Creating Powerful Relationships Through the Communication Process

By Dr. Paul L. Gerhardt, PhD

Having effective communication skills is probably the top skill every leader must possess. Likewise, developing excellent communication skills is essential in leading a fulfilled life both personally and professionally. Every individual creates his/her own successes in life. I believe that the meaning of life truly is about having and managing successful relationships. Every relationship is built around interactions founded upon some sort of communication. The good news is that despite, education, gender, experience and background, it is possible for every person to start TODAY and learn effective communication interaction skills.

Some folks believe that communication is both an art and a science. However, most take communication for granted. This may be because they have had the gift of being able to do some things well and have gotten due to their individual talents. In spite of everything that one can do well, having effective communication skills can and does tend to enhance personal successes. It takes everyone involved to be on the same page to communicate with others and successfully broadcasting what we each have to offer. The more we can offer, the more valuable and therefore successful we can be.

In the workplace, an average fifty percent or more of the time is spent by employees communicating with each other. It is important to note that nearly one-fourth of all problems at the workplace are also caused due to lack of effective communication or some sort of miscommunication. We must realize that we are communicating all the time.

Some social scientists will tell you that a surprising aspect related to communication is that nearly seventy-five percent of all communication is nonverbal. This percentage varies depending upon who you ask. However, what is important to know is that body movement, eye contact, facial expression and posture are all non verbal modes of communication. When others are within viewing distance of others, they are picking up on nonverbal communication--what our face and body is communicating about our feelings and attitudes.

Stress is very often caused due to communication errors or a lack of communication. When messages communicated are not clear and concise, it can lead to huge misunderstandings between managers and subordinates. Miscommunication ultimately leads to job stress and low productivity.

Miscommunication often occurs between peers at the same level of an organization or at any level which often causes stress. Expectations must be clear and those who are expected to carry it out must have a clear understanding of what is expected. Communicators (message senders) must make sure that they have not just been talking, but effectively communicating. One must not assume that just because someone affirms with "Yes, I understand." Because that could simply mean, I don't' want you to assume I am weak or stupid. It may mean, "Would you please repeat what you said? I was busy doing something else and you did not have my full-attention, but I did not want you to know that I needed a second to focus on your communication."

The good news is that effective communication can be learned. Training may be the best investment an organization may make in their employees. It may pay insurmountable dividends in the long-run. Interactive workshops truly are an amazing way to develop effective communication skills. tons of research has proved that teaching supportive and empathetic skills will help in improving interaction and make it more effective. Apart from improving the basic skills needed for interaction, a side benefit of communication training programs imparts a lot of importance in giving respect to the person who is speaking. Every person in every organization deserves and must feel genuinely respected in order to maximize interpersonal successes.

At every level of an organization due to the very nature of organizations, it is absolutely important to appreciate and understand the other person’s thoughts and opinions no matter their age, gender, education, experience and cultural differences. Essentially, if you break it down, the important components of any form of effective communication involves the sender and receiver. Both parties must feel respected and be shown respect in order to get the messages across effectively.

From the onset, messages that are crafted and developed by the sender must absolutely be clear and concise. Sometimes the whole message does not come out the way that it is intended. Taking a little extra time to communicate what is intend is a smart investment of time. By doing so, it will be much easier for the appropriate message to be understood by the receiver. Likewise, the receiver also has the responsibility to take some time to stop what he or she is doing and listen attentively to the message that is being conveyed. If the receiver is unable to comprehend the message, it is his duty to ask questions and provide necessary feedback to the sender.

Effective leaders understand that the process of communication will break if there are even the smallest barriers to it. Employees might experience frustration if they feel they are not listened to and shown genuine respect. Any barrier can also lead to long-term discontent and ill feelings between employees and leaders. As a result, expectations may not be met by both parties and will ultimately lead to poor working relationships, resentment and work-related stress.

Be aware of communications barriers which may include:

· Physical distance between the sender and the receiver. Too much distance may result in certain words or phrases not been heard or misheard.

· Cultural barriers, which can be differences in belief systems.

· Body language and nonverbal barriers which include any gestures, facial expressions, or body positions that are not properly understood by the receiver.

· Tone of voice or the way we say things also matters.

Each and everyone of these barriers must be considered for effective interaction among individuals. Communication is essentially the tool used for exchanging information, express emotional attitude of an individual, increase awareness and also used for cooperation among people.

Essentially, these are the various types of communication we all should be aware of:

· Intrapersonal communication which relates to an individual’s innermost beliefs, feelings and influences. Interpersonal communication is used to interact at the workplace. It is the medium of interaction between managers and subordinates, employees and clients and any other professional exchange of messages between individuals.

· Small group communication takes place within teams that work in an organization. This sort of interaction can be used to plan, develop and implement projects within the team.

· Organizational communication refers to oral and written interaction among employees and management.

· Public communication can be both formal and informal.

It is vitally important to remember that communication is and MUST be a genuine two-way process. If either one of the people involved (sender and receiver) do not fulfill their individual duties and responsibilities, EFFECTIVE communication is doomed to fail. Communication is an ongoing and continual process where the interaction is taking place at regular intervals. Communication is much more than just talking. The best leaders and employees are trained to understand the true value and importance of communication. They fully understand all that is involved in making every communication effective and meaningful on a daily basis, while giving those involved in every communication the proper respect they deserve.

