Key One to Key Ten Archive - Unique-U Coaching by Sarah Needham https://unique-u.de/category/keystoleadership/ Executive Leadership Advisor & Coach - Speaker Fri, 06 Dec 2019 09:25:46 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 Key Ten: Employee development https://unique-u.de/key-ten-employee-development/ Tue, 19 Nov 2019 14:28:46 +0000 https://unique-u.de/?p=972 Der Beitrag Key Ten: Employee development erschien zuerst auf Unique-U Coaching by Sarah Needham.

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  • Key Ten

Employee Development / Growth

This is a mix of Key One and Key Nine…

Know what development is appropriate for which members of your team. Not everyone will be a born leader who wants to take over your job and needs developing to do that role.

Others will be happy in the job they are in and for one of many reasons may not want to change roles. These are people who need appreciation and you need to get creative in their development. Do not put them on a shelf and forget about them otherwise you will wake up one day and they have switched off and it can be very difficult to switch them back on again..

Development does not just come through training; think outside the box and find opportunities to stretch your teams experience in other ways.

One of your colleagues may need help with something one of your team is good at so ask the individual if they would be interested in getting involved.

A lot of managers struggle with sharing resource due to the structure of how organisations are often set up but if your employees are good enough you will motivate them by showing how much you value them to offer them in part to another team, this is a form of recognition that can be clearly seen.

Don’t let the fear of loosing someone stand in the way of finding them an opportunity for development.

You should watch them grow and move on with pride; this is your badge that you are a good leader… even better if you can put yourself out of a job because the successor you have developed is so good.

Der Beitrag Key Ten: Employee development erschien zuerst auf Unique-U Coaching by Sarah Needham.

]]> Key Nine: Team strengths https://unique-u.de/key-nine-team-strengths/ Tue, 19 Nov 2019 10:25:52 +0000 https://unique-u.de/?p=959 Der Beitrag Key Nine: Team strengths erschien zuerst auf Unique-U Coaching by Sarah Needham.

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  • Key Nine

Know your teams’ strengths and play to them

If personnel reviews are only used to discuss what someone needs to improve, they will struggle to feel valued and thrive in their role. Challenge yourself to look for ways to acknowledge your teams’ strengths and try to focus their tasks around playing to these strengths. This will help your employees be engaged and feel valued.

For example, if one of your team is great at thinking outside the box and being creative then you don’t ask them to do data gathering and analysis.

Likewise, if you have a space in your team you should define the skill sets your team might be struggling with and positively go out and look for a candidate to fill these skill gaps in your team.

Please don’t do a bums on seats approach and hope that anyone can learn anything… there is a reason we are all built differently!

As a manager your job is not to teach people talent. Your job is to help them earn the acolade’talented’ by matching their talent to the role. – First, Break All the Rules by Markus Buckingham and Curt Coffmann

A tool I like for understanding someones strengths is the Clifton Strength finder from Gallup.  Gallup also provide a substantial amount of material to support leaders on discovering their own unique strengths and how you can support a team in discovering their strengths.

Der Beitrag Key Nine: Team strengths erschien zuerst auf Unique-U Coaching by Sarah Needham.

]]> Key Eight: Stand up for your team https://unique-u.de/key-eight-stand-up-for-your-team/ Tue, 19 Nov 2019 10:04:36 +0000 https://unique-u.de/?p=947 Der Beitrag Key Eight: Stand up for your team erschien zuerst auf Unique-U Coaching by Sarah Needham.

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  • Key Eight

Stand up for your team and be seen to fight for them…

…. even if you have to back down and admit you are wrong or someone in your team was wrong.

Your team need to see that you have their back so if there is a mistake on a slide you are presenting that one of your team has prepared for instance and someone notices; you do not berate the team member in front of everyone, you acknowledge the mistake on behalf of your team and promise to get it rectified.
You take the fall for the team afterall you are the team leader.

However..

