David Dye's Blog, page 122

Real Life Leadership – 6 Ideas That Really Work

Yesterday I shared lunch with a group of talented, caring, veteran managers that lead teams spread across the United States. We were discussing Winning Well in anticipation of the book’s release.

Veteran Managers Share Their Secrets of Success

I asked these accomplished managers to share their one most valuable piece of leadership advice. Here is what they said:

Ask for Help – “You don’t have to have all the answers. Someone has been where you are and solved the problem you face. If you don’t ask them for help, that’s weak – not strong. Dumb, not smart.”
Listen – “Sincerely listen to your people. Listen for what they’re trying to tell you, not just what they say. You can’t lead people who think you don’t understand them. You’ll make better decisions when you really listen.”
Respect – “You have to genuinely respect people for who they are and the abilities they bring to the table. People can tell when you don’t respect them – and they’re just not going to follow your lead.”
Celebrate – “There is no one final ‘we made it!’ moment to our work. So we have to take time to celebrate small victories along the way and re-energize ourselves for tomorrow.” My comment: leadership (and life) is a journey – take time to say to one another, “Today we traveled well!”
Set People Up to Succeed – “When you take time to prepare for a meeting or an assignment, to create a competent, positive atmosphere, it gives your team the confidence and positive energy they need to have if they’re going to succeed.”
Build Trust – “There has to be trust between you and your team. If someone doesn’t believe you care about them, why would they ever follow you?”

Your Turn

What is your one most valuable piece of advice for succeeding as a leader and manager?

P.S. To celebrate the launch of our new book, Winning Well: A Manager’s Guide to Getting Results — Without Losing Your Soul, Karin and I are offering you a special gift:  A custom bookplate with your requested message.

Simply order Winning Well from your favorite bookstore (click here for Amazon). Then go to www.WinningWellBook.com. Click on THE BOOK, then on CUSTOMIZE YOUR BOOK, and submit your message in the form. When the book ships, we’ll send you a custom, hand-signed,  adhesive bookplate that you can put inside the front cover.

Even better, there is no limit to the number of bookplates you may get. Get an affordable, customized resource for yourself and for all the managers in your life!

“I’d choose Winning Well as the top leadership book for the 21st century, full of actionable insights, practices, and principles for your lasting leadership success. Take charge of your team, your career, and your results. Read Winning Well with a highlighter and pen in hand, and then buy a copy for everyone on your team. Yes, it really IS that good.” -David Newman, author of Do It! Marketing

Creative Commons photo by text100

The post Real Life Leadership – 6 Ideas That Really Work appeared first on Leadership Speaker David Dye.

Book David today for your event, workshop, or training: david@trailblazeinc.com or 1.800.972.582

5 Top Leadership Articles, Week of February 15, 2016

Each week I read a number of leadership articles from various online resources and share them across social media. Here are the five articles readers found most valuable last week. I have added my comment about each article and would like to hear what you think, too.

Our Gift to You: Karin and I have a gift for you when you pre-order Winning Well.

Check it out at the end this round-up.

Why Your Employee Engagement Programs Fail at Lead Change Group, written by me

This was easily the most popular article this week. If you’re like most leaders, you focus first on how you’ll talk to our team, how you’ll run your meetings, what you’ll do to address performance problems, how you’ll train, coach, encourage and do all the other things leaders do.

These activities are important, of course, but they’re not everything. In fact, if your leadership and employee engagement activities don’t produce the results you hope for, it’s likely that you need to put your attention somewhere else first.

Why Culture Still Eats Strategy for Breakfast (and maybe lunch as well) by Kevin Sheridan

In the last year, there were two thorough studies released showing employee engagement and culture topping the list as the number one challenge for organizations worldwide, one by the Society for Human Resource Management and the other by Deloitte. An overwhelming 87% of respondents believe engagement and culture were “important,” with 50% declaring the problem as “very important.” Furthermore, the “very important” responses doubled from two years prior. Fully two-thirds of the HR respondents said they are currently updating their engagement and retention strategies, for good reason.

