Spring 2020

LEADERSHIP

Staying Focused on Your WorkUsing Humor in the WorkplaceTop 10 New Business Mistakes

Suddenly Managing Remotely pp. 6-7

Raise Your Emotional Intelligence at Work pg. 8-9

LeadershipSPRING 2020

MINES & Associates10367 West Centennial Road

Littleton, Colorado 80127800.873.7138

www.MINESandAssociates.com

. . . . . . . . CREDITS . . . . . . .

Life Advantages - Author Delvina Miremadi © 2020

Staying Focused on Your Work pg. 4

Using Humor in the Workplace pg. 5

KGA, a MINES Work/Life Partner © 2020Suddenly Managing Remotely pp. 6-7

The Staywell Company, LLC © 2020Raise Your Emotional Intelligence at Work pp. 8-9

Nolo Legal Press © 2020Top 10 New Business Mistakes pp. 10-11

Welcome to the Spring 2020 issue of Leadership!

We hope this issue finds you in a safe and healthy place. With summer already almost upon us we are all still dealing with the uncertainties and restrictions that the Coronavirus has placed on us. To help ease some of the stress we have included resources in this issue to help manage remotely, use humor to lighten the mood, and more. Start off on page 4 with some tips on staying focused. Next on page 5 read up on some “do’s” and “don’ts” of using humor in the workplace. Page 6 has some COVID19 specific pointers if you’ve found yourself managing your employees remotely. Finally, page 8 talks about rasing your emotional intelligence, while page 10 takes a look at the top 10 mistakes a new business can make. If you need resources specific to COVID19 topics, help supporting your employees during this difficult time, or anything else, please remember with MINES you have access to unlimited supervisor consultations for all sorts of things including employee issues, EAP referrals, policy development and implementation, and more! We are here to help. Please call us at 1-800-873-7138 anytime.

To your health!

– The MINES Team

A word from your Account Management Team...

TotalWellbeing is your way to connect the dots between the 8 core dimensions of wellness: Physical, Occupational, Intellectual, Environmental, Financial, Social, Spiritual, and Emotional Wellness. Understanding these dimensions is the first step toward a sense of complete wellbeing. In 2020 we take ideas around wellbeing and tie them into the bigger picture, your community, and the rest of the world. It is important to understand the influence that the world has on our wellbeing and the influence we may have on others. All year we will be looking at ways to strengthen your connection with your community by providing information, insight, and resources to help on a personal level along with ways to give back to the people around you so we can all thrive together!

www.MINESandAssociates.com | 800.873.7138

Is there a topic you’d like to see us explore? We’d love to hear from you. Shoot us an e-mail at communications@minesandassociates.com and let us know what you’d like to see.

2020

Total WellbeingWorld View

Wellness WebinarsSupport from the experts

Enhancing AwarenessInspire Wellbeing

In 2020 we aim to build on the concept of wellbeing awareness. We will be providing resources, stories, and tools to help you see the bigger wellness picture from your community to the rest of the world. Check out our articles in this magazine and head to minesandassociates.com/newsletters to check out our monthly newsletter with even more great wellness information.

The 8 dimensions of wellbeing don’t just apply to one person, they apply to everyone we know and everything we do. Social influence is a huge factor that contributes to each of our levels of wellness, but it all starts with the individual. With this in mind, our challenge to you in 2020 is to see how you can apply wellness goals and concepts to the activities you do everyday. Any time you learn something new, teach someone else and help them use it to enhance their own life!

Join MINES for any of our free monthly webinars. 2020 will cover great new topics ranging from improving your credit, having a stress free summer, turning negatives to positives, and much more! Visit our website to learn more, or register for upcoming events at www.minesandassociates.com/webinar.

TotalWellbeing

4 LEADERSHIP Spring 2020

Staying Focused on Your WorkProcrastination is a part of life. Sometimes it’s just easier to put your responsibilities aside when you feel overwhelmed, overworked, or distracted by more relaxing or recreational pursuits. However, when you postpone too many projects, your life can feel disorganized and out of control.

Here are some tips to avoid procrastination as you learn to focus on the tasks at hand:

• Make a list of everything you’ve pushed aside.

