tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5579284890902840419.post461355634381170930..comments2023-12-13T08:45:02.282-06:00Comments on On the Job by Anita Bruzzese: When Times are Tough, How Do You Keep Workers Focused and Engaged?Anitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07673125042097858304noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5579284890902840419.post-81110714050282853982008-09-09T06:48:00.000-05:002008-09-09T06:48:00.000-05:00Erika,While I know there are some legal reasons fo...Erika,<BR/>While I know there are some legal reasons for asking laid off employees to leave the premises right away, a reasonable manager can make sure the employee has time to say goodbye. Not only does that show compassion for that worker, but respect for remaining employees. And, as you noted, how you treat the departing employee has great impact on those who remain.Anitahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07673125042097858304noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5579284890902840419.post-40859031123857992562008-09-08T19:44:00.000-05:002008-09-08T19:44:00.000-05:00I wholeheartedly agree with treating departing emp...I wholeheartedly agree with treating departing employees with respect and consideration. I once quit a job and my ex-boss wouldn't even let me finish my last day and say goodbye! It left a bad taste in everyone's mouth and a flurry of other exits followed me.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5579284890902840419.post-46290644992220007932008-09-06T11:59:00.000-05:002008-09-06T11:59:00.000-05:00Thank you for the "take five" prompting Michael; i...Thank you for the "take five" prompting Michael; it is a fairly simple thing that is so effective; the trick is to make it a habit that becomes a given in the workplace culture. What makes it work so well, is the groundrule that the manager (the giver of the daily five minutes) has no agenda but to listen. Complementing that, the groundrule for the receiver is that they speak up and seize their opportunity, and in a positive manner.<BR/><BR/>I'll add a link to my name with this comment, where I blogged an update called, "What’s the skinny on the Daily 5 Minutes?"<BR/><BR/>It starts as a manager to employee practice, but once it gets going in a workplace culture the hierarchy is irrelevant, and "givers" are peer-to-peer, or what is truly wonderful, staff become givers to their managers, in essence a time where they are saying, "Okay, I am ready to listen and be open-minded about whatever you want to share with me." Over time, this circle of comfort is created in the relationship; the Daily 5 Minutes has become far more than just a safe zone.<BR/><BR/>Anita, mahalo for allowing me to share more about this! Thanks again for sharing such an important discussion.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5579284890902840419.post-4795293958302066572008-09-06T09:51:00.000-05:002008-09-06T09:51:00.000-05:00Stephen,I have had managers take me to coffee or l...Stephen,<BR/>I have had managers take me to coffee or lunch before, but it was usually to discuss job performance -- not exactly a stress-releasing activity. I, too, can imagine how wonderful it would be to simply have a manager ask: "So, how are you?" You're right -- it's simple, but very profound.<BR/>Thanks for posting.Anitahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07673125042097858304noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5579284890902840419.post-48526438150738601482008-09-06T08:53:00.000-05:002008-09-06T08:53:00.000-05:00Thank you again, Anita, for including my thoughts ...Thank you again, Anita, for including my thoughts in you column and blog. <BR/><BR/>Rosa, you make a excellent point about focusing some people on the business tasks and others on the relationships according to their respective strengths. It seems that wise leadership teams are being intentional about this to make certain everyone feels connected to the team and remains productive despite the difficult business environment. <BR/><BR/>Rosa, I like your "take five" idea where managers ask employees to be prepared to take five minutes to sit down with their supervisor and share what's on their mind (I learned this reading Rosa's terrific book entitled "Managing Aloha." I would love to hear more from you Rosa about what makes "take five" work well.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5579284890902840419.post-30403851651150682962008-09-06T08:18:00.000-05:002008-09-06T08:18:00.000-05:00I found Michael's statement that stress short-circ...I found Michael's statement that stress short-circuits the brain. Very true!<BR/><BR/>He pointed out the importance of managers keeping a true open-door policy and allowing workers to share whatever anxieties they might have. <BR/><BR/>That calls for tremendous trust between management and workers. Not an easy feat.<BR/><BR/>The suggestions he offered were awesome. When I was in Corporate America, I never had a boss who invited me to go for a walk or take me out to lunch. NEVER. I can only imagine how powerful that would have been in easing whatever anxieties I might have had at the time.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5579284890902840419.post-58311424268289069362008-09-04T17:50:00.000-05:002008-09-04T17:50:00.000-05:00Rosa,I love the comment about getting smart about ...Rosa,<BR/>I love the comment about getting smart about your own energies. You make the excellent point that managers need to really ramp up their efforts to meet the diverse needs of employees.<BR/>Thanks for commenting.Anitahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07673125042097858304noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5579284890902840419.post-33175123674241219662008-09-04T17:38:00.000-05:002008-09-04T17:38:00.000-05:00Thank you for sharing this Anita. Each time I hear...Thank you for sharing this Anita. Each time I hear Michael Stallard's name I think of the phrase "connection culture" and how essential it is that connections are healthy in all workplace cultures, no matter what their subsets of values.<BR/><BR/>I think you (and Michael) nail it here in the beginning of your article, saying "managers have to be even more vigilant about staying close." <BR/><BR/>While it may sound counterintuitive at first, challenging times may call for a divide and conquer approach, where executives (for lack of a better word) do separate themselves into managers (who focus on staff and the inner workings of an organization) and leaders (those who focus on the industry, the market, keeping tabs on the influences of outside variables and trending). It is very difficult for one person to keep both balls in the air and achieve that vigilance with one or the other: In challenging times, the needs of each increase. <BR/><BR/>Often, we managers trip up because we don't inventory and get smart about our own energies, and what is within our realm of possibility, not to mention best effectiveness.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com