Copyright © 2012 by Dr. Paul L. Gerhardt. All right reserved.

A Quick Lesson on Aggression and Workplace Violence

By Dr. Paul L. Gerhardt, PhD
www.paulgerhardt.com

As leaders, we need to face the facts and recognize that there are times when aggression can occur at work. Aggression is not something that most people enjoy being around or being the recipient of. Aggression can be defined many ways. Knowing how to identify the signs of potential workplace aggression from the first indications can alleviate the situation and create a harmonious and productive environment. Aggression can come in many forms, it can include physical violence or threats of it, teaming up against a colleague, yelling at colleagues, and many other such acts. Understanding the sources of aggression may be useful. It can involve religious, racial, or gender differences and be a result of various types of discrimination. As leaders, we must realize that we may be the cause and not know it. Believe it or not, much of the time aggression can be found to come from supervisors, bosses, colleagues, suppliers, or customers.

Identifying workplace aggression in the workplace can be easy if you are looking for it. It can be noticed in the form of bullying and may be practiced by more than one worker teaming up against another. Bullying can be rather subtle and very often difficult for the victims to handle. Acts may include continuously complaining about the employee (victim) for one thing or another, defacing or destruction of the possessions of an employee or work materials, attempting to hinder the progress of the worker, and isolating the victim or rejecting an employee. It may be passive-aggressive where little choppy negative statements are spewed out as small jabs at individuals.

For some employees, they will try to ignore such aggressive behaviors by simply avoiding it. However, everyone must realize that working in a workplace where aggression is persistent can prove to be an unhealthy and classified as a hostile working environment. When the bullying is documented, employers need to correct the problem once a complaint has been received. Aggression must be handled in a respectful, but assertive way. Instances of workplace aggression should be addressed as soon as possible. Employers must look at all angles of each situation with an open-mind and listen carefully to all parties involved. There is probably much more to it than what you could find on the surface. One must not jump to conclusions, and be aware of any mental filters that can be formed through biases. Awareness is always the key to creating win-win workplaces. The smartest organizations create positive workplaces by educating and training all employees within their organization in order to avoid aggressive behavior getting out of control. It is not a "flavor of the day" program, or "just another mandatory training," but an opportunity for growth for all involved.

Training and education is the best way to change attitudes and behaviors and ensuring that the workplace is safe for all workers. This means that workplace aggression and harassment is clearly defined and spelled-out to all employees, supervisors, and managers. There should be detailed explanations on what harassment is, why it is not acceptable within the organization, what the workers can do about the problem, what are the responsibilities of the employees when it comes to addressing workplace aggression.

One of the most-difficult but necessary things for employers to do is set clear guidelines for which behaviors are acceptable and which are not. There must be a clear plan in place for solving problems of aggression when they do happen. All employees need to know what the consequences of such bullying behavior are, and what is expected from every employee. Awareness helps create a positive and productive organizational culture.

Organizational policies should include written methods that clearly define and recognize aggressive situations and behaviors, the resolution procedures--whether the complaint is formal or informal. It should specifically state what the steps to be taken are to file a complaint and how those complainants will be protected from the aggressors. It should also state what the rights of those accused are.

Leaders and managers must be wise, responsible and have an open-mind in all workplace situations. The ultimate goal is to retain valuable employees and to create an environment where everyone is working together to create a genuine feeling and workplace of progressive-positive success. Leaders or the people who receive, investigate and mediate any complaints must be knowledgeable about the processes. They must also be aware of what decisions they can make and what are the types of support are available to the victims. These types of information needs to be found in the organization’s records and policies in the form of a harassment prevention program. Each and every employee should have a copy, and be aware of the policy’s details. The organization's leaders and all supervisors must also be participants in all policy dissemination, training and education.

Every leader must look at his/her own actions and consider if he/she could ultimately be the cause of any possible aggression from employees. It may start with something as innocent as not listening to an employee or not recognizing the value that an employee brings to the organization. Leaders sometimes fall into the trap of believing that because they are a leader, that they see and know everything. The wise leader deeply listens and show respect to each and every employee. They must consistently and acknowledge and show appreciation to every employee at every opportunities. They must also realize that employees may know things that they do not know and encourage employees to share their valuable ideas.

Employers must take responsibility to ensure that each and every one of their workers feels supported. They can create positive work environments by leading by example. They must follow and to understand the company’s rule and regulations or code of conduct, just as each employee is expected to do so. Having clear and well defined policies, supported by proper training prevents workplace harassment and/or aggression. Well-written policies leaves very little wiggle room for any type of harassment or bullying. The enforces of the policies also have a responsibility to look at all angles of the aggression and realize they may be part of the problem. Workplaces that are perceived as fair, supportive and positive are ones that promote growth and harmony.

Copyright © 2012 by Dr. Paul L. Gerhardt. All right reserved.

Leaders Born or Made? The Complexity of Effective of Leadership

By Dr. Paul L. Gerhardt, PhD
www.paulgerhardt.com

There is an age-older debate whether leaders are born or created. Ever wonder why some people seem to be natural leaders while others seem to never get a clue? Twenty-first Century organizations must realize that leaders can be developed well to meet the needs of this new competitive environment। Studies point out that leaders can be developed and that leadership is usually an evolving process. The act of being a leader takes place through the various interactions of people. It is not only through bureaucratic influence from the top to bottom.

