Mark Twain

Stendhal

You probably know I do a lot of facilitation of strategic planning and conference or group meetings, which may be why I am often asked about group dynamics and facilitation skills by some of the executives and team leaders I coach.

Now I know it is not always possible to bring in an external facilitator (although I hope you will call me on 03-9859 3924 whenever you need one) so as a leader, it is important for you to develop the skills required to manage group dynamics and handle group conflict effectively.

Anyway, I have just finished writing an article on three critical aspects of group dynamics a meeting facilitator must manage and I thought I would share it with you.

You can read about it here: Group Dynamics

Have a read and let me know what you think.

There are a lot of different things to balance when you are facilitating an important meeting, including group conflict, so I hope it helps you to manage all aspects of group dynamics better.

That link again:
http://www.kmgconsulting.com.au/strategic-planning/group-facilitation/group-dynamics.html

Kind regards

Kerrie

PS Watch out for some of the great things we’ve got planned for this year. I’ll share the first one with you soon.

Publilius Syrus

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year.

We hope you have a good break over Christmas and the new year and look forward to working with you again throughout 2010.

We have lots of exciting things planned for 2010, that we can’t wait to tell you all about.

Anon – World War II military slogan

Mark Twain

William Ralph Inge

T. H. White

If you need to know how to improve employee performance and boost workplace motivation check out this powerful tool:  http://leadershipskillcenter.com/workplace-motivation/

Anon Italian Proverb

Is this true? Do we need to look for good leaders who were born that way, or can they be taught?

While I agree that some people are natural born leaders, I believe that most arrive as a leader through learning and experiencing what works and even more importantly, what doesn’t.

There are many things a leader must do, but let’s focus on three specific things that you can do to be a better leader. In order to do a good job, any leader must be able to guide, motivate, and help his or her people.

Guidance:
A leader guides people by providing an example of how things should be done. To guide effectively, a leader should be working alongside his or her employees, in the trenches so to speak. The leader is not necessarily doing the same work but is working alongside them.

A leader doesn’t just tell someone to do something; that’s what a boss does. Leaders demonstrate what they want their people to do. Do you want your employees to be punctual and work hard? Then don’t come in late, take long lunches, and leave early.

Motivation:
A quality leader motivates others. There are many ways to motivate, but a common thread among great leaders is to listen to what their people have to say and respect them and the job they do.

As a leader, your team members are important. They have a huge wealth of experience and knowledge about the integral workings of their job that you probably don’t have, unless you worked your way up the ranks. Look inside yourself and think about what motivates you – a bonus, extra time off? Those are nice, but actually the biggest motivator is recognition and a big pat on the back for a job well done.

Help:
Good leaders provide help to their team members to do their job. What do your employees need from you to get their job done quickly and efficiently? What tools can you provide them to help them do their job better?

If you are not sure what help your people need, simply ask them what they need. Could you demand an employee type and email a 97 page report when he doesn’t have a computer? Of course not, he is not equipped. Help also can be provided in the form of additional training for the employee to do the job correctly, or coaching and feedback that improves performance.

So, are you a good leader?

Most people in leadership positions must learn how to be good leaders. If you focus on guiding, helping, and motivating others, you will be well on your way to becoming a leader anyone would be proud to follow.

For more ways to improve employee performance and boost workplace motivation check out this powerful tool.

I recently shared some tips on how to relieve stress with subscribers of my Leading Well newsletter in honour of Lifeline’s Stress Down Day. (If you find them helpful you might like to make a donation to Lifeline at http://www.stressdown.org.au/ and forward this on to anyone else who may find it helpful.)

Stress can have a number of adverse affects on your health, both short-term and long-term.

If you’re experiencing some of the following symptoms, it could indicate that you could benefit from some advice on how to relieve stress before your health suffers any worse than it already has.  Feelings of anger, fear or helplessness are common indicators of stress, as is insomnia.  Stress can cause headaches and pain in the jaw, neck and back.  Habitual smoking, drinking, overeating and drug abuse may also be caused by stress.

Stress is how your body responds to change.  And situations that cause stress in one person may not cause stress in another.  It’s a very individual experience.

One person may become tense when driving over high bridges, while another may enjoy the view.  The thought of skydiving terrifies some people, but others find it thrilling.

It’s nearly impossible to classify any particular situation as stressful, because what causes stress in one person could be a source of enjoyment for the next.  The key is to identify and manage what is stressful for you personally, because letting stress go unmanaged can have life-threatening health consequences.

Things you feel that you have no control over can be upsetting.  But remember it’s not the situation, but how you deal with it that’s important.  You can’t control everything that happens to you, but you can choose how you handle stressful situations.

For practical tools and useful ideas on how to handle stress effectively have a look at my Stress-Free Course at http://stressfreecourse.com/ – my gift to you today at no cost!

Meanwhile, here are some quick tips for relieving your stress:

* Focus on your breathing and breathe slow, deep and deliberately.  Picture a peaceful scene in your mind.

* Exercise regularly.  Exercising releases tension from your body.  Find something you enjoy that gets the major muscle groups going.  Jogging, walking, swimming or bicycling are all excellent choices.

* Count to ten slowly and deliberately.  This helps you to pause and relax before reacting to a stressful situation.

* Do some stretching exercises several times during the day.  Stretching relaxes the muscles and reduces tension.

