On positive mindset

The story is told about a mountain climber who desired to climb the highest mountain peak. So, he set out to climb it. When he was just a few feet away from the summit, he saw thick clouds that concealed the peak—which was already within his reach. 

Thinking he was still very far from his objective, he gave up. If only he had known that his goal was already within reach, he could have pressed on and achieved it. 

In your work environment, there will be times when your patience is tested by your superior(s). You might be given a task that seems difficult or overwhelming. Don’t refuse it—accept it instead. 

For all you know, it may be a test to see if you can handle greater responsibilities in the future. Or it could be a sign that you're being considered for a promotion. 

If you feel your knowledge of the newly assigned task is lacking, don’t hesitate to ask for help from your superior(s). They are there to help, assist, and guide you—not to intimidate you. Google and ChatGPT are also available to expand your understanding of the new responsibility. 

Perhaps you’re simply being challenged by your superior. He may want to test your work attitude, patience, and motivation. Your success in any organization will always be determined by your persistence, hard work, and positive attitude. 

If only the mountain climber in our story had persisted and exerted more effort, he could have reached his goal—but he gave up. Life at work is full of challenges that will test your tenacity. 

Always maintain a positive mindset, because challenges—no matter how difficult—become more manageable when approached with positivity. — Marino J. Dasmarinas

Is there a connection between Quiet Quitting and Dissatisfaction at Work?

The smoke of devastation brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic is slowly clearing. Organizations have once again started the engines of their operations, and it seems that, for the majority of the world economy and its related sectors, things are returning to normal.

However, the issue of “quiet quitting” is coming to the fore in many organizations, where employees are simply going through the motions of doing their jobs. There is no longer any motivation to perform beyond what is required. They work merely to earn a living for their families. While doing the bare minimum, these employees—who are engaging in quiet quitting—are also actively seeking employment opportunities elsewhere.

Why, then, do employees engage in quiet quitting? Simply put, it stems from dissatisfaction with their current employment. Dissatisfaction is the root cause of quiet quitting, and it can be triggered by a variety of factors: poor organizational leadership and structure, negative behavior from co-workers, salary issues, and lack of sufficient benefits, to name a few.

When dissatisfaction arises, it is only natural for people to seek a solution. Once they find what seems to be the "magical" answer to their concerns, they begin to consider resignation. The prudent employees, however, do not resign immediately; they make sure that they have another job lined up before making that decision.

Quiet quitting is, in reality, an organizational problem—one that is preventable. It can be addressed if leaders would only take the time to listen to the concerns raised by their employees. Lest we forget, those who engage in quiet quitting are often the competent ones—those who believe, with confidence, that they can easily find work in organizations that are better able to meet their needs and expectations. — Marino J. Dasmarinas

The mistake of knee-jerk reaction

Do you Believe that managers are leaders too? 

Managers are leaders too. As such, they are called to manage and lead their organizations with utmost efficiency and productivity. However, there will be instances when their abilities as managers and leaders will be tested by their subordinates. In such situations, it is best not to react in haste. It’s wiser to stay calm and composed under pressure. 

For example, if an ego-tripping subordinate challenges your authority to promote his own ego, remain calm and patient. Do not immediately react to his arrogance. Why? Because the moment you respond without careful thought, you risk ending up on the losing end. You would be dignifying his arrogance and ego-tripping—and you’d lower yourself to his level, which is damaging to your image and standing in the organization. 

So, how should you address this troublesome situation? 

Approach it with calm and civility. At first, pretend not to mind it. Then, after an hour or two—or even a day—schedule a personal meeting with the concerned individual who challenged your authority and tested your patience. During the meeting, point out his mistakes with clarity and firmness. 

Emphasize your authority and his responsibilities as your subordinate. After you’ve done this, the individual will hopefully be enlightened and come to appreciate your civility, humility, and diplomacy. 

