Charlie Green of Trusted Advisor fame has a new online self-assessment to gauge your level of trustworthiness. We think it’s a great little tool, with 20 simple questions and an elegant and short report at the end, based on your entries. Take it today at www.trustedadvisor.com/trustquotient.
We got a nice acknowledgment this week in Charlie Green’s Trust Matters blog. His post is about the single best way to become trusted. Check it out!
If you haven’t seen the “Cat and the Crow” video that’s been circulating the Internet for a while, it’s worth a peek. Check out what’s possible when two enemies don’t know they’re supposed to be enemies.
Imagine if we humans applied the generosity and wisdom demonstrated by these two simple creatures. Especially in the business world.
There’s a simple yet profound lesson articulated at the end: “If you’re able to gain trust in someone … than anything is possible.”
Ain’t that the truth.
Ever wonder why you get along so well with one client but just can’t seem to make headway with another? It could be that you have different Social Styles. This week’s blog offers tips for how to relate - and get results - with clients who have different Social Styles from your own.
In our last post, we acknowledged that, while it’s important not to stereotype or “box” others in, models that define typical style preferences can be helpful. We think the Social Style Model (www.tracomcorp.com) is easy to understand and immediately apply.
The combination of Assertiveness (the degree to which you ask or tell during interactions) and Responsiveness (the degree to which you tend to control or emote) reveal your Social Style as Analytical, Driving, Amiable, or Expressive. Click here for a description of each social style.
Taking that one step further, here are tendencies and tips for each Social Style category during times of stress:
For a detailed list of recommended approaches for each quadrant, check out Tracom Corp’s web site (www.tracomcorp.com). The key is to figure out your primary style first, and then your clients’. You can close the gaps from there.
Ever wonder why you get along so well with one client but just can’t seem to make headway with another? It could be that you have different Social Styles. This week’s blog offers a simple and useful framework for understanding and remedying disconnects between you and your clients (or between you and anyone, for that matter).
Human beings have natural behavioral patterns. While it’s important not to stereotype or “box” others in, models that define typical style preferences can be help us understand how to relate to our clients - especially when they are different from us. We like the Social Style Model (www.tracomcorp.com) because it’s easy to understand and immediately apply.
The Social Style Model uses two dimensions of human behavior:
1. Assertiveness is the degree to which you ask or tell during interactions
2. Responsiveness is the degree to which you tend to control or emote.
In combination, these two dimensions reveal your Social Style:
The challenge arises when you and your client have different Social Styles but don’t realize it. For example, an Amiable consultant (like me) may misinterpret a Driving client’s focus on actions and results as a lack of caring for his staff, and may frustrate her by spending too much time on relationships. Similarly, a Driving consultant may mistake an Amiable client for someone who is not bottom-line oriented.
So how do you minimize the gap in styles and maximize your ability to get the job done? Check out our next blog post to find out.
We were recently asked to create a Consulting 101 for a group of IT executives at a very big company. In today’s blog, we share the eleven “Rules to Consult By”, a distilled list that represents what the best of the best in consulting practice on a regular basis. Here we’ve turned it into a short self-assessment. See how you do! Be honest.
If you’re an “Often” on 8 out of 11, congratulations! If you’re a “Sometimes” on five or more, create specific reminders or actions to take in the next week to get back in the best practices groove. If you’re a “Never” or “Rarely” on one or more items, let us know and we”ll offer up some tips to help: info@bossanovaconsulting.com.
Client meetings are a great opportunity to build trust with many clients at once. Today’s blog is the fourth (and last) in a series that focuses on how to build trust with your clients when you morph from Consultant to Facilitator (Click here to read the first article in the series, Building Group Trust: The Credible Facilitator.)
We’ve used the components of the Trust Equation as our framework. So far, we’ve covered Credibility, Reliability, and Connectedness; now we turn to Service Orientation.
Service Orientation exists in the domain of motives. Service-oriented facilitators make it clear that they are relentlessly focused on their client’s wants and needs at all times. Service-oriented facilitators are also committed to making sure that any and all interactions are all about the group–not about the facilitator. (Note that this component is reflected as Self-Orientation in the denominator of the Trust Equation - the idea here is to minimize a focus on self as much as possible.)
Service Orientation is so important that we’ve identified 20 tips for establishing yourself as a Service-oriented Facilitator:
1. Find out how your client defines success and how you can help them achieve it
2. Deliver “early and ugly” in the design phase - collaborate and iterate
3. Let go of trying to appear clever, bright, witty; it’s not a show and it’s not all about you
4. Put the PowerPoint deck aside - use stories, easel charts, and creative handouts instead
5. Don’t name-drop
6. Be self-deprecating
7. Give voice to your fears
8. Take risks
9. Don’t jump to a solution; give the group ample time to define and grapple with a problem
10. Know your own traps/triggers and make it your job (not your clients’) to manage them
11. Don’t interrupt
12. Answer direct questions with direct answers
13. Practice active/reflective listening — constantly
14. Be really honest even (especially) when it makes you look bad
15. Give others credit for successes
16. Take responsibility for failed communications
17. Confront issues as they arise (e.g., when ground rules are broken) -being preoccupied with them keeps your attention on your own preoccupation
18. Be willing to turn leadership of the group over to the group at an appropriate time
19. Let someone in the group have the last word, even (especially) when you”re dying to add your piece
20. Take time to solicit “plus/delta” feedback; hear it all with grace and good humor
Clients who experience you as Service-oriented can be heard saying, “I trust that she cares about xyz.” As a result, they’ll trust your leadership of the group.