Leadership takes place at all levels of every organization and is all about inspiring people to give their very best in each and every action. There are numerous theories and studies that have taken place since the 1800's, however many of the ones that leaders use today came about from studies in hard sciences which include labor, business, chemistry, biology, the military, and physics.

Complexity leadership theory is the study of intermingling agents, which act with limited data and results in interactions which can generate varying outcomes for each leader, rather than the expected of the sum of what some may expect will result if you simply added up the each of the pieces of work from each employee. It is the goal of each leader to have employees work together to meet the goals of the department and ultimately the organization. In theory, effective leaders are directing the actions of each individual, so that they understand how their specific work is necessary and does impact the success of the organization. In essence, each leader has a responsibility of leading his/her employees to a genuine feeling that they do indeed make a positive difference.

Studying great leaders and understanding how to successfully apply leadership theory is what the best leaders do. The basic leadership principles can be learned and must be at the core of every leader's decision. Failing to treat followers in a way that facilitates individual greatness, means that a leader is simply failing at being great . Administrators must do much more than focus on control and efficiency. They must genuinely inspire a sense of value and willingness to contribute greatness of each employee while the adapting to each and every hurdle that emerges. Leaders must realize that there will always be emergent leaders in every department that must be recognized and groomed to continue to grow. Likewise, each member must recognize their own value and a feeling of accomplishment in every action as it contributes to the success of the totality of its organizational parts.

A classic example, from the leadership literature is what takes place in a flock of geese. When geese fly together, each bird has a set of simple “rules” for the speed, distance, etc. in relation to other birds it flies with. The individual behaviors on part of all the birds in the flock lead to the “V” formation of the flock overall – this is something “qualitatively different” than the totality of each individual parts.

Similarly, with effective leadership in action, the combination of every person’s action is suggested to lead to outcomes that are outside of the scope of any one person. Leaders must be adaptive and recognize that leadership can occur in any role at any level in the organization and is not tied to a specific level or position. It consists of creative interaction, inspiration, kindness, and shared leadership which leads ultimately to innovation.

Great leaders should realize the complexity of their jobs. Effective leaders enable adaptive change to occur by empowering each individual to give his/her best freely. They must enable each employee to not only want to give their hand and feet freely, but inspire their minds and hearts to share abundantly for the betterment of the organization. For this to happen, there are several conditions needed in order for this to occur regularly. First, there needs to be a genuine feeling of collaboration among the all individuals working in the team and players of each external systems related to functions of each related individual. Leaders must know that excellence comes from vigorous, dynamic networks of people linked through their individual jobs that frequently go beyond the limits of a workgroup or a sub-unit within the organization. Each interaction of every employee must be facilitated by a leader to allow for the free exchange of multiple points of view and new information which may have been stifled in a traditional model of leadership.

The second condition is that there must be a genuine feeling of freedom among each of the representatives of every department of the organization. Individuals must fully-recognize the inter-dependency of their workplace, which is a natural multifaceted adaptive system. Effective leaders must realize that Interaction by itself is not enough. Leaders must be an active-driving force which nurtures information exchange and enables the development of newly formed and inspired to be great--realities.

Smart leaders know that the third condition is that healthy tension is needed in order to provide inspiration that successfully motivates individuals to enact and create adaptive-positive change. Internal tension can be created in situations of diversity, wherein systems, communication, personality dynamics varying constraints and interdependency tend to nurture creativity. External tension may be created through actions of differing levels of leadership.

The bottom line about effective leadership is that it is an active process and there must be intentional and thoughtful actions from each leader. Leaders must inspire greatness and model it with integrity of every action. Every employee must be empowered to be his/her very best, while given the tools and autonomy to deliver success. Leadership greatness can be developed through training and on-going studies. It should be nurtured everyday intentionally and positively.

Copyright © 2012 by Dr. Paul L. Gerhardt. All right reserved.

What is Supervision and Why it is So Important

By Dr. Paul L. Gerhardt

It is vitally important to know that supervisory skills must and can be built through effective and proper training. What skills do the best supervisors have? This is an excellent question! Supervision may be the primary reason that turnover is so high in most organizations. The fact of the matter is, that most people quit their jobs because they have been mismanaged by their supervisor. So essentially, supervisors may be costing every organization MUCH MORE money in the long-run than one may realize.

Most supervisor's intentions are very good. The fact of the matter is, although intentions may be good, actions do speak louder than words. Too often excellent employees get promoted to the position of supervisor because they were very good at their jobs. However, when they are promoted to supervising of the employees doing the job they once did, they find themselves struggling in conflict with their employees or dealing with apathy and/or unmotivated workers.

The reason that turnover is so high in many organizations is very often due to the skills and quality of supervision. Supervision is an indispensable part of management. However, in most organizations, leaders do not realize that just because employees may be very good at doing their jobs, it takes a different type of skill to supervise employees. Seriously, it takes special training to gain the skills necessary to lead employees properly. Supervision truly is an essential part of what it takes to keep an organization strong and healthy. Having good people with poor supervisory skills can be the weak link and can cause the slow painful demise of an organization.

