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Good Morning.
This week I return to beating my drum about relationships, this time addressing the importance of good ones in the workplace. In
this very short video clip (just over a minute), produced by
Guadalupe Gonzalez and
Jardley Jean-Louis, Jessica Rovello of
Arkadium talks about 3 very simple, but extremely powerful, ways to build the strong relationships among your employees which foster productive teamwork.
If you just do these three things routinely, sincerely, every day, you'll be blown away by the improvement in teamwork you'll see - and, of course, with that comes productivity and profitability.
Recognize!
Recognition is one of the most powerful motivators available to a leader. When you recognize someone's superior performance, that's one of the most powerful ways to make them feel good about themselves, and to produce more of what elicited the praise. Doing it publicly at least doubles the impact. Do it often...but not too often - it becomes "stale" and insincere if it's done too frequently - a fine line. Another important consideration in effective recognition is that it be specific - "You handled that prospect very well", is far more effective than, "You're doing a great job". Writing an email or letter, and copying the "big boss", also strengthens the recognition.
A corollary to this is to avoid criticism
whenever possible. If you actively recognize the behavior you want, and ignore what you don't want, most of the time things will fall into place. When an undesirable behavior must be addressed, it's very important to do it constructively. Explain the behavior you would prefer, and the reasons why it's preferable. Destructive criticism (e.g., "You did that wrong".), according to my friend
Brian Tracy, is about as effective with a person as a hammer-beating is with a copier or computer. Also, when you must criticize, be sure you criticize the behavior, NOT the person.
Unless it's necessary to document the incident, keep criticism verbal - and
private!
Communicate!.
There is no way to overemphasize the value of clear communication - about what you expect and ways to approach a task or project (entertain and discuss ideas here, but be very careful not to "micro-manage"). If everyone has a clear understanding of what's to be done, by whom, by when, and the results expected, they can proceed with the work they have to do in an effective way. Any uncertainty about these expectations results in delays, lack of cooperation, and lower morale, all very destructive to productivity.
Another important line of communication is to know your people, individually. Find out what motivates them, who their families are, what's important to them in their lives, what worries or concerns they have, and other details of their personal, as well as professional lives. Let them know you are interested and that you care about each one of them and how their work experience fits into their lives. It's of course important to do this without probing in an unwelcome way. If there are private details they really don't want to discuss, leave them alone! Warm, and professional - another fine line.
Communicate with actions as well as words. If you as the leader set an example of the behavior you want, that's a
huge part of the communication process!
Relate Daily Activities to Company Goals and Mission
This is really an extension of the communication process - actually, effective leadership is approximately 99% communication, as
Jessica points out.
If you help people understand how their everyday tasks tie into the organization's mission, goals, and strategies, they will sense that they're part of something much larger than themselves. That lends a sense of purpose to their daily activities - a
great morale booster! And elevated morale is a major factor in improved productivity and profitability.
Do More of What You Love Doing -
and What
You Get PAID For!
Are you a business coach, or do you have some role in advising business leaders on ways to improve their businesses? When you're face to face with your clients, that's the work you signed up for and that you love...AND that you get paid for. Writing effective promotional material to attract new business is consuming work, and takes time and mental focus away from your attention to the clients you're already helping. Your coaching work, also very consuming, distracts you from your promotional writing, very likely detracting from its effectiveness. Why not let Unity Copywriting write those pieces for you so you can put your time and effort toward your most important work?
My goal as a copywriter is to return to you most of the time you spend writing promotional material to attract new clients and communicate with existing ones about your services (I'll ask for a little of that time while you explain to me exactly what you want to say). Then, you can focus on your coaching work and be relieved of the mental burden and time demands of writing your promotions, while I explain to your clients and prospects the benefits of your services. Please call (814-590-3854, 603-835-3215 or, in Argentina, +54 9 3868 459586) or email me so we can discuss working together.
Put My Experience to Work for You...
My career includes several recent years as a business coach. Before that, I worked in various operations management roles for over 40 years, practicing and studying leadership and teamwork. With that background, I'm uniquely qualified to explain the benefits you offer to your clients and prospects. And I love writing about this work. So, in a fraction of the time you would spend writing a white paper, case study, blog, newsletter, article or book, you can tell me the idea you want to convey or the story you want to tell, and the tone you'd like to use. Then I'll go to work writing that piece while you continue your work with your clients.
After I've written something for you, we'll review it together and make any changes you want so it delivers the precise message you intend - and there's no additional charge for any editing or rewriting I do to make it exactly what you want.
I'd Love to Hear
Your Thoughts
What experience have you with practicing, or receiving the benefits of, the ideas Jessica Rovello discusses? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this most important morale-booster. How do the ideas in any of my messages make your life and business more enjoyable and effective...or, do you have some reservations about them? This week it will be especially interesting to hear anything you care to share about your, and/or your employees', sense of purpose and satisfaction in your work. I love hearing your thoughts and experiences and learning from them. In this week's topic we're getting at the real fundamentals of team-building and, for me, this kind of exploration is fascinating.
If you email me whatever's on your mind, please give me a phone number or a Skype address, or send me a Skype contact request (see my Skype address below), and mention that you read my newsletter. It's important to mention this - with all the spammers, phishermen, etc. out there, I'm very selective about my connections on networking services. If your name is unfamiliar to me, I'll consider your contact request when you tell me your reason for wanting to connect with me...
Conversations are often necessary to discuss complex ideas, and conversations occur only in real-time, two(or more)-way exchanges; hence my request for your call or the information I need to call you. Email and other forms of one-way communication are data transfers, and are very useful for many types of communication. However, they are extremely limited in their ability to convey the ideas, emotions, and inflection that characterize conversations, so please call me or tell me how to call you.
Just dial 603-835-3215 or 814-590-3854 if you're in the United States or Canada. Of course, if you call from outside North America, you'll need the +1 prefix. If you're calling from Argentina, you're welcome to call my Argentine number, +54 9 3868 459586.
Help me Spread my Message Where It's Welcome...
If you know someone you think will find value in the ideas I discuss each week, I encourage you to forward this to them. If this was forwarded to you, and you'd like to hear more, please send me an email and I'll be glad to add you to my mailing list, which I never sell, rent, or even add a name to without permission.
On the other hand, if you'd rather stop receiving these messages, simply click the "unsubscribe" link below. I'll promptly remove you from the list...and I promise you won't hurt my feelings. It's my desire to send these ideas only to people who find them valuable,.
Join me here again next week for more unique ideas on life and business...and
thanks for reading about the ones I've discussed here.
Have a wonderful week
, and contact me
to discuss how we can work together to add value to what
you
do. Our conversation about how we can mutually benefit from working together is totally on me and, while I'd love to work with you, there's no obligation, or cost, arising from that conversation. You won't pay me a dime until you hire me to write something for you.
Be well, my friends.
John Stevens
Marketing Support for the Business Coaching Industry
Office and cell phone: 814-590-3854 or 603-835-3215 (I'll get a message wherever I am)
In Argentina: +54(country code) 9 3868 459586
Skype: johnbstevens1943
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About John
Throughout a career spanning over 45 years my management style has been one of building teams to bring several competent people together to focus on a common objective.
As I transition to life in the Argentine outback, my focus will shift to helping other business coaches and advisers get their message out to their prospective clients. With my first-hand knowledge of the benefits of effective business coaching, I am uniquely qualified to work with business advisers of all stripes convey their message.
Read More >
Contact Info
John B. Stevens, Freelance Copywriter
Phone: 814-590-3854
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