List of Contributions

Handling Instigators in Your PSAP

Posted By Heather Joyner 07-30-2019 09:17
Found In Community: North Carolina APCO Blogs

When working in or managing a PSAP one of the biggest challenges is always seeking the truth when someone wants to instigate an issue. While most individuals in the workplace are eager to form comfortable, and mutually respectful relationships, others seem more eager to stir up trouble and create conflict. ...

How Complaining Positions Your Leadership

Posted By Heather Joyner 04-01-2019 09:10
Found In Community: East Coast Region Blogs

In 911 PSAPs around the world, there are conversations taking place regarding poor performance issues. The reality of this statement is that many of the conversations taking place are unproductive, creating a drama-filled work environment where employees continue to gossip, bully, or use passive-aggressive ...

Stop Taking the Bait

Posted By Heather Joyner 02-20-2019 07:53
Found In Community: Communications Open Forum Blogs

When you have a member of your team approach you to share a little gossip regarding a co-worker, how do you handle it? Do you have them pull up a chair and engage in unproductive conversation? Do you get upset and make inappropriate comments? Do you react by showing your authority? Or, do you become ...

When Job Applications Leave You Speechless

Posted By Heather Joyner 02-16-2019 10:41
Found In Contact: Heather Joyner's Blog

As a PSAP manager one of the BIGGEST responsibilities is hiring and onboarding new employees. Let's face it, this profession is one where the doors are constantly swinging open with . It's easy to blame the management team, but the issues with retention in PSAPs are much more rooted than what's ...

When Leadership Requires Tough Love

Posted By Heather Joyner 02-14-2019 07:19
Found In Community: Communications Open Forum Blogs

If you are leading in any capacity, whether it be mentoring a new hire, supervising a shift, or running a department, you will find yourself in a position of tough love when it comes to redirecting behaviors or disciplining of personnel. Emotions play a BIG part in how we lead and how we communicate ...

When HR Calls

Posted By Heather Joyner 02-12-2019 07:48
Found In Community: Communications Open Forum Blogs

Managing a PSAP is not an easy undertaking. There are many challenges that you will face and overcome when leading in an environment that is already set up to be toxic. Your personnel not only dealing with their own personal issues but also taking on the mental stressors of their co-workers, serviced ...

Frustration in Dispatch: What Conversation Are You Avoiding?

Posted By Heather Joyner 02-11-2019 09:49
Found In Community: Communications Open Forum Blogs

There are many challenges working in a 911 PSAP , call center environment. The challenges are not only in the skills of performing the job but also in the managing of energy around other co-workers. Some co-workers will bring out the best in you while others will test you to the nth degree. In my ...

Are We Ready For This? Drones in 911

Posted By Heather Joyner 02-13-2017 06:30
Found In Contact: Heather Joyner's Blog

In my career of being in public safety telecommunications I am amazed at how far we have come when it comes to technology aiding a Telecommunicator in finding a caller and getting him/her the appropriate help. But, come on, how far is technology going to go before we realize that we simply are not ready? ...

Are You Globally Disciplining Your Employees

Posted By Heather Joyner 01-12-2017 07:11
Found In Community: East Coast Region Blogs

Global discipline is an easy way for a manager or supervisor to avoid having a difficult conversation. Often times this occurs during a staff meeting. The manager calls a meeting and gives a lecture in the hopes that the employee needing redirection realizes that the message is intended for him/her. ...

Don’t Let Politics Ruin Thanksgiving | Marlene Chism

Posted By Heather Joyner 11-19-2016 11:47
Found In Community: Communications Open Forum Blogs

How do you enjoy Thanksgiving this year when you voted differently than your relatives? It may depend upon who you voted for, and whether you think you won or lost. Here are some random thoughts based on Stop Workplace Drama, and No-Drama Leadership on how you can enjoy time with your family ...

Onboarding Process That Saves You Time and Money

Posted By Heather Joyner 11-07-2016 09:06
Found In Community: Communications Open Forum Blogs

Employee turnover taxes your time, your budget and puts strain on your seasoned staff. You know the routine. You take a deep breath and get on the hamster wheel. You post the positions, advertise the vacancies, process applications, conduct interviews, eliminate unqualified candidates and finally you ...

Complimentary Webinar - Stop Workplace Drama in Public Safety

Posted By Heather Joyner 07-06-2016 08:24
Found In Contact: Heather Joyner's Blog

Does this sound the least bit familiar? That’s not my job! I don’t get paid enough to do that! That’s not fair. Has your open door become a revolving door of negativity and complaints? You already deal with the public’s drama. You don’t need workplace drama! Nowhere is the impact of workplace ...

