1, 2, 3

Take a minute and think about the team you lead.  Who is your top performer?  Who does well but has room to improve?  And who is your weak link?  Keep these thoughts to yourself but make sure you have clearly identified them in your mind.  Now you are ready to lead.

First, invest time with your top performer.  Ask them to identify improvements that could be made in any of the processes they work thru everyday.  Tell them you need their insight about how to make the work both more efficient and more effective.  Then listen to them.

Second, have a conversation with your "room to improve" associate.  Ask them to identify one area that they want to improve.  Ask them what help they need from others to do that?  And ask what help they need from you to make that improvement.  Now, act on what they ask for.

Third, sit down with your weakest link.  Tell them something you believe they are doing well at work and be specific.  Don't shrug this off, there is at least one thing they are doing well.  Ask them to identify one thing they think they are doing well.  Finally, share one area you would like for them to improve and repeat the question you used above with your "room to improve" team member.

This exercise is called coaching...professional development...team improvement.  And the people who do this deserve to be called leaders.  In fact, they more often than not become lasting leaders.

Be encouraged,

Barry

Did You Feel It?

Did you feel it? There was a subtle but detectable shift in the ground underneath managers all over America. It happened recently when a well-known leader at the New York Times was fired because of how she managed people - harsh, detached, and difficult. Because my new book deals with this very topic I have been getting a lot of questions about it. But the question is settled.

You can no longer get people to respond to you as a manager/leader if you treat them like numbers. First, the best workers have options and job opportunities elsewhere. It may not be for more money but it will be a better working environment.

Second, Gallup reports that more than half of American workers are not engaged at work with what you are trying to accomplish. And that will hit directly on the bottom line. If you want them to be engaged then it starts with leaders who are engaged with the people they lead.

Third, you can learn a better way of leading. Each week on my Leader's Gift Blog, I discuss a section from A Leader's Gift - How to Earn the Right to Be Followed. These weekly posts are a helpful supplement to the principles in the book with suggestions on how to gain the respect of the people you manage. The earth below managers has moved - how about you?

Be encouraged,

Barry

Enough is Enough!

Enough is enough! When do you know as a manager that you have taken on too much? Is it that one more job assignment you were willing to tackle? Was it agreeing to coach your daughter's team two evenings a week? Or how about that overdue project you promised your church you would help with?

There was once a truism, "If you want something done then give it to someone who is already busy, they will find a way." But that is no longer valid. Before you agree to anything else, please ask yourself three questions.

First, will this advance my ability to lead my team and achieve our goals? If the answer is no, then go slow on signing up.  

Second, will this strengthen my relationships with my immediate family? If the answer is no, then it probably isn't worth it.  

Third ask this: will this allow me to be a positive role model for my work team or my family? If the answer is no, then don't do it and never consider it again.  

I am not trying to encourage balance; I am not sure that is a valid target. What I am suggesting is a path to meaningful activity that will pay off for you, the people you lead, and the most important people in your life - your family.

Be encouraged,

Barry

Summer School

Do you remember when summer school was a bad thing? Well not anymore! The team you manage is faced with the need to learn continuously. And it takes more than just an order from you to motivate them. They are probably doing the work of one-and-a-half people already, so adding in more training could become a distraction. But it doesn't have to.

First, set a specific time period for this year's "Summer School" like Memorial Day to Labor Day or if you prefer Memorial Day until the 4th of July. Make the dates specific. Second, select a clear and single topic. This should be any topic that is important to all of the team: i.e. communication, effective emails, problem solving, or it can be specific to your industry.

Second, select material online or that you will distribute that will be the "textbook" for what the team will be studying. Don't do too much...just some web resources or chapters from a book. Make it doable.

Third, set aside time each week for the team to huddle in-person or an online chat to discuss what they are learning. Be as creative as you can. It can be a weekly lunch and learn or coffee and a chat. It doesn't have to be more than 30 minutes. Just make sure you do it every week. You can ask a different person each week to lead the discussion.

Summer school is a good thing. Your team must keep growing forward. Now, it's up to you to make it happen.

Be encouraged,

Barry

Inward Focus

Self-doubt, self-examination, and self-criticism have one thing in common - they are all focused inward. That is a dangerous place for a leader to dwell. I am not suggesting that you should not have some introspection. But if you stay there long you will miss what's right in front of you.

First, set limits. When you make a major decision allow yourself a set period of time to express doubt (i.e., two hours). After that, refuse to second-guess yourself with your thoughts or your words.   

Second, limit self-examination to a certain time each week (i.e. Friday morning). The other days of the week, don't waste any time reviewing your mistakes.

