Do Your Colleagues See You the Same Way You Do?

Watch your body language

Watch your body language

Have you heard the saying that goes something like this: if you don’t know who the office jerk is, it’s probably you?

You might be a well-intentioned manager that feels like a team player, but there might be something about your approach that prohibits your employees and colleagues from agreeing.

Columbia Business School suggests those who are rough around the edges at work don’t necessarily know it. “Finding the middle ground between being pushy and being a pushover is a basic challenge in social life and the workplace. We’ve now found that the challenge is compounded by the fact that people often don’t know how others see their assertiveness,” says Daniel Ames, a professor of management at Columbia and co-author of the new study.

Some results of the study show:

  • 57% of people actually seen by their counterpart as under-assertive thought they had come across as appropriately assertive or even over-assertive.
  • 56% of people actually seen by their counterpart as over-assertive thought they had come across as appropriately assertive or even under-assertive.

So now that we’ve got a 50/50 chance of falsely assessing our workplace behavior, what can you do to ensure you’re a more approachable but not a pushover boss?

Open up

Let employees and colleagues know your door is always open. Allow a safe space for honesty and ensure there will be no negative consequences for it.

Watch your body language

Maintain positive body language by sitting up straight and actively listening, smile and exercise welcoming posture by keeping your arms uncrossed.

Keep your emotions in check

Your employees need to know they can share information with you without causing an emotional response that may or may not be appropriate to the situation. Even if you’re frustrated or stressed, maintain a level expression of emotion which will save the moment and allow you time to consider what the productive next steps should be.

Listen

If you ask a question convinced you already know the answer, that will show and your employee will get frustrated knowing you’re not listening. Keep both ears open and be present in the conversation so your team will feel valued and offer feedback more frequently.

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Do you want to motivate and lead your staff more effectively? My executive coaching services can help you hone your leadership skills and clearly define your goals and objectives.

The Top 5 Dos and Don’ts of Salary Negotiation

Don't Take on Free Work

Don’t Take on Free Work

Salary negotiations can be a major pain point for most employees and even managers. There’s a way to do it and garner results and a way to do it ineffectively. The different rests in these few dos and don’ts.

Don’t…

Be Ridiculous

While you should ask for a fair salary, be sure to avoid naming a figure that’s absurdly high in the hopes it will just be negotiated down. Few things can halt a salary negotiation quite like an unreasonable request, don’t start off on the wrong foot.

Take on Free Work

It’s important to agree to take on more responsibility to warrant your salary increase, but not without proper compensation. Any new responsibility should be reflected in your pay.

Get Personal

As frustrating as it may be, you’re not alone in financial hardships. So leave the tales of how you’re struggling to pay the mortgage and put 3 kids through college at home; it won’t play into your potential salary increase.

Assume the Offer is Final

Salary and benefits are usually negotiable, even in this economy. Most organizations leave themselves some room for movement when placing and offer on the table. Don’t sell yourself short.

Make Threats

Threatening to quit your job won’t have the desired effect in a salary negotiation. It’s unprofessional and will work against you in your quest.

Do…

Agree to Work Harder

Let it be known that you can fill important company needs and will eagerly jump at new project opportunities. Be sure your new responsibility is reflected in your pay but if you show a willingness to grow and contribute to the team, your negotiations should sway more your way.

Your Research

This is especially helpful if you’re applying for a new position that isn’t identical to the one you already hold. Prior to your interview, gather as much information as you can about what the going rate is for the position at hand and how that stacks up next to your education, experience and skills. Ask relevant questions about the duties you will be asked to perform and have an understanding of the high, median and low salaries for the job.

Talk Bottom Line

Discuss how you’ve contributed to your current organization’s bottom line. Offer statistics and concrete ways you helped the company profit and are, therefore, worth a salary increase.

Add Benefits

There are other ways to be compensated beyond straight pay.  Educational reimbursements, vacation time and travel allowances can be added to your negotiation. Being flexible in your requests could work to your benefit.

Remain Patient

Staying patient and steadfast in your quest will work in your favor, even if time appears not to be. These are two great qualities in an employee; understanding it might not be the right time for the salary you want and remaining patient and steadfast will get you to the goal eventually.

Negotiating your salary for a new or current job can be an intimidating feat. But you can be wildly successful if you apply the right strategy with the right attitude. Stay patient and professional, hopeful and factual and better compensation will be yours in no time.

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Do you want to motivate and lead your staff more effectively? My executive coaching services can help you hone your leadership skills and clearly define your goals and objectives.

 

Change is Coming: 6 Ways to Manage Your Team Through the Chaos

Start with you

Start with you

Change can ruffle the feathers of any company making it a great time for good managers to shine. An effective leader helps ease team tensions while paving the way for open-minded, forward thinking; providing both a safe space for employees to feel secure and a growing company that nurtures change.

But saving the day is easier said than done so if you’re facing impending change and are uncertain about its possible effects, start with these 6 steps and be on your way to healthy corporate growth.

  1. If you’re reluctant about the change or feeling overwhelmed by its possible impact, your team will feel that. Your worry will be heard in the details you translate, your tone of voice and even your body language. So start by allowing yourself to figure out the details, address your concerns and create a positive approach before transmitting to our team.
  2. Encourage closure
    In order to embrace change, people need to let go of the past. This could mean certain roles will change, partnerships may get mixed up and workplace comfort zones will be jolted. As a people manager, you have to plan to help your team accept change and adapt so let them know it’s okay to say goodbye to the comfort of the past because the future could be even better.
  3. Identify the safe spaces
    Studies have shown that only 15% of a role has to change in order for an employee to feel like they’re working an entirely new job. Working together to help them identify which parts of their job are staying the same can help shift that perspective while giving them something comfortable to get them through the transition.
  4. Be open and honest
    This may seem like a given but you might not always be able to share as much information as you’d like. Work extra hard when you can, though. Offer as many details as possible and keep the lines of communication open. This includes addressing the Whys, Hows and What Ifs to diminish feelings of uncertainty and adverse feelings. When you have nothing new to report, ensure them you will relay any and all information once it comes by you.
  5. Involve yourselves
    Having your team involved in even the smallest aspect of the changes can help ease the feelings of helplessness and improve morale. Participation in any phase of change can also be great for team exposure and spreading a positive adaptation of new things, which can help both your team and the organization in the long run.
  6. Offer individual support
    Everyone reacts to change in their own way, so take the time to meet with each employee and explore their unique perspective of the new environment. Allow each team member to express their own concerns and offer your support where possible.

Change is scary in most cases, but when it comes to someone’s job, it gets even scarier. As a manager, it’s your job to help ease the transition by limiting stress on your employees and cultivating a positive, open environment.

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Do you want to motivate and lead your staff more effectively? My executive coaching services can help you hone your leadership skills and clearly define your goals and objectives.