Helping employees set and attain goals is a critical part of every boss' job. Failure to meet goals can cause problems for the individual, you as the manager, and for the organization. But goals that are too easy don't serve anyone. Here are three ways to make sure the goals you set with your people are both attainable and ambitious.
1. Connect to the big picture. Everyone wants to see how their work contributes to larger corporate objectives. Make this explicit in every goal.
2. Incorporate personal interests. If possible, sculpt the employee's responsibilities so that he can do things that he enjoys, making it more likely he'll succeed. If he has an interest in teaching, give him a role in training others.
3. Set stretch targets. Employees tend to rise to the standard set for them. The more you expect, the more they will achieve.
Adapted from HBR's "Making Sure Your Employees Succeed" by Amy Gallo
Monday, April 4, 2011
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Say Thank You!
There is far too little praise and appreciation in most work environments. Even those who are good about giving positive feedback can tend to reserve it for "above and beyond" moments. Yet, the routine work that people are expected to do every day often goes unnoticed and underappreciated. Genuine gratitude goes a long way in engaging people and binding them together. Once a week, say thank you to an employee. Don't only focus on the extra mile they may have gone, but on the ordinary things they do to make your team, unit, or company hum. Be specific: explain the behavior or task that you are grateful for and the positive impact it has on you and the company. Try it! Every day for the next week, will you express appreciation to an employee or colleague for something they routinely do that makes your business run well? It can be via e-mail, over the phone, or even better, in person. Be specific. "There is no more powerful way to acknowledge others, than to be thankful for them just as they are," says Peter Bregman. Tom Peters wrote in a recent tweet, "It takes more time, but one at a time, 15-second praising is 10x more valuable than a group 'way to go, gang'."
Adapted from Blog Post in HBR “Thank You for Doing your Job” by Whitney Johnson
Adapted from Blog Post in HBR “Thank You for Doing your Job” by Whitney Johnson
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Stop stressing! Create a PLAN for 2011.
Can you believe it's mid January? If you’re like me, you are already stressing out just thinking about all the things you want to accomplish this year. Before you have a melt down and do nothing, sit down, take a deep breath, create a plan of action, set priorities, make things happen! Make this year, YOUR BEST YEAR YET!
Use this quick, three-step process to identify what’s holding you back and develop three personal guidelines to improve your success:
1. First, make a list of all your accomplishments from the last 12 months. Large or small, what do you feel good about? When we feel unappreciated and unrecognized, we lose our self-confidence, and worse – our ability to make our dreams come true. So, do it. Pull out a piece of paper and list all your accomplishments.
2. Now, list all of your disappointments. Any times when you let others down? Projects left unfinished. Potential clients lost? Really successful people are willing to acknowledge their disappointments and learn from them, rather than ignoring them or sweeping them under the rug. On that same sheet of paper, make a list of all your disappointments from the past year.
3. Now, list as many lessons as you can identify. Use your list of accomplishments and disappointments as reference.
Look over your list of accomplishments, and ask: “How did I achieve that”? What was my secret? For example: I consistently made my prospecting calls and acquired several great new clients. List as many lessons as you can from your accomplishments.
Next review your disappointments and ask, “What could I have done to avoid this failure? “What is the lesson here? For example: I failed to call a prospect back when I said I would and lost the opportunity to work with a huge client. List as many potential lessons as you can from your disappointments.
From your list of lessons, choose the three that are the most meaningful to you and rephrase as them as guidelines - short, positive pieces of advice to yourself. For example: Make prospecting my highest priority; or follow through.
Now, post your guidelines where you can see them often. Following your guidelines on a regular basis will lead to positive changes in your behavior and more desirable results.
To help you create your plan for your success, use the Best Year Yet year-long planning and implementation program. It’s just $99.95/year. To register and start building your 2011 plan immediately, click here.
Create your Plan – Using our online program, you will be guided through the development of a concise one-page plan that will serve as your blueprint for success over the next 12 months. Each plan includes the following:
3 Guidelines – based on lessons learned from the past year and designed to help you produce more good results and fewer of the bad
A New Paradigm – a way to turn limited thinking around and create a new positive mindset
Major Focus – a constant reminder of where you need to achieve breakthrough results
10 Results-centered goals – a detailed roadmap for a successful year
Work your plan and track results – Using PRO (Producing Results Online), our exclusive online software, you can enter weekly and/or monthly goals and track your performance throughout the year by scoring the plan results, and setting new goals for the next 7-30 days.
