These cards represent the communication skills needed to make the transition from manager to leader. Leaders need to inspire, demonstrate expertise and build trust with the team. Leaders must learn to exercise their leadership through critical conversations that move the organization forward.
Suddenly I was the boss—over my friends whom I have known for decades.
Dr. Bill Donohue is a Distinguished Professor of Communication at Michigan State University. A Cleveland, Ohio, native, he received a BA from Bowling Green University and went on to earn his M.A. and Ph.D. in Communication from The Ohio State University.
Critical Conversations as Leadership: Driving Change with Card Talk.
Donohue, W.A. (2018)
Canton, MI: Frontedge Publishing.
All organizations should fully embrace innovation around the customer experience. In reality, strategic innovation is driven by the customer’s needs. Do your employees know how to play the Innovator Card – and will you support it and work to develop it?
A manager isn’t always a team leader. Think about how a Manager Card is different than the Team Leader Card when managing your staff – or even if they’re managing you!
Most organizations want to talk about their internal culture. Yet leaders must steer the dialogue to address their out-facing culture. A customer-centric company culture sets the tone for internal values.
Does the communication “game” you’re engaged in have a known number of players, a specific set of rules and an objective? If not – beware – it may be a time-consuming infinite talk game.
Leaders must also play a Student Card, constantly paying attention to the disruptive new technologies heading your way.
Leaders are expected to be innovators and press their organizations to progress along strategically focused paths. Are you reaching this bar?
Here are my training activities for the remainder of 2018. Most focus on communication and leadership issues.
You might find these books interesting since they present interesting background information about the card talk concept.
These books support my communication and leadership research agenda.
I particularly like these resources for expanding our understanding of the challenges leaders face in communicating.
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