By Guy Harris Planning and implementing projects will, at some point, be part of your job as a front-line leader. There is a powerful and practical lesson I have learned from the best project managers I have had the privilege to observe at work. At different times and in different roles, I have had the opportunity to observe, work on, plan, and implement projects of … [Read more...]
About Guy
First, Define the Problem
By Guy Harris Many people rise to leadership positions because they can solve problems. That was certainly true for me. One of the reasons I quickly moved from an individual contributor role to a supervisor position in my first civilian job after the Navy was that I knew how to solve the technical problems my team faced. I excelled at individual problem solving and that … [Read more...]
Striking the Balance Between Coaching and Supervising
By Guy Harris When you move into a leadership role, you gain two related roles: supervising and coaching. While they are not mutually exclusive skill sets, they are different. Supervising demands performance while coaching gains commitment. Supervising defines goals while coaching helps others set goals. Supervising gives direction while coaching helps people … [Read more...]
Use Your Greatest Communication Power Source
By Guy Harris How is a cell phone like a coaching conversation, a car like a conflict resolution conversation, or a windmill like a project planning session? They all have a power source. Cell phones, coaching conversations, cars, conflict resolution, windmills, and project planning are all driven by power sources. And the power source needs to fit the … [Read more...]
A Common Way to Misuse the DISC Model
By Guy Harris I once read a news article about the number of children that have likely been misdiagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The researchers quoted in the article said that many students had been diagnosed as having ADHD by their teachers because they are young and immature rather than because they actually have ADHD. Basically, the teachers … [Read more...]
Three Questions You Can Use in Difficult Conversations
By Guy Harris Eventually, all leaders find themselves in difficult conversations. It might come as a result of a conflict between team members, as part of a sensitive coaching/feedback discussion, or when reconciling different ideas for how to proceed on a project. There may be weeks or months between them, or you might have three difficult conversations in one day. How they … [Read more...]
One Type of Conflict You Probably Will Not (want to) Resolve
By Guy Harris Working in a conflict free environment sounds great to most people. I know that it appeals to me, my work colleagues, and the workshop participants I have had conversations with. A great deal of discussion in our Bud to Boss workshops is directed towards finding ways to address and resolve workplace conflicts so that they do not interfere with getting … [Read more...]
Stop Using Feedback Sandwiches
By Guy Harris How do you like feedback sandwiches? That is common question I get both in Bud to Boss workshops and in work with coaching clients. To set the stage for my answer, I often ask: When you are on the receiving end, what do you think of them? If you are like me and almost every person I have asked that question, you don’t like them. They taste bad. I … [Read more...]
Conflict Isn’t Always Bad
By Guy Harris Conflict definitely sounds bad, and it generally feels bad. There are very few people who look forward to a conflict discussion. Frankly, more people avoid or look to escape conflict discussions than are willing to actively participate in them. Conflict certainly has a negative emotional aspect for most people. Is conflict always bad, though? Before we … [Read more...]
Three Things You Can Do to Coach Your Team to Excellence
By Guy Harris Coaching team members, improving performance, and confronting challenging behaviors are among the most common concerns expressed by participants in our Bud to Boss workshops. While the best approach for a specific situation depends on more variables that I can address in this single post, there are three guiding principles that you can apply to almost any … [Read more...]