Become masters at producing results – Using the Best Year Yet Producing Results Audio series, you will get better and better at producing results as you listen to and learn from 12 lessons designed to help you master the art of producing results. These audio lessons are built right into the PRO software.
To register and start building your 2011 plan immediately, click here.
Need a Results Coach to help you create your plan and keep you accountable to your goals?
Results Coaching works with Individuals, Teams and Organizations to help them become focused, aligned, and producing results, year after year! We help close the gap between planning and performance!
Contact Donna King 913-745-5499 Cell:908-963-8158 Donna.king@bestyearyet.com
Make 2011 YOUR BEST YEAR YET
http://www.resultscoaching.us
Use this quick, three-step process to identify what’s holding you back and develop three personal guidelines to improve your success:
1. First, make a list of all your accomplishments from the last 12 months. Large or small, what do you feel good about? When we feel unappreciated and unrecognized, we lose our self-confidence, and worse – our ability to make our dreams come true. So, do it. Pull out a piece of paper and list all your accomplishments.
2. Now, list all of your disappointments. Any times when you let others down? Projects left unfinished. Potential clients lost? Really successful people are willing to acknowledge their disappointments and learn from them, rather than ignoring them or sweeping them under the rug. On that same sheet of paper, make a list of all your disappointments from the past year.
3. Now, list as many lessons as you can identify. Use your list of accomplishments and disappointments as reference.
Look over your list of accomplishments, and ask: “How did I achieve that”? What was my secret? For example: I consistently made my prospecting calls and acquired several great new clients. List as many lessons as you can from your accomplishments.
Next review your disappointments and ask, “What could I have done to avoid this failure? “What is the lesson here? For example: I failed to call a prospect back when I said I would and lost the opportunity to work with a huge client. List as many potential lessons as you can from your disappointments.
From your list of lessons, choose the three that are the most meaningful to you and rephrase as them as guidelines - short, positive pieces of advice to yourself. For example: Make prospecting my highest priority; or follow through.
Now, post your guidelines where you can see them often. Following your guidelines on a regular basis will lead to positive changes in your behavior and more desirable results.
To help you create your plan for your success, use the Best Year Yet year-long planning and implementation program. It’s just $99.95/year. To register and start building your 2011 plan immediately, click here.
Create your Plan – Using our online program, you will be guided through the development of a concise one-page plan that will serve as your blueprint for success over the next 12 months. Each plan includes the following:
3 Guidelines – based on lessons learned from the past year and designed to help you produce more good results and fewer of the bad
A New Paradigm – a way to turn limited thinking around and create a new positive mindset
Major Focus – a constant reminder of where you need to achieve breakthrough results
10 Results-centered goals – a detailed roadmap for a successful year
Work your plan and track results – Using PRO (Producing Results Online), our exclusive online software, you can enter weekly and/or monthly goals and track your performance throughout the year by scoring the plan results, and setting new goals for the next 7-30 days.
Become masters at producing results – Using the Best Year Yet Producing Results Audio series, you will get better and better at producing results as you listen to and learn from 12 lessons designed to help you master the art of producing results. These audio lessons are built right into the PRO software.
To register and start building your 2011 plan immediately, click here.
Need a Results Coach to help you create your plan and keep you accountable to your goals?
Results Coaching works with Individuals, Teams and Organizations to help them become focused, aligned, and producing results, year after year! We help close the gap between planning and performance!
Contact Donna King 913-745-5499 Cell:908-963-8158 Donna.king@bestyearyet.com
Make 2011 YOUR BEST YEAR YET
http://www.resultscoaching.us
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Market Yourself Like a Master!
Ok, so you have an awesome product and service and you’re ready to market it. Sounds easy, right? Even with 20 years of advertising & marketing experience under my belt, I still was not prepared when it came time to market my own consulting and coaching business.
Sure, I executed a zillion strategies for multi-channel marketing organizations and I know how to make someone else’s product look good and sell but why do I get so stuck when trying to market my own services?
To help all you independent small business owners like me, I have provided some strategies and tips that I’ve learned over the years:
First, you must have a positive and empowering attitude! Thanks to the Best Year Yet® program, I transformed my mindset from one of “I don’t know how to sell”, “Why would people want to listen to me”, “They don’t want what I have to offer” to a motivating mindset of “ I have a valuable product that customers want”. It’s up to you, you either get lost negativity or you can align your attitude with the actions you want to achieve. With this as a foundation, you can begin planning a business that will support you, your goals, and your future.