My Comment: Kevin highlights several challenges organizations face when it comes to fostering positive culture and employee engagement including: virtual work, millennials, transparency, and continued lack of understanding. Your best business strategy won’t matter if you don’t plant it in the rich soil of good company culture.

How Leaders Can Make Their Messaging Meaningful by Scott Mautz

More than one CEO has said, “Leadership is 90 percent communication,” and research bears them out by showing that the way in which managers communicate with employees is one of the most important factors in driving employee engagement. The late Maya Angelou (People may not remember exactly what you did, or what you said, but they will always remember how you made them feel) pinpoints the key to communication that engages and makes meaning: make people feel something. Inspire a felt sense of confidence. Build certainty and community. It makes the difference between compliance and commitment, meaningless work and meaningful work.

My Comment: Scott shares five tactics that will always serve you well when you communicate big picture concepts with your team.

The One Sentence Employee Engagement Course: 20 Words to Gain Emotional Commitment on Forbes.com by Kevin Kruse

This is the second week in a row Kevin’s article has been one of the most popular – and it’s easy to see why: Is it truly possible to condense the science of employee engagement into a single sentence? It is and Kevin will convince you of that. No topic that is more important to the long-term success of business than engagement. Despite the click-baiting contrarians, Gallup and others have a solid body of research that shows that engagement is the antecedent of service, quality, sales, profits and ultimately shareholder value.

My Comment: The research around what connects people to their work is clear and well documented. Kevin Kruse gives you a great one-sentence summary of the principles of engaged employees. Karin and I devote the pages of Winning Well to practical tools you can use to live out these principles every day.

10 Empowering Quotes from Inspiring Women Leaders Infographic by John Walston

Also making a second-week-in-a-row appearance. Have you checked out these quotes?

These empowering quotes from inspiring women leaders might help motivate you to reach the next level. They come from different walks of life – business, politics and entertainment – but their messages resonate with all of us.

My Comment: Many good quotes here – one of my favorites is from former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, “If you cannot allow people to do their jobs…nobody with substance and creativity will work for you.”

——-

Our Gift to You

For every copy of Winning Well that you pre-order, we will send you a hand-signed bookplate with your custom message! 

Simply order Winning Well from your favorite bookstore (click here for Amazon). Then go to www.WinningWellBook.com. Click on THE BOOK, then on CUSTOMIZE YOUR BOOK, and submit your message in the form. When the book ships, we’ll send you a custom, hand-signed,  adhesive bookplate that you can put inside the front cover.

Even better, there is no limit to the number of bookplates you may get. Get this valuable customized resource for yourself and for all the managers in your life!

“I’d choose Winning Well as the top leadership book for the 21st century, full of actionable insights, practices, and principles for your lasting leadership success. Take charge of your team, your career, and your results. Read Winning Well with a highlighter and pen in hand, and then buy a copy for everyone on your team. Yes, it really IS that good.” -David Newman, author of Do It! Marketing

——-

David works with leaders to get results without losing their soul (or mind) in the process. Have David to speak at your next event or corporate training: Email today or call 303.898.7018!

The post 5 Top Leadership Articles, Week of February 15, 2016 appeared first on Leadership Speaker David Dye.

Book David today for your event, workshop, or training: david@trailblazeinc.com or 1.800.972.582

5 Top Leadership Articles for the Week of February 8, 2016

Each week I read a number of leadership articles from various online resources and share them across social media. Here are the five articles readers found most valuable last week. I have added my comment about each article and would like to hear what you think, too.

Our Gift to You: Karin and I have a gift for you when you pre-order Winning Well. Check it out at the end this round-up.

The One Sentence Employee Engagement Course: 20 Words to Gain Emotional Commitment on Forbes.com by Kevin Kruse

Is it truly possible to condense the science of employee engagement into a single sentence? It is and Kevin will convince you of that. No topic that is more important to the long-term success of business than engagement. Despite the click-baiting contrarians, Gallup and others have a solid body of research that shows that engagement is the antecedent of service, quality, sales, profits and ultimately shareholder value.

