Why is it so difficult for people to use effective communication techniques? It seems to me that people must be studying how to be ineffective communicators! And within organizations, lack of communication is always in the top three of issues for the organization.

So what are the barriers to effective communication? Here is a list of seven factors that I find each week with clients or just plain old observation of different people situations… Continue reading ‘Seven Barriers to Effective Communication’ »

Today I want to share a tip when you are presenting your ideas – in a speech, sales presentation, leading a meeting or having a one on one discussion with someone.  The tip is very simple – Make Eye Contact with Others while you speak.

While working with clients I have seen very smart people get ignored by others or question their competency due to a total lack of eye contact. The worst case is people talking with their heads down – not necessarily reading anything, just staring down while they speak – and others lose interest in listening. Continue reading ‘Eye Contact gives others confidence when you speak’ »

Many will agree that people are the most important asset of an organization. More importantly, however, is how well those people work together to accomplish a common goal.  Whether a company has
thousands of people working in various locations worldwide or just a handful working in one small office, teamwork is vital to success.  So, how can you ensure that your teams are performing at their fullest
potential?  How do people contribute to the team differently?  Have you built effective teams?

To begin answering these questions, you must learn how to really understand each member of the team to
identify their work style and how it compares to others in the group.   You also need to look at the inherent
strengths that each person brings to the table.  Not their expertise or their background, but those things they seem to be good at just because that is who they are.

Once you understand the team members, you can not only build a team with the most effective combination
of strengths, but you can also learn how to leverage each individual’s strengths for a dynamic team that
works at its highest potential.  Only then will teams reach goals that have been unattained by individuals,
work at levels of productivity no single person can achieve or impact the bottom line more effectively as a
group.  In fact, maybe we should revisit the assets of an organization.  Perhaps TEAMS are more important
than people on their own?

A Senior Vice President for a Technology Company discovered the importance of using assessments to assist in selecting a diverse yet functional group to lead a very important company project. His first attempt had been a failure because he selected a team consisting of passive and non results oriented individuals. His second Team consisted of a balance of results oriented, active, detailed, persistant, and influential individuals that produced the project in record time, within budget and a quality product ( as described by their customers.).

To learn more about using assessments in selected or evaluating Team Effectiveness, call me at 901-757-4434. We have been implementing assessments within team for over eighteen years with outstanding results for our clients.

Several people have asked me about coaching and specifically what is the real purpose of coaching an individual? I find it a perplexing question because if a person did any sports activities they would have had a coach at some point. My first experience with a coach came in the junior high days – middle school today. My coach was an outstanding individual who helped establish a sense of purpose and a drive for excellence.

In today’s world, a coach plays the same role, abreit, somewhat different purposes or content specialty. The coach role is to provide a catalyst for excellence and improvement in performance. It can be goal bounded, performance based and time sensitive.

For coaching to work properly for the coachee – it must be goal, process and passion driven.

Goal driven is about time lines and reasons. What factors are in play for the coaching to occur? What positive and negatives motivators are present? And what reasons does the coachee have for taking the time and resources to be coached? Goals create the objectives and timelines for expectations and results.

Process driven means that the system or methods used are flexible based upon the current levels of knowledge, understanding, and experience possessed by the coachee. There must be a level of interaction between the coach and coachee to facilitate the learning and understanding. Experts who can only tell of their experiences or expectations are not necessarily good coaches – I call them “wizards.” Wizards usually do all the work and take the blame or credit for success or failure.

Passion driven is the “want it factor.” People with the passion to improve, a will to learn and a strong need to improve – usually get things done. People without this drive usually give up before the success and understanding comes to them. This is a key component for success in any coaching environment. The old cliche reminds us of this – “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.”

Watch for these three core elements to be present in any coaching opportunity. Effective coaching is our goal with clients. Determine the objectives, uncover the reasons for improvement, and check the readiness of the coachee to learn, dedicate their focus and persuade the expertise from their point of view.

Contact us if you have a desire to get to the next level of performance.