Second, you must have a marketing strategy and a plan of action! Determine the vision of your business and develop SMART goals to focus on for the year. Ensure that goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-bounded. In order to achieve goals by yearend, identify the monthly and even weekly milestones needed to accomplish your goals.
Know your product inside and out! You have already established a vision for your business; now make sure you have a clear picture of your product(s) and service(s).
• What does it do?
• What are the benefits to the customers?
• What problem does it solve?
• What are the proven results?
• What makes your product different from the competition?
• What is you price+value equation?
• What is your selling price?
Develop and be your Brand! Determine the perceptions, feelings and thoughts you want others to have about you, your products, your business. Develop your unique selling position. Ask yourself what you have that is different and more valuable than the competition.
Create effective communications! Market your business using communication materials that appeal to the needs and desires of your target audience and establishes your credibility. This includes your website and other branded marketing materials.
• Look and feel should reflect your brand identity
• Ensure your message is clear and concise
• Focus on benefits to the customer
• Speak the language they understand
• Use keywords they are searching
• Provide expert information and educate them.
• Use impactful visuals they can relate to or aspire to be
• Use a strong call-to-action based on objective of the piece
Yes, target! Identify the kind of customers or industry you want to work with and market to them. This niche approach will focus your efforts. In most cases the foundation of your business is rooted in something you know well and in which you already have some expertise. In my case, I have years of experience and connections in the direct marketing industry; therefore my target is marketing/creative teams. Educate yourself on how your customers think. Familiarize yourself with their challenges, opportunities and issues they are facing. Customize products and services to meet their changing needs. Listen to customer feedback and tweak your offering to ensure customer satisfaction. Also, use positive testimonials to communicate to others the power of your product. Invite happy customers to share their positive results with friends, colleagues and family. Remember, your best customers have value behind the initial sale. Be sure to also thank them for referrals and loyalty.
Find Your Market! Now you ask, where do I find customers? You need to be where they are. Yes, that does include the dreaded “networking”. If you’re like me, you rather stick a sharp needle in your eye, then go out talk to people you don’t know. Get over it! It’s time to embrace your audience and have fun. Shift that negative mindset to “I love networking because my customers are eager to learn about my service.” Get that 30-second commercial ready and use it. But first listen and ask questions of others. Learn about their business and ask how you may help them.
In today’s world we also must network through social sites like Linkedin, Facebook and Twitter. If you’re not set up with one or all of these accounts, get set up and start tweeting! Build your network, friends and followers. It’s an easy way to get and deliver messages, get people to know who you are and what you do. You can even advertise on these sites.
Explore various ways to meet prospects and find what works for you. I attend chamber, association meetings, and specific industry events whenever possible. I also volunteer my services as a way for colleagues to get to know me and see the value I offer. Build your reputation –it’s your brand.
Another piece of advice, follow up immediately whether that be a “nice meeting you” email, a linkedin invitation, or an invite to have coffee and learn about each other’s businesses.
Share your passion and get them to experience your product! Create an opportunity for your prospect to experience your product. Give them a “taste”, a trial, a free service. Any opportunity to connect and be in front of your target market is a chance for you to show them how much you believe in your product. Every touch point is an opportunity for you to develop the relationship and paint a picture of how your product can solve their problem. Share your expertise through stories, testimonials, articles, whitepapers, blogs, and other educational materials etc. Be a guest speaker at an industry specific event and provide some give-aways. We all have different styles and approaches that suit who we are. Just remember to be authentic and real.
Develop a prospect list and track your progress! Starting a business and developing a prospect list at the same time can be difficult so remember to leverage relationships you already have to cultivate new prospects. Your friends, family or past business associates may not be in need of your services now, but they may have a friend or business associate that does.
Not all prospects are equal. Some are worth more effort than others. Consider rating them “A-C” from high interest to casual interest. Once you know where all prospects stand you can determine the best way, frequency and length of time to contact each. Track each contact and where your stand in your sales cycle.
Test various approaches! Marketing is all about testing. After sending a mailing, doing a sales presentation or what ever part of the process you are not getting the results you want, evaluate what worked and what didn’t work to create guidelines for your future marketing strategies.
