Tag: leadership training

Are you really ready to be a Manager?

Are you really ready to be a Manager?

Posted on by Ella Bates

Ready for some scary statistics? In one study of 7,272 U.S. adults, Gallup found that 50 percent of employees left their job "to get away from their manager to improve their overall life at some point in their career."

In another study:  The Workplace Research Foundation found that employees who are engaged are 38% more likely to have above-average productivity.

And we all know that a GOOD manager can make or break employee productivity and engagement.

So being ready for management should have more thought into it than just "They have worked here a long time or they are a subject matter expert"

Yes, you want to recognize someones hard work and dedicated, but you need to make sure they arrive as a manager with the right tool box! So lets consider:

Do they have the qualities of a Leader?  Knowledge and Skills are great, HOW are they implementing it?  Can they motivate, inspire, communicate with impact, make difficult decisions, deal with conflict?

Have they demonstrated those skills?  

If not, do they have the motivation to develop those skills?  You want to be checking in with some training companies, because Proper Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance, (Cheesy but true!) NOW is the time to bridge the gap, not when you meet the first hurdle.  

You MUST set them up for success.

How are the RELATIONSHIPS within the team already, their colleagues, other departments, customers and stakeholders?  An enormous amount of a Managers positions success is dependent on their ability to communicate like a champ, what do I mean by that?

They should be able to:

  1. Actively Listen
  2. Empathy
  3. Understand others
  4. Provide and Receive Feedback
  5. Emotionally Intelligent

How do they make decisions?

Are they able to make informed decisions based on available data, prioritize tasks, and manage resources effectively. They should be able to analyze problems, evaluate options, and take decisive actions. The super staff member you are considering promoting should have demonstrated good decision-making skills in their current role, such as identifying opportunities, managing risks, and achieving results. If the employee lacks decision-making time to check in with corporate training!

And here is the KEY, you want to check in with their willingness and ability to learn. A high-impact manager must be able to adapt to changing circumstances, learn new skills, and stay up-to-date with industry trends. They should be able to seek feedback, reflect on their performance, and continuously improve, have a growth mindset, be open to feedback, and have a willingness to learn. What opportunities are there to provide professional development, mentorship, and coaching to support their growth?  

Do they have the skills, are they willing, are they ready for the jump into people management?  Then they are ready for promotion!!

Need to bridge the gap?  We can help!  Check out our Corporate Training offerings to develop upcoming, new and existing managers!  

Ella Bates - Skills Trainer

The one who knows, no-one deserves a bad work day.  We help organizations from Fortune 500 companies to Manufacturing plants bringing high-impact learning experiences that create more joy and better results at work.  Connect with us

Time to Manage the Boss

Time to Manage the Boss

Posted on by Ella Bates

Managing your boss may sound like a daunting task, but it's a skill that can take your career to new heights! Knowing how to manage upwards means being able to communicate effectively, anticipate your boss's needs, and align your work with their goals. It's all about building a strong relationship with your boss and ensuring mutual success. So, don't underestimate the power of managing upwards - it could be the key to unlocking your full potential in the workplace.

Our TOP 5 Ways to Manage Upwards Effectively

  • Communicate really well with each other Communication is key to any successful relationship, and this is especially true when managing upwards. Make sure you are communicating clearly and regularly with your boss. Keep them updated on your projects and progress, and ask for feedback and guidance when necessary.
  • Understand their mission: What are your boss's goals, what are they prioritizing?  Align YOUR work with what they are prioritizing.  
  • Get proactive: Are you sat waiting to be delegated to?  I invite you to take initiative and identify projects/opportunities that align and WORK ON THEM proactively.
  • Have your Solution Hat On:  Focus on solutions when challenges arise, take ownership of finding a solution and suggestions/ideas.  
  • Build relationships with key players: There are politics in organizations, its time to build relationships with people such as other departments, senior leaders.  Things get done a whole lot quicker!

Make it your mission to manage upwards and you will see significant impact in your career growth and success. By building a strong, productive relationship with your boss based on trust, communication, and mutual respect, you can better understand their expectations, provide value, build trust, navigate organizational politics, and ultimately, achieve greater success which brings more joy at work!  

Ella Bates - Skills Trainer

The one who knows, no-one deserves a bad work day.  We help organizations from Fortune 500 companies to Manufacturing plants bringing high-impact learning experiences that create more joy and better results at work.  Connect with us

Future Proof Soft Skills for 2023

Future Proof Soft Skills for 2023

Posted on by Ella Bates

Its more important than ever before in that we help our employees build their skills set, grow their career and push your organization forward! there are 5 critical soft skills that organizations like yours are looking for.

