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Casual Articles - Four Things You Should Never Say to Your Employees
Can women lead America’s businesses?Six corporate consultants and one Princeton student say “Yes!”A new leadership development program for women in business was announced today. Six former corporate managers and consultants to Fortune 500 companies and one student from Princeton came together to form one of the most dynamic new development programs for women in business available on the market today.Womencorp, an international women’s leadership training company, was developed as a solution to the problem many companies are experiencing in attracting and retaining top talent.“Considering that 50% of the talent pool is made up of women and women are leaving at twice the rate of men, something has to be done to help companies keep their women leaders.” Says Roxanne Batson, founder of Womencorp.The concept of an experiential training program for women was developed after these consultants and entrepreneurs noted how many large corporations were suffering continual outflow of their women managers.“Our goal was to develop a way to help companies retain talented individuals by addressing the specific training
Just a few months later, the same employee was off because of headaches and tendonitis. The tendency to avoid the problem by getting rid of the complaining worker resulted in lost time from another injured employee. What a shame that the complaint wasn’t investigated or handled correctly.
Perhaps the reason no one else complained is because they knew what they would hear: “If you don’t like it, find another place to work.”
If You Don't Like it, Find Another Place to Work.
With the massive changes occurring in the workplace, compounded with the low unemployment rate, the practical solution isn’t telling employees to hit the road. Other than the fact that this kind of statement lacks creativity; it’s just plain rude.Condescending statements reek of disrespect and suggests that you don’t care about your employee. I know of one particular example where the statement was similar: “I didn’t ask you to work here.” Often these kinds of statements are said in anger or sarcasm and justified by some statement like, “well it’s the truth.”
The kind of logic that justifies these kinds of statements is the same kind of logic that says grub worms are edible.
In other words, just because something is edi
I stayed in an Orlando hotel suite for ten days. Breakfast was available in the concierge lounge each morning: oatmeal, bread with butter and jelly and an assortment of sliced melon.Each morning I looked for a banana to top off my oatmeal. Sliced melon, yes. But banana, no.On the third day I spoke to the staff in the lounge.‘You want a banana?’ she asked. ‘No problem. I’ll have one for you tomorrow.’The next morning, and every morning thereafter, she brought me a banana, usually keeping it hidden until I appeared. Occasionally another guest would see my special banana and look for another. But there were no more bananas. Only sliced melon.Days later, I asked the Food & Beverage Manager, ‘Why don’t you provide bananas at breakfast? Other guests seem jealous of my bananas – and I notice the sliced melon is often sent back to the kitchen untouched.’He replied, ‘If we provide bananas, everyone would take one, or even two! That is more fruit than we want to give out in the morning. With the sliced melon, we know how much fruit we are allocating to the breakfast. Even if it is not eaten, we have control over our food costs.’<
Look at the list below as if you were taking a test. How many times have you said:
"There's nothing else I can do."
"It's always been that way."
"No one else is complaining."
"If you don't like it, find another place to work."
Why would a manager use any of these statements? Basically because he or she feels powerless and it gets rid of the complaining employee—especially when there is no known solution in sight.
Phrases like these become "quick fixes" ending the discomfort momentarily but at a high price. Before using these statements again in the future ask yourself these questions?
1. Am I solving problems by making this statement?
2. Am I respecting my employee as someone to be valued?
3. Am I representing myself as someone who is open and approachable?
4. Do I sound defensive or self-righteous?
5. Am I empowering this employee to take an active or a passive role?
When employees complain, there is a better way. Begin by using communication to empower employees to be a part of the solution instead of part of the problem.
There's Nothing I can Do.
When you say to your complaining employee, “There’s nothing I can do,” you are really communicating, “there is nothing I am willing to do.” Don’t expect to keep abreast of problems in your department if that is your mantra. Why should an employee ever come to you if your response is “there’s nothing I can do?”
A more empowering approach is to ask a question: “What do you see as some opportunities to address this problem?” That gives the impression that you are considering their thoughts and feelings and entering into partnership to find a solution. What is the answer for those employees that like to vent? How do you support their viewpoints without encouraging them to constantly pound on your door with some complaint?
