Eat your vegetables, and accept your feedback

For some, the very mention of feedback makes their heart sink. Maybe they had a bad experience with receiving feedback, or they just view feedback as another word for criticism. In a way, their resistance to feedback is similar to that of a child refusing to eat their vegetables.

If you’re a parent, or remember what it’s like to be a kid, you know that children and vegetables sometimes don’t mix. To them, vegetables are gross, and why should they eat something they don’t like? They would much rather eat fries and chicken nuggets over a plate full of broccoli and Brussels sprouts. It’s an age-old battle that isn’t resolved, in some cases, until the child becomes an adult.

Once children grow up, they begin to learn that their parents weren’t trying to torture them (at least about veggies) because vegetables are vital for a healthy diet and lifestyle. As a result, adults not only begin to add vegetables to their diet, they actually start to enjoy them.

Alright, so what do vegetables have to do with feedback?

The purpose of feedback, and in particular 360 Feedback, is to collect perceptions about a person’s behavior from those around them. The feedback helps paint a clear picture of performance and identifies weaknesses that need improved, and strengths that can be leveraged.

As we mentioned before, some managers are not open to the idea of feedback and can view it as confrontational. However, if you learn to bypass your initial reluctance to feedback, you will see that the purpose is to help you as a manager. And just like vegetables provide plenty of health benefits, receiving feedback will make you a better manager. Feedback encourages self-development, which leads to job satisfaction, and who doesn’t want that in a career?

When conducted properly, a successful 360 process has proven itself valuable to many organizations by providing insight into where people can benefit from development and growth. When it comes down to it, feedback is a great opportunity to see your management style in a new light.

The key is to approach 360 Feedback with the right attitude. Here are some points to remember:

Don’t be defensive. Try not to take the feedback personally. Be open to what you see and hear.

Take the time to process the information and consider specific actions for improvement.

Use feedback to clarify goals and track progress toward goals.

Commit to making a change. When you make a decision, get in the habit of considering the impact it will have on the people affected by it.

Make feedback part of your career development. Just consider it a nutritious way of helping you to become a more effective manager.

Want to be a leader? Start acting like one.

Many employees aspire to one-day take on a leadership role. However, just because an employee wants to become a leader, it doesn’t mean that employee will automatically get promoted.



Sure, you’ve held your role at the company for quite some time and are itching to make a jump to a higher position. But before you try to make that jump, take a step back to evaluate if you are currently performing to the best of your ability. To be considered for a leadership role, you have to be extremely proficient in your current position.



Think about your problem solving skills in a team environment. Do you help your team resolve problems, or do you find yourself holding back? And if you do hold back, is it because you are afraid that if you help others, they might get ahead of you in the company?



Well, if you operate with that kind of attitude toward your team, you most likely will not become a leader.

Remember, leading others is primarily about the relationships with followers.



Aspiring leaders must demonstrate job-skill competency and establish positive relationships with other workers. In addition, they need to show they are a resourceful worker who adopts a ‘can do’ type of attitude, and works with the team toward a common goal.



Instead of viewing your co-workers as competition, focus on collaborating with your co-workers and pay attention to what they need. Learn to be open to their new ideas and promote the ideas if you feel it is worthwhile. When you lend a hand to solve problems and make valuable contributions to the team, these actions will actually help to identify you as a potential leader.



Here are some other ways to become more resourceful:



· Take a course, or attend a professional conference, to expand your technical skills. Make sure you learn and understand the basics of your trade and industry.



· Let yourself be known as an expert in certain areas and continually communicate your availability as a resource.



· Examine how you give advice when others come to you for help. Take care not to act “superior” because you know the answer.



· Identify the people in your organization who are notably creative and innovative. Spend time with them and observe how they approach problem solving by “turning problems upside down,” and “thinking out of the box.”



· Develop your communication skills to gain trust from those around you. Efficient leaders communicate well both in writing and verbally, along with demonstrating excellent listening skills.



As we mentioned earlier, if you want to be a leader, you better start acting like one.



What advice do you have for aspiring leaders and managers?

Are you an unapproachable boss?

