What’s Your Leadership Style?

We all know that we’re supposed to be great leaders who motivate everyone and get impressive results. Yet when we hit the real world all kinds of obstacles get in our way. There are three basic styles of leadership: Passive, authoritative and balanced and each one leads to different results.

The passive leader listens well and doesn’t act impulsively. On the less productive side she may be detached and uninvolved. The passive leader doesn’t always speak up and may avoid conflict.

The authoritative leader can lead groups and is generally clear on what they expect. The less effective part is that she may micromanage and not delegate effectively. The authoritative leader likes to talk and always gives you their opinion.

The balanced leader is a combination of the positive traits of the passive and authoritative styles. This person talks when necessary and listens well. They take action when necessary and hold back when necessary. They get better results from employees because they tend to be more in the middle of issues and take a more balanced approach to supervision and direction. If you’ve ever worked for a balanced leader, you know that it can be quite a positive experience.

Ask yourself the following questions in thinking about your leadership style.

1. What side of the spectrum do I lead from?

2. What results do I get?

3. What is one thing I could do to modify my style to get better results?

4. What is one thing I could do to support my employees more?

Think about these questions and your own leadership style. Sometimes making a small shift in your approach can lead to excellent results.

Regards,

Guy

I help build inspirational leaders.

You’re Green, I’m Blue. And?

There is a lot of training centered around naming other people’s personalities and then using those categories to communicate better, read people, work together or build relationships. Sometimes these approaches take the form of being a color or giving your personality a name. They all fall under the broad category of personality typology. Personality typology aims at helping us understand our differences and how we can use that knowledge to relate more effectively.

While I think it is valuable for people to understand that others have different communication styles, perspectives or approaches I think this methodology only addresses a part of what true communication or relationship building is all about. Personality typology can be a great conversation starter but it benefits from adding a couple of components.

It helps to start by not forgetting the things we have in common. Personality typology tends to focus on differences. You’re this and I’m that. This is great for pointing out differences but less effective for bringing people together. An approach that works to bring people together is to focus on the things they share and build on those.

Another key element to pay less attention to is labeling. Labeling tends to put people in neat categories that don’t really reflect who they are at a deeper level. So we’ve gone through our training and now we can all walk around and point at each other as being this or that. That’s great but it doesn’t get to the crux of understanding another human being. Labeling can be effective to point out obvious differences but a deeper understanding of what really makes people tick can give you far greater insight.

So what can companies and individuals do to really bring their people together and help them get along famously? It takes a change of focus. Think about the following ideas and how they might help your employees (or you) create stronger connections.

1. Focus on the things people have in common.
2. Practice active listening to learn about others.
3. Spend time learning about others by listening.
4. Forget labels and find out what people really love doing.
5. Build empathy by creating conversation groups.
6. Ask open-ended questions to learn about others.
7. See the world through someone else’s eyes.
8. Don’t react to differences, take it as an opportunity to learn.
9. Practice collaborative problem solving skills.
10. Celebrate people regularly.

Ask yourself how effectively you practice these ten key skills. Successful people and companies understand the value of stepping outside themselves and learning about their people. Getting along with others is not so much about the things the keep us apart, it’s about the things that can bring us together.

Regards,

Guy
I help people come together.

Why Offer Training at All?

I work with many companies and talk to many business owners and leaders who tell me that they would love to provide training for their employees but don’t have the resources. They usually provide training to help their employees learn their jobs but beyond that it’s an abstract concept.

This is very normal. We’ve been conditioned in business to expect immediate returns and have measurable results yesterday. What a certain percentage of organizations have already realized is that a strong investment up front yields impressive results down the line.

It’s a challenge to shift one’s thinking from immediate results to but there are measurable benefits from providing training for one’s employees in less tangible areas. For example: Picture your workplace filled with employees who communicate excellently and can resolve any problem that comes their way with a minimum of effort. What would that do for your company? The benefits of having excellent communication and problem solving skills include:

• Improved ability to resolve any problem
• Increased cohesiveness.
• Improved morale.
• Higher retention.
• Improved motivation.
• Positive communication.
• Clarity in communication.

There are many other benefits than those I’ve listed, but you get the picture. Now ask yourself, how would my company benefit if I benefited from just one of these improvements? How about two or more?

There is no mystery to providing training for your employees. Each company decides what it wants to invest in its people and will get predictable based on which path they choose. When you invest in teaching your employees vital skills you are building the foundation for success.

Regards,

Guy

I help companies succeed.

Achieve Your Dreams

Our dreams are a reflection of who we really are. I’m not talking about the dreams where you are riding a horse through the shopping mall, these are the dreams about what you really want to do with your life. These dreams come from a genuine place inside you and reflect your true self. Perhaps they link you to when you were a child and wished you would be an actor or when you graduated from high school and anticipated being a great mathematician.

