Fast forward to 2011 and not much has changed. Daytime Drama is alive and well and living in the workplace.  Oh, many of the details have changed, but there are still ongoing personality conflicts, communication breakdown and a general lack of trust.

I often hear clients talk about the costliness of absenteeism. I would venture to say that ranks a close second to the cost of workplace drama.  Productivity, morale and the time spent resolving the issues are just the tip of the iceberg.  Let’s take a look an example of a typical workplace issue.

Sally Rogers is the Director of Quality for TEXMEX, a Mexican Foods Company.  Rick Evans oversees Production.  With the holidays around the corner, Rick has been under a lot of pressure to deliver double the product with 25% fewer staff.  Rick’s annual bonus is tied to meeting production goals, so he is willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen.  Over the week end he came in to work with wife and his teenaged son to try and make up some of the shortfall.  Rick’s production is on target, but Sally has noticed that the tortilla quality has deteriorated and is not up to standards. Sally was pretty ticked off on Monday afternoon when she saw Rick in the break room.  When she approached him about his unacceptable tortillas, he told to “chill out”, and not have a “hissy fit”; that “a few imperfect tortillas were normal and no big deal”.  Sally didn’t appreciate his condescending tone. She lashed out at him and told him he was “an incompetent ass”.

Sally is suspicious that Rick is bringing in illegal workers off the clock to make his quotas.  She has no proof, but she doesn’t trust him.  Both Rick and Sally are frustrated.  Neither has gone to their General Manager to complain as they don’t want to look like they are unable to work together.

Sally has complained to her assistant Jim that Rick is “a snake who’s only out to save his own butt” and who doesn’t care about the company’s reputation. Rick told his foreman Harry that Sally “needs to get a life, find herself a good man and lighten up”. Of course, both Jim and Harry have shared these comments with THEIR close friends in the company. As a result, everyone knows about the bad feelings. Everyone feels tense, waiting for the next blow-up.

Does this type of situation sound familiar?  When two managers experience a conflict it can be very damaging to both of the managers on many levels: their reputation, their credibility, employee respect, staff morale and overall productivity.  In the scenario above there is a lack of trust and respect on both sides.  Is Rick really wrong to bring in his family to help get him through a rough spot? Does Sally’s communication style and approach make Rick feel threatened? How could a trusting relationship impact their ability to get their jobs done smoothly and without drama?

How would you handle this situation?

One of my 1^st jobs as a teenager was working as a waitress in an ice cream parlor.  We actually served more than just ice cream.  The menu included a whole array of soups, sandwiches and entrées.  I loved the job.  The people were nice and they gave us a free meal with every shift. I can still remember learning about this thing called “upselling”. The managers wanted us to talk customers into ordering more food than they initially requested.  So if someone was having a tuna fish sandwich, we were supposed to suggest fries and a drink.  Or if someone wanted an ice cream in a bowl, we were supposed to suggest a hot fudge sundae.  At first I thought this was silly and I didn’t want people to think I was being pushy.   That was of course until I realized that the higher the check, the higher my tip, the more cash in my pocket.  That was the moment I first learned about WII-FM, the radio station that plays in everyone’s head.  Also known as “What’s In It For Me.”  Believe me, I don’t think I am any more self-oriented than the next person, but when there is a direct pay off or benefit to an employee, it can be very motivational.

As managers, we are tasked with motivating our staff and inspiring high performance.  But in actuality, our people need to be self-motivated.  Motivation comes from the urge to satisfy some need or desire: be it intrinsic (internally driven… like pride or knowledge) or extrinsic (external drivers like money, promotions etc ). When implementing changes or requesting new actions, our job as managers is to help make the WIIFM connection. If you can tie the action to a clear benefit to the employee, the buy in becomes much simpler.  Also, it is key to note that the WIIFM should be of a positive nature if it’s going to be motivational. So, the “do it to keep from getting fired” message is not a true WIIFM.  That would be motivation through coercion or threats.  Steer clear of that.

So the next time you implement a change or make request, take a minute to consider the WIIFM principle.  Be prepared to share the WIIFM or ask your employee if there is a WIIFM?  If you can tie in a personal payoff, the process will be swifter & sweeter.

