Finding the Solutions to Your Problems

How well do you handle your problems? Think back to the last on you faced. Did you stand up to it or were you intimidated by it? Did you look for ways to solve it or did you ignore it, hoping it would go away? We all have problems we wish would disappear, but realistically, that doesn’t often happen. So we need to face our problems and develop a good attitude about them. And when you view your challenges as opportunities, it’s easier to stand up to them and therefore, to solve them.

Here are four specific steps you can take to help you move from problems to solution.

Be Still. Whatever you do, don’t run from your problem. It will find you. You may get a temporary reprieve, but you will eventually come face-to-face with the problem once again. Running away also causes confusion within your mind, and a good solid solution cannot come from chaotic thinking. On the other hand, if you stay still and face your problem, your mind can remain calm. Answers become clearer.

Sharpen Your Mind. This step should really be an ongoing process, but if it hasn’t been so for you, now is the time to start. Sharp minds cut through problems, breaking them down so that they aren’t at all overwhelming. How sharp is your mind? If you’ve let your mind get dull, you can take charge and resharpen it. This way you’ll be in top-thinking form when problems come. If a person reads, he will sharpen and toughen his mind. Read about international events. Get a weekly news magazine and read it through. Then get deeper reading matter on international affairs. Get a tough book. How long has it been since you’ve wrestled with a tough book? I mean a really tough one, one so hard to understand that maybe even the author was straining his own understanding when he wrote it.

Know That There Is A Solution to Every Problem. We will all face incredible problems in our lives. Some of these problems will seem so large and cumbersome that our sharp and calm minds will not be able to immediately see beyond the trouble at hand. At times like these, we must remember that there really is a solution to every problem. I believe this because I’ve observed that the world is based on a system of opposites. This is the way God made the universe: night and day, love and hate, young and old, up and down and so on. It naturally follows that wherever there are problems, there are solutions.

God permits problems to exist for the ultimate benefit of mankind. It is from problems, hardships and suffering that we learn some of life’s most valuable lessons. We become better, stronger people. Businessman and author W. Clement Stone has always had a terrific outlook on problems. “A problem is always good,” he said “It means we may find a better way of doing things” Stone has spent his entire life taking problems apart. He believes without question that every problem has its solution, and that anyone can find it if he believes he can.

Keep Your Eyes Open. I tell you this because I want you to be aware of the good that can come out of a problem. I share W. Clement Stone’s philosophy: Problems can lead us to a better way of doing things; whether it’s running a business or the way we conduct our personal affairs. I’ve seen problems change the way people live: alcoholics who have hit bottom turn around and become productive citizens; welfare mothers who strive for independence and gain it’ poverty-stricken youth who work hard to rise above their experiences; failed businesspeople whose beliefs in their own abilities lead them to eventually success. It’s as though life’s deepest punches awaken the greatness of some individuals and they are the ones who truly define what it means to be an optimist.

Some people think optimism as something cheery. But true optimism is not super-cheeriness. It is the belief that the good in life out-balances the evil, and that always behind a difficulty there is an inherent good.

Remember, never run and hide from your problems. Instead, greet them with the attitude of a conqueror.

Get To Know Your Employees

Some people are more interesting than other. You’ve probably experienced that when you are somewhere where you do not know a lot of people and begin to talk to them. After awhile you tend to move on to talk to someone else.  The same applies to certain kinds of work. As a result, it’s easy for managers to find themselves spending more time with employees who interest them, and less time with those whose personalities or assignments are less stimulating. If we have an employee who’s interested in the same things we are we tend to spend more time with them because we have more in common and it’s easy to talk to them. If an employee has interests that we are not familiar with we will stay away. It’s your job as a manager to get to know a little about that employee and their interests.

Nevertheless, people work better for managers they can talk to and who are familiar with their problems. One of the most important qualities of good managers, in fact lies in the inspiration and guidance they give people by taking an interest in them and their work.

Managers who isolate themselves from some of their people lose touch with what’s going on in their department. They may also lose control over what they themselves are doing. By the time they learn about problems, what should have been molehill may have grown into mountains. It’s very easy to talk to all your employees. We all have something in common. Current events, sports, weather, family and more. People love to talk about themselves. Give them a chance and you will see that they are more interesting than you think.

