David Dye's Blog, page 65

The Hidden Cost of Retaining a Bad Hire

Avoid This Huge Mistake with a Bad Hire

As a human-centered leader, you might just be tempted to hold onto an obviously bad hire too long.

And, holding onto a bad hire (after you’ve done all you can) is one of the biggest leadership mistakes you can make.

We see so many managers hold on to false hope, increasing the agony for everyone.

The Bad Hire Question I’ve Asked Hundreds of Times

“When did you know he was a bad hire?”

“Pretty much from day 1.”

“And when did you first have a frank conversation about your concerns?”

“Err… yesterday.”

“And now you want to terminate them?”

“Yeah, I mean it’s been a performance issue for a really long time. He’s got to go!”

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen this scene play out–both in my HR exec days and now in the frustrations of our clients looking to add more rigor to their performance management processes.

The worst mistake you can make with a bad hire is being overly patient
and withholding important conversations.

Why are so many people overly patient with a bad new hire?

Well first off, we hired them, and it’s just freaking awkward that they’re this bad.

So we convince ourselves they’ll be okay, and hold our breath and wait.

Or, we know how hard it can be in a new job … so we just give them time and space to get better and assume it will all work out. All the time sending the message that their performance is just fine.

Of course, most people don’t hit the ground running overnight.

But if you’re REALLY worried after the first few customer interactions or they just don’t seem to pick up anything you’re putting down, don’t wait too long.

Better to lose the diaper drama as early in the game as possible– and tell your bad hire the truth (see more about diaper drama in our video interview). 

Or, even better watch our kid explain it (worth the watch and yup he’s heard it that many times).

5 Reasons to Be Real With Your Bad Hire

If you’re looking for a bit of courage and inspiration to be real with your bad hire here you go.

1. They’re As Frustrated As You Are

No one starts a new job with the intention of really screwing it up. If it’s not working out, it’s likely they’re more frustrated than you are.

It’s a good idea to be having “How’s it going?” conversations with all your new hires--and particularly those who are struggling.

A few conversation starters:

Why did you choose to work here? What most attracted you to this company/job?Is the job what you expected it to be? Why or why not?What do you find most satisfying with this role? What is most frustrating?Where do you need some extra support?2. You’ve Got a Limited Window to Clarify Expectations

Don’t assume you’ve been perfectly clear with your expectations.

If you wait too long to articulate and reinforce your standards, your new hire is likely to assume you just aren’t that serious, or that what he or she is doing is acceptable.

It’s fine to give some time to ramp up to be at full performance–but you always want to be reinforcing the end-goal and what success looks like.

I can’t you how many times I’ve had crying employees in my HR office saying,

“But my supervisor never told me …” And the truth is, often there was some truth to that. Be sure expectations are clear.

3. Bad Habits Are Hard To Break

Enough said. Be clear about the most important behaviors for achieving success, and reinforce those until they become a habit.

What you tolerate, your bad new hire will assume it’s fine to replicate.

You get more of what you celebrate and less of what you ignore.

4. Your “A Players” Are Taking Notes

If the new guy comes in and gets away with less than productive behaviors, you will instantly lose credibility with your strong performers. Even if they’re strong in other ways (see also our perspective on arrogant high performers).

5. HR Can Help

Your HR team can help you get extra resources to support your new hire’s success.

AND, they can also help you deliver (and document) the conversations you are having. I’ve never met an HR professional who complained about being notified too early about a problem.

The best way to give a bad new hire (and your team) the best chance of success is to be real with them as early in the game as possible and work together to a brighter bolder future for everyone involved.

Your turn.

I’m curious.  As a human-centered leader, what are your best practices for helping a bad new hire succeed at your company or helping them move on?

The post The Hidden Cost of Retaining a Bad Hire appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.

How do I Teach my Team Critical Thinking? (With Video)

Practical Ways to Develop Critical Thinking on Your Team

“Hey Karin, I want to develop critical thinking I really do. I want to empower them and help them grow. But…you would be surprised some of the decisions they make or things they do.

How do I get my team to think more strategically? #AskingFriend.

What is Critical Thinking?

Critical thinking is a systematic process for gathering, synthesizing, and making sense of information in order to make informed decisions.

