Leadership never sleeps...

Leaders should remember they’re always on. Nothing’s off the record. And someone is aways watching.

 

·      Your actions matter. 

·      Like what you say and do.

·      That’s how you’ll be judged

·      And how you will be perceived.

·      Remember who and what you represent.

 

I coach leaders to always be cognizant of their actions. Many think that what they say and do when talking casually with employees is just chit-chat. But to those employees, it’s important management information. If a leader walks by without acknowledging an employee, they’ll wonder if it’s intentional, and will remember it.  Whatever you say will be taken as a formal message, whether you intended that or not, and it too will be remembered. It’s all about trust – employees want to trust their leaders, and everything that’s said or done will add or subtract from that trust account. It starts the moment you get hired or promoted – whether it’s your first or current leadership position, and each one in between. Don’t take that status and responsibility lightly. Your words and actions should be meant to inform, inspire, and motivate. Of all the differences between being a line employee and a member of management, this is one of the most important ones to understand, accept, and treat with care. Remember that the truth of your role and character are expressed in your actions today.

 

Steve Maraboli (born 1975): American Behavioral Scientist, keynote speaker, author, and social observer.

Memorial Day...

Remember all who served and continue to serve their country!

News flash: you matter...

Whenever you’re working with a group of people – at work or in life, they each have a role to play. Leveraging everyone’s efforts matters.

 

·      Big or small

·      Our roles matter.

·      Individually and together

·      The total is greater than the 

·      Sum of all the parts. That’s leverage.

 

My entire career was spent working with others. with each person bringing their own skills and experiences to the efforts we shared. Much has been written about trying to pick the right group of complimentary people to work together, and some of that does matter. But in my experience, it’s more important that each person in a work group be open to new ideas, flexible in their approach to work, and willing to try new strategies. Meaning, they each needed to constantly be aware, prepared, and engaged with everyone else – thus making their efforts to work well together as important (if not more so) than their skills and experiences. If they all remain curious and communicate well, most work groups usually do well together. That’s where and when the role of the leader becomes important: inspiring, communicating, listening, and motivating, and continually engaged with everyone on the team. Making sure there’s a good plan that everyone is aware of and following it. Knowing that every individual matters, and every individual has a role to play. Inspire and leverage everyone on your team today.

 

Dame Jane Morris Goodall (born 1934),[3]: English primatologist and anthropologist, recognized as the world's foremost expert on chimpanzees.

Reduce your risk of being ineffective...

Alignment is key to many of the things we do at work and in life. Knowing who and what to be aligned with is critically important.

 

·      Alignment is important

·      To being in synch with colleagues and friends.

·      Superior-subordinate alignment is very important

·      When planning and setting organizational objectives.

·      It’s about being on the same page in the work/life playbook.

 

In general, this is true. But I think it’s most important when setting objectives at work. Whether it relates to a specific project or initiative, your organizational and departmental performance, or other overall objectives, you, and your colleagues will benefit from this level of agreement. This requires open discussion, clear communication, a lot of listening, and specific agreements about what you decide. This is called superior-subordinate alignment and it’s important to a you and your team’s overall success. With these agreements, you have a roadmap from which to set, track, and measure performance – that’s efficient and effective. You have the basis for on-going coaching discussions, less judgmental or defensive and more factual and focused. In keeping with your purpose and mission. Think of this as a playbook, complete with clear diagrams, roles, responsibilities, and results, all the things you and your workmates need to be effective. It all starts with alignment. Be in synch with others today. 

 

Peter H. Diamandis (born 1961): Greek American engineer, physician, author, and entrepreneur

Always be your best...

Many people at work think their efforts are meaningless. Boy, are they wrong!

 

·      What you do

·      Impacts others.

·      In different ways

·      You may not know.

·      So, watch what you do. 

 

I worked in casinos for most of my career. Big properties, with 5000-10,000 employees. You may think a single employee’s efforts get lost in that crowd, but they don’t. In fact, each employee has an equal opportunity to make or break a project, a guest experience, or the achievement of a department or team’s goals. As managers, we must not only teach people what to do, but also the results that are expected. And then supervise their efforts and coach them to achieve their best performance. This is not something that can or should be left to chance. Think I’m exaggerating? The most important employee is always the one who must deal with a customer that just had a bad experience. The second most important employee is the one who helps get a project over the finish line. Everyone can make a difference, and everyone should try. Don’t worry if you’re not exactly sure what to do – if you’re aware of what’s going on, trust your common sense and do what you can. That, to me, is why work is so challenging and fun. Any one of us can make a difference today.

 

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (1929 – 1994): American socialite, writer, photographer, and book editor who served as first lady of the United States from 1961 to 1963,

Be a seeker of innovation...

Necessity is often the mother of invention. But that alone doesn’t guarantee its success. It also takes curiosity, courage, and creativity.

 

·      Curiosity can discover the unknown.

·      Courage helps overcome the fear of change.

·      Creativity unlocks solutions to past challenges.

·      Without these it’s difficult to be especially creative

·      And discover the incredible things waiting to be known.

