Watching three lions stalk and kill an impala on a recent trip to Africa was one of the most hauntingly amazing things I have ever seen. Whilst the memory of that balmy morning in Botswana will stay with me for a long time, so will the ingenious team work of the lions.

The two lionesses and one young male worked skillfully as a team to bring the impala down by silently surrounding it from 3 different directions. They related seamlessly with one another from the initial sighting to the morning feed, and this relationship was critical to their success.

In business and in life, while the chase and the catch are rarely as dramatic as this, the importance of relationships in achieving our goals is just as critical.

Leadership can be loosely explained as our ability to achieve things with and through others. Building great relationships is central to this. It's also sometimes forgotten when we have so many other things on our plate, so this month, I've compiled 10 tips on building remarkable relationships at work.

Managing staff that are either older or more technically experienced than you also calls for brilliant relationship management, respect and maturity. Don Blohowiak has written a great article on this topic and offers some great suggestions for admirable leadership when faced with this challenge.

And lastly, I'm really excited to be launching our new performance programs that have been in development for some time. Make the brand called YOU shine touches on one of our programs and one of the first important steps when working with a brave coach. Read it for tips on drafting your own personal vision statement.

I really hope you enjoy this month's e-zine and look forward to hearing from you if you think you or someone you know may benefit from any of our programs!

Best of life,

 

 

1. Get sense-able. Tune in to how your colleagues are feeling. Match their physiology and tone until there is a sense of comfort and trust. Remember that words only convey about 7% of the actual communication. Notice body language and tonality - they will give you a much clearer indication of how you could communicate most successfully.
2. Be consistent. Would you rather deal with someone who demonstrates consistent behaviour or someone who has moods that swing like a screen door on a windy day? Ask 3 of your colleagues how they would rate you on the consistency scale.
3. Be clear. When asking your team to take on tasks for you, or accepting a project from your boss, always make sure you are both clear on the expected outcomes and responsibilities. There is no other way to avoid disappointment later on!
4. Walk a day in their shoes. In relating well with others, it's worthwhile to spend time (1 minute can sometimes do the trick) considering what it is like to be them. The minute you do this the world changes. What is important to them? What value will they get from working with or helping you? What value can you bring to them?
5. Have download time together. All work and no play is just not fun. You don't need to be best friends with your team, but spending time together regularly, learning about life outside work will create stronger relationships. Walk to get your lunch at the local shops together or meet for a coffee before work one morning. Go to a seminar together.
6. Listen. In times of tension or conflict, seek to first understand before you speak. Ignore your urges to have your say first and really listen to what the other person is saying. Try this just once and notice how it changes your response.
7. Learn to relate at many levels. Magnetic leaders have healthy relationships at all levels of the business. Develop relationships with people across the business, not just within your team or those in similar roles. You will not only develop a much broader knowledge of the business, you will also expand your ability to communicate well at different levels of abstraction.
8. Give. A critical ingredient of ANY relationship! Focus on how you can help others and you will soon notice how others will in turn want to help you.
9. Don't just buy flowers on Valentines Day. Saying thank you goes a long way. Let your colleagues know that you appreciate them. Let them know when they have done a good job and reward them for a job well done. This doesn't have to cost money. Be imaginative.
10. Invite feedback. Actively ask your colleagues for feedback. Be open to learning how you could do things better. Accept feedback gracefully, it's a perfect opportunity for you to grow and develop. Give feedback respectfully and consistently.

“Imagination gives you the picture. Vision gives you the impulse to make the picture your own.”
- Robert Collier

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by Don Blohowiak

Back in 1912, George Bernard Shaw made an observation that stands the test of time, “It's all that the young can do for the old, to shock them and keep them up to date.”

Those words have special meaning for the young person supervising older colleagues. Not only will the appointment of youth over experience be a shock to the more senior associates, it may be a move that they covertly or overtly resist.

A younger person put in a position to supervise older co-workers faces a delicate challenge, that can be managed successfully with a little interpersonal finesse. Here are some suggestions:

• Be respectful of the awkwardness the situation may spur. Most likely, one or more of the more senior colleagues was a contender for the job you received. Any gloating or "peacock strutting" will only drive a wedge deeper into the inevitable divide.
• Don't apologise for your appointment, you deserved it. But keep it in perspective. For you to succeed over the long haul, you'll need the cooperation and support of those people who feel as though you bested them.
• Acknowledge, especially if the gulf is significant, the difference in ages. Do this one-to-one not publicly. Express empathy if an older person seems uncomfortable with the promotion; ask for his or her help:
  
  “I imagine it feels a little strange reporting to someone so much younger. I know I might feel a little resentful if I were in that situation. I'm thrilled we're going to be working together and I'm hoping that I can count on your sharing your wisdom. You have so much to contribute here. Your experience and insight are invaluable assets. You can make a significant contribution to this company, and I'm hoping that you will find working together to be rewarding experience. I ask for your patience, your guidance, and your help.”
• Be humble; you are going to stumble. You are going to need the help and support, and maybe the forgiveness, of your more experienced associates.
• Expect your older team mates to be a bit withdrawn initially. At the start, you are likely going to operate without the benefit of the doubt. Prove yourself to be a good, supportive boss who truly does value input, correction and suggestion, and your more senior associates will eventually come around. They may even be your strongest supporters in time.
• Be open to suggestion, even criticism. Don't try too hard to prove yourself. Operate confidently but with an air of approachability. If you come across as infallible, no one will step in to save you from a stupid mistake that will be obvious to everyone but you.
  
