Relationship Skills – Doug Dickerson on Leadership

False Reads and the Human Equation

Posted March 17, 2019March 17, 2019
by admin

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

Not long ago, I went to see the doctor with chest pains. A few weeks before, I was down with the flu and couldn’t seem to shake the effects of a lingering and nagging cough. Thinking the cough was to blame for my chest pains, I went to the doctor in hopes of getting some relief.

Chest x rays came back clear but with a concerned look on her face, the doctor told me that my EKG came back abnormal. “Have you ever had a heart attack in the past?”, she asked with a stern face. “Not that I am aware of I shot back.” “Well, according to the EKG, it says you have, and your heart skips a lot.”

With a referral in hand, I was left to my imagination as to when I may have ever had a heart attack in my past and was I in danger of having another before I could see the heart doctor? Needless to say, it was a long week of waiting coupled with many unanswered questions.

The visit to the heart doctor put my concerns (and my imagination) to rest. Not only did a new and more sophisticated EKG reveal no sign of a previous heart attack, it actually showed a heart that is in pretty good shape. As it turns out, the doctor explained, my first EKG was read by a computer, not a human. The doctor simply read to me what the computer said.

This experience served as a reminder to me of the importance of the human equation in leadership. Whenever leaders are content to settle for what’s seen on the surface we can miss important things that make a big difference. Here are a few good lessons for leaders going forward.

False reads happen

Sometimes your first read on the situations you deal with and the people you lead are not accurate. There’s always more to what meets the eye than you can see at the moment. Don’t be too quick to make judgments. Your snap decisions and assessments can be wrong. Better to take your time in making judgments than having to go back and clean up messes you made because of a false read. Click To Tweet Doing so is a disservice to your people and a setback to your leadership.

Second opinions matter

Even the most well-intentioned leader can read situations wrong now and then. But a smart leader will surround him/herself with other leaders who have more knowledge in some situations that can be valuable. When in doubt, defer to others who can help you make more accurate assessments and decisions. This cuts down on unnecessary tensions and helps you avoid costly mistakes. Always give your people the benefit of the doubt and the benefit of your maturity.

Relationships make the difference

While both doctors who attended to me were concerned, only one took the time-plenty of time, to talk to me, ask questions, gather history, and thoroughly explain things to me that made sense and put me at ease.

Your skill as a leader is developed not as you try to place everyone in a box and where relationships don’t exist. In fact, it’s just the opposite. Click To Tweet

The human equation in leadership is as important as ever, if not more so. For all of our advancements in technology and communication, there’s just no substitute for building relationships the old fashioned way. It matters that much.

False reads happen to all of us. Second opinions strengthen us. Relationships empower us. Don’t ever underestimate the power of the human equation.

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The Leaders’ Secret To Connection

Posted September 9, 2018October 4, 2018
by dougdickerson

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around – Leo Buscaglia

In his book, No Limits, leadership expert John Maxwell recounts his reaction to the above quote by Leo Buscaglia. Maxwell reflected on those words after speaking to a large audience. He said, “As I spoke that day, I had invited people to come to me in my world, I realized that instead, I needed to go to them and put myself in their world.”

There are not many more important things that you can do as a leader than connect with your people. Without a connection to your people, it will be hard to lead your people. Click To TweetAnd herein lies the secret sauce for leaders today – stop expecting the people you lead (or desire to lead) to step into your world. You must step into theirs.

One would think that this is would be a given that most leaders understand. But is it? This train of thought by Maxwell highlights a significant leadership blindspot that must be owned – we think it’s about us, but it’s not.

The impact that you make as a leader shifts in your favor the day you realize this truth and begin to act like it.

When you step out of your own orbit as a leader and put yourself in the world of those you lead great things begin to happen. With this fresh perspective, you just might learn a few things. Here’s a sampling.

In their world, you learn their hopes and dreams

You might accidentally learn the hopes of your people when they are in your world, but you learn it intentionally when you step into theirs. To remove yourself from your people is to deny yourself from knowing what inspires them the most.

