Leadership Spotlight: Meet Andrew Woolnough, an Exceptional High-Performance Leader
Exploring Effective Communication Strategies: Key to High-Performance Leadership
Effective communication is a vital skill for high-performance leaders. In this edition, we explore the strategies and techniques that can enhance your communication abilities. Learn how to foster a cohesive team dynamic, navigate difficult conversations, and deliver constructive feedback that drives positive outcomes.
Andrew Woolnough: A High-Performance Leader Mastering Communication
Andrew Woolnough is an exemplary high-performance leader who has made a significant impact in the construction industry. His commitment to safety showcases his ability to overcome today's challenges for a better tomorrow. Whether it is through onsite interactions with the site workers or successfully gaining ISO accreditation, Andrew's dedication has touched the lives of countless individuals.
As QSE Manager for Regional NSW for CMA Contracting, Andrew's leadership has been pivotal in spearheading positive change. His approach to decision-making in complex and ambiguous situations is a testament to his expertise. Andrew relies on gathering diverse perspectives and conducting data analysis to inform his choices. He also trusts his intuition and considers the long-term implications of each decision, ensuring a well-rounded approach.
Interview with Andrew Woolnough: Insights into Effective Communication
Our interview series continues as we sit down with Andrew Woolnough to gain insights into his approach to effective communication. Andrew has a proven track record of being a masterful communicator in complex and dynamic environments. Discover his strategies, lessons learned, and practical tips for effective communication as a high-performance leader. Gain inspiration from his leadership journey and discover how he navigates through uncertainty to drive positive outcomes.
Andrew, can you share your journey and experiences as a high-performance leader, particularly focusing on your communication approach?
Andrew: I guess my journey as a leader began during a very average Rugby League career as a player. I had some very good coaches that had an impact on me, some still relevant today in the industry which I work.
My experience in those days were, that if you could get everyone on the same page and going in the same direction with a common goal – you would be successful. Skill or a team full of superstars was not essential, we just needed a common goal that could be achieved by everyone in that team.
What communication strategies do you employ to ensure a cohesive and productive team dynamic?
Andrew: ?Choose your delivery for your audience – know who you are speaking with and what message you want them to take away from your time together.
This means you need to have a few strings to your bow – know how to talk to the boys in the field – cut to the chase and definitely no BS.
This approach might need to be softened when speaking with our clients or Senior Management etc., basically know your audience and speak with people not at them.
How do you navigate difficult conversations and deliver constructive feedback effectively?
?Andrew: I always deeply consider the impact these conversations will have on the person I am delivering the message to, again it comes down to knowing the person you are talking with. I personally don’t like the old adage ‘brutally honest’- I’m yet to see this have a long-term positive outcome for the person receiving that feedback. The most important thing for me is to be honest, no mind games, the person receiving the feedback might not agree with the message, but at least they will appreciate that it was delivered without messing with their heads and hopefully understand it was provided to help them be better at what they are doing.
Ultimately that is the best outcome – that the people we work with continually get better at what they do.
Share an example of a real-world situation where effective communication played a pivotal role in achieving a positive outcome.
This scenario was probably the most challenging interaction I’ve had with a fellow worker. Without going into specifics this worker was a fellow manager who was experiencing some significant welfare challenges at the time.
He wasn’t getting the support he was looking for from his manager and I was the next best thing, I guess. Long story short we broke it right down and came up with an action plan that involved regular catchups at random coffee shops.
There was no effort required from me, this was the right thing to do for my mate.
It’s a good news story as he’s kicking goals elsewhere and is living his best life.
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The most important part of communication is listening.
What communication tools and frameworks do you find most helpful in your leadership role?
Andrew: I don’t utilise any structured, or formally learnt communication tools, the tools I benefit most from are those gained over years of good and not so good interactions with people from all walks of life.
Through sport and the construction industry you come across a very broad range of people, with their own personal experiences, education levels, their own goals and backgrounds and that all gets mixed together to create context to who this individual is – have they had a bad day, have they had a less than positive interaction with someone previously in my role, so there might be a degree of mistrust or misunderstanding of what is expected.
So long story short I read the room, the individual and the circumstance separately on every occasion, and don’t prejudge a circumstance or individual.
I also try and put myself in the other person shoes, this helps to understand why they are behaving the way they are. I genuinely love this aspect of my role as a safety Manager in the Construction Industry and think this attitude towards communication has held me in good stead in my personal life also.
Good communication skills can be learned, but you need to drop the ego and be prepared to learn that your current communications skills maybe need some improvements. Personally I’ve found Podcasts is fantastic way to find out how others have achieved what they have in the chosen field.
Enhancing Your Communication Toolkit
To further support your growth as a high-performance leader, we've compiled a list of communication frameworks and tools that can assist you in enhancing your communication skills:
We hope this insightful interview and the additional communication resources provided will empower you to become a masterful communicator and elevate your leadership impact.
Upcoming Events and Resources
Stay informed about upcoming events, webinars, and resources that can further enhance your communication skills as a high-performance leader. Engage in networking opportunities, attend workshops, and access thought-provoking content designed to support your growth and development.
We hope these insightful interviews and additional resources provided will empower you to become a masterful communicator and elevate your leadership impact.
Stay tuned for the next edition, where we will be exploring another crucial aspect of high-performance leadership: "Leading with Emotional Intelligence." Emotional intelligence is a key trait of successful leaders, and we will delve into how it influences decision-making, team collaboration, and overall organizational culture.
As always, we value your feedback and suggestions. If there are specific topics you would like us to cover in future editions or if you have any questions, feel free to reach out.
Connect with Andrew Woolnough on LinkedIn here: Link
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Best regards,
Graeme Cotton
High Performance Leadership Team