Tag Archives: motivation

Double-Check Your Assumptions: Are They Accurate?

It happens all the time to all of us. We think we know what someone else is communicating to us – in fact we are sure of it – only to learn that what we were thinking was actually not at all what the other person intended to communicate.

As an executive leadership coach, I see these disconnects all the time. And these communication disconnects almost always revolve around inaccurate assumptions which lead to unrealistic expectations on both sides.

So here’s a simple tip that can save you hours of wasted work, worry and even damaged relationships. Before you speak, slow down and ask yourself:

  • “What assumption am I making here?”

Be honest. It’s a simple question but it encourages you to step back and double-check if you have all the information you need and is this information really accurate or are you just “assuming” you know.

And quite naturally, mutual expectations flow out of these assumptions. Think of the last time you worked on a project team that there was a question about who is going to do what. That’s a classic situation of everyone making assumptions and therefore having expectations of each other based on those assumptions.

As a leader, you can minimize these kinds of disconnects and possible conflict by simply double-checking your assumptions. I also like to remind myself that for the most part people really want to do a good job – and they think they are doing what has been asked. So when there is a communication problem it often is because I made assumptions that weren’t accurate. A simple mistake that’s actually quite easy to avoid. Try it!

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Tips for Team Coaching

As a leader in your organization, you are tasked with bringing out the best of your employees for the productivity of your company. Sounds easy but it’s tougher than it looks especially in these economic times when everyone feels stretched. But it can be done both with your direct individual reports but also your project teams or department staff.

Lifting Together Makes the Difference 

Here’s how . . . use a strengths based coaching approach with powerful questions. One piece of the executive coaching program that I offer is an intensive hands-on training and practice on how to use basic coaching skills to engage and motivate employees.  We start with individual one-on-one practice with employees doing their annual reviews or wanting to take their careers to that next level within the company.  Coaching may also be appropriate for employees struggling with performance expectations, communication problems or interpersonal conflicts with their colleagues.

With this practice behind them, leaders move to a more complicated coaching challenge – working with their designated teams around specific outcomes.  There are more moving parts including difference in personalities and communication styles that can make leading a team successfully much more challenging.

You Don’t Have to Do All the Work 

But here’s the trick . . . know and use the same coaching philosophy, collaborative approach and basic powerful questions that work so well with individuals and just expand them for the larger group.  Listen closely and concentrate on giving your team the space and support to contribute their ideas and strengths.

You don’t have to say much in the beginning – just get out of their way and let them do what you hired them to do.  Acknowledge their wisdom with the result that you may be pleasantly surprised that with a coaching approach you’ve opened up a wealth of possibilities, creative thinking and some excellent options. And you didn’t have to do all the work!

It’s a very fast paced competitive work world. Just like this great picture of the Army moving the Red Cross tent in the pouring rain.  Everyone needs to contribute their best strength, lift together and move forward to the designated goal or vision. It can work really well with the right kind of leadership – do you have what it takes?

 

Posted in Career Tips & Strategies, Communication Tips, Emotional Intelligence, Inspirational Leadership, Navigating Change | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

To Delegate or Not? A Struggle for Leaders

To delegate or not? Delegation is one of biggest challenges for a leader in today’s work world.  With work loads increasing, more complex problems to solve and fewer staff to cover the bases it’s no surprise that anyone in a leadership role (managers, supervisors, team leads etc.) struggle with the who, what, when, why and how of delegating wisely.

Why is it so hard? 

As a executive coach, this is what I hear from both experienced leaders and emerging leaders in both corporate, government and non-profit business environments.

  • It takes too much time for me to explain it.
  • I’m not sure it will be done right.
  • I could do it faster, easier, cheaper etc.
  • If someone else does it – maybe I’m not needed as much.
  • I don’t want to bother people – they’re already working hard enough.
  • I don’t want to be self-important. (Jimmy Carter carrying his own suitcase)

Getting In Our Own Way

So the bottom line is that we often get in our own way.  Are we a perfectionist? No one else can do it as well as me.  Or do we delegate too much to one person that we trust but then others don’t get a chance. Are we concerned that if the other person does a great job that maybe – just maybe – we will be working our way out of a job.  Or maybe it’s simply the rush we get from being that “go-to” person all the time even if it means working 24/7.

Those are important questions to ask ourselves.  Are we actually the biggest obstacle to ourselves because we can’t get out of our own way?

What does a good role model look like?

Interesting, leaders often mention that they haven’t had a good role model in delegating over the years either from parents, colleagues or bosses.  So in a great round robin discussion these 7 qualities were identified by experienced leaders as critical for a “ideal delegator”.

  • They create a “culture of delegation”.
  • They create a “culture of mutual trust”.
  • They plan ahead so they aren’t “dumping” tasks on others.
  • They delegate “results” not just “activities”.
  • They delegate both important and maintenance tasks as well.
  • They have confidence in their staff and want to utilize their staff’s strengths.
  • They are truly committed to growing & developing their staff.

So how do you measure up? Are you willing to get out of the way and let others grow, develop and succeed?  If so, you will be delightfully surprised how it will help you be more productive, manage your time and energy better and ultimately provide greater benefits to your own company.  And the icing on the cake is less stressLet me know how you are doing!

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“The Art of Political Conversation” A Unique Workshop

What fun!  I was invited to speak on KJFK 230 AM this past Saturday morning, Sept. 29th, on “The Art of Political Conversation”.  Chip Evans and his co-host Verita Black Prothro are anchoring a progressive talk radio show “Get Real, America!” every Saturday morning at 9:00am dedicated to opening the conversation in Northern Nevada  on progressive issues and concerns.

Chip and I are an experienced political training team.  We have been working with the Nevada Democratic field organizers since 2004 on all aspects of leadership and political activism.  For this political cycle, we are offering our evenings and weekends to meet with  community groups and field organizers to teach the fine art of engaging in a political conversation without being triggered.  And that’s not easy in this political climate!

This is a fast moving, interactive 1 1/2 hour skills-based workshop. Participants get hands-on practice in these state-of-the-art communication skills.  And what Chip and I enjoy most is the feedback we get from the college students, Republicans turned Democrats and the many, many dedicated volunteers willing to spend their free time working on behalf of progressive values and condidates.  After every workshop, they tell us they have more confidence and more concrete tools to engage in that next conversation at the door, on the phone or with their Republican brother-in-law at Thanksgiving dinner.

 

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Creating the “Space” for Someone to Think

Give someone the “space” to think. I don’t mean just the physical space (which is very important) but also the time, quiet and the permission to think. And watch your company grow.

This is a relatively easy thing to do. As a leader you ask (rather than tell) some simple questions that are designed to open and expand someone else’s thinking power. They are doing the work, not you – and that’s what they were hired to do. It takes you setting aside your ego – the need to be the “expert,” to always be right and to be in control. It takes trusting that you really did hire the best of the best.

By asking simple, coach-oriented questions, you are creating the psychological space for someone else to think, create and to run with their ideas.

Here’s how this conversation could flow – very simple but very empowering. This is you as the leader speaking. Watch who’s doing all the work . . . not you, but the person you hire. You just got out of the way.

  1. “What have you already been thinking about?”
  2. “What would you recommend?”
  3. “What could get in the way?”
  4. “What resources do you need to move forward?”
  5. “How can I help you move forward on this?”
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