When you know what fuels the hopes and dreams of your people you will begin to see your leadership more as a sacred trust. Click To Tweet The people you lead have placed a degree of trust in you so you need to treat it with its due respect.

In their world, you learn their ‘why’

When you step into the world of your people you will not only learn about their hopes and dreams, but you will learn the most important things. That you already know their skill sets and areas of expertise is a given – but now you get to know them for who they are, not just what they do. Now you can be in a place to learn their ‘why’ and you can be a leader in their life that adds value with purpose.

When you step into their world you get everything that comes with it. Knowing their ‘why’ gives you the knowledge you need to step up and be the best leader possible.

In their world, you can learn more about yours

Maxwell’s transparency about the Buscaglia quote was a dose of refreshing transparency and a lesson for all of us. He felt good about himself after his successful presentation only to realize that he had only been thinking about himself.

As leaders, it’s easy to get caught up in our own orbit and think it’s only about us – our wants, our needs, our ideas, our opinions, and last but not least – having things done our way. But it’s not.

What we learn here goes to the heart of good leadership. When we lead with a heart of kindness, learn how to smile, give a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, an act of caring – these are things that will set you apart as a leader. And when you do these things, your people will be much more receptive to your leadership.

It’s time to realize that to be effective as a leader you must step into the world of the people you lead.

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Winning With People

Posted November 27, 2017
by dougdickerson

A boss has the title. A leader has the people. – Simon Sinek

Writing in The Book of Business Anecdotes, Peter Hay recounts the following story:

In the 1950s, marketing whiz Stanley Arnold was working at Young & Rubicam, where he was asked to come up with a marketing campaign for Remington Rand. The company was among the most conservative in America. Its chairman at the time was retired, General Douglas MacArthur. Intimidated at first by a company that was so much a part of America, Arnold also found in that phrase the first inspiration for a campaign. After thinking about it, he went to the New York offices of Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner, and Beane, and placed the ultimate odd-lot order:

“I want to purchase,” he told the broker, “one share of every single stock listed on the New York Stock Exchange.” After a vice president tried to talk him out of it, the order was finally placed. It came to more than $42,000 for one share in each of the 1098 companies listed on the Big Board at the time. Arnold now took his diversified portfolio into a meeting of Remington Rand’s board of directors, where he argued passionately for a sweepstakes campaign with the top prize called A Share in America. The conservative old gentlemen shifted around in their seats and discussed the idea for a while. “But Mr. Arnold,” said one, “we are not in the securities business.” Said another, “We are in the shaver business.”

“I agree that you are not in the securities business,” said Arnold, “but I think you also ought to realize that you are not in the shaver business either. You are in the people business.” The company bought the idea.

People business. It’s one of the most complex challenges you will face in leadership. And it’s one you’ve got to conquer if you are going to succeed. Unfortunately, you don’t always get to choose those people. In fact, you might at times feel like the person who said, “Sometimes I wish I was an octopus so I can slap eight people at once”.

Since slapping people is out of the equation as a leader, we must reconcile the fact that as leaders we are in the people business. This is our greatest challenge and it’s our greatest reward. Here are a few reminders on how as a leader you can win with people.

You win by winning their hearts

Too often this is where many a leader drops the ball. This is a leadership principle I learned from John Maxwell almost twenty years ago. Maxwell said, “Always touch a person’s heart before you ask him for a hand.”

A good leader will invest relationally with his or her people before asking for their hand. It’s when you’ve made this connection first you open the door to other possibilities and opportunities. But first, win their heart.

You win by investing in your people

When your people know that you are invested in them they will go to great lengths to perform. This investment is not just monetary although it’s included. Winning with your people happens as you empower and equip them to not only meet their expectations but to exceed them.

“Whatever we expect with confidence,” said Brian Tracy, “becomes our self-fulfilling prophecy”. You win with your people when you raise their level of confidence and remind them of their potential and abilities on a regular basis.

