Dealing with colleagues

Effective leadership hinges on building strong relationships with colleagues. It fosters trust, promotes collaboration, and drives team cohesion. Engaging with peers positively impacts decision-making, problem-solving, and organizational success, by ensuring open communication and mutual respect within diverse team dynamics.

If someone lies, know what bothers him

• Understanding motivations: when someone lies, there's typically an underlying reason or motivation for the deception. To truly understand the lie, it's more insightful to uncover the root cause or the genuine concern rather than merely focusing on the falsehood itself.
• Emotional trigger: Lies often stem from emotions such as fear, insecurity, guilt, or a desire for approval. When someone lies, they might be trying to hide something that bothers or scares them. By understanding their emotional triggers, one might get a better sense of why they felt the need to lie.
• Avoiding confrontation or disapproval: Some people lie to avoid confrontations or potential conflicts. If someone is consistently deceptive about a particular topic, it might indicate a sensitive area of concern or insecurity for them.
• Empathy over judgment: Instead of immediately passing judgment on the act of lying, the phrase suggests approaching the situation with empathy and a desire to understand the underlying cause. This could lead to more effective communication and resolution.
• A call for deeper insight: On a broader level, the phrase can be taken as advice for life. Instead of taking things at face value, delve deeper to understand people's actions and the motivations behind them.

Talk in first person

Talking in the first person involves using pronouns such as "I", "me", "my", and "mine" when communicating. This way of speaking can have a range of implications and is often used to convey personal feelings, beliefs, experiences, or opinions. Here's what it implies:

• Personal ownership: Speaking in the first person indicates that the speaker is expressing personal opinions or feelings. It denotes ownership of thoughts and actions. For instance, saying "I feel..." or "I think..." emphasizes that the sentiment comes directly from the speaker.
• Accountability: When someone says, "I made a mistake," they are taking responsibility for their actions. It's direct and doesn't shift blame onto others.
• Directness: First-person communication is direct. It can make conversations more straightforward and to the point.
• Building connections: Using first-person language can build connections between the speaker and the listener, especially in vulnerable or emotional discussions. It can foster understanding and empathy.
• Avoiding generalizations: Speaking in the first person can help avoid making general statements. Instead of saying, "You always need to be punctual," one might say, "I appreciate it when we start on time." However, there are also potential drawbacks or things to be aware of when using first-person language:
• Potential for perceived self-centeredness: Overusing first-person pronouns without balancing the conversation can make a person seem self-focused.
• Less formal: In some professional or academic contexts, using the first person can be seen as less formal or less objective.
• Potential for emotional exposure: Constantly speaking in the first person, especially when discussing personal feelings or experiences, can leave one feeling emotionally exposed or vulnerable.

Make echo (repeat) what the other person says

Echoing or repeating what another person says, often known as "reflective listening" or "active listening," has several positive aspects in communication:

• Validation: When you echo someone's statements, it can make them feel heard and understood. It tells them that their thoughts and feelings are important.
• Clarification: By echoing what the other person says, you provide an opportunity for them to hear their own words and to clarify if your repetition isn't quite right. This helps in ensuring that both parties understand the message accurately.
• Reduces misunderstandings: Repeating what you've heard can correct potential misunderstandings right away. If you've misinterpreted something, the other person has an immediate chance to set it straight.
• Enhances retention: When you actively listen and repeat back, you're more likely to remember and retain the information because you're engaging with it more deeply.
• Facilitates deeper exploration: By echoing the speaker's words, you're inviting them to go deeper into their thoughts or feelings on the subject, perhaps uncovering underlying issues or concerns.
• Promotes empathy: Taking a moment to repeat and reflect on someone's words can foster empathy as you're momentarily putting yourself in their shoes, trying to understand their perspective.
• Diffuses tension: In conflict situations, active listening can calm heightened emotions. When people feel heard, they are often less defensive and more receptive to dialogue.
• Creates a pause: Sometimes in intense conversations, emotions can run high. Echoing provides a natural pause in the conversation, allowing both parties to take a moment, breathe, and collect their thoughts.

Let the other person talk, keep an active listening

Active listening is a communication technique that involves fully concentrating, understanding, responding, and remembering what the other person is saying. It's a foundational skill in various areas like counseling, conflict resolution, sales, and everyday interpersonal interactions.

Conversation, feedback and recognition (CFR)

CFR is a performance management system and needs to be integrated into the company culture.

• Real conversations: provide conversational spaces where we allow talking frankly. We must offer our support to improve.
• Feedback: Make a sincere evaluation of the work. Which behaviours we would like to continue presenting.
• Recognition: Provide a positive evaluation of the work done, making emphasis of their importance in the project objective.