Global Fastener News

Firing someone is “not courageous. It’s an easy solution rather than giving someone feedback and waiting for their uncomfortable response,” consultant Bobi Seredich told the Pacific-West Fastener Association.

Seredich, founder and president of the Southwest Institute for Emotional Intelligence, termed leaders who don’t hold people accountable as “weak, unclear, selfish and shallow.”

In a presentation at the 2023 Pac-West spring conference, Seredich advised:

• Build trust;
• Embrace healthy conflict;
• Commit to goals;
• Promote accountability;
• Measure results.

Seredich’s five dysfunctions of a cohesive team: Status & ego; low standards; ambiguity; artificial harmony; and invulnerability.

“Build trust by being there for each other,” Seredich told Pac-West. And that starts with “being vulnerable first.”

To build trust, “Make everyone feel like they matter without weighing what you think they can do for you.”

You can have “healthy conflict,” Seredich said. Ideally, conflict is constructive rather than destructive with “mean spirited personal attacks.”

Seredich said unhealthy behaviors during conflict include saying things which will later be regretted; becoming overly dramatic; gossiping; and glossing over problems.

To encourage a commitment to company goals, “speak in ‘you’ and not ‘I’ terms,” Seredich advised. 

“Instead of trying to do something that is good for you, do something that is good for them,” Seredich said. “That also happens to be good for you.”

Seredich categorized three conversations that are important to leaders. First is the “daily” getting to know people. She suggested “taking time to check in with your team and add an icebreaker to your meetings.” Asking a question and actively listening “builds trust and is low risk.”

The second is the more “difficult” performance feedback.  

“It should be timely and not waiting for a performance review or a 360 assessment,” Seredich said. Start such conversations with the word “consider.”  

Positive feedback is important too.

The third conversation is “courageous” and involves your culture that may not change quickly. Examples are diversity, inclusion and politics. “It is important not to ignore,” Seredich said.

Don’t avoid the daily, difficult and courageous conversations and “address them in a timely way,” Seredich said.

Positive behaviors of a cohesive team consist of:

• Results. Share accomplishments with everyone and leave egos at the door.
• Accountability should be “team over one person,” which nurtures “everyone’s leadership skills.” A sign of a good leader is “if you are genuinely open to ideas other than your own.”

Accountability requires holding colleagues accountable, striving to learn and do more and “constantly looking toward the next opportunity.”

• Commitment entails the team goals and doing “whatever is necessary to accomplish objectives.”
• Conflict requires doing and saying the right things to “help teammates feel appreciated even when difficult situations arise.”
• Vulnerability trust is based on building relationships by being open and accessible.

Prepare the next generation to be innovative:  “Promote active experimentation,” Seredich said. “Embrace failure, identify multiple solutions and avoid micromanaging,” she added.

Individual team members may “need tough love,” some need positive reinforcement and some “need to be told exactly what to do.” Seredich added that “others excel when given a goal and freedom to achieve how they see fit.”

Leaders should sit down with their teams an ask: “What do we do well?” and “What do we need to work on?”

The ideal team player “shares accomplishments” and leaves ego at the door.” Colleagues are held accountable, always strive to be tolerant and do more.

“It is not about you, but the team succeeding,” Seredich said. Web: Pac-West.org