You win with people by conceding the spotlight

I’ve said it many times and it’s worth repeating here now. Expressions of servant leadership are found when you concede being in the spotlight by putting someone else in it. And this is how you win with people.

Billy Hornsby said, “It’s okay to let those you lead outshine you, for if they shine brightly enough, they reflect positively on you”. You can only win with people as a leader on this level if you’re secure enough to drop your ego and quit worrying about who gets the credit for what. You win with people when you celebrate your people and their successes.

You win with people when you listen to your people

You win with your people when you learn how to listen. Some of the best ideas in any organization will not flow out of the corner offices, but into them. As a leader you must do as Howard Behar suggests in his book. It’s Not About The Coffee, and “put the time into listening, even to what’s not said…You’ll know what your customers want, you’ll know why the passion is missing from your organization, and you’ll learn solutions to problems that have been sitting there waiting to be picked.”

Winning with people happens when you are more concerned with what they have to say than you are in what you have to say. Your leadership hinges at times on your ability to be quiet and listen.

You win with people when you commit to developing leaders

Your success as a leader doesn’t come when you gain more followers but when you develop more leaders. Simply put, multiplication is the math of leadership. You win with your people by multiplying the number of leaders in your organization.

“A leader is best when people barely know he exists,” said Lao Tzu, “when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves”. And this is the ultimate goal of your leadership and the definitive mark of winning with your people. It’s as you raise them up as leaders and empower them that you win.

Your leadership rises and falls on your ability to win with people. Make it a priority and you will go far.

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Why Can’t You Retain Top Talent?

Posted June 22, 2017
by dougdickerson

“Being the best at whatever talent you have, that’s what stimulates life.” – Tom Landry

The competitive nature of today’s global economy stipulates that you have and retain the top talent in your organization. We acknowledge that to do so is as great of a challenge as it has ever been.

A recent article in USA Today highlighted how American workers are on the move. They reported that “27 percent of employees switched jobs in the 12 months ending in the first quarter according to payroll processor ADP, the most since the firm began tracking the figure in 2014.”

So what is a leader to do in order to retain and recruit top talent for their organizations? We have identified several characteristics that may shed some light on why your top talent may be headed through that revolving door. We believe as you take care of these leadership issues you can build the type of team that people would want to work for and think twice about leaving. But first, why are they leaving?

Lack of clear expectations

Nothing will frustrate your top talent more than a lack of a clear set of expectations and vision. Without it, your organization is adrift and your people struggle to find their way. Employees have to fight extra hard to succeed when they do not clearly understand what is expected of them in the first place. The constant feeling that they are not performing at an acceptable level, even if they don’t know what that level is, will send top talent running for the door.

Lack of investment

Your top talent needs to know that you are totally invested in their success. The buy-in is a two-way street and it needs to be demonstrated in tangible ways that reinforce your commitment to their success. Your investment in them shows that they are valued and that you are confident in their ability to make a meaningful contribution to the organization. When top talent feels that you do not value them enough to invest your time and resources in them, they will begin to seek an employer who will.

Perceived lack of respect

The culture and morale of your organization rest on foundational leadership principles. Namely among them are trust and respect. Top talent is especially attuned to the respect or lack thereof, that you have for them. These employees have devoted much of their lives to developing the skills, knowledge, and experience that make them so valuable. If the people in your organization perceive that you do not respect them, then it only stands to reason that they will be a part of a future exit from your organization.

Lack of a clear path forward

We want to be very clear about this leadership principle. Unless your people have a clear path forward, it will be clear to them that they are in the wrong place. In his book, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, John Maxwell writes, “You can find smart, talented, successful people who are able to go only so far because of the limitations of their leadership.” It could be that the top talent in your organization is leaving, not because of a lack of opportunity, but because of a lack of leadership and a clear vision as to where they are going. It is incumbent upon you as the leader to provide it.

