I’m sure you’ve heard that one before.
But is it really true? What if you really really can’t stand someone? Like beyond “he used my 20th Anniversary Simpsons coffee mug without my permission!!” or “I thought I was the only woman in the office with the navy blue Michal Kors purse… the nerve!!!”
I’m talking true and utter discontent.
0 likeability.
Mean, hurtful, aggravating, annoying, bothersome.
How can you successfully work with someone you can’t stand in the workplace? Can there be peace and harmony among divided personalities and negative feelings toward two employees? Here’s a list provided by BCC Career Services of the various difficult personalities that may arise in the workplace – and some tips on how to overcome personality conflicts:
Does any of this sound familiar? Worked with anyone who fits these descriptions? (I hope you’ve worked with one or possibly a few – not all!) These personalities can be draining, irritating – or even worse – hurtful and inappropriate. Here are some tips to help address these difficult personalities – and not let individuals’ behavior shape your overall work experience:
Remember, you can always defer a situation to a human resource manager – although you should address the issue yourself first.
Am I forgetting anything? Please share your thoughts!
P.S. Looking for more tips? Check out Dealing With People You Can't Stand By: Dr. Rick Brinkman & Dr. Rick Kirschner
Customer Service is an innate component of the business world… or it should be at least. I’m sure you can recall your most positive and negative customer service experience. Did the waitress bring you a new steak after you specifically requested medium-well but received rare? Did the Mercedes-Benz salesman personally drive your new car straight to your driveway after you faxed in your paperwork? Or on the other hand, have you waited on the phone with your cable company for over 42 minutes? Was the customer service representative for your health insurance policy rude and unhelpful?
These are all common occurrences of negative and positive customer service experiences. The bottom line is -- customer service is vital – it can truly shape your customer base and ultimately, your success. The amount of value and time spent on developing and ensuring optimal customer service directly correlates to customer satisfaction, revenue, and productivity.
In plain English: Happy Customers --> Returning Customers --> Referrals --> More business --> Cash.
According to a 2010 study in the White House Office of Consumer Affairs, satisfied customers will tell 4 to 6 people about their experience, whereas dissatisfied customers will tell on average 9 and 15 people.
Geez. Why is it that the unhappy people have larger mouths than the happy folks?? If only it were the other way around….
Whatever the case may be, the message is clear. It’s worthwhile to keep your customers happy. Not only will dissatisfied customers spread the negative word twice as much, but 91% of dissatisfied customers will not willingly do business with your organization again says Lee Resource Inc.
We all know the various factors for successful customer service: Recognize what the customer wants, treat the customer as you personally would like to be treated, create customer loyalty, etc. etc. etc. But let’s talk about customer service and TRAINING.
Training is crucial in any department. You can’t expect any individual to perform or be well-informed without the proper training. Training for customer service can be directly applied to training across any industry. Here’s how:
Step 1: Lay out expectations. Make sure employees understand guidelines, policies, and procedures related to their department.
Step 2: Cover the cornerstones of the service area: Teach employees how to deal with every aspect of their position from greeting to closing, handling stressful situations, and ensuring proper listening skills (in the case of customer service.)
Step 3: Train on system and equipment: Once the foundation is laid, test skills in a hands-on environment.
Step 4: Offer a mentoring program: At the end of the day, the learning is never completed. Once an employee is fully trained, assign a mentor who can assist when problems or questions arise.
Step 5: Test the trainees: Provide assessments and quizzes that directly reflect what the employee has learned and make sure he fully understands how to handle each aspect of his position.
What can we learn from this?
At the end of the day, we are all in the customer service business. Customers are the single most important factor in a business because in reality, if there were no customers, there would be no business. Take the above training steps to heart. Train your employees as if they were customer service reps. Train them in their specific field, but don’t lose site of the customer service component. Each employee should be friendly, resourceful, and willing to help.
After all, retailers deliver the highest level of customer service in North America says the Forrester Customer Experience Index of 2010.
So -- let’s do our jobs right!
Emotional well-being is a hot topic in the healthcare world. But what about emotional health in the workplace? According to the American Institute of Stress, 60 – 80% of accidents on the job are related to stress and 40% of staff turnover is related to stress. Furthermore, depression alone is estimated in economic terms to reduce workplace performance by 40%.
Ever heard of presenteeism? It’s like absenteeism, except it refers to employees who remain present at work when they are stressed or ill – thereby reducing their productivity 2 to 3 times. In other words – they’re physically present, but emotionally and psychologically absent.
Who wants that??
At 3Leaf Group, we’ve been preaching work-life balance for years. The true definition of work-life balance is having the feeling of achievement and enjoyment in a day’s work. It is important to be productive, busy, and accomplished – but those components will only succeed if they are balanced with relaxation, reflection, and personal care. After all, we are people – not machines. Man was created with the innate desire to toil, cultivate, and produce, but he was also created with emotions, a conscious, and emotional and psychological needs. Even God rested on the seventh day. Can’t we find time to rest as well?
