Assessing the development level of a team member is an essential process in understanding their skills, growth potential, and the support they require.

This evaluation helps leaders provide the right guidance and opportunities to help individuals reach their full potential. Here are key steps to assess the development level of a team member:

1. Assess Skill Competence

• Technical skills: Evaluate their proficiency in the specific tasks or tools required for their role.
• Problem-solving ability: Observe their capacity to tackle complex issues and make decisions autonomously or with minimal guidance.
• Creativity and innovation: Assess their ability to think outside the box and contribute original ideas to the team.

2. Measure Behavioral Competence

• Collaboration: How well do they work with others? Are they open to feedback and constructive criticism?
• Communication: Evaluate how clearly they articulate their ideas, listen to others, and engage in productive conversations.
• Adaptability: Assess how quickly they can adjust to changes in tasks, goals, or team dynamics.

3. Evaluate Motivation and Engagement

• Commitment: Assess their level of enthusiasm, passion, and personal investment in their work and team objectives.
• Self-driven learning: Look at their eagerness to acquire new knowledge, take on challenges, and improve their performance.

4. Use the Situational Leadership Model

The Situational Leadership Model, developed by Hersey and Blanchard, is a useful tool for understanding development levels. It categorizes team members into four development levels based on their competence and commitment:

• D1 (Low Competence, High Commitment): New to the task or role; enthusiastic but lacks experience.
• D2 (Some Competence, Low Commitment): Gaining experience but may lack motivation or face challenges that reduce their enthusiasm.
• D3 (High Competence, Variable Commitment): Skilled, but needs occasional encouragement to stay engaged.
• D4 (High Competence, High Commitment): Highly skilled and motivated; can work independently and take on leadership roles.

5. Observe and Gather Feedback

• Regularly monitor performance and seek input from colleagues, supervisors, and the team member themselves.
• Conduct one-on-one meetings to discuss progress, challenges, and goals.

6. Provide Opportunities for Growth

• Based on your assessment, identify areas for development and offer appropriate resources, training, and challenges.
• Tailor your coaching and feedback style to match their development stage, providing more structure for newer members and greater autonomy for those who are more advanced.

By combining these observations and tools, you can gain a clearer understanding of where each team member stands and how you can help them grow to the next level.

As convenient as they are, video calls aren’t always the best or preferred option for everyone.

Offering the choice of an audio-only meeting can significantly improve accessibility, efficiency, and overall wellbeing for all participants involved. Here’s why allowing audio-only meetings is not just thoughtful, but sometimes essential.

1. Respects Personal Preferences and Comfort Levels

Not everyone is comfortable being on camera. Some may feel self-conscious about their appearance, while others might be in an environment where turning on their video is not practical—for example, in shared spaces or during a busy commute. Providing the option for audio-only lets participants engage in the conversation without unnecessary stress, resulting in a more comfortable and effective meeting for everyone.

For example, an employee working from home may prefer to turn off their camera due to unexpected background distractions, like a boisterous pet or an active household. When given the choice, they’re still able to fully participate without the added worry of managing their visual surroundings.

2. Reduces Technical Barriers

Video conferencing can be a strain on low bandwidth or unstable internet connections, leading to lagging audio, frozen screens, or dropped calls. Offering audio-only as an alternative minimizes these issues, ensuring smoother communication with less frustration.

This accessibility can be crucial for remote teams or individuals working in areas where high-speed internet isn’t readily available, allowing them to stay equally connected and engaged.

3. Saves Time and Energy

We’ve all experienced “Zoom fatigue” at one point or another. The pressure to remain camera-ready for long video calls can be draining, both physically and mentally. By switching to audio-only for certain meetings, participants can redirect their focus toward active listening and meaningful contribution, rather than worrying about how they appear on screen.

Additionally, audio calls eliminate the time spent setting up video backgrounds, adjusting lighting, or troubleshooting webcam issues—allowing teams to jump straight into the discussion.

4. Encourages Inclusivity and Accessibility

Offering audio-only options is an inclusive practice that accommodates a wide range of circumstances. For example:

• People with disabilities may find audio-only meetings easier to engage with compared to video, particularly if accessibility tools like screen readers or transcription services are used alongside them.
• For employees who are on the move, like commuting or traveling for business, audio-only meetings provide a flexible way to stay connected without needing a stable visual setup.

