I just returned from the 2010 e-women’s network conference: 4 days of inspiration, energy, and learning.  It was a fantastic reminder that anything is possible, although sometimes we have to step out of our own way. For me, getting out of my own way showed up in 2 days of multi-tasking, which blocked my ability to be fully present. By the end of the 2nd day, the loudest message of all – one that I usually have to hear more than twice- is that multi-tasking is no longer my friend.

What was difficult for me to reconcile was “what could I do”?  I was already over-committed.

Here’s what I came up with.  These are gentle reminders for myself that might benefit you:

• Stop committing to new things now!  There will be new opportunities around every corner.

• Take a step back and reassess your current priorities.  Make some tough decisions to stop the less value-added work, or even consider dropping a commitment that doesn’t fit within the big picture any longer.

• Be honest with yourself.  Why can’t you say no?  Are you afraid to hurt someone’s feelings?  Do you over-commit out of fear of losing out?

• What are you really losing when you commit to more things than you can handle? Big games take time and energy, but can pay off big in the end.  Are you giving the time needed to play “big”?

• If you barely have the time to keep your commitments in the external world, it probably means your internal world is suffering most.  If you haven’t filled your own cup lately, how can you really contribute to others?

So what is your lesson on over-committing?

The Toxic Work Environment,The Employee Perspective

Employees are hunkering down, lashing out, or simply moving like zombies through the day trying to survive in the poisonous air that surrounds them. They’ve lost hope that anything will change. And I don’t mean the change that is coming at them from up in which they have no input, and they know is not the best action for the organization. What they know is that management can’t stop long enough to realize that everyone is choking on gaseous fumes, and are barely making it. So, what can the employee do?

Most importantly, reframe perspective about the environment. Yes, we know it sucks! Victor Frankl knew it sucked being in a concentration camp, but that didn’t stop him from helping his counterparts create a world where they learned that when all is taken away, there still exists the ability to create bliss in the middle of nothingness.

Next, it’s important to “coach up”. When management has lost its way, an employee can reach out and offer a “helping hand.” Ask the right questions that help management to see what they may have forgotten. Talk in a way that reminds everyone “we are a team.” Be team even if it doesn’t exist. Swallow one’s pride and be willing to stand for happiness, when no one else will. Lastly, don’t get caught up in the gossip and complaining. The moment you do the game is lost. Instead, walk away from the negative talk. When other opportunities exist for positive conversation, engage people in what is positive, and how we can “together” create a new tomorrow.

The Public Sector and The Toxic Work Environment

A bad economy can often lead to “less than” ideal work environments.  Like no other time in many decades has the devastating economy had such a hand in toxic environments arising everywhere.  Private sector companies have done widespread lay-offs, benefit cuts, and salary reductions leaving employees to fear for their personal well-being.  The Public sector is not immune to some of these cuts.  The public sector, under intense media pressure, has cracked down on anything that could be perceived in the community’s eyes as inappropriate.

As an outcome, public sector agencies are left with little to no options to motivate and inspire its workforce.  The work environment is bleak, and employees are learning how to survive in such an environment.  This survival has become toxic.  When a work environment reverts to basic survival needs, the need to focus on creating a work environment where people can thrive is the first thing lost, even though it’s the top solution to turning it all around.  This 2-part series will focus on “Turning Surviving into Thriving.”

The Toxic Work Environment – The Manager Perspective

While employees believe its management who is behind the toxicity seeping into the work environment, the reality is that managers are as much victim as the next. They aren’t well-equipped to work in an economic downturn, while still ensuring employee needs are addressed.  They are as focused on survival as an employee, and meeting the demands to keep work moving along.  So, what can the manager do?

1. Team up and take action.  There’s no time to complain about what employees are or aren’t doing.  Alignment around creating a positive work environment has to be the number one priority.  And this doesn’t require money.
2. Be respectful towards how employees are feeling. Give them the opportunity to voice their frustrations and concerns.
3. Infuse a sense of purpose and connection to the bigger purpose; empower employees to own processes and make improvements to them; let them show the quality of their workmanship.
4. Show your management skills and strengthen or create thriving work environments; This sends a message that management is willing to have  “real” conversations with employees.  It’s not “us against them.”  We are all in this together.

