Category: Soft Skills

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How to Build Rapport: 4 Techniques for Success

How to Build Rapport

When you are trying to develop rapport with others, make the Oxford Dictionary definition your mantra: “a close and harmonious relationship in which the people or groups concerned understand each other’s feelings or ideas and communicate well”.

What does it take to accelerate “close and harmonious” communication with those you want to build strong and trusted relationships? STL takes a look at some simple but powerful strategies that help us to build rapport.

How to Build Rapport
How to Build Rapport
First Impressions Count

As with many business activities such as Negotiations, the way we appear and present ourselves matters. Your appearance helps you to connect with people and to lay the foundation of the relationship.

Matching your image to that of the people you are meeting suggests that you are, “one of a kind”. Ensuring you arrive in plenty of time for the meeting will set the tone. This applies not only to the meeting but also to the relationship.

Non-verbal Communication Engages OTHERS

The value and impact that a skillful and natural use of gestures, eye contact, facial expressions and a dynamic voice can have, is key. In global business situations, smile from time to time and look people in the eye when you are speaking.

You may have an especially important point to make. If so, you could raise your voice, slow your pace, or add a physical gesture to emphasize it. Good posture is important to convey confidence and gives others a sense of confidence.

Mirror and match your counterpart

However, if you are only concerned with your own image and body language, there won’t be alignment with your counterpart, which could alienate them.

Remember harmony?

You can generate rapport through harmonious communication. That means watching how the other person acts and interacts and matching their style. Also, take note of their facial expressions and try to respond in kind.

If they lean in and nod as you speak, you could mirror that by acting in the same way and using affirmative statements to encourage them.

Finding Common Ground

Once rapport is established, don’t stop there. Whether you are making small talk, getting to know your counterpart, or in the cut and thrust of a serious discussion, identify common ground. This can help you to take the rapport-building process to the next level.

Exploring shared topics is something that naturally excites people because it very quickly leads to more common ground, common acquaintances, and surprises.

Most importantly perhaps, people like to talk about themselves. Topics of shared interest enable you to demonstrate genuine interest. This helps to overcome the hidden barriers and develop warm and reciprocal conversations.

In Summary…

Relationships take time to build. Developing rapport with others can help you make quick gains. By ensuring you make great first impressions, using engaging non-verbal and vocal techniques, matching your counterpart, and finding common ground you can build rapport quickly and lay a foundation for strong relationships.

 

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Stages of Team Development and how to Maximise Performance

Together Everyone Achieves More!

4 Stages of Team Development

What’s a team? How about ‘a group of people working together to achieve a common goal or objective’? And if you like the definition, do you have a team? If the answer is no, then how do you get one? Questions, questions! Let’s look at some answers!

In 1965, Bruce Tuckman shared his 4 stage theory of team development with the world. Poetry lovers were ecstatic, as all the stages rhyme! Here’s the model:

Stage 1: Forming

The birth of a team! A new team is brought together, probably due to business needs – it may be a permanent or temporary team. Initially there is a lack of clarity regarding the team’s goals and individual roles and responsibilities. Team members experience some excitement, but mainly fear and uncertainty about the future. Productivity is, unsurprisingly, zero. The leader’s role is to provide as much information as possible, clarifying goals and roles, managing expectations, giving the team direction, but also legitimising anxieties and reassuring them that it’s all going to be ok. Let’s get this team up and running!

4 Stages of Team Development 
Stage 2: Storming

A turbulent stage in the life of any team! Some teams never get past this stage. Thanks to the leader’s interventions, some team members are happy and settle down to work – but not everybody. A pecking order has been established, and some people are not happy with where they ended up. They question the leader’s authority and meetings are plagued by sarcastic and unhelpful comments. Cliques form and conflicts arise – the team becomes polarised. Productivity plummets. The leader’s role here is to reinforce the team’s goals, discuss conflict-related issues and find solutions, and remind people they are part of a team and should act as one.

Stage 3: Norming

Differences have been resolved, people accept they are part of a team and are starting to work well together. Productivity is on the way up.

This is clearly a good place to be and the leader’s role is to reinforce this by delegating tasks whenever possible, delivering regular feedback (both positive and constructive), and providing training and development so staff have the skill and the will to do a great job.

This should create the momentum to carry the team to stage 4:
Stage 4: Performing

Often referred to as an HPT (High Performing Team), the team is self-sufficient and there is a high degree of autonomy. Team members support each other and enjoy working together. Productivity is very high. The leader may adopt an ‘eyes on, hands off’ approach – monitoring the team’s progress and only intervening when necessary.

Unnecessary interference would not be appreciated! The leader must also ensure the team does not become stale or bored – members must be kept energised and excited by the setting of stretching goals. It’s not what can they achieve, it’s what can’t they?

 

A final note of caution

If you have created a performing team, then well done! But please bear in mind that once your team has reached stage 4, maintaining that position can be the hard part! Teams can regress – for example, personnel changes, either minor or major, can cause the team to fall back and you may end up storming again, or even back at the forming stage!

Monitor your team and be aware of which stage they are at. Then, implement the necessary actions to get them to where you want them to be. Good luck!