Leadership and Feedback
By Michael | June 25, 2009
“No one enjoys addressing others’ deficiencies. But failure to do so sends the message that people are on track when they really aren’t. And that may be the greatest disservice a leader can do to someone else”.
- Eric Harvey
Dear Leaders,
How are you at giving feedback? How receptive are you to receiving feedback? Both can be very difficult yet both are critical if you are to be a successful leader.
As leaders we may be more comfortable giving feedback than receiving it. We view giving feedback as part of our job and have scheduled meetings (one on ones, performance appraisals) that lend themselves to discussing the positive behaviors and accomplishments as well as the missed goals and opportunities.
We all have perceptions as to how our peers, subordinates, and business partners would evaluate us, but few of us actually solicit feedback on a regular basis. So what can we do?
You can start simple. Ask 3 questions:
What am I doing well that you want me to continue doing?
What am I doing that you want me to stop?
What could I do better?
You can also use confidential 360′ feedback programs that provide much greater detail and establishes a stronger baseline.
There are 8 steps in the process to receive feedback:
1. ASK:
Ask your co-workers for feedback. The simple act of asking sends a message that you value their opinion and that you would consider changing a behavior based upon their input.
2. LISTEN:
Listen to what they say. Try not to evaluate whether they are “right” or “wrong”. Simply accept their opinions as their perceptions of reality. Avoid trying to defend your actions.
3. THINK:
Think about their input before reacting. Make sure you avoid overreacting or making commitments that you may not be willing or able to keep in the future.
4. THANK:
Express your appreciation for the feedback. Letting you know what they think is an act that may require courage. Take the time to personally say “thank-you.”
5. RESPOND:
Respond to the people who gave you feedback. After careful thought, let them know the 1-3 areas where you plan to change. Keep it simple; do not try to change too many behaviors.
6. INVOLVE:
Involve them in the change process. Ask them if they have any further suggestions. Recruit them to help you as you try to change. Ask for their ongoing support.
7. CHANGE:
Do something about the feedback. Write down your 1-3 areas for change and keep these in front of you. Remind yourself to give these 1-3 areas the priority they deserve. Monitor your own behavior on a timely basis.
8. FOLLOW-UP:
Follow up with your co-workers approximately every 3-4 months. Ask them if they think that you are changing. When they start to say you have changed, they begin to believe that you have changed!
To summarize:
Feedback consists of both giving and receiving. Make sure it’s frequent, consistent, timely and meaningful.
When asked to provide feedback, avoid the “halo” affect when all you provide are the “positives”. Those intent on growing want to know how they can be more effective.
When receiving feedback, assume positive intent. Feedback does not always feel good, but take the time to reflect on it and then decide if you will take action on it.
If you receive non positive feedback from 2 or more individuals you need to take additional time to think about it and consider what you could change to turn that item to a “positive”.
Let us know how you feel about feedback. Are you more comfortable giving feedback than receiving it? Why? Have there been any surprises?
Sincerely,
Michael W. Kublin and Jan Mayer-Rodriguez
For more information about PeopleTek visit our website
www.peopletekcoaching.com
Or contact:
Mike Kublin - email mkublin@peopletekcoaching.com
phone 1.888.565.9555 x 711
or
Jan Mayer-Rodriguez
email jan@peopletekcoaching.com
phone 1.888.565.9555 x712
Click below to find out more about PeopleTek’s specialty programs:
The Leadership Journey
Session 1 of 12 is scheduled for kick-off on
August 5th
our more advanced program:
our popular:
and our new program:
Special summer rates.
Call 888.565.9555 ext 711 for details
“Truly great leaders spend as much time collecting and acting upon feedback as they do providing it”. - Alexander Lucia
PeopleTek’s key components for successful leaders:
Passion
Persistence
People
Process (this includes Planning)
Profit
LEARNING LEADING SUCCEEDING!
www.peopletekcoaching.com
888.565.9555
Topics: General | No Comments »
Communication and Listening
By Michael | June 24, 2009
Leadership Journey™ I
Leadership Journey™ II
Communication and Listening
INVEST IN YOURSELF and take your leadership skills to the next level!
Leadership Journey I - A 12 session program
How you and your organization will benefit:
You will be able to :
- understand what it is you want to create to become a stronger leader
- communicate what you wish to achieve and get others aligned
- reduce the risk of the staff not understanding where it is the organization is going, what they are responsible for and how they will be measured
- increase individual and team accountability to obtain business results
- form a network with others who have similar concerns and frustrations
- build confidence
- learn to better handle difficult situations and conflict
- obtain new listening and communication skills
- improve teamwork and enhance business relationships
“The Journey provided the overall ability to step back, assess current roles, and provided amazing diagnostics via the tools/instruments regarding productive leadership behaviors for myself and others. We were able to implement changes immediately”. - T.S. Accelerated Ecom
Leadership Journey II - A 9 session program
How you and your organization will benefit:
You will learn how to enhance productive behaviors or eliminate unproductive behaviors to ensure you are positioned to succesfully achieve the business and personal goals you desire.