Lack of authentic leadership

Nothing will demoralize your people or your team members more quickly than a phony leader. Besides, too much is at stake for a leader to be anything other than genuine. Authenticity is the foundation for trust. No one wants to work for a leader who cannot be trusted. If you lack authenticity, employees will start to question your motives; they will perceive that you have hidden agendas that are not in their best interests. If the top talent within your organization can’t find authentic leadership where they are, they will look elsewhere for it.

We all have the desire to succeed; we want to know that our contributions are valued and that we are making a difference. Top talent has sacrificed far too much to achieve their level of skill to compromise on the leadership environment they work in. Provide them with the clear expectations they need to be successful. Invest your time and resources in helping them achieve great things. Leave no doubt as to how much you respect and trust them and their abilities. Provide them with a clear path forward and the means to follow that path. And, be an authentic leader, someone that top talent can look up to and emulate.

Your organization can only rise as high as your top talent. Isn’t it time to start retaining those employees who have the potential to add so much value? What adjustments will you make to your leadership today?

Liz Stincelli is passionate about recognizing and inspiring the leader in each of us. She is the Founder of Stincelli Advisors where she focuses on helping organizations change attitudes, change communication dynamics, improve collaboration and problem-solving, engage employees, and strengthen organizational culture. Liz holds a Doctor of Management degree with an emphasis on organizational leadership.

Learn more about Liz by visiting her website, stincelliadvisors.com and connect with her on Twitter @infinitestin, Google+, and LinkedIn. You can contact her by email at [email protected].

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Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

Posted November 3, 2016
by dougdickerson

“Don’t take your love away from me

Don’t you leave me in misery

If you go then I’ll be blue

Cause breaking up is hard to do

Neil Sedaka

The song by Neil Sedaka was first recorded in 1962 and hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Sedaka recorded it again in 1975. Without a doubt it was one of his signature songs.

Breaking up. Broken hearts, Lost love. The song encapsulates it all. And it’s time to explore the issue now. But not in the way you may think.

A survey by ADP Canada revealed that two-thirds of employed Canadians or 65 percent, are “ready to walk or leave their office doors.” The are described as “the uninspired”, “the casual daters”, and “the dissed”. While the survey was exclusive to Canadian, the implication is clear- many are ready to break up.

Circumstances will vary from one organization to the next but the reasons for wanting to break up will be similar. While the reasons for a break up might be numerous let’s explore three of them now.

Lack of loyalty/trust

Loyalty and trust go hand in hand and when one suffers it has an impact on the other. People within your organization need to know that you have their back and that you trust them.

As pointed out in the aforementioned article company loyalty has been in decline since the 1980’s. How can any organization successfully move forward with a steady loss of loyalty and trust? As a leader you must shore up the loyalty trust issue. Without it your future is in jeopardy.

Poor communication

Communication is the life-blood of your organization. When done right your people will respond. Your people not only want to be informed of decisions that affect their performance but need to be included in it. If your leadership style is to lead by decrees then this might explain why you have loyalty/trust issues.

Be proactive in establishing clear lines of communication and be inclusive with your team. They will appreciate the inclusion and it will strengthen morale.

Lack of vision or purpose

The buy-in to one’s work is linked to a clearly defined vision and purpose. People deserve to know the vision in terms of where the organization is headed and the significance of their role in seeing it to completion.

If you people are in the dark as to the vision and mission of the organization or if the organization is adrift internally then one’s purpose will be a casualty. A smart leader will keep the vision, mission and purpose clear and before the team at all times.

While breaking up might be hard to do it becomes much easier for your people if there is no loyalty or trust, when communication is ineffective, and when there is no vision or purpose found in being there.

It’s time to evaluate the strength of your organization and reinforce what matters most. Building the type of organization your people would never dream of leaving begins by being the type of leader everyone wants to follow.

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Five Keys to Engaging Your Team

Posted October 9, 2015
by admin

Leadership is unlocking people’s potential to become better. – Bill Bradley

A recent Gallup story (http://bit.ly/1uUCjpX) revealed that less than one third (31.5%) of U.S. workers were engaged in their jobs in 2014. While that was an improvement over 2013 figures, a majority of employees, 51%, were still “not engaged” and 17.5% were “actively disengaged” in 2014 – according to the story.

