Have you ever walked away from talking to a colleague with the feeling that what you had to say was valued? Here are a number of simple yet effective habits you can implement into your daily conversations, to have a positive impact on those around you.

1. 4 WAYS TO
WATCH WHAT YOU SAY
AS A LEADER

2. 4 WAYS TO
WATCH WHAT YOU SAY
AS A LEADER
Great leaders pay attention to the details.
Every word you say and each movement you accompany them with will have an
effect on your followers and the environment you create around them.

3. HOW DO YOU ENGAGE IN
CONVERSATION?

4. 1
THE “UH-HUH”
APPROACH

5. 1
THE “UH-HUH”
APPROACH
All too often we’re more concerned
with looking for an opportunity to
interrupt and offer our own advice
than we are with actually listening to
what is being said.

6. THINK YES BEFORE
YOU ENTERTAIN THE
THOUGHT OF NO.

7. Allow employees to share their point of view,
not necessarily by agreeing with them,
but through subtle encouragement.

8. Allow employees to share their point of view,
not necessarily by agreeing with them,
but through subtle encouragement.
SAY THIS:
Yes uh-huh, ok, mmhmm

9. Allow employees to share their point of view,
not necessarily by agreeing with them,
but through subtle encouragement.
SAY THIS:
Yes uh-huh, ok, mmhmm
INSTEAD OF THIS:
No, errr, uuum, but, maybe

10. 2
UNCOVER WISDOM
INSTEAD OF REVEALING
INCOMPETENCE

11. 2
UNCOVER WISDOM
INSTEAD OF REVEALING
INCOMPETENCE
You’re looking to get the best out of your team,
so don’t hit them with high-pace intimidation that
leads to mistakes - go slow.

12. BY APPLYING LESS
PRESSURE, YOU’RE ABLE
TO CREATE A FEELING THAT
THERE’S LESS AT STAKE.

13. SAY THIS:
“Just to make sure I
understand…”
“We’re in this together.”

14. SAY THIS:
“Just to make sure I
understand…”
“We’re in this together.”
INSTEAD OF THIS:
“That’s not going to work.”
“Find me another solution.”

15. 3
OFFER YOUR
OPINION...LAST

16. 3
OFFER YOUR
OPINION...LAST
Imagine you’re in a meeting, and a workplace
superior starts with, “In my opinion…” - everything
else from that point on is doomed to agree, at least
partially, with the initial statement.

17. AS A LEADER, YOU’VE GOT
THE POWER, SO DON’T
HOLD IT OVER YOUR
SUBORDINATES’ HEADS.

18. Instead of offering your opinion as a standalone,
connect it to what others have said previously
and frame it as an addition.

19. USE THESE BRIDGING PHRASES:
“That makes me think of…”
“Remember what you said about…”
“I see, and what about…”
Instead of offering your opinion as a standalone,
connect it to what others have said previously
and frame it as an addition.

20. WHY THIS WORKS

21. WHY THIS WORKS
Through framing your own opinions as stemming from the ideas of
others, you give employees confidence in what they think and take
away their fear of sharing.

22. WHY THIS WORKS
Through framing your own opinions as stemming from the ideas of
others, you give employees confidence in what they think and take
away their fear of sharing.
CONFIDENCE = improved collaboration and idea generation
Because, after all, two heads are better than one.

23. 4
PROBE
FOR MORE

24. 4
PROBE
FOR MORE
Someone’s first answer is
seldom their best one.

25. IN ORDER TO DRAW
INSIGHTFUL SOLUTIONS
OUT OF YOUR TEAM, ASK
AGAIN, AND AGAIN.

26. MORE IDEAS EQUAL
MORE CHOICES, AND
A HIGHER LIKELIHOOD
OF THE BEST POSSIBLE
DECISION BEING MADE.

27. SAY THIS:
“Great, and what else?”
“Should we do this, this,
that or none of them?”
“Why?”

28. SAY THIS:
“Great, and what else?”
“Should we do this, this,
that or none of them?”
“Why?”
INSTEAD OF THIS:
“Let’s do that.”

29. “REMEMBER THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN A BOSS AND A LEADER: A
BOSS SAYS ‘GO!’ AND A LEADER SAYS
‘LET’S GO!’”- E.M. KELLY

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