How can you close the gaps as quickly and efficiently as possible?

Read our recommendation on books, videos, and micro-learning experiences that can take you there.

#1 Creativity

What does it mean for your teams to be creative?  Are they delivering really useful, original solutions to the problems your organization is facing whether on a higher level or micro level with the processes they are currently following?

My recommendations are

Book The business of creativity by Moeran, Brian  A great book showing how creativity emerges from collaborative engagements among people, genres, institutions, materials and technologies

Learning Experience™  Being able to empower your employees, require a leader who can coach and guide them to achievement is critical with Coaching for Success

Video  A great Ted Talk:  Your Elusive Creative Genius  Elizabeth Gilbert muses on the impossible things we expect from artists and geniuses -- and shares the radical idea that, instead of the rare person "being" a genius, all of us "have" a genius.

#2 ABILITY TO PERSUADE

The art of Persuasion is truly influencing thoughts and actions of someone to do something a different way.  I agree with LinkedIN, that this one of the most powerful communication skills that all employees need in their skill-set PLUS a CRITICAL skill for Leadership. 

My recommendations are:

Book Influence & Persuasion by Harvard Business Review this book presents both comprehensive frameworks for developing an influence and small, simple tactics that you can use to convince others every day.

Learning Experience™ As leaders, you don’t have time not to manage. Career trajectory has meant that the key core skills of leadership have been lost in translation. Building Strong Teams

Video  What he learnt from 100 days of rejection by Jia Jiang

#3 COLLABORATION

Working with others to achieve the same goal, effectively and efficiently. Collaboration is everything, as they say "success is NOT a single sport"!

My recommendations are:

 Book Ken Blanchard always gets to the point with getting out of Silohs with his book Collaboration begins with you

Learning Experience™Leading Like a Tribe Establish a proven technique of shifting culture mindset of the relationships formed inside a highly effective Team

Video  There is a rhythmic beauty in collaboration as demonstrated by dancers in this video from Shadé Zahrai

#4 AGILITY & RESILIENCE

We know that change is constant.  We are hearing words like Agility and Adaptability all over our news-feeds right now in current trends of our employees.  We want employees who thrive in an environment that is dynamic and get back on their feet in the face of a challenge.

My recommendations are:

Book Adaptability:  The Art of Winning in the Age of Uncertainty This book harnesses the essence of human survival – the ability to adapt – to help people succeed in business and all other aspects of life.

Learning Experience In times of conflicting priorities and ever changing days, you can explore various time management, organizational tools and techniques to build a customized productivity plan for you Productivity Bootcamp

Video   This video shares three ways to measure your "adaptability quotient" -- and shows why your ability to respond to change really matters.

#4 EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

While it may be new on this list, it certainly isn’t new with my clients requests from us!  IQ is important, yet low on the totem pole of recruiting for leadership and skill-sets of our teams.  A great Emotional intelligence is when you are able to respond to your own emotions and the emotions of others.  Using this emotional information to guide thinking and behavior and managing those emotions to adapt to environments.

My recommendations are:

Book E.Q Applied teaches you how to channel your strongest feelings in a way that helps, not harms you—or others—enabling you to break down barriers and improve the quality of your relationships

Learning Experience™ This bite sized learning Embracing The E.I Factor Be a great influence by discovering what Emotional Intelligence is and why more and more successful people are raising the EI bar to stand out from the crowd.

Video Daniel Goldman, author of “Emotional Intelligence” talks about why we should be more compassionate.

Enjoy the experience of up-skilling/re-skilling and helping you and your teams boost their careers and create more joy and results at work.  Because everyone deserves a great work day, every single day.  For more skills, contact us, we would LOVE to be your choice for Soft Skills Training in your organization.  

Skills Trainer Ella Bates

Ella Bates Skills Training to create a Great Work Day, more joy and better results in the workplace for over a decade.  From Aircraft Hangers to Cruiseliners (its a great story!)  We are ready to support you and your organization.  We would love to hear from you.  Reach out CLICK HERE

Leadership Mistakes that Need Fixing

Leadership Mistakes that Need Fixing

Posted on by Ella Bates

You deserve to enjoy the benefits that come with being a leader. But sometimes it’s difficult to live up to the expectations of others. And the reality is that sometimes you’ll make mistakes.

As a leader, your mistakes can result in losing your successful advantage. If you use the right strategy to fix your mistakes, however, recovering from them becomes much easier.