If the team receive praise, let the team stand up and feel the praise themselves and if they are not present you say something like,’ thank you I accept this on behalf of the team’…

This behaviour will build trust with your team by showing your integrity.

Do not be the one who points the finger when things are bad and accepts the glory personally when things are good.

  • Key One

    it sounds so easy… Know the individuals in your team and what makes them tick…

  • Key Two

    Share your own vulnerabilities with your team. No one is perfect!

  • Key Six

    Celebrate Successes ….and Birthdays

  • Key Nine

    Know your teams’ strengths and play to them

  • Key Ten

    Employee Development / Growth

Der Beitrag Key Eight: Stand up for your team erschien zuerst auf Unique-U Coaching by Sarah Needham.

]]> Key Seven: Deal with under-performance fairly https://unique-u.de/key-seven-deal-with-under-performance-fairly/ Wed, 30 Oct 2019 16:08:47 +0000 https://unique-u.de/?p=846 Der Beitrag Key Seven: Deal with under-performance fairly erschien zuerst auf Unique-U Coaching by Sarah Needham.

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  • Key Seven

Deal with under-performance fairly

When there is a problem with under-performance in your team you need to address the issue with the person concerned. If you have noticed it there is a high chance that the rest of the team have noticed it and could even being affected by the under-performance on a day to day basis.
You need to show you are working with the individual compassionately to help them grow and develop but there does come a time when you need to take action to move them into a more suitable role either inside or outside your organisation.

If your team see you dealing with under-performance fairly then you are likely to get understanding from the team even if they may feel uncomfortable.

Team dynamics cannot be maintained if an under-performer or even a very negative team member is constantly dragging it down. If you are listening to your team, they will tell you in their own way when someone is not fitting in with the team or a problem may be brewing.

The earlier you can understand the issue and offer support to the individual the better.

Further reading on this topic can be found at:

How to Handle Poor Employee Performance at Work Like a Pro

Der Beitrag Key Seven: Deal with under-performance fairly erschien zuerst auf Unique-U Coaching by Sarah Needham.

]]> Key Six: Celebrate https://unique-u.de/key-six-celebrate/ Sat, 05 Oct 2019 17:45:30 +0000 http://unique-u.de/?p=796 Der Beitrag Key Six: Celebrate erschien zuerst auf Unique-U Coaching by Sarah Needham.

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  • Key Six

Celebrate Successes ….and Birthdays

Don’t miss an opportunity to build your teams spirit. So often celebrations are overlooked as something more important comes in to take over everyone’s time and energy.

Taking time to celebrate success (and failures) are very important in maintaining motivation. Especially when times are tough.

It does not take a lot of effort of expenditure to come up with a few novel ways to say thank you; bringing in biscuits or buying someone flowers or a small keepsake as a sign of appreciation. Another good way to bring the team together is to know when people’s birthdays are and get the team to sign a card or send the person a greeting on their birthday.

The same for weddings or births or even deaths… it should not come as a surprise that by showing interest in these special moments makes that person feel special and valued as a team member.

Further reading:  Ten things great bosses do every day – Dr Travis Bradbury

Der Beitrag Key Six: Celebrate erschien zuerst auf Unique-U Coaching by Sarah Needham.

]]> Key Five: Lead by Example https://unique-u.de/key-five-lead-by-example/ Fri, 04 Oct 2019 19:57:45 +0000 http://unique-u.de/?p=772 Der Beitrag Key Five: Lead by Example erschien zuerst auf Unique-U Coaching by Sarah Needham.

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  • Key Five

Lead by Example

The team will follow your behaviours. This is the basis of your team culture.

A simple example if you are always late for meetings your team will also do this as they see you do not value punctuality.

Know your companies’ culture and additionally consciously think about what behaviours & culture might help your team perform better. This will depend greatly on what the function of your team is and who is in your team.

Tip: make a fun team building event out of agreeing your behaviours that you want to adhere to.

