How To Improve Your Customer Service

As I travel around North America for various business opportunities, I find myself encountering all sorts of customer service styles...some good and some very, very bad! It seems that no matter how many consultants and business coaches and in-house customer service trainers teach employees how to provide good service we, the consuming public continue to fall victim to bad service in almost every sort of establishment that wants our money!

In sake of fairness, I must say that I do come across establishments that provide extremely good service. However, those seem to be the exception rather than the rule. In order to encourage more good service, when I am fortunate enough to find it, I thank the provider and tell them how much I appreciate it. Occasionally, I will even seek out the manager of the establishment to tell him what a great job his employee did for me and to ask him or her to keep up the good work. A pat on the back goes a long way!

The main reason that individuals provide bad service comes down to a simple bad attitude. The person who doesn’t care enough to provide good service generally has the attitude that what they are doing doesn’t matter, that the establishment  does not matter, that their customer’s do not matter, that the thing they are selling does not matter or in the worst cases, that nothing in life matters.

The owners and operators of establishments that provide bad service are at fault too. They often seem oblivious to the bad service their employees provide or the fact that they are losing hundreds or even thousands of dollars every week because customers hate dealing with them!

Various surveys and studies over the past decade indicate that 60% to 70% of all lost business is a result of the attitude of customer service personnel or sales people.

The lost business accounts for hundreds of millions of dollars in lost business every year world-wide. Despite these alarming losses, businesses continue to tolerate employees with bad attitudes and will often defend the attitude of their miserable or thoughtless employees as being “unusual” or even by simply denying it.

I think that business leaders all over the world would agree that they want their business to be considered a good place to do business. With that in mind, here are some things you might consider doing to improve the “attitude” of your employees and recover some of those lost “bad-service dollars”:

1.       When you observe a bad customer service attitude deal with it immediately. Wait until the customer is gone and then confront the employee, letting them know where they went wrong and how to improve. If the attitude or behaviour goes unchecked it will be hard to change later.

2.       Put on seminars and workshops to explain to your employees what good customer service should look like.  Tell them and what you expect from them when they interact with customers and what is not acceptable. Give them a “customer service roadmap” to follow.

3.       Some of the best establishments have actual, written customer service manuals. These can help even the most “block-headed” employees understand the difference between good and bad customer service and the value of it. Write it down so that they can read it and retain it in their minds.

4.       “Inspect what you expect”. It is not good enough to simply tell your people to provide good service. Monitor your establishment’s customer service by getting out of your office and watching your employees as they interact with customers. Just your presence on the floor should improve service...If not, you might need to work on your leadership skills.

5.       Ask random people you meet. Ask other business people, folks you meet at parties, or people you meet in the grocery store, if they have been to your establishment and if so, how they felt about the service. You might be surprised what you hear.

6.       Send out customer service surveys. Send out surveys to as many customers as possible in order to get a fair sampling. Some people complain about everything when asked but if your get the same complaint over and over again, you can be quite certain that you have a problem.

7.       Put a customer satisfaction application on your website. Allow customers to rate their satisfaction with your service and provide a box for comments. We live in an online world and many people are more likely to comment if they can do it online.

8.       Tell your employees what you have learned. When you have done your monitoring, inspections and surveys, have meetings with all employees to let them know what you heard, what their customers are saying about them, and what you would like to see in the future.

9.       “Thank your superstar employees for providing great service.” Let everyone in your establishment know who that stars are and what they do that is different. A good service attitude can become contagious when it is openly praised or rewarded.

10.   Get tough on bad service providers. This area of business leadership is often ignored or avoided due to the simple fear of confrontation. As tough as it may be to be critical of another human being you have to accept that the establishment leader is ultimately responsible for the success or failure of the business. You must deal directly and sometimes harshly with the bad attitudes of your employees. Don’t become the victim of someone else’s attitude!

Don’t let your business earn a reputation for bad service. Get involved with your employees to assure that their interactions provide the best possible buying experience for your customers. Make service the number one priority of your business and assure your longevity and success well into the future!   

Dynamic Leadership Inc. is a premier provider of personal development training in North America. Ask them to put on their “Attitude and Ethics” seminar for your employees as soon as possible.

 www.dlionline.ca

I Love My Levi's And I Will Not Change!

