Enhance.training

Stop tolerating poor employees. No matter how you feel or the problems with taking action, not taking action is a lot worse for you personally, the team and the business. I am covering 4 critical reasons why you really want to take action quickly.
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Reliably transform problem people impacting team performance. Don't procrastinate as people problems nearly always grow and they will impact team performance. To help you take action I have a course taking you through every step needed.  https://enhance.training/lp/manage-difficult-people-csp30/

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The team impact of bad employees is big, really big and a lot of it is not obvious. The impact of bad employees builds so you can easily miss it getting worse and worse. Managers - stop tolerating poor employees!

 The manager’s main purpose is to improve team performance. Poor team members have a big impact on their colleague’s standards and output as well as having a shortfall in their own. The impact of bad employees on manager careers, without action being taken, is sidelining or removal. 

 Poor employees are anchors – the impact on team of bad employees stops the team improving and makes it very hard for the manager to encourage improvement. 

 How one bad employee can corrupt the whole team – we have all seen it. Harvard Business Review carried out research to the actual impact of the corruption effect. The peer impact grows over time and the longer it is left, the harder it is to correct. I have known several managers who lost their jobs as a result of not taking action. Stop tolerating bad employees today!

 Bad employees - the cost of ignoring is a breakdown in trust – of nearly everyone else in you.  The impact of bad team members spreads through the team surprisingly quickly. Vicious spirals can develop which often lead to the manager being changed – not what you want.

The manager impact of bad employees is big – your career being sidelined is what is at stake. Stop tolerating poor employees

 If you have any questions on “Stop Tolerating Poor Employees - The Team Impact of Bad Employees” please email me at [email protected] and I will get back to you.

 Jess

Enhance.training

How to gain respect from your boss is a top priority for pretty much everyone. I have 7 actions to share with you to proactively gain respect from your manager and then deepen that respect to become a trusted partner to your manager.

Gain respect from your boss by helping them personally and helping the team. Focusing on both will create a lot of goodwill towards you and fundamental in how to get respect at work from both your boss and team members. 

When planning how to gain respect from your manager start by consciously working out all the areas you admire and appreciate in your manager. You can then show respect towards your manager to get respect from your manager.

Align your work to your manager’s pressures and challenges is a great way of gaining respect from your boss. Anything you can do to reduce the pressure your boss is facing will result in your boss respecting you.

Adapting your communication style in another key step in how to gain respect from boss. A good relationship is more important to you and you have less relationships to manage so adapt to what your manager prefers in terms of being kept in the loop. 

Proving solutions is another great action so your boss respects you. This is one of my favourites, so my manager respects me. When you spot problems, work through at least one practical solution before speaking to your manager – a great way to get respect from the boss.

Another key action in how to gain respect at work is to have your own opinion. Build a considered opinion, grounded in experience, data and insights. I have found this a great way to get respect from my boss.

Finally, don’t be scared to educate your boss. You know a lot compared to your boss about your area of expertise, your pressures and to-do list. We a manager can rely on you to be the expert in your area – it is another way for how to gain respect at work.

If you have any questions on “How to Gain Respect from Your Boss or Manager”, please email me at [email protected] and I will get back to you. 

 Jess

Enhance.training

Work smarter before working harder is about targeting higher value work or making improvements to create more value for the business in which you work. I share 5 essential approaches to increase the value your efforts create.

To be more successful and to progress your career quicker, work smarter before working harder to get ahead at work.

What does working smarter mean – simply creating more value in the same time or with the same effort. Even small improvements add up over time.

 Is working smarter possible in my role – you can save time in nearly every role. The more complex the role  - needing more problem solving – the easier it is to find opportunities to work smarter.

 Why working smarter before working harder is needed. We only have so much time in the day. You simply can’t keep working harder and harder – nor should you. Work out what is valuable to the team, function, and company – and then work harder on those areas.

 To be successful in any career, in my experience, you need to work smarter and work hard. Working smarter not harder is the first step. Working hard is also needed.

 How do I work smarter? I share 5 essential approaches on how to work smarter, to find what areas of your role are more valuable so you can focus on these.

 Targeting the bigger picture is a great what of working smarter not just harder. This gives you are very valuable starting point and focus to work smarter.

 Maximising automation is another key way of creating value at work. Look for all sensible ways to automate repetitive tasks.