The second part of this series will focus on the employee perspective.

What are your suggestions for managers?  Share them below.



We share with you one such “trick” or we prefer tool.  It’s a complimentary tool to manage disruptive group behaviors.  Please feel free to download it, tweak it, copy it,  share it, and use it as you see necessary.

We’d love to hear your feedback.  Please comment below.

Step 1. Meet in advance with the team leader/sponsor to ask the “right” questions about the situation or need.

Tip: Capture clear notes while in the meeting with the description of the situation in the body of your notes, and ideas for engagement solutions in the margins.  It’s best to bring a second person to take notes while you interview the stakeholder.

Step 2. Identify other stakeholders that should be interviewed to ensure you have different perspectives that will give you the full picture of the needs.  Brainstorm with the team leader/sponsor names of others to be interviewed.  Be sure to have some sense of the impacts to each listed stakeholder.

Tip: Don’t ask the team leader “if” you should interview others.  Assume you will, and come from the perspective of “who” will be impacted within the engagement.

Step 3. Analyze the interview information of the leader and stakeholders.  Prepare a draft outline of how to proceed.  This should include a series of activities that will address the “whole” picture of the situation and need you just assessed.

Tip: When drafting the outline be clear on how the analysis links to your recommended solutions. Also document the linkage in a way that does not create defensiveness.

Step 4. Prepare and deliver the appropriate communications to initiate the engagement solutions.

Tip: Don’t assume people have received communications.  Build communications to impacted people into the plan.

Step 5. Implement the actions captured within your outline.  Be sure to include checkpoints along the way to determine where the “plan” or outline needs to be adapted.

Tip: The plan will almost always need to be adapted along the way.  The human element in change management is unpredictable, and will require adjustments to planned activities.

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Share with us what you do to assess change needs.  Please share below.

While your actions are always judged by other
people, it’s not necessarily “what” you do as a
leader that makes a difference, it’s “who” you are
being that makes a difference.  What do I mean by
being?

Being is about “how” you do things, not the
“what.” As a leader, I may do a “right” thing like
recognize employees.  But, if I don’t recognize
with sincerity (a way of being), then the
recognition (the “what”) could be for naught.

Every day when I go to work, I focus myself on the
“way of being” that I believe will give me the
most happiness and success.  When I get too
focused on the “doing”, and less focused on the
“being”, I refocus myself back on the “way of
being.”

Do you ever get caught up in the “doing” where
later you realize you’ve stepped on other’s toes,
been less respectful, or been impatient?  If so,
then having a “way of being” at the forefront of
your mind will increase the speed to awareness
that you have strayed.

Share below the “way of being” that will work for
you today.

Me?  Being connected authentically is
the “way of being” that will carry me through my
week.

When I facilitate the development of a mission statement, I work with a subset of leadership and employees to answer the following key questions:

1. Why does this organization exist?
2. What key services/activities does it provide?
3. Who are its customers?
4. What are the results it hopes to achieve by delivering its product or service?

After brainstorming and  ideas spread out over easel charts all over the room, it’s a good time for a break after all the answers to these questions are captured.  At break, I like to pull out inspirational and specific words that will make for a compelling statement.

Then, we draft a statement, and refine it to meet the following criteria:

• It’s inspirational to us and our customers
• It’s understandable, specific, and to the point
• It summarizes what we exist to do.

With a statement in hand, we can do a quick survey with additional employees to ensure it also meets the criteria stated above.  As well, it’s a good place to assess and lay the foundation for how we keep aligned to the mission in our daily business.

A few examples of some good mission statements:

*from Collins, J.C. & Porras, J.I. (1997).  Built to Last:  Successful Habits of Visionary Companies. New York, NY:  HarperBusiness.