Posts by Steve

Keeping it Real, Get Dirty

Mar14
2012 Leave a Comment Written by Steve

I have been working with some folks with understanding how their leadership, communication and training is going within their organization. There are some painful realities that when you hear or read them, you as a leader have to think, “wow, do I really know what is going on here?” There are always a few individuals in an organization that question the leadership. When it is about 25% or more, well that could be a real problem. When I was looking at this situation it made me think about all the times my organizations provided feedback about our culture within the organization. Why was my situation different? What was I doing differently? How can I keep it real?

My experience comes from both the military and a large enterprise with manufacturing and information technology background. So, my manager and leadership style has varied based on the situation. When I was in the army officer, we also followed a leadership principle that made sure we used our unit in accordance with its capabilities. We want to make sure that we overwhelmed our enemy in battle. Never did we want to go into any situation not ready for what we would find. Take that leadership principle and apply it to the real world, you would make sure that the people that are performing the work are capable of doing the work. Being incapable of performing the work, will only frustrate the workers when they fail.

As the leader, you need to understand what your team is capable of doing and not doing. You need to see this first-hand. What better way to see it first-hand is by actually doing the work. Look at the TV show, Undercover Boss, it is an eye opening experience for the CEO to actually perform the tasks. Forget all the personal stories and how they are helping the individuals. That makes for great TV and shows compassion. For this topic focus on understanding the jobs that are out there and how they get done. That knowledge of their work can help you as the leader in many ways.

  • You will learn what is truly needed to perform those tasks. Which can help you better assign your resources to get the job done.
  • You will make sure to not assign the work to someone that is incapable. Stopping the frustration of the worker and the team as a whole.
  • Know the work simply enhances your credibility and the respect your team will have for you.

How many times have you heard or said, “If he only had a clue?” It comes from the fact that the boss just doesn’t knew what the organization or individual is capable of accomplishing. Next comes the “I can’t believer I was asked to do that.” I would be naïve to think that my teams have ever said that before. Sometimes, I don’t always get it. Sometimes, I am trying to stretch an individual or the team. When I have made that mistake, I quickly own up to it. It is necessary to stand up and say, “my mistake, I will make sure that I do a better job.” Next time, I usually get in there with my team and help. Help get it done, help understand better and help make things better in the future.

If you as a leader want your teams respect, get down and dirty. Get out of the office, roll up those sleeves and do the job that your team was asked to do. You can’t always do that, but make time to do it every once in awhile. It is called stay in touch with your team. For me, when I was in the army, I had no choice. I had to do it with my troops. When I saw what the value was for me and my platoon, I made sure that I would continue this trend moving forward. When I was first a production supervisor, I made sure that whatever role was on my production floor, I was certified to run the equipment. When I was promoted to manager, I made sure that I scheduled time on my calendar to go out on the floor and work right along with my supervisors teams. The lessons I have learned from just spending time with the teams has been more valuable than any classroom exercise or book.

Keeping it real works. Try it! Do you have any good (or bad) stories to share on keeping it real?

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Take Action!

Mar12
2012 Leave a Comment Written by Steve

There is only one thing that I truly have learned that sums up what anyone needs to do – TAKE ACTION. No one likes a person that just talks and does not deliver on their words. Coaches are not fond of players that when crunch time comes and their players just watch. Employees are not excited to work for a manager that just sits in their office and does little to help out on delivering. Over those many years of managing, I think of taking action as a manager as:

  • Expect the best! As a manager and a coach, I learned that if you set your expectations low, you will achieve them. So, why not set those expectations high. Think back over your experiences, did you have a teacher that stands out that remember fondly? For me, it was that teacher that really set lofty expectations on me. He showed me, that I could do more than I was doing. You just have to set high expectations and take action.
  • Put the work into context. As a manager, you have to communicate to each team member how their work fits within the larger objectives. Each person has a piece of the overall mission, they need to completely understand where they fit. Then you can set the goals, expectations and take action.
  • Be clear. Communication is a critical skill. Make sure that are clear when assigning tasks. If you write them out, read them for clarity before sending them out. If you discuss them with your team, look for understanding in your team. Never hurts to ask you team to repeat them. Clear instructions will help to insure taking action is in the right direction.
  • Make sure the resources are available. Think of this as your key role for success of your team. Do you have everything needed to accomplish your mission? Enough people? Enough material? Equipment running properly?
  • Let your people do the work. The goals and resources are provided, all that is left it taking action to complete the mission, let those folks take that action. One of the things that is hard to remember is to stay out of your people’s way as they are taking action.
  • Vary your style. Is everyone the same? Does your team response the same to how you communicate or motivate? Make sure that you are varying your style to match your team. In sports, a successful coach is one that adapts to the players that he has. You can not expect each team member to change to your style.
  • Let them fail. Scary to let your employees fail, but their is success in failure. Learning experiences are key to taking action in the future. No one is perfect! Not everything is going to work right the first time. It is okay to fail, just don’t do the same mistake over and over again. It is all about helping those employees learn.
  • Think “WE”. How many times have you heard the I, me, mine and my from a manager? Was that manager successful? I bet not! Those words should not belong  in the managers vocabulary. Success is when every part of the team is taking action to accomplish the mission. With your words, never leave out anyone.

