Leadership

The Audience Arc: A Balancing Act for Success

/ Susan Hendrich / Leave a comment

Master the balancing act of needs using the Audience Arc

In today’s dynamic business landscape, navigating an “audience arc” is crucial for driving high-impact initiatives. This arc applies to any scenario where you need to engage different levels of your organization. Regardless of your situation, there are three core entities to consider as your craft solutions for your customers:

  • The Enterprise: The overarching goals and vision of the organization.
  • The Team: The collective effort and expertise of your department or project group.
  • The Individuals: The unique perspectives and motivations of each person involved.

Now, here’s a powerful framework that can elevate your success:

The Balancing Act: Decisiveness with Context Meets Collaboration for Innovation

Part 1: Decisiveness/Smart Risk-Taking vs. Organizational Navigation/Collaboration

Effective leadership requires a delicate balance. On one hand, you need to be decisive and willing to take calculated risks. However, it’s equally important to navigate the organizational landscape effectively. Collaborative decision-making that considers various viewpoints can lead to stronger results and increased buy-in.

Part 2: Honoring the Past While Embracing the Future

Balancing Tradition with Innovation:

  • Past: Respect What’s Been Done Before: Building on past successes and learning from previous experiences is crucial. Ask yourself, “Has someone already tackled this challenge? Can we leverage their efforts?”
  • Future: Embrace Innovation and Learning: Don’t be afraid to break new ground and experiment. Every situation presents opportunities to learn and push the boundaries.

Conclusion: Mastering the Audience Arc

By understanding the audience arc, consistently creating delicate balance between decisiveness and collaboration, tradition and innovation, you can navigate your way to success in any situation. Winning strategies require considering all three entities – the enterprise, the team, and the individuals. Remember, it’s all about finding the sweet spot between calculated risks and well-coordinated execution. So go forth, analyze, diagnose, plan, and lead your team to high-impact success!

Forget “Soft” Skills: It’s all about Power Skills

/ Susan Hendrich / Leave a comment

Power Skills are Game Changers.

Let’s be honest, the term “soft skills” has never done these crucial abilities justice. It makes them sound fluffy and less important than those technical “hard skills.” But here’s the thing: communication, problem-solving, adaptability – these aren’t just nice-to-haves, they’re absolute game-changers.

That’s where the concept of “power skills” comes in. This shift in language reflects the growing recognition that skills like empathy, collaboration, and critical thinking are what truly drive success in today’s rapidly changing world.

Why Power Skills Matter

  • Adaptability: Technology is evolving at breakneck speed, and power skills allow you to keep up. The ability to learn new tools, pivot strategies, and roll with the changes is what separates those who thrive from those who are left behind.
  • Communication: Collaboration is the lifeblood of modern organizations. Whether it’s influencing a team, clearly presenting ideas, or negotiating solutions, strong communication builds strong teams and strong results.
  • Problem-solving: The world is messy and complex. Power skills like critical thinking and creativity allow you to break down obstacles, find innovative solutions, and navigate challenges with confidence.
  • Emotional Intelligence: Understanding your motivations, managing your emotions, and building relationships with others is essential for success. Emotional intelligence makes you a valuable team member and an effective leader.

Making the Transition

So, how do you move from seeing these as “soft skills” to unleashing their true power?

  1. Own them: Embrace the importance of your current abilities. Recognize that they are highly sought after and essential for success.
  2. Elevate them: Identify specific ways to leverage and expand upon these skills. Seek opportunities to practice them in your work and consciously strengthen those areas.
  3. Showcase them: Don’t just talk about your power skills, demonstrate them! Highlight how they’ve helped you solve problems, build strong relationships, or adapt to change in your resume, interviews, and everyday interactions.

Power skills are the key to not just surviving in the modern workplace but truly thriving. By ditching the “soft” label, embracing their importance, and proactively developing them, you’re giving yourself a competitive advantage and setting yourself up for a long, impactful career.