The danger of a thoughtless, knee-jerk reaction is that you gain nothing from it, except perhaps another troublesome situation. – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Volodymyr Zelenskyy: A Heroic, Inspiring, and Shining Leadership Masterclass

The man of the hour right now is Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. His name, videos, and quotes are trending across the world of social media. Why? Because he dared to confront, head-on, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s immoral, unprovoked, and inhuman war against his sovereign nation.

It all began on Thursday, February 24, when Putin’s tanks, missiles, and other instruments of war and destruction rumbled through targeted cities in Ukraine—most notably the capital, Kyiv, where the seat of power is located. Given President Putin’s overwhelming military strength and nuclear armaments, the world assumed it would be a cakewalk for Russia. But it was not. In fact, it is shaping up to be a quagmire for Putin and his military cohorts.

Hours before Ukraine was invaded by Russian armed forces, President Zelenskyy, in a  video address, warned Putin by saying:"When you attack us, you will see our faces, not our backs."

On February 25, the morning after Russian missiles rained down and tanks rolled into Ukraine, Zelenskyy posted a  video defiantly vowed to stay and fight. He said:“I am here. We are not putting down arms. We will be defending our country, because our weapon is truth, and our truth is that this is our land, our country, our children, and we will defend all of this.”

These courageous words from Zelenskyy galvanized and inspired his people to hold the line—no matter the odds. What leadership lessons can we derive from this video of Zelenskyy and his subsequent pronouncements?

Lesson Number One: Great leaders such as Zelenskyy always lead the way and show the way. This means they are in the thick of things—they're in the trenches, giving orders and fighting alongside their people, not hiding in the safety of luxurious and secure offices. When the U.S. offered him a safe exit from his besieged nation, he stood his ground and courageously said: "The fight is here; I need ammunition, not a ride."

Lesson Number Two: Great leaders are effective communicators. They use social media to their advantage and carefully craft their messages. They promptly communicate what needs to be said. In times of crisis, delays can cost a leader dearly—in reputation, character, and authority. Zelenskyy is a master communicator, owing to his background as an actor and comedian. He flawlessly conveyed messages of defiance and unity to his soldiers, his people, and the global community.

Lesson Number Three: Great leaders project strength and calmness at all times. Why? So they can inspire, guide, and motivate their people to resist oppressors—no matter how powerful they may be. In the now-iconic video, Zelenskyy’s face was the epitome of bravery, composure, and defiance, with a historic, well-fortified building as his backdrop.

Lesson Number Four: Great leaders are not afraid to ask for help—they show vulnerability. On the second day of the attack, when Ukraine’s situation seemed dire, Zelenskyy didn’t hesitate to say: “Who is ready to fight alongside us? I don’t see anyone. Who is ready to give Ukraine a guarantee of NATO membership? Everyone is afraid.” “We’re defending our country alone. The most powerful forces in the world are watching this from a distance.” Hours later, pledges of support—military aid, weaponry, and humanitarian assistance—began to pour in.

Lesson Number Five: Great leaders have a positive mindset, are effective motivators, and have a vision. Even as the violent forces of war were unleashed against Ukraine, Zelenskyy addressed his people and security forces with these inspiring words: “Our military, our national guard, our national police, our territorial defense, special services, nationals of Ukraine—please carry on. We will win.” 

Why did he say this despite the overwhelming odds? Because he knew that high morale and unyielding spirit are key to defending a nation. And President Zelenskyy is succeeding—because he, his nation, and his people continue to hold back the violent tide of Russian aggression.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s courageous and inspiring leadership masterclass is a real-life saga unfolding before our very eyes and ears. It showcases his extraordinary leadership, from which we can draw countless insights as we lead our own respective organizations.

Are you learning gems of insight from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s courageous and inspiring leadership masterclass? 

Let us continue to pray for peace in Ukraine. Let us pray for Vladimir Putin’s enlightenment, that he may end the unprovoked war he started. And let us pray for the suffering people and nation of Ukraine.— Marino J. Dasmarinas

When you Impose discipline impose it with civility and respect

How do you impose discipline in your organization?

