There are 3 ways in which I can position myself, when I want to develop my team. I can work from the position of a teacher. I have knowledge that I want to share, and it can be effective to enter into a dynamic where I deliver this knowledge to the team from a position of power. I can work from the position of an equal. This is effective when examining an idea or operational issue, and seeking to generate multiple opinions, and push back and forth....
It’s too easy to lose sight of these basic foundations of leadership. Especially in situations where the leader shares in operational duties, the sacred duties can take a backseat. Somehow. As a leader of a team (assuming the team setup is working) there are two activities that should likely take up 80% of my time. Direct Everybody should know where we’re going, and why. Anyone who is tasked with directing work should be especially diligent in this endeavour, and in communicating it often, early, and far more frequently than seems natural....
Sometimes it’s easy to ask for help. Sometimes it’s hard. Maybe it’s a question of framing. When there’s something I can’t do at work, I reach out for help. It’s OK to say “I can’t fix this spreadsheet up, could you show me how?”, or “I think I’m missing some perspective here, could you take a look for me?” When there’s something I can’t work out how to express, I chew on it for ages....
We spend an incredible amount of time working on marketing to sell stuff. To that end, we develop these little stories, designed to evoke emotion, curiosity, connection – to manipulate an audience to come buy stuff. But there’s another, far more fascinating reason to tell those stories. When we tell a story that’s true, that we’re passionate about, that excites us, we become inspiring. We become elevated. We energise our organisations, teams, friends and family....
When developing a concept, it’s tempting to refine, polish, and make sure the direction is just perfect. It’s also tempting to let it “grow” naturally out of the organisation. Both options conveniently prevent you from having to put your own work into the world and standing by it. I believe that more often than not, it’s more important to make it, than it is to make it just right. The consequences of a wrong communication angle are most likely straightforward and low-risk: Total ignorance on the part of your target audience....