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Here is the next addition of tips from the Facebook page:
Lean
Tip #1636 - Share & Inspire a Compelling Mission
Great
leaders regularly bring people closer to their purpose and the purpose of their
work. If the vision for the organization is not inspiring—or is only to make a
profit—it is pretty challenging to inspire others and get them to rally around
it.
Employee
engagement research states that for people to feel a connection with their work,
they need to be able to envision themselves achieving purpose at work. An
astute leader nurtures alignment among their workforce by linking the key
performance indicators of each role in the organization to the overall key
performance indicators and objectives of the business. When people are able to “connect the dots”
from what they do each day to how it impacts the customer—and maybe even the
world at large—they are much more engaged and concerned for what they do and
how well they deliver it.
Lean
Tip #1637 - Institutionalize & Perpetuate Guiding Principles and Values
Building
guiding principles and core values into the culture is a very powerful way to
institutionalize and perpetuate the right behaviors throughout the
organization. Leaders who are serious about their core values and guiding
principles discipline themselves and their organization to only hire people who
are aligned and have the ability to demonstrate those values and principles
through the right on-the-job behavior. Behavioral and values-based interviewing
is a key component of a values-driven organization’s hiring process. In these
same types of companies, leadership development and succession planning
programs are created and built on the foundation of the core values and guiding
principles.
Lean
Tip #1638 - Clearly Articulate Expectations and Intended Outcomes
Organizational
objectives and desired outcomes are best achieved when clearly articulated and
repeated often. Business leaders often voice frustration because their message
in its true intent is not reaching all the ranks. The reality is, most people
need to hear things seven times before committing it to memory. Therefore role
requirements, goals, and objectives also need to be repeated frequently enough
to ensure everyone involved is present to and aware of the game plan and what
it looks like to win.
Some
leaders of larger organizations cascade their message to the workforce through
their trusted and capable management team. Others design a communication
strategy and deliver their message through a series of channels; like
individualized emails, the company intranet, daily from the desk of “CEO”
thoughts, weekly CEO talks, or monthly town hall meetings and newsletters.
Lean
Tip #1639 - Foster Excitement & Celebrate Forward Momentum
Alignment
happens intrinsically when people are gathered together in service of a mission
bigger than themselves. They are called forth by the purpose and the mission
and then measure their success by milestones and accomplishments along the way.
A leader that celebrates forward movement, learning from failures, taking
risks, and working collaboratively to remove barriers and advance is a leader
who teaches his troops to keep their eyes on the prize.
Lean
Tip #1640 - Build Trust Through Open Communication & Clarity
One
of the most important components necessary to nurture and grow workforce
alignment is for the leader and management to have a strong relationship with
their word. Trusting senior leaders and management is a critical driver of
employee engagement. Integrity and open
communication is one of the most crucial behaviors of highly effective leaders.
People do not trust a leader of an organization who does not follow through on
promises or has a reputation as someone who re-negotiates agreements after the
fact. Creating boundaries and agreements
as well as honoring those agreements and boundaries is where the rubber meets
the road with honoring one’s word.
Trust
is not about being perfect and certainly not about keeping things static and
steady. It is about clearly communicating when and why things need to change,
and giving people advance notice of those changes and how they can best adapt.
Lean
Tip #1641 - Establish an Impeccable Standard of Excellence.
The
best way to establish a standard is by modeling the expected behavior yourself.
Set high expectations at the outset and raise the bar on any crucial factors.
Showcase excellence. When your actions have the potential to affect everyone
around you and the bottom line, don't dabble in mediocrity. Reflecting
excellence is critical to exercising effective leadership. This is ground zero
for establishing influence.
Lean
Tip #1642 - Value People and Nurture Relationships.
Top-notch
people skills are vital to sound leadership. Develop premium listening, communication
and decision-making skill sets. Demonstrate integrity by being open, honest and
fair.
Your
transparency will reap clear rewards. If you treat people well, most will be
encouraged to return the favor. By elevating the importance of people and relationships,
you enhance your ability to relate to others in an authentic and meaningful
way.
Lean
Tip #1643 - Promote Strategic Cooperation.
People
often produce higher quality, more efficient work products when collaborating.
Commit to this by actively embracing opportunities for healthy cooperation.
Make teamwork an attractive aspect of workplace culture. Less burnout,
increased trust among peers and enhanced interpersonal relationships will
result.
Lean
Tip #1644 - Freely Develop and Support Others.
Professional
development is an extraordinary mechanism for facilitating growth. Demonstrate
your commitment to expanding your reach and your team's by prioritizing
opportunities for enrichment. Allot time and resources to make the process
stress free. Challenge yourself and your team to overcome shortcomings at
regular intervals throughout the year. Then acknowledge and reward proactive
participation to build enthusiasm and encourage continued progress.
Lean
Tip #1645 - Listen to Your Team.
As
leaders, sometimes we are so consumed with providing directive, giving orders,
and, well, talking that we forget to stop and listen. If the recruitment and
training engine is functioning well, you should have a whole team of experts to
turn to for advice. One sign of good leadership is knowing that you don’t know
everything. Listen and get feedback from your team regularly.
Lean
Tip #1646 - Praise Improvement, Even Minor Improvements.
Psychologists
discovered long ago that when you positively reinforce a desired behavior,
people are far more likely to repeat that behavior. Most people want to do the
right thing, which means you will find far more success in leading a team if
you focus on using positive reinforcement rather than negative actions like
threats and fear tactics.
Lean
Tip #1647 - Give Honest and Sincere Praise and Appreciation.
All
people deeply desire significance. One of the easiest ways you can help fulfill
desire that is by offering honest and sincere praise and appreciation whenever
possible. This is probably one of the greatest motivational methods you can
ever employ.
Lean
Tip #1648 - Get Your Hands Dirty.
Do
the work and know your trade. You don’t have to be the most advanced technician
on the team, but you must have an in-depth understanding of your industry and
your business. Leaders have many responsibilities, but it is important to work
alongside your team. This is a great way to build trust and continue to develop
your own knowledge and skills.
Lean
Tip #1649 - Let the Team Do Their Thing.
Stop
micromanaging. Communicate the mission, vision, values, and goals. Then step
back and let the team innovate. Setting this example for the team will
encourage your other managers to do the same.
Always show support for all team members. If someone needs extra
guidance, provide it behind closed doors.
Lean
Tip #1650 – Inspire and Guide People Toward the Goal
If
you wish to be a great leader, make it your focus to serve those whom you would
lead. There are a lot of people that want the power, prestige and pay that
comes along with leadership positions, but few want to do what it takes to
actually be a good and effective leader. Great leadership isn’t about bossing
people around; it’s about inspiring and guiding people towards a common goal
for everyone’s benefit. Build your team up, give them credit for their work,
praise their efforts and reward them when they succeed. There is a saying that
states “Be the change that you want to see”, we can adapt that to this
discussion by saying “Be the leader that you would want to lead you”.
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