The post Beyond Words: Strategies for Delivering Heartfelt Apologies appeared first on Dynamic Team Solutions.

The post Are You Smarter Than a 6 Year Old? Lessons in Corporate Conflict Management appeared first on Dynamic Team Solutions.

The post Peace Starts With You appeared first on Dynamic Team Solutions.

The post Baited, Berated, and at last, Reinstated – Turn Your Arguments into Productive Conversations  appeared first on Dynamic Team Solutions.

I started jotting down the responses I received, recognizing many had an unusual take on things.  I agreed to share these, as a collection of ideas.  While the expression has always been, hindsight is 2020.  This is our collective take on what’s happening now and our foresight for 2021.

Innovation

Diana Darty of United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA), embraces the possibilities working from home has brought about.  She noted that even for HR, paperless suddenly became possible.  Certain functions can now be done remotely.  The shut-down forcing everyone to be creative, and thereby finding new strategies to accommodate change.  She sees more innovation and out of the box thinking as people become aware of their ability to create change.

Sarah Prince of United Agencies and an avid member of Professionals in Human Resources Association (PIHRA) keeps well abreast of all legal initiatives in the state of California.  She notes that about two dozen legislative items are being evaluated regarding hourly employees.  This, she says, has long been a restriction on employers interested in building a remote workforce.  But times are changing and with it our laws.

Our own Paulina Houldsworth has commented on the use and acceptance of telehealth as a key change that will transform our way of receiving medical care.

Technology

While Zoom has transformed our ability to “meet” face to face, people have mixed emotions about how it works as a replacement for traditional meetings and conversations.

Each leader I spoke with echoed that their teams are finding Zoom an essential tool for staying connected.  Tight-knit groups are using it to maintain their rapport and the bonds they held when working side by side.  However, at the employee level, the mood was different.  Some individuals pointed that online meetings have become exhausting, forcing them to maintain availability that interferes with their work.  They felt the effort to meet stealing away precious time, while not enhancing communication or decision making.  Others shared the challenge of never getting real eye-contact, being able to have a quick side-comment, or enjoy the feeling of true connection that in-person meetings easily afford.

Nevertheless, there have been remarkable changes in the way technology has touched older generations. Stacie Ocampo, of Episcopal Communities and Services (ECS), which operates several long-term and assisted living environments, noted how quickly the residents of their facilities transitioned to using technology for social engagement, scheduling, and more.  Many, who had previously only limited exposure, suddenly embraced the technology.  Ms. Ocampo expects this change in ECS’ communities to remain, helping relatives remain engaged with their loved ones.

Diana Darty too noted that the need for technology has helped to bridge the age divide.  Older employees are now embracing technology they long resisted, as younger employees are showing patience and helping their colleagues get up to speed.

Social and Health

Sharon Spira-Cushnir of Stephen Wise Temple in Los Angeles, sees social distancing lasting long term, impacting their congregation as it will other religious groups.  She believes we will see a rise in mergers and acquisitions, as some cannot survive the sudden downturn this has created.  But she believes we’ll see a positive change in the way businesses and companies manage the health of their workforce.  Sharon imagines businesses will maintain the currently strict rules of sending home a sick worker and having them remain out until fully well.  Remote work options will certainly help with that.

Our current lifestyle changes were a point of focus for Dr. Leslie Kasanoff, a health and wellness expert.  While it may remain important to sanitize our groceries, wash our hands for 20 seconds, and wear a mask, Dr. Kasanoff voiced concern if the paranoia continues long term.  She emphasized that “our immune system learns by doing”.  Over sterilization of everything, she stresses, will lead to more illness as our immune system is not challenged and will therefore weaken.

Personal Impacts

Sue Ben David, of Lewitt Hackman, imagines that we will see the impact personally, not from a change in our current behaviors, but from the deeper psychological impact of this situation.  While she imagines we will return to our old habits and behaviors, Sue also expects we’ll see a rise in divorce, post-traumatic stress symptoms, and feelings of loss.

