Leadership Skills: 10 Focusing Techniques for Public Speaking

 

Gary Genard

Do you demonstrate leadership skills in your public speaking? Here are 10 focusing techniques to make you more dynamic and successful.

When it comes to leading others, you need to be a skilled public speaker. That has always been true. Yet in today's virtual world, what you say may be heard by millions worldwide. Your ability to be fully, extraordinarily present both in person and virtually is therefore essential.

Of course, the higher your profile and influence, the more distractions that may keep you from becoming the speaker you want to be. So maintaining your alignment is a must-achieve task.

Below are 10 theater-based approaches we use at The Genard Method to help leaders stay fully present for audiences. They range from nonverbal communication to storytelling to breathing for speech. Each tip is simple. Together, they're a recipe for presentation excellence and maximum influence.

Ten Public Speaking Techniques for Leadership

1. Ground yourself. Grounding is a tool for feeling stable and looking steadfast. With feet at shoulder width, grip the floor with your toes inside your shoes. Imagine you have roots that go deep into the ground. The Earth gives you energy and power—two essential attributes of great speaking. 
2. Stand or sit with good posture. Visuals matter in how you look and carry yourself. Posture makes a difference in terms of your credibility and authority. Demonstrate pride in your self-image. It will also make you feel more like the person you want to portray.
3. Breathe diaphragmatically. That means slowly, deeply, and calmly. "Belly breathe" by taking fuller breaths, so you support the sound to the ends of phrases (where the most important words reside). It also helps calm your nerves and focuses you naturally.
4. Notice your audience. Your audience is a pool you need to submerge yourself in. Whatever you're saying, watch how listeners react. Then respond in turn. Doing so is part of what makes you a speaker with true focused stage presence.
5. Slow down. High-profile speaking can make you speak too rapidly because of adrenaline, the "fight or flight" hormone. Take your time to cherish this speaking opportunity, which is only here now and in a moment will be gone forever. Just like an actor, you need to allow enough time for emotional responses. It's one of the ways of knowing how to captivate an audience.
   
6. Be more sensual. Take in everything that’s happening, through all your senses. Hear with your eyes. Feel the audience’s reactions as if they were tactile. Taste the ideas in your mouth, etc. Respond with all your being! You'll be in the moment like never before.
7. Aim your energy outward. Your audience matters, not you! Lose yourself in your message and how it's being received. Since as a leader you probably aren't used to hearing this, I'll repeat it: you don't matter. Send the best of you to the people who do matter.
8. Make eye contact as you tell the story. The story is what the audience is here for, which is how your content affects people. Whatever you’re talking about, it’s a story, a narrative. In that sense, you're always involved in storytelling. Make that your touchstone.
9. Trust silence. Silence is one of the most powerful tools in your public speaking toolbox. It helps you pace your presentation. It gives audiences time to fully grasp what you're saying. It also tells audiences, “I'm confident.” (Are you anxious about speaking? Here are 10 Fast and Effective Ways to Overcome Stage Fright.)
10. Move! Moving on stage will help you think and keep you in the moment. Strong, clean gestures amplify meaning. The body is an essential tool of human communication, which is what 'body language' means. Give physical expression to the important things you're saying. If you don't, we'll miss the human being behind the ideas. Here are 6 skills building exercises in body language for public speaking. 

A last point: Don't practice all of these techniques at once. Try one or two at a time, preferably in low-risk speaking situations. You'll gradually build up a level of focus and engagement with audiences that any speaker would envy. 

https://bit.ly/3quXZOu

10 Essential Skills for Salespeople

 What does it take to become an exceptional salesperson?

An infographic (below) from RAIN Group explores the key traits needed to succeed.

Specifically, it looks at 10 skills that can help engage prospects, lead potential buyers through the purchasing process, and close sales.

The piece also examines the traits that buyers look for in salespeople.

https://bit.ly/3qoas6K

The 5 Most Important Skills for the Future of Marketing

 Executives say proficiency in content marketing, strategy, and data/analytics will be the most important skills for marketers in the future, according to recent research from Drift.

