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Creating Intelligent Action Takers
| Guest post by: Dr. Rick Johnson |
Article Overview: You need "Risk Takers." You need "Mavericks." Identify every employee in that category and empower him or her to go out and get the job done. So what if they bend the rules sometimes. As long as they don't break the law, violate corporate core values or embarrass the company, "Turn Them Loose." You have everything to gain and nothing to lose. The employees will see this as a demonstration of trust and empowerment. Word will travel fast. Promote that concept. Send a monthly memo to everyone praising individuality that result in improvements. Title your memo, "OFF the CUFF" for it's informal straight talking honest feedback from the top. Reward and recognize the risk takers. Commend the change agents. Then align both management and the employees behind the new vision.
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Creating Intelligent Action Takers
Creating the right attitude is paramount to structuring an environment of success. Getting your employees to work with you and join in the search for better ideas, new methodology and higher profitability will transform your company from passive individualists to intelligent action takers and change agents.
You need "Risk Takers." You need "Mavericks." Identify every employee in that category and empower him or her to go out and get the job done. So what if they bend the rules sometimes. As long as they don't break the law, violate corporate core values or embarrass the company, "Turn Them Loose." You have everything to gain and nothing to lose. The employees will see this as a demonstration of trust and empowerment. Word will travel fast. Promote that concept. Send a monthly memo to everyone praising individuality that result in improvements. Title your memo, "OFF the CUFF" for it's informal straight talking honest feedback from the top. Reward and recognize the risk takers. Commend the change agents. Then align both management and the employees behind the new vision. Support this new environment by sharing the new vision, departmental goals and strategic initiatives. Publish the minutes of every executive meeting that is held. Hold nothing back short of personal issues. Be proud and announce the fact that there will no longer be secrets held under close cover behind the doors of the executive staff.
Educate
Educate your managers and supervisors for their new role in this new environment. Do not tolerate deception or deviation from attitude or your new structure. Teach them to be coaches and mentors. Educate line employees to make them know they are part of the plan. Teach them new skills for self-management, planning, team building, goal setting, risk taking, conflict resolution and negotiating. Show them you care. That's all part of structuring an environment.
Create a mental picture of what the company is all about; where you want to go and how you are going to get there. This is the vision for the company. It does not reflect the personal idiosyncrasy of the CEO. It has a broad base of support and buy-in from the employees.
Micro Management Doesn't Motivate Mavericks and Risk Takers
The easiest way to suppress discretionary energy, the energy given willingly - no matter what it takes, is a style of micro management that scrutinizes every decision an employee makes. It can kill their spirit. It destroys trust. If any of your employees even joke about you being a micro manager - back off. Where there is smoke there is usually fire. Micro managing may make you feel in control but in reality you are only hurting yourself and the company. It only limits an employee's ability to be innovative and creative. This can cost the company thousands of dollars because it is the creativity and innovation of your employees that maximize the profitability of your company.
Micro Management is a Symptom
Micro Management is often just a symptom of ineffective planning, too much compassion and the inability to judge performance and develop bench strength. Developing a strategic plan for your company is a very effective way to address any or all of these challenges. I often tell my clients that the most valuable part of a strategic plan is the development process itself. Running a company with a shoot from the hip mentality often encourages micro management and does not allow employees to develop their skills and maximize their potential.
Consistency and Fairness
To create the proper attitude and structure an environment conducive to survival, growth and success, you must treat employees the way you would want to be treated. You must be a proponent of openness. You must be sensitive to their needs.
A cosmic truth states that you must give before you receive. Mandating new rules, stipulations, threats and unreasonable demands does not promote unity or trust. It is destructive to the kind of attitude required to succeed. Employee consideration and input is absolutely essential to structuring a new environment. You need employee support, trust and respect. But, you must give before you get. As a leader, you must know when to lead and when to listen before acting. Empowering employees allows them to use their own initiative, their own creativity and figure out things you'd never imagine they could accomplish.
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Article Tags: change, change agents, improvements, mavericks, risk takers
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About the Author: Dr. Rick Johnson RSS for Dr. Rick's articles - Visit Dr. Rick's website www.ceostrategist.com - Sign up to receive "The Howl" a free monthly newsletter that addresses real world industry issues. - Straight talk about today's issues. Rick Johnson, expert speaker, wholesale distribution's "Leadership Strategist", founder of CEO Strategist, LLC a firm that helps clients create and maintain competitive advantage. Need a speaker for your next event, E-mail rick@ceostrategist.com. Dr. Rick Johnson has over 35 years of experience in distribution sales and operations. Rick�s career can be broken down by decades. The first ten years of his distribution career were spent with the largest steel-processing distributor in the world (Joseph T. Ryerson). The second ten years began with Rick starting his own processing distribution center from scratch. In the first year, sales reached $1 million dollars and had grown to $25 million in its tenth year when Rick sold the business to one of the major national chains. The third ten years of Rick�s career dealing with financially troubled Turn-A-Round companies. After completing ten years of TAR work, Rick decided a decade of acting like Darth Vader was enough and became a consultant to the Wholesale Distribution Industry in 1999. Rick received an MBA from Keller Graduate School in Chicago and a Bachelor's degree from Capital University, Columbus Ohio. He also served six years in the United States Air Force as a survival instructor. Rick completed his dissertation on Strategic Leadership and received his Ph.D. in 2005. Rick is frequently published in numerous magazines including a column in Supply House Times, with over 250 different articles published to date. He�s also a published author with eight books to his credit. Click here to visit Dr. Rick's website   Cash for Clunkers Was It Worth It Creating an Effective National Accounts Program Leadership Development during a Recession Understanding Customers Mentors Dont Live with Regret |
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