Office Politics - Survival Guide

Office politics are an unavoidable part of our working lives, but truly destructive or negative politics can destroy an organisation through decreased productivity and continued staff issues such as turnover and absenteeism.

“Playing politics” can and will impact the career paths of individuals in organisations everywhere. So, how can you deal with office politics, and remain professional and engaged. Here are some tips:

Number 1: Don’t choose sides!

Ensure you remain professional, pleasant and courteous to everyone. Asset yourself when you need to and don’t involve yourself in other peoples issues. Remain engaged in the business of doing your job and don’t become aligned or involved with other employees who are hell bent on tearing other employees down.

Number 2: Be trustworthy – keep confidences!

What is worse than sharing a secret? Being caught out of course!

Keep your own counsel at all times. If you have been told something in confidence – then keep it that way. People have a way of finding things out, and your Manager will not be pleased if he or she cannot trust you. Trust is built over a long period of time – and lost far more quickly.

Number 3: Build loyalty

Helping others when you can will build relationships and respect. Obviously, it’s important that you make sure your work is completed and your level of productivity is not affected – but take time for others.

Number 4: Keep your nose clean

Gossip – you can either be the person in it – or the person that spreads it. Either way, becoming the brunt of office gossip or passing it on in the kitchen over coffee is not an effective use of your time nor will it build solid working relationships.

Stay out of it!

Shift conversation onto different topic or walk away claiming you have just remembered a deadline you have to meet. Whatever you do – just don’t get in the middle of it.

Number 5: Never “bag” the Company or a Manager

So, you have had a horrible day. You’re not feeling particularly engaged at the moment! So what do you do?

What you don’t do is start bagging anyone out – or get involved in conversations where others are behaving this way. You never know who is listening or can hear you. Save your venting for when you get home and can do this safely in the walls of your own private space.

Number 6: Managers – Walk the Talk

Your actions do speak louder than words and you will be keenly observed by all your employees and others who will determine if they want to work with and for you.

Encourage and empower your team. Remember that knowledge should be shared and hanging on to it is just plain selfish.

Be honest at all times – but be sensitive. Communicate often and seek feedback and ideas.

Involve your team as much as possible. Limit the opportunity for gossip and politics by being open, honest and transparent.

Finally – set expectations and then ensure they are met.

Wise Words for Workers

The following advice, provides an effective "reality check" for all of us. If only we could pass this on to all newcomers in the business world.

The list has been incorrectly attributed to Bill Gates, but in fact, it came from a book authored by Carles J. Sykes in 1996.

Enjoy!

Rule 1: Life is not fair - get used to it

Rule 2: The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3: You will NOT make $40,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping -- they called it opportunity.

Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you are. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parents' generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life has not. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as many times as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you find yourself. Do that on your own time.

Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.

Micro Biz Week

Whew.... if you didn't make it to this morning's event you missed out :-).

We didn't have a huge number of guests, which was a shame. On the plus side those that attended were treated to a workshop atmosphere.

First up was Stefan Sojka of Cyrius Media, who spoke for half an hour on the rudiments of running a business from home. Stefan is an enthusiastic and knowledgeable presenter; speaking with nearly twenty years of experience in running a micro business from his home, he informed the group on how to attain a professional atmosphere. Everything from signage to fire alarms to work/life balance physically in your house and mentally in your thought space was covered. Yes, you can work in your trakkydaks should you wish; but make sure of your diary entries!

Vince Galletto from the City of Ryde covered what you need to tell Council about your home business - and what you don't. We recommend you visit the City of Ryde's website for expert information, but essentially you can run a micro business from home without undergoing development application approval if it's only family members involved and not outside employees.

Okay, so you've got a business, or you're starting one. What do you need? A business plan! Greg Jenkins of TinCan Learning started off his interactive workshop by telling guests about the plan he'd been encouraged to start several years ago. It ran to 60 pages. He completed it and never revisited it. Too much hard work? You betcha! Greg introduced an innovative one-page business plan that people will want to work with, and want to update. It's simple but covers everything you need for a micro business or SME. Or even a larger organisation! Remember a business plan is a living document; you need to WANT to revisit it to keep it alive.

