Taking Time Off

As a gorgeous Memorial Day weekend comes to a close, it seems only right to discuss the importance of taking time off. Leader/managers tend to be driven and hard working. Given the immense amount of responsibilities and the never-ending to-do list, it’s all too easy to put off your R&R to take care of all the things that require your attention.

Dedicated and hard working as you may be, it’s important to realize that you can’t run on empty, and will have to refuel sooner or later. You know that you’re most effective when you’re at your best – and you can’t be at your best when you’re tired or burned out. If you don’t have a backup person (or team of people) to tend to at least the very basic of your responsibilities during your absence, you’re in trouble (and so is the company). Appoint a person, or put together a team of people to fill in for you if need be. This will not only come in handy when taking some time off to rest, you may need it for an unforeseen personal event. So although today’s topic is about taking time to rest and rejuvenate, a backup is simply part of good planning and an absolute must.

Once you have a plan in place, schedule to take some time off and ENJOY!

Productive Feedback

Chances are that you as a leader/manager take the time to coach and develop others. Although it may not be realistic to have weekly one-on-one meetings with everyone who reports to you, it’s your responsibility to regularly spend time with your key people. If you don’t already do this, you really should start. Take a look at some previous posts that discuss the importance of coaching and developing your employees.

The purpose of these meetings is to coach and develop your employees, to listen and offer feedback, to challenge and give credit, to brainstorm and inspire. Both you and your employees should look forward to these meetings and see them as productive and beneficial. That’s not to say that problems should not be discussed and the meetings ought to be superficial. That’s not the case at all. However, it’s your responsibility to make sure that any problems or issues are addressed in a respectful and non-threatening way, and that no meeting focuses on only the negative. Even if you meet solely to discuss a problem, the meeting must contain positive aspects (such as looking for solutions and recognizing the employee’s ability to succeed) in order for it to be most effective.

If your employees start to dread or avoid such meetings, you absolutely must figure out what’s wrong. Never let your one-on-one time with your employees become known as the “weekly beat-down” (or whatever the frequency). Not only will these be a waste of time, both you and your employees will miss out on serious growth and success opportunities.

Not sure how you’re doing with your one-on-ones? Ask your employees. Get their feedback on how to best maximize your time together. Their involvement can serve as a motivator to both of you.

Celebrating Small Victories

One of your many responsibilities as a leader/manager is to keep track of progress, goals, and projects. You most likely already understand and follow the concept of breaking down large goals/projects into smaller, more achievable ones, but do you take the time to acknowledge the successful completion of those smaller goals? Even further – do you take the time to celebrate them? This is a very simple but powerful idea.

Breaking down large goals/projects to make them more manageable is only half of the story. As your employees complete the smaller steps, take the time to recognize and celebrate their success. In doing so, you will not only highlight the results of their efforts, but also underline the progress that is made towards the larger goal/project. Help your employees to see both the obvious and the not-so-obvious.

There are many ways to recognize the results of your employees’ efforts. Use your imagination and get creative. For example, you can use an existing meeting as an opportunity to note the latest success. Taking a few minutes to personally praise each person’s work is a very positive and personal way to encourage further success (of course the number of employees directly involved with the project will limit your ability to do this). Something as simple as buying bagels or pizza to mark the successful completion of each stage can be very effective. Whatever you do will send a message, so take the opportunity to send the right kind of message. By recognizing your employees for their hard work and underlining the successful completion of each step, you will encourage people to move forward and help them to see the progress brought on by their efforts.

Avoiding potential pitfalls of change

Change is not only inevitable, it’s essential to our success in business. When facing a change one of the most important elements is to have a clear vision. The lack of one can have disastrous effects. A vision must be not only clear but also well defined. It should only take a few minutes to communicate it to others. At the end of the presentation it should indicate their understanding and provoke their interest. Before a vision can inspire and be shared by others, it has to inspire the leader. It must be in harmony with the leader’s own values, and he must be willing to set an example with his own actions. It’s the leader’s task to convey the image of an exciting future to others, appealing to shared values and aspirations, thusly enlisting them to share the vision.