Stop Workplace Drama Leadership Forum

Posted By Heather Joyner 07-06-2016 08:14
Found In Community: Communications Open Forum Blogs

Leadership is never as easy as it looks. No matter how strong the work-ethic, or how great the technical performance, leaders at almost every level experience some of the same challenges. Do any of these issues sound familiar? The star employee isn’t “playing well” with others Misunderstandings ...

Time to Leave the Workshop!

Posted By Heather Joyner 03-03-2016 09:08
Found In Contact: Heather Joyner's Blog

Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone would just stop their drama? If it wasn’t for city/county government, your boss, and your employees things would just sail along, right? But…is it really your boss? Is it really city/county government? Is it really your employees? What is Drama? I get all kinds of ...

5 Ways to Handle the Office Drama Queen

Posted By Heather Joyner 12-30-2015 08:40
Found In Community: East Coast Region Blogs

You know the type: He or she is gossipy, passive aggressive and always looking to stir up trouble. That's right: It's the office drama queen -- and there's one in every office. "There is not one business that doesn't experience at least some drama on occasion. When there are human relationships there ...

Stop Holiday Drama

Posted By Heather Joyner 12-02-2015 08:35
Found In Contact: Heather Joyner's Blog

Besides joy, laughter, and warm memories, the holiday season can trigger drama, anxiety and unwanted memories. The two common denominators are past history and relationships. While we can’t change the past, we can create something magical in our relationships if we do these two things: Stop ...

Leadership Identity: Why Employees Leave

Posted By Heather Joyner 11-25-2015 10:08
Found In Contact: Heather Joyner's Blog

Why Employees Leave According to Gallup, the number-one reason employees leave is because of their dysfunctional relationship with direct supervisors. It’s not lack of technical training, intelligence, or capacity to lead that fosters relationship problems between managers and their employees. Its ...

Stop Holiday Drama

Posted By Heather Joyner 11-25-2015 09:47
Found In Community: East Coast Region Blogs

Besides joy, laughter, and warm memories, the holiday season can trigger drama, anxiety and unwanted memories. The two common denominators are past history and relationships. While we can’t change the past, we can create something magical in our relationships if we do these two things: 1. ...

Two Big Productivity Killers in Public Safety

Posted By Heather Joyner 10-23-2015 11:42
Found In Contact: Heather Joyner's Blog

Nowhere is the impact of drama more dangerous than in public safety. Distractions often cause major concern when you get caught off guard and take the bait to gossip, blame, add negativity to an already stressful environment, or complain about someone or something that you want no part in trying to resolve. ...

Four Things the Workplace Bully Can Teach You

Posted By Heather Joyner 10-16-2015 10:06
Found In Community: Communications Open Forum Blogs

Some of the best lessons of my life have been from people I didn’t necessarily like and since we are close to Thanksgiving, I want to give thanks for all that I have learned about relationships, boundaries, authentic communication and self-worth. Like almost everyone I know, I’ve had bosses lacking ...

4 Ways to Reduce Workplace Negitivity

Posted By Heather Joyner 09-06-2015 17:28
Found In Contact: Heather Joyner's Blog

Drama in the form of negativity happens for many reasons and not just because of personalities, or because of women bickering and gossiping in the break room. Often negativity exists because the structures currently in place do not support the massive changes taking place in the call center. In other ...

The Problem With Accountability

Posted By Heather Joyner 07-15-2015 13:02
Found In Community: Communications Open Forum Blogs

I was reading a Facebook thread where someone proudly announced, "I've thrown away my bathroom scales! I'm no longer going to weigh myself. I feel better letting my feeling and intuition tell me when I've had enough food." The author of the post was supported by other women struggling with body image ...

911 Manager's Mastermind

Posted By Heather Joyner 07-08-2015 09:58
Found In Community: Communications Open Forum Blogs

As a 911 or public safety director, your job isn’t limited to managing the budget, hiring, and making sure you have enough people on staff. Your job requires of you difficult decisions about how to influence, discipline and course-correct people. The biggest problems you will ever face is not about the ...

Stop Gossip: Don't Take the Bait

Posted By Heather Joyner 07-07-2015 19:55
Found In Community: North Carolina APCO Blogs

Have you ever had a friend or co-worker say to you something like, “Someone said something bad about you…” After the announcement, they tell you all the juicy details but leave you hanging about WHO said all the bad stuff. Gossip contributes to a lot of workplace drama . You wonder about their ...

Communication Tactics that Work in the Short Term

Posted By Heather Joyner 06-09-2015 12:17
Found In Community: Communications Open Forum Blogs

Communication Tactics that Work in the Short Term We all have communication tactics to get people to think and behave the way we want them to. The reason people use these methods is because there is a pay-off: the tactic either relieves stress, reinforces an old habit, or elicits ...

No-Drama Leadership Is Finally Here!!

