Let’s Talk: A guide to resolving workplace conflicts (pdf 3807 KB)

Now, Peter Legge, President and Publisher of Canada Wide Media Limited, has published the Canadian edition of Robert Watson’s book. I’ve not had a chance to read this new edition, but have read the American version and recommend it. It is not a how-to on leadership, but rather gives the reader an idea of the networks, processes and systems the Army uses that makes it so effective.

The Salvation Army in Canada website has posted a Podcast of an interview with Peter Legge where he talks about he talks about his involvement with the Army and the book.

Direct Link to the MP3 file
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This is from Dale Carnegie’s personal summary of his book, How to Win Friends and influence people.

Be a Leader: How to Change People Without Giving Offense or Arousing Resentment

A leader’s job often includes changing your people’s attitudes and behaviour. Some suggestions to accomplish this:

1. Begin with praise and honest appreciation.
2. Call attention to people’s mistakes indirectly.
3. Talk about your own mistakes before criticizing the other person.
4. Ask questions instead of giving direct orders.
5. Let the other person save face.
6. Praise the slightest improvement and praise every improvement. Be “hearty in your approbation and lavish in your praise.”
7. Give the other person a fine reputation to live up to.
8. Use encouragement. Make the fault seem easy to correct.
9. Make the other person happy about doing the thing you suggest.

BEST PRACTICES FOR ONBOARDING: ENSURING SUCCESSFUL ASSIMILATION OF LEADERS IN NEW ROLES

All sessions presented online, HRCI approved, 90 minutes, no charge.

Wednesday, October 31, 2007
9am Pacific / 12pm Eastern / 16:00 GMT

The statistics about the high number and cost of failed promotions and mis-hires are sobering. However, staying competitive in today’s marketplace requires companies to be nimble in moving key talent and integrating newly hired executives. Successful onboarding is a key strategy for meeting this challenge.

But, when it comes to mission-critical roles in the  organization, onboarding takes on new meaning: comprehensive understanding, cultural alignment, longer-term retention and accelerated contribution. Realizing a short-term return on your hiring investment requires a thorough onboarding plan beyond a typical orientation process.

This session will discuss onboarding strategies successful HR professionals are using to reduce risk and expense of failed assimilations and contribute to their organizations’ results. We’ll discuss:

    * Situations where onboarding effects the bottom line
    * Statistics that make a compelling case for onboarding
    * Proven, specific onboarding tactics you can replicate
    * Common pitfalls to avoid

REGISTRATION REQUIRED

Wednesday, October 31, 2007
9am Pacific / 10am Mountain / 11am Central / 12pm Eastern / 1pm Atlantic / 16:00 GMT

    * Presented online
    * 90 minutes
    * No charge
    * HRCI approved

Register Here

For assistance with registration, please dial: 1-866-538-1909.

When discussions come around to what it is that makes an excellent workplace, the answer could fill a library. But most of us don’t have time to read hundreds of books. Sure, book summaries are available, and there’s a lot of valuable nuggets in those books. But I also believe that some central truths exist that apply to just about any business.

Ten universal principles of the workplace

My biggest problem with sports metaphors is the concept of team in the workplace. It’s not that I think the idea of team is inherently bad, but rather, it is a weak metaphor.

When I look at teams in the sporting world, it strikes me that teams are more about losing than about winning. The NHL has 30 teams; one wins the Stanley Cup, 29 lose. Major League Baseball has 29 teams; one World Series winner, 28 has beens. The only teams that can experience broad success are those that cross a number of sporting disciplines: such as a country’s Olympic team.

I work with a manager who lives and breathes team. His staff have team meetings and team jackets. They go on team retreats where staff are forced to endure team building exercises. The manager is highly competitive and his department performs consistently well. However, he has the highest staff turnover rate of any of our managers. His employees get tired of the constant pressure to fit the team concept.

I would replace the team metaphor with one of community. There are a number of ways where community works is a better metaphor:

• It’s cross-cultural
• It supports both group and individual endeavour
• It is consensus driven
• It provides common infrastructure
• It is adaptive
• It encourages the highly competitive
• It nurtures and protects the weak
• It rewards effort as well as accomplishment
• and much more

Over the next little while, I’ll post some expanded thoughts on these and other points, and why I think community is a better workplace metaphor.

1. Everything communicates.

2. The Golden Rule works.

3. Stand for something.

4. Everyone wants to be heard.

5. One size does not fit all.

6. They both end in “tion” but there’s a big difference between “information” and “communication.”

7. Communicate courageously.

8. Remember the competition.

9. If it looks important, it must be important.

10. Good communication is a good investment.

Read the article: Hewitt Associates – Ten Principles for Leadership Communication

• Five Worst-Case Interview Scenarios – and how to recover from them.
• Twelve Rules for Self-Management – Rosa Say reminds us, before we can presume to manage others, we must learn to manage ourselves. If you want to move your life or career forward, you need to see how you are meeting these 12 rules.
• 10 Ways for HR to Think Different – Challenge ingrained practices.
• Balance: The New Workplace Perk –  Forbes.com adds a piece on work-life balance.
• Five Recommendations for Employee Satisfaction Surveys – Get results you can depend on.
• The Office on NBC: Tell Toby about your HR issues. Did your coworkers pull a prank? Did you experience a Diversity Day gone awry?
• The No Asshole Rule – some quotes from Bob Sutton’s book, The No Asshole Rule.