Building the Team

Much like a corporation is considered its own entity, teams will take on a life of their own. This is a good thing when you have the right bunch of people and can lead to better productivity. Micromanaging is counterproductive in the long run and not a growing trend for leadership in the 21^st century. The conundrum is how to let go of control and signal to the staff it’s alright to pick up the slack. In an organization where all plans and decisions are centralized, that transformation will not take place overnight. This is where the boss must be willing to let go of a certain amount of control and begin to encourage employees to take more initiative. But, the proper relationship between team and team leader needs to be in place.         

Workers need to have a certain amount of trust before they are willing to take on greater responsibilities. A common fear is someone might make a mistake (and they will) and be blamed for a bad decision. People need to know it is alright to occasionally go out on a limb because management will offer the safety net below. This begins with a sense of belonging.

When team members know they are legitimately valued as a part of the organization, they tend to take ownership. Ownership of the department, ownership of decisions, and themselves ownership of their own mistakes. Empower people and give them access to more resources and decisions. Allow them to speak freely about concerns they may have about a specific task. This will not only lead to better morale but less stress for management.  

Several articles and business text books have been written of the extreme measures the five-star hotel chain Ritz-Carlton will undergo to satisfy their guests. In fact, each employee has a budget of up to $2000, per incident, to ensure guests will come back again. If a valet or maid can fix an issue, they do so, even without managerial approval. This level of trust in turn, spurs greater loyalty from company employees. With the average patron paying a quarter-million dollars over a lifetime, it’s a wise investment.

Are you LISTENING to me? Well, probably NOT!

When I say the word; "communication", what comes to mind? Likely you think of someone speaking, either publicly or inter-personally. You might  have even though of MASS communication which brings to mind TV and radio. Either of which involves someone talking. Have you ever stopped to think listening is part of that communication? In fact, it's exactly fifty per cent. It doesn't really matter what someone says if there is no one there to listen. Without the other participant in the communication process, the idea put forth might as well be an individual thought never leaving the senders mind. It's like that old adage, "if a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it... who cut it down", or something like that.          

As a public speaker, I am all too aware of the importance of constructing thoughts in such a way, it will be understood and hopefully, well received by my audience. Also important are vocal qualities and platform skills. However, I am completely at the mercy of my listeners as to whether they WANT to receive my message. When it comes to small groups or talking one-on-one, the same concept applies. The effectiveness of my idea or concept is only as good as someone who is willing to hear and accept it. Again, I am at their mercy. We have all had those conversations where we were not sure our partner was truly listening, or perhaps we even "zoned out" ourselves. Why in our culture, do we put such an emphasis on the one doing the talking as the one who is active, engaged or putting forth an effort when it comes to sharing ideas? We view the one making the noise as someone DOING something, but what about the receiver? Is that person not also supposed to be actively engaged in the conversation?    

Indeed, "active listening" is a skill, unfortunately, not one appreciated my most people today. Many will be polite and allow someone else to finish his or her thought, but the entire time they are deep in thought as to what they will say next. "Quiet time" is only long enough for someone to shut up. But when the shoe is on the other foot, can we be assured to receive better consideration? That's why I like to quiz my listeners with "what are YOUR thoughts on that"? In truth, we've all been caught off guard at one time or another. Here are a few pointers to help you listen more actively; 

Rest - your mind. Don't jump to a conclusion of what you think the other person is going say next and suspend judgement until they have completely finished their thought.

Resist - the urge to interrupt with your own thought or point of view. Instead, when you have a salient point write a one-word note to prompt yourself to visit that idea later. We must also resist the urge to judge. Allow the talker to finish his or her statement. Scrutinize his or her thought only after that person has completely explained the idea. 

Respond - with short signs of attentiveness such as; "oh", uh-huh" and "I see". Short questions, such as, "What happened next?" will show your communication partner you are listening. Also, send visual cues that you are engaged in what the person is saying by nodding your head and uncrossing your arms. 

Restate - on occasion, in your own words to let the listener know you truly internalized the point they were making. Comments like "So, you're telling me your challenge with this project is..." assures both parties are on the same page. 

Reiterate - what you believe to be key points of what the speaker is saying. This could even be done in the form of a question and followed up with "tell me more about that". 