When I was a teenager, I became very attached to Levi’s jeans. Most of my friends wore Levi’s Red Tab jeans and we all thought we looked pretty darned cool! In those days Levi’s were made of heavy, dark blue denim that eventually faded to a very pleasant lighter indigo hue. The pungent odour of the blue dye was almost overwhelming until the first time they were washed. Those were tough jeans; unstoppable in almost any situation and resilient to every sort of soil or stain. We wore the boot-cut or regular-cut varieties because those were what all the hip young men of the day wanted to be seen in. I never stopped wearing my Levi’s jeans and they are still the jean-of-choice in my wardrobe today.

As a young man, I had not considered that my Levi’s might become a matter of contention in my family when I became a father.

My teenage children wanted “designer” jeans, created by a variety of high priced cloth-cutters with odd sounding names. Gone were Levi’s, GWG, and Lee jeans...In were Tommy Hilfiger, Armani and Tommy Bahama, all of whom made jeans that cost much more than my Levi’s. My kids made a point of letting me know that I was totally out of step and needed a complete denim makeover in order to move from fuddy-duddy to cool dad status. Sadly, I never made it to that lofty level of youthful social acceptance.

Much to the chagrin of my kids, I doggedly stuck with my Levi’s. I refused to change. I was determined to stay the course and wear my Levi’s in the face of humiliation and potential ridicule from every teenager and cool dad in the world. I was set in my ways and nothing short of a mugging at gun-point could force me into designer jeans.

Just as I failed as a cool dad, many managers and executives continue to fail as successful leaders today.

Too many leaders believe that the old ways are the right ways or the only ways. A lot of Boomer and Generation X leaders believe that we need to get back to basics; return to sanity, and bring back the good old days.

Guess what folks...The good old days are gone...They will never return!

Successful leaders in the twenty first century understand that in order to be successful they must drop many of the old ways and move to a new style of people-management. Change is difficult and the older we get, the more difficult it becomes for us to accept new things. That is human nature and it is not likely to change any time soon. However, if we stand in the way of the steam-roller of change, we will surely be flattened like the pavement of a highway leading to the oblivion of bankruptcy.

Young people eventually become old people and when that happens they take over the world.

Because we will have so many Boomers leaving the workforce during this decade, we will have a faster than usual transition to the new guard...As the holders of the purse-strings and the possessors of the thrones-of-power move to retirement, they will be replaced by younger people who will demand a new world order.

When the young power-brokers take over, gone will be command and control management and gone will be the hierarchical class structures that govern most North American businesses today. Gone will be the concept that the boss is always right and gone will be the idea that employees have to do what they are told unconditionally. The new-guard will wear tee shirts and designer jeans on Wall Street and because letter-writing will be a lost art, they will text their way to success. They will eliminate boring board meetings where a few grey-haired men decide the fate of thousands and they will distribute their company’s wealth in a more equitable, almost quasi-socialistic manner.

Ironically, the new-guard were trained as children by the same old-guard that is currently resisting the changes that are as inevitable as a morning sunrise.

We, the Boomers taught our children to be fair, to stand up for themselves, to take their rightful place in the world, to distrust corporations, to detest Governments, and to make the world a better place for everyone of every race, creed, colour, gender, religion, height, width, sexual bias, from any social circle and from either side of the tracks. We have changed our children’s perceptions of social order and they will soon run their corporations with the values that we so vehemently drummed into them.

If we want our businesses to be strong and live into the future, we need to start changing our management styles now. We need to adapt to the new world order and allow our future leaders the freedom to bring their new ways into our companies. Many companies have already started this new way of doing business and have been very successful with it. They understand that corporate hierarchy, executive superiority and grey pin-striped suits are no longer necessary for success.

Forward thinking leaders understand that in the very near future most of their customers and employees will be members of the much-dreaded Generation “Y” and that they must change their ways of thinking, managing and leading now if they want their brands to live on into the future.

