Category Archives: LEADERSHIP – ALWAYS!
TRIPLE III TIME: LEADING By Assumptions
The topic of leadership truly generates a wide array of viewpoints, suggestions, historical examples, and assessments with regard to quality and style. Additionally, I believe it is difficult for anyone in a leadership role to accurately and completely explain their own methodology and arrangement to lead effectively. However, as a “case study” for this TRIPLE III TIME message, I would like to have you use a special TOP 10 list of questions to determine if you practice LEADING By Assumption.
- Do you regularly choose to NOT over assign… because you believe your workers can’t handle it?
- Do you move on a leadership issue only after you observe someone else taking action?
- Do you strategically limit input on a problem because of what you might hear?
- Do you NOT take on a new project because you believe it will never work?
- Do you limit the number of new initiatives, new services or new products you purse because you can only count on certain people?
- Do you become overwhelmed because it is your leadership practice to “just do it myself”?
- Do you consider it a successful workday if no challenging issues arose?
- Do you measure staff professional development by the number of years they have been on the job?
- Do you consider waiting until you get more, better information as a regular leadership strategy?
- Do you promote change or be content in knowing that “we have always done it this way”?
Unfortunately, I must report that LEADING By Assumption causes you to only look at where you have been… not where you want… need to grow!! Also, I must report that there are a large number of individuals that are LEADING By Assumption. How about YOU? Honestly, how well did you do on the TOP 10?
TRIPLE III TIME: Leading by Influence
First, I want everyone to know that I owe this excellent and timely TRIPLE III TIME message topic to a wonderful private industry leader and super friend. Second, I will leave out his specific position business-related examples… but his leadership points are the key. Finally, as you read this message be sure to stop at certain times and apply the key ideas to your world of work. You will understand why as you do it!
When you are Leading by Influence you assume the role of THE example… not just an example of great leadership. This action includes everything from knowing everyone’s time and role but also maintaining a product/service approach that says, “Let’s see if we can do something even better!” everyday… EVERYDAY!
Next, as issues, problems and concerns arise… Assume Total Accountability and Responsibility. Ducking away from or diverting responsibility as a leader often has a negative ripple-effect among staff and co-workers. Think about it. Will they feel like they can count on you and that you will “have their back” when questions arise? Or will they believe that we are a “team” only when things are good? Or will you have a leader-ish reputation for always “taking the glory” when praise comes around?
Finally, Communication is key to success! As a quality leader never assume you know all the facts about any issue. Allow for open input, ideas, and challenges. And Remember LISTENING is often the greater part of effective communication.
Thank you, R.W. for your Leading by Influence concepts. I know it will help many!
TRIPLE III TIME: Helping Career Runaways
The process for identifying a career area to pursue has followed a similar pattern for a number of years. Research, observation, career consulting and networking have all been contributors to career development. Additionally, with the new era opportunities offered via online access the availability of job information has widened to a level never dreamed of! However, I believe the challenge of deciding what career track to follow has actually become more difficult. The information overload, the speed of job creation, job changes and yes even job eliminations have enabled some who have tremendous world-of-work potential…to become Career Runaways.
Career Runaways are those who often enter a workplace due to convenience or fiscal necessity. And even though you might think I’m talking about todays young adults, let me assure you that Career Runaways are found at every age level. No don’t misunderstand my position! Many Career Runaways are very successful in the jobs or work areas that they are involved in. They have a great work ethic and an excellent company/organization supporting mindset. But are they able to make the professional development impacts that they might with just a little more education, training, opportunity exposures and/or just plain encouragement?
Today more than ever before…I feel that FULL (i.e. FULL TIME + CAPACITY) employment is in some way everyone’s job. Whether it is job coaching a young person, encouraging a friend to just take one class, admitting to co-worker’s failure moments that helped you try harder and/or not being afraid to build a network of colleagues that have professional expectations of your true potential.
Bottomline: Help who and whenever you can. Consider it an opportunity of a lifetime…because you may never know the extended good that you may do.
TRIPLE III TIME: What’s The Best Evaluation?
For all of my professional career I have had a difficult time selecting and utilizing a personnel evaluation tool/system. There are so many “tried and true” examples of evaluations that measure, document and numerically rate employees from all levels of an organization or business. So why have I dodged the question of endorsing an evaluation? Well maybe a more interesting question would be: Why did you choose to develop and try out multiple hybrid methods of evaluating those that worked with you over the years?
Well my answer…right or wrong…is/was two-fold. First, I am a strong believer in the process of daily self-evaluation. Therefore, I tried to encourage the development of an organization-wide mindset of evaluating your own performance in a customized way everyday…EVERYDAY! The principle evaluation areas included but were not limited to:
- Teamwork development among co-workers
- Timely response to information requests or questions
- Being on time for work, meetings and reports
- Representing the agency as a true Ambassador
- Building on partnerships with people, businesses, organizations and the community
- Challenging old rules and procedures with new ideas for a better way
- Recommending and enacting ways to make the agency more SPECIAL to those needing our help
- Accepting responsibility for taking action…especially when it came under question
- Remaining progressively excited for change that was an everyday event
- Understanding and supporting the CAUSE of doing good work.