There is no better way of getting a culture that fits the team than facilitating them in designing it themselves.

The role of the leader, at work and at home, requires modeling the desired behavior and letting others see the desired values in action. To become effective leaders, we must become aware of our shadows and then learn to have our actions match our message. – What leadership shadow do you cast – Larry Senn & Jim Hart

  • Key One

    it sounds so easy… Know the individuals in your team and what makes them tick…

  • Key Two

    Share your own vulnerabilities with your team. No one is perfect!

  • Key Six

    Celebrate Successes ….and Birthdays

  • Key Nine

    Know your teams’ strengths and play to them

  • Key Ten

    Employee Development / Growth

Der Beitrag Key Five: Lead by Example erschien zuerst auf Unique-U Coaching by Sarah Needham.

]]> Key Four: Coaching conversations https://unique-u.de/key-four-coaching-conversations/ Fri, 04 Oct 2019 19:55:10 +0000 http://unique-u.de/?p=765 Der Beitrag Key Four: Coaching conversations erschien zuerst auf Unique-U Coaching by Sarah Needham.

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  • Key Four

Coaching conversations…

The task of the leader is to get their people from where they are to where they have not been. – Henry Kissinger

Get your team used to you asking for their opinion and helping them develop their own solutions by asking open questions. When to use coaching and with who is a point of debate as it will not  serve every employee in any situation.

The decision how to approach a situation can depend on a number of factors but is clearly linked to the employees ability and development, as well as the business circumstance.

I like the question ‘What will best serve the employee now and in the future’.

What is your instinct telling you? Challenge yourself to try a coaching conversation more often.

If you find yourself reverting to telling 99% of the time then you probably need to look at yourself to understand why you struggle with this.

If your team come to you to make an important decision, get curious, first ask them what decision they would make if they were in your position and listen. It is fine to decide on a different alternative in discussion with the employee but ensure you explain clearly why.

As long as your employee feels listened to and understands why you decided differently they should not be demotivated.

When managers ask from curiosity, it shifts responsibility to the employee; in the process employees become contributors, not just agents. This approach draws on their own resourcefulness and creativity, and they are more likely to own the results they achieve. – Co-Active Coaching – The Proven Framework for Transformative Conversations at Work and in Life. Henry Kimsey-House, Karen Kimsey-House, Phillip Sandahl, Laura Whitworth

For a slightly different perspective on this topic take a look at the following article.

  • Key One

    it sounds so easy… Know the individuals in your team and what makes them tick…

  • Key Two

    Share your own vulnerabilities with your team. No one is perfect!

  • Key Six

    Celebrate Successes ….and Birthdays

  • Key Nine

    Know your teams’ strengths and play to them

  • Key Ten

    Employee Development / Growth

Der Beitrag Key Four: Coaching conversations erschien zuerst auf Unique-U Coaching by Sarah Needham.

]]> Key Three: Do what you say you will https://unique-u.de/key-three-do-what-you-say-you-will/ Fri, 04 Oct 2019 19:46:56 +0000 http://unique-u.de/?p=752 Der Beitrag Key Three: Do what you say you will erschien zuerst auf Unique-U Coaching by Sarah Needham.

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  • Key Three

Do what you say you will do.

You’ve got to give loyalty down, if you want loyalty up. – Donald T. Regan

If you promise to help them with something or speak to someone else about their problem make sure you do it….and don’t forget to give them the feedback as soon as possible.

This will make your employees feel valued and you will receive the same treatment in return.

  • Key One

    it sounds so easy… Know the individuals in your team and what makes them tick…

  • Key Two

    Share your own vulnerabilities with your team. No one is perfect!

  • Key Six

    Celebrate Successes ….and Birthdays

  • Key Nine

    Know your teams’ strengths and play to them

  • Key Ten

    Employee Development / Growth

Der Beitrag Key Three: Do what you say you will erschien zuerst auf Unique-U Coaching by Sarah Needham.

