Optimize Human Performance

As a boss/leader, it’s important to address bad behavior before it impacts or hurts results for the company, client, and team.

Waiting and hoping the issue(s) will resolve itself is not a proactive strategy.

This lack of initiative usually backfires and will escalate into a bigger workplace issue that now costs time and money. Even worse, top talent and clients start leaving. Note: This article is focused on a team member, not the entire team. Contact me for help to address bad team behavior.

Proactive Steps to Resolve Bad Behavior

Be Aware: Pay attention to all of your team members’ behaviors, such as being late, dismissive of others’ ideas, and causing conflicts with team members and others. Is this a one-time occurrence? (There may be nothing to do depending on the severity of the behavior.) Or has it happened more than once? (It’s time to address.)

Talk 1:1: Schedule a meeting to discuss your observations and include any feedback you’ve received from others. Be sure that the meeting is confidential (not in your office) and is free from interruptions.

Express Concern: Start the conversation by expressing genuine concern for the well-being of the individual.

o “I’ve noticed some changes in your behavior recently (be specific: arriving late to meetings, argumentative), and I’m concerned about you. Is everything okay?”

Use Open-Ended Questions: This encourages the person to share their concerns and feelings. Be sure not to judge or fall into the “Ain’t it awful” trap.

o “What’s been going on lately that is causing this behavior?”

Listening and Understanding: Actively listen without comments. Silence works wonders if the person doesn’t respond or appear to understand.

Provide Support by Identifying Needs: Never assume you know what needs to be done. Ask the team member for what type of help s/he needs. This could include counseling services, additional training, or adjustments to their workload. If there is an issue with the team leader or another team member, resolve it without embarrassing the person you’re talking with (e.g., hurtful comments, ideas not being heard). If their role on the team or in their job isn’t working, it may be time to use a job fit assessment to determine how to restructure their work responsibilities.

Set Clear Expectations. Use straight talk when outlining the expected behaviors and performance standards. Together with the team member, create an action plan with specific and achievable goals, along with deadlines.

o “Let’s discuss what’s expected in terms of behavior and performance so we can work towards improving the situation together.”

Follow-up and Monitoring. It’s up to you to check in and monitor progress while providing the support required. This is where many bosses/leaders fail to make a positive difference. Use the Sandwich or Direct approach depending on the person … make sure it is constructive. Note: If there are the same excuses each day/week, it’s time for a come-down-to-reality conversation and a revised plan of action.

o I’ve noticed positive changes in your behavior, and I appreciate your effort. Let’s continue working on the remaining areas.” OR
o It’s been several weeks and there hasn’t been notable progress. Let’s review the plan and see what changes we need to make.

Encourage Feedback from Others. Have an open door where team members can share their concerns. But don’t fall into the trap of agreeing with every nuance that occurs (e.g., perceived slights, concern about others sharing off-the-wall ideas) – people are human beings – and are not perfect. Focus on performance and not personalities.

o I’ve found this process to be extremely useful and eye-opening in bringing together a team and overcoming biases and judgments. Use a job fit assessment for all team members and contact me to conduct an effective team debrief.  Then, encourage each person to meet with another one to review the results. This process fosters open communication.

Appreciation Works. Remember to express your appreciation to each and every team member … this can make a big difference in modifying people’s behaviors.

o For additional training, use the “Get Your Brag On!” to guide employees to recognize their impact and successes.

©Jeannette Seibly 2024 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is a Talent Advisor/Leadership Results Coach with over 32 years of practical experience guiding leaders and bosses to improve their hiring, coaching, and managing practices and produce amazing results! And yes, achieving business success always starts with having the right people in the right jobs! She has been an Authorized PXT Select® Partner for over 33 years. Contact Jeannette to learn more about these state-of-the-art job-fit assessment tools or how to coach and manage your people to achieve incredible results.

