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A Leaders Prime Objectives

Written by: Dave Allan

Article Overview: The Four areas a Leader MUST attend to for success: 1.Personal growth 2.Bottom-line goals 3.Efficient works systems 4.Human Relations

A Leaders Prime Objectives

As a Leader there are Four key areas to focus on:

ONE: The Leader's personal growth - vision, challenges, motivations, skill levels, and personal goals:
It never ceases to amaze me how little time business leaders put into their own personal development, especially when they own their own business. More and more, there is a culture building within the business community which appreciates the need for continued professional and personal development for leaders. There is still a long way to go for many organizations. One thing for sure, it is up to the leader to make this a priority in their life. We tend to philosophically agree with the concept that we need to make it a part of our life, but it often takes a place on the back burner. The more leaders are convinced that their development directly affects the outcomes of their business, the sooner they will make this a higher priority. Then they will see the benefits in their business and in themselves - not to mention the benefit for their families and those around them.
Ask yourself: "How much time do I commit to my own personal and professional growth?" "How much time do I want to commit?"

TWO: Bottom Line goals - clear financial goals:
If you do not set clear bottom-line goals your business may not be in existence next year. After all, one of the key reasons your business exists is to make money. So wouldn't it be strange if you didn't know and set clear goals for bottom-line results?
So answer some of these questions: "What increase in revenue (write down a dollar amount) am I working toward this year?" "What percentage increase in profit do I want to see this year (write down a percentage)?" "What is my realistic budget for this year?" "How much increase in Market share will I be working toward (again write down a percentage)?" "What percentage levels do I want to see in production/service to meet my financial goals?" "How many more customers/clients do I want to make this year?"
Once you have set clear goals, sit down and sort out the strategies you will employ in order to reach these goals. This is often where a good coach can help, in helping co-develop strategies and holding you accountable to your desired outcomes.

THREE: Work Process Goals - Efficient work systems:
How the work gets done right throughout the process is crucially important for consistent results. Once we find a way to produce a profitable result (this is key) it makes sense that we should incorporate the process into the business as a "Norm." This will ensure that the same quality result has the best chance of being repeated again and again.
Of course, down the track, all "Norms" are negotiable if they no longer function to produce their intended purpose. Consistent systems remove ambiguity for all staff, which increases the potential for team work and lessens the potential for anxiety. It ensures our customers that they will receive the same quality service each time they deal with us. It also allows us to have a measuring stick in which to measure our progress, and target areas for improvement.
Consider how you can reduce your timeframes in some of your upcoming projects for this year. "What percentage would you like to reduce them by?" What about your quality levels in your products? "What percentage in reduction do I want to see in defects?" What about quality in customer service? "What do you want your customers saying about your service after dealing with you?" What about Cost reduction? "What percentage in cost reduction would you like to see in employee turnover?" "What KPIs are you going to set with each staff member?"

FOUR: Human Relations - Effective workplace relations:
If there is a major factor to increasing productivity, profitability, customer satisfaction, and staff fulfilment, it is the internal relationships in the workplace. In fact studies have clearly shown that the most crucial relationship of all is that of the Manager and their staff. The manager needs to know their staff - their strengths and weaknesses and to manage them according to their perceptions. It makes sense that for an organization to succeed it must be able to have a group of workers who can collaborate together with precision and respect.
It is important that everyone has clearly defined roles and that they are all trained in conflict management practices. It is also important that everyone recognizes that they are all working for the one organization - they are all on the same team. It is good to participate in team-building activities and meet in social settings outside of work time.
When you do staff appraisals, simply ask them: "How could your workplace be improved so that you become more productive?" "What concerns do you have about your work?" "Do you think you are being stretched in your current role?" "What frustrates you about your work?" "Do you feel that you have sufficient freedom to perform your work well?"

Conclusion:
I guess by now you get the point. You need to set some tangible goals in key areas in order to see your organization reach its potential. But then you need to FOLLOW THROUGH. If you want to get serious, research shows that if you share your goals and aspirations with an external person who will hold you accountable, you are far more likely to accomplish your goals.

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Article Tags: bottom line, business systems, goals, human relations, leadership, managment



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