do not make that mistake. Before you hire such a person, learn the basics of that job for two reasons. One reason is that the person who walks in to do that job will definitely need you to give her orientation and training before she can be productive. Secondly, that person’s style of work will differ from your style by necessity. If you cannot appreciate her role and how she functions, you will be a poor manager.
About the Author:
Minesh Baxi is the co-author of “Stop Hiring Losers”. Do you have the right employees in the right position? Listen to one hour live recording and get first two chapters of the book “Stop Hiring Losers” free at http://www.StopHiringLosers.com
For many companies, who have experienced rapid growth, Human Resources is an after thought. You start out with two employees and before you know it, you’ve grown to over 25. Life in the office goes from being fairly simple to highly complex.
When you are a small company, it is easy to operate on the fly. In fact some employees find it thrilling to work in an environment where everything is informal. Unfortunately, there are many others who have a difficult time operating in an organization where the only thing that is predictable is change.
Like it or not, it may very well be time to formalize HR processes and procedures in your organization. No need to panic. You can easily accomplish this by hiring an HR Expert.
What’s the role of an HR Expert?
Think of an HR Expert like you would a VP of HR. Only you don’t have to provide this person with a fancy office and a big salary. The services of an HR expert vary depending on the company’s needs and the consultant’s depth of experience. Just-in-time services range from writing an employee handbook to helping guide you through complex HR issues.
Like most things in life, you get what you pay for. When evaluating consultants, focus on the value they can bring to your organization. A small decrease in turnover or an increase in productivity will more than pay for this investment.
So how do you know when it’s the right time to hire an outside HR Expert? Here are some clues:
You no longer know right from wrong - When you first started your business you were feeling pretty comfortable addressing HR issues in your organization. After all, how hard could it be making up policies, such as vacation time, as you needed them? Now was it Bob or Mary that you promised an additional week of paid vacation? If you can’t remember, ask either one of them. They know exactly what the other one has.
You are having a difficult time keeping up with all the rules and regulations-Some leaders find it hard to let go, so they try to manage everything. This requires a great deal of reading and a terrific memory. Before you enroll in a three-day seminar on the fundamentals of HR management, ask yourself if this time would be better spent dramatically improving your product and enhancing your market position.
You believe you can do it all in house - Why hire an expert when you can use software to automate all of HR? Take employee handbooks. For a few hundred dollars you can do it yourself. Or can you? You probably could if you had the knowledge that it took to answer the series of questions that need responses. But if you could do this, then why would you need to buy the software?
Save yourself the money and aggravation. Hire an expert who can get the work done right the first time and in a way that works for your company. Then cross this important item off of your long list of things to do.
You are not Atlas - When you are experiencing rapid growth, it’s easy to forget that you need a strong foundation to support your company’s growth. Imagine what would happen if you decided to build a 5,000 square foot house on a foundation that is meant to support a 2,000 square foot home. Your house will eventually collapse.
The same is true for organizations that have grown rapidly and have not established a strong base. Through luck, or by throwing out huge sums of money, you might have attracted star players to your team. But few people will stay once they realize that they have joined a squad that is experiencing lots of growing pains. Invest in your infrastructure beforehand, to ensure you retain those valuable resources.
You can no longer look around the office and call each employee by their name - If you’ve reached this point, then you probably should have hired an expert several years ago. That being said, it is not too late. Now where are those name tags kept?
Despite what you might have heard, there is no magic formula for deciding when it is time to bring in an HR Expert. The right time is when you are serious about decreasing your legal exposure, enhancing employee engagement and dramatically increasing productivity and profitability.
About the Author:
Roberta Chinsky Matuson is the President of Human Resource Solutions (www.yourhrexperts.com) and has been helping companies align their people assets with their business goals. Roberta publishes a monthly newsletter “HR Matters” http://www.yourhrexperts.com/hrjoin.cgi . Click here to read her new blog on Generation Integration http://generationintegration.typepad.com/matuson/. She can be reached at 413-582-1840 or Roberta@yourhrexperts.com.
The corporate environment in 2008 is leaps and bounds ahead of where standards lay during the last century. This has brought about the rise of a relatively new business phenomenon: business thought leaders. Communication is faster, services are more efficient and business dealings have become worth more than ever before.
Any business keeping stride with the rapid pace of an evolving industry is composed of many parts, much like the mechanisms in a machine. These corporations range from two-man start up ventures to multinational conglomerates. The secret to the success of many is that they are constantly looking for new and innovative ways to do business. This is proven in their effectiveness at turning ideas about business and customers into success.
In any business strategy and forward thinking can be the deciding factor in whether the business succeeds or fails. Exposure to different elements can sway business from side to side, and this is why innovative ideas and strategies that work are so valued in business.
How it All Began
Joel Kurtzman, editor-in-chief of a major business magazine, was the first person to use the phrase “thought leader” in 1994. Kurtzman used the term in reference to the interview subjects for his publication relating to business leaders who were instrumental in creating innovative new ideas for business. These parties included economists, strategists as well as major corporations.
Since 1994 the term has developed and has been used not only for business purposes. “Thought leader” can be used to describe any person who is well recognised and documented as having been an innovative and ground-breaking thinker; sharing his or her knowledge with others. Today, the term “thought leader” stretches across a wide variety of subjects and practices, including medicine, art and writing.
What Makes a Business Thought Leader?
A business thought leader is someone who does just that: they innovate, revolutionise and capitalise on persuasive action which will bring success. They have an unbeatable record of achievement in their relative fields. Their successful strategies and out-of-the-box approach to every aspect of their profession have secured them high recognition for their part in shaping modern business practices. Futurists can also feature as thought leaders as their groundbreaking insight into business and economic futures is so precious.
A business thought leader will generally have an unmatchable understanding of the business field within which they are involved. Other traits include an unrivalled understanding of the entire business, including the market place and contenders, what role the business plays in terms of function and position in its field, client needs and expectations, and foresight into possible future trends.
Business Thought Leadership Topics and Online Resources
In modern business practices, the topics and areas featuring various business thought leaders include marketing, leadership, innovation and invention, communications, strategy, talent and performance, to name a few.
Due to the need for a quick, accessible and reliable method of gaining exposure to different business thought practices, the online environment has experienced a surge of related websites. These are dedicated to showcasing different business thought leaders and their experiences, as well as providing a platform for innovative thinking.
These sites are especially helpful to business persons, teachers and students, because they have the ability to search as deeply for answers in the material and resources provided as they wish.
Sites usually offer a range of products, or services. All of the resources are easy to navigate. If you delve deep enough, online consultations with business thought leaders are even possible.
A Better Business From Tested and Successful Strategies
Through the use of business thought leaders and their shared knowledge and experience, business success is becoming more easily achievable for small and large business enterprises alike. Through respected previous experience and know how in their respective industries, business thought leaders are an opportunity for any business wishing to establish better success.
Article Source:
http://www.bestmanagementarticles.com
http://leadership.bestmanagementarticles.com
Reactive Management style solves problems as they occur, while Predictive Management style tries to prevent many problems from occurring in the first place. So, then which should be the best to be adopted?
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