Some, if not many, of us impose discipline the old-fashioned way. This means punishing the transgressor right in front of a crowd to shame the person. But when we do this, we only plant seeds of anger and resentment in the person being disciplined. He or she may not immediately vent this anger and resentment, but sooner or later, it will come out.

There are leaders and managers who are heavy-handed when imposing discipline because they think it is the appropriate way. However, heavy-handedness in imposing discipline is counterproductive, as it results in the development of deep-seated resentment.

So, what should a leader or manager do when he or she needs to impose discipline? The leader or manager should immediately call for a private meeting with the transgressor so that appropriate punishment can be imposed in private. By doing this, the leader or manager avoids the unnecessary and arrogant projection of power and authority.

What is the importance of having a private meeting with someone who has breached the discipline of the organization or has committed a fault? You signify your sincerity to correct the person, and you send a message that you want to immediately contain and resolve the problem without grandstanding, ego-tripping, or insulting anyone.

By doing so, you create a sincere message that you want to heal the wayward behavior without shaming the person in front of a crowd. If you do this, you will even gain the respect of the person you are disciplining.

Many of us commit the mistake of correcting a person in front of a crowd, but this will not help heal wayward behavior. It will only create deeper emotional resentment in the person at fault. Hence, instead of bringing him or her closer to correction, healing, and reconciliation, we end up creating an emotional bubble within the person being disciplined, which could explode at any time.

Let us not allow ourselves to be consumed by our power and authority when we impose discipline or exercise leadership, as this will do us no good. When we unnecessarily and arrogantly discharge our power and authority, we only expose how flawed and limited our leadership skills are. Let us instead hold on to civility, respect, and reason, for this is the only way to correct and completely heal wayward behavior.

What is the use of showcasing our power and authority in public if it only creates deeper emotional injury? What is the use of correcting a person in full view of the crowd if it only creates a monster called hatred and resentment? – Marino J. Dasmarinas

The price of manipulative Leadership style

The story is told about a politician who cannot accept that he lost an election contest. So, he  fed his rabid supporters a false narrative that he was cheated. But whenever he was asked to provide evidence about his allegation he could not present any.   

His narrative of being cheated struck a chord among his rabid supporters that they believe it hook line and sinker. Hence, the losing politician told his rabid supporters to be ready to protest and they marched and protested. 

However, during the day of the protest the losing politician was nowhere to be found he simply let his supporters undertake the protest. Unfortunately it turned violent and there were casualties among the politician’s supporters and the authorities. An investigation was conducted by the police and they found out that the losing politician fed his rabid supporters the false narrative that he was cheated. Therefore the manipulative, arrogant and egotistical politician was arrested and was put in jail. 

Manipulative leaders/managers exist in every area of an organization. They are arrogant, brash and egotistic. They exist not to serve their organization but to serve their own selfish interest and agenda in the organization. They will do everything including feeding their direct reports and subordinates false narratives for them to survive. And they would be quite successful in using their manipulative leadership for a certain period of time. 

But leaders who employ behaviors that are deceiving and manipulative do not last for long. They are sooner or later exposed for their insidious behaviors and actions. Not only that they are exposed for who they really are they are also severely punished by laws that measures up to their crimes and they are judged harshly by history. Why? Because that’s the steep price that they have to pay. 

Do you know a leader/manager that has a manipulative behavior? – Marino J. Dasmarinas    

On dealing with your problem employee/s

Do you have a problem employee in your organization?

Every organization has its own share of problem employee/s; name any organization and there is somebody who creates headache for the manager/leader.

 

How would you deal with this problem employee? Would you immediately impose punishment or you talk to him/her first? It’s no brainer that the best course of action to take is to talk to this problem employee/s first, for all you know he/she only needs attention.

 

Punishment must always be the last option for an erring employee. Because the moment you impose punishment. You are actually planting the seeds of resentment in the heart of your employee and this is best illustrated by this short story.

 

Mr. X is an HR manager in a private organization, like other HR managers he also has his own share of problem employees. But what makes him unique is this: He has never resorted to punishment to straighten out a problem subordinate. He always resorts to diplomacy and so far this method always bears fruit for him.

