There’s one very important career secret most people won’t tell you. You need to learn more about working well with others than learning your next technical job skill to fast-track up the corporate ladder.

One of the hardest lessons to learn in your career is how to work well with a boss who does not possess good managerial skills. And, yes, it’s up to you, as the fast-tracker, to learn how to communicate with them, not the other way around!

Communication success starts on the inside

Many employees and managers don’t take the time to learn new people skills. Many simply use the ostrich approach, stick their head in the sand when working with a boss (or co-worker) they don’t like or respect, and hope it will get better. This rarely works.

Some may attempt to emulate others’ communication styles whom they believe are successful. They usually fail.  Why? Copying another person’s communication style instead of developing their own won’t work for them. For example, a highly assertive person who learns diplomacy can make a positive difference when dealing with a know-it-all boss.  However, someone who avoids conflict with the same know-it-all boss needs to learn how to assert him- or herself by taking a stand on an issue and be heard.

Developing a communication style that leverages your strengths and fills in the gaps to elicit the best from others is required to move up the corporate ladder. Then, you can turn a perceived “bad” boss into an advocate to support your upward aspirations.

Labelling others does not make a difference

Recently I was talking with a fast-track employee. She loved her job, but, was bored. She blamed her last two managers and labelled them as “bad bosses” with poor communication styles. She felt this perception justified her lack of advancement.  And added, “Everyone else thinks they are bad too.”

So what was missing?

As a result of our conversation, she was shocked to learn she needed to take the initiative to come up with new ideas and systems that would support the company. By working with and through her boss (and co-workers), she could make them happen and enjoy her job again.

Take responsibility for your perceptions of others

One of my clients had very similar circumstances; however, he ended up with a very different result. Instead of complaining and doing nothing, he hired me as his coach! After taking a qualified assessment to understand how his communication style compared with others, he discovered his default style was to avoid conflict. His first assignment was to get on the same page with his “bad boss.” This required having a face-to-face conversation with his boss, someone he despised! He made the comment, “If I had known you were going to have me talk to my boss one-on-one, I never would have hired you!”

My response?  “Good thing you hired me. Remember, you are responsible for your perceptions of others – perceptions create your reality of who they are. Your ability to work with and through this person will help you (and your employees) get better results.  You can now have the upward mobility you’ve been craving!”

So what happened?

After doing some role-playing, he setup the conversation and amazed himself at the outcome. The added bonus was, he received positive recognition and was slated for a huge promotion by the CEO!

The truth is you will always work with and for others that you don’t like and won’t do it your way. Labelling them “bad bosses” only hinders your advancement for the next job, promotion or pay increase.

Taking responsibility to discover and improve on your communication skills will help you learn how to work with anyone, anywhere, any time. And the added bonus, these skills will make your job more fun, satisfying and rewarding.  http://ow.ly/UIeF4

PS: Are you a bad boss? Take this quiz and find out! http://ow.ly/UIjcu

©Jeannette Seibly, 2015

Jeannette Seibly has been a business advisor and facilitator for over 23 years; she guides the creation of new solutions for business challenges and is the author of over 300 articles and 4 published books designed to help business leaders lead successfully.  Check out her website: http://SeibCo.com or contact Jeannette at http://SeibCo.com/contact

Being positive has created many ideas. Being a cynic has saved companies millions of dollars. It’s important to realistically balance both ends of the scale before it decimates a business, an idea or partnership.

What do you think?

One businessman wanted a divorce. Why? His wife asked good business questions about a new venture he wanted to try. But, she wouldn’t agree because he was unable to answer the financial questions in a way that worked for her. He accused her of being negative and unsupportive.

What are your thoughts? Was she negative and unsupportive? Or, realistically looking for the right answers?

Being positive and skeptical have value. Being a Pollyanna (believing everything is great, even when it isn’t) and not realistically addressing the details can cause major problems and insurmountable challenges. It’s important to understand success requires balanced positivity.

Both positivity and skepticism provide value:

Many business leaders face the same challenges with their management/executive teams and Board of Directors.

These enthusiastic leaders (Pollyanna’s) are:

• -Thinking something will work out simply because they said so — not a viable business strategy.
• -Believing a client, business partner or investor should readily want to provide time and/or money without a viable plan, sound financial projections and the right people — not good business acumen.
• -Visualizing only a great outcome, forgetting the success or failure is in the details – not good business management.