The report was based on data from a survey of more than 100 marketing leaders across 25 industries.

Some 53% of respondents say content marketing skills will be essential for the future, 45% say strategy and brand management skills, 41% say data and analytics skills, 40% say customer marketing and insight skills, and 31% say marketing automation skills.

Marketing leaders say the technologies that will have the biggest impact on the future of marketing will be artificial intelligence, martech, video, mobile, and voice/chat/digital assistants.

Marketing leaders say the biggest challenge they face is a lack of talent bandwidth to execute on goals and objectives.

About the research: The report was based on data from a survey of more than 100 marketing leaders across 25 industries.

https://bit.ly/3kAvXj3

6 навыков, которые делают предпринимателя особенным / Six Essential Skills of Extraordinary Entrepreneurs

Эми Вилкинсон

Преподаватель менеджмента в Стэнфордской школе бизнеса, автор книги «Код создателя: 6 необходимых навыков особенных предпринимателей» (The Creator’s Code: The Six Essential Skills of Extraordinary Entrepreneurs)

Пять лет назад Эми была приглашена на вечеринку по поводу празднования дня рождения в Нью-Йорке. Среди приглашенных гостей было нескольких известных предпринимателей, в том числе основатели Google, eBay и Gilt Group. Общение с этими людьми положило начало исследованию, в ходе которого Вилкинсон попыталась выяснить, почему некоторые предприниматели добились столь впечатляющего успеха. Занимаясь этим проектом, она взяла интервью у двухсот известных предпринимателей, включая основателей LinkedIn, Spanx и Airbnb. В результате исследования были выявлены шесть навыков, присущих наиболее успешным предпринимателям. Эми говорит, что предприниматели – это творцы, которые не рождаются с умением строить компании. Зато они умеют кое-что другое:

1. Находить ниши

Стив Элис хотел создать мексиканский ресторан быстрого питания, но вместе с тем это заведение должно было стать полной противоположностью обычного фастфуда: еда должна была готовиться на заказ из высококачественных ингредиентов. В 1993 году Стив основан ресторан Chipotle. Тем самым Элис создал целую нишу – fast casual – что-то среднее между рестораном и фастфудом: еда качественнее и дороже, а атмосфера комфортнее, чем в заведениях быстрого питания. При этом средний чек ниже чем в ресторанах. Первый навык успешного предпринимателя — это способность выявлять неудовлетворенные потребности, которые другие не замечают, и умело находить инновационные решения, чтобы заполнить свободную нишу.

2. Смотреть в будущее

Предприниматель подобен гонщику на трассе: обгоняя своего соперника, он продолжает удерживать взгляд на горизонте. Успешный предприниматель фокусируется на будущем, не заботясь о том, где он сейчас находится по отношению к конкурентам. Хамди Улюкайя, основатель компании по производству йогуртов Chobani, смог превратить завод с нулевым доходом в компанию с оборотом в $1 млрд всего за 5 лет — благодаря тому, что принимал решения с прицелом на будущее. Это включало в себя покупку и переоборудование остановленного предприятия, при том что у Хамди в кармане было всего лишь несколько тысяч долларов. А сегодня доля Chobani на американском рынке приближается к 50%.

3. Быстро ориентироваться и принимать решения

Во времена корейской войны полковник Джон Бойд, пилот-истребитель американских ВВС, разработал схему для быстрого принятия решений: наблюдай, ориентируйся, решай, действуй (observe, orient, decide, act, OODA). Эта схема может быть очень полезной и для предпринимателей, считает Вилкинсон: «Такой подход позволяет постоянно актуализировать свои предположения и быстро двигаться от принятия одного решения к другому». Дэвид Сакс, первый исполнительный директор PayPal рассказал в своем интервью Эми, что команда PayPal внимательно следила за маркетинговыми приемами и новым функционалом конкурирующих сервисов и старалась быстро их скопировать. Например, когда Dotbank.com начал давать бонус в размере $10 тем, кто приведет новых клиентов, PayPal уже через неделю запустил похожую акцию, но удвоил ставки: бонус получал не только рекомендатель, но и новый клиент.