As many voiced, our social-distancing has impacted restaurants, small businesses, and the travel industry.  Even if we can expect 90% of people to return to normal, that return will be slow, and may not be enough to resurrect the businesses and lifestyle we once enjoyed.  Many will remain unemployed, and our young adults will be especially hard hit, unable to embark on the careers they are ready to begin.

Barbara Doyle, of Loudoun Cabinets and Design, expects we’ll see a positive change too – in our values.  People stepping back and deciding what matters.  Re-evaluating what they want, need, and expect of life when things return to normal.  This was a sentiment shared by everyone.  There is a communal hope that we’ve learned to live differently.  To enjoy more family time, eating or cooking meals together.  To check in on distant relations with greater regularity.  To create better balance.  For those of us who have endured home-schooling, we recognize how valuable our teachers are, not only for our children, but for our families and our own mental health.

Opportunities

Some businesses have been fortunate to see growth, and the opportunity to capitalize on the challenges facing others.  Dan Fisher of Ball Corporation notes that their company has hired over 400 new employees during the past few months and are expecting further growth, perhaps hiring as many as 1,000 workers in Colorado, Arizona, and Georgia by year’s end.  Not only is their growth enviable, but with so many out of work, Ball has had the good fortune of being able to select from the cream of the crop.  They’re giving back too, donating $5 million to combat the impacts of COVID-19 in communities around the world.

Given the number of people newly working from home, and making do with unacceptable work-spaces, I expect there are exciting opportunities in design and manufacturing.  It seems there is a wide-open space and a growing need for transportable desk spaces.  Perhaps ones with a sit/stand option, self-contained power supply, and straps to keep everything in place as you move your “desk” from the kitchen, to the patio, to your car.

A Return to “Normal”

Whether we return to shaking hands and hopping on planes or not, the shared vision of our situation includes a belief that we will see a permanent increase in the number of remote workers.  I foresee that meetings will be held in-person, but day to day work, conducted remotely. That company offices will be smaller, and travel for work, minimized.  That commercial real-estate market will get creative, and fast.  We can expect to see a boost in shared workspaces, like WeWork, allowing people to work near their home, but a continuation of teams coming together for in-person meetings – which will be far more collaborative than in the past.  We can expect a boost in work-life balance, and that traffic and commute times will be diminished.

During the conversations I enjoyed as I put together this article, there was a consensus of hope.  Hope that businesses will find new ways to thrive.  That we will see a long-term change in the time we spend with our families, the value we place on our friendships, and the appreciation we have of our teachers and care givers.  That we will come out of this crisis different, but better.

The post Foresight 2021 appeared first on Dynamic Team Solutions.

Consider for a moment how this occurs in a workplace setting: Imagine someone named Sam is feeling frustrated or upset due to some personal circumstances and has a bad interaction with his new co-worker, Lucy. Based on that one interaction, Lucy, who has never worked with Sam before, has drawn a conclusion that Sam is rude and unfriendly. Once Lucy has drawn this conclusion, she is geared to believe in her own assessment and may intentionally, or inadvertently, notice things that support her conclusion far more easily than things that refute it.

This can happen naturally, almost without a thought. If Sam has to end a meeting abruptly, takes a call in the middle of a conversation or gives Lucy an “off” look in response to an idea she shares with the group, Lucy is far more likely to assume that Sam has negative intentions and read into his actions as such. Brené Brown refers to these impressions as “stormy first drafts,” or “SFDs,” in her bestselling book Dare to Lead. You may have experienced this before, too.

Consider how this happens in everyday life: Say you learn about a new restaurant in town, and suddenly it’s all you seem to hear about. You see a billboard advertising it on your commute home, hear a commercial for it on the radio and notice people at your office, gym and kids’ school talking about it. When we notice something new, it often seems to keep making its way to us, whether it’s our observation about someone, an opinion or a tangible thing, like the restaurant.

When Can This Become Something Negative?

It’s not necessarily bad to have preconceived notions about someone or something. Oftentimes, our beliefs are warranted, such as when they’re based on multiple interactions and a solid foundation of understanding about how the other person thinks, acts and reacts based on our many experiences together. It can become harmful, though, when we make a snap judgment after one poor interaction and then judge all coming interactions based on that one bad one.

