Article Contributed by Roxanne Emmerich
We’ve all been there. You walk into a bank, restaurant, or store and suddenly feel it, that vague sensation that all is not well. It drips from the ceilings and sits in puddles on the floor. The employees are lost in thought, unable to decide whether they’d rather be somewhere else or stay and kill each other. And you’re the lucky one bathing in all the poison they can ladle up.
Yeesh.
I hope you’ve experienced the other side, too. You walk in the door and are gob smacked by a sense of well-being. This isn’t just a place where people work, it’s a place that WORKS. The employees want to be there and they want YOU to be there. You feel your brow relax, and the corners of your mouth head ever-so-slightly north. You don’t wanna leave.
So which of these do YOU work in?
Now, which of these environments do you think YOUR employees rather work in?
So you’re wondering if that six-headed, chain-smoking, flatulent monster that’s been “hiding” in the supply closet is the Beast we’re talking about here.
Here Are 9 Symptoms of a Dysfunctional Workplace:
1. People say one thing and mean another
2. People give lip service to new ideas, only to undercut them in private
3. Defensiveness
4. Saying you’ll do something and then not doing it
5. Chaos
6. Deflection of feedback and blame
7. People pretending they “missed the memo on that one”
8 Refusal to deal with conflict
9. Gossip and backstabbing
When you think of a dysfunctional organization, you might picture a lot of screaming and yelling. But take a close look at this list. There’s very little that has to do with raised voices, and the only mention of “conflict” is the failure to deal with it directly.
You will have conflicts in the workplace. The key is to address it in a healthy and productive way. Yelling at someone isn’t the best way to communicate displeasure, but it’s a heck of a lot better than whispering behind that person’s back, which gets us into the excruciating, crazy-making world of the passive-aggressive.
If I had to nominate just one of thing from the list above as the most destructive symptom of the dysfunctional workplace, there’s no contest. It’s GOSSIP. A workplace full of whispered gossip is as painful and maddening as a buzzing mosquito at bedtime. It is destructive to the soul of your workplace and the souls of your people who never feel safe and always wonder who is talking behind their backs.
When people gossip about others, you may as well have them bring baseball bats and beat each other. At least that will heal. If a happy and functional workplace is your goal, there are few more productive places to put your energy than the absolute elimination of gossip.
How to End Gossip & Create a Happy Workplace Environment Where People Actually Want to Work
Step one is to recognize that gossip is an attempt at communication—seriously screwed up communication, sure, but communication nonetheless. You can’t eliminate the behavior without providing something to replace it—namely a good and healthy way of communicating.
All Jack had to do was to go to Tom and say, “Dude, when you are late with that analysis, I end up on my knees to my boss because then my report is late. Please promise me you’ll get that to me on time from now on.” Reasonable. Direct. Easy.
If Jack came to you with gossip, simply say, “Gee, it sounds like you need to talk to Tom directly so you can work this out.” Lather, rinse and repeat until the person wakes up!
Once you establish a zero-tolerance policy for talking behind another person’s back, give your employees permission to address conflict head-on, out loud, courageously and honestly. Create a trusting and open environment and watch the dysfunctions in your workplace ebb away.
The Next Step to Ending Workplace Dysfunctions: Build a Shared Vision
Now you’ve recognized the symptoms and diagnosed the disease. Time for the cure.
Most workplace dysfunctions amount to employees shooting their energy at each other because there’s nothing else to aim for. What’s needed is a single, shared vision.
Everyone wants to be a part of something bigger than themselves. Everyone wants to feel productive and be happy. Give yourself and your team members a clear and positive picture of where you want to go as a group. Most of them will jump at the chance to be a part of it. When people align around a vision of great service, pettiness and dysfunctional workplace behaviors fall away and people become who they need to be to make it happen.
Will there still be those who stubbornly hold on to their dysfunctions? I guarantee it. And for the sake of the rest of you, gently but firmly encourage those folks to find and follow their bliss elsewhere.
Are you ready to do what it takes to end the dysfunctions and create a can-do culture in your workplace?
About the Author
Roxanne Emmerich is renowned for her ability to transform “ho-hum” workplaces into massive results-oriented “bring-it-on” environments. To discover how you can motivate employees, ignite their passion and catapult performance to new levels, check out her new book – Thank God It’s Monday. Now, you can get a free sneak preview at: http://www.thankgoditsmonday.com/preview_the_book/
Month: August 2009
Knowing how often to send emails to your mailing list is a big dilemma that many solopreneurs face. You don’t want to bombard your subscribers with emails, but neither do you want them to forget you. One of my own subscribers recently emailed me to ask me about how often you should send emails to your subscriber.
Here’s an excerpt of what she said:
“Your article piqued my interest today, and offered solid advice. It is interesting to note that I just attended a teleseminar where it was said that emailing your list daily was imperative and that every email needed to be full of outstanding content. Since I am shortly beginning my first online business, I felt overwhelmed by that directive to insure my online success.
The first thing that came to my mind was that weekly should be often enough. How would I ever come up with outstanding content on a daily basis to send my list and still have enough time in the day to do everything else?”
From my experience and working one-on-one with many clients I know that this is a big dilemma for many solo business owners – after all, you want to build a relationship with your subscribers, but you don’t want them to forget you, and neither do you want them to unsubscribe because you’re bombarding them with so much information. It’s all about striking a balance!