A note from Jeannette: It can be difficult to address bad behavior … most bosses/leaders ignore it and hope it will resolve itself. The problem? It rarely gets better on its own and usually costs lots of time and money. Even worse, you will lose top talent and clients the longer it’s not addressed. This week’s article provides a proactive approach to address the issue now. Contact me with any questions – we can address how to resolve what seems unresolvable.

Now is the time to get into focused action! Are there days you dread doing what is needed to manage your people, projects, and team’s financial performance? You’re not alone! Everyone has those days! But continuing to hide behind excuses only hurts you and your future promotability. I have extensive experience and wisdom guiding bosses and leaders to hire, coach, and manage their teams successfully – this includes getting you out of the way and working with and through people effectively to achieve the results required. Contact me to learn more about my in-depth, one-on-one, customized coaching programs.

While studies cite the lack of confidence and accountability as to why many bosses/leaders fail, too often, the culprit is that bosses/leaders are know-it-alls, and this attitude causes poor communication!

As a result, these bosses/leaders talk too much, alienate others due to poor listening skills, and miss hearing important information. How familiar does this sound regarding your experiences with a boss or as a boss?

The challenge is accepting that you don’t know everything and adjusting your attitude when people are talking. It starts with your communication style.

Communication Skills to Prevent Career Derailment

1. Adjust Your Expectations. When a team member, co-worker, or boss talks, listen! Adjust your usual listening from “I’ve heard this before” to “What can I learn?” – even when you’ve heard it before!

2. Be Aware of Your Actual Strengths and Weaknesses. Understanding yourself requires using a qualified job fit assessment. Otherwise, most assessment results will show how you want to be seen – but NOT how others see you (this is critical since people want to work with bosses/leaders they can trust)! Until you have this information, you may communicate in a manner that is not you – alienating others from listening to you. Work with an executive coach to address your communication blind spots.

3. Develop Your Business Acumen. It’s time to discuss numbers, results, and the bottom line. Be sure you’re talking facts by understanding what the numbers, results, and bottom line represent, not how you “feel” about them. Others stop listening if you use the word “I feel” too often.

4. Develop Emotional Intelligence (EI). Manage your emotions and develop compassion as you address people, technical, and financial challenges. You will develop confidence by listening more than talking and focusing on results instead of buying into the “it won’t work” mindset. Encourage everyone to talk through conflicts, difficult conversations, and factions, not avoid them.

5. Stay Informed and Open to Learning. This is a superpower! You must keep up with industry and professional trends and changes. Listening, reading, and asking questions is the best place to start. Then, have conversations with industry experts — you will make better decisions and speak knowledgeably when addressing competitive issues and leveraging data.

6. Empower Your Team Members. You can empower your team members through your listening and asking open-ended questions. This encourages them to bring solutions when there is a problem instead of relying on you for the answers.

7. Address Issues with your executive coach and industry mentor. Get the facts and do this before making decisions. Learn how to create win-win-win outcomes by listening more than talking and setting aside your ego: “I already know/did this.” Instead, ask, “What am I missing?”

8. Get Your Brag On! When done correctly, bragging builds confidence and the ability to influence others. Remember to develop your ability to use your brags to pitch, negotiate, and sell your ideas.

©Jeannette Seibly 2024 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is a Talent Advisor/Leadership Results Coach with over 32 years of practical experience guiding leaders and bosses to improve their hiring, coaching, and managing practices and produce amazing results! And yes, achieving business success always starts with having the right people in the right jobs! She has been an Authorized PXT Select® Partner for over 33 years. Contact Jeannette to learn more about these state-of-the-art job-fit assessment tools or how to coach and manage your people to achieve incredible results.

A note from Jeannette: Many bosses/leaders today are unaware of how their communication style, poor listening habits, and being a know-it-all can hinder their success. Often, it causes career derailment. Need guidance to improve your communication as a boss/leader? Contact me.

Now is the time to get into focused action! Are there days you dread doing what is needed to manage your people, projects, and team’s financial performance? You’re not alone! Everyone has those days! But continuing to hide behind excuses only hurts you and your future promotability. I have extensive experience and wisdom guiding bosses and leaders to hire, coach, and manage their teams successfully – this includes getting you out of the way and working with and through people effectively to achieve the results required. Contact me to learn more about my in-depth, one-on-one, customized coaching programs.

