I recently facilitated a course for FMs and afterwards we got involved in a fascinating conversation about the realities of creating a bin less office. One FM had just started trialling the removal of all office bins and introducing ‘central recycling stations’ which in his own words was creating ‘anarchy’. He asked the group what they’d tried to help convince colleagues to go this way. Here’s the top tips offered by the rest of the group:
1. Communicate, Communicate and Communicate, it’s essential if the project is to succeed. Promote the reasons you are doing it, and use as many methods as possible, e.g. email, articles in the company newsletter, posters on notice boards, etc.
2. Get senior management buy-in and make sure they understand what you’re doing, why you’re doing it, are advocates for the project and above-all set a good example.
3. Provide real facts such as landfill taxes, corporate responsibility, environmental benefits, etc. If you contact the recycling companies, most will be happy to send you posters and information/facts that will support your campaign.
4. Put posters above each bin giving examples of what packaging and products go into the different bins, e.g. plastic food cartons, cans, paper. Even consider colour coding them to match the bins. Expect that even the most intelligent of people will take time working out what should go where!
5. Some staff may protest by leaving their rubbish on their desks for the cleaners to pick up. One way around that is to inform the cleaners not to remove any such rubbish and people will soon get the message. Another is to provide small ‘personal desk-top recycling boxes’. They’re only for paper and it’s the responsibility of the staff to empty the contents into the main recycling point each day, but it helps with goodwill. They cost between £2-4 each.
6. Display recycling results for your building and/or business on notice boards or include them in your newsletter to help people see that the project has a purpose and show that it is being closely monitored.
7. Expect mayhem, at least for a while and some people may treat you like you’ve stolen their right arm and done it just for fun. But time is a healer and with this one, people will just have to accept it and get used to it.
8. Communicate, Communicate and Communicate. Did I say that already? Well it can’t be stressed enough. It’s the key to making it all work.
Showing posts with label communication. Show all posts
Showing posts with label communication. Show all posts
Sunday, 15 August 2010
Friday, 20 February 2009
Be More Persuasive
I heard on the news that Oprah Winfrey’s school for girls in South Africa has an oratorium. Why? It’s because she feels that leaders and influencers need to have good speaking skills. Whether you’re speaking to 1 or 100, I couldn’t agree more.
Public speaking is one of the quickest ways to establish credibility as an entrepreneur. It’s also one of the biggest phobias most human beings have. So for the moment, let’s forget about giving a planned, formal presentation to an audience.
Public speaking encompasses many other opportunities to establish credibility. Think about it. We’re formulating opinions of fellow entrepreneurs every day, based on those experiences. When and where?
At committee meetings, volunteer groups, boards, public forums, with co-workers, with a boss, with customers, networking events, luncheons, trade shows, and informal meetings. (OK, you get my drift.) Just remember that a big part of an entrepreneur’s brand and image are influenced by how a person presents him/herself in each of those settings.
There are two different ways we make that impression. One way is through the choice of words and the delivery of a well thought-out position. The second, and more powerful influence is the speaker’s level of passion, conviction, and sincerity. To give you a great example of the power of conviction and passion, consider this excerpt from Tony Robbins’ The Power to Shape your Destiny . “When two people meet, if there’s rapport, if there’s a feeling of mutual respect and trust… if one person is more certain than the other, that person will eventually influence the other person’s feelings.” Pretty powerful stuff, if you think about it. By having a stronger sense of conviction, belief, and passion, you can persuade someone. Because you must establish trust and rapport, of course there is the need for sincerity. Think of what happens when sincerity is NOT present. The minute someone starts bragging or arrogance creeps in, we tune out. We assume that in future dealings that person will be looking out for them self. Call me old-fashioned, but I know there are some powerful people out there who are humble and genuinely interested in the well being of others. So those are the type of people we should choose to surround ourselves with and rely on.
That said, as long as you’re sincere and have conviction I believe you’ll have more credibility and will be more persuasive than the passion-less person who might put together a more articulate argument.
Here are a few tips for being persuasive:
Tip #1: Be sincere, be genuine, and don’t worry about how you’re going to come across. (I think this also helps to relax us, making it even easier to formulate our thoughts.) As long as we speak from our hearts, we’ll be powerful.
Tip #2 If you’re fearful of speaking, start small. But do practice. Start with your introduction or “elevator speech”. Practice on coworkers, friends, significant other, kids or the dog. Anybody who will listen!
