Change Leadership “The Ultimate Test of Soft Skill Competency”

There is no question that nearly all businesses in the United States have been disrupted in some way by the recent covid-19 pandemic.  Just like all challenges that we face, the real question is; “What are you doing about it?”  Smart business leaders know that disruption and change is necessary and powerful when it is done well.  A leader’s ability to harness the power of his or her organization will mean the difference between failure, survival or an even greater level of success! 

As a business owner, I have never learned anything nor did my organization become stronger as a result of a favorable business environment.  All my personal growth and our organization’s increased effectiveness was a result of a disruption or negative circumstance that had to be overcome.  An additional insight that I had to learn the hard way, was that our success was directly correlated to my ability as a leader to engage my team in developing solutions that would work and be enthusiastically executed by everyone.  In other words, it was not just figuring out “WHAT” needed to be done.  In many cases I already knew the answer to the “WHAT” question.  The trick was “HOW” to actually execute the change.  That is why soft skill competencies are so critical to the success of any new strategy. 

Here are three simple checkpoints that you can use as you lead your organization to take on a challenge and ultimately a change for the better.  

Tip: Your ability to pass these checkpoints is directly tied to soft skill competency 

Checkpoint #1:  Assess relationships within the organization and on your team using the Relationship Continuum.  The best results will come out of a collaborative partnership.  Be honest with yourself and consider what you can do to affect the level of trust and commitment necessary.

Checkpoint #2:  Assess your teams’ ability to engage in healthy problem-solving dialog.  The best solutions will emerge when you are able to draw out a healthy balance of assertiveness and cooperation in the debate.  What are you doing to foster this kind of healthy conflict?

Checkpoint #3:  Assess the level of commitment and the resulting mutual accountability present on the team and in the organization.  If you are successful at passing checkpoints 1 and 2 this will more than likely exist at the onset.  The key to sustained and lasting change will be found in your ability to influence and adjust as conditions warrant. 

We all know that challenges and difficulties are a part of business and a part of life.  What is being emphasized here is that “HOW” you go about solving problems is just as important as “WHAT” you resolve to do.  The very best outcomes are a result of a partnership and collaboration with everyone involved.  What are you doing to improve your personal soft skills and the soft skill competencies of your organization?

REV Advisory Group and REV Performance Solutions provides the tools and expertise that organizational leaders need to create a performance culture. To learn more about our innovative solutions give us a call 612-202-2485, drop us a note info@rev-advisors.com or visit our website at https://rev-performance.com/.