Posts Tagged ‘leadership’

How to Talk So People Will Listen

Monday, November 2nd, 2009

At the end of any given conversation, whether it’s with co-workers, employees, or customers, do you ever find yourself asking the following questions:
– “How many times do I have to tell them how it’s done?”
– “Why are there so many misunderstandings?”
– “Doesn’t anyone ever listen to me?”

If so, you’re not alone. In companies across the nation, communication breakdown is one of the main challenges managers deal with on a daily basis. As a result, they spend time restating their objectives to the same people over and over again, only to have the intended message still get altered or confused. Depending on the situation, communication breakdown can have severe consequenceseverything from lost sales and profits to high employee turnover rates.

The warning signs of communication breakdown include the listener losing interest before you’re finished speaking, your being unable to get the floor at meetings, and doing all the talking during a conversation when you want feedback. If any of these things routinely happen to you during conversations, your communication efforts are not effective or efficient.

Traditionally, most business leaders have spent their time attempting to change the way others listen. This is an exercise in futility because the only element in any interaction you can change is your part of it. Those professionals who are motivated to adjust their speaking in order to get people to listen, develop better relations with staff, investors and customers. The result will be fewer misunderstandings and more success in the business. By making the following adjustments to your conversations, you too can experience the satisfying results of positive communication.

1. Stop talking
When someone talks incessantly, the listener naturally wants to tune out. Listening is an energy draining process, so forcing people to listen for long periods of time can wear them out. To motivate others, especially if you are the boss or key figure in a negotiation, be quiet and listen to others in order to discover what they are thinking. Stop talking long enough to capture the entire essence of what the other person is saying. Listen for the value the other person wants to add and incorporate that into your response.

2. Get to the point
Effective communicators don’t beat around the bush. They make their points clearly and accurately. To do so, start with a single sentence that notes your positive intent. Next, state the overall goal. Once you make your suggestion for action, follow it up with justifications. Often, but not always, ask for feedback on the idea and allow for brainstorming. Summarize all decisions and each person’s role with dated, specific, and measurable commitments.

3. Take a presentation skills class
By brushing up on your speaking skills, you can “even the playing field” with those successful but less talented colleagues who got where they are because of their excellent oratory skills. Most accomplished speakers take a class or review a book on presentation skills every few years to become more confident, persuasive, and effective.

4. Keep your tone neutral
During every conversation, speak to others as you want them to speak to you. Avoid sarcasm and other hostile behaviors. When you routinely humiliate, berate, or poke fun at others, they won’t listen to much of what you say or go the extra mile for you. Speak loud enough so that no one must strain to hear you, and speak with authority, so you’ll be perceived as more credible. As far as what to say, always remember to praise in public and criticize in private, each time addressing the behavior itself and not the person’s personality.

5. Reduce your speaking accent
When listening to someone who has a thick accent, people routinely miss 10-30 percent of what is said. If you are completely fluent in English but still have people asking you to repeat yourself, taking a presentation skills class that focuses on accent reduction is a wise career move. It’s your job as the speaker to be a clear communicator, especially since others won’t work to understand you. Additionally, listeners can become embarrassed when they have to continually ask you to repeat yourself. Instead, very often they’ll nod and smile, and then ask each other afterward, “What are we supposed to do?” But there is no reason to lose your accent entirely, as a charming accent differentiates you from the group and is part of your persona. However, with information and videotaped training, even a couple of days of coaching can improve comprehension by 80 percent.

Being an effective communicator is the best way to get others to listen to what you say. Since few people enjoy repeating themselves multiple times or the resulting consequences of not getting important messages understood, improve your communication skills so that listening is not a burden for others. The result will be that listeners will hear and comprehend you each time you speak.

Dr. Reesa Woolf
Public Speaking Coach

Website: Http://ConfidentSpeaking.com
Blog: Http://HowToSpeakWithoutAnxiety.blogspot.com

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Are You Managing to Lead

Tuesday, September 29th, 2009

For many people, the terms “manager” and “leader” are synonymous.

