10 Tips in Creating a Strong Team

Having a strong team and work foundation in today’s society is imperative for success in any business. Conflict of any sort creates chaos which leads to dysfunction and breakdown. What is worse than communication breakdown within a team that is working with patients and seniors? Get the picture?

Here are so ideas on how you, as the Team Leader, Administrator or Manager can create that calm and easy going work environment that benefits not just you but your staff and all that you come in contact with.

1. Be a role model.  Remember; you are in a position of authority and your staff looks to your for guidance and direction. They will often reflect what you are doing so always to treat them how you would like to be treated.

2.  Maintain open communication.  Open communication is key. Asking questions, talking to your staff and genuinely be concerned about how they are doing. Listen to what they have to say and make them feel and know that you care. Hear their concerns; ask their opinions about how they see things working and let them have input.  

3. Share information.  Having weekly meetings is imperative in having a smooth running facility. Keep your employees well informed, not only of your expectations, but what is going on in your environment.  Let them know what the expectations of the entire organization are, not just your own.
 
4. Don’t be a micro-manager.  Instill trust in your employees. You hired them because you believe they could handle the position that they applied for. By giving them space they will feel the trust and handle the pressure and do a better job. Now they know that you are not hovering around every corner.
 
5. Give positive feedback.  We know how easy it is to criticize a person’s actions. How much more productive would it be to focus on what is going well and not just the pitfalls of the every day activities? Would this create more positive feelings and fewer frustrations? Remember to always remember to let your employees know how much their efforts are appreciated

6. Encourage personal development. Create projects at work for team and personal development. This enhances the team building and they get to create and set goals not as individuals but as a group that will grow together.
 
7. Offer professional development opportunities. Providing continuing education, seminars and workshop opportunities expands their knowledge and personal skills. Have them work as a team in discovering new ways to improve and explore in their work environment.
 
8. Be a team player.  Create a cooperative environment where everyone’s suggestions are welcome and heard. Reflect upon these ideas at the staff meetings and mention them for projects and creative aspects where they work.  Remember that there is potential for growth and change in every idea that is revealed.
 
9. Consider mediation. If there are issues and concerns in the work force, offer your employees the chance for a professional to mediate their dispute.  Their productivity will rise and the conflict will cease to exist. 

10. Keep smiling! Being a supervisor brings with it much stress and responsibility. But it can also be a source of joy and satisfaction.  Communicate to your workers that you enjoy your job and they will more likely do the same for you.   Reflect upon others what you want to be reflected upon you!

Remember, a Happy Staff creates a Happy Work environment!

For more information about Care Home Coaching and my services please visit

Nicole Gruendl
Life and Success Coach
CareHomeCoaching.NicoleGruendl.com

Coaching and Care Home Conflicts

In any environment where there are people interacting with one another, there will be conflict. We are naturally programmed to go into self defense mode when we feel threatened, whether it be emotional or physical. Seniors or individuals who are used to living independently are no exceptions to that rule.

They are placed in an environment where the choices were not always their own. They have lost the option of when they wake up, eat, or even go to sleep. They have lots all sense of independence and responsibility. Accidents happen, health issues arise, and the fact that they just cannot take care of themselves any longer. This is when the decisions are made for them and now they find themselves in such facilities as your own. This is when disgruntled patients come into play.

Caregivers, some more trained than others, are now faced with such patients. There will be conflicts of interest between the staff and the patients as well as between the co-workers. Many times, the administrators and managers will support their staff and will attempt to sort things out but sometimes there is just too much tension and tempers flare just a little too easy. At other times, however, outside help may be necessary to resolve the conflict within the staff so that they, in turn can ease the tension with the patients. This is where one calls in a mediator and coach.

You may ask why you need to call in a mediator coach if you can handle the situations yourself. Mediation coaching requires someone who is qualified in this field and has the tools to address the problems in a professional manner. Being familiar and having the experience with care home facilities is a major asset for it’s supports in understanding the pressure and chaos that can arise from such an environment. The largest request that we have as coaches etc is that everyone must be a willing candidate for change. More often than not members tend to play the blame game and feel that they should not be involved in such meetings. It’s not their fault, they have no issues, you get the idea. The fact of the matter is this, many of the staff members then to bring their work home with them and vice versa.