Communication is a boss/leader’s superpower. It enhances their credibility, influence, and ability to achieve intended results.

Yet, many of you do a poor job of listening for various reasons.

Your excuses or reasons could include:

• “I don’t have time.”
• “I’ve heard this from others or the same person several times.”
• “I don’t care.”
• “If they would just do their job and stop making it more complicated than it is, we wouldn’t keep having these conversations.
• “I expect others to do their work and not make my job more difficult.”

While seeing these excuses in black and white can be off-putting, all bosses/leaders experience these feelings — some more often than others. But as a boss/leader, you don’t have the luxury of not listening! Failing to listen can and will come back to haunt you.

Remember, when employees feel heard, it increases their loyalty and trust in you as their boss/leader!

Let’s Dig Deeper into Why Employees Do Not Feel Heard

Instead of making needed changes, you make excuses. This could have been a great opportunity to build on a new idea by listening to the employee sharing the idea! Sometimes, all it takes is listening and not doing anything. The solution is asking open-ended questions and listening!

Recommendation: Ask them to create a written plan. Now, they feel heard. Review the plan! Offer suggestions for improvement. Then, do what is necessary to make the needed changes. PS: Don’t forget to acknowledge their efforts along the way!

You turn any problem or challenge around and blame the employee. “You need to stay focused on your own job.” (Or some variation of this.) Employees don’t feel heard and valued because you are defensive and take problems personally.
Recommendation: When an employee points out an issue, investigate. While it may not be a big problem, there is a good chance it will become one. What can you do to be proactive? This encourages employees to let you know when things are amiss, saving time, money, and your career.

You’ve not dealt with a recent failure, mistake, or personal setback. Grief is sneaky. It can shade your ability to listen to what an employee (boss or board) is really saying. You may overreact due to unaddressed feelings or denial; the employee feels you aren’t listening and overreacting to what they are saying.

Recommendation: Remember, your feelings come from within you; some conversations may trigger negative responses due to unresolved issues. Talk with your coach about how to handle these challenges. Talk with a grief counselor/therapist now to work through the emotions that will inevitably pop up!

©Jeannette Seibly 2024 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is a Talent Advisor/Leadership Results Coach with over 32 years of practical experience guiding leaders and bosses to improve their hiring, coaching, and managing practices and produce amazing results! And yes, achieving business success always starts with having the right people in the right jobs! She has been an Authorized PXT Select® Partner for over 33 years. Contact Jeannette to learn more about these state-of-the-art job-fit assessment tools or how to coach and manage your people to achieve the intended results.

Note from Jeannette: Are you a good listener? Many bosses/leaders would say, “It depends.” It’s important to listen – especially when you don’t want to do so. It will save time, money, and your career! Let’s talk now and address your communication concerns—before it’s too late. Contact me!

Now is the time to get into focused action! Are there days you dread doing what is needed to manage your people, projects, and team’s financial performance? You’re not alone! Everyone has those days! But continuing to hide behind excuses only hurts you and your future promotability. I have extensive experience and wisdom guiding bosses and leaders to hire, coach, and manage their teams successfully – this includes getting you out of the way and working with and through people effectively to achieve the results required. Contact me to learn more about my in-depth, one-on-one, customized coaching programs.

Too often today, many people (including bosses and leaders) lament wanting to do something bigger, different, and more meaningful than they are currently doing. “I hate my job,” “I’d be happier if I made more money,” or “I’m destined for something greater” are common excuses.

They play small games to keep them on the payroll. They struggle to determine why they are dissatisfied with their job or career. They spend time gazing into a false future (“if only it wasn’t this way”), ignoring getting assignments done on time, doing sloppy work, or blowing off customer promises as unimportant.

