Giving your team feedback can be one of the most important things you do as a manager to keep them motivated and on the right track.  However, it can be a challenge to know the whens and hows of giving feedback. Here are some tips to help you get across the motivating messaging and course corrections your team members need to keep them reaching goals and owning the setbacks and successes of the team. Don’t assume that your team members know “all is good.” Even your most efficient and conscientious employee needs feedback. Everyone has doubts about their abilities and performance, as well as blind spots about where they could do better.  It is your job as their manager to be their cheerleader, as well as their coach.  Your feedback keeps them motivated, lets them know they are appreciated, and gives them direction towards reaching “the next level.” Be the manager you always wanted to have with Professional Development training from AETC.

You can use OneDrive directly from a web browser, or you can access it from your file explorer app on your computer.  Below are instructions on how to access OneDrive from your computer’s file explorer app and how to sync and access documents from withing the app. OneDrive access You can access OneDrive in the File Explorer window on your computer, or online in a web browser.  In File Explorer on your computer, you will find your OneDrive folders under the cloud icon in your left-hand menu options. OneDrive Status in File Explorer When using OneDrive in the File Explorer window, you will see a Status column.  This indicates if the document is available online only (cloud icon), available on your computer (green check mark), always available on your computer (solid green check mark) or shared with others (person icon). To change status and sync settings of a document, right-click on the document in File Explorer and choose either Always keep on this device, or Free up space.  This either downloads a copy to your computer or removes the copy on your computer. Syncing SharePoint documents To sync a SharePoint library to be accessible in File Explorer on your computer, enter the library and then click on the Sync button, at the top.  You can also click on the Add Shortcut to OneDrive,  from the top menu in a SharePoint library, to add a shortcut to a specific folder or document in OneDrive. Master all of the features that Office 365 has to offer with training from AETC.

You can engage in a chat with just 1 person when you are on a Team call – similar to how you would in other webinar programs like Zoom.  However, it is not as straight forward as using the chat window in other webinar programs.  Here is how to do it in Teams. Want to learn more abut Microsoft Office365 features like Teams? Take a training course with AETC!

Instantly create professional PowerPoint slides that look like a graphic artist produced them with the Design Ideas feature.   Sometimes it’s a chore to try and make your PowerPoint slides look interesting and creative.  It can be very time consuming and your end result may not be very dynamic.  You can now take the stress out of creating dynamic slides by using the Designer feature. Using the Designer Feature If you have the Microsoft 365 version of PowerPoint, you can utilize the Designer feature to quickly provide visual interesting layouts to your slide.  This is the quickest way to create eye catching slides with minimal effort. Want to learn more about PowerPoint Design? Take a training class from AETC!

You can add different columns to the e-mail list in Outlook.  This will allow you to quickly view different properties of items in the e-mail list as well as click on the various columns to sort your email list.  To do this, you first need to ensure your reading pane is not displayed on the right hand side of your screen, and is instead on the bottom or turned off. Place Reading Pane on the bottom Click on the View tab on the Ribbon, in the Layout group, click the Reading Pane button, then trace to and select Bottom. Now we can add different columns to our email list view To remove columns, click-and-drag the column header off of the header bar, until you see the big X, then release your mouse button. Changing Column Order and Size Learn all the ways that Outlook can make your life easier with training from AETC!

As we emerge from the restrictive economy of the pandemic, employees are discovering they have new-found freedom to seek more satisfying employment. The resulting employee-turnover is costly for employers: On average, it can cost thirty to fifty percent of an employee’s annual salary to replace that worker, when factoring the costs associated with hiring and training, as well as the loss of productivity during the process. What can you do to retain your talent pool and reduce the costs associated with employee turnover? Of course, money is a factor: If you are underpaying your employees, in this environment, they will be able to find employers who will pay them their worth. However, if your compensation package is competitive, money drops to the bottom of the list of workplace factors that matter most to employee retention. GlassDoor conducted a survey to rank the importance of five factors that matter most to employee satisfaction. Their findings were as follows: Another USC study asked employees what their top work motivators were. Here, the results were: Clearly, we find see more money isn’t really the way to keep talented employees. So, beyond competitive pay, what are employees looking for? Employees want a career. A job is a thing one does to pay the bills. A career in something in which an employee can develop and grow, adding skills and responsibilities over time. A job is a moment in time, while a career is a journey. In order to retain employees, a company must convey the idea that it is fostering its employees’ careers, and they do this by nurturing a growth culture. This means that employees feel that the company is invested in their development, that it is looking for ways to help them evolve and develop their interests and strengths.  Even at times when there are no actual promotions available, employees need to recognize the company’s continued investment in their growth and development, which keeps them feeling valued and mentally challenged. Fostering a Growth Culture There are several ways to build a growth culture and develop employees, even when there isn’t an immediate promotion in the offing: By nurturing employees through a culture of growth, companies are showing their employees that they expect them to be around for the long haul. No one wants to feel like they are in the dreaded Dead-End Job. Making sure every team member sees a path to further develop expertise and skills, garner respect, and foster their careers will make it much less likely that they will jump ship at the earliest opportunity.  Not only does this reduce those costs associated with refilling vacated positions, it also increases the value of the talent pool the company has in its current employees.