It’s a natural reaction to ignore people and activities that don’t particularly interest you. It’s something, therefore, that a smart manager is careful to guard against. It just doesn’t pay and it’s neglectful, intentional or not.

Some otherwise good managers surprisingly find it hard to talk to co-workers. They prefer to communicate impersonally by writing memos. If you haven’t realized it by now what you mean doesn’t always get interpreted the way you meant.  Gradually, they lose the values that accrue to both sides from face to face contact.

It’s nice to have an office where you can get away from it all, but you still have to periodically make the rounds, chat with people, show an interest in them and their gripes, listen to their ideas. People need to talk to their manager about how their jobs are going and how they feel about their work. They may still have to solve their own problems, but being able to get things out in the open helps. It’s also the best way for a manager to help nip trouble in the bud.

Good managers get out of their chairs and find out firsthand what their people are thinking and doing.

Rules For A Manager To Live By

A good manager knows everything that’s going on in his or her department and with their people. By communicating with your people you know what’s going on and when your boss asks you about your department you will have an answer immediately. When you do it shows him you’re on top of your game and you know what’s going on.

Your team should know what your goals are and what you expect of them. The first place you should start is your company’s mission statement. This will be the foundation where you begin to build your goals for your department. Your company has a mission they expect you to follow; it’s your job to create a plan with your team on how you will accomplish this. When your team knows what the plan is they will follow it and thus you will know exactly what’s going on in your department.

Your team should consist of the best people. This begins at the hiring process. This is the most important part, and too many managers hire to fill a spot, rather than take the time to screen, interview and hire the right person. However after hiring it is important to monitor our selection to make sure we made the right choice. If you invest in your people a majority of your promotions can be filled by advancing current employees.

Foster a team building department. Everyone wants to be part of a team, especially a winning team. Require your employees to work together as a team to accomplish the department’s goals. This way when they are achieved everyone can enjoy in the celebration.

Listen to what your people have to say. Too often we want to speak more, and we will shoot from the hip when only partially informed. Take the time and listen to your employees. This is also important when you’re trying to comprehend why and employee’s performance has declined. By not listening you may think the problem is worse than it really is and there is an easy solution.

If you set parameters and standards for your people you can enable them the freedom and latitude to reach the goal. It is important to follow the standards; however there may be more than one way to accomplish it. Allow your people that flexibility to be creative. Let them solve problems by taking the time to truly identify the cause and the best solution. This show then you have confidence in them and there way just might save the company time and money.

Evaluate your people fairly and often. Don’t wait for a mandated review by your company. People want to know how they are doing, if their work is on course with what you and the company expect.

A good manager knows what’s going on in your department and you will not have to worry about any surprises.

Common Sense Leadership

Here is a simple leadership program for today’s managers:

Know where you are going. A manager must persuade his employees to commit to a goal which will give direction and focus to their energies. There are three essential ways to accomplish this. 1.) The must be a clear defined path for them to take. 2.) There should be a mission why they are taking this past and 3.) A set of values. Values should not be compromised. I remember working for a boss who made many changes in the organization. When he found out many of us managers didn’t not understand what he was doing he tried to explain. He used the analogy that if we were going on a trip to California we would get out our road map and set our course. We would clearly know our vision and how we were going to get there. I said to him “I didn’t even know we were going to California” He had his plan in mind but he didn’t share with us what it was.

Give your people what it takes. You have to put the right employee in the right job. It is your job as a manager to find out what each employee’s strengths and weaknesses are. The foundation of any organization is knowing your greatest strengths and the skills your people have. If you put the wrong person in a job they cannot do, that person’s talent is not capitalized and the job hampers. You waste valuable time and possibly money by outing the wrong person in a job they cannot do.

Develop your employees. We have all heard the empowering our employee is key. While that is very important, enabling them is more appropriate in today’s management style. As a manager you must make your employees take responsibility for their own actions. This can only happen after you have given them the opportunity to develop the skills they need. An employee wants to feel needed by any organization they work for. The more skills they learn and the more they sharpen their own skills, makes them feel good about the work they do.