My Comment: The research around what connects people to their work is clear and well documented. Kevin Kruse gives you a great one-sentence summary of the principles of engaged employees. Karin and I devote the pages of Winning Well to practical tools you can use to live out these principles every day.

10 Empowering Quotes from Inspiring Women Leaders Infographic by John Walston

These empowering quotes from inspiring women leaders might help motivate you to reach the next level. They come from different walks of life – business, politics and entertainment – but their messages resonate with all of us.

My Comment: Many good quotes here – one of my favorites is from former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, “If you cannot allow people to do their jobs…nobody with substance and creativity will work for you.”

Two Words That Kill Your Relationship With Employees by Jill Schiefelbein

If a person sees your words as a challenge and becomes obsessed with proving the statement wrong, you get an employee who is unilaterally focused on a task that you’ve already deemed non-essential. This takes productivity away from other tasks and can also upset the collaborative balance of workplace teams. You also run the risk of the employee looking for a new job—at a place where something IS possible and where management better encourages and supports innovation.

My Comment: Jill shares a personal experience with great application for your relationships with your employees. In fact, the employees most likely to be alienated by the words she urges you to avoid…are the ones you most likely don’t want to lose.

The Dynamic Duo of Vision and Strategy by Julie Winkle Giulioni

Some things just work better together: bread and butter, Batman and Robin, soap and water. In these examples, each item has value in and of itself. Yet combined, the pairs take on a more striking, pleasurable and powerful quality. The same holds true for vision and strategy: leaders who are able to master both and leverage them with their teams will drive unbeatable results.

But many managers and supervisors find they might be talented or effective at one and struggle with the other… which makes perfect sense. The two tasks require very different skill sets.

My Comment: I can’t agree more with Julie on this topic. To be as effective as possible and engage your team, you need both vision and strategy. However, if you’re like most people, you’re more talented at one than the other. The good news is you can augment your skills and work with others to make sure your team has both!

The Productivity Killers in Every Office Infographic by Chantal Bechervaise

There are no shortage of things that can decrease productivity in your office. From March Madness to Serial podcasts to chatty coworkers, a number of distractions can invade your office and decrease your employees’ output. However, blocking every website on the Internet and forcing everyone to work in soundproof cubicles probably isn’t the best way to increase employee efficiency. Instead, consider the connection between workplace design and productivity, and take a look at the design of your office to see where you can improve your colleagues’ effectiveness.

My Comment: There are some great items in this infographic – reducing noise pollution is almost always achievable. Natural light can be tougher to come by, but sure helps! Keep in mind that not every environment is conducive to every type of work.

——-

Our Gift to You

For every copy of Winning Well that you pre-order, we will send you a free custom bookplate with your requested message. 

Simply order Winning Well from your favorite bookstore (click here for Amazon). Then go to www.WinningWellBook.com. Click on THE BOOK, then on CUSTOMIZE YOUR BOOK, and submit your message in the form. When the book ships, we’ll send you a custom, hand-signed,  adhesive bookplate that you can put inside the front cover.

Even better, there is no limit to the number of bookplates you may get. Get an affordable, customized resource for yourself and for all the managers in your life!

“I’d choose Winning Well as the top leadership book for the 21st century, full of actionable insights, practices, and principles for your lasting leadership success. Take charge of your team, your career, and your results. Read Winning Well with a highlighter and pen in hand, and then buy a copy for everyone on your team. Yes, it really IS that good.” -David Newman, author of Do It! Marketing

——-

David works with leaders to get results without losing their soul (or mind) in the process. Have David to speak at your next event or corporate training: Email today or call 303.898.7018!

The post 5 Top Leadership Articles for the Week of February 8, 2016 appeared first on Leadership Speaker David Dye.

Book David today for your event, workshop, or training: david@trailblazeinc.com or 1.800.972.582

How to Hold Your Team Accountable – the First Step

Trudy ran her hands through her hair and frowned.

“I would think Shawna would understand how things work. I mean, isn’t it obvious?”

Trudy owns a gym. She’s committed to building a people-friendly atmosphere where clients and trainers are committed to fitness, health, and mutual respect. In particular, she wants to avoid the showboating and meat-market atmosphere you encounter at some gyms.

