Blog
Thinking of Mentoring for your Team or Organisation?
Many of today’s professionals spend a lot of time working from home, facing feelings of isolation, and dealing with a wide range of new change related stresses and challenges. For example, we have heard many stories of people changing jobs during lockdown periods and not being able to work in the office or meet their team members face to face for months.
Handling difficult people in meetings
“I know, I know; running Meetings is such boring stuff… not sexy at all. But….
I have on numerous occasions taught facilitation skills and there was always real interest in tricks and techniques for handling [difficult] people. “
Common obstacles to coaching peers & what you can do…
“Are you struggling to get started Coaching your peers?
What might be the cause of this? Lets look at this from two possible sources.”
What are we talking about this for?
“When someone in your team wants to discuss something at a team meeting, do you start the discussion and then eventually try to figure out why you are having this discussion?
I suspect this is a common experience.”
Manager or Friend?
“Have you ever experienced a situation where your manager or team leader is particularly friendly with another member of their team? How does that make you feel?
Or maybe you are someone that has a good friendship with your manager and occasionally socialise with them. What difference does that make?”
Managing Up?
Managing Up? What is it and why is it a double-edged sword?
I have occasionally described specific people I have worked with as ‘managing up’ well.
And when I refer to this skill, I’m generally not thinking positive things.
Leadership 101. Seek genuine feedback.
“I’d like to share with you something I discovered by chance when I was teaching Leadership to managers across a range of sectors and businesses.
One day, in a programme I taught repeatedly, I decided to ask a series of questions related to receiving Feedback and see what happened.”
Stop the blame game being played in your team
We know that for teams to maximise the potential of their diversity, they need to regularly use techniques like perspective getting, encouraging contribution, group brainstorming and collaborative problem solving. But none of those practices works particularly well without high levels of psychological safety.
Do You Experience FEEDBACK FEAR?
If you dread these words… ‘Can I give you some Feedback?’ you are perfectly normal not super sensitive. Most of us are at least somewhat fearful of getting Feedback.
Do you like to be appreciated?
OK, I’m going to start this off by saying ‘I do!’
I like positive feedback. I like to know that my work or my relationships add value to others. That doesn’t mean I only want positive feedback, but it really helps to know that (and why) I am appreciated.
And I think all people find that genuine appreciation motivating, (even if at times little embarrasing).