Enjoy!

Karlin Sloan
 

 

Quotations

"Write injuries in dust, benefits in marble."

"Peace is not the absence of conflict but the presence of creative alternatives for responding to conflict."

"You can't shake hands with a clenched fist."

"Man invented language to satisfy his deep need to complain."

1. Suspend judgement
2. Acknowledge emotions
3. Ask questions
4. Describe what you observe
5. Step away from the situation, not the person

From the Sand-Box to the Office

By Deborah Shea

 

Unwilling to share. Bossy. Tattle-tale. Defiant. Disobedient. Sound like a five-year old you know? Well, it could also describe someone with whom you work! Disruptive and unruly childhood behaviors that go unchecked can often lead to more serious ramifications in adulthood.

Most people who "act out" at work are insecure. But instead of turning this insecurity inward, they usually turn it outward towards their most capable, cooperative and non-confrontational colleagues. The aggressor's longing for power and control often clouds his/her ability to manage healthy relationships; therefore, tactics such as manipulation, exploitation and abuse (usually verbal or emotional) become their method of working.

How widespread and acute these behaviors are within an organization speaks volumes about its culture. Is bad behavior tolerated? Are there different rules for different people? Remarks such as, "Joe really did chew Tim out in that meeting, but let's face it, he is one of our top revenue producers!" unfortunately occurs way too often.

Companies need to take a closer look at how these negative behaviors impact their bottom line. Whether blatant, (yelling, shouting or interrupting) or subtle, (talking behind someone's back, giving the silent treatment or failing to return emails or voicemails), these negative behaviors can contribute to lower morale, decreased motivation, reduced productivity and increased turnover with both employees and clients.

It's time to take the outbursts, tantrums and other childish antics out of the workplace and put them back where they belong; in the sand-box.

Anger Management

By Nicey Hilton

 

Imagine you have a talented employee who brings value to your organization. Yet there is an issue at hand regarding them acting out in a specific way that effects your business. Perhaps you've received complaints about their negative attitude from peers. Or maybe you've observed them ridiculing clients or co-workers. You know you need to have one of those awkward conversations that you just want to avoid.

We all have different realities. In other words, we see the world in very different ways. So when your direct report is acting out, they may feel that their actions are valid reactions to a specific situation. The first step is to engage in a dialogue where both of you to describe the reality as you see it.

But how to do you get started turning an awkward conversation into a productive dialogue that will examine realities, provoke learning and hopefully help to move your relationship and business forward?

Make clear requests and get the message out in sixty seconds. Why sixty seconds? Because you have thought through carefully what you want to convey and want to quickly transition into a two-way conversation to resolve the problem.

Once you engage in a dialogue, clarify for full understanding of their feedback and ideas. Make sure they are clear about your perceptions. Lastly, make a new agreement to move forward, and determine how you will hold each other responsible for keeping it.

Resources:

Disarming Difficult Behavior, a one-day workshop - for more information email us at getinfo@karlinsloan.com.

Learn about our executive coaching.