Supervisory development is usually done internally by someone within the organization in charge of training. Type of the organization, level of employees, objectives, etc. obviously vary from one organization to another. However, the basic functionality of a supervisor is essentially to the same.

Supervisors must be leaders! Managers, supervisors and leaders all have interrelated jobs within every organization. The development of supervisory skills takes time and must not be rushed through. The long-term consequences of employing supervisors with poor supervisory training can be extremely expensive! This is because supervisors are the people in the organization that have the largest influence over the job satisfaction levels of employees.

When employees are not happy, they lose motivation, loyalty and often can sabotage the success of their departments. The costs associated with employee theft, apathy and turnover are insurmountable. Studies show it is MUCH MORE cost-effective for supervisors to facilitate a work environment that promotes job satisfaction and motivation than to constantly pay for expenses like law suits, efficiency loss, recruiting, hiring, and training.

Some studies on supervision suggest that having well-trained supervisors is considered the most important aspect for achieving desired results within each department of every organization. Numerous studies pronounce that if supervisors’ skills and knowledge are limited to the technical aspects, the lack of other competencies will result in ineffective output by employees. In other words, a supervisor may have good knowledge on the technical aspects of the work, and the organization to guide the employees; however the lack of proper communication and other important supervisory skills can affect important organizational outcomes and success.

It is vitally important to know that a supervisor with poor interpersonal skills is more likely to ruin the performance of the subordinates, which obviously will have a dramatically adverse effect on the organization. Eventually, development of supervisory skills must become an important responsibility of every manager to acquire in order to continually be successful in lowering operating expenses and other vital accomplishments of company objectives and goals if organizations want to remain healthy and competitive.

Supervisory development is critical! By definition, supervision involves fulfillment of various needs of management and employees. The supervisor should be competent enough to perform the duties with great efficiency and effectiveness as well. Below are some of the essential basic aspects considered vital for supervisors:

• · Ability to deal with all level of employees

• · Ability to make decisions

• · Ability to solve problems efficiently and effectively

• · Adaptability and flexibility

• · Are available and seen regularly

• · Have excellent communication, both oral and written

• · Possess and have great interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence

• · Know all major responsibilities and duties of every employee

Supervision is a challenging job which supervisors should be well-versed in and able to handle each versatile function effectively and efficiently. The best supervisors EARN the trust of those they supervisor and must fully understand how important their jobs are and be seen always giving their best, being fair and being available.

Duties of supervisors: Major functions of supervisors include recruitment, delegating and directing tasks, evaluation of tasks performed, streamlining the work, etc. Additional or secondary functions involves the supervisor’s duty to allocate work, promote employees, recall the work completed unsatisfactorily, take disciplinary actions on irresponsible employees, suspend or terminate the employees with poor performance, deal effectively with grievance reviews, ensure performance appraisals and rewards for each employee is appropriate and timely, as well as other duties assigned by management from time to time.

Although supervision involves multifaceted responsibilities, the power of the supervisor can be limited by the power of a manager. However, it is the ultimate responsibility of the supervisor to motivate each employee towards accomplishing the objectives of the organization in a timely effective and efficient fashion.

Bottom-line on supervision: In organizations where supervisors are trained properly, there should be essentially no drop in the performance and efficiency of employees, even when the supervisor is away. Supervisor development should be focused on filling the gaps between the management functions as well the technical aspects. Training may seem like a waste of company funds to some. However, in the long-run it provides un-calculable returns and greater profits for the organization.

For more information please contact Dr. Paul L. Gerhardt at www.paulgerhardt.com

Career Management and Job Satisfaction

By Dr. Paul L. Gerhardt, PhD
www.paulgerhardt.com

Finding a job you love that pays well is the dream of nearly every American. Have you ever wondered why some people manage to find the best jobs—while you are working extremely hard and you never seem to catch a break?

You are not alone! Tons of research has been conducted that exposes the secrets of career management and best-practices that if followed lead to the paths of the quickest advancement. Studies illuminate that there may be specific attitudes which are the key to obtaining that ideal dream job and or promotion. The saying "Attitude is everything!" may be more true than you have considered. A positive career-related attitude that includes job satisfaction is clearly linked to promotions and getting your foot in the door.

Another thing that job seekers should know is that research suggests that practice makes perfect. One must continually demonstrate frequency of using career management best-practices, keep a positive attitude which shows organizational commitment and always looking for reasons to have satisfaction with your job. In other words, keep your horse before your cart!

Job satisfaction and career satisfaction are very much related to intentionally deciding to choose and hold a feeling of happiness with your life at work. This positive attitude must be accompanied with creating an environment of workplace contentment in many ways regularly. Career satisfaction is measured through levels of happiness that is experienced through a person’s place and choice of employment.

Essentially, job satisfaction comes from a person’s current work situation. It is built upon factors like location of the job, working conditions, supervision quality, relationships with coworkers, and other influences. Psychologists will point out that the opposite of job satisfaction is actually not job dissatisfaction, but "no job satisfaction." Take a moment to think about that!

For a leader, it should be one of the highest priorities to help create an environment that lends itself to employees loving their jobs. One of the highest costs in running an organization is associated with employee turnover. It should be remembered that one the most important factors in any successful organization is a culture that facilitates job satisfaction in every department with every employee. Experts will tell organizational leaders that job satisfaction is directly related to a person’s sense of meaning. It is important for each employee to feel effective and valued in the workplace. This suggests that leaders must do all they can to remove barriers that may diminish job satisfaction both internally and externally, as much as possible.

