IntroductionWelcome| 00:04 | You've just begun a new management
position. Let me guess, you're likely
| | 00:08 | excited and a little nervous, right?
| | 00:10 | That's completely normal.
| | 00:11 | So please allow me to put
your decision in perspective.
| | 00:14 | Have you ever heard someone say
that leaders are born, not made?
| | 00:18 | That is absolutely incorrect!
| | 00:20 | The good news is that leadership is
best viewed as a set of skills, with a
| | 00:25 | little thoughtful preparation;
| | 00:26 | it's a set of skills you can learn.
| | 00:29 | I'll start by helping you understand
how to immediately establish yourself as a
| | 00:33 | leader and how to begin
setting goals and expectations.
| | 00:37 | Next, we'll cover topics including
building rapport with the team and what it
| | 00:42 | means to earn trust and show respect.
| | 00:45 | I'll also address several useful
communication tips that will help you better
| | 00:49 | connect with the team.
| | 00:51 | Overall, I'm going to challenge you to
become more than simply the new boss.
| | 00:56 | I want to help you be an authentic leader.
| | 00:59 | When you've completed this course,
you'll be ready to hit the ground
| | 01:02 | running with the knowledge you need
to successfully complete the first few
| | 01:06 | months in your new role.
| | 01:07 | Let's get started.
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| Becoming a leader| 00:00 | To many new leaders, leadership seems
mysterious, as if what makes a successful
| | 00:05 | leader is somehow intangible
or un-definable. It's not.
| | 00:09 | Mountains of social science tells us
that leadership is a set of skills.
| | 00:13 | Skills are behaviors anyone
can learn with the right effort.
| | 00:17 | Any nerves or apprehensions you
may be experiencing right now will
| | 00:20 | eventually fade as you ramp up the
learning curve and begin to build and
| | 00:24 | polish your leadership skills.
| | 00:25 | In order to prepare you for what is
to come, please know that what got you
| | 00:29 | here won't work anymore.
| | 00:31 | The technical and functional job
skills that earned you past accolades and
| | 00:35 | positive attention are not the same
skills that will enable you to be a
| | 00:39 | successful leader of a team.
| | 00:41 | If you're a great accountant, it
does not follow that you will be a great
| | 00:44 | leader of accountants.
| | 00:46 | Similarly, just because you are a world
class engineer, that doesn't mean you'll
| | 00:50 | immediately be world class at
leading a team of engineers.
| | 00:54 | Leadership is a series of people-
related skills that help you facilitate
| | 00:58 | the work of others.
| | 01:00 | It's not about doing the work per se anymore.
| | 01:03 | Your new job is to help, facilitate,
structure, and plan the work of others.
| | 01:08 | Now might be a good time to
address a very old question.
| | 01:12 | What is the difference
between a manager and a leader?
| | 01:15 | For years, scholars and practitioners alike
have suggested the two are very different.
| | 01:19 | They say things like managers deal with
the status quo; leaders create the future.
| | 01:24 | Managers execute plans; leaders inspire vision.
| | 01:28 | Those types of sayings
aren't really logical or useful.
| | 01:31 | The truth is that every boring or
mundane aspect of being an administrator has
| | 01:35 | been labeled management.
| | 01:37 | And every interesting and fun
aspect of being an administrator has been
| | 01:40 | labeled leadership.
| | 01:42 | They are one and the same.
| | 01:43 | Feel free to use them interchangeably.
| | 01:46 | Let's be clear, your goal is not to
worry about the fictitious difference
| | 01:50 | between management and leadership.
| | 01:52 | Your goal is to get focused on being
the best leader you can possibly be.
| | 01:57 | It's vital that you understand the
immense importance of being a leader.
| | 02:01 | When a human being is formally
tasked with leading other people, they
| | 02:05 | weild huge power.
| | 02:08 | We all know that bad
bosses cause significant stress.
| | 02:11 | But I want you to focus on the flip
side, which is that you also have amazing
| | 02:15 | power to do good and add value.
| | 02:18 | You have the power to help others
smile, grow, and become more productive.
| | 02:23 | You have the power to facilitate a
team's journey from good to great.
| | 02:27 | Great leaders have the power to
transform organizations and even communities.
| | 02:31 | It's time to start
building your leadership skills.
| | 02:34 | Learning how to transform
organizations takes years of experience.
| | 02:37 | Let's begin your leadership journey by focusing
on the essential skills for the first 90 days.
| | 02:43 | Good luck!
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| Using the exercise files| 00:00 | We've provided free exercise files that
are available to all lynda.com members to
| | 00:05 | help you get the most from this course.
| | 00:07 | These files include an outline of the
course that is very useful for taking notes.
| | 00:12 | I suggest that you download this file and
print it out prior to watching the course.
| | 00:16 | Now let's get started.
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1. Surviving the First MonthEstablishing your identity as a manager| 00:00 | In the first month, your goal is to set the
tone by focusing on three main activities.
| | 00:06 | These are learning to look like a leader,
developing professional relationships,
| | 00:09 | and staying visible.
| | 00:11 | Okay, let's talk about what
it means to look like a leader.
| | 00:14 | There's no correct look for a leader,
what is correct is defined by the norms
| | 00:19 | of your organization.
| | 00:21 | Your goal is to seek to understand the
prevailing dress code and grooming norms
| | 00:25 | in your organization.
| | 00:27 | Look at other managers and how
they're presenting themselves.
| | 00:30 | Your goal is to be reasonably
close to those expectations.
| | 00:33 | One word of caution, try not to make
drastic changes in your wardrobe now that
| | 00:37 | you've been promoted.
| | 00:39 | If you were wearing blue jeans one week
ago and an expensive suit and tie this
| | 00:43 | week, people might find that
odd or somewhat inauthentic.
| | 00:46 | Make small moves towards
the norms you've identified.
| | 00:49 | The goal is not to standout, but to fit
in, in a manner that's appropriate given
| | 00:54 | your new role and responsibilities.
| | 00:57 | Next, I'd like to share an interesting idea.
| | 00:59 | One that some feel is a little difficult.
| | 01:01 | Your goal as the new boss is not
to be friends with your employees;
| | 01:06 | your goal is to develop positive and
personal performance related relationships.
| | 01:11 | Friend relationships are all about
personal bonds and interactions, friends very
| | 01:16 | often find it difficult to deliver
tough feedback because friend relationships
| | 01:20 | don't have a performance component, and
at work, in your new role as a leader,
| | 01:25 | your biggest concern is performance.
| | 01:28 | Of course, you should care about
helping individuals grow and improve, but your
| | 01:32 | overriding obligation is to the group,
even more than any one individual.
| | 01:37 | Here's the good news, productive
professional relationships like friendships can
| | 01:42 | and should be personal.
| | 01:44 | The difference is about proportion,
friendships are dominated by personal
| | 01:49 | exchanges, such as conversations
about family members and hobbies.
| | 01:53 | Professional relationships are
dominated by performance related exchanges
| | 01:57 | concerning the work at hand.
| | 01:59 | For example, talking about who to
hire and how to change your process.
| | 02:03 | There's one final issue I'd like you to
consider for your first month, it's the
| | 02:07 | need to stay visible.
| | 02:09 | Being visible means that most of the
time, most of your employees see you or
| | 02:14 | know where you are and what you're working on.
| | 02:16 | The higher your visibility, the more
people will feel connected to you and
| | 02:20 | experience motivation to
accomplish their work successfully.
| | 02:23 | True, the larger the group, the more
difficult it becomes to remain visible.
| | 02:28 | Having said that, work hard to allocate
at least 5-10% of your day, everyday to
| | 02:33 | informally chatting with your team.
| | 02:36 | Don't schedule that time and don't
call them into your office, take the
| | 02:39 | initiative to walk around and
find people where they work.
| | 02:43 | Simply say hello, ask how things are
going, and ask what, if anything, you can do
| | 02:48 | to help, and don't forget, when you
can't spend time with everyone, you can
| | 02:52 | still connect using technology.
| | 02:54 | For example, you might use a weekly
voicemail or an email blast to the entire team.
| | 02:59 | This allows you to keep them in the loop.
| | 03:01 | Highlight great work accomplishments
within the team, and importantly, to
| | 03:05 | celebrate significant personal
events, such as weddings or graduations.
| | 03:09 | Staying connected does not have to be
massively time consuming or complex.
| | 03:13 | Genuine conversations start
while you're walking around.
| | 03:16 | Simple weekly messages such as the one
I just described can work wonders for
| | 03:20 | team camaraderie and productivity.
| | 03:23 | That's it, three smart ways to start
your new role successfully, know what it
| | 03:27 | means to look like a leader, spend
time building and cultivating positive
| | 03:30 | professional relationships,
and remember to stay visible.
