IF YOU WANT TO BE A BETTER LEADER – OIL YOURSELF

Written by Bob Garner


Continued from page 1

To develop a high level of trust, you need to be honest, straight forward, and act with integrity. People must have faith that you will always dorepparttar right thing, notrepparttar 140762 safe or easy thing. A leader must act in unselfish ways, caring about others before their own interests. Additionally, a leader must encourage innovation and risk, withoutrepparttar 140763 fear of being reprimanded or fired. Through innovation and creative ideas, company members will begin to explore new ways to be more productive and work together more as a team.

As you develop this level of trust, you will find that your team will begin to view you as a leader, as opposed torepparttar 140764 “one who can fire me.” You will sense of lessening of friction, because your team knows where you stand and how you feel. Your team will know that there is no such thing as a “dumb idea” and that you welcome creativity and progress.

To be a more effective leader, you need to lubricate yourself and your team withrepparttar 140765 magic “oil” of trust. Unlike that for you car or lawn mower, this oil doesn’t cost you anything but time, discipline, and dedication.

A successful entrepreneur for over 20 years, Bob Garner is the author of "Masters of Motivation" which has been called a “blueprint for success.” The creator of a number of CDs that have empowered thousands, Bob writes for numerous business magazines and speaks extensively worldwide on motivation and success. Sign up now for his free monthly newsletter called "Personal Success" at http://www.bobgarneronline.com.


The Magic And Mystery Of Teams

Written by Len McNally


Continued from page 1

I worked with a Cost Improvement Process Team (CIP) which was a Task Force Made up of a dozen non management people with a mandate to examine all areas ofrepparttar company's operation with an aim to cutting costs and improving operational effectiveness. As is typical of this type of team, none ofrepparttar 140679 members had ever worked before in a team environment where individual effort was largely unrecognized and success or failure was measured on results ofrepparttar 140680 group as a whole. The need for cooperation, individual input, volunteering for assignments, sharing of credit and backing up both other members andrepparttar 140681 group as a whole, was paramount to success. The team met for 90 minutes each week and after six months of coaching had achieved a level of togetherness to make me proud and were well able to carry on on their own. The changes recommended in policy, procedures and methods that were accepted and implemented measured savings inrepparttar 140682 hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Almost any sort of team environment is at odds withrepparttar 140683 way most of us have been conditioned to think and to work. Normally we are only too well aware that our potential for promotion and even our job security is dependent solely on our own efforts and ability. The idea of subordinating our efforts and ability torepparttar 140684 overall needs of a group or a team is quite foreign -- even intimidating -- and it is only with a great deal of understanding and assurance that this can be effectively brought about.

Perhapsrepparttar 140685 highest level of task force is a senior management team brought together for long term strategic planning. In this caserepparttar 140686 "Management Team" is sometimes supplemented with representatives from key customers, suppliers, accountants and legal advisors. Often, people at this level are even more reluctant than others to forget about personal and departmental objectives in favor ofrepparttar 140687 best interests ofrepparttar 140688 organization as a whole but if recommendations to a board of directors are to have any value at all, this must berepparttar 140689 case. Whenrepparttar 140690 Task Force is introduced torepparttar 140691 process and walked throughrepparttar 140692 procedure by a coach, objectivity becomes much more readily attainable.

Introspection - Getting Started

One ofrepparttar 140693 greatest obstacles to progress can often be our awareness of past failures. If we tried something a couple of years ago and fell flat on our faces (and especially if we were ridiculed or derided as a result) we tend to be reluctant to rockrepparttar 140694 boat again. When we believe that history will repeat itself, we become paralyzed by fear.

Mentoring managers through a process that I sometimes refer to as "directed introspection" in order to expose attitudes and prejudices can often produce startling results. Knowing where we are starting from does not in and of itself guarantee that we will arrive at our desired destination (on time and within budget) but not knowing weightsrepparttar 140695 odds heavily against us. I believe that if we want to go somewhere we must first know who we are and where we are. When we knowrepparttar 140696 starting point, personally and professionally, in regard to ourselves, our people and our company we are more likely to have a clear picture of where we want to go, how to get there and what must change.

I believe that as many people as possible in an organization should be involved inrepparttar 140697 process of creating statements of Vision, Mission, Purpose, Values, and Goals. When people have had a hand inrepparttar 140698 creation, buy in to do what ever is necessary to get results is almost automatic. When these guiding principles are understood by everyone fromrepparttar 140699 "Ivory Tower" allrepparttar 140700 way torepparttar 140701 Shop Floor everyone knows where we are going, why we are going there and what we have to do to get there. They also knowrepparttar 140702 down side of not going there and of not participating inrepparttar 140703 process. Is notrepparttar 140704 search for heaven made more intense byrepparttar 140705 awareness of hell? In addition, when everyone understands his or her WIIFM, (What's In It For Me) getting results is like picking low hanging fruit.

Vision must be followed by a plan

Strategic planning can be an arduous (but exhilarating) process. Often a three day retreat with an outside facilitator isrepparttar 140706 only way to getrepparttar 140707 concentrated focus,repparttar 140708 brainstorming, necessary to initiaterepparttar 140709 process. We must examine all aspects orrepparttar 140710 organization, physical and human resources, management skills and needs, culture, attitudes, market place, industry, supplier relations, customer relations, government regulations, labour agreements, etc., etc. We have to remember that Rome was not built in a day. If we are looking for instant gratification we will surely be disappointed.

When we have suspended our doubts and fears, set aside our memories of past failure, forgotten our prejudices, examined our strengths and planned to enhance them, seen in our minds eyerepparttar 140711 potential within ourselves and our organization, created a vision in which we believe, we will become advocates for our organization and evangelists forrepparttar 140712 realization of that vision.

Once we are overrepparttar 140713 initial hurdle we will be driven byrepparttar 140714 power of our vision forrepparttar 140715 future. A clearly articulated vision coupled to a specific plan of action for its attainment (including target dates for each step), and a firm commitment to that action, is an unstoppable combination. YES, it will require perseverance, dedication and hard work; and YES, it will be extremely satisfying!

Effecting organizational and personal change is never a cake walk but learningrepparttar 140716 basics of how to set goals and create plans with specific, time sensitive action steps for their achievement can be learned in only a few hours. When coupled to powerful statements of Vision, Mission, Purpose, and Values, and a well-organized coaching, mentoring and measurement process,repparttar 140717 pain is minimal whilerepparttar 140718 results are huge!

Len McNally is President and founder of The Leadership Centre, dedicated to leadership development, management team building and change management through executive and corporate coaching - from the top floor to the shop floor. He can be reached at (519) 759-1127 or email: the.leadership.centre@sympatico.ca. Other articles may be seen at: www.tlc-leadership.com


    <Back to Page 1
 
ImproveHomeLife.com © 2005
Terms of Use