By Scott Hanton, PhD, Intertek

As a leader what and how you communicate has a tremendous impact on the performance of people.  Your words can encourage people towards peak performance or demotivate them.  The following guidelines for your conversations can help encourage and motivate top performance.

Scott Hanton
Scott Hanton, ALMA2019 Speaker
  • Positive communication is about improving relationships.
  • Ask open-ended questions to explore their role and performance.
  • Communication is a two-way exchange.  Listen at least as much as you speak.
  • Actively coach to show the way.
  • Be ready and willing to ask for help.
  • Tell them how the work they are doing fits into the bigger picture and overall goals.
  • Show enthusiasm about their work and the future of the organization.  Enthusiasm is contagious.
  • Recognize that even the little conversations make a big difference.

Scott Hanton’s presentation “Hold Conversations That Drive Performance” at the ALMA conference October 21-24 in Minneapolis will explore this subject in more detail.