Tip #3: Be likeable. Smile, and let your passion shine through. Of course, you don’t want a silly grin on your face the whole time. But the idea is to make yourself approachable. You want to connect with your listeners.
Tip #4: Appreciate your listeners’ time and don’t drone on. There’s an old quote that says, “Be accurate! Be brief! And then be seated!” I can remember being at a networking meeting where everyone had 30 seconds for a quick introduction. Most took more than their share of time. What was fascinating is that I had several people come up to me afterwards, simply based on my brief introduction. They appreciated the fact that I kept it short, I sounded confident yet approachable, and I whet their appetite with just one tidbit of info that had them asking for more.
Tip #5: Believe it! I’ve seen people speak with so little conviction that I wondered if they truly believed what they were proposing. If you don’t believe it deep down in your heart, no one else will. Just remind yourself of the wonderful value you’re offering, and how much your listener needs the information you’re about to share.
I’ve covered just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to being a more persuasive communicator. But even a modest improvement in each of the five areas above will result in a dramatic change in your results. Try it!
Looking for a keynote FM speaker? Call Liz Kentish on 01778 561326 / 07717 787077 or e-mail coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/leadership-articles/be-more-persuasive-779485.html
About the Author:
Pat Price has worked with numerous clients to generate more business and boost their marketing effectiveness. She is a professional speaker and president of The Price Group, Inc, a full-service marketing firm serving small to mid-sized organizations. To receive Pat’s free Marketing Tips! newsletter, go to www.PatPriceSpeaks.com/Resources.php . She can be reached at 630.717.8332 or through her website at www.ThePriceGroup.biz.
Public speaking is one of the quickest ways to establish credibility as an entrepreneur. It’s also one of the biggest phobias most human beings have. So for the moment, let’s forget about giving a planned, formal presentation to an audience.
Public speaking encompasses many other opportunities to establish credibility. Think about it. We’re formulating opinions of fellow entrepreneurs every day, based on those experiences. When and where?
At committee meetings, volunteer groups, boards, public forums, with co-workers, with a boss, with customers, networking events, luncheons, trade shows, and informal meetings. (OK, you get my drift.) Just remember that a big part of an entrepreneur’s brand and image are influenced by how a person presents him/herself in each of those settings.
There are two different ways we make that impression. One way is through the choice of words and the delivery of a well thought-out position. The second, and more powerful influence is the speaker’s level of passion, conviction, and sincerity. To give you a great example of the power of conviction and passion, consider this excerpt from Tony Robbins’ The Power to Shape your Destiny . “When two people meet, if there’s rapport, if there’s a feeling of mutual respect and trust… if one person is more certain than the other, that person will eventually influence the other person’s feelings.” Pretty powerful stuff, if you think about it. By having a stronger sense of conviction, belief, and passion, you can persuade someone. Because you must establish trust and rapport, of course there is the need for sincerity. Think of what happens when sincerity is NOT present. The minute someone starts bragging or arrogance creeps in, we tune out. We assume that in future dealings that person will be looking out for them self. Call me old-fashioned, but I know there are some powerful people out there who are humble and genuinely interested in the well being of others. So those are the type of people we should choose to surround ourselves with and rely on.
That said, as long as you’re sincere and have conviction I believe you’ll have more credibility and will be more persuasive than the passion-less person who might put together a more articulate argument.
Here are a few tips for being persuasive:
Tip #1: Be sincere, be genuine, and don’t worry about how you’re going to come across. (I think this also helps to relax us, making it even easier to formulate our thoughts.) As long as we speak from our hearts, we’ll be powerful.
Tip #2 If you’re fearful of speaking, start small. But do practice. Start with your introduction or “elevator speech”. Practice on coworkers, friends, significant other, kids or the dog. Anybody who will listen!
Tip #3: Be likeable. Smile, and let your passion shine through. Of course, you don’t want a silly grin on your face the whole time. But the idea is to make yourself approachable. You want to connect with your listeners.
Tip #4: Appreciate your listeners’ time and don’t drone on. There’s an old quote that says, “Be accurate! Be brief! And then be seated!” I can remember being at a networking meeting where everyone had 30 seconds for a quick introduction. Most took more than their share of time. What was fascinating is that I had several people come up to me afterwards, simply based on my brief introduction. They appreciated the fact that I kept it short, I sounded confident yet approachable, and I whet their appetite with just one tidbit of info that had them asking for more.