Did you know that approximately 31 million people in the USA report of having lower back pain at any given time … that’s what the American Chiropractic Association says.   And according to The Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than one million workers suffer back injuries each year, and back injuries account for one of every five workplace injuries or illnesses.

So the deck is stacked against us from Day 1 that back problems may become an issue.  Then, when you start to look at the amount of time we spend either sitting at a desk, hunched over our laptop or even sitting in traffic, it’s no surprise that problems arise for many of us.  So, you may not be able to prevent all back injuries, but you may be able to reduce your odds of winding up flat on your back. Here are some simple strategies I have learned over the years for reducing back strain in the office.

* Be conscious of your posture. Sit up straight with your shoulders back.  Scoot your buttocks all the way back into your chair. Avoid leaning forward and hunching your back. Make sure that your keyboard and monitor are straight ahead. Avoid working in a twisted position.

* Invest in a good ergonomic chair to support your lower back. The chair cushion should hit mid-back, below the shoulder blades.  Office stores sell back supports you can attach to your chair if you need additional support.

* When sitting at your desk, keep your knees bent at right angles, slightly higher than or even with your hips. Your feet should comfortably reach the floor.  Adding a foot rest can allow a shorter person to use a standard height chair. A foot rest can also improve your comfort and posture, and circulation to your lower legs.

* Take a mini stretch break after each 30 minutes of sitting. Get up for a couple of minutes to stretch and walk around. If you are interested, check out these links for some simple sitting stretches.
http://www.shelterpub.com/_fitness/_desk_stretches/desk_stretches.pdf

http://yoga.about.com/od/yogasequences/tp/deskstretches.htm

* Create a standing work station if you can.  Having a laptop gives you the flexibility of switching your work station between sitting and standing positions, thus alleviating the “sitting too long” dilemma.

* Commit to a regular exercise regime that builds core strength and increases flexibility.  Pilates and Yoga classes are a good starting point.

* Practice back healthy body mechanics. Be conscious of how you bend and lift.

* Engage the help of professionals.

• Consider hiring an ergonomic specialist to set up your work area properly
• Get regular massages
• Consult with a chiropractor
• Work with a Physical Therapist

Your physical health affects everything ! The work you do , your attitude and everyone you interact with.  So, take good care of your back and be healthy!

*A special thanks to my chiropractor, Dr. Siri Smith, for her assistance with today’s blog. http://chiropractormissionviejo.com

** And a special “FEEL BETTER” shout-out to my HR Director colleague, Ava, who just got shot down with the Sciatica Blues. Ice, Ice Baby!

The saying , “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks”, refers to the concept that it is difficult to make someone change the way they do something when they have been doing it the same way for a long time.  This idea may have some merit, but ultimately people will need to change, flex and adapt if they are going to be successful in today’s business environment.  Our motivation to “learn new tricks” will most likely come from our survival instincts to keep our jobs vs. a simple treat.  But as leaders, we have the ability to impact the flow of change simply by recognizing the importance of motivation. Our ability to connect with our team and discern what motivates them can help us facilitate change with less fear, more control and increased acceptance.    And if you are actually the” old dog” in the scenario; an employee with 20+ years at the same company,caught in the crossfire of a  a merger or acquisition, or just getting a new boss, change may be challenging, but not impossible.  Approach change with a sense of optimism an openness.  You may be surprised to find that you actually like the change.

1.      Look at your own behavior and performance.  Are any of your boss’s concerns warranted?  Are you communicating regularly? Are you working to your full potential?  Is your follow up and follow through timely and precise? Do you approach your boss prepared? Do you choose appropriate times for discussion?  Are you aware of your boss’s communication style? Do you know how to flex your communication style to interact more effectively?  By examining your own behavior, you may find opportunities for impacting your performance and your relationship with your boss.

2.      Identify the issues that are bothering you.  What is your boss saying or doing that is causing you discomfort, frustration or anger?  In other word, what is he or she doing that is making you crazy?  Make a list and assess each item using step #3 below.

3.      Identify what you have “control over”/CO, “influence over”/IO and “no control”/NC. So for example, if your boss has high expectations for timely reports, that is something you should have control over, whereas  the information on the report may be something you have no control over ( you are just the messenger).  Or perhaps the report has customer feedback in it and you are in charge of customer service, then you would have influence over the results.  Review your list and mark the initials CO, IO or NC next to the issues.  Anything with a the letter NC is out of your hands, so your choice is to accept it, live with it, or chose to make an employment change.  The other areas with the CO & IO are areas you can work on improving.

