Thanks Rich, for the lessons & the post!
Are You Leading?
The art of inspiring others
In the drive to lead in a big box store – or an
entire company for that matter – the aspiring manager begins to lose his or her
technical expertise. At the same time, the human relations side of their role
grows to a point where it is no longer possible to perform the day-to-day
tactical functions, and the leader can no longer rely exclusively on their own
skills and resources to accomplish tasks. Once a manager reaches this pinnacle
of his or her career, the individual either becomes a true leader and
accomplishes the big things through others or becomes unsuccessful because they
have failed to master the art of inspiring others.
The new leader is quickly tested, and unless he
or she is a skilled leader, negativity breeds among employees, and the
organization is likely to implode from within at some point due to issues such
as employee turnover, poor morale, absenteeism, workplace accidents, and
diminishing productivity, sales, and profits. In dealing with such problems, a
leader must become increasingly agile and responsive.
It also becomes necessary for the leader to
promote a certain amount of open, transparent and healthy conflict in dealing
with issues.
Techniques such as focus group meetings and an
open door policy allow for issues and grievances to be aired publicly and
constructively so that disgruntled employees feel free to speak candidly and
openly.
Once grievances have been aired, clear and
decisive action on the part of the management team and the quick implementation
of solutions agreed upon by all parties go a long way. Even “quick wins” should
be communicated throughout the organization – whether at all-employee meetings
or more informally through discussions in the lunchroom or on the sales floor.
This is a skillful approach that can eventually lead to naysayers throughout the
organization being silenced.
The next step for our leader is to create
positive thinking and morale in the organization. The principle is this:
Enthusiasm is contagious. Eventually when the optimistic enthusiasm reaches a
high enough temperature, the fire becomes self-generating.
It is then critical to place enthusiastic
performers in key areas to be that “burning charcoal” that ignites others and
creates a sustainable fire. Senior managers who are not enthusiastic in their
approach to leading the organization will be left alone to see the flame slowly
flicker and eventually go out.
'Igniting’ other employees
One new manager I knew came into a store where
there was poor morale, specifically on the overnight shift where the employees
stocking the shelves each night were the unnoticed backbone of the store's
success. This store manager made the key decision to come in early before the
end of the shift and “high five” a lonely employee in one of the aisles
stocking shelves for a job well done and to express his appreciation for the
employee’s efforts.
A funny thing happened the next day when the
store manager arrived early in the morning. The employee who received the high
five the previous day was peering down the aisle in anticipation of the
manager's early morning walk by. When the manager approached the employee, he
was pleasantly surprised that the employee had increased his productivity
substantially and was proud to show off his best work. Another big high five
followed and they were now connected in achieving mutual goals of respect and a
well-stocked store ready for customers.
In the above example, one “hot coal” ignited
another employee and things heated up. The stocker, who at one point was a
disengaged employee, was noticed, recognized, and is now a high performing
assistant manager. By the way, the store manager is now a district manager.
What makes a great leader memorable is the time they spend developing the next
great leaders who speak profoundly of the influence their mentors had on them
during their careers.
Unintended consequences of negative behaviour
Another store manager more focused on his
technical skills was pulling a skid of merchandise down an aisle and scowled as
he walked past a department manager working in her department. She thought she
had done something wrong and was visibly upset. Shortly afterwards, the store
manager was asked why he had scowled at the employee, and he explained that he
was not pleased with a featured display producing very little sales and had no
idea the employee was nearby or had seen him demonstrate his frustration. The
department manager shared her experience with others in the lunchroom and
continued to be a mediocre performer. The store manager did not create an
environment of contagious enthusiasm and eventually burned out and left the
business.
A positive organizational culture
The positive culture cemented in the fabric of
an organization becomes quickly evident when a new employee is hired and easily
falls in line with the values that instill respect for the individual,
consistency, a strong work ethic, confidence in one's skills, and eliminating
frustration that results in excessive turnover.
In essence, the employee should enjoy coming to
work when that work intertwines purpose and fun. The enthusiastic fire becomes
a self-generating furnace that pumps out “hot” employees ready to perform.
On the other hand, if the culture is mired in
confusion and a lack of any real leadership, the new employee will not perform
at a level of excellence and a sense of urgency. New employees joining a team
simply become assimilated into the existing culture, and resistance is futile.
Leaders need to ensure members of their
management team know what is expected, whether executing the tasks at hand,
providing superior customer service or demonstrating values, respect and a
strong commitment to a superior work ethic that sets the example for all to
follow. They will, in most cases, go to great lengths to live up to those
expectations and do a good job if they are provided with the proper
environment. Any non-compliance needs to addressed expeditiously, or a splinter
of issues will begin to widen further until band-aid solutions can no longer
heal the cultural wound of accepting mediocrity, which can lead to the eventual
collapse of the business unit or the entire operation.
During tough economic times, the organizations
and business units that succeed are those where a distinct culture of
contagious enthusiasm and positive employee engagement thrives within the
organization.
It all starts with a leader. So, are you
leading?
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