People - Self Coaching - Effective working relationships
This document is designed to encourage your thinking around a specific area of your development by providing you with some information and asking you coaching questions to consider how this relates to you and your way of working.
Having completed this workbook you will find that you have:
● A clear understanding of how to build effective working relationships
● Identified any obstacles you may face in building those relationships
● Considered the way in which you could overcome these barriers / challenges
● Identified things that you could do differently and created some plans/next steps on how to move forward in this area of your development
You should work through this workbook on your own, consider all questions carefully and answer them honestly. This will ensure you gain the full benefit of this development tool.
Having worked through this document you may decide it would be useful to follow up with a coaching conversation with your Line Manager or a Colleague on your Region to support your continuing development.
Introduction
Building effective working relationships through all areas of the business is a fundamental element of becoming a successful Manager.
Building rapport and trust with colleagues in the business will assist you to both give and receive feedback that will further your personal and professional development.
In Steven CoveyÕs ÒThe Seven Habits of Highly Effective ManagementÓ he discusses the Emotional Bank Account, where a deposit into it offsets the withdrawals. In building relationships with people you need to build up a ÔdepositÕ of things like honesty, communication, trust etc. that can then be used when you need to make a withdrawal from them.
When answering the coaching questions below it may be useful to keep the
Emotional Bank Account in mind, especially if you are having difficulties with any individual. DonÕt forget even the toughest individuals have emotions and feelings.
● Understand the individual – donÕt assume you know what others need
● Attend to the little things – in relationships the little things are the big things
● Keep commitments – keeping promises can build bridges of trust
● Clarify expectations – most relationship difficulties are because roles and goals are conflicting or ambiguous
● Show personal integrity – lack of integrity promotes lack of trust
● Apologise when you make a withdrawal – it is one thing to make a mistake, another not to admit it
People - Self Coaching - Effective working relationships
Self-Coaching Questions
Building an Effective Working Relationship with your Colleagues
Think of a colleague who you donÕt currently have an effective relationship with that you would like to build with this person.
How would you like this relationship to be?
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What is already good about your relationship with them?
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Who do you know that does have a good working relationship with this person?
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People - Self Coaching - Effective working relationships Effective working relationships Building an effective working relationship with your peers Think of a peer that you do not currently have an effective working relationship with that you would like to build with this person?
Now ask yourself the same questionsÉÉÉ.
● How would you like it to be? ● What is already good about your relationship with them? ● Who do you know that does have a good relationship with this person? ● What specific behaviours do you observe that makes these relationships productive? ● What obstacles do you believe there are that hinders the working relationships you have with this person? Would it help to gain feedback from your peers? ● What have you concluded from this session that you could do to improve/build on the working relationships with your peers? ● What is the one thing you could do that would have the biggest impact on your working relationships with your peers? ● Are you committed to take the action required to improve/build on your working relationships with your peers?
Building an Even More Effective Working Relationship with Your Line Manager What is your current working relationship with your Line Manager?
Again ask yourself the same questionsÉÉÉ.
● How would you like it to be? ● What is already good about your working relationship with your line manager? ● Have you observed a individual who has established a better working relationships with your Line Manager? ● What specific behaviours do you observe from them that makes these relationships productive? ● What obstacles do you believe there are that hinders the working relationships you have with your Line Manager? Would it help to gain feedback from your Line Manager? ● What actions could you take to improve/build on the working relationship with your Line Manager? ● What is the one thing you could do that would have the biggest impact on your working relationship with your Line Manager? ● Are you committed to take the action required to improve/build on your working relationship with your Line Manager?
Build your next steps into the table below and include in your PDP
Next Steps / Action Plan
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