I was last cab on the rank and called my presentation Getting Connected. My original thought was to cover only business associations and how being a member can grow your business. But Stefan told me he wasn't going to cover internet marketing so I added that to my presentation. I covered websites and the care and feeding of; blogs and social media; and of course being part of a business association. Not every RBF member is aware of what my own company Arion Productions actually does, nor that 60% of my current active client list comes from the RBF member base. 60%! Wow - who wouldn't want that!? Most of you know me only as the RBF person, and it's taken hard marketing among interested members to make you aware of my business communications arm. I hope I gave our guests an inspiring overview of how they can connect with others in their business community.

So what's next in the free workshops arena? Keep an eye out for our Small Business September workshops, when Sarah O'Reilly will teach you how to network successfully, Kathie Melocco and Vivienne Storey will present Social Media Boot Camp and Phil Lee will take your marketing plan and strategy to the next level.

Cheers, Sabrina

How to Create a Positive Work Culture in an Organisation

A positive, effective work culture in any organisation forms the foundation of its success. This is because when employees understand and enjoy the dynamics of the environment in which they work, they perform to their optimum level.

So how do we define the workplace culture? It provides a shared and common view of the environment among employees, answering questions like, “what is expected around here, what do we do and why do we do it”.

Here are a few suggestions for how a business can create their desired work culture, and embed it within all its employees.

1. Promote the mission and goals of the organisation and clarify how each employee’s role impacts on the achievement of those goals.

2. Ensure you offer clear, objective feedback to all employees through a structured and transparent performance management system. Your employees will learn more quickly and appreciate the feedback.

3. Ensure all employees are provided with positive reinforcement, delivered in a timely and sincere manner. A manager that notices when an employee has performed well, and recognises this performance is demonstrating effective leadership skills which enable the development of a positive workplace culture.

4. When people join the company, have a very deliberate process of induction and socialisation, where the new employees can learn about the culture. Having senior managers present to new staff in the early days sends a very powerful message.

5. Ensure that in your learning and development programs you are consistently promoting the culture.

Finally, remember that leaders who bring people together talk about 'us' more than 'I'. They re-tell stories of history and present stories that create a sense of togetherness. They create objectives for the organisation and structure the team to ensure that they work together effectively.

So if you want your culture to be positive, then it does not happen by wishing. You have to take deliberate action where the longer-term benefits will far outweigh any costs.

Boxoftreats

If you are looking for an alternative to the box of chocs or the bunch of flowers for a job well done...go to my new favourite company website.

www.boxoftreats.com.au offers the complete solution.

Its just brilliant.

Weasel Words and more

I’m currently reading Don Watson’s book Death Sentence. It’s not, as those of you who know me may think, one of the murder mysteries I delight in. It’s subtitled “The Decay of Public Language”, and if you’ve ever pondered over an incomprehensible sentence in a letter from a service provider or in a speech by a politician, then I recommend you pick up this book and indulge yourself.

There are lessons here for all of us who communicate for our businesses, no matter how big or small they are. Back in the dark ages when I was studying communications we were taught to write in an active voice, and use simple words to get our messages across. I find myself, in odd idle moments, taking a red pen to letters from my bank and other correspondence, which is why Don’s book (and his previous book “Watson’s Dictionary of Weasel Words”) is such a delight.

It’s easy to fill your customer communications with platitudes and phrases which are commonly bandied about - people seem to expect them. You might think convoluted sentences can make you or your company sound important - but is your customer or client scratching his or her head in bemusement?

I’d highly recommend Death Sentence (and Weasel Words) to all CEOs, Directors, marketing and communication professioals.

For more information on Don and his books visit http://www.weaselwords.com.au/

Pre Easter property market heats up

With Easter falling on April 2nd this year - March 27th will be the last Saturday for Auctions prior to the break.

I have 3 fabulous listings going to Auction on March 27th.

One of them is this gorgeous home in Ray Rd Epping.

You can click here for full details.

The market remains very positive & premium stock is at an all time low...

Bullying in the Workplace

Think you are being bullied at work?

• Do you feel intimidated, or dread to work near a particular co-worker, or you’re being yelled at, insulted, and put down?

• Does a co-worker talk over you at meetings, criticize you, or steal credit for your work?

