Branches & Roots V1:E6: Learning To Look

"Branches & Roots": A Look at Strategy and Competition Through the Lens of Business and Sport
A Banyan Tree Strategies Communciation

Learning To Look

As October brings its chill in the air and Halloween decorations start to pop up out of the ground, we have noticed the business and sport community are out in full force. Sharing with you what we have gleaned from both has quickly become a favorite pastime. 

The theme for this edition is leadership, communication, and power because we have noticed that when power is distributed it starts to impact communication and this becomes a leadership challenge. You are all leaders, even if you are only leading yourself, and as such we have come up with a new image for you centered on the compass. At the center of the compass is an “eye”. We put that there to remind you to “look” first and then act….  Communication continues to be a thread we see that really matters at work, especially when working with a chain of command, but what does it mean when your direct reports are all silent???  Finally, we have a great book to recommend for anyone who works with Millennials and we finish with a deep dive on the Ryder Cup.

---

As A Leader, What Is In Your Toolkit?

The Leader's Compass

What do you use to navigate the storms and the seas that come with organizing and working with others? Our research is showing it is part head, part gut, part eyes, and part heart. In looking for an image that we thought would convey all of these the compass came to mind, that little device that helps you stay on track when visibility is low and the future uncertain. We will be adding more detail to the action phrases associated with the different directional points and welcome your feedback on how you Coach, Teach, Manage and Lead. 

Of note is that half of the compass requires silence from the leader, this maybe your strength or your greatest challenge, regardless make sure you have a trusted colleague who can give you “true” perspective on whether you need to speak up, or be silent.

For more selections from our "The Banyan Brain" whiteboard art visit HERE.  

---

Learning To Look

Recent client engagements have had us working with managers and employees on how poor communication can lead to productivity challenges and eventually hurt the bottom line. Which led us to an interesting finding.  The VitalSmarts team has compiled over 25,000 hours of research that shows that when the boss is in dialog on work matters with direct reports 90% of them will remain silent on most matters if they feel even a hint of tension in the subject matter. This struck us as significant because there are moments of tension in a workplace every day and often times the boss feels that lack of communication equals affirmation. In fact massive amounts of data and feedback are being missed.

So if you are the boss and you are getting a lot of silence…. you might want to “Learn to Look” at those faces again and then think through how you are going to build a safe environment to get the data and insight from your team upstream. 

If you are in a low power situation, we think you might want to invest in mastering your dialog skills and learn how to effectively share with your peers and the boss. Being in the 10% who can communicate when tension is in the room is a vital skill and could have a major impact on your influence. 

---

Interesting Book

The Alliance by Reid Hoffman, Ben Casnocha, and Chris Yeh.

Two years removed from “The Start Up of You” this team has come up with another winner.  The Alliance is a great quick read for anyone who wants to work with the Millennial generation. This fresh look at the failing employment contract and how to build a team based upon mutual goals and agreed upon time frames is quite appealing. LinkedIn’s exemplary employee surveys show how a public company can be run this way, and if you are hiring or parenting a Millennial we recommend you read this book. 

---