Showing posts with label Communication. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Communication. Show all posts
Monday, July 13, 2009
The Art of Listening
Check out this article on the art of listening. It's a quick and easy read packed full of good information. When you're done reading it, give us a call and we can help you put the principles in the article to use in your business, team, or personal life.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Making an Exeucitve Presence
Are you currently in a management or executive position and thinking about how to take the next step up the ladder? Do you know how to make an "executive presence" with your direct reports, customers, and even your boss? To begin, read this short article entitled, "6 Tips for Developing Executive Presence." After reading the article, give us a call. We can help you with the rest!
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Undercover CEO
Interested in knowing what your employees really think? Are your core messages being communicated at all levels in your organization? Learn how one CEO went undercover to find out more about his employees and even his company then he could have ever imagined.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Communication and Influence...More then just the words!
Great leaders use communication as a way to motivate and influence people. As Bill Clinton said in the article, "The Art of Oratory" -
"You measure the impact of your words, not on the beauty or the emotion of the moment but on whether you change the way people not only think, but the way they feel."
Great leaders understand that the actual words they speak are not nearly as important as the tone they use to deliver the message, the rate at which they speak and/or their body language. Great communicators take their audience on a roller coaster ride of ups and downs, highs and lows, and twists and turns to influence not only how they think, but most importantly how they feel.
Need help becoming a more influential and dynamic speaker? Contact us to see how we can help you.
"You measure the impact of your words, not on the beauty or the emotion of the moment but on whether you change the way people not only think, but the way they feel."
Great leaders understand that the actual words they speak are not nearly as important as the tone they use to deliver the message, the rate at which they speak and/or their body language. Great communicators take their audience on a roller coaster ride of ups and downs, highs and lows, and twists and turns to influence not only how they think, but most importantly how they feel.
Need help becoming a more influential and dynamic speaker? Contact us to see how we can help you.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
"You are full of bull!"
I just read an article discussing the challenges facing the new CEO of Yahoo, Carol Bartz. In the article, a former co-worker had this to say about working with Carol Bartz.
"She is the only boss who I've worked with who can look you in the eye and say, 'You are full of bull, here's what you are doing wrong,' and you feel like she's done you a favor," said Bill Coleman, who was chief executive of BEA Systems while Bartz was on that company's board.
A friend asked me the question, “How can one person say something like that and have it “work” while another person could say the same exact thing and have it end with resentment, negativity and a destroyed relationship?” Without knowing Ms. Bartz, I can explain how and why some comments said by one person can produce a dramatically different reaction then if another person were to say the same exact thing.
1.) Communication: First off, you must know how to communicate to the person you are working with. Not everyone will respond the same way to a message and, as a leader; it is up to you to know what you can say to one person that you might not say to another person. Think of it like baseball. Some batters can hit fast balls all day long, while others will swing and miss the very same pitch every time. Some batters can hit a breaking ball all day long – others prefer the curve ball. As a leader, your goal is not to strike out every batter you face. Eventually this would lead to damaged relationships and a reputation as an ego maniac who is impossible to talk to. At times, you need to throw the perfect pitch to that person to ensure that they connect. When you look at this from a communication stand point, the leader must be willing and able to adapt to employees, co-workers, board members and their customers. If you want your intended message to have a positive impact, you have to know who you are talking to and how they will best respond to your intended message.
The second piece of communication to think about is how you are sending your message. The words mean little when combined with your tone, volume, and your body language. Great leaders understand that communication is a tool that they can control. They understand how to use tone, pitch and body language to deliver the message that hits their point while taking into account the communication style of the receiver of the message. Remember, how you deliver the message will impact the receiver of your message much more then the actual words you are saying.
2.) 100% Leadership: Leaders earn the respect of others through their commitment to the team, the vision, the company and the employees. They demonstrate integrity, respect for others, and they take time to listen to the concerns and needs of those around them. As a leader, earning the respect of those around you is priceless and critical to your success and the success of your organization. When you have demonstrated the ability to lead others, you earn the respect of those around you. Building a reputation of respect for others, a person who will listen to others and the ability to lead the company to success earns you the ability to be direct when you need to without losing the respect of those who report to you. This takes time and must be earned. Without developing the skills of an effective leader and demonstrating these skills day in and day out, you can’t expect that the message you are communicating will have the positive impact you intended. Think about it this way, how would you respond to a person who told you that “you are full of bull” if you didn’t respect his or her opinion in the first place?
"She is the only boss who I've worked with who can look you in the eye and say, 'You are full of bull, here's what you are doing wrong,' and you feel like she's done you a favor," said Bill Coleman, who was chief executive of BEA Systems while Bartz was on that company's board.
