Aim your heart, adjust your head and always do all you can do.
Simple words that convey a simple sentiment. On the surface this might seem like a platitude; yet when we slow down to consider the meaning, we are led to a deeper understanding of how simplifying and clarifying what we do and why we are doing it can produce incredible results.
Ultimately all any of us can do is go as far as we can with all that we’ve got, the rest is up to luck, timing and fate. Embracing this principle means that we let go of trying to control specific outcomes or results. When we focus on the process instead of the end result we allow things to progress naturally, minimizing our tendency to meddle. The net effect is that the difficult becomes easy; we struggle less and accomplish more.
When leaders and managers meddle in the workplace it usually comes in the form of telling people how to do things. We get focused on tasks and deliverables and when we don’t get exactly the results we want, when we want them, we go into problem solving mode. Rather than supporting people by assuming the role of guide and coach, allowing people to struggle and puzzle their way through the situation, we roll up our sleeves, elbow them out of the way and get the job done. This not only robs the person of a learning experience that will return dividends down the road; it saps energy, creative thought and trust.
By switching our focus from achieving specific results to the process for getting results, our attention shifts from prescribing to influencing. We help people to understand our vision, what we want to accomplish and then let individuals and teams decide the best way to get from where we stand today to accomplishing our dreams.
There are three phases for us to consider in this process:
Embrace:
This is the aim your heart part. We embrace and commit to the core identity of the team and the organization – the dream, which is made up of our values, purpose, vision mission and strategies for the marketplace and the workplace. We create and nurture a positive attitude toward walking in the door every morning. To do this we must be clear about what we stand for and what we believe in. It has to move past being an intellectual exercise to one where we allow people to become emotionally involved.
Engage:
This is where we adjust our heads. We channel our passion, our creativity and our gumption toward achieving specific things. We imagine, we plan and we prepare ourselves to pursue our vision through the accomplishment of our mission.
Execute:
This is where we do all that we can do. Every day we focus on completing or accomplishing something that moves us at least one step forward. That may mean attaining a specific goal, reaching a certain milestone or just moving an important initiative that one bit closer to completion.
Action Point
1. Sit with your team and discuss your vision. Rather than just standing up and preaching, start a conversation.
- What do they believe the vision is? Let them describe it to you in their words.
- Do they believe that this achievable?
- How do they see themselves fitting into achieving the vision?
- What attracts them to it?
- What can they contribute to the process?
- Ask yourself: Are they genuinely embracing our vision?
2. Now agree on the route between were you are and where you want to go.
- What are the major milestones that must be reached?
- What are the goals that must be achieved to get to each milestone?
- Involve your people in the creation of the plan. In doing so you will increase their engagement level.
3. Instead of prescribing the steps you want them to take, ask them to bring back a plan for how they will do it. Individually and as a team.
- Forge and agreement for how goals will be reached, who will be doing what and when, what resources will be used and how we will determine if we are successful.
- With this in place we now have objective and accepted criteria for tracking and evaluating performance.
4. Get out of the way.
- Allow people to struggle but establish guidelines about asking for help and at what point you will step in if they get too far off track.
- Measure performance against the plan.
- Remember to tell people when they are doing well and thank them for their effort.
David Dial founded Dial Solutions Group in 1996 to fill a gap in the market. He saw plenty of complicated theories, costly programs and high-tech solutions to common workplace issues. His specialty is helping people like you develop simple, effective processes for transforming the workplace from a place of low morale and mediocrity to one of focused, committed excellence. Visit our site at http://www.dialsolutionsgroup.com
Tags: Human Capital, Human Resources, Leadership, Talent Management
