The skill leads to better performance.
One could suggest, among the variety of definitions of leadership, that leadership is made up of a series of conversations with peers, managers, team members, customers and other stakeholders. With advanced conversation skills those interactions lead to greater innovation, better collaboration, smarter decisions, and more committed actions. Without these skills, leadership doesn’t happen.
A deep study found that employees spend an average 2.8 hours a week dealing with conflict, which amounts to roughly $359 billion in workforce costs. Let’s talk about how you can reduce your costs, by helping your managers have compelling conversations.
In my 4 Ups! model (Bring it Up! Talk it Up! Wrap it Up! and Follow it Up!), I talk about having REAL conversations, the absence of which is one of the biggest obstacles to team performance and leadership effectiveness. When leaders struggle to address the REAL issues, REAL facts, and REAL feelings, they become an enormous liability impacting people and profit. In my blog post Say What? I share that managers, as great conversationalists, know how their personality impacts their ability to communicate well.
Why is starting a difficult conversation, the first of the 4 Ups, so challenging for some of your leaders? Many of your managers are very good at introducing topics into conversation at team meetings and with their employees. Even those tough or sensitive discussions seem to be easy for them to openly bring to the table in a respectful yet honest, crisp and concise way.
Successfully approaching uncomfortable conversations will lead to better performance, a positive impact in the team and organization as a whole. Help your leaders find the courage to start conversations in a constructive way by following these 4 Tips:
Effective implementation of the 4Ups varies greatly from individual leader to individual leader. All four skills are necessary for Compelling Conversations, and it is up to your leaders to find their voice and inspire others to find theirs.
Let’s talk about how we can reduce costs in your organization, by helping your managers have compelling conversations.
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