To reduce this tendency, you must make them accountable in a non-threatening way. Ask for their input or suggest another meeting with the expectation that they come up with at least a part of the solution. The result is a more thoughtful employee who is willing to consider solutions before ever presenting problems. Avoid the inclination to let the situation hang without another meeting. Set a time for the next meeting and follow up as you would with any other professional. Don’t slam the door by saying, “ it’s always been that way.”
It's Always Been That Way
The statement, "it's always been that way" suggests it (what ever the situation or problem is,) should or will continue to be that way.It is a poor excuse and strips the employee of hope or empowerment—besides, it is a terrible argument. History reminds us that it’s natural to look for better ways and yet at the same time most of us resist change unless it benefits us. If the employee is complaining about a particular situation it is because s/he believes there is some change that could make the situation more beneficial. Are you, as the manager the one resisting change?
Managers, who move up from the bottom, often do not truly understand the working conditions and how they have changed since the time that they were on the bottom rung, therefore they falsely assume that working conditions are the same for their subordinates as they were for them.
In reality, several things have probably changed. People are doing more with less,technology has changed, or the time has lessened while demands have increased, thus it’s a false statement to say,"it has always been that way."
Understand that perhaps you are simply unaware of the changes. One way to gain more insight is to ask for examples as to how things have changed for the better and for the worse. This teaches employees to develop critical and objective thinking. This type of question unites you with your subordinate by talking about the changes and how some changes are subtle and hard to recognize unless you are directly in the position it affects.
Even if you haven’t heard a complaint from anyone else, resist the inclination to condemn the employee by suggesting that he is the only one with a problem.Realize he may be the only one with enough courage to confront the problem and there may be others who wish they knew how to complain.
No One Else Is Complaining
Although no one else has stepped forward to complain, it really doesn’t mean anything. Someone has to be the first to register a complaint. Instead of saying, "Well, you’re the only one complaining—I haven’t heard a peep from anyone else," A better response is, "Do you believe others feel the same way?"
Although the employee can't legally speak for the other employees, you are asking about his perceptions and if his perceptions have merit, isn't it better to really know what your employees think than to put your head in the sand?
One example from the production lines comes to mind:The department was in a transition, waiting for a new automatic stacker that was designed to handle the stacking and wrapping of two production lines. In the meantime, one worker handled the demands of two lines while for over a year they waited for the ‘robot.’ The pallets came out every 10 minutes and by the time worker was able to wrap, tag and pull another skid down to begin the stacking, there were about 15 boxes piled up and ready to jam in the code-dater.
It’s through transitions that often the small changes create a ripple effect that goes unnoticed by management, but becomes the proverbial straw that breaks the camels back. Throughout this conversion several other small changes had occurred and there were no provisions put into place to monitor the effects on the employees.
The roller ramp that the boxes slid down had been shortened about 15 feet, the wooden skids were now made with oak instead of pine, thus making them heaver to maneuver. There was a shortage of forklift drivers and one person was stacking two converged lines instead of one person per line. Often the worker even had to pull the skid from the line with a forklift. (God forbid if anyone took the extra forklift.)
Eventually a woman named Janice had an idea for a partial solution and the confidence to approach the foreman about the situation. Unfortunately Janice got stomped with one of his three favorite aphorisms: "No one else is complaining." Although this was certainly true, the foreman was oblivious to the fact that another employee, was going home every evening, soaking in a tub, loading herself with medicine and going straight to bed. She was afraid to complain.
Just a few months later, the same employee was off because of headaches and tendonitis. The tendency to avoid the problem by getting rid of the complaining worker resulted in lost time from another injured employee. What a shame that the complaint wasn’t investigated or handled correctly.
Perhaps the reason no one else complained is because they knew what they would hear: “If you don’t like it, find another place to work.”
If You Don't Like it, Find Another Place to Work.