If you answer yes to these questions, chances are that you’re one of the many employees who have been the subject of bullying in the workplace.

You know you’re working with a bully when he/she uses your mistakes and constantly brings them up. Or worse, the bully gossips about you, tells lies to your co-workers, and even sabotages your work.

Here are some actions to take that might help to defeat the bully.


Know You’re Not Alone: A Bully Lives in Many Workplaces

In research conducted in the USA (The Zogby study) , it was found that:
• Bosses comprise 72% of bullies.
• More men (60%) are bullies, but women bullies target other women (71%).
• 62% of employers ignore the problem; 40% of employees targeted by a bully never tell their employer.
• 45% of people targeted by a bully experience stress-related health problems including debilitating anxiety, panic attacks, and clinical depression (39%).


How to Deal With a Bully

You can deal with a bully and change the bully’s behaviour if you are willing to be strong and take action. You need to do something. The bully will not go away; if you make yourself an easy target, you will only encourage the bully.

Here’s how to deal with your office bully.

Set Limits on What You Will Tolerate From a Bully
Exercise your right to tell the bully to stop the behaviour that is causing you grief.

• Describe the behaviour you see the bully exhibiting
• Tell the bully exactly how his/her behaviour is impacting your work.
• Explain to the bully what behaviour you will not put up with in the future.


Confront the Bully With His Own Behaviour
Confronting a bully is scary and hard, but, as Littman and Hershon suggest in I Hate People, bullies are “only effective when they’re on solid ground. Ground that you can take away.”

Remember: You’re the adult dealing with a tantrum. No wise parent gives in to a child’s fit because it just leads to more fits.

You need to call out the bully on your terms.

Document the Bully’s Actions
Any time you are feeling bullied or experiencing bullying behaviour, document the date, time and details of the incident. Note if another employee witnessed the incident.

If you need help from HR or management, documentation is essential. If the bullying occurs in email or correspondence, maintain a hard copy of the trail of emails and file them in a folder in your computer.


Your Co-workers Are Targets of the Bully, Too
Note whether the bully is behaving the same way with your co-workers. Ask your co-workers to document the bully’s behaviour and any scenes they witness when the bully targets any co-worker.


Tell Management and HR About the Bully
You’ve tried to implement these recommendations, but they aren’t working to stop the bully. It's time to get help. Go to HR or your manager with your evidence, especially the evidence that demonstrates the impact of the bully on the business, and file a formal complaint.


Hope for the best resolution but be prepared to explore other options so you have less contact with the bully. You may never know what was done about the bully but you can assess the impact by how he/she is now behaving towards you.

Business plans, marketing plans, and the care and feeding thereof

Oh dear, it's nearly March. In fact your BAS report, if you do it quarterly, is due tomorrow. So how are you going against budget? Against your business plan? And your marketing plan?

We had a Board meeting this week, and the subject of marketing plans came up. Realistically we haven't revisited ours for a couple of years, and it's something we're going to do very soon. Since we last wrote one Web 2.0 has come into its own with a whole new raft of marketing options such as Twitter and Facebook, and a real advancement in internet pull technology. Watch out! We'll come up with great new ideas for helping our members.

But this is about you. How are your marketing and business plans? When was the last time you looked at them? If you're a small business owner, they're probably the last thing on your mind. You're too busy with everyday work and satisfying your clients; you know you should revisit them at some point and see if they're still relevant, but really, there are more important things to do. Right?

Wrong, actually. Your business plan and marketing plan should drive what you do, and should be revisited on at least an annual basis. Maybe you're servicing different clients to last year. Maybe your main competitors have changed. Maybe the tenor of your business has changed. Whether you're a restaurant owner or in retail, or a service provider such as an accountant, dust off those plans and see how they compare to what you are actually doing these days, both financially and figuratively.

If you need help setting plans and goals, or working out just what it is you want to achieve, we have members in the Forum who can help you. And if you don't have a business or marketing plan, then you definitely need to talk to these members. These people coach other business people, and can help you realise a lot about yourself and the business you're in. We have a range of business coaches from large organisations to one person operations, and these coaches could help you turn a blah year into a great profit year, or help you take your business to the next level. Most of them don't charge for an initial chat (I can't be sure as I haven't asked all of them), but what have you got to lose? Any fees are a business tax deduction, and it's a win/win situation. You get the guidance to build a brighter future for your business, and in return you're giving business to a fellow member, which is what we're all about.

