Essential leadership skills and qualities

© 2016 Marval Software Limited www.marval.co.uk E:info@marval.co.uk
Essential Leadership
Skills and Qualities

Objectives
 Determine the attributes, skills and knowledge an
effective manager requires
 Learn about some of the key skills and qualities required
to become a world-class leader
 Review the importance of communication skills
 Learn the basics of Transactional Analysis theory
 Recognise the importance of good people management
skills
 Review presentation skills
 Understand the importance of effective team and culture
building skills

Attributes, skills and competencies
Attribute: A quality or characteristic
inherent in or ascribed to someone or
something
Skill: Proficiency, facility, or dexterity that
is acquired or developed through training
or experience; a developed talent or
ability: e.g. writing skills
Competency: suitability, competence; the
ability to do something well

Communication skills

Communication skills
Effective listening on the 'phone
Face-to-face communication
Face-to-face listening

Albert Mehrabian
Well respected business psychologist
He determined that impact of a ‘message’
comes from 3 areas:
The words spoken (language used)
How the words are said (tone of voice)
Body language (non verbal communication
NVC)

Elements of Communication
Ways in which we communicate include:
Verbally
Non-verbally
Written word
Via technology
E.g. email – where offence is
most frequently given

It’s not what you say…
Please pass me the paper
Can you move the chair?
Thank you very much
Sorry to keep you waiting
I want to talk to you about this project
What did you say?
Can I have your name and number
please?

Often heard expressions
A B C
You’d better I suppose so I
If you don’t… I hope you don’t
mind but
I think
Watch out! Would you mind
very much if
I feel
Come on! Sorry ... Sorry ...
Sorry
I want
You’re stupid! I wonder Let’s
You’re useless! Do you think that How can we
resolve this?

Face-to-face communication
Words used
How said
NVC
Source: Albert Mehrabian
7%
38%
55%

Quick reminder
Letter/email/text: = 7%
Telephone:
38% + 7% = 45%
Face-to-face:
38%+ 7% + 55% = 100%
More likely to be
misunderstood
Less likely to be
misunderstood

Communication tips and hints
Standard Emails
All standard templates
MUST
 Create the right image
 Be sense-checked
 Be proof-read
 Be signed-off as
appropriate, relevant
and coherent

Ad hoc business emails
 Use business language
 Clear and concise
 Punctuation – correct and never excessive
 Be wary of sending to ‘All’
 Difficult issues – email is not the best vehicle
 Avoid abbreviations and acronyms
 No smileys
 Use signature blocks
 Avoid single word/phrase responses
 Include original message with reply
 Avoid all UPPER case

Written communication in general
Never forget that request logs are business
documents
Well written documentation provides
 a positive impression
 re-useable data
Use spell and grammar checkers
Avoid acronyms, abbreviations and slang
No dubious comments

In-person communication
SHOW that you are listening
REALLY listen
Don’t interrupt unless essential
Remember non verbal communication
How do YOU like someone to respond/react
when you are talking to them?

On the ‘phone
NO visual clues
Tone of voice - energy or lethargy?
Clarity and rate of speech
Appropriate verbal responses
Ask questions to clarify and confirm
Keep focused and LISTEN
Take notes
Summarise

Transactional Analysis Theory
Devised originally by Eric Berne who
stated that each of us has three alter ego
states:
Parent: Our ingrained voice of authority,
absorbed conditioning, learning and attitudes
from when we were young
Child: Our internal reaction and feelings to
external events
Adult: Our ability to think and determine
action for ourselves, based on received data

In a nutshell
Parent is our 'Taught' concept of life
Adult is our 'Thought' concept of life
Child is our 'Felt' concept of life

Transactional Analysis Clues
Parent
 Physical : angry or impatient body-language and
expressions, finger-pointing, patronising
gestures
 Verbal : ‘always’, ‘never’, ‘for once and for all’;
judgmental words; critical words; patronising
language; posturing language
N.B. Be aware of cultural differences in body
language that appear 'Parental'

Child
Physical : emotionally sad expressions, despair,
temper tantrums, whining voice, rolling eyes,
shrugging shoulders, teasing, delight, laughter,
speaking behind hand, raising hand to speak,
squirming and giggling
Verbal : baby talk, I wish, I dunno, I want, I'm
gonna, I don't care, oh no not again, things
never go right for me, worst day of my life,
bigger, biggest, best, many superlatives, words
to impress

Adult
 Physical : attentive, interested, straight-forward,
tilted head, non-threatening and non-threatened
 Verbal : Why?, What?, How?, Who?, Where? and
When?, How much?, In what way?, comparative
expressions, reasoned statements, true, false,
probably, possibly, I think, I realise, I see, I
believe, in my opinion

There is no general rule as to the
effectiveness of any ego state in any given
situation
For a balanced approach to life, Adult to
Adult is generally recommended

