“The development of an individual to his or her highest level of performance can be seen as a journey of empowerment” (Ken Blanchard et al, The 3 Keys to Empowerment) Coaching is about enhancing performance, not scolding team members for doing wrong or badly in the execution of their duties. The intent needs to be…
“Either we’re pulling together or we’re pulling apart” (David Cohen) Confronting a low performer should be a positive experience, one in which the idea of seeking new behaviour in an employee is seen as an encouraging prospect. All people, however, typically resist any form of confrontation, even if done in the most professional way. As…
“The power to question is the basis of all human progress” (Indira Gandhi – Indian Prime Minister) One of the most challenging skills for all managers is to ask the right questions of employees. Frequently, conversations with employees end up as being vague, directionless, or meaningless. True growth, particularly in performance, comes from structured conversations…
“Coaching: The manager’s multi-purpose tool” We all have coaching needs, particularly if accelerated growth is required. Managers all have coaching responsibilities within their respective roles. Coaching is not just reserved for professionals, however, although they can be incredibly helpful in certain circumstances. Their professional approach and practised skills make coaching sessions meaningful and bring clarity…
For authentic learning and growth to be realised, leaders need safe contexts to explore new lines of thinking and subsequent new practices. Frequently leaders feel unsafe, as if they are under a microscope, their every action scrutinised by those around them. As such, they never take the risk of exploring new habits. Knowing that others…
“When a team outgrows individual performance and learns team confidence, excellence becomes a reality” (Joe Paterno) Many motivation theories suggest that successful performance hinges on both having the needed skills and, also, the will to use these skills to achieve, but even motivated and skilled teams may fail to perform if they don’t have a…
One of the key roles of first-line leadership is to assist team members with their growth and development. Jim Rohn noted: “A good objective of leadership is to help those who are doing poorly to do well and to help those who are doing well to do even better”. This involves the mind-set, skills and…
Being in a leadership position is not for the faint-hearted – effective leadership requires a high level of emotional intelligence and a comprehensive understanding of one’s personal value and contribution ability. Typically, leaders get to occupy their respective management positions due to one or more of the following reasons: Subject matter experts – they know…
Build a team so strong that no-one can point out the leader (Anon) The mark of true leadership lies in the efficacy, confidence and performance of the leader’s team. Too many leaders rely on personal charisma, authority (even manipulation) and other coercion techniques to get the job done, disempowering team members as a result. Trust…
“When the music changes, so must the dance” One of the many changes that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has initiated for knowledge workers is the ability to adapt effectively to the new rhythm of remote work. As the trend towards remote work grows, however, so does the need for effective virtual leadership. To grow the…
One of the most persistent of all temptations as a leader when arriving at the workplace is to greet employees swiftly and then “escape” to the office to deal with the pressing needs of the day. E-mails, spreadsheets, reports and planning are all necessary components of managing processes and systems to get optimal results, but…
For effective organisational change initiatives to be realised within a company, the success of the intended intervention requires a select group of people representative of all levels in the company who model the expected new behaviours, advocate the change benefits and campaign others to get on board. Changing behaviours and relinquishing old habits for new…
