By Julie A. Muller-Neff Esq.
Executive Vice-President, SMACNA-WW
Welcome back after what I hope was a warm and joyful break over the holidays. As we settle back into the daily work routine, hopefully well-rested and full of new ideas, I would like to remind you that the first of the year is a great time to set performance and other goals to work towards over the next 12 months. For some leaders this will mean new policies and objectives; for others it will mean a look back at the previous year’s performance and thinking about how to improve in key areas.
But here is the most important resolution contemporary effective leaders can make—resolve to take action. It is relatively straightforward to write down some observations and plans, but it can be overwhelmingly difficult to take action. Taking action requires delegation, engagement, and commitment, and sometimes rallying all of those at once can seem elusive.
This year, I challenge you to make action part of your resolution. Vow to take the steps required to create meaningful change in your business and in your workplace culture. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
1. Time to Get Excited
The more passion you put into your work, the more creative and dynamic your workplace culture will become. Don’t be afraid to have fun at work—that is what inspires people (and you) to bring their best selves and have the confidence to put their thinking out there. Bringing energy and excitement to the work place transforms the office culture and makes it a place everyone wants to be, and than means opportunities for collaboration and new ideas will be plentiful.
2. Plan Ahead
It doesn’t really matter what you “do” or achieve in your office if you aren’t organized. You must have a plan and everyone must be on board. If not, everyone is just running around in different directions completing a series of mildly related tasks. Make time for strategic or objectives planning where you set forth three or four aims for the year and the actions it will take to achieve them. Not sure where to begin? Start with some short-term goals to inspire your team, and then work on long-term goals that leverage what you’ve accomplished. Most importantly, stay flexible. “Plan for the unexpected” might be the best business advice ever given.
3. Work Smart, Play Hard
Improving productivity is almost always on leaders’ to-do list, but making it happen can be harder than it looks. We tend to believe being more productive means working harder, but the real key is working smarter. Moving the focus from effective to efficient means examining each internal process and having the courage to try new ways to eliminate inefficiency. Sometimes very small changes can make a big difference, and freeing up small pockets of time can have an immense impact on your team’s efficiency. Be sure to involve as many people as you can in this process—job satisfaction leads to creativity, loyalty, and a sense of value. Most importantly, the byproduct of a more efficient workplace is more time for “play”, which is the biggest payoff of all.
4. Find the Cheese—every single day
There was an experiment about learning where mice were placed at the beginning of a maze and tasked with finding a piece of cheese positioned at the end of the maze. Day after day they completed the same path to the cheese until they could solve the maze in record time. Then scientists moved the cheese and only the most innovative, passionate mice were able to adapt and find the new path to success (aka cheese). The rest followed the old path with no passion and no reward, their desire for familiarity overcoming their hunger. Be the innovative mice. Adapt, learn, and grow, and never stop adding to your repertoire of skills and abilities. The value of building your confidence, improving your mind, and realizing your full potential is immeasurable. Never stop learning.
5. Inspire Others
The business world is inundated with studies about how it takes attention and feedback to engage millennials, but the truth is, everyone wants to feel valued, listened to, and useful. Make time each month to celebrate the people who work for you. Get to know them, find out what drives them, and encourage them to share their ideas. Because yearly performance reviews can seem daunting and intimidating, make shorter, more frequent check-ins a priority. You might be surprised what you learn from people when you stop and listen.
6. Be Brave in the Face of Newness
Risk-taking is the only way to explore the world. If you think about it, every time we go on vacation to a new place, cook a new food, or make a decision to take the less-travelled road we are taking a risk. Departing the unfamiliar can be daunting, but it is absolutely necessary if you want to progress. The results won’t always be what you’d hoped for, but even in those moments there are invaluable opportunities for learning. Don’t miss out.
7. Find New Space
Leadership can be exhausting and the pressure can get heavy. When you need a refresh, it is best to go back to basics and rediscover what makes your organization “tick” on all levels. Get out of your office and spend time with employees to revive your sense of knowing your business on all levels. Visit with customers to get a taste of the value you are bringing to the world beyond your desk. Reminding yourself of these areas will renew your focus and expand your vision of what it takes to make the company or organization run smoothly.
8. Embrace Productive Feedback
Focusing on the past is an exercise in futility; however, looking ahead at how to solve problems before they arise is smart business. Give employees solid, solutions-based feedback on how to improve in the future and remember that doing so is a skill. Practice. It is also useful to encourage and accept gracefully feedback on the company’s operations. Remember: knowledge is power.
9. Say What You Mean; Mean What You Say
Opening up to feedback about your leadership style may reveal you don’t always follow up on your ideas or promises—this is the most common concern employees have about even the most effective leaders. Usually this is because you have too many irons in the fire and are busy prioritizing the big items, but never forget that being true to your word matters on an intrinsic level. Use lists and schedule everything you say you are going to do. If you don’t have the time or head space, delegate.
10. Ask for Help
Although we tend to carry the world on our shoulders, leaders appear stronger and more capable when they are not afraid to ask for help. If you read one thing this year, make it “Dare to Lead” by Brene Brown and note what she says about how vulnerability connects people and strengthens relationships. Asking for help might mean delegating tasks, asking for feedback, or engaging employees in a new company vision. It doesn’t mean you give up control; it means you inspire other people’s faith in your leadership because they see you will do whatever it takes to get the job done. ß