• Make a note of why you postponed the task and what you’ll need to do to correct the situation.

• Organize your list based on the priority of each item.

Now that you know what you need to do, it’s time to act!• Make a commitment to yourself to complete your tasks on time. Motivate yourself to get your work done by listening to

music or giving yourself a pep talk.

• Take a closer look at why you postpone certain things.

• Visualize what it will take to complete each item on your list. Imagine what you’ll be able to do once that task is complete and off your checklist.

• Break your projects into short-term and long-term tasks to help you manage your time.

• Limit your checklist to no more than 10 items per day. Always address the most important items first.

• Review your work habits to determine what works and what doesn’t.

• Try to stay positive when you start to feel overwhelmed.

• If necessary, delegate your responsibilities to others.

• Celebrate when you meet deadlines. A short break, a night out, or even a major activity can help you prepare for the next project.

Remember, if you’re having a problem with time management, there are easy solutions to correct the situation. You can get your life in order and your work done on time! M

Spring 2020 LEADERSHIP 5

Using Humor in the WorkplaceHumor is a great tool to help diffuse a stressful situation and set people at ease. When we use humor appropriately in the workplace, it can create a more relaxed environment with stronger relationships and better teamwork. Follow the information below to learn how you can bring laughter to yourself and your colleagues.

Lightening the Mood to Disarm AngerUsing humor can lighten a situation, but before you use it, make sure it’s appropriate. You don’t want the other person to think that you’re not being serious enough with them or with the issue at hand. Through making light of yourself, and not the angry or irritated person, you can help bring laughs and solutions to an otherwise stressful event.

Consider one of these responses to diffuse anger:• “So I’ve heard that no one’s perfect, but I didn’t think that applied to me. Apparently, it does.” • “Does anyone have a band-aid for my ego?”

Indulge in HumorTo learn how to use humor, educate yourself with funny movies, books, and comedy acts. The more you view them, the more you will see situations where you could use humor, and when it could work. Follow these tips to bring more humor into daily communication:• See humor in precarious situations. Try to see a funny side of the things that stress you out.• Write down sayings or jokes that you could use at opportune times.• Find a way to bring humor into goofs or mistakes. • If you do make a joke that falls flat, try using a “cover”:

o (Tap imaginary microphone) “Is this thing on? Tough crowd tonight.”o “I think I hear crickets.”

How to Use HumorWhen you laugh at yourself, other people will feel more comfortable when you joke around them. Make light of your mistakes and quirks, and share them with others. Your humorous nature will be able to set others at ease. If you want to use humor when making a presentation or beginning a meeting, find a relevant joke or funny anecdote to break the ice.

How Not to Use HumorDon’t make jokes that involve:• ethnic or gender slurs• caustic remarks• hurting someone• not solving a serious problem• sexual tones or innuendos M

6 LEADERSHIP Spring 2020

Suddenly Managing Remotely

This is for anyone who DOES NOT NORMALLY MANAGE A FULLY REMOTE TEAM. Many of us have not only found ourselves working from home but trying to lead a team all of whom are also home, distracted, worried and unaccustomed to operating this way. And let’s be honest, any part-time re-mote or “flex” work arrangements we’ve managed previously, DID NOT PREPARE US for remote management a la Coronavirus.

Below are some recommended management adjustments any manager can make to improve team engagement and productivity. Your goal: find a few adjustments you can make to be a more effective manager in your current circumstance. Do not try to do it all. Focus on those challenges that seem to be affecting your team the most.

The challenges listed on the next page were identified based on calls from dozens of managers seeking assistance since the beginning of March 2020. You are not alone in this. If you would like additional support contact MINES and Associates for a confidential manager or supervisor consultation:• 800-873-7138• PersonalAdvantage online resource library. If you don’t have your company’s access code, call us at the number above and we

will give it to you.

“Be deliberate in giving feedback. Especially good feedback. It gives the work meaning and makes the lonely efforts worth it. All the usual indicators of where someone stands are missing

so it needs to come from you.”

