Tough Talks for Librarians is the topic for a conference presentation I’m delivering today at the Michigan Library Association Annual Conference. The subtitle: What Librarians Need to Know to Communicate Change, Motivate Employees & Stay Sane.
This morning, Lee Van Orsdel, of Grand Valley State University said, “When you presume that your employees and staff want the same thing that you do, you establish common ground and eliminate a lot of conflict.” And this requires communication–the main tenant of a good leader. Lee leads a staff of highly committed employees. Her leadership mindset is that she and the staff have the same goal–to serve patrons. Although change can be intimidating for many people, she sees them all come together with little friction. And it’s all …
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Posted by Jean Palmer Heck in Libraries. Leave a Comment
McJobs used to be the domain of high school kids looking for extra income to buy gas for their cars. Today’s economy has changed that. Go to any franchise storefront and you will see employees of every generation working behind the counter, greeting you at the door, serving your food, making your next appointment, selling you bird seed, changing your oil, working the cash register, helping you maneuver the latest physical fitness equipment, etc. How do you, as a franchise owner, motivate your employees when they come from different age groups?
Here are some hints for motivating employees who come from the various generations:
Millennials–your youngest employees
- Appeal to their altruistic tendencies.
- Share with them the big picture–your mission statement–so they can feel a
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Posted by Jean Palmer Heck in Franchises, Motivating people. Leave a Comment
Difficult conversations are a part of life for franchise owners. As for all businesses, communicating with employees is essential. When that employee is presenting a face to your customer that isn’t good for your franchise business, it’s imperative that you deal with it immediately. But do you always know about bad behavior of your employees?
I recently went through a drive-in fast food restaurant after my yoga class one evening. After I placed my order at the franchise, well known for it’s consistent quality around the world, I drove up to the window to pay. Behind the cashier was a small office, with the door open. An adult women, whom I assume was the night time manager, was on the phone. I overheard her conversation, …
Continue reading "Franchise Tough Talks®: When Customers Overhear Personal Conversations"
Posted by Jean Palmer Heck in Difficult conversations, Franchises, performance management. Leave a Comment
If you’re like most bosses, you put off performance reviews. Employee appraisals take a lot of time, but are extremely important for motivating your workers and improving productivity in the workplace. Here is part of a discussion I had with Ron Culp for Chicago Now. We talk about the two big reasons why putting off performance reviews is a bad idea.
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Posted by Jean Palmer Heck in performance management. Leave a Comment
I’ve long been fascinated about how our brains impact, or are impacted by, conflicts and difficult discussions. While doing my research for Tough Talks® in Tough Times, I tracked down information about the physiology of emotions and what role they played in giving and receiving bad news in the workplace. Each person I interviewed described the same physical reactions to receiving bad news: pounding hearts, upset stomachs, dizziness, dry mouths. And I wanted to know why.
Here’s the reason: When a person hears bad news, no matter what else they were previously thinking at the time, their minds and bodies immediately perceive a threat of some kind. And when that happens, their sympathetic nervous systems are activated and release a rush of 1100 …
Continue reading "Conflict resolution: research on your brain"
Posted by Jean Palmer Heck in Difficult conversations, performance management. Leave a Comment
Did you catch last Wednesday’s announcement that Peyton Manning’s contract with the Indianapolis Colts was not renewed? What a heart breaker of a difficult conversation. But what a great lesson on how to deliver bad news.
Colts owner Jim Irsay and fellow Colts executives had made the very difficult decision to let Peyton go and become a free agent. Peyton Manning wasn’t surprised. He knew that his health was still an unknown, his desire to play professional football was still strong, and his wonderful team was being dismantled to be rebuilt from the ground up…without him. He knew it was in the best interests of all parties for him to move on.
Both men appeared at the news conference together at the podium. They spoke …
Continue reading "Saying goodbye to Peyton: a very difficult conversation"
Posted by Jean Palmer Heck in Difficult conversations, Franchises, Sports. Leave a Comment
Most people do not like delivering bad news. Surprisingly, it is a skill that is valued in today’s economy. And it adds to your own marketability. Being able to handle difficult subjects and conversations can differentiate you and keep you moving your own career forward.