 Leverage your team and their efforts. This is vital job of any manager and a core way in which managers create value. Focus on results rather than activity in working smarter not just harder.

 Finally, focus as much of possible of your efforts to deliver 8 commercial benefits. This keeps you and your team focused on the higher value work. 

 To be successful in any role work smarter and work harder!

 If you have any questions about “Work Smarter Before Working Harder to Get Ahead at Work”, pleaseemail me at [email protected]. 

 Jess

Enhance.training

Working out what actions to manage your peers after promotion is a real challenge. The transition from peer to manager is tough for both parties. 

 I share 7 actions to manage your peers after promotion to make the transition easier and quicker.

Managing former peers takes courage and confidence. Use these 7 actions to learn how to manage your peers after a promotion. You will a lot happier and more confident and so will your team!

 The first action to manage your peers after promotion is to promote yourself. This may sound obvious yet so many managers don’t proactively take steps to promotion themselves. The first part is changing the dynamic of the relationships you have with former peers. The second part is changing the actual work that you do to reflect your new role and its responsibilities. 

A big part of how to manage your peers after a promotion is to focus on helping the team rather than using the power of your new position. Focus on making a visible difference to your team rather than displaying your new authority. You will gain respect and admiration a lot quicker.

Next, when you start managing former peers book in a one-on-one meeting with each of them. During this meeting share your vision and plans but also discuss the change in relationships. Spend more time listening than talking. 

 Part of the challenge of leading your former peers is setting clear expectations and ground rules. This helps transition from peer to manager quicker and makes it easier for both parties. Don’t forget to live the rules you set out if you want them followed. 

 Another key action in how to manager your former peers is to empower your people and play to their strengths. You are in a great position to know and understand former peers’ strengths. Use this to your advantage. Give them plenty of space to demonstrate you are not going to be a controlling micromanaging boss. 

When transitioning from peer to manager you are going to have to deal with and overcome resistance. Tackle this head on. Don’t ignore it. Book in a meeting with those pushing back and ask them how to overcome the issues they are having with your promotion. 

Finally, when moving from peer to manager, don’t forget to ask your manager for advice and help. It is in your manager’s interest for you to succeed too. 

Managing peers after promotion is a challenge. Use these actions to make it as quick, easy and painless as possible. 

If you have any questions on “7 Actions to Manage Your Peers After Promotion – Transitioning from Peer to Manager”, please drop me an email at [email protected] 

Jess

Enhance.training

We can all learn a lot from how great managers handle criticism. Dealing with criticism at work is not easy and as you climb the ranks, you are guaranteed to get more criticism.

 Take these 5 key actions to handle criticism at work.

It is really easy to get defensive or dismiss criticism without thinking about what is behind the criticism. How you handle criticism at work in part will determine how far your career progresses. 

 The better you get at dealing with criticism and in particular reframing criticism into learning opportunities, the more useful you will find feedback, the more comfortable colleagues will feel providing feedback and the quicker you will learn. All great building blocks for a successful career.

 The first action in how effective leaders handle criticism is to listen carefully and acknowledge the criticism. Working to understand what is behind the criticism gives you great insights into problems, attitudes and thinking. How to deal with criticism positively should always start with listening carefully. 

 The second action in how to deal with criticism is to ask questions to get the specifics. Most people criticise others in general terms. By asking questions, you can guide them to giving you very specific feedback, which then become useful to you. 

 The third action for how to handle criticism is to find the kernels of truth. “What is behind the criticism?” “Should I do something about it?” and “What can I do about it?” are all questions to ask to find the kernels of truth behind the criticism. Dealing with criticism is part of the job description of any manager and leader. 

 The fourth action for how to handle criticism at work is to create an action plan. There is not better way to deal with criticism than to take positive action to address the criticism. Work out what, if any, actions you are going to take to address criticism. 

 The fifth action for dealing with negative criticism is to practice receiving feedback. The better you get at managing your emotions and reactions when receiving criticism, the more likely you will get good at handling criticism in a very positive way, which will benefit you, your team and the business.

 Don’t take criticism personally where at all possible. Look to learn as much as you can from the criticism, regardless if it is justified or fair or not. 

