Chronicle EditorShelter Chieza : Change Management
Experience is indeed the best teacher, I used to think that assuming a serious and business like face was the key and answer to get people to listen to you and influencing them to do what you want. In time I discovered that it was not really about me getting people to listen but it was more about them. It depends on what the people you are addressing think about you and that boils down to the kind of relationship you have with them.In most cases relations between bosses and subordinates tend to be less amicable due to the way they relate.
I was once asked the following question in an intelligence gathering interview — “If you could tell your boss just one thing about his or her leadership, what would you say?”
This is really not the type of question most subordinates want to be asked during these sessions mainly because they tend to have a few positive things to say about their bosses.
But on deep introspection it’s not a tough question because it does not always solicit negative responses because there are bosses that are good at building relations.
Building relations is not about being able to talk to someone but it also entails you showing that you care about the other person.
It’s about adding value to the other person’s life and winning them to your side. There are some of the common traps managers fall into that damage their working relationships.
One of the issues that quickly comes to mind is what I call “hiding behind technology”. Managers that are afraid of facing their subordinates tend to do all their communications via e-mail to avoid direct confrontation, but this does not often result in a beneficial solution.
While communicating via e-mails is now the in-thing most subordinates tend to favour the personal touch.
Technology is just a tool, but a leader that is able to converse and sit with his subordinates and hear them out tends to go very far.
I remember the experience I had in my very first job. I led a group of people that were more experienced than me.
I was intimidated and did not know how to relate to them so I decided to focus whole heartedly on my work — came early to work, left late, dressed very professionally and formally.
I thought that this will impress them and appreciate me but I was wrong they wanted me to engage them, understand them, give them guidance and leadership.
I have come to the conclusion that I may be wasting time worrying about how good my leadership skills are with employees, I worry about the relationships that I have with them and whether this relationship is encouraging them to be the best they can ever be.
As a leader you may get into situations where you are outside your area of expertise. My advice to most people is that they must develop the skill of executive presence.
When someone with executive presence walks into a meeting everyone sits up and notice how they dress, speak and stand. Learn some of these skills, they make an impact on your leadership.
Managers should learn to build relations with their subordinates to get the best out of them.
Till next week. May God richly bless you.
Shelter Chieza is an Advisor in Management Issues. She can be contacted on [email protected]
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