Leadership is Communicating - All the Time!
As I proceeded through the intersection, motion to my right caught my eye. As I turned to look, a car sped into the intersection. Ignoring the stop sign the car careened around the corner and as I braked to avoid the collision, it sped off down the street. The driver of that car was communicating. My interpretation was that he felt his time was more important than mine. He may have been late to work or just careless, but that was my perception of his communication.
We are always communicating. The most common method of communicating is through the spoken word and by extension the written word, but communication is more involved than that. Everything we do sends a message that tells others something about us. It's easy to get busy and forget that the effectiveness of what we say is impacted by how we say it. There's a basic truth that though often overlooked, is essential to successful communication.
Our effectiveness as a communicator relies on how well we can adapt to other's perception of us.
Others interpret what you say to them through their perception of you as well as their own experience. I was in a meeting led by a very senior executive. He had gathered the division leaders to solicit ideas about how to adapt to a serious budget shortfall. This particular leader had a reputation as standoffish and difficult to approach. Needless to say, there were not a lot of radical suggestions from the group. Instead, everyone waited to hear what they were supposed to say. Having worked closely with this particular executive, I knew that, while he was not a warm, fuzzy type of person, he was actually quite open to suggestion and when he said he wanted ideas, he really meant it. Unfortunately, he was unable to overcome the group's perception of him.
You've probably seen the basic model of communication showing a sender, a message, and a receiver. There's another essential part to that model. In order for the sender to be most effective in delivering the message, he or she must be aware of their perception of the receiver and the receiver's perception of them.
As a military officer, I regularly spoke to groups of between 500 and 800 people. Since I was usually the senior person, I knew that my audience saw me as an authority figure. I also knew that the audience wasn't there by choice and most would rather be somewhere else. I was aware that they were thinking something like, "This dope thinks he's important but I'm not impressed. He can make me be here but he can't make me listen."
That was my perception of my audience and, having been in similar situations where I was in the audience, I was pretty sure that was their perception of me. Of course no one wants the audience to feel that way about them but, armed with that knowledge, I was able to tailor my presentation to overcome that perception, or at least meet it head on.
As a leader, the effectiveness of your communication is very dependent on how your audience see's you. Remember the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson: "What you are stands over you the while, and thunders so that I cannot hear what you say to the contrary."
Leading for Dollar$!
Excerpts from the introductory leadership course that will develop energized leaders, engaged employees, and more profits.
Time Management
In spite of what some time management "gurus" say, you cannot control your time. We each get 24 hours in a day, no more, no less. What you can do is learn to effectively use the time you have available. The problem is, as a leader, you will probably find that you have less time available because everyone else seems to be able to use your time, often without any regard to what might be effective use as you see it.
We all do things during the day that waste time. Checking the scores at work is an example (which may also be against company policy). Chatting about your kids or the car you want to buy doesn't add anything to the job. An exception is the occasional casual conversation that can be beneficial as a way of establishing rapport with new people or just maintaining friendships. Just don't let those conversations become a time waster.
Another time waster is the computer that has become so common in most work areas. It can be a terrific time saver, but can often have the opposite effect. How often do you check your email? If you answer more than twice a day, you might want to give some thought to why. Is it really necessary? Do you give in to the temptation to do a little internet surfing when you are in front of the computer? These things take an incredible amount of time, more than you probably realize.
List things you do during the day that are time wasters. These are things that do not add to the job or your personal life.
____________________________ ______________________________
____________________________ ______________________________
____________________________ ______________________________
There are many demands on your time at work. Your boss wants to have a meeting. There are several projects that must be done and all are due yesterday. Subordinates need your attention, emergencies arise, another meeting, it never ends. What do you do?
Focus on what is important. Prioritize your tasks and responsibilities. Work on the highest priorities first.
Make use of the time available. If you are in-between meetings, use that time to catch up on a project, or draft a letter rather than discussing last night's game.
Delegate. This is a skill you must learn as a leader. Let other's help you while you help them learn management and leadership. You don't always have to do everything yourself.
Find more efficient ways of handling tasks that can't be avoided. U.S. Army Lt Gen Gus Pagonis, who directed logistics during the 1990 - 1991 Gulf War, tells of a time early in his military career when he was required to brief a high ranking officer daily on equipment status. He seemed to spend way too much time outside the office waiting to be seen, so one day he put the status on a 3 X 5 card and left it with the secretary. It was a risk, but the boss liked it and Pagonis no longer had to waste time waiting to be seen.1
You need to have some down time in your life to maintain balance and psychological health. Though as a leader it's not always possible to control the amount of time you spend at work, you must try hard to jealously guard your off time. It is essential to have sufficient leisure time built into your schedule. Without it, you will find yourself becoming less effective and you'll notice you seem to be increasingly tired and may find yourself involuntarily dozing or loosing concentration, either at work or worse yet, in your car.
Leisure time includes time for sleep and time for activities you enjoy and that help you relax. Leisure time improves your efficiency at work so don't give it up easily.
1 Moving Mountains: Lessons in Leadership and Logistics from the Gulf War by Lt General William G. Pagonis with Jeffrey L. Cruikshank. Harvard Business School Press, Boston. 1992. p 30
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BONUS
Read this excellent article by Tasha Eurich in Chief Learning Office
"Don’t Overcomplicate Leadership Development"
