13
May
Google Maps is a fantastic tool; get from A to B in as little time as possible, with step by step directions. Not bad for a free service. What some people don’t know though is that while Maps will default to the shortest route, that route is completely customizable by “dragging the line”. Suddenly, the route choices are endless.
I found myself in exactly such a situation when a meeting in Seattle cancelled and I was suddenly presented with 24 hours within which to drive the 4 hours to Corvallis, Oregon. It took me 8 hours to make that drive when I chose to take the coastal 101 route instead of the more direct I5. The weather was perfect, the sound system was optimized and I lost myself in that drive. It was exactly what I needed.
Here’s the point – efficiency is great, when efficiency is the goal. Let’s not assume that this is always the case. Like Google Maps, we can “default” to efficiency, but please don’t forget that whatever path you take is a choice. If you’re unhappy with the route you’re on – whether it’s turning out different than expected, or priorities have simply changed – don’t be afraid to drag the line.
On a tangental point, the best consultants and coaches I know are exceptionally good at dragging the line. They keep an open mind to all the routes available, and help clients articulate the purpose of the route before helping them down it. I’ll be sharing other insights I’ve picked up from top coaches and consultants over the years on May 22nd via a free webinar. If you’re a consultant, I hope you’ll join me.
Inspired leaders create inspired teams. If you’re a leader, Actionable Workshops is for you.
8
May
Last month’s 7 book giveaway was so popular that we’re doing it all over again!
This time we’re giving away a prize pack of the Books That Inspired Our 7 Most Popular Summaries.*
Want to enter? It’s simple! Join our LinkedIn Group, Actionable Business Book Club to be automatically entered to win.
Already a member of the group? No problem. Share the image above on Facebook and/or Twitter to be entered into the contest. You can share the image as often as you like–each time you do will give you an additional entry in the contest.
Contest closes Friday, May 17, 2013 at 11:59 PM ET.
*Titles include:
- The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni
- Great by Choice by Jim Collins
- Anything You Want by Derek Sivers
- The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
- The Charisma Myth by Olivia Fox Cabane
- The Dip by Seth Godin
- The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
Inspired leaders create inspired teams. If you’re a leader, Actionable Workshops is for you.
6
May
Last week I wrote about how, as a leader, you will be having one on one conversations with your team members. It’s a choice as to whether you have those conversations as a regular part of your week, or in reaction to disgruntled employees who demand your time. Few would argue with the value of connecting proactively; extinguishing flames of discontent before they become a full, five alarm fire. Yet so few of us do them. I think the challenge is that we get comfortable with fighting fires. We take a certain masochistic pride in overcoming big obstacles and saving the day. ”Reacting” starts to feel normal. And safe. It’s not.
There’s a talent shortage coming. A massive one. In fact, the looming 50 million leader shortage (in North America) in the next 6 years will make it harder than ever to find – and hold onto – those top tier employees that you need (as an organization) to stay competitive. Leaders who have relied on a passive thinking – ie. “I’ll find out what an employee needs/feels/thinks when they complain loud enough” – will find that their people aren’t complaining anymore. They’re leaving. Top talent will have more options than ever before in modern history. Do you think they’ll stick around waiting for a reactive manager to get to them? Dream on.
The alternative, then, is to become a proactive manager. Effectively, a leader. Someone who puts in the effort to better understand what’s happening in the trenches – not just through reports and KPIs, but through real, one on one conversations. Through group discussions around topics a little bit deeper – a little bit more important – than what’s superficially happening in the business. We don’t need to become parents, or friends. We do need to appreciate that the human beings who work for us have lives, aspirations and challenges that bleed beyond the walls of the office.
If we want those top performers to stay truly connected to their work – to give you their all in projects, tasks and client interactions – you need to stop reacting, and start seeking out ways to help those top performers realize their dreams while working for you. If you don’t do it, someone else will.
Inspired leaders create inspired teams. If you’re a leader, Actionable Workshops is for you.
29
Apr
Whether you like it or not, if you own a car, you’re going to have to take it to a garage. The question is whether you’ll take it in for regularly scheduled maintenance… or have it towed in after it breaks down on the highway on your way to a meeting.
Leading people is a lot like that. If you manage people, those people need time with you and, one way or another, they’re going to get it. They’re going to get it from you through regular, high value interaction that keeps them motivated, clear and feeling valued/understood, or they’re going to get it when they go off the rails and need to be “managed”.
Focusing on having deeper, richer conversations with your team members before there’s an issue is:
- More fun. Aspirational conversations beat remedial ones any day.
- “Planable”. You don’t get to schedule when someone goes off the rails. You do get to schedule regular, proactive conversations.
- Profitable. Touching base with employees on a regular (weekly) basis helps you keep a collective eye on the horizon, and manage potentially expensive issues before they come up.
- A more human way of doing business. If you only ever had those deeper conversations with your partner when there was a problem, how long do you think that relationship would last?
So what does this “proactive conversation” look like? It starts with a pre-scheduled weekly meeting (with each employee) and a pretty basic question - What’s on your mind? They own the agenda. You’re there to listen, support where needed and ask more questions.
Just like an oil change, these conversations aren’t rocket science, and they don’t need to be scary. But they do need to happen.
Inspired leaders create inspired teams. If you’re a leader, Actionable Workshops is for you.
22
Apr
I recently attended an event at a place called MaRS, in Toronto. ”MaRS” stands for Medical and Related Sciences, and absolutely falls outside of my area of expertise. As a film major turned turned sales manager, turned entrepreneur focused on leadership development, “medicine & science” are not topics I explore regularly. But the MaRS buildings are awesome and, as an amateur lover of architect, I signed up for a public seminar recently… mostly just to have a reason to be in the building. (As it turns out, you don’t need a reason – it’s a public building accessible to all, and worth dropping into if you’re in Toronto).
The best personality trait I can recommend when exploring a foreign field is curiosity. Knowing virtually nothing about medicine, I found myself asking a lot of questions. People would ask me questions in return and I found the discussions to be fascinating. I was revisiting “basic” leadership concepts that I’ve held for years and likewise, the basic science questions that I was asking seemed to spark excitement from those who spend their life in the space. Connecting with new people is exciting, particularly when you (both) have a chance to educate the other on your point of passion. I’ll be heading back to MaRS, and wonder what other avenues there are to meet impassioned people… outside of my personal area of focus.
Inspired leaders create inspired teams. If you’re a leader, Actionable Workshops is for you.