Spring 2020 LEADERSHIP 7

Suddenly Managing RemotelyChallenges Recommended Adjustments

Time• Accept that remote management today requires 2 or 3 “X” the amount of time. If management

was 25% of your time, it needs to be 50-70% of your time. • Reassess your own workload to focus on the needs of your team. Maximize enablement.

Focus and meaning

• Reassess what is critical work and narrow priorities. Most organizations are slowing or stopping non-critical work.

• Reinforce old and clarify new assignments. Be precise. • If not self-evident, clarify what collaboration is needed among team members.• Take extra time to highlight the importance of everyone’s work. People need purpose and clarity

in uncertain times.

Communication

• This cannot be overdone, and it takes time. If something is important:- Say it in group meetings (Zoom, Google Hangout, conference calls, etc.),- Document in follow-up group emails so everyone sees the same thing, and then… - Touch base with individuals to make sure they are in agreement.

Follow up• Assume you need to do twice the outreach to keep people connected. • Set two-way follow up expectations by asking “when will I hear from you on this?” and by telling

colleagues when you will get back to them (and then do it).

Let them be excellent

• Once you have established priorities, timelines and follow up plans… get out of the way. • Offer yourself to troubleshoot and assist, but to the extent possible, do NOT reenter the work.

Remember to follow up. Read Feedback next. • Remote management will ensure the quick death of employee engagement and motivation, and

you’ll just bring things to a crawl.

Feedback

• Be deliberate in giving feedback. Especially good feedback. It gives the work meaning and makes the lonely efforts worth it. All the usual indicators of where someone stands are missing so it needs to come from you.

• Set the goal of giving every direct report feedback at least twice a week. • Be precise in your feedback so it has meaning. Either enable improvement or reinforce good

work. In lieu of feedback, say thank you.

Get them together

• It’s more difficult to create a sense of team and community remotely. As manager you need to do this deliberately. Suggestions include:- Adopt a platform like Zoom, Google Hangouts, Any Meeting, etc. to bring everyone face to face with regularity. - Even before the work is discussed let the meeting be lighthearted. Tell your trapped-at-home story and get the team talking. It’s powerful to reconnect in such a basic human way. Let com-munity happen. - Encourage the introduction of kids and pets as they are a part of the “home office” for so many. - Discuss priorities, accountabilities, timelines, and the new processes. Let everyone hear/share the same information at the same time.

Model it

• Set an example by following “in culture” routines – when you log in, how early/late you ask for things. Encourage people to shut work off and “go home”. The COVID-19 situation is proving to be a marathon…help your team sustain it.

• In all exchanges – listen to how people are doing. Work aside, times are stressful, and everyone is managing work and home at the same time.

• Demonstrate empathy even if you cannot fix their issues (kid care, fear, etc.). Keep in mind that parents have their kids at work…all day.

• Offer your own experiences. Employees will be looking to you to know how the organization is doing and what to expect. Be genuine in what you can and can-not share. Realize that your reac-tions to things are being closely watched.

• If an employee seems to be struggling, consider referring them to MINES and Associates for sup-port. It may not be clear to you whether it is anxiety, stress, isolation, etc., and it does not matter. MINES and Associates can help.

8 LEADERSHIP Spring 2020

Raise Your Emotional Intelligence at Work

What do you do when someone jumps in front of you at the deli counter, cuts you off on the freeway or takes credit for your work? How you address these and similar situations constitutes your emotional intelligence (EQ).

“If you wish you had behaved differently in any of those situations, you may be a victim of ‘emotional hijacking,’” says Adele B. Lynn, president of the Adele Lynn Leadership Group in Belle Vernon, Pa., and author of The EQ Difference: A Powerful Plan for Putting Emotional Intelligence to Work.

An emotional hijacking is when the rational, thinking part of your brain is bypassed because of your intense emotions. When this happens, you’re so emotionally fired up you can’t think or solve problems.

How high is your EQ?We all know that IQ measures a person’s intelligence. But what exactly is EQ? Ms. Lynn defines emotional intelligence as your ability to manage yourself and your relationships.

Why do you think employers interview prospective employees when they could easily spend less time just testing them for their intelligence?

Here’s why: In interviews, employers are looking for personality traits. When doing interviews, managers can experience how people communicate, determine their personality and whether they’ll fit in with the rest of the staff.