4. Учиться на ошибках

«Среди основателей стартапов распространен культ поклонения успешным предпринимателям, — говорит Вилкинсон, — Однако ни один из успешных предпринимателей не избежал фиаско. Каждый, с кем я встречалась, говорил о своих неудачах».

Успешные предприниматели понимают, что во избежание катастрофических ошибок нужно сделать серию небольших ошибок. Они проверяют идеи в среде с низким уровнем риска, чтобы определить, «выстрелит» ли идея, и что в ней нужно изменить. Некоторые идеи срабатывают, некоторые нет, но в любом случае, создатели стартапов становятся умнее и устойчивее, считает Вилкинсон.

5. Использовать нетворкинг

Предпринимательский успех, по словам Вилкинсон, требует решения многогранных проблем, а для этого требуется привлечение абсолютно разных людей. В итоге решения проблем находятся коллективным разумом, путем объединения идей.

6. Бескорыстно помогать

Это может быть что угодно: вы можете переслать резюме, написать несколько строчек кода, высказать объективную критику, и обязательно будете вознаграждены. Вилкинсон утверждает, что предприниматели, которые строят позитивные отношения и используют каждую возможность помочь коллегам и партнерам, в итоге получают огромное преимущество: «Такой позитивный эффект в награду за помощь стал неожиданностью для меня. Эффект многократно усиливается потому, что в наше время информация распространяется молниеносно, в особенности благодаря соцсетям – все, что может повлиять на нашу репутацию, становится общеизвестным».

The six essential skills of extraordinary entrepreneurs

Make a Difference with your BA Skill Set

In today’s age, Business Analyst has become a key role in an IT or any other Organization. But as a BA he should not be confined to limited skills. Though he is not responsible, then also he should have working knowledge on each and every process that happens in a project life cycle.

It is all about differentiating from others with the advanced skill set which will make an employee irreplaceable in an organization. So as a BA, he should be equipped with the most advanced skills present in the industry. Out of my experience, I have tried to list out all in the form of a diagram being displayed below.

BA Skill Set

Planning Skills for a Business Analyst

Many people do not understand that business analysis work involves a lot more than just “gathering” the requirements. In addition to requirements gathering skill, a BA should have a structured plan and approach to elicit, analyze, document, review and validate system requirements. 

Stakeholder Analysis and Communication Planning are the two of most important tasks that a BA should be well versed with. These two items are mostly related to the planning activities of BA. BA should be able to showcase the plan containing the achievable milestones to all the stakeholders of the Project. 

Business analysis planning should be done for every project but it doesn’t have to be an enormous, time consuming process. Many of the planning tasks can be finished very swiftly, while some tasks may require a little research and analysis.

The following process map depicts the Business Analyst Planning Skills.

Planning Skills for a BA

Abhijit Patro

https://goo.gl/Up7C1y

Why does a Project need both: a PM and a BA?

Having a strong, experienced Project Manager and an efficient, knowledgeable Business Analyst in a Project, is the best way to assure its Success. Both roles are essential because they are each accountable for a diverse set of activities and they each possess a set of skills that complement each other. Both of them work together from the start of the Project and set a platform for success by their proper Planning and Executing skills.

At times, only one person plays both the roles in some organizations. This article discusses the significance of assigning different individuals to each role to ensure project success.

Responsibilities of PM & BA

When One Person Performs Both Roles

In SMEs or when the Organization is short staffed, one person is assigned to act as both the PM and the BA. This kind of cases have been seen, where there is lack of understanding the roles and responsibilities of BA Role and people feel that Business Analysis is one of the activities that PM needs to do. When only one person is assigned to both the roles, the challenge is to be aware of the conflicting focus and try to act in one role at one point of time.

Skill Comparison: PM Vs BA?

Each role provides focused capabilities that make the difference between whether a project succeeds or struggles. PMs and BAs each have distinct skills and knowledge areas and both of them produce a high quality product. Both of them want the project to be successful and want to satisfy all the Stake-holders as well as the client. They understand the ultimate purpose of the project – to meet the project objectives. There are many other areas where the two individuals diverge and do very different types of tasks.

