University Culture

Don’t Ask Why — Ask How

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AskingHow

When you’re presented with a complex new project or a problem arises at work, it makes sense to ask “Why?”

“Why did this happen?” “Why are we taking this approach?” “Why are we responsible for this?”

The whys are certainly important. But when you’re trying to find a solution to a difficult problem, the better question to ask might be “How?”

Leadership consultant Betty Parker has devised a problem-solving technique that involves that simple question. Here’s how it works:

  • Gather your project team together and present them with the problem.
  • Ask them how it could be solved. Write down each suggestion.
  • After each suggestion, ask “How can this be done?” Write down each suggestion.
  • Repeat this process until the suggested actions are so small and concrete that asking “how?” would no longer make any sense.

Here’s an example using an actual problem at the building where I work…

  • “People walking outside the building have been startled and frightened by wild foxes. What should we do?” Suggestion: Teach people about foxes and how to avoid them.
  • “How can this be done?” Suggestion: We could put up signs.
  • “How can this be done?” Suggestion: We could create the signs using information provided by Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources.
  • “How can this be done?” Suggestion: Bob can talk to the experts, gather the necessary information, and write the content for the signs. Mary can be in charge of doing the layout. Once the signs are complete, we’ll make sure people see them.
  • “How can this be done?” Suggestion: We’ll ask Ed to post them outside in the areas where people have encountered foxes.

This simple process can help you to divide a large project into small, manageable chunks. It can also help to encourage brainstorming, critical thinking, creativity, and innovation.

At the end of the process, you’ll have a clear, step-by-step plan for how a problem or project should be approached and completed. You’ll also have a list of specific tasks that can be assigned to members of the project team.

 

Parker, B. M. (2016). Move from problem to solution. Talent Development, 70(1), 84-85.

Hugging at Work – A Touchy Subject

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Hugging

Some people are huggers and some people aren’t. And then there are people like me who fall somewhere in between.

I don’t do a lot of hugging at work. I probably wouldn’t initiate a hug with a coworker or run up to a coworker with my arms outstretched. But if one of my coworkers feels like hugging me, I don’t complain. I actually like a hug, now and then.

But not everyone feels the same way. Some people just don’t like to be hugged, and that’s OK! The problem is that hugging at the office can sometimes be hard to avoid. It’s a pretty common practice, and people who enjoy hugging can be very determined.

So if you’re not a hugger, what should you do? Well, research psychologist Peggy Drexler offers these suggestions on how to ward off a hug:

  • Keep an object (like a coffee mug or a notebook) between you and the hugger.
  • Be very direct and explain that you’re not a hugger.
  • Before the hugger can hug you, sideline the person by firmly shaking his or her hand.
  • Act like you have somewhere else that you urgently need to be.
  • Drop your cell phone.

And if you ARE a hugger, keep this simple guideline in mind: If you’d like to hug a coworker, but you’re not entirely sure it would be appropriate, it’s probably not appropriate. When in doubt, don’t hug!

 

A New Rule for the Workplace: Hug Sparingly. (2014, January 11). In NPR. Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/2014/01/11/261467123/a-new-rule-for-the-workplace-hug-sparingly#

 

Be Cooperative!

By in Communication, Learning, University Culture 1 Comment Tags:

Cooperation

In the workplace, cooperation is often very important – even essential. When you work with others and you build on each other’s strengths, you can accomplish things that you could never accomplish alone.

Cooperation isn’t about “going along” or “giving in.” It’s about voicing your opinions, sharing ideas, contributing, and working together to come up with the strongest solution. It’s an active process – not a passive one.

And cooperation is a skill. It’s a skill that you can learn, practice, and enhance! To cooperate with a group of people, you should:

  • Listen to what the other people are saying.
  • Ask questions when you aren’t sure you understand what’s being said.
  • Make sure you all have the same understanding of the task at hand.
  • Share the knowledge and information that you have with the group.
  • Help and support the other people in the group.
  • Encourage everyone to participate.
  • Be open to new ideas.
  • Try to build on other people’s ideas.
  • When people disagree, try to find a solution that will satisfy everyone.
  • Contribute whenever you can.
  • Thank other people when they contribute something.

Sometimes, cooperation takes effort. It can sometimes be difficult and frustrating to work with other people. But the benefits make it worthwhile.

When you cooperate with others, you can often accomplish things more quickly and efficiently. You get to hear different people’s ideas and perspectives, which allows for greater innovation and creativity. Overall, you can achieve really exciting and effective results.

Good luck! And play nice!

 

Wasting Time

By in Communication, University Culture 3 Comments Tags: , ,

WastingTime

What do you do when you’re at work? I’m sure you spend time completing your assigned tasks and responsibilities. But I bet that you also spend a lot of time on one or both of these activities:

  • Attending meetings
  • Sending and responding to emails

Now certainly, it’s important to hold meetings and email people sometimes. Good communication is essential to any well-run organization! But organizations can also go overboard on these activities. And that’s when they turn into a huge waste of time.

