Name: Sheri Greenwell

Title: Director, Principal Consultant

Organisation: EnQuantum Group International (NZ) Ltd / Employment Relations Specialists

Sudden and quite unexpected changes to my circumstances at the end of 2022 brought radical changes to many aspects of my life. But as always, I am resilient and resourceful! Amongst a few diverse work projects, I have established myself in a new home, created a fabulous modular garden (I'm renting, so it's all in pots and planters), and developed an amazing new network of friends and neighbours.

Rather than "Don't get mad; get even", I much prefer the philosophy "Success is the best revenge!" I'm a perpetual OPTIMIST - I always see the possibilities, rather than getting stuck on problems. I'm currently navigating through the many challenges of people who are caught up in the fear associated with economic downturn, recession, and change - seeing what is POSSIBLE rather than dwelling too much on fear. Aiming to focus on making businesses smarter and more efficient NOW, so they are better positioned for business recovery when the time comes, and helping to find alternatives to simply cutting headcounts, which will stifle and slow down business recovery.

Click here to read Sheri's first written interview: 7 Questions on Leadership

Thank you to the 2,000 leaders who’ve generously done the 7 Questions on Leadership!

We’ve gone through the interviews and asked the best of the best to come back and answer 7 MORE Questions on Leadership.

I hope Sheri's answers will encourage you in your leadership journey. Enjoy!

Cheers,

Jonno White

1. As a leader, how do you build trust with employees, customers and other stakeholders?

ASK relevant questions to find out what is important to them, then really LISTEN to understand. ASK questions that facilitate realisations and expanded awareness, which will naturally facilitate useful solutions. It's so much more effective than TELLING people what I think. Well-thought-out questions have great power to steer a conversation toward relevant solutions.

Leaders don't need to have "all the answers"; they just need to ask thoughtful questions and then really listen to the answers - what is said and also what is not said!

2. What do 'VISION' and 'MISSION' mean to you? And what does it actually look like to use them in real-world business?

VISION is an expansive, inclusive commitment to where we are all heading - the WHY of what we are doing. A great vision statement captures the values and culture that characterise the organisation at a higher logical level, aligning key elements of the organisation's identity and sense of purpose for what it does.

MISSION: is HOW we are going to achieve the Vision - what we do to make the vision come to life. Example: We ensure all workers get to go home safely to their families (vision) by providing management systems frameworks that educate, inform, and support workers to perform their work safely. (Mission).

3. How can a leader empower the people they're leading?

1. Look for ways to OFFER opportunities to stretch themselves. For example, an employee reporting to me was knowledgeable and highly experienced, so when it came time to write a report on the work she had done to investigate a product issue, I told her I would really like the report to come out under her name, since she did all the work. I suggested that she could draft the report herself, and I offered a template she could use, and then suggested we could review the draft together and finalise it. This arrangement gave her the opportunity to try for herself and stretch herself a little, with support in place for her to succeed.

We collaborated on the final draft and then circulated the finished report under her name. It was very satisfying to watch the enthusiastic support she received from the sales team (one even asked her if he could have a copy of the template she used!), and also to see her confidence grow as she received such positive feedback. In addition, this built even more trust between us, and she knew I was genuinely interested in her success.

4. Who are some of the coaches or mentors in your life who have had a positive influence on your leadership? Can you please tell a meaningful story about one of them?

One of my first managers was an amazing leader who always got the best from people. In my case, I liked being given a little direction by way of telling me what he needed. He always set realistic targets that also allowed a little room for me to do just a little bit more, which was very satisfying for me and gave me a sense of having some autonomy and control over my own work. He also had the amazing skill of giving constructive feedback in such a way that "criticism" felt every bit as positive and uplifting as "praise".

Another early manager gave me great autonomy to do my work, which brought out the best in me. Again, he assigned projects to me with an explanation of the purpose of each project. I would go and do the work, then come back and update him regularly on my progress so he always knew exactly what was going on. When I came to points where I was waiting for something else and could not proceed any further, I would always ask if there was anything else I could work on. He would show me a stack of folders and tell me, "These are our projects - pick one!" When I wanted to understand more about the technology behind something, he would offer me relevant reading on the topic.

When I queried a possible anomaly in some test results, he came and investigated with me, and we realised I had indeed found a fault in the test equipment that needed to be fixed. He was always just so approachable, even-tempered, kind, and supportive. I loved working with him and loved my work, which meant I was always trying to do more than the bare minimum.

5. Leadership is often more about what you DON'T do. How do you maintain focus in your role?

Regularly review plans and to-do lists - circumstances often change, which can change priorities. Also, sometimes I later realise I can delegate something or get it done a different way. Regular team communication - can be meetings, as long as they are planned and purposeful - NOT regular meetings for the sake of having meetings! More frequent meetings can follow a simple regular "agenda" to keep them on track.

For less frequent or more important meetings, I usually prepare a more structured agenda (that can easily be converted to minutes after the meeting) with all topics listed against a person responsible to presenting the topic and a time allocation for each - always knowing that if something unexpected comes up, the group can then review and decide together whether they will keep to the same timeframe by omitting some items, extend the meeting to accommodate the longer discussion, or schedule a separate meeting specifically for the topic that needs more time to discuss properly. This way, attendees know exactly what they are signing up for when they come and are not "held hostage" in a meeting that goes longer than planned.

6. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Everyone plans differently. How do you plan for the week, month and years ahead in your role?

Begin with the end in mind! A "visionary" 5-year plan provides the inspiration to remind people more frequently of WHY they are doing some tasks now, and why they are important.

I like to develop plans that set out long-term plans and goals (5 years in most cases - can be longer for some types of organisations), medium-term (2-3 years), annual, quarterly, and monthly. These should be reviewed at regular intervals and/or following any significant events that could impact these plans.

A well-developed and carefully implemented strategic plan drives focus, commitment, and achievement - it compels and impels, which is an inspiring kind of pressure.

If a team member seems disengaged, it is a great opportunity to check whether they need clarification, support, or coaching to deliver on their part of the plan.

7. What advice would you give to a young leader who is struggling to delegate effectively?

I would first ask the young leader what they aspire to become/do. I would also coach them on the dynamics of delegation - when delegation is appropriate and how to go about it. Usually, people who struggle with delegation don't trust themselves, so it makes it difficult for them to trust others. I would provide some tools and frameworks that help the young leader to become more confident as well as competent in delegating appropriately to others.