Communication and Your Team

Any communication sent your way is usually a time saver for you. Decide how to best use it. Don’t assume your people read their emails. Typically as people move up in a company their reading comprehension becomes more important, make sure you develop those skills in your people and yourself.

One of the biggest stresses for employees is often they feel “out of the loop” or like they aren’t told anything. This is a morale killer among a lot of other things. It is critical for you to develop a way to get information to your people. Or maybe you can do it for your supervisor. There is no perfect method, find something easy to maintain and understand. There are many important aspects of using emails and communication to help your team.

read more

Top 10 Signs of Strength

Flash the Morse Code signal SOS and help is sure to come your way. Master these 10 signs of strength (SOS) and the help may be in the form of improved relationships, greater joy and connection with yourself, better self care and enhanced communication. All in all, quite a life raft!

1. Respond instead of react. When we react, we give away our personal power.

2. Identify and learn from your judgments. Judgments are often a reflection of our own inner needs and values.

3. Reach out when you need it. Asking for help is not a weakness.

4. Keep your word—especially to yourself. Beautiful palaces are built on this foundation of integrity.

5. Speak what is true for you. Authenticity begins here, now.

6. Take time for yourself. This isn’t narcissistic or indulgent. Caring for yourself helps you care for others better.

7. Know what you want. Take the time to figure out this one. It’s worth it.

8. Don’t take things personally. Even if it sounds personal, it usually isn’t.

9. Honor your limits. Setting boundaries is an act of caring.

10. Recognize fear as a guide, not a barrier. Your dark side is a friend when seen in the right light.

read more

Leadership styles

Leadership styles…. There are six commonly accepted leadership styles Different types of leadership styles exist for different personalities and businesses. One leadership style might naturally suit you best, or you might have to adapt to one due to the company you work for. All of these styles are important in the right enviroment. Don’t think one is the perfect method. In certain situations each of them has positives and negatives. It’s best to understand how each of them work and watch them in your boss or other supervisors. Know how you are being managed. How does it make you feel? Which style do you prefer to be managed with? Types of Leadership: Laissez Faire Laissez Faire leaders are very “hands off” in their management style. Face time with their team members is minimal. Some managers seem to employ this type of leadership – if you can even call them leaders – because they don’t want to get involved. It’s more of a “lazy” type leadership for them. This is not laissez faire leadership. The laissez faire style works well if you have a team of highly trained individuals who are also highly motivated. They know what needs to be done, they do it, and they do it well. One problem that can come up with this style is the employees don’t feel valued or appreciated. Types of Leadership: Autocratic An autocratic leader has the total authority to make decisions. They make the rules, period. The autocratic leadership style can work well on teams needing close supervision and are new or still learning. But it’s not so effective when you’re working in an environment where team collaboration is necessary. Many people find this style to be stifling and they don’t feel valued if their boss uses this style exclusively. This is a good method when there is an emergency and someone has to take charge. This is also a good method when handling a dispute between a couple employees. Types of Leadership: Democratic The democratic leader, on the other hand, has the authority over the final decision, but they go to the employees to get their input and suggestions. Because the team has a part in the process, they feel ownership of the decision and are more likely to embrace it. Even if they don’t agree with the ultimate decision, they know they were heard and considered. They also have the benefit of knowing the “whys” of the decision and understand the big picture better than someone under an autocratic leader. This method is great for building teams and the why behind that will fill up another entire page! A dry erase board or giant paper with an easel comes in handy when using this type of management style during a meeting. Ask a question or describe the problem then have everyone contribute ideas to answer a question and write them down. Then systematically go through the answers and ask the group the pros and cons of each. I often knew the outcome of the question I asked but instead of just telling everyone what to do I knew they would do it better if I involved them in the decision. This method is great if you are trying to develop junior managers. You can go through all the steps of your thought processes by asking questions and letting the group begin the journey of understanding the why behind solutions. If you use this method exclusively you can run into problems just like the other methods, although this leadership style has the least amount if used correctly. The people that don’t appreciate it are the people who want things “perfect” or who believe completely in the chain of command. I have had employees that would rather not be involved in a decision, they want to be “told” what to do, it reassures them and makes them more comfortable. The other people this method doesn’t work well with is the disengaged employees, they might think you are “weak” just because they aren’t in touch with the rest of the group. Types of Leadership: Bureaucratic If you’ve ever been managed strictly “by the book,” you’ve experienced a bureaucratic leader. While it might sound outdated and unpopular, “by the book” bureaucratic leadership types work well and are necessary in some fields. Universities, hospitals and banks benefit from bureaucratic leadership. The strictness of following particular rules helps increase security within the company, and reduces corruption. A downside is that it’s slow-moving in order to ensure adherence to policies and procedures. This leader has a tendency to be very un-motivating and is prone to not having synergy in their teams. They don’t like “flow” because you have to “fly by the seat of your pants”, they just want things exactly as they have dictated. They are necessary and excellent in certain fields or positions. If this type of manager works for you it’s important to follow up with their people and ensure they feel appreciated and valued. It’s easy to forget to tell this manager the same thing, so make sure they get told, usually they won’t tell you they enjoyed hearing it, but they do. Types of Leadership: Charismatic Charismatic leaders are all about energy and motivation. Teams led by a charismatic leader can have a very difficult time when that leader leaves. If you are taking over a management position that was previously led by a charismatic leader, be prepared for some challenges. In certain positions at certain times I have been very charismatic, and indeed the manager behind me had a difficult time. This method is perfect if you are trying to feed energy into a group. Feed energy you may ask, yes, FEED energy. When I was doing this it was to bring the intensity level up in the group, the energy level, the drive. It is extremely exhausting to do it, you have to be consistent, do it every single day. But it works! It’s a great method to increase sales or get some big projects done. You also need to make really big deals out of every positive, thank EVERY person exuberantly. Say “hi” to everyone. You have to stay highly visible for it to work. Plan this well because it can take a few days or even a few weeks for it to even begin to work, but once the energy in the group is going it usually starts to snowball and feed itself. Also be aware, this method doesn’t work if you don’t have employees that care and respect you. You have to have trust and respect first. Types of Leadership: Relational A relational (or transformational) leader is opposite the laissez faire leader. They are highly communication based and highly visible. This is not to be confused with a micromanager. Relational leaders are focused on the big picture and they are surrounded with people who accomplish the details of the big picture. They don’t usually care about the details of something, they care about the who. Who is doing what? How is so and so doing? How was your weekend? Who is doing that? If you start to go over a bunch of details you will find their eyes start of glaze over and their mind wanders. They care about the who. What’s Your Style? You might have natural tendencies towards particular types of leadership. Your company may require you to lead in one of these particular methods, which can be difficult if you’re used to an opposite style. Learning to manage in a different style will only benefit you in the long run. If fact, using only a couple will slow your career down. You need to understand when to use the different styles to fit your employees. It’s even possible… NO… I would say you will need to alter your leadership type multiple times working for the same company if you take on different teams or projects over your years of employment. Most likely you will need to change your style multiple times a year at a minimum. read more