 If you have any questions on “How Great Managers Handle Criticism – 5 Key Actions to Take”, please email me at [email protected] 

Jess

Enhance.training

Building rapport with colleagues and connecting with work colleagues is so important in creating a great team to work in and for improving team performance. 

 I am sharing 5 ways to build rapport and connect with work colleagues. These are tried and tested approaches that all absolutely work.

Building rapport is a critical step in building trust and stronger positive relationships, which in turn create better teamworking, more engagement, more loyalty and better team performance. 

 When connecting with work colleagues, I think it is very important to be yourself. You will be working with these people for a long time so start the relationship with honesty.

 When building rapport in the workplace, think about all the different facets you have to your life and interests. The more you are interested in, the more opportunity you have to genuinely build rapport with others. 

 A little research goes a long way when building rapport with coworkers. LinkedIn or google searches should give you areas on which to prepare questions on areas you know the other person is interested in. How to build rapport includes revealing stories and interests that you have in common. 

 Be very conscious of your body language when building rapport with employees. Demonstrate your interest in them and what they are saying when building rapport at work. Mirroring and matching are two techniques you already do to some extent. Both speed up creating rapport so be conscious of how you use your non-verbal communication. 

 A big part of how to build rapport at work effectively is making the conversation about them. Choose areas that they are interested in. Ask questions and listen attentively. Share your relevant stories to get them talking about their stories. 

 The power of notes is huge in how to build rapport at work. I feel amazing when another person remembers what we talked about in the previous conversation. Remembering demonstrates the importance of me and our conversation. Use this. When you have multiple conversations with multiple people, keeping all the key points in your head and getting them right is challenging. Write notes and review. Update your CRM system – whatever works best for you.

 Enjoy building relationships and connecting with more coworkers.

Jess

Enhance.training

Managing upwards well is so important. Having a good relationship with your boss improves your happiness at work, your engagement, increases what you learn and speeds up your career progress. Who doesn’t want all these outcomes?

 Learn 6 critical tips for managing upwards brilliantly during your one-on-one meetings with your manager.

Your one-on-one meetings with your boss are your most important meetings for your happiness at work and your career progress. I am sharing tips to help you get better at managing upwards at work and make better use of your one on one meetings with your manager.

 First you have to encourage your boss to want to have one-to-one meetings with you. Always position the meetings in terms of how what you share helps your manager hit their goals (and/or the team goals). I share 8 key outcomes that every manager and business want so you can link your work to these when in your 121 meetings.

 Managing upwards brilliantly starts with managing your boss expectations. Ask questions to find out exactly what your manager expects from you. You need to understand what deliverables you need to produce and the context of these too. I share examples of questions you can ask to help you achieve this. 

 Next when managing upwards at work, focus on building a strong and productive relationship with your boss. Focus on the personal side of the relationship as much as the professional side in you 1:1 meetings. We help and support people we like more than those we don’t.

 When managing your boss, you have to work at getting your proactive communication right. Work out how your manager likes to be communicated to. Be direct, concise and get to the heart of the matter quickly – your boss is time poor. 

 When thinking about how to manage your boss effectively always bring a least one viable solution with every problem you spot. This is huge in terms of helping your manager, winning serious appreciation and one of my key managing upwards tips.

 Finally, to keep your boss really happy with you, talk about the positives. Every manager wants to get positive feedback. Use this to actively look for opportunities to genuinely and honestly praise your manager. You can influence behaviour very effectively with positive reinforcement. 

 Managing upwards at work, managing your manager and building strong relationships is an art. These tips will help you manage upwards brilliantly. 

 Jess

Enhance.training

Instilling team direction and consistently keeping team members pointed in the same direction is a lot harder than most managers anticipate. 

 Learn 6 actions for successfully instilling team direction, and thus making reaching team goals a lot easier. 

Consistently communicating team direction is needed with the pressures and demands placed on everyone. It is so easy to be distracted and to forget about team direction.

 Building confidence in team direction is a first step and there is not better way to do this than having the team involved in setting team direction and planning the steps to reaching team goals. The goals become their goals too, and ownership increases performance.

 I share 6 steps to successfully communicate team direction, that will instil team direction so it won’t be forgotten and the team direction will influence the decisions you and your team make.

 Addressing challenges and overcoming resistance are both important in  building belief in team direction. If you don’t work through sensible objections with the team, they won’t be nearly as confident.