Help them stay on track. To help your employees improve you must allow time for feedback. This will keep them on course and not allow them to de-rail. Your people will not be able to improve if you do not allow feedback. You can develop an award system that informs your people how they are doing. If you do not allow feedback your people may be going in a direction they think you want them to go, and valuable time could be lost if you don’t monitor what they are doing.

Build trust. Trust is what holds an organization together. Trust will improve performance and sustain an organization during troubled times. When employees trust you they will follow your guidance and direction.

If you follow these simple common sense tips you will see that your organization will get many project accomplished.

Effective Communication

A common complaint among many employees is that their managers don’t seem to know that they are alive. They never criticize. They never praise. They don’t say anything to their employees. Employees often show concern about the quality and quantity of communication at work. Some claim that management gives only lip service to open communication but does little to really communicate with them. Others contend their organizations believe that posting notices on bulletin boards and sending out memos provide adequate communication. Still others sat they receive vague instructions that are difficult to follow.

People who make these complaints don’t work for well-managed companies. Any good company makes certain that there is continuing communication between managers and employees. When good communication exists there will be fewer errors due to misunderstanding.  Ineffective communication often results in poor cooperation and coordination, lower productivity, undercurrents of tension, gossip and rumors, and increased turnover and absenteeism.

Experience shows there are many ways managers can improve internal communication. If you want to be a good communicator, keep the following things in mind.

Tell your employees what you have on your mind. When you keep them guessing, they become insecure. Make sure it’s business related, though. Explain what you expect from them. Give them goals to shoot for, so that their standards become as high as yours. Better yet, develop goals together.

Encourage them to bring you their problems. Frustration is eliminated when they know there is someone to turn to when they have a need. You have to understand that communication is a two way street. It involves giving information and getting feedback from employees. It isn’t finished when information is given.. Listen to employees. Show respect for them when they speak. They’ll feel part of the team and will tend to be more dedicated and productive.

Don’t assume that they know as much as you do. Managers tend to talk in shorthand, not realizing their vocabulary may be different from that of their subordinates. Spell it out. Write it, then explain it verbally. Many people don’t comprehend written communications. After you have sent written instructions, follow it up with personal meetings and discuss it detail by detail. Ask how you can help the employees to do a better job. Then share those things employees can do to help you do a better job.

Inform your employees it is impossible for a manager to run an operation alone. Your employees are the most important person in any business other than a customer. But too often we fail to tell them what’s going on. Always inform your employees so they know the score. Managers who lack credibility and fail to create a climate of trust and openness aren’t believed –no matter how hard they try to communicate.

To Be Followed, Be Honest

As a leader it is essential that we have followers. We are not going to have our employees follow us if we are not a person they can trust. Have you ever stopped to think what people value most in their managers?

Most people want someone who is honest, truthful and straightforward. They want someone who has their interests at heart, someone they can trust. Integrity is something which can’t be faked, at least not for long. If you are trustworthy, it will show in your words and actions. It is a natural part of your being. If you fake honesty people will eventually realize they cannot trust you. As a leader you have to be trusted. You’ll build loyalty in people and enjoy their goodwill. Your people will want to do a good job for you because of the trust they have in you.

Most managers believe themselves to be honest and straightforward. If anyone accused them of presenting things differently than they really are, they’d be upset. Unfortunately, though, the fact is that some do stretch the truth, at least part of the time.

Some managers, for example, pride themselves on knowing what should or shouldn’t be told to their people. For one reason or another, they tell employees only what they want them to know…which may or may not be the complete truth of the matter. Wise managers stick to the facts. When they want to make a change or otherwise do something for the good of the company, they admit frankly, they don’t try to pass it off as a new employee benefit.

Other managers slant things to protect their personal image or to keep up appearances. Some simply fool themselves; they get carried away by their own words. Because they paint a glowing word picture, they think that makes it so. Employees are smarter than that. They will know when something is being pushed on them.