One of the big perks of being the boss is having your own personal office. Your office gives you the power of privacy and you can shut the door at anytime to avoid interruptions.

Makes life nice, right? Well, maybe not. Just because you have a door to your office doesn’t mean you need to adopt a closed-door policy - both literally and figuratively.

Think about your relationship with your staffers. Have you ever notice them to get quiet or have looks of intimidation (or even fear) when you walk by?

You might be giving off a ‘do not disturb’ vibe without even realizing it. After all, this behavior is easy to see from the outside, but many people struggle to recognize this element in themselves. Most people realize they have flaws, but all of us like to believe we are approachable people, but that is just not always the case.

In fact, only about 12 percent of employees believe their employers genuinely listen to and care about them, according to the marketing research firm, Martiz Research.

When employees feel their manager is unapproachable it can soon result in other issues such as employee resentment and an unhealthy office culture. In addition, you might be seen as difficult to read and hard to trust.

Part of your duty as a manager is to identify areas where you need to improve. Even if you believe you are a friendly person to most, think about what it is that others could find unapproachable about you. Maybe you only spend time with those in your small circle at work, and others could find that group closed in a way they find unfriendly or excluding.

Or perhaps you are so focused on your own tasks that you don’t even notice other people around you. As long as they are getting their job done, you may feel you don’t have to interact with them much. But this thought process could result in negative employee relations.

You should strive to become a more approachable leader. Approachability is about being accessible and helpful, along with showing a genuine interest for your work colleagues.

Here are some tips to remember:

Make a point to talk with your peers one-on-one in an informal way. Get to know them as individuals, and you will likely find something besides work that you have in common. This will likely smooth out your working relationships.

Extend common courtesies to others; for example, greet people in the morning, say,’ hello’ in the halls, and say, ‘thank you’ when someone does something on your behalf.

Look for opportunities to ask the question, ‘How can I help you?’

Schedule or participate in more frequent one-on-one meetings. Use these opportunities to build relationships and let others get to know you and the skills you have to offer.

Make sure you are not manipulating people or creating a climate of mistrust around you. In particular, don’t use information unfairly to gain advantage.

Show interest in other people by asking questions about him or her, rather than talking exclusively about yourself or solely about work issues.

I know you like having that office to yourself, but try to have more of an open-door policy. You might be surprised on how that simple act can make a huge difference with your employees.

Keep your team focused during the summer

We’re in the middle of summertime, the temperatures are reaching 100 degrees, and many people are daydreaming about their pools and upcoming vacations.

It is not a secret that summertime months can lead to sluggish productivity, and even you, the manager, may be counting down the days until your vacation. That is understandable, everyone should be encouraged to take time off – it helps prevent burnout.

But when people are not on vacations, summertime also provides an opportunity to help people become better workers. Here’s a handy check list to keep in mind for the rest of summer.

Maintain your energy

Sure, summertime provides a more laid-back attitude, but you still need to set the standard of remaining enthusiastic and displaying a high energy and drive to your direct reports.

For example, if you start coming in late and leaving early every day of the week, your coworkers may also start slacking off. Why? Well, because you’re sending mixed signals about the importance of your organization’s mission and direction. Just because summer provides opportunities for vacation, doesn’t mean you or the team needs to take the entire season off.

Don’t miss out on the chance to inspire, energize, and motivate your team – especially during the summer.

Provide new challenges

The slower summer pace can give employees a chance to grow. You should challenge your team members to find ways of improving business and the work processes. Use various forms (e.g. team meetings, private conversations, performance plans) to stimulate and reinforce the need to make continuous improvements. Think about giving team members an opportunity to lead a project that is outside of their normal responsibilities.

Be sure to set aside a specific time during the week with team members when you are available to discuss new ideas, along with problems and concerns with group members.

Team-building activities

Okay, I know the word ‘team-building’ causes many to roll their eyes in annoyance. That is because many team-building exercises are the opposite of fun. But there are plenty of relatively inexpensive exercises that your team could partake in that can get everyone out of the office and get people engaged.

You could set up a company picnic at a local park or take the whole team out to play laser tag. Whatever you decide, use the day to get to know one another better and celebrate team’s success.

