By John Manning, General Manager, MAP

We have all worked around people who spend the majority of the time complaining about their job, boss and overall life. This person drains positive energy out of the workplace because they’re always having some variation of a “bad” day. Consequently, positive people have to go out of their way to avoid these types because the negative energy can be toxic. It is a certainty that we will all face difficult times. But the good news is we can control our attitude and how we approach those challenges in life and work. Through strength and courage we can overcome obstacles while gaining credibility and support from the people around us.

You can spot those classic “victim” types from a mile away. They’re those co-workers who, eternally angry, stressed, or mopey, are always saying things like, “I hate my boss,” “This place sucks,” “I can’t ever do this or that,” “It’s not my fault!” and “I don’t know how my life ever got this way.” These types of folks are trapped in a cycle in which they can’t see their contribution to any of their difficulties in life. It’s very difficult (if not impossible) for them to break that cycle, take control and change their course for the better.

However, it’s part of good leadership to learn how to recognize and manage the challenges that these “victims” bring to the workplace. Here are some related pointers:

Don’t get trapped. Leaders walk a fine line between empathizing with people when they’re having troubles and playing the role of the constant counselor. They have to avoid getting drawn into the problems and any associated repetitive patterns of negativity. They must also ensure that these offenders don’t suck other staff members into their doom and gloom. Victims like reactions and, considering that people tend to be reactionary in nature, reacting to the same problems, time and time again, can be a dangerous, slippery slope that can create a thicket of issues. Watch out for the trap.

Give feedback. Many times, people who wear the hat of the “victim” don’t have a clue how miserable they sound, how demoralizing they are to the workplace culture, and how detrimental they are to an organization’s productivity. As the leader, you’ve got to address this sensitive topic with them and be honest. “I really like you, but I have to tell you that this is how you’re coming across as a team member…” is a good way to start the conversation. Have a few, documented examples that clearly show the validity of your observation, so it’s not a “he said/she said” debate. Plan how the conversation should go, so you’ve at least got an idea of what you want to say and accomplish.

Replace helplessness with hope. There’s a “victim” within all of us. To some degree or another, we all struggle with those feelings of helplessness, but we all deal with those effectively to varying degrees. Your leadership should reflect a strong spirit of “hope” no matter the difficulty of situation. Then expect that same attitude and approach to any said challenges from ALL your team members — including the “negative” ones — as well.

Can you fire someone for being too “negative”?

Copyright © 2013 Management Action Programs, Inc. (MAP)

By John Manning, General Manager, MAP

You’ve probably heard the old saying that the #1 key to success is survival in and of itself. Yet putting so much time and effort into work endeavors, it’s easy to neglect the relevance of your own personal survival, which must be rooted in good health and well-being. So with the New Year having officially kicked off, now is the time to make a fresh start on this front. Commit to taking better care of yourself through diet, exercise and rest. Specifically, create and manage time for it, planning your calendar to support the activities that will ensure your success. A healthier you will be a happier you, who won’t just survive — but thrive!

As with every New Year resolution, this commitment is about changing, which is typically tricky and challenging to manage. So stay on track, following this advice:

Put your health first. Earlier in my career, I had real difficulty with work-life balance.  My time management skills were poor causing me to work extra hours to get the job done.  As a result, I worked 12-hour days which resulted in me missing many medical and dental appointments along the way.  Eventually, the neglect caught up with me when I ended up with some serious and extremely expensive dental issues that could have been prevented if I’d simply gone to those checkups. Had I put my health first, I would have been a lot better off. It’s been a good lesson learned, one to which most of us can relate. Not only was the dental problem pricey to fix, but it was painful and cost me time away from the job as well.

Develop a “Work Smarter” Mentality. Continuing with the above example, there were a few folks in the office who seemed to know how to work smarter and still get great results. Their priorities were in the right places and, importantly, well balanced. They occasionally took time to do things for themselves and were frank and unashamed about it. People respected them, and these team members ultimately evolved into some of the best leaders I’ve ever known.

