As humans, we are social beings.  For most of us, one of the cruelest punishments is total isolation.  We need other people to listen to our stories, to share their own, and to mirror and respond to our thoughts and feelings and behaviors.  But since we really do need other people, why do so many of us, so much of the time, have the biggest conflicts and the most harrowing  difficulties with those people we need the most?

Part of the problem is that we need people, yet we may believe that we should not need anyone.  The dream of Marlborough Man, the independent, cool, tough guy, still exists for men and women alike.  So, we get into relationships with people we need and then we make every effort to prove to them how much we don't need them.  And this happens at work, at home, and in any situation where we spend time and share activities with other people.

We are all social beings - and - we

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    Recession anxiety is at the top of the news every day.  It's inevitable that your team and staff will be affected.

     Symptoms of recession anxiety include:  chronic worry about job security and financial issues.  Is your business going to survive?  Will you have to lay people off?   Arguments, gossip, stress-related ailments, and loss of productivity due to managers and employees taking sick days can reduce your company's effectiveness at the time you need it most.

     Here are some guidelines for proactive management:

    .  Keep information flowing.  Employees who sense that management is holding out on them by witholding information tend to lose motivation.  Even if the future of your business is uncertain, keep your team informed and make sure the flow of information reaches everyone in the company.

    . 

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All of us encounter a critical bus stop sometime in our lives.

B- Building

U- Unbelievable

S- Skills

through 

S- Surviving

T- Testing

O- Outlasting

P- Performing

In THE OTHER AMERICA, the defining year remains 1931--a year when more than one fourth of all American were ill clad, ill fed and ill housed. That's surviviving.

In THE OTHER AMERICA, there are continual layoffs, no affirmative action or equal opportunity, no health insurance and no unemployment insurance. That's testing.

In THE OTHER AMERICA. there are endless challenges to be overcome-- aptitude testing to exclude, overpriced courses and training and rigid and frequent certification requirements. That is outlasting.

In THE OTHER AMERICA, one's best is never good enough. New data skills, new regulations and rules and new circles of friends must be endlessly mastered. Now that's performing.

But the proud, the fe

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We have two cats that provide endless hours of entertainment.  The oldest, Sundae, is a female calico who is definitely the Alpha over her partner, Max, a male tabby.  Sundae's entire mission in life is to be loved, and while she is not the sharpest tool in the shed, she usually reaches her goal.

Recently my husband Larry had rotator cuff surgery and was confined to the couch for a few days - this definitely stirred interest as something "amiss" for the cats.  They are not accustomed to see him still for so long.  Sundae, in her mission for affection, called dibbs on Larry's lap, and proceeded to make herself comfortable.  When Larry did not respond to her royal presence by petting her, Sundae nudged or licked his hand, causing Larry to move it.  Undeterred, Sundae repositioned herself and nudged again.

This went on for several minutes until, exasperated, Larry finally bestowed the affection Sundae sought.  As I witnessed th

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In her groundbreaking book, Never Check Email First in the Morning, time management diva Julie Morgenstern states that email is "nothing but interruptions and uninvited distractions" and the "biggest time-suck of the modern work day."  We all probably agree with that assessment at some point during our day...and yet, email is definitely a mode of communication that is here to stay.

Many clients complain that email creates a false sense of urgency by the sender.  We assume that because our message can be sent instantaneously, it is received with the same response - surely people are awaiting our every message and request!  In 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Dr. Stephen Covey urges us to distinguish between important and urgent; he claims that a truly important task should never traded with an urgent one.  By responding only to urgent requests, (think emails) we

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The ability to bring people together to accomplish a task is a difficult talent to master.  It takes a combination of acquired skills and experience to guarantee the success of anyone in a leadership role.  An incompetent manager can have a devastating impact on an organization.  A leader with the knowledge, experience and insight necessary to ensure a high performing and profitable organization is hard to come by.  In a recent Gallup survey, it was found that 25% of U.S. employees would fire their boss if they could. With one out of four managers failing, it is easy to see how ineffective management decreases employee performance and increases customer dissatisfaction resulting in a negative affect on the organization's bottom-line.

The art of effective management rarely presents as an inbred gift.  An effective manager must be an innovative leader who exhibits creativity, enthusiasm, confidence and an innate respect and good will toward every individual within the organization.  The manager has to be willing to embrace new concepts and reconsider old practices in order to unleash the potential of the team.  To be an effective manager, one is required to learn and utilize four basic management tools: coaching, feedback, counseling and discipline.

