Here’s a guide with actionable steps to help you manage team conflict effectively and turn it into an opportunity for positive change.

• Cultivate Self-Awareness : Understanding your leadership style and how you respond under pressure is crucial for effective conflict management. Your strengths can sometimes become your weaknesses when overextended during stressful situations. For instance, while setting high standards can drive excellence, a team grappling with challenges may perceive it as an unattainable demand for perfection. Recognize these tendencies and adjust your approach to maintain a balanced leadership style, focusing on team goals while supporting individual growth.
• Understand Your Team’s Diversity to Recognize the Power of Differences : The strength of a team lies in its diversity – diverse personalities, skills, and experiences. Embrace this diversity and recognize the unique contributions each team member brings. Foster an environment that values different perspectives and encourages collaboration. Building awareness and appreciation for diversity creates a foundation for understanding and resolving conflicts effectively.
• Prioritize Active Listening : In the rush to meet deadlines, it’s tempting to quickly resolve conflicts by imposing a solution. However, this approach rarely leads to lasting resolutions. Instead, make time to listen to all sides of the conflict actively. By understanding each team member’s underlying concerns and perspectives, you can help the team co-create solutions that address everyone’s needs, fostering a sense of ownership and commitment.
• Foster Open Communication : Encourage open communication by creating a safe space for team members to share their ideas and concerns. Actively seek input from all team members, especially less vocal ones. By promoting a culture of open communication, you empower team members to contribute to productive discussions, turning conflicts into opportunities for innovative problem-solving.
• Embrace Collaborative Problem-Solving : Harness the power of diverse thinking by creating an environment that values fresh ideas and approaches. Encourage team members to collaborate and co-create solutions that leverage their unique skills and perspectives. Reach out to less vocal people to ensure their ideas are heard and included. When everyone feels valued, and their contributions are acknowledged, conflicts transform into collaborative discussions that lead to innovative solutions.
• Reflect and Refocus : Learn from the challenges faced by the team and use them as opportunities for growth. Embrace the lessons learned from past conflicts, refocus on the team’s goals, and chart a clear path forward. By acknowledging past mistakes and understanding what went wrong, you can guide the team towards a more successful and harmonious future.

Conflict, while challenging, can be an opportunity for growth and innovation when managed effectively. This guide can help you foster a culture of accountability and equip the team with skills to handle conflict through communication. With this solid foundation in place, leaders can devote more time and resources to steering their organizations toward future triumphs rather than constantly firefighting.

If you want to learn more about effective leadership and conflict resolution strategies, check out our Keep it Real Leadership Program.

Remember, with the right approach, conflicts can be transformed into opportunities for positive change and growth. Lead with purpose, embrace diversity, and navigate through conflicts with confidence!

Till the next time, keep it real.

Karen

The post Navigating Conflict: A Leader’s Guide to Conflict Resolution appeared first on PeopleThink.

Here are several steps that leaders and individual employees can take to normalize accountability:

• Set the Tone at the Top: If you never accept personal responsibility for something, how can you expect your team to? Leaders serve as role models, and their behavior and actions set the standard for the entire organization.
• Create a trusting environment : Encourage open communication where all team members are encouraged to share successes and failures for the purpose of learning and continuous improvement.
• Find (and share) the lesson in failure : What could you have done better? What will you change? Acknowledge the impact that your actions (or lack of action) had. Embracing accountability means acknowledging mistakes and learning from them.
• Align Goals and Values : When leaders consistently uphold their commitments and demonstrate accountability, it reinforces the importance of the organization’s values, creating a shared sense of purpose among team members. Be sure those are clearly defined and understood.
• Avoid the blame game : Leaders who take responsibility for their actions set the expectation that the focus can be on problem-solving and improvement rather than assigning blame. Ditch the excuses. Take the blame. Apply what you learned. And do better next time.

In summary, leadership accountability serves as a cornerstone for a positive organizational culture by shaping behaviors, fostering trust, encouraging learning, and promoting values that contribute to the overall success and well-being of the organization.

Want to learn more about how you can practice and encourage accountability in the workplace? Check out my Keep It Real Leadership program!

Till the next time, keep it real.

Karen

The post Thriving Together: Cultivating a Positive Culture through Accountability appeared first on PeopleThink.

