Frameworks for Leading and Managing People

“Many leaders have IQs (individual intelligence quotients) many times greater than what I have termed ‘We Q’, collaborative intelligence. They are, by nature, overly individualistic and less skilled at collaboration.” – Peter Hawkins, from Leadership Team Coaching

Let’s face it: work is a very people-y place. When it comes to leading and managing masterfully, the art lies in handling the interpersonal and relational aspects of the work effectively, so that tasks can be accomplished with less tension. From 1-1s to groups, putting ‘relationship before task’ is a practice that tracks individual teammates as well as what’s here in the group as a whole. 

In this episode, my colleague Ray Foote and I dive into some useful models for understanding the people-y parts of work and offer frameworks you can use to navigate the interpersonal spaces in your organization. 

It helps to have frameworks for understanding where stuckness and sticky moments can show up on teams. 

Employing these models allows you to meet people where they are. By using inquiry and getting curious about what’s happening, managers are better able to see where a person actually ‘is’ before jumping to conclusions and actions based on their own projections. Frameworks like this can help name conflicts and behaviors that are showing up on the team so that they can be defused, related to in a new way, and/or addressed in a timely manner. 

Reach out for coaching or our Team Experiences for a facilitated experience for yourself and your team around these frameworks and more. 

Here are some frameworks that we cover in this episode:

Establish group norms. 

Group norms ensure we have a safe and productive experience together and serve as the foundation for shaping expectations around ‘how things are done around here.’ By intentionally establishing and naming group norms, leaders can influence how team members interact with each other, communicate, and collaboratively work towards common goals. This intentional approach fosters group cohesion and drives success, as it ensures that the norms align with the organization’s values and aspirations. Knowing what behavioral norms are for your group and organization gives everyone a structure for how we commit to being together. Read more about group norms, here.

Have one conversation at a time. 

Ever have a conversation that doesn’t seem to go anywhere? Oftentimes, we think we’re talking about one thing, but there are actually more unspoken parts happening in the conversation. In these instances, leaning in to voice concerns, share your perspective, or offer feedback can be tricky. In any conversation, we can break up the vectors of meaning into three important parts — I-We-It. Using this framework can help unbraid a complex conversation by focusing on each individual part separately. Read more, here.

A formula for trust. 

The building blocks of trust are: Sincerity, Competence, and Consistency. Each of these components is an element of reliability. If someone means what they say, is good at what they do, and shows up to meet commitments, their reliability and self-accountability is the stuff from which trust is borne. Learning the components of trust can help you understand what parts are missing from a person or situation so that you can identify more clearly what’s causing you concern. If you can name it, you can address it. Read more here.

The above frameworks are great tools to keep in your leadership quiver, whether you’re a CEO, manager, or an IC. Check out more insights into frameworks for thinking about group collaboration in this episode.