Leadership Skills
Effective Leadership -- How To Improve Your People Skills
By Michael K. McFadden

Source:  http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/Effective_Leadership_--_How_to_Improve_Your_People_Skills.html

Content may be king and knowledge may be power, but people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. Many managers and supervisors who want to be effective leaders make the mistake of believing that because they are an expert on a subject that that makes them the boss. However, to be quite honest most people don't want a boss.

What people want is to be inspired. What effective leaders do is inspire. Let me let you in on a little secret; being right doesn't make you right. Haven't you heard people say, "It's not what you said but how you said it?"

Leadership does not occur until the information that produces action is transferred and acted upon. The transfer of information between people occurs through inter-personal skills (IPS). In order to be a more effective leader who maximizes the results of his team, assuming you have the content, you must improve your IPS. While some people are born with a naturally high level of IPS, it is still a skil l; and skills can be learned and improved.

IPS is a composite of tangibles and intangibles; but of the tangibles there are four that I find to be foundational. The four are given here as the acrostic ALOR (pronounced like allure) because once mastered you will allure people into your goal. ALOR stands for attending, listening, observing, and responding.

Attending corresponds to your body language and positioning. How you position yourself physically and relationally to your team can make or break your effectiveness. It is important to remove as many barriers as possible, physical or otherwise, in order that information may transfer without being interrupted or distorted.

Considering that the world is much smaller now and that many businesses engage in a global market, it is extremely important to take cultural barriers into consideration when you are attending to your team.

Listening is a skill that most people perform poorly. Most people believe that l istening is merely the result of being silent while the other party takes their turn to speak. However, effective leadership occurs where empathic listening takes place.

Empathic listening is more than being polite; it is listening deeply because you have a genuine concern towards understanding the desires of the speaker. This level of communication is achieved when the speaker can sense the concern of the listener; as a result the speaker is liberated into sharing openly.

Observing is the act of gathering information from your surroundings through careful observation. In the context of the skill of observing, a leader is best seen as a scout. During the days of the early settlers, when families and communities traveled in caravans (not to be confused with the ones made by Dodge); the scout would ride ahead of the pack in order to survey the upcoming conditions. He would gather useful information (e.g. weather, impassable terrain, danger) through his well developed ob servation skills.

A good leader today must hone the skills of riding ahead of the team and gathering useful information that helps the team stay on course and accomplish the goal.

Responding is not just a skill but it is an art form. Responding is the highest level skill of the effective leader. Effective responding is not only knowing the right thing to say or do; but saying it at the right time and in the right way. Interacting with people is not always a simple task because we are all different.

People have different personalities, different likes and dislikes, different temperaments, different backgrounds, different learning styles, different cultures, etc. Therefore, if you are going to lead people you have to be willing to put forth the effort to cross different boundaries in different ways.

Effective responding is a skill that will not be developed by the faint at heart (nor the lazy). You can have the best intentions, but if you do not respond to a person in a way that promotes unity the cord that binds the team is broken; and all the hard work goes rolling down the hill.

For more information on this topic on leadership training visit our website at:
www.theleadershiptrainingcompany.com

If you want to be a philosopher, so be it. If you speak the truth, do what you say. Lead by example, and the rewards will take care of all.

If everyone will just do what they were taught and pay atttention, we would not be having these posts.

I personally am tired of everyones words with no action, and paying for your fing bills, Wake the  F up.

$0.02

Whos bills are you paying?

We could have some VR action when Todd updates the website.

For 1, my insurance premiums have doubled because of the inability of those in the industry, do not focus on the success of what they were taught, and through their mistakes have put us all in a risk category. I thought you knew more.

To go deeper into what you spoke of in your post, If you are using your mouth you are not learning a thing, yet if you shut up and use your ears the education is invaluable. Salesmansship 101. Everyone on your totem pole should have been taught this, because everywhere they go that is what they are for you. your salesman.

You are sure right about the insurance rates. Part of that has to do with how an insurance company earns its money. They take your all ready high premiums and invest them in ??? whatever it is. If they are like most institutions then part of that investment was in those worthless ass sub-prime mortgage funds. Since they are loosing their ass with those, one other way for them to make money is to (HI) jack up your rates. It isn't right I know. You bust your butt to do it right and still get a bigger bill.

You are right on with the listening.