But how do you create that special magic that results in not just an effective team but a high-performing team?

Here are six proven strategies to build and foster a strong team:

• Establish a clear purpose and specific goals: A high-performing team is defined by individuals who not only comprehend the shared purpose and milestones but also collaboratively contribute to defining the means to reach those goals. Clear communication of team goals, objectives, and expectations ensures alignment among members, fostering a deeper commitment to the common purpose and enhancing overall performance.
• Create a sense of mutual accountability: Be sure everyone clearly understands expectations. Challenge your team to higher performance goals and establish an environment where they hold themselves – and each other – accountable for results. Include regular progress reports, open sharing of mistakes made and lessons learned, and team discussions on moving through roadblocks.
• Encourage open communication and constructive feedback: The key to building a high-performing team lies in continuous communication. Foster a culture of open communication, encouraging team members to share ideas, concerns, and feedback while actively listening and promoting collaborative discussions.
• Build Trust: Trust is the foundation of any successful team. Be transparent, honest, and reliable in your interactions. Trust is earned through consistent actions, so demonstrate your commitment to the team’s success.
• Promote Team Bonding:Organize team-building activities or events to help team members get to know each other personally. This can improve communication, understanding, and collaboration among team members.
• Recognize and Celebrate Achievements: Acknowledge and celebrate both individual and team achievements. Recognition boosts morale and motivates team members to continue working hard. It also reinforces a positive and supportive team culture.

Remember that effective team building is an ongoing process that requires continuous attention and effort. By investing time and energy into these strategies, you can create a positive and cohesive team that thrives and achieves its goals.

To learn more about effective team building, check out our Keep It Real Leadership program! Keep It Real Leadership is a human-centered program that nurtures leaders to embrace their strengths and deliver on their goals. Together, we can take you and your team to the next level!

Till the next time, keep it real.

Karen

The post 6 Strategies to Build and Foster Strong Teams appeared first on PeopleThink.

Many researchers have identified a correlation between an employee’s personal and professional development, and an organization’s growth as a whole.

Increased job satisfaction, higher employee engagement, improved retention, enhanced productivity, and a more skilled and adaptable workforce are some of the benefits of employee development.

Companies that invest in their employees’ development demonstrate a commitment to their growth, which can lead to a positive organizational culture and a competitive edge in the market.

If you want to keep your people and grow your business, you must provide opportunities for your team to learn and grow. The best way to do that is by creating and implementing effective employee development programs.

Here’s How.

Ensure roles and responsibilities are well-defined.
Roles often morph over time as responsibilities expand or business needs change. This can be frustrating to the individual in the role – and detrimental to the team/organization – if training around new skill requirements and responsibilities isn’t included with the change. It’s also difficult to hire for, train for or promote someone into that role if you haven’t updated the current skills and responsibilities for the role.

Create career path outlines.
Employees want to know what growth opportunities are available in the organization. Create career path outlines for each job family to help employees build personal development plans.

Make performance management an ongoing process.
The annual performance review – dreaded by managers and hated by employees – typically focuses on weaknesses and rarely includes a development component. How inspiring is that? Effective performance management is a continuous process (not an event) and consists of a development component that builds on strengths and develops areas that are not strengths.

Develop for future needs.
Development plans should consider organizational goals and the skills and behaviors employees will need to contribute to achieving those goals. They should also take into account the skills and behaviors employees will need in the future to succeed (yes, even if it’s not in your organization). Make a list of top skills required and design training programs to help them acquire those skills.

Consider employee goals and interests.
It’s also essential that individual employee career goals and personal interests be considered. All too often, employees have skills and talents that are under-utilized. Take the time to identify, develop, and leverage those hidden talents and unspoken interests. Employees want to use their strengths and feel that they’re contributing to the organization in a meaningful way.

Implementing and supporting leadership development and training programs for your employees will help them grow and develop their style and prepare them to lead their teams in the future.

Till the next time, keep it real.

Karen

The post Employee Development: Building a CULTURE of Learning! appeared first on PeopleThink.

TEN TIPS ON HOW TO RECEIVE FEEDBACK WELL:

1. Ask for it.  Asking others for feedback does a number of things: first, it puts the ball in your court about when you receive feedback and what you get feedback on.  Second, it lets people know that you are interested in improving, which can build a close and more connected relationship.  Third, it allows you to get feedback in bite-sized increments, which is often more appealing.