A friend asked me the question, “How can one person say something like that and have it “work” while another person could say the same exact thing and have it end with resentment, negativity and a destroyed relationship?” Without knowing Ms. Bartz, I can explain how and why some comments said by one person can produce a dramatically different reaction then if another person were to say the same exact thing.
1.) Communication: First off, you must know how to communicate to the person you are working with. Not everyone will respond the same way to a message and, as a leader; it is up to you to know what you can say to one person that you might not say to another person. Think of it like baseball. Some batters can hit fast balls all day long, while others will swing and miss the very same pitch every time. Some batters can hit a breaking ball all day long – others prefer the curve ball. As a leader, your goal is not to strike out every batter you face. Eventually this would lead to damaged relationships and a reputation as an ego maniac who is impossible to talk to. At times, you need to throw the perfect pitch to that person to ensure that they connect. When you look at this from a communication stand point, the leader must be willing and able to adapt to employees, co-workers, board members and their customers. If you want your intended message to have a positive impact, you have to know who you are talking to and how they will best respond to your intended message.
The second piece of communication to think about is how you are sending your message. The words mean little when combined with your tone, volume, and your body language. Great leaders understand that communication is a tool that they can control. They understand how to use tone, pitch and body language to deliver the message that hits their point while taking into account the communication style of the receiver of the message. Remember, how you deliver the message will impact the receiver of your message much more then the actual words you are saying.
2.) 100% Leadership: Leaders earn the respect of others through their commitment to the team, the vision, the company and the employees. They demonstrate integrity, respect for others, and they take time to listen to the concerns and needs of those around them. As a leader, earning the respect of those around you is priceless and critical to your success and the success of your organization. When you have demonstrated the ability to lead others, you earn the respect of those around you. Building a reputation of respect for others, a person who will listen to others and the ability to lead the company to success earns you the ability to be direct when you need to without losing the respect of those who report to you. This takes time and must be earned. Without developing the skills of an effective leader and demonstrating these skills day in and day out, you can’t expect that the message you are communicating will have the positive impact you intended. Think about it this way, how would you respond to a person who told you that “you are full of bull” if you didn’t respect his or her opinion in the first place?
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Recommended Reading
The Leadership Challenge
By Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner
This book touches on many of the areas in which CEOs often overlook. From being more visible to more approachable, this book is a must read for any CEO looking to give their business and their leadership style a face lift. The leadership challenge discusses five actions or practices as being the keys to Exemplary Leadership:
Model the Way: living the life in which you want others to adopt (talk the talk and walk the walk)
Inspire a Shared Vision: people are inspired more by ideals in which they can get passionate about, more than fear or any reward
Challenge the Process: leaders flourish and grow through the most challenging situations. They’re innovators
Enable Others to Act: Encouragement alone is not enough. Leaders need to create an environment that enables people to feel comfortable in sharing and incorporating new ideas
Encourage the Heart: As previously mentioned, people are most productive when they’re passionate about the cause. Leaders need to enthusiastically engage their constitutes and spread the stories of success.
Embedded throughout these practices are, what Kouzes and Posner refer to as, the “Ten Commitments of Leadership”:
Find your voice by clarifying your personal values
Set the example by aligning actions with shared values
Envision the future by imagining exciting and ennobling possibilities
Enlist others in a common vision by appealing to shared aspirations
Search for opportunities by seeking innovative ways to change, grow, and improve
Experiment and take risks by constantly generating small wins and learning from mistakes
Foster collaboration by promoting cooperative goals and building trust
Strengthen others by sharing power and discretion
Recognize contributions by showing appreciation for individual excellence
Celebrate the values and victories by creating a spirit of community
These guidelines help to not only form the blueprints of leadership and business, but also to assist us all in living more successful lives. Therefore, this is a must read for anyone committed to bettering themselves as a leader for their company.
By Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner
This book touches on many of the areas in which CEOs often overlook. From being more visible to more approachable, this book is a must read for any CEO looking to give their business and their leadership style a face lift. The leadership challenge discusses five actions or practices as being the keys to Exemplary Leadership:
Model the Way: living the life in which you want others to adopt (talk the talk and walk the walk)
Inspire a Shared Vision: people are inspired more by ideals in which they can get passionate about, more than fear or any reward
Challenge the Process: leaders flourish and grow through the most challenging situations. They’re innovators
Enable Others to Act: Encouragement alone is not enough. Leaders need to create an environment that enables people to feel comfortable in sharing and incorporating new ideas
Encourage the Heart: As previously mentioned, people are most productive when they’re passionate about the cause. Leaders need to enthusiastically engage their constitutes and spread the stories of success.