She’d recently brought in a new trainer, Shawna, whose behavior did not match the gym’s values or mission.

Now Trudy was frustrated because one trainer threatened to undermine the positive atmosphere she’d worked so hard to build. Her brand was in jeopardy.

They Don’t Know

This is a frequent problem every manager encounters at some point: you think your expectations are crystal clear, but then people don’t live up to them.

Then you get frustrated and say things like, “Why don’t they get it?”

Here’s the reality: they don’t know.

Pardon the pun, but people are ‘tele-pathetic’ (not telepathic) – that is, they can’t read your mind. If you want them to know, you have to tell them.

It’s unfair and unrealistic to hold people accountable for expectations you haven’t clearly articulated and ensured they have the skills to meet.

Accountability is only possible when you have clear mutually understood expectations.

How Do You Know They Know?

Just speaking expectations isn’t enough.

Have you ever finished a meeting, asked the group “are there any questions” – only to hear silence in return?

That silence doesn’t tell you that people understand. It just means they don’t want to ask a question.

You don’t know that you’re on the same page until you hear your people articulate what’s going on for them selves. In our new book, Winning Well: A Manager’s Guide to Getting Results Without Losing Your Soul, my coauthor Karin Hurt, and I call this a “check for understanding.” This one step can save you days, weeks, even months of frustration and wasted time.

When a conversations concludes, say something like, “Okay, let’s make sure we’re on the same page. What are the next three steps we’re going to take?”

As people share the answers, you’ll know whether or not they have the right idea. If not, it gives you an opportunity to clarify.

Your Turn

Remember, all accountability starts with clear, mutually understood expectations. You can’t hold anyone accountable until you’ve ensured this first step is completed.

When Trudy shared the gym’s values and philosophy with her new trainer, Shawna decided it wasn’t a good match for her. She liked places with a different type of energy. That’s fair – but it was only possible once Trudy was clear about expectations.

How do you make sure you and your team are consistently on the same page?

David works with leaders to get results without losing their soul (or mind) in the process. Have David to speak at your next event or corporate training: Email today or call 303.898.7018!

 

The post How to Hold Your Team Accountable – the First Step appeared first on Leadership Speaker David Dye.

Book David today for your event, workshop, or training: david@trailblazeinc.com or 1.800.972.582

Top Leadership Articles for the Week of February 1, 2016

Each week I read a number of leadership articles from various online resources and share them across social media. Here are the five articles readers found most valuable last week. I have added my comment about each article and would like to hear what you think, too.

The first two were easily the most popular this week and they also happen to be written by me and Karin Hurt (my co-author for our upcoming book Winning Well: A Manager’s Guide to Getting Results Without Losing Your Soul).

10 Common Excuses That Silently Damage Managers’ Careers in Fast Company, by Karin Hurt & David Dye

You may think you’re delegating, but you can actually be shirking your responsibility. Being decisive and knowing how to say no are important leadership skills, but handled the wrong way, they can come off as excuses that can damage your career. Managers need to lead with confidence, humility, and a long-term focus on building relationships. That means being vigilant about avoiding these statements or anything that sounds like them.

Winning Well – Three Questions That Guarantee Results in Strategy Driven by Karin Hurt & David Dye

Effective meetings are commitment creators. Every meeting you hold should produce activities that move results forward, build momentum, and build morale with healthy relationships. You can achieve all this in just five to ten minutes at the end of every meeting with three questions.

Choose the Right Words and Demeanor to Lead Effectively in Investor Business Daily, by Michael Mink

The most effective bosses reject jargon, buzzwords and corporate-speak in favor of words that convey their ideas with clarity and conviction.

Being An Abundant Mentor by Naphtali Hoff

Mentoring programs typically fail because of a lack of one or more key ingredients. Hoff suggests that one way to ensure mentors succeed is to enter mentoring relationships with an abundance mentality. Additionally, he offers suggestions on how employers can structure their mentoring programs to be successful.

