MODERN BUSINESS
comfortable and good at holding
our people to account, and do it
with candour and grace. Too many
organisations set strategies, KPIs
and values and behaviour yet don’t
develop the courage and skills to
ensure their people deliver on them.
2
Ensure your leaders are the
walking example not the
talking one.
The Dalai Lama was right when
he said we need to ‘be the change
you seek’. If your leaders are not
not leading by example it becomes
remarkable, but not in the way we
want. How to lose engagement
in 5 seconds is for our leaders to
say one thing, yet be another. Our
leaders need to develop the skills to
communicate with their people, and
their peers, in a way that builds trust
and respect, not damage it. Or on
the other side develop the courage
to discuss and deal with the tough
issues.
Our leaders are so significant in
setting the direction and DNA of the
organisation. Helping them become
the best version of themselves
is a two way street. It’s what the
organisation invests in them and the
role they chose to play in their own
development.
3
Understand the real truth
to make the best decisions.
The ‘real truth’ is a combination of
what you know (your truth) and what
they know (their truth). When we’re
able to see all sides, we have the
whole picture and are able to make
the best decisions. When we are
not open enough to see both sides
we can make flawed decisions.
After all, we might not be right. This
may mean that both agendas are
important. If you’re not talking about
the same thing, then you might as
well not be talking. So don’t create
competing agendas – discuss what
is important to both of you. Then you
will both feel heard.
4
Focus on making others
feel ‘safe’. Maintaining safety
in a conversation is the difference
between an outcome and an
outbreak. When both parties feel
‘safe enough’ to be honest with
each other is when you reach
the best outcomes and drive
working relationships. We need
to cultivate this in conversations
just as much as getting the
content correct, otherwise people
withhold information. It is then
that people are able to share all
the information and we can learn
and make the smartest decisions.
And relationships are built on trust
and respect with creates a thriving
workplace.
5
Don’t just train your
people, embed the change.
Running training programs, without
embedding strategies, in the hope
that people will transform is as likely
as watching a training video on how
to swim and becoming an athlete.
Too many times organisations miss
this opportunity to improve their
return on investment, on the dollars
spent and time allocated, post initial
training. Then wonder why people
are not being the change they are
looking for. Changing habits does
not happen overnight. It is a planned
and considered approach. And it’s
not as complicated as we think.
When we get clever about how to
embed the learning the success of
an organisation becomes effortless
and the culture is able to sustain
being remarkable.
Georgia Murch is an expert in teaching
individuals how to have the tough
conversations and create feedback
cultures in organisations. She is the
author of ‘Fixing Feedback’ and a
highly engaging speaker. Visit www.
georgiamurch.com or email georgia@
georgiamurch.com
May 2016
ModernBusiness
23