Learn to Communicate, Delegate and Get Into the Video Game Industry!

On this week's episode of Press Start Leadership Podcast, we discuss:

Communicating… Like a Boss: Seven Keys to Great Interpersonal Leadership in the Workplace

Delegate, Delegate, Delegate: Did I Mention Delegate?

So You Want to Get Into the Game Industry: But You’re Afraid You Don’t Have the Right Skills

Link to my FREE ebook: 5 Heroic Leadership Skills

Music by: Joey the Mad Scientist

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Transcript

Joey The Mad Scientist: 0:38

Hey there press starters and welcome to the press Start leadership podcast, the podcast about game changing leadership teaching you how to get the most out of your product and development team and become the leader you were meant to be leadership coaching and training for the International game industry professional. Now, let me introduce you to your host, the man, the myth, the legend, Christopher Mifsud.

Christopher Mifsud: 1:08

Hey there, press starters, and welcome to this week's episode of press Start leadership podcast. In this week's episode, we'll be discussing a couple different topics. first topic, communicating like a boss, or better yet, communicating like a leader. I've got seven keys to great interpersonal leadership in the workplace. communication is the key to any relationship. We often talk about how important communication is when it comes to friendships, romantic relationships, and family dynamics. It's just as important to have great communication skills with our work partners. In fact, our livelihoods depend on it. So why not put more emphasis on our interpersonal dynamics? Here are seven essential communication skills to help you at communicating like a boss. One. Be open and honest. This should go without saying but tell the truth. Being honest, creates trust and without trust you have nothing but a disjointed team. Also be open. While you don't need to tell your team everything and it's prudent not to they need to feel like they're in the loop. I believe in being translucent with my team. I give them enough information to make informed decisions rather than being transparent, which can overwhelm folks with more information than is helpful. To sometimes silence is key. Communication is a two way street. And you have to take the time to watch and actively listen. That means not thinking ahead to how you're going to respond and absorbing team members body language and tone and voice in addition to the words they're speaking, one up, over 90% of communication is nonverbal. So make sure you're watching for things like openness, defensiveness, aggressiveness, and all the other nurses out there. Three, be open minded. In addition to not thinking ahead, you need to enter conversations without attachment to specific outcomes or points of view. If you want a successful relationship with your team members, it's crucial to show willingness to hear what they say and be open to changing your mind. For be friendly, this is another one that should go without saying, but be friendly. Nobody wants to work with or for someone who isn't. Plus that old saying about catching more flies with honey than vinegar is true. you'll accomplish more if you treat people with kindness. Be the boss you wish you had an act with empathy. Five, choose logic. Just like any other type of relationship, working relationships can get emotional in order to maintain a safe work environment. Choose logic based communication over emotion based communication whenever possible. This can be tough to do at times, we're not robots. So if you find yourself getting emotional, hit pause on the conversation and come back to it later. One up, factually led arguments tend to win in contention with emotionally led arguments. So make sure you've done your research before heading into a big chat. Six, speak with confidence. You're more likely to persuade somebody to see and even adopt your point of view. If you speak with confidence, said differently, people are more likely to believe you if you believe yourself went up for an extra boost of confidence. Change your body posture. Holding your body in a power pose can literally change the way you think and feel about yourself. Seven, give positive constructive feedback. when it's appropriate, give feedback and always make it positive. constructive criticism isn't usually particularly constructive and radical candor can be an excuse to pardon my French be an asshole. The best way to help someone grow is to be giving open and keep it positive. We spend the majority of our days with the people we work with. It's time to treat them like people we spend the majority of our days with and put the effort into communicating honestly, succinctly and with an extra dose of empathy, your work life. Well thank you for it. Do you have any tips Communicating like a boss, let me know. I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. All right, our next subject is delegate delegate delegate, then I mentioned delegate. delegating is one of the most important things you can do as a leader, and not only guarantees that your employees enhance your business continue to grow and thrive, but it also mitigates the company's risk level. Not many people have a hit by a bus manual. So what happens if you leave the company or need to step away for several weeks and all that important information lives only in your head? Spoiler alert, nothing good. Still, it can be tempting to do everything yourself. Why? Well, you know how you want it done. Doesn't feel like you have the time to train someone else. You tried delegating before and it was a disaster. It can feel nice to believe were the only person that can do something, right. The answer, though, is generally E, some or all of the above. These issues are real. But ultimately, we're not helping ourselves or employees unless we delegate the level up as a leader, you must learn to delegate well, and here's how I know the outcome you want. If you're going to delegate, figure out what you want to accomplish so you can communicate effectively. Be specific. Do you want to increase player retention for Dragon Gate five, great, by what