One way for an able leader to avoid the potential pitfalls of change is to always be aware of what’s going on around him. A good way of doing that is to listen. A good leader knows that observing and listening to others can provide valuable information. This information can prove crucial when dealing with change. Another way for a skilled leader to avoid the hazards of change is to look for new opportunities and be willing to take risks for the sake of change. In other words, a good leader knows that change is not only inevitable, but necessary for growth and survival, so he looks for change.

Providing Meaning for Employees

Do you believe that a happy employee is a better employee? It’s true – a happy employee is much more likely to be more productive, more dedicated, and more loyal. It’s your responsibility at the leader/manager to understand what makes your employees happy. Considering that the phrase “happy employee” can be interpreted in different ways, so it’s up to you to figure out what’s true for different individuals. How do you do that? Simple – talk to your employees. Even though ideally this conversation should first take place during the person’s job interview, it’s never too late to start talking.

Although there are many components to a person’s happiness, this week’s blog will address the satisfaction brought on by meaning. Humans have an intrinsic need to find meaning – meaning in the world around us, our lives, what we do, and ultimately ourselves. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that people who see their work as meaningful, will be much more fulfilled (and happy) with what they do.

Your task is to first find out what’s meaningful to an employee, and then to help that employee find meaning in what they do. Daunting as this mission may appear, it can be accomplished fairly easily. Once again, open and ongoing communications are a crucial part of our success (this is an ongoing task, not a one shot deal). Each employee must understand the importance of what they do each and every day that they show up for work, and how that fits into the greater picture of the company as a whole. There is a reason for the existence of every single position within your company (or at least there really should be). You have to make sure that your employee knows that reason and is able to understand how he contributes to the overall success of the company. It’s that kind of ongoing contribution that brings meaning to what we do.

How Do Leaders Discipline Employees?

As a leader/manager, there are times when you have to deal with issues. Having to discuss problems or discipline an employee can be difficult and uncomfortable. Consider that as awkward as that can be for you, it’s most likely even more difficult for the employee. Although experiences may differ depending on the seriousness of the situation and the personalities involved, there are some basic rules that leader/managers follow. These simple dos and don’ts will make dealing with problems easier.

DO:
• Show respect to all parties involved – treat people as adults & professionals
• Take on a non-threatening approach
• Give the opportunity for all sides to be heard
• Show support & be part of a solution
• Encourage cooperation


DON’T:
• Scold, embarrass, or humiliate others
• Discuss problems in front of other employees (unless they’re directly involved)
• Threaten or try to intimidate
• Assume
• Play games
• Blame/point fingers


Even though these are such simple guidelines, time and again managers get caught up in the situation, the emotions, or their own power. Consider how you’d like to be treated. Keep in mind that what you do and how you conduct yourself will not only affect the situation at hand, but your relationship with your employees as well. It’s your job as the leader/manager to always put your best foot forward regardless of the situation, so pay attention to your actions, your words, and your body language. Finally, make each shortcoming/mistake an opportunity for improvement.

Power vs. Authority

The words ‘power’ and ‘authority’ are both associated with managers and leaders, and they tend to be used interchangeably. In reality, there is quite a difference between the two. Power is the ability to make someone do things regardless of whether or not they want to. Consider making employees perform certain tasks at work under the condition that compliance will let them keep their jobs. Authority, on the other hand, is the skill of using your personal influence to get someone to willingly do what you want.

It may be difficult to grasp the distinction at first glance, but there’s definitely a difference – and good leaders are all about authority, not power. Power is easier by design. It can be bought and sold, and it can be given and taken away. Power can get the job done, and you can ride the power train for a few years, but it will not bring consistent results for very long. Power has the tendency to damage relationships, and it does nothing to inspire.

Authority, on the other hand, is about our personal character and the influence we build with others. It requires a lot of work and ongoing efforts, but the payoffs are well worth it. Authority inspires performance and fosters healthy relationships – it’s authority (not power) that will bring long-term success.

When contemplating the ideas of authority and power, consider how you may respond to doing something because you have to versus because you want to. It’s human nature to put more effort into what we want to do than those things that we have to do. Would you respond in the same way to someone that you respect and/or admire as you would to someone that you fear or resent? Power may get things done, but authority will inspire more effort and better things. Effective leaders know the difference and use their efforts to lead with authority not power.