Topics include:
Work Expectations
Managing Change
Communication Styles
Trust
Interpersonal Influence Inventory
Coping and Stress
Time Mastery and Understanding and Setting Boundaries
Communication and Listening - A 3 session program
How you and your organization will benefit:
You will learn to:
- Separate the personality from the problem
- Ask the right questions at the right time in the right way
- Manage your own emotional responses
- Put your listener at ease
- Effectively communicate your needs
- Effectively diffuse anger and conflict
- Understanding your prejudices and filters
- Learning what does not work
In a recent survey top CEO’s in leading corporations worldwide agreed that communication is the single most important element to their success and the success of their leadership teams - now’s the time to invest in yourself and optimize your communication skills!
Now is the time to invest in yourself!
Take advantage of special summer rates!
call 888.565.9555 ext 711
Sincerely,
Michael W. Kublin
PeopleTek President
888.565.9555 ext 711
Can you afford NOT to invest in yourself?
“The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership.”- Harvey S. Firestone
Topics: Training, Upcoming Classes | No Comments »
Leadership and Listening
By Michael | June 18, 2009
“The most basic of all human needs is the need to understand and be understood. The best way to understand people is to listen to them”.
- Ralph Nichols
Dear Leaders,
In our quick paced society of juggling schedules, meeting deadlines and multi-tasking, we don’t always take the time to listen to what’s going on around us and for that matter, what we’re being told. We don’t always listen to the whole story and we’re quick to jump to solutions so we can move to the next task at hand.
Below is a short listening quiz provided by Doug Gray, PCC, ICF-certified coach, speaker, leadership trainer, and author.
Please answer each question either TRUE or FALSE.
1. Listening is a learned skill that requires an active engagement.
2. Hearing is an inactive skill affected by age, health, and interest.
3. We speak at 300 words per minute. We listen 4 times faster, at 1,000-1,200 words per minute. Therefore, our minds frequently wander.
4. All communication is received, but 70-90% of the data is screened out or altered by the receiver.
5. Listening is perceived as a powerful skill by most people.
6. We were born with two ears and just one mouth. Therefore, we should listen twice as much as we speak!
7. Cultural tendencies do not affect our listening skills.
8. Our brain often processes data forward (What do I say next? How do I defend myself? What shall I have for lunch?), or in reverse (Did I turn the car lights off? Did I get an e-mail back from…?).
9. We can suspend judgment when listening by focusing on comprehension rather than details.
10. Our ability to listen is not affected by meta-messages, the message within the message.
11. Confirming understanding/stating alignment does not imply that you agree with the message.
Now score yourself. Only # 5 is False. All others are true.
How did you do? Any surprises?
If 10-11 correct - WELL DONE!
If 8-9 correct - YOU’RE ON TRACK; KEEP WORKING AT IT
If < 7 correct - USE THE TIPS BELOW and request feedback
Listening Tips
Try implementing these tips into your daily routine and assess what else you can incorporate into your skill-set to become an even better communicator:
- Don’t suggest words or finish sentences when a pause occurs
- Listen, don’t solve or judge
- Ask probing questions to obtain clarity
- Be aware of when “selective” listening is likely to occur (Age, skill, gender, relative, etc)
- If time is an issue let the person know and schedule more time, or ask “let’s summarize what we’ve decided”.
- Let the person know if more facts are required prior to decision making
or for further discussions
- Be aware of your “non” listening behaviors ex. pencil tapping, raised eyebrows, blank stares, “zoning” out.
Let us know how you did on the quiz and which listening tip you found most useful.
Sincerely,
Michael W. Kublin and Jan Mayer-Rodriguez
For more information about PeopleTek visit our website
www.peopletekcoaching.com
Or contact:
Mike Kublin
phone 1.888.565.9555 x 711
or
Jan Mayer-Rodriguez
phone 1.888.565.9555 x712
Click below to find out more about PeopleTek’s specialty programs:
Session 1 of 12 is scheduled for kick-off on August 5th and our new program:
Call 888.565.9555 ext 711 for details
“You cannot truly listen to anyone and do anything else at the same time.”
- M. Scott Peck
PeopleTek’s key components for successful leaders:
Passion
Persistence
People
Process (this includes Planning)
Profit
LEARNING LEADING SUCCEEDING!
www.peopletekcoaching.com
888.565.9555
Topics: Leadership Tips | No Comments »
Leadership Journey™ Summer Special
By Michael | June 8, 2009
Leadership Journey™
Development Program
Summer Special
$300 per month for 6 months
(Discount applies to enrollment for programs beginning in August, September and October)
INVEST IN YOURSELF and
take your leadership skills to the next level at a fraction of the cost!