According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, it’s not unusual for people to spend hours each week attending meetings that they don’t really need to attend, and reading and answering unnecessary emails. This drastically cuts down on the amount of time that people have to do actual work.

So what are the biggest time-wasting mistakes that organizations make? Here’s a list of the worst offenses:

Meetings

  1. Inviting too many people to meetings
  2. Holding meetings that are more than 90 minutes long (since people are often less able to focus and make good decisions after 90 minutes)
  3. Having a vague agenda (or no agenda at all), which is frustrating and often causes people to go off on time-wasting tangents

Emails

  1. CC-ing a bunch of people on emails when those people don’t really need to see those emails
  2. Using a vague subject line (like “Planning Meeting”) that confuses people
  3. Sending an item to be reviewed to too many people (since this can result in overwhelming amounts of feedback that can be both confusing and contradictory)
  4. Including unclear instructions in the email that leave people feeling unsure about exactly what they’re supposed to do, or how they’re supposed to respond

Can you think of any other time-wasting mistakes? Please feel free to share them in the Comments section below. Identifying time-wasting mistakes is the only way to avoid making them!

 

Shellenbarger, S. (2014, December 3). Stop wasting everyone’s time. The Wall Street Journal, pp. D1, D3.

The Influence of Others

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Influence

At the office, we’re often expected to work with groups of people. This is generally a good thing! We can benefit from other people’s skills, strengths, and experience. And working with other people can often help us to get the work done more quickly.

But keep in mind that our behavior is affected by the presence of other people. When we’re around a group of people, we sometimes act in ways that we normally wouldn’t. Sometimes (perhaps without even consciously realizing it) we behave in ways that hinder the performance and success of the group.

So here are three things to watch out for when you’re working with a group:

  1. Social Facilitation – Working in the presence of other people can enhance your ability to perform simple tasks (like sorting papers) but can actually hinder your ability to perform complex tasks (like calculus). That’s because being observed makes most people a little anxious. It puts people into a state of heightened arousal. And it’s difficult to do complex tasks when you’re feeling a little anxious. So if you’re working on some sort of unfamiliar, complex, or intricate project, it might be best to do the work on your own.
  2. Social Loafing – If you’re working in a group and you know that your individual performance is not going to be evaluated, you may not work as hard as you normally would. You might be tempted to “loaf.” This is a very common phenomenon! Most people have probably been guilty of this on at least one occasion.
  3. Groupthink – Groupthink occurs when group members are more interested in getting along then they are in coming up with effective solutions to problems. The members of the group don’t disagree with each other because they want to maintain the harmony of the group. This can result in bad decisions and very poor outcomes.

How to Be a Good Coworker During a Pandemic

By in Living Well, Navigating Change No Comments Tags: , , ,

Caring_Coworker

I’m new to working from home. I think a lot of us are. We’re used to being in an office, surrounded by our coworkers. But now, all of sudden, things have changed in so many ways.

One thing that I’ve noticed while working from home is that, if we’re not careful, the bonds between coworkers can become weakened. And I can understand why. Everyone is under a lot of stress. We’re all being asked to work a different way and take on new tasks. And, most of all, we can’t easily communicate with each other like we used to. We can’t stop by each other’s offices to make small talk and connect with each other. We’re separated. And I think that’s made it harder to be empathic and understanding.

So what can we do to remedy this situation? According to author Alexandra Samuel, compassion is key. We all need to focus on how we can help one another.

Even if you normally work in a competitive environment, you should try to shift gears, and be more relaxed and supportive. Try to let small slights and annoyances slide. Let your guard down. Be honest about how you’re feeling. And, if possible, take the time to check in on your coworkers and see how they’re coping.

Some coworkers will really appreciate having the opportunity to talk about the difficulties that they’ve been having. Maybe they’re having a hard time trying to work with their kids at home, or they’re concerned about their elderly parents. You don’t need to offer any advice. Simply giving people the chance to talk about these things can help to alleviate some of their stress.

Other coworkers may not be interested in talking about their concerns. And that’s OK. They’ll still appreciate the fact that you asked about how they were doing – and they may feel comforted knowing that you’re there to listen if they feel like talking.

Pay special attention to any new employees in your department. They are probably the most likely to be feeling lost and overwhelmed.

And if you could offer to help out coworkers who might be struggling with a certain task or a new type of software, that would be wonderful. Don’t take on more than you can manage. But if you have the knowledge and capacity to help your coworkers get their work done more easily, you should do it.

It’s a scary, uncertain time for all of us. But this pandemic could actually help us to form stronger bonds with our coworkers. Ultimately, it could transform our offices into more caring, supportive, empathic places to work.

