Month: June 2021

Communicating Deliberately

Posted on by Jan Hovrud

Communicating Deliberately

Communicating Deliberately Image

Open communication with others fosters trust, enhances information flow, builds relationships and increases respect. Effective leaders know the value of two-way communication.

Our relationships at work can make or break our ability to implement our vision and goals. Changing situations demand increasingly sophisticated interpersonal skills.

Embracing the power of type preferences can have a tremendous impact on how we reach others. Use the following tips to communicate deliberately in your next conversation with someone of the opposite preference.

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OK—So Are We All In Agreement?

Posted on by Jan Hovrud

 

OK—So Are We All In Agreement?

Meetings are held for a variety of reasons: gather opinions, bring everyone together on the same page, share ideas, etc. But how often in your organization does GroupThink happen? More often than you may think.

GroupThink is especially prominent in groups that meet over long periods of time. Remember once GroupThink begins to happen, the team no longer explores the depth of an issue, brings up other options or identifies concerns. They stay on the surface and opt for easy solutions.

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Leadership and Empathy

Posted on by Jan Hovrud

Leadership and Empathy

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While learning about Emotional Intelligence, many people find it difficult to understand why empathy is an important competency for leadership. Some people proudly proclaim that they don’t have much empathy, while others roll their eyes about this “warm and fuzzy” virtue.

But what people fail to realize is that when we show lack of empathy in our daily lives, it serves as a roadblock not only to our relationships but also to our coaching abilities.

Empathy is the ability to read other people and see things from their perspective.

It involves tuning into body language, facial expression, posture and tone. When we show empathy we “hear” the whole message both verbally and non-verbally. We work to understand rather than projecting our own interpretation of reality on them.

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Give the Gift of Listening

Posted on by Jan Hovrud

Give the Gift of Listening

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Listening enables us as leaders and mangers to value our employees. It helps people get the most out of meetings and conversations. True listening promotes cooperation. It assumes the other person has worth, dignity and something to offer.

Some benefits to increasing your listening include: building cohesive teams of people, developing individuals to be better contributors, making solid decisions, knowing how to connect with others and creating an atmosphere of reduced stress. When people reflect on their best boss a frequent response is that the person was a great listener. Listening is a gift that aids us in both personal and professional growth.

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