Inclusivity isn’t just an afterthought; it’s a business advantage. Empowering individuals to work in ways that suit their needs and capabilities strengthens both team morale and productivity.

5. Improves Focus and Productivity

Video meetings can sometimes lead to distractions. Participants may find themselves focusing more on their own video feeds or trying to interpret non-verbal cues, rather than actively listening to what’s being said. Audio-only meetings strip away these visual distractions, encouraging participants to truly tune into the discussion.

For teams that value efficiency, an audio call is often more conducive to staying on-topic and achieving meeting goals.

6. Promotes Work-Life Balance 

Allowing audio-only meetings shows respect for employees’ personal lives and routines.  If a team member needs to step away from their desk for a midday walk or prefers to take a call from a comfortable spot in their home, audio meetings make this possible.

When to Offer Audio-Only Options 

While some meetings (like presentations or collaborative brainstorming sessions) are better suited for video, there are plenty of other scenarios where audio-only works just as effectively:

• One-on-one check-ins or coaching sessions
• Quick project updates or status meetings
• Customer support or sales calls
• Informal team catch-ups

By evaluating the purpose of each meeting, you can determine whether offering audio-only is viable.

The Bottom Line

Giving people the option to attend meetings with audio only isn’t just a courtesy; it’s an essential practice in creating a more productive, inclusive, and flexible workplace. By understanding and accommodating the diverse needs of your team or clients, you pave the way for stronger relationships and better communication.

Next time you set up a meeting invite, consider including “Audio Option Available” in the description. Remember, it’s not always about seeing to believe—it’s about listening to connect.

Buridan’s Ass is a philosophical paradox illustrating a donkey placed at exactly the same distance between food and water, unable to choose and ultimately dying of hunger and thirst.

Named after 14th-century philosopher Jean Buridan, the paradox critiques moral determinism, suggesting the inability to make a rational choice between equally desirable options. The concept predates Buridan, with Aristotle and Al-Ghazali discussing similar scenarios involving human decision-making and preference.

In the context of customer service management, Buridan’s Ass can manifest in several ways:

1. Indecision in Response Strategies: Customer service representatives might face situations where they have to choose between two equally viable solutions to a customer’s problem. Indecision can lead to delays in response times, which can frustrate customers and negatively impact their experience.

2. Prioritizing Issues: When multiple customer issues seem equally important, the inability to prioritize can lead to inefficient use of resources and potentially leaving some problems unresolved for longer than necessary.

3. Product or Service Options: Offering too many similar options to customers can overwhelm them, leading to decision paralysis. This can result in lost sales or dissatisfied customers who feel they cannot make an informed choice.

4. Policy Implementation: Management may struggle to choose between different customer service policies or strategies, delaying implementation and potentially missing out on opportunities for improvement.

To mitigate the effects of Buridan’s Ass in customer service management, consider the following strategies:

• Decision-Making Frameworks: Implement clear decision-making frameworks or guidelines to help representatives choose the best course of action quickly and confidently.

• Training and Empowerment: Train customer service staff to assess situations effectively and empower them to make decisions without fear of negative repercussions for reasonable choices.

• Simplifying Choices: Limit the number of options presented to customers to avoid overwhelming them. Provide clear, concise information to help guide their decisions.

• Effective Prioritization: Develop criteria for prioritizing customer issues based on factors such as urgency, impact, and customer value to ensure that resources are allocated efficiently.

By addressing the potential for decision paralysis, customer service management can improve response times, enhance customer satisfaction, and optimize overall service efficiency.

In the realm of management theory, few names stand as tall as Lyndall Urwick. His work is particularly renowned for distilling complex organizational behavior into comprehensible principles.

Lyndall Urwick (1891–1983) transitioned from being an army officer to a management consultant. In his writings, he integrated concepts from scientific management with classical organization theory. Similar to Henri Fayol (1841–1925), Urwick developed a set of general principles aimed at enhancing managerial effectiveness.

These principles not only provide a blueprint for modern management but also offer timeless insights applicable across various industries and organizational structures.

The 10 Principles of Urwick

1. The Principle of the Objective

Every organization must have a clear objective. This principle emphasizes the importance of defining a clear and compelling vision that guides all activities within the organization. A well-articulated objective serves as the North Star, aligning efforts and resources towards a common goal.