The most troubling circumstances often occur when the first impression is a negative one. This initial interaction can carry a lot of weight because there’s nothing else to balance it out. Further, most people don’t realize how much weight they’ve placed on that interaction, nor do they want to be seen as a complainer. This often causes these impressions to be kept quiet until the individual has “proven” themselves correct.

Just like the Sam and Lucy situation, we will all have some off moments of communication that might lead to confusion or frustration with our colleagues, family and friends. So how do we make sure that things don’t escalate to include hurt feelings, distrust or burnt bridges down the line?

Three Ways To Set Your Interactions Straight Before They Harm The Relationship

1. Clarify, Don’t Assume

If you feel slighted from a bad interaction, nip the uncertainty in the bud by asking clarifying questions. For example, you might say, “I know you probably didn’t mean to [insert negative behavior here], but that was how it felt. Is there an issue or concern you wanted to talk about?” Using a calm, nonaggressive way to share that the other person did something that felt off-putting informs them without placing blame. If they do have a problem, it opens up the line of communication to find a solution. If they don’t, they are able to share whether they’re having a bad day or simply didn’t even realize that their response came across negatively. Either way, it often clears the air immediately.

2. Try Another Perspective

If you leave the interaction still uncertain of someone’s intentions, do your best to purposefully give them the benefit of the doubt. Maybe they’re struggling at home, dealing with something personal or figuring out the best way to communicate. Next time you think they’re doing something to slight you, stay open, be curious and ask questions instead of snapping into judgment mode. Seek to see things from their point of view, and continue approaching the interaction from a place of openness and communication.

3. Illuminate To Better Communicate

If over time you continue to feel that there’s an unsettled air, set aside the time to meet with the person one-on-one. It can be much easier to let your suspicions of the other person fester and grow and to continue thinking that they have it out for you. But more commonly, there’s nothing personal behind their behavior. Getting everything on the table can help to illuminate any miscommunication and make it easier to move forward without all the negative feelings and assumptions.

While we certainly do tend to attract what we seek, this attraction can be used in a positive manner as well. Rather than seeking to confirm someone’s negative and hurtful qualities, seek clarity, communication and perspective. With your focus on those, what you’ll likely find is an opportunity for growth and peace in your work (and other) relationships.

The post Seek And You Shall Find: Three Tips For Setting Negative Interactions Straight appeared first on Dynamic Team Solutions.

Consider this: When we complain, we are often viewing a situation from the lens of experience. Perhaps we are noticing factors that led to a negative incident in the past, and we’re feeling anxious that the same thing will occur again. As we imagine similar outcomes happening in the current situation, we are confronted with those same emotions, which causes us to complain.

Given this understanding, one might see the act of complaining isn’t unreasonable, but rather a trigger that identifies when something is wrong, thus causing us to consider it more closely. The problem instead is that complaints are fruitless — unless they are coupled with taking action. Engaging with that heightened awareness, in a thoughtful and strategic manner, can lead to positive outcomes.

How To Use Complaining To Your Benefit And Your Company’s Forward Motion

For example, if someone is complaining about work processes or technical issues, it might indeed point to a legitimate issue that needs to be addressed. This person has most likely learned that the work method can disrupt progress or information flow, something they feel the need to communicate to others.

If no one were to point out the negative and unproductive aspects, there would be no opportunity to discuss what needs to change and no opportunity to make it better or more efficient. Work would become stagnant and even unproductive.

The key here is to pair the complaint with action. When you raise a valid complaint, it’s also imperative that you bring ideas for solutions to the table, as well as ask others for their input.

What about complaints about people?

Complaints about people might also have their place, though this can get tricky or gossipy if we aren’t careful and intentional about the reason for our complaint. Maybe someone is complaining about another person’s work style, behavior, or attitude. In my experience, often when someone has a complaint about another person, they’ve dealt with that person, or a person who exhibited similar behaviors, in the past. More to the point, they’ve learned that they work best with those whose work style or approach is different.

