by Stephen Hobbs
There is no need to be stymied by workplace issues ever again. Whether they are problems of concern or appreciations of joy, both require your attention to deal with their effects.
Workplace issues are a mainstay in managing-leading the growth and development of management systems. They influence your management training, leadership development and organizational culture initiatives.
The bottom line… workplaces issues influence your organization of work with your staff.
A problem left alone festers; an appreciation left alone withers.
A problem resolved becomes a wise practice; an appreciation expanded becomes an inspired standard.
Dealing with both demonstrates your competence to manage-lead. Your staff is watching how you deal with issues. They are seeking clarity of the initiatives or interventions you suggest. Simply listen to the ‘how’ questions they ask you.
Have you been listening lately?
Clarity from Consistency
A wise manager-leader will engage staff in how to deal with issues. At the heart of this mutual involvement is ‘clarification from consistency.’
Clarity offers transparency for collaboration. Consistency allows decisions to avoid unenthusiastic routines and foster positive practices.
Clarity arises when the imagined future for the work re: products, services and experiences is clear to all involved. The story and directives make sense. The proposed standards and practices feel aligned with what is happening. Whereas – when the story, directives, standards and practices are confusing, staff engages in busyness rather than business.
Consistency is a vital element of the imagined future. Yet consistency is a paradox.
In one-way consistency hinders movement. Like when a routine becomes unenthusiastic to those involved and becomes a problem that irritates.
Before staff says, “That’s just how we do things around here (with a sigh or eye roll)” challenge that routine, deal with that problem.
Indifference at work gains speed as unattended routines languish.
On the flip side, consistency is what staff seek as they organize work. Following wise practices and inspired standards that ensure work is completed quickly, easily, affordably and safely, staff knows how to engage and execute their assigned work. The assuredness of consistency provides a welcomed touchstone each day until such time as the story/directives and standards/practices are altered.
With all things people co-create, transformation is essential to moving forward.
Learning Onward
Organization paradox is ever-present. Therefore, everyone must gain “clarification from consistency.” In doing so, you improve, focus and strengthen how dealing with workplace issues quickly, easily, affordably and safely becomes “the cornerstone” for managing-leading staff.
At all times, with the help of your staff, reframe workplace issues as ‘questions’. Through answering these questions you map potential initiatives. Together, decide the course of action.
Along the way, because you have accountability for the issue outcome – whether to resolve a problem-based issue and/or to expand an appreciation-based issue – it’s a wise practice to mentor-coach staff to keep them on track as you all gain clarity from consistency.
Importance of Mentoring and Coaching
Mentoring and coaching are two of nine educating approaches useful to manage-lead your staff in dealing with workplace issues and support change management. When you mentor, you offer insights in response to staff questions. When you coach, you keep your staff on task without doing the work for them.
About the author
To learn more about the 9 educating approaches visit [http://www.helpthemhelpyoumanagelead.com]. Here you’ve Free Instant Access to the Preface, Chapter 1 and a related article from the book Help Them Help YOU Manage-Lead.
Brought to you by Stephen Hobbs – Business Transition Mentor guiding Co-Creation of Tomorrow’s Workplace Today through mentoring in the workplace. Click mentoring and coaching support to learn more.