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Managing Things and Leading People

Sunday, August 9th, 2009

“Too many managers treat “their people” as assets with skin wrapped around them.”

High-performing teams and organizations balance the discipline of systems, processes, and technology management on a base of effective people leadership. Here are some key of the key distinctions between the two:

The Management-Leadership Balance

Management:

Systems, process, and technology

Goals, standards, and measurements

Control

Strategic Planning

A way of doing

Directing

Responding and reacting

Continuous Improvement of what is

Leadership:

People – context and culture

Preferred future, principles, and purpose

Commitment

Strategic opportunism

A way of being

Serving

Initiating and originating

Innovative breakthroughs to what could be

Both management and leadership skills are needed at the organizational, team, and personal levels. It’s not a case of either/or, but and/also. Futurist, Joel Barker provides another helpful distinction between the two roles; “managers manage within paradigms, leaders lead between paradigms”. Both are needed. Trying to run an organization with only leadership or management is like trying to cut a page with half a pair of scissors. Leadership and management are a matched set; are both needed to be effective.

Systems and processes (management) for example, are critical to success. You and your organization can be using the latest technologies and be highly focused on customers and those serving them (leadership), but if the methods and approaches you’re using to structure and organize your work is weak, your performance will suffer badly. People in your organization can be “empowered”, energized, and enlightened; but if your systems, processes, and technologies don’t enable them to perform well, they won’t. Developing the discipline and using the most effective tools and techniques of personal and organization systems and processes is a critical element of high performance.

But as the sweeping movement to teams, “empowerment”, and involvement intensifies, many more daily management tasks are moving to the front lines where they belong. So leadership becomes even more critical. Unfortunately, many people in so-called leadership positions aren’t leaders. They’re managers, bureaucrats, technocrats, bosses, administrators, department heads, and the like; but they aren’t leaders. On the other hand, some people in individual contributor roles are powerful leaders. Leadership is an action, not a position.

A leader doesn’t just react and respond, but rather takes the initiative and generates action. A leader doesn’t say “something should be done”, but ensures something is done. An effective leader is a “people person”. Effective leaders connect, stay in contact with, and are highly visible to everyone on their team and in their organization. Leaders have developed the skills of supercharging logic, data, and analysis with emotion, pride, and the will to win. Their passion and enthusiasm for the team or organization’s vision and purpose is highly contagious. They fire the imaginations, develop the capabilities, and build the confidence of people to “go for it”. Leaders help people believe the impossible is possible, which makes it highly probable.

Do you like to be managed or led? You’re not alone. Very few people want to work for a manager. Most of us would much rather be led by a leader. To manage is to control, handle, or manipulate. To lead is to guide, influence, or persuade. You manage things — systems, processes, and technology. You lead people. The roots of the rampant morale, energy, and performance problems found in many organizations are Technomanagers who treat people as “human resources” to be managed. If you want to manage someone, manage yourself. Once you master that, you’ll be a much more effective leader of others.

Jim Clemmer is a bestselling author and internationally acclaimed keynote speaker, workshop/retreat leader, and management team developer on leadership, change, customer focus, culture, teams, and personal growth. During the last 25 years he has delivered over two thousand customized keynote presentations, workshops, and retreats. Jim’s five international bestselling books include The VIP Strategy, Firing on All Cylinders, Pathways to Performance, Growing the Distance, and The Leader’s Digest. His web site is http://www.clemmer.net/articles.

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Giving Effective Feedback

Sunday, May 31st, 2009

If there is one area that gives both managers and employees difficulty it is the need to give and accept effective feedback. It is one of the most crucial elements in assisting employees to improve their performance. It establishes a connection between what employees are doing and how their actions are perceived by others. Although receiving feedback is often under appreciated, those on the receiving end must occasionally be reminded that no feedback could be much worse.

Most managers consider themselves to be high achievers. Out of this mindset comes the need to want to move right into problem solving by directing staff to fix a problem in a specific way. This quick fix solution shouts loudly of their inexperience. More seasoned managers know the importance of effective communication and begin the feedback process by listening to their people. They encourage input into the situation in order to determine what may be interfering with getting the job done in the most effective way. Only after they have received input can they can gain a broader perspective of the situation and make appropriate recommendations for action.

