Strategies for Building Effective Relationships Essay Example for Free

Strategies for Building Effective Relationships Essay Building effective relationships requires time and effort. The most effective relations take many forms and are fruitful, effective and satisfying. This only occurs when the parties involved cultivate a level of high trust in their relationships, also called inter-dependence. For this paper we will discuss the basic skills that a leader must possess in order to succeed in building effective relationships. We will also discuss some of the methods used to build effective relationships with superiors and peers. Finally we will look at the role of the leader in different participatory management methods. Leader Skills These features not only facilitate a relationship to mature and deliver exceptional results, but just as importantly, they also preclude a relationship from unravelling under the weight of confusion and external stimuli – a vital aspect in today’s fast-paced and ever-changing world Anyone coming up thru the ranks in the military and in the civilian sector knows that in order for a leader to be successful that they must possess certain leadership skills. Although not all inclusive, these skills will set up a leader to be successful. These skills include: organization and time management, selling skills, resource acquisition and management, technologically savvy, persuasive and negotiating skills, and ethics (Javitch, 2009). Companies are not only looking for leaders who will be able to take over and get the job done, they are looking for leaders with the ability to be organized. Keeping everything running smoothly is part of a good leader. This includes the proper manage ment of time. A good leader creates and follows a schedule, leaving room for unforeseeable changes that occur. Another skill that a leader should possess are selling skills: Wheater it is a product to be sold, a business opportunities or a new processes, a good leader must be able to sell the item or idea both inside and outside the organization. The next skill a leader should possess is resource acquisition and management: In today’s shrinking markets, the ability to locate and effectively use assets goes a long way towards the success of process implementation. This includes knowing how to manage these  processes in order to succeed. Continuing with skills that leaders should possess is knowledge of a leader being technologically savvy. This requires a leader to have the ability to learn and operate current technologies: This skill is of utmost importance, since software and hardware change on a regular basis. A good leader must be able to follow those changes in order to stay relevant in todays’ world of business. The next skill that leaders should possess is the ability to persuade and negotiate. A leader must be able to persuade others to execute a certain action and then negotiate the terms. These skills are important in both the selling of products and convincing other leaders to implement a particular process or program. The last skill but certainly not the least important are ethics. Discerning the proper from the inappropriate at the workplace is getting increasingly tough, as the line separating the two keeps blurring. A leader must possess the moral ground to distinguish between right and wrong and the strength to take the appropriate action no matter the consequences. It takes a great deal of persistence and willpower to create an ethical working place, but the leader knows that it will foster the professional and personal growth in the organization as the years progress. These are just a few of the many skills that a leader must possess. A leader still has to have strength, courage, listening skills, writing skills, and a slew of others skills in order to be well rounded and balanced. While the above skills are not all inclusive, they are a good starting point for leaders. Methods for Effective Work Relation Now that we have addressed some of the skills that a leader must possess we must discuss some of the methods that a leaders can used to build effective relationships with their superiors and peers. Effective work connections create the foundation for success and fulfilment in a job. A leader can sink their career and work associations by their actions and the behaviors they display at work. No matter their education, title, or experience, if a leader cannot play well with others, they will never achieve their goals (Miksen, n.d). It can be that that if there are no effective work relationships then there are no promotions, pay increases, goal accomplishment, and job satisfaction. To build effective work relationships a leader must: bring suggestions to the table, not play the blame game, keep  commitments, share credit, don’t blind-side a coworker or boss, and help other co-workers when they need it (Miksen, n.d). Bringing to the meeting table solutions to a problem earns leaders the respect and admiration from coworkers and bosses. There are some personnel who devote an extravagant sum of time pinpointing problems, yet they offer no way to solve the problems. Anyone can find a problem, the challenging part is finding thoughtful solutions. A leader that brings solutions to the table is sought out by everyone, thus creating relationships with others. The next method to build effective work relations is not playing the blame game. A leader that does so alienates supervisors, and coworkers. Remember that as a leader you need allies at work. While it may be required to ascertain who was involved in a problem, it does not require them to be publicly identified and blamed for the failure. If a leader does this then it will create adversaries. These adversaries will, in turn, help a leader to be unsuccessful. Remember that as a leader one of the skills that you must possess is to be organized and a m anager of time. This skill crosses over to helping build effective work