Interpersonal Skill Building -- Yank The Suckers & Weeds

According to the National Gardening Association, suckers are rapidly growing shoots rising from an underground root or stem, often to the detriment of the tree. They can be very irritating and annoying for they bear no flowers or fruit. Rather than cut them off, one way to get rid of them is to roughly yank the suckers off to remove the cells and tissues that cause re-growth.

Even if you are not a gardener, you know a lot about weeds. They are everywhere and tend to take over, crowd a plant's root system, and provide a chaotic and unsightly mess. While there are many kinds of weed-killer sprays on the market, orchard growers hesitate to use them for fear of damaging the trees.

Unfortunately, businesses have suckers and weeds too. These unattractive thieves rob the organization blind by ruining its competitive advantage, and choking and stifling its people. To avoid these outcomes, try applying a heavy layer of protective interpersonal mulch to effectively stop all but the most persistent of suckers and weeds.

Here are four suckers and weeds that are typically found in the business garden, along with ways to yank them out before they root too deeply:

Office Politics

Far too many workers put their faith in office politics and believe their careers will either soar or plunge as a result of them. Office politics are a fundamental part of the daily grind. Sometimes people who cannot succeed on their own merit play them, and oftentimes, workers who pursue personal hidden agendas at the expense of others practice them. How do you keep this damaging sucker from taking root?

  • Learn and understand how the office political game is played. You cannot afford to ignore office politics; whether you choose to play the political game or abstain is up to you.

  • Use ethical influence to impact others without being sucked into the game. Strengthen professional relationships with others in your company and industry.

  • Increase your awareness of how the company works-who has informal power and clout, and the unwritten as well as written rules of engagement.

    • Jumping to Conclusions

    We often criticize others for jumping to conclusions or assuming the worst about a situation that may be erroneous or is not justified by the facts. When we jump to conclusions, we tend to label others based on prejudice or stereotype, interpret their behavior as a result of assumptions, and narrow our objectivity by becoming overly critical or intolerant. To uproot this weed, you have to continually dig deep into the soil of your mind and heart and repeatedly yank it out:

  • Think of ways to jump to positive conclusions or consider alternative aspects of any problem, issue or situation.

  • Refrain from speaking or acting before hearing all the facts. Stop wasting precious time and energy on what you think may have happened. There may be a perfectly good explanation for why a particular action was taken. Ask for it.

  • Avoid the tendency to pigeon-hole others or use labels and stereotypes.

    • Wishy-Washiness

    Do you have a boss or co-workers who just can't seem to make of their minds? One minute they model commitment and confidence, promise to support and back you up; the next minute they hesitate, become indecisive, and do not know the right direction to take.

    You will need both hands to handle this slippery weed:

  • Focus on what's important. Ask for advice and insight. When you have considered all the available facts, move forward with prudence and good sense.

  • Put some stakes in the ground. Take a stand and stop straddling the fence.

  • Clearly outline any roles and expectations; then follow the plan.

    • Double-Talk

    In the business world, double-talk looks like excuse making and blame shifting. It often involves the deliberate use of ambiguous, vague or confusing language that is spoken or written in an earnest, sincere or meaningful tone. Yet, when you reflect on what you have just read or heard, you realize it is a mixture of sense and nonsense, drivel, rubbish, and just bunk! When someone uses double-talk, we are left with a bad taste in our mouths. So, how do we get rid of this poisonous weed?

  • Don't do it! Understand that to continue to engage in double-talk will negatively impact your character, integrity and reputation in the end.

  • When you hear double-talk, try to discover motives, hidden agendas, intentions and reasons by listening with an objective filter.

  • Hold yourself accountable for your mistakes and failures instead of making excuses and blaming others.

    • Don't let pervasive suckers and weeds choke your career and business garden. Don't just cut them out; yank them-root system and all! You'll be more successful if you do.

    Althea DeBrule, entrepreneur and seasoned human resources executive, has focused for more than 30 years on helping people achieve their career goals. Creator of The Extreme-Career-Makeover? and a founding partner of RADSGroup Organizational Consultants, she is recognized for her bottom line and practical application of career development and management strategies in a way that penetrates hearts and compels action. She speaks and teaches with inspired talent, humor and contagious zeal at management conferences and leadership retreats nationwide, and has been featured in CFO Magazine, Strategy@Work, Human Resource Executive Magazine. Althea is the author of Bosses & Orchards, a compelling and candid book about how to make your work relationship with your boss succeed. To discover how you can take your career to a new level, visit http://www.extreme-career-makeover.com/


