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Opportunity
Cost
Business failures and personal breakdowns due to
stress are a significant opportunity cost for us as
individuals and for everyone around us. People who
suffer from stress reduce their productive capacity
both at work and at home. As a recent Vancouver Sun
article noted: "it's employees, not machines, who are
breaking down or barely operating at sub-optimal levels
as mental health problems cost the economy a
whopping $33 billion a year in lost production."
Lack of business success contributes to a shrinking
world, not one of expansion. It erodes the productive
capacity of our economy since every company that
fails has a negative impact on its financial investors, its
suppliers and its employees. As a leader you owe it to
yourself and your organization to operate at the
highest level possible.
Successful
Leadership
The quality
of your leadership and management has a significant
bearing on the results of those you impact within the
organization. Success is a function of your approach to
both what you do and how you do it. Each day you
have the choice to expand your thinking, expand your
resources and enhance your business. Who we are and
what we believe has direct causality to how we
approach and perform our tasks.
Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman in their book,
First
Break all the Rules, wanted to determine whether
or
not
engaged employees did indeed drive positive business
outcomes. They found that the manager - not pay,
benefits, perks, or a charismatic corporate leader - was
the critical player in building a strong workplace. They
also found that employees with positive attitudes also
belong to business units with higher levels of
productivity, profit, staff retention and customer
service.
If you are a leader or intend to be a leader and you
want to improve productivity and profitability in your
organization, the question that you may want to ask
yourself is this: "What can I do to put a shine on my
leadership skills?"
Learn more
Interpersonal
Communication
The first area for all of us to develop is the quality of
our interpersonal communication skills. Ask yourself the
following questions and reflect on your communication
strengths. Coaching can help you identify and develop
areas that require improvement to boost your
leadership skills.
Listening
- How well do you hear what the other
person is saying?
- Are you able to notice what is
not being
said?
- When the other person is speaking are
you forming your response?
Curiosity vs
Judgment
- How curious are you about what is behind
the comments the other person is making?
- What kind of exploratory questions do you
ask to find out?
- Do you refrain from telling the other
person the "right" answer?
Powerful
Questions
- Are your questions highly relevant for
moving the inquiry forward?
- How well have you linked your questions
to what you have heard?
- How effective are your questions at
promoting self-discovery?
- Are you able to stop yourself from solving
other people's problems?
Silence
- How well do you use it to ensure people
have really completed their thought?
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