Giving feedback is not about dishing out criticism; however, this often proves to be the case when managers find themselves under pressure. It is at these times that emotions get in the way of effective management and much is lost in the process.

Let’s put this on a personal level. As a manager, you want to be liked by your employees. You have always resented those who misjudge you and who find fault without knowing the full story. You vowed that when you became a manager that you would not follow this course of action because you know this type of behavior does nothing to improve your performance but rather makes you mistrust people and devalue their capabilities.

“The young carry-out boy was asked, “How long have you been working here?” He replied, “Ever since they threatened to fire me.” –Anonymous

Although numerous books have been written about the essential qualities of good leaders, in my opinion, four qualities stand out: communication, trust, competence, and caring.

Effective leaders communicate clearly and inspire others to want to take action. Good leaders are good listeners. They pause often, and acknowledge the presence of others. Most importantly, they stop talking and listen attentively. They build trust through what is said and done. Their competence is judged on how they make decisions and lead people. And, lastly they are people savvy. They are genuinely interested in others and get the job done through collaboration. Good leaders are not Lone Rangers. They do not expect others to be “just like them.” But rather, they recognize and leverage the talents of others for the benefit of the entire organization.

Remember, even though you, as a manager, may dislike giving feedback, your employees expect and need it from you. The complaints are not usually about the necessity to improve, but how the situation was inappropriately handled.

Feedback should NOT be limited to the times you do Performance Evaluations but should be an ongoing process between a manager and her or his team. The results are good grades in the four qualities of effective leadership mentioned above.

TECHNIQUES FOR EFFECTIVE FEEDBACK

Rule of 3 x 3

effective feedbackBert Decker is his book, You’ve Got To Be Believed to be Heard, talks about his 3 x 3 Rule when giving feedback. His method forces the manager to give balanced feedback by focusing on three strengths and three areas of development when analyzing performance and behavior. Capping it to three keeps the information succinct and easily remembered. Decker says, “Receiving three bits of feedback at a time allows people to make course corrections, like a guided missile, as they keep moving onward and upward. The goal is not to flatten someone’s ego but rather to give them encouragement and to challenge them to improve.

Focus on Performance, Not Personality

The most effective way to discuss areas requiring improvement is to focus on observable actions, not attitudes. By limiting your criticism to what you see with your own two eyes, it will help you refrain from judgments that can trigger a defensive reaction. An example might be, “I have heard you making a number of personal telephone calls lately, is there something going on that you need our support for?” That is better than saying, “You seem to be making a number of personal calls lately, and this has become very disruptive.”

Certain Words Create Problems

Words that are dangerous when evaluating performance are always, never, and worst. If you let slip any of these words, you are overstating your case and not focusing on actual performance. Far better to say, “I’ve seen you do this three times this week.”

New managers who are not accustomed to providing feedback will often sound accusatory when they are trying to assert their authority. If this is you, you will know you are on shaky ground if you find yourself using the word “you” followed by a negative comment. An example might be, “You didn’t meet the deadline we agreed to.” With this language, tensions will be inflamed and the result will be a resentful employee. Better to say, “We agreed to a Friday deadline. Can you tell me what problems you encountered?” This moves the employee into analyzing the situation rather than becoming defensive.

Use Questions to Give You Leverage

It is often helpful to let employees discover for themselves what could be improved. This tactic works especially well with high-ego performers who automatically resist any input they get as negative. Many new managers make the mistake of talking so much that employees feel like they are being scolded as a preschooler.

It is more beneficial to ask questions to flush out the situation. Prod the employee, in a non-threatening way, into evaluating his or her own performance in an area where you have concern. Stay totally involved in the process by allowing the employee to make recommendations for their own improvement. Learning “questioning skills” is a valuable tool and one that can be taught in the coaching process. Questioning helps you get a broader perspective on a situation and helps you avoid lapsing into the lecture mode.