Manage your energy level. The most precious resource on which you have to draw is your energy. It affects everything from your attitude to your productivity and your profitability. Moreover, it impacts others’ moral and motivation, too. Your energy is always externalized, so when it’s up or down, positive or negative, people notice. Recognizing this, successful leaders learn how to manage and improve their energy, so it’s consistently beneficial. They implement healthy, sustainable strategies (exercise, diet, nutrition, recreation, rest, etc.) that produce the lasting, positive impacts they desire.

Set regular goals. MAP is constantly reiterating the importance of setting professional goals, but personal goals are equally critical to developing your personal best. When it comes to your health and wellness, outline several broad goals and then chart out smaller monthly objectives that are tied to those goals. For example, if you want to lose 40 lbs. this year, create a 12-month plan to shed the fat and keep it off. This will invariably include lifestyle changes tied to diet, nutrition and exercise, all of which will be managed through relentless self-discipline and self-imposed accountability. Charting this outline for change is a solid, good step that will keep you on track, seriously boosting your odds of success.

As a leader, what strategies are you implementing in your culture to foster the “professional vs. personal well-being” balance?

Copyright © 2013 Management Action Programs, Inc. (MAP)

By John Manning, General Manager, MAP

It’s the end of the year, a perfect time for conducting a personal review of 2012, using a simple template listing successes, failures and opportunities for the upcoming year. Write out some corrective actions addressing where you fell short and resolve to hold yourself accountable for any needed changes. What do you want to accomplish? Set solid goals that will support making it happen. Approach this activity as an investment in your future, entering 2013 with a plan for personal and professional success.

There’s power in writing it down. There’s a reason that teachers made us write sentences such as, “I will not…” when we misbehaved in school. When you wrote it down, particularly over and over, you remembered whatever it was better. Now writing down your review of the year is anything but a punishment but it is a formal exercise that deserves a dedicated approach. Writing or typing it down, in black and white, on some paper you can regularly pull out and review is the first step in a process that will enable future accountability. Keep it brief, making it a one-sheeter if you can. The idea is to keep it simple and straight-forward, so you’re more attracted to the idea of regularly reviewing it for motivation, checking in, and assessing your progress against your goals.

Be honest. This review is something “for your eyes only,” so being utterly truthful about the good, the bad and the ugly is in your best interest. Paint a picture of the year, pulling together any stats and data you have, as well as feedback you might have gotten from clients/customers, employees or fellow leaders in the organization. Bring those tangibles and non-tangibles together, assessing both what’s qualitative and quantitative, and approach all you’ve got with a non-emotional perspective. Consider using the SWOT analysis if that’s easy and familiar to you. Ask: What really happened this year? What’s not working? What could be better? What’s right or missing that we could do more often? What “vital few” goals should you set? Where are the opportunities?

Regularly read over your review. You don’t want to dwell on the past, but if you just pull out this review once a month, it will be a helpful reminder of your pitfalls, achievements and potential. Just as coaches show old game clips to their teams for lessons learned, this handy tool will serve as a visual reminder to avoid certain moves or to “repeat” a certain “play.” The fact that this handy review is good and short, as well as that it includes your “vital few” goals for 2013, will keep you focusing more on the future, giving you the forward momentum you need to succeed.

Stay accountable. This goes beyond just revisiting your review on a regular basis. Tell someone (e.g., a mentor, professional confidant, your co-leadership or managers) about your goals, what you’re trying to achieve, and a deadline for doing so. Maybe go so far to share that it’s a New Year’s resolution to follow through on your review’s “opportunities.” No plan is ever perfect, so you might need to make adjustments and share those with this confidant, but having someone to check in with, who knows about the review and your desire to meet its identified goals will add a layer of seriousness and discipline to your assessment and its ultimate objective: better business health for 2013.

How can you keep on track with this New Year’s “review” resolution?