Research shows that staff behaviours and performance levels are heavily influenced by the quality of conversations they have had (or not had) with their boss. As a leader, your core role is to achieve results. However, as a leader you achieve these results through the impact you have on those around you and the conversations you have (or fail to have) play a critical role in determining the level and nature of your leadership impact. 4 key conversational techniques that all leaders should master are:
Encouragement & Recognition: Research by Kouzes & Posner 98% of staff admits they perform at higher levels when they receive genuine recognition and encouragement from their supervisor, yet 77% of the same staff say they receive little or no such recognition and encouragement in their workplace. Further, a different study showed 25% of good staff who quit an organisation cite a lack of encouragement and recognition as their key reason for leaving.
Feedback: Timely, conversational feedback is vital to shaping staff behaviour, and in turn their performance. Specific feedback about what they are doing well significantly increases the likelihood that such behaviours will be repeated. Conversely, specific feedback about undesirable behaviours and the impact they have had reduces the chance that such behaviours will be repeated.
Disciplinary Conversations: There are also times that warrant a more formalized disciplinary conversation. Such conversations focus on the gap between what you expect of the staff member, and what the staff member has done. Your initial aim is to change future behaviour for the better and not to punish the staff member concerned, although if the gap isn’t closed you will need to move beyond conversation into more formal disciplinary measures and termination.
Conversational Coaching: Coaching conversations are a way for leaders to ensure their staff use initiative and bring their own problem solving abilities to bear on the challenge at hand. Any time a staff member brings a problem to you is an opportunity to coach. Coaching conversations can last anywhere from a few minutes to an hour, with research showing that every minute spent coaching staff saves a manager 4 minutes over the longer term.
Understanding the value and types of conversations that enhance a leader’s impact is an important first step but you also need to be able to:
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Be able to hold such conversations with ease and skill.
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Turn knowledge, skill and good intentions into habitual changes in your day-to-day leadership behaviours.
You can develop your skills with hands-on practice, and be supported to make changes in your workplace behaviour by registering to attend one of our Enhancing Performance Through Conversation programs being held in:
Melbourne (Full)
Canberra 19-20 March
Sydney 26-27 March
Brisbane 1-2 April