We connect with some people and not with others. Great leaders master how to connect with just about everyone and that’s one reason why people want to follow them.
There are many facets to connection. Jeremie Kubicek and Steve Cockram have written an excellent book titled 5 Gears: How to Be Present and Productive When There is Never Enough Time that provides insight into an important aspect of connection.
If you’ve ever been hired into a leadership role, you know how difficult it can be to lead when you are viewed as an “outsider.” It’s crucial to establish trust and connection with your new colleagues quickly, but how?
Leaders who find themselves in this challenging position can look to a widely unknown example from the American Revolution for inspiration and guidance: Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Gilbert du Motier de La Fayette, more commonly known as the Marquis de Lafayette.
Periodically hold “stop-start-continue” meetings to review your team’s activities. During these meetings, identify the activities your team should start that you are not presently doing, current activities that your team should stop doing, and activities that your team should continue doing. “Stop-start-continue” meetings give your team an opportunity to voice their thoughts on projects and enhance connection.
This is the one hundredth post in our series entitled “100 Ways to Connect.” The series highlights language, attitudes and behaviors that help you connect with others. Although the language, attitudes and behaviors focus on application in the workplace, you will see that they also apply to your relationships at home and in the community.
Periodically select a business book for your direct reports or team members to read together. Consider reading one book every quarter. Meet or host a video call to identify ideas from the book that you can implement. Some examples include The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace, Pour Your Heart Into It, and It’s Not About the Coffee.
This is the ninety-ninth post in our series entitled “100 Ways to Connect.” The series highlights language, attitudes and behaviors that help you connect with others. Although the language, attitudes and behaviors focus on application in the workplace, you will see that they also apply to your relationships at home and in the community.
The Sunday New York Times article on Amazon’s workplace culture has generated all kinds of buzz. Most commentators join the attack, while some defend Amazon’s practices. The stories are all over the map, from branding Amazon as an evil empire to describing its culture as one that’s apropos for an challenging entrepreneurial trail-blazer.
What are we to believe and what does this controversy say about the modern workplace?
Check out this podcast interview with Shawn Murphy of “Work that Matters.” Shawn and I discuss the importance of connection in the workplace and talk about my new book Connection Culture: The Competitive Advantage of Shared Identity, Empathy and Understanding at Work.
| Appearance: | “Work that Matters” Podcast |
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| Outlet: | Work the Matters |
| Format: | Podcast |
When possible, ask for the ideas and opinions of your direct reports, especially on actions you expect them to implement or believe they want to have a voice in deciding. This behavior reflects humility and wisdom.
This is the ninety-eighth post in our series entitled “100 Ways to Connect.” The series highlights language, attitudes and behaviors that help you connect with others. Although the language, attitudes and behaviors focus on application in the workplace, you will see that they also apply to your relationships at home and in the community.
Make sure there is a pause in the conversation so that you don’t cut someone off from what they were trying to communicate. Don’t interrupt!
This is the ninety-seventh post in our series entitled “100 Ways to Connect.” The series highlights language, attitudes and behaviors that help you connect with others. Although the language, attitudes and behaviors focus on application in the workplace, you will see that they also apply to your relationships at home and in the community.
Treat people as equals. Never speak down to anyone or intentionally ignore him or her.
This is the ninety-sixth post in our series entitled “100 Ways to Connect.” The series highlights language, attitudes and behaviors that help you connect with others. Although the language, attitudes and behaviors focus on application in the workplace, you will see that they also apply to your relationships at home and in the community.
Image courtesy of Markus Spiske/raumrot.com. Creative Commons 2.0 license.
Many thanks to Don Yaeger for featuring me in his Forbes.com article, “Vision, Value, And Voice: The Real Magnet Of Team Success.”
| Date: | July 28, 2015 |
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| Appearance: | Featured on Forbes.com |
| Outlet: | Forbes.com |
| Format: | Magazine |