By
Bill Fields
Submitted On October 18, 2013
At a recent community event, I chatted with a participant from an
engagement I facilitated over fifteen years ago. That engagement had
focused on strategic planning and leadership development.
In the course of the conversation, she said that she had learned something from me. I'm always intrigued by what sticks with different people, so I naturally asked her what it was that she had learned.
"You said that employees want to do a good job. I hadn't believed that before."
I told her that she had made my day. And she truly had.
What's more, she went on to relate how that revelation had changed her view of work and her role as a manager. She said that the mental re-orientation has informed her management approach since then and that she constantly strives to ensure that she is supporting her employees to achieve their best.
For me, this was a learning legacy, knowing that I was able to impart some valuable insights that profoundly affected her and, by extension, her staff over that period.
What are your assumptions and implied values regarding the work ethic of your employees?
If you assume, as she previously had, that they're not motivated to do a good job, then you will manage to that expectation.
If you believe the opposite, you will adjust your leadership style and the manner in which work is organized to liberate your staff to achieve higher performance.
The starting point is not your people, however. It is you.
The requirement is to rigorously assess your own biases and pre-disposition, in order to determine the most appropriate and effective mode of influencing your employees' performance. This takes deep thinking and honest reflection. Many managers find it beneficial to engage a coach to facilitate this review process.
It's time to get started.
In the course of the conversation, she said that she had learned something from me. I'm always intrigued by what sticks with different people, so I naturally asked her what it was that she had learned.
"You said that employees want to do a good job. I hadn't believed that before."
I told her that she had made my day. And she truly had.
What's more, she went on to relate how that revelation had changed her view of work and her role as a manager. She said that the mental re-orientation has informed her management approach since then and that she constantly strives to ensure that she is supporting her employees to achieve their best.
For me, this was a learning legacy, knowing that I was able to impart some valuable insights that profoundly affected her and, by extension, her staff over that period.
What are your assumptions and implied values regarding the work ethic of your employees?
If you assume, as she previously had, that they're not motivated to do a good job, then you will manage to that expectation.
If you believe the opposite, you will adjust your leadership style and the manner in which work is organized to liberate your staff to achieve higher performance.
The starting point is not your people, however. It is you.
The requirement is to rigorously assess your own biases and pre-disposition, in order to determine the most appropriate and effective mode of influencing your employees' performance. This takes deep thinking and honest reflection. Many managers find it beneficial to engage a coach to facilitate this review process.
It's time to get started.
Diamond Management Institute develops high-performance
organizations through strategic alignment, leadership and team
development, business process improvement, and customer satisfaction. We
are passionate about improving performance and effectiveness - for
organizations and for individuals.
Contact Bill Fields, President at 905-820-8308 or
http://diamondmanagementinstitute.com
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Bill_Fields/936591
Contact Bill Fields, President at 905-820-8308 or
http://diamondmanagementinstitute.com
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