2. The Principle of Specialization

Specialization is imperative for efficiency. Urwick asserted that dividing labor into specific tasks allows employees to develop expertise, increasing productivity and quality of work. This principle underscores the necessity of role clarity and focused skill development within teams.

3. The Principle of Coordination

Effective coordination ensures that all parts of the organization work harmoniously. Urwick believed in the vital role of managerial coordination to achieve organizational coherence and avoid duplication of efforts, ensuring that all departments and units move in sync towards the established objectives.

4. The Principle of Authority

Authority is essential for maintaining order and ensuring compliance. This principle dictates that authority should be well-defined and exercised appropriately. Each employee should receive orders from only one superior to avoid conflict and confusion. Urwick’s principle of unity of command reinforces the importance of a single reporting line, ensuring clarity in instructions and responsibilities. Managers must have the rights to give orders and expect compliance, which facilitates smooth execution of tasks and responsibilities.

5. The Principle of Responsibility

With authority comes responsibility. Urwick emphasized that responsibility should be commensurate with the level of authority assigned to a role. Managers and employees alike should be accountable for their actions, ensuring a culture of ownership and ethical behavior within the organization.

6. The Principle of Definition

Urwick’s principle of definition emphasizes that jobs, duties, and relationships within an organization should be clearly and precisely defined. This principle aims to ensure that each role is well-understood, with clear expectations regarding responsibilities, authority, and the relationships between various positions. By defining these aspects clearly, organizations can reduce ambiguity, improve communication, and enhance overall efficiency in their operations..

7. The Principle of Correspondence

The principle essentially posits that there must be a clear and direct alignment between responsibility and authority within an organization. In simpler terms, the responsibilities assigned to an individual or a role should correspond directly to the authority granted to fulfill those responsibilities.

8. The Principle of Span of Control

The span of control pertains to the number of subordinates directly managed by a superior. Urwick suggested that there should be an optimal number of direct reports to ensure effective supervision and support. Too wide a span can dilute managerial effectiveness, while too narrow a span can lead to micromanagement.

9. The Principle of Balance

Urwick’s Principle of Balance states that every part of an organization should be in balance with each other to achieve overall harmony and efficiency. In simpler terms, it means that different aspects of a business—such as its structure, processes, resources, and goals—should be aligned and proportionate to avoid disruption and inefficiency.

10. The Principle of Continuity

This principle emphasizes the importance of maintaining continuous and uninterrupted operation within an organization. According to Urwick, for any organization to achieve its goals and function efficiently, it must ensure that there are no disruptions in its processes and activities.

Applying Urwick’s Principles in Today’s World

While Urwick’s principles were formulated in the early 20th century, their relevance endures in today’s fast-paced and ever-changing business environment. Modern organizations can benefit significantly from these principles by adapting them to contemporary contexts:

• Clear Objectives and Agile Methodologies: While maintaining clear objectives, organizations can adopt agile methodologies to respond swiftly to market changes.

• Specialization and Cross-Functional Teams: Encourage specialization but also promote cross-functional collaboration to foster innovation.

• Coordination and Digital Tools: Utilize digital tools and platforms to enhance coordination and streamline communication.

• Authority and Empowerment: Balance authority with employee empowerment, fostering a culture of innovation and accountability.

• Responsibility and Ethical Leadership: Promote ethical leadership and ensure that responsibility is clearly delineated through transparent policies.

• Scalar Chain and Flat Structures: While maintaining a scalar chain, consider flatter structures that enable quicker decision-making and closer customer relationships.

• Unity of Command and Flexible Roles: Ensure unity of command while allowing for flexible roles that adapt to project needs.

• Span of Control and Collaborative Leadership: Optimize span of control through collaborative leadership models that emphasize team autonomy.

• Equity and Inclusion: Strive for equity by fostering an inclusive culture that values diversity and encourages fair treatment.

• Order and Innovation: Maintain order in processes while creating an environment that encourages innovative thinking and experimentation.

Lyndall Urwick’s ten principles of management are enduring guidelines that offer profound insights into achieving organizational success. By understanding and integrating these principles, modern businesses can navigate the complexities of today’s marketplace with a structured yet flexible approach.

The BCG Matrix was first outlined by Alan Zakon and then developed by Bruce D. Henderson in 1968 while he was working at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), a management consulting firm. The matrix was created to help businesses evaluate and prioritize their product lines.