 

Resistance to change can be paralyzing, especially when something’s never been done before: ideas are hard to conceptualize and solutions difficult to believe. I’ve often told the story here of my dreaming up paperless applications and back-office processes – both were initially met with “why bother” reactions. I had been frustrated with lost applications and sought a computer solution for input errors, mis-filed paperwork, and administrative inefficiencies. I just knew that somewhere, something incredible was waiting to be discovered. Back then (1996), Microsoft and Xerox weren’t interested. But smaller independent software developers were and together we found incredibly creative solutions to common recruiting and other HR needs. When you have a need – start by defining it simply, in terms that others can understand. Do your research and prepare to defend your ideas – others need to see support for new concepts and ideas. Be patient – nothing good comes easily or quickly.  And over-communicate to all stakeholders – your only chance for continued support is keeping them in the loop. If you really believe in something, keep searching for innovative solutions today.

 

Carl Sagan (1934-1996): American Astronomer, Scientist, and Writer

Don't be afraid to be curious...

I read recently that curiosity is one of the greatest attributes of any leader. The same is true for their employees as well.

 

·      Always be on the lookout

·      To understand stuff around you.

·      Be interested in all kinds of information

·      To learn more about what you need to know.

·      That’s the best way to discover what you don’t know.

 

There’s much we often don’t know or understand and, at work as in life, a healthy curiosity can overcome that. When faced with a dilemma like that, don’t be afraid to ask, and don’t judge someone poorly if they do. When improvements are needed, they may be unclear, and curiosity can help identify the possibilities. When instructions are given, they too might need further explanation by asking good questions. Mistakes may be caused by a lack of understanding and curiosity about these causes can help with future performance. Wanting to learn more about your work and the company at large (and which may be unclear) is the best way to better understand your overall role and how it helps achieve your departmental, team, and organization’s objectives. This all starts with curiosity and good questions. Listen carefully to the answers that ensue to learn what you need to know. And be sure to give good clear answers if someone asks you for clarification. Don’t let a lack information skew your performance or judgment today.

 

Walter Whitman (1819 – 1892): American poet, essayist, and journalist; as a humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism.

Just do your best...

My boss used to tell us: ‘perfection is the enemy of progress’. Meaning: 'try hard and do your best’.

 

·      Perfection is impossible to attain,

·      Thus, good work is what you should strive for.

·      Doing your best is the often the best you can do,

·      And that’s all anyone can expect or demand of your efforts.

·      It’s the measure of a true professional in the pursuit of excellence.

 

You may think you have to be perfect, but you must only achieve the objectives of any situation you’re dealing with. That’s the measure of effectiveness. Perfection is subjective, effectiveness is precise. Start with the result you wish to achieve in any situation, then assess the situation you face, study the facts, decide how to approach it, choose a style that your assessment says meets the needs of the situation, use your skills, and do your best. If you wait for the perfect approach or solution, you will most likely miss the timeframe in which something was to be done, and that’s almost as bad a doing nothing at all. Approaching it carefully, studying it appropriately, and deciding how to do it effectively will help achieve the intended results. That’s being effective. That’s what you should shoot for today. 

 

Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí (1904 – 1989): Spanish surrealist artist renowned for his technical skill, precise draftsmanship, and the striking and bizarre images in his work.

Mistakes are a coaching opportunity...

New employees must be trained and allowed to make mistakes. That becomes a coaching opportunity. That’s how they learn.

 

·      Hire for attitude

·      Then train for skills.

·      Allow new hires to practice

·      And learn from their mistakes.

·      And improve their chance to succeed.

 

Many companies, however, don’t provide effective new hire training. Here’s an example. They often buddy the new employee up with a current employee, one who may not fully understand what and how to train. If you’re going to use buddies, train them to be trainers so they really understand how to perform in that role effectively. Give them a checklist of every task they need to teach, complete with what each is, why it’s done, and how it’s done – give the new hire the chance to practice, make mistakes, practice some more, and understand the proper way to do things. And give the buddies the time to do the training – not while they’re working a full shift: reduce their workload so they can really be effective. And when they complete the assignment, give those training buddies some recognition and rewards – put your money where your mouth is. This gives your new hires a chance to be successful. More importantly, it shows you care enough to invest in their success. Training new employees improves their performance and retention. That’s a good lesson for you to learn today. 

 

Phoebe Mary Waller-Bridge (born 1985): English actress and writer.

Two heads are better than one...

I bet that your mother, like mine, taught you that ‘two heads are better than one’. I think every mother teaches that to their children. Mothers know best.

 

·      The things we learn as children

·      Often serve us well for a lifetime.

·      Full of common sense and good values

·      On which to base our thinking and actions.

·      Make it a point to use your mother’s teachings.

 

Those management recruits I mentioned yesterday were reminded of this lesson as they began their training with us. The idea that we are stronger when we listen and smarter when we share is the key to a manager’s. It’s part of the overall class on communications. My boss used to say that the difference between a good manager and a great one is his or her ability to communicate. This includes both verbal and non-verbal communications, the art of listening, and making sure that the person you’re seeking to communicate to gets the meaning and intent of what you’re trying to communicate. Always ask them to repeat what you’ve said so that you can assess their understanding and answer any questions they might have. Bottom line: this shows you care. Not for nothing, but most of the employee surveys I’ve conducted for clients in the past 15 years usually list poor communications as the #1 concern. Don’t let that happen where you work: learn to be a more effective communicator by listening and sharing today.

 

Rania Al-Abdullah (born 1970): The Queen of Jordan as the wife of King Abdullah II. Rania was born in Kuwait to Palestinian parents. She received her bachelor's degree in business at The American University in Cairo.