Author: admin39
During leadership training we ask participants “Think of a boss you have had that you regarded as a great leader, someone you really loved working for and write down 5 reasons why”. We follow with a group debrief of their answers, cataloging their “why’s”. Below are common statements we hear each and every time without fail:
- They were inspirational.
- They cared about me because when (life event) happened, they were (compassionate supportive reaction).
- They respected me and my talents.
- They invested their time in me by: mentoring, training, growth opportunities, etc.
- They were someone I admired and looked up to for how they led us.
- They had excellent communication skills.
- I felt valued by them.
- They understood people and motivated us forward.
The culmination of the above why’s demonstrate that great leaders who employees remember and yearn for are leaders who are able to make employees FEEL good. Feel valued. Feel respected. Feel understood.
Great leadership is behaving and acting in a way that makes other feel that their worth, dignity and contributions in this world are respected and given the appropriate time and attention. It is about creating a trusting relationship between leader and employee where one’s inherent worth and value is upheld in both action and words. It is about creating safe spaces where individuals can be comfortable enough to stretch, grow, test themselves out, take chances and sometimes fall down without ridicule.
A lot is said about what great leadership is – being strong, clear, a driver, creative thinker, a force to be reckoned with, someone who is tough and gets the job done. Let us never forget however that really great leadership also includes kindness, empathy, compassion, outward focus and a genuine passion for the wellbeing of others and everyones success as a whole. A leader with great Emotional Intelligence and excellent interpersonal skills will always outpace a leader who bosses, demands, tells, ridicules, ignores, lies or dismisses.
Let us strive to be kind to one another, to remain respectful, to be the very best of leaders and to participate in building a workplace, community and country that raises each other up.
Because really…what’s the point otherwise?
Businesses in New York State (with others to follow) have been tasked with a challenging new workplace mandate: deliver annual Sexual Harassment training that is interactive, complies with regulation standards and accompanies the distribution of a well written corporate policy. There are several other nuts and bolts to achieve compliance and this new law has sent businesses of all sizes scrambling.
As a seasoned facilitator of Harassment Awareness and Prevention Training, in addition to serving as a consultant to hundreds of corporations, government entities and not-for-profits, let me share with you my tips about what I know to be true about this new mandate and its potential impact for your workplace.
- Have a Positive Mindset. I encourage all businesses to view the annual training mandate as an opportunity to “hit the reset button” on their company culture. Training IS a good thing IF done well. Seize this business opportunity to redefine yourself to your employees.
- Training MUST Begin From The Top Down. No “if’s, and’s or but’s” about it. Buy in has to begin at the top and accountability has to happen at the top. Teach your management about their unique role in defining and driving your workplace culture.
- Make The Training Meaningful & Interesting. Your training classes can be so much more than “What is harassment?” and “Policy states…” and “The law is…”. Your training has to be interactive and customized to New York State law. An “off the shelf video” is not going to cut it. Each training session is an opportunity to have a bigger discussion about your corporate culture and can drive employee buy-in to the bigger mission of creating healthy, safe and productive workplaces for all.
- Go Beyond Sexual Harassment. As there are so many other forms of harassment, in, use this opportunity to tackle discrimination, bias, and prejudice and ferret out how that might show up in your workplace.
- Don’t Be Boring! Make your training program dynamic, interesting, thought provoking and inviting of everyone’s questions and comments. Trust me, it CAN be done! Do not let your sessions be painfully boring legalese.
- Outsource It. Lastly, if you don’t have a great trainer in house or the time to dedicate to this initiative, then do my personal favorite thing which is “Outsource!”. Save yourself the headache. You can pick a dynamic training company, like my company National EAP who will help you define your vision for this training and deliver it in a way that goes WAY beyond simple policy compliance.
Yes, I ended with shameless self promotion, however, I simply cannot deny that we are truly the experts in this work and we LOVE creating educated, safe and healthy workplaces! National EAP not only delivers harassment training, we deliver the actual REMEDIATION services for employees who have crossed the line at work, whether it’s one toe over the line or a full on Weinstein. We have seen, heard, counseled and re-educated it all and weave our real life experiences artfully into our work.
