How to Leverage the Strength of Your Team to Build a Better Business
It’s tough.
With so many personalities, so many diverse backgrounds how can you, as a leader, ensure that everyone has a voice? That everyone feels free to share? How do you leverage the collective genius of your people to make your business or department better and more profitable?
Stephen Covey, in his book, the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, talked about the Industrial Age versus the Knowledge Age: How we evolved from needing people’s hands to do the work (Industrial worker) to needing their hands and minds (Knowledge worker) to do the job. Today, there is every indication that we are in the Relationship worker age. We need people’s hands, minds, and hearts. And we need our people together.
Ideas, no matter the value, will always spark conversation.
In this article, we will be outlining that the more ideas are brought to the table, the more innovative, productive and efficient our organizations become. Businesses that leverage diversity, inclusion and collaboration within their teams are leading the pack.
Mckinsey reports the strong business case for gender, ethnic and cultural diversity in corporate leadership. The most diverse companies have the average likelihood of financially outperforming less diverse peers on profitability. As a result, they earn more, keep their people longer and have higher employee engagement. Despite the enormous benefits, many organizations are still in silos and harbouring toxic environments.
Leverage, Leverage, Leverage
Virtual Impact Communication and Speaking Expert for Emerging Leaders and Creator of the Superstar Communication Methodology Susan Heaton-Wright describes her experience with leaders in organizations. “We have people that have their agenda, and they will only listen to what they need. (In discussions) they’ve already made their decision, and they’re not prepared to listen to opposing views. They may even dismiss certain people because they’re quieter or take a long time before they contribute to conversations.”
When I speak to a room full of leaders at conferences, I ask a powerful question, “Do you have people on your team who possess more skills, more capacity, and more capability than what their current job description allows?” Invariably, almost every single hand goes up. But why are not all organizations leveraging those abilities?
Heaton describes what we all want to happen in every business. “All of the talented people that you have in your company can communicate with impact, whether it is to colleagues, whether it is sharing advice, whether it’s to clients or stakeholders.”
As leaders, we will need a recalibration of our mindsets to leverage the brilliance of our teams.
1. Leaders need to leverage diversity
Diversity in the workplace could range from personality types to gender, culture, or ethnicity. Instead of being blinded by unconscious bias, we must leverage these differences to achieve more.
We will always have different types of people in the room at a meeting.
As leaders, we need to listen objectively to our people. There could be a “Cassandra” in the group who always finds something to dispute. And yet, if you listen intently, there might be a gem of an idea that could change your perception or the direction you want to take.
Some may be a bit quieter or take a little longer to process what they’re going to say. It’s essential to give these pensive contributors space to speak up as well.
2. Leaders need to leverage collaboration
The magic ticket to effective collaboration is giving every participant in a discussion a voice.
In my facilitation sessions, I use mapping tools to ask questions. I have participants (under huge time constraints) write answers on post-it notes™. The Empathy and Journey Mapping exercises tap into the different geniuses in the room. With no space or time to self-filter, the contributions are candid and sincere and reflect everyone’s authentic voice.
“No idea is bad…. Every idea spurs a discussion.”
3. Leaders need to leverage effective communication
What’s the use of an initiative if only the senior leadership buys into the concept? If it is not filtered down to the lower levels of the organization, it’s a waste of time. A great idea deserves to be understood and implemented by the end-users to be effective. Albert Einstein puts it perfectly well, “Genius is making complex ideas simple, not making simple ideas complex.”
Check out my full interview with Susan Heaton-Wright
4. Leaders need to leverage active listening
Leaders must learn to park their egos to get valuable feedback from other people.
It takes a lot of humility to admit that one does not have all the answers. However, being open and present to what is being said, and how it is being said, not only validates the person speaking, it gives one insight into the emotions and convictions of the speaker’s thoughts.
Even in judging their performance, leaders can leverage 360-degree feedback, where subordinates rate their managers’ performance. This feedback is an essential part of one’s professional and personal development program.
As tempting as it might be to say, “But I don’t think that’s right,” it’s important to heed what is being said. As the adage goes, “You cannot see the label on the bottle when you’re inside the jar.”
5. Leaders need to leverage training and learning programs
No one is born being a great communicator. Unfortunately, our schooling system does not make effective communication a part of the curriculum, so we’ve never been trained.