]]> Key Two: No one is perfect! https://unique-u.de/key-two-no-one-is-perfect/ Fri, 04 Oct 2019 18:01:40 +0000 http://unique-u.de/?p=739 Der Beitrag Key Two: No one is perfect! erschien zuerst auf Unique-U Coaching by Sarah Needham.

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  • Key Two

Share your own vulnerabilities

No one is perfect!

“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” – Winston Churchill

Although you are a leader, you are human. We all have our unique strengths and likewise those things which we know we are not good at.

Don’t miss an opportunity to ask for advice from your employees when you know they are better at something than you are. This will help feel valued and appreciated. Also don’t miss an opportunity to ask for feedback on your performance and listen to the feedback openly without commenting or justifying yourself.

Admit when you make a mistake; making mistakes and receiving feedback is how we all learn.

There is value in celebrating success (Key Six) but also in celebrating failure. An ability to give and receive feedback openly and without judgement will cultivate a culture where people are not afraid to own up to mistakes which the whole team can learn from.

I love Brene Brown’s engaged feedback checklist from her book ‘#daretolead’ for further learning on feedback and the power of being vulnerable in leadership. Dare to Lead – Brene Brown

Der Beitrag Key Two: No one is perfect! erschien zuerst auf Unique-U Coaching by Sarah Needham.

]]> Key One: Know your team https://unique-u.de/key-one-know-your-team/ Tue, 24 Sep 2019 15:00:13 +0000 http://unique-u.de/?p=716 Der Beitrag Key One: Know your team erschien zuerst auf Unique-U Coaching by Sarah Needham.

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  • Key One

It sounds so easy…

Know the individuals in your team and what makes them tick…

“The most basic of all human needs is the need to understand and be understood.” – Ralph Nichols

What does it take to show an interest in the individuals in your team? How well do you know your team? For example:

  • Do they have a significant other or maybe they are happy living alone?
  • Who is important to them in their family?
  • What are their hobbies?
  • When did they last feel like they were fully alive?

I don’t advocate that you go off to your teams tomorrow and fire off these questions… That would probably not go down very well and I certainly do not mean going behind their backs and asking others these questions. Those are both classic ways to demotivate or frighten your team as they will question your motive.

Instead, I challenge you take the time and sit down informally with each of your team and show an interest in them.

Perhaps invite them for a coffee.

First open up a bit about yourself. It could be anything, something you did at the weekend or something that your kids said that morning that was funny. Get creative. As long as there is some type of relationship already in place then this should start a pretty open conversation. You can only truly lead people when you know their strengths and what motivates them, so listen!

If you are starting from scratch… then lucky you!

Go ahead and invite your new team member for a coffee to get to know one another and start with a brief history of yourself (including a bit about your private life and hobbies) and then hand over to your employee and LISTEN.

Just a side note. If you are not actively listening during these sessions then you might as well not set them up as they will think you have just come to talk about yourself; so put your phone on silent and out of sight and focus your attention.

‘People read not only your words and posture but what’s going on inside you. If your stance is not genuine the words don’t matter. What will be communicated almost invariably is whether you are genuinely curious, whether you genuinely care about the other person. If your intentions are false, no amount of careful wording or good posture will help. If your intentions are good, even clumsy language wont hinder you.’ – Difficult Conversations by Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton & Sheila Heen.

When you see the person opposite you getting excited then you could ask an open question like ..what do you get out of your sport\hobby? What makes it fun?

Stay curious and see where the journey takes you. Do not judge them, do not reminisce on a time in your life where you did something similar.

Be there with them in that moment.

“To say that a person feels listened to means a lot more than just their ideas getting heard. It’s a sign of respect. It makes people feel valued.” – Deborah Tannen

Further reading: How to instantly connect with anyone – Dr Travis Bradberry

Der Beitrag Key One: Know your team erschien zuerst auf Unique-U Coaching by Sarah Needham.

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