It’s
that time of year again when many are making personal resolutions for change. For
most managers the beginning of New Year means establishing a new set of
objectives. This is a good time to reflect on your progress over the past year
and plan how you want improve in the coming year.
Today’s
leaders need to do more than just resolve to be better leaders. They need to
execute their New Year’s resolutions and follow them through until the next New
Year arrives and the cycle begins anew.
Below
are ten resolutions gathered from experience that I believe are a fantastic
starting point for leaders who are serious about transforming their culture:
1.
Get Energized About Work.
Getting
energized about work usually results from a couple things. Primarily if a work
culture is fun to be in, it’s a place you look forward to going because the
people (and leadership) are authentic, caring and fun. And teams that are
energized with what they are doing get excited by the opportunities that a day
may bring.
2.
Planning is the Basic Step for Success.
You
won’t know where you are going unless you know where you want to go. Confusing?
Well that’s exactly how your business would be, if you do not keep things
simple and organized. Planning is the basic step to succeed in business and
planning accurately and developing strategies will lead you to a healthy and
growing business. That means reframing the top down objectives in your
organization. Don’t just work with only the large goal in mind. Set immediate
and short term goals that fire up your team. Celebrate achieving those goals
and adjust as the culture and needs change… We live in a very fluid business
world where things change fast. Create a team that is able to change along with
it.
3.
Strive to Learn Something New Every Single Day.
It
is easy to get bogged down in the same old, same old. In order to fully realize
potential, you’ll have to add knowledge, skills, and experience. Don’t expect
your potential to spring forth in a final draft; it takes time to hone your
skills and build your confidence. This could come from formal schooling, from
the school of hard knocks, or from both. Either way, your education is the
house your realized potential will live in. The opportunities for learning are
multiplying every day in this information/technology age. Learn at least one
new thing every day. Improve your mind and enhance your skills. Never stop
learning.
4.
Work Smarter Not Harder.
Productivity
comes from working smarter, not harder. That is the difference between
effectiveness and efficiency. You can be effective without being efficient,
but, the key to productivity is to do both. Sometimes, those job inefficiencies
are not very obvious. However, if you can specifically identify them, then
those inefficiencies can be eliminated and staff can become more productive. By
distributing the tasks and responsibilities around, you not only become more
flexible and able to respond to changes more quickly, but you involve more
people in the improvement process. This can increase work satisfaction as well.
5.
Devote Time Each Month to Employee Development.
Most people want to learn and grow their
skills at work. Encourage experimentation and taking reasonable risk to develop
employee skills. Get to know them personally. Ask what motivates them. Ask what
career objectives they have and are aiming to achieve. You can make their career.
In order to get the most from your employees, you need to invest time and
resources in their development. Annual performance reviews simply aren’t
enough. Make a point to sit down with each employee on a monthly basis (or more
frequently, if possible) and provide them with specific feedback and areas of
improvement.
6.
Learn More from Reading.
Far
too may business executives believe leadership skills stem from some sort of
wondrous epiphany or other such flash of insight. Sure, great ideas can come to
any of us, but being a bona fide leader also means study. Read books, attend
seminars, and pick the brains of colleagues to see what works for them. Read an
article; discuss a new approach with a colleague; research what other
organizations are doing on the Web. It can be a long education, but one with
rewards that multiply with the more knowledge you have under your belt.
7.
Try Something New.
The
world is moving forward, swiftly and consistently. As industry leaders, if you
stop taking a breath, you will be left far behind others, competing in the
race. Change is inevitable as so is it a scary concept. To overcome this fear,
try doing something new. Take risks, explore ways to overcome the disabilities
and move ahead. It might sound easy, but it is no less challenging.
8.
Get Out of Your Office.
When
you get bogged down, distracted, or even discouraged rediscover the power of
going to see. There is no better way to experience the flow of value (or lack
thereof) than taking the same journey that an order, new product, patient or
other takes through your processes. Spend as much time as possible with
employees and customers. Learn the issues first hand. Expand your focus. Many
look primarily at the steps in the value stream and ask how to remove the waste.
Reflect first on the purpose of the process. You must ask about the support
processes to get the right people to the right place in the value stream at the
right time with the right knowledge, materials, and equipment. Work to solve
problems when and where they occur. Pay special attention to the way people are
engaged in the operation and its improvement.
9.
Focus Feedback on the Future.
You
want people to improve. In almost every case, people want to improve and do
great work. Yet most workplace feedback is focused on something that can’t be
changed -- the past. If you want to be a more effective coach to your team and
help them make improvements in their skills and results, give them feedback,
and about what they can do next time.
10.
Follow Up and Follow Through.
The
primary criticism of leaders is that they do not follow up or follow through on
promised actions and information. How well a manager follows up or follows
through on promises is part of the test to determine if they will be a quality
leader. Another reason follow up is so important is that old saying “out of
sight, out of mind”; leaders need to remind employees that their interested in
improvement.
It
is our role as leaders to reinforce cultural transformation in the workers
perception of their work roles, to create structures for empowered workers to
be accountable and successful, to communicate, support, reward and model this
culture of engaged workers, helping to identify and resolve defects and
eliminate waste.
Change
can only be successful if it’s truly desired. Change isn’t easy but positive
changes are always worth the effort. It can be motivating to add up and
consolidate all the gains that have been made so far and to acknowledge how far
you have come. Lasting changes require continued commitment. Keeping your
commitment isn't easy but, following the PDCA cycle will yield better results
and sustained improvements. Taking the time to plan, check, and act will pay
dividends.