4 Ways to Help Your Team Think More Critically

Critical thinking is one of those leadership competencies that can sometimes feel hard to teach. And yet, most of the time when leaders complain that a manager is “missing that gene,” it turns out they’ve never been taught.

In fact, in our Courageous Cultures research, 45% of respondents said they had not been trained in critical thinking or problem-solving.

1. Ensure your team has a clear understanding of where you’re headed strategically.

Much of the time when managers complain that their employees are not strategic, they simply don’t have enough information or strategic context to make good decisions.

Ensure they can answer these 7 strategic questions.

2. Teach them how to vet their ideas in a strategic manner.

Our I.D.E.A. model can help them think through their ideas to make better decisions.

3. Ask strategic questions to help them think more deeply.

Ask open-ended questions that help people to analyze data and identify trends.

For example, what was different about April that caused the trend to reverse?

Or, why do you think customers are buying more on Saturdays in Roanoke, VA but Tuesdays are the big day in Columbia, MD?

4. Consider how you learned what you know and transfer that knowledge

You might also consider how you developed these skills. How did you pick up the knowledge and insights you have now? And then, give your employees a similar experience to accelerate that learning.

You can also tell strategic stories to save them some time, and learn the lessons you learned the hard way.

Your turn.

What are your best practices to help your team develop critical thinking skills?

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What’s Going to Happen Next?

What’s Going to Happen? – It Will Be Predictably Unpredictable

If only you had a crystal ball to know what’s going to happen. The planning, the decisions, the choices would be so much easier. But you don’t. And those decisions and tradeoffs aren’t easy.

Will office work remain fully virtual, or move to a hybrid model?

Is that project still realistic with all this uncertainty? What if we reorganize… again?

If they sell our building, how will we do our training? Will we ever have a company off-site again?

What’s Going to Happen Next

There’s much you can’t possibly predict. But we’re confident…

See Also: Leadership Skills- 6 Competencies You Can’t Lead Without

A co-worker will really tick you off.An unlikely subject will surprise you with their generosity.Work you do will be vastly under-appreciated.You’ll learn something new.You’ll regret what you said.He’ll take more credit than he should.It will be one of those weeks.The balance will get way off-kilter.You will know you did the best you could.You will screw it up.The news will suck.You will fix it.You’ll have a big winIt will be really frustratingYou’ll laugh (and likely cry)And smileAnd grow

Knowing that natural ups and downs are going to happen, and they are happening to everyone, will help you save vital energy for what matters most.

There’s freedom in knowing that frustrations are not so much a matter of “if” but “when.” And, that when they do show up, you can say “Oh there you are… I’ve been expecting you” and keep your perspective focused on your bigger mission.

Leading Through Uncertainty

Once you’ve emotionally prepared yourself for the unknown, there are more leadership strategies you can use to empower your team, restore confidence, and achieve meaningful results.

Find Your Focus

No matter how much uncertainty you face, there are still facts you do know, outcomes you know you want to achieve – even if they are short-term, crisis response activities. It’s often helpful to narrow your focus – particularly when you face overwhelming projects.

When it’s uncertain and overwhelming, start with something small. Something at which you can’t fail. Something that takes 30–60 seconds.

Email your team to schedule a meeting.Create a file for the topic, take notes on the email, and put it in the file.Call a trusted colleague to get their perspective.Open a document or get a piece of paper and write your next steps.Write similar issues you’ve faced and what you did then.

When you take action, you build momentum. Your body assumes that it will continue doing what it’s doing. Almost without realizing it, that one small step turned into three or four more and before you know it, uncertainty recedes. Help your team to find their focus, get small, and get moving.

Pick Your Problems

In choosing to lead, you’ve chosen to have problems. The choice in front of you right now is which set of problems you want to have.

Effective leaders don’t try to avoid problems. Rather, they put their energy into working on the right set of problems–the ones that, once solved, get them closer to their goals.

When you don’t know what’s going to happen next, remember that you have choices. And one choice you’ll always have in every circumstance is how you choose to show up.

