Newsletter - July 2004

WORK PREFERENCES AND YOUR TEAM - PART 4

Are the kind of person who loves structure and order in your life? Do you make a To Do List in the morning and check it off as you go through the day? Does your untidy work colleague drive you nuts with their obvious disorganisation and lack or order in their life? You could be working with a person who has a Flexible work preference.

This month we will examine the fourth and final work preference which forms part of the Team Management Profile, “How You Organise Yourself and Others”. Margerison and McCann in their research of work preferences identified that there are two kinds of work preference in this area. These two preferences are situated along a continuum so some people may be very strong in their preference and be situated at one end, while others may be more even in their preference and be based more toward the middle of the continuum.

People with a Structured work preference like to be organised. They will make a plan for the day and stick to it. In a meeting they will force a decision so that they can go back and get on with the work. They can sometimes rush decisions and miss details worthy of consideration. Once they make a decision however they are loath to change as this could impact on a deadline which they always keep.

The opposite end of the continuum is the person with a more Flexible work preference. They rarely rush a decision preferring to discuss all the implications fully, often including newly discovered information which might impact on this decision. This can cause deadlines to slip past as they complete their quest for even more information to assist with the decision. These people make plans and then ignore them in favour of something better or more interesting.

IN THE TEAM

I a team situation the so called disorganisation of a flexible person can drive a structured person crazy or vice versa. I worked with a team where a structured person worked with a number of flexible people. He often had trouble coping with their long winded discussions at team meetings and apparent lack of care and commitment when deadlines were looming and still no decision had been made. Of course the flexible people simply stated that being an important issue, it needed due consideration before rushing into action.

COACHING TIPS FOR ANALYTICAL AND BELIEFS PEOPLE

Analytical people can work well with flexible people if they understand how to manage them. If the structured person moves the deadlines forward a day or two before making them public, the flexible people may still miss the deadline and the issue will still be dealt with by the due date. Flexible people can use structured people to move issues forward or make decisions. The structured person can be called on the make a decision call on behalf of the rest of the team. This strategy takes advantage of the skills of all members of the team.

Moment of Truth

Have you ever gone to a retail outlet to buy goods or services and been amazed at the attitude or service given by the person serving you at the counter? People’s reactions to brief interactions or connections like this can make or break your business. In his book “Moments of Truth”, Jan Carlzon describes how these interactions which can be as short as twenty seconds can have a lasting impact on your customer’s perception of your business.

Make sure that you and your staff always give the right impression at every moment of truth in your business. Moments of truth do not just occur when we greet people, they occur continually as we deal with our customer to the completion of the transaction. Here are some simple tips to follow when you are interacting with your customers:

• Answer the phone with a greeting before you identify yourself or your company. It pays to say “Good Morning”
• Be aware of your facial expressions if you work face to face with customers. A warm smile works so much better than a frown or worse a bored expression.
• If a customer complains, look upon it as an opportunity to learn some valuable feedback about the way you do business.
• If you can’t give the customer exactly what they want offer an alternative rather than just a refusal.
• If you have a larger office and you are going to transfer a customer to someone else, make sure that person is available before you put the call through. A dead transfer creates a very negative impression.

Relax and Live Longer

In my work as an executive coach I am constantly amazed at the pressure some executives work under, stress is an ever constant companion. Learning to reduce stress is important and there are three simple ways to reduce stress in your life every day.

1. Eat Right

There is a saying, “You are what you eat”. Your eating habits can have a direct impact on your body and how you cope with stress. Caffeine, Sugar and Salt can have huge effects on your mood and energy. Caffeine is found in tea, coffee and a lot of soft drinks today. It stimulates the nervous system if too much is consumed causes headaches, irritability and nervousness.

Sugar is found in many of our processed foods and in particular biscuits and lollies which people munch on at work. After an initial high sugar causes increased tiredness and irritability.

Salt can be found in most fast food and of course sprinkled liberally over chips! Salt causes high blood pressure and stress.

Minimise your intake of these foods and eat more fresh fruit and vegetables. Above all drink lots of water, at least two litres a day is a minimum if you want to lead a stress free life and get some exercise at the same time as you run to the bathroom!

2. Exercise Regularily

It is a well known fact that any exercise taken in a regular and moderate form is good for the heart, blood circulation and general well being. The secret is to make it regular, make it something you enjoy and make it convenient. The next thing is to make it part of your normal schedule.

2. Practice Relaxation

Relaxation techniques in one form or another have been practiced for thousands of years. Meditation or simply slowing your breathing has amazing effects on your body. It can lower your heart rate, blood pressure and rapidly decrease the chemicals in your blood stream that promote stress.

There are many ways to relax, the simplest being to sit in a quiet, comfortable place and still your mind. Concentrate on your breathing and avoid thinking about anything, perhaps picture a relaxing scene in your mind. Do this for just twenty minutes a day and you will feel the difference.