December 23, 2024
One Minute Communication Tips




And Your Answer Is? PDF Print Email

How many times have you walked away from a conversation or ended a meeting wondering if you smartly answered a question? A Q/A moment is a great opportunity to deliver a message, exhibit leadership and above all, not annoy the person asking a question.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind:

Be brief. Less is more. 
Be direct. Just answer the question. 
Be confident. Don’t use qualifiers like “I think."
Be positive. Never defensive or hostile. 
Be polite. Even if you don’t like the question. 
Be fact-based. Don't lose credibility with a made-up answer. 
Be done. Know when you are finished and stop. 
Be harmonious. Don’t say “Yes, but...” 
Be present. Make strong eye contact. 
Be engaged. Lean-in to show interest.

Remember, answering questions can be a great opportunity to exhibit leadership if you handle it right. And always prepare for the one dreaded question you hope you don’t get.

 
Let It Go. You Will Survive. PDF Print Email

Micro-managing your team can lead to a massive breakdown of trust. Employees feel disempowered, their imagination becomes stifled and productivity plummets.

Could this be you?

  • Do you focus on the details instead of the big picture? 
  • Is it your way or the highway?
  • Do your teams tend to play it safe?
  • Do you trust that your teams can do the job?
  • Is all your checking, monitoring and rework becoming all-consuming?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you may want to begin the process of letting go. When you can’t trust your teams to do their job, it won’t be long before that actually comes true. Not much good can come from a micro-management style of leadership. No time like the present to let it go.

 
Managing or Leading? PDF Print Email

While you may manage people – are you actually leading, inspiring and building trusted followers? There is a big, yet subtle difference between managing and leading.

Managers have employees; Leaders win followers.
Managers try to be heroes; Leaders make heroes of others.
Managers take credit; Leaders take responsibility.
Managers accept the status quo; Leaders challenge the status quo.
Managers rely on control; Leaders trust and let go.

The question to ask yourself is – Am I Managing or am I Leading my team? It’s good to have characteristics in both buckets. Just know when to Manage....and when to Lead.

 
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