Some of you may have heard these questions before but I think they’re a fun way to bring the true consequences of unethical thinking into light. Consider each of the following questions and be honest – you’re the only one who will know your answers.

1. A pregnant woman already has eight children. Three are deaf, two blind, and one mentally retarded. The pregnant woman herself has syphilis. Should she have an abortion?
2. The world is going to elect one leader and you have the deciding vote. Each candidate has his own qualities: Candidate A associates with astrologers and questionable politicians, has had affairs, smokes, and drinks heavily. Candidate B was kicked out of office two times, sleeps late into the day, drinks heavily, and used opium in college. Candidate C is a decorated war hero, non-smoker, vegetarian, occasional drinker, and has been faithful in all of his relationships. Who would you choose?

Do you have your answers?

First, if you answered YES to recommending an abortion you would have killed Beethoven.

As for the politicians. The first is Franklin D. Roosevelt, the second Winston Churchill, and the third Adolph Hitler.

The point here is that there is always more to a decision than meets the eye. It’s important to ask questions and make educated decisions rather than jumping to conclusions based on the initial set of facts given to us. Sometimes those gathering the facts are biased or they’re just plain misleading. It’s up to you to sort fact from fiction and make the most ethical decisions possible.

Thanks again,

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Course

Click below for a:
Free email course “Improve your Management Skills”

More often than not, corporations are looking to “diversify” their work groups. While some are diversifying with gender or ethnicity in mind, others are taking a closer look at age diversity – hiring younger and older employees to create a delicate balance of seasoned and experienced workers with those who might not be as experienced but will bring fresh ideas to the table.

So here’s the problem. You have a position available and two candidates have make it through the interview process. One is a young college graduate with plenty of references, great internship experience, and fresh ideas. The other is a middle-aged individual with plenty of working experiernce in the field. When it comes down to it, both are great candidates but you have to wonder which would fit the dynamic of the team better and suddenly you’re weighing your options in terms of age.

Have you just crossed the line into the realm of age discrimination?

We’ll talk more later about the actual rules regarding age discrimination in the UK. Until then, think about how you would make your decision. Would you focus on age or would you try to go back to their resumes and interviews and find more concrete information with which to make your decision?

Thanks again,

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Courses

Click below for a:
Free email course “Improve your Management Skills”

Stress is becoming more and more prevalent in the workplace, especially in light of changes in the world economy and individual fears regarding job security. If you feel stress creeping up on you at work (or if you see one of your employees succumbing to heavy stress) you’ll want to take immediate action to help alleviate some of the pressure. Here are 5 simple things you can do to help relieve stress in the workplace.

Use Humour

There’s no harm in taking a few minutes out of your day for a bit of humour. Tell a few jokes, forward a funny email, or sing a silly song. Do anything that will take your mind off of the things causing stress, even for just a few moments. Sometimes laughter helps to clear the head and make productive thinking easier.

Take a Quick Walk

Sometimes stress is caused by a lack of movement. If you feel incredibly stressed, put on your coat and take a quick walk around the outside of your work building. Use a quick pace and, as silly as it sounds, talk to yourself while you are walking. The physical activity will get your blood pumping and help to reenergize you while talking to yourself (even to reiterate “xyz is taking a walk” will help you to put yourself in the “now” and forget about the things on your desk.

Drink Water

Dehydration is one of the hugest health concerns in the world- anywhere. Most people don’t understand how important water is to the body and if you become dehydrated you will begin to have trouble functioning, both physically and mentally. Most people reach for coffee, cola, or energy drinks when they should, in reality, drink water. Stick to 4-8 glasses of water per day and you’ll find your levels of stress significantly lowering themselves.

Take a Nap

Alright – taking a nap while working may not be easy but it IS possible. If you have a stressful morning then go to your car during your lunch break, turn on the radio, and take a quick catnap. If you’re a heavy sleeper and are afraid you’ll fall asleep and not wake up in time, tell a coworker where you are going so they can come and get you a few minutes before you’re scheduled to return. No matter how you pull it off, know that a good 15-30 minute catnap is great for relieving stress.

Cry

Yup. I said it. Have yourself a good cry. Crying is, in many cases, a natural response to a rising level of adrenaline in the body (often caused by stress) and is nothing to be ashamed of. Focusing your energies on holding back the tears isn’t productive so go to a quiet place, hidden from others, and let the tears flow. You’ll probably feel a lot better when you’re finished!

Stress management in the workplace is incredibly important not only to your mental healh but to the overall productivity of your team. Take care of yourself and those around you and you’ll soon find yourself surrounded by a happier, more productive group.

Thanks again,

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training Course

Click below for a:
Free email course “Improve your Management Skills”

Sometimes the line between what is ethical and what is not becomes slightly blurred. While there are certainly enough unethical managers and leaders in the world’s workplace, there is no reason for you to be amongst their masses.

Sadly, sometimes it is difficult to determine if what you are feeling is unethical or simply complicated. There is, fortunately, a simple test you can apply to yourself, as outlined by the UK Institute of Business Ethics, to determine if the decision you are about to make is truely ethical.

You must simply ask yourself the following three questions:

1. Would I be proud to share my decision with the public at large (excluding no one)?
2. Are an aspects of my decision potentially harmful and, if so, are they avoidable?
3. Would everyone involved, even far reaching stakeholders, consider my decision to be fair?

If you can’t answer these questions honestly (with YES answers) then you need to seriously take a step back and reconsider the actions you’re about to take. If you’re having trouble, go and find a neutral party (someone who doesn’t feel obligated to you in any way) and ask for impartial advice.

Don’t let anyone force you into beleiving that something unethical is anything but and don’t allow yourself to become blinded by the feelings of importance you may have placed upon yourself because of your position, either. As a good leader it’ll be your job, when faced with an unethical decision, to find the ethical solution.

Thanks again,

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training Courses

Click below for a:
Free email course “Improve your Management Skills”

John Adair, one of the most respected leadership trainers in the world, spent years developing what is now known as Adair’s Action Centred Leadership Model. The model has three main parts, of which any good manager or leader should be familiar with. As a manager, you’ll need to be able to use all of these elements in your decision making process in order to control situations, keep things in balance, and get the results you ultimately desire.

The three components of Adair’s Action Centred Leadership Model are:

• Task achievement
• Team management, and
• Individual management

You have sets of responsibilities within each component of the model. Let’s start with your responsibilities as a manager in charge of achieving a task. Just a few of these include:

• Properly define the scope of the task
• Identify which tools and resources you need to complete the task
• Create a plan to achieve the task
• Set controls and standards
• Monitor and report on progress
• Review and adjust the plan as appropriate

Your next step is to take a look at the group participating in the project with you, helping you to bring it to fruitition. When you look at the group in general you must:

• Establish standards for communication, style, culture, and approach
• Monitor the groups behaviour and establish boundaries for ethics, culture, discipline and conflict
• Modify the dynamic of the group as necessary
• Make sure the group is able to cooperate and work as a unified team
• Lead the group towards the ultimate achievement of its goals

Finally you must look at each individual member of the group separately. This involves:

• Understanding the needs and strengths or weaknesses of each person
• Helping each person to define his own unique goals
• Set responsibilities and objectives and reward them for being met
• Develop strengths and utilize them with proper training

In all three categories you can see how important it is for you to be active in your approach. There’s no passive method for dealing with employees or projects with Adair’s model. No matter what model you follow, you’ll find that dealing actively with employees is a far more effective, proactive approach.

Thanks again

Sean
Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Training

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