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Relationships drive success and we know having strong relationships with colleagues, clients, strategic partners, and vendors is crucial, but what about the boss/direct report relationship?

Below is a basic list of elements required for healthy boss/direct reports relationships:

• Mutual respect
• 2 way feedback (give and receive, well intended, and meaningful)
• Hold each other accountable
• Clear expectations
• Open lines of communication
• Ability to have healthy conflict
• Listen to understand
• Trust one another
• Desire to achieve mutual goals

Karen Dee, in a Forbes article, shares that leaders must invest the time to get to know each team member and that there are 3 C’s that create trusting relationships, grow productivity, and increase morale. They are:

1. Competence
2. Caring
3. Consistent Values

Excerpts:

Competence

 

A leader must show that they are competent, can add value to their stakeholders, they possess the skills necessary to do the job, demonstrate competency for clear and sincere communication, hold people accountable, and manage conflict.

Caring

 

Team members need to know their leader truly cares about them, their family, their passions, and their career aspirations. The leader needs to know what motivates each person, shows appreciation for contributions, and is committed for each person’s professional growth.

Consistent Values

Leaders who are honest, respectful, dependable, and open-minded are easier to follow and more readily obtain buy-in. Listening intently and without judgment invites more trusting relationships, and when peers consistently observe core beliefs being applied for decision making, the relationship is strengthened.

Sincerely,

Mike and Jan

 

Leaders depend on strong working relationships with upper management, peers, and direct reports to succeed professionally. –Irene Zhang

At PeopleTek Coaching, our expertise lies in guiding IT visionaries, propelling them to the zenith of their capabilities. With a potent combination of bespoke coaching sessions, forward-thinking methodologies, and deep-rooted insights from the tech sector, we empower both individual tech mavens and cohesive teams to thrive in the dynamic world of IT.

Our state-of-the-art coaching model hones leadership skills and bolsters team unity, aligning them with a shared technological mission. This steadfast dedication to fostering teamwork has cemented our standing, making us the go-to consultancy for myriad tech corporations over our distinguished 20-year journey.

Beyond just business achievements, our aspiration is to mold IT spaces that resonate with positivity, creativity, and mutual respect. We champion environments that catalyze individual advancement and heighten productivity. This visionary approach forms the cornerstone of PeopleTek’s ethos.

At PeopleTek, we invite you to reshape your IT leadership path and lead with unmatched accuracy and enthusiasm. Delve into the nuances of our tailored approach by visiting PeopleTekCoaching.com. Boasting a comprehensive array of tech-focused services, we are primed to refresh your ascent to tech leadership excellence and collaborative success.

 

Listening is a skill that requires effort and impacts relationships. Any disagreement with that statement?

Listening requires focus and attentiveness and the desire to truly process the message with the intent to understand.  Issues arise when we get distracted or “tune out”.

Here are some tips for improving our listening skills:

• No interrupting
• No multi-tasking
• Be aware of body language, expressions, and tone
• Listen for underlying meanings
• Be open to differing views
• Retain eye contact (this helps with attention levels)
• Don’t suggest words or finish sentences when a pause occurs
• Don’t solve or judge
• Ask probing questions to obtain clarity and recap what you think you’ve heard

We also need to be aware of when and why we “tune out”. Sometimes it’s the timing of the conversation, perhaps the topic, and it can even be the person delivering the message.

Why? We all have filters and baggage that may cause “selective” listening. Think about your business relationships. Are there individuals that you seem to always be fully engaged with and others that you have the inclination to “tune out”? Does the “deliverers” age, skill, gender, title, general demeanor affect your ability (and desire) to be an active listener? What else de-rails your ability to listen? 

The term ‘Active listening’ was coined by psychologists Carl Rogers and Richard Farson in 1957 and they say “Active listening is not an easy skill to acquire. It demands practice. Perhaps more important, it may require changes in our own basic attitudes”.

Awareness is key. Pay attention to your “non” listening behaviors ex. pencil tapping, raised eyebrows, blank stares, “zoning” out, making shopping lists, etc. Also, think about any colleagues you may have a “history” with for losing focus. That’s the kind of relationship that requires that you make a special effort to remain engaged and not tune out.

