How to communicate towards others
The leadership and communication skills that Scientific Project Managers need to use are distinct from those of other leaders and project managers. That is because on the one hand, Scientific Managers most often don’t have formal, hierarchical authority over their teams. On the other hand, you need to create engagement, buy-in and the understanding for the common goals over long distances, while communicating across language and cultural barriers.
In this second part of our series, we look at the skills that distinguish good Scientific Managers from the amazing ones in the area of communication and leadership. The three skills we have seen over and over again that make a difference are:
IV. Be a great listener and value feedback
V. Master a repertoire of leadership styles
VI. Be an inspiring presenter
In this second part of our series, we look at the skills that distinguish good Scientific Managers from the amazing ones in the area of communication and leadership. The three skills we have seen over and over again that make a difference are:
IV. Be a great listener and value feedback
V. Master a repertoire of leadership styles
VI. Be an inspiring presenter
IV. Be a great listener and value feedback
The scientific method, as it has been practiced for centuries, is clear and very well defined. Form a hypothesis, design an experiment, carry out the experiment while collecting measurements, and only then evaluate if your hypothesis holds true in the face of your observations. Observation and good listening is just as important when it comes to teamwork and coordinating complex projects. In fact, I would even call it more important than communicating and delegating well. Only when you listen to others well and you observe what is going on you are able to understand any given situation. Just like in the scientific method, if you form your hypothesis too early and assume that it is "the Truth", you will run into problems in the future.
Feedback is a technical term that has been adopted into the field of communication. It is about having an outside observer provide valuable information about a given situation or a system. As a scientific manager you should have the skill to give good feedback to others.
While giving good feedback is important, it is even more important that you yourself are open to feedback from others and that you actively ask for it. Do you personally have a tried and tested method of giving and of asking for feedback? If you don't, look into it. The wide field of nonviolent communication is one resource that I like to use.
Feedback is a technical term that has been adopted into the field of communication. It is about having an outside observer provide valuable information about a given situation or a system. As a scientific manager you should have the skill to give good feedback to others.
- You might need to give critical feedback to a team member or to an organization that is behaving in an inappropriate kind of way.
- Praise and appreciative feedback is one of the most undervalued varieties of feedback. When somebody else’s strengths and accomplishments have made a difference to your project or to your success, let them know about it. You will strengthen your relationship and encourage them to continue doing good work.
- Or you use feedback in order to make people understand why a certain task is the next necessary step in your project timeline.
While giving good feedback is important, it is even more important that you yourself are open to feedback from others and that you actively ask for it. Do you personally have a tried and tested method of giving and of asking for feedback? If you don't, look into it. The wide field of nonviolent communication is one resource that I like to use.
V. Have a wide repertoire of leadership styles
Leadership is a highly complex skill. Once you master one aspect of it, leading people with a certain degree of skill and motivation, you are not automatically good at leading others with different kinds of motivations and different degrees of skill.
To some people on your team, you might have to be a teacher/trainer and explain steps in detail, while to others, you might have to point out the intention and the bigger picture behind a task. With others again, it might be appropriate to simply delegate a task and let them carry it out themselves, while with others you agree on objectives and empower them as much as possible to find a solution themselves. At certain times, leadership is about getting a clearly defined task list put into practice, at other times it might be about facilitating the painful process of change, restructuring, or letting go. You often might have to lead without having the official authority, sometimes resulting in power struggles and sometimes in teams that are more effective than they would ever be with any superior in their own organization.
How do you personally develop your range of leadership styles? Once again, a mentor might be of invaluable help here. Find a role model, somebody who has already achieved the level of expertise that you aspire to and flat out ask them: “Would you be willing to be my mentor?" Establish clear guidelines, areas that you would like help in and find win-win situations with each other. After that, be open for new discoveries and be willing to get challenged in your old ways and your current thinking. After all, that is what having a mentor is all about.