Posted By Heather Joyner 05-05-2015 09:37
Found In Community: Communications Open Forum Blogs

I am so excited that today, No-Drama Leadership has officially launched. It has been a true honor and a great privilege to work and learn from such a wise mentor. I met the work of Marlene Chism after reading her first book, Stop Workplace Drama in 2012, shortly after, I met her in person when I contracted ...

Thank You Indiana NENA APCO!

Posted By Heather Joyner 04-17-2015 09:43
Found In Community: Communications Open Forum Blogs

I was truly honored to present 7 Ways to Stop Workplace Drama at this year's Indiana NENA APCO Conference in Indianapolis. While visiting, and networking with fellow colleagues I was blown away at just how unique, but same we all are in dealing with workplace conflict. Please enjoy the video ...

Lessons in Communication

Posted By Heather Joyner 04-07-2015 09:21
Found In Community: Communications Open Forum Blogs

More drama is caused by ineffective communication than almost anything else. In the upcoming book, No-Drama Leadership , author Marlene Chism makes the point that even though communication skills are often categorized as “soft skills” the reality is communication is much more than just a touchy-feely ...

Better to Complain than Ask!

Posted By Heather Joyner 02-22-2015 13:24
Found In Community: Communications Open Forum Blogs

I often find myself throughout the day listening and observing the behaviors of personnel and today it dawned on me that many would rather complain than ask for what they want or what they need. It makes me ponder the question, Why? Is it that they don't believe they can have or get what they want? ...

Seeing A Bigger Picture

Posted By Heather Joyner 02-09-2015 10:43
Found In Community: Communications Open Forum Blogs

As a leader in 911 it’s easy to lose focus of our mission. There are so many worries and distractions to get your attention: employee retention, budgets, civil liability and managing overtime. Certifications and training take a back seat, and as a result we put our people at risk by not equipping them ...

Stop Relationship Drama During the Holidays

Posted By Heather Joyner 11-29-2014 11:19
Found In Community: Communications Open Forum Blogs

For most people, including myself, there is always some sort of trigger during the holidays mixed in with all the joy and cheer. Yes, the Christmas lights are beautiful, and it’s fun to see the kids open gifts, but in the background is a layer of drama that shows up during what I call “ The Holiday Exchange ...

Stop Workplace Drama is going to Sun River, Oregon!

Posted By Heather Joyner 10-13-2014 10:30
Found In Community: Communications Open Forum Blogs

The countdown has begun for presenting at the Oregon APCO/NENA Conference on October 21st - We are extremely excited for the sponsorship of Combix 911 Specialists for providing each attendee a copy of Stop Workplace Drama! http://www.combix911.com/ Have you ever heard…“That’s not my job! I don’t ...

How to Lead by Listening

Posted By Heather Joyner 09-19-2014 11:56
Found In Community: North Carolina APCO Blogs

Listening is the single most important communication skill. When people feel “heard” they also feel understood. In personal relationships listening is an act of love. As a leader, listening is a way to acknowledge or show respect. It takes great listening skills to coach someone to clarity, or to ...

Stop the “I’m Too Busy” Excuse

Posted By Heather Joyner 07-23-2014 13:43
Found In Community: Communications Open Forum Blogs

In the work I have been doing with Marlene Chism, author of Stop Workplace Drama(TM), I have been working very hard at building leadership development programs for public safety professionals. In doing so, I get asked a lot of questions regarding issues that other leaders are challenged with. I want ...

Feature It or Fix It: Keeping Meetings On Track

Posted By Heather Joyner 07-06-2014 14:18
Found In Community: North Carolina APCO Blogs

In 7 Ways to Stop Workplace Drama in Public Safety there is a section where we discuss meetings. Out of this session I have been asked this question that I wanted to share here that may help you when dealing with an employee who seems to take over your meeting "beating a dead horse." QUESTION: ...

When Safety Doesn’t Matter

Posted By Heather Joyner 07-05-2014 18:06
Found In Community: Communications Open Forum Blogs

There are times when safety doesn’t matter. I’m talking about personal safety, public safety, and workplace safety. Safety doesn’t matter…until it does. Unfortunately the time safety seems to matter is after an accident, or after multiple ignored warnings that result in a tragedy. In other words regret ...

Leaders Who Avoid Difficult Conversations Negatively Impact Productivity

Posted By Heather Joyner 07-04-2014 16:39
Found In Community: Communications Open Forum Blogs

Those that know me best know that I often say that avoiding difficult conversations is a rip off. For leaders and managers with a big heart, it can be very difficult to course-correct others. I believe this is often a training issue. First of all, if you as a leader do not identify the red flags, you ...

The Myths and Realities of Being Too Busy

Posted By Heather Joyner 07-03-2014 16:51
Found In Community: Communications Open Forum Blogs

If you listen closely almost everyone talks about being too busy. Being busy is a great way to stunt your leadership growth . After all, if you are busy, you have an excuse that covers many mistakes including dropping the ball, losing opportunities, or being sidetracked by overwhelm. We keep ...