What changes can you make to truly listen regardless of who’s delivering the message?

 

Sincerely,

Mike and Jan

The art of effective listening is essential to clear communication,
and clear communication is necessary to management success.
–James Cash Penney

At PeopleTek Coaching, our expertise lies in guiding IT visionaries, propelling them to the zenith of their capabilities. With a potent combination of bespoke coaching sessions, forward-thinking methodologies, and deep-rooted insights from the tech sector, we empower both individual tech mavens and cohesive teams to thrive in the dynamic world of IT.

Our state-of-the-art coaching model hones leadership skills and bolsters team unity, aligning them with a shared technological mission. This steadfast dedication to fostering teamwork has cemented our standing, making us the go-to consultancy for myriad tech corporations over our distinguished 20-year journey.

Beyond just business achievements, our aspiration is to mold IT spaces that resonate with positivity, creativity, and mutual respect. We champion environments that catalyze individual advancement and heighten productivity. This visionary approach forms the cornerstone of PeopleTek’s ethos.

At PeopleTek, we invite you to reshape your IT leadership path and lead with unmatched accuracy and enthusiasm. Delve into the nuances of our tailored approach by visiting PeopleTekCoaching.com. Boasting a comprehensive array of tech-focused services, we are primed to refresh your ascent to tech leadership excellence and collaborative success.

 

Are you helping your team members grow and succeed, or are you getting in their way?

We (leaders) have demanding schedules, execute a variety of roles daily, and frequently spend too much time working in the business instead of on the business.

As leaders we need to step back from the tactical work and spend more time on strategic thinking and innovation, and on coaching and developing others. A part of developing others includes delegating responsibilities, but many of us resist doing that.

 

Why do we resist? We may feel that the job will not get done to our satisfaction, that we’re uncomfortable assigning a task that may be viewed as boring, or we may feel we’re adding to an already heavy workload. These are issues we can work through.

Greg Alexander shared that a good place to start is:

• allow high-potential employees to take on more ownership
• figure out who your rock-solid, high-potential employees are
• start delegating responsibilities for permanent ownership transfer
• support your efforts with measurable results
• have a succession plan
• empower your employees

He also recommends writing down everything you do and identifying revenue-producing items versus non-revenue producing tasks. Anything that doesn’t produce revenue is a good starting point for an item to be delegated (but as your delegation comfort level grows, the assignments can increase in responsibilities with career growth opportunities).

It’s also vital to:

1.    Assess the strengths of your delegate and match assignments accordingly

2.    Provide clear, documented instructions and due dates

3.    Provide the “what and when” and leave the “how” to the individual which is more empowering and motivating

4.    Ensure your delegate has the appropriate resources they need to be successful

5.    Inform staff, co-workers, business partners, etc of the delegated role

6.    Follow-up and monitor the progress, acknowledge the contributions of your delegate, and provide constructive feedback for areas of growth

Don’t be the leader that gets in the way, rather provide enrichment opportunities that allow your employees to grow and succeed in their career.

Sincerely,

Mike and Jan

A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.

—John Maxwell

At PeopleTek Coaching, our expertise lies in guiding IT visionaries, propelling them to the zenith of their capabilities. With a potent combination of bespoke coaching sessions, forward-thinking methodologies, and deep-rooted insights from the tech sector, we empower both individual tech mavens and cohesive teams to thrive in the dynamic world of IT.

Our state-of-the-art coaching model hones leadership skills and bolsters team unity, aligning them with a shared technological mission. This steadfast dedication to fostering teamwork has cemented our standing, making us the go-to consultancy for myriad tech corporations over our distinguished 20-year journey.

Beyond just business achievements, our aspiration is to mold IT spaces that resonate with positivity, creativity, and mutual respect. We champion environments that catalyze individual advancement and heighten productivity. This visionary approach forms the cornerstone of PeopleTek’s ethos.

At PeopleTek, we invite you to reshape your IT leadership path and lead with unmatched accuracy and enthusiasm. Delve into the nuances of our tailored approach by visiting PeopleTekCoaching.com. Boasting a comprehensive array of tech-focused services, we are primed to refresh your ascent to tech leadership excellence and collaborative success.