30 Jul
PeopleTek Coaching Communication, Leadership

Accountable and Responsible

Being accountable and holding others accountable is not a new topic in the workplace, or at home for that matter, and is often a struggle for leaders.

What can we do to improve accountability?

  • Be specific and clearly identify what was committed to with timeframes
  • Obtain buy-in
  • Promptly communicate any changes impacting the commitment; escalate as needed
  • Seek clarity if a task or assignment is vague
  • Make sure our actions (and those of others) support what was committed to
  • Address all behaviors and actions that are contrary to being accountable

A culture of accountability makes a good organization great and a great organization unstoppable.
—Henry J. Evans

Henry J. Evans, author of Winning With Accountability, says:

  • Accountability is about high performance and not fear or stress.
  • It’s about holding yourself (and others) to a standard that improves performance.
  • When holding someone accountable we must recognize and respect the power of intention (this allows all staff to hold one another accountable regardless of title or level)
  • Continually ask “How am I doing”?
  • Set crystal clear expectations
  • When things don’t go as planned, ask yourself:
    • Where did I fail to clearly communicate?
    • Who did I forget to include in the process?
    • What solution can I provide?
    • What can I do to obtain more information to make a sound decision?
    • What could have I done better or differently to improve the results?

And the most important of all: How can I help?

Incorporate the word “HOW” in your daily activities. It sets the tone to achieve desired results, and it’s positive and goal oriented. “WHAT” is also helpful for obtaining clarity.

“HOW” and “WHAT” are magical words that engage possibilities!

As a leader, how are you improving accountability in your organization?

(Excerpts from The “How” Effect by Marla Skibbins, MCC, CPCC and QBQ! by John. G. Miller)

QwikTips & QwikCoach

PeopleTek’s Strategic partner, E-Coach, specializes in online coaching tools.

QwikTip for Getting Along With Peers

And for those with a QwikCoach license, refresh your existing skills and acquire new skills by visiting the QwikTips library for leadership ideas and techniques.

If you don’t have QwikCoach, it’s an excellent resource for growing your leadership skills remotely that you should consider.

Help turn your leadership knowledge into leadership action!

Learn More About QwikCoach

23 Jul
PeopleTek Coaching Change

Quality, Change, and Ratings

How good are you at driving change? Do you have a thorough understanding of the wants and needs of your customer, and do you have analytics in place to rate the quality of what you deliver (and do)?

This month Fortune magazine featured J. D. Power, the pioneer for providing auto industries with customer opinions. This concept was initially met with resistance by Detroit carmakers, but the Japanese automakers were extremely interested in having a better understanding of the American consumer and their input on quality. (U.S. manufacturers later became a client because they determined that internal surveys weren’t always accurate.)

Research and surveys have changed throughout the years and are likely to continue to do so, but the intent remains the same. Surveys, when used correctly, provide a vast amount of information. They provide input for decision making, for developing new strategies, for setting goals and measures, and for determining what needs to change.

Not only do you need to understand your customer, you must understand your employees.

J.D. Power’s Leadership Advice

  1. Be accessible to your employees. He suggests walking around after normal business hours and do a “check-in”. Find out what’s being worked on, ask if any difficulties have been encountered, and ask for THEIR suggestions.
  2. Hold internal focus groups. Have mixed level employee meetings and be open when issues are brought up; no one is allowed to criticize.
  3. Hire problem solvers. Don’t limit yourself to hiring experts only. You also want those with “intellectual curiosity” and the characteristics for solving problems.

Power is proud of his impact improving the quality of products and services, and for “customer satisfaction” becoming a key component for success.

Do you use surveys to help drive change and improve satisfaction levels for both your customers and your employees?

QwikTip and QwikCoach

PeopleTek’s Strategic partner, E-Coach, specializes in online coaching tools.

QwikTip for Getting Along With Peers

And for those with a QwikCoach license, refresh your existing skills and acquire new skills by visiting the QwikTips library for leadership ideas and techniques.

If you don’t have QwikCoach, it’s an excellent resource for growing your leadership skills remotely that you should consider.

Learn More About QwikCoach

Help turn your leadership knowledge into leadership action!

16 Jul
PeopleTek Coaching Communication, Leadership

Difficult People

How often do you interact with difficult people at work? Consider peers, bosses, business partners, vendors, clients, and direct reports.