 

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Manager Behaviors: My Pet Peeves

Feb29
2012 1 Comment Written by Steve

Are there certain behaviors that you don’t like to see in your manager?  Ever just sit back and watch your managers at work and how they behave? When I teach new managers, I always ask them what are some of the behaviors that they have witnessed that they would not want to do or use moving forward. The list from those new managers is pretty consistent with some of the behaviors that I find I would not want to use. I have five behaviors that managers do or don’t do that explain to me, why I would never want to work for that person. Those behaviors have correlated to the overall performance of the individual and the team that they managed.

  1. Manager fails to build trust. When you look at trust there are three basic qualities that need to be present (integrity, openness and respect). If you are the manager, do you say or do things that erode trust? When I am mentoring new managers, I always point out that as the manager you set the tune for the team. Make sure that you manager with openness and respect. Always act on what you say. Your team is watching your every move. Make sure you are doing the right stuff.
  2. Accountability. You need to model and build accountability. You want need to demonstrate that you are accountable. How many times have you seen a manager blame someone else? Look for excuses for why something did not happen? Accountability should be discussed and rewarded.
  3. Getting caught up with self-importance. How many times have you heard, “the power has gone to his/her head.” From time to time, I have heard from some managers, “I did this, I did that.” Everyone knows that it took the team to accomplish the work that got done. I usually love to correct them.. Nicely pointing out that the right word to us is WE over I. New managers have got to watch out for this one. It is easy to become adsorbed with the new responsibilities.
  4. Playing an ostrich. Nothing like burying your head in the ground. The good managers are not afraid of hearing about issues or problems. In fact, they want the environment of openness so that their team will step up. Then the manager can be accountable for getting their stuff done. Building on the first 2 items above.
  5. Focus on the wrong things. We all have goals and want to achieve outstanding results. Most good managers stay focused on that particular prize. There are plenty of potential distractions that pop up from time to time. You just need to remember a few items. Are those distractions wasting time and resources to achieving the overall goals?  What will working on this distraction help with making our overall goals?

There are more behaviors that you have witnessed that set you off, let me know which ones?

Working with teaching new managers has helped me to keep a focus on my own behaviors. It is way too easy for any manager to lose sight of their behaviors. Never lose sight of your own actions…

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Letter to the Editor – Will it get Published?

Feb23
2012 Leave a Comment Written by Steve

The other day, I wrote a letter to the editor of our local paper (Arizona Republic). It comes from a discussion that a few of us were having around the state of our political landscape. As I have stated before, I don’t like bringing up political type post on my blog. I again can not help myself. Have you ever written a letter to the editor? It is much easier than I thought. Simply find the Letter to the Editor section on their website and write away. Only concern I have is that they limit you to 200 words. I get that you should be short and sweet to get your point across. Sometimes a little more can really make it happen. I want to share what I wrote (with a few more words in it) below.

The topic is our government is broken or failing in areas. I want to take an approach to fixing the problem with not “new” ideas, but with a new approach to how we reward our political leaders. Let me know what you think!

Our government is broken or at the very least can not seem to work together for the best interest of the people that they are supposed to represent.  Look at just a few points that make this very clear:  Congress’ most basic responsibility is deciding how much money the government takes in and how much it spends. They clearly fail in this areas as the deficit continues to grow. Only four times since 1952 has Congress has only passed all government spending bills on time. It has been over 15 years since Congress has passed all appropriations bills. Clearly, they will not pass anything on-time in the future. This has resulted in a more wasteful and inefficient government.  Worst of all, Congress doesn’t ever have the opportunity to discuss the most fundamental questions of all: What are our nation’s priorities and how much should we spend on those priorities?

