How do you and your talent development department build the skills needed for more authentic and successful business relationships based on trust across all levels of the organization? To address this challenge, I interviewed Michael W. Kublin, CEO of PeopleTek, a leadership, team and organizational development company that believes effective business relationships are the most important skill for the workplace. Its key program, The Leadership Journey, is designed to enable individuals at all levels to have the skills and tools to effectively lead others.
Michael is a creative and innovative talent development leader who is tapping into some of the most important trends in business today: the areas of authentic leadership and relationships.
Q: What are the most important skills leaders need in the current business environment?
Michael Kublin: Fostering effective business relationships is the #1 skill required for all leaders. Being effective in our business relationships first starts from the inside. By identifying our authentic selves using various tools that probe into what we want to accomplish while delving into our strengths, we can lead a purposeful authentic life. We need to learn how others want to be treated; understand and leverage their own unique strengths and passion; and adapt an approach and interactions that prevents delays, errors, and misunderstandings. These skills are a must for any individual, team, or organization.
Q: Why did you create a new leadership program?
Kublin: We realized there was a need for a program that would build leaders’ ability to understand themselves and others, and the ability to build respectful relationships. We observed in various organizations a lack of trust, communication, commitment, and alignment. To help build these competencies, I created a program called The Leadership Journey. I created the program in 1996 and have updated it to meet new conditions such as the COVID crisis, the implications of artificial intelligence (AI), and other evolving business challenges.
Q: What should participants expect from a program like this?
Kublin: Participants should begin with a desire to improve themselves and then help others to do the same. We must identify our strengths and critically analyze how the overuse of our uniqueness prevents others from using their unique abilities. Most individuals and teams have opportunities for growth. When individuals and team members fail to work together to achieve goals, when conflict is not managed in a healthy manner, when there is a fear to provide (or accept feedback), this is when the Leadership Journey is essential.
Q: How would a training or talent manager benefit from this kind of a program?
Kublin: A training manager or talent management team leader needs to objectively assess how individuals, teams, and organizations are performing. Are they meeting their goals? How’s the work culture? Is career growth occurring? Have there been any complaints or disappointing survey results? Are there promotional opportunities? Is there a high rate of attrition? Most often, the cause is due to lacking leadership skills and abilities. The program helps to identify these challenges and create solutions on an individual and team basis.
Q: What are some challenges in teaching these courses?
Kublin: Too often attendees and sponsors are looking for a “quick fix.” I’m frequently asked if I can run a program that improves communication. The answer is, “Yes.” When I explain that it is a process done over time, many leaders want a two-hour session to resolve their issue(s). I always ask them why would emotional and other leadership muscles need to be built over years, yet we want human interactions such as communication, conflict, and teamwork to improve in two hours? While we do make progress in our first two-hour session, a lifetime of continual learning and growth is what sustains and improves effectiveness.
Q: How long does the Learning Journey take?
Kublin: If taken in-person, it takes three hours every other week for 12 group sessions, plus a one-hour private session for each participant. If taken virtually, it takes two hours every other week for 12 group sessions, plus a one-hour private session for each participant.
Q: How is this topic related to resilience?
Kublin: The entire program is about resilience. It starts out with personal accountability—we own everything that is happening to us. We may not have created the circumstances, but we own how we lead ourselves and others through it. From Day 1 of the program, the core is about how we will overcome obstacles that stand in the way of our effectiveness. We don’t blame others, and we hold ourselves accountable for everything that is happening. This is a major step toward being resilient.
Q: What are some of the reported outcomes of the program?
Kublin: Participants report that they better understand themselves and others, with the ability to build strong and lasting relationships in their professional and personal lives. They have increased their awareness level and report significant improvements in communication, influencing others, teamwork, and other performance factors, leading to better project outcomes and process improvements. We hear over the years that it helped build their confidence, strengthen their conflict skills with others, and improve teamwork with those they’ve had difficulty with. The graduates report they take on more responsibility, are more accountable, and are recognized by others for having changed their approach. We are especially proud that both women and men say: “I finally found my voice.”
If you have any questions, challenges, or best practices regarding relationship building, please contact Michael at: MKublin@peopletekcoaching.com or Neal at: Neal@NealGoodmanGroup.com