Go ahead start marketing like a master!
Sure, I executed a zillion strategies for multi-channel marketing organizations and I know how to make someone else’s product look good and sell but why do I get so stuck when trying to market my own services?
To help all you independent small business owners like me, I have provided some strategies and tips that I’ve learned over the years:
First, you must have a positive and empowering attitude! Thanks to the Best Year Yet® program, I transformed my mindset from one of “I don’t know how to sell”, “Why would people want to listen to me”, “They don’t want what I have to offer” to a motivating mindset of “ I have a valuable product that customers want”. It’s up to you, you either get lost negativity or you can align your attitude with the actions you want to achieve. With this as a foundation, you can begin planning a business that will support you, your goals, and your future.
Second, you must have a marketing strategy and a plan of action! Determine the vision of your business and develop SMART goals to focus on for the year. Ensure that goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-bounded. In order to achieve goals by yearend, identify the monthly and even weekly milestones needed to accomplish your goals.
Know your product inside and out! You have already established a vision for your business; now make sure you have a clear picture of your product(s) and service(s).
• What does it do?
• What are the benefits to the customers?
• What problem does it solve?
• What are the proven results?
• What makes your product different from the competition?
• What is you price+value equation?
• What is your selling price?
Develop and be your Brand! Determine the perceptions, feelings and thoughts you want others to have about you, your products, your business. Develop your unique selling position. Ask yourself what you have that is different and more valuable than the competition.
Create effective communications! Market your business using communication materials that appeal to the needs and desires of your target audience and establishes your credibility. This includes your website and other branded marketing materials.
• Look and feel should reflect your brand identity
• Ensure your message is clear and concise
• Focus on benefits to the customer
• Speak the language they understand
• Use keywords they are searching
• Provide expert information and educate them.
• Use impactful visuals they can relate to or aspire to be
• Use a strong call-to-action based on objective of the piece
Yes, target! Identify the kind of customers or industry you want to work with and market to them. This niche approach will focus your efforts. In most cases the foundation of your business is rooted in something you know well and in which you already have some expertise. In my case, I have years of experience and connections in the direct marketing industry; therefore my target is marketing/creative teams. Educate yourself on how your customers think. Familiarize yourself with their challenges, opportunities and issues they are facing. Customize products and services to meet their changing needs. Listen to customer feedback and tweak your offering to ensure customer satisfaction. Also, use positive testimonials to communicate to others the power of your product. Invite happy customers to share their positive results with friends, colleagues and family. Remember, your best customers have value behind the initial sale. Be sure to also thank them for referrals and loyalty.
Find Your Market! Now you ask, where do I find customers? You need to be where they are. Yes, that does include the dreaded “networking”. If you’re like me, you rather stick a sharp needle in your eye, then go out talk to people you don’t know. Get over it! It’s time to embrace your audience and have fun. Shift that negative mindset to “I love networking because my customers are eager to learn about my service.” Get that 30-second commercial ready and use it. But first listen and ask questions of others. Learn about their business and ask how you may help them.
In today’s world we also must network through social sites like Linkedin, Facebook and Twitter. If you’re not set up with one or all of these accounts, get set up and start tweeting! Build your network, friends and followers. It’s an easy way to get and deliver messages, get people to know who you are and what you do. You can even advertise on these sites.
Explore various ways to meet prospects and find what works for you. I attend chamber, association meetings, and specific industry events whenever possible. I also volunteer my services as a way for colleagues to get to know me and see the value I offer. Build your reputation –it’s your brand.
Another piece of advice, follow up immediately whether that be a “nice meeting you” email, a linkedin invitation, or an invite to have coffee and learn about each other’s businesses.
Share your passion and get them to experience your product! Create an opportunity for your prospect to experience your product. Give them a “taste”, a trial, a free service. Any opportunity to connect and be in front of your target market is a chance for you to show them how much you believe in your product. Every touch point is an opportunity for you to develop the relationship and paint a picture of how your product can solve their problem. Share your expertise through stories, testimonials, articles, whitepapers, blogs, and other educational materials etc. Be a guest speaker at an industry specific event and provide some give-aways. We all have different styles and approaches that suit who we are. Just remember to be authentic and real.