Remember Your Role

As you find your focus and pick your problems, you’ll ground yourself. Now it’s time to help your team. When they don’t know what’s going to happen, it’s natural for them to feel disoriented, discouraged, and scared – even when the changes have the potential to be outstanding. You can help your team with:

Consistent communication – use your 5×5 communication strategy (and maybe amp it up to 10 times or more). Use frequent checks for understanding to ensure everyone owns their next steps and that you are aware of how your people feel (and potential roadblocks).Commit to clarity – “Here’s what we know… Here’s what we don’t know… When I know, here is how you will know.” Don’t allow yourself to hide behind ambiguity – even when it’s uncomfortable, acknowledge it and how you will communicate when the time comes.Clarify your confidence – Remember that you’re in the hope business. Your team needs to know you believe in them and their ability to succeed. For example, “Yes, this is an uncertain situation – and I know we are up to the challenge and will navigate these waters successfully. Here’s the plan…”Create Calm – there is a tendency during uncertainty to react. Take action. Don’t just stand there, do something! Sometimes action is useful – and other times, it creates ten times more problems to unwind. A moment’s rest, a thoughtful pause, and a little extra breathing room are all very useful disciplines during uncertainty. If crisis demands action, that’s okay, but otherwise, look for opportunities to create space for recovery and reflection. Your team will thrive and produce better results.Your Turn

What’s going to happen next is both certain and anyone’s guess. And your ability to lead through it depends on your focus, your choices, and how you show up for your team.

We would love to hear from you: as you consider an uncertain future, what is your #1 strategy for empowering your team and helping them stay energized and productive?

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Unlock Your Team’s Best Thinking

Have you ever watched a team member do something clever, solve a problem, or creatively improve a process, then ask them why they hadn’t shared it with the team? Too often, your team’s best thinking remains hidden.

Their answer to why they didn’t speak up holds the key to unlocking your team’s best ideas and building a team of micro-innovators, problem-solvers, and customer advocates.

If your quiet problem-solver is like most people, she probably told you “I guess it’s just that no one ever asked.”

But realistically, we also work with many leaders who ask for ideas, but don’t get the insights they want.

So how do you unlock your team’s best thinking, draw out their creative ideas, and solve more problems?

It takes more than a generic “How can we improve?” to draw out your team’s best ideas.

Your team has questions of their own. Chief among them: can I trust you? Do you really want to hear what I have to say?

In this episode, you’ll get a proven strategy to unlock your team’s best thinking (and a bonus follow-up in the answer to a participant’s question about how and when to respond to the ideas you receive.)

For more on helping people speak up at work and creating a culture where it’s the norm, check out our latest book and get the first chapters free: Courageous Cultures – How to Build Teams of Micro-Innovators, Problem Solvers, Customer Advocates.

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How Do I Become a More Effective Middle Manager? (Video)

Practical Ideas For Becoming a Better Middle Manager

“Middle managers are like the middle child of an organization; often neglected by senior managers and blamed by their reports. However, they’re still expected to be as charming as the youngest and simultaneously as responsible as the oldest. We end up with middle child syndrome, enshrouded in conflict, wanting more of a say, and not sure how they fit in.” 

-Mary Galloway, Faculty member of the Jack Welch Management Institute

In this week’s Asking For a Friend I interview, Scott Mautz author of Leading From the Middle. about the challenging role of being a middle manager.

I think you will find the discussion of the 21 roles of a middle manager particularly interesting.

Here are a few of my favorites.

Translator:

A core role of the middle manager is to receive the vision and strategies from above and ensure everyone down (and often across) understands that direction.

The key here is to know that you’re not just an explainer, you’re an expander. Always add your perspective to upper management directives and help employees understand how their work specifically fits into the broader mission. Give a chance for employees to react to the direction and express concerns (knowing that resistance is often just a cover for wanting to be heard).

We’ve written about the importance of the translator role as well, including the importance of translating up as well as down.

Accountability Czar

Fostering a sense of accountability isn’t just about holding your employees accountable. It starts with you acting like an owner and holding yourself accountable, as well as holding senior managers accountable.

Intrapreneur

This refers to taking the initiative to advance innovation, to act like an entrepreneur, within your company.

Deloitte research shows the key to doing this well is to avoid the most common intrapreneurship trap—favoring familiar ideas close in proximity to existing solutions over unfamiliar, new ideas.

Your turn,

What are the most important roles of a middle manager?

The post How Do I Become a More Effective Middle Manager? (Video) appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.