Creative Motivation

A few weeks ago, this blog addressed the current economic situation in terms of what is known as an employers’ market. This week’s blog will explore ways to help you keep your employees more satisfied and motivated, so that when the economy takes off in the right direction, you’ll be able to retain the company’s talent. If your employees are sticking around simply because there’s not much else out there, chances are that they’ll be gone as soon as the right opportunity presents itself. It’s up to you as a leader/manager to help make your company a worthwhile experience for your employees.

If your company is like so many others right now where raises and bonuses have been eliminated, you’ll have to get creative finding ways to reward and recognize employees. Talk with your people and find out what else would inspire them, and remember that answers will differ from person to person. While for some the ability to telecommute, or a more flexible work schedule may be quite valuable, others may find new projects, new responsibilities, or new opportunities what matters most. Keep in mind that for some people being recognized for their efforts and work well done can be as important as a raise. Consider that something as simple as a restaurant gift card or tickets to a show or a sporting event will cost the company considerably less than a raise or a bonus, but it will convey the message of your appreciation.

Find ways to tell your employees that while these new benefits may be all that you can do right now, you still want to express your gratitude for their talents and hard work. Again, the key is to find out what’s important to your employees and do your best to offer that to them. Help them see the value of the new and/or more creative benefits – whether it’s convenience, a learning experience, or a way to relax for an evening, every little benefit counts. Get creative and find affordable ways to keep your talent by inspiring loyalty within your employees.

Staying Positive – Guiding Employees

You already know that modeling the way is a big part of being a successful leader/manager. Something else to keep in mind is the seemingly simple idea of staying positive. Times are tough and it’s easy to get wrapped up in the doom brought on by sales numbers, the media, and the still shaky global economy. As a manager, you probably have access to some information that’s not available to all of your employees, and not all of this information is positive or inspiring. Having such knowledge can further thrust us into the negative state of mind.

You have the responsibility to keep yourself in check and to find ways to be positive. Understand that I’m not suggesting living in a world of fantasy where unpleasant reality is replaced with unrealistic bouts of positive thinking. Smiling in the face of death is foolish. What I’m saying here is that you must have the ability to focus on moving forward toward realistic solutions. It’s up to you as a successful leader/manager to find the positive and help your employees see and utilize it. Will you be able to find the positive in each and every situation? That depends on your own personality. The ability you should have is one where you can move forward toward a better and more positive future.

Pay attention to what’s going on in your own head as well as to what’s happening around you. Find positive in everyday situations and use that to help your employees (and yourself) to get through tough times. Staying realistic and positive is simply a part of modeling the way.

Inspiring Leadership

Time and again this blog has stressed the importance of inspiring employees and modeling desired behavior. This week will focus specifically on helping others to become more leader-like. This is not to suggest that you’re going to look for your own replacement, or that you’re going to add more chefs to your kitchen. The idea here is that well-developed leadership skills can improve overall performance, giving you and your team a better chance of success.

While some of your employees are naturally stronger leaders than others, it’s up to you to identify and assess their leadership skills. Consider that employees who exhibit sound leadership skills have increased potential for being successful and productive – in other words, valuable team members. Having said that, it’s no mystery that it’s in your best interest to seek out, foster, and encourage the development of leadership skills and characteristics in your employees.

Regardless of how rough or polished your employees are when it comes to leadership, helping them to hone their skills can benefit you both. But where should you start? Take a look at each individual and identify his or her leadership strengths and weaknesses. Once you have some kind of a baseline, you can apply your efforts and energy towards the desired changes. While not everyone will be able to achieve the same levels of leadership skills, any improvement will be considered as a positive.

Keep in mind that while resources such as books and articles, seminars and workshops most definitely have their place, you must take an active role in this endeavor. Your efforts should extend beyond modeling behavior. Empower your employees. Encourage leadership by promoting taking initiative and support responsibility. Make available the required resources as well as your own time and attention when needed. Most importantly, keep at it. This kind of undertaking will require time, effort, and consistency.