Sunday, September 26, 2010

Expectations

What does the work environment look like if you as the leader/manager agree with the assumption that individuals are inherently motivated and want to do great work? What impact does such an assumption have on you, the organization, and the employees?

Our assumptions create expectations. Those expectations often turn into self-fulfilling prophecies. When management believes that people are inherently motivated and want to do good work, they will project these beliefs and corresponding expectations to others. It will be conveyed in actions, attitudes, and other non-verbal communications. Employees who experience a positive attitude toward them and know the management’s expectations, are most likely going to respond favorably. They will be encouraged to live up to management’s expectations. This kind of atmosphere creates a positive environment for everyone. Leader/managers may find it easier to be more effective at their jobs. Knowing that people are going to respond well to them may offer a kind of a boost in their confidence.

Consider your own expectations of those around you. Do you think of your employees as hard working and wanting to succeed? Or do you waste time and energy treating them like criminals, expecting that they’ll take advantage of you the moment you turn your back on them? It’s true that you may encounter such individuals at some point regardless of your expectations, but those will be few and far between. It’s more productive to focus on expectations that will motivate others to work hard and succeed. Examine your beliefs and assumptions as they play a great role in the kind of results you'll get.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Leader’s Role in Helping Others Learn

Consider the following question:

How is the role of the leader different when the leader is helping others learn rather than teaching others?

The answer is important because as a leader, you will be responsible for others’ learning. Helping others learn implies more involvement on the part of the instructor. A different kind of relationship exists here – one that underlines partnership. When it comes to choosing what and how to learn, helping others to learn suggests not only allowing the learner to be involved in the decision-making process, but encouraging it. This approach resembles coaching, where one person is there to guide and support the other, as well as to hold them accountable for what they’re learning. At the same time, the leader who is helping others to learn is held accountable herself.

Teaching comes in a variety of styles and can be done in a variety of ways. Teaching others seems to focus more on conveying information and leaving the decision of what to do with this information up to the learner. Although teaching can be done in an involving and active way, the relationship has more of a top-down feel/structure (rather than the partnership seen when helping others to learn). Learners can sit through a presentation daydreaming and absorbing nothing. The accountability is not as great for either teachers or students in this approach.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Coaching And Developing Others

Coaching and developing others is one of the many responsibilities that fall upon your shoulders as a leader. It’s also an important part of growing a successful business. Effective leadership involves commitment to coach and develop employees at all levels – empowering them to make strong decisions whenever situations require it (Cohen & Tichy, 1997). This is the exact opposite of micromanagement, which is a waste of both time and energy. The more capable and confident the employees, the better a company’s chances of success. The more commitment leaders show to their employees by taking the time to coach and develop them, the more they’ll get back from their people in return. The concept is incredibly straightforward – what you get from your employees is directly related to the efforts that you put into them. It’s a simple positive correlation. Of course it’s easier said than done, but it’s well worth the effort. Taking the time to develop leaders at all levels strengthens a company tremendously.

Successful leaders have to not only be willing to coach and develop others, but be passionate about it as well. They must be able to inspire and lead by example – two crucial concepts that we’ve already discussed. Coaching and developing others is a multi-faceted and involving undertaking. It requires planning and balancing. A good coach must have the ability to listen and to make accurate assessments. Her knowledge and experience should offer guidance without interference or being overbearing. A coach must have the ability to help another person to stretch themselves beyond their perceived limits.

Where do you measure up? Do you have what it takes to effectively coach and develop your employees? How often do you take the time to do it? Take some initial assessments, formulate a plan, and develop your company’s leadership forces.


Cohen, E., & Tichy, N. (1997). How leaders develop leaders. Training & Development Journal, 51, p. 58-72.

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Integrating Knowledge and Values

Setting an example is a big part of the leader/manager’s responsibilities. One of the most important aspects of creating a multicultural organization is the examination of individual beliefs and attitudes. Being able to relate effectively in diverse settings helps us to create better relationships with our internal customers (other employees) and external customers (company’s customers). How we relate to others greatly affects our ability to work as teams. As we learn to not only tolerate and accept others, but to actually appreciate them, the amount of (service) energy we put into our dealings with them increases. As our efforts increase, so do our chances of success. Others can see how much energy we’re putting into something. Their perceptions of our efforts, in turn, affect how they interact with us. The idea of service energy offers a straightforward way of looking at how our own attitudes and efforts affect our ability to create a multicultural organization, and to then fully utilize it to better our business.