Here are the keys to organizational success then: Make sure that you do your part to build a culture where recognition, achievement, responsibility and the work itself are built into the job and facilitated. These are job satisfaction’s most influential factors. These factors are more influential than status, working condition or interpersonal relations. Studies have regularly concluded that the feelings workers have about what they have achieved and have been recognized for are the most common feelings associated with increased job satisfaction. Every leader has the opportunity to make this happen. It must be intentional, regular, and above all else sincere.

So what causes job dissatisfaction? Some studies have discovered that the factors associated with job dissatisfaction have a different set of relationships. Leaders should take note that the strongest factor associated with dissatisfaction on the job is the perception of unfairness. Employees need to feel they are being treated fairly in every instance. Leaders may have favorites, but need to make their intentions always be seen as fair for all. Other factors of job dissatisfaction are having a feeling that there is a lack of opportunities to professionally develop or grow. On the list too of things that contribute to a feeling of job dissatisfaction is discontentment with salary and wages.

Factors that dissatisfy could then lead to the development of behaviors and attitudes that would clearly indicate that there are challenges in the workplace that are not being addressed. However, it has been studied that things that may lead to job dissatisfaction are not the mirror images of job satisfiers.

Leaders should note that motivation and satisfaction are very different in terms of performance and reward. Motivation is essentially influenced by perceptions about the relationship between rewards and performance that are forward-looking. However, satisfaction is related to how employees feel about the rewards that they have received. In other words, motivation is an outcome of expectations of what will happen in the future. Satisfaction is essentially about past experiences.

Career management is the process which people develop an understanding of their environment and themselves. Those who are in charge of their own career advancement regularly acquire feedback about their progress in their careers. By doing so, it helps build and create strategies about career goals. Leaders should know that the best-practices of career management for employees must aim to help workers develop new skills or to update their old skills consistently. Great managers help employees make better career and job choices and assist them in giving opportunities to prepare for higher levels of responsibility within the workplace.

When leaders are focused on creating places of growth through a focus on employee career management, it lowers turnover. Turnover reduction leads to higher levels of productivity. This builds a pool of experience that helps the organization grow and maintain a competitive stance.

The bottom line in career management is that leaders must create places where employees feel completely or mostly satisfied in their careers. Successful organizations must be consistently doing things to help their individual members grow within the workplace and see opportunities for genuine growth. Managers should do all they can to cultivate a positive environment where people see themselves as being treated fairly and always being given tools to be their very best.

For more information contact Dr. Paul L. Gerhardt, PhD. at his website: www.paulgerhardt.com

Leading Diverse Generations in the Workplace

By Dr. Paul L. Gerhardt, PhD
"The Organizational Doctor"
www.paulgerhardt.com

We are living in some very interesting and for some scary times. Right now, the United States is challenged with serious unemployment issues. As leaders, we must take a deeper look into a phenomena that is taking place. Every day, approximately 10,000 Americans are turning age 65 and eligible for retirement. Numerous organizations in all parts of the world are experiencing significant shifts in their demographics of employees. These shifts are a direct result of workforces that are aging and are also simultaneously becoming age-diverse. This means that decision-makers and coworkers alike in every type of organization should be more aware of the capabilities and needs of fellow employees. Being cognizant of workers in all age groups ideally cultivates creativity and efficiency. Creativity is the foundation of what it takes to yield stronger and more competitive organizations.

Experienced workers are the life-blood of organizations. They have wisdom from their years in the workforce that help avoid making expensive mistakes. Their experience may also create a solid foundation of doing things more efficiently and effectively. Various researches have studied the aging process and how it affects employee behaviors, goals and emotions. It is important to note that people experience changes differently as they age. Scholars don't always agree about how to manage the changing workplace. However, employees must consider this important topic if they want to remain competitive.

Interesting studies on generational differences at work evaluate values and attitudes. These studies shed light on a topic that employers must be standing up and paying more attention to immediately. Developmental theorists are beginning to advocate for a more optimistic view on generational differences which suggests that leaders can take action to remain competitive. Turnover is one of the greatest costs of doing business. When employees retire, talent may be lost. Therefore employers should evaluate how to keep their Baby Boomers long enough to train the next generations to successfully-succeed in workplace activities once their elders have gone.

I believe that it all begins by realizing that success should be measured in terms of quality workplace and customer relationships. The strongest organizations have realized that relationships need to matter in the workplace. Legendary companies like Google are famous for creating an environment that fosters both creativity and camaraderie. It is difficult to beat competition where employees go out of their way to do their best for the benefit of their workplace. Loyalty is earned and can easily be lost. When employees feel forgotten or unappreciated, they may sabotage their organization and in the least lose their sense of dedication. Similarly, too many nursing homes are filled with people who are seemingly forgotten and left to die. This reoccurring phenomena of relationships with members of society are often altered in quality or are even severed when people age. This feeds the ugly vicious cycle and perception that as adults grow older, they disengage from society. Why not find ways to keep employees of all ages appreciating each other, feeling valuably-appreciated and working together to grow by inspiring each other to be the best we can be?