relationships. As a leader you must keep your obligations. In any organization, work is interrelated. A leader that fails to keep deadlines and obligations, affects the performance and output of other employees. If a commitment cannot be kept, as a leader inform all affected employees who need to know and arrange for a new makeup date, making all conceivable efforts to honor the new deadline. Another method to build effective relationships is to share credit for ideas, accomplishments, and contributions. A leader must make the effort, time, and expend the energy, to thank, reward, recognize and identify the assistances of the personnel who aided them succeed. This is a fool-proof tactic to developing effective work associations (Miksen, n.d). One more method to building effective work relationships is to never blind side a coworker, or boss. As a leader always address difficulties, first, with the individuals openly involved. If an employee learns about an issue during a staff gathering or from an email sent to their supervisor, as a leader you have just blindsided the fellow worker. A leader will certainly not construct effective work associations unless their coworkers trust them. The final method to build effective work relationships it to aid fellow workers in find their skills. Remember that each employee in a group has abilities, expertise, and knowledge. A leader  that helps colleague to harness their capabilities, increases the benefit for the organization immensely. Some of the benefits include compliment, praise, and notice contributions. You dont have to be a manager to help develop an encouraging, inspiring atmosphere for employees. Frequently carrying out these actions will cultivate effective work relationships. Partners will value you as a teammate. Superiors will have confidence that you play on the right team. As a leader you will achieve your work objectives, and you may even experience fun, acknowledgement, and personal motivation. It does not get any better than that. Leaders Role in Participatory Management Participatory management is a system in which employees of an organization take an active role in the decision-making process as it relates to the way the business operates. There are numerous methods depending on the level of participatory management a business engages in. Some examples are information management, mentoring and training management, teaching management, recognition management, and finally shared decision-making management (Rampur, 2012). In information management information is shared readily with all employees. This includes earnings and operational budgets, financial projections, as well as information related to long-term strategic planning. This method provides transparency in all business aspects and allows for employee input and suggestions. The next type of participatory management is mentoring and training management. This type of management provides ongoing training, skills development, professional enrichment and mentoring to employees at all levels. This allows all employees to cross-train in different areas of the business, take on new or additional responsibilities, and give their newfound skills a hands-on try under the supervision of a mentor. This method encourages all employees to share knowledge and information with the goal of being a diversely trained, well-rounded workforce. Another type of participatory management is teaching management. This method features a teaching component in which employees are guided on the fundamentals of the decision-making process. Employees receive insight into a particular problem, issue or strategy and the cognitive tools necessary for breaking down the issue into problem-solving components (Rampur, 2012). Using this management style,  employees continually enhance their knowledge of how the company operates and are able to bring ever-improving skills to the workplace. One more form of participatory management includes a forum in which employees are recognized regularly for their achievements and contributions. The reward approach is designed to increase performance, motivate employees and provide positive reinforcement for a job well done. Employees also have the opportunity to see how their contributions directly affect the company in a positive manner. The final method of participatory management is shared decision-making management. In this method employees participate in focus group, complete surveys, participate in brainstorming sessions and often work in self-monitored groups on specific tasks and projects. Management typically provides parameters for employees to work within and to contribute suggestions and ideas, and many also feature a formal review process to ensure every idea is weighed and vetted carefully. As a leader there is purely no healthier way to make people feel valued than to ask them openly, for their advice. A leader can pat people on the back and recognize their efforts but this is not as effective in encouraging people as incorporating them in the decision making process. Employees who play a part in deciding what to do feel a much greater amount of ownership over making it happen. Depending on the organization and the leader will determine which method of participatory management to use if any. Conclusion Leaders are many things to different people. They are the ones making decisions, communication with people, resolving issues. A leader has to have many attributes to be effective. This includes being able to cultivate relations with other people and departments, not to mention being able to lead, develop and enhance coworkers, and the organization. For this paper we have discussed the basic skills that a leader must possess in order to succeed in building effective relationships. We also discussed some of the methods used to build effective relationships with superiors and peers. Finally we looked at the role of the leader in different participatory management methods.