…

Samuel, A. (2020, April 17). New rules for being a good colleague. The Wall Street Journal, p. R4.

Giving Recognition

By in Communication, Relationship Awareness No Comments Tags: ,

Getting_Praise

Most organizations link performance management to pay. While pay is one of the more common methods of rewarding employees, and while many supervisors would like to be able to give larger increases to their high-performing employees, the fact is that budgets must also be considered. So the question is: how can employees be rewarded during times when the budget for pay increases is low or non-existent? Employee recognition is not just a nice thing to do for people. It is a communication tool that reinforces and rewards the most important outcomes people create for themselves and for the organization. In this podcast, the Director of WorkLife and Community Programs, Ian Reynolds, discusses the importance of employee recognition and the ways that managers and employees can be recognized in the workplace.

http://lms14.learnshare.com/l.aspx?CID=89&A=1&T=584831

 

Relaxing With Your Kids?

By in Communication, Living Well, Relationship Awareness No Comments Tags: , , ,

Relaxing_With_Kids

It’s the middle of summer and you have a bit of time for yourself. However, it looks like you won’t have that break after all. Summer means no school, and no school means the kids are home. There they are running around and– oh gosh, there goes your mother’s favorite vase.

But don’t let those kids stop you from having your fun! Here are some relaxation techniques you can do, even with the extra presence of a few little rascals. And if you don’t have any kids, that’s fine! Take some time to try these activities on your own or with a few friends.

Step outside and get some fresh air. Studies show that fresh air can reduce stress significantly and increase productivity. Let your kids run around and burn off some energy while you sit back and relax with a new book.

It’s time to blow off steam. Scream your heart out on roller coasters, overcome your fears, and burn a few calories while you’re at it. Waiting in line is worth it if it boosts your mood or gives you some extra bonding moments.

All that beneficial fresh air (and finally putting down your phone for a couple of days) will allow you to relax and socialize with others, and you’ll get some extra hours of sleep in. Plus, it will appeal to your sense of adventure.

Just like you, kids get stressed as well. Take some time to stretch and embrace your tranquility with your little ones. Studies show that meditation with your kids will improve test scores and good habits, teaching kids to be more compassionate.

Ever hear of baking therapy? It might be messy, but it’s a good way to take your mind off things for a while. Small projects increase relaxation and happiness, and having a creative outlook will improve your sense of well-being and control over your life.

 

I Tried a Strange Problem-Solving Technique – Here’s What Happened

By in Innovation and Problem Solving No Comments Tags: ,

Sleepy_Woman

I recently read about an odd problem-solving technique. According to author Josh Waitzkin, there’s no need to spend your waking hours trying to solve a complex or troubling problem. He believes that as long as you follow the proper steps, you can solve difficult problems while your sleep. (Talk about multi-tasking!)

Here’s what you need to do:

  1. Early in the evening, spend a few minutes (or more) really thinking about the problem.
  2. Then put the problem out of your mind. Distract yourself if necessary by doing some chores around the house, cooking dinner, or watching TV.
  3. When you go to bed, put a notebook and pen on your bedside table.
  4. Then when you wake up in the morning, before you do anything else, write down whatever thoughts come to your mind in the notebook. And supposedly, the solution to your problem will be written there!

This was intriguing to me, although I must admit that I was also a little skeptical. When I dream, it tends to be about pretty mundane things (like shopping for peanut butter). I’m not sure I have a lot of deep and insightful thoughts.

But I thought this was definitely worth a try. So yesterday evening, I faithfully followed the necessary steps.

First, I thought about my problem. I don’t really have a work-related problem right now, so I chose a more personal problem. My mom’s birthday is coming up soon, and I have no idea what to get her for a gift. She always tells me that she doesn’t want or need anything, so that makes the gift shopping process even more impossible. Hmm…

Then I put the problem out of my mind. When bedtime rolled around, I made sure to put a notebook and pen on my bedside table. Then I went to sleep and let my mind go to work!

When I woke up the next morning, I wrote down the first thoughts that came into my head. Here’s what I wrote:

  • Dancing
  • Sunshine
  • Dad was telling me something
  • My ear is stuffed up

Were there answers here? I wasn’t sure. My mom isn’t really into dancing, so that seemed like a dead end. My best lead seemed to be “Dad was telling me something.” So I emailed him the next day and asked him what he thought I should buy for Mom. He said that he had no idea. Darn. Another dead end.

So I guess this technique didn’t really work for me. But maybe it’s something that takes practice? I’d certainly be willing to give it another try. If you decide to try it, please let me know how it goes for you in the Comments section below!

 

Semczuk, N. (n.d.). A simple way to solve problems while you sleep. The Muse. Retrieved from https://www.themuse.com/advice/a-simple-way-to-solve-problems-while-you-sleep

 

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