Leaders Should Stop Saying These 3 Things

In this issue…

• Leaders Should Stop Saying These 3 Things - by Dave Stevens

• Extra Insights: Communicating with Complicated: 7 Tips for 360-Degree Collaboration in the Workplace - by Ryan Leak, Maxwell Leadership

• Weekly Motivation Boost: 11 Effective Strategies for Reigniting Motivation In the Workplace - Forbes Council

• Action for the Week: Create a positive atmosphere with a “Celebration Wall” or “Celebration Channel”

• Together with the Collective: The all-in-one financial solution for the self-employed.

🎯 EXPERT OF THE WEEK

Leaders Should Stop Saying These 3 Things

By Dave Stevens

Let’s talk about three phrases to avoid as a leader. Now I do believe that most of the time these statements below are said good intentions, and of course, context matters. Yet there are better phrases to use to coach and lead your teams.

Here we go…

#1 "I used to do that."

Whoop-de-do. Nobody wants to hear this phrase when they’re sharing a challenge they have with a particular task or project. They aren’t looking for you to share your resume. What they’d probably like to hear is some empathy. "Sounds challenging and I bet it’s frustrating. What are some ways you might be able to mitigate the problem, work through this?"

Pro tip: Bake in your personal work history sparingly. It’s not about you.

#2  "Let me play devil’s advocate."

This is a big no-no when someone is really excited about an idea. It can be a total buzzkill. Say this too often and the idea or feedback spigot might get turned off. Maybe for good. Pro tip: declare intent when discussing the idea. It might be something like, "Hey, I am loving the excitement about this idea and the fact that you are coming up with potential solutions (encouragement/positive reinforcement)! Would it be okay if I ask a few questions, so we make sure we have our bases covered before moving forward?" Or if you need more clarity, "Could you please walk me through _________?" 

#3 "I was just thinking about that" or "I already know that."

Oh, just stop. This is also a progress wrecker. Especially when someone is stoked about what they just shared with you. It also could hit your credibility because they may not believe you. By the way, why does it matter if you were thinking about the same thing? Are you worried that you will not be viewed by your team member as their "very smart" leader? Keep doing this and we will all know the answer to that question. 

Obviously, there are many more phrases or things not to say when leading; these are just a start. Can you think of more? Just like actions, words matter. When you lead, people are not only watching what you do, they are listening to everything you say and how you say it. So, say it well!

P.S. A good leadership development exercise would be to break participants into two or more groups. Have them list positive leadership phrases as well as the deflating, negative ones. If you want to add a twist, have each group pick a “bad” phrase and draw a cartoon. Have them explain their list during a larger group debrief. This mini workshop can create self-awareness with a fun twist.

💡EXTRA INSIGHTS

Communicating with Complicated: 7 Tips for 360-Degree Collaboration in the Workplace

By Ryan Leak, Maxwell Leadership

8-Minute Read

🏅WEEKLY MOTIVATION BOOST

11 Effective Strategies for Reigniting Motivation In the Workplace - Forbes Council

9-minute read

🏃🏽‍♀️Action for the Week

Create and Spotlight a “Celebration Wall” or “Celebration Channel”

Create a "Celebration Wall" in your workspace to celebrate wins. If you’re a mostly virtual group, leverage the communication tools (Slack, Teams, Zoom Chat, etc) and create a "Celebration Channel." Encourage the team to post their wins, big or small, to help encourage positivity and create a motivating atmosphere.

💎 TOGETHER WITH THE COLLECTIVE

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