Success factor 1

Analyse your current relationships with your staff

Just how great are your current relationships with your people?  I guess they will vary depending on a number of criteria you have set (albeit subconsciously done by most).  Your criteria is likely to be set in line with your values, beliefs, expectations and work ethic.  Maybe you have relationships with staff in all of the following categories – the good, the indifferent and the damn right ugly!  It is probably true to suggest that ‘the good’ category is made up of people who match your criteria ... even if they are different in the way they go about doing some things.  It’s also probably fair to say that the other two categories don’t share the same synergy with you.  You will have a ‘system of dance’ with all of your people – how you engage and communicate with them.  Your ‘dance’ with people within ‘the good’ category will be healthy and productive, while with others it is likely to be inconsistent and in some cases flawed.

To get the best out of all of your people you need to consider your current ‘system of dance’ with them.  The way you engage, communicate, motivate, delegate, instruct and lead them.  Think about the impact of your actions and behaviours and ask yourself what part you are currently playing in what you get back from the individual – good and bad!

Success factor 2

Manage your emotions

Try as we might – people will always do things or say things that we don’t agree with.  We are all built slightly differently so the chances are people will do things that will push your buttons.  Many of us react to what we hear and see by challenging the individual – at times not thinking through the consequences.  Of course some things need to be challenged but are they the right things and if they are – are they being dealt with in the right way?

As a leader the key is to assess quickly whether you need to intervene and for what reason.  Be extremely self aware and know exactly what your hot buttons are and when you are at risk of reacting inappropriately (normally stressful situations).  Remember - different is not necessarily wrong.  Ask yourself - what benefit is there to the business and the individual if I intervene – if you can’t think of any benefit then say nothing.  Warning – even if you are not saying anything ensure that your body language doesn’t communicate something else!  Develop first class tolerance levels - emotional control is the key.

Success factor 3

Contract with your people

A first class ‘system of dance’ is created with an individual when a level of understanding and expectation has been established.  Although not formally done, a verbal contract is set up agreeing expectations, approach, behaviours and delivery of feedback.  You firstly need to work to understand the individual’s expectations of you as their leader -  what they would like from you, where you can add value and how you can help them achieve their goals.  It is likely that during this conversation the individual will focus on developing them – this is your opportunity to establish a foundation for being able to give developmental feedback when appropriate.  Agree how you will deliver any feedback, the best way for them to receive it and the timeliness of it.  Getting this right gives you the freedom to deliver tough messages that will make a big difference to your business and the individual - minimising adverse reactions.  Some of your more ‘strained’ relationships are made worse by a lack of contracting – you give feedback when agreement to it has not been reached.  Contract/re-contract with all your people ... let them see your positive intentions even when you are saying what needs to be improved.

Contracting should be something you do with somebody not to them

Success factor 4

Earn the right to give developmental feedback

Contracting done well does indeed give you the opportunity to impart developmental feedback but ... you have to earn the right to give it.  The key is balance – nobody wants corrective advice or instruction all the time.  There are always numerous opportunities to praise and point out great performance and behaviour.  One of your major tasks as a leader is to find genuine moments to praise and reinforce – even if you have to look hard!  Closeness to business activity can be key – some of the most motivational leaders are the ones that ‘walk the floor’ watching and listening and choosing their moment to inject positive praise.  They catch people doing things right and have an understanding that they need to praise progress not always wait until perfection.

So is your balance right?  Assess yourself against this golden rule ... 5 strokes for every 1 slap!  Forgive the bluntness of the language but I think you get the point.  Not an exact scientific evaluation but those five moments of praise will earn you the right to give true and meaningful developmental feedback.

Success factor 5

Give appropriate and healthy focus when giving feedback

Enough said on how we create the platform to give developmental feedback – but when we have those moments it is key that we do it in the right way and for the right reasons.  To some extent your enemies at the point of giving feedback can be your standards and how emotional you are about what you have seen/heard.  Many people talk about remaining objective when giving feedback and that is a good steer – the key is to think objectively and intelligently before you deliver it.  Preparation if you like!  Caught off guard, feeling stressed and emotional and what you deliver could be potentially quite damaging.  When faced with these situations perform this seven question ‘sanity’ check to ensure that your feedback will be appropriate and healthy;

__MCE_ITEM__1.     Am I about to do this because I am angry?

__MCE_ITEM__2.     Is this ‘tit for tat’?

__MCE_ITEM__3.     Will giving this feedback offer both personal and business growth?

__MCE_ITEM__4.     What outcome do I want?

__MCE_ITEM__5.     What resistance/consequences could I face by delivering the message, and how could I handle them?

__MCE_ITEM__6.     Is it the right time for them to receive the feedback and for me to give it?

__MCE_ITEM__7.     How should I deliver it?

Success factor 6

Those who can ... coach

Arguably the discipline that can transform you from being good at working business relationships to great.  Coaching is a way of leading, managing and developing those within your business.  Understood and performed well it’s a way of eliciting the quality you have within your people – it unlocks their creativity.  Most people are at their best when they experience feelings of worth, fulfilment, opportunity, accountability, empowerment, freedom, trust and respect – all outputs achieved through coaching type conversations.

Pure coaching is about using the quality of thinking within the individual to decipher actions that will help solve a business challenge or move forward an identified opportunity.  The key is that they decide and commit to actions, taking full ownership and developing as a result.  Your skill as the coach is to ask a depth of questions that challenges their thinking but gives them the confidence to move to an action.

Success factor 7

Eliminate interference – building an individual’s inner strength

There is no question that we are at our best when we are focused.  There are however so many elements (internal and external) that can impact our day to day thinking and our motivation to do things.  As a leader you can’t control everything but you can affect an awful lot.  Minimising interference is as key as giving your people the tools to do their job.  Listen to your people and remove unnecessary red tape and over designed frustrating processes wherever you can.  What you give off as a leader is also vital.  The last 2-years have been testing for many business leaders ... the ability to keep cool and face challenges head on and with confidence has been essential.  Your people will watch you more than you are aware – confidence breeds confidence.  When your people are faced with challenges lead the way and help them see what is possible (coaching will help!).  If they fail make sure it is seen as a productive failure – help them learn and find another way.