To some people on your team, you might have to be a teacher/trainer and explain steps in detail, while to others, you might have to point out the intention and the bigger picture behind a task. With others again, it might be appropriate to simply delegate a task and let them carry it out themselves, while with others you agree on objectives and empower them as much as possible to find a solution themselves. At certain times, leadership is about getting a clearly defined task list put into practice, at other times it might be about facilitating the painful process of change, restructuring, or letting go. You often might have to lead without having the official authority, sometimes resulting in power struggles and sometimes in teams that are more effective than they would ever be with any superior in their own organization.
How do you personally develop your range of leadership styles? Once again, a mentor might be of invaluable help here. Find a role model, somebody who has already achieved the level of expertise that you aspire to and flat out ask them: “Would you be willing to be my mentor?" Establish clear guidelines, areas that you would like help in and find win-win situations with each other. After that, be open for new discoveries and be willing to get challenged in your old ways and your current thinking. After all, that is what having a mentor is all about.
VI. Be an inspiring presenter
Designing a good presentation has always been about making it clear, concise and giving it a structure that works for your purpose. One aspect, though, that is still undervalued about presentations is what a good presentation should be about. The answer to that question is what makes the difference between a good presentation and an amazing presentation. Good presentations can inform you and make you understand, amazing presentations move you, inspire you and touch your emotions.
I recently worked with a scientific manager on his presentation and asked him "What is your presentation about?” He answered: "It is about this report that I just wrote." I shook my head and asked him again. "No it isn’t. What is it really about?" He thought about it again and said: “Well, about this research that I needed to do in order to be able to write the report." I said, "No, I'm sorry, that it not what it can be about if you want to make it an amazing presentation. What it should be about is your audience. Your presentation needs to be about how the lives of your audience can be different with your findings." He understood what I meant and changed his entire approach. It became an inspiring, thought-provoking and memorable presentation.
The art of storytelling is one area that is becoming more and more important in our complex world full of facts and increasingly complex interdependencies. Less and less audiences will understand what you want from them by just telling them about the facts and the data. They need context, meaning and images in their own mind. They need to know what your solution can mean for their lives. Using impactful stories has always been exactly about that.
Do you have to present data and make it come to life, make your audience understand what they need to be doing next, based on your information? If so, practice the art of using stories and see how your results will increase dramatically.
I recently worked with a scientific manager on his presentation and asked him "What is your presentation about?” He answered: "It is about this report that I just wrote." I shook my head and asked him again. "No it isn’t. What is it really about?" He thought about it again and said: “Well, about this research that I needed to do in order to be able to write the report." I said, "No, I'm sorry, that it not what it can be about if you want to make it an amazing presentation. What it should be about is your audience. Your presentation needs to be about how the lives of your audience can be different with your findings." He understood what I meant and changed his entire approach. It became an inspiring, thought-provoking and memorable presentation.
The art of storytelling is one area that is becoming more and more important in our complex world full of facts and increasingly complex interdependencies. Less and less audiences will understand what you want from them by just telling them about the facts and the data. They need context, meaning and images in their own mind. They need to know what your solution can mean for their lives. Using impactful stories has always been exactly about that.
Do you have to present data and make it come to life, make your audience understand what they need to be doing next, based on your information? If so, practice the art of using stories and see how your results will increase dramatically.
If you see the value in these skills and you would like to develop them further, contact us with any questions or to find out about which coachings or trainings can make a difference for you or your team. We are looking forward to it.
Next week, we will be shedding light on how amazing Scientific Managers take care of themselves and their own wellbeing. Resilience is the ability of your system to recover from periods of stress. Developing it is one of the most undervalued skills nowadays in my experience. Till then, Martin Schlicht
Next week, we will be shedding light on how amazing Scientific Managers take care of themselves and their own wellbeing. Resilience is the ability of your system to recover from periods of stress. Developing it is one of the most undervalued skills nowadays in my experience. Till then, Martin Schlicht
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