Sunday, February 28, 2010

The art of combining leadership and management

Everything discussed in these blogs comes down to one point – the idea of successfully combining leadership and management. It’s easy to get wrapped up in the daily responsibilities, issues, and surprises. We all have projects and deadlines, and most of us have someone above us to whom we have to answer. The current economic situation brought with it new challenges and new worries, further cementing our focus on daily organization.

While fewer in numbers, there are those who have the ability to focus solely on leadership. Although equally as important, leadership focus alone misses out on the absolutely crucial tasks often associated with daily operations of a business. Our goal then, as we work on improving ourselves as leader/managers, is to successfully combine the two, and designate our attention, efforts, and energy to both. It’s not an exact science and we have to be flexible. Focus has to vary according to need, situation, alignment of celestial bodies….etc. Your job as a successful leader/manager is to pay attention and know when to wear what hat. You must be able to not only assess the situation as it looks at the moment, but also to anticipate the future as much as possible.

Keep in mind that your journey’s focus should be on ongoing improvement. As we strive for excellence (not perfection), the journey has no real end. Instead, the achievement of each goal is but a stepping-stone as we move forward.

Sunday, February 21, 2010

How good are your people skills?

Good people skills are a must to a successful leader/manager. Consider the wide range of (your) tasks that rely on your people skills:

1. Coaching and developing employees
2. Leading and inspiring employees
3. Encouraging and motivating employees
4. Supporting employees & peers
5. Setting an example/modeling desired behavior
6. Developing beneficial relationships
7. Utilizing available talent

These are just the tip of the iceberg. Surely, you can add to the above list.

When was the last time that you assessed your people skills? Do you know where to begin such an assessment? Think about you behavior around others. Are people open and trusting with you, or are they reserved and seem fearful/mistrustful of you? Are you available to others and willing to listen to them and answer their questions frankly and honestly? Such simple questions can provide a good appraisal of your people skills.

This kind of assessment is even more important during tough economic times. Do your employees know that you value and appreciate them? Are they stressed and stretched to the max? If so, do you encourage them to rest and re-charge? Are their talents aligned with their tasks and projects? Limited resources and reduced numbers of employees make it crucial for us to work efficiently and utilize the available talent to the max. This also means maximizing our own talents and focusing on self-improvement. Take the time to consider your people skills. No matter how good they may be, there’s always room for improvement. The better your people skills, the better your relationships, and ultimately the better the results of all of your efforts.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Who Leads the Leader?

As a leader/manager, it’s up to you to lead, inspire, and manage your employees. It’s also your responsibility to coach and develop them, and to help them grow. You may even become a mentor for some. But who guides and supports you? Do you have a mentor?

It’s very important that you as the leader/manager know when and how to recharge your batteries. It’s also important that you have your own support network. Ideally, this network should consist of a mentor whose knowledge and experience can guide and teach you, as well as peers who can share with you their own experiences as you support one another. If you don’t already have such a support network, or if your current network could use some bulking up, it’s well worth your time to devote your energy to such a task.

So, who’s a good mentor candidate? It could be a (current or former) teacher or supervisor, or someone you met through a business or social connection. A mentor tends to be someone older, someone who has more knowledge (or different knowledge base) and more experience than you, so that you can benefit from their experience. This person should be able to teach, guide, and nudge you to stretch and challenge yourself, but not make your decisions for you.

A network of peers can consist of colleagues, (current or former) fellow learners, friends, or business acquaintances. These should be people who face similar challenges and have relevant experiences, making sharing and supporting one another of benefit. Keep in mind that building a network of supportive peers will take time, and maintaining it will require your efforts and energy. However, if done well, it can pay off tremendously.

Take the time to examine your current support network. How solid and varied is this network. Does it need to be expanded and/or strengthened? Do you have a mentor? How effective is your support network and your mentor? Remember that change is part of life, so if your network isn’t working like it should, make the necessary changes. If your mentor no longer offers what you need, consider asking someone else to fill those shoes. In order to be the best leader/manager, you have to take care of yourself first.

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Motivating Your Employees

How do YOU motivate your employees? Do you even know what motivates them? Different people are motivated by different things. Some people have a number of things that motivate them, while others focus on only one. The point is, it’s your job as a leader/manager to help your employees figure out what motivates them so that the two of you can use that knowledge to optimize the employee’s performance.

Why does any of this matter? Very simply, it matters because everything that we do – from the simplest to the most complex – we do for a reason. This means everything at work as well as everything outside of work. So how do you figure out what motivates others? It’s simple – take the time to talk to your people. This is why it’s so important to coach and develop your employees. It doesn’t mean hours of one-on-one. Ten to fifteen minutes will be plenty of time.

Keep in mind that some employees may not even completely understand what it is that truly motivates them. This is a perfect opportunity to help them figure it out. Once you know what motivates an employee, the two of you can formulate a plan that will optimize his performance and increase his satisfaction. Understanding what motivates someone allows you to offer to him the most effective kinds of rewards. While for some motivation will come in the form of a paycheck, others look for personal satisfaction of a job well done or the recognition of others. Pay attention to what each employee is saying to you, and remember that you may have to read between the lines to hear the real message.