The Big 6 – Christina’s story
Relationships at work are our biggest leadership challenge. They’re the elephant in the room.
As we ease our way out of remote working – we’re all trying to navigate our way back into the workplace. We’re sitting on a massive amount of uncertainty. Managing our relationships is probably the most important thing we could do. However, they often get put on the back burner in favour of concentrating on the tasks.
So, what can we do to improve our relationships at work?
Prioritize the relationship over the task
Develop relationship skills and understand the importance of them. I’ve been teaching and measuring the skills of emotional intelligence for over 10 years. Unlike IQ, emotional intelligence can be learnt! A whole host of skills such as: empathy, listening, influence, inspiring others, coaching, asking questions, taking time to listen, being honest are vital to success in Leadership. Living with integrity and genuinely caring about the people in your team will make all the difference to your leadership relationships.
Taking accountability for your own behaviour
Saying sorry when you screw up. Asking for feedback about how you are in your relationships. Asking what you need to do to improve the relationship. Sounds simple, but it can be hard to take that first step.
Practice and implement
Once you understand what you need to learn to do differently to improve, you need to practice! Practice with your team, your boss, your peers and even your relationships with your family and friends. Practise makes perfect!
Manage your stress
Stress is a silent killer and stress massively affects our behaviour. When we’re in a fight and flight state, our behaviour is affected negatively. Managing our stress and making that the absolute number one priority – when we manage our stress, we’ll not be displaying stress-induced behaviours such as anger, irritability, impatience and even meanness.
There’s nothing more important than healthy meaningful relationships to perform at your best – as an individual, as a team member, and in all your professional and personal relationships. It’s the relationships we have that make or break us, so if you do anything at all, prioritise the ones that are most important to you. Those you cannot fix, walk away with grace and respect.
Find out more about The Leadership Burst
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