With the massive changes occurring in the workplace, compounded with the low unemployment rate, the practical solution isn’t telling employees to hit the road. Other than the fact that this kind of statement lacks creativity; it’s just plain rude.Condescending statements reek of disrespect and suggests that you don’t care about your employee. I know of one particular example where the statement was similar: “I didn’t ask you to work here.” Often these kinds of statements are said in anger or sarcasm and justified by some statement like, “well it’s the truth.”
The kind of logic that justifies these kinds of statements is the same kind of logic that says grub worms are edible.
In other words, just because something is edib
Now that you have defined where you are and where you want to be as well as what you are willing to do to get there, you now have to get real about things that might hold you back from getting what you want and create a strategy for handling them.Zig Ziglar, a well known speaker and wildly successful businessman, has spoken to thousands of people about goals and how to clarify and achieve them. One of the greatest tips he offered is that some of your goals must be long range and the reason for that is that there is trouble in front of you. The better you plan for this and the more aware you are of things that could get in your way, the more likely you are to forge ahead when an obstacle arises. If you have long range goals, set backs will feel like just pebbles on the water. If however you don’t have long range goals and plan for some detours, those set backs will feel like the size of an ocean.I worked with a client who is the perfect example of this. Her goal was to lose weight and participate in a cardio and strength training plan 6 days a week. She knew there were going to be plenty of things that could get in her way. She had a demanding job, 2 k
A more empowering approach is to ask a question: “What do you see as some opportunities to address this problem?” That gives the impression that you are considering their thoughts and feelings and entering into partnership to find a solution. What is the answer for those employees that like to vent? How do you support their viewpoints without encouraging them to constantly pound on your door with some complaint?
To reduce this tendency, you must make them accountable in a non-threatening way. Ask for their input or suggest another meeting with the expectation that they come up with at least a part of the solution. The result is a more thoughtful employee who is willing to consider solutions before ever presenting problems. Avoid the inclination to let the situation hang without another meeting. Set a time for the next meeting and follow up as you would with any other professional. Don’t slam the door by saying, “ it’s always been that way.”
It's Always Been That Way
The statement, "it's always been that way" suggests it (what ever the situation or problem is,) should or will continue to be that way.It is a poor excuse and strips the employee of hope or empowerment—besides, it is a terrible argument. History reminds us that it’s natural to look for better ways and yet at the same time most of us resist change unless it benefits us. If the employee is complaining about a particular situation it is because s/he believes there is some change that could make the situation more beneficial. Are you, as the manager the one resisting change?
Managers, who move up from the bottom, often do not truly understand the working conditions and how they have changed since the time that they were on the bottom rung, therefore they falsely assume that working conditions are the same for their subordinates as they were for them.
In reality, several things have probably changed. People are doing more with less,technology has changed, or the time has lessened while demands have increased, thus it’s a false statement to say,"it has always been that way."
Understand that perhaps you are simply unaware of the changes. One way to gain more insight is to ask for examples as to how things have changed for the better and for the worse. This teaches employees to develop critical and objective thinking. This type of question unites you with your subordinate by talking about the changes and how some changes are subtle and hard to recognize unless you are directly in the position it affects.
Even if you haven’t heard a complaint from anyone else, resist the inclination to condemn the employee by suggesting that he is the only one with a problem.Realize he may be the only one with enough courage to confront the problem and there may be others who wish they knew how to complain.
No One Else Is Complaining
Although no one else has stepped forward to complain, it really doesn’t mean anything. Someone has to be the first to register a complaint. Instead of saying, "Well, you’re the only one complaining—I haven’t heard a peep from anyone else," A better response is, "Do you believe others feel the same way?"
Although the employee can't legally speak for the other employees, you are asking about his perceptions and if his perceptions have merit, isn't it better to really know what your employees think than to put your head in the sand?
One example from the production lines comes to mind:The department was in a transition, waiting for a new automatic stacker that was designed to handle the stacking and wrapping of two production lines. In the meantime, one worker handled the demands of two lines while for over a year they waited for the ‘robot.’ The pallets came out every 10 minutes and by the time worker was able to wrap, tag and pull another skid down to begin the stacking, there were about 15 boxes piled up and ready to jam in the code-dater.