Reflect - on the entire message when the other is done talking. You may even want to apply what you heard to your own experiences or something that affects you. How could what you just learned HELP you?

By following these simple concepts, you can eliminate much confusion which might otherwise accompany a dialogue. Not only does this apply to interpersonal speech but to sales calls as well. By simply listening, you may uncover a new need or unstated objection that will eventually lead to the sale. When someone is talking, just be patient, hear them out and when it's your turn to speak, insist they do the same.

Are You Aimlessly Wandering as a Manager? You Should!

In management, you have not only the position of leadership but all the responsibilities that come with that appointment. Even though one may be "the boss' or at least a functionary of the boss, there are still duties to perform and decisions to make. That means reports, analysis, deadlines and directives. Most of those duties and decisions cannot be passed off to members of the team or crew because... well they're not the boss, you are!

This means countless hours poring over facts and figures, writing memos, attending meetings and working late in a tiny little cubbyhole you call your office. More than likely, your business school professors never told you about that part of this glamorous job. Nonetheless, it falls to your sense of duty to get comfortable behind your desk and scratch your head while reading a memo from the Accounting Department which states, "this doesn't add up". In order to get things done, you simply cannot afford to spend that much time in the bullpen or on the shop floor, right? Wrong... WAY wrong!        

If there is one thing to learn from Machiavelli's The Prince, besides when it is politically advantageous to not be cruel, it is that of being present. No prince can rule from a foreign land. It doesn't matter what systems are in place, things will naturally break down if people don't hear from, and most importantly SEE their leader. You physically have to present yourself to your team to say "I'm here".

Yes, "when the cat's away, the mice will play", but maybe not for the reasons you think. There are those in every workplace who will do as little as possible while they are in it. However, there are those who sincerely want to put in an honest day's work as well. Without a certain amount of oversight, work will slow down and those loyal to the company will lose focus and feel downright abandoned by management. People look to a leader to ensure they are on the right track and that their efforts won't be a waste of time. They need instruction, guidance and even the occasional inspiration. Believe it or not, that doesn't come from reviewing reports. Those concepts must be communicated and a proactive leader must not wait until an employee knocks on the office door. We all know, by that time it is often a much larger problem that could have been quashed days ago, if only we knew about it then.  

Occasionally getting up and walking around for no particular reason is actually a very effective management tool. Years ago, Tom Peters wrote about this activity and called it Management By Wandering Around (MBWA). Though, we have seen this practiced throughout history where great leaders such as Abraham Lincoln would "pop in" and make their presence known. The intent is simply to see what's going on. In the course of doing so, you will identify issues that need your attention as well as come in contact with those who can fix overlooked problems; your employees. 

To be clear, I'm not talking about micro-managing, skulking behind the office planter or crawling on all fours from cubicle to cubicle. The point is to be noticed. Members of a team often see only their specific function and simply may not recognize a problem for what it is. Not only is this a good point to delegate someone to eliminate an issue before it grows fangs, it is also an opportunity to interact with the rest of the crew. They fully expect there to be guidance from one who is more experienced, but will grow to resent your absence. Without your presence, they will start making their own productivity decisions that may not be in line with that of the company. 

From a point of morale, people want to know the leader is there. They want their work to be validated and the workers to be appreciated for their effort. It is important we praise their actions and give correction where needed. We also need to connect with people on a human level. Asking such questions as "how was your weekend?", "did your son do well at the track meet?" and "do you have pictures of your sister's wedding?" is not a waste of time. This seemingly idle chit-chat leads to respect and trust. These are two things that must flow in either direction if a team is to be successful.  

Notice, Peter labels this as "wandering". There is no set time, course or agenda for this movement. It's simply walking around your department to see what's there. This could be in the morning or afternoon, or both. Carrying a pen and small notepad probably isn't a bad idea either. During your leisurely stroll, take the time to interact with the people who make you look good by asking them if there is anything they need from you. Initially, your employees will be down right puzzled by your daily jaunts, but after a week or two, they will be use to it and view them as normal behavior. In fact, they will anticipate your arrival and many times have questions or concerns for you to address. Many of these issues would never have come to your attention had you not made yourself available to your team. 

Blaine Little
http://speakingforeffect.com/
BlaineSpeak@gmail.com