Develop a prospect list and track your progress! Starting a business and developing a prospect list at the same time can be difficult so remember to leverage relationships you already have to cultivate new prospects. Your friends, family or past business associates may not be in need of your services now, but they may have a friend or business associate that does.
Not all prospects are equal. Some are worth more effort than others. Consider rating them “A-C” from high interest to casual interest. Once you know where all prospects stand you can determine the best way, frequency and length of time to contact each. Track each contact and where your stand in your sales cycle.
Test various approaches! Marketing is all about testing. After sending a mailing, doing a sales presentation or what ever part of the process you are not getting the results you want, evaluate what worked and what didn’t work to create guidelines for your future marketing strategies.
Go ahead start marketing like a master!
Thursday, September 9, 2010
The Credo of an Empowering Manager
Looking for real management advice about people? Your goal is to create a work environment in which people are empowered, productive, contributing, and happy. Don't hobble them by limiting their tools or information. Trust them to do the right thing. Get out of their way and watch them catch fire.
These are the ten most important principles for managing people in a way that reinforces employee empowerment, accomplishment, and contribution. These management actions enable both the people who work with you and the people who report to you to soar.
1. Demonstrate That You Value People
Your regard for people shines through in all of your actions and words. Your facial expression, your body language, and your words express what you are thinking about the people who report to you. Your goal is to demonstrate your appreciation for each person's unique value. No matter how an employee is performing on his or her current task, your value for the employee as a human being should never falter and always be visible.
2. Share Leadership Vision
Help people feel that they are part of something bigger than themselves and their individual job. Do this by making sure they know and have access to the organization's overall mission, vision, and strategic plans.
3. Share Goals and Direction
Share the most important goals and direction for your group. Where possible, either make progress on goals measurable and observable, or ascertain that you have shared your picture of a positive outcome with the people responsible for accomplishing the results. If you share a picture and share meaning, you have agreed upon what constitutes a successful and acceptable deliverable. Empowered employees can then chart their course without close supervision.
4. Trust People
Trust the intentions of people to do the right thing, make the right decision, and make choices that, while maybe not exactly what you would decide, still work. When employees receive clear expectations from their manager, they relax and trust you. They focus their energy on accomplishing, not on wondering, worrying, and second-guessing.
5. Provide Information for Decision Making
Make certain that you have given people, or made sure that they have access to, all of the information they need to make thoughtful decisions.
6. Delegate Authority and Impact Opportunities, Not Just More Work
Don't just delegate the drudge work; delegate some of the fun stuff, too. You know, delegate the important meetings, the committee memberships that influence product development and decision making, and the projects that people and customers notice. The employee will grow and develop new skills. Your plate will be less full so you can concentrate on contribution. Your reporting staff will gratefully shine - and so will you.
7. Provide Frequent Feedback
Provide frequent feedback so that people know how they are doing. Sometimes, the purpose of feedback is reward and recognition as well as improvement coaching. People deserve your constructive feedback, too, so they can continue to develop their knowledge and skills.
8. Solve Problems: Don't Pinpoint Problem People
When a problem occurs, ask what is wrong with the work system that caused the people to fail, not what is wrong with the people. Worst case response to problems? Seek to identify and punish the guilty.
9. Listen to Learn and Ask Questions to Provide Guidance
Provide a space in which people will communicate by listening to them and asking them questions. Guide by asking questions, not by telling grown up people what to do. People generally know the right answers if they have the opportunity to produce them. When an employee brings you a problem to solve, ask, "what do you think you should do to solve this problem?" Or, ask, "what action steps do you recommend?" Employees can demonstrate what they know and grow in the process. Eventually, you will feel comfortable telling the employee that he or she need not ask you about similar situations. You trust their judgment.
10. Help Employees Feel Rewarded and Recognized for Empowered Behavior
When employees feel under-compensated, under-titled for the responsibilities they take on, under-noticed, under-praised, and under-appreciated, don’t expect results from employee empowerment. The basic needs of employees must feel met for employees to give you their discretionary energy, that extra effort that people voluntarily invest in work. For successful employee empowerment, recognition plays a significant role.
“The Credo of an Empowering Manager” by Susan M. Heathfield (edited)
These are the ten most important principles for managing people in a way that reinforces employee empowerment, accomplishment, and contribution. These management actions enable both the people who work with you and the people who report to you to soar.