Tip #5: Believe it! I’ve seen people speak with so little conviction that I wondered if they truly believed what they were proposing. If you don’t believe it deep down in your heart, no one else will. Just remind yourself of the wonderful value you’re offering, and how much your listener needs the information you’re about to share.
I’ve covered just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to being a more persuasive communicator. But even a modest improvement in each of the five areas above will result in a dramatic change in your results. Try it!
Looking for a keynote FM speaker? Call Liz Kentish on 01778 561326 / 07717 787077 or e-mail coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/leadership-articles/be-more-persuasive-779485.html
About the Author:
Pat Price has worked with numerous clients to generate more business and boost their marketing effectiveness. She is a professional speaker and president of The Price Group, Inc, a full-service marketing firm serving small to mid-sized organizations. To receive Pat’s free Marketing Tips! newsletter, go to www.PatPriceSpeaks.com/Resources.php . She can be reached at 630.717.8332 or through her website at www.ThePriceGroup.biz.
Friday, 23 January 2009
Creating and managing high performing remote teams
It’s tough enough managing the people you see every day. The challenges of getting things done from a distance, whether that means different sites or different countries, can cause even the most experienced manager sleepless nights. Geography can be the key enemy of great leadership.
Let’s remind ourselves of some of the ‘stories’ we hear about remote teams.
• They’re not interested in the company
• They TUPE’d over – they didn’t really want to work for us!
• They just want to come to work, do their job, then go home
• They don’t have access to computers, so there’s no point communicating with them
• I can’t manage them from a distance
• Their local manager/supervisor knows what s/he is doing
• I don’t have time to go driving all over the country/flying around the world
• It’s different in the North/Middle East/United States/EMEA etc
• They are too busy for me to go interfering
• I can’t afford to pay for team briefings, training , flights etc
• The client is happy with their performance, so I don’t need to worry about them
How much easier would life be if you were able to manage them more effectively, keep them motivated, reduce churn and increase productivity? You don’t need a magic wand, just some simple, practical tips.
It takes special Leadership skills to successfully manage remote teams.
1. Trust and honesty – trust your local manager/supervisor and their teams – every single one of them. Answer their questions honestly and address tough issues as soon as possible. Don’t be tempted to rely on those based in your building to do the lion’s share of the work, or the most urgent jobs – share the workload fairly. Establish your team-specific “ground rules” - these are the unwritten rules that guide how work gets done in your team. For examples, do you have an open door policy? How are suggestions for improvements to be made? How does communication work amongst team members?
2. Clarity – ensure they all understand their objectives. As far as possible, allocate short-term projects, so you can tell early on if the work is on track. Any change within the team - be it to responsibilities, new ways of working, additions to or loss of staff - may mean that established, well-functioning teams sometimes revert to a stage where their roles, responsibilities and objectives need to be reviewed and re-clarified. As their manager, it is imperative that you take the lead in defining these roles and responsibilities early on.
3. Focus on results. You need to measure the output from individuals and local teams, rather than processes. This also allows you to intervene quickly if you spot the early signs of under-performance. Encourage people to take small actions so they don’t become overwhelmed. Check in regularly with their progress.
4. Communication - understand their styles of communication, learning, managing, motivation – and adapt yours to suit them.
5. Feedback – are you catching them doing things right? Start every contact you have with a simple question ‘what’s been going well?’ and listen actively to their responses.
The keys to giving great feedback are:
• Give praise publicly, give criticism in private
• Be sincere
• Choose your timing carefully – do it as soon as you can after the event
• Ask for self-assessment
• Focus on specifics and don’t mix it with other messages
• Limit feedback to a few important points.
6. Role model – consistently demonstrate the behaviours you want to see in your teams, starting with the ‘T’ word - trust. Do you want them to speak positively about the company, the Client, their work? Then you must, too – all the time, to everyone you interact with.
7. Networking – build relationships with key people who can help you manage – the supervisor/manager, the receptionist, security guards, key communicators within the team. Find common interests at all levels of the wider team and help people work more closely by sharing knowledge. Find yourself a mentor – someone who has been there and done it – and learn both from their successes and the challenges they faced.
8. Use technology – use simple methods of communicating that will make your people feel they are in the same building as you – instant messaging, tele- and video-conferencing, webinars, intranet sites, or shared systems such as SharePoint or Meeting Place. If you are working with an international team, it is useful to have interpreters on hand and to be aware of cultural differences.