percentage? By what date? What are the exact numbers. If you want the person you're empowering to hit the target, they need to see it first. Explain the boundaries. Once you hand over a project to a team member, you can't and shouldn't micromanage everything. So you need to let go of the wheel a bit. At the same time, they need to know the basics first, so they don't drive off the road. Anticipate issues and pass on useful information from the get go. Is there anything that's off limits while working on the retention rate for Dragon Gate five? What are they allowed to change? What aren't they allowed to change? is it acceptable for them to adjust the internal game economy from tokens to dragon pellets? Let them know either way. relinquish your authority. Once you've explained the boundaries let go of control. Your team needs to have the authority to make decisions. It establishes trust allows them to take more pride in their work, and allows you to focus your time on bigger decisions, like what you're going to do with all the money you've made from the recent influx and dragon pellet purchases. Remember the goal freedom. Just like in Braveheart, the goal here is freedom, not only for you, but the person you're delegating to, they need the freedom to do the project their way, even if they don't accomplish it the way you would. And they probably won't. This allows them to flex their problem solving abilities, and allows you to observe a new way to achieve the outcomes you're looking for. Which by the way, is why we're here in the first place, outcome. Get Zen about it and let the result you desire come to pass. Give positive feedback. Once the project is wrapped, give the person you interested some positive feedback and do this whether they reach the goal or not, if you do the one to help more in the future. And they'll keep pushing themselves to do a better job. This only bodes well for Dragon Gate six. So hopefully, if you weren't thinking of delegate, delegate delegate you are now let me know what challenges you faced while delegating or why you might still be hesitant to still do so in the comments below. All right. The last topic for this week's podcast is so you want to get into the game industry. But you're afraid you don't have the right skills. People often tell me they want to get into the game industry, but they don't have any experience. So they're afraid to apply. I always reply with a version of the following. We all have experience don't think you have not. You have relevant experience. It's all about how you frame and present it to your potential employer. This is how I recommend making your case if you want to get into the game industry. Start with what you have done. Many of the skills your current job requires are relevant in the game industry. Do you code build software? Are you in the entertainment industry? Are you a project manager? All of these things are relevant. For instance, somebody in quality assurance makes great Game Tester. Even if there's a looser connection, it's likely your skills are transferable. The game industry needs HR reps and accountants too. If you want to change roles entirely, that's workable to dig into the skills needed for the jobs you've already had. And cross reference them against the job description you're interested in the final one overlaps. These additional skills are a blessing, not a curse. I started my career in the game industry as a designer but I quickly became a team lead because of my past experience. I've been a manager but with hot topic and Barnes and Noble. So when it came time for promotions, I had an edge over my colleagues even They were just as talented if not more. Apply other relevant skills. If your resume is sparse, or you're having trouble finding the overlap, don't panic branch out. Look at your skills beyond the job level. For instance, hobbies. Do you lead a youth ministry or Scout troop? Guess what you have experienced leading a cross functional team? Do you have a million followers on social media that you don't pay for? You're probably a perfect fit for the marketing and retention team. trendspotting? Do you work in a comic store or perhaps a retail shop? If so you're probably good at keeping up with culture, current trends and customer service, there are plenty of roles who'd be grateful for gaming. Most people want to get into the game industry because they love video games. So why not bring them up? What level is your summoner and League of Legends? Do you lead a rating guild and World of Warcraft. These things require dedication, cooperation, critical thinking, and most importantly, a passion for games. Plus, you'll get a bonus if you reference a game that the company you're applying to actually makes. Last but not least, set your expectations. Like with any career move that's not vertical. Getting where you want may take some time. If you're looking for a fresh start in a new industry, don't expect it instant money, crap, time and experience. Don't always transfer one for one. And you may have to take a step down before you step up. I think of it as going back to your previous checkpoint, versus going all the way back to the beginning of the game. Also, keep in mind, if you're looking to change careers completely and want more hands on training, you're likely to get more varied experience working in a startup. It's much harder to move around and Ubisoft or an EA games, although you can still learn a lot and ask questions at a bigger company. Overall, if you're interested in joining the game industry, you absolutely can just press Start and take it a level at a time. Let me know your story. Are you trying to get into the game industry? Are you already in the game industry and got here by unconventional means? share it in the comments below. Thanks. Alright, that's this week's episode of press Start leadership podcast. Thanks for joining us this week. And being a press starter. Let me know what you think in the comments. And remember, stay awesome. If you haven't downloaded my free eBook five heroic leadership skills, click on the link in the description. Tune in next week for your next episode of press Start leadership podcast. Thank you