Lesson 9: Technical Competence Isn’t Enough
Shawn wondered why his teammates weren’t working as hard as he was. He cared so much about the high-stakes project which his boss assigned to his team. He also knew what career doors could open if they exceeded expectations. But it seemed like no one else seemed to respond with the same hunger he did when given this opportunity. The team showed enthusiasm at the first meeting, but not much after that. He felt like there was a disconnect between when people said they understood the amount of effort and time required to succeed, contrasting with the results he was seeing. His team knew how skilled he was and how hard he worked – he won “Employee of the Month” for the past 3 months in a row, after all. And yet, they weren’t matching his passion or effort. Shawn felt alone, anxious about disappointing this client through a late or poor effort. He was certain this was not a new leadership challenge. But he struggled to come up with a solution he liked, let alone one which his team would be receptive to.
Can you relate to Shawn’s frustration?
You might have heard the saying, “Leadership is more caught than taught.” True, leadership learned from a classroom lecture isn’t guaranteed to translate into consistent and effective application. And if you’re on the other side, you can’t assume others will study your example and follow it according to your expectations. Sharing and explaining your example is a great first step. But inspiring others to action isn’t guaranteed when you do.
This ties in with the lesson about shifting from a high-context culture to a low-context one. As a leader, it’s up to you to create dialogue around the example you’re setting. Achieving technical competence might have earned you credibility and a promotion. But that same competence doesn’t translate into the social skills required for effective leadership. Skills like communication, motivation, and accountability are in a separate category from your problem-solving expertise. And they will require you to start from zero and invest additional effort and time to develop them. You also must develop empathy. Until people feel like you have a genuine interest in their lives and care about them, they won’t care how effective you are at your job.
How do we bridge that gap, then?
Let’s say you’re reviewing how to draft company emails within your department. If you were teaching new team members about the best practices of composing and sending written communication, how would you give them the best chance of meeting your standards?
First, show them WHAT standards make an email effective, clear, and professional.
Second, explain WHY your standards are important and effective, emphasizing the benefits they and the team experience when meeting or exceeding the practices you lay out. This gives them context and a glimpse of what motivates you.
Third, explain HOW to meet this standard. Have them identify barriers, then discuss ways to remove them. Help them realize how easy it is to implement your standards. This will instill confidence in their ability to meet these expectations.
Fourth, show them WHERE they can find the required resources to do this well.
Fifth, invite them to share their disagreements. When they do, make sure they offer alternatives to what they dislike. Having this dialogue can lead to a shared solution better than what any individual comes up with. While you do this, remember to distinguish between preferences and principles. Make sure you let go of the former, while ensuring your team agrees on the latter.
Finally, follow up and see how well they followed instructions and met expectations. Evaluate and adjust their results until you feel like the team trusts each other and knows how to maintain the agreed-upon standard. Remember that these standards must evolve with the team’s needs over time. As much as we like static solutions, the best ones will require maintenance, albeit minimal.
A lot of leaders fall into the common trap of discouragement and loneliness when they set an example that no one seems to follow. True, they will experience times where they must stand alone. And yet, they can increase the chances of others following them if they know how to build a bridge that their team members would be excited to cross. Here is one other helpful reminder: confusion can look like apathy. Many times, people don’t act because they’re confused, not because they dislike your request. Just keep that in mind if you don’t see early returns.
Some Next Actions to Consider
Take a closer look at a leader who brought out the best in you, or a historical example you admire, like Abraham Lincoln. If you could list five characteristics about them that you can incorporate into your own leadership style, what would they be? Examples can include being fun to learn from, fun to be around, gracious, inviting, insightful. Be as specific as possible. Even better, ask yourself, “How would this leader (in this post, Abraham Lincoln) handle this situation?” You might be surprised at the answers your imagination gives you.
2. Have a meeting with your teammates for everyone to share their leadership styles and communication preferences. Do they need a certain approach or frequency when you check in with them? Do they like public or private praise? Do they like to be challenged, affirmed, or something in between? How will you repair relationships when they are broken? This will give opportunities for you to learn and adjust how to best work with them, and to share your preferences as well. Personality assessments can help get everyone on the same page and speaking in the same terms to make sure everyone feels included and heard.
3. Dial up interest in your teammates by putting on what I like to call “the curiosity hat.” A previous client told me, “I’m not interested in getting to know my teammates.” My counter question: “Well, if you were interested in your teammates, what would you ask about?” Whether you use this technique with your work team or at a networking event, don’t underestimate its effectiveness.
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