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| Clarifying performance expectations| 00:00 | Let's start with what's expected of you,
which is all about building rapport
| | 00:04 | with your boss and your team.
| | 00:07 | First, clarify your boss' expectations of you.
| | 00:10 | You want to make sure you're both on
the same page in terms of his or her
| | 00:14 | expectations for the
overall performance of your team.
| | 00:17 | Don't leave any room for
ambiguity on this topic.
| | 00:20 | Next, you need to
understand your boss' bigger picture.
| | 00:23 | What are their main goals beyond
the performance of your specific team?
| | 00:28 | Your manager has many
priorities, you are only one of them.
| | 00:32 | Understanding this will have a strong
influence on decision-making within your team.
| | 00:36 | In addition, talk with your boss about
initial changes you believe are required
| | 00:40 | in terms of the personnel on your team.
| | 00:43 | Even if you don't receive the immediate
solution you desire, you'll have planted
| | 00:46 | the necessary seed for the future.
| | 00:49 | Finally, request the
resource improvements that you need.
| | 00:53 | If your team's performance depends on
any particular resource improvements,
| | 00:56 | whether that's new
computers or other tools, speak up.
| | 01:00 | After covering these topics with your
boss, you're ready to meet the team to set
| | 01:04 | goals and discuss group norms.
| | 01:07 | In your initial meeting, be clear
about the team's performance in the past,
| | 01:12 | today, and in the future.
| | 01:14 | You want to recognize recent
accomplishments and milestones that preceded you.
| | 01:19 | Share the main goals for the next
performance period and any thoughts you wish
| | 01:23 | to add about long-term performance goals.
| | 01:26 | Sometimes, goals are dictated
in a very structured manner.
| | 01:29 | For example, in many sales
organizations, a salesperson is simply handed
| | 01:33 | a number to achieve.
| | 01:35 | However, to the extent possible,
try to build a collaborative dialogue
| | 01:40 | around goal setting.
| | 01:41 | This is more motivational
than merely dictating goals.
| | 01:45 | After discussing goals, next, ensure
goal clarity by talking about the major
| | 01:50 | milestones to be
accomplished in support of each goal.
| | 01:55 | Determine exactly who's
responsible on the team for each milestone.
| | 01:59 | One more useful tip, schedule personal
one-on-one follow ups to ensure you have
| | 02:05 | strong goal agreement and clarity.
| | 02:08 | Next, have the group define team norms.
| | 02:11 | Norms are informal rules the group
adopts in support of productive behaviors.
| | 02:17 | Norms have been shown to be more
effective than formal rules and regulations in
| | 02:21 | terms of guiding behaviors at work.
| | 02:24 | Defining your norms is up to you and the group.
| | 02:27 | There is no perfect set of norms.
| | 02:30 | However, consider discussing these
popular norms, often associated with
| | 02:34 | high performing teams.
| | 02:36 | Being positive and respectful,
showing up on time, and being prepared.
| | 02:41 | The norms become your frame of
reference when the group reflects on its
| | 02:45 | interactions and decision-making.
| | 02:46 | After agreeing on norms, be sure to write them
down, then distribute them to all group members.
| | 02:53 | Most importantly, make sure the
norms are posted visually in one or
| | 02:58 | more relevant places.
| | 03:00 | Also, don't forget, norms must be
enforced to have power and this doesn't have
| | 03:06 | to be a negative event.
| | 03:07 | It can even be funny.
| | 03:09 | For example, when someone's late to a
meeting, they have to contribute a dollar
| | 03:13 | to the office coffee fund.
| | 03:16 | Getting a grip on
performance doesn't have to be complex.
| | 03:19 | Start by clarifying expectations with
your boss, then focus on your team and
| | 03:24 | nail the goals and the norms
required to make you successful.
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| Feeding your learning curve| 00:00 | Here's a simple truth.
| | 00:02 | When you step into a leadership
role, it's guaranteed you will work more
| | 00:05 | hours than the average employee.
| | 00:07 | That's never so true as during the first
few months of a new leadership role.
| | 00:12 | Let me offer a comment about simply
surviving and maintaining balance or at
| | 00:16 | least rapport an understanding with
your closest friends and family members.
| | 00:20 | Leadership roles are very demanding and can
put a strain on family time and personal time.
| | 00:27 | Compared to the typical employee, you'll
inevitably work a few nights and weekends.
| | 00:31 | Become a proactive
communicator about these topics.
| | 00:35 | Make sure your friends, your spouse
or partner, and your children have clear
| | 00:39 | expectations about your
professional role and its demands on your time.
| | 00:44 | Strive to schedule specific time to
engage in activities with your loved ones
| | 00:48 | and work hard to ensure those
activities represent high quality time together.
| | 00:54 | The more successful you become and
the more you receive promotions in the
| | 00:57 | future, the more necessary it will
become to focus on the quality of those
| | 01:02 | interactions, more than just quantity.
| | 01:05 | As I've stated before, the skills
and knowledge that helped you earn your
| | 01:09 | promotion are not the same skills
and knowledge that will make you
| | 01:12 | successful moving forward.
| | 01:13 | Now, you need to build new leadership skills,
as well as a bigger knowledge of the business.
| | 01:20 | Let's consider several possible sources
that can help you feed your learning curve.
| | 01:25 | The first step to building your
new leadership skills is to identify
| | 01:29 | several great resources.
| | 01:32 | One useful habit to form
immediately is to start bringing relevant
| | 01:36 | learning materials with you wherever you go,
whether it's a book or an app on your phone.
| | 01:41 | In the area of leadership and
organizational life, you'll find many useful and
| | 01:45 | engaging books, articles, blogs, apps,
and podcasts covering every aspect of
| | 01:51 | leadership, not to mention the
videos you're watching right now.
| | 01:54 | Start using them whenever you
find even a few minutes of downtime.
| | 01:59 | Next, commit to relevant
leadership-related training.
| | 02:03 | Training might be online or in a
classroom setting and it might be provided
| | 02:07 | by your organization or you might consider
proactively purchasing training in the market.
| | 02:12 | Training topics, run the gamut.
| | 02:14 | From soft side leadership-related
skills to hard side functional training
| | 02:18 | relevant to your industry.
| | 02:20 | Collaborate with your manager
and choose what's right for you.
| | 02:25 | Building your professional network is
another great way to gain leadership skills.
| | 02:29 | Networking refers to active attempts
to increase the quantity and quality of
| | 02:34 | professionals with whom you are connected,
particularly inside the organization.
| | 02:39 | Starting right now, I want you to
consider lunches, coffee breaks, or any form
| | 02:44 | of downtime at work as an opportunity to build
or strengthen your professional relationships.
| | 02:50 | A robust network keeps you in the
know and accelerates your learning.
| | 02:55 | Your new role also requires you to
spend time learning more about the business.
| | 03:00 | You need to understand the basic duties and
responsibilities of all roles in the group.
| | 03:06 | How information and work products flow
into the group, and how the work moves
| | 03:10 | downstream towards the customer
after your group has completed its work.
| | 03:14 | To accomplish this, you have many
sources inside the organization to study, such
| | 03:19 | as organizational charts and process manuals.
| | 03:23 | These collectively define our standard
operating procedures or simply put the
| | 03:26 | way we do things around here.
| | 03:29 | You have a lot to learn, try not to
look at these action items as discreet
| | 03:33 | events, do what all great leaders do
and get focused on continuous learning.
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2. Connecting with the TeamBuilding initial rapport| 00:00 | Great rapport is about comfortable
positive interactions that support the
| | 00:04 | production of quality work.
| | 00:07 | Building rapport isn't complex or mysterious.
| | 00:10 | While it's true that as a leader, you
must project confidence and competence,
| | 00:14 | building rapport is really about you
understanding and appreciating each of your team members.
| | 00:20 | Establishing rapport requires positive
conversations about the tasks at hand,
| | 00:24 | but it also requires a
little personal conversation.
| | 00:28 | I want you to remember to not talk
about work issues 100% of the time.
| | 00:33 | To build great relationships, you have
to let them get to know you as a person.
| | 00:38 | Use a small portion of time;
| | 00:39 | say 5-10% discussing appropriate
personal issues so they can get to know you as
| | 00:45 | a human and not just as a boss.
| | 00:48 | Don't completely separate
work life and home life.
| | 00:51 | You should feel comfortable sharing a
little about who you are away from the office.
| | 00:55 | For example, your biggest hobby, your
favorite sports team, or maybe little
| | 00:59 | facts about your family.
| | 01:01 | Next, I want you to become aware of one
of the most interesting decision-making
| | 01:05 | challenges we all face, it's called projecting.
| | 01:08 | Projecting is when you think others think
like you think about a particular issue.
| | 01:14 | It's a quick unconscious assumption
that's rarely accurate and can get you in
| | 01:18 | trouble with the team in a hurry.
| | 01:21 | Avoid projecting when you're talking
to your team, whether you're talking
| | 01:24 | about small issues or big issues,
try not to assume their preferences
| | 01:28 | identically match yours.
| | 01:30 | For example, ask, where would you
like to go to lunch, or what do you think
| | 01:35 | about this potential hire?
| | 01:36 | Ultimately, you might make decisions
that your team won't always agree with,
| | 01:40 | but when they feel they've been heard and
understood, they'll accept your decision better.
| | 01:46 | Now just as you needed to share a
little bit of information that's personal
| | 01:49 | about yourself to build rapport, you
also want to strive to discover personal
| | 01:53 | aspects of each team member.
| | 01:56 | Get to know each member of your team personally.
| | 01:59 | Strive to see them as unique individuals.
| | 02:02 | Listen carefully to what they say and
look at how they dress and interact.
| | 02:05 | Check out the pictures and other
decorations in their workspace.
| | 02:09 | You'll begin to see more than just a
person who's technically competent.
| | 02:14 | Building rapport really is about
seeing them as vibrant individuals and not
| | 02:18 | merely as human resources.
| | 02:21 | One final aspect of building rapport
involves different ways you can show
| | 02:25 | respect for your team, through brief
comments, written notes, phone messages,
| | 02:29 | texts, or in person, there are many
opportunities to demonstrate gratitude.
| | 02:35 | Let's be specific, you can show
appreciation for the efforts they expend, the
| | 02:39 | outcomes and milestones they achieve,
and for the expertise they possess.
| | 02:44 | Often, employees don't believe that
their boss fully understands their job.
| | 02:49 | In response, give them
opportunities to demonstrate their expertise.
| | 02:53 | Of course, it must be sincere, but it
can be as simple as asking someone to
| | 02:58 | explain a task or a process to others.
| | 03:00 | By acknowledging their skills and
abilities, you're highlighting the importance
| | 03:04 | of having them on the team,
you're demonstrating respect.
| | 03:08 | Having rapport, that sense of
comfortable positive interaction is one of the
| | 03:12 | hallmarks of a high performing team.
| | 03:14 | You can experience strong rapport,
if you'll be professional with your team
| | 03:18 | and a little personal.
| | 03:20 | Stop projecting when it's time to make
decisions. Get to know them as unique
| | 03:24 | people and find a few
creative ways to show respect.