Be Supportive

There is a fine line between advice and support. Advice involves telling someone how to solve a problem. Support on the other hand, makes the other person feel valued. It is well intentioned and shows a willingness to share observations and seek information to help the employee to succeed. It does not assert superiority or position. Like a friendly but curious detective, you want to investigate behavior rather than take a position that assigns right-wrong labels to a person.

Leaders are Always in Training

Just as professional athletes are in year-round training because they desire continuous improvement, so too should managers be in continuous training. Personal Executive Coaching has proven long-term benefits because executives learn to integrate the skills and apply them on the job. If you expect the best from your people then setting high expectations for yourself is both natural and positive. Set up your Free 30-minute Coaching Session by clicking the appropriate box on the right-hand panel.

Author

Barb McEwen is a well-known Master Executive Coach and Organizational Development Consultant who works with senior executives from around the world to help identify and assess developmental opportunities for both organizations and individuals.

Reprints

You are welcome to reprint these articles. The following quotation must be printed at the conclusion of each reprinted article.

Copyright Barb McEwen and 20/20 Executive Coaching, Inc. Barb McEwen is a well known, thought-provoking and inspirational speaker. You can reach her at: Barb.McEwen@2020ExecutiveCoaching.com. Learn how to be a more effective manager and leader. Check out her website at http://www.2020executivecoaching.com.

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Have We Learned Nothing About Managing Change

Wednesday, April 29th, 2009

Patrick, the baby of my extended family, started kindergarten this year. As a
graduate of pre-school, we thought he’d be right at home in his new class. But after
the very first day, he firmly announced that he wouldn’t be going back to school.
When questioned about this decision, he admitted that the teacher was nice enough,
and all his friends were glad to see him, but (and to Patrick, this was the deal
breaker) there was no naptime.

No naptime! In Patrick’s school, 5-year olds are being asked to “pay attention” from
8 am to 3 pm without an opportunity to rest and recharge. Have we learned nothing
about educating young children?

Which started me thinking about my work . . .

I’ve spent the past twenty years helping individuals and organizations thrive on
change. Yet, recently, I’ve seen leaders making some of the same mistakes I noticed
two decades ago. Have we learned nothing about managing change?

I don’t mean to minimize the complexity and chaos that leaders are facing. Rapidly
changing technologies make yesterday’s choices obsolete. The turbulent economy
increases pressure to “do more with less.” Companies rely on a shifting stream of
alliances – competitors one day and partners the next – and sometimes both at the
same time. Corporate reorganizing is becoming an annual affair. Mergers and
acquisitions are on the rise. Customers are demanding “better, faster, cheaper”
everything. Competition is fierce. The pace of change is accelerating. And
employees are increasingly skeptical about committing to business strategies that
are constantly being redefined.

Yet this is our reality – and in this world, leadership success belongs to those who
can keep a work force resilient, positive, and engaged while dealing with the
tsunami of change that is turning our organizations upside down. Here are the most
common mistakes leaders make managing large-scale organizational change and
the lessons we need to reinforce.

Mistake: Not understanding the importance of people. As high as 75 percent of all
major restructuring fails, not because of faulty strategy, but because of problems
with the “human dimension.” After years of research studies and statistics, we know
this for a fact. And yet, as recent as last month, a vice president facing the
transformation of her department asked me if she really had to include her
employees in planning for the change.

Lesson: Organizations don’t change. People do . . . or they don’t. If employees don’t
trust leadership, don’t share the organization’s vision, don’t understand the reason
for change, and aren’t included in the planning, there will be no successful change
regardless of how valid the need or how brilliant the strategy.

Mistake: Neglecting the emotional side of change. Transformation requires a
redefinition of who we are and what we do. It’s often unpredictable (responding to
unforeseen circumstance) and unnerving (requiring employees and businesses to
reinvent themselves while they are at the top of their game). It can twist people’s
past success into their greatest obstacle for the future. It’s highly emotional.

