29 Jul
The Art of Effective Communication
marketang Uncategorized

The Art of Effective Communication: Exploring Verbal, Para-verbal and Body Language

Communication is not about saying what we think.
Communication is about ensuring others hear what we mean.
–Simon Sinek
Do you consider yourself to be an effective communicator? If yes, why? If no, why not?

Complications occur when we think our messages are accurately understood when in reality they are not. This happens all too often.

It’s been reported that our words (verbal) are not nearly as important as our para-verbal and body language. Maybe that’s why there’s the adage “it’s not the message, it’s the delivery“?

Psychology professor Albert Mehrabian at the University of California developed the following communication model explaining how messages are interpreted:

Verbal – 7%
Our choice of words and the belief that we all interpret words the same way

Para verbal – 38%
The way we say something, how quickly we speak, when we pause, our tone of voice, and our level of intensity

Body language – 55%
How we physically communicate (ex. do we stand, cross our arms, roll our eyes, shake hands firmly, lean in or away?); do our facial expressions change and do we make eye-contact?

On top of that we all have filters and distractions which impact how we send and receive messages. Examples include barriers such as:
  • Gender
  • Cultural/race
  • Age
  • Education
  • Religion
  • Health
  • Emotional well-being
  • Past experiences
As always awareness counts. We need to be aware of our choice of words and speak with confidence while being clear and concise in our delivery. We can also ask the recipient to share how they interpreted our message to ensure there’s alignment with our intent.

Wishing you success!

Sincerely,

Mike and Jan

The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place. ~ George Bernard Shaw

Revitalizing Leadership: PeopleTek’s Innovative Approach to Empowering Teams and Individuals

At PeopleTek Coaching, we guide ambitious leaders on their journey to excellence. Our unique blend of personalized coaching programs, innovative strategies, and insights drawn from our extensive industry experience empowers both individuals and teams to stand out in a competitive landscape.

Our transformative coaching methodology shapes leadership behaviors and nurtures team unity, propelling them towards a shared goal. This emphasis on teamwork has been a pillar of our success, establishing us as a trusted partner for numerous businesses over our two-decade history.

But our mission extends beyond just achieving business objectives. We strive to cultivate workplaces imbued with positivity and mutual respect. We champion environments that foster personal development and boost productivity. This transformative philosophy lies at the core of our mission at PeopleTek.

At PeopleTek, we inspire you to seize control of your leadership journey and lead with passion. Discover the power of our unique approach by visiting us at PeopleTekCoaching.com. With a broad range of services on offer, we’re ready to invigorate your path to leadership success and team excellence.

23 Jul
Leadership Team Implementing Open Door Policy for Improved Communication and Morale
marketang Uncategorized

Unlocking Success with an Open Door Policy: A Comprehensive Guide for Effective Leadership Communication

The best leaders are approachable and accessible.
They are truly part of the team and not merely a figurehead.
–Ramanathan M

 

As a leader, how do you view having an “open door” policy and how do you make it work effectively?

The “open door policy” increases the accessibility of the leader, while allowing team members the latitude to ask their leader questions, share work culture issues and challenges, and even provide feedback for achieving goals and ideas for new strategies.

It also allows relationships to be built in an informal venue:

  • You have the opportunity for increased awareness of the workplace “pulse”
  • It provides team members a feeling of inclusiveness and for being heard
  • There’s the opportunity to understand career aspirations
  • Communication mis-understandings are reduced
  • Employee morale increases and attrition decreases

When team members are onsite with you, you can literally pick a time and day when your door will be open; with so many remote and virtual workers and leaders, this makes it a bit more challenging.

You can still pick a date and time (1 hour/week?  Half day monthly?) when you block your calendar and share your availability. You can make it more regimented when scheduling time is encouraged, or you can accept direct messages, or even create an online conference with open access.

Other opportunities exist for accessibility and exposure:

Skip levels for individuals or teams
Do your team members have any relationship with your boss?
Do the direct reports of your direct reports have any type of relationship with you?

“Townhall” sessions
This is an opportunity to widely share organizational successes, challenges, and goals

The message you want to send is that you truly care about your employees and the work culture. You want to hear their thoughts, build relationships, and have them feel that they make a difference and that you are accessible and approachable.

Sincerely,

Mike and Jan

Effective leaders make themselves accessible for their team members and business partners.

Revitalizing Leadership: PeopleTek’s Innovative Approach to Empowering Teams and Individuals

At PeopleTek Coaching, we guide ambitious leaders on their journey to excellence. Our unique blend of personalized coaching programs, innovative strategies, and insights drawn from our extensive industry experience empowers both individuals and teams to stand out in a competitive landscape.

Our transformative coaching methodology shapes leadership behaviors and nurtures team unity, propelling them towards a shared goal. This emphasis on teamwork has been a pillar of our success, establishing us as a trusted partner for numerous businesses over our two-decade history.

But our mission extends beyond just achieving business objectives. We strive to cultivate workplaces imbued with positivity and mutual respect. We champion environments that foster personal development and boost productivity. This transformative philosophy lies at the core of our mission at PeopleTek.

At PeopleTek, we inspire you to seize control of your leadership journey and lead with passion. Discover the power of our unique approach by visiting us at PeopleTekCoaching.com. With a broad range of services on offer, we’re ready to invigorate your path to leadership success and team excellence.

