Be a “we” never a “me”
UK Readers might know that Michael Vaughan took over as captain of the England’s cricket team a few years ago. During his first press conference, he talked about having “eleven captains on the field, each responsible for their own area”. After the season’s matches had finished, several of the players have been interviewed. Each one commented how they felt “included” throughout; feeling free to make suggestions on the field and speak up in team meetings (this included the least experienced members of the team)
Suiting behaviour to the “moment”
Most people, when asked, want their leaders to be consistent. This roughly means that, for similar behaviours, the same action will be taken. For example, good performance will be praised – whether the leader likes the individual or not. Or, individual poor performance is dealt with even if the team as a whole are performing well However, that said, it’s also useful to develop the skill of “picking your moment” to carry out any such behaviours! If you can understand the appropriate moment to praise, criticise, listen rather than speak, share information, hold information back for a while (for the team’s benefit – not yours)
Soccer referees also learn when to see and hear things – and when not to! If you decide it’s best “not to hear” then, for example, a moment’s temper can be defused (obviously, on-going situations can’t be ignored)
It’s also useful to know when to remember – and when to forget. Leaders who keep harking back to past mistakes do no more than annoy and frustrate. Equally, when somebody messes up, it’s useful to recall that this isn’t their normal behaviour Goal-alignment Part of a leader’s role is to set goals for both their team and individual members within it. If an individual’s goals can be set through honest discussion (and hopefully consensus) with them, so much the better. People buy in much more when they feel genuinely consulted But, the second vital part of this activity is to make sure that these goals are aligned to the overall department and company aims and targets. And this is why total consensus might not always be possible. If this occurs, then the leader should, at least, make sure the person is aware of the situation and the reasoning behind it. In this way, the individual is much more likely to accept the position than if they’ve just been told: “Go and #### do this because I say so”!
So, from this, another key part of a leader’s role is to ensure that these goals are clearly communicated and then always acted upon One American psychologist asks whether people spend their time doing “goal-achieving” activities – or simply “tension-relieving” ones. This is something a leader should keep their eye on. For example, with advertising field sales, do some salespeople make lots of calls to their regulars (where they usually receive a reasonably warm welcome) because this helps them avoid cold calling (where the cold-hearted spectre of rejection might face them)? Of course, regulars should never be neglected – but does the time spent with them always equate to the level of business gained?
Equally, time spent in preparing for calls is valuable e.g. providing visual ideas, collecting research information, creating a sales presentation etc. But, again, only if the results prove the actions. I met one salesperson who believed she needed three hours preparation before any sales call! And, yes, the marketplace was tough at the time – and the office environment was much more welcoming (it was nasty, cold winter outside too)
PS More terrific tips are available to view in the other two articles in this series
Leadership - Stepping Up the Ladder - Part One - To learn more about this author, visit Gordon Veniard's Website.
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