Communication is the glue that holds teams together; this is even more relevant when your team is dispersed. Not everyone is comfortable with the ‘virtual world’, so you might need to make yourself available by ‘phone on a regular basis at a time to suit them, or perhaps send them a printed newssheet. When a new person joins the team, make every effort to meet them in person – it will make your life easier later on. Your people will form their impressions not just on the words they read or hear, but also on the tone of the message and non-verbal signals. Don’t assume you know what works best for them – ask. After all, people are not inspired by words they cannot hear.
Speak to Liz Kentish The FM Coach on 01778 561326 for more management solutions for your high performing teams or e-mail your burning questions to coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk for a personal response
Let’s remind ourselves of some of the ‘stories’ we hear about remote teams.
• They’re not interested in the company
• They TUPE’d over – they didn’t really want to work for us!
• They just want to come to work, do their job, then go home
• They don’t have access to computers, so there’s no point communicating with them
• I can’t manage them from a distance
• Their local manager/supervisor knows what s/he is doing
• I don’t have time to go driving all over the country/flying around the world
• It’s different in the North/Middle East/United States/EMEA etc
• They are too busy for me to go interfering
• I can’t afford to pay for team briefings, training , flights etc
• The client is happy with their performance, so I don’t need to worry about them
How much easier would life be if you were able to manage them more effectively, keep them motivated, reduce churn and increase productivity? You don’t need a magic wand, just some simple, practical tips.
It takes special Leadership skills to successfully manage remote teams.
1. Trust and honesty – trust your local manager/supervisor and their teams – every single one of them. Answer their questions honestly and address tough issues as soon as possible. Don’t be tempted to rely on those based in your building to do the lion’s share of the work, or the most urgent jobs – share the workload fairly. Establish your team-specific “ground rules” - these are the unwritten rules that guide how work gets done in your team. For examples, do you have an open door policy? How are suggestions for improvements to be made? How does communication work amongst team members?
2. Clarity – ensure they all understand their objectives. As far as possible, allocate short-term projects, so you can tell early on if the work is on track. Any change within the team - be it to responsibilities, new ways of working, additions to or loss of staff - may mean that established, well-functioning teams sometimes revert to a stage where their roles, responsibilities and objectives need to be reviewed and re-clarified. As their manager, it is imperative that you take the lead in defining these roles and responsibilities early on.
3. Focus on results. You need to measure the output from individuals and local teams, rather than processes. This also allows you to intervene quickly if you spot the early signs of under-performance. Encourage people to take small actions so they don’t become overwhelmed. Check in regularly with their progress.
4. Communication - understand their styles of communication, learning, managing, motivation – and adapt yours to suit them.
5. Feedback – are you catching them doing things right? Start every contact you have with a simple question ‘what’s been going well?’ and listen actively to their responses.
The keys to giving great feedback are:
• Give praise publicly, give criticism in private
• Be sincere
• Choose your timing carefully – do it as soon as you can after the event
• Ask for self-assessment
• Focus on specifics and don’t mix it with other messages
• Limit feedback to a few important points.
6. Role model – consistently demonstrate the behaviours you want to see in your teams, starting with the ‘T’ word - trust. Do you want them to speak positively about the company, the Client, their work? Then you must, too – all the time, to everyone you interact with.
7. Networking – build relationships with key people who can help you manage – the supervisor/manager, the receptionist, security guards, key communicators within the team. Find common interests at all levels of the wider team and help people work more closely by sharing knowledge. Find yourself a mentor – someone who has been there and done it – and learn both from their successes and the challenges they faced.
8. Use technology – use simple methods of communicating that will make your people feel they are in the same building as you – instant messaging, tele- and video-conferencing, webinars, intranet sites, or shared systems such as SharePoint or Meeting Place. If you are working with an international team, it is useful to have interpreters on hand and to be aware of cultural differences.
Communication is the glue that holds teams together; this is even more relevant when your team is dispersed. Not everyone is comfortable with the ‘virtual world’, so you might need to make yourself available by ‘phone on a regular basis at a time to suit them, or perhaps send them a printed newssheet. When a new person joins the team, make every effort to meet them in person – it will make your life easier later on. Your people will form their impressions not just on the words they read or hear, but also on the tone of the message and non-verbal signals. Don’t assume you know what works best for them – ask. After all, people are not inspired by words they cannot hear.
Speak to Liz Kentish The FM Coach on 01778 561326 for more management solutions for your high performing teams or e-mail your burning questions to coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk for a personal response
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