Third, no one is perfect. In fact, if you go through life demanding perfection or nothing, what are you going to get?  What I am about to say may surprise you, but I am serious, never engage in self-criticism. If you have allowed yourself time for purposeful self-doubt and examination, then self-criticism isn't necessary. When is the last time someone criticized you and you thought, "I love this! I want more!"

Lasting Leaders have a healthy opinion of themselves and an intense focus on what's in front of them and beside them - they are not obsessed with what's inside!

Be encouraged,

Barry

Prepare!

Abraham Lincoln prophetically wrote in his journal as a young lawyer, "I will prepare myself and my opportunity will come." The tidal wave of change that has washed over our business lives in the past decade has left most managers scrambling to keep up. There has been little time for preparation.

That has to change. U.S. growth has slowed, China is moving into the front seat of economic leadership, and competition is coming from unseen places. You can't wait to prepare for tomorrow. First, get connected online to a reliable source that is keeping score in your industry. Don't rely on anecdotes alone, get the facts, and get them everyday.

Second, hard-wire the voice of your customer into your daily thinking and decisions. Encourage everyone on your team to do the same and if they have multiple customers inside and out, hard-wire one of each. Your customers will be the first to guide you with the kind of preparation you will have to do if you are going to have any opportunity for tomorrow.

Third, keep improving yourself. Spend so much time on yourself that you have little time to criticize anyone else. I would like to help you do that.  

My new weekly blog on personal leadership launches on Monday, May 5th - be on lookout for that email next week. It is based on my new book, A Leader's Gift - How to Earn the Right to Be Followed.  

I am very grateful to all of you who helped us launch the book last week and I am pleased to tell you that it reached #1 Best Seller Status on Amazon! I will do my best to help you prepare so your opportunity will arrive right on time!

Be encouraged,

Barry

Leading On The Edge

You have employees on one of two ends of the performance spectrum. There are those just barely meeting your expectations and then there are those who you depend heavily on for results. But what about those in the middle?

Managers will often spend time trying to improve poor performers or "hanging out" with their stars. But your best opportunity to improve your total results is with the players in the middle.

Identify who your average associates are. Spend one-on-one time with each and ask a simple question, "How can I help you get closer to meeting your performance goal?" This group will be quicker to respond and more likely to make immediate improvement!

This is one exercise where spending time in the middle of the road makes sense!

Be encouraged,
Barry

Managers Have To Lead!

Managers have to lead! I suppose you can be a leader and delegate all of your management duties. But a manager can't discard their role as leader. In fact, all of your management tasks are dependent upon you creating a team of enthusiastic, independent yet collaborative associates.

First, do you really know them? Have you taken time to understand each one individually? Do you know what matters to them? Are you aware of their professional and perhaps even, personal goals? The answers to these questions are the foundation for leading someone.

Second, do you spend intentional time with them? I am not speaking about handing out job assignments or conducting reviews. I mean do you daily invest time in them individually and as a team to let them know the results you expect, how you will support them, and clear any obstacles. If you do, then you are leading.

Finally, do they believe you are trying to catch them doing something right? Don't underestimate the power of strength-based appreciation. If you want more ideas on how to do these three things then go to Amazon.com and buy my new book which is being released today, A Leader's Gift - How to Earn the Right to Be Followed. And if you buy it today Amazon will give you the e-book for FREE!

Be encouraged,

Barry

Seeing

What are you not seeing? I have been managing people for four decades. And there is one thing I have learned that stands out over all the rest - it's what I don't see that has lead to my biggest mistakes. There is a reason why we refer to it as "jumping" to a conclusion. It is a leap between what we think we see and what is really there.

Here is how you can avoid my mistake. First of all, in every situation, suspend judgment. Don't go with your first instinct. You may be right 50% of the time, but the 50% you are wrong about will cost you more than you want to pay. Second, ask questions which you don't know the answers to. Make sure that the people on your team know that you will look at every angle and that you will ask more than the obvious questions.

Third, and this is critical, make a decision. Don't let your hesitation turn into procrastination. Once you have explored all the facts, then it's time to go with your instinct. I once jumped to a conclusion about a business offer that I was given that resulted in me losing a million dollar opportunity. I know the cost of missing what is really there. Learn from my mistake and discover how you can see what no one else does!

Be encouraged,

Barry

It's Hard to be Humble

It's hard to be humble. It really is. The consensus definition of humility is - power under control. Most managers lean on their "power" to get things done. Threatening, barking orders, criticizing associates, and "because I said so," are the default positions for frustrated leaders. But your team will do their best work when they are empowered and engaged. So, how do you learn to be humble?