Henderson believed that businesses needed a tool to identify which products should receive investment and which ones should be phased out. He developed the BCG Matrix as a way to categorize a company’s products based on their market share and growth rate.

The BCG Matrix quickly became a popular strategy tool for businesses, and it is still widely used today. It has been used by companies such as General Electric, IBM, and Coca-Cola to evaluate their product portfolios.

Over the years, the BCG Matrix has undergone some modifications and adaptations to reflect changes in the business environment. The matrix has been updated to include additional factors such as industry attractiveness and competitive strength to provide a more comprehensive view of a company’s product portfolio.

Boston Growth Matrix (BCG Matrix)

How does the BCG Matrix work?

The matrix categorizes a company’s products into four categories or quadrants: Stars, Cash Cows, Question Marks, and Dogs, based on their market share and growth rate.

Stars

Stars are products with a high market share and high growth rate. These products have the potential to become cash cows if the company invests in them. Companies should allocate resources to maintain or increase their market share.

Cash Cows

Cash cows are products with a high market share but low growth rate. These products generate a lot of revenue for the company but do not require significant investment. Companies should use the revenue from these products to invest in stars and question marks.

Question Marks

Question marks are products with a low market share but high growth rate. These products require investment to increase their market share and become stars. Companies should carefully evaluate these products and decide whether to allocate resources to them or phase them out.

Dogs

Dogs are products with a low market share and low growth rate. These products do not generate significant revenue for the company and should be phased out unless they complement other products.

What are the benefits of using the BCG Matrix?

The BCG Matrix provides several benefits to businesses, including:

Portfolio evaluation: The BCG Matrix helps businesses evaluate their product portfolio and determine which products are generating revenue and which ones require investment.

Resource allocation: The BCG Matrix helps businesses allocate resources to their products based on their market share and growth rate. It allows businesses to invest in high-growth products and use cash cows to fund other products.

Simplified analysis: The BCG Matrix simplifies the analysis of a company’s product portfolio by categorizing products into four quadrants. It provides a clear visual representation of the products and their performance.

Strategic planning: The BCG Matrix helps businesses develop strategic plans for their products by identifying growth opportunities and potential risks.

Competitive analysis: The BCG Matrix allows businesses to compare their product portfolio to their competitors’ portfolios. It helps businesses identify areas where they have a competitive advantage and areas where they need to improve.

Focus on profitability: The BCG Matrix encourages businesses to focus on profitability rather than just market share. It helps businesses identify which products generate the most revenue and which ones are not profitable.

What are the limitations of using the BCG Matrix?

While the BCG Matrix is a useful tool for businesses, it is not without its downsides. Here are some potential drawbacks of using the BCG Matrix:

Simplistic approach: The BCG Matrix categorizes products into four categories based on market share and growth rate only.

Limited scope: The BCG Matrix is most useful for businesses with a diverse portfolio of products. It may not be as effective for businesses with a single product or a small number of products.

Inaccurate data: The accuracy of the BCG Matrix depends on the accuracy of the data used to plot the products. If the data is inaccurate or outdated, the analysis may be flawed.

Lack of guidance: The BCG Matrix does not provide clear guidance on how to manage products in each category. It is up to the business to determine the appropriate actions to take.

Overemphasis on market share: The BCG Matrix places a strong emphasis on market share, which may not always be the best indicator of a product’s success.

How do I use the BCG Matrix for my business?

As mentioned, the BCG Matrix helps businesses make informed decisions about their product lines and resource allocation. Here are some steps to use the BCG Matrix for your business:

• Identify your products: List all your products and their market share and growth rate.
• Plot your products on the matrix: Use the market share and growth rate to plot your products on the BCG Matrix.
• Analyze each product category: Evaluate the products in each category and determine what actions to take. Allocate resources to stars, use cash cows to invest in stars and question marks, evaluate question marks carefully, and phase out dogs.
• Monitor your products: Continuously evaluate your product lines and adjust your resource allocation accordingly.

What are the alternatives to the BCG Matrix?

While the BCG Matrix is a widely used strategy tool, it is not the only option available. Here are some alternatives to the BCG Matrix:

GE/McKinsey Matrix: The GE/McKinsey Matrix is similar to the BCG Matrix but includes additional factors such as industry attractiveness and competitive strength. It provides a more comprehensive view of a company’s product portfolio.