Are there any that are “award winners”? We’re talking about those that may be:

  • Disruptive
  • Antagonistic
  • Over committers
  • Under performers
  • Not reliable
  • Lacking accountability
  • Finger pointers
  • Not accepting of differences or change
  • Exhibitors of dictatorial behaviors

“I am thankful for the difficult people in my life; they have shown me exactly who I don’t want to be.”
–anonymous

Dealing with difficult individuals, or rather managing the situation/behavior that creates the difficulty can be challenging but must be addressed (and the sooner the better).

The longer you wait, the more the quality and quantity of work will suffer, as will morale and team synergy. By taking action you will inspire others to do the same, and taking that first step is liberating!

In Dr. Arthur Bell and Dr. Dayle Smith’s book Difficult People At Work, they identify what they call S.O.P’s (sources of pain). They recommend the following actions and considerations:

  1. Describe what the difficult person said or did. Do not make assumptions; state the observable facts.
  2. If a complete outsider witnessed these words or action, what is the most positive interpretation that could be made? What is the most negative interpretation that could be made?
  3. What benefits or advantages will you gain by interpreting the negative? The positive?
  4. What would you say or do if the interpretation was positive? Are you as willing to speak out about the negative or are you reluctant to address it? Why?

Try beginning with a blank slate. If you find you’re saying “I don’t know why they’re doing what they’re doing” ask the S.O.P. (source of pain) what their intentions or motivations are.

Misunderstandings do occur, and too often we focus on the negative interpretation and not on addressing the situation. Be aware that once we interact with difficult people we have a tendency to over emphasize their negative characteristics, and lose sight of their positive attributes.

Do you know any “award winning” difficult people whose behaviors/actions need to be addressed?

QwikTip and QwikCoach

PeopleTek’s Strategic partner, E-Coach, specializes in online coaching tools.

QwikTip for Getting Along With Peers

And for those with a QwikCoach license, refresh your existing skills and acquire new skills by visiting the QwikTips library for leadership ideas and techniques.

If you don’t have QwikCoach, it’s an excellent resource for growing your leadership skills remotely that you should consider.

Learn More About QwikCoach

Help turn your leadership knowledge into leadership action!

09 Jul
PeopleTek Coaching Communication

Do You Listen?

Are you an active listener?

In our quick paced society of juggling schedules, meeting deadlines and multi-tasking,  we don’t always allow ourselves to take the time to listen to what’s going on around us and for that matter, what we’re being asked (or told).

We don’t always take the time to hear the whole story, and we’re quick to jump to solutions so we can move on to the next task at hand.

Do you think about your response before listening (and processing) what’s being said in its entirety? If so, you may need to improve your listening skills.

We’re guessing you know that listening is comprised of more than just words, but did you know that words only represent 7% of what we “hear”? There are actually 4 types of communication that affect what we hear–verbal, para-verbal, body language, and personal space. Volume, pitch, rhythm, and tone (para-verbal communication) account for 38%, and facial and body language represents 55%.

Listening takes work! Experts estimate that 70% of communication is filtered, and as a result, the intended message is not accurately received.

The most basic of all human needs is the need to understand and be understood. The best way to understand people is to listen to them.
–Ralph Nichols

How Well Do You Listen?

Answer TRUE or FALSE to the following 11 questions to determine how well you listen.

  1. Listening is a learned skill that requires an active engagement.
  2. Hearing is an inactive skill affected by age, health, and interest.
  3. We speak at 300 words per minute. We listen 4 times faster, at 1,000-1,200 words per minute. Therefore, our minds frequently wander.
  4. All communication is received, but 70-90% of the data is screened out or altered by the receiver.
  5. Listening is perceived as a powerful skill by most people.
  6. We were born with two ears and just one mouth. Therefore, we should listen twice as much as we speak!
  7. Cultural tendencies do not affect our listening skills.
  8. Our brain often processes data forward (What do I say next? How do I defend myself? What shall I have for lunch?), or in reverse (Did I turn the car lights off? Did I get an e-mail back from…?).
  9. We can suspend judgment when listening by focusing on comprehension rather than details.
  10. Our ability to listen is not affected by meta-messages, the message within the message.
  11. Confirming understanding/stating alignment does not imply that you agree with the message.

Now score yourself! (Only #5 is false. All others are true.)

How did you do? Any surprises?

10-11 correct – WELL DONE!

