Kate CosnerAmy StrangeBrian LiVecchi

Managing Relationships In & Out of the County Board

of Elections:It’s a Jungle Out There!!

EVERYONE!!!!!!!County Administration

County PartiesCandidates

MediaStaff

Board Members & DirectorFellow County Boards of Elections

State Board of Election

Who’s Relationship is Important?

Good working relationships promote positive work environments.

Human beings are social creaturesWe CRAVE positive feedback and friendly

interactions!!!Good relationships foster creativity.Good relationships provide freedom.

No spending time you don’t have fixing problems that come from a negative work environment!

Opportunities are born.

Why Have a Good Relationship?

Respect

Welcome Diversity

CommunicationTrust

4 Characteristics to Build a Good Working

Relationship

When you respect each other’s work, you show that you value each other’s

contribution, input & ideas.

With respect, you can work together as a team.

Respect increases creativity, insight & wisdom.

RESPECT

Give those responsible appropriate information.Encourage feedback from staff and precinct

officials.Encourage creativity and continuous improvement.Develop a mindset among all staff that “there is

always a better way.”Be a role model and encourage a positive attitude.

Attitude, Attitude, Attitude!

An Approach to Workplace Respect

Treat People with Integrity, Respect and Empathy

Be collaborative

Treat people equitably

Be concerned about people’s welfare

Consult with employees

Appreciate individual differences

Plan tasks well

Be sensitive to the needs of others

Communicate openly and honestly

Be reliable

Be loyal to the Board and workers

Be self motivated

Diversity - the quality of being different and unique at an individual or group level.

Valuing diversity - appreciating and respecting the worth and contribution of human differences.

Managing diversity - creating and sustaining an open, supportive, responsive organisation in which differences are combined and encouraged so that everyone can reach their potential.

WELCOMING DIVERSITY

fuels creative energy and insight

is essential to the growth of individuals

sparks alternative viewpoints and ideas

enables organisations to develop broad perspectives, pre-empt change and approach problems creatively

DIVERSITY

Welcoming Diversity:Individual Differences

¨ Perceptions¨ Motivation¨ Gender¨ Self-esteem¨ Life Stage¨ Values and

Attitudes¨ Locus of Control

¨ Education and Skills¨ Preferences¨ Socio-cultural¨ Career Goals¨ Expectations¨ Position roles

Welcoming Diversity:

The Legal FrameworkRemember, there is state and federal legislation prohibiting discrimination and harassment on the grounds of:

• Race and Nationality

• Gender

• Age

• Sexual preference

• Disability

• Marital status

• Transgender

• Religion

• Partners characteristics

• Pregnancy

• Family responsibility

Recognize that occasional workplace problems will occur.

Common problems include conflicts, stereotyping, rivalries.

More difficult problems include harassment, bullying and violence.

It is important to use conflict resolution skills to work out conflicts when possible.

Avoid thinking in terms of stereotypes.

Treat people as individuals rather than as part of a group.

Managing Workplace Personalities

COMMUNICATION

Attitudes versus Emotions

Attitudes Emotions

Judgments about anattitude objectJudgments about anattitude object

Based mainly onrational logicBased mainly onrational logic

Usually stable for daysor longerUsually stable for daysor longer

Experiences related to anattitude object

Experiences related to anattitude object

Based on innate and learned responses to environment

Based on innate and learned responses to environment

Usually experienced forseconds or less

Usually experienced forseconds or less

Listening promotes being heard

“Seek first to understand, then be understood.”

- Stephen Covey

Listening is the most powerful form of acknowledgment

…a way of saying, “you are important.”

Barriers to Listening

Equate With Hearing

Uninteresting Topics

Speaker’s Delivery

External Distractions

Mentally Preparing Response

Listening for Facts

Personal Concerns

Personal BiasLanguage/

Culture Differences

Faking Attention

we listen at 125-250 wpm, think at 1000-3000 wpm.

75% of the time we are distracted, preoccupied or forgetful

20% of the time, we remember what we hear

more than 35% of businesses think listening is a top skill for success

less than 2% of people have had formal education with listening

Did you know?

BENEFITS OF ACTIVE LISTENING

It forces people to listen attentively to others.

