Communication-Driven
I often get strange reactions in interviews when I'm asked how I would solve various hypothetical scenarios and the answer to many of those lie in proper communication.
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As an experienced People Manager, I have solved many issues in the past through coaching, expectation management and having difficult conversations.
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In my personal experience, a lot of problems disguise themselves as process issues, when in fact they are communication issues that stem from a lack of expectation management, miscommunication, misunderstandings or lack of communication.
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​Below are things I try to live up to as a manager from a communication point of view:
Active Listening
One of the key components of my leadership style is to give people a safe space to express themselves within conversations with me. I first and foremost listen and try to truly understand their motivations without judgement or trying to impose my way of thinking. It's about building a long term relationship of trust.
Providing Clarity
After understanding individuals and their viewpoints, I can then better provide clarity and context to misunderstandings, changes within the organization or within a project, etc. It's important for me here to create alignment, not necessarily agreement.
Transparency
Transparency, as mentioned elsewhere, is also a key component of building trusting long term relationships and I strive to be as transparent as I can be within my role.
Being Available
Being Available rather than walling oneself off also goes a long way of showing that people reporting to me have a support structure in place.