Extra time off

One way to motivate your staff is to allow them to leave early on Fridays. For businesses that can’t really afford for all employees to leave early on Fridays, offer it on a rotating basis. This can increase motivation for employees, and also shows that you as a manager are supportive and appreciative of all their hard work.

Now it’s your turn. How do you maintain your team’s focus during the summertime?　

Leadership lessons, patriotic style

Fourth of July is just around the corner, which marks the day for many people to show off their patriotism through fireworks and BBQs.

To keep up with a patriotic theme, I sought out to write a blog article about leadership lessons from Thomas Jefferson since he is widely considered the original American patriot.

But that topic has already been covered by several books and blogs. So, I deleted that title and thought of another leader to focus on, but wasn’t satisfied about that either. I took a break from writing and signed on to the TBC twitter account to see what was going on in the leadership development world. While scrolling through tweets, I came across a familiar quote.

 Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.

 -JFK

Leadership quotes are extremely popular, as each can express a significant message. And maybe one key to being a good leader is to study the quotes said by great leaders of our past. After reading that JFK quote, I decided to focus this blog article on a few popular leadership quotes, and the lessons we can take from it.

A good leader inspires people to have confidence in the leader; a great leader inspires people to have confidence in themselves.

-Eleanor Roosevelt

As a leader or a manager, you want your direct reports to respect you and have confidence in your ability to manage. However, you also need to help ensure your direct reports see the potential in themselves. Empower others to contribute at higher levels through targeted development opportunities. Make it a point to hire people who can turn into leaders.

A leader leads by example, whether he intends to or not.

- John Quincy Adams

Leadership is the act of setting an example. When people see you working hard and meeting expectations, they are more likely to follow suit. If you have high energy and drive, your energy will inspire people and get them moving toward important goals. Also, keep mind that actions speak louder than words, and as the TBC President recently pointed out in his column, your every move as a leader is watched closely.

Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.

-Benjamin Franklin

Sure, you’ve earned your leadership spot, but you can’t quit learning and evolving. Shutting out the observations and perceptions of others limits your growth and development, and chances are pretty good that, over time, you will develop blind spots. Successful leaders are open to feedback – both positive and negative, and use it to improve their performance or change course when necessary.

Tell us, are there any leadership quotes that inspire you?

Win the trust of your employees

When Anthony Weiner recently resigned, he became just another political figure who had to step down from a leadership position after demonstrating toxic behavior. It seems that every year there is some sort of scandal involving politicians, which is why many Americans view elected officials as untrustworthy and unethical.

Trust is hard to establish and easy to lose. And since so many politicians have abused their power, many people don’t trust them. Unfortunately, this also can apply to the business community.

More often than not, employees have been disappointed at some point in their careers by a manager or leader. Chances are due to the bad behavior of previous bosses, employees may be cautious with how much they are willing to trust you.

This is why nine out of ten leaders are in “negative trust territory” before they make their first request of an employee to do something, according to Jon Hamm, author of Unusually Excellent: The Necessary Nine Skills Required for the Practice of Great Leadership. That’s right, even before you speak, your employees may already be questioning your honesty.

But you simply can’t afford to lose your employees’ trust. After all, your success in inspiring others to lead depend largely upon whether or not you are a person who is perceived as trustworthy and of high integrity.

You will suffer mishaps as a leader, but keep in mind that small deviations from complete honesty and integrity are often magnified and remembered for a long time.

So make the effort to be the leader that demonstrates a commitment to honesty and fairness. Here are some other development tips to keep in mind:

· Do not promise or commit (including to deadlines) unless you will be able to honor the commitment. Consistently follow through on commitments.

· Avoid doing things you would be uncomfortable hearing about on a national news program.

· If you have lost trust and do not know what you did, ask. Listen carefully to what is said, without arguing or trying to defend yourself. After you fully understand what you did that came across in a way you did not intend, you can begin to develop a strategy to make it right.

· Don’t give tough messages or express negative emotions via e-mail or voice mail.

· Make sure your message is consistent. Avoid saying different things to different audiences.

· Don’t promise confidentiality if you aren’t certain you can or should keep the information private.