Over 1000 graduates have benefited from:
Building self confidence
Creating their own leadership action plan
Learning how to better deal and relate to others
Learn new techniques for:
Teamwork enhancement
Delegation
Conflict management
Reward
Communication
Change Management
Now is the time to enroll in:
PeopleTek’s Leadership Journey(TM) Program
Our next Leadership Journey I program begins August 5th
or call 888.565.9555 ext 711
(discounted rate will be applied)
Leadership Journey™ is a powerful 12 session leadership development program that allows you to assess your strengths and gaps and enables you to better understand, lead, coach and manage others.
“Peopletek’s Leadership Journey(TM) is a very beneficial program for anyone who is in a company environment to help both employees and management teams have considerably more effective interactions and communication. More important is that it teaches you how to capitalize on each individual’s strength(as well as understand the differences) to better increase the productivity of the group on the whole”.
Sincerely,
Michael W. Kublin
PeopleTek President
888.565.9555 ext 711
“The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership.”
- Harvey S. Firestone
LEARNING LEADING SUCCEEDING!
www.peopletekcoaching.com
888.565.9555
Topics: Leadership Tips, Upcoming Classes | No Comments »
Managing Your Career
By Michael | June 4, 2009
“Job security is gone. The driving force of a career must come from the individual.”
- Homa Bahrami
Dear Leaders,
We all know the economic climate is not where we’d like it to be. Given this, have you taken the time to review the job you currently have and reviewed your career opportunities? Is it where you want to be? And although no job is secure, how do you feel about how sustainable your position is? Have you proven that you add value in your position?
Meade Dickerson, Certified Executive Coach provides the following 12 tips for managing your career:
#1 Position yourself well before challenging times hit. The best time to act is before, not during a downturn. If you’re just starting out or looking for a line of work to get into, consider a recession proof career.
#2 Focus on the job you have. Are you already employed? Then one of the best things to do during tough times is to concentrate on your current job and do your best to shine.
#3 Raise your opportunity cost as high as you are able at your company. Make it tough for your boss to carry on without you.
#4 Keep your eye on your company. Watch your boss. Understand how your company is operating to get a feel for its health. If they start cutting hours at your job, get ready for other changes.
#5 Create a game plan with priorities and contingencies. Have you thought of what you would do in case you get laid off?
#6 Cut costs and control your budget now. Be frugal! Enough said.
#7 Make sure you have an emergency fund that amounts to at least 6 months worth of living expenses.
#8 Understand the consequences of a layoff. Be aware of unemployment benefits in your state; tally up your employee-sponsored accounts and benefits; look to your HR department for next steps.
#9 Know your strengths, skills and talents. Look at more than one type of work that you can do based on those skills.
#10 Consider employment options beyond what’s typical for you. You may be wired to think that you should only be doing one type of job. See if there are possiblyother jobs you can enjoy doing and explore those possibilities.
#11 Tap your support network for advice and job leads. Network!
#12 Widen your options and keep them open. If you think that where you live is not cutting it and that you may not be making progress financially due to a lack of prospects in your neighborhood, then it may be time for you to make a huge change, such as moving to an entirely new place where you may find greener pastures (you’ll need to be careful here, because not all pastures are green elsewhere….).
Additional tips include:
* aways have an updated resume available
* Validate your strengths and weaknesses by soliciting feedback from trusted colleagues
* Obtain a mentor
* Invest in yourself to keep your skills current.
Take the time and make the commitment to secure your future!
Sincerely,
Michael W. Kublin and Jan Mayer-Rodriguez
For more information about PeopleTek visit our website
http://www.peopletek-coaching.com/
Or contact:
Mike Kublin
email mkublin@peopletekcoaching.com
phone 1.888.565.9555 x 711
or
Jan Mayer-Rodriguez
email jan@peopletekcoaching.com
phone 1.888.565.9555 x712
Click below to find out more about PeopleTek’s specialty programs:
Session 1 of 12 is scheduled for kick-off on August 5th and our new program:
Special summer rates.
Call 888.565.9555 ext 711 for details
“Don’t ever let economic alone determine your career or how you spend the majority of your time.”
- Denis Waitley
“Trust not what inspires other members of society to choose a career.
Trust what inspires you.
From this decision alone will come over a third of your satisfaction or misery in your life”.
- from The Lazy Person’s Guide to Success
PeopleTek’s key components for successful leaders:
Passion
Persistence
People
Process (this includes Planning)
Profit
LEARNING LEADING SUCCEEDING!
www.peopletekcoaching.com
888.565.9555
Topics: Leadership Tips, Upcoming Classes | No Comments »