    More Resources

    It Takes Time
    The story goes that after one of Ludwig van Beethoven's performances, several people were offering him their congratulations, when one woman commented, "I wish God had bestowed me with such genius." "It isn't genius, madam, nor is it magic.
    More Companies Using Job Interview Phone Screening
    Planning and preparing before you begin to send out resumes could save you some embarrassing moments when you receive that unexpected call.You just never know when that phone is going to ring.
    Top Ten Networking Strategies To Get A Job, A Promotion, Or Make A Sale
    Whether you are networking to find a new job opportunity, gain a promotion, or close a sale, you have two main goals with the networking interaction:1. To be remembered so that when opportunities appear, people will think of you as the perfect person to handle things,2.
    Your Interview Secret Weapon
    Have you ever been on a date where you had nothing in common so you spent your time asking questions about the other person's past?"Where did you work before that? Where did you grow up? Where did you move to after that? How many brothers do you have?"You get the idea. Your brain is in escape mode and your mouth is simply buying time until you can leave.
    Four Job Interview Mistakes That Can Torpedo Your Chances of Success
    What are the worst mistakes job hunters make? It turns out there are four big ones. These four mistakes turn up repeatedly when executives responsible for hiring talk about the reasons why someone didn't get a job offer.
    The Not-So-Effective Cover Letter
    Here's a newsflash: Cover letters work, plain and simple. This is why I'm intrigued by the fact that a) jobseekers rarely submit them and b) hiring managers seldom read them.
    Identity Theft and Your Online Job Search
    While identity theft is nothing new, the Web has opened up whole new world of opportunity for identity thieves.According to the FBI, identity theft is the top online fraud.
    What To Do When HR Calls...
    Generally, when you present yourself as a prospective candidate for a new employment opportunity, your information will filter through the Human Resources department. Since every company has their own hiring process, understand that you cannot always control when HR will call you.
    What You Should Know About A Medical Billing Specialist
    Whether you are a person who is thinking about becoming a medical billing specialist or a company looking for a medical billing specialist, then this article is for you. There are several things that you should be aware of in the medical billing industry and I will walk you through them so that you will have the background information that you need to help you make a decision that will best suit your needs.
    5 Tips for Customizing your Resume
    Gone are the days of the bland, generic one-page resume. Employers these days are more impressed by a resume that is customized and they tend to give jobs to interviewees that have a bit of knowledge about the company.
    Defining Success Your Way!
    In my career advising practice, I often find that my clients are not clear about what success means for them. Our society defines success primarily around three elements: power, money and fame.
    Where Do I Go From Here?
    Making Your Future Work Better For You. It's the commonest concern people have about their careers. Where am I heading? Is this the right direction for me? How can I tell what will suit me best? Making good career decisions doesn't have to be agony if you clear away a few misconceptions.
    Finding Success In Todays Job Market
    This year we are experiencing the most dynamic and rapidly changing economy in all of history except for next year, and the year after, and the rest of our working lives. The days of being able to get a college education, then get a good job for life, which will give you financial security and retirement are gone forever.
    Career Job Satisfaction - Get Off the Treadmill - Exit Your Rat Race!
    Get Off the Treadmill - Exit Your Rat Race!We can all get in a rut from time to time. Who hasn't had a moment in their lives where you've asked yourself the question: "Why am I doing this?" Whether it's who you've become, the business you are in, your career, relationships, where you live or all of the above - sometimes you realise you're just not where you want to be - and you're not sure how you got there! It sure feels like your own version of a rat race though.
    Four Important Questions to Ask Your Interviewer; Do You Really Want to Work for This Person?
    Many job seekers miss a golden opportunity when they are asked towards the end of an interview if they have any questions. If they feel the interviewer adequately explained the position, they make the mistake of answering "No" to this question.
    Looking for Work in All the Wrong Places
    The Question: After identifying a potential employer, I get contact information, do my research and send out my resume and cover letter, requesting an interview for a management or human resource position. I am listed with recruiters and staffing agencies and call them every week.
    Make Your Career Offshore Proof
    There has been a lot of talk recently about American jobs moving overseas?offshoring is the buzzword for it. During difficult economic times it is often easy to find a scapegoat to blame for a downturn in jobs.
    How to Change Career Horses in Mid-Stream
    You'll get wet but the reward just might be a more fulfilling ride!In Survival is Not Enough, author Seth Godin says change is the "new normal." Rather than thinking of work as a series of stable times interrupted by moments of change, Godin says we "must now recognize work as constant change, with only occasional moments of stability.
    Unlimit Your Life!
    Do you have a tendency to think in absolutes?Is everything good or bad, black or white?This type of thinking can severely limit your options. Or worse, prevent you from getting an accurate picture of what'spossible.
    Theres No Need to Pad Your Resume
    It seems like a good idea, harmless in fact. Your friends assure you that everybody does it and that employers rarely check resume facts.

