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I recently talked to Jeremy, a staff member whose organization is changing from one type of work structure to another. Prior to the change, each work unit in the organization made recommendations on how the allocation of work in their area, who should do the work, and the timelines that should apply. According to Jeremy, Continue reading Absence of Communication Undermines Reputation and Future Change  Influencing others – having an impact on their ideas, opinions, and actions – requires using different types of conversations and not recognizing this limits our effectiveness. I recently read an article in which the authors maintain that effective leadership requires influencing others and that leaders can influence those others through five different influence styles. The authors Continue reading Influence Requires Using Different Conversations I took my ideas about an online conversation for “Management is Missing” into several meetings over coffee and lunch in the past 10 days. I had lunch with a man who develops websites: he liked the Performance Circle idea, and we sketched out some thoughts on how to have the kind of interactive discussion I’m Continue reading Understanding Conversation – Clarifying Ideas and Roles My daughter and I recently visited my mother at her home in Kentucky. My mother is 89 (will be 90 early next year) and is concerned about who will “pay her bills” (take care of her) in the remaining years of her life. It was an invitation for an understanding conversation, which my daughter and Continue reading Understanding the End Game A manager in my Leading and Managing Change course approached me after class with the following issue: “There are things at work I should be accountable for and I am not. I think I should be accountable because they are in my area, but my boss doesn’t hold me accountable for them. Do you have Continue reading Increasing My Accountability I led a program recently for project managers and saw their biggest challenge is that most people don’t see the “bigger picture” when they are at work on a project – or any work assignment, for that matter. Most of us tend to focus on what’s in front of us (the desktop, both computer and Continue reading New Initiative – Identify my Performance Circle The June 12th Dilbert comic strip (below) gives a good example of the difference between an understanding conversation and a performance conversation. Dilbert, probably like many of us, assumes that explaining what is needed to someone who’s job it is to do it should be sufficient to get it accomplished. He is wrong. If you Continue reading Did You Ask? Having authority can contribute to the very problems managers believe are solved by that authority. Why, because when managers have authority they don’t think they need to communicate as much. This is particularly true when managers confront threats to the successful completion of projects they are managing. Years of research indicates that managers who have authority Continue reading Does Authority Lead to Reduced Communication? Leadership occurs in communication, both verbal and nonverbal. Verbal communication, however, does not mean just talking. Talking is not the same as communicating and not all talking is equally effective. If it were, all of us would have a much easier time doing the things with other people. One aspect of leadership communication is creating a Continue reading How Leaders Can Create New Contexts How often have you heard (or made) one of the following complaints (or some variation thereof): We have a real communication problem here. The absence or inadequacy of communication is one of the most frequently voiced complaints in the Continue reading Effective Workplace Communication Requires Using the Right Conversation |
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