If there is conflict at home, it reflects in their work and with their peers. A grudge with a family member can easily be taken out on a patient of another employee. This may not be intentional, but it happens. Unfortunately, it happens more often than not. The conflicts that arise between the employee’s themselves is also a big factor and this cannot go unnoticed or unattended.

The main object to all of this is to clear the resentment, the anger, the fear and all the emotions, no matter where they stem from, and create a wonderful and more loving working environment for all. This ability to push through the objectivity from the staff and create open communication comes with time and experience which is a very useful technique to manage conflict in long-term care settings. This may be something that the administrators and staff managers may not have enough of.
It would also mean that you would have to be completely neutral which makes things a little trying for this conflict has been presented to you previously. You have already been jaded.
Damage control is a serious issue and working with the members to subdue the damage is not a feat that is easily handled. Sometimes it comes from a situation derived from personal issues but can also come from a simple confrontation between two employees.

One final note; every position held in a care facility is a very responsible one indeed. The patients will not always be cooperative or easy to handle but it is the staff’s responsibility to make it as easy as possible for them and for their peers to resolve any issue that may arise.

If the staff is there for the patients, who is there for the staff? You as an administrator or director can only do so much and handle so many conflicts before this too will take a toll on you. Call in some help and you’ll be happy you did!

For more information about Care Home Coaching and my services please visit:
Nicole Gruendl
Life and Success Coach
CareHomeCoaching.NicoleGruendl.com

Changing Employee Behavior

As supervisors and team leaders of your facility, you are often dealing with staff issues. A conflict within employees, a certain individual who is not performing up to par or a task that’s been missed or just completely forgotten. It’s a sensitive area and you need to be able to handle these situations with care and concern. In the care industry, staff often become like Family and they take pride in their work. Of course, there is always an exception to this rule.

For many, they began working in your facility because they care for their patients and are genuinely concerned about what they do. Yet for the selected few, this is just a “JOB” and a means to pay their bills.

This attitude reflects in everything they do and say at work and this in turn begins to reflect in their performance at work. Then you get notices that this certain individual not pulling their weight in the team, coming in late, not completing assignments, causing distractions on the job, irritating co-workers How do you deal with this? You are now in a situation where there in a kink in your teams’ chain and it’s beginning to cause concerns within.

As the lead and let’s face it, you sometimes wish it would just go away and work itself out. They are adults they can handle this can’t they? Why do I need to get involved? You do not want to be portrayed at the “bad guy”. But will you putting off that heart-to-heart discussion with the person who’s driving you crazy, hoping they’ll have a miraculous recovery solve the problem? Well you may have to wait for a long time. For whatever reason, these behaviors work for them, so they are unlikely to change them on their own.
You see, it’s likely that they can be taking your lack of interest in the matter as an approval of the way they do things. That it’s alright to continue with their way of doing things, their manners and how they treat other employees for there is nobody there who is stating or requesting change. It’s their way and they are quite happy in doing so.

Remember, the rest of the staff is also watching this transpire. No involvement from the managers or directors means that you approve of all of it. In which case, they might also assume that such behavior is OK for them as well. Can you see how this can escalate into bigger and more complex issues?

Most likely, your non-action will cause them to begin questioning your credibility. You are in the supervisor position to enforce the high standards of performance and ethics of the company. So if you allow such actions to go without discussion, then there is a double standard. Most people want to work for someone who has high standards. They want someone to look up to and strive towards and make them happy so everyone can be happy. It’s called team effort.

So here are some actions to correct the problem behavior.

1. Approach the situation with respect and care. Remember what you bring to the table will be reflected back to you.
2. Be specific with the problem. If there are more than one issue be sure to address them one by one
3. Discuss each of your concerns and be clear and precise
4. Reflect what they contribute to the team
5. Ask them their opinion and LISTEN to their response
6. Take notes and acknowledge their concerns and statements
7. Be specific about company policy, rules and expectations
8. Come to a mutual agreement without “the I said so” concept
9. Be sure to follow up with your employee and if you feel that YOU need more support then you can always rely on me.

To support you in making this conversation less stressful, here are a few ideas to get you in the right frame of mind.