30 Aug
[email protected] Communication

The 4 Channels of Communication

Do you have a clear understanding of how your leader and customers wish to be communicated with?

Does your staff or your peers have a clear understanding of how YOU want to be communicated with?

Does everyone know what is expected of them in terms of what should be communicated when?

Is there a high level of comfort for giving and receiving feedback?

Chances are the answer is “no” to at least one of these questions.

Communication–the human connection–is the key to personal and career success.
–Paul J. Meyer

Picking the right channel of communication is a key skill for all leaders. To do this well you have to understand the richness of the channel and the type of message best suited for that channel.

The 4 Channels of Communication

It’s important to understand the channels of communication that we use all the time and how they may affect our message (in order of richness).

1. Face to face

Why is this the richest? Think about your tone of voice, posture, gestures, eye contact, and body position/language.

2. Telephone

What can you detect from hearing a voice? What might you miss?

3. Computer/email/social media

All you have is the ability to share text although some people try to use emojis, parentheses, italics, or bold type to denote their emotional perspective. Has your message ever been misinterpreted?

4. Brochures/bulletins/flyers

This is meant for the widest possible audience; everyone on distribution gets the same message, and, you don’t always know who read it.

All channels of communication serve a purpose dependent on what’s being communicated.

Given that, the first thing we suggest is to know the audience and the message of the communiqué. Before it’s delivered identify the reason, the main points and anticipate questions and responses.

Be prepared for the following questions:

  • What is happening?
  • Why is it happening?
  • How and when is it going to happen?
  • Who is being impacted? How?
  • How will concerns be addressed?

Preparing in advance and anticipating questions (and maybe even some resistance) will allow you to deliver your message with clarity and confidence.

What communication model works best for you?

BONUS – QWIKTIP – Read more: KNOCK ‘EM DEAD

27 Aug
Leadership
[email protected] Leadership

What’s A Good Leader?

Leadership is not a position or title, it is action and example.
–Donald McGannon

Leadership means different things to different people. Today we’d like to feature and share the thoughts of a few of our Certified Professional Leaders. (The opportunity to obtain this certification is exclusively for Leadership Journey Alumni that have completed PeopleTek’s 12 session leadership program and passed an exam validating their understanding of the concepts and skills required for effective leadership).

Excerpts from What’s A Good Leader:

A good leader is someone who demonstrates passion, integrity, conviction and compassion in their everyday life. Good leaders take self-care seriously and encourage development of their people. They coach and mentor others and listen more than they speak. They are impactful by how they empower and support the success of others.
—J. Hartman

Leadership has nothing to do with titles but is the capacity to translate vision into reality. Leaders will be those who empower others, influence others, who has followers. It’s taking people where they’ve never gone before and wouldn’t go by themselves.
—S. Gupta

Leadership is a journey, not a destination. A good leader takes time to reflect, to get feedback, to identify areas to work on, to constantly grow and improve. Leaders must first know themselves in order to effectively lead others.
—T. Infante

A good leader is self-aware and understands the strengths and development needs of the individuals of the team, recognizing we each come to the table with different approaches and preferences that each have value in a given situation.
—A. Koldys

Good leaders don’t leave people behind. They don’t charge forward without others. They mobilize others and continually inspire them to strive toward the destination.
—S. Nair

Someone who is approachable, consistent, persistent, disarming, and who can actively listen; assertively communicate decisively; can tap into and utilize diversity (in styles) wisely and strategically, acknowledges others’ strengths, gifts/”magic dust,” and, can effectively engage, and provide clear guidance.
—M. Pargman

The quality of a leader is reflected in the standards they set for themselves. A good leader not only sets high standards, but also develops, encourages, and enables their team to reach their full potential.
—A. Rodriguez

A leader is someone who is constantly learning and crafting their skills to be the next best version of themselves . . . a leader is an inspiration to those around them.
—G. Resnick

How would you define good leadership? Which of the quotes above resonate most with you?

True leaders don’t create followers, they create more leaders.
—Tom Peters

20 Aug
Collaboration
[email protected] Leadership

Collaboration Sparks Ideas

Let the best idea win, and you will reap the rewards together.
–John C. Maxwell

Do ideas and improvement opportunities flow within your work culture? Are people willing to speak up and share their ideas knowing they won’t be ignored or disregarded?

What about having a suggestion box where ideas can be submitted and evaluated? Naturally all ideas can not be approved; they must be reviewed and the benefit compared to the cost to implement. Nonetheless, encouraging individuals and teams to get creative and collaborate on making things better is almost always a win.

John Maxwell says “Great thinking comes when good thoughts are shaped in a collaborative environment”.