I am a Boomer, very near the end of my career. I still wear my Levi’s and I am still a proud fuddy-duddy.  As much as very little has changed about me, I understand that the designer-jeans-wearing leaders of the future will be every bit as successful as the Levi’s wearing crew that I grew up with. I also accept that with or without my help, they will create a new social order that will be completely appropriate for its time. The future is inevitable and in my eyes, it looks bright!

I have officially stopped standing in the way of progress but I will never change my jeans!

All the Best

Wayne Kehl

What Does The Future Hold For Our Aimless Youth?

The young people we know as Generation “Y” will soon overtake the rapidly retiring boomer generation in the workforce. When that changing of the guard comes to full fruition, the young people of today will be expected to keep the country running by filling all of the jobs and running all of the organizations that their Boomer predecessors leave behind.

DAZED AND CONFUSED.

In every generation, there are keeners; those amazingly talented, intelligent, resourceful people who know what they are good at, what they want, and how to go out and get it. However, many of the young people who graduate from high school and make their way into the workforce every year are frankly, dazed and confused...they don’t know what to do and they are afraid of what the future holds. Through no fault of their own, they are aimless and lost in a sea of bewilderment.

YOU MADE THEM WHAT THEY ARE.

Considering the amazing amount of contradiction and misinformation that Boomer and Generation “X” parents have tossed at Generation “Y” all their lives, it is no wonder many of them are aimless. They have been praised, protected, doted on and rewarded by parents and teachers all of their lives. They have no idea what overcoming obstacles means and they have a profound lack of understanding of the subtleties and cruelties of the business world. They have been taught to believe in themselves and have an ingrained faith that they will succeed. However, as they near the precipice of independence, they are beginning to realize that neither their parents nor teachers prepared them for real jobs in the real world. They simply have no idea what they might excel at or where their talents might be best utilized.

Generation “Y” has a fundamental belief that they should never settle for second best. They want to start at the top of the pay scale and they believe they should have everything their parents have, almost immediately after they leave home. Because of their liberal and generous upbringings, many young folks make it all the way to high school graduation without ever contemplating the fact that they will ultimately be singularly responsible for their own lives. Imagine the horror of leaving the nest without a mature, functional pair of wings!

THEY HAVE NO DIRECTION.

Parents and teachers in most cases have done a less than effective job of preparing our young people for the real world. They did not encourage them into any particular profession or career path. Oh sure, they bought them laptop computers and I-phones and they told them they would be great at whatever they did as long as they did their best, but they did not map out a clear path for adult success. Many parents and teachers told kids that they should become computer literate, get a good education and avoid dirty jobs where physical labour is involved. Of course, they wanted the best for their kids when they provided all of that support, but they did not think it through; they did not balance their encouragement and advice with research and practicality so that they could provide clear direction to their progeny. Hence, many of our youths are wandering the streets, avenues, and shopping malls of North America with a deeply embedded sense of despair and no clear plan for their lives. Here is what they might be thinking:

“Should I be a doctor, a lawyer, a pharmacist, a writer, a teacher, a computer programmer, a rock star, a movie star, a disc jockey, an entrepreneur, an employee, a CEO or a taxi driver? Mom and Dad told me I would do well at anything I tried but what in the name of Bill Gates and Britney Spears, should I try? I don’t know what to do!”

WHAT IS THE ANSWER? HOW CAN WE FIX IT?

It is never too late to help your children find their true calling. The first thing you need to do is sit down with them and ask them what they want to do. Do not assume that what you want for them is the right thing because if you try to force them to do something that you feel would make a wonderful occupation for them you might find that it is quite the opposite of what they want. In the worst case scenario you might also eventually find out that they are simply not capable of doing well at it after spending thousands of dollars on education costs. Let’s face it, everyone cannot be a great surgeon or a skilled airline pilot and in both cases, the practitioners of those occupations must be extremely good at what they do. Just doing their best when their best is not good enough will not cut it.

Create an unthreatening, safe environment and have an open, honest discussion with your kids about what they want and then agree to help them achieve it. If they are completely confused and simply have no idea what they want to do, you might have to dig deeper. In that case, you can employ a professional employment counsellor to work with him or her. That can be quite costly however, so for much less expense, you can do a skills and talent assessment that will point you both in the right direction. Most assessments can be done online with a report generated on your computer within seconds of the survey being completed. They are very accurate and extremely helpful. For maximum clarity and impartiality you should have a trained professional debrief you and your son or daughter on the report. Once you have been through it, you will have a much better idea of what sort of occupation your kids belong in.