It’s through transitions that often the small changes create a ripple effect that goes unnoticed by management, but becomes the proverbial straw that breaks the camels back. Throughout this conversion several other small changes had occurred and there were no provisions put into place to monitor the effects on the employees.
The roller ramp that the boxes slid down had been shortened about 15 feet, the wooden skids were now made with oak instead of pine, thus making them heaver to maneuver. There was a shortage of forklift drivers and one person was stacking two converged lines instead of one person per line. Often the worker even had to pull the skid from the line with a forklift. (God forbid if anyone took the extra forklift.)
Eventually a woman named Janice had an idea for a partial solution and the confidence to approach the foreman about the situation. Unfortunately Janice got stomped with one of his three favorite aphorisms: "No one else is complaining." Although this was certainly true, the foreman was oblivious to the fact that another employee, was going home every evening, soaking in a tub, loading herself with medicine and going straight to bed. She was afraid to complain.
Just a few months later, the same employee was off because of headaches and tendonitis. The tendency to avoid the problem by getting rid of the complaining worker resulted in lost time from another injured employee. What a shame that the complaint wasn’t investigated or handled correctly.
Perhaps the reason no one else complained is because they knew what they would hear: “If you don’t like it, find another place to work.”
If You Don't Like it, Find Another Place to Work.
With the massive changes occurring in the workplace, compounded with the low unemployment rate, the practical solution isn’t telling employees to hit the road. Other than the fact that this kind of statement lacks creativity; it’s just plain rude.Condescending statements reek of disrespect and suggests that you don’t care about your employee. I know of one particular example where the statement was similar: “I didn’t ask you to work here.” Often these kinds of statements are said in anger or sarcasm and justified by some statement like, “well it’s the truth.”
The kind of logic that justifies these kinds of statements is the same kind of logic that says grub worms are edible.
In other words, just because something is edi
According to a recent government report the business world is currently in a leadership crisis. Up and coming managers, those who will be our business leaders of the future do not see examples of “inspirational leadership” in their work places. Employees long to see a genuine shared vision, real confidence and trust in teams and respect for colleagues, customers and employees. Less than 40% of managers actually see these traits on display in the workplace.Where did all our leaders go? Perhaps we have placed too much emphasis on management of our businesses instead of leadership. I would hazard a guess that more people are comfortable with the thought of becoming a manager then they are with being asked to take the position of leader. Therefore, naturally we have more aspiring managers than leaders but a much bigger percentage of managers are capable of becoming leaders in their fields that are actually stepping up to this role. Why?What is leadership? Perhaps we don’t have as many leaders as we need because not enough of us understand what leadership is really all about and who can become a leader. Can you take someone who isn't a natural leader a
Managers, who move up from the bottom, often do not truly understand the working conditions and how they have changed since the time that they were on the bottom rung, therefore they falsely assume that working conditions are the same for their subordinates as they were for them.
In reality, several things have probably changed. People are doing more with less,technology has changed, or the time has lessened while demands have increased, thus it’s a false statement to say,"it has always been that way."
Understand that perhaps you are simply unaware of the changes. One way to gain more insight is to ask for examples as to how things have changed for the better and for the worse. This teaches employees to develop critical and objective thinking. This type of question unites you with your subordinate by talking about the changes and how some changes are subtle and hard to recognize unless you are directly in the position it affects.
Even if you haven’t heard a complaint from anyone else, resist the inclination to condemn the employee by suggesting that he is the only one with a problem.Realize he may be the only one with enough courage to confront the problem and there may be others who wish they knew how to complain.
No One Else Is Complaining
Although no one else has stepped forward to complain, it really doesn’t mean anything. Someone has to be the first to register a complaint. Instead of saying, "Well, you’re the only one complaining—I haven’t heard a peep from anyone else," A better response is, "Do you believe others feel the same way?"
Although the employee can't legally speak for the other employees, you are asking about his perceptions and if his perceptions have merit, isn't it better to really know what your employees think than to put your head in the sand?
