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Hi -Tech, Leadership Development, personal development, Soft Skills

De-bugging the Soft Skill of Problem-Solving

August 18, 2017

Problem=Solving

Was Problem-Solving on your list of soft skills? I can’t say that it was originally on mine. Why is that? I think that we tend to think of soft skills as “positive”. Soft skills are there to present an upbeat environment that everything is okay. It is an improvement mechanism. A reference to problem-solving suggests that there are indeed problems— and that’s a downer. No one wants to go there! That’s just my thought, what is yours?

“It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.” ~Albert Einstein

The reality is that no matter your role or the industry you work in, you will encounter problems. How you handle them will go a long way in determining your level of success. It will also determine how you manage the relationships and shared goals you have with your team and/or organization.

In researching this topic I turned to my fairly substantive bookshelf of management and leadership books, looking for words of wisdom. I was actually quite surprised to find that there was not all that much, and what was there was not much help. I then turned to one of my favorite sources of leadership inspiration, Canadian astronaut and author Chris Hadfield. His book, An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth (Random House Canada, 2013), is full of leadership gems and sure enough, lots of problem solving object lessons. For Hadfield, one of his learnings was to “anticipate problems in order to prevent them… how to neutralize fear, how to stay focused and how to succeed”. My favourite quote though is this: “…we learn[ed] to ask ourselves. ‘Okay, what’s the next thing that will kill me?’”. Most of will not have to ask this a question as radical as this, but it illustrates that problem solving is as much proactive as it is reactive.

In Productive Workplaces Revisited by Marvin R. Weisbord (Jossey Bass, 2004), there is a neat illustration that provides a simple model for problem solving:

Problem-solving chartMartin Weisbord First you need to define the problem: Take a holistic view, look at the big picture, and take time to examine it from as many perspectives as possible.

Collect as much data about the problem as you can. This will slow down the process, which among other things, can help prevent volatile emotions from taking over and potential conflicts from happening. Another consequence of slowing down the process is to make sure that the problem is clearly defined so that you end up actually solving the problem and not just creating a temporary stopgap measure.

Once you’ve defined a problem, you can start to generate solutions. Don’t stop at one — look for a second solution, a third, maybe even a forth. Each time you search for an additional solution you delve deeper into the problem, which can create opportunities to uncover additional issues and/or highlight unintended consequences. You may come to the conclusion that the first solution was the correct one, but having examined additional ones gives you an added level of surety.

As you select the best option, check your own emotional stance to make sure you are not favouring one solution over another simply because it is yours. Here is where the soft skill of communications and teamwork come into play.

Finally, be certain, once you have implemented the solution, to evaluate the results. Did the solution generate the desired outcome? Did it cause any unintended consequences? The answers to these questions will help determine your course of action in any future similar circumstance.

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John Whitehead, MA, CEC, coaches individuals and organizations in becoming more effective by helping them improve their interpersonal communications, emotional intelligence and resiliency.

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*******Are you wondering if having a Leadership/Personal Development Coach is right for you? Contact John for a complimentary, exploratory coaching session********

Career Development, Hi -Tech, Leadership, Leadership Development, personal development

Hi-Tech: When Beanbag Chairs and Foosball Tables Aren’t Enough

John Whitehead

August 12, 2017

foosball table

I read a great post a week or so ago titled “Adaptability: The Key Leadership Trait in the Digital Transformation” by Daniel Newman. Reading it took me back to two blogs I wrote a couple of years ago in my series on Soft Skills development, specifically the ones on adaptability and flexibility. In them I stated that one of the most common situations in which we will need to change and adapt is when processes (technology) change in the workplace. Newman’s article focuses on the required leadership change that comes with rapid changes in technology. His premise is that adaptability isn’t enough anymore. “Leaders don’t just have to change — they must change quickly, or best case proactively”.

This resonated with me in particular because of a series of interviews I am currently undertaking with leaders in the hi-tech sector focusing on the human resource challenges they face after hiring employees. Things are moving so rapidly in their organizations that there is a tendency to just forge ahead and ignore concerns about social or personality issues. One leader said to me that they don’t have time to deal with staff personality challenges. On one hand, finding good people with the right technical skills in a booming sector is a challenge, but on the other the rule seems to be that if a person doesn’t fit, then just let them leave. My reply to that philosophy is to say that it is very short-term thinking. Just a small series of events and a change in attitude (adaptability) can make a huge difference in retaining talent and creating a better workplace environment.

For smaller firms that don’t have, or can’t yet afford a dedicated HR staff person, the leader is the HR department, this on top of everything else they are doing, so I can see how personality and behaviour issues can drive them crazy. On the other hand if they could slow down and take some time for strategic thought, the solutions to these issues would become clearer. I keep visualizing the picture of the guy pulling a cart with square wheels who is unable to see the guy trying to sell him round wheels, because he is so focused on the task before him.

I get it — projects have timelines and there is a need to see them to completion, but in reality, an hour or two per week is not going to be a make-or-break difference. The initial challenge is getting the leader to recognize that first, they need to slow down, and second, they need to be strategic. Once they can do that then they can start looking at the big picture and not only the one right in front of their eyes.