BOTTOMLINE: My choice for a great evaluation was one that focused on the future of what else we can/should do…rather than one that only measures the past and what we have already done.
P.S. My employees always did well on their evaluations.
TRIPLE III TIME: What Do YOU Stand For?
Lately in my work to help individuals and organizations take quality progressive steps, answering questions like: “What do you do best?…What do people expect from you?”…or mostly: “What do YOU stand for?” became a reoccurring challenge. Now don’t misunderstand the issue! The people and groups are doing fine in their services/products arena…but in their attempt to be “everything to everyone” …they have lost their core identity. So this week’s TRIPLE III TIME message offers up a few ideas (yes a TOP 10) to help determine: “What do YOU stand for?”
- Are you the person who arrives to work early everyday to make sure the workplace is open and ready?
- Does everyone know that you are the one at the end of a meeting that always has one more question…just to make sure everyone is clear on objectives?
- Do you make sure that workplace looks new and “fresh” so customers feel that you are not selling “old news”?
- Are you the tough person…the “bean counter” that ensures you get what you are paying for?
- Are you the best “greeter” who welcomes customers, colleagues, suppliers and partners in person, on the phone or via email?
- Do you ensure that you/your workplace follows a “promise-made-promise-kept” customer service philosophy?
- Are you the person people inside and outside of your organization seek out to really talk about action and what should we do?
- Are you the innovator/creative person that pushes to find that “always a better way” option?
- Are you the one that encourages everyone to advertise and DO five things GREAT….rather than attempt to do twenty things half way?
- Are you the “second banana” in an organization that feels unappreciated…but is really recognized as the true “follow-through” person?
Please take some time to determine and maybe re-introduce YOUR core identifiers…and those that truly represent your organization. Because I believe it is really true…that if you don’t stand for something…you don’t stand for anything.
The John Deere tagline, “Nothing Runs Like a Deere” didn’t always exist. “Although the company has grown, it has always stayed true to its core values – integrity, quality, commitment, and innovation. This commitment is what distinguishes the company in such a competitive marketplace and drives higher levels of performance.” read more from The Legacy of the John Deere Tagline
TRIPLE III TIME: Organizational & Personal MOMENTUM
Most of the time when you hear the word momentum used it is somehow connected with sports. Whether it is an announcer highlighting when a basketball team goes on a 18-to-2 scoring run over its competition…or when a boxer wins a series of rounds and truly has his or her opponent “on-the-ropes”! But this TRIPLE III TIME message will stress that momentum is also something felt and experienced in the fields of organizational and personal development.
During my Director years I used to refer to momentum as the “Whatever I touch turns to gold” moments. For example, there were times when we were lucky enough to win a special grant…that we simultaneously (or soon after) sought and won another. Likewise, there were many situations that as we introduced a new, innovative approach in our world-of-work, our creative initiative often paved the way to one or two other fun, cool opportunities. In hindsight, at no time did I/our organization think about the developmental MOMENTUM our action brought forth. Rather our mindset was that these were just “the right things to do”.
BOTTOMLINE: Do not ever underestimate the existence and benefit of Organizational & Personal MOMENTUM. It begins with encouraging and building on a positive, progressive action…no matter how big or small. Then the “let’s do more” attitude/approach becomes instantly contagious. The result is a drive to preserve that “whatever I touch will turn to gold” MOMENTUM that is felt by you, your co-workers and your organization.
TRIPLE III TIME: “Job Opening: A Morale Officer”
Each week as I consider what topic to discuss in this TRIPLE III TIME message space, it is fun when a topic seemed to find me. In a number of friend, colleague and even family conversations, the issue of workplace morale was raised and stressed as a common problem. “At an all-time low”…“Even the normally happy ones are lack-luster”…and “Maybe we should hire a Morale Officer to help”…are all real time quotes about the challenge of low morale in the workplace.
So armed with this documented need for Inspiring Innovations Advisor assistance, outlined below are my TOP 10 duties for the Morale Officer position:
- Instruct everyone to smile…a lot!
- Meet with co-workers to resolve workplace feuds…before bringing in the “higher-ups”
- Recommend actions to meet customers in ways that promote helpfulness, energy and possibilities.
- Direct staff to regularly ask questions about changes in work expectations and problems.
- Form teams to come up with new cool product and service options.
- Discuss methodologies on how to create the habit of finishing each day on a good note…and starting FRESH the next day.
- Hold a workshop with all employees on how to eliminate workplace “hiding-spots”.
- Institute a policy to require co-workers to take turns sharing a “good story” about a work issue each week…rather than repeating bad story news.
- Have each employee take a pledge to “Not Watch the Clock”. Running from responsibility does not build morale.
- Bring in the New York Times (or local paper) to assist in developing ways to constructively BRAG about your business/organization and the products/services you offer.
***OK…Now tell me which of these TOP 10 shouldn’t be in YOUR job description.
Inspiring Innovations, Inc. 