One example from the production lines comes to mind:The department was in a transition, waiting for a new automatic stacker that was designed to handle the stacking and wrapping of two production lines. In the meantime, one worker handled the demands of two lines while for over a year they waited for the ‘robot.’ The pallets came out every 10 minutes and by the time worker was able to wrap, tag and pull another skid down to begin the stacking, there were about 15 boxes piled up and ready to jam in the code-dater.
It’s through transitions that often the small changes create a ripple effect that goes unnoticed by management, but becomes the proverbial straw that breaks the camels back. Throughout this conversion several other small changes had occurred and there were no provisions put into place to monitor the effects on the employees.
The roller ramp that the boxes slid down had been shortened about 15 feet, the wooden skids were now made with oak instead of pine, thus making them heaver to maneuver. There was a shortage of forklift drivers and one person was stacking two converged lines instead of one person per line. Often the worker even had to pull the skid from the line with a forklift. (God forbid if anyone took the extra forklift.)
Eventually a woman named Janice had an idea for a partial solution and the confidence to approach the foreman about the situation. Unfortunately Janice got stomped with one of his three favorite aphorisms: "No one else is complaining." Although this was certainly true, the foreman was oblivious to the fact that another employee, was going home every evening, soaking in a tub, loading herself with medicine and going straight to bed. She was afraid to complain.
Just a few months later, the same employee was off because of headaches and tendonitis. The tendency to avoid the problem by getting rid of the complaining worker resulted in lost time from another injured employee. What a shame that the complaint wasn’t investigated or handled correctly.
Perhaps the reason no one else complained is because they knew what they would hear: “If you don’t like it, find another place to work.”
If You Don't Like it, Find Another Place to Work.
With the massive changes occurring in the workplace, compounded with the low unemployment rate, the practical solution isn’t telling employees to hit the road. Other than the fact that this kind of statement lacks creativity; it’s just plain rude.Condescending statements reek of disrespect and suggests that you don’t care about your employee. I know of one particular example where the statement was similar: “I didn’t ask you to work here.” Often these kinds of statements are said in anger or sarcasm and justified by some statement like, “well it’s the truth.”
The kind of logic that justifies these kinds of statements is the same kind of logic that says grub worms are edible.
In other words, just because something is edi
Because I love to see people get the most out of their online businesses and personal lives too, I always encourage business owners to create as much passive income as possible. That way, you'll have time for the more important things in your life. Still, when we are in need of money, the Internet is a GREAT place to start building an income by providing a service to others. If you decide to provide a service as a means of making money from home, always make sure you are making the most of your time and are working to create the easiest to manage service business as you possibly can.Here are some tips for you if you would like to work a little less providing a service online:1. Do Your Math - If you want to make $400 per week, calculate exactly how many service hours you would have to provide to reach that. If you charge $10 per hour, realize that you will have to work with clients for 40 hours per week. And that 40 hours doesn’t include administrative tasks for your own business, marketing and other things that just have to be done that you don’t get paid for. If it’s reasonable to increase your rate to $20 per hour, you would only have to work with
Although the employee can't legally speak for the other employees, you are asking about his perceptions and if his perceptions have merit, isn't it better to really know what your employees think than to put your head in the sand?
One example from the production lines comes to mind:The department was in a transition, waiting for a new automatic stacker that was designed to handle the stacking and wrapping of two production lines. In the meantime, one worker handled the demands of two lines while for over a year they waited for the ‘robot.’ The pallets came out every 10 minutes and by the time worker was able to wrap, tag and pull another skid down to begin the stacking, there were about 15 boxes piled up and ready to jam in the code-dater.
It’s through transitions that often the small changes create a ripple effect that goes unnoticed by management, but becomes the proverbial straw that breaks the camels back. Throughout this conversion several other small changes had occurred and there were no provisions put into place to monitor the effects on the employees.
The roller ramp that the boxes slid down had been shortened about 15 feet, the wooden skids were now made with oak instead of pine, thus making them heaver to maneuver. There was a shortage of forklift drivers and one person was stacking two converged lines instead of one person per line. Often the worker even had to pull the skid from the line with a forklift. (God forbid if anyone took the extra forklift.)
