Al Asgarian

Aside from what’s already mentioned, here are a couple of strategies to foster empathy: Active Listening As a leader, really tune in when your team members speak. This means fully focusing, understanding, responding, and remembering what they say. Avoid interrupting and give them your full attention. This shows you genuinely value their input. Show Genuine Interest Take a real interest in your team members' perspectives. Ask open-ended questions and encourage them to share their experiences and ideas. This not only helps you understand where they're coming from but also makes them feel valued and respected.

You should show the vendor that you are open to receiving feedback as well, and then provide your feedback within that context. Feedback is a two-way street; when the conversation includes both giving and receiving feedback, it becomes a constructive discussion aimed at strengthening and improving the partnership.

Balance the feedback by acknowledging their strengths and contributions. This helps to soften the blow and shows that you recognize their positive qualities as well.

To me, this is super important. Guess what? When you build solid relationships with your teammates and clients, real collaboration kicks in and finger-pointing stops. You're almost guaranteed to hit some bumps and setbacks in the project, but with strong relationships, you work through them together. Your manager and client will trust you to course-correct, making the whole process smoother and more enjoyable for everyone.

Consistently nailing your tasks is the secret sauce to earning trust from your managers and teammates. It shows you're reliable, accountable, and know your stuff, building a solid foundation of trust and respect in the team. Once you prove you're a rockstar at delivering consistently, your manager will likely give you the green light to do your thing without hovering. This makes both you and your manager happier—you get to flex your skills, and your manager can chill, knowing you’ve got it covered.

Without clear communication, even high performers can cause confusion and problems on projects. You might excel at designing and building systems, but poor communication can undermine your manager's trust and put them at risk. Effective communication is essential to ensure your contributions are understood and valued, and to maintain the smooth progress of any project.