By Lee Campbell, account manager
I attended the Meeting Planners International Winter Conference and had the chance to learn about “Strive for Five: Creating a Culture of Success” from Paul Miller and Dawn Daria. Here are some great takeaways from that session.
When mistakes are made people often say “I dropped the ball.” In creating a culture for success what is important is what happens after the ball drops: Are you ready to bounce back? Strategies for success must include strategies for when things don’t go as planned.
Tools for Creating a Culture of Success
Foster Relationships
- Talk with integrity – say what you mean and mean what you say
- Listen to each other – always consider their point of view
- Communicate eye to eye
- Build a personal connection
- Get in the trenches – connect with your team regularly
Personality testing is an essential investment for employers to ensure a culture for success. Get to know your team and how they work best. Consider including regular “getting to know you” questions in your team meetings to learn how to work better together.
Stay Positive
- Make sure to focus on positive strategies and responses even during stressful times
- Keep lines of communication open and strong
- Be solutions oriented
Ensure Understanding
- Speak face to face – avoid emails or texting when tone can be misunderstood
- Offer tangible trails of instruction
- Consider different learning styles –what is clear and straightforward to some members of your team may not be helpful to others
Practice Healthy Conflict
- Foster positive resolution strategies
- Appreciate different personalities
- Understand each individual’s approach
- Work towards resolution quickly – address problems as soon as possible so positive change can happen sooner rather than later
If leaders create a culture of success, it makes hard conversations much easier. Set the expectation of how conflict will be resolved. Steps should be clear and considerate of all parties involved.
When considering your coaching style, leaders should start with encouragement before getting straight to the point of a problem. Trust is built when team members know that their positive efforts will be recognized as much as their mistakes. In your debriefing meetings, praise the successes in addition to discussing solutions to pain points.
For more strategies for success by focusing on the strengths of your team:
Want to know more about association management? Contact us at info@imiae.com to find out more about what IMI Association Executives can do for your organization.