 

When asked why does he refuse to use punishment as a tool in disciplining erring employee/s? This was his short but insightful answer.

 

When he was a child he was always been subjected to corporal punishment by his retired military man father. Whenever he commits a wrongdoing there was always a corporal punishment immediately imposed upon him. 

But unknown to his father there was always resentment in his heart whenever he was punished. The trend of imposing punishment as a means to correct his breach of discipline continued for  a long period of time. until it reached a boiling point that he argued with his father.

 

Punishment as a measure of discipline always has its limitations; it may work initially but the moment you impose punishment you are actually igniting the smoke of resentment in the hearts of your erring employees. Until such time that this smoke becomes a full blown fire that can destroy not only you but also the entire organization.

 

Always use diplomacy first in dealing with your erring employee/s for this is the best path to take. Then if all else fails you can now resort to the appropriate punishment. - Marino J. Dasmarinas

The power of positive mindset #mjdasma

The story is told about Jacinda, a Chief Executive Officer who noticed the weary behavior among her subordinates since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The usual happy, lively, and bubbly behaviors among her subordinates were no longer there. So, she thought of a way to bring back their motivation; otherwise, if she did not, it would surely be the end of their organizational life.

Hence, she called for a meeting of the entire human resource team in their organization’s gymnasium. She told them, “We have to have a positive mindset, notwithstanding our present predicament, if we want our organization to survive; otherwise, we will all be out of a job sooner or later.”

But what is a positive mindset? A positive mindset is a mental attitude that expects nothing but the best despite all the negativity, gloom, and adversity that surround us. A positive mindset is also the beginning of having a positive life, for without a positive mindset, there would be no bright future ahead of us.

A positive mindset opens new avenues, new doors, and new windows for life’s opportunities and success. It ushers us to uncharted lands that give us nothing but the best. Helen A. Keller, the famous blind and deaf author, has this to say about a positive mindset: “No pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new heaven to the human spirit.”

A positive mindset is also the secret of athletes in winning and achieving success in their chosen sport. Michael Jordan, the greatest basketball player of all time, has this to say about a positive mindset: "If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it."

A positive mindset is the best mental attitude that we need to have during these trying times because it programs us to have a laser-like focus on the brighter side of life. It blinds our eyes to all the negativity of life. And when we are focused on the brighter side of life, we naturally invite it to come eventually into our life.

Going back to the story of Jacinda, she was able to bring back the sagging morale of her subordinates, and their organization is still vibrantly existing right now simply because she encouraged them to live with a positive mindset.

This, too, we can apply in any arena of our life: family life, organizational/work life, married life, personal life, retired-but-not-tired life, or whatever area of life we are in right now. We will be able to survive and eventually win this battle against pessimism, gloom, and negativity brought about by COVID-19 because we will use to the hilt the power of a positive mindset. Aye! — Marino J. Dasmarinas

When we are overly conscious of our titles

Do we love to be called by our titles in the workplace for example, sir or ma'am?

The story is told about Mr. X, a newly promoted employee who is very particular with his new found status. He would tell his former colleagues who are now his subordinates to call him sir. because according to him to be called sir is like music to his ear and besides it tells a lot of his status in their office.

Therefore, his subordinates started to call him sir and he would mischievously smile when he is called sir. His newly found status created an air of arrogance in his attitude also.

What he did not know was his demeanor started to create a negative impression to his subordinates. They would silently say that their former colleague has changed for the worst since he got promoted. Thus, it resulted to their distancing themselves from him it also created a big dip on their office performance.

Mr. X is a typical example of a person who became swellheaded by his new found office status. Being swellheaded is a big no-no in human behavior in organization and in human behavior in general because this only creates animosity and friction with our subordinates.

Our promotion must not go to our heads because instead of building bridges we create walls that will isolate us eventually. As we ascend higher in the organizational hierarchy it would be better if we bring ourselves closer to our subordinates.