These skeptics are:

• -Saving companies millions of dollars.
• -Asking financial, sales, operational, and people related questions about their projects or programs.
• -Focused on the how, what, when, where and why of releasing new technology, launching new vehicles, issuing new procedures or publishing new works of art.

While cynics or skeptics are not always right, there are lessons to be learned from them. And, if you’re unable or unwilling to address these questions realistically, you better proceed with extreme caution.

Balanced enthusiasm will position your company for growth:

It takes a strong leader to address the following criteria and develop a well-rounded team of committed people to work together to fulfill them.

• -Positive vision that has team alignment.
• -Declaration of the intended result, in writing (aka goal).
• -Written focused action plan, and is managed for intended results.
• -Ensure others’ concerns are addressed and appropriate actions taken.
• -Value other’s contributions.
• -Stay unattached to how the process should look.

Addressing these will make a significant difference when balancing the skeptic’s and Pollyanna’s contributions to achieve the intended outcome, saving you time, energy, and innumerable dollars.

Jeannette Seibly has been a business advisor and facilitator for over 23 years; she guides the creation of new solutions for business challenges and is the author of over 300 articles and 4 published books designed to help business leaders lead successfully. Check out her website: http://SeibCo.com or contact Jeannette at http://SeibCo.com/contact.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2015

It’s the trademark of many successful business leaders.

Here’s why we don’t ask:

• – We rationalize we don’t have time to ask for help.
• – We are afraid to ask for clarification of a project due to our pride.
• – We naively believe we know what our boss, company and clients need without asking them for their input.

As a result, we lose countless hours of productivity and fail to achieve intended results. These lost opportunities cost companies millions and may sabotage your career!

A true story! Someone was late for a meeting due to lack of planning on where the restaurant was located. They couldn’t find the restaurant and simply gave up. They didn’t ask for help or use technology (411 (directory assistant), GPS, or MapQuest), and, the restaurant was only 2 miles away!

Question: Would you want to work with someone who won’t ask for help? 

Answer: Probably not. And, we’ll never know the opportunities they lost out on!

Get in action. Stop rationalizing why you are afraid to ask others for their input. Asking questions of others takes less time and energy than rationalizing! When seeking advice, we become more competent and confident. The process helps us resolve issues, move forward to complete stopped projects, or achieve our intended outcome faster. Asking for help allows us to follow through and sets us apart from our competition.

Work smarter, not harder, means asking for clarification up front. Ask relevant questions, truly listen and stay on point in the conversation. It can take less than two minutes to ask a question, and that simple act can save mega time, money and frustration so you don’t do unnecessary work. Although the response may take 20 minutes, pay now or pay later. (Think, 20 minutes now vs. 20+ hours later attempting to resolve the issue and save the relationship.)

Plan ahead for 100% success. Ask your advisor, vendor, co-worker or boss about potential breakdowns and pitfalls. They are a reality. Known challenges will not stop you when you plan for them. It’s the unknown that limits our ability for a successful outcome.

Don’t be afraid to stretch the limits. Use technology, ask people, meet with advisors and review systems for new opportunities that allow you to push the envelope. But, don’t have them cost you price, service or functionality. New ideas are great, but, may not be beneficial if implemented without the proper due diligence and asking enough questions of the right people.

©Jeannette L. Seibly, 2010-2015

 Jeannette Seibly is laser sharp at identifying the leverage points that will take a business and its team to the next level of performance and success. Her unique combination of strategic and tactical people and business experiences includes being execution-oriented, customer-focused and business results-focused. She has guided the creation of three millionaires and countless million-dollar results for companies and not-for-profits. She is an innovator who loves producing amazing results with and through others, on time and within budget, as a team.

• Are your employees scared or apathetic about sharing ideas?
• Do they simply tell you what you want to hear?
• Are your ideas the only good ones?
• Do you cling to your decisions, even when they are clearly wrong?
• Do you allow your frustrations with others to get in the way of being effective?

Stubbornness is simply being attached to your point of view and unwilling to entertain other alternatives. Good leadership is about being clear, moving forward, and at times being flexible. Yet, too much flexibility makes you a poor leader, especially when it takes you off track from fulfilling your goals.