* Have a friend massage the back of your neck, shoulders and upper back.  These muscles get especially tense when you are stressed.

* Take hot showers and baths.

* Listen to relaxing music.

* Talk to your family and friends about what is causing you stress.

Seek help when you need it.  If you have recurring headaches and neck or upper back pain, and are having problems sleeping, you should see your doctor.

Stress is a normal part of working life, so it is important to learn how to manage it.

Learning how to relieve stress, and putting these methods to use are critical your overall health and happiness.  Try to learn to accept what you can’t change.  Not everything is going to happen the way you want it to – and not everything will turn out to be as bad as we sometimes imagine it might be.  Train yourself to look for the good in what appears to be a bad situation, talk to others about your troubles, and try to mentally remove yourself from the situation then evaluate it from the outside looking in.

For some really practical information on how to manage stress you might like to join my Stress-Free Course at http://stressfreecourse.com/ – my gift to you today absolutely free!

Do you have a favourite tips for relieving stress to share with other readers?  Please share it by posting a comment below.

H.L. Mencken

As a leader and manager you can’t avoid conflict. It comes with the territory! And you can’t afford to ignore it or you may lose some of your best people as well as the resources you need to do your job. Nor can you afford to get so involved in the conflict that you become a part of it.

So how do you cope with conflict in the workplace?

In fact your role is to manage through conflict, however uncomfortable it may make you feel.

This means it is critical that you understand your own response to conflict and develop the skills that will allow you to cope effectively with conflict in organisations.

Once you can do that, not only will you cope well with conflict you will even begin to see the positive role conflict can have in an organisation in terms of fairly establishig priorities and access to limited resources.

You’ll find more details on the three essentials for coping with conflict in the Member’s area of the Leadership Coaching Club, so if you are a member, you can login now for more help to develop these critical leadership skills.

Of course if you are not a member of the Leadership Coaching Club yet, you really should consider joining immediately. There is so much practical and helpful information in there that you get instant access to, the minute you join. Not only that but more is being added constantly.

In addition to The Three Essentials For Coping With Conflict, here are just some of the items you will find inside:

How To Say ‘No’ To Your Boss
How To Handle People Who Disagree With You
How To Reduce Meetings That Waste Your Time
10 Ways To Start Taking Control Of Your Time, Your Life And Your Work…
The Easiest Way To Give An Impromptu Speech
Customer Service Training In 3 Quick Steps
Three Quick Stress Busters
What Your Employees Expect Of You
Motivating Staff Explained
How To Turn Problems To Profits
… and much, much more, including all the Core Training Modules, Special Bonuses, Free Resources …

Check it out today at http://leadershipcoachingclub.com

Kind regards

Kerrie

PS. That link again for the Leadership Coaching Club and all the help you need to mentor, manage and lead is http://leadershipcoachingclub.com

PPS.  Share how you cope with conflict in the workplace by adding a comment below.

The first mother was clearly exasperated by the unruly behavior of her young children. For the entire hour she told them: “Don’t be so naughty.” “Don’t run away.” “Don’t kick the door!” “Don’t hit your sister.” “Don’t make so much noise.” And all of her instructions resulted in more and more of each behavior she chastised them about.

She was struggling, and the children were clearly not used to being at an event where they needed to sit quietly and pay attention. They didn’t know what to do or how to do it, so they entertained themselves. And they did it very well, even if it embarrassed their mother.

There were times when the second mother needed to address her young children’s behavior too. But she did it differently and with a very different result.

She drew her children’s attention to the program and pointed to what was happening on stage. She quietly explained where to look, why things were happening and encouraged them to participate when it was appropriate. She showed them how to not just listen, but to watch and listen carefully, so they would hear particular things.

In other words, she focused on telling her children what they should do, rather than what not to do. And it was clear that as her children steadily began to learn what was going on and how to be a part of it, they even began to enjoy it.

Now I’m not suggesting that her children were perfect – there were times they were distracted too – but by the end of the function it was clear they learned a lot about how to participate in such an event. They had been shown what was expected of them and what to do, rather than just being told what not to do.

So, what does this story have to do with workplace motivation, you ask?

Well first let me share another quick story with you… A few days ago a friend commented that her husband had come home from work happier than she had seen him in ages. It turns out that something exceptional had happened. For the first time in many years his boss had commented on his work, and the feedback was what a great job he always does. (And yes, you read that right – for the first time in many years…)

Do you see a pattern related to motivation in the workplace here? Managing people (employees or young children) can be challenging, time consuming and, at times, stressful. When you don’t offer any feedback, even the best people feel demotivated and taken for granted. If the feedback you offer is always negative or corrective, without any guidance about how to do what is required, it will do little to motivate people or improve results.

It’s easy to expect good work from people and take it for granted when you get it. But when good work is not acknowledged in the workplace, motivation shrivels up and even your best workers begin to produce the minimum acceptable results rather than their best work.

The workplace motivation message is simple: Focus on showing people what you expect of them in a positive way and notice when they do what you want.

For more ways to improve employee performance and boost workplace motivation check out this powerful tool: http://leadershipskillcenter.com/workplace-motivation/ from Kerrie Mullins-Gunst.

Kerrie specializes in helping leaders and managers develop all the skills they need to mentor manage and lead.