Remember, if employees don’t have trust in you, they won’t follow you.

What tips do you have for gaining the trust of employees?

From Friend to Boss

So a great new position came your way – you are officially a manager! Since you’ve mastered the skill set required for your current position becoming a manager should be a natural move.

However, the title and responsibilities of manager isn’t always sunshine and roses. New managers have to supervise direct reports who were formerly peers. Instead of focusing primarily on maintaining their own specific technical skills, goals, and deadlines they have to manage those aspects for others.

In other words, one day you are playing golf with your buddy, and the next day you are now his boss at work.


In a perfect world, it would be great to be both a boss and a friend. But the reality is that you and your former peers may no longer be friends in the same way. Instead of being on the same level, the promoted individual is now in a position of power and authority.

Change at any level can create uncertainty and confusion, but if you develop a game plan, the shift from friend to boss will be easier. Consider these following suggestions.

Set clear expectations. By setting expectations early on, you will avoid a misunderstanding later. A major function of managers is to ensure team members understand how their jobs relate to the organization’s goals and objectives, and to set team-level goals that are challenging, measurable, and meaningful. Ask for input from the team and ask them to identify key changes that would improve the department’s functioning.

Don’t play favorites. Just because you are now the boss does not mean you have to completely distance yourself from your coworkers. However, if you’re reluctant to discipline someone for fear of what it would do to your friendship, then the ties you have with that person will prevent you from doing your job. Focus on developing strong relationships with each member of your department.

Gather feedback. If you worry you could exhibit any type of favoritism, gather feedback from those around you. Candid feedback on one's management competencies gives the new manager clarification on their role, as well as what behaviors need to continue, be stopped, or be changed.

What’s your advice about the transition from friend to boss?

Retain your quality talent

“I quit!”

A year ago that phrase was heard seldom in the workplace, but times are changing. Industry experts say the economy is improving, and as a result more job opportunities are opening up for candidates.

According to Monster.com, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported in October the number of employees voluntarily quitting their jobs had eclipsed the number terminated through layoffs and other types of discharges.

This is great news for job seekers, but should also serve as a wake-up call to employers.


The economic recession took a heavy toll, not just on those laid off, but also on the survivors who shouldered the burden of ‘doing more with less’. Many employees became disenchanted and may look to cut themselves loose from their jobs – especially in a better economy.

Replacing employees costs a lot of time, energy, and lost productivity so employers need to place a greater focus on retaining their quality employees.

Here are a few tips on how to do it.

Give Feedback
Meet with your team members regularly throughout the year, not just at appraisal time. Give them feedback - both positive and negative so they know how to move forward in their jobs. Review progress on their development plans and on their career planning. If there are stumbling blocks, try to help your employees any way you can.

Ask for Feedback
Just as you need to give feedback, you must ask for feedback from your direct reports on your managerial skills. You need to find out what your strengths and weaknesses are so you can improve as a manager. It’s no secret people quit jobs due to their boss. But if you don’t know what you are doing wrong, you can’t fix it. Gathering feedback can help you change course for the better.

Offer Perks
Your company may not be able to offer bigger salaries but there are small initiatives it can do to reward employees. Order in lunch once a month, offer a floating holiday, subsidized gym membership, etc. Sometimes it really is the little things that count.

Be Flexible
Let employees work from home once in a while. If a staffer works overtime, let them come in late the following day. These gestures can let workers know they are appreciated.

What are other key ways to retain valuable employees?

Sources: Forbes, Monster.com

Lead under pressure

One of my favorite shows on TV is Top Chef on Bravo. Okay, so the show has not turned me into a gourmet chef, and most of the time I watch it while eating takeout, but I still enjoy viewing what type of meal the chefs come up with each week.

Each week, chefs compete against each other in culinary challenges in extremely high-pressure situations. Some chefs yell, flame out, and make rookie mistakes, and others maintain their cool and cook some fantastic meals full of creativity and inspiration.

Competing to win tons of cash and the title of ‘Top Chef’ can bring out the worst in certain chefs. Interviews with these chefs reveal their bad behaviors and pushy attitudes toward other contestants were due to the competitive atmosphere. However, it could just mean these chefs act like a jerk under pressure, and who wants to work with that?