Whereas Newman’s article focuses on the need to look out for future changes in technology and to be proactive in customer engagement, my message is to be as proactive and engaged with staff. In fact, how can you have one without the other? What is the solution? Don’t just provide a cool space to work in with all those neat amenities like foosball tables, beanbag chairs, well-stocked fridges, but also provide opportunities for personal growth, starting with the leaders. Who are your future leaders in the organization? What does your succession plan look like? How are you developing those future leaders? What opportunities for growth do they have?

The good news is several of the hi-tech sector leaders I’ve been speaking to have or had business coaches and/or mentors, so they are getting some advice and counsel from a business viewpoint. But what about from the soft skills perspective; from a leadership perspective? My initial research is pointing to a definite gap there in need of filling.

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John Whitehead coaches individuals and organizations in becoming more effective by helping them improve their interpersonal communications, emotional intelligence and resiliency.

*******Are you wondering if having a Leadership/Personal Development Coach is right for you? Contact John for a complimentary, exploratory coaching session at [email protected]********

Change, Coaching, Decision Making, Leadership Development, personal development

Fighting What You Control and What You Don’t Control

John Whitehead

August 4, 2017

Keep Calm Control

Over the past few weeks, in a significant number of discussions with a variety of people, the concept of “What do you control and what don’t you control” has surfaced. It’s a common challenge for many clients in their day-to-day activities. The battle is the same for business owners trying to figure out how to run their businesses and for individuals in leadership roles trying to figure out how they should be leading. The image that comes to my mind in these discussions is of my virtual mentor, Marshall Goldsmith, raising his hand to his head and with a wave says, “Let it go… let it go…” It seems a bit simplistic to be a viable solution, but really, it simply is true.

“Freedom is the only worthy goal in life. It is won by disregarding things that lie beyond our control.” ― Epictetus

The question I pose is this: What are some of the things we can’t control? We can’t control the weather — if it’s going to rain, it’s going to rain (or as in currently the case in my fire-ravaged home province, if it’s not going to rain, then it’s not going to rain). We can’t control how someone else is going to act or react in any given situation nor can we control how that situation may unfold. However, we can control our own actions or reactions: what we do to mitigate an event or take action that might set something off. For example I can’t control if a potential client will decide to engage me as his coach, but I can do all that is possible to encourage him to see why I would be the best choice. I do that to the best of my ability, then either he will hire me or he will not. This not to be confused with fatality. The idea is that we do the very best we can, then we don’t necessarily walk away with the desired result, but we do accept that there are things we can control and there are things we can’t.

In my relatively short career as a coach I have seen how “getting this” can have a profound effect on a person’s life. One of my clients, Terryl, effectively explained the impact this realization had on him. During coaching one of the first lessons he learned was that there are some things he could control, and others that he couldn’t. He realized that changing someone else’s behaviour fell in the latter category. Therefore his first step was to look at himself, and understand himself. As Terryl stated: “What I took away from that was if I can make my department run smoothly, everyone else would take note. So that was [to] quit being concerned with what may or may not have been going on in my supervisor’s mind, and just focus on working with my department and making it run smoothly.” (Video Case Study – Terryl – A Shift In Behaviour Creates Change)

“The reason many people in our society are miserable, sick, and highly stressed is because of an unhealthy attachment to things they have no control over.” ― Steve Maraboli, Unapologetically You: Reflections on Life and the Human Experience

What is going on in your life right now that is controllable and what isn’t and what are you doing about it?

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John Whitehead coaches individuals and organizations in becoming more effective by helping them improve their interpersonal communications, emotional intelligence and resiliency.

*******Are you wondering if having a Leadership/Personal Development Coach is right for you? Contact John for a complimentary, exploratory coaching session at [email protected]********

Coaching, communication, Hi -Tech, Interpersonal Communications, Leadership Development, personal development, Soft Skills

Why Teambuilding is an Important Soft Skill in Hi-Tech

John Whitehead

July 29, 2017

“Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.” – Michael Jordan

“There is no strength until there is cooperation” – Irish Proverb

John Adair defined “team” as “a group in which the individuals share a common aim and in which the jobs and skills of each member fit in and those of others”. Working in a successful team can be rewarding. It can be even more rewarding to use your own skills to create, develop and lead a successful team. Teambuilding then is a critical component of Soft Skills.

People have always worked in teams, going back to our earliest hunter-gatherer days when working as a team meant our very survival. It has since moved on to working in collaboration for defense, the success of family, and social interaction. When a task has been too big or complex for just one individual we have banded together, in everything from taking down a big animal to performing a symphony.

Even if you work independently most of the time, there will be times when you need to interact with others, either at work or at play. Working in teams is a major part of the modern workplace experience. More than ever before, collaboration has become the crucial element leading to success in today’s high tech and fast paced environment. Finding ways to build teams that accomplish their required tasks in the most efficient and accurate manner is often challenging, especially when bringing together individuals with diverse sets of hard and soft skills. There are some basic techniques you can use when building, or working, with a team to help create a cohesive unit that leverages everyone’s talents and ensures that each person contributes.