How to Respond To Employee’s Wacky Ideas (Tool & Video)

How You Respond Sends a Powerful Message

You don’t just want ideas from your team. You want ideas you can use. And let’s be real—sometimes the ideas are so wacky, you might even be fighting back a sarcastic chuckle. Here’s a proven, human-centered “how to respond” technique that recognizes the effort while providing information to help them contribute more relevant ideas in the future.

How to Train Your Team to Bring You Better Ideas

In almost every Courageous Cultures leadership development program we do we get this question.

“Karin and David, I think these tools are great, but my problem isn’t that I don’t get ideas from my team. I get too many of them. And I’ve got to tell you, some of them are pretty wacky. There’s no way I can use them. How do I respond to them without shutting them down, or wasting a lot of time?”

Respond with Gratitude, Information, and an Invitation

First, you get more of what you and encourage and celebrate and less of what you ignore. Even if this idea is half-baked or wacky, the next one might be a game-changer. How you respond matters.

Gratitude

Start with gratitude and thanking them for their contribution.

“Thanks so much for spending time thinking about this.”

Or, “I can tell you really care about this project, thank you for thinking about how to make it better.”

Or, simply. “Thank you!”

Information

Now if the idea is wacky, this next “how to respond” step is critical. Because you want the next ideas they bring you to be more on target.

One of the biggest reasons for bad ideas is that employees don’t have enough clarity or strategic context to offer a relevant idea (see also, 7 strategic questions your team should be able to answer).

If an idea is off base you can provide information about why.

For example:

“That idea would be really interesting if we were planning to expand our leadership training programs to include training llamas. But for now, we are focused on training humans on human-centered leadership.”

Or, “That idea would be really interesting if we had five million dollars. In this case, we’ve got five hundred.”

An Invitation

Knowing this information, I’d love to hear what ideas you have.

When you respond to ideas using gratitude, information, and an invitation, you teach critical thinking and problem solving, promote psychological safety and improve the chances of a better idea in the future.

Respond with Regard: a Tool You Can Use

You can download this tool for free here.

How Do I Respond to An Idea (Even if I Can’t Use It?)#Asking For a Friend

You may also enjoy this feature (and interview with Karin Hurt) in CIO Magazine, 5 Myths of IT Culture Change (on pages 23-27).

Your turn.

What are your favorite “How to Respond” Techniques?

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The Power in a Powerful Thank You

A specific, relevant thank you has the power to energize and keep people moving. In this episode, David shares a meaningful thank you and how you can encourage your people – even when you haven’t had a recent “win.”

Powerful Thank Yous

(00:00)
The reason I’m writing is to say, thank you, thank you for bringing some light into my leadership management journey. I can’t say I’ve met anyone with your level of understanding for authentic, compassionate leadership. You made an impression and an impact on me. I was beginning to believe there were not people in our corporate world who could turn to others and be able to say I get it. You restored my hope truly. Thank you.

(01:14)
So yeah, you get a note like that. Okay. I think I’m going to do this again tomorrow. I mean, I would anyway, but that’s the power of a thank you. And that is such a great, thank you. Note, it’s specific. What did I do? Why did it matter to her? So both types of specificity, what the person did, why it mattered, it’s relevant to the work it’s meaningful to me knowing that I’m trying to make an impact. So it’s a great example of encouragement, encouragement that gets, uh, produces more results and creates more engagement. And it’s the kind of encouragement that I would invite you to offer to your team members. So just a great example of a well done. Thank you and encouragement. And I wanted to share it because it was meaningful and it was relevant to the work we’re doing here. And it was incredibly meaningful to me personally.

(02:10)
And so that’s good for me, but now the pivot is what about you? Where can you be encouraging and thanking and energizing people, particularly if it’s been a minute, when things get busy, when things get stressful, when the world gets, you know, overwhelming, those are the times where can we take a deep breath, step back and recognize who is it that needs appreciation? Who is it that could use that, that encouraging note, maybe it’s handwritten. Maybe it’s a quick message about something that’s happening for them personally, a person, a pet, a project, something that’s going on in their life that you can recognize, acknowledge, encourage them, wish them well in it. There are so many opportunities for us to touch base as human beings, but that I was just struck by this note because it just reminded me the power of a good thank you and encouragement, and that we all need it.