THE FIRST STEP IS RECOGNIZING THAT YOUR KIDS MIGHT NOT HAVE A CLEAR DIRECTION FOR THE FUTURE.

Once you have accepted that they have no plan for the future, ask them if they know where they want go and what they want to do. Make it clear that even though their direction might not be what you expected, it is okay with you and that you will support them. Do not make the assumption that they will get by on their brilliance and sparkling personalites. Although they might seem mature to you, they are just young impressionable people who need a boost from you to make the next big step in their lives.

You created them and they are yours from birth until death. You owe them every opportunity to succeed.

All the Best

Wayne Kehl

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GENERATION "Y" IS GETTING A BUM RAP!

I am a man in his fifties who spent the majority of his career as a manager of people. During that time I have managed Boomers, Generation “X”, Generation “Y” and even a few Traditionals. (Traditionals are people now in their late sixties to early nineties). Of all the age or generation groups I had the privilege to manage I accomplished greater things and had more pure enjoyment with Generation “Y” than any of the others.

Generation “Y” are now people in their late teens to early thirties. They are the young, vibrant people you see on the street; they are the fashion models you see on the runways and the scholars you see strolling about the campuses of the best Universities: They are the people who will soon control most of the world’s finances and create most of the world’s future inventions and innovations. In short, the next wave of professors, power-brokers and storekeepers will all be Generation “Y”... They will soon rule the world!

WHO IS TO BLAME?

Generation “Y” is often characterized by employers, co-workers and business writers as being spoiled, lazy, rude, irresponsible, and flippant. Many older people seem to think that they have no ambition and no desire to do good work. The Boomers and Generation “X” parents who nurtured, educated and moulded the minds of Generation “Y” children now seem to feel that their progeny will be almost useless in the world of business and industry. We are products of our environment and if Generation “Y” is a deficient generation their parents have no one to blame but themselves.

WE DIDN'T HAVE IT SO GOOD!

In fairness to Boomer and Generation “X” parents; they were only trying to be the best maternal and paternal influences they could be. They wanted to provide their kids with everything they were deprived of as children because of the shortage of discretionary income that their Traditional parents had during the fifties and sixties. As the western world grew generally wealthier and every garage had at least one and half cars in it, the material possessions of children became more elaborate and more expensive. Children began to understand that almost anything was attainable and all they had to do was ask for a new toy and it magically appeared. On the other hand, as children in the fifties, most of us had to play with broken and dirty toys that had been handed down from older siblings.

YOU GAVE THEM EVERYTHING THEY WANTED!

Most Generation “Y” kids have the best of everything and wear jeans and shoes with famous labels on them, the cost of which I still have trouble believing. I have known parents who purchased brand new cars for their children on the day they qualified for a driver’s licence. I have even known parents who took out loans or mortgaged their houses so that their kids could drive nice automobiles! I have seen numerous children taken out of school by their parents during an important semester for exotic vacations or less important things like family reunions and out-of-town weddings.

WHAT ARE THEY TEACHING OUR KIDS IN SCHOOL?

The evolution of the school system has not helped Generation “Y” fit into our old-fashioned view of work ethics and diligence either. Schools have gone from honouring excellence and holding back failure, to treating everyone the same regardless of scholarly ability or relative achievement levels. Sports days went from recognizing higher athletic ability with ribbons for only the top three kids in any event, to giving a ribbon to every child that shows up. Children are now advanced to the next grade even if they have not actually done the work and passed the necessary examinations in order to earn a pass. Apparently it is unfair to hold them back and much better to move them into a grade they are not prepared for...I don’t get it!

Kids are now taught that all anyone can ask a person to do is their best...even if their best is not good enough to get the job done. If they fail at anything they are told that that as long as they did their best everything is okay. Imagine an engineer who fails to put enough steel or concrete into a design for a skyscraper. When the building falls down, he will have difficulty convincing anyone that his best was good enough. It seems that educators and parents have not prepared Generation “Y” for life in the real world as we know it.