We are in another election year and I fear that we will continue to see more of the same for years to come unless something changes. Here are just a few of the changes that I would like to see:  I think it about time to really take action around incentives for our Congress. You want to get paid, do your job. Stop the stonewalling, stop the positioning and stop the party line rhetoric. We need to focus on what “our” priorities are for moving forward. Time for the top 5 priorities to be named and focused on. I understand that the 5 priorities will be a sticking point for our elected officials. So, here is some help in no particular order. Start with jobs. When people have money they increase spending and stimulate the economy. Reduction in our debt (balanced budget). Some would call this government size and spending. If each of us, at home, were to do this we would be out on the street.  Time to either increase revenue to match spending or reduce spending to match revenue. Reduction in dependence on fossil fuels. Time for us to really get serious about our environment. Gas prices, global warming and major oil company profits – we need to focus on what is right. Improvements in education. If we really want a better tomorrow, it starts with making sure that our youngsters are ready. We have to improve the overall learning experience and increase the use of technology to make it happen. Reduction in overall crime. We have many areas to focus on here. Problem is, we have to look at the root cause of crimes and fix those. Drug problem comes from supply and demand. Time to take away the supply with an increase focus on the reasons for demand. Take the time to stand up and set up goals (short term and long term) for fixing the priorities. Develop and track the performance to that goals (scorecard). If you are meeting them – you get paid. If not, no pay!

 I heard growing up that you are either a part of the solution or a part of the problem. Right now, I don’t see much in the way of solutions. Time to step up or get our of the way.

There is much more than 200 words in my Letter to the Editor. I took out the top 5 priority example. I am afraid after listening to our presidential candidates that they are not focusing on the top ones, but those that get a raise out of some individuals. It is time to stop that personal connection to some issues and focus on what will make America great again. Our arguing about abortion, marriage and religious family values are all hot buttons, but at the end of the day do they really fix what is happening with the country? Really?

Photo Image: Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos<

 

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Why Is Change So Hard For Some (Most)?

Feb16
2012 3 Comments Written by Steve

I have been working with some folks on making some pretty radical changes with how the non-profit I help out with will move forward in the future. Just a short background to set the stage. This non-profit is a small 4 man, part-time outfit, that works hard to provide school choice to Arizona students by helping out private school education. Gathering donations and providing the funding to private school students. Some would think that if you pick private school, then you should fund it yourself. Well, that is the view from many… Education is important, no question. In Arizona, we are very lucky we have everything set up for school choice. This non-profit is only a few years old and is fairly new to the landscape. There are some rather large ones in Arizona (large donation base,  scholarship awarded and some salary payouts). To help set us apart, we are excited about this potential change (can not give away our idea yet). Well, this ideas is being taken to a few to get some initial feedback and is being met with some real optimism, but still way too much hesitation.

So, how do you make a difference in the landscape?

  • Offer more personalized service. The volunteers within this non-profit are doing everything themselves. Everything gets a personal touch with whatever we are doing. Yes, we are taking advantage of as much automation as possible, but when it comes to people – we believe people should interact with people.
  • Understanding the complete landscape of how private schools are funded and how maybe some improvements can come about. Offer something that no one has… We have looked at this from a parent, school administrator and donor standpoint. We are looking for ways to make this a smoother, less manual process (without losing the personal connection).  Feedback has been pretty strong that we are really focusing in the right areas, BUT.

That BUT is where this post is hitting home… Change! Seems like changing the status quo is very difficult. I completely understand that if you think it is working today, why change? Is it really working for everyone? When I evaluate how we as a team are working, change is difficult. We all come from our own set of believes and experiences. How can we do better? We have witnessed fear of changing from the schools. They have done things this way for awhile now, why change? When you point out a value proposition that makes this non-profit standout better than the others, why not take a chance? If administrator productivity will increase easily 30% (and have them focus on additional items) – why not take a chance? Not to say that everything will be perfect if you changed, but it definitely can not be worse than you are already experiencing. Take a chance, make a change…

What is needed for change?