(03:16)
We never outgrow our need for it. Your boss needs it. Your team needs it. If you have a significant other, they need it. Your children need it. We all need it. And so the first focus here is how can you be someone who is supplying that for other people? And yes, we also need it ourselves. And so to identify the people in your life who are the encouragers, there are people who are naturally wired for it. And you may have people who, you know, don’t go there as readily, but sometimes it’s okay to ask, say, Hey, you know, I’m really needing some encouragement right now. And I’m the world is looking over well, bigger or hard and listen, it would be helpful if you could tell me one thing that you really appreciate about how I’m approaching this X, Y, or Z, this relationship, this work, this project, this, whatever it is sometimes it’s okay to ask. And then there are the people who are more readily going to do it that we can connect with and go to.

(04:22)
So in previous episodes, we’ve talked about, as you are giving encouragement to make it specific, as we mentioned, what did they do? Why did it matter? Make it meaningful to the individual on the more meaningful, personal to them in the ways that are keyed into their interests? The things that actually mean something to them, the more powerful it’s going to be, and then relevant both to particularly in a work context, how they’re doing the work, not just the results, but also how they’re going about doing it, their relationships and so on. And that’s the kind of encouragement that’s going to be most effective for you as a leader. Now, I want to take a question that came in this week from a program that we’re doing leadership development program. And I thought this was an insightful question with regard to encouragement.

(05:18)
Hey, this is Nora and I have a question. Hi David. My name is Jamie and I’m calling in from Maine. My question is about ADV. This is Julia. And from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, this is John from Colorado Springs. This is Yohannan white from Kingston. I have a question for you. This is Cynthia from Baltimore. Hi David. This is Susan from New Jersey. And my question is, hi David. This is Dean from Denver. I would love your advice on this

(05:41)
Answering questions really is one of my favorite things to do. And I would just love the opportunity to answer one of yours. So if you have a leadership or management related question, you can send that to me. One of two ways you can go to leadership without losing your soul.com. You’ll see a big orange button. You can click that button and record your question, or you can email it to me. David dot dye, D Y E at let’s grow leaders.com. I look forward to answering your question in a future episode. So today’s question, as I said, comes from a participant in one of our leadership development programs and following the conversation around encouragement, they asked this, they said, you know, I’ve got a team member who has not experienced any wins. W I N S wins in quite some time. They’re doing the right things. They’re a consistent performer, consistent contributor. Uh, they do a good job, but right now they’re a little crestfallen and I don’t want to encourage them with empty platitudes. You know, there’s a balance between encouraging things that are real and then kind of the empty platitudes. So what can I do? How can I encourage them? How can I give them that energy? But recognizing that there haven’t been any wins lately. So I don’t want it to be empty or fake.

(07:06)
And I just loved this question. It’s coming from a leader who obviously really cares and is in a, a good place in terms of wanting to support their people and keep them energized and motivated. So my thoughts on this start with the fact that yes, we have to acknowledge the reality that sometimes there aren’t a wins, uh, and sometimes that’s because it didn’t work out the way we hoped other times. It’s because we’re doing something where there will be a capital w when in time, but it can take awhile. That’s where thank you comes in.

(07:41)
I watched the engineers and the people in the command center as the latest project was landed on Mars, where you had the you’ve got the helicopter and the, uh, all the different years and years of planning that goes into landing the newest Rover onto Mars and all the new technology that’s in it. And then recently they’ve done the helicopter launch and so forth years of work. Well, those wins, there is the win of successfully landing it on the planet and it all works. And they get the first images back and the joy in their faces as they cheered was extraordinary. But think about how long that takes and that there are going to be years and years that go by without a tangible win that you can wrap your hands around and say, we did it rather. It’s a very long series of smaller wins and activities that you need to acknowledge and to keep people going.

(09:46)
You can be doing the exact same things that you’re doing the previous month, where it was just melting off. And then the next month you do those exact same things. And the scale doesn’t move at all. If the behaviors are the right behaviors to acknowledge those, encourage people for doing what you know will work in time. So that’s one place to go is to acknowledge the behaviors, celebrate those, you get more of what you celebrate and encouraged to celebrate the things that are going to lead to success next is encourage people to share progress. And so if you’ve got project management updates naturally, or if you’ve, if you don’t, if you’ve got team huddles, share status updates, but what’s good. What progress have you made? Where has the needle moved on something since the last time you were together and to be able to celebrate those moments, and again, acknowledge, Hey, we’re a long way off from the ultimate thing, but this is progress and we need to ring the bell.