First, remind yourself that whatever happens you always have the right to step in and make a decision.   Humility doesn't take away your authority.

Second, remind yourself that people who report to you are closer to the work and your customers, whether internal or external. They, at the very least, have a clearer perspective. Suspend your judgment for a few minutes and listen to them.

Third, celebrate the new ideas or actions that your employees take that work. You are already doing a good job of pointing out where they mess up. Now, put as much, or more, attention on the things they do that really work. Tom Peters, the legendary leadership consultant, once said, "Celebrate the things you want to see more of." And here is a bonus - your newfound humility will result in associates and colleagues being more open to you and your ideas.

Be encouraged,

Barry

Is it Management or Leadership?

It's been almost two decades since that was the popular question. And the typical answer was that it's always about leadership...you know, managers do things right but leaders do the right thing.

But it is dangerous to split the two. Inherent in every job is the need to show confident leadership and, at the same time, the requirement to make sure things get done on time and on budget. You can have both!

First, ask yourself each morning, "What needs to be managed correctly today?"  Then build a task and assignment list to get that done. 
Second, ask yourself, "How can I demonstrate leadership today that will encourage my team and our customers or clients?" Third, at the end of the day, ask yourself, "Did I focus on what really mattered today?"

You can become a manager who knows how to lead or a leader who knows how to manage. The emphasis is your choice; just don't ignore the other one!

Be encouraged,

Barry

Execution IS the Strategy

Note from Barry: My good friend Laura Stack has a new book coming out Monday, March 3, Execution IS the Strategy, which I highly recommend. Get your copy and special educational resources, including videos, leader guide, and complimentary bonuses at http://theproductivitypro.com/execution/bonus.

Just like the old gray mare of legend, strategic planning just ain't what it used to be. The beloved five-year plan--complete with projections and detailed financials--is history. There's barely enough time to stop and take a breath anymore, much less implement a planning tool that may be stale before it's a month old. Today's leaders and business owners rely on front-line workers to help them make reliable decisions on how to best execute the objectives in the moment that advance the organization's strategy.

By necessity, modern business strategy has become as flexible and changeable as life itself. We still need leaders to hold us to the core values that define our organizations and articulate the mission, vision, goals, and strategy, while the team defines the tactics, which shapes the strategy, as leaders make the course corrections, in a continuous cycle.

Execution itself is the only strategy that matters. A decent strategy, brilliantly executed, trumps a brilliant strategy, poorly executed. It's not about who has the best ideas--it's about who executes their ideas best. As leaders and followers form tighter partnerships, the organizations that can execute stellar strategies will hurtle forward. Indeed, Execution IS the Strategy that will propel your organization to success.

In your next staff meeting, ask your team three questions:

What ideas, projects, and programs--if implemented now or in the near future--would significantly impact the profitability or productivity of our company?What is one action we can take today to get us closer to our goals, quickly?What am I doing as a leader to get in the way and slow you down?

Be encouraged,
Laura Stack, President, The Productivity Pro, Inc.
Laura@TheProductivityPro.com

Timeless Training

"We don't have time for training." Have you ever said that? Or maybe thought it? I have heard it more times than I can recall. And it is the most damaging of self-fulfilling statements. Your workplace, regardless of your industry or market, continues to change at a rapid pace. If you and your associates don't focus forward, then your customers will move on without you!

There are three things you can do today to train. First, ask each associate to identify one skill, one area of knowledge, or one prevailing attitude that they want to improve. Make sure they are specific. Second, give each of them fifteen minutes a day to step away from current work to focus on the training necessary to improve. It has to be daily not just once a week.

Third, have them identify a resource online where they can get that skill instruction, information about the knowledge they need, or insight on how to improve their attitude. There is an abundance of free online resources. Better yet, allocate $100 for them to purchase online resources. Tell them that in 30 days you will sit with them for half an hour and they will be expected to demonstrate how the training paid off. But I suspect you will recognize improvement long before that.

Be encouraged,

Barry

Listening Tour

When is the last time you made an investment in listening? No, I don't mean the kind of sporadic activity we do daily of hearing somebody for a minute or two and then spouting off a quick response. When is the last time you listened, ask more questions, and then took time alone to reflect on what you heard and what it could mean?

First, identify one person today that you will "really" listen to. Ask them if they have a half hour for you. Second, during that half hour ask them for their opinion about (fill in the blank with what ever work issue you want to know more about). Resist the temptation to react or make any decisions - just listen and ask more questions.

Third, thank them for making time for you and for their candid response. Now, make some notes on what you heard and practice the rule of 24. That means for the next 24 hours you will think about what you heard, no decisions just mull it over. Then for 24 hours after that, decide what action, if any, you might take. This disciplined approach to listening will reveal valuable information that up until now you have been missing.