Check out our directory for consultants and business coaches who can help your business soar: http://www.rydebusiness.com.au/directory/business.html

In addition, we have some excellent workshops planned for this year to get you motivated and get your business flying. Stay tuned!

OH and S Gone Mad

I was chatting to my neighbour this morning, who recently scored a job with the big multinational company I left in 2000, which is now domiciled in Macquarie Park. He's a technician in the maintenance and repair department, and he told me some horror stories about the company's OH&S policies. These include:

• Because they have a lino/vinyl floor, he and his colleagues are not allowed to have chairs with castors on them, in case they roll back unexpectedly and cause an accident to the user or a colleague. So he's on a chair with fixed legs and can't move about his workspace adequately. He also can't get close enough to his desk to comfortably get his knees under and work or use a computer. He has a sliding keyboard tray, but the mouse won't fit on it and has to go on the desktop itself. So when he needs to use the mouse he has to slide the keyboard in and reach uncomfortably forward. He complained to OH&S but they told him he was working at the appropriate ergonomic workstation. He managed to find a chair with castors last week, and the OH&S people told him it was against the rules. He complained that because of their OH&S procedures he was getting back problems trying to use a chair without castors. The argument continues.
• His department has recently taken delivery of a small crane, the type used to lift engines out of car bodies. Because it didn't come with an instruction manual - as he says, it's obvious how you use it! - OH&S won't let anyone use it until a work instruction has been written and signed off on. Having worked for them myself I know this could take weeks or months. I do understand why you need a work instruction, it's Cover Your Butt material for management. In the meantime however, four employees have to risk their own backs lifting heavy objects together.
• One of his colleagues made a joke to OH&S about putting plastic blades in the Stanley knives used at the facility so workers don't inadvertently cut themselves. OH&S actually considered the idea until it was pointed out it was actually a joke. Like airport personnel, the OH&S people take jokes very seriously.
• In the kitchen areas, all drawers containing sharp knives have to be labelled as such. Even so, one employee recently cut herself on a sharp knife reaching in for a teaspoon so now sharp knives are banned completely. Heaven help anyone wanting to cut up a tomato for a salad lunch, or cut a birthday cake. Honestly, does the management consider all employees to be dolts or children? Are they so terrified of a lawsuit? (And that's probably another post in itself.)

I'm glad I don't work for this organisation any more. My neighbour, after only six weeks, is so frustrated at the overwhelming and overweening nanny state the company's OH&S procedures have produced that he is now looking for another job.

Are my neighbour and I alone in thinking this company's procedures have gone overboard? How far is too far with OH&S? When it starts to interfere with how people actually perform the tasks set them - as it is in my neighbour's case with his chair and keyboard setup - it's not a workable situation. I think it's OH&S gone mad. How about you?

Musings on Meetings

The business year is well and truly up and running now. Some of us were lucky enough to have a few weeks off in January; some (like yours truly) got about ten days' grace before the phone started ringing and the emails coming in. My diary is now filling up with meetings, which led me to some musings this morning.

There are pros and cons for meetings. Many experts advise meetings should replace email dialogue especially if it's an internal dialogue in your own company. Employees should leave their desk and talk to the other person face to face rather than email back and forth. It can often resolve an issue or question far more quickly. I have a personal theory on why people email internally rather than just chat. Firstly, there is a paper trail showing you asked the question should your supervisor bring it up. Secondly, it's a time thing. You might wander down the corridor to see Person B about that issue, but instead of a quick answer Person B gravitates to a range of other subjects and while you murmur that you need to get back to your desk, you can't get away. Until someone else distracts Person B. We've all come across co-workers like Person B, and they are a menace in meetings.

So how do you run a meeting to time when you know one of the participants is in love with his or her own voice? If you are the person calling the meeting and providing the agenda, put times for each agenda topic on the agenda, and stick to them. Make it clear that your meeting will only run for a set period of time. Ring a bell if you have to, when there is 60 seconds to go on a topic. You'll have allocated the most time to the most important topic, naturally. If it looks like you need a LOT more time for that topic, you may have to sacrifice less important agenda items and perhaps cover them by email or a video conference on Skype or vidcon software.

