A tip for establishing what your values are

Write a list of 10 aspects of yourself that you really like – special talents, qualities, behaviours, no matter how small or insignificant some of them may seem. Then, in

the second column, think a little bit deeper – what does each one stem from, what is the deeper value that your behaviour is allowing others to gain an inkling of? For example, you may feel you have a special talent for bringing people together and getting them to agree a way forward. Is the value behind that talent a desire to work in a happy, consensual environment (“Harmony”) or is it based on your wish to have an impact and persuade others (“Influence”)? Below the chart is a possible list of some values you might choose. You might like to start with a work or social situation where you felt were adding value, where your qualities, effort, insights made a difference.

The situation where I made a difference…

Some possible values:

Achievement, adventure, challenge, love, cooperation, community, creativity, decisiveness, fairness, family, friendships, growth, happiness, harmony, honesty, independence, influence, intellectual stimulation, knowledge, loyalty, Nature, physical challenge, power,  quality, respect, responsibility, status, supporting others, variety, wealth, wisdom…

Once you have identified the values you think are important you will be in a much better position to live those values. And the people you work with will experience that consistency in a positive way.

TEAM PROFILE How well do you know your team?

A key part of Leadership is communicating with and motivating people you work with and it’s worth spending some time thinking about who you work with and how they respond to situations.

What drives others?

Think about how each member of your team behaves particularly when decision making under tight deadlines, or when the stakes are high:

• Risk – are they a risk taker?
• Time – do they need lots of time to think or do they prefer to act?
• Decisions – are their decisions based on consultation or instinct?
• People – how important is consensus to them in moving forward?
• Projects – are they process oriented or do they favour relational aspects?

The differences in these behavioural preferences reflect the individual’s key drivers and what is important to them to be in place to move forward.  Recognising and responding to these can have a big impact on how the individuals respond. It aids you in planning communication strategies both with them as individuals and collectively as a team.

FEEDBACK – How to make it work for your team

Top Team Tip

Make time for feedback.  Your team comprises many mini-relationships and interactions.  Creating time and a structure for feedback enables each individual relationship to function more effectively and can get rid of any blockages in the system.

Feedback doesn’t work if:

·         It is uninvited

·         It happens at the wrong time

·         It is unstructured

Feedback does work if:

·         It is invited

·         It is expected

·         It is structured

Support your team in giving each other feedback by:

·         Emphasising how important it is

·         Creating a time and space for it to happen

·         Suggesting a structure

·         Doing it regularly yourself

Example Structure for Feedback:

·         Plan a one-to-one meeting

·         Limit the time to 5 minutes each to share your feedback with each other

·         Use a structure like this:

o   “I feel ________when you do / say _________”(what drains my energy)

o   “I feel _______ _when you do / say _________”(what boosts my energy)

·         Spend 2 – 3 minutes in a dialogue to clarify (not to justify or get defensive)

·         Agree actions: make suggestions and offer commitments

Regularly practising giving and receiving feedback in a structured way has a significant impact on how team members interact and can prevent breakdowns within the team.