Lesson: To lead an organization (or a department or a team) through
transformation, it is not enough just to appeal to people’s logic, you also have to
touch them emotionally. Change leadership is about creating meaning. Employees
need to be engaged by a vision of the future, and to be inspired to execute that
vision. This takes leaders with a deep understanding of human emotion, who can
see the power of intangibles and can capture the imagination of an entire work force
in the pictures they paint and the stories they tell.

Mistake: Not being candid. Under the rationale of protecting people, leaders present
change with a too positive “spin.” And the more they “sugar-coat” the truth, the
wider the trust gap grows between management and workers. Organizational
communicators, perceived as the purveyors of corporate propaganda, lose
credibility as well.

Lesson: Honest communication goes beyond simply telling the truth when it’s
advantageous. It requires an unprecedented openness and transparency: a
proactive, even aggressive, sharing of everything – financials, strategy, business
opportunities, risks, failures. People need pertinent information about demographic,
global, economic, technological, competitive, and industry trends. They need to
understand the economic reality of the business and how their actions impact that
reality.

Mistake: Defining “change communication” as what employees hear or read from
officially sanctioned sources. Reflecting this belief, leaders focus most of their
attention on traditional communication vehicles — speeches, newsletters, videos,
intranets, email, etc. Yet, from the employees’ perspective, traditional
communication accounts for only ten percent of what convinces them to change.

Lesson: The most powerful change communication, accounting for 90 percent of
what impacts a work force, is divided evenly between organizational structure
(whatever punishes or rewards) and leadership behavior. Rhetoric without congruent
action quickly disintegrates into empty slogans. A communication strategy that is
not aligned with organizational systems and the actions of leaders is useless.

Mistake: Trying to lead change with command and control tactics. In a command
and control culture, only top executives are expected to solve problems, make
decisions, and set the change agenda. Such a limited view not only places an
enormous burden on senior management to come up with all the answers, it also
restricts the contributions of the rest of the organization and widens the division
between them and us.

Lesson: A company’s competitive advantage is a combination of the potential of its
people, the quality of the information that people possess, and the ability to share
that knowledge with others in the organization. During transformation, leadership’s
primary challenge is to link these components as tightly as possible. The most
successful change strategies are highly collaborative. Developed in participative
sessions, these strategies capitalize on the wisdom, experience, and creativity of
employees throughout the organization.

Carol Kinsey Goman, Ph.D. coaches executives, facilitates management retreats,
helps change teams develop strategies, and delivers keynote speeches and seminars
to association and business audiences around the world. Carol is the author of nine
books, including “This Isn’t the Company I Joined” – How to Lead in a Business
Turned Upside Down. She can be reached by phone: 510-526-1727, email:
CGoman@CKG.com, or through her website: http://www.CKG.com.

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Managing Others Leading By Example

Wednesday, January 21st, 2009

I’ve written a couple of articles that in some way relate to managing other people, and there are two reasons for this:

  1. Managing other people is seen as the next step in almost all career paths.
  2. Managing other people is one of the hardest skills to master.

In other words, you can never read enough about effectively managing other people. It’s in this line of thinking that I’m going to share with you one of the most important pieces of advice I can give: Lead by example.

Sounds simple enough, but you’d be surprised how often we do something that sends a bad message to our team. Here are three ways that you can send a good message to your team, and consequently make yourself a better team leader.

  • First to arrive, Last to leave – In general, you should be the first one to arrive out of your team to work and the last one to leave. This sets a great example for the rest of your team as to the level of your commitment not only to your project but to them. It will really help to set a good work pace, as they can see you working right when they get in up until they leave. Now, this does not always have to apply. For example, if one of your team members needs to work overnight on something, you don’t have to stay with them. However, when you can, you should try to follow this tip.

  • Don’t take “Sick” time – Now before you light the torches, let me explain. It’s perfectly fine to take a day off if you actually are sick. What I’m referring to is “Sick” days off, where you might be taking it for another reason (don’t even try to tell me you have never taken one). While in itself this is unacceptable, when you begin to be responsible for others it becomes even more so. You don’t have the liberty of not caring for a day, as people’s jobs could depend on you. What if you’re not there to answer a question and work stops? What if you miss a deadline because of that? This domino effect only gets worse, and it is something you need to think about before you call off.