The need to work well under pressure is not just reserved for kitchen competitions; it is a fact of life for many organizations.

Working under pressure is tricky. Emotion, pressure, and passion, can easily be used to excess. Many leaders fail to understand how to apply pressure effectively, and often their efforts can undermine employee motivation.

Most work requires cooperation with other people so mistakes are bound to happen among teams. Leaders who push too much and are overly critical of mistakes might fall the risk of alienating people. On the flip side, leaders who are too easygoing or are overly tolerant of mistakes may be perceived as too forgiving of below average work.

The solution? Understand when to use push and pressure tactics in the workplace.
Pressure is an important tactical skill that should be used to communicate urgency, importance, and accountability. Effective leaders must push occasionally, and it is important they learn how to do that successfully.

Here are few tips:
· Pressure is a skill that should be used sparingly and strategically. Are you comfortable using pressure at strategic moments? Experiment using pressure and get feedback about its impact on your peers.

· Help peers maintain timelines for achieving goals so that extreme push is not needed as the deadline approaches.

· Monitor how others perceive you when you are excited or expressing passion about a particular idea or action. Sometimes passion becomes confused with excessive drive or aggressiveness.

· Look at your goal setting and planning processes to see where you can stress the importance of achieving goals.

· Study ways to critique work that are constructive rather than perceived to be destructive by others.

How do you lead under pressure?

Why some managers are ineffective

Everyone knows an ineffective manager can make workers of all levels miserable, which can result in low employee morale, stress, and turnover. And according to research from the Human Capital Institute, managerial effectiveness continues to decline.



Here are some typical bad habits of ineffective managers:



· Lacks basic communication and emotional skills

· Impatient, arrogant, entitled

· Inconsistent

· Micromanages



So why are some managers ineffective?



It could be because these managers define themselves only as a manager, and not also as a leader. They may view leadership and management as two different entities, when in reality leadership and management need to go hand-in-hand.



Leadership and management are not necessary the same thing, but they are linked together. Managers try to plan, organize, and coordinate, and leaders aim to inspire and motivate. While those are distinct sets of actions, both are necessary for success.



Sure, a foreman in an industrial-era factory probably didn’t have to give much thought to what he was producing or to the people who were producing it, as long as the job got done as ordered. However, in today’s business environment, value comes from the knowledge of people. People look to managers not just to assign them tasks, but to define a purpose. Decision-making, being assertive with ideas, communicating more clearly, and clarifying goals and objectives are all competencies that have increased in today's management role. Managers must organize workers, not just to maximize efficiency, but to nurture skills, develop talent, and inspire results.



Being an ineffective manager is changeable. When a manager adds leadership competencies, he or she can better understand how to utilize their people to inspire peak performance. The manager needs to make every effort to coach their team but understand how to do so without micromanaging. After all, if a manager selects the right people for a team, the functioning team can solve many of its own problems.



A key way to develop leadership skills is to use management and leadership development assessments that can provide feedback to the manager. 360 Feedback results can clearly highlight the particular areas for the manager that need additional training.



Someone who is both a manager and a leader will provide the company a competitive advantage in today’s ever-changing business environment.



What are your thoughts? Do you believe management and leadership skills are linked together? Why or why not?



Source: Wall Street Journal

Conflict happens. Here’s how to manage it.

Like birth, death, and taxes – conflict is inevitable.

Whenever people gather together, there are bound to be different points of view that often lead to disagreements. Conflict in the workplace can be an unwelcomed distraction, and can result in damaged relationships and lower morale.

The ability to manage conflict is an important managerial skill.

A study of middle and top-level executives revealed that the average manager spends about 20 percent of his or her time dealing with conflict, according to HR Magazine.

Keep in mind that conflict can have a positive side. If handled properly, conflict at work can help employees discover better solutions and possibly spark major innovations.

Whether conflict becomes a full-blown feud or inspires creative problem solving, in large part, is up to the managers. If managers don’t handle conflict well, it may actually provoke additional problems.