13 Jul
TKI_Conflict_Model_Workplace
marketang Uncategorized

Transforming Workplace Dynamics: A Comprehensive Guide to Effective Conflict Management

Conflict, when handled correctly, strengthens.
–Benjamin Watson

One of the most common issues causing difficulty in the workplace is conflict and the inability for those differences to be effectively managed.

Conflict, and simply having differing opinions is a given, issues arise when the conflict becomes unhealthy with a lack of willingness to listen to and understand opposing views.

PeopleTek utilizes the Thomas-Kilmann Instrument (TKI) Conflict Model (developed in 1974 by psychologists Kenneth Thomas and Ralph Kilmann) which provides an understanding of preferences for how individuals handle disagreements.

The 5 TKI Conflict Modes Are:

Competing – This is a power-oriented mode and is assertive and uncooperative; the individual pursues his or her own interest at the expense of the other person.  

Accommodating – This is the opposite of competing and is unassertive and cooperative.  The accommodating person neglects their own concerns to satisfy the concerns of others.

Avoiding – Avoiding is unassertive and uncooperative.  The individual does not pursue their own concern or those of another person.   

Collaborating – This is the opposite of avoiding where the individual is both assertive and cooperative and works to satisfy all of the concerns of everyone.  

Compromising – This falls between competing and accommodating and is both assertive and cooperative, a mutually acceptable solution is reached, and both parties make concessions to resolve the issue.

All modes serve a purpose; what’s critical is having the skill to appropriately utilize the most effective mode when conflicts occur.

Why is this important? Alexandra Baruffati reports that:

  • Globally, the average time employees spend weekly on resolving disagreements in the workplace is 2.1 hours
  • In the US, it rises to 2.8 hours per week
  • 85% of US employees have some level of conflict at work
  • Managers spend around 6 hours per week (roughly 15% of their time) solving work conflicts
  • 56% of employees who experienced conflict at work reported that it led them to stress, anxiety and/or depression
  • 40% reported being less motivated

How skilled are you at handling conflict in the workplace? Do you know when to intervene, when to disregard, and when to utilize the most effective conflict mode?

Sincerely,

Mike and Jan

For good ideas and true innovation, you need human interaction,
conflict, argument, debate.
–Margaret Heffernan
 

Guiding the way for ambitious leaders, PeopleTek Coaching equips both individuals and teams with the tools to excel. We leverage a mix of customized coaching programs, innovative strategies, and insights gleaned from our vast industry experience, enabling businesses and individuals to unlock their potential and distinguish themselves in a competitive landscape.

Our transformative coaching methodology molds leadership behaviors and fosters team unity, driving them towards a common goal. This focus on teamwork is the cornerstone of our success and has solidified our standing as a reliable partner for numerous businesses throughout our twenty-year history.

More than just achieving business objectives, we aim to infuse workplaces with a culture of positivity and mutual respect. We advocate for environments that promote personal development and enhance productivity. This transformative philosophy is at the heart of our mission at PeopleTek.

At PeopleTek, we inspire you to take the reins of your leadership journey and lead with fervor. Explore the power of our unique approach by visiting us at PeopleTekCoaching.com. Offering a wide array of services, we’re poised to energize your route to leadership triumph and team excellence.

06 Jul
Courageous_Leadership_Concept_Image
marketang Uncategorized

Embracing Courageous Leadership: A 12-Step Guide to Inspiring Change and Growth

You will never do anything in this world without courage.
It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honor.
–Aristotle

As many of you know, this week the U.S. celebrated Independence Day (generally celebrated July 4th). Did you also know that 175+ other countries also celebrate Independence Day?

In general, this event calls for celebrations with the intent to honor the courage and sacrifices required for physically separating old governments/regimes for new ones.

Changes in the workplace can’t be compared to the magnitude of changes in governments, but as leaders we can still inspire improvement. Consider:

  • What’s not working well?
  • Are there new products that will provide us with a leading edge?
  • Do we engage the opinions of other colleagues for process improvements?

Being a leader is not easy and it requires demonstrating and living courageously. We’ve coined the term CourageAbility™ and here are highlights from 12 Steps For Courageous Leadership that can help us be successful:

1.    Passion: Have and live your dream
2.    Document your goals
3.    Commit to your goals
4.    Understand your strengths and the strengths of others
5.    Communicate with confidence and clarity
6.    Understand and manage conflict with a purpose
7.    Develop others
8.    Delegate
9.    Develop a new skill
10.  Remain controlled
11.  Reward and Recognize
12.  Succeed and learn from failure

Are you leading with courage and empowering yourself and others to achieve what you and they desire?

Sincerely,

Mike and Jan

 

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
 

Guiding the way for ambitious leaders, PeopleTek Coaching equips both individuals and teams with the tools to excel. We leverage a mix of customized coaching programs, innovative strategies, and insights gleaned from our vast industry experience, enabling businesses and individuals to unlock their potential and distinguish themselves in a competitive landscape.

Our transformative coaching methodology molds leadership behaviors and fosters team unity, driving them towards a common goal. This focus on teamwork is the cornerstone of our success and has solidified our standing as a reliable partner for numerous businesses throughout our twenty-year history.

More than just achieving business objectives, we aim to infuse workplaces with a culture of positivity and mutual respect. We advocate for environments that promote personal development and enhance productivity. This transformative philosophy is at the heart of our mission at PeopleTek.

At PeopleTek, we inspire you to take the reins of your leadership journey and lead with fervor. Explore the power of our unique approach by visiting us at PeopleTekCoaching.com. Offering a wide array of services, we’re poised to energize your route to leadership triumph and team excellence.