 Always explain the why. Why is this direction for the team important for the function, business unit or company. Explain the why in the team’s language and link what they do in their day to day roles all the way through to the company strategy. Demonstrate why their jobs are valuable for the business and important. 

 When setting team objectives always communicate these in multiple formats. Talk about them in team meetings and in one-on-one meeting. Write then down and circulate. Create games around them. When setting team expectations, make sure everyone understands exactly what is expected of them.

 Once you have a clear team direction, everything you do should be focused on aligning with your team’s direction. Repeat, repeat, repeat until the team get bored of you talking about the team direction. Without constantly repeating team direction, people will forget or get distracted by the latest urgent task or project. 

 If you the leader don’t constantly champion team direction, no-one else will.

If you have any questions on “6 Actions For Successfully Instilling Team Direction & Hitting Goals”, please email me at [email protected] 

Jess
enhance.training

https://enhance.training

An employee who can’t take criticism or who won’t accept feedback can be very difficult to manage. Learn 7 Steps to make your job a lot easier and managing them more effective.

When you have to manage an employee who can’t take criticism it is tempting to not give them any feedback or take the very safe option of providing positive or bland feedback. This route doesn’t help anyone, especially you the manager. 

 Giving useful, practical, and well thought out feedback is a job requirement of any manager that wants to improve their team. When an employee doesn't take feedback, using a different approach makes a big difference. 

 These 7 steps to manage an employee who can’t take criticism, in my experience, are very effective. I have used them for years with employees who get very emotional when receiving criticism through to those who just won't accept feedback.

 Giving feedback when employees can't handle it is about getting the person to reach realistic views on their own performance, choices, and behaviour and understand the consequences of this without you directly telling them.

 Before speaking to an employee who can’t take criticism, I have found it super useful to go through these steps:

 Firstly, to work out exactly what the issues are. This helps me formulate questions to lead the employee to areas I want them to talk about. 

 Next, if you want someone to change, there needs to be a negative impact of not changing. Work out what this. When an employee won't accept feedback, getting them to understand impacts by asking the right questions is so useful. 

 Before I speak to an employee who won't accept feedback, I make sure I am really clear about the outcomes I want. If I am clear, I have a much better chance of getting the employee to this place. 

 Then use all the questions you are prepared to lead the employee who won’t take criticism to talk through the issues and the impact and aim to get them to agree to the outcome you want – all through asking questions.

 Another useful tactic is to ask an employee who won’t accept feedback to communicate the best way to overcome their problem with feedback and criticism. i.e. get them to solve the problem. 

 Finally, being patient is important in the trust building process. Employees will talk to you when they trust you. Work hard to earn their trust. 

 Jess

Enhance.training

What is a team ownership mindset and more importantly how do I go about increasing ownership within a team? 9 Characteristics, 9 Benefits and 10 proven ways to create team ownership mindsets.
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10 Factors In Creating Team Accountability can be found here:
https://enhance.training/10-factors-in-creating-team-accountability-tm0154/
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Getting team members to take ownership is a really important challenge to tackle as a manager. You get so many benefits personally from achieving a team ownership mindset and the business really benefit too. 

 Let’s cover what an ownership mindset at work actually is. An ownership mindset is where employees think and tack actions like an owner of the business. They do what is best for the business and the team, not necessarily for them in the short term. 

 I take you through 9 characteristics of teams taking ownership at work.

 Creating ownership thinking in your team takes time and effort so I would want to know the benefits you, your team and business get from the investment. I share 9 key benefits from building team ownership mindsets. 

 How to get your team to take ownership is the next question many ask. You as a manager can impact 90% of what is needed to encourage team ownership mindsets, with the last 10% the choice of the individual and team. 

 There is a lot you can do as a leader and manager to hold team members accountable, to work at managing expectations at work and to create a positive environment where team members feel comfortable in taking ownership of their areas and the output they produce. 

 I share 10 proven ways to build a team ownership mindset at work with any team. When team members take ownership, team performance improves considerably, it becomes a joy to manage the team and the team has more energy, is more collaborative and more confident. 

 Building a team ownership mindset can happen within weeks with the right behaviours, actions and decisions on the part of the manager. Good levels of trust are essential.

 Enjoy working with a team with that takes ownership. 

 Jess

Enhance.training