October 14, 2015 Who’s Left Out on Your Team?
It’s a common occurrence. There’s that employee or two (or dozens, depending on the size of your company) that just doesn’t fit in with the rest. Maybe they’re quiet or lack confidence. Maybe they don’t conform with the prevailing office culture. Whatever the case, feeling left out or ignored can have serious negative consequences. The snubbed employee might feel anxious about coming to work, their performance might drop, they might feel self-conscious and afraid to speak up, etc. Not to mention, your organization suffers as a whole because that troubled employee is not doing their best work, and will either quit or come to work miserable.
So what can you, as a leader, do if someone is being left out on your team?
1. Lead by example.
Practice inclusive behavior and do NOT pick favorites. Challenge yourself to talk to everyone at the table during a team meeting and truly listen to what they have to say. One great method of inclusionary behavior is to ask introverted or excluded employees for their opinions or input in front of others. According to Harvard Business Journal, “Listening to employees not only signals to them that you value their contributions, but also demonstrates to other employees that everyone has value. Plus, you get the added benefit of a diverse set of opinions.”
2. Trust.
Put your trust in your marginalized employees. Build their confidence by assigning them challenging projects or asking them to lead a team meeting. Show them that they are a valuable part of the organization by entrusting them to problem solve and create solutions to problems without you looking over their shoulder.
3. Create an Inclusive Environment.
Have you ever been to a team meeting where only a few people dominate the conversation? This is exactly the kind of environment that makes people feel ostracized or unimportant. To avoid these negative feelings, try starting every meeting by going around the table and having everyone give a brief statement about the current project. That way, everyone’s voice is heard at the very beginning. You can also close the meeting out in a similar way by asking everyone to state how they think the meeting went and what they hope to accomplish between now and the next meeting. Another thing you can do is rotate meeting leaders (or co-leaders). That way, all team members get a chance to monitor the meeting.
4. Don’t dismiss others ideas.
Even if you disagree or don’t quite understand a team member’s idea, don’t toss it aside. Instead, ask that person to clarify what they meant and give the idea thoughtful consideration. This open atmosphere is something Google embraces: “Googlers” are encouraged to bring their ideas forward, no matter how farfetched they might seem.
5. Realize that inclusivity is an ongoing objective.
Just because you’ve successful navigated one team project, doesn’t mean that you can ignore inclusivity and move on to other things. Keep this ideal top-of-mind and strive for an inclusive workplace atmosphere.
MARGARET SMITH IS A CAREER COACH, LICENSED INSIGHTS DISCOVERY PRACTITIONER, FOUNDER OF UXL, AND CO-FOUNDER OF THE TAG TEAM. YOU CAN VISIT HER WEBSITE AT WWW.YOUEXCELNOW.COM
Tags: career coach Margaret Smith, inclusion at work, inclusive behavior, left out employee, ostracized team member, practicing inclusivity, snubbed employee
October 7, 2015 How to Ask for (and Get!) a Raise
Do you feel like you’re worth more than you’re being paid? Are fellow employees getting paid more than you? Are other people in your field getting better pay at different companies?
These are all reasons to ask for a raise.
If you feel like you’ve earned it, you probably have. So, why not ask for it? According to Ramit Sethi, author and founder of I Will Teach You To Be Rich.com, “Just one $5,000 raise, properly invested, can be worth $1 million over your career.”
Sounds great, right? But you can’t just waltz into your boss’ office and demand an extra $5K a year. You have to develop a thoughtful, thorough plan. Here’s how:
Ask when the time is right.
Ideally, you’ll want to ask for a raise after you’ve done something outstanding (like earning a top sales spot, finding a new client, or successfully leading a team project). Don’t expect to get a raise for just showing up and doing the minimum-required work. Additionally, when you’re considering timing, don’t ask for a raise around the holidays, when bonuses are being doled out. And don’t ask for a raise in the middle of budget or staff cuts. Know the rhythm of your company and ask for a raise when things seem stable or exceptionally good. It’s helpful to make a specific plan such as: “Within the next three months, I will ask for a raise.” Or, “After I complete XYZ Project, I will ask for a raise.” That way, you’ll have a general time frame mapped out.
Put together a compelling list of reasons why you deserve a raise.