This is important, as one employee who can’t get along can disrupt an entire workplace. At your office, you may know some very intelligent workers who can’t get along with people, and whose emotions easily get out of hand. Their inability to handle their emotions makes them destructive employees, in spite of their intelligence.

Start with yourselfYou don’t have control over other people’s behavior, but you can learn to control your own. Therefore, you need to start by raising your own EQ.

A notebook is an important tool for raising your EQ. Writing down your reactions to emotional situations will help you become aware of your behavior and think rationally.

In The EQ Difference, Ms. Lynn discusses seven steps to improve emotional intelligence. Three of those steps are:

Spring 2020 LEADERSHIP 9

Raise Your Emotional Intelligence at Work

Observe“Pay attention to your emotions. Try to observe while you’re ‘in the moment,’ especially during conflict,” says Ms. Lynn.

Observe both your feelings and reactions in difficult or stressful situations. Are you thinking only of yourself, or can you empathize with the other person? A person with a high EQ is able to think not only of his own needs, but also empathize with others.

Observe how others react in their words and body language or behavior.

Interpret“Try to determine your triggers and other indicators that prompt you to lose your cool or become fearful,” says Ms. Lynn. When you have intense negative emotions, they’re usually related to your fears.

Write down any fears you believe may have triggered your reaction. Then go over them one by one and determine which, if any, are realistic in this situation. Most fears come from past experiences, so take this one step further and try to remember when this fear started. When you analyze your fears, you take away their power to control your emotions.

PauseEngage in a long pause to help you regain your intentions. Without the pause, you may react without thinking. Many people avoid pauses because they feel uncomfortable when there’s a silence. It’s OK to feel uncomfortable and take that long pause anyway.

Next, when by yourself, write in your notebook what you observed, your interpretation and how you will handle a similar situation next time. M

“Engage in a long pause to help you regain your intentions. Without the pause, you may react without thinking. Many people avoid pauses

because they feel uncomfortable when there’s a silence.”

10 LEADERSHIP Spring 2020

Top 10 New Business Mistakes

Most small businesses fail within the first five years, often from a lack of planning at the outset. There are a number of financial pitfalls that new businesses must avoid in order to survive. You can improve your new business’ chance of succeeding by learning about, and taking steps to avoid, the top ten mistakes new business owners make.

1) Starting Your Business With a Large LoanMany small business owners make the mistake of borrowing large amounts -- either from banks, credit card companies, home equity loans, or friends and family -- to start their businesses. Because these business owners start off owing so much money, they feel pressured to make a profit immediately -- and they may have to make high monthly payments on the loans. A wiser approach is to save a good amount of money and to rely mostly on those savings when you begin your business.

2) Planning on Making a Profit Right AwayMost small businesses are not profitable within their first year or two. You should have a reliable source of income from something other than your new business to sustain yourself during your start-up period.

3) Spending Too Much Money at the BeginningMany small businesses spend too much money “setting up shop,” buying equipment and furniture, and investing in business cards and brochures. Plan to start on a shoestring. And remember, if you spend a lot of money, that’s more money you can lose if the business fails.

4) Hiring Employees You Don’t NeedHiring employees subjects you to registration and record keeping requirements and can be very expensive. You’ll have to pay unemployment taxes, withhold state and federal income taxes (as well as Medicare and Social Security taxes), pay for workers’ compensation insurance, and comply with safety regulations to avoid injury to your workers.You may face severe penalties -- and may even be found to be personally liable -- if you don’t comply with all of these requirements. If you need help with your business, consider hiring an independent contractor or a worker from a temp agency rather than a permanent employee.

5) Renting Space You Don’t NeedRenting space is usually not necessary when you’re just starting out. Often times, you can work from home. Running your business from home can save you tax dollars too.Renting commercial space is expensive, and if you need to make modifications to the space, can be even more so. If your business doesn’t work out or you can’t afford to rent and have to move, you’ll probably owe the landlord rent until your lease runs out. You will most likely be personally liable for these payments because most landlords require small business owners to sign personal guarantees, even if the business is officially an LLC or a corporation.