The 3Gs of Mentor Matchup: Goals, Gaps, Gifts

/ Susan Hendrich / 1 Comment
Goals, Gaps, and Gifts: Mentor / Mentee Matchup Magic

An ideal mentor/mentee matchup blends three key elements: Goals, Gaps, and Gifts.

GOALS: Mentor and mentee should have compatible goals and aspirations. For example, if your goal is to become a director, choose a mentor with experience as a director or other leadership role. If you aim to build confidence in delivering presentations, find a mentor who dazzles you when they are on the stage.

GAPS: A good mentor can fill in the gaps in the mentee’s knowledge and experience. For example, if you are new to the industry, choose a mentor who can teach you about the industry and help you develop skills.

GIFTS: Mentor and mentee should have complementary gifts and talents. For example, if you are a creative thinker, choose a mentor who is good at strategic planning and execution. Having complementary skills allows the mentee to see a different way of approaching novel situations.

Think about your own experience as a mentor or mentee. How did your goals, gaps, and gifts intersect?

Want more information? Check out the LinkedIn discussion, “How can you ensure that mentors and mentees are a good match?”

The Four Agreements: Unlocking Your Best Self

/ Susan Hendrich / Leave a comment

Sometimes a book can change your life. The Four Agreements, by Don miguel Ruiz changed mine.

This international bestseller takes less than an hour read, and provides a simple (not easy) roadmap for releasing long patterns of self-judgment, worry, and self-limiting beliefs.

The Four Agreements are:

  1. Be Impeccable With Your Word.
  2. Don’t Take Anything Personally.
  3. Don’t Make Assumptions.
  4. Always Do Your Best.

A few thoughts:

Praise Publicly, Correct Privately

/ Susan Hendrich / Leave a comment

“Praise Publicly, Correct Privately” is an inclusive leadership approach that helps leaders establish a culture of trust and effectively communicate with their team members. I first learned the concept decades ago when I read, The One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson. Praise Publicly, Correct Privately changed the way I lead others. In fact, it changed the way I interact with the world. Praise Publicly, Correct Privately isn’t just good leadership advice; it’s also just common sense. But sometimes common sense isn’t all that commonly practiced…

I witnessed a situation today that runs counter to Praise Publicly, Correct Privately. Calling out someone in front of a group, especially when you are in a position of power, does not reflect on the person being shamed as much as it reflects on the person doing the shaming. It is astonishing how quickly positive energy and enthusiasm can dissolve into awkward silence and injured retreat. Repair can certainly happen, but it’s hard to “unhear” public shaming. A high-performing team has plenty of room for light-hearted jokes. But how do you know when the line is crossed from light-hearted to heavy-handed? I’d love to hear your thoughts on the difference. Thoughts to begin the conversation:

When people are praised for their work in front of others, it can have a powerful effect on their motivation and productivity. On the other hand, when people are criticized for their work in front of others, it can be demotivating and damaging to their self-esteem.

The key to effectively using this technique is to understand when and how to use it. When praising a team member, it is important to be specific and to highlight their specific contributions to the team. For example, instead of simply saying “good job,” it is more effective to say “I really appreciate how you took the lead on that project and made sure it was completed on time.” This type of specific feedback helps the team member understand what they did well and how they can continue to improve.

When correcting or giving feedback/feedforward to a team member, it is important to do so privately and in a constructive manner. This means that the criticism should be focused on specific areas of improvement and should be delivered in a way that is designed to help the team member learn and grow. For example, instead of saying “you did a bad job,” it is more effective to say “I noticed that you struggled with X and I think it would be helpful if we worked together to improve this area.”

Praise Publicly, Correct Privately helps to create a positive and supportive work environment. When people feel that their work is appreciated and that they are being given constructive feedforward, they are more likely to be motivated and engaged in their work. Additionally, this technique can help to improve communication and trust between team members and leaders.

I would love to hear your ideas on Praise Publicly, Correct Privately.