Leadership Styles

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Great Leaders Know The Power of Asking Questions

Great Leaders Know The Power of Asking Questions

I discussed the power of words earlier this week. Now the power of questions to discuss. Questions can unlock the long-term learning and success. Great leaders know.

They feel most leaders all the answers instead of questions. They think they can show failures as leaders in any way if they do not know the answer.

The truth is, leaders could be the answer to a question not like, so they do not ask.

What a question?

You can have formal or dis-empowering two types of questions as a guide. Show dis-empowering debt problems. They focus on the reasons why you cannot be successful or not.

Empowering questions

1. Learn to think the people and find their own answers.
2. Develop personal responsibility for the results.
3. Create a positive attitude and self-esteem.
4. Creativity pollution and impact instigation and pro-activity.

In the art of questioning, suggests Marilee Goldberg -Adams that questions of this kind of leadership:

1. How do you feel about the project to date?
2. What have you accomplished so far that you are most satisfied?
3. How would you describe the way you want to minimize described the project described?
4. What kind of support do you need to ensure success?

If managers ask questions, it shows they care and compassion. It also allows the leader to be a model, because sincerely survey shows a willingness to learn and use. Come essentially by their humility.

If leaders on the other hand, do not ask many questions, and modeled it. However, it is in a negative way. They are an example for not a lot of questions and can prevent others to do so.

In QBQ! To ask the question behind the question suggests, John G. Miller to the “question behind the question"

1. How can I adapt to a changing world?

2.      How can I contribute?
3.      What can I do to develop myself?
4.      What can I do to solve the problem?

Rather than:

1.      Why do we have to go through all this change?
2.      When is somebody going to train me?
3.      Who dropped the ball?

There is a big difference in the way, such as capacity problems are framed. It is not only the power of words, but the question of power.

Great leaders create a learning organization. The key is that every interaction is an opportunity for learning. If you do not ask a lot of questions, you will not get well. Practice.

“The leader of the past was a person who knew how to tell. The leader of the future will be a person who knows how to ask” – Peter Drucker.

The Power of Asking Good Questions

Make no mistake - you are in one place of exhibiting and competition. You are to participant attention to companies that are bigger, better funded, put newer exhibits and as you have ideas cooler.

What is dying, is did all that you do to yourself to be distinguished from the crowd, is a "very good thing." Unlike them an advantage is opposite the masses. Costs are on the other hand, always different to his money.

You can differentiate yourself from others by include The Power of Questions. With a team that die correct people, the questions correct, the time to ask right one, is dying only ones least expensive, was fantastic results you show to do can guarantee.

Only very few people know how to make effective, performance issues, and frankly, those who die do so, are not usually die floor show wind works. Fortunately, to ask big questions, is a skill, die can be to those taught not die with goods already. Are and were not counted with this. How great are born of skill yesterday seven strategies your team start today benefits to make them better exhibitors:

Strategy # 1: Listen

The best questions begin in silence. Train your people to embrace the 80/20 rule - they should listen 80% of the time. Listening is more than not talking. It is possible on the information, the visitor concentrate the use. The data they share and formulated valuable help by talking corresponding questions. For retailers in particular, listening is a real challenge. But if this ability to conquer and embrace, they could easily increase their performance in Flash!

Strategy # 2: Determine the Identities Quickly

One of the first questions to your team should ask, is a variant of "Who are you and what are you doing?" Never ever rely on badges. They can be easily replaced. This is probably the information collection strategy, the competition most commonly used.

You want to quickly find the identity of a number of reasons, to determine, but the main reason is this: In order to know who you're talking about information in the most appropriate manner: a buyer for an entirely different chain participants as powerful an internship at a friendly competitor!

Strategy # 3: Ask Open Questions

The first question that you should ask a booth visitor never be one that can be answered with a "Yes" or "No" This is an easy way to give them permission to quickly end the conversation. Known as closed questions with "Yes" or "No" does not usually help to understand your visitors' needs. To concentrate the best alternative to the questions, invite participants to tell you more about themselves, their challenges. Or their particular situations (their stories), including issues such as:

What are you doing about X?
How do you handle X?
When do you need X?

