Tag Archives: trust
Developing Employees is Like Brushing Your Teeth
October 26, 2017 | | 4 Comments
Helping others develop, learn and grow. It may be among the most fundamental responsibilities human beings have to one another. And it’s played out for millennia, as the lessons and cultural norms of past civilizations were passed on generation to generation much like parents today guide their children toward adulthood. Yet, in the workplace, where it plays an equally vital role supporting organizational (and sometimes individual) advancement and survival, development doesn’t always get the attention it deserves. Over the years, leaders have become confused about what it is and how it operates. They’ve internalized some inaccurate beliefs that drive ineffective …
Posted in Leadership Matters
Tagged checking in, commitment, connect, context, development, lessons, performance, trust
The Surprising Benefits of Manager/Employee Interactions
May 9, 2017 | | Leave a comment
Leadership IQ released a study called “Optimal Hours with the Boss.” It’s an insightful report based upon research conducted with more than 30,000 executives, managers, and employees in North America. The results understandably made news. The findings are profound: “The median time people spend interacting with their leader is 3 hours. But 3 hours spent per week interacting with one’s leader is not enough. For the 32,410 people in this study, the optimal amount of time to spend interacting with one’s leader is 6 hours.” This is helpful information indeed and a welcome metric for managers who are increasingly looking …
Posted in Leadership Matters
Tagged business, connection, insights, inspiration, need, perspective, quality time, satisfaction, talent, trust
Today’s Burning Leadership Question: Are You a Flame or an Ember?
Michael is a leader in a high-tech organization. He’s charismatic, affable, and the ideal networker due to his highly-social nature. He gets along with nearly everyone and can lighten the mood of even the toughest meeting with his playfulness and sense of humor. Cara is a leader in the same organization. She’s lower-key and less likely to crack a joke. But she has a reputation for being fair and principled. Others know they can count on her for the straight scoop, even when it’s uncomfortable. Which leader leaves the best impression with others? Which would leave the best impression with …
Posted in Leadership Matters
Tagged confidence, courageous, fair, honest, leadership style, moral, principled, responsible, trust
The 10 Top Trust Terminators
February 21, 2017 | | 3 Comments
Trust is nearly synonymous with leadership. And it’s big business. We buy books (from the selection of more than 80,000 about the topic on Amazon). We attend seminars. And we work diligently to cultivate it with employees, peers, supervisors, customers… heck, everyone we know. But field research suggests that real and lasting trust may depend less on what we do… and more on what we don’t do. What our parents told us growing up is true: years of trustworthy behavior and trust-building efforts can unravel very easily… sometimes with just one act. In fact, employees report that undermining trust is …
Posted in Leadership Matters
Tagged leadership, trust
A Manager’s Guide to Navigating High-Stress Times
February 7, 2017 | | Leave a comment
Whether it’s a merger, an acquisition, a reorganization, downsizing, a new product launch or political turmoil, there will always be periods of time during which employees experience elevated levels of stress. And as much as we’d like to invoke the old ‘leave it at the door’ mentality, it simply isn’t realistic or viable given today’s workforce. During these high-stress periods, what leaders choose to do can have far-reaching effects beyond simply helping employees focus on the work at hand. Supporting others as they process anxiety creates a very human connection. It builds trust, elevates engagement, and inspires greater levels of …
Posted in Leadership Matters
Tagged anxiety, Conversation, engagement, listen, loyalty, share observations, stress, touch base, trust, truth
Management by Talking Around
In the 1980s, MBWA was the rage. It involved the radical notion that leaders could drive better results by stepping out of their offices and engaging with employees and the work flow in a less formal, more impromptu fashion. “Management by walking around” changed the cadence of business — in large part through greater leadership involvement and presence. Fast forward three decades, and just “being there” has become table stakes. Now leaders must really leverage those moments with others, and the most natural and effective tool for accomplishing this is conversation. A quick Amazon search reveals that thousands of books …
Posted in Leadership Matters
Tagged Conversation, development, discipline, engagement, importance, loyalty, respect, talking around, trust, value, walking around
Leadership Advice…for the Ages (ALL Ages)
What is it about the human experience that draws us to focus on our differences rather than our similarities? Does it come from our need to simplify the complexities of the world around us? Or is it a survival-based carryover from times when unfamiliar forces were synonymous with threats? Whatever the reason, for decades we’ve invested considerable energy in dissecting and understanding differences among the generations in the workplace. It’s the topic of hundreds of thousands of books, articles, and talks. And let’s face it… it’s comforting to wrap a whole group of people up with a common label and …
Posted in Leadership Matters
Tagged communication, generations, interesting work, priorities, respect, trust
Looking for Lasting Commitment… Beyond Engagement
September 9, 2014 | | 5 Comments
Leaders are enamored with employee engagement. They repeatedly conduct surveys to assess it and hold meetings to address it. Yet, despite the millions of dollars that are invested annually, engagement continues to be among employees’ biggest disappointments and management’s top challenges. Maybe it’s time to re-think our expectations… to reframe the issue… to take the next logical step. What’s beyond engagement? Well, in life outside of work, it’s typically marriage. ROMANTIC PARALLELS Couples enter into a romantic engagement as a transition to another, more committed state. In 2010, the average time from proposal to wedding was 15 months. ‘Five years’ …
Posted in Career Matters, Happiness Matters, Learning Matters
Tagged choice, commitment, development, employee engagement, meaning, relationships, trust
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