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| Explaining your decision-making style| 00:00 | There are many approaches to decision-making.
| | 00:03 | I'm going to discuss the
three most basic approaches.
| | 00:06 | While you're listening, I want you to
think about which one best defines you.
| | 00:10 | Keep in mind, there is no
perfect approach to decision-making;
| | 00:14 | there are always different possible approaches.
| | 00:17 | The three most basic
forms of decision-making are:
| | 00:20 | Autocratic, Collaborative, and Democratic.
| | 00:24 | Autocratic decision-making is defined
by you making a decision with no input
| | 00:28 | needed from the team, followed
by telling the team your decision.
| | 00:33 | Collaborative decision-making involves
a partnership or a collaboration between
| | 00:36 | you and the members of the team.
| | 00:39 | You will ultimately make the decision, but
first you wish to seek input from the team.
| | 00:44 | Finally, democratic decision-making
involves you allowing the team to make the
| | 00:48 | decision irrespective of what
you feel the decision should be.
| | 00:52 | Of course, over time all of us
use a mix of these approaches.
| | 00:56 | However, research does suggest
the best overall decision is to rely
| | 01:01 | significantly on the collaborative
approach with much lighter use of both the
| | 01:05 | autocratic or the democratic approaches.
| | 01:08 | Before you first formally meet with
the team, be prepared to discuss your
| | 01:13 | approach to decision-making.
| | 01:14 | You might even choose to use some of
the specific labels we've been discussing.
| | 01:19 | No matter which path you choose for a
given decision, remember that all great
| | 01:24 | decisions should be
followed by great explanations.
| | 01:28 | Explanations are your attempt to offer
honest and specific clarification for
| | 01:33 | the decisions you make.
| | 01:35 | Over time, your team will not
enjoy every decision you'll make.
| | 01:38 | Sometimes certain people will like
your decision and others will not.
| | 01:42 | In any case, your goal is to offer
clarity as to why you did what you did.
| | 01:48 | Even when someone doesn't like your
decision, good explanations make the
| | 01:52 | decision seem more just and acceptable.
| | 01:55 | Explanations make your process transparent,
which shows you to be honest and trustworthy.
| | 02:01 | When you lack transparency and don't
offer quality explanations, your team is
| | 02:06 | left to dream up their own
explanations for your behaviors.
| | 02:09 | I'd like to focus for just a moment on
one specific aspect of decision-making;
| | 02:13 | making decisions that you
know others will not like.
| | 02:17 | For example, you might have to tell
someone that the team will not get the
| | 02:21 | budget increase they expected, or that
there will be no raises this year, or that
| | 02:26 | someone did not receive
the promotion they desired.
| | 02:28 | Here your objective is to
clearly own your decisions.
| | 02:33 | Many times, due to the tension in the
situation decision-makers will blame
| | 02:37 | others instead of properly owning the decision.
| | 02:40 | They might say this decision
came from above me or I'm sorry but
| | 02:43 | management won't allow that right now, or some
other way to take the blame off of themselves.
| | 02:49 | Avoid blame;
| | 02:50 | your goal is to always provide
a clear and honest explanation.
| | 02:54 | The more difficult it is to tell someone
the decision you made, the more this is true.
| | 02:59 | The good news is that when difficult
feedback is given to a team member, if
| | 03:03 | it is delivered with sincerity and if you
own your decision, they will still respect you.
| | 03:09 | Remember, great decision-making starts
with understanding your style and making
| | 03:13 | sure your team understands it too.
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| Breaking the status bubble| 00:00 | When you're promoted to a new level in
your career, you have to be sensitive
| | 00:04 | to your new status.
| | 00:05 | Status at work is tricky.
| | 00:07 | On the one hand, you can't physically
see it, on the other hand it's real and
| | 00:11 | people react very strongly to it.
| | 00:14 | I'd like to refer to is as the status bubble.
| | 00:17 | You're status surrounds you and often
makes it more challenging to interact with you.
| | 00:21 | For the context of this video, I'd like
you to concentrate on the relationship
| | 00:24 | between you and your team.
| | 00:26 | Now that you've been promoted,
believe me, even if you feel like the same
| | 00:30 | person, to them you've changed.
| | 00:32 | You've assumed a higher status.
| | 00:35 | Like it or not, your promotion
removes you from them and some will now view
| | 00:39 | communicating and relating to you as more
challenging compared to before you were promoted.
| | 00:44 | The mere fact that you're now the boss
often makes them hesitate more and censor
| | 00:49 | more for fear of not meeting your
expectations or not pleasing you.
| | 00:53 | Even if you're the nicest person in
the world, that is the affect of status.
| | 00:58 | Your job is to attack the status bubble.
| | 01:02 | Consider these tactics.
| | 01:03 | First, don't allow your new status
to become the elephant in the room.
| | 01:08 | Openly discuss it with your team at least once.
| | 01:11 | Tell them you're excited about the new
role and that just because you've been
| | 01:14 | promoted, they shouldn't hesitate to
speak up and talk with you whenever they
| | 01:18 | feel it's necessary.
| | 01:20 | Next, occasionally seek
feedback about how you're doing.
| | 01:24 | Your new role will require you to give
them feedback, both formally through the
| | 01:28 | employee evaluation process and
informally through daily conversations.
| | 01:33 | To reduce the status bubble, show that
you want to know what they think about
| | 01:38 | you as the new boss.
| | 01:39 | Once in a while, ask for their thoughts
and be kind and receptive in response.
| | 01:44 | Listen carefully and offer a genuine thank you.
| | 01:48 | Another great tactic is self-deprecating humor.
| | 01:51 | To appear human and approachable, few
things work as well as making fun of yourself.
| | 01:56 | Think about the errors you've made at work.
| | 01:58 | The unexpected embarrassing moments in
your life, or something silly you once did.
| | 02:02 | Find the right time every two or
three months to share one of these
| | 02:06 | incidents with the team.
| | 02:08 | When you show that you're
comfortable laughing at yourself, you become
| | 02:11 | immensely more approachable.
| | 02:14 | Building bonds with your
team isn't always about humor.
| | 02:17 | In fact, sometimes it's just the opposite.
| | 02:20 | One, surefire way to break this
status bubble is to encourage debate.
| | 02:25 | Many times, whether informal
meetings or informal discussions, lower
| | 02:29 | status employees choose to not speak up when
they disagree or wish to add another thought.
| | 02:35 | They often precede speaking up as a risk.
| | 02:38 | Your goal is to reduce the perception of
risk by positively embracing difficult,
| | 02:42 | but well-intentioned discussion.
| | 02:45 | When the team sees you honestly listen
and positively respond in the face of
| | 02:49 | criticism or debate, they will view you as fair.
| | 02:53 | As a result, you will have increased the odds
of pulling more people into the conversation.
| | 02:57 | One last comment, you can break the
status bubble by showing genuine gratitude.
| | 03:03 | It's often been said that the two most
important words in business are thank and you.
| | 03:09 | A thoughtful thank you comment or thank
you note, when both earned and delivered
| | 03:14 | sincerely can be a
powerful relationship builder.
| | 03:18 | Your new role comes with a heightened
status, but it doesn't have to cause
| | 03:22 | unnecessary problems.
| | 03:24 | Breaking the status bubble is about
removing barriers to communication so that
| | 03:29 | you can have the robust
dialogue that creates great teams.
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|
|
3. Building TrustSignaling fairness and integrity| 00:00 | In a professional context, integrity is
the quality of having and using, clear
| | 00:05 | and meaningful ethical standards.
| | 00:07 | Being fair at work is one general
way to demonstrate your integrity.
| | 00:12 | However, it is important to be very
clear about what we mean by the word fair.
| | 00:16 | Being fair refers to equal opportunity, not
equal distribution of outcomes and resources.
| | 00:22 | Stated differently, being fair means
you treat people the same by creating a
| | 00:27 | positive and transparent workplace, but
you also treat them differently based on
| | 00:31 | their performance and their needs.
| | 00:34 | Integrity and fairness matter,
because they impact trust;
| | 00:38 | one of the key qualities present
in higher performing teams is trust.
| | 00:41 | It's one of the intangible assets that
helps move a team past mere compliance
| | 00:46 | towards deep commitment,
commitment to each other and to the work.
| | 00:51 | Because trust is so important,
always remember these two things.
| | 00:55 | First, trust takes a lot of time to
build, but can be lost in an instant.
| | 01:00 | Protect it, like the important asset it is.
| | 01:03 | Second, actions speak louder than words.
| | 01:06 | You don't have to tell people you are
trustworthy when you spend your time
| | 01:10 | showing behaviors that
demonstrate trustworthiness.
| | 01:13 | Remember to live by the
old saying, walk the talk.
| | 01:16 | When you espouse certain standards
and expectations, you build trust by
| | 01:20 | doing what you say.
| | 01:22 | Speaking of behaviors, there are
several behaviors at work that are
| | 01:26 | particularly influential in
determining whether or not people view you as a
| | 01:30 | person of integrity.
| | 01:31 | For example, openly address
integrity as a core part of your team.
| | 01:35 | This requires you to be consistent and
clear about your ethical standards and
| | 01:39 | your expectations of the team.
| | 01:41 | You can show the team that you mean it
by challenging any issue or decision that
| | 01:46 | encourages dishonesty or
rewards unethical behavior.
| | 01:50 | One of the best ways to demonstrate
integrity is to share credit widely.
| | 01:54 | Anytime you and the team pass a
particular milestone, reach a big goal, or
| | 01:58 | receive recognition, don't
steal the spotlight for yourself.
| | 02:02 | Be sure to acknowledge everyone's
contributions and make the team feel
| | 02:05 | included in the win.
| | 02:07 | It's also important to
understand when to share the pain.
| | 02:11 | When I say pain, I'm referring to
challenges and difficulties that are not avoidable.
| | 02:17 | These might include layoffs, lack
of pay raises, undesirable travel, or
| | 02:21 | other types of challenges.
| | 02:22 | The rule here is always the
same, to the extent possible,
| | 02:26 | you share in the burden you
are asking the team to undertake.
| | 02:30 | For example, if they will not receive
any raises this year, it would not be wise
| | 02:34 | for you to accept a raise this year either.
| | 02:37 | Another great way to demonstrate
integrity is to make decisions based on the
| | 02:42 | merits and not based on any
other non-meritorious standard.
| | 02:46 | In particular, be sure to steer clear
of favoritism, which is a way of making
| | 02:51 | decisions in a manner that benefits
only your favorite people at work.
| | 02:55 | Assign work based on the skills people
have, not simply on how much you like them.
| | 03:01 | One final great way to demonstrate
integrity is to be willing to get your hands dirty.
| | 03:06 | Whenever you ask the team to achieve
a very difficult standard or to engage
| | 03:10 | abnormal work, such as working on a
weekend, you should be the first to sign up
| | 03:14 | and participate arm-in-arm with your team.
| | 03:18 | To build a track record of success
as a leader, few things are as vital
| | 03:21 | as strong integrity.
| | 03:22 | When the team trusts you, they'll
listen better and they'll perform at a
| | 03:27 | higher level.
