By Jason Osborn

As a leader you have probably heard some of the best “blame’s” in the world. No one wants to take responsibility for anything unless it makes them look good. This doesn’t merely apply to the people you are leading, but to leaders as well. Playing the blame game is one of the quickest ways to lose credibility among those you are leading and among fellow leaders alike.

One of the keys to your leadership success is to make sure that this whole thing of blaming people is at a minimum. It’s your responsibility to create a culture where people simply fix the problem instead of blaming it on everyone else. There is an old Japanese proverb that goes like this, ‘Fix the problem, not the blame.’

Blame is like rust. It corrodes your business, organization, and team from the inside out. Unless you focus on fixing the problems, the blame game can ruin everything that you do. Of course, the first person to look at to find out if there is a culture of blame is you. As the leader, people will follow the example that you set. So, if you tend to place blame on others, it will be ten times worse with the people you are leading.

If you don’t blame, the next group of people that you need to look at are those that you have placed in leadership positions. If they tend to blame you then you have a corrosive problem at the very top. This will infect your people and make it almost impossible for them to listen to you because they will most likely follow the example of blaming that they have learned from the very person you placed in a leadership position.

If your leadership team is in tact, then you need to begin to look among everyone else. If there is a key person who constantly blames their mistakes on everyone else, deal with it immediately. If the person doesn’t change then the best thing to do is let them go or replace them. Of course, this isn’t always easy, but its better to deal with it now than have to deal with it when you have an uncontrollable rust problem in your organization.

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Jason and Rebecca Osborn have dedicated themselves to changing thousands of lives by helping people find their greatness and true potential through their Find Your Greatness Newsletter.

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By Tim Milburn

Have you ever noticed how some people seem to speak on our level and others seem to be making noise, but not making any sense? Take a look at the following 10 assumptions. If you think this way, you may need to make some changes.

1. We thought that we could take someone else’s message and simply pass it on. This is like learning to paint by numbers. The true artist paints from an inborn passion about what s/he sees. When we paint by numbers, we attempt to copy someone else’s passion. If we want people to truly hear our message, it must be communicated with passion and belief. We must own it. We must communicate the importance of our message. This happens when we’re are able to communicate with conviction. If we are not gripped by our message, our hearers won’t be either.

2. We thought the message was more important than the people we were talking to. There’s a difference between talking to a wall and talking to a person. Yet, if we don’t communicate properly we may get the same response from both. Our message must communicate a belief in people. Our communication must show respect and what kind of expectations we have in our hearers. If those who receive our message feel like they are being talked down to or belittled, they will turn us off quickly.

3. We thought that how we lived didn’t have an effect on what we said. Many times we try to communicate from the perspective of the person we’d like to be instead of the person we are. Authenticity is a powerful communication tool. We must communicate with words consistent with our actions. If we talk the talk, but it doesn’t match the way we walk the walk, then we will face a credibility issue. Sometimes the way we live our lives speaks so loudly people can’t hear what we’re saying - unless the two match up.

4. We thought that leaders should always say something. A leader may be passionate, knowledgeable, and have something very worthwhile to say. But if the message is delivered at the wrong time, it won’t have a chance to connect with the hearer. There are times we must know when to communicate and when to be silent. Leaders understand that the right message given at the wrong time can have negative consequences. Consider the timing of every communication. Ask yourself – Is this the right time to say this?

5. We thought that our own style of communication would work in every situation. While we may have a certain way of communicating that is most comfortable to us, our hearers have a variety of ways that they process information. Use variety. Mix it up. Within the first 15 seconds of our communication, people are making decisions as to whether they will keep listening or reading. What will we do to make our message stand out from the rest? The key is to be creative while remaining consistent and understandable.

6. We thought that people would know how to respond to our message. When I was in the third grade, the popular way to ask a girl if she liked you was to write her a note expressing your affection and then give her three options to proclaim her answer (yes, no, and my personal favorite…maybe). Of course, my preferred (but often rejected) response was a “yes, but at the very least, I had let her know her options. When we communicate, we must clarify the appropriate response. We should help our hearer to know how they should respond to our communication. Clearly spell out what kind of action steps they need to know. Give appropriate deadlines and guidelines if necessary.

