Coaching for Leaders

Everyone takes in information differently. Our personalities influence what we see and don't see. In this episode, I explore the two dichotomies that help explain how people take in information. Then, I discuss strategies leaders can use with folks who have preferences for each dichotomy in order to maximize the impact of what we take in and how we communicate that to others.

Sensing preference

Tangible realities

Concrete information from five senses

Orientated towards present reality

Real-life experience

Take time to reach conclusions

Need details to put together concepts and theories

Experience

Tips for leaders who prefer sensing:

Tell people where you are going

You can't ever collect it all

Get help thinking about the future

Watch out for missing the big picture

How to lead those with a sensing preference:

Talk about the here and now

Give plenty of details up front and lead them through to the conclusion

Reference how practical experience is forming this communication/decision

Intuition preference

Intangibles

Concepts and patterns - plus the sixth sense

Oriented towards the future

Ideas, possibilities, visioning

Reach conclusions more quickly

Starts with meaning first -> works back to details

Inspiration

Tips for leaders who prefer intuition:

People don't always get it until they see how it's really going to happen

Demonstrate how you've done your homework

Get help looking at all the details

Watch out for missing important details

How to lead those with an intuition preference:

Talk about the future

Set the stage for the big picture and fill in the details later

Reference how inspiration is leading to this

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Susan Cain: Quiet

Those of us who have a preference for introversion often are misunderstood by colleagues and organizations. In this episode, we explore how introverts can bring value to organizations and highlight the research of Susan Cain, author of the New York Times Bestseller, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking.

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Bonni Stachowiak: Teaching in Higher Ed

Bonni is the host of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, Dean of Teaching and Learning and Professor of Business and Management at Vanguard University, and my life partner. Prior to her academic career, she was a human resources consultant and executive officer for a publicly traded company. Bonni is the author of The Productive Online and Offline Professor: A Practical Guide*.

While we all enjoy many aspects of our personality, most of us trend towards either extroversion or introversion in how we engage with the world. In this episode, Dave and Bonni discuss this dichotomy, how to lead those who have preferences in each area, and advice for your own leadership style.

How to lead those with an extroversion preference:

Give them opportunities to communicate ideas and thoughts

Help them use their preferences in sales interactions

Recognize that they may become impatient with a slow pace, so give them indicators of movement, when possible

Use feedback regularly

How to lead if you have an extroversion preference:

Take time to listen

Ask others how they want to be led

Avoid using "thinking out loud" as an excuse for not treating others well

Give yourself "time outs" when you need them

Recognize that venting does not actually live up to its reputation

How to lead those with an introversion preference:

Don't surprise them

Give them time to respond

They are doing their best work when you don't see them

Unnecessary group work irritates them

Give them physical space to work independently

They tend to not multi-task well

How to lead if you have an introversion preference:

Be flexible

Let people know what you are thinking

Explain to people that you might not always seem engaged

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Bonni Stachowiak: Teaching in Higher Ed

Bonni is the host of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, Dean of Teaching and Learning and Professor of Business and Management at Vanguard University, and my life partner. Prior to her academic career, she was a human resources consultant and executive officer for a publicly traded company. Bonni is the author of The Productive Online and Offline Professor: A Practical Guide*.

Every leader will ultimately engage and develop people who have different personality preferences than they do. Too often, we lead others they way we would like to be led. In this episode, Bonni & Dave Stachowiak introduce the personality series and discuss ways that leaders can gain insight into the personalities of themselves and others.

Bonni and Dave both mentioned the book, Please Understand Me II by David Keirsey

Get clear on your own personality first

Journaling

Books

Space for quiet/thinking

Coaching

Feedback from others and development reports

Assessments

We tend to lead people the way that we like to be led - but often that's not the other party's preference.

Personality isn't about good and bad or putting people into boxes - it's about preference

There are a few models: Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and DiSC are the most popular

They are both widely accepted models

They both have fans and critics

Neither one is perfect

MBTI a bit easier to understand quickly - has a stronger network of control

DiSC - less black and white - but very insightful

Things for leaders to be cautious of:

Assessments are wrong - MBTI only gets all four correct 65%-80% of the time

Beware people that tell you that assessments are the end all and be all of hiring and leading people (or that their assessment is perfect)

Personality isn't about good and bad or putting people into boxes - it's about preference

Any strength overused becomes a liability

If you have someone come in to work with your team, have someone who is well trained, experienced, and just uses assessments as one data point

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For better or worse, Microsoft PowerPoint has become our default method of framing much of what we present visually to others. While PowerPoint brings many advantages to presenters, it can also serve as a crutch when we don't utilize it well to enhance our presentations. In this episode, I discuss some of the common failures leaders make with PowerPoint and a many of tips you can put into practice immediately in order to enhance the use of PowerPoint (or any other visual medium) in your presentations to others.

Rule #1 - The best PowerPoint is one you don't need.

Be sure that PowerPoint adds value to the presentation - if it doesn't, drop it. Susan Cain's TED talk is a wonderful example of a fantastic presentation that didn't need (and doesn't use) PowerPoint.