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| Becoming a servant leader| 00:00 | Until recent years, the common
understanding of leadership might be described as
| | 00:04 | mechanical and structured, maybe even cold.
| | 00:07 | It involved things such as
providing resources, setting goals, and
| | 00:10 | measuring performance.
| | 00:11 | These are still basic parts of
leadership and organizational life.
| | 00:14 | But today, we've evolved our thinking
further to include a more progressive
| | 00:18 | and compassionate understanding of how
interpersonal relationships affect productivity.
| | 00:24 | No longer are employees thought of
as simple human resources to whom
| | 00:27 | orders should be provided.
| | 00:29 | Now, we recognize that employees are
our colleagues and collaborators, our
| | 00:33 | partners with whom and
through whom progress is achieved.
| | 00:36 | One of the most popular paradigms
within this evolved view of leadership
| | 00:40 | is servant leadership.
| | 00:42 | Servant leadership is squarely focused
on the need to build and develop your
| | 00:46 | employees as your first priority.
| | 00:49 | Servant leadership is predicated on the
idea that helping others succeed, in and
| | 00:53 | of itself, is a righteous goal.
| | 00:55 | It's the right thing to do.
| | 00:56 | Of course, as a great byproduct, when
you work hard to maximize the growth
| | 01:00 | of your employees, your team becomes more
successful and thus, you become more successful.
| | 01:05 | To become a successful servant leader,
I want you to focus on these five
| | 01:09 | particular behaviors that
will guide you as you develop:
| | 01:12 | committing to employee development,
developing self awareness, listening
| | 01:17 | effectively, feeling
empathy, and promoting healing.
| | 01:21 | Let's quickly consider each one.
| | 01:24 | The first is a strong commitment to
the growth of the people around you.
| | 01:28 | This is the hallmark of servant leadership.
| | 01:30 | You must have a sincere conviction to
develop others based on a belief that
| | 01:34 | people have an intrinsic value
beyond their contributions as workers.
| | 01:38 | That is why ultimately you seek to
support your employees' professional
| | 01:42 | and personal growth.
| | 01:43 | How do you do that?
| | 01:45 | It all starts with self-awareness.
| | 01:47 | A servant leader understands their
personal strengths and weaknesses.
| | 01:51 | It's from a base of solid self-
awareness that all of the other behaviors I will
| | 01:55 | mention in a moment become possible.
| | 01:57 | You will begin to build self-awareness when
you spend time in honest reflection about
| | 02:01 | your work and your work relationships.
| | 02:03 | It also helps to seek out and utilize a
few sources of candid expert feedback,
| | 02:08 | for example, a coach or a
mentor. Next is listening.
| | 02:13 | Any successful leader must be a strong
communicator which always includes strong
| | 02:18 | listening skills. However,
| | 02:20 | many leaders err problematically
on speaking far more than listening.
| | 02:24 | The servant leader knows that he or
she will maximize the outcome of any
| | 02:29 | conversation by listening liberally.
| | 02:32 | This allows you to fully
understand others' positions.
| | 02:35 | It also allows you to seriously
consider body language, which often indicates
| | 02:38 | things that remain unspoken.
| | 02:41 | Now let's consider empathy.
| | 02:43 | A skill that is very important, though
often considered more difficult to build.
| | 02:47 | Empathy is the capacity to recognize
emotions in others, which then allows us to
| | 02:51 | feel some amount of compassion,
caring, or concern in response.
| | 02:56 | Being able to empathize with
someone is partially driven by your
| | 02:59 | personality, but it is also
recognized as a skill that can be built through
| | 03:03 | increased self-awareness.
| | 03:05 | When you make empathizing with others a
genuine focus, it won't be long before
| | 03:10 | you start to understand them better.
| | 03:12 | Another vital component of servant
leadership is the ability to facilitate healing.
| | 03:17 | Even great teams experience plenty of conflict.
| | 03:20 | The difference is that great teams have
the ability to heal wounds by laughing
| | 03:24 | at themselves and making apologies when needed.
| | 03:27 | When you model selfless behaviors,
make your communication positive, and
| | 03:30 | admit when you're wrong, you can
turn conflict into a positive event that
| | 03:35 | makes the team better.
| | 03:37 | In the end, servant leadership is practical,
through your focus on developing others,
| | 03:42 | ultimately, you're building a stronger team.
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| Increasing your authenticity| 00:00 | If you think about what it means to
project to others that you are a leader, you
| | 00:04 | think of projecting competence and confidence.
| | 00:07 | These are great characteristics.
| | 00:09 | You project confidence through your
words and all of your non-verbal behaviors,
| | 00:13 | such as eye contact and tone of voice.
| | 00:16 | You project competence, ultimately,
through the work outcomes you produce.
| | 00:20 | However, it's vital you
understand that most successful leaders,
| | 00:24 | that is the ones who create the strongest
teams, are not merely confident and competent.
| | 00:29 | They are also real, raw, somewhat
unfiltered, what many refer to as authentic.
| | 00:36 | To be authentic means to be open,
to show your humanity, to maintain
| | 00:40 | flexibility, to be humble,
and to always model the way.
| | 00:45 | These are the characteristics that
allow your confidence and competence to
| | 00:49 | have maximum impact.
| | 00:51 | I'll admit that some view these
behaviors as slightly risky, as if they somehow
| | 00:55 | indicate a lack of strength.
| | 00:57 | That's not accurate.
| | 00:59 | In fact, it's just the opposite.
| | 01:01 | So, let's briefly consider each behavior.
| | 01:04 | To begin, remember to
remain open as a decision-maker.
| | 01:07 | Recall the three major
approaches to decision-making:
| | 01:10 | Autocratic, Collaborative, and Democratic.
| | 01:13 | Autocratic is one-way,
you are giving directions.
| | 01:16 | Collaborative is a two-way dialogue,
you receive input and then make the call.
| | 01:20 | Finally, democratic is purely
driven by the employees, not you.
| | 01:25 | The point here is simple but powerful.
| | 01:28 | Compared to the typical professional,
an authentic leader is more careful to
| | 01:32 | err on liberal use of the
collaborative approach and to a lesser extent, a
| | 01:36 | democratic approach.
| | 01:37 | The authentic leader also
understands what it means to be human.
| | 01:42 | Here, I'm referring to those things about
us that indicate ways we are all imperfect.
| | 01:47 | In order for your team to see you as a
complete human, they need to know more
| | 01:52 | about you than all of your successes.
| | 01:54 | Think of your past professional
mistakes, failures, and learning moments.
| | 01:58 | A few times each year, find an
appropriate time to share one or more of
| | 02:02 | those with the team.
| | 02:03 | This will make everyone on
the team see you as more real.
| | 02:07 | It also makes them more willing to
engage the process of professional growth.
| | 02:12 | An authentic leader is also flexible.
| | 02:16 | Just because you have the authority
to make decisions, doesn't mean you
| | 02:19 | always have to be right.
| | 02:20 | Most of the time, you will find it
advantageous to stick to your guns when
| | 02:24 | you make a decision.
| | 02:25 | However, it's very useful a minority
of the time, to relinquish your position
| | 02:30 | and allow others to speak up.
| | 02:32 | When done only on occasion, this helps
you be seen as fair and reasonable as a
| | 02:37 | teammate, just as much as a competent boss.
| | 02:40 | Next, let's consider the issue of humility.
| | 02:43 | Humility refers to an aspect of
intelligence which keeps us from thinking too
| | 02:47 | highly or too often about ourselves.
| | 02:50 | It helps us maintain a bit of modesty by
keeping us focused on how much we have yet to learn.
| | 02:56 | You can be very bright and very
accomplished, but without humility, you risk
| | 03:00 | being viewed as arrogant or conceited.
| | 03:03 | You can demonstrate humility by
asking questions to reveal to others what
| | 03:07 | you don't yet know.
| | 03:09 | Another way to show humility is by
promoting your employees to others more than
| | 03:13 | you promote yourself.
| | 03:15 | Finally, you can demonstrate humility
by looking for opportunities to share
| | 03:19 | authority even when you don't have to.
| | 03:22 | Here's one last
characteristic of an authentic leader.
| | 03:25 | They consistently model the way.
| | 03:28 | They do not merely espouse useful
standards of behavior or performance, they
| | 03:32 | demonstrate them effectively everyday.
| | 03:35 | Consistently matching your behaviors to your
values and standards makes you real and human.
| | 03:40 | Confidence and competence are great,
but the best leaders are truly authentic.