NO WONDER GENERATION “Y” SEEMS SPOILED!

No wonder they are demanding and rude (by our standards); no wonder they want to start at the top of the pay scale; and no wonder they want time off from work whenever they feel they need it. No one has ever said NO to them and no one ever told them that they were not very good at everything they tried. They have amazingly high expectations because we told them to expect to get everything they ask for. Remember too, that their parents and teachers taught them never to settle for second best and to always stand up for their rights. They are products of their environment and they are everything they should be, considering the world they grew up in.

I AM OPTIMISTIC!

Most of the Generation “Y” people that worked for me had the kind of upbringing that I have described here. Despite that, when I took the time to understand what they wanted and how they wanted to go about doing their work, I found them as capable as any Boomer or Generation “X” worker. When they are doing a job they enjoy and are allowed the freedom to do it in the manner that makes them most comfortable, their work ethics and intellect are as strong as anyone else’s. As in every generation, there are exceptions (good and bad) but as an overall group I love the enthusiasm and initiative that Generation “Y” is able to bring to the workplace.

I can accept that working with Generation “Y” might require a little more patience for older managers and co-workers, but I believe the results will make the effort worthwhile. When Generation “Y” people are at their best, they are unstoppable. It is up to the managers and leaders of the world to draw the best out of them and give them the freedom to fly.

GENERATION “Y” KIDS JUST WANTS TO SHOW YOU HOW GREAT THEY REALLY ARE!

Always keep in mind that we made our children into the Generation “Y” they are and we nurtured every positive and negative element of their personalities. Since we are responsible for them, let’s give them a break and help them realize their true potential as they become the guardians of our legacy.

All the Best

Wayne Kehl

Are You Living An Authentic Life?

There is nothing sadder than the death of someone who has never lived!

Here is a quote from the late rocker, Jimi Hendrix: “I’m the one who’s got to die when it’s time for me to die, so let me live my life the way I want to.”

This quote speaks to me of the human need to go along or succumb to the pressures of the groups we find ourselves being members of. In life, we tend to do what our leaders tell us to do whether or not we agree and whether or not they may be contrary to our own desires. We wear fashionable clothing that we don’t like, we work at jobs we do not enjoy, we are polite when we would rather be outspoken, and we often do whatever we are told without thought.

As Jimi said, we must accept that our leaders, mentors and critics will not be there to tell us how to live our deaths even though they constantly told us how to live our lives.

I admire people who are authentic and true to themselves; the people who do what THEY want to do despite criticism from others. As long as their actions and thoughts are positive they harm no one.

For me, success is the happiness and satisfaction that comes from doing the things that we truly want to do. After all, there is nothing sadder than the death of a person who has never lived!

I am Wayne Kehl from Dynamic Leadership

The Value Of Honesty

As children, most of us had parents who tried to convince us that cheaters never prosper and liars will not go to heaven. The theory is of course a great one, but almost every day in the news I hear about business leaders being charged and convicted for a variety of commercial crimes. 

Sadly, I am beginning to think that a lot of prosperous people are the worst liars on earth and that heaven must be crowded with some of the most philanthropic cheaters ever born. Happily, we are all aware of completely scrupulous people who prosper and reach great financial heights while exercising pure honesty. However, despite the teachings of our parents, dishonesty is still a large factor in business today.

“Do cheaters and liars prosper?...Of course they do! Do they live happy lives?...Of course not!

FIVE TYPES OF LIARS

There are basically five types of liars in the business world:

1.       Compulsive liars ...People who are so psychologically insecure that they believe lying is necessary for survival. They will pile one lie on top of the next and sometimes begin to believe them.

2.       Blatantly dishonest, remorseless liars ... Those who cannot differentiate between right and wrong and believe that lying is a great way to get what they want.  They are usually extremely greedy and some of them have actual criminal intent.

3.       Strategic liars ...People who stretch the truth, make up false stories or withhold the whole truth in order to win or make a point. These folks are often the best negotiators and deal makers in large, successful businesses.

4.       White liars...They are the ones who believe that a small white lie now and again is not really a lie at all. These people often justify a lie because they believe it helped someone or at the very least did not harm anyone.