PM Vs BA - Skill Comparison

Dynamic Duos

When assigning PMs and BAs to a project, the success depends on their experience, knowledge and skill sets in the respective areas.

If a strong, experienced PM is assigned to work with an inexperienced, unskilled BA, the requirements gathering and analysis tasks may be quick and key requirements may be missed. This situation will result in rework on requirements analysis & development, missing deadlines, over budget, etc.

In contrary, if a weak PM is assigned to work with a skilled and experienced BA, too much time may be spent in requirements gathering and the project will fall behind schedule as BAs want to get every single detail to be captured 100%.

“The best way to guarantee success of any type of project is to have a strong, experienced Project Manager and a strong, experienced Business Analyst.”

Abhijit Patro

https://goo.gl/ir8oVD

21st Century Skills for organisations and individuals

CRITICAL THINKING AND PROBLEM SOLVING 

Reason Effectively 

• Use various types of reasoning (e.g., inductive, deductive, etc.) as appropriate to the situation

Use Systems Thinking 

• Analyze how parts of a whole interact with each other to produce overall outcomes in complex systems

Make Judgments and Decisions 

• Effectively analyze and evaluate evidence, arguments, claims and beliefs

• Analyze and evaluate major alternative points of view

• Synthesize and make connections between information and arguments

• Interpret information and draw conclusions based on the best analysis

• Reflect critically on learning experiences and processes

Solve Problems 

• Solve different kinds of non-familiar problems in both conventional and innovative ways

• Identify and ask significant questions that clarify various points of view and lead to better solutions

CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION 

Think Creatively 

• Use a wide range of idea creation techniques (such as brainstorming)

• Create new and worthwhile ideas (both incremental and radical concepts)

• Elaborate, refine, analyze, and evaluate ideas in order to improve and maximize creative efforts

• Demonstrate imagination and curiosity

Work Creatively with Others 

• Develop, implement, and communicate new ideas to others effectively

• Be open and responsive to new and diverse perspectives; incorporate group input and feedback into the work

• Demonstrate originality and inventiveness in work and understand the real world limits to adopting new ideas

• View failure as an opportunity to learn; understand that creativity and innovation is a long-term, cyclical process of small successes and frequent mistakes

Implement Innovations 

• Act on creative ideas to make a tangible and useful contribution to the field in which the innovation will occur

COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATION 

Communicate Clearly 

• Articulate thoughts and ideas effectively using oral, written, and nonverbal communication skills in a variety of forms and contexts

• Listen effectively to decipher meaning, including knowledge, values, attitudes, and intentions

• Use communication for a range of purposes (e.g., to inform, instruct, motivate, and persuade) and in diverse environments (including multi-lingual)

• Utilize multiple media and technologies, and know how to judge their effectiveness a priori as well as assess their impact

Collaborate with Others 

• Demonstrate ability to work effectively and respectfully with diverse teams

• Exercise flexibility and willingness to be helpful in making necessary compromises to accomplish a common goal

• Assume shared responsibility for collaborative work, and value the individual contributions made by each team member

10 top skills of the best Innovation Managers

By definition, an innovation role covers many different areas of expertise. We’ve listed the most prominent skills you might be looking for on the resume of job candidates. A T-shaped profile will probably be the one you’re looking for. You need an emphatic generalist that can quickly jump from one domain to the other.

Example interview questions

For each, we’ve added a couple of example questions. Use this list to write your own interview script. 

1. Business Case oriented
Working with limited info should not be a problem. An innovation manager should be able to work with a brief list of assumptions to build the basic of an innovative business case.

• What could be the selling price of Virtual Reality Goggles for surgeons?
• What would need the biggest investment: Building & maintaining a support chatbot or hire an extra support colleague?

2. Project oriented
Many innovation managers have to follow up on dozens of innovation projects. Make sure to look for people with a decent level of project mgmt experience. This person will have to manage your innovation process. You don’t want a creative dreamer at the wheel, right?

• Which project management tools or services have you used before. Why (or why not) were those tools the best solution for the task at hand?
• What is the most difficult part of managing a new business or innovation project? 