So what are the ways to manage conflict? Here are our suggestions.

· When attempting to solve a dispute, first focus on common goals. Try to find an area of agreement before negotiating disagreement.

· Practice active listening skills to sort through the sources of conflict. When people feel heard, they are more likely to listen to another point of view.

· Discuss problem situations with all parties before determining the best course of action. Seek feedback from someone else on the proposed solution before instituting it. Look for win-win solutions.

· Examine your work processes or organizational structure to determine if reorganization might reduce stress and conflicts. Conflict is not always caused by interpersonal problems, but may be the result of inherent structural problems.

How do you handle conflict in the workplace?

More heads are better than one

As an avid fan of football, basketball, and baseball, I read plenty of sports articles. And no matter what game, or what team, there is typically one line that is used to describe why a team won - “they played as a team”.

While that line may not seem like a big deal, it is actually a pretty high compliment. After all, it is not easy to get a bunch of rich, talented players to forgo egos to play together as one team.

When a team wins because “they played as a team,” the credit is usually due to the leadership style of the team’s coach. Many times the success of a coach depends on how well the team works together and what the performance is on the court. It’s really not that different in the business climate, where many managers strive to make teamwork a core value in an organization’s culture.

In the modern workplace, teamwork can produce incredible results. As awarding as the team approach can be, fostering a team environment is sometimes a challenge. The size of the team to interpersonal dynamics can all affect how well the team will work together. Like many aspects of an organization’s culture, good teamwork begins with the managers.

So if you want your team to, well, “play like a team,” keep these development tips in mind.

· Allow staff meetings to be team-building sessions, with open brainstorming and problem solving.

· Match crucial assignments and team members so: (1) assignments challenge the team members, and (2) the likelihood of success is great.

· Ask your team members for their input and their different approaches to reach a goal that may have been set by someone outside the team. Use a variety of ways to reach consensus: discussion/persuasion, majority rule, or predicted outcomes and consequences of recommended actions.

· If you want to encourage teamwork, recognize the team for its successes. Make it clear that active involvement is a valued and necessary component for a functioning team. Publicly reward active team players.

Tell us, how do you build a team environment?

Photo credit: Bleacher Report

Help manage away bad habits

Talented, hard-working employees are the heart of any organization. But what do you do when stellar performers in the organization display destructive behavior patterns?

Now everyone has their own quirks, and we all learn to work productively in spite of them. However, there are some highly competent people who are held back by fatal personality flaws. The habits can result in consistent problematic behavior, according to the Harvard Business Review article, “Managing away bad habits”.

The authors of the article uses the term “bad habits” not to describe compulsions like nail biting or smoking. The term “bad habits” is shorthand way to describe deep-rooted psychological flaws. At best, people with these “bad habits” create their own glass ceiling, which limit their contributions to the company. At the very worst, these people sabotage their own careers.

If it the situation seems hopeless – it’s not. There are effective ways to help people recognize and correct the bad habits. Managers that help employees break through their own personal glass ceiling provide the ultimate win-win scenario for both the individual and the organization.

If you are a manager, here are six behavior patterns to look out for in employees:

The Hero
The hero always pushes himself or herself – and subordinates – too hard to do too much for too long.

The MeritocratBelieves the best ideas can and will be determined objectively and ignores the politics inherent in most situations.

The BulldozerRuns over others in a quest for power.

The Pessimist
Always worries about what could go wrong rather than considering how things could improve.

The Rebel
Automatically fights against authority and convention.

The Home Run HitterTries to do too much too soon – in other words, swings for the fences before learning to hit singles.

As a manager, what can you do?

· Learn how to empower others to contribute at higher levels by providing special assignments, constructive feedback, and targeted development opportunities.

· Make a list of the key strengths and limitations of your colleagues and each person on the team. Find ways to utilize the strengths and to build understanding.

· Ensure that your teams have defined their purpose, goals, and vision. To be a team, team members must share their goals, and their work needs to be interdependent.

If you want to read the entire article, you can purchase it on the TBC site.

It may take plenty of time and energy on your part, but when a member of the team reaches his or her potential, both the person and the organization will benefit.

