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TRUST
MATTERS
"When trust is high, we communicate easily, effortlessly,
instantaneously. We can make mistakes and others will still
capture our meaning. But when trust is low, communication
is exhausting, time-consuming, ineffective, and inordinately
difficult"--Steven Covey.
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PRACTICAL TIPS
ON LEADERSHIP
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In WHY TEAMS DON'T WORK, Harvey Robbins and Michael
Finley offer tips on ways to be an effective leader:
- Project energy.
- Be involved and involve others.
- Look beyond the obvious.
- Maintain perspective.
- Develop links with others outside the group.
- Teach your group members.(They call this pyramid learning.)
- Target your energy on opportunities for success.
- Influence cooperative actions.
- Support creativity.
- Take the initiative.
- Avoid the negative.
- Seek continuous improvement.
(Princeton:Pacesetter Books, 1995).
"My experience is that a fellow never really looks his best just after
he's come out of a cell." --P.G. Wodehouse. Jeeves Goes to America.
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Values Divide
Groups
John Tropman identifies six basic values that often
cause trouble for groups seeking to find common ground. Too often
groups don't recognize these underlying issues. As a result, disagreements
seem unfocused. Recognizing value differences does not resolve issues,
but at least you have a better sense of what is really causing the
differences. This leads to understanding.
- Pragmatism versus excellence. Some want the task done
quickly; others want it done right. The danger of the first approach
is jumping to conclusions. The second can bog down the process
in the search for perfection.
- Big picture or issue by issue. Some see from a broad
perspective, concerned with the interrelationships of issues.
Some just want to deal with the issue at hand.
- Disposable labor versus personal concern. Are people
interchangeable parts or are they the most important asset of
any agency? In budget-crunch times, do you fire the last hired,
or does everyone take a pay cut? Differences in positions on this
issue can seriously impair a group.
- Hard line or intuitive? Some will demand facts and figures
upon which to base decisions. Others rely on their gut response.
The best group members draw on both.
- Merit versus equality.Some want to see individuals rewarded
for good work. Others want across-the-board recognition. Parties
disagree on what is "fair."
- Personal issues versus agency purposes. Some people approach
problems from a "what's in it for me" stance. Others
consider the greater good of the organization.
For advice on running effective meetings, see John
Tropman's helpful book Making Meetings Work (Thousand Oaks,
Ca.:Sage, 1996).
Communication Tips: #1
- #2 - #4 -
#5
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