"How can you connect with all of the people that you are
trying to lead and have them achieve a goal together?"
This blog will feature questions (ranging from leadership and diversity to culture-specific communication, global team-building, and the nuances of business and social protocol in different countries and cultures) raised by working, adult students in higher education. You are invited to share your insights and perspectives based on your own personal work experiences. See "Welcome . . . more about this blog" for additional information about the blog's history and purpose.
This is a great question. I've found that an effective way to connect with people you lead is to sincerely get to know them. Find out about their personal lives, their upbringing, their goals, their fears, their motivations, how they spend their free time, etc. This is obviously much easier to do when the group is somewhat smaller. When those you are leading come in a large group, you will most likely need to try other strategies, such as focusing/rallying around a common goal, or to share your own background, goals, fears, motivators -- to practice humility and make others feel safe around you.
ReplyDeleteThat usually works for me as well but how do you try connect with people that you don’t have any similar interests with. I have one coworker that I have no common interests with at all except for Game of Thrones and the Walking Dead tv series. Our conversations usually last 30 minutes at the beginning of the week and they don’t exist at all when the shows are on break.
DeleteI would want to connect better with her but the conversations seem forced and whenever I come by it always seems like it is work related. So when I come by to socialize, it always surprises her that I am socially there and then I get a guilt trip for not coming by more often.
“Community is borne out of shared values, shared language, trust and a sense of belonging and identification” (Mendenhall et al., 2013, p. 201). I think using some of the frameworks we have studied provide a solid starting point to begin the initiative. The Intercultural Competence process helps a leader to create a highly functioning team. This can be achieved by: Knowledge of the Self, Elements of Skill, Observable Behavior in Context, Emotional Interaction and Understanding Cultural Context.
ReplyDeleteIn my experience, I find connecting with each Team member on a personal level begins the process of relationship building. It could be as simple as a small meeting or huddle. During that process, the Leader must communicate the goal of the team and express the role each Team member should play to achieve the goal. Doing a regular check-in with each member on their progress toward the overall goal helps with being and staying connected while ensuring the goal is being met and if not, addressing concerns along the way.
ReplyDeleteI had this issue come up this past summer during my Team Leadership and Decision Making class. My group was slightly contentious, as we had some very dominant personalities in our group. We eventually ended up having a "Come to Jesus" moment where we all aired out our concerns and grievances. We all agreed that the specific goal of the class (working together and making decisions as a team) was more important than any individual issues. I also knew a couple of members of my team because we had previously taken classes together, so it was easy to connect with them on a more personal level. With my other team members with whom I was unfamiliar, we got to know each other through face-to-face meetings and conference calls. As a leader, you need to do your due diligence in regards to learning about your team members on a personal level in order to lead them. As John Kramer talks about in his 8 Steps to Transformational Change, you need buy-in from the group. As the leader, it is your job to find or create a goal for your team to rally around, as well as ways towards motivating their team towards that goal.
ReplyDeleteIn my experience transparency and inclusion have been effective tools. We tend to forget most people have more in common than differences and the only way to find out is by effective communication. One of the methods I use to learn more about my subordinates is by meeting with them individually and as a group. When we are in a group setting I ask for everyone to share an interesting fact about themselves, a social identity, favorite vacations and/or work experience. I think it is important for everyone to get to engage with one another. Once you get to know your people you can gage what will motivate them and how to interact with each different personality in achieving your organizations goals.
ReplyDeleteAs outlined in our text, the Global Leadership Online (GLO) would help leaders who are trying to connect with all the people they wish to successfully lead. The GLO measures five dimensions – Seeing differences, Closing gaps, Opening the System, Preserving balance and Establishing solutions, for which he created the acronym SCOPE. Using this model as a guide, the leader will have a proven method with which to outline his/her own teaming strategies. The SCOPE model tells us that in order to resolve cultural differences, first they must be recognized – and then resolved. This model goes on to systematically list the steps toward connecting with employees toward a successful teaming effort.
ReplyDeleteThat being said insofar as established methods, there is something to be said for getting to know fellow team members on a personal level. Once they see that you are trying to engage them, and that you have a vested interest in their welfare, it often works towards letting them see you as a caring leader.
(391-16SP08) My favorite question and common topic in our group discussions. When we meet weekly as a group we try to analyze and find out what makes a good leader. Based on many terms, we have come to a realization that a community builder and empowering others are 2 keys terms that played an important role in our presentation. Being able to not only do your due diligence but trusting the group members in doing their job. This gives the group a level of satisfaction which helps them feel empowered. I feel as if these 2 terms really work systematically. I also believe that once you have a group that works dynamically, it will further elevate the leader.
ReplyDeleteThis was an outstanding question. Probably one of the most practical issues that a leader faces. One of my favorite concepts learned in the LOB program has been emotional intelligence and level 5 leadership. All of this also relates to the value of the COI we have learned in this course. However, in some work instances you wont have access to a COI or a Meyer's Brigg etc in order to understand who you are working with.
ReplyDeleteWith that being said, I would say that doing due diligence is a key element of this. Getting to know who you are working with, and to perhaps connect with them one on way. Find out who they are, where they come from, about their family, what their professional and academic experiences are so that you can go beyond their designated job description so that you can understand them first a human beings.
Then I would ask them what is their goal, and objectives for working here. What are your strengths, and where you would like to go in the organization, and then I would develop buy in by showing how this job and our team can help get them there.
In today's market place, where people have careers similar to the "iceberg" effect jumping from mountain to mountain company to company.
So if you want to retain your best and brightest you have to offer an incentive to keep them beyond a paycheck. This is how you lead, this is how you connect, and this is what is needed in today's ever changing business world in order to lead a successful team.
We need to find the similarities and celebrate those while working through the differences. We need to have a genuine curiosity for the others culture and when we do so, we create a driven force all fighting for the common cause.
ReplyDeleteI believe trying to get to know people and be sincerely interested in their lives, who they are, where they came from, what they talents are, what they love to do helps a lot. Being genuine and authentic is also the key. Finding ways to build trust is very important as well.
ReplyDelete