5.       Situational liars...These are the lesser liars who do not make a habit of lying but will twist and turn the truth in order to avoid an unpleasant or difficult situation. They might cheat on their taxes or fake an illness to avoid work.

DISHONESTY IS ALL AROUND US

You can find people from all five types at all levels of business. The most common form of dishonesty at the management or executive level is the Strategic type. North American business standards require that corporations succeed and grow. In order to grow, businesses must compete with others in their field and often the best way to show superiority to potential customers is to tell lies about their products and services. It is also a common way to lure new employees into the fold or convince others not to leave.

Business leaders who convince customers and employees of falsehoods in order to grow and succeed are often rewarded with huge paycheques and amazing bonuses. In some cases they are pushed into a web of lies in order to keep their jobs or get the next promotion. Success is the primary goal and anything short of outright criminal activity is justifiable as long as profitability is maintained. Occasionally the dishonesty crosses the line and alas, criminal activity ensues. The twentieth and twenty-first centuries are replete with successful executives-turned lawbreakers.

Some high level leaders think nothing of lying to employees and customers. They wear their dishonesty like a crown and pride themselves on their ability to negotiate favourable deals at the seemingly minor expense of truth.

“They justify their larceny by convincing themselves and those around them that the business world is a kill or be killed environment where only the strong shall survive and a win by any means is a good win!

DISHONESTY IS HARD TO LIVE WITH

Despite their financial success, most dishonest leaders are never truly happy. They are often cynical, distrustful and fearful that someone might lie to them or catch them in one of their own lies. Many often show signs of extreme fatigue and others seemed distant or agitated at the most inappropriate times. They have difficulty being present and they will occasionally lapse into inexplicable disengagement or anger.

No matter how much money they make, they can never relax and enjoy it.  They live in a jungle of mistruths, misfeasance and larceny that no normal human psyche can withstand for an extended period of time. Often, the thirst for success is so powerful that even the money they want so badly will not soothe their troubled souls.

“It is true what they say: “Money does not bring happiness!”

HONESTY BRINGS PEACE OF MIND!

When you live of life of pure honesty you have far less to worry about! It is almost impossible to regret being honest and telling the truth virtually never brings any personal guilt. Honesty produces wonderful reputations and creates friends wherever it goes. Most people want to associate with an honest person and everyone will come to the aid of someone who consistently tells them the truth. Honest people smile a lot and find the positive elements in everything they do. Often the positive attention they garner will bring opportunities for financial success that dishonest folks will never be offered. They are the good people of the world and others enjoy watching them succeed.

“The trust that honesty brings can catapult good people to fabulous wealth!

WHAT IS THE VALUE OF HONESTY?

Honesty, like success cannot be measured in money.  Honest people may or may not achieve the financial success of their less-honest brethren, but regardless of their bank balances, their lives will be more fulfilled and they will be truly honoured and celebrated after death. They are the real leaders of mankind... the ones we all look up to and the ones we all want to emulate.

“What is the value of honesty?................It is Priceless!

All the Best!

Wayne Kehl

Stop Being Selfish! Find Happiness and True Success...

Selfishness Prevents Success!

If you want to get along with more people start thinking about someone other than yourself. If you have problems with relationships it is probably largely to do with your own actions and the fact that you are thinking more about yourself than the people you don’t get along with.

I once applied for a job as a sales manager with a large, international insurance firm. Part of the application process was a multiple-choice exam to determine the mindsets of the various candidates. I can only recall one question on the exam: “What is the most important characteristic of a great sales manager?” There were ten possible answers and I had to rank them from one to ten in order of importance. The number one answer was this: “The desire to see others do well.”

Frankly, I did not expect it to top the list but I have never forgotten that one question and its wonderful answer. Just think about a world where everyone has a constant, daily desire to see others do well. I now know that if I put others before myself, I will quite unavoidably bring positive energy to everything I do.

Stop being selfish and put an end to negativity, stress, and sadness in your life.

I am Wayne Kehl from Dynamic Leadership

How To Deal With Water Cooler Talk

Water cooler talks are those nasty, backstabbing, grumble sessions that employees like to have from time to time at work. During those discussions negativity takes the lead and gossip rules the day. Nothing good ever comes from it and yet it is a very popular pastime in a lot of workplaces.