Creativity and growth in the workplaces requires employees to work as members of a team. On the other hand, the results of distancing of employees may result in the opposite--diminished creativity and performance--especially of aging-seasoned workers. Organizational leaders and decision makers must do all they can to help employees of all generations feel valued and included in most activities of the workplace. Leaders should be cautious not to expect the older members of their workforce to withdraw or engage in behaviors that are counter-productive due to their disengagement. This means treating older workers and younger ones with the kind of respect they expect. Challenge all generations to work closely together and be open to sharing each other's ways of doing things with a win-win mindset.

So how can organizational leaders retain Baby Boomers longer in order to train their replacements sufficiently? Studies suggest that as adults age, they continue to strive to maintain the same activities, behaviors, relationships and personalities. As they maintain these elements of their lives, aging adults continue a connection with their experiences. Employers should have the mindset and be aware that there is scientific evidence that suggests that aging adults are able to maintain continuity in their personal traits, steadiness with their close relationships, and intelligence. So, there generally should not be any reason treat aging Baby Boomers like their time is short or to expect less. In fact, it has also been found that aging adults have a tendency to maintain their levels of productivity if managed properly.

There are also studies that have revealed that aging adults perceive themselves as being the same individual all their lives and there is also a significant stability in how they perceive specific characteristics about themselves. This also has important implications in the workplace as older adults would be more concerned with the maintenance of good relationships at work and continuing good performance in the job. It has been found that older workers have a tendency to display fewer withdrawal behaviors, continue behaviors which maintain efficiency and productivity, and display more actions necessary for workplace safety.

Organizational cultures that maximize relationships also maximize productivity and creativity. Creating policies and procedures that cultivate respect for all generations is truly the key to success. Each generation is said to be distinctly different from one another. However, creating work teams of multiple generations will help cultivate positive-relationships and yield greater ideas and organizational strength. The bottom-line is that all organizations must utilize EVERY employee wisely in order to maintain competitiveness in their market. Making everyone feel genuinely valued and appreciated could mean the difference between an organization that loses its talent prematurely or continues to grow stronger with time.

Copyright © 2012 by Dr. Paul L. Gerhardt. All rights reserved.

Synergistic Supervision and Job Satisfaction

By Dr. Paul L. Gerhardt, PhD

www.paulgerhardt.com

One of the most-important factors in creating a workplace where both customers and employees love comes right down to the quality of the supervisor. Essentially speaking, supervision means monitoring. Supervisors are very often the “glue”, which keeps people on track and the organization competitive and viable. Supervisors are the ones who set goals and help employees do the work of the organization and helping each one know when performance can be improved.

According to management studies, generally new employees have a higher probability to leave their organization than long-timers. Supervisors should be aware that this may be because employees need ample time to settle into the new organization. It is natural for employees to compare past employment and the current one. Since there will obviously be differences between past and present, this may be the root cause of dissatisfaction in a new employee. Supervisors should be aware of the enhanced chances of losing new employees. To reduce resignations of new employees, a holistic approach to supervision may be considered: “Synergistic” staff supervision.

Synergistic supervision involves discussing exemplary performance, conversations of future career plans, and mentioning performance that has area for improvement. It also involves conversations of personal attitudes and informal appraisals. The supervisor must convey and clarify what the organization thinks about each employee and help explain what is expected. Paying close attention to doing these aforementioned conversations may also result in improved communication between the professional and the supervisor. The newly joined employee will most-likely have greater job satisfaction. Even more satisfaction may result especially when she is clearly told about possible career opportunities that may come her way; if she stays and grows with the company.

The initial job orientation and workplace socialization of a new employee is vitally-essential. It creates awareness about the procedures and policies of the organization. It also gives insight into the culture and customs important within the company.

Here is an example: A young management graduate joins the organization ‘X’ as Junior Executive. The employee is brilliant, and the company has plans to train him in all the aspects of managing operational facilities at a different location. So, without communicating this to the employee, they start giving him factory related work. Since the employee doesn't know what the company has planned for him, he manages the factory data, but secretly he starts looking out for another job, because he feels he is overqualified to handle factory data. Finally, within 2 months, he resigns. Here, both the employee and the company are at loss. The company lost a brilliant employee, and the employee lost a great opportunity.

Such miscommunication can be avoided with the help of synergistic supervision. When the communication is open between the supervisor and the new professional, it builds trust and confidence and creates greater supervisor-new employee relationships. Often new employees face teething troubles, which are directly related to not being accustomed to the culture and customs of the new organization. She may look forward to the supervisor for support when communication channels are open, and will not jump off to find another job opportunity.

Smart supervisors must realize that the success of each employee, is generally established in the earliest days of employment. The supervisor’s main focus should be to mentor the new employee. The supervisor should help the new employee find social support and reassurance from the organization. The new employee must see opportunities for growth and his/her value to the organization.

Recruiting and hiring employees is one of the greatest costs to every organization. Supervisors must also realize that training for each job involves costs too. The bottom line is that it is vitally-important to retain every employee for a longer duration. It truly is in the best interest of the organization. Thus, the role of a supervisor in helping new professionals to settle down in the job is absolutely crucial.

Copyright © 2011 by Dr. Paul L. Gerhardt. All right reserved.