Ansoff Matrix: The Ansoff Matrix evaluates a company’s growth opportunities based on four strategies: market penetration, market development, product development, and diversification. It helps companies identify growth opportunities beyond their existing products and markets.

SWOT Analysis: SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) Analysis evaluates a company’s internal strengths and weaknesses and external opportunities and threats. It helps companies identify areas where they have a competitive advantage and where they need to improve.

Product Life Cycle Analysis: Product Life Cycle Analysis evaluates a product’s sales over time and identifies which stage of the product life cycle it is in: introduction, growth, maturity, or decline. It helps companies determine how to allocate resources to a product at each stage of its life cycle.

Blue Ocean Strategy: Blue Ocean Strategy focuses on creating new market spaces and uncontested markets rather than competing in existing markets. It encourages companies to create innovative products and services that open up new market opportunities.

In Summary

The BCG Matrix is a strategic tool developed by Bruce D. Henderson in 1968 to help businesses evaluate and prioritize their product lines. It categorizes a company’s products into four categories based on their market share and growth rate: stars, cash cows, question marks, and dogs. The matrix provides businesses with a framework to evaluate their product portfolio, allocate resources, and develop strategic plans. By using the BCG Matrix, businesses can make informed decisions about their products and focus on profitability rather than just market share. While the BCG Matrix has undergone some modifications over the years, it remains a widely used strategy tool in the business world.

Organizational culture is a set of values, beliefs, and behaviors that guide how employees interact with each other, customers, and the external environment. Dr. Geert Hofstede developed one of the most widely used models for describing organizational culture: the Hofstede model. This model helps organizations understand their own culture and how it impacts their performance.

What Is the Hofstede Model?

The Hofstede model is a framework that identifies five dimensions of organizational culture: power distance, individualism/collectivism, masculinity/femininity, uncertainty avoidance, and long-term orientation. Each dimension can be ranked according to its prevalence within an organization in order to better understand its overall culture.

Power Distance

Power distance looks at how people perceive and accept the unequal distribution of power within an organization. In high power distance cultures, there is tight control over subordinates by supervisors or management team; in low power distance cultures there is more equality between different levels of authority.

Individualism Vs Collectivism

Individualism/Collectivism looks at how much an organization emphasizes individual versus collective achievement – whether people generally look out for themselves or for their group as a whole. A culture that favors achieving one’s own goals ahead of collective goals is considered individualistic; whereas a collectivistic culture emphasizes collective achievements over individual ones.

Masculinity Vs Femininity

Masculinity/Femininity measures the importance placed on success, competition, money & material possessions vs quality of life & concern for others by members of the organization. Masculine cultures tend to prioritize money and status symbols while feminine cultures are more focused on quality relationships and social norms such as respectfulness towards others.

Uncertainty Avoidance

Uncertainty avoidance describes how comfortable people feel with ambiguity or risk; how willing they are to try new things or take risks when necessary. Cultures that are high in uncertainty avoidance generally have stringent rules and regulations; conversely, low uncertainty avoidance cultures can be more flexible and open to change since they are less afraid of failure or making mistakes.

Long Term Orientation

Long-Term Orientation looks at how future oriented an organization is – whether it values short-term gains or building something lasting over time . Organizations with strong long term orientation tend to emphasize growth over immediate profits; those with weak long term orientation prioritize immediate gains from current activities instead of investing in future projects or development.

The Hofstede Model provides organizations with valuable insight into their organizational culture – what kind of values and behaviors employees uphold within it, where it stands relative to other organizations on each dimension etc., allowing them to gain a better understanding which areas need improvement so that they can create an effective working environment for all stakeholders involved.

According to a study, corporate culture influences many aspects of a company’s executives. It is essential for all business organizations. Your company may have different types of organizational culture.

If you have been looking for information about organizational culture, you have come to the right place. This post will give you an insight into what corporate culture is all about. Also, you will know the reasons for which it is crucial.

What is Organizational Culture?

Organizational culture is the combination of the working ethics and the manner in which staff members conduct themselves. It includes the mindset and spoken and unspoken behavior of employees. In addition, it also consists of the approaches or practices that a company adopts to carry out its tasks. All these aspects define how staff members discharge their professional responsibilities.

You may find organizational culture necessary for your company for various reasons. Read on to know why they are essential for your business organization.

Reasons for Which Organizational Culture is Important

You need to empower your employees to grow your business. That’s because authorized employees in your company will make quick decisions and implement them smoothly. For this to happen, your organization must have a solid organizational culture.