It goes without saying that employee engagement is critical to the success of any organization. But with numbers like these it makes the leadership challenge more pronounced. How you position yourself as a leader is essential. Your engagement can’t be underestimated.

Theodore Roosevelt said, “The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it.” The secret to your success is your people. They secret to their success is you–getting out of their way. Walking the tightrope of leadership is definitely a challenge but not impossible if are ready to get in the trenches and engage your people. They need a compelling reason to be engaged. Here’s where to start.

Your team needs a compelling leader

Before your team can buy in to your vision they first must buy in to you. If you do not inspire them to dream beyond their own limitations and work for a greater cause and purpose then don’t expect them to be engaged in something that makes no sense to them. If your people aren’t connected to you they won’t be connected to your vision.

Your team needs a compelling vision

Your team members must have a compelling vision if you want them to be engaged. When your people know the purpose behind what they are doing they will do it with passion. The formula breaks down like this: T (tasks) +P (passion) = E (engagement). T (tasks) – P (passion) = W (work). Passionless work leads to disengaged teams. Your team needs a clear vision of where they are going and why.

Your team needs a compelling example

Your team members need a leader who not only points the way but walks the road with his or her people. They need a leader who sees what they see, hears what they hear, feels what they feel, and shows by example that they have skin in the game. Bridging the gap with disconnected team members and you as a leader begins by setting the example. If you are not engaged then why should they be?

Your team needs a compelling trust

Your team needs to know that you trust them and that you have their backs. Nothing will lead to disengagement faster than a leader who does not empower and trust his people. It is your responsibility as a leader to set the bar high and hold people accountable. When your level of trust exceeds your level of expectation then your people will outperform your dreams. Empower your people with trust and engagement will rise with it.

Your team needs a compelling culture

It’s not a secret that the key to any thriving organization is one that is built on strong community. Strong relationships are the key to your success. When your team is centralized around strong leadership that sets the example, when your purpose is clear, and trust abounds, you have a culture that is ripe for success.

An engaged team needs compelling reasons for the journey. Begin with the ones I’ve outlined and build upon them. Your success depends upon it.

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Random Acts of Leadership

Posted April 30, 2015
by admin

Leadership is practiced not so much in words as in attitude and actions. – Harold S. Geneen

In his book, Everyday a Friday, Joel Osteen shares a story about a letter he received in the mail one day during his early days of pastoring. It was during a period of time when he was filled with much self-doubt. The letter was from John Maxwell.

Although at the time they had never met, the letter was filled with words of encouragement and hope. “I watched you on television on Sunday and you were outstanding. I’ve got to tell you, you’ve got what it takes,” Maxwell told him. He also shared suggestions and advice on how to be less nervous and how he prepares for when he speaks.

Regarding the letter, Osteen said, “He had forty years of experience, and he was voluntarily pouring it into a man he’d never even met before. He didn’t have to do that. He’d already won. But John understands this principle: True success is when you reach back and bring somebody along with you.”

That John Maxwell didn’t have to write that letter is a given, that he did write that letter speaks to the power of random acts of leadership.

It’s been said that the soft skills of leadership are the hardest. That may be true. Leaders shoulder a great responsibility and results are important. But it’s as leaders understand that unless you get the soft skills right it will always impede your growth and the productivity of your team.

Striking the right balance in your relational skill set is important. You want and expect your team to be productive without sacrificing the relational skills that create the culture you work and thrive in.

Random acts of leadership follows the principle of random acts of kindness. It’s a leadership philosophy that that revolves around the idea that we are all in this together and when we care for one another we all win.

What does random acts of leadership look like? I submit to you that it’s not complicated. Here are a few ways you can show it.

Give unconditionally

The letter John Maxwell sent to Joel Osteen is a classic example of giving unconditionally. It was unsolicited with no expectation of anything in return. It was just an act of generosity that made a difference. Giving unconditionally is a random act of leadership that says, “I get it. I see your struggle, I’ve been there. I believe in you.” And then you act on it.

