GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES

Don’t you just hate euphemisms? The one that bugs me right now is the section heading on many staff performance evaluations titled GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES when the real meaning is under-performing behaviors or weaknesses in skills and approach. Yes, we need to address these things BUT...

This week's question:

What changes if we headline the STRENGTHS column with the same title - GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES? How much better will our organizations be if our employees concentrate on increasing and playing to their strengths rather than just shoring up their shortcomings? Why not try it and find out? Try it for yourself too.

GIVING NOTICE

Behind cupid and chocolates and roses, Valentine’s Day is about “noticing” and “being noticed.” While most of us send some love to those closest to us, let’s each take a moment to “notice”, really acknowledge, one or two people we work with.

This week's question:

Who on your team will you unexpectedly “notice” this week? What will you do to express that? Words? A note? A token of some sort?

BACKING UP IS BACKING UP

It happens to every leader - a key person quits; then what? Recently a leader said to me: “Now I have to learn that job.” HUH? As I’ve said for years, the mark of a successful organization is that no one is backed up from above. Great leaders use their lack of detailed “how-to” knowledge as fodder for great questions, as a way to elicit new ideas, as a springboard for others’ successes.

This week's question:

How much more effective can you be, can they be, when you focus on what your key people should accomplish rather than what they should do? What changes if you concentrate on the questions you ask rather than the tasks they should perform?

AN ONLINE SURPRISE

Lately I’ve become excited by EVERNOTE, program/app that helps me organize my various thoughts and ideas. When trying to learn it however, I was confused by the material supplied by the company. Then I discovered a series of six outstanding, albeit amateur-looking, 10-minute YouTube videos done by a real user, not officially by the company; in minutes I learned how to maneuver around the program and now use it every day.

This week's question:

Is your product/service so valuable to an individual user that he/she might take to the web to promote it, describe it, endorse it, train others to use it? Does anyone blog about your service, tweet about your offerings, introduce outsiders to you on social networking sites? Do you even know? How will you find out? Then what?

THE CLUTTERED LIFE

I’ve talked about “busy” on numerous Monday mornings. Busy is seen by some as a badge of honor. For others, busy arises from an inability to delegate and/or trust. Still others just can’t say “no.” Yes, for most “busy” is a choice.

This week's question:

How much of your sense of “busy” is really a function of the clutter you’ve allowed in your life? What clutter will you jettison this week? Name three specific things.

WHO STARTS THE CONVERSATION?

We lead by talking with people. And talking means listening. Most of us think we are good listeners. Ok, then take this test -

This week's question:

How often do your people initiate meaningful conversations with you? Are you open to let them take your time, are you available to hear them talk about things that matter for them and for your organization even when those things are not on your radar right now? Do your team members see that in your actions, your responses?

PREPOSITION PRESCRIPTION

Leadership is about people. It's about working with people, for people and through people. "With" them to show you'll put out as much as you ask of them. "For" them to assure them they have the resources, the training, the scope and the authority to do their jobs. "Through" them to focus everyone's efforts on achieving the set and the shared goals.

This week's question:

Which preposition gives you the most angst -- with, for or through? Do your people see that you are "with" them? Do they know that you are "for" them? Do they share the goals you've communicated to them providing confidence you are effectively working "through" them? What do you need to work on today?