Tag Archive - relationship

Search others for their virtues, thyself for thy vices

August 16, 2010 in Business, History, Leadership, Uncategorized with 6 Comments

Benjamin Franklin 238x300 Search others for their virtues, thyself for thy vicesAs a manager, it’s easy to pigeonhole your employees. You’ve seen them all in action–the leaders, the workers, the slackers, the confused, the wannabes, and the nobodies. People will eventually play into stereotypes that you’ve created. Constantly reminding people of their bad habits and crowing about how you might as well do it yourself isn’t very effective either.

“Search others for their virtues, thyself for thy vices.” – Benjamin Franklin

One of the main reasons people change jobs hasn’t changed since the time of old Benjamin Franklin. People often leave good employment opportunities simply because they don’t like their immediate supervisor. Since turnover is costly and unproductive, rethinking your expectations as well as how you interact with your employees might benefit everybody.

Take a moment and step outside of your spotlight. How does your team see you and how does it help your organization?

Start by considering each of your employees as a unique person with the potential to become great at his or her job. If you let them know know that you are expecting greatness, it might actually happen. Another way in getting the most out of your team is to assure them that you are on their side. If you empathize with your team, you’ll develop a relationship of trust and understanding with them. When weakness rears its ugly head, your team will seek your counsel and try to work with you in order to get better, because they are seeking your approval. Who knows? They just might do it!

How are you currently building trust within your organization?

Trust Your Team

July 13, 2010 in Business, Leadership, Quotes with 24 Comments

trust your team 215x300 Trust Your TeamAlthough motivational words never hurt, sometimes you just have to step back and realize that it’s not just you who needs care and feeding in your daily work life. It might be time to start thinking about those you work with…your teammates, your staff, and your colleagues. You want to get the most you can from these people, because all of you want to deliver the best work possible.

Stay engaged with your team and it’s leaders. The big picture and strategy is the common objective.

I think when Ralph Waldo Emerson said: “Trust men and they will be true to you; treat them greatly, and they will show themselves great” he was expressing his belief that establishing trust in any relationship is the place to start. Getting others to trust you stems from your trust in them. This is a foundation of a good team. You can build on loyalty and trust and get spectacular dividends. Treat your colleagues to reflect your belief in them and their talents. Never miss an opportunity to tell them how great they are, and after a while, they’ll not only beleive it (becasue they are great), they’ll prove themselves great.

Pay close attention to your actions. Attitude reflects leadership.

Keep the team spirit high. You’re the catalyst in this equation. It is your task to bring out the greatness in others by treating them as valued players in your mission. Inspire them by your example, and they will in turn inspire others. It’s a winning formula.

How are you maintaining trust within your team?

Time and Trust

May 31, 2010 in Business, Leadership with 8 Comments

time and trust 300x199 Time and TrustRelationships are built on two things: time and trust. This formula applies in both our personal lives and business lives. Granted, the time factor can be a hindrance but in business we may meet people daily whom we may never again see in person. We want to keep doing business with them and achieve a lasting trust. While first impressions are critical, what is more important is that we build on those moments, and use that effective first meeting to create truly strong bonds: an enduring trust.

Each action that we perform in a relationship will either build it up or break it down. We need to be mindful of everything we do. If it’s said that we’re going to deliver something on deadline, we need to make sure to deliver it If we cannot make that deadline, it’s important to keep our client informed every step of the way. Follow though on every promise.

The more we show that we’re willing to invest in a relationship, the more meaningful it will become. Trust is built over the long haul, and our actions over time show volumes about our character and motivations. A one time effort to close a deal, get a sale or the client, even if it is dramatic and puts a big feather in our cap, it’s not enough. Enduring trust in a relationship can’t be faked and it’s rarely produced by a dramatic, one time effort. Build trust, keep it and nurture it.

Four Basic Skills of Leadership

March 3, 2010 in Leadership with 38 Comments

leadership basics 300x169 Four Basic Skills of LeadershipThe skills of leadership need to address each of the key elements which make up the ‘problem space’ of leadership: (a) oneself, (b) one’s relationship with one’s collaborators, (c) the system in which one is acting and (d) the goals to be achieved by oneself and one’s collaborators in that system. This entry will cover a numerous skills addressing these various elements of leadership: self skills, relational skills, strategic thinking skills, and systemic thinking skills.

Self skills are how the leader handles himself or herself in a particular situation. Self skills allow the leader to choose the most appropriate attitude, state-of-mind, focus, etc., with which to enter a situation. In a way, self skills are the steps by which the leader leads himself or herself.

Relational skills have to do with the ability to recognize, encourage, and communicate with other people. They result in the ability to enter another person’s model of the perceived world or perceptual space, establish rapport and guide that person to recognize problems and objectives. Since leaders must reach their dreams and accomplish their goals through their influence upon others, relational skills are one of the most important aspects of leadership.

Strategic thinking skills are necessary in order to define and achieve specific goals and objectives. Strategic thinking involves the ability to identify a relevant desired state, assess the starting state, and then establish and navigate the appropriate path of transition states required to reach the desired state. A key element of effective strategic thinking is determining which team members and tasks will most efficiently and effectively influence and move the present state in the direction of the desired state.

Systemic thinking skills are used by the leader to identify and understand the problem space in which the leader, his or her collaborators and the organization is operating. Systemic thinking is at the root of effective “solution creation” and the ability to create functional teams. The ability to think systemically in a practical and firm way is probably the most definitive sign of maturity in a leader.

Do you apply any of the four leadership skills in your life? If so, I’d love to hear about it!

Building Relationships

October 18, 2009 in Leadership with 8 Comments

puzzle people 300x199 Building RelationshipsHumans…all people in general are relationship oriented. We build relationships based on trust and personal contact, and we live and die on the strength of relationships. That this is the case serves as a convincing argument for telling the occasional white social lie…and against telling any other kind of lie. Here are a few examples I feel I have gathered to support this theory:

“Boy, this is a really nice office. I sure wish I worked in a place like this.” (The truth of the matter is the office we work in easily prevails the other person’s.)

No big deal. Some of us find it easier to make contact with somebody by finding something like this to mention as an ice breaker. What’s the problem if there is a slight exaggeration on a point like this? Even if the person should somehow learn the terrible truth that you work in a spectacular office, is there any real downside to such a statement made tactfully, and without any overbearing flourishes? No.

“And about the completion time you are requesting. I don’t see any reason why we should have any problems meeting that, though I will have to clear it with the programmers and technicians after we square away the paperwork here today.” (Actually, I know in full that I will miss the requested completion date by a week or two no matter who or what I say to the other professionals that are involved.)

Red light!! We are attempting to build a new relationship with a potential client by deliberately misrepresenting out ability to solve their problem to his or hers satisfaction. When things go awry later on…and nine out of ten times in a situation like this…the prospect is not going to remember the cute little disclaimer we slid in there about running things by the others involved. He or she is going to remember that you said that you could deliver the product on the specified date, and the “blankety blank blank” thing didn’t make it into the warehouse until the fifteenth. At this stage, we will no longer be identified as a “problem solver”. We will be looked at as a problem: a professional that promises more than can be delivered. This is not the stuff that builds lasting relationships.