Leading and managing people and projects is easy when people are easy. You know, working with the people who finish your sentences and love the same dog breed you do.
What about those people with talents and strengths that want and need your time; irritate you just by being in the same room; interrupt and ask you to get to the point and want to know the value and benefits of the work they are doing?
For the last 15 years, I have used a terrific leadership, communication and behavioral performance assessment that reveals your talents and strengths and highlights areas where success might be tough to achieve.
Why assess? So you know who you are dealing with and who you are right now. Many of us operate under the illusion that we have not shifted and changed, but remain the same and thus, manage the same as we always have. This will cause you a great loss soon if you are unwilling to shift your methods with people and projects.
Employees, contractors, bosses and colleagues need a different kind of engagement now. And people are starting to resist if they don’t get what they need. There are big shortages of technically talented people, so I would leverage your current strategies to include the shifts in management and leading that people need now:
- They want to know what they are working on and why
- They need to know that they are valued
- They want to learn new and enhanced skills
- They want one-on-one time with their bosses and team to gain relationship safety
- They want balance in their work hours for themselves and their families
- They love technology and want to work with good reliable and sometimes, buzzy equipment
The article that I have provided for you below is from the Huffington Post. It is a terrific article and I provided it because you need to read it and the information is not only interesting, but valuable. A good reminder of managing well.
One of the points mentioned in the article is the careless use of employee time and talents when it comes to one-on-one relationship time. I have cautioned my clients for years to not give up this kind of time. It is precious; keeps everyone focused and it just feels good to be valued and listened to.
My thoughts and experience for managers and leaders are short and sweet:
- Listen
- Give feedback, good and bad
- Be consistent
- Do not show favorites
- Be willing to give direction to someone who is not doing well
- Continue learning – read the classics, respect the leadership and managing role
My client coaching guidance includes the phrase: “Be consistent, focused and frequent with information, leading and accountability messages.” You cannot go wrong with a consistent message focused on the outcomes and frequent communication about what is most important to the outcomes of the mission and vision of your department; organization; team; and/or industry.
My first recommendation as you accelerate your interest in your own learning and growing, is do an assessment of who you are and where you are today. Send me a personal email and I will share the information. It is powerful to know your current talents, strengths and challenges and how to shift them to making them work for you.
To your success,
P.S. On your bed stand or your book shelf at work – Kindle works too – should be the copy of Marshall Goldsmiths “What Got You Here, Won’t Get You There”. Visit our Best Reads for your very own copy.
P.P.S. Article I promised from the Huffington Post on new Millennial Managers. Worth the read no matter how seasoned a manager or leader you might be.