How is your environment today? Are you creating storms or calm? More at: www.LeeCockerell.com
You, as a leader, are responsible for the micro-climate in your own environment. There may be smog and air pollution in other areas around you, but you can still make sure that your area of responsibility has the perfect climate so that your fellow team members can develop and perform at the highest level possible.
Don’t blame your leader or anyone else for your own environment. Each one of us has the ability and responsibility to inspire and motivate our fellow team members.
Some of the best ways to do that are as follows:
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Give recognition to those team members who do great things for the business. Give that recognition publicly when you can.
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Know what kind of recognition most inspires your fellow team members, and give it to them.
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Listen and involve your fellow team members in running the business. This will keep you from making mistakes, and it will inspire them to support you. We all want to be heard.
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Make sure that you are setting a great example by demanding excellence . . . and then performing in an excellent way yourself. Setting the example gives you more credibility than anything else in life. It is one of the great teachers.
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Don’t ask your team members to do things that you are not willing to do. Set the example.
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Give credit instead of taking credit . . . and in the long run, you will quietly get the credit for having a healthy environment. No one likes someone else’s hogging the credit.
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Make sure that you are crystal clear about what your expectations are for behavior and for performance . . . and then enforce those things.
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Make the workplace fun and exciting so that people wake up in the morning and look forward to coming to work, even if the work itself is difficult.
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When new team members are joining your team from outside of your organization or are transferring from another part of your organization, make sure you are crystal clear about your expectations before they come on board.
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Try to find ways to give each team members more and more responsibility and authority . . . so that he or she can act on the spot for your customers.
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Give your fellow team members steady feedback on how they are doing. When they are doing great, tell them . . . and when they need to improve, tell them that too. Feedback is the fuel that drives improvement for all of us.
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Make sure that you have people in the right jobs that match their ability and competency.
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Ask your fellow team members every day what barriers are standing in their way to achieve great performance . . . and then work with your team to remove those barriers, which might be processes, operating guidelines, equipment needs, or training.
If you find it hard to motivate your team, find someone who has a great reputation for being able to do this . . . and go and watch him or her in action. Watch carefully what and how those leaders interact with their teams. Ask their teams why they love working with those leaders.
There are many ways to inspire and motivate your teams, and it is your responsibility to do this if you are in a leadership position.
One main thing to keep in mind as you lead is: Are you committed to leading by understanding what your team members expect from your organization and from you as a leader?
Make sure to ensure that the environment in your area is one with a nice blue sky, sunshine, and 72 degrees . . . and you will see your results grow and prosper in team member performance, customer satisfaction, and business results. YOU, the Leader, provide the clean air! . . . Lee
PS: I was the Easter Bunny yesterday. All eggs hidden by 6:30 a.m. In the plastic eggs were candy of course but also I put in a few IOU’s for trips to the bookstore and pancake breaksfasts at my house. My grandchildren love the IOU’s. And yes we made sure that they understand why we celebrate Easter. YOU are an environmentalist at home as well….Lee
Great idea on the IOU’s in the Easter eggs!
Being an environmentalist at home really brings home (no pun intended) that leadership isn’t only something that happens at work. It applies to all areas of our lives.