Eventually a woman named Janice had an idea for a partial solution and the confidence to approach the foreman about the situation. Unfortunately Janice got stomped with one of his three favorite aphorisms: "No one else is complaining." Although this was certainly true, the foreman was oblivious to the fact that another employee, was going home every evening, soaking in a tub, loading herself with medicine and going straight to bed. She was afraid to complain.
Just a few months later, the same employee was off because of headaches and tendonitis. The tendency to avoid the problem by getting rid of the complaining worker resulted in lost time from another injured employee. What a shame that the complaint wasn’t investigated or handled correctly.
Perhaps the reason no one else complained is because they knew what they would hear: “If you don’t like it, find another place to work.”
If You Don't Like it, Find Another Place to Work.
With the massive changes occurring in the workplace, compounded with the low unemployment rate, the practical solution isn’t telling employees to hit the road. Other than the fact that this kind of statement lacks creativity; it’s just plain rude.Condescending statements reek of disrespect and suggests that you don’t care about your employee. I know of one particular example where the statement was similar: “I didn’t ask you to work here.” Often these kinds of statements are said in anger or sarcasm and justified by some statement like, “well it’s the truth.”
The kind of logic that justifies these kinds of statements is the same kind of logic that says grub worms are edible.
In other words, just because something is edi
According to this law an observer does not analyze his feelings of agreeableness and disagreeableness, strain and relaxation, comfort and distress, so as to attribute them solely to their actual sources. No matter what the real source of discomfort, it colors all that we do or think at the moment. Thus when I have a bad toothache everything else in the world seems wrong too - the weather was never quite so mean, my friends were never quite so insistent nor my enemies so annoying. In other words, the discomfort caused by a toothache spreads over everything that happens while the ache lasts. Things otherwise pleasant become less interesting, otherwise indifferent things become decidedly annoying while the ordinary mildly annoying thing becomes a source of acute misery.Similarly in reading advertisements, the feeling aroused by each item of the copy and the arrangement tends to spread over the whole experience, including the association presented. The association will be more or less effective, vivid. and permanent, depending, in part, on the way in which it is dressed out, the company in which it is found. and on the past experience which it revives.
Just a few months later, the same employee was off because of headaches and tendonitis. The tendency to avoid the problem by getting rid of the complaining worker resulted in lost time from another injured employee. What a shame that the complaint wasn’t investigated or handled correctly.
Perhaps the reason no one else complained is because they knew what they would hear: “If you don’t like it, find another place to work.”
If You Don't Like it, Find Another Place to Work.
With the massive changes occurring in the workplace, compounded with the low unemployment rate, the practical solution isn’t telling employees to hit the road. Other than the fact that this kind of statement lacks creativity; it’s just plain rude.Condescending statements reek of disrespect and suggests that you don’t care about your employee. I know of one particular example where the statement was similar: “I didn’t ask you to work here.” Often these kinds of statements are said in anger or sarcasm and justified by some statement like, “well it’s the truth.”
The kind of logic that justifies these kinds of statements is the same kind of logic that says grub worms are edible.
In other words, just because something is edible, doesn’t mean you want to eat it. Just because something is true doesn’t mean it’s relevant to the situation. When in doubt, use the five-point checklist. You fail if you can’t pass every one.
•Am I solving problems by making this statement?
•Am I respecting my employee as someone to be valued?
•Am I representing myself as someone who is open and approachable?
•Do I sound defensive or self-righteous?
•Am I empowering this employee to take an active or a passive role?
If you want employees to take ownership it’s up to you as their leader to empower them to take responsibility. Employees have to be comfortable confronting problems and coming up with potential solutions. You, as their leader have the power to help them find the solutions, articulate the changes and develop the courage to point out what everyone else is thinking. When you create this kind of work climate, you’ll increase your own awareness, find workable solutions and you won’t have to tell them to find another place to work because they will be too valuable right where they are.
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