Speaker 1: (10:42)
We need to cheer. We need to celebrate. I first learned this ring, the bell, I heard it from author Jim Collins, who wrote good to great in many other books, but I was, I heard him speak. And he was talking about how Winston Churchill during world war II would make sure and have people ring the bells. And it was not that the war was won, but that there were moments of victory and we’re still here and we’re still alive and we’re still getting it done. And so to take those moments, to ring the bell, to encourage people along the way to celebrate progress, even if it’s not attainment and to celebrate the behaviors that make a difference when they’re the right behaviors over time, even if they’re going to take awhile. So I appreciate the leader who raised their hand and asked that question. And I look forward to answering your question in a future episode until then remember the power of encouragement. Where can you be finding people, doing things they had need more of?

Can you take a step back and acknowledge the effort that contribution the awesomeness that they’re bringing to the particularly the awesomeness that’s most going to be resonant for them when you share it, find someone to encourage this week and be the leader you’d want your boss.

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Career Development: Develop Employees With Limited Time (Video)

Support Your Team with Career Development Even When You’re Busy

You want to help your team with career development, but time is limited. How do you support your team?

Today, on Asking For a Friend, I talk with Julie Winkle Giulioni, author of Help them Grow or Watch Them Go about how managers can support development when there is pitifully little time. And, ensuring that every member of your team has an active career development plan as part of your talent strategy.

How to Help Your Team with Career Development (With Limited Time)

A few highlights:

Avoid taking on too much responsibility. Help your team member take charge of their own career.Encourage them to bring a “plateful of feedback” to the conversationLook for quick opportunities for development in the context of your regular cadence of work (10 minute, bite-size coaching or mentoring moments)Development Discussion Planner

An important part of many of our longer-term leadership development programs is to ensure that managers have a robust development plan in place for every team member.

More information on our development discussion planner here.

Ask your employee to reflect on both their current and desired future roles and answer the following questions.

What strengths would you like to leverage and grow?

In what strategic relationships would you like to invest?

What challenges are you looking to overcome?

Which skills would you like to learn or improve?

What support do you need?

Your turn.

What are your best practices for helping your team build a career development plan when time is limited?

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One Easy Way to Get Your Team Talking (With Video)

This technique will get your team talking about hopes and fears.

You want to get your team talking about their concerns, but if they’re like so many of the employees in our courageous cultures research, they are likely holding back.

In fact, 40% of the employees in our research said they lacked the confidence to share their ideas that would improve the business. It’s even more difficult to talk about sensitive issues like mental health or what’s next for them during this new abnormal.

This FOSU (fear of speaking up) could be preventing you from serving them well and creating employee engagement, particularly when it comes to culture change.

The Easiest Way to Get Your Team Talking About Their Concerns: Reduce the Friction

One of my favorite techniques to get employees to share what’s on their hearts and minds is what we call a “fear forage.” This is a way for employees to anonymously share their hopes and fears in a way that creates psychological safety.

We discovered this technique by accident in one of our in-person strategic innovation workshops. And, we now use it frequently in our live-online training programs using anonymous polls in our Let’s Grow Leaders Learning Lab to quickly gather hopes and fears and talk about the themes.

Learn more in this popular Asking for a Friend episode.

(Don’t worry, I’m not yet back doing in-person keynotes —this one was filmed before everyone suddenly had to work from home). But I’m hopeful it won’t be long until I’m back with you in such a scene.

More Ways to Encourage Your Team To Share What’s On Their Minds

“If I Were You I Might Be Wondering …”

If you want your team to get your team talking about difficult issues, here are a few ways you can start the conversation.

If I were you, I might be wondering …The last time something like this happened I had a lot of questions such as __________.I just read this blog post about how to get your team talking about difficult issues, and it made me wonder, what questions do you have that I might be able to answer?

This reduces the friction because you’re asking the question first. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve started a conversation this way and seen a palpable sigh of relief that someone was finally talking about the tough stuff.

More Questions Your Team Might Be Afraid to Ask

Lately, I’ve been asking employees what questions they would ask their boss if they weren’t afraid.