Take the time to evaluate the work you’ve done over the last year or two. What projects stand out? What are some specific instances where you’ve truly shined? When have you added to the profitability of your organization? Collect as many specific facts as you can (Of course, it helps if your boss already knows about your accomplishments, but that’s a subject for a different blog post). Practice talking about your accomplishments in the mirror or with a close friend or spouse. Why? You want to sound as natural as possible when you have this conversation and not like you’re rattling off a list.
Arm Yourself with Confidence.
Don’t be shy about asking for a raise. Believe that you’ve earned it and demonstrate, with confidence, the reasons why you should get it. On the flip side, don’t act cocky and expect everything to go your way. Just be authentic, sincere, and assertive in your request.
Have a specific dollar amount in mind.
Do your research. Know what other people in the company are making and know what other people in your industry are making. Don’t be outlandish in your request, but don’t sell yourself short either.
Talk about the future.
It’s a good idea to demonstrate that you are ready to continue to do great work for the company. As Carolyn O’Hara writes in an article for the Harvard Business Review, “Lay out your contributions, then quickly pivot to what you hope to tackle next. Assure your boss that you understand his or her pressures and goals, and pitch your raise as a way to help achieve those goals.”
And if your boss turns you down? That’s a possible outcome and you have to be prepared to accept it. But don’t get discouraged. The fact that you asked for a raise shows initiative, career-mindedness, and tenacity. It also demonstrates to your boss that you know what you’re worth and he or she will have to give you a raise at some point down the road or risk losing you. So, be fearless! You don’t get what you don’t ask for.
MARGARET SMITH IS A CAREER COACH, LICENSED INSIGHTS DISCOVERY PRACTITIONER, FOUNDER OF UXL, AND CO-FOUNDER OF THE TAG TEAM. YOU CAN VISIT HER WEBSITE AT WWW.YOUEXCELNOW.COM
Tags: ask for a raise, get a raise, how to approach your boss, how to ask for a raise, just ask, Margaret Smith, Minneapolis career coach, negotiate a raise, UXL, your raise plan
- 1 comment
- Posted under Advice from a Life Coach, Changing Your Life, Communication, Discussions
September 30, 2015 When Your Team is TOO Similar
In a recent newsletter, I discussed the steps to take when your team is clashing. This week I’ll address a different problem: What do you do when your team is too similar?
On the surface, this doesn’t seem like much of a problem. You all get along, the work feels easy and natural, etc. But too-similar teams can be just as ineffective as clashing teams. Why?
- You might lack inspiration
- Your team might get distracted with friendly chatting or gossip
- You miss out on a variety of perspectives
- The end product might be geared toward only one specific type of person
But how do you add a little spice to your team? This may be more complicated than fixing a team that is clashing. The first step to diversify and brighten-up your team is to bring the problem to the forefront. If people aren’t aware there’s an issue (or they know something isn’t working, but can’t figure out why), then they can’t work to solve it.
Secondly, ask for diversity. Reach out to others who you think have a different perspective than your current team’s perspective. Go beyond gender and ethnicity. If your group is quiet and reserved, consider a more outgoing, energetic type. If your group is great at generating ideas, but lacks practical application skills, recruit someone you know who is analytic and process-oriented.
Third, gain inspiration! If adding new and different people to your team isn’t an option, there are a few ways your team can gain inspiration:
- Create a mind map (If you don’t know the basics, here’s a blog post explaining how mind-mapping works)
- Conduct surveys and market research (gather outside opinions to bring in new perspectives)
- Research similar projects and find out how those teams came up with a solution
- Turn to social media (Post about what your team is working on and ask for feedback)
Fourth: If your team is just a little too friendly, impose restrictions. You might decide to split up the group and work in pairs for a while. Or you might set aside chat time at the beginning of the day (say, half an hour to catch up with everyone), then buckle down and get to work. Sometimes it helps to have a supervisor check on your team from time-to-time in order to motivate everyone to make progress.
If you’re still struggling with how to make your too-similar team click, feel free to contact me for more ideas. Best of luck!
MARGARET SMITH IS A CAREER COACH, LICENSED INSIGHTS DISCOVERY PRACTITIONER, FOUNDER OF UXL, AND CO-FOUNDER OF THE TAG TEAM. YOU CAN VISIT HER WEBSITE AT WWW.YOUEXCELNOW.COM
Tags: click as a team, homogeneous team, Margaret Smith, no team diversity, team lacks motivation, teamwork in business, too similar team, UXL
UXL Blog 