The empowerment of the employees of your company is just one of the benefits of a strong organizational culture. The latter can also benefit you in several other ways. Here’s a list of a few of them.

1. Organizational Culture Can Save Your Time and Money for Hiring New Employees

Less turnover is one of the several goals of most companies. It gives them a much-needed break from the need to hire fresh candidates, which can drain a company’s time and resources.

With a solid organizational culture in your company, you will be able to keep your employees happy. It will help you achieve a low turnover and lower attrition rate. Keep improving your organizational culture to keep it relevant to your business and employees’ needs.

2. You Can Set up the Right Expectations for a Higher Employee Engagement

Setting up the expectations of your employees can either make or break the deal for your company’s productivity. Strong organizational culture will help your employees understand your company’s core objectives and values. With a strong knowledge of both these aspects, they can formulate effective strategies by complying with your company’s policies.

This can be a game-changer for your company as it will lead to more employee engagement. As they set their goals and take steps to achieve them, your company can compete with top firms. With persistent efforts, your company will eventually be where you want it to be in the long run.

3. It will Give Your Brand its Identity

You can learn about your company’s organizational culture by thinking about it. If it’s on the right track, you will get more business. Plus, your company will attract the best talents.

You can create the best image and reputation for your brand through organizational culture. Everyone will want to engage with your company if it displays a positive outlook based on strong corporate culture.

Even startups do their best to create brand identity, so you would also want to do the same for your existing business organization. There is a good reason why you would like to do it. After all, companies with a weak image fail to draw credible clients and ambitious employees.

4. You Can Transform Ordinary Employees to Top Performers

No individual comes to the job market as a ready-made professional. It takes both effort and learning on the part of an individual to become a top professional. No one would know it better than you if you are a company owner or a recruiting manager.

A strong organizational culture will motivate your company’s managers to celebrate their team members’ success. This will, in turn, whet up the appetite for success among those team members and their coworkers. They will put in an even harder effort and develop better strategies for success.

5. You Can Create a Healthy Team Environment

The definition of a healthy team environment may vary from one company to the other. This is because you can define it in many ways.

But in general, you can consider the team environment of your firm to be healthy if it is not toxic. Your employees should enjoy each other’s success and work together as a team to achieve a common purpose. By improving workflows and organizing work structures, the organizational culture of your firm can promote a healthy team environment in your company.

Final Thoughts

In a nutshell, your company’s organizational culture reflects how employees work and engage with each other. It is crucial for the communication, bonding, and relationships among your employees and between the clients and your company. It is of paramount importance for your company for the aforementioned reasons.

What is conflict management?

Conflict management is the implementation of strategies to eliminate the negative aspects of disputes and accentuate the positive ones. The objective is for the differing sides in the matter to collaborate and overcome their differences in a way that each party is heard and understood.

PollackPeaceBuilding.com provides professionally instructor-led training workshops and seminars for employees, managers, and executives at organizations. They provide both in-person and virtual workshops to adhere to convenient methods for you. As they are rated #1 in the conflict resolution training, their workshops are packed with informative methods and skills to improve your conflict management skills.

Managing Conflicts in the Workplace

Managing conflicts at work can be quite a challenge. Here are some tips on how to effectively manage conflict in the workplace:

• Take immediate action: Being proactive when conflicts arise by resolving them as soon as possible minimizes tension and obstructs other employees from being involved in disagreements.

• Frame the discussion positively: Using the correct term to categorize each discussion is key to avoiding unnecessary tension. Instead of using the term “conflict resolution” to frame the meeting as a “brainstorming” discussion or “chat session,” certain terms have a negative connotation that will cloud the progression of the conflict.

• Focus on the issue, not the person: Encourage parties to avoid personal attacks, rather focus on problem-solving

• Practice active listening: Listen to each speaker and adhere to the message they are relaying to you. The best way to accomplish active listening is to ask open-ended questions; this leaves room for endless dialogue conducive to finding a solution.

Examples of Workplace Conflicts

• Task-Based Conflicts
• Conflict with Managers Leadership Style
• Conflicts with Customers
• Discrimination
• Clash of Personalities
• Performance Review Conflicts

Conflict Management meetings are usually in a quiet formal setting. The mediator (i.e., supervisor, manager, etc.) will call a meeting for both parties to discuss their gripes.

