Having a bad day at work?

October 26, 2016 in Employee Engagement, Team Work

Having a bad day at work?

How do you get through an exceptionally bad day at work? You’ve been through it, right? It could just be hump day getting you down. Or maybe it started with a rough morning; your train is delayed or the roads were more congested and you missed an important meeting. Or you spilled coffee on your white shirt just before delivering an important presentation. Or your boss is hounding you, you feel overwhelmed with tasks, or there’s someone or something that’s blocking progress on an important project. It feels like nothing is going right for you and you just want to give up.

But don’t.

Because you should never give up on your worst day.

Instead, start with trying these really simple things to turn that bad day around. And next time you see a colleague having a bad day at work, remember these tips and give them a hand!

1. Get out…side!

Look out the window (or door, if you don’t have a window) and, if weather and break times permit, go for a walk. Trade the recycled, air-conditioned office air for the clean, fresh, natural breeze and make sure you inhale long and deep into your lungs. Don’t underestimate what a change of environment – even just a temporary, five-minute change – can do for your wellbeing. Walking is one of the best things you can do for your health, and it also removes you immediately from the environment or situation that’s causing you stress.

When you get outside try to notice (read: appreciate) the details you wouldn’t normally. The trees. The people. The sunshine or rain. Let the presence of other things and people put you and your own problems into perspective. There’s a world outside your work environment that turns and continues to produce good, even though the negative often appears to outweigh the positive. Even if walking outside just means walking into a crowded city street, a backyard with overgrown grass, or a cramped balcony, look for the beauty in the little things. At the very least you’ll get some Vitamin D.

2. Have a drink

No, not an alcoholic one (or if you insist on some wine, maybe wait until after work at least!). Seriously though, drink some H2O. It’s the best thing you can do for your body, especially when it’s under stress. Water helps your brain function and it’s a natural and free energy drink that will tackle fatigue, headaches, irritability – all of which are common signs of dehydration. I have an awful habit of not drinking enough water during the day, and I’m not the only one.

So get on your feet, detach yourself from the tasks/work/people that are draining you and top up with a cold glass of water. While you’re at it, offer your desk neighbours a top up too. Simple acts of generosity, like refilling someone else’s water bottle, can boost the mood in a workplace and remind you and the people around you that we’re all human and appreciate a helping hand.

3. Reboot

When a computer or mobile device starts misbehaving, what’s the first thing IT Support ask you to try? Reboot the device.

Similarly, if you feel your brain (or emotions) starting to crash, stop what you’re doing. If you’re at your desk, log off your computer and restart it. Let yourself sit there for a few moments to gather your thoughts (or follow Step 1 and do this outside). Breathe in and out in counts of 3 and mentally reset your mind and sitting position. Think about the parts of your body that are feeling tense and loosen them. If you’re in a meeting, excuse yourself and go to the loo for five minutes. Recompose. Practice some power poses. So often, we are consumed by getting things done, we forget the importance of mindfulness at work. When you’ve spent a couple of moments resetting, you’ll have more brain space and energy to tackle challenges – whether they’re project or people related.

4. Say thank you

Saying thank you when you’re angry or upset may seem counter-intuitive, but proactively seeking out the positive when you’re having a bad day at work is going to do world of wonder for you, and anyone you recognise along the way. There are a myriad of scientific studies that prove the physical and emotional benefits of practicing gratitude. Someone in your workplace has demonstrated support and good work; you just need to look for the moments and recognise them for it.

A study by the University of Kentucky showed participants who ranked higher on gratitude scales were less likely to retaliate against others, even when given negative feedback. They experienced more sensitivity and empathy toward other people and a decreased desire to seek revenge. And other studies show that gratitude not only reduces stress but also helps people overcome trauma and build resilience.

5. Laugh a little

One of the company values at Redii is ‘Lift as you climb’. So our colleagues here are regularly posting funny gifs, flashbacks from our favourite FRIENDS episodes or the odd joke – yes, even corny jokes – on Slack so we can keep the mood positive and help boost the spirits around the office. It’s easy to point the finger at these activities and label them a waste of time. But sharing a joke or playing scissors-paper-rock to determine who gets DJ privileges for the day’s office music are the little things that build the social fabric of our work community and also are a reminder that wellbeing matters – to all of us.