Then life gets in the way but it doesn’t have to be that way. You can literally tap into your dreams at any time and give them the prominent place in your life that they deserve. Ask yourself the following questions as you connect with what you really want to do with your life.

1. If money or subsistence were of no concern, what would I do with my life above all else?

2. What am I really good at that brings me joy and I could do forever?

3. What career path would bring me true joy in life?

4. What can I do for hours without thinking about time?

The answers to these questions will help you start steering your life toward what you really want to do. You call the shots and get to decide in what direction you move. You choose whether you follow the path toward your dreams or follow an alternate course. I wish you great success in your journey.

Regards,

Guy
Achieve Your Dreams

Are You a Proactive or Reactive Leader?

When I am working with companies the question frequently arises about why organizations and people get stuck doing certain things the same way over and over.  I usually start a conversation with them about how people and businesses fall into patterns that don’t always lead in the direction we want or yield the results we hope for.  As humans, we are creatures of habit who tend to get comfortable with the way things are going, regardless of their efficacy.

It usually comes down to the leadership philosophy of the company.  Are they proactive or reactive.  Take a moment to gauge where you are and think about how this outlook affects your organization.

Characteristics of Being Reactive

• Putting out fires constantly
• Go from one crisis to another.
• Controlled chaos.
• Clear plan not in place.
• Winging it.

Characteristics of Being Proactive

• Clear plan in place to anticipate crises.
• Work on steps based on priority and urgency.
• Rarely experiences chaos.
• Takes time to plan for contingencies.
• Systems in place to diminish crisis.

As you can tell the main difference between the two approaches is that proactive businesses tend to function more smoothly and experience less disorder.  The benefit of being proactive is that you avoid many of the headaches that are common to the “winging it” type of workplace.

Regards,

Guy Farmer
Training and Planning Solutions

Training Builds a Strong Foundation

Many business people would never dream of building a home without a foundation but they build their business in a more ad hoc manner. There’s nothing inherently wrong with building a business on the fly but you can get even better results in various areas by planning and providing some training opportunities for your employees and for yourself. Think of the following training ideas as you move forward with your enterprise.

Training Builds Key Skills

Imagine hiring people who fit the skills your company needs or training leaders who inspire employees. Savvy business owners and executives realize the benefit of investing in their employees up front to get better returns in the long run. You can look into any number of trainings that will help your employees function more effectively including areas like management, leadership, communication, problem solving or conflict resolution.

Improve Morale and Commitment

When you invest in employees you show them that you care about their success. As you build their skills they understand that they are part of a team and their efforts contribute to the organization. When your employees enjoy positive morale they tend to have a higher level of commitment to the company and to their work.

Be Proactive Instead of Reactive

We’ve all met the leaders and managers that run around all day putting out fires. Imagine what your business would look like if you had a plan in place that included training to help you and your staff manage proactively. Proper training can prevent crisis and put in place systems to help you deal with any situation.

Benefit from Your Employee’s Talents

Many employers overlook key talents and skills that their employees bring to the table because they don’t have a system in place to recognize these assets. Training can help managers and leaders identify the skills of their employees and put them to good use. It can also help new ideas come forth to help the company innovate and develop new products and processes.

Why Even Consider Training at Your Company?

Training isn’t about a one time shot that gets people excited or teaches them one skill. It’s an ongoing process that helps you build the most prepared and flexible staff possible. This kind of workforce can help you in times of crisis or success because they have the foundation necessary to succeed in any environment. Your investment yields dividends that pay off for a long time.

Regards,

Guy Farmer
Training Solutions

Effective Business Communication Tips

Your communication style tells other businesses a lot about your professionalism and what they can expect when they deal with you. A theme that frequently arises when I coach business people is how to communicate in a manner that invites other companies to want to do business with us. The following tips will help you put your best foot forward and communicate confidently.

• Listen actively. It’s amazing what you learn when you are not talking.

• Say it briefly. Go with the approach that less is more in communication.

• Keep it professional. Business communication is not the appropriate time to vent about personal problems or delve into people’s private lives.

• Keep your temper in check. If you fly off the handle it not only shuts down communication but also reduces the likelihood that the other company will give you an opportunity in the future.

• Remind yourself that communication glitches aren’t a personal slight against you, they are just part of doing business.

• Practice excellent conflict resolution skills. Brainstorm with the other person to get some ideas on how to deal with the issue at hand and agree on a solution that works for both of you.

• Develop a communication plan and follow it to eliminate guesswork.