Listen attentively

Now and then people just need to vent. They may not need you to be their “answer man” but rather just to listen. For all of its rewards, leadership can be lonely and having a confidant to go to can make a world of difference. Your random act of leadership can simply be taking a friend to lunch and being a sounding board.

Connect intentionally

It is incumbent upon you as a leader to connect with your people. Don’t wait for them to take the first steps – you do it. A good leader initiates. Whether you have been brought together with your people by choice or by coincidence, take the first steps to building the relationship. Connecting intentionally is a random act of leadership that seeks to know, relate, and broaden the circle of influence for everyone.

Praise generously

Nothing can demoralize your people any quicker than work gone unnoticed or a team member not appreciated for their efforts. Understand this: People are your most appreciable asset and how they are treated matters. Random acts of leadership –showing appreciation for a job well done, will go a long way in building that person up and boosting morale in your organization. Be generous in praising your people.

These are but a few of the random acts of leadership that will make a difference. What would you add to the list?

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When Your Process Replaces Your People

Posted February 27, 2015
by admin

When people go to work, they shouldn’t have to leave their hearts at home. – Betty Bender

John Maxwell shares one of my favorite stories about a turkey chatting with a bull. “I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree,” the turkey sighs, “but I haven’t got the energy.”

“Well,” replied the bull, “why don’t you nibble on some of my droppings? They’re packed with nutrients.”

The turkey pecked at a lump of dung and found that it actually gave him enough strength to reach the lowest branch on the tree. The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch. Finally after a fourth night, there he was proudly perched at the top of the tree. But he was promptly spotted by a hunter, who shot him down out of the tree.

The moral of the story: BS might get you to the top, but it won’t keep you there.

While the story is humorous the ramifications of it in the way it plays out in the workplace is not. Unfortunately, many employees feel that they are getting BS from their employers. Let me be clear: strong employee engagement is essential to your success in business. And yes, all businesses want a healthy bottom line and rightfully so. But what happens if your business places its processes over its people? Here are three consequences you will potentially face unless you change.

Fractured relationships

It’s been said that people are your most appreciable asset. But when your bottom line becomes your most coveted resource then you have issues. The most essential ingredient to the success of your organization is not having the best business model, location, marketing, or product. It’s your people. They are the life-blood of your organization and the face of your brand. If you only see your people as a means to an end (your bottom line) then you are using your people.

If relationships with your people are fractured the rhythm of your business will suffer. Don’t expect your people to buy-in to your product until you have bought-in to your people. Until you get this right nothing else will be.

Divided loyalties

Here’s the rub: Your people want to be a part of an organization and service that they believe in and have a connection with. They want to be a part of something that is meaningful and contribute in a way that makes a difference. But when their good intentions brush up against a ‘process over people’ mentality it creates division.

Now your people have divided loyalties between liking the service they render and the people they serve and those who are calling the shots. If divided loyalties are widespread among your people then your processes have failed you.

Revolving doors

It’s been said that people don’t quit organizations they quit bosses (leaders). If the execution of your leadership is grounded in policies and procedures over relationships and teamwork then expect high turnover. Simply put; rules over relationship breeds rebellion. Eventually there comes a tipping point when your best and brightest will vote with their feet and find the door.

Let me be clear – boundaries are important and there is a place for policies. But policies and procedures should complement the work of your people and their productivity, not stand in the way of it.

Your organizational culture is tied to your employee engagement. Such fallout as articulated here due to poor employee engagement does not have to define your organization. But whether it does or not is on you as the leader.

Your path forward begins by recognizing that your people are your most valuable and appreciable asset. To that end you must recognize relationships and communication for what is it is – the heartbeat of your organization. Be committed to serving your people, building relationships, and developing leaders. At the end of the day, had you rather be known as the organization with great policies or great people?

What do you say?