The more that we go up in the organizational hierarchy the more that we go down to reach-out with our former colleagues. We bridge the gap that separates us with them. Thus, we build teamwork, respect and we amplify office/workplace solidarity. The bad thing about being overly concerned with office/workplace title is it creates disunity and hidden disrespect.

Leaders/managers should not be very particular with their office title whatever it may be. They should rather focus on their performance and on building teamwork. For this will further result in the growth and enhanced performance of their office.

Office titles if allowed to go to the head by a swellheaded/ego infested person would only create isolation, animosity and disunity. This is the reason why there are managers/leaders or even company Presidents and Chief Executive Officers who avoid the trappings of their titles. They instead silently work and let their achievements speak for them. - Marino J. Dasmarinas

Let us not let social media dictate upon us

Are we always tension filled caused by the Covid-19 pandemic? Many are tension filled these days and when we ask them where it emanates they conveniently point to the havoc caused by Covid-19. This is correct to a certain negligible degree! But what really cause the useless tensions that many of us are feeling right now? It’s our addiction to social media!

Many of us are so addicted to our smart phones and laptops that we always browse facebook and other online portals to get news about what is happening regarding covid-19. Many would even uselessly comment and share news items about it not minding the psychological injury that in can cause to themselves and to those who read and receive it.

When we do this we let social media dictate upon us, we let useless tension creep into our system of thinking. And we end up what? We end up like fools and neurotic people, we end up like headless chickens swarming an unknown environment, all because we let social media dictate upon us.

The Wise and Wisdom filled don’t allow social media to dictate upon them they instead dictate on social media. How are they doing this? For example, they purposely limit their time of exposure to social media for the simple reason that they know the psychological harm that it can cause them.

So, they set limited time to browse facebook and other social media platforms. Say, 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes before retiring at night and that is more than enough for them. And what are they doing for the rest of the day? They go about their usual routines: They clean the house, they read, they listen to uplifting music and useful audio books.

They pray the rosary, they read the bible and reflect upon the word of God. They tend their gardens with facemask of course :) and they talk to their plants but let us not overdo talking to our plants because our neighbors might accuse us of neurosis :) :) :).

We can still do so much outside of social media; we can plan on how to carefully walk the post covid-19 new normal. And then we set our sights and soon after sail and carefully navigate to a bright, hopeful and faith filled future ahead of us. – Marino J. Dasmarinas

The wise and wisdom filled leaders listen first before they speak

The story is told about a leader who called for an important meeting among his direct reports. He did so because he wanted some changes effected in his department. When the meeting started the leader talked lengthy about his plans for their department. After he spoke he gave the limited time that they had to his subordinates to share whatever ideas that they may have.

After all of his direct reports were through sharing their ideas he found out that their ideas were very different from his own ideas. He was now in a dilemma on how he would reconcile this gap.

Typical, egotistical and authority drunk leaders always speak first during important meetings. They do this to emphasize their authority and to let everyone know who is the boss and master of their organization. In doing so, they highlight their selfish, autocratic and ego-driven intentions and behavior.   

On the other hand, when a leader lets his direct reports speak first he is silently telling them that their opinion and ideas matter. That they are important and that they have a voice that needs to be heard. When we listen first we are silently able to align their ideas to our ideas and we can adjust our intentions without prejudicing their intentions. So, we can easily arrive with a win-win outcome.

When the leader is the last to speak it doesn’t mean that he is weak, that he is relinquishing his leadership and authority. As matter of fact he is actually strengthening, solidifying and reinforcing his leadership and authority. This also shows that the leader is wisdom filled, confident and humble. – Marino J. Dasmarinas    

Humanize your leadership

The story is told about a slave driver manager who would always treat his subordinates as expendable machines. That needs to work hard day in and day out. This was always the scenario for so many months until the subordinates had enough of the slave driver mentality of their manager.

So they talked to the said manager and warned him that if he would not change his foul behavior towards them. They would petition for his replacement. Aware of the repercussion if his subordinates would petition him he therefore changed his way of treatment towards his subordinates.