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|
4. Communicating EffectivelyCommunicating proactively| 00:00 | Effective communication is proactive.
| | 00:03 | To be proactive refers to ways you
can help your audience hear you and make
| | 00:07 | sure you hear them.
| | 00:08 | Yes, what you actually say to someone
matters a lot, but what you say is only
| | 00:12 | one variable that determines how
effective your message will be.
| | 00:15 | Stated differently, it's not always what you
say, but when you say it and how you say it.
| | 00:21 | Let's consider several different
tactics to help you communicate proactively.
| | 00:27 | First, let's think about timing.
| | 00:29 | Everyday, professionals are pressed up
against deadlines and a seemingly never
| | 00:32 | ending list of tasks to be completed.
| | 00:35 | Combine that with our level of
efficiency and we often communicate too
| | 00:38 | little with others.
| | 00:40 | What I want you to remember is that
Benjamin Franklin was correct, "An ounce of
| | 00:44 | prevention is worth a pound of cure."
| | 00:47 | Being proactive, matters.
| | 00:49 | So let's break it down.
| | 00:51 | What does being a proactive communicator mean?
| | 00:54 | When you're speaking with someone,
look for important nonverbal cues.
| | 00:57 | Be careful to watch the eyes and the
forehead for any signs of confusion or disagreement.
| | 01:02 | When you see them, finish your point, pause,
and ask them if they're still with you.
| | 01:06 | Now, if the look of confusion was
strong, don't accept a simple yes but ask
| | 01:10 | them to summarize or reiterate your main point
so you can both be sure you're on the same page.
| | 01:17 | Another great proactive
tactic is to ask questions.
| | 01:20 | This works equally well one-on-
one or in small group settings.
| | 01:24 | You can't assume that
everyone clearly understands you.
| | 01:27 | Once or twice while speaking, ask the person
or team members if they have any questions.
| | 01:32 | Try it again when you
finish making your last point.
| | 01:34 | By asking for questions, you'll build
enough comfort in the interaction to
| | 01:38 | encourage people to speak up on their own.
| | 01:41 | One important aspect of being
proactive is asking people to clarify.
| | 01:46 | When you're not following what the
speaker is saying or you sense the group
| | 01:49 | isn't following along either, speak up.
| | 01:52 | Don't interrupt, but don't miss your
chance to speak up at the right time.
| | 01:56 | Remember, an ounce of prevention
will save you a lot of headaches later.
| | 02:00 | The last aspect of being proactive
involves predicting challenges before they arise.
| | 02:07 | I know you're busy, but there's a
small number of conversations you have
| | 02:10 | everyday that are so important,
you should prepare for them.
| | 02:13 | Before entering a one-on-one
conversation or a meeting, try to identify the one
| | 02:18 | or two issues that are hot button issues.
| | 02:20 | Issues others will wish to debate or
will feel are difficult or challenging.
| | 02:25 | Never let them surprise you.
| | 02:26 | Be ready to address those most difficult
aspects if you wish to address the topic at all.
| | 02:32 | That is proactive.
| | 02:34 | Finally, let's briefly consider
the role of Candor versus Civility.
| | 02:39 | Civility means to be nice,
positive, and congenial.
| | 02:42 | Candor refers to straightforward,
candid, and sometimes blunt conversation.
| | 02:47 | Both are important aspects of
interpersonal communication.
| | 02:51 | Civility is vital, but
candor is even more important.
| | 02:55 | Too much civility is often used in
order to avoid hurting others' feelings.
| | 03:00 | What is even more important is
complete clarity about the topic at hand and
| | 03:05 | everyone's perspective
about that topic. That's candor.
| | 03:09 | Give everyone the best
chance possible to understand you.
| | 03:12 | When you communicate with others,
remember, use the techniques we've just
| | 03:16 | discussed and be proactive.
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| Understanding communication options| 00:00 | You communicate many messages everyday and
each one has a different level of importance.
| | 00:05 | For any given message, first, ask
yourself, how important is this message?
| | 00:09 | The more important the message,
the more you must work to ensure it's
| | 00:13 | understood properly.
| | 00:15 | Your second task is to choose
the best communication option.
| | 00:18 | Is it telephone,
teleconference, instant message?
| | 00:21 | Here's a great rule of thumb, when in
doubt, choose the highest quality option.
| | 00:26 | If you don't choose the highest quality
option, you're asking to be misunderstood.
| | 00:31 | Today we have more communication
options than ever before, thanks to the
| | 00:34 | evolution of technology.
| | 00:36 | Every communication option
represents a trade-off between efficiency, how
| | 00:40 | fast communication takes place, and
effectiveness, how fully your message is received.
| | 00:46 | For example, consider these
classics, written memos or reports.
| | 00:50 | Compared to modern technologies, they
are much slower to distribute, though they
| | 00:53 | do provide a tangible record of communication.
| | 00:56 | Similarly, email provides a record
and it's very fast and efficient.
| | 01:00 | As opposed to texting or using an
instant message, email affords you the
| | 01:04 | opportunity to craft longer messages
and to attach any relevant documents.
| | 01:09 | Email today remains very popular, though
it's overused, if not abused on a regular basis.
| | 01:15 | There are two main reasons
we misuse email all the time.
| | 01:18 | First, we use email as a way to avoid conflict.
| | 01:21 | Instead of speaking to people about
difficult situations, we often hide
| | 01:25 | behind our computers.
| | 01:26 | The second main reason we abuse email
is because we wish to formally document
| | 01:30 | all of our communications.
| | 01:32 | As a result, many conversations that
should have been, for example, face-to-face
| | 01:36 | or on the telephone, are relegated to email.
| | 01:39 | Here's my advice, you use email when
higher quality options aren't available.
| | 01:45 | Further, if you're feeling emotional
about a difficult situation, don't be in a
| | 01:48 | rush to hit the Send button.
| | 01:50 | Be a thoughtful editor or let the
message sit in your Draft Folder for an
| | 01:54 | hour or an entire day.
| | 01:56 | After the emotions subside, you can
either choose to have a one-on-one
| | 01:59 | conversation or carefully write
the message you really wish to share.
| | 02:03 | One final thought, don't be seduced
by the instant gratification offered by
| | 02:07 | texting and instant messaging.
| | 02:09 | They are useful, however, it's well-
known that we send error-filled messages all
| | 02:14 | the time, and since these messages
are much shorter than emails, the damage
| | 02:18 | caused by the errors can be much larger.
| | 02:21 | So use these options sparingly.
| | 02:23 | The most important point here
is that the very best option is
| | 02:27 | face-to-face communication.
| | 02:29 | Only face-to-face do you hear the
words most clearly, see all the non-verbal
| | 02:33 | cues, and have an opportunity in realtime to
ask questions and correct course if needed.
| | 02:40 | Every message you share is unique.
| | 02:41 | So be sure to think about how to communicate it.
| | 02:44 | For very important messages, go
face-to-face, use the telephone, or
| | 02:48 | video conference options.
| | 02:49 | For messages of modest
importance, email might be just right.
| | 02:53 | For urgent or for very simple messages,
texting or using IM might be perfect.
| | 02:59 | In the end, you have many
communication options from which to choose.
| | 03:03 | You'll become an effective communicator
when you learn to match the needs of the
| | 03:06 | message with the proper mode of delivery.
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| Making feedback work| 00:00 | Among the many types of
communication one might have at work, few are as
| | 00:04 | important as giving
performance related feedback to others.
| | 00:07 | Some professionals will refrain from
giving feedback they feel would be useful
| | 00:11 | in order to avoid conflict.
| | 00:13 | Other times, they will correctly
choose to deliver a feedback, but their
| | 00:16 | delivery isn't good.
| | 00:18 | As a result, they
unintentionally damage relationships.
| | 00:21 | Good news, it doesn't have to be that way.
| | 00:24 | The basics of delivering
great feedback are well known.
| | 00:26 | If you pay attention to the following
approaches, you will dramatically increase
| | 00:31 | the odds that your
feedback actually helps others.
| | 00:35 | First, good feedback is very
specific, not general or vague.
| | 00:39 | Never tell someone they can do better
without specifying or quantifying exactly
| | 00:43 | how they could perform better.
| | 00:45 | Similarly, if providing critical
feedback, don't simply say the work does not
| | 00:49 | meet your expectations, but instead,
clarify in very concrete terms the
| | 00:54 | particular ways the work
did not meet expectations.
| | 00:57 | For instance, instead of saying:
| | 00:59 | you can perform better or I
expect more, you could say:
| | 01:03 | I think sales could be 10% higher over the
next three quarters in both of your territories.
| | 01:09 | That's a good example of specificity.
| | 01:11 | Next, good feedback is
always delivered positively.
| | 01:16 | You will often need to deliver
critical or difficult feedback, but even that
| | 01:19 | type of feedback can be
delivered in a positive light.
| | 01:22 | It all depends on how you frame your comments.
| | 01:25 | For example, you can tell someone they
failed to meet the production standard by
| | 01:29 | 30%, that's a negative frame.
| | 01:32 | Or, you can tell them you wish to help
them seize the opportunity to reach the
| | 01:36 | standard during the next performance period.
| | 01:38 | That's a more useful positive frame.
| | 01:41 | It's also important you give people
the right amount of feedback, because
| | 01:45 | everyone is different and has a
different ability to successfully digest
| | 01:48 | feedback, I want you to use this rule:
| | 01:51 | Only give someone as much feedback
as you feel they can honestly take;
| | 01:55 | give too little, you're
not being aggressive enough;
| | 01:57 | give too much, you
inadvertently risk offending the person.
| | 02:01 | Based on what you know about them,
strive to provide what they need without
| | 02:05 | exceeding what they can take.
| | 02:07 | Finally, great feedback
is two-way; not one-way.
| | 02:11 | It is very important for you to deliver
performance feedback you wish to deliver.
| | 02:15 | It is equally true that people often
listen and care about feedback to the
| | 02:18 | extent they felt part of a conversation, as
opposed to merely receiving comments from you.
| | 02:24 | Creating an active dialogue
is always the best choice.
| | 02:26 | After you've thought about the content
of the feedback you wish to deliver,
| | 02:30 | consider the conditions under which
your delivery will be most successful.
| | 02:35 | First, remember that great feedback
is delivered in person when possible.
| | 02:40 | The more important or difficult the
feedback, the more you should show respect
| | 02:44 | by delivering face-to-face.
| | 02:46 | Great feedback should also be delivered as
quickly as possible, so that it's relevant.
| | 02:51 | The more time that elapses since the
incident, the more fuzzy it becomes in the
| | 02:55 | person's mind, so deliver
feedback as soon as possible.
| | 03:00 | Further, be sure to own any feedback you
provide with liberal use of I statements.
| | 03:05 | Such as, I rated you with three because,
make sure they know these are your decisions.
| | 03:11 | If you don't take ownership for your
decisions, you come across as weak.
| | 03:16 | It's also important to find an
appropriate place to deliver feedback. Though it
| | 03:20 | is acceptable to praise people publicly,
always deliver difficult comments in
| | 03:24 | private, and consider using their
office or a neutral location, such as a
| | 03:28 | conference room, as opposed to your office.
| | 03:30 | By choosing a neutral location, you'll find
that people are more able to hear you clearly.
| | 03:37 | Providing performance feedback is a
huge part of being a leader, but it can be
| | 03:41 | more difficult than it seems.
| | 03:42 | Use these guidelines we've discussed
here to ensure that your feedback leads
| | 03:46 | to positive change.
