The Fine Art of Intuitive Management |
| The Fine Art of Intuitive Management Posted: 02 Jul 2014 03:23 PM PDT As a young man obsessed with driving rapid sports cars (often far too rapidly) I considered myself fortunate to have my very own mechanic, who would regularly tune my latest “beast” to perfection. He was a genius, and to watch him go about his work – which was his obsession – was an honor and a privilege. He rarely lifted the hood (bonnet) until he was ready to perform his magic, but rather he just listened, not unlike the way a master piano-tuner listens. He was using his well trained ear to identify the slightest imperfection. I knew him well …. he was my father, and he was one of the most intuitive people I have ever known. Very occasionally, I have witnessed the same thing in my commercial life, but sadly, far too rarely. It is that trait that distinguishes the great manager or leader from all the rest. Being intuitive means that we “feel” we don’t just see or even hear: We are completely in-tune with our team; we understand each of them; we know what motivates every one of them; we are able to stimulate and goad them in equal measure, in order to elicit optimum performance levels from them, and as a consequence, we have a team that can achieve remarkable things. Can anyone become an intuitive manager or leader? Yes of course they can, it is something that I specialize in coaching: I have always believed that if one person can do something then we can all do it – if we really want to that is. Example? I could give you so many, but this is my personal favorite … Up until that balmy May evening in 1954 at the Iffley Road track in Oxford, England when Roger Bannister ran the mile in under four minutes, everyone believed it to be impossible – but then later that same year another sixteen athletes also ran sub-four minutes, because it had been proved to be possible. In order to become a truly intuitive manager you first have to have an interest in people – a genuine interest – and you also need to genuinely care about them too. Then you have to know and understand yourself well; you have to be comfortable and confident with who you are and with your management/leadership style. When I communicate with my team – and in fact my client’s teams too – I listen for what is not said as much as what is; I understand and recognize gaps in written communication; I immediately notice facial expressions, body posture and voice tone. It is more than a skill. I have honed it and developed it over the years, and it has stood me in good stead. It is like a sixth sense, and I feel privileged to have it. So, the next time you survey your team, ask yourself this question: “Do I feel my team; do I understand each of them – do I need to lift the hood (bonnet) to reach them, or can I just listen and hear their imperfections, and then fine-tune them to peak peformance levels?” If you can, congratulations, you are practicing the fine art of intuitive management! |
| The Excellence Just Keeps on Coming! Posted: 02 Jul 2014 01:02 AM PDT In case you haven’t heard, the July edition of Top Sales Magazine is now published. The big news this month is that we are moving from a monthly publication to a weekly one, from August: It will be lighter, more easily digestible, more dynamic, more succinct … in fact everything you want from the most popular sales magazine on the planet! So what is in this collector's final edition? To begin with, I interview Sam Reese, CEO of MHI Global, the most successful, and significant sales training company in the world. There are guest articles from: Etien D'Hollander, Diane Helbig, Kurt Shaver, Mike Lieberman, Colleen Francis, Benadette McClelland, and Krystle Vermes. Our regular feature writers, Barb Giamanco, Babette Ten Haken, Tamara Schenk, Keith Rosen, Deb Calvert, Nancy Nardin and Dave Kurlan are all on great form. My piece this month tackles the most obvious malaise affecting sales professionals everywhere "Yes But Can You Sell?" In the spotlight is Jill Harrington Finally, we reveal this month's Top Sales Article and Top Sales Blog Post. It really is a bumper farewell edition that you will not want to miss. Enjoy! Not subscribed yet? What are you waiting for? Sign-up for FREE |
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