Organizational leadership is not only about the achievement of organizational goals, targets and objectives. It is also about humanely treating our employees. What use would it be if we are able to achieve our organizational targets when we don’t treat our employees humanely? If we treat them like robots?

We have to be aware that organizational leadership is not all about meeting the organization’s objectives and goals. It’s also about treating our employees rightly and humanely. So, how do we humanize our leadership in the midst of the frenetic pace of an organization?

Number one is we have to be inclusive when exercising our leadership function as much as possible. To be inclusive means that we consult and solicit the ideas of our subordinates before we do leadership decisions. The beauty of inclusive leadership is we convey a message to our subordinates that they are not simply employees. That they too are decision makers and vital members of the organizational family.

Number two is we have to be helpful. Many leaders choose to stay in their ivory towers and look and lead from afar. For the reason that they are already leaders they choose to create distance rather than mitigate the distance by being helpful towards their subordinates. When we are helpful towards our subordinates we create an invisible bond with our subordinates. Invisible bond which we can always activate whenever we want to activate it.

Number three is we have to be up close and personal in the right manner with our subordinates. Some filthy minded leaders take advantage of being up close and personal with their subordinates by despicably trying to build sexual relationship with them.

Being up close and personal with our subordinates simply means that we try to get to know them better and personally. For example, we try to know their family and once in a while inquire about how their family is doing etc. And it ends there.

There are infinite benefits when we humanize our leadership primary among this is we increase the intrinsic motivation of our employees. Therefore, try to humanize your leadership and see the transformation that it would bring to the behavior and motivation of your subordinates. – Marino J. Dasmarinas

An effective leader is not afraid to show his/her emotions

Are you sometimes afraid to show your emotions? For example, your direct reports failed to achieve their target accomplishments and you were naturally disappointed. As much as you want to express your disappointment you held back because you did not want to antagonize them. So, you simply reminded them about your failed expectation and that’s it.

Managers and leaders should not be afraid to manifest their emotion when there is a need for it. Even if it will antagonize those who would receive the emotional outburst, why? Because it’s when we manifest our emotions that we become more effective managers and leaders. A good and effective leader/manager does not paint brush, sugar coat and hide his true emotion in the exercise of his managerial/leadership function.   

When a manager/leader is afraid to manifest his emotions he becomes hostage of his direct reports. He becomes an inutile leader subject to the whims and caprices of those under his supervision and care.  Emotions are what make a leader/manager effective. It galvanizes those under his care and supervision and it makes the leader/manager authentic to his direct reports.

What would happen if we are not afraid to show our emotions? We inspire our people to move towards the achievement of the goals of the organization. We create a magical but invisible motivational instrument that would push them to move forward and be positive no matter the odds in front of them. – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

On handling a needy employee

How do you handle a needy employee? A needy employee is someone who often seeks your attention. Among many other reasons, he does this because he lacks confidence in doing his job. Where does his lack of confidence emanates? There are many behavioral reasons to this lack of confidence. If it emanates from his lack of knowledge on how to properly do his job. The solution available is to educate again the person on how to do his job properly.

After reeducating the person again the expectation of the manager is the neediness behavior would be cured or eliminated. But more often than not an employee’s neediness doesn’t only emanate from the lack of proper knowledge about the job. Sometimes it’s much deeper than what we think it is. And when this is so, the manager should sit-down and have a heart-to-heart talk with the needy employee to properly address the symptom of his neediness.   

One of the results of the heart-to-heart talk could be lack of freedom on the job. For the simple reason that the manager is micro-managing his direct report. The solution here is to loosen the grip and give the direct report freedom in doing his job. This freedom that is given is of course not absolute it should still be within the ambit of the rules and regulation of the organization. Lack of self-confidence of the direct report can be solved also by telling the employee that you would always be there to help if needed.

Needy employees exist. And an effective and good manager can easily address this human behavior issue by having a heart-to-heart talk with the concerned employee.  – Marino J. Dasmarinas

When there’s resistance to change

The story is told about an organization that was planning to institute change in its working hours. From the usual 8:00 am-5:00 pm it would be changed to 6:00 am-3:00 pm. For the past thirty years it had always been 8:00-5:00 and the employees were used to that already. So the employees union resisted and told the management that they would not agree.