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|
|
5. Creating Productive MeetingsKnowing when to have a meeting| 00:00 | Meetings are overrated.
| | 00:02 | Now, I'm not talking about the
simple one-on-ones we often have.
| | 00:05 | I'm referring to a meeting
that involves several people.
| | 00:08 | We often call meetings for a
variety of unproductive reasons.
| | 00:12 | First, people often assume that if
any decision is to be made, a meeting
| | 00:16 | should be scheduled.
| | 00:17 | It is only fair to make a decision when we've
had a great team debate, right? Not really.
| | 00:23 | The first rule of meetings is
when in doubt, do not call a meeting.
| | 00:27 | In practice, the opposite is often true.
| | 00:29 | For example, having a meeting on a
regularly scheduled basis every week, just
| | 00:33 | for the sake of it, is
not a defensible rationale.
| | 00:37 | To give updates on a project in a
meeting with the same people at the same time
| | 00:41 | every week, might be productive
and it might be a waste of time.
| | 00:45 | What people fail to realize is
that any meeting comes with many
| | 00:48 | difficult overhead costs.
| | 00:50 | To have a meeting, you have to
schedule a time, which can be difficult if
| | 00:54 | many people are invited.
| | 00:55 | You also have to spend
time planning the meeting.
| | 00:58 | That doesn't even include the lost
productivity that happens during an actual meeting.
| | 01:02 | When a group is in a meeting,
there are many people with different
| | 01:05 | agendas, views and concerns.
| | 01:08 | In some ways, these
differences create quality conversations.
| | 01:11 | In other ways, they cost the team
extra time and harm productivity.
| | 01:15 | Many organizations are starting to agree.
| | 01:18 | We have to be smarter
about when to call meetings.
| | 01:21 | Here are the five major
justifications for calling a meeting.
| | 01:25 | First, call a meeting when you must
make particularly large or important
| | 01:29 | decisions about which the team cares a lot.
| | 01:32 | In that case, the face-to-face forum
allows you to have the discussion you need.
| | 01:36 | Think of it this way, if the team
will expect to have a voice in the
| | 01:40 | decision, consider a meeting.
| | 01:42 | Next, use meetings to make major announcements.
| | 01:45 | When particularly large events have
happened, strategic directives have
| | 01:48 | been announced, or big unexpected
changes have occurred, consistency in
| | 01:53 | message delivery is vital.
| | 01:54 | For example, maybe the organization has
decided to acquire another organization
| | 01:59 | or maybe key government regulations
just changed that will affect the team.
| | 02:03 | Delivering messages like these uniformly
to everyone at a meeting can be very useful.
| | 02:09 | Another good reason for a meeting
is the classic kick-off meeting.
| | 02:13 | For a new or large scale projects, a
kick-off meeting provides many benefits.
| | 02:17 | These include the ability to fully
explain the new initiative, to ensure team
| | 02:21 | member role clarity, and to set goals
and expectations concerning performance
| | 02:25 | for the new project.
| | 02:27 | A kick-off meeting also allows the
opportunity for team members to ask
| | 02:31 | questions, allowing you to establish a
two-way dialogue in order to ensure that
| | 02:35 | everyone is on the same page.
| | 02:38 | Another great reason to have a
meeting is called a premortem.
| | 02:41 | A premortem is a meeting designed for
imagining all of the things that might go
| | 02:46 | wrong once the project goes live.
| | 02:48 | It's a type of planning meeting that
should result in the identification of a
| | 02:52 | small number of issues that might
become challenges or obstacles while
| | 02:56 | working on the project.
| | 02:57 | It's a great time to proactively and
preemptively decide on a strategy for
| | 03:01 | dealing with these
predictable bumps in the road.
| | 03:05 | In contrast to a premortem is the postmortem.
| | 03:08 | Following the completion of any large
effort, it is useful to call a meeting
| | 03:12 | to gain closure and to ensure learning is
captured in a way that benefits future projects.
| | 03:17 | Think through the problems that were
solved, the solutions that were used, the
| | 03:20 | resources that were employed, and
any new contacts the group made.
| | 03:24 | Find a way to capture all of that, so
later, the team doesn't have to reinvent
| | 03:28 | the wheel when facing similar challenges.
| | 03:31 | The postmortem is also a great time to
say thanks and to recognize achievements.
| | 03:36 | Meetings can be terribly
useful, but often aren't.
| | 03:39 | If you're facing one of the situations
we've just discussed, great! Call a meeting.
| | 03:43 | Otherwise, resist the urge and instead,
rely on individuals or subgroups of
| | 03:48 | individuals as a more efficient
means of getting the work done.
| | 03:52 | If you do, you'll find yourself
having fewer, but more productive meetings.
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| Deciding who should attend a meeting| 00:00 | Let me ask you a question, what is the
right number of people to have in a meeting?
| | 00:04 | If your goal is to maximize
productivity, how many people should be there?
| | 00:08 | This is something of a trick question.
| | 00:10 | There is no actual correct number,
but there is one great guideline.
| | 00:15 | Invite the smallest number of people
honestly required to get the job done.
| | 00:20 | Remember, adding people to a
recurring meeting when necessary is easy.
| | 00:25 | Removing people is next to impossible.
| | 00:28 | In addition, it is smart to try to minimize
the levels of hierarchy present in any meeting.
| | 00:33 | Generally, the fewer levels present,
the more robust the conversation.
| | 00:38 | When thinking about inviting
someone to a meeting, remember,
| | 00:40 | when in doubt don't extend the invitation.
| | 00:43 | If you do invite someone, be sure that
they are one of the three main types of
| | 00:47 | people who belong at a meeting:
| | 00:49 | the experts, the affected, and the sponsors.
| | 00:53 | The experts are the people with
detailed knowledge and the relevant talent
| | 00:57 | related to the topic at hand.
| | 00:58 | The experts provide the fine grained
expertise, the in-the-trenches operational
| | 01:03 | knowledge required for success.
| | 01:05 | Next, we have the affected.
| | 01:07 | Which individuals or groups will be
forced to live with the decisions to be
| | 01:10 | made at this meeting?
| | 01:12 | They are the affected and they
often make great meeting participants.
| | 01:16 | Having them present helps lay the
groundwork for the future implementation of
| | 01:19 | any decisions made during the meeting.
| | 01:22 | We must also consider the sponsors.
| | 01:25 | Most meetings need a sponsor.
| | 01:27 | This is a higher level person who openly
supports the project and the work of the team.
| | 01:31 | The more important the project, the
more you must clarify sponsorship.
| | 01:36 | Though they only need to occasionally
attend meetings, a few appearances will
| | 01:39 | make their presence felt and
will signal genuine support.
| | 01:43 | Thus, everyone involved will understand
the importance of the work to be done.
| | 01:47 | Unfortunately, as opposed to only
inviting the people we just discussed,
| | 01:51 | people in charge of meetings often invite a
lot of people who really do not need to attend.
| | 01:56 | Let's be clear, there are at least three
types of people you want to avoid inviting.
| | 02:01 | Don't invite too many experts beyond the
number you honestly believe are required.
| | 02:05 | If you have 20 engineers with the needed
knowledge, you don't need to invite all of them.
| | 02:10 | Recall that your goal is to
invite the fewest needed people.
| | 02:14 | Also, don't feel compelled to invite
someone simply because they have been
| | 02:18 | associated with the topic in the past.
| | 02:21 | Many people feel that inviting someone
like that is a type of courtesy. No!
| | 02:25 | Unless they are the expert or sponsor
you currently need, don't allow your
| | 02:29 | meeting overhead to grow by
inviting non-essential personnel.
| | 02:33 | Finally, and this is a big one, you
don't want to invite people you feel are
| | 02:38 | necessary only for political reasons.
| | 02:40 | A political appointee at a meeting
is someone you feel you should invite,
| | 02:44 | because if you don't, you think some
other leader might feel shunned or annoyed.
| | 02:49 | Anytime someone is at the meeting
and people wonder why or perceive it as
| | 02:52 | political, the conversations will be
stale and the meeting will be unproductive.
| | 02:57 | Nothing will ruin a great
collaborative conversation in a meeting faster than
| | 03:01 | the presence of a spy.
| | 03:03 | Meetings don't have to be bloated and
unproductive, not if you focus clearly on
| | 03:07 | inviting only the right people.
| | 03:09 | That's the experts, the
affected, and the sponsors.
