To meet your agency’s mission, you have to prioritize what’s important.
But sometimes, getting your employees moving in the same direction, toward the same objective, can be like herding cats.
How can you, as a supervisor, take different communication and work styles into account to encourage collaborative and cohesive goals?
During the most recent Communities of Practice session on June 26, Kevin M. Coleman, Owner, Empowerment Coach, Trainer and Speaker with KMC Empowerment, had some advice to share on setting a framework for your team to meet your agency’s ambitions.
Coleman said that he personally subscribed to SMARTER goals, going beyond the typical SMART acronym (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-sensitive) to add ER – execute real-time.
“Adding the –er puts action into it,” he explained. “This is what works best for me, but there are other frameworks out there.”
No matter which acronym or goal framework you choose, the important part is to “know your why” of wanting to move forward with an objective, Coleman said.
“You have to have enough passion to want to pursue it,” he stated. “A strong ‘why’ is what starts habit formation.”
Once you have the ‘why,’ it’s essential to be able to communicate upcoming goals to your team. Effective communication comes in many forms, and to learn how your team members connect best, Coleman suggested using DISC, a personality model designed to measure someone’s personality and behavioral style so you can accommodate it.
He also mentioned the importance of the platinum rule of collaboration, which ascribes to people being treated as they would like to be treated and using the communication methods that work best for them.
Want more tips and advice on goal setting and collaboration? Take a look at the recording from the June 26 session.
Also, be sure to register and tune into the next Communities of Practice session on July 31, “The Five Most Common Mistakes That Supervisors Make.”
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