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4 Things Your Employees Don’t Need From You

What a pleasure life would be to live if everybody would try to do only half of what he expects others to do. – William J.H. Boetcker

A story from Bits & Pieces tells of a manager and a sales rep standing and looking at a map on which colored pins indicate the company representatives in each area. “I’m not going to fire you, Wilson,” the manager said, “but I’m loosening your pin just to emphasize the insecurity of the situation.” That, of course, is a light-hearted reminder of the complexity of the employer/employee relationship.

Ask most people at their place of business what they need from their employers to be more successful or productive on the job and they will be quick to tell you. But when you ask them what they don’t need in order to be more productive is when things get interesting. Not long ago I asked a group of workers what they didn’t need in order to succeed. It was eye-opening exercise you should try.

Writing in a Harvard Business Review blog (http://bit.ly/1rEOqqS), Gretchen Gavett reported on the findings of the American Psychological Association’s new “Work and Well-Being Survey”. The good news out of their report is that 70 percent of people are satisfied with their jobs. But once you look below the surface there are a few troubling signs.

“Although almost two-thirds of employees feel their company treats them fairly,” writes Gavett, “other aspects don’t look so good. More than half feel like their employer isn’t open and upfront, a third feel that their organization isn’t always honest and truthful. One in four say they don’t trust their employer at all, and that’s a big deal.”

While intuitively we should know that open communication and trust are essential to good employer/employee relationships it still resurfaces as an issue to address. Knowing what your people need to succeed is important, but also knowing what they don’t need from you will certainly help. Here are four things to start with.

Your negative attitude

In as much as positive attitudes are contagious so are negatives ones. If you make it a habit to circulate among your people with a bad attitude, always finding fault, only focusing on what’s wrong, then your presence will be a demoralizing factor. The truth be told, your people may have every tool they need to succeed but if you have a negative attitude then it is hindering them. Among my informal survey this was the most cited response.

Your indifference

Everyone likes to be appreciated, valued, and wants to believe that their work makes a difference. But if you come across as indifferent to their work, ideas, and contributions then you are sending signals that they are unimportant to you. If you place no value in your people then how can you expect them to place value in their work? Indifference breeds indifference and the results will be devastating.

Your Obstruction

Your leadership style will either facilitate the progress of your people or it will stand in their way. If you burden people down with unnecessary policies and procedures, time-wasting meetings, or ill-timed interruptions then you are in the way. Your employees should not be made to pay the price for your poor time management skills. Don’t allow the “tyranny of the urgent” to be an obstruction to your people.

Your Inconsistencies

While most of your people will never speak up about this don’t mistake it for not noticing. Inconsistent actions by management always send the wrong message. When you communicate one thing and do another then you have planted doubt and mistrust in the minds of your people. Your employees don’t need mixed messages. It only creates confusion and animosity.

So, what’s the bottom line? What do your employees need? From their management team they need leaders with positive attitudes who see the good and bad and know how to address both. They need engaged leaders who know their business without being in their business. They need leaders who clear paths towards success and goal achievement without creating barriers. They need strong leaders who fairly and consistently put forth the values, vision, and best practices of the organization so that everyone can succeed.

What do you say?

I welcome your feedback:

1. What additional things would you add to the list?

2. How can employers do a better job building relationships with their employees?

3. What are some best practices that you can share that have been helpful in your experience?

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Leadership Minute: Working Together

Posted March 13, 2014
by admin
2 Comments on Leadership Minute: Working Together

There is nothing wrong with competition. The problem for many leaders is that thy end up competing against their peers in their organization in a way that hurts the team and them. – John Maxwell

Hopefully within your organization are a group of committed individuals who have a strong desire to succeed. The energy they generate is vital to your future. The more of them you have the better positioned you are going forward. But be careful not to allow that energy to be used in a negative way. Healthy competition is good but it can be counterproductive when it turns friends into enemies or colleagues into adversaries. Don’t allow factions to emerge because of the actions of a few. Your team must be reminded that you are all working toward the same goals and everyone’s success must be celebrated. When you work together you can succeed together.

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