Strategy # 4: Follow a Relevant Question

When a visitor pass is his story to tell about a situation or a particular challenge is the next question to say what you just said. So this shows that you can actually hear, and no matter what they have to say. Otherwise, to do this, damage is likely if no credibility as much damage during the week have been set.

Since this is such a common mistake exhibitors, it is also relevant to your team in the practice of the pre-show capabilities of RPGs. Do you have in this job until it starts automatically and naturally feel?

Strategy # 5: Compliment

If you want to speak with a visitor at the end, which is somewhat reticent about their situation, they try to bliss. There is a subtle but powerful way to stroke their ego. A simple "I really want to know what you think X" or "Y Whether your mind" often speak of people, especially the people who show their knowledge, love. I'm sure you know the type! Remember to evaluate everyone and recognized.

Be careful with that. They always want to appear genuine, without appearing to the court of your visitors.

Strategy # 6: Get Off Topic

Exhibition is not only to make this immediate sale. There are many more that you will be with your visitors. Build long-term and profitable relationships is the key! These effectively this, you must not take part in the conversation. "Did you not use fear to any questions to do this, ask questions that will allow you to get the visitor to better understand what there can be so simple: .." Where "you find visual cues - clothing, jewelry, pens and all you can go ahead, talk, and to strengthen the relationship. It is only when you start asking.

Strategy # 7: Choose Low-Lying Fruit

Last Visitors often, often unconsciously, they want to talk. When they repeatedly mention a topic or to spend time in a particular area, which is quite a good idea to inform you that this issue is important to them. But to hear repeated or exhibitor, what is said, because they hear their own thoughts or they could turn away from one subject, because it is sensitive, or something they know. It was impossible to avoid that their ignorance of it shows.

From experience, this is not a good solid action plan. What he says to the visitor that "They are simply not interested" in them or their situation. It courage takes the bull by the horns and take frame questions directly on this issue, invites visitors to master.

For example: "You seem to have concerns about the sustainability of our widget, you can tell me what you're depressed" to these concerns in mind reaction is overlooking the confidence in your products to improve the best possible way.

To ask questions, is only half the battle. The other half of the equation refers to the answers they give you. If your team makes the big questions, listen to answers and responds with the standard text one-size-fits-all answer, you have nothing.

Instead, answers have to respond on the spot; can be tailored not only to meet customer needs, but also for the sound and the time of the interview.

Thursday, February 28, 2013

8 Steps to Reach Your Working Flow

8 Steps to Reach Your Working Flow

“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” - Buddha

Have you ever lost your job, so you lose track of time? By a group of this kind is consumed while it can be rare for most people, a state of the flow is to be called.

In my experience it is to be a key opportunity to work, and a nice side effect is that not only reduces stress but increases your productivity. Not bad, right?

When I wrote about the magical power of focus, I promised to write more about how to get a flow, a concept that is now very popular and something most of us have experienced at one time or another.

Today we are at a glance what flow is why it is important and how it can achieve increased productivity and happiness at work on a regular basis

What flow?

In other words, it is a state of mind to achieve when you're fully immersed in a task, forgetting the outside world. This approach is proposed by positive psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, and these days, you're likely to read about it on blogs and in all kinds of magazines.

If you are in the flow state, you

• on the task completely focused;

• about themselves, about others, about the world around them forget;

• forgotten time;

• feel happy and in control; and

• be creative and productive.

One thing I love about Flow is that it takes the Zen concept is complete at this point, and applies to work tasks. It is a concept that I talked a lot here on Zen Habits - be in the moment, focus on a single task and find a sense of peace and happiness in your work. Flow is exactly.

Why is Flow Vital?

I believe that the ability of a single task (as opposed to contrast multi-task) is one of the keys to true productivity. Not the kind of productivity where you knock off 20 items from your list of things to do (although this can be satisfying), where you long occupied all the time between tasks all day turn and hold.

