Action: Institute comprehensive strategies, processes, and measurements that focus on having employees be ardently committed to getting continuous cost reductions, and those reductions will far outpace ones achieved through re-engineering. Productivity: Clearly, productivity isn't about doing things simply faster but also better. To speed up and be more productive, employees must slow down, reconsider their situation, reevaluate their education and training, then take new action. Only employees who have a strong emotional commitment to their jobs do well in that sequence of actions.

Lesson: Fifteen minutes before shift change, a machine starts to break down. The motivated operator will stay with that machine until its fixed or he will at least get a repair process under way. On other hand, less-than-motivated operator will punch out and let next shift operator take care of problem. Incidents like these are common and cost countless billions of dollars in lost productivity.

Action: Develop operational systems that are woven into very driving force of productivity: heartfelt convictions of rank-and-file.

Efficiency: Businesses cannot compete well simply by selling what they make. Instead, they have to make what they sell. Which means that operations must be closely connected to sell, customer. And because customer needs change rapidly, operations must change with them or risk making inefficiency an institution.

Lesson: Efficiency begins in one place: with small-unit leadership, leadership of supervisors and front-line managers. In trying to realize operating efficiencies, top leaders often get jammed up in small-unit leader meat-grinders. Top leaders can usually persuade their direct reports to participate in changes needed to make efficiencies happen.

However, far more important task is to persuade small-unit leaders to champion those changes. Small-unit leaders, who don't buy-in, can and will make mincemeat of any operational program.

Action: Get small-unit leaders to champion your changes at beginning of change process to insure that those changes take root.

In summary: When driving cost-reductions, productivity and efficiency, avoid re-engineering reflex of ringing doorbells by rolling up cannons. Instead, roll out simple, precise strategies tied to heartfelt needs of skilled employees — then let them get big results.

============================= 2005 © The Filson Leadership Group, Inc. All rights reserved. =============================

On one hand:

Positive Beliefs » Positive Feelings » Actions » Positive Results

And on other hand:

Limiting Beliefs » Negative Feelings » Inaction » Negative Results

So based on preceding, it's obvious which hand offers most value - correct?

Step Four - CHOOSE a path together!

Obviously, if an employee is unwilling to work to overcome conceptual barriers, then you should agree that a sales position is not right fit.

You should either find a more suitable role for person, or part ways so he/she may pursue a more rewarding opportunity somewhere else.

Let's assume however that employee seeks to overcome their conceptual barriers and is willing to take ownership of their plan for improvement.

As leader, you have an important role to play in your employee overcoming their limiting beliefs. You are responsible for supporting employee in three key areas. Once again, they are:

- TEACH - lead by example, reinforce positive actions and behaviors

- COACH - help to improve technique, debrief progress, track results, ensure employee stays on task

- EXPECT - inspect what you expect, hold yourself and your employee accountable for continued improvement and increased results.

In conclusion, ask yourself following question.

Can you name one person who is a top performer that:

- believed he wouldn't be successful? - feels she shouldn't be successful? - does not take actions necessary for her to become successful?

The answer to each question? "Of course not!" Right?

So by default we must agree that in order for anyone to be successful, he/she must understand what is holding him or her back.

Then, she must be willing to work to overcome obstacles, and choose to proactively follow a corrective action plan.

Finally, he must "execute" plan.

Through this process he will build new beliefs that will enable him to discard that old and tired, limiting belief.