Beth Emmert (Agribusiness)

I am best with writing, so to support leadership I wrote up a few quick tips to follow to become more effective. Most of these are applicable in any situation.

Communication

• Tools – Use all communication tools available, then get your team on board with access to one main method to stay connected for important updates and notifications.
• Messages – Respond quickly. Acknowledge by repeating back or rephrasing, then give an estimated time to supply the requested information (it buys you more time that way). Set a reminder for follow-up so you don’t forget.
• Response – Tired of repeating yourself? Your responses need logical change. Try a different approach or ask for help from a peer. People don’t remember things that don’t make logical sense.
• Reaction – Delay reactions to stressful (non-urgent) news. Rephrase your understanding of the issue to ensure clarity, then allow yourself time to investigate before you decide what to do.

Connection

• Look at people in the face when they’re talking to you.
• Ask about families. Most of us have one.
• Relate on a positive subject. We all know gas is expensive. No politics.
• Eat food and drink coffee together.
• Don’t be afraid of people in power or customers.
• Talk to everyone with familiarity. Be genuine.

Learning

• Admit when you don’t know something. Everyone knows what they know.
• Know what is and isn’t your job. Don’t palm off jobs you don’t like, people will see you as lazy. Schedule time on your calendar to complete tedious tasks without interruption.
• Point out your mistakes. Others can learn from and avoid making them. Bring errors to a manager’s attention right away – especially if you suspect more problems could arise. Don’t make the boss come to you, they’ll appreciate your candor and that you saved them time.

Coaching

• Make tools available to others so they can find answers themselves. Publish procedures in one place and update them when needed. Notify users of changes with links rather than email attachments.
• Clarify goals behind policies. When others realize the reasoning behind procedure they’ll learn prioritization and find their own work rather than asking you what to do next.
• Be helpful but don’t take over for those capable. Never take away independence.
• Let people learn from mistakes. They develop deeper understanding (cause & effect) by fixing the mistake.