We're all in this together - or are we?

In so many of the companies I work with, I see huge walls between departments.  Customer Care tells me that Service needs help, Service tells me that Customer Care needs to improve, and they all agree that Sales is the real problem. 

Hmmm, is it really true that you care more, work harder, and are smarter than any another department?

The more you know about another person and what challenges they face, the more you will appreciate them.  Help break down barriers at your company by encouraging idea sharing.

 Try these ideas:

• Ask to be invited to another department's meeting
• Invite someone from another department to your meeting
• Have a meeting with managers from all department, at least once a month

Don't forget the coffee and donuts!

On another note:  Would you like to get WARD CERTIFIED?  Now you can, click here to learn more.

An Attitude of Gratitude

It's not just Oprah touting the benefits of expressing gratitude, it's everywhere.  And I'm grateful for that 'cause it's true, being grateful leads to great things.  Read more if you're curious.

Today, when you are...

• Stuck in a busy airport   
• Driving in the slow lane 
• Seated at the kids' table  

How will you express gratitude? 

• "I'm happy I have a place to go." 
• "I'm glad gas prices are down."
• "I'm getting a new perspective."

It's a choice. Stay grateful and eat well.

                    We're stuffed full of gratitude for readers like you!   

                   Happy Thanksgiving from Kelsey, Ann, and Karen.  

Coming in hot!

What do these 3 things have in common?

1. Driving into the pick-up lane at your child's school.
2. Showing up at the in-laws on Thanksgiving.
3. Having a tough conversation at work.

Correct: You shouldn't 'come in hot' for any of them.    

You might know already that before a difficult conversation at work, you should think about the desired outcome, plan a strategy, and role-play the conversation with a colleague. 
Did you know you should also make time to vent? Getting emotional before is better than getting emotional during a conversation. 

*Coming in hot refers to an action performed at a fast, perhaps reckless, speed.  It's best left to military operations, not family gatherings or the workplace. 

 

On another note:  Would you like to get WARD CERTIFIED?  Now you can, click here to learn more.

Change a habit - Change the trigger

Research tells us what we knew already, changing a habit is hard.  Turns out, it is easier to identify the trigger and avoid it, rather than try to override the urge.

Pay attention to your environment.
If you are trying to add something to your life, such as taking a multi-vitamin each morning, place the bottle beside your toothbrush.

If you are trying to stop doing something, avoid the trigger.
For example, if you eat a drive-thru breakfast every day, change your route to work so you don't see that restaurant.

At work:
If you want a team member to start asking people, "Is there anything else I can do for you?" put a post-it beside their phone.

If you want to stop reacting to a team member during a coaching session, have your conversation in a new location or swap chairs for the interaction.

I need to get rid of my leftover Halloween candy.  It might be easier than trying to resist...

Thoughtful Thank Yous.

What are your plans for all that leftover Halloween candy?

Photo credit:  Pinterest

Here's an idea, send someone a thoughtful thank you.

How will you use yours?

Karen says she'll gladly accept any leftover candy.
 

New words, new outcome.

Is there a difficult conversation in your near future?  Is it with a team member?

Well duh, of course there is!  Work with anyone long enough and there will be differences.

Set the tone for the interaction as collaborative with a positive statement such as:  “I want us to work on this together” or “I’m confident we can figure out a solution.”

We’d like others to assume that we have positive intentions with our words and our actions.  But you know what they say about assuming?

Don’t let others guess.  Be clear about your expectations.  

There's an app for that!

Chances are your team is trying to do more with less.

Problem is, this can lead to stress, burn-out or disengagement.  And it will likely be your top performers who burn out first.  Not cool.

What can you do?

1. Encourage exercise

-  I know some of you have handed out Fitbits and created team competitions – yay!
-  Have your tried walking meetings? This makes the meeting shorter and gets the blood flowing.

2. Encourage meditation

No, you don’t need to send them to a retreat in Tibet. There are some tools that can help people disconnect for a few minutes and return recharged.

One I like is called Headspace.  
https://www.headspace.com/

Try it.  If you like it – pass is on.