Leadership

“Some of us will do our jobs well and some will not, but we will be judged by only one thing – the results.”  Vincent Lombardi

“Great leaders are born, not bred.”

We’ve all heard that statement.  Some people do have natural inclinations to lead, but leadership is not that simple.  Maybe you’ve been discouraged because, although you want to be a leader, or have even been promoted into a position of leadership, you doubt your own leadership skills and abilities.

From my years working with people I can assure you…….  YOU can be a leader if you want to be!  The only thing lacking for many people is the confidence to practice their leadership skills, they either have never been told that they have potential or they have a boss that controls everything so they are never encouraged to “lead”.

If you are leading a team I urge you to develop leaders under you.  Teach them the philosophy of why you do things a certain way, why things need to go a certain way.  Most people will outperform or even take things to a new level when given the opportunity.

But, hey, I digress…..

Here’s a few other theories……..

Great Man Theory

To be more specific, the “leaders are born” theory is formally called the Great Man Theory. It also claims that when there is a need for a leader, a leader will arise.

If you’ve watched very many reality shows like Survivor and Big Brother you would notice in those groups leaders emerge. Leaders, even if informal, arise in military boot camps. They’re the ones encouraging others who struggle to complete the physical challenges or to motivate those ready to quit boot camp.

Trait Theory

Similar to the Great Man Theory is the Trait Theory. The Trait Theory suggests people are born with specific, inherited traits, and that the right combination of inherited traits makes a person suitable for leadership.

An example would be the child that takes charge of the neighborhood to organize a game of hide and seek, that introduces others to a group and ensures everyone plays together.

Behavioral Theory

For those who are genetically challenged in the leadership DNA department, the Behavioral Theory says leaders can be made. Part determination, part training, and voila! A leader emerges.

In reality, all three have merit. Why is it among a group of young kids, one emerges as a “natural born leader”? Is it genetics? Is it because they are raised in a way that unleashes leadership traits?

Why is it in the face of disaster, a normally quiet, unassuming, even shy person suddenly gets a surge of something deep inside, stands up among the group and says, “C’mon… this is what we’ve got to do to get through this…” and they start delegating tasks to ensure the survival of the group?

You’ve seen possible Trait Theory leaders when sons and daughters take over a family business generation after generation. Did the children inherit the right combination of traits from their parents to make them the next generation of company leader? Or, as the Behavior Theory suggests, could it be that the children of great leaders become leaders simply because that is what they are trained for by their parents, even unconsciously.

read more