No one likes to be wrong. Your team will get frustrated, and at times angry, when you are being stubborn and insist your way is the only right one. Your fears, insecurities and other control issues will limit your ability to create a profitable company with great people.

Three keys to being less stubborn – and becoming a more effective leader

Openness. Allowing others the opportunity to share ideas and recommendations without fear of being told they are wrong is important. No one person has all the answers. No one person knows all the right questions to ask. No one person is right all the time. Working together collaboratively will open up strategic opportunities and resourceful ways to be successful.

A vice president was a terrible boss and always seemed to know what was best. In his arrogance, he would go through the motions of soliciting others’ ideas. Then, he would disregard any idea that didn’t support what he had already decided to do. Because he was afraid of losing his job, he was very controlling and refused to listen to others’ input. He was fired a few months later.

Confidence. Some falsely believe that being confident and stubborn are the same. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Confidence is not insisting that your way is the only way. Confidence is being open to hearing new ideas, while working with and through others to determine workability and ROI. Remember, there are 100’s of different ways to wash dishes, manage a profitable company and achieve great results. Have the confidence in yourself and listen to your team.

One business owner wasn’t open to others’ ideas. She insisted that her way was the right one due to her fear of failure. She would fire anyone that disagreed or failed to do it her way. The problem was she had very high turnover and was continually looking for the “right” employees. She never found them and had to close down her business.

Clarity. It’s important to stay focused on your plan and the actions that will support fulfilling it. This is where perseverance (often confused with stubbornness) pays off. When we are not clear, too often our employees will create mischief. The problem occurs when we fail to address their unwillingness or inability to take focused action. It’s important for both leaders and their employees to learn how to trust themselves and each other. Don’t be afraid to get the coaching and training required.

Years ago I had a boss who wasn’t open to anything new. His ideas often were reactive. Proactive ideas were normally considered time consuming and an unnecessary expense. When I approached him with a plan to help employees feel comfortable about their pension benefits, due to the pension plan being terminated, he thought it was a stupid and time-consuming idea. He was right about it being time-consuming. However, a well-designed communication process is rarely stupid. In this case, it helped employees feel less fearful about their future pensions. Interestingly, years later, he showed me a system he thought was brilliant. I smiled and reminded him that it had been my idea, and the work I had done!

Your stubbornness can be transformed into an effective leadership trait. Trust yourself and learn how to work with and through others for amazing results! Contact a coach today!

Jeannette Seibly is laser sharp at identifying the leverage points that will take a business and its team to the next level of performance and success. Her unique combination of strategic and tactical people and business experiences includes being execution-oriented, customer-focused and business results-focused. She has guided the creation of three millionaires and countless million-dollar results for companies and not-for-profits. She is an innovator who loves producing amazing results with and through others, on time and within budget, as a team.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2015

 

Many companies have business plans, 3-year goals and other strategic programs written down. As the leader, the challenge is taking them out, dusting them off and getting into focused action. Pronto! You have plenty of time to achieve your 2015 goals, if you start now. Get in communication with your team and inspire them forward for success.

Success requires effective communication

As a leader, it’s your job to communicate the goals of the organization, while ensuring the game plan is being played in alignment with the core values of the company. Consistent and frequent communication is critical to fulfill the goals you want, while getting and keeping everyone on the same page, moving forward together.

5 key questions to ask yourself:

1. How well do you communicate the current mission and future vision?
2. Have you put together a strategic blueprint to fulfill the goals?
3. What focused actions are you and your team taking to fulfill them?
4. Are those actions achieving the intended results?
5. If not, have you contacted your business advisor for laser-sharp coaching?

Winning the game requires consistent and frequent communication

Be a parrot! Consistent and frequent repetition reminds you and your team of the purpose and the intended results. This keeps the team focused and on the same page, ensuring buy-in. When team members don’t buy-in they will unconsciously sabotage efforts. Their unwillingness to rock the boat can get in the way of moving forward.

Walk the talk. If you do not have a clear plan and are not equipped to climb that mountain towards the goals, your employees won’t be either. Manage your words and communication efforts to inspire focused-actions. Handle all internal obstacles that get in the way. If you don’t, top talent will leave to showcase their capabilities elsewhere.