Good managers don’t present everything only in the best possible light. If there’s a bad side to something, they point that out too, rather than risk thinking they’re trying to put something over on them. If that happens then your employees start to not trust you. When you lose trust from your people it takes that much longer to get it back. Being honest and straightforward may not always be the popular way to do things, but it is they right way. Employees may not always like hearing the bad side of something, and may not stay with the company. As a manager you have to ask yourself, is that a trustworthy person? They may be one of your best employees, but, if they are not trustworthy, then you do not need them in your organization.

In short, a smart manager doesn’t try to fool anyone any of the time. He or she knows that nothing undermines people’s confidence faster than twisting the truth. After all, how much trust can be put in a manager who bends or hides facts, or tries to “snow people”?

The Art Of Motivation.

Implementing the three “R’s”

Responsibility, Recognition, Rewards

Are you a good leader? If you have never asked yourself that question, now is a good time.

Let’s be honest. No matter how talented you are, your organization would definitely benefit if you made some improvements. When you move up in the ranks of your organization, you must continue to educate yourself and improve your skills. If you don’t, your peers who are improving will pass you up. Think of all the athletes who have made it to the top or have won championships. The good ones will always say “we have room for improvement”. This is because they are not satisfied with only winning once. They want to remain on top of their game so they constantly strive to do better.

Ask yourself these basic questions:

* What are my weak points as a leader?

* What part of my job as a leader do I neglect because I am poor at it or just don’t like doing?

* Do I spend enough time with my assistants and employees coaching them, communicating with them and giving feedback?

* How can I be a better leader?

If you are sincere in answering these questions and want to improve, then this self evaluation should suggest some areas that could use some improvement.

One of the most powerful ways to motivate employees is to give them responsibility. Most people want a challenge, but leaders frequently hesitate to delegate responsibility because they fear employees may mishandle it. Unfortunately, this fear becomes self-fulfilling, employees are not given opportunities to excel and, thus, don’t. Think of yourself when you were an employee just waiting for that promotion. You would do almost anything to prove yourself to your boss. Just think, if your boss did not give you responsibilities, where would you be today? You owe it to your employees as a leader to help them develop.

To avoid this trap of not delegating responsibility, take risks. Demonstrate confidence in your staff by giving them appropriate amounts of responsibility coupled with clear expectations regarding their performance and accountability. You want to give tasks you know they should be able to handle. If they are given tasks outside of their capabilities then you are setting them up for failure and that is de-motivating. If they are not able to handle the task they are given then you know what areas you have to work on with that employee. People who are expected to achieve will do so more frequently than those who are not. More over, they enjoy their jobs more at the same time.

Much has been written about the importance of letting people know that they are important to the company, regardless of the limitations of their current jobs. While this is good common sense, many leaders don’t do this well or don’t do it at all. In many cases, their attitude is, “my people get paid to do their jobs and do not need a lot of attention or recognition from me”

Sounds logical, but it isn’t so. Most human beings need to be recognized. Without it, people tend to “drop out” of an organization. That is, they lose their commitment to its goals.  Recognition takes many forms, but don’t confuse it with monetary rewards. Believe it or not money is not the best motivator. It’s a temporary fix to a bigger problem. Recognition can be as simple as a “thank you”. It can be focused on individuals or an entire group of employees. One company I was in had an incentive plan to have the highest increase in sales for the month. I was rewarded with a weekend getaway and I rewarded my staff with a party. When it comes to recognition, quantity is the important thing, not the packaging.

People perform in anticipation of rewards. By using rewards properly, you can significantly increase your employees’ motivation.

 Remember that:

Rewards should be contingent upon performance. They will lose their value if they are given when not deserved.

Rewards should be given as soon as possible after the desired performance occurs so that the employee will associate it with his or her performance. Long-term rewards are also needed to ensure that employees adopt a long term perspective on their jobs. Our company’s highest increase in sales incentive was not only for the month but for the entire year. As the year went on, the more months you had the highest increase, the bigger the prize. The yearly prize was a trip to Las Vegas.

Money is not enough to keep people motivated for the long term. Employees also need the satisfaction that result from engaging in interesting and challenging work.

The Three R’s are simple but effective approaches to becoming a better leader. They should be an essential part of every leader’s repertoire.