I’m OK – You’re OK*
I’m OK – You’re OK I’m OK – You’re not OK
You’re OK – I’m not OK I’m not OK – You’re not OK
*title of book by Thomas A. Harris

Good leadership essentials
Performance management skills
Partnering skills
Interpersonal skills

The communication process
Poor communication is generally
considered the biggest area of
management weakness

The worst offences
Leaders don’t communicate enough or at
all
Leaders over-communicate
Leaders communicate inappropriately
through outbursts, anger, or blaming
Leaders don’t communicate clearly

Discussion points
1. Is being articulate a pre-requisite for IT support staff?
2. Should good written skills be a pre-requisite for IT
support staff?
3. Should all IT staff be equally good at communicating?
4. When did you last assess the communication
strengths and weaknesses of your team?
5. When did you last assess your own communication
strengths and weaknesses?
6. Do you also identify communication skills
opportunities and threats?
7. Does your skills matrix include interpersonal skills?

Effective leadership
You are required to:
Provide appropriate and consistent feedback
Listen to/involve others in the feedback
process
Use a leadership style that is appropriate to
the person, task and situation
Set clear goals and objectives
Train and develop your people

Four winning behaviours
1. Focus on the right target and the right
vision
2. Treat your customers well
3. Treat your people well
4. Use the right kind of leadership

Managing meetings
Common types of meetings:
Planning
Briefings
Focus groups, information exchange sessions
(information gathering)
Team performance reviews
Appraisals and disciplinaries

Characteristics of a successful meeting
Scheduled in advance with sufficient notice
given
Agenda produced, published and circulated
Meeting objectives defined
Attendee list
Start and finish on time
Meeting ‘rules’ adhered to
Minutes, outcomes, actions and deadlines
documented and circulated promptly

Presentations
Use appropriate format and style for the
audience
 Three key stages for a presentation:
The introduction
The main body of the presentation
The summary or conclusion
Use the right language
Good visual aids
Review and practice

Presentation tips
Visual aids
Supporting documentation
Audience participation

Communication and negotiation
Be willing to compromise
Determine the real need
Acknowledge other person's ideas
Recognise and acknowledge emotions
Know how to address them
Discuss all people’s perceptions
Ensure active participation from all
Seek a compromise that suits all
Recognise personality types, emotions and
motivations of all participants

Questioning skills
Basic forms of questions:
Open
Closed
Clarifying

Information-gathering techniques
One way
Structured
Unstructured

Relationship Management
To manage relationships successfully,
we must understand other people’s
needs and manage their expectations

Business Relationship Skills
Most business interactions are managed via
communication of one sort or another
‘Diff’rent folks for diff’rent strokes’
Differing personalities in the workplace
The Achiever, the Affiliator and the
Influencer

What influences these?
Personality types are influenced by three
principal factors:
Our family and upbringing initially
Subsequently by our peers
Society in general
We develop our own style of achieving and
striving for success from our own inborn talents,
life experiences and role models

The Achiever
Internally motivated
High standards and goals (self-set)
Successful accomplishment of tasks very
important
Approx 10% of population are strongly
motivated by achievement
Many achievers are found in positions of
management

The Affiliator
Belonging
Relating to others
How they are treated by others
These motivators are so important to
affiliators that they influence the choices
they make about how they work

The Influencer
Tend to be inspirational people
Power to influence people is important to
them
Strengthen others self-belief - particularly
in competence and ability to contribute to
success

Comparisons
Using sport as an example
Achievers - may prefer individual games
Affiliators - may prefer team sports
Influencers - almost any team sport provided
they hold a position such as team coach,
captain or manager

Business relationship skills and qualities
 Personal image
 Perception
 Self knowledge and self development
 Trust and respect for self and others
 Understanding and contributing to effective teamwork
 Motivation of self and others
 Availability – personal time management
 Recognition of stress in self and others, coping with
pressure
 Recognition of different approaches
Plus the ‘people skills’ that relate to all these points

Summary
Attributes, skills and
knowledge for
managers
Transactional Analysis
– the basics
‘I’m OK - You’re OK’
 Leadership essentials
Perceived
management
communication flaws
Four winning
leadership behaviours
Further skills for
leaders
Business relationship
skills

About Marval
Marval offers a
customer-centric
approach to IT service
management (ITSM),
encompassing ITSM
software, consultancy
and education
People
TechnologyProcess

Thank you for watching

Essential leadership skills and qualities

Essential leadership skills and qualities

Recommandé

Recommandé

Contenu connexe

Tendances

Tendances (20)

En vedette

En vedette (18)

Similaire à Essential leadership skills and qualities

Similaire à Essential leadership skills and qualities (20)

Plus de Marval Software

Plus de Marval Software (6)

Dernier

Dernier (20)

Essential leadership skills and qualities