  • Evaluate the current environment with objectivity. I hear all the time, “that this is the way that we have always done it. It works, so leave it alone.” Well, almost every time we really look at the current environment with objectivity, we come out with it is good, but not great. We know we can have it better. So, depending on your situation you need to set a strategy that will give you what you want in the long term. Then you can set your goals and go make it happen. Rather than wandering around trying to achieve something.
  • Focus on Execution… Talk is cheap. It is amazing how many folks get wrapped around the technology of something. You probably have friends that are into the tech geek stuff. They see something and they think this is going to solve all the worlds ills. Or at the very least are ready to charge on the side of something new and shiny. I am a bit of that person at times. The problem is getting to excited around the technology part and not really focusing in on execution of use. Making it work the way you think it can, takes focus! Do you have the right level of focus.
  • Letting go… I see this as a problem almost everywhere. How and when to let go. Sometimes the person with the idea has taken it  to their limits and needs to let go to make execution happen. There are times with the idea person needs to stop with the ideas and get stuff done. How long are you going to spin in idea generation or data analysis before you move? Same goes for a person that is tracking and administering a process today that could easily become replaced – let it go… If this gives you more time to do other (potentially more important tasks), why not give it a try.

When you are dealing with established anything, change is difficult. It takes a well defined strategy  (with the value that the change will bring) to help open the ears. Next is putting the right folks in the right places to help focus on execution. Have to make with you are saying into reality! Along the way, let go when appropriate. Trust your team and let them do the stuff to make the outcome it very best.

Image provided by: Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

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Ever Read Something and Just Said “Hum”?

Feb14
2012 Leave a Comment Written by Steve

I was reading some of my email subscription materials (SmartBrief on Leadership) today and was got me thinking. Is that truly this experience today or is it what we hope to be doing? Below is the overall output from those leaders that answered the survey.

What caught my eye was is this way we, as leaders, think we are doing? Leaders did answer the question. When I was interviewing folks, back a few years ago, I would be completely honest as to why they did not get the role.

  • Not qualified – this could be that they really don’t have the minimum requirements or they did not demonstrate to the interviewers that they had the skills.
  • Better candidate was chosen – I know we all like to think we are the best candidate. There will be times when someone is chosen over us.
  • Need more experience – sometimes there are lost of needs within a job opening, some of those needs are higher priority than others. You may meet 90%, but the lacking in that 10% is the key.. Hiring manager really needed that.

Since I have gone back in the job market, I have found that I don’t think I see much of any of the activities… We maybe a combination of some of them. I did get the recruiter call that told me I did not get the job. Reason, “We have a candidate that was better suited for the position.” I know they did! I went onto ask, “was there any feedback that I can get to help me with further openings?” Silence…  Most of the time it is just an simple system generated rejection email. Safer that way, I guess.

Next time, I think the survey needs to add an answer – “We are not allowed to provide feedback”. I bet the percentage on that one, will be the highest.

 

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Went to the Rink – Been Quite Awhile

Feb03
2012 Leave a Comment Written by Steve

The other day, I was asked to attend a ice hockey practice by a parent to watch their son. They asked me to see what he could work on to get better. I used to coach ice hockey for over 20 years. I love the game.  I had not been out to the rink in over a year or so. I was excited to go to the rink. Couple of hip replacements and not being able to really skate – makes going to the rink difficult.  Off I went and sat in the stands. When I walked into the rink, there was that usual rush, smell and sights. Definitely brought back some great memories. My mind was racing for that hour or so. I watched the player and for that matter practice overall. Something jumped out at me right away…

Watching another coaches practice can be an eye opening experience. I have seen a lot of practices on all levels. When you watch another practice, you can always pick up something that you would like to use in your practice. This practice was a pretty good one. There were some very good things going on our there. Almost every player was moving at all times – my mark of a good use of ice time. Teachable moments were being applied to individual players and the team as a whole. What happened next, was the gauntlet drill. Checking in hockey is one of those items that is important to teach the proper technique. For those that don’t know the gauntlet drill is supposed to help the player with puck control while  receiving a body check. It usually is done along the boards with the player with the puck skating with the puck up the line of the other players wait to check the player into the boards.  Most coaches use the drill to get every player used to receiving a check… Getting other players to check more… This particular drill has to be well supervised. Coaches need to insure that proper checking technique is used. What typically happens is not good. Hands start to raise up towards the head. Players move in close to each other (not giving the player time to recover). Hence someone gets hurt. In this case, it was the teams best player that suffered a concussion when the biggest player used his size and improper technique to smash the players head against the glass. It was not the first check that was improper, but the drill ended when one player got hurt. There were a number of opportunities to have a teachable moment before the injury, but every player and coach was excited about the crushing checks that were being delivered.

