1. (See People in Degrees of Strength) "Everybody here sees my potential, they appreciate my strengths and efforts, and most of all, they know that I want to make a difference. To have people believe in me and fight for me that way, has really lit a huge fire in my life. I have a new family here that I will not let down."
2. (Establish Clear, Achievable, Strength Objectives). "For the first time in my career, I know exactly what's expected of me. My bosses give me very clear, concise message on what they expect from me and why that's important to our work, goals, and my position."
3. (Teach by Asking Questions). " This may be the most important piece of all. Our office conversation is never one sided. I feel like they truly care about my thoughts and what I have to say. After they share what's important to them, they always take the time to ask questions about my vision, ideas and motivations. I feel like we end up with a much better plan because we put our heads together. Plus, since I co-created it, I know it's going to work... and I'm going to make sure it works."
4. (Deeply Listen). " Looking back, I now realize I never really felt listened to at most of my past jobs. Yes, they nodded they heads a lot, but it's a whole different ball game when people really want to hear your thoughts and what you have to say. To me, it builds my confidence more than the greatest compliment."
5. (Be Sincere, Specific and Selective in Acknowledging Others). "I hate to admit this, but when some of my old bosses would give me a new instruction or project, I learned to not take it that seriously. Why? I usually never heard about it again. But here, that person will usually come back at the appropriate time and ask me what's going well with my progress, or ask if I need any help. Even more importantly, they seem to have a hidden camera somewhere because they seem to go out of their way to notice my progress and acknowledge me. Sometimes they follow the acknowledgement up with a question like, "How do you get that put together so fast?" or "How do you feel this step will propel your project?" It's amazing what this little bit of follow-up does for me. I know that someone is paying attention, that they appreciate me, and especially, that I'm making a difference.
"By the way, I have had a few bosses in the past that did a lot of follow-up, but it was the kind that drove me crazy and turned me off. In fact, it probably smacked more of nagging or micromanaging. A lot of questions like, "have you done that yet? When are you going to get to this, etc."
***
Valerie, thank you. You have reminded me of our sacred responsibility as leaders. We don't just get work done. We very clearly have the power to either hurt a life or build a life. In order to build our people, we need to bring our "A" game to work every day.
So to myself and to our readers all over the planet, I have a challenge for us...
What does your "A" game look like? Do you consistently use the above process to help your peers, team and bosses step up and reach their potential? How does that build business and personal results? Do you build their life?
What kind of leader do you want to be in 06?
