Habits are hard to break. Five actions commonly found in the workplace could probably kill your career and work culture.
As the mom of seven children, I’ve heard and seen it all. Actions of poor behavior among employees stifle business.
To identify these detrimental actions, use our Solutions, and see immediate results boosting your bottom line.
ACTION 1: “HONESTLY…”
When my kids back up a tale with, “I’m not lying,” I point out to them how their actions have quickly undermined their credibility.When an employee says to you… or to a customer… “Honestly”, confidence is lost. Instead of setting up a sentence for a “punch” or to grab attention, it does just the opposite.
Moreover, phrases such as “Honestly” and “To tell you the truth” only make one re-evaluate everything else they’ve been told up to that point.
ACTION 2: BLAME GAME
The quickest way to bring down a healthy work culture is by getting caught up in the actions of a blame game. I don’t allow it at home and certainly not with the workforce; you shouldn’t either.
This Solution helps you turn around a toxic work culture and place emphasis on the future instead of what’s happened in the past.
Granted, the blame game is ego driven. As such, the next time employees cover mistakes, don’t take accountability, gossip, and won’t commit to quality work… take note they’re deflecting.
When employees deflect and blame others, redirect any conversation back to what CAN be controlled.
“This approach doesn’t allow the employee to dodge accountability, but neither is it a vicious reprimand. It’s a simple statement that says ‘we’re not changing topics, we’re not discussing other people, we’re only talking about what we CAN control’” Forbes.com.
All of my clients have heard me talk about control. You are in complete control of yourself and your actions. Share the message with your workers.
ACTION 3: UNTIL SOMETHING BETTER COMES ALONG
Do your employees view their jobs as stepping stones?
We’ve all had jobs where we wanted to move up and move on. Hence, what you’re doing right now is so important.
You can’t get to where you’re going by forgetting where you’ve been. When you see a career milestone “XZY” goal is where you’re headed, how will you know how to succeed at it once you get there? The experiences we face along the way will shape us for what’s to come.
Skipping along can leave you with lots of questions and doubt. Be in the moment. When the time is right… that “next better thing” will come along.
ACTION 4: CONVENIENCE
Smart phones. Fast food. Amazon Prime. Convenience has its own premium value in America these days. Could using convenience as an action pattern be killing your career or business?
“Americans say they prize competition, a proliferation of choices, the little guy. Yet our taste for convenience begets more convenience, through a combination of the economics of scale and the power of habit. The easier it is to use Amazon, the more powerful Amazon becomes-and thus the easier it becomes to use Amazon, Tim Wu, author of The Attention Merchants recently wrote a compelling New York Times OP-ED titled, “The Tyranny of Convenience.”
Convenience has freed us from unwanted tasks. Connect with your friends and family without ever leaving your couch. Press a button to cook your food. Clap to turn out the lights.
We. Are. Spoiled.
“While our lives have become more efficient and certainly immediate, we have forfeited a priceless and primal human feature… the need to exert effort and to cultivate patience. Is this why stress, anxiety, drug addiction and political tribalism are thriving?” Asks StephenForte.com.
In the workplace, convenience can – and has – left workers with unstimulating tasks stifling creativity and, especially, innovation.
We have a Seeker Solution to the problem convenience can create. If you expect to win, you need to act like you want to win.
I encourage my clients to define what winning looks like and not be afraid to struggle. For overcoming struggles can help define who you are.
ACTION 5: “I COULDN’T BECAUSE…”
If you’ve got excuses, you’ve got problems. This action is reason for immediate intervention.
Inc.com lists these 3 employee excuses to watch for:
- “I didn’t know I was allowed to do that”
- “We didn’t know where to find the answer”
- “I just don’t work well with (insert co-worker here)”
As a leader, you dictate the mindset. Empower your employees to step in and step up. As employees get stuck, make sure someone is around to help. Furthermore, encourage them to resolve conflict on their own.
If you want success, do the work.
