Hey Leaders! You Have Just One Job.

Want to know the single, most important responsibility of a leader?
 
It’s easy to become overwhelmed just thinking about everything we, as leaders, should be doing. Becoming a better leader is easier said than done. Some people have given up trying because there is just too much to think about. But what if we distilled being a great leader down into just one thing?
 
I recently consulted my mate, Professor Google, about a couple of burning questions that I had. I typed in ‘definition of leadership’ - 280 million search results. I also searched ‘what do leaders do’ - 515 million search results. I have a bookcase in my office that is chock full of big, thick leadership and management texts. How did leadership become so complex?
 
Here’s the one thing that, if leaders focus on achieving, will make a massive difference. Make people better. This thinking was inspired by the 6^th President of the USA, John Quincy Adams who said “If your actions inspire others to dream more, do more, learn more and become more, you are a leader.”
 
Think about this really important question. As a result of your leadership, are your people becoming more, are they remaining the same or have they become less? Sort of tragic if they are less then when they met you. Almost as sad if they have not changed as a result of your influence.
 
‘You manage things, you lead people” said US Navy Rear Admiral, Grace Hopper. It can’t be any simpler. Focus on helping your people grow and develop as your number one leadership priority. Do this, and everything else will fall into place, as it will be your people that will step up and, together with you, make your organisation successful.
 
You have one job. MAKE. PEOPLE. BETTER.

Ikea’s Approach To Measuring Performance

I love IKEA. I don’t like shopping, but I love IKEA. For me, the most attractive thing about the Swedish furniture and home accessories chain is its focus on simplicity.

I did a presentation today to the Managers and Supervisor’s of IKEA’s Customer Support Centre at its national HQ in Tempe, Sydney. I arrived early so I had the opportunity to have a quick look around the store, (and to have some of their famous meatballs!).

On the way out of the the cafe I noticed a sign asking ‘How was your dining experience today’? As you can see in the photo above, the Happy Or Not panel has four options. No written survey that would take minutes and might have 10 or so questions, just four coloured buttons with emoji faces.

Simple to participate in, simple to analyse the results. My guess is they get a really high participation rate due to its simplicity.

Part of my presentation to IKEA’s managers was about how to increase employee engagement. One of my Care Factor 100 Principles is to give honest and regular feedback on performance. I reckon one of the reasons managers don’t do this is because they perceive it to be too complex (eg annual performance reviews). My theory is that if we kept it simple, really simple, we would do it more often and the effect would be better performance and better engagement.

Imagine using the Happy or Not approach once a week with your employees? You would then follow it up with a conversation that would improve performance and increase engagement.

What do you think? Happy or Not?

5 THINGS TO TURN YOUR BAD BUSYNESS INTO GOOD BUSINESS

It’s become customary that when someone is asked how they are, the answer comes back something like, “flat out, busy as, out of control” or, as a client recently said to me “I’m as busy as a one legged man in an butt kicking competition”! It seems like it’s a badge of honour to admit that you are really, really busy.

My issue is, that just being busy does not cut it. Being productive, efficient and making progress towards your vision or purpose should be the name of the game, but I see too many people floundering despite being ‘busy’. It’s simply not good business.

Here are five things that will make a difference.

1. Get a system for your time management. Be disciplined and systematic about how you allocate your time to your tasks.

2. Slow down. I see too many people in chaos and they are running really hard and basically getting no where. Slow down or STOP! Get in control, and go again.

3. Prioritise. We simply cannot have it all and do it all. Work out what are the most important things and work on those first.

4. Delegate. Every senior executive I have worked with was doing tasks that someone else in the organisation could and should be doing. Focus on your highest value contribution to you business. Delegate the rest.

5. Say No! We all like to be liked and sometimes we say yes just so we can please or not offend others, when we really should be saying no. Be honest and say no, so you don’t set yourself up for failure.

2 THINGS MORE IMPORTANT THAN SEX AND CHOCOLATE

Praise and recognition cost nothing, but are the keys to productive relationships and good leading.

There is strong research that shows that heartfelt praise and recognition for good work are far more powerful motivating factors than money!

If you don't believe me, imagine working in an environment where nothing you did was recognised and you received no thanks or acknowledgment for your contribution.

It is not always possible to increase financial rewards for your team, but what is stopping you taking the time and effort to recognise their efforts?

Without praise and recognition people can feel taken for granted and undervalued. You can greatly increase the level of engagement of your people by providing them with regular and genuine feedback on their progress as well as providing opportunities for them to tell you what’s going on for them.

Invest a little time and effort and reap the returns.

Praising and recognising your people costs nothing, but leads them to care more about their work.

WHY YOU SHOULD SAY "NO" MORE OFTEN

In his book Essentialism, Greg McKeown encourages us to discern 'the essential few from the trivial many'. He recommends focusing only on essential tasks, those things that make the highest value contribution to achieving our vision or purpose. (By the way, its a great read / listen. I highly recommend it).

In order to make your highest value contribution, you need to say "No" more often.

You should say 'No" when ... you are saying "Yes" just to be nice or please someone else. We all want to be liked, but we will create a difficult situation if we become a "Yes person". Leaders need to get comfortable with not being liked.

You should say 'No" when ... you know that saying "Yes" will set you up for failure. When you know you can't deliver on what is being asked, you have to either decline or negotiate a different time frame. This isn't being rude, just assertive.

You should say 'No" when ... you know that the task is not your highest value contribution to your vision or purpose. You have a responsibility to be as productive and efficient as possible and being caught up with tasks that someone else could do defeats this purpose. Delegation is the key here.

You should say 'No" when ... being authentic is important to you (and it should be). Saying "Yes" when you know you should be saying "No" means that you are compromising your values. Being authentic sometimes means pushing back.

You should say 'No" when ... you need time to think, create, plan, recharge. We can't be at our best when we are too busy. We need to eliminate non essential activity and focus on 'protecting the asset', as Greg McKeown puts it. Don't feel guilty about looking after yourself.

Saying "No" to a lot of things means that you are saying "Yes" to just a few, but it is the laser sharp focus on the most important stuff that the best leaders apart.