As we gear up for mid-year reviews, we will inevitably have to deliver some “bad” news to some people. Generally, people don’t like to deliver bad news, either professionally or personally. Why? Usually, they are concerned about the reaction that may result from initiating that confrontation. They don’t want to be questioned, or get into a heated discussion. They are passionate about the issue and don’t understand why the counterpart doesn’t see things in the same light as they do.
Choose Your Actions but Not Your Consequences – 3 Tips for Creating a Culture of Accountability and High Performance
A great leader once taught me that “you can always choose your actions but you can’t always choose your consequences.” In other words, we are always accountable for our actions, from completing mundane routines, to resolving complex issues, to our interactions with colleagues and clients. Our actions, or lack thereof, have an organizational impact and consequence for which we are ultimately accountable.
Is Your Team Getting What They Need From You? 4 Tips to Make Your “Open Door Policy” More Effective
We have all been there. We look at our calendar to find out we are buried in meeting after meeting “all” day, “every” day. We scratch our head and try to figure out when we are going to have some time to do OUR work. A list of phone calls that we have to return is piling up on our desk, our inbox is out of control and our team is “lined-up” outside our office to get advice on work they have been assigned.
Unfortunately, too many times the order that we catch-up on our work is in the exact order listed above, based on who is trying to contact us (i.e. with superiors always getting bumped to the top of the list, as their issues always seem the most urgent…or at least they think they are!). Certain phone calls get returned and emails get sent to address the most pressing issues, the remaining emails are addressed at night or over the weekend and the team needs are squeezed in where possible. We think we are supporting the team adequately, but, if you asked them, they would (most likely) have a different opinion.
The Employee Development Plan – Do You File It Before Acting on it? 6 Tips To Make Development Plans Relevant.
Finally, the year-end performance process is over, or is it!? Really, the performance management cycle is never complete, transitioning through several stages on an annual basis, hopefully, on an upward spiral to greater organizational performance.
Traditionally, part of the performance management process is the creation of employee goals and development plans. In many organizations, this part of the cycle gets kicked-off with some fan fare, but quickly wanes. Development plan actions, put into place with good intentions, are often monitored irregularly, and, eventually, relegated to a file only to be dusted off when the year-end performance evaluation process again kicks in.
Vision and Strategy – Check. Now What Do You Do?
Behind closed doors, executive management continually (hopefully) discusses the vision and strategy for their organization. Whether it is during a specific strategy session, or during ongoing team discussions regarding the business, executive management has a clear plan for their organization. They also take the time to review progress and adjust the strategy based on market conditions, competitors, company performance, etc.
Unfortunately, what does not happen enough are the next steps required to really embed the vision and strategy in the organization, to every employee, so that executive management can truly execute effectively and efficiently on their strategy. So once the vision and strategy are set, what are the next steps?
Can a Clear Strategy Really Motivate the Performance of Employees?
After helping a CEO and his management team develop their strategy for the new year, we worked with the CEO to hold a number of town halls to outline the strategy to his organization. After one of the town halls, a team member stopped me and enthusiastically said, “I finally get it!” This team member suddenly made the connection between his job and the organization’s objectives. By expertly fulfilling his role, he is, in essence, increasing corporate revenue by maintaining the company’s health care facility at such a high standard as to make it a patient’s option of choice.
Leaders That Know It All Will Fail. 4 Benefits Of Being Open To The Ideas of Others
The concept of a ‘leader’ goes beyond the responsibilities of a ‘manager’. Although they are usually one in the same person, the obligations and expectations of a leader are very different from that of a manager.
Managers need to structure their team to be effective and efficient, organize their actions, drive results and report progress.
Leaders, on the other hand, need to:
- Inspire and motivate
- Communicate
- Bring people together and empower them
- Be open to new ideas
- Develop their team to be the next leaders in the organization
Is Diversity Really That Important? 6 Leadership Actions to a Diverse, Engaged and Progressive Team
How is it that some organizations are noted for employees who are engaged, innovative and high performing? From my experience, a key, differentiating factor is an organization’s ability to leverage diversity and inclusion. (I am referring to more than age, ethnic and gender diversity, but also diversity in perspectives, opinions, skills, competencies, philosophies, upbringing, education and life experiences as well.)
Do You Appreciate the Value of Dissent? 6 Tips to Leverage Dissent for an Effective Management Team
Generally speaking, people like to surround themselves with individuals or groups that have similar views and opinions. Life is easier if we don’t need to debate every point or decision that is required in our lives. This may be fine for certain aspects of life, but when it comes to leading an effective management team, this will usually result in a broader organization that has no soul.
6 Attributes that Make My Boss a Great Leader
Countless articles and “how-to” books have been written describing the various styles, attributes, competencies and behaviors on what makes an effective leader in the workplace. Sorting through the myriad of theories, I believe that what distinguishes a boss, manager or supervisor as a great leader, in practice, is their ability to adapt to their particular environment, applying different leadership styles, tactics and behaviors that are appropriate for the situation at-hand. What these great leaders then do is confidently leverage their leadership position with an eye to accomplishing the organization’s strategic objectives and driving results. The end product is an engaged team (you and me) that has authority, is engaged, motivated and allowed to successfully perform our roles and contribute to the bottom-line results of the organization.