Leadership Development – Page 14 – STL

In our last blog we talked about Communication. Today we are going to look at the next topic in our series Five Vital Skills for Project Managers – Leadership.

The difference between Managing and Leading

Simply put, Management is about tasks while Leadership is about people. Project Managers need to be able to wear both hats, often at the same time. The role involves managing work and project progress while also guiding, motivating and directing people.

Five Vital Skills for Project Managers - Leadership — Leadership

Skilful project leadership brings people together to achieve a common goal. It also ensures that together, the team efficiently accomplishes more than they could as individuals.

In addition, while management requires you to focus on the tasks, leadership requires you to look ahead, always focusing on the vision. This will enable you to anticipate problems and opportunities and plan for future changes.

Creating the Vision

A strong leader will create a clear vision of what the outcome of the project will look like. They will also inspire others to commit to achieving that vision. Making clear the purpose, importance and benefits of the project will engage the team. By providing vision, the Project Leader can engage and motivate people. They must maintain clear direction through tough times and celebrate wins along the way.

Motivation

A natural leader will motivate others to take actions, even when they are not officially in charge. As a project leader, you need to maintain motivation through tough times. This is key when a project is struggling or when BAU takes priority. You also need to understand what the team needs to perform at their best and create a positive working culture that enables people to excel.

Different things motivate different people and an individual’s motivation can change over time. Motivational factors include praise, variety in tasks, and autonomy for decision making. Great leaders recognise and understand those differences. They gain commitment by providing individuals with what they need to motivate them.

Forward Thinking

An effective Project Leader will always have one eye on the vision. Hence, they will ensure that all activity contributes to achieving that vision. While managing day to day tasks and actions, a Leader will be looking ahead to anticipate potential problems. This will help them to put preventative measures in place. The Leader will also be on the lookout for opportunities to add value to the project. They will save time and cost or improve outcomes.

To do this well, a Leader needs to be proactive. They should use both critical and strategic thinking. They also need to be decisive and be able to negotiate changes with stakeholders.

Conflict Management

Projects bring about change. Conflict is inevitable in situations where you are introducing something new or changing something. Strong Leaders know how to harness conflict for good, as the best solutions arise when someone challenges an idea.

Conflict can be positive for teams because it allows differing views to be expressed. This often results in a better solution and a more effective project outcome. However, Leaders need to arm themselves with conflict resolution strategies. This will ensure they can identify and tackle conflict proactively before it escalates into an issue for the team.

Enabling people

To empower, by its definition, means to put power into. Therefore, empowering people is the process of enabling someone to do something themselves. As a leader you need to recognise the skills and knowledge of individuals. You should remove roadblocks and then trust them to do their job without you micromanaging.

Once you have empowered people to work through problems on their own, it is counterproductive to tell them what to do and answer every question. A resourceful Leader will simply point people in the right direction. They will then employ coaching techniques to enable them to come to their own conclusions and solutions. This will encourage autonomy and productivity, and provide them with a reason to be proactive in their efforts, ultimately building trust.

Finally, a Leader needs to be able to control their emotions and stay calm when faced with hardships. When it comes to empowering people, you need to always remain positive. The emotions you express will affect those around you. If you want positive, enthusiastic team members, you must demonstrate positivity and enthusiasm yourself.

In conclusion, a well-known quote states that strong leaders are born and not made. This is often true, but you are leading a project, not fighting a war. Anyone can learn, develop, and apply these skills. The important part is to understand your role as a leader and what others expect of you, then make the commitment to step up and lead.

For further information the following courses we offer may be of interest.

That concludes part two of our series “Five Vital Skills for Project Managers – Leadership”.

You can improve your profitability by ensuring clear and concise communication. Business writing is present at every level of any organisation and assumes many forms.

In this blog, learn 5 key tips for business writing, as well as a checklist of considerations.

Business Writing – what is it?

Business writing is any type of writing that is used in a professional setting. It is a purposeful piece of writing that conveys relevant information to the reader. Consequently, it must be presented well. Examples of business writing include client proposals, reports, memos, emails, and notices. As such, good business writing skills improve internal as well as external communications.

Proficiency in business writing is a critical aspect of effective communication in the workplace. Poor business writing wastes time. Ultimately, this can lead to costly mistakes.

By focusing on the following five areas, you can create professional documents that are quick and easy to read and action. In doing so, you can improve your company’s efficiency.

5 Tips

1 Know the purpose of your message

The broad field of business writing can be broken down into the following four categories based on the objective.

Instructional

When your aim is to give the reader information that will help them complete a task, it’s called Instructional writing. To make the information easy to follow and instructive, you could offer a step-by-step format. This business writing style is often written with a neutral, competent tone. For example, manuals and technical use Instructional writing techniques.

Informational

Informational business writing comprises of documents essential to the core functions of the business for tracking growth, outlining plans, and complying with legal obligations. For example, the financial statements of a company, minutes of a meeting, or report writing. Informational writing needs to be accurate. Therefore, you should consider the best way to present detail carefully. Charts and graphs can be read far more quickly than tables of figures.

Persuasive

Persuasive writing uses words to impress the reader and convince them to listen or to act. We associate sales and marketing with persuasive writing. It includes proposals and press releases. You must be able to attract the reader quickly and focus on what’s in it for them.

Transactional

Transactional writing is writing that is part of a chain of communication. Most of our day-to-day communication at the workplace falls under the transactional business writing category. The bulk of such communication is by email, but also includes official letters, forms, and invoices. The writing style is usually brief and to the point.

For all four categories of writing, your introduction should answer these three questions from the perspective of the reader:

What is this?

Why am I getting it?

What do you want me to do?

2 Be clear and concise

People often misinterpret unclear and long-winded messages. Presenting the crux of the passage in the first 150 words is important. It saves the reader time and sharpens the argument.

Business executives value a document they can scan quickly. Using numbered or bulleted lists, clear headings, concise paragraphs, and the use of bold formatting to highlight keywords will enable them to do this.

3 Use the active voice

The active voice puts the subject or person before the action.

Active voice is a way to take control of your writing. When you sound confident, your reader or audience is more likely to trust what you have to say. Passive voice often makes the writer appear unsure. The active voice is direct, strong, and easier to read. There is a clear difference between ‘The report was submitted by Bob’ (passive) and ‘Bob submitted the report’ (active).

If you want to present a solid argument and influence your reader, use the active voice in your business writing.

4 Templates

Using templates for regular types of communication such as proposals or reports can speed up the process. Templates will also help you to create a consistent brand style. However, don’t rely on them to the point of losing originality or becoming dull and ineffective. Ensure that emails are read. Your email is not the only one which the recipient will read that day!

5 The Final Check

Correct grammar, spelling and punctuation speeds up the ability to read a document. In addition, the tone of the phrases you use can completely alter the message you want to deliver. Read your document through a couple of times before sending and if necessary, get a second opinion.

Considerations: Remember the 10 ‘Cs’ of Business Writing

Complete: include the when, where, why, who, and how
Concise: remove redundant words and stock phrases
Clear: make sure there’s no ambiguity or doubt
Conversational: write like you’re talking to someone face-to-face
Correct: use the correct spelling, grammar, and information
Coherent: write down your thoughts and ideas in a logical manner
Credible: always check your facts and your sources
Concrete: avoid using vague words and phrases such as idioms
Courteous: use a positive tone and put the reader first
Considerate: make your writing easy to read and scan

For further hints and tips, have a look at our Essential Business Writing Skills You Need to Learn piece!

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