Work can be a scary place when you’re dealing with difficult problems. It’s your job as a leader to be the first one to descend the metaphorical basement stairs and find solutions to your team’s problems. This week we’re discussing the chilling challenges that make bosses batty.

Let’s get this party startled!

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You don’t need to perform a séance to learn that the habits of a past manager linger behind. While everyone’s leadership style varies (and that’s a good thing), your predecessor may have created an environment that is not conducive to the goals you’ve set for the team. So how do you hit the reset button and create a better team culture?

First, take stock of the team’s mindset by meeting with everyone individually and confidentially. Share your ideas of how things can improve and be open to other’s suggestions. Most importantly, be communicative about changes being made and about your willingness to listen to issues and concerns.

If you are being haunted by the ghost of managers past, read this.

Watch this:

Have you ever felt mummified in layers of red tape? Dealing with excessive rules, policies, and procedures can bury your chances of doing great work. Look at your processes with fresh eyes by clarifying your team vision, organizing your activities, and prioritizing tasks so that you can do away with unnecessary steps. This will help you see higher levels of engagement from your employees as they spend time on things that matter instead of burdensome systems.

If you want some tips on how to unwind processes from onerous tasks without unraveling the team, watch this.

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Most leaders don’t want to be feared, but unfortunately it comes with the territory (i.e. your title). Asking an employee to meet in your office for a quick chat can send them into near mortal dread. How can you quell their fears without losing your authority? Observe yourself to make sure your actions aren’t inadvertently adding fear to the fire and be as transparent and open as possible.

For more ideas about how to combat your scary leader status, check this out.

Try this:

Halloween celebrations have probably looked a little different for your office the last few years. Now that many businesses have adopted a hybrid model of both in-office and work-from-home employees, it may be hard to see how things can go back to the “before times” way of celebrating. But there are still lots of classic Halloween activities your team can participate in like pumpkin carving, a costume contest, or trivia.

If you want some additional hybrid-friendly Halloween activities to bring your team some fun, try this.

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Get this:

Are notifications murdering your productivity during meetings? Muzzle is a free app that works with any screensharing service to stop notifications from showing up while screensharing. It automatically turns on “do not disturb” when the screenshare starts and turns it off once it has ended.

If you want to prevent embarrassing notifications being broadcasted to your coworkers, get this.

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Oh, and don’t forget this.

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See you 'round the 🔥 ,

Campfire

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*Campfire is not affiliated with any of the people, products, or services listed in this article unless explicitly stated.

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