  On the other hand, if you make a habit of enlisting the input of your experienced co-workers, and acknowledging their contributions, they will contribute generously and help you accomplish great things.
• Ask questions (especially early in your assignment), such as: What am I overlooking? What else should we be considering? What's wrong with this approach? Is there a better way?
  
  Feel free to not defer to the input you receive, and if you don't take the advice of your more experienced colleagues, tell them why you decided the way you did.

Keep in mind, everyone responds positively to a good leader at any age. Deal with your more mature colleagues maturely, and you will find them to be loyal allies.

Lead Well® helps organizations to improve measurable results by developing their current and future leaders. For more information, please contact us. By phone, toll-free in the USA: 1-888-LeadWell (532-3935), or 1-609-716-9490. By email, Info@LeadWell.com.

Copyright © 2002 - 2007 by Don Blohowiak.
Don@LeadWell.com  http://www.leadwell.com/

By Belinda Cordina

Part One - Paint a brave picture

What's the difference between a brand and a truly great brand? Whilst I am the first to agree that there are many differences, one thing that stands out is that great brands have very clear visions for the future. It doesn't matter whether the brand is a global leader or a local challenger brand… one of the first crucial tasks the brand team identifies is where they want to take the brand. The best brand visions are ambitious, brave but realistic, believable (if sometimes only slightly!) and they succinctly paint a picture of what the future will look like.

From my own expereince, making the future picture clear made it so much easier to write and implement the rest of the plan, and in turn engage others to help with the plan, because I knew exactly the direction we were heading. Without a clear picture, you can spend endless hours investing in time, money and debate over where to direct your resources.

Now let's imagine that YOU were a brand for just one moment… how clear is your brand's vision for the future? What do you want the brand called YOU to look like in two, three or five years time?

Unlike a brand, where you often need approval and the buy-in of others to set the direction, you are in ultimate control of the direction of the brand called YOU. Imagine that? You (and only you) can control exactly what this brand will become…but the first important step is to create that brave picture of the future. Without a picture of the future, even a hazy one - how do you know where you are heading?

Go on. Put it out there. Imagine it. Try writing your brave personal vision down…

…depending on where you are when you are reading this article, this might be a bit of an overwhelming task… one best done after some fresh air and time away from your desk, time for you to dream a little, to ask… what could my life, my business, my team, my health, my relationships be like? Ideally, you can get your teeth into something like this when you are relaxed and in a place you love to be, somewhere where you can be yourself and you won't be interrupted.

Setting a brave vision statement, an inspiring picture for the future is one of the first tasks you will complete when working with a coach. It's one of the most creative, fun and I think the most important parts of the coaching process. A great vision will focus, inspire and direct you.

Ready to get started? Here are 8 tips on writing a vision statement that might spark some brave thinking!

1. This is your personal picture of the future, created by you, for you. Consider what YOU want, what will bring you happiness, not what others would like your picture to be like. DO always consider the effects of your vision on others.
2. Once you write it, you're not stuck with it for life, so don't panic. Your personal vision will evolve and grow as you do. I revisit my vision every few months and check in on how I am tracking towards it.
3. A great vision statement will focus, inspire and direct you. Once you have written it down, check in and see if it does this.
4. Be brave! I can no longer count the number of times my clients have been astounded at the things they have been able to achieve. What are you really capable of?
5. Keep it fairly short. No more than a few sentences. You will switch off if it's too long and it will lose its power to focus and inspire you.
6. Include a number of areas in your life in your vision. Include what matters most.
7. Consider putting a date on it. There's no better way to get you moving then to set a deadline by which it will happen!
8. Share it with someone you trust.

Make the brand called YOU shine is Brave's flagship one-on-one personal performance coaching program. This month's feature article on personal vision statements is just a tiny taster of what you will experience in our performance programs.

We periodically publish articles on key components of our programs to give you valuable insights into the coaching experience and give you tips and special offers to help you to be your own best coach.

Read more about our Personal Performance Coaching Programs

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Brave's new team performance programs combine the latest coaching techniques to deliver imaginative, fun and effective leadership training programs. Each program is carefully tailored to ensure that the content and style drives peak performance in your team.

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