    More Careers & Employment Information:

    Related Articles

    Behaviour To Climb The Stepping Stones To Career Success
    The heading of this article could just as well have been "How to position yourself for promotion" or "How to position yourself for career advancement" or "How to climb the success ladder" or something similar.What behaviour will improve your chances for success? Behaviour which can be described as good work ethics.
    Seriously Impress at Your Interview With These 7 Hot Tips
    So you've managed to secure a job interview for a position thatfits you PERFECTLY. Now comes the moment of truth: Are youREALLY ready for the interview? If you've rehearsed what you'regoing to say and know the perfect answer to every potentialquestion, you're half way there.
    Reading the Want Ads--Not for Jobs--For Information
    What? Want ads are where job announcementsare, not information!Wait! Job want ads are full of information ifyou know what to do and how to use them.Doubtful? Here are some ideas of the kindsof information you can find as a job seeker.
    Tips for Building a Successful Career
    1. Develop excellent work habits - for example, meet deadlines and don't procrastinate.
    Choose Your References Wisely!
    So, you need to submit employment references. A simple task, right? Sure, you could contact three of your closest friends and ask them to be your references.
    Counteroffers: Should I Stay or Should I Go?
    If "resignation" is the word that strikes fear into all employers, then "counteroffer" is the one that strikes fear into an employee's heart. "What should I do? They've matched my offer?"It's Friday afternoon.
    Marketing You and Your Career
    Imagine if a business invested years into the research, design, and creation of a new product, and then failed to tell anybody about it. What if the company assumed (even expected) that consumers should discover their new product, just because it was "great" Flawed logic, right? Yet, that's how many people treat their careers!
    Ive Got the Big Bad B Word on My Job!
    That "B" word---B O R E D O M.How did I get this wearing word in my work?I got it because I don't have enough todo in my job! Yes, I have completed myassigned tasks, but I have time left over,which leads to boredom.
    Strange Jobs Still Pay The Bills
    Strange jobs? How do we define that? Years ago I stole cars as a repo-man, had some adventures as an investigative process-server, and even handed out samples in grocery stores. Here are some other unusual jobs you can aspire to:Wrinkle ChaserThis is the person that irons wrinkles from shoes as they are being made to ensure they are perfectly smooth when you buy them.
    Benefits of Mystery Shopping For Secret Shoppers
    Mystery shoppers are people who are hired to scrutinize employees, products and customer services of any organization. The benefits that they get from mystery shopping are:They enjoy doing a job that's fun and frolic.
    Last Year Physician Resident Checklist
    Here is a last year resident checklist not to forget:LICENSING:Licensing is becoming increasingly complex as identity and medical fraud become more common. Therefore don't wait till the last minute to start the process.
    Do You Need A Mentor? And How Do You Find One?
    Whether you're self-employed or you work for someone else, you're new to business or a seasoned expert, one of the best ways to get ahead in business is to find a mentor. And some highly successful people even have more than one.
    Build New Habits -- Payday Will Come --
    Feeling that it never works is not a good excuse. You may even remember last year not getting past February.
    You Are Not Entitled to a Job!
    Résumé TipsSome basics about job hunting..
    Writing A Great Resume, Part 1
    Need a great resume to land that great job coming up? We are going to learn to create an eye-catching resume, using Microsoft Word.First, you need to collect all the information you will need to complete your Resume (dates of employment, education dates.
    How To Find A Job Writing Grant Applications
    Do you have what it takes to land a job doing grant writing? Many people are looking for ways to develop a freelance business, but unless you know what it takes to do so, you might as well stop trying. There are several fields in which you can learn and have many jobs waiting for you.
    10 Tips For Writing A Winning Resume
    Your resume (or curriculum vitae), combined with the coverletter, are the master keys to opening the prospectiveemployer's mind and door so that you can proceed to thenext step in the process - the big interview!RESUME WRITING TIPS AND STRATEGIESHere are 10 valuable tips for anyone writing their ownresume, or who is having someone else write one for them.These tips and strategies are an abridged version of whatis contained in my new eBook, "Instant Home Writing Kit".
    Love What You Do!
    "To love what you do and feel that it matters, how on earth could anything be more fun?" --Katherine GrahamI want to share with you a great success story from one of my clients, Susan*, because I am so proud of her. Susan had been working in the computer industry since college (8-10 years) and though she was financially and professionally successful, she felt dissatisfied with her career.
    A Peek at Nursing as a Career
    We need more people to choose nursing as a career. There is a national shortage, so the career choice would guarantee future employment fresh out of school.
    Get Out of Your Comfort Zone in the Job Search
    Most everyone these days knows what a comfort zone is. My definition is the place, environment and tasks that we have learned to do and feel comfortable with--a comfort zone.