Karl Ahlrichs, human resource consultant at Gregory & Appel, calls this “a core skill that will keep you on board longer than someone who doesn’t have this ability. Not only will your division perform better,” adds Karl, “the organization will recognize managers who have this skill.”
CEOs in all sectors are concerned with performance management. The ability to keep, motivate, and engage good employees is essential. If you have a good track record in this area, you stand a much …
Continue reading "A surprising benefit to having difficult conversations"
Posted by Jean Palmer Heck in Difficult conversations, performance management. Leave a Comment
If there is one business where rumors never stop, it’s the professional sports arena. At this time of year, rumors are abundant, especially in the cities of professional football teams. Here in Indianapolis, the rumors surround our future hall of fame quarterback, Peyton Manning. Will he heal from his neck surgeries and be able to play next season? If so, will he stay in Indianapolis? Or will he go?
Everyone has an opinion. And these opinions are turning into rumors. Even actor Rob Lowe has gotten in on it. He tweeted that Peyton was not going to be around another season. How does he know? Well, he’s friends with the Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay, so people thought that he does have the inside scoop. …
Continue reading "In the absence of good communication, rumors fill the vacuum"
Posted by Jean Palmer Heck in Sports. Leave a Comment
Discussions about death are always difficult. A good friend of mine is having crucial conversations with hospital personnel about her elderly mother, who has had numerous strokes in the last several months. It was mentioned that her mother might need a feeding tube. My friend was unaware of the ramifications this action would have on “Do not resuscitate” (DNR) orders that her mother had previously signed. Since her mother lived out of state, but was admitted to a local hospital here, the hospital did not have the DNR order.
Laws may vary in each state. And this is NOT a website offering legal advise. You must see an attorney for that information. This website is about the human side of difficult conversations.
I am aware …
Continue reading "One of the Toughest–Conversations about End of Life"
Posted by Jean Palmer Heck in Bad news from a doctor, Difficult conversations, Personal conversations. Leave a Comment
A reader of Tough Talks® in Tough Times: What Bosses Need to Know to Deliver Bad News, Motivate Employees & Stay Sane approached me recently and asked if she could get my communication advice on a very personal issue. Cara (not her real name) needed to have a conversation about the delicate subject of incontinence with her mother-in-law. At an upcoming family event, Cara was worried that her mother-in-law would have an accident, making it embarrassing for everyone. “We have to talk about it,” said the 50 year old professional woman, “but we don’t know how to discuss this particular subject.”
“My husband and I are concerned that she won’t visit the restroom often enough,” she explained. “How do we handle this difficult conversation? …
Continue reading "Discussing a very personal issue"
Posted by Jean Palmer Heck in Difficult conversations. Leave a Comment
Difficult conversations take many forms. They can be one-on-one discussions about work issues or personal relationships. They can also be very public conversations that are in the form of a speech or presentation. The content itself may not be fear-inducing, but the act of getting up in front of a crowd may feel overwhelming.
Here is a video about overcoming the fear of public speaking. In it, I offer five proven techniques to make these kinds of tough talks even easier.
For more hints on speaking in public, Powerful Presentation Road Maps is now available as an ebook. Here’s a brief summary and information on how you can get a copy of it.
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Posted by Jean Palmer Heck in Difficult conversations, Public speaking. Leave a Comment
Many difficult conversations are put on the back burner because people hope that the situation will resolve itself. In many cases, they opt for “taking a long walk” rather than having Tough Talks® and solving the situation.
I recently spoke to the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies Leadership Forum on the subject. This video is a segment from it in which I outline some of the difficult conversations that the participants face. I asked them if they would have the Tough Talk™ ? Or would they opt to take a long walk?
They might have walked before the session. But after it, they had a system, the CHECK® system to use.
Here’s the video. What would you do if you were in …
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Having a difficult conversation with someone, at work or at home, creates much anxiety for everyone involved. What are some of the mistakes that people commonly make? Here’s a video from a recent speech I gave to the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies at its Leadership Forum in Omaha. See if you came up with the same answers.