3. Manage failure and exceptions
The more disruptive the project, the bigger the chance failure can occur. You’re walking in new territory, so an innovation manager will need to prepare others around her that future is always very uncertain.

• What is the biggest threat to an innovation project? How to manage this risk?
• How many client/users would you talk to before going public with a new innovation?

4. Willing to change
Talking about change is not enough. Look for candidates that are willing to take the first steps themselves. By doing so, they can inspire others to follow.

• When and how did you initiate a new idea that was out of the comfort zone for most people?
• Name a situation where you managed to change how your organization worked? 

5. Curious
Look for people that are eager to find new information. People that want to deep dive into new domains.

• Tell me something most people don’t know about? 
• Do you follow niche websites, people or sources about a very specific topic?

6. Optimistic
Innovation leads will need to see opportunities everywhere. Obstacles are just a trigger for change.

• Name a failed innovation but that you could relaunch in the market? Explain how.
• When would you stop an innovation program or project?

7. Fast and Furious
Thinkers that take 2 years develop an idea are probably not the leaders to steer an innovation team. You need people that will look for shortcuts. People that understand that done is better than perfect.

• Have you ever launched a project that you’re ashamed of today? Why?
• What was the fastest cycle you ever experience to go from the first idea to public launch? What was your role in this initiative?

8. Cross-industry experience
Ideally, an innovation manager has a mixed background with practical experience in multiple industries. The best ideas emerge when different views collide.

• When did you solve a problem in your organization, based on info you learned elsewhere? 
• How do you keep yourself up to date, what sources do you follow? (generalist will mention a mix of domains)

9. Able to manage internal politics / buy-in 
A corporate is packed with internal politics. Innovation projects are the perfect fuel to spark internal fires. An innovation manager will need to spend a lot of time on internal communication.

• Explain a situation where an important project got blocked in the ‘red tape’ of your organization. What did you do to move this project forward?
• When working on a new innovation project, who needs to stay in the loop? (other roles/departments/…) Who needs to stay out?

10. Strategic Sighted
Innovation project fall by definition out of your companies comfort zone. Can this person inspire others with a clear vision where else the company needs to look?

• Can you give an example of a promising technology that most people see as the next big thing, but that you don’t agree with?
• Which small or medium-sized company has a strong innovation strategy & why? (avoid that people just talk about Apple, Facebook, Google or Amazon)

https://goo.gl/ZXswpL

LESSON 3 - HOW TO MANAGE YOUR EMPLOYEES AND BUILD A STRONG TEAM - People Management Skills

Managing Different Personalities - People Management Skills 

You will encounter many different types of people during your management career.  If you are managing a group of around 20 or less, you really should be able to get a feel for each individual’s personality.  Even if you manage a group of 100, you should still be able to know the key players personalities.  It helps when you know what makes each one of them tick, especially when communicating one-on-one.  When dealing with different personalities, be tolerant of styles different from your own.  Always try to adapt to their personality to get your point across, or to get more out of them. 

You can’t use a cookie cutter approach with every employee.  In most cases, you will need to change your communication approach with each individual.  For example, you will not get your point across if you're too direct and data oriented with a touchy-feely kind of person.  In the same token, you would not want to be too touchy-feely with a no-nonsense type of person.  This is also important when delegating any projects to individuals or as small teams.  If a person or team is too analytical, there will be little creativity.  If a person or team is too sensitive, fewer decisions will be confidently made.  Here are some ways to deal with different personality traits:

• The “Considerate” are nice, calm, and like to think things through.  They usually have an optimistic “glass half-full” point of view.  They are agreeable, but might take a bit longer than others to get the work done.  They might need some help in making decisions.  The good news is usually the work is more complete with fewer errors.  Let them know calmly, yet directly, what you need from them.  However, also spend some time to talk about family and other non-work related topics.  This would be a good person to do long-term detailed oriented type of projects.  Give a lot of encouragement and praise to get the most out of this type of personality.