  • The “Bad mouthing” ends – This might be the single most important point of the three. When you are in charge, you need to keep morale as high as you can. This means that “Bad mouthing” other co-workers or your project pretty much ends. Think of it this way: If your manager starts talking about how awful your project is, what are you going to think? If they can’t handle it, how should you be able to? This also applies to your co-workers, especially any on your team. You should never rag on them, so to speak. Your team will take their cues from you, and you need to set a good example. They most likely need to work with these people, and you want that to go smoothly without anybody having any preconceived notions.

Your team performing better can only help you out in the long run. It’s a boon not only to your current project’s success, but to the success of your career as well.

Kevin Augustine is the administrator for Workplace Life – Where Every Cubicle Has a Window. Visit us for helpful articles on common Microsoft Office software such as Microsoft Word and Excel. We also have articles on career management, surviving in the office, professional email tips, and bits of humor to lighten up your day.

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Manage or Lead – Why the Difference Matters and What to Do About That Difference

Tuesday, November 4th, 2008

Many books have been written about managing people, and an equally large number have been written about leadership. Some use the words manage and lead interchangeably, and some talk about the differences between the words, building a distinction based on style or behaviors.

With all due respect for these books, let me make it simple.

Manage things and lead people.

Manage

Often we can clarify much by going to the dictionary to look up words we already know. When I looked up manage on Dictionary .com, I saw phrases like:

“To direct or control the use of; handle, to exert control over, to make submissive to one’s authority, discipline, or persuasion . . .”

Given those definitions there are many things we need to manage:

Budgets

Production schedules

Sales forecasts

Marketing plans

Projects

Work flow

to name a few.

Obviously, management skills are important. Organizations need the capability of effectively managing the items and resources on the list above (and 100 other things).

The rub comes when you start thinking about managing people. People aren’t budgets or marketing plans. People are a resource in a whole other classification beyond the other resources of an organization.

People won’t perform most effectively if they are being controlled or made submissive to authority. (Hey, I’m just using the words from the definition I read!)

Lead

On the other hand, let’s go back to the dictionary.com for some phrases on lead.

“show the way by going in advance, to guide or direct a course, to inspire the conduct of ” are just a few of the definitions I found.

People respond to being led.

Just as you can’t inspire the conduct of a budget, you won’t be most effective trying to manage people.

Which leads me back to my initial premise: Manage things and lead people.

Beyond Semantics

I challenge you to think about your current practices, habits and approaches to working with other people. If you can find situations, times, or tendencies where you lean towards managing people, I encourage you to try a new approach starting today.

Here are six things you can do to shift your focus towards leading:

1. Think about how you have felt when being led vs. being managed. Write down five reasons you prefer to be led and use those reasons as reminders for yourself.

2. Explain these differences to those you lead and have a discussion about those differences. Commit to these people that you want to lead them more and manage them less. Ask for their help in adjusting your approach.

3. Recognize the strengths in those you work with and find ways for them to express those strengths more often and effectively.

4. Take the lead. Show the way by rolling up your sleeves to help a group with a sticky problem or to help them overcome a time crunch. Maybe you know the real work and can help in that way. Maybe you help by getting rid of an obstacle, providing moral support or getting the pizza.

5. Build relationships. Remember always that leading is a relationship activity, so take more time and focus more energy on building relationships with those you lead. As you build relationships you give yourself the opportunity to be more effective as a leader.

6. Think of yourself, call yourself, and introduce yourself as a leader and not a manager. The words matter.

Improve your management skills. Learn how to allocate resources, control expenses, and build projects. Use the thoughts in this article to help you continue to improve your leadership skills too. Both skill sets are important. And both always have room for improvement.

They just aren’t one in the same Manage things and lead people.

Kevin Eikenberry is Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group (http://KevinEikenberry.com), a learning consulting company that helps Clients reach their potential through a variety of training, consulting and speaking services. To receive your free special report on “Unleashing Your Potential” go to http://www.kevineikenberry.com/uypw/index.asp or call us at (317) 387-1424 or 888.LEARNER.

