Categories for Communication

Prepare to Give Critical Feedback with These Vital Questions

July 30, 2021 10:40 am Published by Leave your thoughts

Preparing to give critical feedback helps ensure a potentially challenging discussion produces the result you are after.  Comedian and television personality Craig Ferguson suggests that preparation begin with three important questions: Does this need to be said? Sometimes reflection leads to the conclusion that the issue is not relevant nor important enough to address. Does this need to be said…

How to Harness the Power of Positive Feedback

February 14, 2021 10:40 am Published by Leave your thoughts

Study after study tells us that people don’t feel they get enough praise and recognition at work. With more staff members working from home and feeling isolated, the need to be acknowledged is even more acute. It’s easy to feel disconnected and individually unnoticed, given the massive number of virtual meetings, often with cameras off, that many are experiencing. Yet,…

Indicators Your Leadership Approach is Hurting Your Team’s Development

February 7, 2018 2:19 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

Team leadership requires keen self-awareness of the impact of behavior on a team’s performance. Often leaders inadvertently stunt the growth of their teams by exhibiting meeting conduct that is ineffective and even harmful. Here are some signs that your approach might be suboptimal. Communication is funneled to you. Think about the way communication flows around the team table. Who talks…

How to Develop a Strong Leadership Presence

August 24, 2017 2:21 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

When admired, respected leaders walk into a room where others are gathered, their presence sends a message about who they are and what they represent. Those around them form judgments in a matter of seconds and the impressions are lasting. The intangible traits they emanate begin to create or reinforce their leadership presence, a critical factor separating high-performing leaders from…

How to Know if Your Team is High Performing

February 25, 2016 2:30 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

Not all teams achieve the elite status of being called high performing. Most are adequate, accomplishing what they need to do in order to complete a collaborative task. Few, however, become a fine-tuned machine, capable of pushing their limits and achieving beyond expectations. Here are the characteristics of truly high performing teams. 1. A high level of focus on a…

How to Effectively Delegate to Get the Outcomes You Really Want

August 9, 2015 7:01 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

To do it right, delegating should be done intentionally and thoughtfully. Randomly handing out assignments does not make for good results or happy staff members! Good delegation is at the heart of empowerment and requires giving away, not only work assignments, but also authority to make decisions. Poor delegation practice is at the core of micromanagement. Use these guidelines to…

Tips for Making the Transition to a New Leadership Role

July 10, 2015 7:02 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

Whether you move to a new organization or transit within your current place of work, the approach you use to begin a new leadership role can help or hinder your success. To staff members, a new leader is the source of hope as well as fear. Will you bring new insight and needed change? Or, will valued practices and relationships…

4 Things Guaranteed to Make Staff Resist Change

April 3, 2015 7:05 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

Change is continual in most of today’s organizations. Some change may be met with applause, especially when bringing desired benefits. But, often the upshot is significant resistance. Most staff resist when they perceive they are losing something to which they are attached: i.e., relationships, status, physical surroundings, work processes, technology. But the blow is worsened when those initiating the change…