• The “Aggressive” likes to take control and do things quickly.  They are not afraid to make decisions.  They are usually good at what they do, and know it.  Just make sure they do not try and control you.  They can produce a lot of good work for you, but every once and a while you need to make sure they know whose boss.  Be direct, straightforward, and use a no-nonsense approach to business.  This would be a good person to use to put out any fires that need immediate attention.   Make sure you give this person a lot of praise when praise is due.  If you don’t, they will be upset.

• The “Analyst” will always try to find flaws in the system.  They will also play devils advocate.  If you say, “Do this,” they will say, “why don’t we do it like that?”  Sometimes it’s a good thing because there might indeed be a better solution, but most of the time it’s just someone being too critical.  They tend to procrastinate when making decisions.  Listen to what they have to say, but if you feel it is going nowhere, take their suggestions and move quickly onto the next subject.  This would be a good person to give projects like finding possible trouble producing trends that requires deep analytical investigation.  This is more of a “just the facts” type of person.  Don’t waste either of your time to chat about subjects of little importance.

• The  “Sensitive” takes any type of confrontation too personally.  They do as they are told, but do not like making decisions.  They are usually very nice and pleasant but their feelings get hurt too easily.  Try not to be too direct with this type of personality.  Use an encouraging type of approach when dealing with any performance related issues.  This would be a good person to give projects that are more “touchy-feely.”

• The “Talkative” tend to be more feelings oriented and will show more emotion, whether positive or negative.  They have a strong interest about people and are usually the “social butterfly” of the department.  They usually like making decisions but want conformation just in case. Try using a lightened-up approach and some humor to get your point across to this type of personality.  This would be a good person to help plan social events or any projects that require some animated personality.

• The “Brainiac” will use knowledge and sarcasm to get what they want.  They will try and dance around the basic topic.  They will also dance around making any type of decision.  Make sure you keep this person on track as they can lose focus on the task at hand very easily.  If needed, make them repeat themselves in terms everyone can understand.  This would be a good person to give the projects that are more “data-oriented.”

• The “Quiet” is one who very rarely talks at meetings, seems to have low self-esteem, and is continually sub-conscious of their actions.  Not only should you try to bring this person out of their shell, they just might have some brilliant ideas that you can incorporate.  There can be power in the quiet person as they might be the ones with the most compelling ideas.  We tend to give our attention to the commanding personalities and ignore the quiet and soft-spoken.  On the contrary, the quiet people are the ones you need to seek out.

• The “Results-Driven” tend to focus solely on targeted metrics but sometimes lose focus on the big picture.  They feel like they are doing a great job because of meeting an important goal, however, they are doing a poor job on another aspect of the job.  You need to get your point across by being direct.  You have to stress the importance of the big picture and to use common sense.  For example, this is the type of person who will stop troubleshooting a problem, even if they are close to fixing it, because they went over the average call handle time.  This person is usually more suited for simple straightforward tasks that do not require thinking outside of the box.

• The “Loner” just wants to do the job and not get involved with company picnics, break room conversations, or any non-work related subjects.  They do not like any interaction with fellow employees.  You should talk to them about the importance and reasoning of the team approach.  It is to their benefit if the team exceeds, not only for job security, but also for any possible rewards you have in place.  With open and honest communication, you should be able to get them to understand and work as a team member.  This does not mean they have to be everyone’s best friend; they just need to be supportive and reliable.  The problem with a person who does not want to be part of a team usually ends up not fully understanding the expectations of the group, and will have the type of excuse like, “Nobody told me…” or “I did not know I was supposed to do that…” etc.  This person might be a diamond in the rough and if they just do not fit in to the current team, see if there is another position that would be better suited for them.  This might look like you are rewarding someone because of a personality issue, so be careful how you handle this as it could create conflict amongst your team.  You, and most likely HR, will have to determine the outcome of such a move.  Still continue to try to get this person out of their shell, and try to give them projects that do not demand a team effort.

• The “Overly-Confident” feels like they know everything and can do no wrong.  Sometimes they act confident even when they don’t know what they’re doing.  You need to get your point across by being very direct.  You might want to humble this person every now and then.  Make them repeat exactly what it is they are supposed to be doing.  Give them projects that can easily be tracked to make sure they are not headed in the wrong direction.