2. Get it often.  Don’t wait till your annual review to find out how your boss thinks you’re doing.  Don’t wait till ‘never’ to find out what your colleagues think about working with you. Make it a habit to check in with people frequently.  This again allows you to get feedback in small doses, and frequently more specific feedback if you ask about performance on a particular project rather than your overall performance over the past quarter.

3. Ask the hard people. The people that are easiest to ask are usually the ones we naturally ‘sync’ with best, so they’re the ones most likely to give positive feedback with little room for growth. But also ask the people you don’t get along with.  They will have feedback for you that’s on your growing edge.  The bonus is that the very act of asking them may bring you closer together!

4. Listen fully.  When someone is generous enough to provide feedback, make sure you listen carefully to what they have to say, even if there’s a voice inside screaming “but that’s not what I meant!” or “I do NOT do that!”  If you get defensive or argue with their feedback once you’ve asked for it, you can bet they won’t be so generous as to offer you honest feedback in the future!  Breathe, take notes and keep listening.

5. Ask questions.  Make sure you fully understand what they mean.  Be curious about what would have had something go better or what alternative they’d like to see.  You may not take them up on their suggestions, but it will help you understand the direction of their comments.

6. Know it’s not about you.  Of course, it is about you, but it’s about your behavior, your attitude or your words.  Whatever they say does not alter the beautiful human being that you are.  It’s just stuff: things that you can alter.  Make sure you’re in touch with your spiritual side, or your higher self, or whatever grounds you when you ask for feedback so you can keep perspective.

7. Handle your emotions offline.  If you do have an emotional reaction to something someone says, make sure you handle your reaction elsewhere. If you start to have a reaction in front of them it’s fine to say “wow, that’s surprising” or even “wow, that hurts” as long as you also thank them for their candor and tell them how much you appreciate it.  If they had the courage to tell you something hard to say or hear, you owe them gratitude for their courage and candor.  Your emotional reaction is yours to handle separately.  Make sure you do handle it!  Cry to your spouse, scream in a pillow, or lift weights till your arms hurt.  You must get that response OUT in order to address any of the items of feedback with perspective and power.

8. Take what you like and leave the rest.  You can’t address or work on anything if it’s not something you are willing to empower.  In other words, if someone says you speak too much in meetings but after looking at it, you decide that’s not feedback you want to work on, then fine, leave that feedback out of your development plan and your life.  Maybe you’ll come back to it later, but if you’re not ready to work on it, pretending to or trying to because you “should” won’t stick. One note here: there is always likely to be feedback you don’t agree with right off the bat. Of course!  So pay extra attention to the comments you think are way off base – there’s likely gold in them!

9. Take action.  Awareness is useless without action. Create a plan to address the feedback you want to take on, and make sure you do it (get a coach or accountability partner if it helps!)

10. Circle back.  Nothing says “I heard you” better than hearing the feedback, working on the items someone mentioned and then circling back with them to see how it’s going from their perspective. You will establish trust and support in those relationships in addition to getting additional feedback!

Join my Keep It Real (KIR) Leadership Development Program where I go further in depth of each step. In the KIR leadership program – together we will work through real-time, practical applications to better prepare you and strengthen leadership skills.

Till next time,

Karen

The post Accepting Feedback As a Leader appeared first on PeopleThink.

A few years ago, SMITH Magazine published Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure. The book, inspired by a six-word story said to be written by Ernest Hemingway (“For sale: baby shoes, never worn.”) was a compilation of six-word memoirs submitted by SMITH readers.  Since then, SMITH has come out with additional six-word books on a variety of life topics, including love, Dads, and work. 

So, I’ve been thinking. With the new year starting, and all of us hoping for a huge improvement over the  past two years, how would you say what you hope for in 2022 in only 6 words?

To give you some inspiration, here are a few examples from the original book:

It was worth it, I think. – Annette Laitinen

Many risky mistakes. Few regrets. – Richard Schnedl

I’m the fine print. Read closely. – Kristina Grish

And here are a few we’ve come up with related to PeopleThink’s focus areas.

Leadership:
Inspire. Support. Let them surprise you.