Adapt Conflict Resolution Skills

• Communication: Clear and concise communication is an effective skill to help the parties involved feel heard and understood. It also helps keep each constituent on the right track for exactly what is expected going forward.

• Empathy: Looking at the argument or situation from the other person’s point of view can reduce stubbornness and resentment.

• Problem Solving: Great problem solvers are effective at listening and finding solutions, which assists differing parties with agreeing and cooperating.

• Emotional Intelligence: Understanding your feelings and others is imperative to minimizing and averting conflicts to find a surefire resolution.

How To Lead A Conflict Management Meeting

If you are the mediator of a conflict management meeting, follow these tips to ensure a successful outcome:

1. Set Ground Rules. Explain to the parties involved the goals and procedures for the meeting. Expound on what is considered unacceptable behavior and each constituent’s expected.

2. Identify the conflict. Ask each party to relay their side of the particular event one at a time. Pose questions for a better understanding, as this will assist in pinpointing the exact issue. Be sure to clarify both perspectives until there is a commonality of the problem.

3. Discuss possible solutions. Review different methods to handle the problem if it arises again in the future. You will ask yourself, “What was successful about the meeting?” “Is there anything I could have done differently to resolve the matter?”

4. Confirm the problem. Confirm that both parties accept the resolution that was established. Record the meeting, solution, and procedures on a document to enforce the resolution and that each party fully understands. Have both parties sign the document.

5. Conduct a separate follow-up with each party. After time has passed, call each party into the office separately and confirm there has not been any ongoing conflict since the last meeting. Set a second meeting if there has been another conflict.

Chances are you’ve experienced delays at work waiting for someone to respond to your email. That person may be overloaded or unorganized and yet you’re held responsible for the lack of progress. Here are two tips to get faster replies to your emails.

First tip – modify your subject line from being a topic title to instead being a question with the person’s name in it. Contrast a typical subject line: “Century project” vs “Al, what’s the ETA on the century project please?” The second subject line lets the recipient know that this email is requesting a brief reply, increasing the chances they’ll respond more quickly.

The second tip for generating faster more favourable replies to emails is wonderfully simple. Emails are often impersonal and cold. That doesn’t mean we need to start with a paragraph of personal remarks causing the email to seem longer (making it less likely to get a response). Instead, simply adjust your opening salutation from, “Hi Karina,” to instead, “Good morning Karina,”. Not only is good morning (or afternoon or evening) a warmer, more personalized greeting, but it also includes a general time of day. It’s a subtle reminder for the recipient that this is a current request from a real person.

Bonus tip: If those approaches still don’t get you a fast enough response, pick up the phone.

About the Author

Jeff Mowatt is a customer service strategist, Hall of Fame speaker, and bestselling author. This article is based on Jeff’s bestselling book, Influence with Ease. You can obtain your own copy of his book or to inquire about engaging Jeff for your team at www.jeffmowatt.com.

When the World says “Give up”, Hope whispers “Try it one more time”. Here are fifty Persistence quotations for testing times..