Embedded throughout these practices are, what Kouzes and Posner refer to as, the “Ten Commitments of Leadership”:
Find your voice by clarifying your personal values
Set the example by aligning actions with shared values
Envision the future by imagining exciting and ennobling possibilities
Enlist others in a common vision by appealing to shared aspirations
Search for opportunities by seeking innovative ways to change, grow, and improve
Experiment and take risks by constantly generating small wins and learning from mistakes
Foster collaboration by promoting cooperative goals and building trust
Strengthen others by sharing power and discretion
Recognize contributions by showing appreciation for individual excellence
Celebrate the values and victories by creating a spirit of community
These guidelines help to not only form the blueprints of leadership and business, but also to assist us all in living more successful lives. Therefore, this is a must read for anyone committed to bettering themselves as a leader for their company.
Monday, December 8, 2008
You can't be a Leader if you're not not listening...
In the book, “The Leadership Secrets of Colin Powell” the author, Oren Harari, states
“In a conversation with Colin Powell, you are likely to be struck my how intently he listens. In fact, he seems more inclined to listen than to be listened to.”
While Colin Powell has built a reputation as a leader who is willing to listen to anyone at any level of the organization, he also believes that he must model this active form of listening because it leads to greater levels of communication and thus, more ideas and a much greater level of commitment by those being listened to.
Active listening is an art form and a skill. And just like any other skill, it requires constant practice and commitment to become great. To become a better listener and increase communication and the exchange of ideas in your team, department, or organization take time over the next month to actively practice the following 5 steps when communicating with your employees, peers, customers, and bosses.
1. Show a sincere interest in what the speaker is saying: Keep constant eye contact and mirror the speaker’s body language to make him feel comfortable. Remember, it’s all about them – not you.
2. Use clarifying questions: Ask questions to clarify only what the speaker is specifically saying. Doing so demonstrates your interest in what the speaker is saying. With practice, you can clarify the content, feelings, and meaning behind the speakers words.
3. Summarize: At times, quickly jump in and summarize what you are hearing. Again, this shows your interest in the speaker and allows the speaker to correct you if you missed anything.
4. Share an experience: Take time to share any similar experiences that you have had with the speaker. It’s important to only do this if it relates to what the speaker is discussing and make sure not to take control of the conversation. Remember, it’s all about the speaker.
5. Provide full support: If you simply shoot down the speaker’s idea, you not only decrease the chances of hearing any future ideas, but you can quickly lose both the speakers commitment and even respect. When you lose either of these, you have lost the relationship. Seek out areas of agreement or areas that you think should be explored further and begin a dialogue around these issues. At this point, the speaker will be happy to listen to you and work towards a common goal.
“In a conversation with Colin Powell, you are likely to be struck my how intently he listens. In fact, he seems more inclined to listen than to be listened to.”
While Colin Powell has built a reputation as a leader who is willing to listen to anyone at any level of the organization, he also believes that he must model this active form of listening because it leads to greater levels of communication and thus, more ideas and a much greater level of commitment by those being listened to.
Active listening is an art form and a skill. And just like any other skill, it requires constant practice and commitment to become great. To become a better listener and increase communication and the exchange of ideas in your team, department, or organization take time over the next month to actively practice the following 5 steps when communicating with your employees, peers, customers, and bosses.
1. Show a sincere interest in what the speaker is saying: Keep constant eye contact and mirror the speaker’s body language to make him feel comfortable. Remember, it’s all about them – not you.
2. Use clarifying questions: Ask questions to clarify only what the speaker is specifically saying. Doing so demonstrates your interest in what the speaker is saying. With practice, you can clarify the content, feelings, and meaning behind the speakers words.
3. Summarize: At times, quickly jump in and summarize what you are hearing. Again, this shows your interest in the speaker and allows the speaker to correct you if you missed anything.
4. Share an experience: Take time to share any similar experiences that you have had with the speaker. It’s important to only do this if it relates to what the speaker is discussing and make sure not to take control of the conversation. Remember, it’s all about the speaker.
5. Provide full support: If you simply shoot down the speaker’s idea, you not only decrease the chances of hearing any future ideas, but you can quickly lose both the speakers commitment and even respect. When you lose either of these, you have lost the relationship. Seek out areas of agreement or areas that you think should be explored further and begin a dialogue around these issues. At this point, the speaker will be happy to listen to you and work towards a common goal.
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