Tip #457: 7 Traits of Strong Leaders

    
Whether in business or sports, many teams include stand-out superstars. However, as any sports fan knows, one or two amazing players is not enough to carry a team to a league victory.

Teamwork requires the effort and inclusion of everyone on the team - not just the top performers. A good coach must focus on the success of the overall team by mentoring each team member - not by focusing only on the star player.

7 Traits Of Strong Leaders.

Team leaders understand the balance of attention required to ensure all team efforts run smoothly. That said, team leaders proactively exhibit the following traits:

Traits Of A Strong Leader	Do You Have These Skills?
1. They Understand Value: A good team leader examines existing processes and best utilizes his or her team to maximize the value of the business.
2. They Remain Organized: Effective team leaders keep organized; this keeps everyone else on track. They prioritize tasks and make sure everyone has the resources they require to complete projects.
3. They Focus On Results: The best team leaders are goal-oriented. Good leaders can find a "win" in any situation.
4. They Demonstrate Accountability:Strong leaders exhibit a high amount of personal responsibility. They expect each team member to remain responsible for his or her own job and also take accountability for him or her self as well as the team being led.
5. They Value Diversity: Top leaders appreciate diversity. This means understanding and utilizing everyone's strength and recognizing that everyone has weaknesses. This allows a leader to create synergy in a team. Team leaders should recognize that some employees are particular "specialists" in certain areas. Good leaders utilize this particular talent.
6. They Communicate Effectively: The best leaders know that they need to ask the right questions to get the information they need. This will also reveal what others want or need from the team or the business in general. Knowing what motivates others is a powerful tool in sales and management.
7. They Enhance People Skills: Strong leaders understand that working with a variety of people and personality types is a necessity. They strive to remain assertive but diplomatic.

Executive Summary: Effective team leaders must work with a variety of skill sets and personalities. Strong leaders understand how to identify the strengths of each team member and assign tasks accordingly for the best results.

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Tip #456: 6 Tips for Handling a Difficult Employee

    
Sooner or later, all managers must deal with a difficult employee. What you need to remember is that a difficult employee is not necessarily a bad employee.  All too often, people associate "difficult" with "bad."  This simply is not true.  There are a lot of circumstances that could lead to difficult behavior -- stress at home or work, for example.

If you find yourself tasked with handling a difficult employee, you may find the following six tips insightful.

Click here to watch a video on ways to handle a difficult employee

6 Tips For Handling Difficult Employees:

Tip #1: Evaluate The Issue -- In other words, think before you act.  One complaint is not reason enough to call an employee into your office for a verbal lashing.  A clear understanding of the issue is required before you take any action.  Consider all of the relevant factors, such as the people involved and the details surrounding the situation.

Tip #2: Gather The Facts -- Because the workplace is a social environment, there is bound to be rumors and hearsay -- neither of which is reason enough to take action.  As a manager and leader, your job is to be a mediator and assess the situation fairly by gathering the facts.  Hearsay is unreliable and easily refuted.  Evidence, on the other hand, is undeniable.

Tip #3: Develop A Plan -- The workplace is not the Wild West -- you cannot go into a situation "guns blazing."  This will only exacerbate things further.  Having a plan will give you more control over the situation and help maintain order and focus.  Carefully decide when and where you will speak with the employee, how you want the meeting to go, and whether others might need to be present.

Tip #4: Focus On The Problem -- All too often, we let one negative aspect of someone define them entirely.  This, of course, is a mistake.  Just because someone is difficult does not mean they aren't good at their job.  When handling a difficult employee, you need to focus on the problem, not the person.  Otherwise, the employee may feel like they are being personally attacked.

Tip #5: Hear Their Side -- When speaking with a difficult employee, it is only fair to hear their side.  Understanding the reasons behind difficult behaviors is crucial to remedying them.  Your job, as mediator, is to find the common ground and figure out where and how you can smooth the wrinkles over.  This requires having as much of an understanding about the factors surrounding difficult behavior as you can.

Tip #6: Come To A Solution -- Ultimately, your goal is to come to an agreement with the employee on how to solve the issue; otherwise, it will continue to persist.  The first step is for the employee to acknowledge the issue.  From there, draw out a plan of action as to how it will be solved, and make sure you follow-up with the employee to ensure that change is maintained.

Executive Summary: Remember, a difficult employee is not necessarily a bad employee, so focus more on the issue and less on them.  This helps prevent employees from feeling as though they are being personally criticized.  As a result, they will be less resistant to working out whatever is causing their difficult behavior.  Once you do agree upon a solution, be sure to periodically follow-up with the employee and praise them for their efforts.

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Tip #455: 4 Fun and Inexpensive Ways to Re-Engage Your Staff

    
Have you ever thought about what it would be like to do someone else's job for a day? Some organizations take this question very seriously and employ it as a means of employee engagement. This is one of several low-cost tasks that management can do to increase employee engagement and discussion about job satisfaction in the workplace. Consider these creative, inexpensive employee engagement solutions.

4 Unconventional Employee Engagement Solutions.

#1. Change Your Company's Wardrobe - While your organization might allow the typical "dress down Friday," you might want to switch things up a bit. That said, you might want to consider establishing the following when appropriate:   

• Sports Jersey Day
• Hawaiian Shirt Day
• Company Color(s) Day

#2. Interview Employee Day - Have you ever looked at a job titles in your organization only to wonder exactly what it is that person does? Chances are, most of your employees have as well. Set aside some time for your employees to "interview" each other about their roles in the organization. This will inspire personnel to achieve new goals in the company and to make new contacts within the organization.

#3. Change Your Music - Most offices/warehouses allow employees to listen to music as long as it is low volume or in headphones. While this can boost productivity, it does create a level of isolation as well. For a change, allow employees to appreciate each other's musical tastes by asking everyone to contribute a song to an office playlist for the day. Alternatively, you might want to consider using a free web-based service such as turntable.fm, Pandora or Spotify.

#4. Have Your Staff Switch Jobs For A Week - Job swapping is a great way to enrich your staff as it allows your staff to explore other areas of interest and gain appreciation for what their coworkers do. Additionally, it inspires individuals to communicate beyond their own teams as they get to learn about new departments. This can also reveal a great deal about your employees' interests.

To best accomplish this, build in a 30 minute meeting between employees so they can learn about the essential job duties and what must be accomplished within the workday.

Executive Summary: Employee engagement does not have to be a large or expensive program or process. Most employees are curious about the jobs and interests of others, and you can learn a great deal about your employees' goals by allowing them to learn about each other's preferences and job duties.

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