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Three steps to making decisions.

Many times I hear people say that they just don’t have enough time to do everything. I have said it as well; “I don’t have time to do everything”. But at the heart of it is the ability to make decisions. It’s always one of three reasons. We either we don’t know how to make decisions, or we want to delay the decision, or we don’t have the authority and don’t want to push it up line. In each case we end up adding to our own inbox.

I may not be able to help you with the 2^nd and third reason, but here are 3 quick steps to help you make decisions.

1. Seek input. Ask others for their opinion. Don’t just automatically go with what your initial reaction is.
2. Ask Questions. Get all the facts. Challenge to get the right answers and dig deeper. Make sure you are asking the right questions and not just delaying making your decision.
3. Decide. Make the decision. Understand that you may be wrong, and if you are, learn from it. But make your decision.  Your team will honor you for that.

The decisions you make today will define who you and your team are tomorrow.

 

The keys to creation of great ideas.

Where do great ideas come from? They come from “ideators”. An “ideator” is that special individual who seems to always come up with great ideas that blossom and bear fruit for the organization. I believe there are a couple of key elements that great “ideators” all have in common.

• “Ideators” are not afraid to be ridiculed. They allow themselves to be vulnerable. They know that there are no stupid ideas, and that the only way one looks stupid is by not opening their mouth and expressing themselves.
• “Ideators” are always alert. They listen and feed off the ideas of others. They know that one shared idea has the possibility to become a hundred sparks for new ideas. They believe in exponential idea growth.
• “Ideators” are also self-critical. They understand that many bad ideas will and should die a quick death. Many times they will kill their own idea for the opportunity of a better one.

Today I choose to join the ranks of the “ideators”.

 

The premature death of a great idea.

I have an idea.

I kind of want to tell someone about it.

They might think my idea is stupid and laugh at me.

Yeah, it will never work.

I’ll just be quiet.

The three things leaders need to read.

Communication is one of the key elements in any relationship. More so in the relationship between the leader and those he is leading. Leaders need to be able to identify if and ensure that the right people are in place and able to carry out the responsibility as was set forth.

In order to do so, the leader must be able to read 3 things well.

• Read people. You must learn to assess an individual and then know how to reach that individual and their potential. You can learn to read people by becoming a better listener and paying attention to key words and phrases they may say.
• Read the situation. You need to know both how your people are doing, and what they are thinking. Ask what they see coming in the near and distant future. This will ensure you have the opportunity to listen and be prepared to take correct action.
• Read the action list. Once we know and understand our people, we can then create a list of actions we want to accomplish. Read through this list frequently. Remind your team of the list, ask questions, and follow up with those assigned tasks.

 Three small keys to helping you communicate better with your team. Use the accountability of the reading the action list as the key to getting the promised results  of the team you now read.

 

Why you should hire people who aren’t like you.

Before we go any further, please know that I believe in ensuring that there is firm agreement amongst the team in front of the competition as well as the clients we serve. What I write here is about getting to that place, about debate behind closed doors, and solidarity to the industry.

One area where many business’s and managers fail is that everyone they hire is the same. They will hire people who are mirror images of themselves. When the boss nods, they nod, when the boss says anything, they say “yes”. They all talk the same, think the same, and take the same actions. They end up doing the same thing and making the same mistakes over and over as they watch the competition take away their market share.

In contrast the managers who hire people who are not like themselves understand that:

• They don’t have all the answers.
• They need people with complementary skill sets.
• Different points of views are a valued commodity.
• This will help them grow professionally as a leader.
• It will benefit the organization.

Take a look at your team. Are they all just like you?

Courage: Taking a stand for what you believe

In business, just as in life, it is not always easy to do the right thing or make the tough choices. Just as in life, you need to know ahead of time what decisions you will make should circumstances arise. Anmd yes, it does take courage to follow through.

Here are 4 keys to building your courage:

• Be a person of principles and stick to them.
• Take a stand for allowing others to be different.
• Invest or divest on projects you work on.
• Listen to others, seek wise counsel. Don’t operate in a void.

Many times leadership is all about making decisions, driving a stake in the ground and standing firm. Such decisions require character, vision, and courage.

Lead on my brave friend.

Leadership, Responsibility, and the Spotlight

What do you do when the results are not what everyone expected? Do you take the responsibility? And at the other end of the spectrum; when you have extraordinary results, who gets the spotlight?

We all agree that leaders are, or at least should be responsible for the actions of the people they lead. I believe however that there is a difference between responsibility and the spotlight.

Paul “Bear” Bryant (1913-1983), the famed college football coach perhaps said it best when asked how he motivated his teams to win so many football games for him.

“If anything goes bad, I did it. If anything goes semi-good, then we did it. If anything goes real good, then you did it.” – Paul “Bear” Bryant

So today I would ask you to take responsibility, but also to help others shine.