It is a BIG DEAL

Bob,

I respect your response, but what I am talking about (safety), started long before our down cycle. All I want to do, if possible, is to start getting everyone on the path to success in their carreer and turn this industry into what it should be.

We are supposed to be professionals, and it starts at the top through education and supervision. Do you just hand a man a half million dollar machine because you need the money? Wrong.

We will fail if we do not as an Industry act now! We are a specialty contractor, with a lot of responsibility. If we loose concept of this a lot of hard work is going down the tubes.

We are our worst enemy. We let others dictate what we do when we get to a job, which then makes us liable, and worse, so many think they can do it for a set price.

If you read the ACPA manual, who is who?, let the consumer tell you so, Think Not. Let them pay your bills.

Many operators became owner operators. The way it is anyone can run a pump, but does that make them a businessman? Now why are we where we are?

We need to take a step back, look where we came from as an Industry as a whole, then from our experience take the walk forward together, or just pack it in!

In case there is any doubt; I care 100%worth about the safety of all of the people in the pumping bizz and their customers.

That is why I look for articles that may help a new manager (or a less than effective one) get the point to his operators. We all can do better. I feel like it helps to keep the subject in front of us and to concentrate all the time about the reaction to all of our actions.

I appreciate your effort; keep it up. ;~)

I was going to reply in length but stopped.I will ask this,depends on who is signing the checks.

Many,

Explain at length just who signs the checks.

Personally at my Company, I do, But if it was not for Many,I would not be able to do so, unless I knew what many was doing. Point taken?

If you look at your job as just a job, you need a new profession. If you care about your future and the Company you represent, you need to pay attention to every detail of your day from the time you close your car door with your lunch box in hand.

We all think we are the best at what we do, at the end of the day look in the mirror and honestly be able to tell yourself you gave 100%, not only because you are now at home where you wanted to be, but you also left an impression with your customer that you are the best, they will not call the rest, and you will get your price again the next time they call, because safety, service, and attitude sells.

$0.02

I think Many was making a "remember when" joke. We went through the war together. He walked it and talked it; and no offense was meant. ;~)

For 1, my insurance premiums have doubled because of the inability of those in the industry, do not focus on the success of what they were taught, and through their mistakes have put us all in a risk category.Wow I sign those checks.When I started digging it went up $10k because some west coast lawyer found a way to get us.Content may be king and knowledge may be power, but people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. Many managers and supervisors who want to be effective leaders make the mistake of believing that because they are an expert on a subject that that makes them the boss. However, to be quite honest most people don't want a boss.I sign that one too.If I can't get the guys on the same page and be productive safely I pay.People have different personalities, different likes and dislikes, different temperaments, different backgrounds, different learning styles, different cultures, etc. Therefore, if you are going to lead people you have to be willing to put forth the effort to cross different boundaries in different ways.Some days I feel like a social worker,but how very true.If I cannot get the team to understand this I write the check on lost productivity.Funny but I still can't find the "I" in the word team.If everyone will just do what they were taught and pay atttention, we would not be having these posts.Ah the imposible dream,perhaps.I can't help but wonder how many owners are praying for the same thing.We are our worst enemy. We let others dictate what we do when we get to a job, which then makes us liable, and worse, so many think they can do it for a set price.See it daily.Somehow here I am in better control (for me) I simply don't do it.Every once in awhile I have been bitten and had to write the check,my fault.If you look at your job as just a job, you need a new profession. If you care about your future and the Company you represent, you need to pay attention to every detail of your day from the time you close your car door with your lunch box in hand.Bob,you said it better than I could have.So who writes those checks?.We all do in some way or shape.If one takes the attitude awhh what the heck he/she will pay for it is fundimentally wrong.Bob,none taken (grin).