Engaging Employees: Big Companies Need the Most Improvement by Annamarie Mann and Becky McCarville – Gallup

Employees who work for larger companies with more than 1,000 workers report lower levels of engagement than those who work for smaller firms with fewer than 1,000 employees. The engagement gap widens for employees who work for companies with more than 5,000 workers, as these individuals report lower average results on nearly all of Gallup’s engagement items than in firms with fewer than 1,000 employees.

The post Top Leadership Articles for the Week of February 1, 2016 appeared first on Leadership Speaker David Dye.

Book David today for your event, workshop, or training: david@trailblazeinc.com or 1.800.972.582

Top Leadership Articles for the Week of January 24th

Note: This week’s edition of top articles is delayed one day because I spent this past weekend in Guatemala where, among other things, my daughter and I back-packed and camped on top of a volcano. We’ll be back to Monday round-ups next week. 

Each week I read a number of leadership articles from various online resources and share them across social media. Here are the five articles readers found most valuable last week. I have added my comment about each article and would like to hear what you think, too.

Are you Lying to Yourself about Your Leadership? by Lolly Daskal

We all try and tend to think well of ourselves. However, there are lies you can tell yourself that may cause self-inflicted harm. For example, you might fear being vulnerable and try protect yourself by isolating yourself from truth you need. The cost of this self-talk can be high. Take a look at this list of 12 common, untruths. If you see yourself in any of them, it may be time to have a leadership heart-to-heart in the mirror.

My Comment:  While it’s not always easy, self-reflection is one of the most beneficial things we can do for ourselves and our teams.

The Productivity Killers in every Office by Chantal Bechervaise

There is no shortage of things that can decrease productivity in your office. However, blocking every website on the Internet and forcing everyone to work in soundproof cubicles probably isn’t the best way to increase employee efficiency. Instead, consider the connection between workplace design and productivity. Where can you take a look at the design of your office, and see where you can improve your colleagues’ effectiveness?

My Comment:  Curated by Chantal Bechervaise, this informative info-graphic gives you a more practical and non-traditional approach to increasing team productivity and maybe even, improving the aesthetic and feng shui of your offices. Productivity isn’t just how you motivate and cultivate but also – how you decorate

5 Top Leadership Articles for the Week of January 17th

Each week I read a number of leadership articles from various online resources and share them across social media. Here are the five articles readers found most valuable last week. I have added my comment about each article and would like to hear what you think, too.

How the Effective Executive Spends Time by Laura Stack

Effectiveness is identifying and achieving the best objectives for your organization – doing the right things. Efficiency is accomplishing them with the least amount of time, effort, and cost – doing things right. If you’re not clear on both, you’re wasting your time.

My Comment:  In this quick article, The Productivity Pro, Laura Stack, gives us a helpful diagram that divides our time into 3 different arenas. Stack then shows us how to use the diagram and how to better prioritize our time. It’s not enough to do one or the other, effective leaders are all about both! Check out her new book: Doing the Right Things Right

What motivates us at work? More than Money by Jessica Gross

When you look carefully at the way people work, you find that it’s for more than just money that people do what they do.

My Comment:  Money gets people in the door, but it takes something more to release energy and motivation.

A Deeper Dive into Developing Your People by Karin Hurt

Developing your people may be the most important thing you ever do. “No matter how hard you work, developing a team of A players will blow anything you can do on your own.”

My Comment:  Hurt shares three quick, insightful, and smart ways to invest in your people and to develop them from the ground up.

Why Leaders Should Make Time for Reflection by Mitchell Harper

Time is our most precious resource. Where you spend your time influences how you do in every area of your life. Want a better body? Spend more time eating right. Want to be a better husband/wife? Spend more time listening. The same is true for your thinking processes.

My Comment:  Just like the rest of the muscles in your body, your brain needs exercise. Not just any exercise but intentional, un-interrupted exercise where you can take time to reflect on your work, relationships and projects and how they’re doing. In this relatable article, Harper gives us the tools we need to start thinking about our thinking.