When it comes to complaints about people, the most appropriate way to deal with it is to bring the concerns directly to that other person in a private and nonjudgmental conversation. Respectfully sharing your concerns and communicating openly to determine a better way to work together is essential to positive change. The moment you side-step this effort and bring the complaint to others, rather than to the person directly, it’s gossip. Not only will you be unable to affect any tangible change with whom you have the issue, but it also further demonstrates to other people that you are lacking in professionalism and, worse-still, perhaps aren’t very trustworthy.

While many shudder the thought (and will sooner gossip or avoid having a direct conversation), sharing the complaint (concern) directly with the person causing your discomfort will frequently lead to a constructive conversation. Understandably, this is more difficult when it is not a peer or direct report. But, bringing your concerns directly to the person involved allows both parties to build a stronger relationship and gain a better understanding of how to work well together. Commonly, it involves engaging in the offering of feedback to the coworker or employee and enables both parties to grow and understand each other’s needs.

Narrowing In On The Positive Aspects Of Complaining

I believe complaining (at least within one’s own thoughts) is unavoidable. But, though it comes from discomfort, it can also be a valuable tool for growth, both personally and organizationally. From my perspective, when paired with open conversation and a mindset prepared to pursue change and fix the problem, complaining can lead to several positive outcomes. Consider:

1. Complaining informs others you want better, or at least something different. Complaints (packaged appropriately!) can open the doors on important conversations that ignite change and make things better or more efficient for all parties involved.

2. Complaining tells your organization that you are invested. We wouldn’t be affected to the point of complaining if we didn’t care about the future of the company and the team.

3. Complaining lets others know you have different ideas and visions of what is possible. When valid complaints are spoken, they create room for growth, innovation and pivots that could benefit the future of the business.

Remember, pairing complaints with ideas and action is the only way to make a positive difference in the long run. Complaints by themselves create bigger problems, hurt feelings and damaged relationships. We all have opportunities to complain and bring about ideas for how to make things better, so use your voice and your complaints wisely, and bring about positive change.

The post How Company Complaints Can Guide Your Organization’s Growth appeared first on Dynamic Team Solutions.

The post Lessons on Corporate Conflict Management from My 6-year-old appeared first on Dynamic Team Solutions.

Shock. Horror. Disbelief. These are the reactions we have when asked an inappropriate or uncomfortable question. Questions like, “How much did you spend on your last vacation?”, “What brought on your sudden weight change?” or “Are you dating?” In a workplace or interview setting the questions might instead be geared toward learning about your severance package or efforts to determine your gender orientation.

Questions like these are not just inappropriate, they are intrusive. They attempt a level of closeness or intimacy that is undesired and unwarranted. They ask us to reveal things about ourselves or our life that we may not want to reveal. And, they allude to a pending judgment based on our response.

Very often, inappropriate questions leave us speechless and unsure of how to respond. Should we answer the question? Reprimand the person asking? Say nothing and let the question hang? Most often our goal is simply to bring the conversation back onto neutral ground gracefully and tactfully. Below are some guidelines and some suggestions for doing just that.

1.  Take a deep breath. This sounds simple, but it serves several purposes. It helps keep you calm, it provides you with a few extra moments to decide how to respond, and finally, it gives the asker an opportunity to reconsider what they’ve just asked – potentially leading to a retraction or apology for the question itself.

2.  Respond with grace and tact. We’ve all heard the adage “two wrongs don’t make a right”. The same is true here. Shaming the person who’s asking, or otherwise putting them down will only serve to make the moment more uncomfortable. Instead, let them save face by not drawing added attention to the question, but rather redirecting it to a more appropriate one.

3.  Use humor. This may mean a light chuckle at the question, or a friendly but teasing reply of “Did you really just ask me that?”

4.  Be honest. It’s perfectly ok to say “I’m not comfortable answering that question.”

5.  Mirror it. Ask the question back, changing the focus to how it relates to them. For example, you can respond to a question about vacation spending with: “Are you looking for affordable vacation spots?” – This response works regardless of how extravagant your vacation may have been, because it puts the focus on their budget.

