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Managing conflicts
We have one little 5-year-old coach at home. He gives me and my wife countless 30-minutes sessions on the topic of “Managing conflicts”.
What I see in my kid’s behavior is what I often see in teams at work.
And I think the metaphor I read about kid development is appropriate for teams as well: “Imagine it’s dark and you are driving on a bridge. If the bridge doesn’t have side railings, you’d drive slowly and with hesitance. But if you see both railings, you’d drive confidently and with ease.”
Kids are looking for clear boundaries.
So are teams.
Not boundaries to limit the movement, but to grant the needed autonomy.
What slows teams down is uncertainty – when to act on their own, how to act. What’s right and what’s wrong.
🖼 The role of the leader is to guide the team and set a frame that frees them.
– Hari from the Gang
The Fearless Organization
Creating a psychologically safe team environment is a task every leader should focus on. Look no further if you need practical guidance on how to build a culture where people feel “safe” to express ideas, ask questions, and admit mistakes.
This book by Amy C. Edmondson is THE book for psychological safety – it has a step-by-step framework for establishing it in your team or organization.
The negative effect of labels
Using labels when giving feedback is dangerous and should be done with caution.
In the IT world, the word “machine” is often used as recognition to people who are working flawlessly.
But labels, even good ones, create a frame that we should live up to.
They could become a prison.
🤖 I’ve seen many “machines” who burn out, because they stay up all night to finish the team’s work. Because they are machines.
🤖 They don’t delegate tasks to others, because quality is their responsibility. Because they are machines.
🤖 They respond to all requests and don’t say “No”, because they know everything. Because they are machines.
🔴 Focus on people’s behavior. Don’t put labels.
– The Gang
P.S. Don’t forget to try our 💊 Giving Feedback pill if you want to improve this skill.
The leadership test:
Are you a leaver or a leader?
True leadership happens when things are not alright.
When there is an emergency 🚨
It’s OK to not know what to do.
A leader’s job is not to know it all.
A leader’s job is to unite people and move them forward.
To get them out of the E.R. safe and sound!
How do you react when things go wrong?
– The Gang
Outstanding performance
You’ll need to go step by step to reach an Outstanding Performance. You cannot expect your people to start from the top, so just make sure to give them Courage along the way and they will reach for greater heights. This is the Outstanding Performance in which the people at Zühlke believe in.
As we dedicate this month to Zühlke, we decided to share a vitamin for each of their core values.
P.S. If you haven’t done it already – check all the episodes of our webcomic A Leader’s Tale.
Essentialism:
The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
When you say yes to something nonessential, you are saying no to something essential
If you feel overcommitted, overloaded, or overworked, then you have to get this book.
Essentialism is about getting done what truly matters.
// Thanks to Ani Sarambelieva for recommending this book
But (Part 1)
‘But’ is a weird conjunction that is used to connect two ideas that contrast and therefore usually it ‘deletes’ the first statement, the one before ‘but’. That is exactly why when giving feedback, think twice before including ‘but’ in your statement. Especially when the beginning of your statement is positive and you use ‘but’ to give negative feedback.
But (Part 2)
To avoid using the conjunction ‘but’, try one of the following:
– Replace it with ‘and’ if possible. And connects and rewards the other person.
– Just put a full stop. Just stop. After a short pause, continue with your next statement.
– Try using ‘on one hand’ and ‘on the other hand’ when you want to give feedback for both good and bad behavior. This way both statements stand equal.
Integrity
Why is Integrity a core value not only to Zühlke, but also to Warren Buffett?
In looking for people to hire, look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence and energy. And if they don’t have the first, the other two will kill you.~ Warren Buffett
// Thanks to Ani Sarambelieva for the quote!
SPIN Model
One of Zühlke‘s core values is Customer Success. Customer success is closely linked to customer needs. Exploring the needs is connected to one of the most efficient models to do so – the SPIN model!
Applying the SPIN model you will learn to ask the right questions in order to learn the exact needs of your client, as well as setting the right expectations.
Do you have the courage to be a team lead?
Kostadin Golev is a friend of The Gang who always supports our projects.
We thought of his great article on Courage where he shares two stories from his personal experience as a Team Lead.
Enjoy the read! 😊
As we dedicate this month to Zühlke, we decided to share a vitamin for each of their core values.
No work friends!
Our webcomic A Leader’s Tale is back!
Season 2 has started and we are sharing the first episode with you as a Daily Vitamin.
If you don’t want to miss any episodes – make sure to subscribe to it on LinkedIn 👈 as we will first release it there and at a later point we will add it to the Daily Vitamins.
💛 This episode is dedicated to Vasi, who recently gave birth to the newest member of our gang. Read a bit more here…
Want to improve your soft skills? Just subscribe below for “A Dose of Soft Skills” 🤗