What are you going to do when there’s resistance to change?   The first action to do when there’s resistance to change is to call for a meeting among the parties involved. In this case the employees union and the management. In that meeting the fuzzy issues should be threshed out. Employees resist change because they have no clear understanding yet why is there a need for that change.   

Therefore the component of listening and flexibility are very important here. Management and the employees union should listen to each other’s viewpoints and be flexible if need be. There would naturally be initial disagreement about the change that is to be put in place. But there are also some valid points that both parties could agree.

For this reason, focus first on the points of agreements after that focus now on the issues of disagreement. Why is this so? Because when both parties focus first on the issues that they could agree it immediately creates an environment of calm. Which is very conducive as a starting point to begin threshing out the issues of disagreement.

The thorny part when an organization wants to implement change are the issues of disagreement. Therefore, management must not push its weight around it should extend its patience to the limit. This means that meetings and dialogues about the change that is to be implemented should continue until the nitty-gritty details of that change are ironed out.  

It’s not easy to implement organizational change however change is needed for an organization to evolve, upgrade and grow. Therefore change must be implemented for nothing is permanent in this world except change. – Marino J. Dasmarinas  

Compassion in your organization

Alex is a manager of a home care facility. Every morning it had become his ritual to have scheduled visits to their patients. He talks to them and ask them about how they are feeling. This home care facility is always 100% full and the reason behind is the compassionate care that is administered by the manager and his staff.

To be compassionate is perhaps alien to many business organizations. Because as we all know the bottom-line of business organization is to earn profit. And maybe compassion towards its employees is the least of its priorities.    

What does it mean to have compassion with your employees or to be compassionate with your employees? To be compassionate is to do acts of kindness, caring and be concerned with the well-being of your employees.

To be compassionate is not only to understand your employees’ present emotional state. You also have that strong desire to help them soothe it with the end in mind of helping them cure that present emotional state. For example, if you notice that an employee is forlorn and has a sudden distant behavior. You can say to that employee that you are ready to listen and help in whatever way you can.

When we are compassionate toward our employees we establish connection with them which in turn will motivate them to work hard. Why? Because we cared when they were in that emotional state. We therefore have to establish a compassionate and caring organization not an organization whose only bottom-line is to earn profit.

Our employees are humans with feelings they are not machines they are very sensitive to acts of compassion, kindness and caring. Thus, the more compassionate we are the more that we reinforce their loyalty to our organization. – Marino J. Dasmarinas

On giving behavioral feedback

How do you give behavioral feedback? For example you noticed that your direct report is noisy at work. How are you going to correct this errant behavior without offending the concerned direct report?  

When we give the behavioral feedback we have to focus on the offensive act and not the person who did the offensive act. But before doing that we have to find an appropriate place where we can civilly talk with the concerned direct report.  The appropriate place could be in your office or a place where there is privacy and solemnity.

Be calm, objective and civil when you talk about the errant behavior so that you avoid antagonizing the person. Some managers do this without considering calmness, objectivity and civility. Hence they lecture the guilty person as if the concerned individual is their slave. So what happens is the concerned will push back and defend herself. This can happen most especially if the direct report has a strong personality.   

After talking about the errant behavior allow the person to speak and voice her sentiment and as she speaks listen with your attention poured into her. Your expectation here is she would talk also with calmness, civility and objectivity. Why? For the simple reason that this is how you approached the concerned person. We have to remember that we get what we give: If we give respect we would also get respect and vice versa.

Close the one on one conversation on a positive note by telling the person that she has your back anytime. Ever ready to listen whenever she has issues about work or even issues about his/her family. -  Marino J. Dasmarinas 

When there’s conflict in your organization

Erwin is a manager of a business processing company. One afternoon, a subordinate went to him to report about a shouting match amongst his subordinates. Erwin nonchalantly dismissed the report as irrelevant and not worth of his time. After a week, Erwin was a witness to a brutal fight involving the subordinates that had a previous shouting match. 