Informally Leading Success

By Dr. Paul L. Gerhardt, PhD
www.paulgerhardt.com

Business as usual probably is a key indicator that something VERY important is being neglected. That something may lead to ultimate failure. What is that very important thing? It is quite simple, but vitally essential. That something is recognizing the numerous efforts put forth by the informal leaders in your organization. Everyone knows that leaders play a crucial role in the success of each organization. Formal leaders are usually titled managers. Managers must always find ways to create value for employees, and give them no reason to be anything but loyal while focusing on to delivering the best results for valued clients and team. Creating value for employees means giving exemplary support, systems, benefits, opportunities for growth, and a positive working environment.

Effective leadership is the foundation of exceptional customer service and organizational greatness. Leadership is a phenomenon that occurs at every level. It is not only a formal, but informal too. The presence of leadership should be visible in the quality of a vibrant organization’s customer service and in team effectiveness.

Informal leaders emerge throughout every organization. They thrive when formal leaders recognize and praise successes of every size in a genuinely appreciative way. Informal leaders are the employees that are giving their best in accomplishing tasks and goals. They are the ones who are showing pride in going above and beyond, while looking for ways to make things even better in their departments and company. Although informal leaders have roles that are different from official leaders who have been appointed by the organization, their accomplishments are as important to the success of the organization as any manager’s. Smart leaders recognize these informal leaders and help them flourish and grow.

Managers can recognize informal leaders as those individuals who are consistently contributing to accomplishing goals, facilitating work and offering direction, support and other necessities to team co-workers. Informal leaders pave the way for success and allow others to follow. Smart managers must recognize the power these informal leaders have. Their influence can be either positive or the opposite if not his/her accomplishments are not genuinely shown appreciation on a regular basis.

The actions informal leaders are powerful in motiving, inspiring and influencing the actions, ideas and perceptions of other employees. Therefore, informal leader’s actions must be fostered, praised and allowed to serve as role models for exemplary work performance. Smart managers know that workers who are happy while on the job, wholeheartedly give his/her best, greets customers in a positive way, helps colleagues solve problems, and positively influence other workers. Happy informal leaders inspire their colleagues to be successful in accomplishing excellence in all they do.

Informal leaders truly are the ones who make it possible for each department and team to make change and maintain daily operations. The informal leader’s ability to influence excellence stems from giving trust and recognizing trustworthiness. Leaders must celebrate informal leaders create systems that enable them to do what they do best. By doing so, formal leaders will soon recognize a kind of charisma and magnetism which helps them to influence success in countless ways by their followers.

After all, informal leaders are often the ones who build team spirit and create an eagerness in employees to be motivated in performing excellence and creativity in their work. When it comes to the delivery of customer satisfaction, informal leaders can influence greater levels of quality service that their co-workers will emulate. Informal leaders make it possible for leaders to be appointed by their organization. It is informal leaders that truly are the backbone of success.

Smart managers recognize that an informal leader’s ability to direct and influence others rests on his or her support by their managers. Leaders support and cultivate talent. They evoke confidence, build trust and always show genuine respect to others. Informal leaders are exceptionally important to organizations. They are the ones who build the success of the formal leaders. Therefore, informal leaders must always feel supported and genuinely appreciated on a daily basis. Informal leaders who do not feel supported and valued will not support the vision and the goals of their organization’s formal leaders. When this happens, the informal leaders can become barriers to the organizations.

The bottom line is leaders identify who your informal leaders are. Give them what they need to be successful. Their success is your success!

Supervisory Skill Essentials

By Dr. Paul L. Gerhardt, PhD
www.paulgerhardt.com

A vast number of people would say that supervision is about getting results. However, the question is, will supervisors who demand compliance without questions and demand immediate results be effective in their role?

Whether you are a supervisor or not, if you are in a position where you are required to direct other people’s activity, then you definitely need to review your supervisory skills. The main objective in leading people is to maximize potential for getting better results.

Essentially, effective supervision can be boiled down to building positive working relationships. Although trust between people requires some time to develop, once it does, supportive efforts and thoughts can be applied to whatever situation occurs. A result of effective leadership can be seen when conflicts become minimized, cohesion among employees is evident and time is maximized.

The best leaders know that supervisors should be able to trust each employee to get their tasks done satisfactorily and exceptionally. Likewise, each employee should be able to trust his or her supervisor to give perceived ample support and fair compensation.

Generally, employees have high expectations for leaders in their workplace. Employees want and need to be treated respectfully and with dignity. When there is trust, a strong working relationship builds the commitment that gets the work done.

Effective supervisors understand the importance of training their employees and helping develop each one properly. It truly should be seen as a sincere joy to take time to refine employee’s skills. The benefit of this is quite obvious. Employers can lower costs by retaining employees and helping each employee see themselves as challenged and valued. In doing so, workers should have the skills and support to meet the future needs of the organization. Training also benefits the employee as it gives him or her, an opportunity to grow and take on new roles and responsibilities within the workplace. Responsibility and opportunities for growth motivate.

Employees who no longer feel that they can grow within an organization will most likely seek better employment elsewhere. Consider this, if the company takes the time to train their employees to use new technology and updates the employees’ skills with handling contemporary technology, the employees would most likely find reasons to look elsewhere.

