Week of October 28-Leadership Thought of the Week

Over the next several weeks we will be looking closely at an article titled Ten Ways to Create a Positive Work Environment.  Each week we will look at one or more of the strategies presented for helping to create positivity. 

1. Build Trust 

Trust is the basic tenant for all relationships, so building an environment of trust is one of the most important things you can do to create a positive work environment. It's a philosophy that must be demonstrated in everything you and your staff does. Trust is about doing what you say you are going to do and being who you say you are. It's about showing your staff in everything you do that you are reliable, responsible and accountable, and that they can rely on you for consistency. Also letting them know you expect the same from them. When your words and behavior are congruent you foster trust. It will take some time for your staff members to learn that you are a person of your word. If they see that you are consistent you will build trust, but if they see your words don't match your behaviors their trust in you will be destroyed. The unfortunate thing about trust is that it takes a long time to build, but it's very fragile and will break easily. Once broken, it takes an even longer time to regain, and it may never be fully rebuilt. Therefore, it is of primary importance that you are aware of all your words and behaviors and insure that they are worthy of your employees' trust.

 

Even when dealing with uncomfortable situations, if you are honest and up front it will make things easier for everyone. What you say and what you do represent who you are. Even if they don't like what you are saying, if you say it honestly, compassionately and tactfully they will respect and trust you. Your employees' level of trust will also be determined by how well you keep confidences and don't disclose discussions that have been held in private. They have to know they can talk with you about sensitive subjects and that the information they share with you will be kept in strict confidence. Confidentiality is critical in all aspects of your job. This also applies to never discussing one employee with another, except in positive terms. Any problems you are having with a team member must be kept between you and that employee, and your supervisor, if applicable. A good manager never talks negatively about his/her team.

 

In the Comments area please reflect on 3 ways that you could build trust within your team. 

Week of October 21-Leadership Thought of the Week

Positivity Series

"When things go wrong, don't go with them." -Elvis Presley

This simple statement really caught my attention.  It speaks to our Core Value of Perseverance as a leadership skill.  Change is hard, isn't it?  Think of a time when something didn't go right, or go "as planned" with your team.  How did you react as a leader?

I recently experienced some situations in which I was able to reflect on my actions after something I had been leading didn't go smoothly.  What I learned about myself is that I tended to starting going wrong as Elvis mentions above.  I am working on the notion of "failing forward", meaning that when things don't go well I am trying to live and model a mindset that communicates to others, "Well, that didn't work and that's ok. What can we learn from this experience?" 

Another perspective that can be taken on this quote is the notion that it only takes 1 negative person, or even 1 negative comment to inspire negative group-think.  If or when you have that negativity creep into team interactions, how can you yourself as a leader keep from going with it?

Please share your thoughts by posting a comment below.  I look forward to your discussions.