How to Retain Millennial Employees Through Workplace Equity by Jill Schiefelbein

There is one issue from which no business–regardless of size, type or location–is immune: employee turnover. Retaining top talent is a challenge, and this challenge is increasing in difficulty with the millennial-employee population.

My Comment:  I often find that millennials are some of the most misunderstood and underutilized segment of the work force. Managers frequently struggle to retain, motivate, or reward them. Schiefelbein concisely addresses these issues and gives us tips and tricks to keep millennials in your office and doing good work.

The post 5 Top Leadership Articles for the Week of January 17th appeared first on Leadership Speaker David Dye.

Book David today for your event, workshop, or training: david@trailblazeinc.com or 1.800.972.582

5 Top Leadership Articles for the Week of January 10th

Each week I read a number of leadership articles from various online resources and share them across social media. Here are the five articles readers found most valuable last week. I have added my comment about each article and would like to hear what you think, too.

You’re Right. Nobody Listens to You – And Here’s Why! by Nick Pipitone

What people hear doesn’t just have to do with what you’re saying; our attention spans are getting smaller, too.

My Comment: In this info graphic, Pipitone shares with us just how harmful our distracted mindsets and poor listening habits can be to productivity, relationship building, information retention, etc.. However, if we use Pipitone’s piece as a resource for knowledge, you can find better solutions, engage more people and combat our poor listening habits.

3 Things the Most Creative Leaders Do by Tom Kelley

How do leaders cultivate and effectively utilize creativity?

My Comment:  While there is nothing wrong with utilizing traditional leadership methods, they may not always yield the most non-traditional and innovative results. In this research based article, Kelley gives us 3 tried- and-true tips to engaging and cultivating creativity. And with no surprise here, these three tips yield new and creative results.

3 Bad Managers who are Actually Awesome by Robert Conrad

The disastrous results of bad management all seem to be shared across the board, regardless of whether the manager in question was an unrelenting bully or obliviously nice. Despite their failings, there are lessons to be learned from these bad managers; especially for leaders who want to know what not to do.

My Comment:  I’ve often believed that poor managers are the very best leadership textbooks life will ever give you. In Robert Conrad’s article, he shares with us the “what not to do’s” of management and helps us understand that there is still something to be learned from all those bad management situations.

5 Ways to Improve Communication during periods of Accelerated Growth by Lily Croll

When a business starts to grow quickly, there are several new problems that often manifest themselves. Improving communication processes may be one of the best ways to help overcome these new issues.

My Comment:  In this in-depth article on helpful communication during transition, Lilly Croll explores 5 ways to help your team be successful. Croll touches on many arenas of communication and tip 5 is a great way to begin thinking about how we learn and innovate.

Creating a pocket of Excellence when you are not the CEO by S. Chris Edmonds

Creating an “organizational constitution” and developing a consistent framework for your team may just be the first step to building and fostering high-performing and values-aligned cultures.

My Comment:  Don’t leave expectations or accountability to chance. When you are clear about expectations and build in accountability, results are more likely produced. In his article, Edmonds emphasizes the importance of such a framework and provides us with a “how-to” guide on creating an organizational constitution that creates alignment and consistency but also, delivers results and helps cultivate value-based cultures.

The post 5 Top Leadership Articles for the Week of January 10th appeared first on Leadership Speaker David Dye.

Book David today for your event, workshop, or training: david@trailblazeinc.com or 1.800.972.582

5 Top Leadership Articles for the Week of January 3rd

Each week I read a number of leadership articles from various online resources and share them across social media. Here are the five articles readers found most valuable last week. I have added my comment about each article and would like to hear what you think, too.

Taking a UX Approach for Retaining Your Best Talent by Jill Schiefelbein

In consumer businesses, UX (user experience) is traditionally viewed as a way to analyze and produce experiences that drive consumers toward an end goal. Let’s flip UX on its traditional head. Managers can significantly benefit by viewing UX as an internal measure.

My Comment: Schiefelbein makes the well-founded argument that employees (just like customers and software users) have feelings – and that businesses need to pay attention to them. So much of human behavior results from the systems people work within that her emphasis on content, design, and interaction is invaluable for productivity.