Talk to the audience - not the slides

To do this, use the 6x6 or 7x7 rule

Get a screen in front of you (called a confidence monitor) if you can

Feature images rather than text - Steve Jobs was a master at this.

Use colors and theme that match the message

Colors - use contrast

Darker room? Darker slides

Lighter room? Lighter slides

Free themes available at the Microsoft Office template gallery

A few quick tips:

Keep animations consistent

Do a dry run - and if it fails in real life, be done with it

"B" blanks out slides and "W" key whites out a slide

# key and enter brings you to that slide (i.e. pressing "1" and then "Enter" on the keyboard takes you to the first slide when in PowerPoint show)

Get comfortable with a wireless presenter before you use it - here's the Logitech Wireless Presenter I use and recommend

Community Feedback

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Michael Hyatt: Platform

There are few people who are better examples of getting noticed in a noisy world than Michael Hyatt. Michael is the voice behind MichaelHyatt.com and his blog attracts more than 300,000 unique readers each month. He joins me on today's episode to discuss his book Platform: Get Noticed In a Noisy World. If you have something to say or sell in today's marketplace, this is a must listen for you.

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The content of your presentation is always going to be most important, but how you deliver your message to the audience is a close second. In this episode, I examine 5 fundamentals that if you can use successfully, will help you to get your message across with more confidence and effectiveness.

The five fundamental to deliver a presentation with power can be easily remembered with this acronym:

Smile

Hand gestures

Eye contact

Enthusiasm

Posture

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Some people have heard that myth that how you look is more important than what you say. In this episode, I address this myth, describe in detail why what you say is the most important part of your presentation, and give practical advice for how to assemble presentation content. You can build a good presentation, even if you don't feel that you have professional delivery skills.

I begin this episode by speaking about the often misunderstood study from Dr. Albert Mehrabian that is often cited as evidence by those who claim that how you say something is more important that what you say. Olivia Mitchell from Speaking About Presenting has an excellent article that addresses this issue head on.

The bottom line? What you say is far more important than how you say it.

"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." -Leonardo da Vinci

Article I published last week: How One Key Question Gets Audience Results

"...I would rather a really plain PowerPoint, and an authentic, passionate speaker that was engaging, regardless of how many "umms and ahhs". I've been completely bored with some of the fancy presentations, because the speaker wasn't fired up about his or her topic..." -Comment from Jenn Swanson

Build your presentation around the answer to the question: What do I want people walking out of the room doing differently?

Here are some key content components:

Opening - Tell a story or get the audience involved in some way

Storytelling / examples - Tell it like you were already there. The best advice I ever received on this was to tell a story like we were watching the video of it happening.

Evidence - It's not enough that just you say it...who else provides support for your conclusions?

Call to action - What do you want us to do?

Closing - Finish strong so the audience remembers you in a positive mindset

Don't memorize your talk - and have more available than you can use!

Resources

Presentation Zen (2nd edition) by Garr Reynolds*

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Leaders need to be able to speak confidently, clearly, and concisely to others - yet surveys show that at least 10% of the US population fears public speaking more than death. Even if that isn't true for you, chances are that you might not be as effective or confident as a speaker as you would like to be. In this new series, we'll look at what you can do as a leader to both speak and present more effectively, and help coach others to do this too.

I started off this episode by talking about how I used to HATE public speaking and feared any speech...for days in advance. My trouble started in third grade and followed me well through college. I describe what I did to overcome these challenges and outlined three steps below that I know will be helpful to you as well.

1) Get in front of people!

I looked for every opportunity to speak when I went to events

I volunteered to help out at work in giving recognition to others

You could also reach out to charities and non-profits - all need speakers!

I didn't mention this in the episode, but becoming an instructor for the Red Cross is a great way to start (I did this!)

2) Find someone who will give you positive reinforcement

Find a friend, colleague, or mentor that will support you regardless of what happens

Join an organization like Toastmasters that will give you tons of position reinforcement

3) Get good coaching

Once you're a bit more comfortable on your feet, get honest coaching for someone you trust

Attend a Dale Carnegie course - they are the best of the best on teaching people how to speak and present

Start to do some teaching...either volunteer work, in your job, or teaching a class one night a week at a community college

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Janet Riley: David Allen Company

We turn our final episode of our training series to what every leader ought to know about sending people to training. Since episode #30, we've learned about many aspects of training, so this week we turn our focus to what you should know (and do) when sending people to training. I welcome Janet Riley, a gifted trainer and consultant, to help explore this topic.

Janet's extensive career in the learning and development industry has provided her thousands of hours in experience training leaders around the world, most recently with the David Allen Company. She provides important and practical wisdom for all leaders. Here's what I asked her:

When is training a good way to develop someone?

When is training the wrong answer?

What are three things leaders can do before training to support people changing behaviors?

What are some of the different attitudes people show up with in a training classroom - and how can a leader respond to each of these?

What common mistakes do leaders make when trying to support people in training?

What can a leader do to support ongoing implementation of what's been learned after training is complete?

What general advice do you have for leaders who use training to develop others?

Since this show is about engaging and developing others with coaching, who is a leader that's been an effective coach for you?

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