When I worked in the corporate world years ago we had a monthly marketing meeting for which one and a half hours was allocated. It never ran less than three hours. I dreaded it each month. The minutes of the previous meeting would circulate at least a week or two beforehand so everyone could read them and note anything they wished to bring up in particular, but participants in the meeting persisted in reading through them aloud at the meetings, every word. And THEN adding new information verbally. Time and again I suggested we get rid of the Ceremonial Reading of the Minutes but the marketing managers still insisted on reading them rather than just concentrating on new developments. I hope your meetings, gentle readers, run better than those did.

Does scheduling a meeting near lunchtime or at the end of the day make it run quicker or more effectively? Not always. Those marketing meetings in the last para started at 11am and no lunch was provided because they were supposed to be concluded by 12.30pm. The sound of rumbling stomachs could be heard over the Ceremonial Reading of the Minutes by 1.30pm. Likewise I try to avoid scheduling meetings for the end of the day; people are thinking about getting home around fiveish, they are tired, and if they have had a stressful day the last thing they feel like is participating in a meeting which may load them with more actions and more stress. Their attention won't be on the meeting and while the meeting may run quickly, it may not be effective as people might not participate as fully as they could; the less they say, the sooner they can get away.

Do you have any tips for effective and swift meetings you'd like to share? Write your comments below or email me an article for an upcoming Intercomm.

Survey for small business owners

Macquarie University (in association with the University of Wollongong) is currently undertaking a research project on sustainable performance in the small business sector, particularly those small businesses involved in service industries, and is seeking the valuable input of small business owners in a survey. The aim of the research is to improve the current understanding of performance measurement practices in this area and highlight areas for improvement in terms of the development of relevant and unique performance measurement frameworks for small service businesses.

Most performance measurement tools have been developed using large corporations' data as sampling material, and this information is not always appropriate or applicable to small businesses. The survey will ask you about your current performance management practices. If you have up to 20 employees we encourage you to complete the survey, as the resultant research and findings may be of assistance to your business. The link to the survey is: http://commfac.uow.edu.au/limesurvey/index.php?sid=46112&lang=en

Dr Vicki Baard of Macquarie University is running the survey and can be contacted if you have any questions about the research. Her email address is Vicki.Baard@efs.mq.edu.au and her phone number is 9850-9192. Background information on this project is available on request.

Research into performance for small business owners.

Macquarie University is currently undertaking a research project on sustainable performance in the small business sector, particularly those small businesses involved in service industries, and is seeking the input of small business owners in a survey. The aim of the research is to improve the University's understanding of performance measurement practices in this area and highlight areas for improvement in terms of the development of relevant and unique performance measurement frameworks for small service businesses.

Most performance measurement tools have been developed using large corporations' data as sampling material, and this information is not always appropriate or applicable to small businesses. The survey will ask you about your current performance management practices. If you have up to 20 employees we encourage you to complete the survey, as the resultant research and findings may be of assistance to your business. A link to the survey will be sent out to all members shortly.

What works for big businesses doesn't always translate well to small ones. This research should come up with some very interesting results. Stay tuned!

New Years Goals for your Team

Happy New Year. We hope 2010 will be a happy, peaceful, and successful year for you.

Last year was a difficult year, especially with the GFC affecting many of us. Wouldn’t it be nice if we had a crystal ball to tell us how this year will turn out?

We know that managers will continue to face many challenges, and one of the biggest challenges is retaining your people and helping them stay focused and motivated.

What we wish for in 2010 is that companies around the world will truly value their people and acknowledge how critical and valuable they are. Without them, your company is simply a piece of paper.

So, what goals have you set this year?
Cut Expenses?
Increase Sales?
Improve Quality?

Are these any different from last year – or the one before? How about thinking about what you want to achieve from your team?

Decrease turnover?
Increase employee engagement?
Improve communication?

So how do you do that? The best way, is to set goals. Not resolutions – GOALS!
Here’s some hints!
1. Set Specific Goals
2. Set Measurable Goals
3. Reward achievement
4. Learn from mistakes
5. Adjust goals along the way

We wish you all the best for 2010.