7. We thought that we only had to say it once. The truth is, we need to say the important things often. Dr. Phillip E. Bozek in his book, 50 One-Minute Tips to Better Communication says, “Busy readers tend to notice the beginning and endings of documents. Place must see information in strategic first and last locations on the page, and place the less important details in middle paragraphs.” In whatever mode of your communication, if it’s important, it’s worth repeating.

8. We thought that all we had to use was words. With all of the options available to us through technology and the internet, there is no reason for us not to use visuals and media to enhance our message. Many times it is not enough to say something in order for our hearers to get it, a message must be demonstrated and visualized as well. It is true that a picture can sometimes say it better than we can.

9. We thought if we had something important to say, that people would naturally connect with us. One of the first questions your hearer asks themselves is, “Who are you?” They won’t believe your message unless they find you believable. It is our responsibility to connect with our audience. People need to develop some kind of relationship with us if they are going to hear what we’re saying. The definition of rapport is “Relationship, especially one of mutual trust or emotional affinity.” The rule of thumb is: No rapport – No response.

10. We thought that people wanted to hear every detail. The best communicators have the ability to take something complex and to make it simple, understandable. Because there is so much information to sort through out there, we must keep our communication brief. A shorter, concise, focused statement communicates much louder than pages of detailed information. Most of the time, brevity will be our best friend. Remember, our job as a communicator is to express, not impress. We shouldn’t try to wow our audience with our expansive wisdom. Just say what needs to be said in a way that people will hear it.

Tim Milburn develops student leaders through his organization, Studentlinc. Please visit Studentlinc at http://www.studentlinc.net

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By John C. Maxwell

Successful leadership is about 90% people knowledge and 10% product knowledge. Henry Ford once said, “You can take my factories, burn up my buildings, but give me my people and I’ll build the business right back again.”

You can have strong people skills and not be a good leader, but you cannot be a good leader without people skills. In my thirty plus years of leadership, I’ve discovered that many people in leadership positions fail to ever gain a proper understanding of the people they lead. As a result, neither they nor their people ever reach their potential.

But successful leaders are able to discern the needs of their people instinctively, then take action to meet them. The following is a list of the most common needs of people and how to meet them effectively. Though every item may not be true of the people you lead, take the time to determine what items do describe them. Then commit to take the proper action to put you and your people on the road to success.

1. PEOPLE LIKE TO FEEL SPECIAL… COMPLIMENT THEM.The highest compliment a person can receive is one given by his or her leader. Mark Twain said, “One compliment can keep me going for a whole month.” Take the time to notice your people’s work and don’t hesitate to tell them when they’ve done a good job. Make a habit of being generous and sincere with your compliments.
2. PEOPLE LOOK FOR A BETTER TOMORROW… GIVE THEM HOPE.Jean Kerr said, “Hope is the feeling we have that the feeling we have isn’t permanent.” In other words, when your people are having trouble seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, remind them of the purpose of their work and help them envision what their work will accomplish. With hope your people will work harder and longer to see a task through to completion.
3. PEOPLE NEED TO BE UNDERSTOOD… LISTEN TO THEM.Every leader would be wise to heed the Cherokee saying: “Listen to the whispers and you won’t have to hear the screams.” Don’t judge what your people want to tell you before they’ve told you. Take time to understand their point of view and listen to their suggestions. It’s the best way to ensure that they’ve been listening to you and it opens the door to innovative ideas for improvement.
4. PEOPLE LACK DIRECTION… NAVIGATE FOR THEM.Don Herald said, “Unhappiness is not knowing what we want and killing ourselves to get it.” Part of your job as a leader is to help your people figure out what they’re most passionate about, then help them pursue it. Sometimes that may involve a position change within your organization or even allowing a person to pursue another opportunity. But when you understand that effectiveness comes as a result of surrounding yourself with people who love what they do, it’s not difficult to let a person go who doesn’t enjoy their work. Spend your best time developing and giving direction to those who are passionate about the work your organization is accomplishing.

Tom Peters said, “Techniques don’t produce quality products or pick up the garbage on time; people do, people who care, people who are treated as creatively contributing adults.” Before you ask anything of your people, make sure you’ve taken the time to understand and meet their needs. In doing so, you will give yourself a decided edge in maintaining their continued support.

This article provided by ChristianBusinessDaily.com — The Online Network for Christians in Business. Your source for news, articles, and commentary from a biblical perspective.

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