What makes a good leader? Is it being an alpha dog who is good at strong-arming his pack into action? Is it the brave warrior that rushes headlong into the fray? Is it the thorough tactician that lays out every move that his squad will make, then insists they follow his plan down to the smallest detail? Is it the disciplinarian who is able to keep his team under his control with fear and punishment? One could easily argue that none of the above are actually the characteristics of a good leader.  While all of the above personalities may be able to get their people to do what they want, they are certainly not creating a cohesive and motivated team that is flexible enough to overcome obstacles or adjust and change course when circumstances change. A good leader may look different in various situations, depending on the team goals, the arena the team operates in, or even the resources that are available to the team as they try to reach their goals. However, no matter the circumstances, good leaders will all share certain characteristics. So, what are the characteristics that good leaders share? Empathy Let’s face it, your team is filled with human beings, not robots. All humans carry baggage, have hopes and dreams, can butt heads with other people, and can just have a bad day.  Good leaders never treat their team as though they are automatons who can just soldier through. Understanding and accommodating your teams’ personal motivations builds trust. A team that trusts their leader is more likely to raise concerns before they build into major issues. A team that trusts their leader is more likely to trust other team members, and utilize them when their skillset is called for.   Understanding your team member’s emotions also means that you are better equipped to deal with interpersonal conflicts, are able to gain individual’s full buy-in to difficult tasks, and are able to instill confidence in team members when they need to take on new responsibilities. Awareness/Mindfulness At first glance, this trait may seem to mean just being aware of your team, your goals, and the milestones that are needed to be reached. And, yes, good leaders are able to stay on top of all of the moving parts involved in a project. But this awareness needs to go much deeper, and it grows out of empathy, for both your team members and yourself. A good leader must be mindful of their own emotions, as well as have insight into those of the team. Knowing when your team is feeling overwhelmed, or anxious about meeting certain milestones, will help you ensure they get the support and resources they need to get tasks done. It can also mean you understand when interventions are needed to shut down strife between team members, when the team needs to celebrate accomplishments, or when they just need a motivational message to get them over the hump of a difficult day. Self-awareness is equally important in a good leader. Knowing your own emotional triggers or skill weaknesses, and developing strategies to handle those issues, can be as important as developing a good plan of action for your team toward reaching their goals. Vision/Decisiveness It may seem like your team should understand why they do what they do, but that really isn’t necessarily the case. A lot of people work in an office where they spend their days processing paperwork or adding up columns of numbers. What does success mean to such a team? Does it mean the numbers add up or the paperwork travels from Point A to Point B? It could also mean that budgets balance or that spending is reduced. Which is it? What does failure look like, and how is it handled within the team and the company?  Giving your team a thorough understanding of their role in the bigger picture and the why of their job is an important factor in keeping them motivated, engaged, accountable.  It is your job as a leader to articulate their end goals, as well as develop a plan of action to guide them through the process of getting there. It is also your job to be able to decisively adjust the plan of action, as situations change, with a clear understanding of your team members’ strengths, the resources at their disposal, and the time constraints they work within. Honesty/Accountability Good leaders are honest with themselves and their teams.  If circumstances have changed, the team needs to know. If the team has failed to reach a milestone, they need to know. If they are on track to meet all the desired metrics, they need to know. If they have gone above and beyond, they need to know that, too.  If any of these things are not communicated to the team, it can leave them feeling like they are standing on shaky and unsure ground, even when they are actually meeting or exceeding expectations. Further, owning up to your own mistakes or shortcomings may be difficult, but that is an important trait in a leader, as well. Generally, teams are well aware when something has gone wrong. Blaming others or not holding yourself accountable destroys trust within your team.  What does accountability look like in practice? It means your team has a clear understanding of plans, goals, and expectations. It means that they are able to communicate concerns and ideas. It means they are able to own their successes, and are encouraged to find solutions to problems before they become failures. Ultimately, it means everyone is on the same page, and can function as a cohesive unit to get things done. Gratitude/Optimism Completing a project is a team effort, literally. We have all likely worked for a manager at some point who congratulates themselves on “their” success, without acknowledging the contributions of the people working under them. There is almost nothing more guaranteed to build resentment in a team than that kind of behavior. A

