Category Archives: Tips for Improving Interactions
August 9, 2012 The Most Important Leadership Quality
A recent article published in the Harvard Business Review claims that one quality rises above the rest when it comes to great leadership: self-awareness. In the article, titled “How Leaders Become Self-Aware”, author Anthony Tjan poses a question to help us understand what is meant by self-awareness: “What motivates you and your decision making?”
Are you prepared to respond? Unless you have already made practice in self awareness part of your everyday and you’ve taken the assessments and consulted with others, you may struggle to answer Tjan’s question.
Tjan outlines three steps that all of us can take to become better leader in our life. Because I do a lot of work with self-awareness as an Insights Practitioner, I’m always combing through new resources for my coaching when it comes to self-awareness. I thought Tjan’s pointers were spot on and provided some great ideas for improving effectiveness and interactions.
Test and Know Yourself Better
This translates simply to take a personality test. I know it sounds simple (and the process can be as simple as answering questions about yourself for half an hour online, in the case of Insights Discovery), but this quick gesture, when given reflection, can transform the way you work and your relationships with others. Tjan advocates self-assessments because “they facilitate self-reflection, which leads to better self-awareness.”
Watch Yourself and Learn
This step plays out on a more long term scale, but can have big takeaways when done correctly. The process of this step is simple: when making a big decision, always record your reasons for that decision and then revisit these reasons 9-12 months later. What panned out and what didn’t? Tjan labels this practice as feedback analysis and explains that its effectiveness is found in two steps: “a) codify rationale and motivators and b) reflect and assess outcomes.”
Be Aware of Others, Too
Self-awareness is no good if you live alone on an island—the real power of this knowledge reveals itself when you interact with others on a team. “Knowing your natural strengths and weaknesses makes you a better recruiter and allocator of talent,” says Tjan. But this knowledge is most effective when you’re aware of the strengths of those around you, because this results in a group of people who both “understand and complement each other.” A strong team is founded on the diverse approaches and skills of its members, and because these members approach tasks differently, this promotes learning and feedback within the group—it leads to innovation.
Have questions about self-awareness? Feel free to contact me for answers.
Tags: Career Coach Advice, Delegation, How to Change Your Life, Improving Relationships, Insights Discovery
July 25, 2012 No Sweat, No Fail Networking
By Margaret Smith, UXL: Creating Successful Leaders
SPEAKER | CAREER COACH | CERTIFIED INSIGHTS DISCOVERY PRACTITIONER
Networking… Just the shear mention of the word makes my knees buckle and my deodorant is challenged.
Networking is, however, one of the most important skills to perfect, no matter where you are on your career journey. Did you know that more than 80% of jobs today are found through contacts, not over the internet or by blindly sending a resume.
You’ve probably familiar with the phrase “It’s who you know, not what you know”, and for a period of time, a lot of us could afford to ignore this little axiom. Well, the times certainly have changed. Now, more and more people are discovering the truth behind this common message.
Today, your contacts (and your contact’s contacts) are the real door openers to the interview.
Networking is essential to the job hunt, but it’s not limited to those looking for employment. Even if you currently have a job, a new position may be searching for you. If you don’t have the right connections internally your name may not come up—opportunity missed!
No Sweat, No Fail Networking
The first step is to figure out where to go. Where can you find the people that you need to meet—where do they hang out? Find the events and activities that attract the people and organizations you need or want to meet.
The 3 Parts of Successful Networking:
1) Know your Audience: Who will be there? Who do I need/want to meet? How do I “show up”?
2) Have an Objective: Is my objective to collect 15 business cards or to meet the 3 most influential people at the event? You will achieve what you set your mind to do.
3) Be Prepared and Practice: Know how you will introduce yourself, what you do or what you want. Make sure you have a request ready, such as “May I call you next week to set up some time to learn more?” or “Whom in your organization is involved in what I am interested in?” or “Who do you suggest I meet here tonight?”
Practice is the fun part. Stand in front of the mirror, watch your body language, smile, and figure out ways to share your energy so people enjoy their encounter with you.
Don’t forget to follow up via phone or email with the people you meet and remind them of something from your conversation.
Okay, now my knees stopped shaking and I am writing down my introduction so I can practice for that event on Monday night…Good luck!
July 5, 2012 The Key to Business Success Is All Around You
By Margaret Smith, UXL:
SPEAKER | CAREER COACH | CERTIFIED INSIGHTS DISCOVERY PRACTITIONER
I was surprised to discover two really helpful articles in the recent USA Weekend insert written by Stephanie Weaver (usaweekend.com) in my Stillwater Gazette. I decided to share some of the most important ideas with my readers.
The first article deals with building a successful business, and offers the key to this success: Build the perfect team. Does it sound like a great solution? Sure. Does it sound like an easy solution? If you’ve ever worked on a team, then your answer is probably a little less definitive.
Have you ever found yourself assigned to a group project at work, and caught yourself dreading it? This is probably because there’s some work to be done not on your project, but on your team. “Team building is a way to be in control of your life.” says Robyn Benincasa, world champion adventure racer and author of How Winning Works: 8 essential leadership lessons from the toughest teams on earth.
Build your team, and gain control of your life. A rather interesting concept, right? I couldn’t help but recognize the truth behind this insight. The less out of control or imbalanced your team is, the more weight each member has, and the more democratic things become.
Benincasa had a wide variety of experiences to thank for such great advice. She left the corporate world to take on expedition-level competitions that ask participants to hike jungles and mountains, cross lava fields and survive rapids.
Who crosses the finish line first is as much about who you’re with as how you train, she says.
Although you may not be inclined to enter the world of extreme sports in search of wisdom, you may be interested in stealing some of her tricks:
Play to the Strengths
Recognize one another’s strengths and weaknesses (we all have them) and tap into them by divvying out tasks accordingly. Leave egos at the door.
Stop the Finger Pointing
Nothing defeats team spirit more than singling out someone’s flaw. All teams—whether work or personal—are built on respect. “Lead by strength, not title”, and squash any negative remarks as soon as they come up.
Take Benincasa’s Test
Do you look at people as potential competitors or potential teammates? If you’re trying to compete, flip a mental switch. The world is full of potential teammates.
After reading great teambuilding tips from a revered adventurer, I decided to consider the challenge of teambuilding with my own set of tools and experiences. About a year and a half ago, I discovered a personal assessment tool that’s brought teambuilding to a whole new, easy to understand level: Insights Discover.
Insights Discovery is a great tool for building team respect and eliminating competition. The program does this by helping teams to recognize the value and skills that each person offers, no matter how different they from you. A well-balance team is the key to seeing all perspectives and getting work done on time with reduced conflict and stress. If you’d like to explore the benefits of Insights for your work group, please contact me today.
Tags: Career Coach Advice, Improving Relationships, Insights Discovery, Teambuilding, Teams
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