4.      Assess your options. Now is the time to get creative.  Brainstorm what types of actions are available to you for improving the situation.  That could range from having a conversation with your boss to clarify expectations, to chatting with Human Resources about inappropriate behavior.  It may also include looking for a transfer to a new department& boss or even leaving your company.

5.      Create & implement your plan. Now that you have a list of options, it’s time to decide what you are willing to do.  Don’t agree to do things you know you aren’t comfortable doing.  Make your plan realistic & specific.  Remember, the only thing you have absolute control over is your own behavior and decisions.

5. Silence your Inner Critic – Negative self-talk propagates fear and inhibits action. When you hear that inner voice trying to sabotage your success, stop it dead in its tracks.  Awareness is the first step.

6. Visualize yourself with confidence – Run through positive scenarios in your mind just before or during periods where your self esteem is challenged. When your visualizations are positive and strong, you can make significant improvement in your overall self confidence.

7. Dress for success - When you look good, you feel good and when you feel good, you are more self-confident.  If necessary , go buy yourself one great outfit that makes you feel like a million bucks.  It will be worth it in the long run.

8. Take exceptional care of yourself – Being healthy , passionate and energetic are all symptoms of high self confidence.  Take vitamins, eat healthy, exercise and BREATH!  When you feel good you feel more confident.

9.  Don’t sweat the small stuff – Keep the big picture in mind. What is your real purpose in life.  It’s easy to get swept up in the emotional turmoil of trying to be successful at everything.  Remember that there a huge lessons to be learned in the throws of adversity.  Embrace the learning.

10.  Start a Success Journal – A Success Journal is a great way  to track the positive actions you have taken and the successes you have achieved.  Whenever you feel you confidence slipping or start to wane, break out your journal to remind you of who you are and the talents you possess.

In my last blog entry I began sharing tips for building confidence.  I initially created this list several weeks ago for a group of unemployed professionals who needed a motivational boost as they prepare for their continued job search 2011.  Losing your job, whether through a layoff, restructuring or termination is a traumatic experience for anyone and is often damaging to one’s confidence.  Our professional stature is so often connected to our feelings of self-esteem and confidence.  In addition, the job search process alone can take a toll on self-belief.  Job seekers are on the employment roller coaster of interviews, opportunities as well as competition and rejection.  So it’s important for that people in career transition actively rebuild their confidence and project to their future employers the confidence talent and ability they possess.  Below are 3 more tips for impacting your self-confidence.

2. Realize that you are not alone: Everyone has feelings of uncertainty from time to time. A good deal of low self-confidence is directly related to irrational beliefs we have that others around us are somehow immortal and do not suffer from the same uncertainties we do. Begin with the understanding that we all experience lapses in our self-confidence.

3. Celebrate your successes: Self Confidence is cumulative.  It comes from and builds on achievements.  Recognize you successes and pat yourself on the back.
Accept & acknowledge praise from others.

4. Connect with a friend or colleague: Think of someone who respects you and values you.  Give them a call and offer to lend them a hand.  It will be a win-win situation, they will get your help and in turn their respect and need for you will feed your ego.

So what is confidence?  Confidence is defined as the belief in oneself, ones powers and abilities.  Confidence comes from within, but it can be driven or affected by both internal and external influences.  Just as my college chemistry teacher built my confidence, a negative person or experience can crush it in a moment.  Every positive experience or success I have can and should serve to elevate and build my confidence.  So how do we manage this delicate balance of staying confident and self-assured in our abilities and talent?

So, here’s the good news.  You can enhance or elevate your belief in self by taking simple positive actions.  Over the next 2 weeks I will be sharing my Ten Tips for enhancing your confidence.  Today I will share tip #1.

1. Recognize, identify control you inner fears: Lack of confidence often stems from fear.  Take a look at what makes you fearful or uncomfortable. Determine if it is rational and take action to face the fear.