Receiving feedback is a gift – it really is!

The holiday season is upon us, and the exchanging of gifts is one of the core aspects of the holiday. Gifts can be fun and all, but sometimes they are just plain bad and unnecessary. You could probably do without receiving a sweater with a picture of a poodle on it, or a giant hand back scratcher.

Still, there are certain gifts that can serve a long-term benefit. For leaders and managers, receiving feedback can be a gift that keeps on giving.

Yes, you read correctly – feedback is a gift. Before you start to groan and roll your eyes at this thought, hear me out. When done properly, feedback is a powerful professional development tool for leaders and managers.

After all, do you know there are actually two distinct perceptions of you? One is how you see yourself, and the second is how others see you. These views can influence your ability to lead, so it is crucial to find the blind spots between the two views.

For example, you may be great at holding people accountable but bad at setting clear expectations. Feedback gives you the information about your impact on others so that you don’t continue to operate with those pesky blind spots.

One way to gather feedback is through 360 Feedback. Unlike traditional reviews and feedback, 360 Feedbackevaluates job performance based on confidential responses from managers, peers, direct reports, and other stakeholders. Since the opinions are voices anonymously, it encourages a higher level of honesty.

Let’s go back to our “gift” example. Receiving feedback is something you can’t give yourself - self-perception can only go so far. However, if people receive feedback from different sources, they can develop the tools necessary to improve weakness and capitalize on strengths. A person who gives you feedback, whether it is positive or negative, is giving you a gift; so make sure you acknowledge that gift.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind after you receive feedback.

· Try not to take the feedback personally. Be open to what you see and hear.

· Take the time to evaluate the information and consider specific actions for improvement.

· Use feedback to clarify goals and track progress toward goals.

· When you make a decision, get in the habit of considering the impact it will have on the people affected by it.

As you can see, unlike an ugly sweater, feedback is one gift that retains its value.

Are you a worrywart at the workplace?

"Don’t Worry, Be Happy,” is the familiar song penned by musician Bobby McFerrin. It is a positive song with such a basic message that we should all just adopt this philosophy in our day-to-day life. However, when one establishes a habit of worrying it can be hard to shake.

While stress is a factor in everyone’s life, many of the most stressful events are related to the workplace. In fact, workplace stress costs U.S. employers an estimated $200 million per year, according to Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Business leaders, in particular, carry a great deal of stress that can become toxic. A worrier executive worries not only about his or her mistakes but of others as well. Executives worry that their worrying can impact their employees and make their employees worry, which impacts their focus and productivity, and in turn can make everyone worry about their job.

Whew! Exhausting, isn’t it?

An article in Fast Company recently discussed the topic of business leaders and worrying in the workplace. Simma Lieberman, an executive coach and self-proclaimed former worrier, shared a bit of her advice to help reduce worrying.

1. Time spent worrying is time you can use to seek solutions for some of the issues you have been worrying about. (In other words, stop worrying and do something about it!).

2. Worrying over people, places, and things, you can’t control is a waste of time and doesn’t allow you to take action where you do have control.

3. Learn how to use relaxation techniques to stay calm in stressful situations. For example: make time for leisure activities, get enough sleep, exercise.

And although this may not work for everyone – if you indulge in some tasty treats every so often it may help melt worries away.

Sources: Fast Company, Fairleigh Dickinson University

Tell us, what are your techniques to reduce worrying?

Throwing stones

By Caroline Fox

A recent conversation got me thinking about how some people’s feedback process is like being stoned. Stoned you may ask? As in having rocks thrown at you? As in the way they used to kill people?

Yes, that is what I mean.

There are lots of references to stoning throughout history. It is a practice that has been mentioned in religious texts and historical documents, and is still practiced today in some countries. When someone is stoned, people surround them and throw rocks at the victim repeatedly until they either 1.) are too hurt to continue moving, or 2.) die from their injuries.

By now, you probably have an image of men and women dressed in suits chucking rocks at some poor, unsuspecting individual cowering in the corner. Please refrain from using this technique as your next form of office feedback. We don’t want anyone to be injured, hurt, bruised, or worse.