6) Not Developing a Business PlanEven if you’re not soliciting money from investors, business plans are useful. Come up with a financial forecast to see if your business can make money and will have money year-round. Among other things, consider:• what your initial financing needs are• what challenges your business will face (in terms of competition and marketing), and• how your business will survive and grow past the initial start-up period.Your business plan should include a break-even analysis, profit-and-loss forecast, and a cash flow analysis.

Spring 2020 LEADERSHIP 11

Top 10 New Business Mistakes

7) Not Knowing How to Collect BillsOne of biggest problems new small businesses face is collecting bills. You should be aware that some clients may not pay their invoices on time. So plan to spend some time collecting what is owed to you -- you might need to re-bill clients or to contact them personally when they are late in paying you.

8) Not Planning for Cash Flow ProblemsThere may be times when your business runs low on cash, either because business is slow or because your clients or customers are late in paying you. You should either apply for a credit line with a bank or develop some other emergency plan for how you are going to pay your bills when you don’t have enough cash to do so.

9) Not Planning to Protect Personal AssetsYou don’t want your business debts to endanger your personal assets, such as your home or your savings account. Some options for protecting your personal assets include purchasing liability insurance for your business, and structuring your business as a corporation or an LLC.

10) Choosing the Wrong Ownership StructureChoosing an ownership structure is one of the most important decisions you’ll make for your new business. Consider your specific needs. The following factors can help in making your decision:• What are the potential risks and liabilities of your business? (For instance, building houses, making edible goods, fixing

cars, and selling alcohol carry inherent risks.)• How willing are you to spend the money it takes to set up and maintain the records for a separate business structure

(such as an LLC or a corporation)?• What are your expected profits or losses in the first couple of years? Unincorporated business structures let you deduct

business losses from your other income, but corporations do not.• What are your plans for seeking investors? Sophisticated investors often prefer the stock structure of a corporation.• Consider your potential liability. Here is a summary of the amount of liability you may face depending on how you

structure your business:• Sole proprietors. Because sole proprietors are personally liable for all business debts, you could potentially lose everything

you own if your business debts are not paid.• Partnerships. Because your partners can make commitments that bind the entire business, your liability may be even

greater than in a sole proprietorship. Make sure you can trust your partners to protect your interests.• Limited Liability Companies (LLCs). LLCs are often subject to annual taxes or annual reporting fees. The amounts vary by

state, but can be as high as $500-$800 per year, whether or not you turn a profit.• Corporations. Corporations are required to keep many different records, including recording every major decision and

holding annual formal meetings. If you fail to do so and are sued, a judge can find that the corporation was a sham (this is often called “piercing the corporate veil”). Investors can also sue you if they think you’re not operating the business in their best interests.

Consider what most people do. For most people starting a one-person business, operating as a sole proprietor at the outset makes sense. But, if your business is especially likely to be sued, is funded by outside investors, or might be profitable right from the start, consider forming an LLC instead. For most people starting a business with more than one owner, an LLC is preferable to a partnership -- you get limited liability but need to do less record-keeping than a corporation, and the same taxation as a partnership. M

Questions? Reach us at 800.873.7138 | www.MINESandAssociates.com

From time to time, situations arise when a supervisor is not sure how to respond to a particular behavior. The Employee Assistance Program is available on a 24/7 basis for consultation on issues such as: referring an employee to the EAP, how best to respond to and manage difficult behavior in the workplace, and whether training or some other form of group intervention (such as an organizational intervention or a conflict resolution) may be helpful for a particular situation. The EAP can serve as an ally to anyone who is working

with a troubled employee.

• 24/7supervisorconsultationregardingproblemsintheworkplace

• Assessmentofbehavioralriskonthejob• Return-to-Dutyconferences• Advisoryservicesinwriting,revising,and

implementingpolicies• SupervisorandManagertraining• UnlimitedformalWorkPerformanceReferrals• Coachingformanagementandleadershipskills• Conflictresolutionforsupervisor-employeeproblems

MINES believes that employees are an organization’s most valuable resource. Your EAP is always available to provide you and your employees with support.

The MINES Team

A note to Supervisors...