For me, one of my biggest fears is “phone-a-phobia”.  I am always nervous making sales calls; even warm ones to people I have connections with.  So I ask myself,” why is this and is this rational? ” . Well the why is easy, I am nervous that I won’t express myself clearly and that I may be rejected .  Is this a rational fear?  Well, no, not really.  I am generally very well spoken on the phone so that fear is silly.  And in regards to rejection, it’s just business, not personal, so If I keep that in mind it should take the weight of the rejection.  Once I recognize the emptiness of the fear, I push onward and a funny thing happens.  I make a few calls.  They go smoothly.  I get a piece of business and my confidence builds.  Pushing through the fear allows my confidence to grow.

Identify one of your fears and go through the process assessing the fear and taking appropriate action.  By taking this approach you can begin to reduce fear and build confidence.

Last week, I met and rescued a 5 year old dog; an Australian Shepherd Mix.  Dakota (AKA Cody) was rescued out of a kill shelter back in October by a local group and had been fostered in a home for about 3 months.  It was love at first bite…. I mean lick.  Cody is a great dog.  He is very smart, has good manners and some training.  I was very lucky to find him.  But as anyone who has had a puppy or a dog knows, the acclimation process can be challenging and time consuming; from the 5 walks a day (ok I was overdoing it a bit) to cat introductions.  And let’s face it, if you were given the choice to play with your new dog or sit at your computer and create a marketing plan, what would you choose?

When people have a baby, they take New Child Leave.  I think it’s time to recognize the needs of pet owners and provide “New Pet Leave”.  In all seriousness, I know that’s not realistic.  So I allowed myself three workdays plus the weekend to be fully dog focused, but now that it’s Monday and a new week has begun, I am ready to hunker down and get busy… with Cody at my side.  So here are my take-aways about managing distractions.

1. Identify what is distracting you.  If you aren’t entirely sure, try keeping a distraction log. How often are you pulled away from the work you are doing and what is the cause?

2.  Analyze the distraction. How important or critical is the situation?  If the distraction isn’t critical, recognize that it is happening and schedule time to handle after work hours.

3.  When it’s important, give yourself permission to deal with the distraction. In some cases that might mean taking some time off from work.

5.  Begin your week with a plan and set small daily goals.  When you are successful at meeting your smaller goals it can be very motivational and help you to stay on track.

6.  Reward yourself.  Some people may disagree with this one, but it works for me.  Working from home can be a distraction in of itself.  When I reward myself it helps me to stay focused and provides me the personal sense of recognition.

So I got to thinking, maybe the New Year is actually a time for revolution (change) vs. resolution (intention to change).  Oh, don’t get me wrong, intentions are great.  They are the seeds of change.  But real change (or improvement) only occurs when we get clear on what we want, create a strategy get there and insure accountability for action & success.  In my coaching practice, I call it my 4 C’s to Success.  Let’s look at an example of how this works

Clarify your Goal:

What do you want to change or improve on? What’s the Goal? What would the change look life or feel like (be specific)?   If the change were to occur, what would be different for you?  How would it impact your life?

Consider the Options:

There are many ways to accomplish a goal or create change.  What are some of the options available to you? Brainstorm the possibilities. Which option(s) would work best for you?

Create your Plan:

What actions will you take to achieve your goal? Determine a time line for each step as well as the final result.  What obstacles can you anticipate that may get in the way?  How will you circumvent these barriers to your success?

Commit to your Plan and Enlist an Accountability Partner

A plan is nothing more than words on a paper or an idea in your head if you don’t act on it.  If you can not fully commit to your plan, chances are good you will be easily derailed or distracted.  Commitment is internal.  You have to be the driver to make things happen.  The best way to insure your sustained motivation and commitment is to find an accountability partner to “check in” with on a regular basis.  This will keep you on track and on course.  It’s like the homework scenario when you were a student at school.  You might have waited till the last minute to complete your assignment, but in the end you got it in on time (hopefully).  Knowing that someone is your partner in your process not only creates accountability, but also provides you with outside perspective & support.

So this year, rather than making a bunch of Resolutions, try creating your own personal or professional revolution!  This year I am planning a personal “revolution” at my home.  I am in the process of getting my 1^st dog.  Going through my 4 C’s has been very helpful indeed.  Especially the “consider the options” step; from breeds & dispositions to shelters and rescues.   My dog revolution is set to begin between now and the end of January.  I’ll keep you posted on my progress as I am sure my new canine companion will inspire excellent subject matter for leadership lessons and “training tails”!