Critical Soft Skills for New Team Leaders

Critical Soft Skills for New Team Leaders

By Jackie Capers-Brown
"Emotional competence is the single most important personal quality that each of us must develop and access to experience a breakthrough. Only through managing our emotions can we access our intellect and our technical competence.

An emotionally competent person performs better under pressure."

Dave Lennick, Executive VP, American Express Financial Advisers

People don't care about what you know until they know how much you care. Today's marketplace is much more demanding and fierce. Leaders in all walks of life are redefining how they approach their staff and colleagues to compete in the New Economy.

Any organization that desires to survive and thrive in the current economic landscape must begin a push towards the development of its leadership and staff members "soft skills".

According to Whatis.com, soft skills is defined as, the personal attributes that enhance an individual's interactions, job performance and career prospects. Unlike hard skills, which are about a person's skill set and ability to perform a certain type of task or activity, soft skills are interpersonal and broadly applicable."

If I asked you to list the top five people who have had a positive impact on your life, I'm sure your list would include individuals who demonstrated sincere concern for your wellbeing and success in life. The feelings you have towards these individuals are largely due to their demonstration of "soft skills".

Their demonstration of care towards you on a regular basis left an impression on your heart and mind that cannot be erased. I would bet that you believe that these five individuals certainly impacted your life in a tangible way.

Leaders who are able to make a connection with staff members in a meaningful manner improve their chance of having happier employees.

Leaders who create a workplace culture, in which the individuals feel that they are respected, valued, and their contributions are making a difference stand a better chance of thriving in the New Economy. In a recent article on businessweek.com, Daniel Goleman writes, "Organizations need to have leaders who inspire joy and engagement.

Disengagement is one of the huge problems in the global workforce. People don't feel any emotional connection to their work. The job of the leader is to make work matter and make it pleasurable. Great leaders do that."

Relationships Matters

Teamwork is the ability to work toward a common vision. It is the fuel that allows people to attain uncommon results.

~Andrew Carnegie~

Gallup has conducted ample research providing leaders in organizations with well-documented studies of how the caliber of the relationships of individuals in a workplace impacts the success of that organization.

According to the company's website, "Research by Gallup and others shows that engaged employees are more productive. They are more profitable, more customer-focused, safer, and more likely to withstand temptations to leave.

The best performing companies know that an employee improvement strategy linked to the achievement of corporate goals will help them win in the marketplace".

In keeping with the company's mission, for the past five years Gallup has recognized companies with its Great Workplace Award. It sites on its website that the recognition is "Based on the most rigorous workplace research ever conducted, the award honors organizations whose employee engagement results demonstrate they have the most productive and engaged workforces in the world. Winners were formally presented their awards at a gala during the Gallup Summit 2011, May 10-12, 2011".

A key component of employee engagement is determined by the quality of relationships and even friendships that an employee experiences in the workplace. According to Gallup's research, employees who are able to bond with others are more likely to engage the workplace. Leaders are responsible for creating and nurturing a work culture in which staff members are able to thrive. As a leader what you do or fail to do, imply what is acceptable or not in your workplace.

When you address attitudes of team member that are counter-productive to the workplace experience you desire for your staff, your actions demonstrate that you care about your staff and their success in the workplace.

Providing a workplace environment in which it is easy for those you hire to interact with one another with respect, a personal sense of value and meaning increases productivity in your place of business.

The Single Predictor of Workplace Success

Peak performers understand the importance of working well to achieve the common goals of a group. Daniel Goleman, wrote in his book, Working with Emotional Intelligence, "Emotional Intelligence is the largest single predictor of success in the workplace".

He describes Emotional Intelligence as "managing feelings so that they are expressed appropriately and effectively enabling people to work together smoothly towards their common goals". "The good news" he writes, "is that the level of your Emotional Intelligence can continue to grow, develop, and change as it is largely a learned area of expertise".

A Major Benefit to Developing Your Soft Skills

Leaders who can improve the level of employee engagement within their organization are able to inspire greater levels of "discretionary effort" from their team members.

Discretionary effort is often the result of the emotional connection an employee feels towards a particular person of influence in the workplace. This connection compels the employee to go that "extra-mile" to satisfy a customer.

It's often a requirement for achieving success in business but it isn't always displayed by everyone on the team. Maximizing the performance of your team increases your leadership success.

When You Care, They Care

Leaders who are able to tap into this reservoir of "discretionary effort" don't take it for granted. They are always aware of those members of his/her team who are taking initiative to go above and beyond their job description to ensure that a task is completed as scheduled and business goals are achieved.

These leaders create a workplace culture in which peak-performers are able to thrive by utilizing their strengths and enlarging the individual's leadership capacity.

Knowing that as a team leader, your success is directly connected to the success of your team. It is no accident that the leaders who understand the importance of growing their Emotional Intelligence also grow their leadership success.

Through the development of your Emotional Intelligence skills you can expand the emotional connection that you have with your team members. To do so requires a commitment on your part to take the lead. The following are Critical Soft Skills for New Team Leaders:

1. Look at yourself honestly and commit to ongoing personal and professional development.

2. Reduce snap judgments of others by getting the facts about a situation.

3. Think before you speak.

4. Take responsibility for your team's results. Hold yourself accountable.

5. Walk your talk.

6. Express appreciation and compliments to others for specific performance.

7. Foster positive emotions towards others.

8. Respect diverse opinions. Agree to disagree.

9. Develop active listening skills.

10. Be respectful towards others at all times.

Your beliefs, perceptions, and assumptions influence your interactions with each individual in your workplace. They persuade your approach to every workplace experience. Make great effort to maintain a proper perspective on a situation to avoid allowing your emotions to get the best of you.

Developing your Emotional Intelligence equips you to better manage your emotions and remain aware of the emotions of those in your sphere of influence. As a new team leader, you want to project a positive and caring influence towards others. Doing so will increase your job satisfaction and success in the workplace.

Jackie Capers-Brown is the owner and CEO of The SaySo Group, a personal and professional strengths development consultant business located in Columbia, SC. The SaySo Group, specializes in customizing training and coaching workshop sessions for groups and organizations based on the company's DRIVE 5 Advantage Empowerment System.

As an award-winning leader, with 20+ years of experience in the Hospitality Industry, Jackie is an expert in the development of personal strengths and leadership skills which increases customer service, teamwork and leadership capacities of front-line staff, supervisors and managers.

For additional information and to contact Jackie, visit:
http://www.linkedin.com/in/jackiecapersbrown.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6507148

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