Identifying Capabilities

“Everyone is a genius, but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its life thinking it is stupid” ~ A. Einstein.

When building a team, it is key to identify the different talents, skills, and capabilities each team member brings. Take the time at the outset to ask each member what he or she brings to the team.

What skills, abilities and relationships does each team member have that can enhance the project?
What does each person feel he or she does well?
How can the team use all these talents and capabilities to achieve the best outcome?

Figuring out what which team member does well is critical to the team’s success. Putting the wrong person in the wrong spot can lead to disaster, not only for that person but also for the team. Making sure everyone is using the best suited talents and skill sets, or that, as Jim Collins stated, everyone is in the right seat on the bus, creates a symbiotic relationship that leads to maximum results.

Barriers to effective team dynamics include:

Dissonant personality styles
Conflicting priorities and work schedules
Fast-paced work routines leaving little time for relationship-building
Lack of connectedness and understanding among team members
Lack of trust in leaders

We need the ability to look beyond ourselves to understand others’ personalities and viewpoints. The soft skill required is to understand how our communication and behaviour styles, and stress-response patterns, differ from others’ in the workplace. The SOCIAL STYLEs model™ of Social Intelligence provides a perspective on first how to recognize our own patterns and then how to recognize others. Once we have done this we can then start to learn how we can “move towards” others and communicate with them better. SOCIAL STYLEs calls this Versatility and it uses the Platinum Rule: treat other how they want to be treated. Once we have developed and implemented this soft skill we can then start to see team dynamics and performances soar.

Parts of this post are adapted from “10 Soft Skills You Need” Global Courseware (2015)

This a reprint of one of several Blogs I wrote on Soft Skills development – You can find more in this series by CLICKING HERE

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John Whitehead, coach’s leaders to become more effective by helping them improve their interpersonal communications, emotional intelligence and resiliency.

*******Are you wondering if having a Leadership/Personal Development Coach is right for you? Contact John for a complimentary, exploratory coaching session at [email protected]********

Hi -Tech, Leadership Development, personal development, Soft Skills

Is Professionalism a Soft Skill? A Hi-Tech Perspective

John Whitehead

July 21, 2017

Soft Skills

“Soft Skills, or the ability to manage soft issues, is a challenge for modern leaders to master” Aly Moreno

As I wrote last week, I am in the process of interviewing senior leaders, founders and “C” suite executives in the Hi-Tech sector to get a sense of what challenges they face regarding hiring, working with, and managing people in the industry. In a meeting yesterday with one of my interviewees, he talked about professionalism. His definition included being respectful of clients (and in his case, clients of clients), being proactive, and open to learning.

In my previous series on Soft Skills I wrote about professionalism and I asked the question, is professionalism a soft skill in and of itself, or does it result from proficiency in some or a combination of soft skills? In the conclusion to that series I listed the Soft Skills that I had covered. They were:

Communication
Listening
Showing empathy
Networking
Self-confidence
Giving and receiving feedback
Team-building
Problem solving
Time & personal management
Multitasking
Adaptabilty/Flexibilty
Self-awareness
The Ability to learn

Professionalism

What does the word “professional” mean to you? What image does the word conjure up for you? For some it may create an image of a cold, distant, brusque person in a nondescript navy blue suit. For others it can simply mean conducting oneself with responsibility, integrity, accountability, and excellence. In that sense professionalism is also a key soft skill, and it is here that the word integrity appears and where it fits with my friend’s comments above. Integrity, honesty, trust—these are values that should drive the way we communicate, listen, show empathy, network, demonstrate self-confidence, and give and receive feedback.

A number of years ago I presented a workshop to a group of salespeople that explored the meaning of being a professional. I broke down the concept into five parts:

A professional:

Has specialized knowledge and skills that enables them to render a valuable service.
Maintains a unique relationship with their clients. People come to them with specific needs and expect them to be filled.
Renders services for which people are willing to pay.
Is held accountable for the services they render – or fail to render.
Maintains a appropriate attitude.

Acting with professionalism also means seeking to communicate effectively with others and finding a way to be productive. Professionalism can also look like this:

Always reporting to work on time and returning promptly from breaks.
Dressing appropriately.
Being clean and neat.
Speaking clearly and politely to colleagues, customers, and clients.
Striving to meet high standards for one’s own work.

So is professionalism a soft skill? There are some who say it is. I’m not so sure. For me, professionalism is demonstrated in the way you use the soft skills of communication: listening, showing empathy, networking, self-confidence, and giving and receiving feedback. Fundamentally, though, I believe it’s about self-awareness. If you are in the Hi-Tech world, what are your thoughts?

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John Whitehead, coach’s leaders to become more effective by helping them improve their interpersonal communications, emotional intelligence and resiliency.

*******Are you wondering if having a Leadership/Personal Development Coach is right for you? Contact John for a complimentary, exploratory coaching session at [email protected]********