“I like to refer to water cooler talk as “triangulation.”

I call it that because it usually starts with one person who brings in another person or a group of people, and then those two forces strike out against a third person or group. The triangulation leader usually has a gripe with the intended victim and their intention is to drag as many other people as possible into the silent war they are waging against him, her or them. After all, there is strength in numbers and misery loves company.

Despite the obvious toxicity of this behavior, a lot of well-balanced, otherwise normal people find triangulation irresistible. They rationalize it, justify it, and take no responsibility for it if they did not start it. Always remember that in any triangulation session, everyone involved is guilty of an offence.

“If left unchecked, this behaviour can totally destroy the morale of a workplace.

 It is a creeping cancer that most people find repugnant but feel powerless to escape. Those not involved in triangulation often start their own water cooler talks to bemoan the negativity they are sensing in their workplace. Those conversations often lead to discussions about job opportunities with other employers that have a reputation for good morale and a positive work environment.

In the worst cases, triangulation can destroy the reputation of the victims involved or even ruin their careers. Sadly, the people who start the triangulation or water cooler talks almost always accept no responsibility for it or the eventual negative results. However, if someone is harmed in some way, they feel that they won the war and if challenged, readily justify their larceny with continued protestations of the victim’s wrongdoings.

“Unfortunately, the world is full of people who have the ability to find negativity wherever they go and the charisma to bend other people to their point of view.

If you are the leader in a negative workplace or are simply someone who is frustrated by the triangulation in your workplace, you need to take action the minute you are aware it is going on.  Confront the perpetrators and let them know that their behavior is unacceptable.

The only way to deal with triangulation is head-on! If you are a leader who is not able to catch employees having negative discussions about someone else, but you know it is happening, have a staff meeting and get it out on the table. Here are a few things you can do:

·         Advise your people that you are aware of gossip, personality assassination and triangulation going on in your workplace.

·         Let them know that in your workplace, all people are to be treated with respect and kindness regardless of any personal differences or unique circumstances.

·         Tell them that your organization has procedures to deal with human resource issues in an appropriate and formal manner. To avoid confusion, describe them in detail.

·         Convince them that even though the perpetrators have not spoken directly to their victims about the apparent issues, they know what is going on.

·          Do not make the mistake of making a joke of it or softening the seriousness of it by accepting or explaining the behavior away as something all human beings do.

·         Let them know that you find the behavior disappointing and make it clear that if you find direct evidence of it, you will have no choice but to take serious disciplinary action against the perpetrators.

Ideally, if you have the time and resources, it is best to have personal development training sessions for all employees on a regular basis. The idea is to drive home the need for a positive environment and to emphasize the value of good morale. With persistent, consistent effort, in time you will be able to build a sustainable culture of co-operation and great morale for your workplace.

If you are an employee in a non-leadership position and are simply sick of the negativity in your organization, here are some things you might do to remedy the situation:

·         If you become involved in a triangulation session, advise the individuals involved that you do not feel the discussion is fair or appropriate.

·         Remain calm and do not resort to angry rebuttals.

·         Ask the main perpetrator if he or she has approached the victim directly to discuss the problem.

·         Discuss the situation with your immediate supervisor, manager, or human resources department.

·         Approach the victim privately and tell them what you have heard. Get their side of the story. Often triangulation is based in fiction and clarification will end it quickly.

·         If you work with a chronic triangulation perpetrator, avoid them and do not fuel their fire by showing interest in their negative talk.

·         If nothing else works, walk away! Do not stoop to being part of it...

The only way to deal with problems between human beings is with open, honest and direct communication. Nothing is ever resolved with gossip or triangulation and nothing positive comes from negative words or actions.

“Those who live to find fault with others are often talentless, miserable people who seek power by nefarious, underhanded methods.

 Triangulation is one of the tools they use. Fortunately, no one can triangulate alone so if everyone else refuses to buy into their larceny the perpetrators will be neutralized and with luck, they will eventually fade away.

“The powers of positive thinking, open honest communication, and proactive, deliberate leadership can overcome almost any workplace challenge. Try it...I guarantee you will like it!

 

All The Best!

Wayne Kehl