There is an issue at work, people are upset. Everyone blames leadership and by leadership we mean you. Everyone is mad at you, again. Why is everyone so critical? Why does everyone always look at the leader when the messy stuff hits the fan and splatters all over the walls of the organization? Leaders (or "leaders") can respond a few ways to issues each with corresponding consequences: A) Face them; B) Ignore them; or 3) Disappear (hide) If the leader chooses Option A - face the issues - then there will be a process of gathering data (what happened), extracting truth from the data (or the attempt thereof) and making conclusions from the process (right or wrong). Whether management completes each step with flawless logic and execution or not, leaders that dare to engage (who are so brave as to do what they were hired for) will find that their teams respond to their efforts. There is a difference between ignorance and ignoring, this is the difference between the manager who was not aware that something was wrong and the manager who is aware but who's resolution strategy is in hoping that the office fairies will float the conflicts away so that they don't have to manage them. For most teams, there is as much frustration when a problem is brought to the attention of management and those leaders (with their extra zeros behind their annual salary) either ignore the issues or the boss disappears from the fray. In these scenarios, the team begins to conclude that leadership isn't necessary and management by their actions proves that their teams conclusions are functionally valid. For those in management that are tempted to employ the time tested tactics of Ignore and Hide (some may have proudly earned their degree in I&H), often the philosophy behind such actions revolve around the defeatist attitude of, "It can't be fixed anyways so why even try." Managers may be in a situation or a frame of mind where they feel that their team expects them to know everything and do everything correctly or perhaps the leader expects this of themselves. Leadership Key - Leadership is not about being omniscient. Leaders are not expected by their teams to know everything but they are expected to deal with issues when they are brought to light. A leader who places the burden of omniscience on themselves either views themselves far too highly or has been poorly mentored. Managers must understand that they are not god or Kuthulu, but as importantly a leader cannot be an ostrich (if you're slow that means don't bury your head in the sand). Leaders should not practice willful ignorance as this will frustrate your team far beyond whatever issue it was that they brought to management's attention. Like those books of our youth that had the multiple choice plot line pivots, when next the team brings a matter before the high council will our exciting lead character, The Manager (dun-dun-dun), choose to: A) Rise to the occasion and courageously perform the duties of their role by executing the aforementioned process of bringing resolution to the best of their ability. B) Take the ostrich approach and hope the issue passes by before the sand their head is buried in suffocates the life from their weak body. C) Exercise their one super power of disappearing whenever the heat rises in the organization's kitchen. While the writing quality of this piece is far superior to anything the reader has ever invested five minutes of their life on, it would be a shame to miss the point. To summarize what should be taken from the dried ink of these qwerty typed exclamations - if you are a leader you need to lead. One of the key tests of leadership merit and/or efficacy occurs when the team cares enough to bring an issue to management's attention, in that moment, a leader will demonstrate the need for their abilities or will prove otherwise. Key to leadership is understanding that leading is not about being omniscient but rather about being consistent. As a leader, the effort to address issues will prove much more positive long term to the health and engagement of the team than the absolutely detrimental effects of ignoring or hiding from challenges. Check in with our partners - MIZDOTBIZ for creative business solutions and [DYOJO] for managers helping managers manage.
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We have awoken to a world and a work place that no longer reflect the environments and relationships of yesteryear. This new world is populated by a new generation of persons who share a new language, a new code and it is difficult to process that a bunch of youngsters will soon be running the world. If you are starting to say phrases like, "Back in my day," or "They just don't understand," or "I don't know how to get through to them," congratulations - you are now old. You have a decision to make - A) you can join the traditions of every generation before you and perpetuate a us (ie the good ol boys) versus them (these dang youngsters) OR B) you can recognize that a single noun (regardless of how popular its use) does not define over two decades of persons who are now emerging in the work force. The functional definition of a Millennial (Generation Y) is someone born in the 80's or 90's, more specific references state 1982 - 1994. This makes an interesting distinction, if you aren't quick with math, if you have an employee who is 21 years of age, as of 2016 that would put their birth date at 1995 which would technically classify them as Generation Z aka iGen (not as popular in our vernacular). As a member of Generation Y, born right on the transition point from Generation X to Y, I am uniquely qualified to assist with whispering into productive relational connection points for those who sincerely want to expand their understanding. Classification Is Not Realistic The first step towards productively engaging Millennials is to understand that the term does not define the individuals. Already there is such a negative connotation around the word Millennial that mentioning it does not help you connect, it creates a barrier. Are you defined by your generational category? When you were coming up the ranks with your first job, your first promotion at a young age, your first assignment of positional importance - how were you treated by the generations before you? Deal with individuals rather than define generations. Connection Isn't That Hard Are you so far removed from your professional journey that you cannot remember the generational obstacles you faced climbing the corporate ladder as a youngster? Do you remember those who opposed you just because of your age or your lack of experience? If you can tap back into that time in your life, you can empathize with your team members who are