
CPR: taking the stress out of practicing public speakingÂ
Practicing a speech is intimidating. Not only do you have to know your stuff, but you also have to think about your structure, your gestures, and your audience. Here’s how to use...
by Michael D. Watkins Published January 14, 2022 in Brain Circuits • 2 min read
Some people have the gift of sparkling wit, others have great curiosity and intellect, while some are naturally great communicators. Ideally, these are all things you would like to see in a leader, but most people don’t naturally have this host of skills. Sometimes, even great leaders need to refine the way they interact with others. The good news is, if someone is willing to learn, this is not hard to do.
An introverted leader may not realize that they are alienating their teams by not taking time to connect. Sometimes when leaders are pulled in many directions, they may bypass small talk because they are short on time. But small talk and other interactions that show you care about people are often what makes employees feel valued. It’s important to not brush these interactions off as a waste of time, but rather consider them as critical as talking about the objectives you have for your company.
There are a series of actions leaders can take that will facilitate connections with employees including the following:
Commit to starting meetings with a personal check-in. If this is normal for you at every meeting, you don’t risk coming off as brusque or too important to show you care about employees.
Intentionally ask people how they are doing and wait and listen to the answer in both one-on-one meetings and informally.
Smile. This can be a hot button issue, especially for female leaders who are often told to smile while men are not, so it is advisable to not suggest it to your leadership team. But you yourself should consider whether you regularly display positive emotions and smile when interacting with people. This small action makes a substantial difference.
Say hello. Again, this is a very small thing, but if you find that you are passing coworkers in the halls and not greeting them, chances are you are probably not giving them a great impression. Be conscious of things like this and make sure to nod and say hello to literally everyone you encounter in the office.
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Further reading:Â
Five ways to help leaders who struggle to connect with their teams by Michael Watkins
Professor of Leadership and Organizational Change at IMD
Michael D Watkins is Professor of Leadership and Organizational Change at IMD, and author of The First 90 Days, Master Your Next Move, Predictable Surprises, and 12 other books on leadership and negotiation. His book, The Six Disciplines of Strategic Thinking, explores how executives can learn to think strategically and lead their organizations into the future. A Thinkers 50-ranked management influencer and recognized expert in his field, his work features in HBR Guides and HBR’s 10 Must Reads on leadership, teams, strategic initiatives, and new managers. Over the past 20 years, he has used his First 90 Days® methodology to help leaders make successful transitions, both in his teaching at IMD, INSEAD, and Harvard Business School, where he gained his PhD in decision sciences, as well as through his private consultancy practice Genesis Advisers. At IMD, he directs the First 90 Days open program for leaders taking on challenging new roles and co-directs the Transition to Business Leadership (TBL) executive program for future enterprise leaders, as well as the Program for Executive Development.
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