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| Effective meeting rules| 00:00 | Even if you know when to call a
meeting and who to invite, that doesn't mean
| | 00:04 | you'll necessarily have a productive meeting.
| | 00:06 | Without a clear plan and decent
facilitation skills, it is very easy for highly
| | 00:10 | skilled professionals to gather for an
hour or more, yet accomplish nothing.
| | 00:15 | Every great meeting operates within
certain parameters defined by a few
| | 00:19 | thoughtful mutually agreed upon rules.
| | 00:22 | After initial social interaction cease
and the meeting begins, it's useful to
| | 00:26 | briefly note any relevant meeting rules.
| | 00:29 | There is no one set of perfect meeting
rules, however, here are several common
| | 00:33 | ideas for you to consider.
| | 00:35 | First, make rule number one, the need for
all members to arrive on time and prepared.
| | 00:41 | Meetings have a palpable and emotional mood.
| | 00:44 | Nothing spoils the mood in a meeting
quicker than participants who show up
| | 00:48 | late and unprepared.
| | 00:50 | Next, clarify the meeting boundaries.
| | 00:52 | Start by stating the goal for the
meeting and any general comments about the
| | 00:55 | scope on the topics to be addressed.
| | 00:58 | This rule reduces the
likelihood of the dreaded Scope Creep.
| | 01:02 | Scope Creep is the unintended and
unexpected shifting of direction into topics
| | 01:07 | not central to the purpose of the meeting.
| | 01:09 | It is also useful to note
important, acceptable and unacceptable
| | 01:13 | behaviors during the meeting.
| | 01:15 | Aside from showing up on time and
prepared, here are several common examples.
| | 01:19 | Be critical, but also positive.
| | 01:22 | No interrupting others or no unnecessary
use of electronic devices during the meeting.
| | 01:26 | One of the most important
meeting rules involves decision-making.
| | 01:31 | Specifically, the group will benefit
from agreed upon rules for making decisions.
| | 01:36 | First, let's mention what not to do.
| | 01:38 | Don't overuse simple voting techniques.
| | 01:41 | Voting always has winners and losers.
| | 01:45 | Instead, consider this approach, the
single most important method is to strive
| | 01:49 | for consensus through discussion.
| | 01:52 | Sometimes, however, consensus is
difficult even in high-performing teams.
| | 01:57 | Ask people whether or not
they are meaningfully bought in.
| | 01:59 | For example, a 70% rule;
| | 02:02 | if someone is 70% in agreement, then
they agree to support the group's decision.
| | 02:06 | A rule like this allows us to make
progress when consensus is difficult.
| | 02:11 | One last great meeting rule concerns penalties.
| | 02:15 | If you don't follow the agreed upon
rules, there should be penalties. Why?
| | 02:19 | Because all great teams know
that behaviors have consequences.
| | 02:24 | Think about simple ideas such as
having to put a dollar in the team's lunch
| | 02:27 | fund if you arrive late.
| | 02:29 | Your use of penalties can and should
be fun, but actually using them is very
| | 02:34 | important if you want a
positively shaped meeting behaviors.
| | 02:38 | Meetings don't have to be
too long and unproductive.
| | 02:41 | I want you to develop your own
version of the rules we just discussed.
| | 02:45 | When you do, they will help you
accomplish more at each and every meeting.
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| Meeting tools and roles| 00:00 | You can make every meeting better by
using the right tools and by understanding
| | 00:04 | which roles members need to fill.
| | 00:06 | Let's start with meeting tools.
| | 00:09 | The three most important meeting
tools are the agenda, the parking lot, and
| | 00:13 | team member homework.
| | 00:14 | Contrary to popular opinion, creating and
using an agenda doesn't have to be complex.
| | 00:19 | However, it must be clear
and facilitated correctly.
| | 00:23 | Pay attention to these core
elements of meeting agendas.
| | 00:26 | Start by making it known who is
formally responsible for creating the agenda.
| | 00:31 | Someone must own the process of
assembling and ordering the topics.
| | 00:36 | Next, realize all great
agendas follow a schedule.
| | 00:39 | Before the meeting ever begins, people
must know when to submit any issues they
| | 00:43 | wish to be included in the agenda.
| | 00:45 | Make sure the deadline is set several
days before the meeting and then make sure
| | 00:50 | the deadline is clearly
advertised to all attendees.
| | 00:52 | It's also important to ensure agenda integrity.
| | 00:57 | You want to stick to the
list of issues on the agenda.
| | 01:00 | There might be occasional exceptions;
| | 01:01 | but this is a great rule.
| | 01:02 | Further, the order of the items should
be fairly strictly followed since they
| | 01:07 | were assembled in order of importance.
| | 01:10 | Try not to let personal interests,
avoidance of difficult decisions, or overt
| | 01:14 | political moves change the
order of the agenda items.
| | 01:18 | The next tool is the parking lot.
| | 01:20 | It helps you avoid Scope Creep,
which was mentioned earlier.
| | 01:23 | The parking lot might be a computer file,
a white board, or a pad of paper used
| | 01:27 | to document important work-related
tangents that pop up during meetings.
| | 01:32 | If someone brings up a topic that needs
to be addressed, but not now, given the
| | 01:35 | scope of the current meeting, it goes
in the parking lot to be reviewed later.
| | 01:40 | When used effectively, it's a great way
to capture important ideas and validate
| | 01:44 | member participation while keeping you on track.
| | 01:48 | The final tool is simple, but
terribly important, homework.
| | 01:52 | All members must commit to showing up
prepared by having completed any assigned
| | 01:56 | reading or analysis.
| | 01:58 | If someone has not done
their homework, you guessed it,
| | 02:01 | the team just might want to impose a
simple and fun penalty as a reminder.
| | 02:06 | It's also useful to mention the
three most important roles that support
| | 02:11 | productive meetings.
| | 02:12 | They are, the facilitator, the
scribe, and the devil's advocate.
| | 02:17 | The facilitator is a process observer
who watches for adherence to the meeting
| | 02:21 | rules, monitors behaviors,
and tries to protect the agenda.
| | 02:25 | The scribe is a note taker, who
captures everything relevant at the meeting and
| | 02:29 | later disseminates it
electronically to all attendees.
| | 02:33 | Lastly, we have the devil's advocate.
| | 02:35 | This is the person who questions lazy
assumptions and speaks up to ensure that
| | 02:39 | the group properly considers
alternative views when making decisions.
| | 02:44 | Here's a great tip, if needed, formally
appoint a devil's advocate for each meeting.
| | 02:50 | Last but not least, be sure to remember
to end meetings with clear agreement as
| | 02:55 | to what has been accomplished, what
is not yet complete, who has what
| | 02:59 | responsibility moving forward, and
when any future meetings will take place.
| | 03:03 | If you use the right tools and know
which roles to fill, you can significantly
| | 03:09 | increase your odds of
having a successful meeting.
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|
|
6. Using Authority SuccessfullyAsserting your authority| 00:00 | In your first few weeks as a leader,
you have some seemingly opposing goals.
| | 00:04 | On the one hand, you must
establish quality rapport with your team.
| | 00:08 | You have to create open communication
and be seen as genuine and authentic.
| | 00:12 | On the other hand, you have to
establish that you're the boss.
| | 00:15 | You have to clarify real goals and expectations.
| | 00:18 | And yes, you need to find a
proper way to assert your authority.
| | 00:23 | In reality, they're not competing goals.
| | 00:25 | Let's talk about what authority means
and then consider a few ways you can
| | 00:29 | assert your authority in a
productive and just fashion.
| | 00:32 | Authority is seen as the legitimate
right of a person to exercise influence
| | 00:36 | and make decisions.
| | 00:38 | For example, managers typically
have the authority to assign work, hire
| | 00:41 | employees, or order materials and supplies.
| | 00:45 | However, just because you have
authority does not mean life is now easy.
| | 00:49 | You need to understand how
to use authority effectively.
| | 00:53 | As a new manager, keep in mind
these helpful tips. Start small.
| | 00:58 | You have a choice as a new manager
when it comes to asserting authority.
| | 01:01 | You can do a cannon ball and jump in
the deep end of the pool or you can
| | 01:06 | politely stick your toe in the shallow end.
| | 01:08 | When you look at the team and you view
things you wish to change and improve,
| | 01:12 | your best bet is to start
with a small and measured target.
| | 01:15 | Gain success there and then
build towards larger targets.
| | 01:19 | Another great strategy is to leverage
your authority by co-opting key employees
| | 01:23 | involved in the issue.
| | 01:25 | Co-opting refers to turning a
potential detractor into a supporter.
| | 01:30 | If you can predict a person or two who
might present a challenge later, talk to
| | 01:34 | them now to gain their input as a
means of avoiding future conflict.
| | 01:38 | You might even consider
putting them on the team.
| | 01:41 | Finally, a classic way to enhance the
effectiveness of your authority is to
| | 01:45 | find at least one pro-employee change you
can make in the first few weeks of your tenure.
| | 01:50 | For example, you might cancel a work
attire policy the employees don't like.
| | 01:55 | Or, you might change a
vacation policy in a way they desire.
| | 01:59 | A quick win like these shows
employees that you sincerely see their needs.
| | 02:03 | Under these conditions, they are
much more likely to support you on other
| | 02:07 | unrelated decisions.
| | 02:09 | Authority is your right to act, but
strangely, it's not always easy to use.
| | 02:14 | Just because you have authority,
doesn't mean they will follow your orders the
| | 02:17 | way you want them to.
| | 02:19 | Use the tips we've discussed to make
sure your authority actually supports
| | 02:23 | great team performance.
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| Looking back to move forward| 00:00 | Typically, new leaders have lots of energy,
creativity, and a vision for their new team.
| | 00:05 | However, the degree to which your
employees buy in to your vision for moving
| | 00:10 | forward has a lot to do with the respect
they feel you have for all that came before you.
| | 00:15 | Thus, in many ways, your ability to
move them forward has a lot to do with your
| | 00:20 | ability to look back at where they've been.
| | 00:23 | Understand that their current team
culture is the result of an evolution over time.
| | 00:27 | Knowing this is important for any new
leader, but especially for a new leader
| | 00:31 | who is not a former member of the group.
| | 00:34 | Before announcing new performance
standards, new projects, new long-term
| | 00:38 | goals, do yourself a favor and
complete the legwork required to understand
| | 00:43 | the team's history;
| | 00:44 | how they got where they currently are.
| | 00:46 | You want to be able to adequately
describe for yourself, the team's current
| | 00:50 | culture, be able to understand and
appreciate major key employees and leaders
| | 00:54 | from the past, and strive to learn
about any key incidents that have occurred
| | 00:58 | over the last few years.
| | 01:00 | Many times, new leaders rush to make
changes in order to make their mark.
| | 01:05 | They often view employees as mere human
resources, instead of unique individuals
| | 01:10 | who contribute to a unique team culture.
| | 01:13 | Team Culture generally refers to a
shared understanding of how we tend to behave
| | 01:18 | and perform; the normal way the team functions.
| | 01:21 | This existing team culture should shape how
you make and execute decisions as the new leader.
| | 01:27 | The current culture evolved, thanks in
part to key players, some of whom might
| | 01:31 | still be in the group or
elsewhere in the organization.
| | 01:34 | Believe me, certain historically
interesting players cast very long shadows
| | 01:39 | that are still around.