Being resistant or resentful will keep you stuck because the same issues reappear as life lessons – even if you move on to the next job, career, or job opportunity. Remember, wherever you go, there you are (“The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension” 1984)

When you want to shuck it all (and there are times everyone does), stop. The same amount of time you spend hoping for different results would be better spent taking focused actions that move you forward to play a bigger game (e.g., upskilling, resolving failures and mistakes, and working out differences with difficult people).

And remember, hope is not a strategy.

Career Success Requires You to Stop Playing Small

Get your brag on!  When you experience feelings of being unworthy, lack confidence, or are overlooked for a well-deserved promotion, take the time to complete the five simple exercises in “Get Your Brag On!” This will build your self-confidence and provide guidance. Now — move forward by talking with your boss or the hiring manager who told you “No.” Playing a bigger game requires listening and then taking focused forward action by upskilling those technical, communication, and people skills.

Know thyself. You may believe you know yourself yet are unaware (or in denial) of your blind spots. Being inauthentic makes it difficult for others to work with you. You cannot transform a lie. Work with an experienced executive coach and use a job fit assessment to clarify who you are, not how you want to be seen. Playing a bigger game requires the process of getting real and using these newfound strengths appropriately.

Create real goals.  Real goals are simple and not camouflaged in a lot of words. (Remember, words matter.) Questions to ask yourself: “What lights me up?” and “What do I really really really want to achieve?” Remember, your goals are personal – stop trying to be someone other than who you are. Start today by taking focused actions to move forward. Playing a bigger game can be scary at first, but it gets easier the further forward you go.

Take consistent action. Yes, practice does create mastery. Take consistent actions daily by making the time instead of waiting until the time feels right. Playing to win requires creating new habits that work for you and your team.

Engage in critical thinking. CBS Sunday Morning (9/29/2024) featured students in Finland learning how to separate fake news (aka fiction) from facts. Remember, opinions do not equal facts! Critical thinking begins by telling the truth about the facts before deep diving into the core issue. Creating a bigger game requires working with the team to brainstorm solutions and discern what will work within budget, team, and people constraints.

Pull together a great team. Stop the do-it-yourself modality, “I can do it better,” and “I don’t have the time.” Your ego keeps you playing small. Hiring the right team members can and will make a big difference – often, they will do it better than you can while achieving the intended results. When you play a bigger game, you cannot do it yourself.

Develop good communication skills. You may believe you have good interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence. When you criticize others, blame them, or ignore their ideas, understand these are indicators you need help! Spend time hiring the right coach and finding the right mentor to ensure your communication skills and any blind spots (e.g., microaggressions, misinterpretations, and lack of honesty) are addressed in real time. Playing a bigger game requires improved communication and interpersonal skills.

Practice acknowledgment. It takes courage to move forward – remember, you can do it! Acknowledge your successes and appreciate your team members each and every day! This is critical when playing a bigger game and producing intended results.

©Jeannette Seibly 2024 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly is a Talent Advisor/Leadership Results Coach with over 31 years of practical experience guiding leaders and bosses to improve their hiring, coaching, and managing practices and produce amazing results! And yes, achieving business success always starts with having the right people in the right jobs! She has been an Authorized PXT Select® Partner for over 32 years. Contact Jeannette to learn more about these state-of-the-art job-fit assessment tools or how to coach and manage your people to achieve incredible results.

A note from Jeannette: We all experience times when we want to run away from our careers and falsely believe doing so will erase any unhappiness or job dissatisfaction. When you are unhappy, it’s a signal you are on track but need to play a bigger game (e.g., upskill your awareness, communication, and goals) to move forward. Yes, it takes courage to move forward – remember, you can do it! Need guidance? Contact me.

Now is the time to get into focused action! Are there days you dread doing what is needed to manage your people, projects, and team’s financial performance? You’re not alone! Everyone has those days! But continuing to hide behind excuses only hurts you and your future promotability. I have extensive experience and wisdom guiding bosses and leaders to hire, coach, and manage their teams successfully – this includes getting you out of the way and working with and through people effectively to achieve the results required. Contact me to learn more about my in-depth, one-on-one, customized coaching programs.

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