He also shares that great leaders can create a work environment of idea sharing and collaboration by:

1. Listening To All Ideas
No ideas during a brainstorming process should be shot down. Some ideas may seem impossible, but in a collaborative environment, ideas can be built upon and fine-tuned until they become solid.

2. Never Settle For Just One Idea
Keep your options open and don’t be quick to select just one suggestion. The idea is that suggestions will just keep coming.

3. Look For Ideas in Unusual Places
Pay attention to what’s happening around you; what’s working well? What is not?

4. Don’t Take Rejection Personally
Our feelings may get hurt when we think our ideas are the best and others disagree. Listen to those differing opinions; more valuable ideas may surface.

Dedicate a meeting that’s an open forum to discuss improvement in general. Don’t limit it to process improvements and cost savings (although they are very important), but what about having a happier, more effective work culture? Better equipment? Technical support? Flexible work hours? Matrix management? Cross functional teams?

Start by asking “what could we do better”? Create the kind of culture where team members want to collaborate and have no fear sharing their ideas.

When entire companies embrace a growth mindset, their employees report feeling far more empowered and committed; they also receive far greater organizational support for collaboration and innovation.
—Carol S. Dweck

13 Aug
Remote Work Bingo
[email protected] Team

Virtual Team Building

The difference between success and failure is a great team.
–Dave Kerpen

Building team strengths and relationships is always important, and given our current challenging times, even more so. We’ve talked about including in your weekly staff meeting time for team members to share something personal, but what about having something that is simply fun?

Enter ice breakers and games.  The intent is simple: build team relationships in a relaxed forum where people can share thoughts and opinions that are not linked with work efforts or deliverables.

Here are a few ideas:
1.    Remote bingo – click here for a free template and “how to” instructions
2.    Team “fave” week – pick a daily theme that everyone contributes to and posts a picture. Example:

a.    Monday – favorite animal photo
b.    Tuesday – favorite beverage (let the creativity flow!)
c.    Wednesday – favorite musical group
d.    Thursday – favorite food
e.    Friday – favorite vacation spot

3.    Conversation starters/ice breakers:

a.    Which do you prefer and why:  dogs or cats?
b.    Least favorite food?
c.    Do you consider yourself a morning or night person?
d.    What task are you most likely to procrastinate doing?
e.    What home “to do” has been on your list the longest?

4.    More activities

a.    “How to” – ex. mix a favorite drink, assemble a preferred recipe, paint a wall, bathe a dog, etc
b.    Show and tell – (you can set a theme if you prefer)
c.    Virtual book club – this could be a subset of the team
d.    Daily “step” challenge; who walks the most over a 5 day period.
e.    Teach an exercise.  Ex. Yoga, stretching, strength training, etc

5.    Daily Fika – this is a Swedish concept considered by many to be essential. Every day colleagues make time to share a cup of coffee (or tea) and a little something to eat.

Having a work culture that includes fun and encourages colleagues to get to know one another on a more personal level is a plus. It also helps to better understand and get to know the boss!

If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.
–Henry Ford

06 Aug
[email protected] Leadership

Personality and Work Mode Preference

Extraverts are comfortable thinking as they speak. Introverts prefer slow-paced interactions that allow room for thought. Brainstorming does not work for them. Email does.
—Laurie Helgoe

It’s probably no surprise that our work mode preference is impacted by our personality. Some of us enjoy structured and group work environments while others prefer a quieter and perhaps even isolated environment.

The Myers-Briggs Company has a tool: Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) that assesses preferences and breaks them into 16 categories. Are you familiar with MBTI and do you know your type?  What about the types for your colleagues/direct reports?

You may ask why this matters. Currently there’s the need for so many to work from home, with “essential workers” mandated to continue to go to work; both may have their “happy factor” impacted.

We won’t go into the 16 types, but based on some high-level feedback, there are pluses, and there are negatives. Sample feedback includes:

  • I am more productive
  • I miss being able to talk to people informally
  • I am less stressed
  • I enjoy the solitude
  • I am more engaged with my work
  • I feel lonely
  • I am better organized
  • I take more breaks from work
  • I am frustrated by slow communication from co-workers
  • I feel isolated
  • I am not aware of what is happening in my organization
  • I can be easily reached by co-workers
  • I can easily reach my co-workers
  • I have job security

Do you know your team members well enough to know which comment(s) they agree or disagree with? What about knowing who needs help with:

  • Staying organized
  • Respecting deadlines
  • Celebrating tasks, goals, or accomplishments
  • Pre and post deliverable check-ins
  • General communication

As a leader awareness is key, and we encourage you to understand and adapt to the differing styles and preferences of those you work with, and for.

Introverts like being introverts. We are drawn to ideas, we are passionate observers, and for us, solitude is rich and generative. — Laurie Helgoe