working to grow as humans and desire to be productive employees. Look past age and follow the effort. Who was the first person that gave you a shot or mentored you through your initial challenges as a young professional - it's now your turn to pay it forward. Mentor through empathy to create real connections. Categorization Is Not Productive Every generation has their lazy slobs but they also have their shinning stars. Like your generation, you respect your peers who have worked hard and made something of their opportunities while you detest that older generations would classify your generation as this or that because of a few degenerates who made a bad name for the whole group. If you interact with hard working Millennials you will find that they are as upset with those of their own generation who are dragging their efforts into question. Millennials can be your greatest asset to understanding, engaging and empowering other Millennials if you can create trust within their core group. Millennial Whisperer - Key # 1 Like most relationships, trust is built one small brick at a time. If you are able to create an open discussion with your team members, you will need to listen closely for the opportunities and make sure that you follow through. Most likely you will be given small openings in the trust circle and you will be watched closely to see if you do what you say you are going to do. If you make a promise, you better make good on it. No one can build or destroy your relationship with Millennials faster than you. With rising divorce rates, declining educational environments and political dissatisfaction, Millennials are used to being disappointed by authority structures. If you are overtly authoritative in your management style, you will not maximize your effectiveness in engaging the potential of your Millennial workforce. Engage the potential by creating an open culture in your organization and empowering all of your team members to input and own the solutions to the challenges your team is facing. Step 1 - Stop using "Millennial" immediately Step 2 - Empathize Step 3 - Engage Step 4 - Follow through. See above - LISTEN CLOSELY. @iz_fnb Discuss creative solutions for employee engagement and development with MIZDOTBIZ The question is not whether our organization has a culture the question is whether our culture has evolved by chance or because we have been intentional in developing it (more on business culture HERE). If our goal is to have a healthy and thriving team, culture becomes a key component of caring for the organization. If we can identify, build and staff around a culture that enhances our values then our combined efforts will have greater focus and potency. The development of a culture becomes, through the process, a component of attracting, caring for and retaining good team members. In short, take care of the culture because the culture is what cares for our people. If we care for our people, our team members will be enabled and energized to care for our customers. In service based companies, our people on the ground and in the field are the ones who have the bulk of the hands on interaction with our customers. Team members that are cared for will care about the team and will do work that communicates care on through to our clientele. Caring for our culture is one of the most effective things we can do as leaders because the culture is what takes care of our team member who in turn are the ones caring for our clients. Our culture is unique and our people are unique so the culture is always evolving as we develop. The end goal is the same, create positive customer experiences so that our combined efforts create value that people will gladly pay for. All companies need dollars in order to function at every level, but we often forget that at the end of the line those dollars come from people (customers) that care. People that care come from people that are cared for (our team members). Therefore being intentional about caring is one of the most profitable areas we can focus our efforts. Culture is not a unicorn. Culture is a gold mine. Let us help you identify and enhance your culture, contact MIZDOTBIZ today. Question Of The Day: As a service based organization with hands on production, why should I spend time scheduling when I can spend that time selling or producing? We will answer your question by first asking a question of our own, what is scheduling? Scheduling is… 1) Scheduling is shared system within our organization that creates transparency. Transparency is a key factor for multi-lateral accountability as it makes our commitments as a team visible for the entire team. When we schedule as a team, the team sees how the team is working and we expand the opportunity for individuals to work as a team. 2) Scheduling is a system within our organization that creates a baseline for clarity in communication. Scheduling answers who, what, where and when for our team and our customers. Scheduling as a team is an essential discipline, accomplishing scheduling proficiency and team synergy require an uncommon commitment to seeing the process through. 3) Scheduling is a system within our organization that enables consistency to flow through our service processes. When our team members are committed to valuing our employees and customers through clear communication this process enhances the consistency of response. Communication is our organization showing our customers that we value them. Clarity and consistency is our organization showing our employees that we value them. When management is leading by example to set a tone that our team is committed to being clear and consistent, those values and expectations are put in motion. In contrast, when management makes declarations of value that they do not exemplify, momentum is inhibited by those who talk about it most. Scheduling is a simple process, but it requires an uncommon commitment from every level of the team towards acting upon organizational values. Scheduling is a system that requires team members to be intentional, and once the system is functional it can be more readily adjusted to serve shifts in organizational needs. @iz_fnb Would your team benefit from discussing productivity enhancement with MIZDOTBIZ? Contact us today |
AuthorThoughts on personal and professional development. Jon Isaacson, The Intentional Restorer, is a contractor, author, and host of The DYOJO Podcast. The goal of The DYOJO is to help growth-minded restoration professionals shorten their DANG learning curve for personal and professional development. You can watch The DYOJO Podcast on YouTube on Thursdays or listen on your favorite podcast platform.
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