Find something silly that will put a smile on your face and remind you of the less serious, lighter things in life. Because really… this is just one day, and you’ll get through it.

What have you done to turn things around when you’re having a bad day at work? I’d love to hear your tips in the comments.

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Effective Communication Tips

October 26, 2016 in Employee Engagement, Team Work

Effective Communication Tips

I was in a cafe in Argentina with my daughter earlier this year and on the front of the menu was a list of ‘the golden rules of conversation’. It got me thinking… Are we losing the art of great conversation? Do many people communicate more by text than in person? Does anyone pick up the phone for a chat anymore? I love a great conversation – I love words. But in a business or work context, we need to make sure the conversations we have are adding value and moving the game forward.

This is my advice on how to improve communication at work – simply by following the 11 golden rules for conversation:

1. Listen with intention

If you want to be a more effective communicator, follow the advice of Stephen Covey, author of the best-seller 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Listen with intent to understand what the someone is telling you, not just to reply. This will actually shorten the conversation because you’ll only respond with what’s relevant.

2. Put away ALL devices

Studies are proving the mere presence of a cell phone or smartphone can lessen the quality of an in-person conversation and people are proving that the concept of multitasking is a myth. So stop checking emails or Googling facts during a conversation. Focus, instead.

3. Don’t dominate (it’s a team sport)

A conversation needs balance. If one person talks the entire time, it can get boring. Are you the rambler? Or perhaps you’re the one that freezes up? Here’s a tip – once you make a conversation point, take a pause and allow the other person to either agree or state their opinion. Give and take.

4. Speak of things that are interesting and be interested

By showing someone you are genuinely interested in what they’re saying, they will naturally be more interested in you. You will always find something interesting in what someone else does. Follow it through; ask questions. This will lead to a stronger connection.

5. Acknowledge with your facial muscles. SMILE!

You don’t always need to respond with words – sometimes that breaks the flow of the conversation. Facial expressions act as small signs when communicating with someone. A smile can mean approval, and reassurance. A look of concern can translate into sympathy and understanding. Exercise those facial muscles!

6. Don’t change the topic every sentence. Dance in the conversation.

A quality conversation will consist of at least one captivating story. Storytelling captivates the person you’re talking to and holds their attention, thus keeping the conversation flowing. Avoid making short generic statements that unintentionally put up stop signs.

7. Ask about the other person instead of focussing on yourself.

Diana Tamir, Harvard neuroscientist claims, “Self-disclosure is extra rewarding”. When you ask someone to talk about themselves they get a sense of importance and pride in themselves and in turn, link these positive feelings to you.

8. Don’t ask a question to ‘get it over and don’t with’

There are a lot of standard conversation questions that come off as scripted or insincere. Try and avoid these unless you are legitimately interested. Instead, ask meatier questions that don’t have automatic (just as equally insincere) responses and mean it.

9. There is no ‘right’ in conversation. Respect others’ opinions

There will always be people who disagree with you or hold a different perspective to you on certain topics – and that’s okay. You can voice your opinion, but also listen to theirs. Respect is an important factor in cultivating nourished connections and relationships with others.

10. Be authentic

One of the main aims of conversation is to get to know another person, their opinions and personality. To converse naturally shows who we are to one another. Why be anything but you? Be honest, be genuine, be yourself. In turn, they’ll like you for you who are.

11. Use positive words (don’t fall into gossip)

People are naturally drawn to those who exude positive energy. The benefit of being positive comes two-fold – you enrich the life of the one you’re speaking to, as well as attracting others who are good-natured and genuine. Gossip only encourages negative thought processes and is linked to loss of sleep and added unnecessary stress. Project positivity!

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Organisational Change – 6 things that make it easier

October 26, 2016 in Work Culture

Organisational Change

One thing any successful business owner knows is if you want your business to survive the long term, you need to be prepared to pivot and change into something better along the way. Yet despite how important change is to business growth, few leaders know how to manage organisational change successfully.

Changing people’s behaviour is no easy or short-term feat. It takes time and it’s a bugbear for many people leaders and HR professionals. So here are 6 things you should be doing to win at leading the change journey.