Be encouraged,

Barry

Why Plan?

Why Plan? Over three decades I have been asked that question a lot. It's not because the person thought planning was futile but, rather, there was so much business coming in the door (or work coming from colleagues over the email) that the best they could do was react.

Your personal career, your department, or your business growth will be a reflection of what you have focused on. Sometimes we get lucky, our customers take us exactly where we should be going - think Apple, Wal-Mart and Starbucks. But, if we are not careful just reacting to our customers can take us off course - think Blackberry, Sony, and IBM.

Today, take ten minutes and answer three questions. First, are we focused on our most profitable and long term products and/or services? Second, are we distracted by customers who will lead us astray? What one action can I take today that will be pro active, forward thinking and future focused?

Be encouraged,

Barry

Weather

There's no disputing that parts of our country have experienced extreme weather. And, unfortunately, we can't just crawl under the covers till it passes because our customers depend upon us now - regardless of  the weather!

But do you realize the weather that impacts us the most is the weather we actually control? The writer of Proverbs declared, "For as he thinks in his heart, so is he." Whether your thinking is cloudy, stormy, or clear sunshine depends more on you than it does the climate! So, how do we do it?

First, we have to acknowledge our circumstances good or bad. I didn't say accept them, which can produce unsettled weather, but rather acknowledge them. We can't change what we won't acknowledge.Second, ask, "What can I do today that will have a positive impact on my situation?" Even the slightest action step can brighten our attitude and help us see the horizon more clearly. And that always gives us hope and a sunnier disposition.

Third, ask, "What can I learn from today that will be valuable to me in the future?" And that gives us hope! Hope that we won't keep repeating our mistakes and hope that the sun will come out again.

When scientists want rain they will seed the clouds. What kind of seeds are you and I planting in our daily weather? Seeds of doubt and discouragement will produce an unsettled feeling. But seeds of awareness and action will lead to clearing up cloudy issues. I can only adapt to the weather outside. But the atmosphere in my head is up to me! What's your forecast?

Be encouraged,

Barry

Encouraging Feedback

You might be old enough to remember when "feedback" was a bad thing...as in your audio receiver, etc. But, as a leader, "feedback" is an indispensable navigational tool! You have to know where you are going, if those you lead know where you're going, and do they believe it's the right flight path.

First, routinely ask your team individually, "On a scale of 1 to 10 (one being awful and 10 being perfect) how am I doing at communicating our vision to you and the team?" The score they give you doesn't matter. It's the second question that will get you the information you are looking for.

Look at your associate and ask, "What's one thing I could do to raise my score?" Whether they gave you a 2 or an 8 it's what they think you can do better that matters. Don't take it personally. Take it like the dials in the cockpit of the plane - this data will get me to my destination on time and safe!

Be encouraged,

Barry

To Decide List

Most managers have a "to do" list. You know the one that has more things on it than you can possible get done in one day. But there might be a more important list you need to keep. It's the "to decide" list. What are the decisions that you must make today?

Begin by asking yourself this question, "What decisions can I make today that will move work along with my team?" This is the action that everyone has been looking to you for. Second, ask yourself, "What decision can I make today that will most positively impact my customers (or whoever is the recipient of your work)?"

Finally, ask yourself, "What decision can I make today that will improve my opportunity to succeed as a leader?" By this time you will have a list of 5-7 decisions that are pending. Make a commitment to act on at least three of these issues by the end of the day. Your "to do" list might not get finished but your "to decide" list will make a bigger difference!

Be encouraged,

Barry

Be Prepared!

Long before Baden Powell coined these words as the Boy Scout motto, they were the mantra of successful leaders. So, here are a few "prepared" questions for you:

Are you prepared if a top member of your team leaves to keep their work output going while you replace them?  Are you prepared if you your top customer, internal or external, notified you today that they are considering another source?  Are you prepared if your top prospect called today and said, "We want to buy your product/services and we need to start immediately"?

These are just three of the possibilities that you could face and if you are "unprepared" then the results will be costly. Your team has to face the immediate task everyday - but as their leader you are scouting the horizon. Be prepared, be very prepared and you will have a competitive advantage.

Be encouraged,
Barry

Your Team's Success

Do you have anyone reporting to you that if they quit today you wouldn’t try to convince them to stay?
Be honest!

Then what are you going to do about that? There is no coming economic boom that will produce enough profit to cover up mediocrity. And those associates will not have an epiphany and suddenly improve.

Your action, or inaction, will determine your entire team’s success. You can make excuses or make progress - your choice!

Be encouraged,

Barry