| | 01:40 | For example, imagine a past
successful leader of the team who was fond of
| | 01:45 | walking around informally on a daily
basis to keep in touch with his team.
| | 01:49 | Someone who made sure to visit all
levels of the organization and who knew the
| | 01:53 | names of everyone from the
janitor to upper management.
| | 01:56 | This was his way of developing
rapport with employees, which has now become
| | 02:00 | part of the culture.
| | 02:02 | You don't have to emulate every
behavior like this, but it might be a mistake
| | 02:06 | not to incorporate some of it
into your own leadership style.
| | 02:10 | Aside from key players, there will also
be a handful of key incidents that have
| | 02:14 | had a strong influence on
the team's current culture.
| | 02:16 | For example, these might have
included the hiring of a particular person, a
| | 02:21 | project that was an amazing success or
failure, or maybe a time when the group
| | 02:25 | merged with another group.
| | 02:26 | These types of big historical
incidents will pop up in people's thinking and
| | 02:31 | conversations, so you'll benefit
from knowing what they're talking about.
| | 02:35 | The good news is that learning
these types of things is not difficult.
| | 02:38 | In your first days, spend time
speaking with your new boss, your new peers,
| | 02:43 | and most importantly, your team, to solicit
their understanding of the team's shared past.
| | 02:49 | As a result, when you begin to press
forward with needed changes, you will have
| | 02:53 | a strong appreciation for how to shape
and discuss your proposals in a manner
| | 02:57 | that shows respect for the group's history.
| | 03:00 | That makes you an informed
leader worth listening to.
| | 03:03 | The better you understand the past,
the quicker you can move forward.
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| Developing a lieutenant| 00:00 | Every leader needs a great second
in command, a lieutenant, a reliable
| | 00:04 | collaborator and go-to person.
| | 00:07 | It's important that this be an
informal understanding not a formal position.
| | 00:11 | Your lieutenant helps you deal with the
fact that you can't be in two places at once.
| | 00:16 | They actually fill several roles.
| | 00:18 | Here are the most important ones.
| | 00:20 | Your lieutenant can
stand in for you when needed.
| | 00:23 | As a leader, you'll learn that your most
precious resource is time, because time
| | 00:28 | is so limited, you cannot court
every customer or attend every meeting.
| | 00:32 | Your lieutenant can help keep you in the
loop by sitting in for you when needed,
| | 00:36 | taking great notes and keeping you
connected to a wider array of activities.
| | 00:41 | Next, lieutenants are often great at
initiating followership in tough situations.
| | 00:46 | Sometimes when tough decisions have been
made, it's difficult to mobilize support.
| | 00:51 | Even if you've been transparent and
collaborative with the team, they won't
| | 00:54 | love every decision.
| | 00:56 | However, once one person shows support,
others are far more likely to follow.
| | 01:01 | In this sense, the lieutenant can
become a catalyst for decision support.
| | 01:05 | Lieutenants can also serve as a
great conduit for feedback from the team.
| | 01:10 | You might recall from an earlier video,
our discussion of the status bubble,
| | 01:13 | that odd interpersonal barrier that
surrounds you simply because you've assumed
| | 01:18 | a higher level position in the hierarchy.
| | 01:20 | This information filtered deeply
skews the timeliness and quality of the
| | 01:24 | messages you receive.
| | 01:26 | A good lieutenant can bridge that gap
to provide you unfiltered feedback about
| | 01:30 | how the team feels
regarding the issues of the day.
| | 01:33 | Another great role for the lieutenant is
serving as your personal devil's advocate.
| | 01:38 | In an earlier video, we mentioned the
devil's advocate, that person willing and
| | 01:42 | able to speak up and question
the direction of the group's work.
| | 01:45 | Here, we're referring to someone
willing and able to privately question your
| | 01:49 | assumptions when needed.
| | 01:51 | Grant your lieutenant this right and they
will often increase the quality of your thinking.
| | 01:57 | Finally, realize that your
lieutenant may be a huge part of your
| | 02:00 | personal succession plan.
| | 02:02 | Believe it or not, one of the main
reasons you might be overlooked for promotion
| | 02:06 | is because you're great at what you do
right now, and the leaders over you are
| | 02:10 | not confident someone else can
do as good a job as you have done.
| | 02:14 | Developing a strong lieutenant gives
them an option to replace you when you
| | 02:18 | receive a promotion.
| | 02:19 | It is also important to note
what a good lieutenant is not.
| | 02:24 | A lieutenant is not a clone of you.
| | 02:27 | You don't want someone with
identical views and approaches to issues.
| | 02:31 | While some overlap is inevitable,
foster their growth as a unique professional.
| | 02:36 | A lieutenant is also not a yes man.
| | 02:39 | The yes man is that person who
always without exception, seeks to affirm
| | 02:44 | whatever the boss says and does.
| | 02:46 | A great lieutenant is an honest broker,
not simply trying to gain your favor.
| | 02:51 | Finally, a good lieutenant is not an enforcer.
| | 02:55 | Sometimes leaders who don't like
conflict will allow a team member to handle
| | 02:58 | difficult work for them, such as
monitoring people to ensure a new policy is
| | 03:03 | being followed, not good.
| | 03:05 | A lieutenant is only effective
when viewed by others as a positive
| | 03:09 | respected member of the team.
| | 03:11 | You can identify your lieutenant by
simply observing the more confident
| | 03:15 | and competent members of the team,
especially those with above average people skills.
| | 03:20 | You develop your lieutenant by using
them as a sounding board to build their
| | 03:24 | confidence, by offering them stretch
roles to broaden their responsibilities,
| | 03:27 | and by delegating to them a little
work that is normally yours to complete.
| | 03:32 | Leadership is a fun challenge, one
that will fill your calendar to the limit.
| | 03:36 | Don't try to do everything.
| | 03:38 | Start developing a trusted lieutenant
to assist you and you'll get more done
| | 03:42 | while also developing the
leadership pipeline for the future.
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ConclusionCoping successfully with your transition| 00:00 | Many people have talked about the
loneliness of leadership that can't be
| | 00:03 | avoided, a feeling of being
isolated and without support.
| | 00:07 | You can't agree to be a leader if
you're not willing to sometimes stand alone.
| | 00:11 | Even in the best team environment, there
will be times when the direction the
| | 00:14 | team or the organization needs to go involves
making decisions which others will not like.
| | 00:20 | Gaining a promotion into
leadership is likely to be one of the most
| | 00:23 | challenging life
experiences you will ever endure.
| | 00:26 | Studies have shown that achieving that
coveted promotion might be second only to
| | 00:31 | going through a marital divorce
in terms of the stress experienced.
| | 00:35 | It sometimes feels like you're trying
to climb a greasy pole and yet no one
| | 00:38 | seems to be helping you.
| | 00:40 | When you are first promoted, it
feels momentarily amazing, then, quite
| | 00:45 | suddenly, reality sets in.
| | 00:47 | There is no clear manual on how to start.
| | 00:49 | You are on your own and you might be
unsure of what is really expected of you.
| | 00:54 | That's normal when you find
yourself in completely new territory.
| | 00:58 | Please know, there are ways you
can mitigate these possibilities and
| | 01:02 | successfully make the transition.
| | 01:04 | Consider using several of
these effective coping strategies.
| | 01:08 | Let's start with the most important
strategy, seeking support from your network.
| | 01:12 | I'm referring to your family, your
peers, and maybe an outside professional
| | 01:15 | mentor; but it's your family that comes first.
| | 01:18 | Whether it is your partner or you
parents, let them know about your new
| | 01:22 | responsibilities and the stress that
comes with it because the stress will not
| | 01:26 | only affect you it will affect them.
| | 01:28 | Let them know you need
their support and understanding.
| | 01:31 | Share your difficulties and concerns
with them and embrace that conversation
| | 01:36 | instead of keeping it all bottled up.
| | 01:39 | Similarly, a small number of peers
within the organization will prove valuable
| | 01:43 | as sounding boards. Why?
| | 01:45 | Because they have been exactly where
you are now and you have the chance to
| | 01:49 | learn what they've learned about surviving.
| | 01:52 | Finally, further away in the
organization or outside the organization
| | 01:56 | altogether, securing a more seasoned
mentor to talk with, can provide both
| | 02:01 | stress relief and needed wisdom.
| | 02:04 | Next, be sure to schedule time away from work.
| | 02:07 | After your promotion, you'll feel a
huge need to work around the clock as you
| | 02:12 | ramp up your leadership
learning curve. Resist that feeling.
| | 02:15 | If you have vacation time scheduled, strive
to keep it and while gone, try not to work.
| | 02:21 | Small bits of time away from the office
actually supports clear thinking while on the job.
| | 02:27 | You can also battle stress by getting organized.
| | 02:31 | Look at your workspace,
your computer, and your files.
| | 02:33 | Take time to organize all
of it early in your new role.
| | 02:37 | You want to feel in control, knowing
where things are and that everything has
| | 02:42 | its place can provide a
much needed sense of calm.
| | 02:46 | Finally, it's very important to pay
attention to your diet and exercise.
| | 02:51 | I know that our attention to diet
and exercise sometimes waxes and wanes.
| | 02:55 | I want to encourage you to make sure
your promotion is an occasion for you to
| | 02:58 | step up your game as opposed to using
it as an excused to slip further into
| | 03:04 | unhealthy tendencies.
| | 03:05 | Piles of research tell us that a
balanced diet and modest exercise combined with
| | 03:09 | adequate sleep are often the very
best coping strategies for stress.
| | 03:14 | You are to be sincerely
congratulated on your promotion.
| | 03:17 | It's an honor to join the ranks of leadership.
| | 03:20 | By now, I'm sure you know, it's also
a serious responsibility, one that can
| | 03:25 | sometimes be stressful.
| | 03:26 | I'd like to encourage you to consider your
leadership journey as a marathon not a sprint.
| | 03:32 | If you'll take one step at a time and
remember to use the coping strategies
| | 03:36 | we've just discussed, you'll not only
survive your transition, you will grow
| | 03:40 | into a very capable leader.
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