Good Morning.

This week I return to beating my drum about relationships, this time addressing the importance of good ones in the workplace. In this very short video clip (just over a minute), produced by Guadalupe Gonzalez and Jardley Jean-Louis, Jessica Rovello of Arkadium talks about 3 very simple, but extremely powerful, ways to build the strong relationships among your employees which foster productive teamwork.

If you just do these three things routinely, sincerely, every day, you'll be blown away by the improvement in teamwork you'll see - and, of course, with that comes productivity and profitability.

Recognize!

Recognition is one of the most powerful motivators available to a leader. When you recognize someone's superior performance, that's one of the most powerful ways to make them feel good about themselves, and to produce more of what elicited the praise. Doing it publicly at least doubles the impact. Do it often...but not too often - it becomes "stale" and insincere if it's done too frequently - a fine line. Another important consideration in effective recognition is that it be specific - "You handled that prospect very well", is far more effective than, "You're doing a great job". Writing an email or letter, and copying the "big boss", also strengthens the recognition.

A corollary to this is to avoid criticism whenever possible. If you actively recognize the behavior you want, and ignore what you don't want, most of the time things will fall into place. When an undesirable behavior must be addressed, it's very important to do it constructively. Explain the behavior you would prefer, and the reasons why it's preferable. Destructive criticism (e.g., "You did that wrong".), according to my friend Brian Tracy, is about as effective with a person as a hammer-beating is with a copier or computer. Also, when you must criticize, be sure you criticize the behavior, NOT the person.

Unless it's necessary to document the incident, keep criticism verbal - and private!

Communicate!.

There is no way to overemphasize the value of clear communication - about what you expect and ways to approach a task or project (entertain and discuss ideas here, but be very careful not to "micro-manage"). If everyone has a clear understanding of what's to be done, by whom, by when, and the results expected, they can proceed with the work they have to do in an effective way. Any uncertainty about these expectations results in delays, lack of cooperation, and lower morale, all very destructive to productivity.

Another important line of communication is to know your people, individually. Find out what motivates them, who their families are, what's important to them in their lives, what worries or concerns they have, and other details of their personal, as well as professional lives. Let them know you are interested and that you care about each one of them and how their work experience fits into their lives. It's of course important to do this without probing in an unwelcome way. If there are private details they really don't want to discuss, leave them alone! Warm, and professional - another fine line.

Communicate with actions as well as words. If you as the leader set an example of the behavior you want, that's a huge part of the communication process!

Relate Daily Activities to Company Goals and Mission

This is really an extension of the communication process - actually, effective leadership is approximately 99% communication, as Jessica points out.

If you help people understand how their everyday tasks tie into the organization's mission, goals, and strategies, they will sense that they're part of something much larger than themselves. That lends a sense of purpose to their daily activities - a great morale booster! And elevated morale is a major factor in improved productivity and profitability.

Throughout a career spanning over 45 years my  management style has been one of building teams to bring several competent people together to focus on a common objective. 

As I transition to life in the Argentine outback, my focus will shift to helping other business coaches and advisers get their message out to their prospective clients. With my first-hand knowledge of the benefits of effective business coaching, I am uniquely qualified to work with business advisers of all stripes convey their message.

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