Come down to reality. Stop the 3,000-foot helicopter view and get out of the world of “should’s”. Roll up your sleeves and become a resource for brainstorming, problem solving and resolving challenges together with your team. Do not change the goal to accommodate activities – instead help them blast through their fears and move outside of their comfort zones.

Ask for input. Busy work and excuses don’t equal focused action. And, rarely leads to achieving intended results. Don’t just tell people what you expect — ask for their input. Instead of saying “yes” or “no” to their ideas, ask them “how?”

Acknowledgement. Consistent verbal praise is required to transform old thinking styles and habits. The key is to provide acknowledgement of all efforts, no matter how small.

It’s critical that you, as the leader, are communicating to inspire focused action and take responsibility to get, and keep, everyone on the same page. Start now — there’s still time to achieve amazing results in 2015!

Jeannette Seibly is laser sharp at identifying the leverage points that will take a business and its team to the next level of performance and success. Her unique combination of strategic and tactical people and business experiences includes being execution-oriented, customer-focused and business results-focused. She has guided the creation of three millionaires and countless million-dollar results for companies and not-for-profits. She is an innovator who loves producing amazing results with and through others, on time and within budget, as a team.

©Jeannette Seibly, 2015

When you handle conflict poorly—by overreacting to it, ignoring it, or avoiding it by failing to speak up with your concerns— it hurts your business and career opportunities. The yelling boss whom everyone complains about is no different from the silent screamer who fails to notify someone in authority of a problem. Both cause loss of customers, poor-quality products and services, and disregard for others.

As the leader, it’s vitally important to learn how to step up when no one agrees with you in order to make a difference! However, it’s more important to recognize when you are the cause of the conflict!

A long-term employee questioned her boss’s boss in front of her team. She didn’t understand why he wanted to move in a different direction when the facts didn’t support it. He didn’t know why either. Instead of admitting it and creating a win-win conversation, he took the bully approach and wanted her fired! She stepped up to the plate by having a one-on-one conversation with her boss after the meeting; then, coached him on how to have the necessary conversation with his boss about the direction he wanted to take. Because she was able to turn the disagreement into a constructive process, she was given a promotion and pay increase.

While you may want to fire those who do not rubber-stamp your ideas or get rid of your boss for not hearing your concerns, failure to listen to what you don’t want to hear creates conflict and consequences. The truth is, when employees speak up without fear of retaliation, they share great ideas and find hidden resources! It’s your job as a leader to uncover workable and win-win solutions. This means you need to get out of the way, listen to what you don’t want to hear and handle disagreements along the way.

3 Ways You Can Reduce Conflict

Honor Your Word. Little white lies build up over time, and others stop trusting what you have to say. When you’re a naysayer, you stymie a conversation before it begins because you’ve not listened to others in the past or don’t follow through on promises you’ve made! Before these upsets escalate beyond your control, listen and learn about the heart of the matter. While human emotions are rarely based on facts and change frequently, this doesn’t mean there is not value in them. Welcome others’ input by brainstorming ideas and creating win-win conversations to elicit workable resolutions. Then follow up and follow through to ensure intended results.

Listen to Others. You’ve lulled yourself into thinking, If it doesn’t matter to me it shouldn’t matter to others. As a result, you block out annoying suggestions made by your employees, even your bosses! Once the company has closed its doors or lost a big contract, these same employees dissect and voice what went wrong – including critiquing your behavior and attitude. Step up and be the leader others want to follow! Listen! And don’t just talk about it— take focused action steps to resolve it!

Maintain a Sense of Urgency. You have become adept at putting off handling issues as they arise, thinking you’ll handle them when you have enough time. However, that time never comes without more upset and conflict being created first. If you took the same amount of energy to resolve the problems that you use to deflect them, your business would flourish and your career would be unstoppable. Pose these three important questions to the right people now: What is the preferred outcome? What needs to happen? What can be done to resolve the issue? Handling issues as they arise will prevent conflicts from becoming long-term unresolvable elephants.

©Jeannette Seibly 2015

Jeannette Seibly has been a business advisor and facilitator for over 23 years; she guides the creation of new solutions for business challenges and is the author of over 300 articles and 4 books designed to help business leaders lead successfully. Check out her website: http://SeibCo.com or contact Jeannette at http://SeibCo.com/contact.