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Managing Yo-Yo Style

Tuesday, August 5th, 2008

Does being managed by others smack more of “Survivor” than Stephen Covey for you? Could there BE any more management styles out therehave you gotten to experience all of them yet? And what kind of manager are youor should you try to be?

If you’re reading this, you’re probably familiar with too many types of management and leadership stylesmore flavors than months, for the most part. On the leadership, not so much. I offer to you now an additional insight into a newly designated style that you will recognize, and may even find funny. Or not, depending on life at work.

And speaking of life at work, what could be more fun than children’s toys at work? How about just the thought of them? No, waithow about BEING them?

Before I go on, I must tell you I am at work on a book on management styles, because we definitely need more fun at work, but this type of “leadership” stands alone, and was recognized and developed by a colleague and myself, with one disclaimer only: No alcoholic beverages were consumed in the making of this theory!

Now back to our theory, which shall be forever called The Yo-Yo Style of Management

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7 Common-Sense Tips for Managing People

Thursday, July 31st, 2008

“Example is not the main thing in influencing others. It is the only thing.” Albert Schweitzer

1.You set the standard: Work as hard, or harder, than your employees. Be a role model when managing people. Strive to know more than your best employee (or best sales rep) about your product line, industry, and their jobs. This doesn’t mean you have to know everything. Still, educate yourself. I frequently hear in my seminars, “My boss has no idea what I really do in my job. The challenges, the pressures I face, and the time constraints.”

2. Be an effective communicator: Communicate the good, the bad, and the ugly at least weekly. In study after study, employees and business leaders overwhelmingly want a leader who is “straightforward.” I hear this over and over in my leadership seminars and workshops worldwide. Good interpersonal skills are crucial in managing people.

3. Be authentic, be real: The #1 trait people want to see, to willingly follow their leader is honesty. How can you expect them to look up to you if they don’t trust you? Leadership is all about honesty and integrity.

4. The top 5 things: Ask your people point blank, “What are the top 5 things I can do to help you succeed?” For example, if they are salespeople, what can you do to motivate them to be out in the field instead of in the office?

5. MBWA: Management by walking around. Be accessible to them. Get in the trenches with your team. Nothing will gain respect for you more than that. This is another trait I consistently hear from my participants that they want to see in their leaders, and from their management team.

6. Be willing to fight for them: But before that, set the standard so they know how far they can push something before they ask for it. And when is enoughenough.

7. Get the facts first, listen: Never question their integrity without first gathering all the data. Have an open mind. Let them tell their side of the story. Just because you acknowledge what they say doesn’t mean you have to agree.

This leadership article on managing people represents the opinions of a large cross section of employees, most of whom are managers themselves. In presenting approximately 100 leadership programs a year worldwide for the past ten years, these are the top 7 “common-sense” traits I hear employees most want from their managers. I refer to them as common-sense as it seems most leaders would know how important these people skills are to possess. Yet, many in management have risen in the ranks due only to their “hard skills” or technical skills. Many managers are promoted to management positions without any formal training in the area of communication and managing people. As a result, they can be too overbearing, or just the opposite, non-confrontational.

If nothing else, develop your communication and conflict-resolution skills. It’ll save you money in the long run. As a manager, it’s imperative to know how to manage people. The courts are filled with hotheads, people who said the wrong thing at the wrong time. Or worse, said nothing at all, and enabled the behavior of a difficult employee until it reached a crisis point.

“Sow an act, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny.” G.D. Boardman

Copyright 2006 Colleen Kettenhofen

Colleen Kettenhofen is a motivational speaker, workplace expert, & co-author of “The Masters of Success,” as featured on the Today Show, along with Ken Blanchard and Jack Canfield. She has spoken in 47 states & 6 countries. Popular topics: difficult people, success, presentation skills, leadership, life balance. To order the book online, or for more free articles visit http://www.ColleenSpeaks.com Colleen is available for keynotes, breakout sessions and seminars.
http://www.ColleenSpeaks.com colleen@colleenspeaks.com

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