Afternoon sessions in the Executive Development reminded us of the hard work we all have to do.
Rob Bell talked about the importance and mentoring, reminding us that each manager is key to keeping and inspiring good associates. Passion, vision, communication and consistency are all key. We all need to remember the key traits of managers we loved and hated and try to emulate the right ones.
Smashing Silos was stunningly great. Think about the language we hear from others that sets us off in the wrong direction. Then think about the language we use that must set off others. I loved the notion that “or” is a word of conflict, while “and” is a word of building, teamwork and cooperation. Lots for all of us to think about. Peg Neuhauser was terrific.
Julie White finished with the challenges we have in so many behaviors. How to mix frankness and diplomacy; assertiveness and helpfulness; enforcing and warmth. It’s so easy to get off in the wrong directions, but armed with this knowledge we can manage, partner and work better.
Lots to think about for a future action plan.
Julie White’s description of how leader behaviors impact the performance of others was very insightful and useful. Some points that resonated with me were:
– If I want improved performance from my team, I might need to look at/change my behaviors
– Often when our behavior patterns aren’t working with someone, we blame them.
– Sometimes leaders give themselves credit for their “good intentions” rather than our their actual behaviors.
I especially liked the “5 on 5″ tool. Listing and prioritizing the top 5 reponsibilities is a simple method of insuring alignment on performance expectations.
By: sgaker on October 14, 2009
at 2:03 am
Thoroughly enjoyed Rob Bell’s Mentoring presentation….such a simple, common-sense approach to building an effective team. Mentoring builds relationships, loyalty and shows people you care about them.
Thought this was an interesting statistic: 35% of employees who don’t receive mentoring plan to leave their company within a year.
By: sgaker on October 14, 2009
at 2:10 am