Yet, in the workplace, we expect everyone to be effective communicators.
One of the least expensive training solutions I have found is Toastmasters. I’ve been honoured to help companies create corporate speaking clubs. We create lunchtime, peer-led meetings to help staff with their leadership and communication skills.
I have seen the magic first-hand when people are taught the skills and come out of their shells. “I never knew that Derrick, our junior accountant, was so funny.” “I never knew our Admin person was so well-read – man, bright girl.” By giving people a space to learn and shine, you expose and leverage the brilliance of others.
Similarly, establishing an internal mentorship program is a great way to leverage your leaders’ knowledge to helps employees develop.
6. Leaders need to leverage the ideas that get created
There’s one saying that captures the essence of conversation: “The quality of the idea is less important than the conversation it creates.”
Permit others to share ideas, but then hold them accountable for their thoughts.
One of the best managers I’ve ever worked with would look at me and say, “So, what does that look like?” whenever I shared a thought or idea. He forced me to think about what I was saying. I couldn’t just talk off the cuff. I had to think about what I meant to say and what I wanted to achieve. Most importantly, it made me feel valued.
7. Leaders need to leverage their influence
The more Leaders walk the talk, the more they model the standards they want, the more cohesive the organization.
Throughout this article, we’ve talked about creating a safe space. Space to learn, to grow, to communicate and to listen. Safe space for all to share ideas, brainstorm solutions and contribute at higher levels.
Therefore, regardless of the goals, leaders, alone, set the tone.
Leveraging your influence as a leader can destroy work cultures or just as easily elevate work cultures. Really, the choice is yours.
Henry Ford says, “Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is a success.”
About Susan Heaton-Wright
Susan Heaton-Wright is a Virtual impact, communications and speaking expert for emerging leaders and the creator of the Superstar Communicator™ methodology. She is an international speaker; the MD of award winning music company, Viva Live Music, podcaster and a former prize winning international opera singer. In 2020, she was named as an #ialso 100 top inspirational female entrepreneurs in UK. She is a Fellow of the Professional Speaking Association.
She delivers virtual seminars, workshops and individual training for many companies including Astra Zeneca, Deloitte, Invesco, RBS, Shell, Microsoft, AXA, the NHS and Quintiles. Her area of expertise is in Impact, Presence and spoken communication. Her virtual courses are CPD accredited independently; she is also a fully qualified teacher.
Susan regularly delivers remote speeches and seminars to professional organisations and businesses, as well as leaders and emerging leaders in organisations. She has spoken in Lithuania, France and The Netherlands, as well as throughout UK, at conferences; as a panellist; business events; lunch and learn sessions and trade shows. More recently Susan has been speaking virtually to international audiences, including virtual conferences.
She is regularly interviewed on BBC Radio Five Live; BBC2, local radios and international podcasts. Susan has contributed to articles in Forbes, The Guardian, Huffington Post, Thrive Global, The Scotsman and trade publications.
Susan is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, The Royal Society of Arts and the Incorporated Society of Musicians. Susan is a former Regional President of PSA UK, for the Eastern Region. She leads a project of musicians in Greece annually, to deliver music workshops to refugees in Athens as part of the ‘Love without Borders’ charity.
Check her out here:
- www.superstarcommunicator.com
- www.linkedin.com/in/susanheatonwright
- www.facebook.com/superstarcommunicator
- www.twitter.com/superstarcomms
About the Author:
Marc Haine is a Service Expert and a Master of Experience. He is a sought-after speaker and trainer working with businesses that need to attract and engage their best customers. Driven by his passion for creating experiences that rock, Marc has worked with retail, casinos, hotels, associations and municipalities to help them design jaw-dropping experiences that get them noticed.
Marc knows what it takes for businesses to exceed experience expectations–The first step, each day, as you open your doors to the public, have you and your staff yell, “IT’S SHOWTIME!”
Marc is one of the world’s foremost authorities on customer journey experience touchpoints and is the author of LIGHTS! CAMERA! ACTION! Business Operational Excellence through the Lens of Live Theatre (Check out the new way of looking at your business HERE).
Marc is offering a free 30-minute brainstorming session with you and your team. Click Here to book a time that works for you on his online calendar.
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