6.  Ask “Why..?” As inappropriate as a question may seem to you, perhaps the person asking has a valid reason (or thinks they do) for asking it. Rather than offering an answer, respond with curiosity: “Why are you asking?” or “What do you want to know?” Be sure however, to keep your tone open and inquisitive not irritated or angry.

7.  Silence. Sometimes, ignoring the question is the best response. As you do so, try smiling politely, and acknowledging the other person with a moment of direct eye contact. This has the impact of saying “I’m not comfortable” without actually stating it.

As you choose your best response, it’s wise to consider your relationship to the person. Is this a friend, relative, co-worker, or someone in a leadership position at your company? Has this person asked you inappropriate questions in the past? Your relationship and experience with them should play an important guide in determining your response. If it’s a workplace situation, you may choose to ask why or to be honest about your discomfort. If it’s a friend or an acquaintance you may choose humor or silence. And if it’s a person who often pushes your boundaries, mirroring their question or asking why might be your best response for correcting the behavior now – and in the future.

Managing these difficult or uncomfortable moments, as described, has the added benefit of demonstrating your respect for yourself, and for the other person. It also creates the opportunity for better relationships and better communication.

The post Handling Inappropriate Questions appeared first on Dynamic Team Solutions.

Imagine: A problem arises at your company and it soon becomes known that one person recognized it earlier but didn’t come forward right away. Instead of focusing on the problem, members of the team ask, “Why didn’t you come forward sooner?”

Did you notice it? The focus shifted. Not only is the problem not addressed, but now your employee is put in a defensive position where any insights he or she has on the problem, become secondary to self-protection.

While the question may be a valid step in seeking a solution, it can be framed more productively. Rather than coming across as accusing, one could try to understand the mindset behind this team member’s delay. Perhaps he or she was gathering more information – or assessing whether this was a problem worth addressing or merely a glitch that would soon evaporate.

At any rate, approaching this team member in a forgiving way has a much better chance of uncovering key details that can help solve the problem. And if his or her actions were indeed an error, it’s a lot easier to use them as a teachable moment if your employee senses your desire to forgive and help him or her improve, instead of taking the position of blaming.

If blame plays any role in your problem solving, you’re likely making the problem bigger and harder to solve than it needs to be.

Blaming creates an environment of fear and squelches the process of exploring solutions. When blame or shame are the reward for being wrong, people become hesitant to share opinions that aren’t guaranteed winners. That hesitancy costs the group the opportunity to assess ideas that may not themselves be the ultimate solution but can start them down the road to it.

Ironically, in the privacy of our own minds, we often blame even ourselves, too. How many times have you stewed over a problem, wondering whether there wasn’t something you could have done differently? Something that would have kept a problem from reaching its present point? Forgiving others – and forgiving ourselves – rather than blaming, is a key step in finding solutions and solving problems.

There’s a powerful scene in the movie Apollo 13 where the NASA mission control team has just learned of the malfunction that threatens to strand the three astronauts in space. As the team panics over this life-or-death situation, Mission Control Flight Director Gene Krantz calms their emotions and redirects their focus as he says, “Let’s work the problem, people. Let’s not make things worse by guessing.”

Moments later, when he meets with representatives of the company whose lunar module now offers the only hope of getting the astronauts home safely. You can see the terror in their eyes as they try to shield their company from possible blame if the module fails. Again, Krantz speaks words of reassurance and forgiveness: “I don’t care what anything was designed to do. I care about what it can do.”

Working your problem is key – not blaming, not self-protection. While the problems you encounter in your organization may not be as critical as those in that space mission, working the problem needs to trump the blame and shame that get in the way of solving it.

Sometimes it takes a set of fresh eyes to help you see past the emotions that have entangled themselves around a problem, so you can work effectively toward a solution. That’s what we have done for numerous organizations, and we’d love to help you “work the problem” with any that your organization may face.  Feel free to contact us, and let’s talk about how to find the solutions your organization needs.

The post Forgiveness and Focus: Hidden Keys to Problem-Solving appeared first on Dynamic Team Solutions.