Other businesses judge us much in the same way our clients do. How we communicate says a lot to the outside world about the way we conduct business. Keep these tips in mind as you interact with other companies and you’ll be on your way to increasing your success exponentially.

Regards,

Guy Farmer

Training Services

Two-Way Communication Versus Information

Many managers and executives see their role as one where they give orders and make sure they are carried out. This is one key function of a supervisor but a piece that sometimes goes missing is distinguishing between two-way communication and information. We are taught that communication is about getting our point of view across but there is much more. Let’s look at the difference between the two. Take a moment to think about where you are on the continuum and what you can do to add to your skills.

Information:

• A memo.
• An e-mail.
• Giving orders.
• Explaining or describing processes.
• Telling someone what to do.
• Offering an opinion.
• Pep talks.
• Policies and procedures.

Two-Way Communication:

• Listening.
• Collaborative problem solving.
• Two-way interchange.
• Give and take.
• Exchange of ideas.
• Asking for opinions and input.

Some of the clients I coach have talked to me about what a difference it made in their team building efforts when they made the shift from informing their employees to communicating with them. Two-way communication allows us to gather information, ask for input and collaborate with others. Of course there are times we will need to give a directive but, if we use true communication, even an order will take on a different tone.

Take a moment sometime to examine your communication style and the outcomes you experience. We get different results based on our communication approach and we can always fine-tune things so we can function more effectively. Information tends to move us in the direction of spoon feeding people orders while two-way communication tends to build autonomy and collaboration. Each style leads in a direction that can impact your organizaion.

Regards,

Guy
Consulting solutions for businesses.

The Difference Between Talking and Listening

A lot of people have been conditioned to believe that they need to talk a lot. We’ve all met the person who seems to be in love with the sound of their voice and rarely lets people into the conversation. What we sometimes forget is that communication is over 90% non-verbal which means that talking is just a small part of what we’re supposed to be doing.

Yet millions of people wake up every day ready to tell the world something rather than learning something from the world. We spend our time trying to tell our story rather than gaining more insight into others’ experiences. Think about your own style: Do you talk more or do you listen more? What would happen if you shifted your style just slightly. Highly effective people understand that getting their point across is often as much about understanding someone else’s point of view as it is putting one’s own opinion into the mix.

Here are some tips to help you add to your communication skills:

1. Try to listen more than you talk.
2. Ask open-ended questions.
3. Try not to think of the next thing you’re going to say.
4. Try not to think of the perfect rebuttal.
5. Stay away from questions that lead the conversation in a certain direction.
6. Let people say what they want and give them the space to do so.
7. Listen.
8. Did I mention listening?

The key skill we ignore in life is listening. It’s incredible what we learn when we take the time to really listen to someone. Suddenly we understand people better and can make decisions based on rich information. We avoid misunderstandings and we connect with people on a deeper level.

Perhaps the most powerful proof that listening helps improve our lives is that it allows us to breathe. We don’t have to fill up space, we don’t have to think of witty things to say and we get to learn all kinds of interesting things about others and relax more.

Have a great listening day,

Guy
I help people enjoy great relationships.

Courage in Tough Economic Times

Many business owners are finding that they face a new set of circumstances in the current economy. There are some actions we can take today that can pay off in the long run. The following ideas may require some sacrifice or restructuring of our thoughts at the beginning but are designed to help you figure out your options.

1. Re-evaluate your business plan. Are you relying on strategies that work in bountiful times to guide you in leaner periods?

2. Remember to invest in employees. Your employees will be there for you after the challenging times if you commit to providing them as stable a workplace as possible during hard times.

3. Personal sacrifice. As we demand of our employees so should we of ourselves. In this way our employees will understand our commitment to the company and to them.

4. Develop or revise goals. Sometimes we can’t do what we used to. Revise your projections and you will set yourself up for success.

5. Remember that no downturn is permanent. Things will come back at some point and you will be in a commanding position to run more efficiently and take full advantage of your new success.

6. Don’t burn your bridges. The same people you see on your way up are the ones you’ll see on the way down. Pay attention to your customers and suppliers.

7. Practice openness. This includes leveling with employees about the company’s finances as well as your family and friends.

8. You’re not alone. Reach out to your friends, both personal and professional for advice and support in tough times.

9. Have a plan. What will you do, what will you need to do it and by when will you do it.

10. Ask for help. People and organizations don’t know you need help unless you tell them.

While these ten points may sound harsh or unfamiliar, they are designed to help you assess your current situation so you can make decisions that will lead to future success. Give some careful thought to these ideas as you continue to develop strategies to deal with the current economic climate.

Regards,

Guy
I help companies plan for future success.