Real productivity I mean is the kind where you actually achieve your goals, you the important things and sustainable to achieve. As a writer means that maybe writing one or two important and memorable items rather than 20 or 50 unimportant, people will forget 5 minutes after reading. This means doing big projects, instead of answering a series of emails, thousands of phone calls, attend a number of meetings and paperwork mix all day. This means closing key deals. This means the quality rather than quantity.

And once you have learned to focus on these types of projects and important task is the flow as you do. Lose yourself in this important and difficult task, and instead of being constantly interrupted by minor things (calls, emails, instant messages, employees, etc.), you are long enough to focus on the tasks that they can actually complete.

And you lose them, you will enjoy yourself more. You reduce stress while increasing quality output. You get important stuff done instead of just getting things. You realize things and not just to keep busy.

Flow is one of the keys to all.

How to Achieve Flow and Happiness in Your Work

So how do you achieve this mystical state of being? You need to meditate or sing something? No, you (although meditation can improve your ability to focus) not. And the flow is anything but mystical - it is very convenient and to achieve this, are not mysterious.

It may take practice, but will make you better. The most important steps are to achieve and the benefits of flow:

1. Choose the job you love. If you dread a task, you struggle to lose. If your work is made of fabric that you hate, you might want to consider looking for another job. Or consider projects that seek to make love in your current job. Definitely be sure that whatever task you choose is something you can be passionate about.

2. Choose an important task. There is work that you love, that is simple and unimportant, and then he likes the work to have a long term impact on your career and life. Choose this one, since it will be a much better use of your time, and the flow.

3. Make sure there is a challenge, but not too hard. If a task is too easy, you can complete without a lot of thought and effort. A task should be fairly difficult, and requires your full attention. However, if it is too hard, it's hard to get lost in how you spend most of your concentration just to know how to do it - either or you'll end up discouraged. It may take some trial and error to find tasks of the appropriate level of difficulty.

4. Find your quiet, peak hours. This is actually two steps together into one. First, you want to find a time that's quiet, or you'll never be able to concentrate. For me, it is in the morning before the rush of everyday life builds to a dull roar. This could be in the morning when you wake right up, or at the beginning of the working day, when most people are not yet arrived or are still coffee and settled down. Or you could try the lunch break, when people are out of the office in general. Function also good evening for many people. Or, if you're lucky, you can do the day at any time, if you can find a quiet place in the work. Whatever time you choose, it should also be a peak energy time for you. Some people are tired after lunch - which is not a good time for the flow going. Find a time when you have lots of energy and can focus.

5. Remove distractions. Outside a quiet time and place to find a job, you must remove all other distractions. This means that the annoying music off (unless you music that helps you focus), turning off phones, email and IM notifications, Twitter and Growl, and anything that could popup or noise to interrupt your thoughts. I also find it helpful to clear my desk, even if it means sweeping miscellaneous papers into a folder to be sorted later. Of course, these days are nothing on my desk, but I was not always the case. A clear desk helps immensely.

6. Learn as long as possible to focus on this task. This requires some practice. You need to start on your chosen subject and as long as it keep your attention on how you can. First, many people will have trouble if they are constantly used to switch between tasks. But keep trying, and keep your attention once again to bring to your task. You'll be better. And if you continue to focus on this task without distractions, and if you have chosen your work (what you like, something important in difficult topic) you should lose the flow.

7. Enjoy. Get lost in the stream is an amazing thing, in my experience. It feels good to be worth paying a little to make great progress on a project or an important task to something that you are passionate to do. Take the time to enjoy this feeling (perhaps after the fact - it is difficult to enjoy while you are in the stream).

8. Keep practicing. Each step will take some practice to find a quiet peak time for you, to clearing distractions, select the correct object. Above all, keep your focus on a task for a long time. But each time you fail, try to learn from it. Each time you succeed, you must also learn from it - what you really? And the more you practice, the better you will get.