8-9 correct – YOU’RE ON TRACK; KEEP WORKING AT IT

< 7 correct – PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!

13 Ways to Improve Listening Skills

If you scored less than 7 correct answers, try incorporating this tips for improving your listening skills. Even if you got a perfect score, it couldn’t hurt to brush up on these skills. Great leaders are continual learners!

  1. No interrupting
  2. Don’t suggest words or finish sentences when a pause occurs
  3. Listen, don’t solve or judge
  4. Listen for underlying meanings
  5. When appropriate, ask probing questions to obtain clarity
  6. Let the person know if more facts are required prior to decision making or for further discussions
  7. Be open to differing views
  8. Maintain eye contact (this helps with attention levels)
  9. Let the person know if you have accepted or rejected what they have said and the rationale why (it’s okay to disagree!)
  10. Be aware of when “selective” listening is likely to occur (age, skill, gender, not appreciated co-worker, relative, etc.)
  11. Be aware of your “non” listening behaviors ex. pencil tapping, raised eyebrows, blank stares, “zoning” out
  12. If time is an issue let the person know and schedule more time, or ask “let’s summarize what we’ve decided”
  13. Paraphrase the message, and recap agreed upon take-aways

Most Common Listening Problem

I only wish I could find an institute that teaches people how to listen. Business people need to listen at least as much as they need to talk. Too many people fail to realize that real communication goes in both directions.
–Lee Iacocca

You may be surprised to learn that the most common listening problem is that we listen intently to some, neutrally to others, and not at all to a few.

Give it a minute to let it sink in. Can you identify individuals that you seem to always be fully engaged with and others that you have the inclination to “tune out”? You’re not alone!

Awareness is key. Pay attention to your “non” listening behaviors ex. pencil tapping, raised eyebrows, blank stares, zoning out, making shopping lists, etc. If you have a “history” of losing focus with a particular person, make an extra effort to use all the listening skills.

What listening skills do you consistently exhibit? What are your trouble spots?

Make a commitment to be an active listener and improve your listening skills!

QwikTip and QwikCoach

PeopleTek’s Strategic partner, E-Coach, specializes in online coaching tools.

QwikTip for a Change Initiative

And for those with a QwikCoach license, refresh your existing skills and acquire new skills by visiting the QwikTips library for leadership ideas and techniques.

If you don’t have QwikCoach, it’s an excellent resource for growing your leadership skills remotely that you should consider.

Learn More About QwikCoach

Help turn your leadership knowledge into leadership action!

02 Jul
PeopleTek Coaching Leadership

Independence and Courage

We frequently talk about how effective leaders are also courageous leaders; who represents this better than the leaders who made Independence Day a reality?

Independence Day in any country is generally viewed as an important day to be celebrated. This is no different in the United States, where each 4th of July it commemorates its Declaration of Independence from Great Britain.

Men make history, and not the other way around. In periods where there is no leadership, society stands still. Progress occurs when courageous, skillful leaders seize the opportunity to change things for the better.
–Harry Truman

In 1776 there were 56 individuals that were true leaders; they were courageous, they were risk takers, and they certainly weren’t fearful of change!

How much do you know about the 4th of July? Here’s some trivia to test your knowledge:

Questions

  1. What was the main reason the U.S. declared independence?
  2. Who proposed “Lee’s Resolution” on June 1, 1776, declaring that the United States be independent of Great Britain?
  3. Who approved the Declaration of Independence?
  4. How many people signed the Declaration of Independence?
  5. In what city was the Declaration of Independence signed?
  6. Where does the word “patriotism” come from?

Answers

  1. Independence was declared due to tax without representation.
  2. Richard Henry Lee of Virginia proposed Lee’s resolution
  3. The Second Continental Congress
  4. 56
  5. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  6. “Patriotism” comes from the Latin “patria” meaning “fatherland” or “homeland”

How many answers did you know? Wishing you courage to inspire change, and for our U.S. friends, have a happy and safe 4th of July!

QwikTip and QwikCoach

PeopleTek’s Strategic partner, E-Coach, specializes in online coaching tools.

QwikTip for Change Initiative

And for those with a QwikCoach license, refresh your existing skills and acquire new skills by visiting the QwikTips library for leadership ideas and techniques.

If you don’t have QwikCoach, it’s an excellent resource for growing your leadership skills remotely that you should consider.

Learn More About QwikCoach

Help turn your leadership knowledge into leadership action!