u know i read all these post and can agree with all them in alot of aspects. i been in this business for a bit and have traveled the road of different positions operator to manager. u all r right saftey begins with upper management and the operators because we r the one s there.but the training we provide these days just isnt where it used to be. does everyone remember the days where we started on trailers and moved up one size at the time, now they r starting on 39s and just going at it with half the training.alot of companies look at the ACPA as a joke when its not.but alot of us trainers forget to teach the art and the responabilities of what we actually do and thats myself included i have been guilty of the same.plus ive seen managers do the same as far as get the job done or its your job .no sense in mentionin companies cause it happens everywhere.companies these days dont want managers like us ( operators )  cause we have opinions and will fight for them thats not saying all companies dont but most of them have salewsmen  and stuff there cause they r yes men and then the accidents start happening.now bob can be iritating but has alot of great points and if the young guys would listening he brings alot of knowladge to the table and i belive truly cares. todd talked to me the other night bout a mentor program and id be willing to give as many young guys my number that needs it to get them ahead. i guess what im saying is im frustrated with the accidents and deaths that r senseless and we need to put the blame back where it neds to be which is the senior guys such as myself and all others that forget or neglect to get in sumones a** just because of reprisals from upper management.and also till the day comes where management quits comin to work at 8 and leaving at 2 and wearing dress clothes to work instead of jeans and boots and they worry more bout the guys the equipment and the days jobs and not so much bout where the next round of golf is going to be and we got real operators in the driver seat nothing is going to change and i mean nothing. but thats just my opinion.but after 20 years i lok around and wonder if its ever going to get better but i can always hope and dream.the older operators may have attitudes and they be be hard to deal with but in this industray u gotta have balls to say no it dosent matter to who customer,owner,whoever to protect lives and equipment.thats y i luv working where i work now operators make the calls because we r there and r never questioned but wee gotta have our stuff togetehr when we say no and thats the way it should be without the fear of reprisals  

Pumperman,

I was a union laborer; chipping clamps, laying pipe, dragging hose, setting up and tearing down system. I did that for three years. Dale Bone was running a trailer pump for Richard O' in Denver, CO. and asked me if I wanted to run a pump. He hired me; and the rest is history.

I have always thought that I had the best training in the world. I worked hard, paid attention and learned from the best of the best. I was / am very lucky... but if you look... you will find that the harder you try the luckier you get.

When an operator starts his training as a boom operator he is being cheated. And so are the people that he will train..... etc

TRUE STORY.

I used to work for a company that had a 38m operator that had been operating a pump for about one year. This operator was dispatched on a job with 50 feet of hose off of the end of his boom.

He could not do the job because:

1. He did not know the difference between a 125mm clamp and a 5"hd clamp

2. He had no idea how to go about the prime - or the pour

Who was the real dumb ass?

the operator? the guy that trained him? or the owner of the company?

Bob, if u ask me its all who was involved that i would blame. the operator for not having enough care to learn everythig about his craft to learn all he needed to know,the trainer for not beating it in his head what he needed to know,the manager for not caring if his guys knew or not and worrying bout others things besides what has to be done and the owner for puttin a manager there that dosent know or dosent care to know.like i said this is a team effort not just one man if one fails it is because all his seniors failed rather they be operators management or owner.and if they dont care to learn they dont deserve to wear the tag of a operator in my opinion.we have always been concidered a elite group that no one wants our job because of the demanding hours and the stress but its about more than just a pay check.when we screw up we get to go home most of the time and call it a accident  what about the innocent that dont because we just didnt care or didnt care to listen to people like u and i and others that have been there and seen that so we all need to get on the same page is what im saying.its a team effort like where i am now we all care bout each other and we as a industry have gotten away from that                                                                                            

u know just to add sumthing to this bob,i know im not the most perfect i mean god im far from it i make mistakes also.but i have the reputation in this industry of being a complete a** at times,but i got a saying my uncle told me a long time ago and he pumped for 24 years himself.and it goes u may hate me for what i do or say but u will live to hate me on the next poor cause i will not let a friendship get in the way of me doing my job in the best intrest of my poor and my rig.and i include that in training and so on. i just wish all the trainging and care we used to have for the industry and the people in it was like it used to be but i guess thewm days r gone and everything has to change 

And that is the difference between ‘civilian’ training and ‘military’ training.

Say what you will, but the military has a system in place to make sure that all the troops have received the training necessary to complete the job they have been assigned. Granted, not all of the troops will absorb this information; there are deadheads in every company and in all branches of the military. The complete, detailed 100% necessary training is given.

Civilian life is different. Training is relative. You may get what you need, you may not. It is up to the owner, manager or training operator. When you are learning a craft you do not know what you need to do the job in a professional manner. You are, at best, a vessel waiting to be filled. If the ‘filling material’ is not presented you are less than ready to complete the given task.

This thread, as usual, has changed from its original intent into what someone else wanted it to discuss. I wanted to give those trying to get the message across some more tools with which they might accomplish that task. Since we all see things from our own personal relative position this thread has curved around to what  and not how; and in the end, that is what matters ;~)