Leaders know high energy individuals, workgroups and
organizations create success. How to create and sustain
that high energy is the key challenge leaders face every
day.
The following behaviors and beliefs are keys that leaders
we have worked with have found work to achieve consistent
high energy with their people.
Leaders start with the belief that commitment unleashes
energy and that compliance reduces energy. To the extent
that their people feel committed to the goals of the
organization, they will work harder, produce more and
accomplish more than any group of people waiting to be told
what to do. Compliance keeps people waiting for direction -
it keeps them asking " What do you want me to do now?"
Leaders share knowledge and information, they don't hoard
it. They want their people to know how things are going.
They believe 90% of their people can handle the truth, but
that 100% of their people are turned off by half truths and
secrecy. Leaders practice the exact opposite of the "if
knowledge is power, than the sharing of knowledge is a
reduction in power" behavior of high control managers.
Leaders work with their people to create goals that align
with the organization's goals. Then they keep the goals as
simple as possible and work to have their people align
their personal goals with the goals of the organization.
And they fight to keep the goal process as simple and free
of bureaucratic stuff as possible. They want goals to
create energy, and not have process destroy it.
When leaders think they've communicated enough - they know
they need to communicate more. Effective communication
creates energy.
Leaders protect the time of their people. There are always
distractions that can take the energy out of any endeavor.
Leaders keep their people protected from the low value,
time and energy eating things that invariably show up. Just
as individuals need to keep their eye on the few important
things, so must leaders keep their eye on the same few
important things,
Leaders define what having "your eye on the ball " means.
The purpose of goals - solid, real goals focused on
contribution and accomplishment - keep the main things the
main things - and make it easier for everyone to be
energized and focused.
Leaders know action creates energy - lack of action sucks
the energy out of any enterprise. Ever been in a restaurant
when it's not busy? Bad time to be there - you might expect
the best service and the best food, but it rarely works out
that way. Come back when the place is really busy - and see
a high level of service and energy and focus. Focused busy
has a power all its own.
Leaders have high expectations of all their people - and
they hold them to their expectations. Nothing is more
demoralizing and sapping of energy than to have a manager
indicate by words or actions that not much is expected. And
guess what? When that belief is communicated - not much is
accomplished. Nobody ever did anyone a favor by telling
them to "take it easy."
Leaders demand that their people know what their
contribution to the enterprise is and how it is measured,
and how they are doing. And not just at the annual
performance review. Leaders hold performance reviews all
the time.
Leaders know the more open and communicative their
behavior, the more authority, power and energy they and
their people have. High control managers, on the other
hand, fail to see that, and hold as much power as possible
to themselves, and in doing that, they actually cede power
to others, and don't tap the potential energy of their
people.
Leaders protect the energy of their people from the
negative 5 percent that show up - in even the best
organizations. They protect them by taking swift action to
either remediate the negative behavior, or, failing that,
by getting rid of the negative 5 percenters. And not by
simply palming them off on the next manager or leader.
Leaders incorporate these beliefs and behaviors into their
every day work and play. They know that anything that
requires constant special attention to keep going will
fail. Only imbedded behaviors and beliefs have lasting
value.
Review the behaviors and beliefs that leaders have shared
in this article, and see where you can add to your impact
and create more energy with your people - and the people
around you. Do it through action - today.
----------------------------------------------------
Andy Cox helps clients align their resources and design and
implement change through the application of goals focused
on the important few elements that have maximum impact in
achieving success - as defined by the client. He can be
reached at http://www.coxconsultgroup.com or at
acox@coxconsultgroup.com
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