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October 2018
[email protected] PHONE: 810 257-3034 FAX: 810 768-7097
SUPERVISOR CONNECTION
Halloween at the Office
Halloween activities at work can be a fun way
to lift morale and create a fun environment,
however Supervisors should remind staff to use
good judgment and avoid “inappropriate” wear.
Costumes that are too sexy, promote offensive
stereotypes, and any props such as knives,
swords, or any type of weapons (even fake
ones) should not be allowed. And if an
employee does not want to dress up, don’t
pressure them.
Q: I want to do everything I can to help my employees
perform well. What is the most important task to
accomplish in order to make this possible?
A: Form good working relationships. Supervisors can learn
many different skills and tactics, but few will be effective without
positive relationships. Understand the concept of “essential
attitudes” for a supervisor. Essential attitudes for success exist in
every profession, whether you are a teacher, scientist, minister,
pilot, or supervisor. Here’s one: Assume your employees are doing
the best job they can from their point of view. This attitude will
affect the way you speak, act, nurture, and support them. It might
even help you remember to use the EAP more often as a resource
to improve performance. Another: Spell out for employees what
they need to do in order to succeed and then give them the ability
to do it. Imagine how these essential attitudes influence a positive
relationship, and how lacking they are with many managers. Can
you think of more essential attitudes critical to relationship
success?
Frontline Supervisor:
A HelpNet Tip for Management
NEW SUPERVISORS
Jason Jones—GCCARD
Ishan Abufarha—GCCARD
Welcome to
Genesee County Leadership!
Very soon you will have an
opportunity to get to know
other supervisors, share
experiences, and learn
something new about
leadership in a relaxed, no
pressure atmosphere.
Watch your email for an
invite to the first of many
monthly leadership
meetings!
Coming soon:
Monthly Leadership
Meetings:
If you have an employee that seems to be struggling with work
or personal issues, don’t get involved; instead, suggest they
contact HelpNet for 24/7 assistance.
1-800-969-6162 or online at www.HelpNetEAP.com
Keep Calm During Difficult Conversations
In any leadership role there comes a time when an issue needs to be addressed head on—directly and proactively. Most people
dread a confrontation, and will go to extreme lengths to avoid one. But productive confrontation allows for development of healthy
boundaries, and good leaders know a department cannot grow or succeed without it. In 5 Critical Steps To Fearless Confrontation Kathy
Caprino, Senior Contributor at Forbes Magazine, shares strategies to make confrontations as productive, healthy and effective as
possible:
1. Mentally Prepare—Carefully evaluate what you are thinking and identify the real issue you need to address. Remove the emotion and only
include issues that are relevant to the discussion. Then decide the best approach for the personality you are addressing. Prepare what you will
say in detail. If you feel angry when you envision what you will say, you are not ready to address the situation.
2. Set the Stage— Confrontation doesn’t have to be a fight. Find a safe but private environment to meet. Be hard on the issue, but soft
on the person. Remember it is not about the employee personally; it is about an inappropriate or unacceptable behavior.
3. Engage Productively: Make your opening statement in a non-emotional, fact-based manner, then STOP talking. Don’t waffle, don’t add
qualifiers, and don’t go on and on. Make sure you don’t drag others into the fray by saying something like, “It’s not just me who feels this way–
the whole office is frustrated and angry!” Bringing up others who aren’t there to support your stance reveals that you’re feeling weak and need the
support of these invisible others to appear strong. Do your best not to argue and be sure to truly LISTEN to the employee. Be open to what they
say; their explanation might shed new light on the situation. At the very least, they deserve the right to be heard.
4. Say it Well—This discussion needs to be direct, honest and open. Have all the facts before meeting with the employee, so you are confident
about what you are discussing. You and the employee will most likely be quite a distance apart on the issue. Don’t take anything personally!
5. Believe in the possibility of a mutually-satisfying resolution— Don’t have an preconceived mindset of what the outcome will be. Go
into the conversation believing you can come up with a solution that will satisfy both of you. Ask for solutions. Listen to what they say. Discuss the
positives and negatives of each solution. If you agree on a solution, do what you agree to do. Otherwise you will be known as someone who
doesn’t keep their word.
You are only 50% of every interaction, but your ability to prepare and keep your cool during the interaction can keep confrontations from
escalating, and you will be building relationships instead of tearing them down. That’s what great leaders do.
OAKLAND COUNTY
10/23/18 Effective Communication Skills for Supervisors 8:30—12:30 $40
11/13/18 Government Ethics for Supervisors 8:30—12:30 $40
11/15/18 Personality Type and Leader Development 8:30—12:30 $40
12/04/18 Personality Type and Leader Communication 8:30—12:30 $40
12/10/18 Challenging Conversations 8:30—12:30 $40
12/18/18 Personality Type & leader Problem Solving 8:30– 12:30 $40
CLICK HERE
TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
As part of an effort to provide Genesee County
Departments with the tools they need to be successful, an exit
interview is conducted on employees that leave Genesee
County. In the exit interviews employees cite communication as
the major problem in departments. Communication along with
understanding your employees differences, and using those
differences to motivate employees seem to be the hot topics in
trainings nationwide. This is evidenced by the Oakland County
training schedule.
If you have not taken any leadership training in 2018, I
want to encourage you to do so. When it comes to leadership,
there is always something to learn. And the more we learn and
grow, the more effective we are in our management role.
FRED PRYOR— Full Day Seminars
10/24/18 Making the Transition from Staff to Supervisor $199
11/02/18 How to Supervise Bad Attitudes and Negative Behaviors $199
11/15/18 The Exceptional Team Leader $149
11/27/18 Strategies for the Overwhelmed $99
OVER 80 TRAINING COURSES CAN NOW BE ACCESSED ONLINE
To register for these or any other courses, contact:
Amy Alexander, Development Coordinator
(810) 766-6578
Leadership Training on YOUR Schedule