It is important to find ways to remain productive, while still carving out personal time and ensuring emotional well-being. Here are five tips in achieving work-life balance:
1. Build down-time into your schedule: Make sure to plan personal time into your week whether it’s a date night, time with friends, or enjoying a special activity that will help you recharge.
2. Avoid people or activities that sap your time and energy: Stay away from people with a negative attitude and avoid talking with gossipers during your break time. "Many people waste their time on activities or people that add no value” says Marilyn Puder-York, PhD, a psychologist and executive coach in New York and Connecticut. We often get sucked into these habits that are making us much less efficient without realizing it.
3. Reorganize your errands: Try to consolidate your household chores and errands. Perhaps schedule them all at a convenient time – or better yet, delegate chores so you are not stressed with all the household responsibilities.
4. Exercise, exercise, exercise: Physical activity is proven to boost emotional and physical health -- so get moving!
5. Remember that a little relaxation goes a long way: Take a power nap, make small goals for yourself instead of large ones, indulge in a 10-15 pleasure like taking a bath, reading a magazine, or taking a stroll around the block.
Do these sound like attainable goals? I think so. We’re all trying to find the right balance of work, pleasure, and family responsibilities. If you’re interested in learning more about work-life balance, visit our extensive audiobook library. We provide hundreds of titles all related to work-life balance. Whether you’re looking for stress management, smoking cessation, a guide to yoga, or parenting guidance – we’ve got what you’re looking for. Remember, productivity is not only measured by your output at the office, it is also measured by your sense of accomplishment and enjoyment from home and work achievements.
Imagine this: A workforce with no set schedule, no mandatory attendance, and no centralized location to get the job done.
Confused? Don’t be. A new modern day philosophy is emerging in our workforce that slashes conventional workplace practices. The philosophy is known as ROWE – Results-Only Work Environment. Judging employees based on productivity instead of time spent. In other words, work no longer refers to where you go – but more importantly, what you do and how you do it.
So if work didn’t require a safety net of face-to-face conferences, 9-5 agendas, and 25 minute commutes where would you be? A matinee? Yoga class? Perhaps morphing into your dream alter-ego -- the King of Carpool? Well, it’s possible – if you embrace our workforce’s newest trend – harnessing brain power and performance regardless of time and space.
This concept isn’t too far from telecommuting, another major trend in today’s workforce. More and more employees are seeking flexible work schedules with the opportunity to telecommute. According to the Telework Research Network, 40% of U.S. employees hold jobs that that could be done at home, 61% of federal employees are considered eligible for telework (5.2% do so on a regular basis), and most importantly, 72% of employees say flexible work arrangements would cause them to choose one job over another while 37% specifically cite telecommuting.
For all you traditionalists and non-believers, the proof is in the pudding. Heidi Golledge, chief executive at CareerBliss, an advisory career community quoted in Forbes, CNN Money, and CNBC states that work-life balance is the key to determining employee happiness. In fact, flexible work schedules and maintaining a healthy work-life balance is a top priority – reigning even over salary. And we all know, happy employees are productive employees – time and time again.
The concept of training falls perfectly under this new and exciting approach. Why stress over the technicalities of physical presence, space limitations and time restrictions when trainers should be focusing on more important things like receptiveness, effectiveness, and usability. How does one measure the success of training anyway? In the end result of course – the output and the response, not necessarily in the time spent or the space in which the training was delivered.
Time and commitment are both certainly important. But in 2012, with technical mobility and communication tools at our finger-tips, working and training should no longer be defined by a square foot radius. Take it on the road or take it at home – just get it done and have something to show for it. Whatever you’ll do in your extra time is up to you, just be prepared to prove your performance and demonstrate your productivity. And if you could still be King of Carpool – congratulations, you’ve just won the best of both worlds.
It’s 2012. People are thinking outside the box, especially in the corporate world. Work no longer refers to where you go, but more importantly, what you do - and how you do it. Take the traditional conference for example -- a number of employees shuffling into an ordinary office, sitting around an ordinary table, taking ordinary notes in an ordinary notebook. You know what the end result is don’t you? Ordinary ideas, ordinary insights, and ordinary results.
Looking to be more than ordinary? I would hope so.
Wouldn’t it be fun to try something new? Something that would generate creativity, excitement, and innovation. Check this out – the conference bike. It’s a bike peddled by seven rides who sit in circular position around a steering wheel. One person steers, while the others pedal in unison to achieve an effortless and fun mode of transportation! Talk about teamwork and creativity – the perfect elements for an effective meeting.
Let’s take it one step further. Alexander Kjerulf, one of the world’s leading experts on happiness in the workplace is on a world-wide crusade to educate companies on the benefits of working in exciting, unique, and ENJOYABLE physical spaces. Click Here to check out some of his inspirations. These companies are taking the “conference bike” to a whole new level.
Show these ideas to your boss and see how willing she is to replace cubicles, tables, and chairs with tiwsty slides, colorful tunnels, and bouncy trampolines. Even if she’s opposed, I’m sure she’ll get a kick out of it.
Looking for other creative ideas for your company? Check out our library of soft-skills training. You'll never know what you may come across...