So where does this analogy come into play?

Sometimes, when upper-level managers or peers give feedback, they are giving the equivalent of a mental stoning. Instead of being tactful, constructive, and guiding in their comments, they are instead rude, harsh, brash, and destructive. Rather than acting as a mentor or coach, they act as human attack dogs.

These comments, while destructive when said to an individual’s face, can be even more harmful when said behind the person’s back. For example, “Ben” says, “Greg is so clumsy and slow, he doesn’t understand anything I say, and he never makes any sense when he talks,” to a few coworkers. The office rumor mill begins to run, and before long Greg is either drunk at work, on a controlled substance, or has a developmental issue. Upper level management hears these rumors, and Greg’s reputation is ruined by the rumors that are untrue.

What Greg needed was someone to help him work on his communication skills and his listening skills. He needed someone to coach him about how to ask the right questions and give the right answers. Maybe his clumsiness was a trait that cannot be fixed by executive coaching, or maybe it was just the result of nervousness (which can be fixed). His behaviors, which were observed by “Ben,” could have been coached and changed if there had been some sort of positive feedback system in place. Instead, Greg never earns the respect of his coworkers, becomes apathetic, and performs at sub-par levels. His drive and motivation “dies” because of the wounds inflicted by the sharp tongues of his gossiping coworkers.

This is an extreme situation, but it is not all that far-fetched. How many people do you know that talk about coworkers behind their backs? How many people have hurt feelings after group meetings when their ideas are discredited, made fun of, or dismissed without thought?

Next time you are in a position where you feel like gossiping to coworkers, remember a famous quote that might change your mind about harmful “stone throwing” gossip:

“Let he among you who has not sinned cast the first stone.”

Remember your faults before ripping apart someone else’s.

It’s something to think about.

Managers: Do You Have a Monkey on Your Back?

The other day seemed like any typical workday. We worked diligently, ate lunch, and were greeted by a flying screaming toy monkey with a 50-foot flight range.

Our VIP/CIO brought the flying monkey to the office for some lighthearted humor. This monkey also serves as the mascot for The Flying Monkeys, the TBC baseball team. The flying monkey at the office did provide us a bunch of laughs and motivation to play ball after work. It also served as a reminder of the theory, “a monkey on your back.”

A “monkey on your back” is something that you are forced to do and can’t get away from - as if a monkey was clinging on your back. That theory was the foundation behind the famous Harvard Business Review article “Management Time: Who’s Got the Monkey?” The article became one of the two best-selling reprints in the history of the publication.

In the article, William Oncken and Donald Wass described the concept of management time as it relates to the interaction between managers and their bosses, their peers, and their subordinates.

Okay, so what does all of that have to do with monkeys? Let’s take a closer look.

The Idea in Brief

You are racing down the hall. An employee stops you and says, “We’ve got a problem.” You assume you should get involved but can’t make an on-the-spot decision. You reply, “Let me think about it.”

The issue? Well a “monkey” has just leaped from the subordinate’s back to yours. Take on enough monkeys, and you won’t have time to handle your actual job!

How do you avoid accumulating monkeys? Read up on the following advice from Oncken and Wass and get ready to return monkeys to their proper owners.

Examine your own motives

Some managers may worry that if they encourage subordinates to take more initiative, they’ll appear less strong and more vulnerable. Put aside those fears to relinquish direct control and support employees’ growth.

Develop employees’ skills

Employees try to hand off monkeys when they lack the desire or ability to handle them. Help employees develop problem-solving skills. While it is initially more time consuming than tackling problems yourself – it does save time in the long run.

Foster trust

Developing employees’ initiatives requires a trusting relationship between you and your subordinates. If they are afraid of failing, they’ll keep bringing the monkeys to you rather than working to solve their own problems. To promote trust, reassure them it is safe to make mistakes.

Want to read the complete article? You are in luck! The article can be purchased on the TBC site: http://www.boothco.com/bank/article_e4.php.

It is worth your time to read the entire article. After all, who would want to buy an endless supply of bananas to feed those pesky monkeys on their back?

Sources: Harvard Business Review, Business Week, Woot.com