Four Critical Skills
Four Critical Skills
Storytelling is not a skill everyone is born with. But it’s a skill we can all develop. People on your team want to believe! They want to believe you know where we are going, or you will get us there even if you aren’t sure of the exact path at this moment. People LOVE stories because that is how they reassure themselves in the midst of chaos that what they are working on matters. They want stories about where they are going. They want stories that compares what they are doing with others. And they love to laugh and learn from stories that show where they have been.
Sincerely acknowledging contribution is necessary to sustain motivation during the hard times. It’s not hard to do and doesn’t require a lot of effort or expensive gifts. A thank-you note is enough most of the time. Public recognition of accomplishments, contributions, efforts, and even mere attempts sets the benchmark not only for the people who are performing tasks but also sets the standard for the leaders in your organization.
Negotiation is a practical and essential skill for every leader. Negotiation is often misunderstood to be the domain of clever deal makers. It’s actually really simple. Make very clear requests for a promise. Don’t walk away until you understand exactly what the promise is - what is being done, when, and what the standard of excellence is. And then check up on the status of that promise to see how you can help. It’s that simple. And if you need to make a promise, make damn sure you are clear about what you are going to do, by when, and what the standard of excellence is. Make sure you follow up with your requester on the status of your promise and any help you need to fulfill it. By doing that, you are modeling the behavior you expect.
(C) 2008 Michael Schutzler, all rights reserved.
Four Critical Skills - To learn more about this author, visit Michael Schutzler's Website.
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Listening is by far the most important skill for a leader to hone. We need to pay attention to the words and actions of others while suspending judgment long enough to allow your intellect to catch up with your instincts. Why? Because as leaders, if we speak too soon, we shut of creation. We shut off contribution. We force the adoption of our ideas. When we keep silent long enough to understand (not just hear) what someone is saying (or doing) we create the space for them to build, create, and own the plan and the outcome.
Storytelling is not a skill everyone is born with. But it’s a skill we can all develop. People on your team want to believe! They want to believe you know where we are going, or you will get us there even if you aren’t sure of the exact path at this moment. People LOVE stories because that is how they reassure themselves in the midst of chaos that what they are working on matters. They want stories about where they are going. They want stories that compares what they are doing with others. And they love to laugh and learn from stories that show where they have been.
Sincerely acknowledging contribution is necessary to sustain motivation during the hard times. It’s not hard to do and doesn’t require a lot of effort or expensive gifts. A thank-you note is enough most of the time. Public recognition of accomplishments, contributions, efforts, and even mere attempts sets the benchmark not only for the people who are performing tasks but also sets the standard for the leaders in your organization.
Negotiation is a practical and essential skill for every leader. Negotiation is often misunderstood to be the domain of clever deal makers. It’s actually really simple. Make very clear requests for a promise. Don’t walk away until you understand exactly what the promise is - what is being done, when, and what the standard of excellence is. And then check up on the status of that promise to see how you can help. It’s that simple. And if you need to make a promise, make damn sure you are clear about what you are going to do, by when, and what the standard of excellence is. Make sure you follow up with your requester on the status of your promise and any help you need to fulfill it. By doing that, you are modeling the behavior you expect.
(C) 2008 Michael Schutzler, all rights reserved.
Four Critical Skills - To learn more about this author, visit Michael Schutzler's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
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Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
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![]() Michael Schutzler (Visit Michael's Website) Michael Schutzler is a seasoned leader with a proven track record of rapid growth, start-up, and turn-around management spanning nearly 25 years. As a successful Internet entrepreneur and investor he has helped launch more than a dozen companies. He has been in leadership roles in public and private companies, non-profit and public service organizations. Michael has managed teams as small as 5 people and organizations as large as 350 employees and has been an active public speaker for nearly 10 years. He has served as a mentor and advisor to dozens of CEOs, board members, executives, and managers. Michael holds an MBA in Finance and Economics from the W. E. Simon School at University of Rochester and a BS in Electrical Engineering from Pennsylvania State University. Learn more about Michael Schutzler at www.blue sevenpartners.com or read more articles at his blog on blu eseven.wordpress.com
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