Just ‘sometimes’ – some of you may ask? Well, ok, most times. And I am trying really hard not to be that person who sucks up all the oxygen in a room.
John Millen – an author whom I rely on to spark thought in me – writes about people (like me) who tend to talk too much.
Ms-Know-It-All and Captain-Obvious hopes you get value from this illuminating read. 😊 🤗
hashtag#CommunicationSkills hashtag#Leadership
https://lnkd.in/g2sux6mk
Start by drafting up a problem statement – which should be brief, clear, and outcome-driven, and it may be helpful to include what the problem DOES NOT include.
You could then consider running a workshop with key stakeholders to refine the statement and get everyone’s endorsement – which is why the draft is a useful starting point.
If you don’t think this is a useful exercise, then at your next discussion, ask everyone to write out individually what they think the problem actually is. I can almost guarantee that there will NOT be a consensus on the problem to be solved.
hashtagproblemsolving hashtagteamwork hashtagalignment hashtagcollaboration
They will say things like:
❤️ it was great
💛 you did an excellent job
🧡 tops marks for your presentation.
But if you ask them, “how did my presentation go?”, and they start saying nit-picking things like:
👿 Shame we ran over time
💀 I’m not sure that idea can be implemented
☠ Are you going to the procurement meeting?
🧟♀️ Did you get the data for the presentation from HR?
These types of responses usually mean they are hedging against telling you that they didn’t like your presentation.
Or they might focus on a tiny detail from the presentation itself – because they don’t want to tell you what they really thought.
Learn to listen to what people are saying. Or not saying. Most times, people don’t to hurt your feelings. So they deflect.
hashtagLetsBeBetter hashtagCommunicationSkills
It’s important to know yourself and to be grateful for your qualities. So tell me the number one quality you admire about yourself, and which you’re grateful for.
Here’s mine.
✳ My ability to forgive others. No matter what others have done, I find it really, really easy to forgive people. This means I rarely get caught up in a cycle of negative thinking – going over and over what happened. Saved me a lifetime of regrets.
What’s yours, friends?
#LetsBeBetter #Leadership
A few years ago, a young colleague told me this:
“There is a restructure coming up. I’m putting my baby plans on hold because if I lose my job, I won’t have access to parental leave”.
This was followed by another colleague saying:
“My org expects me back in the office now. It’s so tough raising one child – I definitely won’t be having a second baby.”
Friends – management decisions cast a long, dark shadow. Here is a sobering article to consider.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-04-18/australia-fertility-rate-could-predict-the-next-five-years/103692844
…is that I always know exactly where I stand with them.
All the South African and Dutch people I have ever met have always been direct – which means they have told me to my face what they were thinking.
The opposite of that approach is to be nice to people, and NOT let them know when they are doing something you don’t like.
In Australian workplaces, we often go out of our way to be nice to people. Then performance reviews come around, and you are startled by the feedback – which usually catches you by surprise.
I’m drinking a toast to all my South African and Dutch friends. We are kindred spirits. 😍
hashtagRadicalKindness hashtagLetsBeBetter
Joel Garfinkle, MCC, Executive Coach is one of my favourite authors – and what he says about building leadership confidence is always spot on.
hashtagleadership hashtagPersonalDevelopment
https://www.smartbrief.com/original/5-ways-to-boost-your-leadership-confidence
✳ Step 1
Look around you, friends, there must be someone in the workplace whom you admired recently – for any reason.
✴ Step 2
Now write an email to this person’s manager telling them why you admire this person – or what they did that impressed you.
Cc the manager’s manager (the person’s 2 up).
When you do this, two things happen:
1️⃣ You feel good about yourself.
2️⃣ The manager and the 2-up whom you emailed now have visibility of your leadership skills.
No need to cc the person whom you are writing about. The word will get out. 😍
hashtagleadership hashtagLetsBeBetter hashtagLeadershipInAction
In workplaces, sometimes we see things happen which are not right.
But you decide to do nothing, because:
✳ it’s not your team
✴ the people involved are senior
💠 you’re too busy to get involved
🔵 you think it’s none of your business.
But, if this is not your business, then what is? Are you going to be one of those people who uses one of the above excuses and decides to mind their own business?
Remember, the standard you walk past is the standard you set. Today, that thing is happening to a colleague and you choose to say nothing.
Tomorrow, it will happen to someone you love.
hashtagLetsBeBetter hashtagBeCourageous hashtagLeadership
She then mentioned that her colleagues and direct reports at work also lied to her – often by not giving her bad news or information.
Because it was a Saturday and the sun was shining and I was feeling particularly bolshie, I told her this:
“They are lying to you because they don’t like YOUR REACTION.”
I asked her to recall her reactions to information she received that she didn’t like.
I could see the wheels turning for her – so I deftly changed the subject because I had gotten my message across. 😉 😎
So friends – whether it’s your kids or other people, if they are lying to you frequently, then maybe this is more about you, less about them. 😂
hashtag#LetsBeBetter hashtag#leadership