Supervisors must also be coaches. Coaching is all about developing employees to become self-directed and make effective decisions. It takes a great deal of effort and time to always have to stand over someone’s shoulder to make sure the work gets done. With all the responsibilities that supervisors have, it pays and makes excellent sense to trust employees enough to be able to delegate work and support employees through coaching.

There are often cases where supervisors are tasked with resolving conflicts. Conflict resolution is very important as any conflict within a team can affect the performance of the employees. When performance gets affected, the bottom line can get impacted. It pays to learn how to develop conflict management skills.

The workplace must feel safe for all involved. Supervisors are often tasked with maintaining safety. This to is a very important skill that must be taken seriously and involves proper training. Supervisors must make it clear that safety is crucial. This may initially and often be done by communicating to the employees that they are valued and vitally important. Having a safe place to work helps the organization to become more productive. Lower costs keep organizations strong, which ultimately should result in more job security for everyone.

Excellent supervisory skills are vitally important! Making sure that your leadership skills are kept sharp can be the best investment anyone can make. The benefits of effective leadership skills are higher profits, enhanced productivity, increased employee confidence, greater employee satisfaction, a safe work environment and a positive workplace with an improved bottom line.

The Workplace Golden Rule: Supervisor and Friend

By Dr. Paul L. Gerhardt, PhD

Should a supervisor be “friends” with his employees? This is a question that has been asked for the last few decades. The fact of the matter is that the relationship between a supervisor and supervisee can be very tricky. Often, the supervisee is at the receiving end because of the hierarchy. Therefore, to protect the interests of the supervisee, there are certain ethical standards that a supervisor needs to adhere to. Exhibiting ethical behavior indicates professional approach of a supervisor. Being friendly and a supervisory, while practicing ethical workplace actions is key.

It is the duty of a supervisor to provide a positive and supportive atmosphere that boosts personal and professional growth of the supervisee. It includes doing training, helping employees learn the nuances of their job, and supporting the supervisee in whatever way possible. Ultimately it is all about seeing that the client is well served by the supervisee. This is best done by treating the employee well and in a manner that the supervisor would like to see the client to be treated. This of course sounds like the Workplace Golden Rule.

Although it is believed that most supervisors adhere to ethical practices like updating the supervisee of expectations regularly, the less obvious fact may be that “busy-ness” of running a business sometimes inhibits meeting employees regularly enough. Therefore there may be a significant gap in the necessary imparting of workplace knowledge about the expected practices, cultural nuances, legal and ethical responsibilities, and so forth. However, some scholarly research suggests that most supervisors do not adhere to a significant level of ethical guidelines. One example of this may be, maintaining transparency within the department. Research indicates that as many as 50% supervisors do not adhere to ethical behavior guidelines. This may be due to supervisors wanting to maintain a sense of being “cool” or being a friend to those he supervises.

It is observed that when supervisors don’t comply with the ethical guidelines that it reflects as a weak workplace alliance by the supervisor.

Consider these three important supervisory alliance dynamics:

a) Relationship between the supervisor and the supervisee

b) Understanding of the purview of supervision

c) An understanding of the tasks that will be supervised

When there is a strong work relationship between the supervisor and supervisee, studies show that it will usually result in improved efficiency, role clarity and transparency. Likewise, it predominantly results in greater job satisfaction for the supervisee.

Knowing this gives supervisors great responsibility and a fine line to walk. Human Resource professionals will tell you that many a times, supervisors adhere to unethical practices, such as sexual overtures, discrimination between the supervisees, lack of transparency due to relationship dynamics. Often, a supervisor who is not confident about himself may resort to dirty tactics such as non-communication of the workplace expectations or guidelines. He may fail to delegate important work, and other poor practices out of favoritism or fear of some relationship dynamic. Of course, this will have a negative impact on productivity of the supervisee and will also result in workplace dissatisfaction. In circumstances like these, the employee may suffer from anxiety. Supervisee anxiety is a condition where the supervisee is in a constant state of apprehension, stress, uneasiness and fear whenever the supervisee has to interact with the supervisor. In many cases, the supervisee will carry the grudge home, and it will affect her family life as well.

Supervisors must realize that it is very common for employees to feel slightly anxious while dealing with a supervisor, because of the nature of ‘boss-subordinate’ relationship. However, if the employee feels overly anxious, then it should be a cause for concern. Over anxiety will adversely affect employee performance. She will start showing a lack of interest, and will show negative response to the supervision. For example, if a supervisee feels that the supervisor favors another employee in the department, and divulges confidential information to that employee, then, she will ultimately and understandably lose trust in the supervisor. This will have a great impact on her work. Her self-esteem be deteriorate and consequentially, the response to supervision and workplace responsibility/effectiveness. Worst of all, the supervisee too may resort to doing unethical activities which sabotages the complete success of the department. One of the most common unethical supervisee behaviors is to bypass the authority. This may be a good thing if it gets the team working on the correct path to success. It may also result in termination to individual team members, including the supervisor.

Supervisors must be friendly to all employees ALL OF THE TIME. They must never compromise ethical practices. Supervisees may resort to unethical behavior if they feel they are being treated poorly or unethically. Therefore, the Golden Rule of the Workplace is about being kind, making time to share information regularly, not showing favoritism, and fix what needs to be fixed. Little things can lead to big things before you know it.

For more information, contact Dr. Paul L. Gerhardt, PhD at: www.paulgerhardt.com