1. Demonstrate That You Value People
Your regard for people shines through in all of your actions and words. Your facial expression, your body language, and your words express what you are thinking about the people who report to you. Your goal is to demonstrate your appreciation for each person's unique value. No matter how an employee is performing on his or her current task, your value for the employee as a human being should never falter and always be visible.
2. Share Leadership Vision
Help people feel that they are part of something bigger than themselves and their individual job. Do this by making sure they know and have access to the organization's overall mission, vision, and strategic plans.
3. Share Goals and Direction
Share the most important goals and direction for your group. Where possible, either make progress on goals measurable and observable, or ascertain that you have shared your picture of a positive outcome with the people responsible for accomplishing the results. If you share a picture and share meaning, you have agreed upon what constitutes a successful and acceptable deliverable. Empowered employees can then chart their course without close supervision.
4. Trust People
Trust the intentions of people to do the right thing, make the right decision, and make choices that, while maybe not exactly what you would decide, still work. When employees receive clear expectations from their manager, they relax and trust you. They focus their energy on accomplishing, not on wondering, worrying, and second-guessing.
5. Provide Information for Decision Making
Make certain that you have given people, or made sure that they have access to, all of the information they need to make thoughtful decisions.
6. Delegate Authority and Impact Opportunities, Not Just More Work
Don't just delegate the drudge work; delegate some of the fun stuff, too. You know, delegate the important meetings, the committee memberships that influence product development and decision making, and the projects that people and customers notice. The employee will grow and develop new skills. Your plate will be less full so you can concentrate on contribution. Your reporting staff will gratefully shine - and so will you.
7. Provide Frequent Feedback
Provide frequent feedback so that people know how they are doing. Sometimes, the purpose of feedback is reward and recognition as well as improvement coaching. People deserve your constructive feedback, too, so they can continue to develop their knowledge and skills.
8. Solve Problems: Don't Pinpoint Problem People
When a problem occurs, ask what is wrong with the work system that caused the people to fail, not what is wrong with the people. Worst case response to problems? Seek to identify and punish the guilty.
9. Listen to Learn and Ask Questions to Provide Guidance
Provide a space in which people will communicate by listening to them and asking them questions. Guide by asking questions, not by telling grown up people what to do. People generally know the right answers if they have the opportunity to produce them. When an employee brings you a problem to solve, ask, "what do you think you should do to solve this problem?" Or, ask, "what action steps do you recommend?" Employees can demonstrate what they know and grow in the process. Eventually, you will feel comfortable telling the employee that he or she need not ask you about similar situations. You trust their judgment.
10. Help Employees Feel Rewarded and Recognized for Empowered Behavior
When employees feel under-compensated, under-titled for the responsibilities they take on, under-noticed, under-praised, and under-appreciated, don’t expect results from employee empowerment. The basic needs of employees must feel met for employees to give you their discretionary energy, that extra effort that people voluntarily invest in work. For successful employee empowerment, recognition plays a significant role.
“The Credo of an Empowering Manager” by Susan M. Heathfield (edited)
Monday, August 9, 2010
We’re all coaches now, aren’t we?
Finding the balance
Changing management style to bring in more coaching elements can be a tricky balance. Leadership is a spectrum, with the dictatorial at one end and the consultative at the other. The best managers find a position on the spectrum that they’re comfortable with, and which suits their organization, and adapt it to the circumstances.
A lot of leaders automatically gravitate towards the dictatorial end of that spectrum and struggle to change their style to become more consultative. If you’re going to bring coaching into your work – it’s a skill you’ll need to develop.
Creating the motivation
One of the most powerful drivers that underpins coaching is called ‘intrinsic motivation theory’. To sum it up fairly simply, people will get more fired up about things that:
• They can control
• They’re competent to do
• Meet their social needs
If working relationships meet these three points, people really engage and things suddenly get a lot easier. The challenge is to turn this theory into practice – these four tactics will help:
1. Start asking questions
Asking questions instead of answering them can be a powerful technique, but you need to ask the right question, to the right person, at the right time.
For managers, though, it can be hard to move from answering questions towards coaching. Do it too abruptly and people will feel you’re just countering their questions with more questions. Infuriating!
Intrinsic motivation theory says people respond better when they’re in control. How could that work? It might be as simple as: “I’d like to try something new here… sometimes I find we make real leaps forward when I ask questions instead of giving you my answers. Would you be happy to give that a go?” It lets them decline, but if they say yes – and they always do - you know they’re fully involved.