No one likes conflict or criticism, but they are a part of life, especially in work situations in which people can have differing opinions about how to get things done. The key to managing these situations well is to keep our emotions out of it, and to be clear on our motivations.  Of course, that is much easier said than done.  Motivations First, you must be clear on what your true motivation is in any given situation or conflict. At work, we, of course, should be trying to get the project or our tasks done on time and with available resources, with little or no wasted effort. Sounds simple enough, right?  Unfortunately, egos can step in and insight an internal competitiveness telling us that we need to win in a conflict, or prove to the other person that we are right above all else, or our insecurities shout that we should just avoid the other person to avoid creating a conflict.  When those become your motives, you have just become the victim of an emotional shark attack. The Emotional Sharks Defending – The Swell Shark – a small bottom-dwelling creature. When exposed to a threat, it gulps water to double its size. This transformation is particularly effective if the fish has retreated to a rocky nook from which a predator would be hard-pressed to dislodge a fully swollen shark. It has essentially locked itself in. This is a behavior we can easily fall into when we are challenged. We start defending ourselves and can lock tightly into our position, even when shown evidence that there might be better options. We don’t want to be proven wrong. The motive of defending can easily slip into the next shark attack motive of Outmaneuvering, if we get even more defensive. Outmaneuvering – The Hammerhead Shark – a fast and twisty beast. Hammerhead sharks have adapted to have sleek and aerodynamic bodies. This allows them to not only swim fast (at speeds clocked at 25 miles per hour), but it also allows them to make quick and sharp turns to both catch prey and avoid predators. This increased agility and ability to out-maneuver large predators are essential to them. The outmaneuvering motivation is one that jumps in front of us the most often, because competitiveness is built into our very fiber from youth. Most of us don’t realize that this competitiveness and desire to win continually drives us away from acting in our best interests. We may start with the right intentions of resolving a problem, but as soon as someone raises a red flag, or challenges us, in a heartbeat we switch into the Hammerhead shark psyche to try and outmaneuver them. We argue over small or irrelevant details or point out the flaws of the other. We make the argument about something that distracts from our original motive and goal. Attacking – The Bull Shark – an aggressive and dominating predator.  These sharks have one of the highest testosterone levels on the planet, and as a result they are very aggressive. They very much want to keep their “personal space,” and even attack others of their kind to establish who is bigger and badder. The more dominant shark will usually show the other who is boss by biting it. The Outmaneuvering motivation can often turn into Attacking. Sometimes the anger increases so much from the battle that has ensued from our “outmaneuvering” or defending motivation, that we move from being competitive and wanting the win, to wanting to harm the other person. We become more aggressive and want the other to suffer, to admit that they were wrong, or to show to others that we were right at their cost, to demonstrate we are the dominating predator. Avoiding – The Nurse Shark – a creature with no teeth and who likes to hide. The third unhealthy motive is to avoid, or hide from, an uncomfortable interaction.  We can choose this motive when we know that a conflict can result. We just assume it’s safer to go silent. Or maybe we are uncomfortable with confrontation, and we accept the certainty of bad results. We think we are choosing peace over conflict, but this shark attack is just as bad as the others. This unhealthy shark attack can manifest as passive aggressive behavior, because we are afraid to state what we really mean.  Resentment is often the result, but deferring to stronger voices in the conversation can mean that flaws in their suggestions are missed, or the better solution – your solution – is never even considered. The key is to pay attention to what is happening to your motives.   Is your motive starting to change to  save face and dig-in, avoid embarrassment, outmaneuver, be right, or punish others? Our motives can change without any conscious thought on our part. When emotion does the thinking for us, our motives flow with the chemical tide.  And this shift of motives can often mean that our original primary objective, that of getting the task done, isn’t met, or is only met by more work, anger, and frustration than is necessary. Need more help vanquishing Emotional Sharks, or dealing with the difficult people in your life? Check out AETC’s classes Dealing with Difficult People and Emotional Intelligence. Or for even more in-depth leadership focused training, see the Emerging Leaders Intensive program.

New Year’s Resolutions We’ve all made them. We have all probably meant to keep them. But after a few weeks of hitting the gym twice a day, eating nothing but kale, or trying to slog our way through War and Peace in the original Russian, it is very easy to slide right back into our old habits.  I mean, we gave it a shot, right? How can you really make a lasting impact on your life, this year?  That’s simple: Add new skills to your work tool kit.  By increasing your career skills, you are adding value to yourself as an employee, and thus increasing the salary that you can command. You will have more power to leverage if you want to move up at your company, change your employer, or even move into another career field. In our ever-shifting economy, having more skills means more employment security. AdvantEdge Training and Consulting can help you get those life-changing career skills Whether you want to dazzle your boss by becoming the Master of the Spreadsheet, learn to create polished documents that show off your skills with the written word,  or slide into the role of managing your company’s internal communications site, AETC has the computer skills training that you need to increase your value to employers. Looking to step into a management or leadership role? AETC’s professional development training can help you get there, too. We even offer public speaking classes to help you make the pitch for that dream job. If your goal is to reduce the stress in your life this year, we’ve got your covered: We can help you get more organized with Time Management training, make the most of every day by keeping yourself motivated, and deal with those difficult people in your life with finesse and grace, a talent that would have been good to have before that awkward holiday family dinner. The best thing about launching the New Year with new skills? Once you’ve mastered them, they are yours forever, and don’t take daily trips to the gym or kale smoothies to maintain. Check out what AdvantEdge Training and Consulting has to offer to start the New Year with the real skills to transform your life!