Here a just a few. All perfect questions get your team talking by starting with  “If I were you I might be wondering …”

If I were you I might be wondering…

Why are we doing it this way?How’s our company really doing?Why didn’t you ask us?Why is _____________ not dealt with?If I speak up, will it hurt my brand?Do you think I’m ready for a promotion?Why is there so much turnover?How can we get past this feeling of constant crises?Is this really as urgent as you’re making it out to be?What would you add?Your turn.

What are your favorite techniques to encourage employees to get your team talking about what’s on their hearts and minds?

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3 of the Most Important Leadership Skills Your Leaders Hope You Have

Senior leaders share the most important leadership skills to master now.

As we work with senior leaders to build their leadership development programs, the conversation always turns to the most important leadership skills their frontline and middle-level leaders need.

Inevitably, these veteran leaders bring up similar abilities – the skills that differentiate top leaders from their peers. Master these important leadership skills and you’ll build a foundation for success throughout your career.

If you’re responsible for training or building leaders in your organization, how can you ensure that they learn and practice these skills?

The 3 Most Important Leaders Skills1. Time management

We’ve never met a leader with too much time on their hands. In fact, this is isn’t just a skill that senior leaders identify—every leader we’ve ever met talks about the challenge of prioritizing their overwhelming flood of responsibilities, meetings, and day-to-day crises.

You can’t lead when you’re exhausted or reactively flipping back and forth from one crisis to the next. So how do you master time management?

The first step is to reframe your goal. Most people think of time management as “How can I squeeze more activity into my day?” But more isn’t always the answer. Rather, focus on how you can do what matters most and make the most difference with the time you have.

My mantra is: Infinite need. Finite me. Mind the MIT.

“Infinite need” means that there will always be one more activity you could do. That never ends. You’ll never finish the list. Let go of that desire.

“Finite me” recognizes your limits—limited time, energy, and money.

“Mind the MIT” calls you to focus on what matters most. MIT stands for Most Important Thing. What matters most for your business, your team, and the results you need to achieve? What are the two or three critical activities that will consistently produce those results?

Once you know your MITs, time management is about making room for what matters most. Some of your schedule is outside of your control (though you can have more influence if you can show the RoI), but as a leader, you have several ways to free up time to do the work only you can do.

Check for understanding to avoid wasted time.Schedule the finish to eliminate redundancy.Delegate so nothing falls through the cracks.Equip your team to solve problems on their own.Own the UGLY and find ‘what’s gotta go’ to eliminate less valuable activities.Practice direct and quick accountability.2. Practice Accountability & Tough Conversations

Recently we spoke with a high performing leader about the best leaders in her life. She was unequivocal: “The best leaders I’ve ever had were the ones who cared about me enough to tell me what I was doing that wasn’t working and then showed me how I could be more effective.”

Your ability to achieve breakthrough results depends on your skill at tough conversations. Most leaders live in the twilight zone of vague conversations that don’t directly address struggling performers because they don’t want to hurt the relationship or lose the person.

If you struggle to have direct conversations, start by recognizing that if you really care about someone and their career, a direct conversation honors them and is compassionate. Then, equip yourself with the tools to do it well.

The I.N.S.P.I.R.E. method will help you prepare for and hold a performance conversation that builds your relationship and achieves results.

3. Work from the Why

In another recent conversation, an executive described her most effective managers: “They understand what matters most to our clients and how our KPIs relate to serving the customer. They get that the KPIs are there to serve the customer.”

This leadership skill has increased in prominence over the past decade. Work from the why starts with a clear grasp of your business, how it serves its customers, and how it operates financially.

Working from the why is about helping your team to understand why you do what you do, connecting everything you ask of your team to a meaningful reason you’re asking it, and then helping team members understand the specific behaviors that lead to successful outcomes.

Working from the why transforms “busy” into game-changing results. The connection to meaning and purpose energizes team members and inspires performance.

What are Your Most Important Leadership Skills?

Leaders consistently list these three as some of the most important leadership skills you can have—but they’re not the only ones we hear. Also, high on the list are communication, connection with your team, and motivating your team.

Leave us a comment and add your thoughts: What is one of the most important leadership skills you hope every leader brings to their team?

 

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