I honestly think that those ‘experts’ who tell you you should be emailing your list daily have nothing else to do! And how you can you put out valuable, quality content on a daily basis – it would be draining both emotionally and time-wise! Plus the flip side to that is that your subscribers are going to feel completely overwhelmed by the sheer volume of emails you’re sending them and are more likely to unsubscribe.
If you’re going to publish a regular ezine (newsletter) then it’s important that the frequency fits best for you and your business. My contact with my subscribers has been gradual in it’s frequency. When I first started I emailed once a quarter, then moved across to monthly (first of every month). Then a while back I decided that I’d do twice a month (1st & 15th) and it stayed that way for about 18 months. At the start of this year I decided to publish my ezine every two weeks on a Friday, and then a couple of months ago I decided that I’d publish weekly, but rather than produce a full-blown ezine every week I would create in-between issues that simply directed my subscribers to one of my blog posts – I have such a lot of content on my blog that wasn’t being fully utilized.
Therefore this strategy was two-fold, first I was staying in touch with my subscribers on a weekly basis, and secondly I was repurposing the ton of content that was readily available on my blog!
Conclusion: Create a schedule that is the best fit for you and your business, and one that works in frequency for your subscribers too!
What do computer giant Dell, gourmet food basket maker Tastefully Simple, and organic brewer Honest Tea have in common? Though all three are now multi-million dollar companies, all were originally started within the founder’s home. You’ve probably heard how Michael Dell worked out of his garage to build his empire, but equally inspiring are the stories of Jill Blashack Strahan- who assembled gift baskets on the pool table of her backyard shed- and Seth Goldman- who brewed tea at his kitchen sink and presented homemade samples to clients in thermoses.
The home-based startup story has a certain magic to it that often glosses over the particulars: where to set up office equipment (computer, printer, copier,etc.), whether or not you should dedicate a business phone line or switch your VoIP service to include “follow” features so you’re always available, and how many hours you should put in when your office is in your kitchen. What does a stay-at-home entrepreneur really need? Here are a few necessities:
1. A Separate, Dedicated Workspace. Whether it’s your garage, a toolshed in the backyard, or just an area off the den, you will need a space that’s just for work.
2. A Separate Phone Line. Small business VoIP service plans are cheap and easy to sign up for. You can also add an extension or line to your existing residential VoIP service arrangement.
3. A Fast Internet Connection. For businesses based online, this is non-negotiable. Your internet connection should be fast enough to support online activity and VoIP calls, if you use an internet-based phone system as your method of business communication.
4. A Door…or Earplugs. If you can’t physically separate your workspace from the rest of the house, you can mentally separate it by using earplugs to tune out audio distractions, or a folding screen to tune out visual ones.
5. A “Do Not Disturb” sign. If you’re working while others are at home, make sure they know when you’re “unavailable.”
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BIZNESS! Newsletter Issue 89
Ferrari Music
The David Wiener Collection has a newest tour de force – Art.Opera – which is built on the excitement and collectability of the extraordinary Ferrari Art.Engine music system and elevates speaker design and performance to a new level of sonic performance, execution and style….
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If you’re thinking of switching to VoIP service from a traditional landline based Key, PBX, or hybrid phone system, you’re not alone- businesses of all sizes are beginning to realized the cost-saving benefits of computer/telephony integration. Switching to a VOIP phone is relatively simple- changes can be made quickly and easily, and there is usually very little equipment to purchase.
Whether you’re switching to a business VoIP service or implementing a phone system for the first time, here are a few things you need to consider:
Internet Connectivity
VoIP phone systems use the internet to make and receive calls- you’ll need to make sure your connection and your power supply can support system requirements. Generally, a steady, uninterrupted power supply and a high-speed internet connection are all that’s needed. Your connection should be able to support the added traffic that the system will create. Vendors will ask how many employees will be using the system, how many calls are placed daily, and take into consideration features like auto attendant and call transferring when setting up your internet connection to support your system. You may need to purchase additional routers or install a backup power supply.
VoIP Adapters
If you’re witching to VoIP from a traditional phone system, you can save by purchasing adapters for your current phones. A traditional phone fitted with a VoIP adapter works identically to a VoIP phone. Most adapters are less than $50 each, and are often available in bulk discounts for larger offices. In lieu of adaptors, you can also purchase VoIP phones, headsets, or microphones that can be connected directly to a computer and used in place of a traditional headset. Most business and residential VoIP service providers sell both VoIP-compatible phones and adapters.
VoIP Phones
Voice over Internet Protocol phones are slightly more expensive that VoIP adapters, but are a good investment if you plan to use the system for several years. VoIP phones are easy to use and install- they don’t take any special training to set up. Once installed, they work identically to traditional phones. Most VoIP phones cost at least $100 each, with many vendors offering steep discounts for phones purchased in bulk.
Switching to a VoIP system takes surprisingly little time. Once you’ve decided to make the switch, you can shop around for providers and compare prices for services and equipment. Most providers can also make suggestions about system configuration (i.e., if you need a faster internet connection) during this stage. Once you’ve settled on a service provider and purchased equipment, you can have the new system up and running in less than a week.
About the Author
Merrin Muxlow is a writer, yoga instructor, and law student based in San Diego, California. She writes extensively for Resource Nation, a company that provides resources for business owners, and is a frequent contributor to several sites and programs that offer tools for entrepreneurs, including Dell and BizEquity.