Skip to content

UXL Blog

“Creating Successful Leaders”

Tag Archives: Improving Relationships

March 19, 2014 Balancing Head And Heart: Friendships At Work

Friendship on the job can be beneficial to everyone. It makes work a fun place to be. It brings unity and camaraderie to the business. 

But friendships can potentially make it hard on your responsibility as a leader to remain consistent and fair. It might be easy for you to give your friend a break, extend a deadline, or ignore or overlook a mistake. And this is where having friends in your business can be detrimental.

The recent Harvard Business Review article offers a few helpful insights on how to navigate the tricky waters of managing your friends.

1. You’ll make them angry sometimes, but this is okay.

You have a job to do. Above all, remember why you’re there, in the position you’re in. You’ll have to “turn up the heat” on everyone from time to time, and this includes your friends.

They probably won’t be too pleased at this, at least not at first. Remember that this is their problem, not yours. Stay consistent, compassionate, but firm with your staff, and in time your work friends will appreciate and respect your consistency.

2. Learn to disagree with friends while still being their friend.

Disagreements are a natural part of any relationship. You can be passionate about a disagreement without being disrespectful. It’s a tricky balance, but it’s possible.

3. Keep work out of it at the dinner party.

When you spend time with them outside the office, remember the rules and standards of the workplace do not apply outside.

4. This arrangement won’t always work.

In some cases, having friends that report to you just doesn’t work. As the article’s author, Peter Bregman, points out: “Even if you have clarity about your role as a leader, emotional mastery, and friendship skills, the other person may not be able to live with your decisions.” As tough as it is, it’s better for both parties in this case to accept the reality of the situation and move on.

On the flip side, there are countless instances where your friendship with a staff member motivates them to do their best work. This is why knowing your staff is so crucial, so that you’ll be able to determine the relational dynamics early on and avoid potential conflicts.

Tags: , , , , , ,

March 13, 2014 Are Mobile Workers A Good Fit For Your Business?

More and more workers are stepping out of the office permanently, according to an article I just read which talks about how working from home has risen from three years ago.

The benefit for the worker is pretty obvious, and workers have been in favor of this for a long time. More flexible hours, convenience, and independence, to name a few. But now business owners too are beginning to see the value of the mobile worker.

The reason for this, according to the article, is “the access they [business owners] now have to professionals without geography posing a barrier.” Thanks to technologies like Skype and cloud-based file sharing, businesses now have a much larger pool of talent to choose from without needing to keep their search limited to the city where their headquarters is based.

Having a mobile workforce also boosts productivity, as workers feel more ownership over their work and enjoy the freedom to work where and when they choose.

So the benefits are pretty compelling. Is this something you’ve considered for your business?

To get comfortable with a new approach to leading and managing people, you’ll need to:

-Familiarize yourself with the tools that ensure communication between you and the mobile worker. Skype, the internal social media site Yammer, and Dropbox (or something like it) are crucial.

-Trust your mobile workers know what to do without your constant supervision. Micro-management, which I’m opposed to in the first place, is impossible with this worker arrangement.

-Determine what jobs can be done outside the workplace.

-Make a point to have face-to-face meetings periodically. The power of real face-time always trumps mobile communication, so schedule consistent times where mobile workers can come in and feel a part of the team.

Tags: , , , , , , ,

February 13, 2014 How You Holding Up This Winter?

This winter has been brutal. Being cooped up for long periods of time can have terrible effects on our physical and mental health. So, I thought I’d share some ways you can fight the bitter cold and stay healthy and happy.

1. Get out of your house.

“But where, Margaret?” you ask. “It’s below zero out there!” When it’s dangerously cold, obviously it’s best to stay indoors. But now that it’s warming up (relatively), bundle up and go for a walk or a jog. Take the kids sledding. Find a nature trail near your where you live, or a park nearby.

And I don’t just mean go outside when I say get out of your house. I also mean go to new places, see friends and do things. We tend to shut down in the winter until one day, we look around and realize that we haven’t been to more than three places, our home included, in months. No wonder we’re so down!

2. Keep A Routine.

Piggybacking on point one, you’ll feel better when you have a set schedule. This includes a regular bedtime and wake-up time, regular meals, and a good mix of work and fun activities.

3. Replenish Your Sunlight Deficiency.

It takes a long, dark winter to truly appreciate how much our bodies rely on the sunlight. Without time spent in the sun, we don’t get the amount of vitamin D required for a healthy mind and body. Taking vitamin D tablets is a great way to counteract this. For those who suffer from seasonal affect disorder, sun lamps work wonders. Whatever it is, be sure to be aware of your exposure (or lack thereof) to sunlight and take the necessary steps to stay healthy.

summerHang in there, it’s almost over! A few months from now it’ll be swimwear and beach balls. Be well!

Tags: , , , , ,