Coaching is the ongoing, informal training that confirms when an employee is doing well and identifies potential areas of opportunity.  There are five essential keys to the coaching process.

• Listening with sensitivity and consideration to hear what is really happening should be your primary objective.  In the coaching function, learn to use the power of silence.  An effective manager seeks first to understand, then to be understood.  This allows employees to know that you value their opinions and keep their interests, priorities and goals in mind.  Actively listening to your employees builds trust and lets them know that you respect them as a "whole" person.  Employees will be more open and will more readily clue you in to valuable information you may not otherwise be privy to.
• Language that demonstrates the ability to create new realities with precise types of speech is necessary to clearly disseminate your message with the highest likelihood of retention. Communicating effectively with appropriate language, pitch, tone and volume is the best way to articulate company goals and objectives.
• Attitude greatly impacts your ability to produce results.  Approaching employees with a caring attitude aids in the employees being receptive and open to communication.  An abusive, hostile or even disinterested attitude directly impacts the emotional health and productivity of employees.  A manager who displays a positive attitude in every message reinforces the employee's belief in their own value to the organization.
• Self-Development is the process by which managers continue to strengthen their own skill set through continued training and value-added experiences.  By being a model of excellence, productivity and fulfillment, an effective manager demonstrates the acceptable behaviors that set the tone for a climate of responsibility.
• Leadership involves developing a clear vision and strong message which must then be successfully communicated to the team.  Your expectation of employees and their expectations of themselves are the primary factors in how well employees perform in the workplace.  Set achievable goals and share them with your employees so that they know what is expected of them. Delegate the workload and set realistic deadlines.  This will provide invaluable training to employees and save on hours of unnecessary work.  Utilize a time management system that is simple, organized and efficient to track completion of tasks.  Being able to hold employees accountable is a vital function of the coaching role.

Feedback provides specific information that lets employees know how well they are performing.  Feedback can be positive or corrective.  It builds employee beliefs in their capabilities and provides them with insight into how they can improve their production.  Corrective feedback should only be given in private.  Feedback should always start positive and end positive.  Never solely identify what the employee is not doing or is doing wrong.  Employees need to have their confidence reinforced through praise and appreciation.  Feedback is a two-way communication device.  Allow employees to respond to your message so they know that they are included in their own development.  One of the top complaints employers receive in regards to employee dissatisfaction is poor to non-existent feedback and recognition. Opening the lines of communication allows you to stay tuned in to your employees so you can be proactive in resolving situations before they escalate.  Ask SMART questions (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-based) to identify fears, problem areas or opportunities.

Counseling is a tool that shows employees what they need to improve their performance.  Point out issues in the employee's work in a calm, non-accusatory manner.  Ask them what you can do to help.  Work with the employee to develop concrete goals and a timeline for resolving the matter. If the problem is personal versus job-related, be empathetic and offer a flexible solution to help create a synergized work/life balance.  Remember, you are not a therapist.  Refer employees to the proper support groups if necessary.  Counseling measures help to reduce turnover, prevent disciplinary action and shows that you are committed to your employee's success.

Discipline is a necessary evil to help employees follow company rules.  Disciplinary action should be taken as a last-resort effort when previous coaching, feedback and counseling attempts have failed.  The primary goal of discipline is not to punish your employees but rather to help guide them back to satisfactory job performance.  Focus solely on performance, remain fair and impartial. Although it is recommended to dole out discipline as soon after the misbehavior as possible, it is equally important to make sure that you have all the facts before you act.  Improperly or unfairly holding an employee accountable for an action without adequate investigation can lead to lowered employee morale, loss of respect and possible lawsuits.

Effective management is more than just implementing policies and procedures.  It means getting the most out of all of your employees, helping them to perform at their best individually, cooperatively and in groups.  Managing your team effectively and efficiently requires the willingness to learn a variety of leadership skills.  An effective manager must be able to coach, provide feedback, counsel and be comfortable in disciplining team members.  By developing your management skills you will appreciate colossal benefits in increased productivity, decreased stress and increased confidence in both yourself as an effective leader, as well as in the employees on your team.

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© 2006 by Niquenya D. Fulbright-All Rights Reserved.

About the Author:

Niquenya D. Fulbright is a Chicago area executive life coach, professional speaker and corporate trainer with over 10 years experience specializing in motivating small business owners, entrepreneurs, executives, and individuals in a career or life transition to use their innate abilities to master their goals and achieve successes beyond their wildest dreams. Contact MVP Seminars to secure Niquenya for your next big event or training session.