1. “It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.”  Albert Einstein
2. “Opportunities are usually disguised as hard work, so most people don’t recognize them”.  Ann Landers
3. “Success is almost totally dependent upon drive and persistence. The extra energy required to make another effort or try another approach is the secret of winning.”  Denis Waitley
4. “To follow, without halt, one aim: There’s the secret of success.”  Anna Pavlova
5. “Energy and persistence conquer all things.”  Benjamin Franklin
6. “As long as there’s breath in You–Persist!”  Bernard Kelvin Clive
7. “No great achievement is possible without persistent work.” Bertrand Russell
8.  “Just because you fail once doesn’t mean you’re gonna fail at everything.” Marilyn Monroe
9. “Ambition is the path to success. Persistence is the vehicle you arrive in.”  Bill Bradley
10. “Champions keep playing until they get it right.” Billy Jean King
11. “My greatest point is my persistence. I never give up in a match. However down I am, I fight until the last ball. My list of matches shows that I have turned a great many so-called irretrievable defeats into victories.” Bjorn Borg
12. “When I meet successful people I ask 100 questions as to what they attribute their success to. It is usually the same: persistence, hard work and hiring good people.” Kiana Tom
13. “Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent.” Calvin Coolidge
14. “Persistence and determination are always rewarded.” Christine Rice
15. “Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty, and persistence.”  Colin Powell
16. “The difference between the difficult and the impossible is that the impossible takes a little longer time.” Lady Aberdeen Learn,
17. “Flaming enthusiasm, backed up by horse sense and persistence, is the quality that most frequently makes for success.” Dale Carnegie
18. “Talent is nothing without persistence.” Dean Crawford
19. “A little more persistence, a little more effort, and what seemed hopeless failure may turn to glorious success.” Elbert Hubbard
20.  “Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day.”  A.A. Milne, “Winnie-the-Pooh”
21. “Character consists of what you do on the third and fourth tries.”  James A. Michener
22. “The most essential factor is persistence–the determination never to allow your energy or enthusiasm to be dampened by the discouragement that must inevitably come.  James Whitcomb Riley
23. “Money grows on the tree of persistence.” Japanese Proverb
24. “Perseverance is failing 19 times and succeeding the 20th.” Julie Andrews
25. “In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins- not through strength but by perseverance.” H. Jackson Brown
26. “Slight persistent effort can move you successfully forward in anything you do.”  Kelli Wilson
27. “Let me tell you the secret that has led me to my goal. My strength lies solely in my tenacity.”  Louis Pasteur
28. “P is for Persistence! Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Wishing will not; Talent will not; Genius will not; Education will not; Persistence is like a Genie that creates a magical force in your life.”  Lucas Remmerswaal 
29. “Persistence is the twin sister of excellence. One is a matter of quality; the other, a matter of time.”  Marabel Morgan
30. “If you can’t fly, then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.”  Martin Luther King, Jr.
31.  “A bend in the road is not the end of the road…Unless you fail to make the turn.”  Helen Keller
32. “Persistence is to the character of man as carbon is to steel.”  Napoleon Hill
33. “It always seems impossible until it is done.”  Nelson Mandela
34. “Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did.”  Newt Gingrich
35. “Patience and persistence are the keys… The keys to unlock doors of success… With these two virtues, you grow in reasoning and experience.”   Ogwo David Emenike
36. “He conquers who endures.”   Persius
37. “Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail.”   Ralph Waldo Emerson
38. “To persist with a goal, you must treasure the dream more than the costs of sacrifice to attain it.”  Richelle E. Goodrich
39. “In my experience, nothing worthwhile has ever really been all that easy. But it certainly has been worthwhile regardless how difficult it seemed.”   Robert Fanney
40. “If you do not have persistence then no amount of education, talent, or genius can make up for it.” Stephen Richards
41. “In case of doubt, push on just a little further and then keep on pushing.”   General George S Patton, Jr.
42. “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up. Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is to always try just one more time.”  Thomas Edison
43. “Permanence, perseverance, and persistence in spite of all obstacles, discouragement, and impossibilities: It is this, that in all things distinguishes the strong soul from the weak.”   Thomas Carlyle
44. “With ordinary talent and extraordinary perseverance, all things are attainable.”  Thomas Foxwell Buxton
45. “I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.”  Thomas Jefferson
46. “We are made to persist. That’s how we find out who we are.” Tobias Wolff
47. “Most people never run far enough on their first wind to find out they’ve got a second.” William James
48. “Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.”  Winston Churchill
49. “Purity, patience and perseverance are the three essentials to success and above all love.”  Swami Vivekananda
50. “Consider the postage stamp: Its usefulness consists in the ability to stick to one thing till it gets there.”  Josh Billings

In summary, these quotes establish thoughts of courage and perseverance so that regardless of the circumstances you come out ahead. May these words be your mantra, “Climb high, climb far, your goal the sky, your aim the star.”

In addition, do you want more success in life and goal achievement? See this complimentary guide and assessment on success habits: Success Practices.

Finally, do you want to accelerate your goal achievement? Check out Rick’s goalsetting and achieving eBook: GoalPower: How to Increase Your Personal Achievement and Career Success.

About the Author

Rick Conlow is the CEO & Founder of Rick Conlow International, a consulting, training and coaching firm. He has helped over 200 companies such as Target, Costco, Andersen Windows, Spectrum, Northern Power, Meijer, Carpet King, International Truck, John Deere, Lowes Financial, and Canadian Linen improve customer loyalty, increase sales and add profits. Rick has been a general manager, vice president, training director, program director, and national sales trainer. He has authored 22 books, and regularly speaks at conferences and to audiences of all sizes.