I asked a classroom of leaders what it took to keep up with the demands of leadership.

One leader said, “Multi-tasking.” She explained further, “It means that you can efficiently switch back and forth between various tasks without losing your intention or focus; toggling between tasks.”

This is a great definition of multi-tasking. Leaders often handle many different demands of the workplace, including from team members and customers. 

Self-reflection question: How am I doing at toggling between tasks? How can I improve my ability to do this?

1.      Before leaving a task, decide to leave it and notice where you left off. Don’t let it be a reaction, but a decision.

2.      Keep what you are working on easily accessible; either on your desk or open on your computer.

3.      During the brief time you are doing each task, give it your full attention. Whether it is listening to a team member or completing a report, let it be the only thing on your mind.

If your team needs to develop stronger leadership skills, visit http://www.2waycommunications.net/license-agreements/ to discover 20+ leadership development courses you can deliver internally. Licensing agreements are also available.

Are you asking, “What content should I include in my frontline leadership training program?” The following topics were included in the two-day leadership class I taught this week. It was awesome!

Day 1

·       Simulation: Going From Individual Contributor to Supervisor

·       Organizational Values

·       Everything DiSC Workplace®:  My Style, People Reading, and Communication

·       Communication: Listening and Asking Questions

·       Giving Feedback

 Day 2

·       Giving Feedback, continued

·       Creating Accountability in Others

·       Managing Conflict

Understanding DiSC styles and a discussion of organizational values were part of each module. Listening and asking questions were integrated as skills to support each topic. We kept it active with simulations, partner and trio discussions, role plays, application, and self-reflection.

Does your organization need a leadership curriculum? Choose from 20 courses with options for licensing agreements.

•     Accountability
•    Be a THINKing Partner
•    Career Development
•     Communicate with Clarity
•     Conflict Management
•     Delegation
•    Emotional Intelligence
•     Feedback
•     Hiring
•     Personal Leadership & Influence
•     Leading Meetings
•     Mentoring
•     Performance Management
•     Quarterly Conversations
•     Presentation Skills
•     Problem Solving
•     Stress Management
•     Time Management
•     Unconscious Bias
•     Unlocking Innovative Thinking

Learn more at http://www.2waycommunications.net/license-agreements/

#leadershipdevelopment #professionaldevelopment #leadershipcurriculum #leadershipcontent #licensingagreements #EverythingDiSC #organizationalvalues

We often think of performance management as the year-end performance review. It is much more than that. Performance management starts with objective setting, followed by 365 days of dialogue, feedback, and coaching. Then, we have the year-end formal review that summarizes the objectives’ accomplishments.

“It is the leader’s job to assist his/her team members in attaining their goals and to provide the necessary direction and support to ensure that their goals are compatible with the overall objectives of the group or organization.” — Path-Goal motivational theory originated by Robert House

The reality is that if we don’t set objectives at the start of the year, we will have a difficult time assisting, providing direction, and tracking progress during the year and talking about achievements at the end of the year.

Below is a list of areas to set objectives:

·        Performance

·        Development

·        Roles and Responsibilities

·        Projects

·        Leadership skills

·        Team-building skills

·        Technical skills

·        Relationship skills

If you need to align leadership actions around performance management, 2-Way Communications, LLC provides a training course and facilitation that will support that need.  

View the performance management outline at http://www.2waycommunications.net/course-outlines/performance-management/

Remember the old feedback formula, the sandwich? It was positive/constructive/positive – give positive feedback, give constructive feedback, and end with positive feedback. That formula didn’t work well. Research found that the only feedback the receiver heard was the constructive; at times, the positive felt a bit condescending.

Popular belief is to separate the two; if it’s positive, just say the positive. Save the constructive for a separate feedback session.

Introducing the *open-faced sandwich:

• Start the feedback with a positive intent, the cheese and bacon at the top of the sandwich (the positive reason you are giving the feedback),
• Give the constructive feedback, the meat (the behavior and the impact), and then
• End with positive encouragement, the bread (your belief in an individual’s ability to make the change).

*During a training session this week, a client came up with the term. He will remain anonymously famous.

Feedback is an essential part of growth and development. In the 2-Way Delegation app, there is an in-app feedback system – ask for and receive feedback. The app supports you in obtaining feedback about how you delegated or completed an assignment. Buy it now! Use the system along with all its other amazing interactive features!

Delegate right. Go home at night. Download the app, read it, and immediately move toward work/life balance.

1. Make a to-do list. Estimate the amount of time it will take to complete the tasks that have to be done that day. If the time needed is more than the time available, identify what to delegate and whom to delegate it to.
2. Schedule follow-up meetings for delegated tasks before they are due. Leave time for the delegatee to redo anything that wasn’t done up to the agreed-upon criteria.
3. If the work wasn’t done right, don’t take it back and fix it. Grow and develop your employees by letting them redo the work and learn from the experience.
4. Don’t micromanage. This takes too much time and kills employee morale. Instead, have robust up-front conversations about what needs to be done, agree upon the criteria that will be used to measure the success of the project, and agree on a follow-up date and time. Don’t approach the employee about the assignment until the agreed-upon date.
5. Give feedback on all assignments. Provide ideas for improvement as well as encouragement and recognition. We tend to want to work for people who show appreciation.

Just Promoted?  You Need Delegation Skills

Just promoted to a leadership position? Are you working to gain credibility? Are you surprised at how hectic and demanding the role of a leader is? Were you promoted for your technical expertise and now that expertise is less important than your ability to get the work done through others. Do you feel inadequately prepared for your new role as leader? If yes, read the new app, 2-Way Delegation. It will give you hands-on tips to succeed in your new role.

The following story demonstrates how delegation affects your leadership success. It was told by a leader who read the 2-Way Delegation app.

“Probably one of the most impactful things I learned from the app is to describe the meaning of the work to the employee (sometimes, it is easy for me to think the meaning is obvious, even though it might not be).

I did a “test run” of sorts practicing delegation skills. After applying the tips in the Analyze phase, I had my initial meeting with the employee I chose to do the work. At the end of the meeting, he said, ‘I am HONORED you chose me to do this.’ HONORED?! I couldn’t believe it! My workload was lightened and he was HONORED to do the work…and it was all because I went about explaining the work in a completely different manner than I normally would have (if I would have even delegated it at all), using the techniques in the app. It really motivated me to continue using this process to motivate and develop employees, while lightening my day-to-day work so I can focus on work more apt to my skill set.”

Look for 2-Way Delegation in the App Store or Google Play. It is 46 pages of robust content, exercises, and community interaction that teaches the art and skill of 2-way delegation.

Make a list of tasks that you need to accomplish for the week. The list needs to be prioritized; but first, analyze it for delegation possibilities. For each task, ask the following “yes” or “no” questions.

If the answer is “yes”, consider delegating.

• Is it repetitive and if you trained someone, you would have time for work that better aligns with your organizational role?
• Could it contribute to the growth and development of a team member?
• Would it would fun and interesting for a team member?

If the answer is “no”, consider delegating.

• Does it make the best use of your time/abilities?
• Can you complete the work by the deadline without working loads of overtime?
• Does it require your level of expertise?

Go forth and delegate; grow yourself by doing the right work and grow others by giving them a chance to learn new skills. You can learn more about delegation by reading the NEW mobile app that is coming to the marketplace in late February – Delegation: Giving and Receiving Work. It will be in the App Store and Google Play.