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One of the most common subjects that cause discomfort for many people are discussions involving money. Even with the instant, open communications that occur about a variety of topics, finances are still taboo for many. If you are a business person who offers a service for which you charge a fee, what happens when your client thinks it is too high, and gives you push back? It becomes a difficult discussion that you can’t put off.
Lois Creamer, a small business consultant and coach, whose company is called Book More Business, has a good way to handle the tough topic. She writes:
I suggest you talk about your fees as if they were a commodity. If anyone says your fee is to high, I suggest …
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Does the holiday season bring memories of controversial conversations, family feuds, or remorseful repasts? Is the dinnertime chat more heated than the candied yams? Do you want to stuff a sock in your sibling’s teeth instead of sausage and sage in your turkey? If so, you might want to consider studying the CHECK® system for handling difficult discussions before you head to Grandma’s house.
Expectations are high during the season. We all want a Norman Rockwell kind of holiday. But too much togetherness can bring out the worst in many people. Emotions run high and are often uncontrolled.
The CHECK® system is a 5 step system for handling difficult discussions. (And many discussions become difficult during the holidays.) The third step is the …
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Question: What’s a universal truth about difficult conversations? Answer: The anxiety beforehand is as harrowing as the event itself.
Yesterday I was doing a book signing of Tough Talks in Tough Times and I received visual confirmation of my research findings. I asked people to recall a difficult situation they have had or will be having in the future. As soon as I mentioned the face that the mere act of thinking about the discussion brings on as much anxiety as the actual discussion does, the heads began nodding. In fact, I don’t think there was anyone in the room who didn’t respond that way.
Before your next difficult conversation, you might want to look at this short video. It briefly explains what happens when …
Continue reading "Difficult Conversations are Never Far Away"
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For many of us in the business world, teleseminars and webinars have become an integral part of communicating with peers, bosses, clients, customers and employees. They can be tricky especially if there are more than 3 people on the call.
Because they are another outlet for you to be in front of people, how you come across on them impacts your professional image. Jan Dwyer Bang, president of Boundless Results, a Seattle-based training and consulting firm, offer these etiquette suggestions, for the times when you are a participant in a group teleseminar.
- Turn off the “call waiting” feature of your phone during the call. For most phones, simply dialing *70 will allow you to disconnect this feature momentarily.
- Use the mute feature on your
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Posted by Jean Palmer Heck in Difficult conversations. Leave a Comment
It’s no surprise that surveys over the years show that one of the greatest fears people have is getting up in front of a group to give a speech. It ranks up there, if not above, snakes and death. Ever since my father encouraged me to try out for my high school speech team, I’ve been studying the art and science of giving speeches. The newest addition to the Tough Talk series of books and learning resources addresses that issue.
Powerful Presentation Road Maps is now available as an ebook. Here’s a brief summary and information on how you can get a copy of it.
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Continue reading "When You Dread Giving Speeches"
Posted by Jean Palmer Heck in Difficult conversations. Leave a Comment
Is money the ultimate motivator when it comes to work productivity? New research shows that money as a motivator works when the tasks are simple. But when cognitive skills are at play, autonomy, skill mastery and a sense of purpose are the three factors that lead to better productivity. Watch an innovative video about the subject by Dan Pink.
Continue reading "Cool Research on Motivating People"
Posted by Jean Palmer Heck in Difficult conversations, Motivating people. Leave a Comment
Credible leaders know how to tap into the hearts and minds of their employees. That involves constant communication. Sometimes those discussions are friendly; other times, they are tough talks about issues and circumstances that weigh heavily on all involved.
Even though employment statistics seem to be improving, times are still tough. Moving employees forward during these times is the result of a proper balance of realistic expectations, inspiring goals, and … as I always preach…constant communication.
People want to be part of a cause bigger than themselves. If they can find that in the workplace, they will be more engaged in the company’s mission. That’s your job as boss to make sure they understand the cause.
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