Communication:
Two ears. One mouth. Use proportionally.

Teams:
I set the vision. They execute.

People:
Every person is different. Adapt accordingly.

OK. Now it’s your turn. Let’s hear YOUR six words on what your HOPE is for 2022. Please comment and share…

Till next time, keep it real.

Karen

The post You Have 6 Words – What’s Your Hope for 2022? appeared first on PeopleThink.

January is traditionally the month when we think about what we want to do better, do more of, or do less of in the new year. Usually this is in the form of a list of resolutions or goals. And often it’s a dizzying array of things we want to accomplish by year end: 12 months and so much to achieve!!

I say, it’s time to take a different approach. Instead of torturing yourself with a laundry list of resolutions and goals (although there is nothing wrong with goals) let’s do this: Keep it simple. Keep it real.

What does that mean?

Keep it simple means thinking about one theme that you want to define your year. What is most important to you? How will you define success – for you – come December? What will be your guide – your personal mantra – as you navigate work and life throughout the year?

Keep it real means being true to who you are. Developing a better understanding of yourself and how you interact with and are affected by people and situations around you. Celebrating what makes you unique. Making decisions that align with your values. Recognizing your strengths and admitting to those areas where you still need some work.

As he accepted the Cecil B. DeMille award at the Golden Globes recently, Tom Hanks shared his personal mantra for his success in the movie industry: “Show up on time. Know the text. Come with a head full of ideas.”

Simple. Real. 14 words. And easily translatable to any industry, or to life in general: Be on time. Be prepared. Be ready to contribute.

So how about it?  What will be your theme for the year?

Your assignment is set aside about 30 minutes this week to create your own personal mantra. Try for 20 words or less.

Remember, keep it simple. Keep it real.

Till next time,

Karen

The post Keep it Real in 2020! appeared first on PeopleThink.

I even gave you some tips to get you started:

Just DO IT already – go on that vacation, learn a new language, or do nothing for an entire weekend!

Stop multi-tasking – how can you see possibilities when you’re doing 3 things at once?

Pay attention to what’s around you – open your eyes to see what you miss when you’re on autopilot!

Listen…really listen – what is this wonderful, crazy universe trying to tell you?

Dream BIG – if you don’t dream for yourself, no one else will. Make a “possibility list.”

So…how did you do? What possibilities did you identify? Which of them did you turn into reality? Please share in the comments section below.

I’m happy to share that 2017 has truly been a Year of Possibilities for me – and that by following the above tips (yes, I take my own medicine) I turned a number of possibilities into reality. Here are three of them.

In July I went to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Museum in Cleveland, Ohio. This had been on my bucket list for years, and I decided to just DO IT! Did it stretch my thinking and feed my soul? You bet! It was so inspiring to see and learn about people who truly live their dreams.

By paying attention to what was going on around me, I learned that Bruce Springsteen was going to be performing on Broadway beginning in October. I’ve been going to Bruce’s concerts since 1975, but seeing him on Broadway would be a first. So you better believe I was going to turn THAT possibility into reality. I did and it was beyond my expectations! If you want to be good at your work, you have to take some time to feed your soul.

And by paying attention, really listening, and dreaming big, I embraced an opportunity in early November to stretch myself (and challenge my fear of heights) when a friend invited me to join her on a trip to Peru to see the Inca ruins at Machu Picchu.  We climbed Wayna Picchu (ahem…elevation 8,924 ft.) which rises over Machu Picchu, and offers a magnificent view of the 8^th Wonder of the World. And, trust me, I was terrified!  Woo hoo!  I did it!!!

As for eliminating multi-tasking, I’m still working on it, and getting better all the time.

If somehow this Year of Possibilities slipped by you, I hope you’ll take some time over the holidays to think about what you can do next year to stretch your being…your thinking…your heart…your soul…

“Talk about a dream, try to make it real.” – Bruce Springsteen

Till next time,

Karen

The post Reflecting on The Year of Possibilities…How Did You Do? appeared first on PeopleThink.

So. June 30, 2017 has come and gone. How are we doing on that goal? Did you achieve it? Did you forget about it? Did another wonderful possibility you weren’t expecting overtake it?

