Author: John McKee
Despite the negative environment, many organizations and companies are
still enjoying great successes. In this article, executive and leadership
coach John M McKee shares ideas that you can use to build a more
successful organization.
Depending on the news you hear, it may seem like this economy is still
going downhill, or perhaps the bottom has finally been reached. But either
way, there?s no doubt that more organizations are going to fail before
we?re truly moving continually forward again.
However, while many organizations struggle, there are still great success
stories out there. Leaders who see opportunities where others see
roadblocks generally lead those operations. Not coincidently, their teams
are usually both more positive and more productive than competitors.?
Over my 30+ years working with business leaders and professionals, I?ve
been able to see which ideas will work in almost any arena. Here are 10
tactics I?ve garnered from some of the finest pro?s I?ve worked with. See
if any of them could help you improve your rate of success:
1. Become a small picture kind of boss - While it?s critical that you help
everyone understand the overall goals and objectives of the organization;
don?t forget that the best leaders will also bring those goals down to the
smallest details of individual jobs. Learn to help everyone, at every
level, understand how his or her specific contribution can make the whole
organization more successful.
2. Nuke the Blackberry when at home - It won?t surprise you that many
execs tell me their organization can?t run without them. They say it?s
imperative that they take a message and help ?fix? things. But, you might
be surprised to learn the percentage of bosses who never check messages or
emails after hours. Importantly, these folks are generally highly rated
and successful, and - this is important - they often work in the same
industry or even company as those who tell me that they must be available
at all times.
3. Stop treating vacations as an option - Almost like it?s some kind of
badge of honor, many managers frequently note how little time off they
take off each year. On the other hand, others get very creative with their
vacation planning. They look forward to getting away from the shop to
re-charge and clear their minds. These ones tell me that their breaks make
them more effective and creative. Care to guess which group I?ve seen
moving up the ladder most quickly?
I recently did an interview on vacations. See it here:
http://hwcdn.net/n3z3d6s4/wms/tempurpedic/tempurpedic2.wmv.asx
4. Improve the preparation for hiring new players - Most organizations do
really crappy interviewing. Many who interview potential new hires admit
to not being well prepared. They say they figured someone else in the
process would have done much better. Now more than ever, it?s important
that anyone joining your organization is well screened and the best fit
for the opening. HR studies show that 60% of new hires fail in the first
12 months.
5. Develop your memory - Think back to the first time someone important
remembered your name. It felt pretty good, right? Like you counted. The
best leaders remember names, job roles, hobbies, partner?s names, and
more. Watching them go through a series of meetings, it can be amazing
just how good their memories are. And it pays off - people work harder for
those who care enough to remember personal things about them.
6. Exercise your body as well as your mind - Regularly scheduled forms of
body work are a hallmark of the best bosses. The body needs to be
exercised and maintained so that you can function at peak performance.
Yoga, for example helps to release stress. That?s good emotionally too, of
course, but it also helps one?s posture because we have a tendency to hold
stress in the front of our body. So it helps us to walk and sit taller;
breath better, and have more energy to take on the demands of the job. And
keep this in mind: If you were choosing between two candidates for a
promotion, would you pick the one who looked fit and alert or the one who
looked tired and worn out?
7. Learn these words: ?I made a mistake? - And then say them as required.
When you are confident enough to admit your screw-ups, it?s a great signal
to team members that you are real and that you get it. This encourages
them to be just as honest, reducing the fudging and BS so prevalent in
many organizations. This makes it less likely that you?ll get one of those
surprises that cause people to reach for purple pills in the top left hand
drawer.
8. Track how you spend your time - The finest managers spend their time
where the best payoff is likely to come. However, many leaders, despite
their best intentions, spend too much of their time on problems or dealing
with problem people. To see how you?re doing, I suggest that you regularly
take out your calendar and review how much of your time you spent with
what and who. If you see a pattern in your behavior - like too much time
dealing with the whiny guy who always has troubles in his department and
not with the positive individual who always delivers on her commitments -
make some changes to your time management.
9. Don?t demi-task - Do you listen 100 percent of the time or are you
usually mentally engaged in several things at once? Top dogs know that
nobody can multitask effectively over the long haul. They?ve figured out
how to focus with laser-like precision. And their team members come to
know that their boss is really hot and can?t be bluffed. This makes the
team better at being clear and precise in their communications to you.
Saves both time and energy for everyone.
10. Celebrate success - Whining doesn?t create change. Managing by
berating is counterproductive. Even in downtimes, you can probably find
something that?s doing well - cite it during your meetings or in emails.
And name the responsible individuals. What you choose to focus on gets the
most attention from others on your team. When you celebrate the little
wins, you encourage more of the same behavior from others. And soon,
you?ll have bigger things to celebrate.
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