Please email me at aoifaodonnell@nationaleap.com or call 800-624-2593 ext., 26. to discuss YOUR unique needs and how we can help your business/organization. It would be our pleasure to do so!
A male employee committed suicide at work and his body was discovered by a co-worker. Several of the employees were traumatized and having difficulty returning to the scene of the incident. National EAP provided consultation to leadership to help them communicate with and support their employees during this tragic time. EAP also provided weekly onsite support or employees, mixing individual and group debriefing sessions. By the last session, the employees demonstrated increased insight, coping tools and abilities, and were very supportive of one another. They were very grateful for the EAP services provided to them and were able to return to their workplace.
Hello! This is Julie Simon with a powerful message about the life changing effects of meditation.
Meditation is the practice of mindfulness. It is simply stated the act of “being”. Sounds pretty easy right? That’s what I thought several years ago when I decided to give it a try. I told myself “I will just meditate for 5 minutes” and assumed it would be easy. As I sat, trying to focus on my breathing and the present moment, what seemed like a million thoughts entered my mind:
I can’t forget to email my client back tomorrow.
Do I have someone to watch the dog next weekend while I’m away?
Ugh, my house is getting so messy, I need to find some time to clean up!
Oh, wait a minute, I’m supposed to be meditating and not thinking of these things..what’s wrong with me!
Bad news: turns out meditation is not as easy as it seems!
Good news! Meditation can be learned, and as with most things, practice makes perfect…or close to perfect! (We always want to leave ourselves something to strive for!)
Over the past few years, I built up my meditation practice, beginning with 5 minutes, increased to 7, then to 10 until finally I was sitting for 30 minutes meditating. When a distraction or thought would enter my mind, I would acknowledge it and then make a conscious effort to release it and turn my attention back to that present moment. I began doing guided meditations which are my favorite. I discovered you tube and the endless amounts of guided mediations that are on there, all different themes – stress-relief, relaxation, reducing anxiety, confidence, etc. I still use them today!
Once I practiced consistently, meditation not only became easy but it became a part of my routine and a part of my life. In addition to actually enjoying this quiet “me time” and tuning into my inner self, I have noticed a multitude of positive effects in all aspects of my life. I feel happier, more confident, more in touch with myself. When a stressful situation comes up, I handle it calmly and with more ease than I did in the past. I sleep better and I have more energy. It truly is amazing!
Five years ago I absolutely refused to buy into meditation and the whole spirituality/holistic healing concept. I am so grateful that I opened myself and my life up to it as the moment I let my guard down and embraced this new way of life, it was a paradigm shift into a new world of empowerment, motivation and inner peace. Along with several other self-care tools I use, meditation has changed my life and I strongly encourage you to give it a try! My meditation tip: go to you tube on the web and search for mindful meditations and let a video guide you on your first journey. I promise it gets easier each time you do it. Good luck!
And, remember, as a member of National EAP you have access to EAP support 7 days a week 24/hours a day. Problems don’t discriminate. Whether you consider your difficulty trivial or extraordinary, National EAP is structured to provide you with a wide range of supportive tools to help you achieve your best, at work and at home. When you decide to take action, you’ll have access to professional assessment, supportive counseling, and if needed, referrals to qualified providers. National EAP is ready to assist you in a professional and confidential manner.
Call National EAP today at 1-800-624-2593 and start on your journey towards success and wellness.
- A recently terminated employee texts their manager a vitriolic hate filled text that states he will kill him, his wife, their children and then himself.
- An employee who displayed no indicators commits suicide in your workplace in a violent way.
- A long time valued employee has a sudden aggressive outburst with the CEO, threatening to punch him.
- Your high earning sales person sexually harasses an intern.
- Your employee struggles with depression and you discover they are self harming by cutting
An EAP is so much more than a 1-800 number for employees. A proper stand alone EAP will deliver immediate response, support, guidance and intervention services in all types of situations and manage it in partnership with HR from start to finish.
So if you don’t have that kind of relationship with your EAP, it is time to put the right one in place because when a crisis hits, you don’t have time for hesitation.