How should you react when there is a report of conflict in your organization? Should you simply dismiss it as a quarrel amongst children or you immediately act to resolve it? The wise course of action to do is to immediately resolve it. Because when you simply dismiss it, it will grow and have a natural life that could result to something tragic.

However, many of us perhaps put it aside or we outright dismiss it because we are too busy with work. But the crux of the matter is conflicts are disturbance of smooth organizational life. It creates dysfunction not only in the organization but also in the respective lives of those who are involved. So, when there’s a report of conflict don’t dilly dally immediately act to resolve it. For it will save you and the organization from unwanted trouble.

How are you going to resolve it? Don’t take sides, be objective and be impartial. Be as calm as possible and don’t overemphasize your authority. Let them speak and attentively listen to the parties involved and act more as a friend than a judge. Why? Because in doing so you’ll be able to gain their trust and confidence. Thus, you’ll be able to ferret out the truth immediately.

After hearing both sides, mediate and let those who are involved be reconciled. And after that give them time to speak if they want to speak then urged them to shake hands. Then  close the meeting with a prayer.

Whether we like it or not the ugly head of conflict will come out every now and then. Nonetheless, a good, calm and effective manager/leader can easily navigate the organization towards its immediate resolution. – Marino J. Dasmarinas   

Avoid the blame game

Homer is a newly promoted Chief Operating Officer in a conglomerate of business. Part of his promotion was to head a company owned by the business conglomerate overseas. When he took over the business, he found out that its financial, production and human resource records were in disarray. The company was in near bankruptcy.

He asked himself, what should I do? Should I blame the past administration for this mess? Or should I simply work and try my very best to fix the mess that they’ve created, institute reforms and move forward. Homer chose the latter.

To employ the blame game is the easy way out of this mess. Homer, could have simply washed his hands and said, “This is all caused by the past leadership.” Yet, Homer realized that he was not brought in to point fingers or to put blame on others. Homer perfectly knew that he took over because he has a job to do and he must do it right and to the best of his abilities. So that he can positively guide his organization moving forward.

Are you quick to harness the blame game when your organization is in trouble? Or you avoid using the blame game like a plague and take full responsibility of the task given to you? When you avoid the blame game and simply do your job to the best of your abilities. You are silently telling you bosses and your subordinates that you will solve what needs solving and then move forward.

To blame the past is already useless and futile. Yes, you have to look back not to blame others or to point fingers. You only have to look back to learn the lessons of the past so that you could use it as a springboard for the future.

The future that will serve you well if you do your job to the best of your abilities without employing the blame game. – Marino J. Dasmarinas      

Acknowledgment as a tool of motivation

Are you quick to acknowledge your subordinate’s achievement? For example, good work performance or exceptional sales achievement. Do you immediately compliment such positive behaviors? Or you don’t mind it simply because you see it as ordinary and without meaning?

Words or actions that acknowledge a positive behavior fulfills our need to have a place in an organization. In Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, this is number three in the hierarchy which is the need to belong. When an employee feels that his/her need to belong in an organization is fulfilled. He/she would naturally be motivated to work hard or work even harder.

Human as we are, we feel good when we are recognized or complimented. For example, remember when you were still studying? And when your professor complimented you for correctly answering his question during recitation? How did you feel during that moment? You felt good and you were raring for another session of class recitation. Right? What influenced your positive behavior? It’s the acknowledgment and recognition that was given to you.

In the same vein, acknowledging or complimenting your subordinate’s achievement no matter how small is motivating as well. Therefore, we must not be stingy in giving well deserved compliment and acknowledgment for a job well done. This is for the reason that this gives an employee a purpose and meaning in his existence in the organization. and it fulfills the number three hierarchical need under Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs which is the need to belong.

Hence, we should be quick to acknowledge positive achievements and behaviors and we should do it as often as the opportunity gives us to do so. Try it and see for yourself the motivation that it will give your subordinates.  And the positive impact that it will create in your image. – Marino J. Dasmarinas