Six Tips for Improving Workplace Relationships

Posted By Heather Joyner 06-23-2014 14:19
Found In Community: Communications Open Forum Blogs

The strength of our workplace relationships can be put to the test at any time. Whether it’s avoiding the accountability conversation with a low performer; promising to get back to an employee when you know you won’t or telling a salesman the decision is up to the committee, dishonesty erodes trust and ...

Stop Gossip: Don’t Take the Bait

Posted By Heather Joyner 06-18-2014 16:37
Found In Community: Communications Open Forum Blogs

Have you ever had a friend or co-worker say to you something like “Someone said something bad about you…” After the announcement, they tell you all the juicy details but leave you hanging about WHO said all the bad stuff. Gossip contributes to a lot of workplace drama . You wonder about their motivation. ...

Responsibility is the Recognition of Choice

Posted By Heather Joyner 06-10-2014 07:33
Found In Community: East Coast Region Blogs

I was inspired today by Seth Godin’s blog about responsibility and choice. In fact, one of my own sayings is “Responsibility is the recognition of choice.” What this means is that you cannot live responsibly unless you first recognize that you have choices. To say, “I had no choice” indicates a ...

Model the Language of Personal Responsibility

Posted By Heather Joyner 06-04-2014 08:08
Found In Community: East Coast Region Blogs

We are all guilty of complaining, making excuses or blaming; however, as a leader it’s our responsibility to model the language of personal responsibility. When you change the language you change the culture. Enlightened leaders set the example with the words they use and the tone in which they speak. ...

Drama as the Situation

Posted By Heather Joyner 05-21-2014 15:11
Found In Community: Communications Open Forum Blogs

Drama often shows up as a situation. Situations come in many forms, from a speeding ticket, to an unexpected delay at the airport, to the announcement that your department is downsizing or your budget is being cut. When a wanted situation changes to an unwanted situation there will be drama. When ...

Emotion as Drama

Posted By Heather Joyner 05-15-2014 13:45
Found In Community: Communications Open Forum Blogs

A sign that you are ready for your next level of growth, ( enlightenment ) will be some turbulence, chaos or an obstacle. If your company goes through culture change, there will be drama. The same is true for you personally. When you are ready to elevate, or even before you know you are ready, some ...

IAED Navigator Session: Stop Workplace Drama, Meet the Presenters

Posted By Heather Joyner 04-11-2014 09:54
Found In Community: East Coast Region Blogs

Marlene Chism & Heather Joyner Heather & Marlene will be teaching “ Stop Workplace Drama ” on May 2 at NAVIGATOR! Nowhere is the impact more dangerous than in public safety. Internal drama puts you at risk for more than just a headache. Loss of focus can lead to a lawsuit, or even a lost ...

Leaders Who Avoid Difficult Conversations Negatively Impact Productivity

Posted By Heather Joyner 03-30-2014 12:21
Found In Community: Communications Open Forum Blogs

If you've been following my blog, you've heard me say that avoiding difficult conversations is a rip off. For those leaders and managers with a big heart, it can be very difficult to course-correct others. I believe this is often a training issue. First of all, if you as a leader do ...

Are You Leading or Settling?

Posted By Heather Joyner 01-12-2014 15:02
Found In Community: Communications Open Forum Blogs

As a leader in public safety you experience daily challenges. In my own growth experience, I’ve had to ask myself a serious question: When it comes to training, am I leading or settling? Now, I can only share my personal experience, and I know that training standards differ from state to state. In ...

Are You Compromising Your Standards?

Posted By Heather Joyner 01-09-2014 10:55
Found In Community: North Carolina APCO Blogs

As I ask this question I only request that you answer truthfully. Is your agency experiencing turn over or are you compromising your standards to keep personnel in positions that you know are not qualified? When I meditated on this I truly had to dig deep and evaluate myself as a manager. This was ...

Introducting The 8 Steps of Empowerment

Posted By Heather Joyner 01-06-2014 09:26
Found In Community: Communications Open Forum Blogs

Have you noticed how we invest thousands of dollars to upgrade technology but often invest very little upgrading our people. The reasons for this lack of attention to personal development include lack of time, limited resources, as well as budgetary issues. The impact of failing to promote personal ...

The Drama Stops Here! 911 for 911

Posted By Heather Joyner 10-28-2013 12:02
Found In Community: Communications Open Forum Blogs

When your work life is full of drama due to the nature of the job, the stress and emotional drain can take its tole. Where is 911 when you ARE 911? That's what The Drama Stops Here is all about. Gather with your peers By registration-only, this 45-60 minute tele-forum is strictly limited to directors, ...

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