In January we had the opportunity to work with an intimate group of sales managers who, while located across the country and managing different regions, work closely (although remotely) together on a daily basis. These managers all have highly scientific backgrounds but less experience in managing teams and co-leading management initiatives. We were asked to create a highly tailored workshop session with the goals of building a culture of mutual respect for one another’s unique management styles and creating communication pathways going forward.
During the session we focused on:
Improving understanding and respect of different communication styles for managers and teams
Developing and practicing personal and professional communication strategies that can be used in various workplace situations, increasing confidence in daily interactions with colleagues and direct reports
Identifying communication pain points and provide a safe space to discuss them and brainstorm responses
Creating actionable plans to make improvements to team culture and empathy
Personally identifying individual growth opportunities resulting from mentoring others and being mentored, and outlining strategies to fulfill opportunities
Working with small teams can deliver huge impact, and this workshop was a wonderful example of that.