If you forgot about it, I suggest that you set aside a couple of hours to think about something you want to achieve (a possibility that you want to turn into reality) and use this template to create an effective goal:

Step 1: Create a SMART Goal: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Timely.

Step 2: Create action steps to achieve the goal, each with a due date.

Step 3: Keep your goal visible. Write the goal and action steps down. Check your progress every day.

If you’ve allowed yourself to just be too busy to see possibilities, then let’s review what the Year of Possibilities is all about. And I encourage you to get on board. You’ll be so glad you did!

Do at least one thing this year that will stretch your being…your thinking…your heart…your soul… Think about it. What will that be?

Here are 5 tips to get you started.
1. Just DO IT already. How often have you said over the past few years – “I can’t do that now, it’s not the right time”? Well, if not now, when? Go on that vacation, learn a new language, or how to play an instrument (air guitar does not count). Read that book you’ve been meaning to read for years. Or just do nothing for an entire weekend!
2. Stop multi-tasking. How many studies do we need to read to be convinced that multi-tasking is nothing more than getting nothing done well? Besides, it is very disrespectful. And how are you going to see the possibilities if you are busy doing 3 things at once?
3. Pay attention to what’s around you. Do you ever get home from a day at the office and wonder, “how the heck did I get here?” Commuting can be stressful – by planes, trains or automobiles – and often we just tune out. Open your eyes and allow yourself to see things you miss when you’re just going through the motions.
4. Listen…really listen. What I’m talking about is listening to the signals all around you – what is this wonderful, crazy universe trying to tell you? I can promise you, it ain’t telling you to work more!
5. Dream Big. If you don’t dream for yourself, no one else will. You don’t want a “regret list,” you want a “possibility list.” Say what you want out loud. Tell your friends, family and partner. The more you say it, the more real it becomes.

Don’t let another day go by without embracing the possibilities!

Till next time, Karen

The post Year of Possibilities: Let’s Check In appeared first on PeopleThink.

A cover story last month in the San Francisco Business Times entitled, “From Boomers to Bust?” suggested that “the pace of retirements among baby boomers is about to explode, and it has big consequences for the Bay Area Economy and its workforce.” The impact will be felt more in the Bay Area, the article says, because in addition to the population being older in the region than the rest of California, “the area is in the process of adding more than 1 million jobs by 2040, with talent shortages already a factor across a range of industries.”

Nationwide, an estimated 10,000 boomers a day celebrate their 65^th birthday.  And according to Gallup, by 2029, 20% of the population will be over 65. Clearly, companies have some serious workforce planning to do, especially those with an older employee base.

That being said, if we look at this situation through the lens of possibilities, I see some real opportunities for both boomers and those who would follow in their footsteps.

While many boomers are anxious to leave the pace and politics of corporate life, not all of them dream of replacing that with more leisurely pursuits. In fact, quite a few plan to keep working in some capacity – either for financial reasons or for a sense of purpose.  If this applies to you, then get busy preparing to capture the possibilities. This might be any of the following or none of them (leisure on!). You’re at a place where it’s entirely up to you. Here are some possibilities:

• • Work with your current employer to reduce hours or create a more flexible schedule
  • Become a mentor to help prepare the next line of leaders
  • Turn your hobby into a side business (e.g., become a small space gardener)
  • Leverage the skills you’ve built over the years and consult
  • Volunteer for a cause that’s important to you

For those who are just starting out or are several years into their career, the exodus of baby boomers can open doors (and windows!) of opportunity, especially in leadership. The key is to have a growth mindset (always be learning) and to leverage some tips from the Year of Possibilities framework:

Pay attention to what’s around you. Where are the opportunities? What do you need to do to get there? Take a personal skill /behavior inventory. Get feedback from others. Use it!

Listen…really listen. Think about a team or department leader you admire. Set up an informational interview to gain knowledge and insight on how to lead successfully in the organization. Listen and take notes. Create an action plan. Implement it.

Dream Big. If you don’t dream for yourself, no one else will.  You don’t want a “regret list,” you want a “possibility list.”  Say what you want out loud.  Tell your friends, family and partner.  The more you say it, the more real it becomes.

And whether you’re a boomer or movin’ on up, don’t stop believin’!

Till next time,

Karen

The post Possibilities Abound as Baby Boomers Retire appeared first on PeopleThink.