It tends to open people up, to get them to say more.

It shows empathy.

It uilds relationships.

KEY CONCEPTS OF ACTIVE LISTENING

1. Display involvement in what the person is saying. 2. Carefully observe the person speaking.3. Try to stay focused on what is being said. 4. Ask for clarification of anything that you do not fully understand .

5. Delay making judgments about what is said.

ComparingPersonal ExperienceAutomatic Talking Mind-Reading Judging Day Dreaming Perceptual Errors

Internal Barriers Within the Listener

1) Listen

2) Question

3) Reflect-Paraphrase

4) Agree

STEPS OF ACTIVE LISTENING

Step 1: Listen

“Hear”Feelings As Well As WordsWords – Emotions -- Implications

Focus on SpeakerDon’t plan, speak, or get distracted

What Is Speaker Talking About?Topic? Speaker? Listener? Others?

Look At Speaker!Use Verbal & Non-Verbal Encouragers

3 PurposesDemonstrate you are listeningGather informationSeek Clarification

When you ask questions: Show interest Encourage more explanation Keep the person talking Ask questions but not too many

Step 2: Question

In this step we will use other techniques for active listening:

1. Reflecting

2. Reframing

3. Paraphrasing

4. Acknowleding

5. Summarizing

Step 3: Reflect-Paraphrase

Act like a mirror and reflect feelings that you see and hear. This is particularly useful when the person’s tone of voice or gestures don’t match the person’s words.

OR just as a check…

“Seems like you had a fun time, right? OR

“I sense you’ve become worried. Is that so?”

ACKNOWLEDGE

FEELINGS

Problem Solving

FEELINGS

Problem Solving

Ac

kn

ow

led

ge

Problem Solving Might

Not Work In the Face of Strong

Feelings

Feelings May Need Acknowledgement

Before Effective Problem Solving

Step 4: Agree

Get Speaker’s Consent to Your Reframing

Speaker Has Been Heard and Knows It!

Solution Is Near!

“A good listener tries to understand thoroughly what the other person is saying. In the end he may disagree sharply, but before he disagrees, he wants to know exactly what it is he is disagreeing with.” Kenneth A. Wells

1. Be there.2. Listen carefully to the person.3. Accept the person and his/her feelings.4. Stay with the other person's point of

view without becoming that person.5. Trust the person enough to keep out of

it.

ACTIVE LISTENERS

Skills for Active Listening

BODY LANGUAGE

Examples:

Sitting forward

Eye contact

Nodding head

BOUNDARIESIntimate

Touching 6-18”

PersonalClose -1½ to

2½ feetFar - 2½ to 4 ½

feet

Social Close 4-7 feetFar - 7-12 feet

Public Close - 12-25

feetFar - 25 feet or

greater

“When you invade my space. . .”

Reactions to an invasion of your spaceFeel troubledGet defensiveBecome

aggressiveRetaliate

Foundation of EVERY relationshipWhen present, forms a powerful bond that

helps you communicate more effectivelyMust be able to trust those you work with:

Board ↔ DirectorDirector ↔ StaffCBE ↔ SBECBE ↔ County (candidates, parties, administration)

Without it, precious energy is spent “watching your back”

TRUST

TRUST – can be defined as confidence, the absence of suspicion, confirmed by our track record and our ability to correct.

People with a great deal of CONFIDENCE feel good about themselves and think that they are able to accomplish most tasks that confront them.

Develop Trust and Confidence

Treat people with integrity, respect and empathy.

Develop and maintain positive relationships.

Gain and maintain trust and confidence.

Adjust interpersonal styles to the social and cultural environment.

Develop Trust and Confidence

solve problemsshare creditair concerns with relevant peoplehold informal talksbe direct in communicationbe timely and admit mistakesengage in honest and tactful communicationschedule regular meetings for input and

feedback

Actions a Leader can Take to Gain and Maintain Trust and Confidence

Workplace relationships differ from friendships in several ways.

Do your part, work cooperatively, and communicate clearly to foster good relationships with your coworkers.

Workplace etiquette is a matter of being respectful and considerate.

To get along with your supervisor, you need to accept authority, take initiative, and respond appropriately to criticism.

Summary

Questions?