Month: January 2022

Interpersonal Communication, Leadership, Our Blog

How to Influence Groups toward Positive, Productive Outcomes

T. M. T.

“To connect with people in a group, relate to them as individuals.”

            – John Maxwell

This quote is from John Maxwell’s from book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership.  John is globally recognized for his expertise in values-based, people-centric servant leadership.  He understands what it takes to lead groups through influence.

The big idea here is that we often complicate relationships when it comes to relating to a group, but remember – all groups are comprised of individuals!

Here’s how this applies to us and building better work relationships:

No one wants to be considered a “group”; we all want to be recognized for who we are, as individuals.  I know I’ve made the mistake of treating a group as one entity, but my rapport with the group improved when I made a point of connecting with the individuals first. 

This reminds me of The 5 Core Concerns described by Roger Fisher and Dan Shapiro in their book Beyond Reason.  Everyone you meet is concerned with appreciation, affiliation, autonomy, status, and their role.  (There’s so much I could say about this!  You can find a little more about this in my blog post The Magic Key to Persuasion)

When you meet the individual needs of your group, the entire group functions better.  I’ve found that once I’ve established a connection with the individual, I am better able to nurture the connections between members of the group.  When they trust me, they are better able to trust their peers.  This leads to better collaboration and better outcomes. 

These tips can help you whether you have a formal leadership position or not, so let’s put this into action:

  1. Take an inventory of the relationships you have with your group.  This could be your work team, or it could be a group of clients.  (This also works with groups in your personal life.)
  2. Identify which of your group members need their core concerns addressed.
  3. Start doing the little things to show you see and appreciate them as an individual.
  4. Watch how the relationship starts to grow and bloom!  As your relationship strengthens, you can help them connect better to other members of the group, strengthening the entire unit.
Our Blog

A Tip to Improve Work Relationships Every Leader Needs

T. M. T.

If you’re a professional who is sincere about wanting to discover the keys to positively influence people at work and beyond, then pay careful attention to this tip for building better relationships at work.

The Main Idea Here Is: The Best Leaders EMPOWER Their People. 

In their book Beyond Reason, Roger Fischer and Dan Shapiro describe the 5 Core Concerns each person is preoccupied with.  One is AUTONOMY.  By empowering your people, you meet their need for autonomy in a powerful way.

As a professional, here’s what I mean:  you can set yourself apart from other leaders and managers in your industry by giving your people the authority to do what they do best.

This spells the difference between success and failure for everyone because the more you empower your people, the less you need to worry about the Great Resignation.

Now the thing for you to do is make a note of where you may have been micromanaging and identify who on your team can take ownership of that task.  Then empower that person to get things done!

Hey, did you realize, this article is just the tip of the iceberg for building better relationships at work! This Facebook group I just released gives you the rest of the story… Join it here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1506992179373493

Interpersonal Communication, Leadership, Our Blog

The Truth about Your Biggest Goals

T. M. T.

“One is too small a number to achieve greatness.”

            – John Maxwell

This quote is from John Maxwell’s book The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork.

John Maxwell is a master at connecting with people one-on-one, in small groups, and as an audience. He truly understands what it takes to achieve big goals.

The big idea here is the “self made man” is a myth.  There are no “lone rangers.” All successful people have a community or network that have contributed to their success.

In his book Creating Minds, Dr. Howard Gardner of Harvard University demonstrates how geniuses like Picasso, Ghandi, and Einstein didn’t become the men who could change the world by working alone.  He shows how each of these geniuses had a community around them that encouraged and challenged them to become the great men they became.  

I have been fortunate to have had two incredible work relationships with women who thought very differently from me.  The first, when I was still in S. Korea, was a very creative thinker who was an auditory learner.  When we collaborated, my organizational skills and visual learning style combined with her skills to create powerful learning activities and materials.  The second, when I was working in Washington, DC, was another extrovert to my introvert.  As we collaborated, we created a rich learning environment for our trainees that neither alone could have achieved.

The truth is we all need people around us to help us achieve our greatest goals.  When we intentionally seek out people WHO THINK DIFFERENTLY FROM US, it enhances your ability to create a plan and execute that plan.

So, let’s put this into action:

  1. Take an inventory of the relationships you have – both personal and professional
  2. Identify those who have been your greatest supporters and encouragers – take time to thank them!
  3. Identify those who bring complimentary skills, talents, and perspectives – become more intentional about collaborating with them