Credibility, Reliability, Connectedness, and Service-orientation: four secret ingredients to turning any client meeting of any size into an opportunity for a double-whammy: exceeding expected results while simultaneously building trust.
Email us to receive our one-page handout called “50+ Tips for Building your Trustworthiness as a Facilitator.”
Client meetings are a great opportunity to build trust with many clients at once. Today’s blog is the third in a four-pack that focuses on how to build trust with your clients when you morph from Consultant to Facilitator. (Click here to read the first article in the series, Building Group Trust: The Credible Facilitator and click here to read the second article in the series, Building Group Trust: The Reliable Facilitator). We’ll use the components of the Trust Equation as our framework.
We�ve covered Credibility and Reliability so far; now we turn to Connectivity, which aligns with Intimacy on the Trust Equation.
Intimacy exists in the domain of emotions and emotional connectedness. The Connected Facilitator visibly demonstrates both empathy and discretion, which makes it possible for the group to flourish in a comfortable and safe working environment.
Here are 10 tips for establishing yourself as a Connected Facilitator:
1. Be rigorous about maintaining confidentiality when you collect and report group data (e.g., surveys or interviews)
2. Create a meeting design that supports discussion and disclosure (e.g., pairs sharing first before a whole group discussion) - especially around sensitive topics
3. Create a physical meeting space that is welcoming and orderly
4. Share something (appropriately) personal with the group; lead by example
5. Pay special attention to member participation throughout the meeting; use techniques like one-word check-ins and round robin reporting so all voices are heard
6. Use easel charts, white boards, and other visible recording devices to capture group input and actions
7. Use participants� language when creating a group record - even if you think it’s incorrect (grammatically or otherwise)
8. Acknowledge uncomfortable situations (e.g., “Wow, I notice the room got really quiet all of a sudden.”)
9. Demonstrate empathy; repeat back/summarize not only the content of what group members are expressing, but the emotion behind it
10. Use “process checks” periodically; step away from the content of the meeting to get feedback on participants’ overall experience of it.
Clients who experience an emotional connection with you have a sense of security, comfort, and ease in your presence. As a result, they’ll trust your leadership of the group, which means they will be more likely to express themselves and share information with you and with each other.
Unfortunately, emotional connectedness, or intimacy, is necessary and not sufficient for building trust. Last up: The Service-Oriented Facilitator.
Client meetings are a great opportunity to build trust with many clients at once. Today’s blog is the second in a four-pack series that focuses on how to build trust with your clients when you morph from Consultant to Facilitator (click here to read the first article in the series, Building Group Trust: The Credible Facilitator). We’re using the components of the Trust Equation as our framework.
First up was Credibility. Today’s topic: Reliability.
Reliability exists in the domain of actions. Reliability occurs when you prove yourself to be dependable and predictable over time.
Here are 10 tips for establishing yourself as a Reliable Facilitator:
1. Whenever possible, interact with the group prior to convening to introduce yourself and begin to demonstrate how you work.
2. Be sensitive to your clients’ cultural norms when designing sessions.
3. Stick to the agenda you’ve created unless you clearly re-contract with the group or group leader to make changes.
4. Create materials (easel charts, handouts, session notes) with a consistent look and feel.
5. Dress appropriately; don’t dress way “over” or “under” your clients.
6. Use the group’s terminology.
7. Check against objectives/expectations at key junctures and ending points.
8. Always return to “Parking Lots” and other similar group records to bring closure to outstanding ideas and actions.
9. Absolutely, positively end your session when promised (unless you have agreed otherwise in advance).
10. Deliver follow-up materials on time.
Clients who experience you as reliable can be heard saying, “I trust her to _______.” As a result, they’ll trust your leadership of the group.
Credibility and reliability are necessary and not sufficient for building trust. Next up: The Connected Facilitator.
Client meetings are a great opportunity to build trust with many clients at once. Today’s blog is the first in a four-pack that focuses on how to build trust with your clients when you morph from Consultant to Facilitator.
We’ll use the components of the Trust Equation as our framework.
First up: Credibility.
Credibility exists in the domain of words. It is created through your credentials, your truthfulness, and how you present yourself.
Here are 10 tips for establishing yourself as a Credible Facilitator:
1. Know your stuff! Stay up-to-date on facilitation tools and techniques.
2. Be accurate and complete with your design and preparation.
3. Prepare your easel charts and other supporting materials well in advance; create an organized and welcoming meeting space.
4. When you are in presenter mode, practice, practice, practice, so your delivery is relaxed.
5. Be familiar with your clients’ terminology and acronyms.
6. Say “I don’t know” when you don’t know.
7. Never lie. Ever. (Click here to read more on the topic of lying.)
8. Remain poised and secure when group members express different opinions.
9. Express your passion for your work and for the group.
10. Be humble; remember the group’s wisdom rules the day.
Clients who experience you as credible can be heard saying, “I trust what he says about xyz.” As a result, they’ll trust your leadership of the group.
All that said, credibility is necessary and not sufficient for building trust. Next up: The Reliable Facilitator.