1. Give people a common goal

John P. Kotter is renowned for his work on leading organisational change. He identifies ‘developing a vision’ as one of the most common pitfalls when it comes to unsuccessful transitions. Your company needs to know what they’re working towards, what’s driving their priorities and how decisions are made. Whether you go with Jim Collin’s method of setting a “Big Hairy Audacious Goal” BHAG or Gary Keller’s principle of setting “The ONE thing” – the important thing is to provide your people a point of focus – one that unites them, gives them something bigger than themselves to attach to, and allows them to measure their success and set priorities against.

2. Find out how/where are you (and your people) are right now

There’s an African proverb that goes, “If you wanna go fast, go alone. If you want to far, go together.” The same can be said in business, and it speaks to the importance of working with and listening to the the team around you.

Take some time to gather information and insight from your people (not just the leaders) about the current state of play. Pair qualitative with quantitative methods (engagement or pulse survey tools like CultureAmp are great) so you can understand the current status and set benchmark to work towards. Tools that give you access to data also allows you see progress and the trends across teams/departments over time.

Whether you’re managing change in a company of 8 or 80,000, the key is providing your people opportunities to genuinely connect and provide information that you intend to act on. If there’s no intention to act on the feedback/information your people provide, then don’t bother – you’ll end up in a worse place than where you started because you’ll have wasted their time and broken their trust.

3. Determine where you want to be and create a plan to get there

Now that you have feedback and data that tells you a story about your people what needs to change, you have information to set clear goal to work towards, it’s time to plan for and create achievable short-term wins. Avoid vague statements like, “improve the effectiveness of the service desk or call center”. The sentiment might be great, but a clear, actionable plan requires goals that are clear and measurable. A better example is “increase the percentage of incoming calls successfully resolved within 24 hours,” (or whatever the appropriate SLA is). The goals set by specific individuals or teams should all somehow help the company achieve the common goal; ideally you will have identified specific individuals or areas where the wins will impact the easiest and fastest instead of trying to roll the change across the board. Start with small, easy steps – as you gain momentum and achieve, you’ll see the ripple effect across the whole business.

4. Identify your change agents

Speaking at the HR Summit how to manage organisational change successfully at Bankstown City Council, General Manager Matthew Stewart declared, “For change to be successful, you need leadership at all levels of the organisation.” It’s a sentiment John Kotter echoes in his advice to establish a guiding coalition – people from across the business who are passionate and able to advocate and activate the change they want to see.

Empowering people to make decisions and making each person accountable for change is incredibly important. This is the secret to Redii’s best-practice employee recognition programs and why they help effect long-term change in a company’s culture. We encourage businesses to let their employees lead, which (unlike traditional, top-down recognition) takes the responsibility for workplace culture away from just the leaders, and gives it to everyone. Instead of relying on managers to recognise work they may or may not see on a daily basis, giving your employees the power to recognise is a perfect way to empower them and show them you trust in their judgement and work ethic.

Ownership automatically instils a sense of responsibility, but it also encourages a sense of pride. Those who want a workplace worth working for will create one, if they’re given the tools and freedom to do so.

5. Celebrate progress as it happens

During his presentation, Stewart also stressed the importance of celebrating wins regularly, in a timely manner, to reinforce progress. “Want to know how encourage innovation and change?” He asked the audience, “Find quick wins that make a difference and celebrate them.” Of all the things that can help you maintain momentum during periods of long change, it’s the acknowledgement of progress. Consciously taking the time to recognise and thank those progress is a sure fire way to motivate and reinforce the change that’s happening in the business. If you can do this in a public forum (as is the case when businesses use Redii to promote cultural change and strategic priorities), it makes the progress visible across the business.

6. Don’t be afraid of failure

“A lot of behavior change is about failing your way to success,” shared Tom DiDonato and Noelle Gill, in their HBR article on managing organisational change. Change is a learning process, and as with any learning experience, mistakes are unavoidable. The key, they advise, is allowing people to be show their vulnerability.

Admitting vulnerability – and creating a trusting enough environment where people can be honest about this – is the first step to true growth. As business owners and people leaders, we need to meet that vulnerability with opportunities to learn (that may require coaching) as well as clear accountability (which is often something overlooked but is critical). In the absence of either of these things, change takes a back seat and is destined to fail.