Spend Less Time and be a More Effective Leader by Mike Figliuolo

Once you’ve been in a leadership role, you realize leadership doesn’t magically happen. A leader’s work can be thought of as a service provided to team members. Providing this service takes time and energy; and much like organizations don’t have unlimited financial capital to invest, leaders don’t have unlimited time and energy to invest in leading their teams. So, how do leaders invest their time and get more done?

My Comment:  Being an effective leader means being resourceful and effectively managing your time. In this article Figliuolo discusses how to address the ever-present challenge of “infinite need; finite me” with practical time management tips.

10 Ways to Become the Leader others Value by Dan Rockwell

Want to know what it takes to become a leader others value and want to follow? Here’s a hint: where and what you value, matters.

My Comment:  In this article, Rockwell quickly and concisely identifies 10 characteristics, qualities and ideals that may help guide your team down the right path and further develop their values.

Questions Every Leader Should Ask by James DaSilva

When productivity is down, morale is floundering and your team has lost its way, do you find yourself asking: why won’t my team perform? How can I motivate them to succeed? You’re not alone. However, it may be time to ask yourself some difficult questions instead.

My Comment: In his article, DaSilva expands upon the powerful idea that how your team is performing and how they’re handling their challenges are not a reflection of them and their work, but of your and yours.

7 Fundamentals for Building Real Trust With Your Team by Karin Hurt

Trust is tricky. It sure looks easy on paper (or a blog post.) But get out in real life, and what seems obvious and easy, suddenly becomes more difficult than securing funding for a corporate hover-craft. The sooner we talk about trust, why it works, and how it breaks down the better.

My Comment: If you struggle with trust (and consequently with everything else related to leading a team) Hurts seven fundamentals are required reading.

David works with leaders to get results without losing their soul (or mind) in the process. Have David to speak at your next event or corporate training: Email today or call 303.898.7018!

The post 5 Top Leadership Articles for the Week of January 3rd appeared first on Leadership Speaker David Dye.

Book David today for your event, workshop, or training: david@trailblazeinc.com or 1.800.972.582

One Quick Leadership Tip That Will Save You Weeks of Time

Did They Hear What You Think You Said?

Recently a reader wrote me asking a question that plagues team leaders and managers everywhere: “What do you do when your team didn’t hear what you think you said?”

Can you empathize?

You roll out the new process and ask if there are any questions. You’re met with blank stares and silence. One person tries to be helpful and shakes their head “no.” So you let everyone get back to work.

A week goes by and five people have implemented the new plan five different ways while one person hasn’t done anything.

The Meaning of Silence

I watch managers waste hours every week on these sorts of miscommunications. This problem happens when you mistake silence for assent.

Silence doesn’t mean anything. It’s just silence. Your six people all think they heard you. You think you communicated clearly, but you don’t actually know.

The good news is that you can end these misunderstandings and reclaim that lost time with one simple tool.

Save Time, Frustration, and Headaches

It’s called a ‘check for understanding.’

Whenever a conversation concludes, make sure everyone is on the same page. You might say any of the following depending on the meeting:

“I want to make sure I communicated clearly: what are the three things we’re doing this week?”
“Let’s make sure we’re on the same page: when are each of our assignments due?”
“Great discussion! Let’s do a check for understanding: what are the three priorities we just agreed to?”

When you ask the ‘check for understanding’ questions, you’ll discover where people misunderstood or missed a key point. Clarify, then do another quick check. This is the key part of a successful ‘check for understanding’: the other person gives you back what you intended for them to receive.

When you do a check for understanding, use an upbeat, encouraging tone. You don’t want to come across as patronizing or belittling.

This one tool will help you avoid misunderstandings and the hours you’d otherwise spend following up on errors. It gives you a clear foundation for accountability conversations when you need to have them. Finally, it serves your team – they won’t waste time doing the wrong thing.

Everyone wins – not bad for 60 seconds of communication clarity!

 

David works with leaders to get results without losing their soul (or mind) in the process. Have David to speak at your next event or corporate training: Email today or call 303.898.7018!

 

 

Creative Commons photo by jovike

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