Robust conversations: The resilient manager’s secret weapon by Anne Gately

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Summary

The resilient manager employs adaptive strategies to cope with the continual change encountered in the workplace. Most particularly, the resilient manager must be able to communicate thoughts and feelings accurately to those with whom he or she works, every day in myriad situations.

We succeed or fail at work and in all other aspects of our lives one conversation at a time, according to Susan Scott’s seminal work Fierce Conversations. Conversations can be to resolve issues with the team, to provide more-effective coaching in one-to-one conversations, to improve delegation, and to confront issues that impede enriched relationships. As with any skill, the ability to engage in conversation with senior executives, peers and colleagues takes practice and discipline to ensure that organisational and personal goals are met and that the individual manager’s skills at initiating, conducting and concluding conversations are honed to a point of expertise.

Successful management practice demands an ability to observe the effects of change, to reflect on the meaning for self and others, to describe and clarify issues, and to resolve apparent tension or conflict.

Resilience is a quality that can be tested in everyday situations, even within harmonious teams and workplaces, because the cycle of continuous improvement can mean that a manager must challenge the status quo or address issues that lead to dysfunctional outcomes. Real case studies and examples show where practising managers have been successful in their conversations and where some different choices in framing and pursuing conversations could have improved outcomes on many levels.

About the Author

Anne Gately

Anne Gately has enjoyed a career that has spanned 25 years in a number of management positions, most recently in strategy and marketing roles with the professional services sector. She is currently in a strategic marketing role with Australian law firm Blake Dawson Waldron, where she is responsible for planning and executing strategic bids, particularly in the resources and energy sectors. Previously, Anne was Director of Marketing Communications for Blake Dawson Waldron and spent some years in other senior roles with Woods Bagot and Allen, Allen & Hemsley.

Having a particular interest in face-to-face communication, Anne was a consultant with Rogen International where she focused on the professional services and IT sectors. Her communication experience includes experience as an actor and director; a teacher and facilitator in schools, universities and business; and as a leader and manager in a variety of teams. She has seen many of her peers choose a path that deviates from mainstream business roles and believes that resilience is a quality that is required to stay the course in the senior echelons of Australian business. To Anne, resilience is an ability to be adaptable and make compromises, a willingness to be accountable – even when results are disappointing, and a courageous outlook in difficult times.