Listen to your peeps...

·      You want improvements, ask your front-line peeps.

·      Empower them to recommend improvements.

·      Listen to what they have to say.

·      Then follow their lead.

 

I recently audited a regional casino company’s policies, practices, and performance: the leaders asked my opinion on the state of their operations and what, if anything, could be improved. After getting their take, I talked to mid-level managers, employees, and customers to get their perspective on how things are. In general, I let their achievements speak for themselves – when the place is clean, employees are smiling, guests are happy, and the place is making money, there’s more good here than not. Of course, there are things that can be improved – even the best places have that, but the leaders and owners here should be as proud of what’s going on as their employees are in making that happen. It’s a matter of seeing the glass as half full rather than half empty – these leaders should be high-fiving the staff and asking them what improvements they might suggest. That creates a culture of trust and respect, where things get better organically because everyone’s taking ownership for driving excellence. You don’t need a guy like me telling you this – it's obvious. Good or bad. That’s why managing by walking around is such a powerful tactic, one that promotes engagement and pride. Trust your employees and support continuous improvement today.

 

Leila Summers:  South African author, editor, and book coach who advises, inspires, and assists fellow writers to realize their full potential.