• The “Curmudgeon” thinks of everyone but them self as incompetent, and does not take supervision well.  They tend to be grumpy and sarcastic.  They have a pessimistic “glass is half-empty” point of view.  You do not want to approach this type of person with your tail between your legs.  State the facts and let them know exactly what is expected of them.  Use a matter of fact approach and try to give them projects that do not demand too much creativity or touchy-feely.

• The “Mean-Spirited” makes it known that they are not happy with work or the people around them.  In many cases it is due to problems that are not work related.  If you feel that it is affecting employee morale, you should talk to this person and make sure they understand that you need a department that works in harmony.  That the goal is to a have everyone work in a pleasant atmosphere in which there are no personality conflicts. 

• The “Bad Attitude” is a major problem.  You need to let this person know that their attitude is affecting morale and is unacceptable.  See lesson 5 for ways on how to handle this type of difficult employee.

A short story about building a strong team

John knew that although his department was structured perfectly, he had to make sure his employees were willing to follow the plan.  He explained that the changes he made were necessary for the department and company to achieve the goals and objectives.  He had chosen the right people, let them know what was expected, trained them, got them the needed materials, and created a good working environment, but still had to find more ways to keep them motivated.  He needed a strong and happy team in place or else it would all fall apart.

By making his employees feel like a true team, he decided to let them work as a team.  He found ways that inspired teamwork.  They knew that by working as a team, they would not be micro-managed.  He let them be involved in making decisions and really listened to their suggestions and ideas.  He also made it a priority to always acknowledge exceptional work done and in a timely fashion.  He made sure that everyone fully understood that if the goals were achieved, they would be rewarded both in pay and other small gifts of gratitude.  He developed a performance appraisal that was based on statistical reports that documented whether the goals were reached.  He also documented their strengths and weaknesses in order to always keep them challenged and to improve.  He would always look at ways to help them grow, and promoted his exceptional employees.  Basically, John showed his team that he cared about them as people.  He got to know them personally and supported them 100%.  He did know, however, that it only takes one bad apple to spoil the lot, so whenever he felt there was conflict, he dealt with it immediately before it affected the group.

John had built a solid, unified team with the same goals in mind.  They wanted to work hard because they knew they would be recognized and praised for a job well done.  The harder they worked, the more John would show his appreciation.  The skills they obtained were truly recognized, and even upper management came by to talk to the team about their success.  John’s department was not only physically and logically in place, but now with a motivated team who was happy to follow the processes and procedures, he had created.

Epilogue:  Your employees work better when they are happy and feel they are part of a team to reach a common goal.  It gives them a purpose and they will feel like an important part of the company.  You want them to want to look good in your eyes.  By implementing the skills taught in this lesson, you will have a strong team who respects your management skills and sees you as a leader who cares.

Quick Lesson Summary

• The five steps needed to develop a great team are:

1.      Create and Develop a strong team with solid expectations

2.      Motivate Professionally and with respect

3.      Recognize and Praise great work

4.      Evaluate and Appraise employee performance

5.      Compensate and Reward a job well done

• These same five steps can be also used as building blocks to develop the individual.

• A strong team knows exactly what is expected of them, and what it is they need to do.  This includes the goals they need to achieve.  A strong team also does not need to be micromanaged.

• Continually look for ways to motivate the team to increase job performance.  Do it in a way, however, that does not insult their intelligence.

• Show appreciation of their good work by making it a point to recognize and praise, when true praise is due.  Know the value of their exceptional skills.

• Care about your team and their interests.  Let them know you always have their best interests at heart.

• Evaluate and appraise their work by documenting it to be used in a performance review.

• Give them the raise they deserve based on their job performance, while staying within budget.  Even small rewards mean a lot when you show respect towards the team and individual.

• The key to managing different personalities is to take the time to get to know the people, and find out what makes them tick.  You have to know how to deal with aggressive, sensitive, quiet, and mean personalities, just to name a few.  You will be able to get the best out of them, by managing the personality, rather than using a generic approach.  Be tolerant of styles different from your own, and try to adapt to their personality to get your point across.