Invite
everyone in your organization to become an honored guest
at your special banquet!
The recent downturn in the economy
has announced that the "fasten your seatbelts" sign
is now turned on. Shivers of fear resonate through our
businesses and our communities. While prophets of doom
suggest that we had better foam the runway in preparation
for a crash, visionary leaders see the strategic advantages
that exist when chaos disarms the competition. Is it
possible for leaders to inspire their employees to "feats
of greatness" during times of cataclysmic change and
uncertainty? Absolutely!
Great leaders know that the most
important ingredient in a successful enterprise or endeavor
is its human capital. The philosopher Goethe wisely
noted: "Treat your people as if they were what they
ought to be, and you help them to become what they are
capable of being." That means treating each individual
as an honored guest at your special banquet. While this
may sound simple, it's not easy. Yet by applying four
simple principles, every leader will rise to greatness
and will inspire others to new heights of achievement
and contribution.
The four simple secrets to successful
leadership are:
As
any organization faces uncertainty and change, effective
communication becomes essential. If leaders do not communicate
clearly and openly, that vacuum will be filled. The
question then becomes, do you want your folks listening
to the leadership team or reacting to the misinformation
that is distributed at the water cooler?
The simplest way to create
a process for effective communication is to set a specific
time and method for interaction every week. This can
be a 10-minute staff meeting, an email to all employees,
or a posted update on a central bulletin board. The
secret to success in this arena is consistency and clarity.
Communication must occur even if the message is "no
news this week".
"Team" meetings are organized
by the various departments. Each team has a "mentor"
from the leadership team who attends these weekly sessions.
At Avery Dennison for example, we set an agenda that
focused first on safety. Then we reviewed the prior
week's goals, discussing any barriers to success and
inviting suggestions for improving the next week's production.
The mentor prepared an update on the status of the plant
so that everyone received the same information at every
meeting. Once employees know that they will be included
in the communication and problem solving process, their
energy can be refocused on their primary job - serving
your customers!
Some
managers may think that compassion is not a valued commodity
in business. However, when facing unpredictable, often
chaotic change, it is compassion that unites people
as human beings. If employees know that the leadership
team feels the same pain that they do, it will be much
easier to re-focus on business objectives
One way we facilitated compassionate communication was
through a one-page weekly employee newsletter. This
became a vehicle for communication, as well as a way
to identify our similarities vs. our differences. For
example, each issue would publish key measures for safety,
service, productivity, and quality. We would also focus
on one "team" of people within the organization. Our
goal was to "profile" a team. We shared personal information
about our families, hobbies, sports, etc. This provided
a platform for more intimate connection and removed
the barriers to open communication. First and foremost,
it made us all aware of our common bond - our humanity.
It is also important to help people recognize and value
the key new skills they have gained while employed by
the company. In our case, we focused on many varied
activities - safety teams, ergonomic projects, GED programs,
employee suggestion implementations and the like. Each
of these examples is like a medal on a uniform making
each employee a bit more valuable to their next employer.
An
essential part of the process is planning. Change is
inevitable. Planning for change can give your team a
substantial competitive advantage. Anticipate how your
workforce can be encouraged and supported while the
changes are occurring. When Avery needed to tighten
security on its premises, it was a response to a request
for safety from an employee. She had been receiving
threats from a former husband, and our adding security
to the premises was seen as a humane and responsible
approach to keeping our workforce safe.
Also consider the ongoing psychological
needs of the workforce. As times became more tense,
we began having a counselor sit in on those weekly team
meetings for support. This gave people a sense that
it was acceptable to be feeling frightened, angry and
alone. We also provided time for employees to meet alone
and on-site with the counselors. The management team
also took advantage of this opportunity showing that
they, too, needed emotional support.
Finally,
the concept of positive intent rounds out the recipe
for success. By expecting the best from your employees,
you will find that they will feel that respect and will
rise to the occasion with you. An atmosphere of trust
is built through the positive vision of the leadership
team and nurtures an environment that allows people
to navigate smoothly through uncertainty and turbulence.
Mastering change means shifting
our focus from problems to opportunities. By embracing
and deploying the four principles outlined above, your
organization will develop the resilience to thrive during
times of crisis and change. While change is often seen
as something from the outside, effective leadership
recognizes that real change is an inside job. Effective
leaders and teams continually flow and grow. In the
words of Aldus Huxley: "Experience is not what happens
to a man; it is what a man does with what happens to
him." Start by changing yourself, then go out and change
the world. You can do it!
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