2. Listen properly – but don’t be a pushover
There’s a fine line between treating people with empathy and being a pushover. Leaders aren’t social workers! So while you’re not there to counsel people, you’ve got to give them proper attention, even when you’re busy – they don’t care how many voicemails, texts and emails you’ve got unread or how many other meetings you’ve got today. All they want is for you to listen actively and intently, whether or not you agree. Motivation theory describes this as supporting their competency: if you find the time to use a coaching approach, you’re showing that you trust your report’s own capability and that you’re open to their input and direction.
3. Stop hugging trees
When the chips are down, you need a clear sense of what you want and where you want to go. Strong teams have a clear sense of direction and leaders who can look further over the horizon than their staff. In uncertain times, senior management teams have to agree on a direction quickly ... yet they must remain open to other views.
There’s a social need here, and that’s for people to feel included during this process. So concentrate on questions that explore their motivation and intentions, rather than making assumptions that lead to distrust. “I want to understand your main priority here”, “What will happen if we don’t follow this course of action?” and “What will be the impact on the staff?”
Sometimes there can be benefits from a more competitive dialogue, but stay away when it becomes entrenched rather than passionate. Really exploring people’s disagreements and positions is the best way for senior teams to settle on a firm course. Disagreements that are hidden will come back to bite you.
4. Get a professional coach in?
Sometimes an external coach can add value to a business, despite their cost. On the other hand, sometimes the cost is more than the benefit.
A fresh pair of eyes should challenge those collective organizational blind spots and ask the questions you’ve stopped asking yourselves. The best external coaches will be skilled at working with managers and their teams to really change the productivity of relationships. And by talking to key colleagues around the manager, the external coach can join up the organizational priorities with the individual manager’s internal motivation and goals.
Traditional management approaches have overplayed the organization’s goals at the expense of the individual. Developing your skills as a managerial coach allows you to develop individuals and teams that are really on the same page, in a direction in which all of you know you are traveling.
Whatever style you’re taking, the quality of listening you bring to any conversation will have a massive impact. Whether you’re taking a more hierarchical approach or more of a coaching role, if you’re listening well enough then the whole process becomes a lot clearer and more effective.
From William Winstone: Tips on how to introduce coaching skills into your management style.
Changing management style to bring in more coaching elements can be a tricky balance. Leadership is a spectrum, with the dictatorial at one end and the consultative at the other. The best managers find a position on the spectrum that they’re comfortable with, and which suits their organization, and adapt it to the circumstances.
A lot of leaders automatically gravitate towards the dictatorial end of that spectrum and struggle to change their style to become more consultative. If you’re going to bring coaching into your work – it’s a skill you’ll need to develop.
Creating the motivation
One of the most powerful drivers that underpins coaching is called ‘intrinsic motivation theory’. To sum it up fairly simply, people will get more fired up about things that:
• They can control
• They’re competent to do
• Meet their social needs
If working relationships meet these three points, people really engage and things suddenly get a lot easier. The challenge is to turn this theory into practice – these four tactics will help:
1. Start asking questions
Asking questions instead of answering them can be a powerful technique, but you need to ask the right question, to the right person, at the right time.
For managers, though, it can be hard to move from answering questions towards coaching. Do it too abruptly and people will feel you’re just countering their questions with more questions. Infuriating!
Intrinsic motivation theory says people respond better when they’re in control. How could that work? It might be as simple as: “I’d like to try something new here… sometimes I find we make real leaps forward when I ask questions instead of giving you my answers. Would you be happy to give that a go?” It lets them decline, but if they say yes – and they always do - you know they’re fully involved.
2. Listen properly – but don’t be a pushover
There’s a fine line between treating people with empathy and being a pushover. Leaders aren’t social workers! So while you’re not there to counsel people, you’ve got to give them proper attention, even when you’re busy – they don’t care how many voicemails, texts and emails you’ve got unread or how many other meetings you’ve got today. All they want is for you to listen actively and intently, whether or not you agree. Motivation theory describes this as supporting their competency: if you find the time to use a coaching approach, you’re showing that you trust your report’s own capability and that you’re open to their input and direction.
3. Stop hugging trees
When the chips are down, you need a clear sense of what you want and where you want to go. Strong teams have a clear sense of direction and leaders who can look further over the horizon than their staff. In uncertain times, senior management teams have to agree on a direction quickly ... yet they must remain open to other views.
