How to Stay Out of Trouble with your Colleagues

Being a trusted business partner requires clear, effective communication. However, what makes our communication “clear” and “effective” is not the same for everyone. As an example some people appreciate a direct approach that gets to the point quickly while others respond best to a tactful approach that demonstrates value and respect for their personal contribution.

When working with trusted colleagues we don’t purposely do things to be counter-productive and irritating; and yet occasionally our approach can have unexpected consequences. Fixing these misunderstandings takes a lot of time so it’s best to prevent them from ever happening.

You can use imapMyTeam to help you avert the wrong approach with the people you work with. The “What to Avoid” report can save you a lot of hard feelings and misunderstandings by taking the right approach the first time. Use this report:

• To help properly frame difficult conversations
• To avoid small misunderstandings from growing into huge ones
• As a quick refresher before any kind of feedback on performance
• As a building block for your relationship with the person
• To give yourself an edge in making a good impression
• To help ensure important meetings stay focused on what’s important

Login here to see the reports


You will find the “What to Avoid” report by clicking on “view info” to the right of your colleague’s name. Use the pull down menu to access the report. This report is a set of statements that will describe some specific things you should Not Do to steer clear of “unintended consequences” with him/her and to protect the trust in your partnership.

All About That Bass/Base, No Treble

It is possible that you are one of the people who have not heard Meghan Trainor’s song All About That Bass. It spent 8 weeks at number 1 on the charts and had an infectious 50-60’s pop/do-wop sort of style to it.

And that was the problem. I heard it last week just as I was getting ready to do a program and I got an earworm – you know – the song that gets stuck in your head…when you don’t want it stuck in your head.

So turning lemons into lemonade I thought about how to use it to the good. The song itself sends a positive message about embracing one’s inner beauty and having self-acceptance.

In imapMyTeam® speak, the base [rather than bass in the song] of a person is their needs. Needs describe the inner person rather than the external person [the treble]. We need to pay attention to our own and others’ “base” to get the best from them.

When you are on another person’s main page in imapMyTeam® always remember to take a quick glance at the four colored grid and look at the location of the circle/square symbol.   This describes a person’s bass. 

For some people, it’s easy to figure this out simply by observing their behavior.  When the diamond and circle/square are in close proximity to each other then you know at a glance that this person’s expectations of their interactions with you will be a lot like their own behavior.  What you see is what you get so their bass is obvious.

When the diamond and circle/square are far from each other you know right away that their preference how you interact with them is much different than how they act. You will see that clearly described in the narrative reports you read about them.

For those people it really is all about the bass (base) – not their treble.

To view the diamond and circle/square symbols, login to imapMyTeam® and move the individual you want to see in the center pane view by clicking on their name.  And remember, it really is all about the bass, about the bass, no treble.

Oh-oh; One week in and [I’m stressed already…]

There probably is no such thing as easing back into work after the holidays.

Everyone and everything kicks right into high gear to get a jump on the New Year.  And, after just one week in, you may already be feeling stressed and have forgotten the benefits of any time off you had during the holidays.

Let’s face it, the work environment is stressful any time, and if you follow some of the recent studies about workplace stress, the data is eye-popping. A recent poll shows 60% of the global workforce regularly feels pressured at work and approximately 80% of American workers report serious stress at work.

Wow. 

What’s worse is that stress takes its toll in other ways. Physical changes may include a rise in blood pressure while our immune response nosedives (just in time for flu season). Approximately 40% of people overeat due to stress, and 20-30% of us increase alcohol consumption. There are other physical ramifications too numerous for the limits of this blog.

Additionally, if we are under pressure, the less able we are to make good choices and effectively manage our interactions with others.

We just hit you with a lot of bad news, which hopefully hasn’t stressed you further – however, we have good news to counteract this challenging situation. People who are more self-aware and spend time self-monitoring are more successful than their less aware counterparts. That applies to stress management too.

imapMyTeam® is a great way to help you be more self-aware and better manage workplace pressure by regularly evaluating yourself with the Success Under Pressure and/or the Stress of Change reports.

imapMyTeam® will help you stay on top of the stress you are experiencing by going beyond merely describing your stress,  to prescribing ways to help you manage your way out of the stress you are feeling.

Beginnings and Endings

Janus, the Roman god of beginnings and endings, is portrayed by two faces, one looking to the past and one to the future. Two equally important viewpoints.

The month of January is named for Janus and at the beginning of the year we especially tend to look forward in making resolutions for the upcoming year. While you may not care about mythical Roman gods like Janus, 2015 can be the year you resolve to be a real advocate of good beginnings and good endings.

In today’s workforce people are more mobile than ever. If not leaving the company, people are changing roles, teams and projects within the company. Which means there are plenty of opportunities for you to get the beginnings and endings of your work relationships right.

As you look to the past and consider co-workers that have been part of your world, how did you manage the beginnings and endings of those relationships?  Were you satisfied you did everything possible to manage or support their success? As you look to the future when new co-workers and teammates are added - how will you manage your new beginnings and eventually endings with them more effectively?

You want to do your best, because when you do your best at these new beginnings others will notice and it will positively impact their performance. And that directly impacts the bottom line of your business. Their success is your success.

You have at your disposal an incredibly powerful resource to help you - imapMyTeam®.

If you have not already done so, it is not too late to resolve to use imapMyTeam® more frequently in 2015. A little investment in time yields a great return in your people and relationships.

This time next year, when, as Janus suggests, you look back on 2015 and look forward to 2016 you’ll be happy that you did – and so will your teammates.