There’s a social need here, and that’s for people to feel included during this process. So concentrate on questions that explore their motivation and intentions, rather than making assumptions that lead to distrust. “I want to understand your main priority here”, “What will happen if we don’t follow this course of action?” and “What will be the impact on the staff?”
Sometimes there can be benefits from a more competitive dialogue, but stay away when it becomes entrenched rather than passionate. Really exploring people’s disagreements and positions is the best way for senior teams to settle on a firm course. Disagreements that are hidden will come back to bite you.
4. Get a professional coach in?
Sometimes an external coach can add value to a business, despite their cost. On the other hand, sometimes the cost is more than the benefit.
A fresh pair of eyes should challenge those collective organizational blind spots and ask the questions you’ve stopped asking yourselves. The best external coaches will be skilled at working with managers and their teams to really change the productivity of relationships. And by talking to key colleagues around the manager, the external coach can join up the organizational priorities with the individual manager’s internal motivation and goals.
Traditional management approaches have overplayed the organization’s goals at the expense of the individual. Developing your skills as a managerial coach allows you to develop individuals and teams that are really on the same page, in a direction in which all of you know you are traveling.
Whatever style you’re taking, the quality of listening you bring to any conversation will have a massive impact. Whether you’re taking a more hierarchical approach or more of a coaching role, if you’re listening well enough then the whole process becomes a lot clearer and more effective.
From William Winstone: Tips on how to introduce coaching skills into your management style.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
The Power of Questions
As we reflect on our lives and think about are future goals, the questions we ask ourselves are incredibly powerful. The questions we ask require the answers we are looking for in our lives and that we act upon. If we are not going in the direction that will ultimately lead us to our goals, one of the problems may be that we are not asking the right questions.
For example,
Question: Why can't I do this job?
The right question: What talents and skills do I have to do this job?
Question: Why doesn't my partner understand me?
The right question: How can I communicate so that my partner understands me better?
Question: Why do I have trouble working towards the mission of my company?
The right question: Are my values in sync with the mission of my company?
Question: Why do I keep making the same mistakes?
The right question: What can I learn from the mistakes I make?
Question: Why don't they recognize my accomplishments?
The right question: What can I do to celebrate my own achievements?
Question: Why can't I get what I want?
The right question: What is getting in my way from getting what I want?
Question: Why can't I sell my services?
The right question: What value do you I provide to customers?
Question: Why do I consistently miss deadlines?
The right question: What resources and tools do I need to schedule my tasks and be more efficient?
Question: Why did my new campaign bomb?
The right question: What can I learn from the results of the campaign that we can use going forward?
Question: Why can't I live the life of my dreams?
The right question: Will the dreams that I seek make be happy?
Question: Why can't our team be successful?
The right question: What have I done to help my team achieve success?
Question: Why can't I teach others?
The right question: What impact have I made on others?
When we don't consciously answer the “right” questions, we live a life constrained by others and get caught up in our own routine. Answer the right questions and open up the opportunities in your life? Go ahead and try it!
For example,
Question: Why can't I do this job?
The right question: What talents and skills do I have to do this job?
Question: Why doesn't my partner understand me?
The right question: How can I communicate so that my partner understands me better?
Question: Why do I have trouble working towards the mission of my company?
The right question: Are my values in sync with the mission of my company?
Question: Why do I keep making the same mistakes?
The right question: What can I learn from the mistakes I make?
Question: Why don't they recognize my accomplishments?
The right question: What can I do to celebrate my own achievements?
Question: Why can't I get what I want?
The right question: What is getting in my way from getting what I want?
Question: Why can't I sell my services?
The right question: What value do you I provide to customers?
Question: Why do I consistently miss deadlines?
The right question: What resources and tools do I need to schedule my tasks and be more efficient?
Question: Why did my new campaign bomb?
The right question: What can I learn from the results of the campaign that we can use going forward?
Question: Why can't I live the life of my dreams?
The right question: Will the dreams that I seek make be happy?
Question: Why can't our team be successful?
The right question: What have I done to help my team achieve success?
Question: Why can't I teach others?
The right question: What impact have I made on others?
When we don't consciously answer the “right” questions, we live a life constrained by others and get caught up in our own routine. Answer the right questions and open up the opportunities in your life? Go ahead and try it!
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