With all of the focus on concussions in football and hockey, it is time for coaches to make sure that they are protecting their players and teaching proper technique. I used to tell the parents, “checking is a part of the game. It happens. I will do my best to teach each player the proper way to give and receive a check. Realize, the best part of my responsibility is to teach players how to play in a safe environment and have fun doing it!” If we were to use a checking drill, it was in a controlled and safe way. Never will you see my team run a gauntlet drill. We may have a one on one situation like that, but it will have a coach watching and instructing after each check.  I used to get mixed emotions from some parents on that. The gauntlet has been around a very long time (I used to have to run it). Many of the parents remember their experience. My only comment was did anyone ever get hurt? Where the checks always properly delivered? We will check, but we will do it right!

I met the parents after the practice and gave them my observations. I asked them, if they told their son that I was coming to watch him practice. They said “no.” Practice is important. Sacrifice is important. Does he shoot pucks at home? Does he do stick handling drills with a golf ball at home? How much effort do you think he is putting into hockey outside of scheduled practices? They said some, but not a much as he could. I didn’t want the parents to think that he should only be focused on hockey. He is  young and needs to experience life. He should set goals around how much time he will work on shooting, passing, fitness, stickhandling and studying the game – outside of practice. Have him record his time on what he is working on. He then can see if his work is paying off in playing time, effectiveness on the ice or just how he feels about what he is doing. I stayed till the player came out of the locker room. Asked him if he felt that he gave his all in practice? He said, not really. Stressed to him the importance for him to take advantage of the ice time given. Work hard and excel every time you take the ice. Passed along to the player the same things that I told his parents. I felt honored that I was called. I thanked them all for that honor and wished them well.

Now, I am wondering if I need to get back to being involved…

Photo Credit: Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

Posted in Hockey - Tagged , , , ,

State of the Union – My Take

Jan25
2012 Leave a Comment Written by Steve

I am not one for writing about political matters, as it is one of those hot topics that is normally best left to the political experts. I am just your average US citizen. I like to think that I am informed, but I know that I am not as informed as I should be. I watched President Obama’s State of the Union address last night. The President laid out how he wanted to address the topics that we all think are important. I am not going to debate what  each point was or where I stand on it… I have my views and they are mine. Not going to share them. You have your opinions as well… Those are not the point of this post… The point is going to be my observation of what I heard and saw during the address to the nation.

When I heard – most Americans feel that Washington is broken. Well, that is my opinion. I don’t care which side of the liberal or conservative beliefs you are on… The fact is Washington is broken. There is no what that anyone is going to get anything really done in the current way Washington is working today. When the President was talking to the very simplest ideas of how things could be better. We all got to see that many stood and applauded and others sat and did nothing. There were a lot of examples of this. For me, I wanted to know where my Congressional folks were sitting and to see if they were in support or just sitting idly on their soft spot.  Why? Would let me know if my elected officials were doing the job that “I” want them to do. I was someone sickened by the way the display of the Congress is showing support for making America better.

How I am going to make it better? Well, that is a tough one – as I am only one person. I believe that actions have to start somewhere. I believe that I need to do something on my part to make where I live a better place. I owe it to my kids, grand kids and the future that comes. Back to my question, how am I going to make it better!

  • I have to first educate myself better on the overall reality of what I hear. I know that there is more ways to report out statistics and facts can get shifted a bit. I need to understand reality. I need to know more! Time to be an informed voter…
  • Understand how my elected representatives are doing with their voices and voting on those important topics. I need to see who is doing what, by their actions.  Asking the all important question, “are they acting on my behalf or their own?”
  • When it is time to vote… VOTE. The only way my actions are going to be heard is by voting. Doing my homework on the candidates, their past actions, promises that they make (and have kept) and the stance on “my beliefs”. I am only one vote, but if we all get out their and do our part, then change can happen.
  • Get involved… Spend time meeting with or corresponding with your elected officials. Time for them to hear my voice… If I think they are doing a good job on something – let them know. If I think they are off base – let them know (with options).

I hope to never witness a sight like I saw last night. When we see the party lines being drawn in a State of the Union address. Has this been going on forever? Yes, but it is time to stop. The President used an analogy to the US soldiers and how they must work together to accomplish their mission – or it will fail and people could get killed. He was trying to call out each branch of government on this. We are at a crisis level on almost everything – it is time to really work together to insure that America is the best it can be.

So, I am putting on notice to all of my elected officials: I am going to learn more, review your performance and let you know my thoughts. You want to stay working for me – you better be doing what is in my best interest (I am just like every other 98% of America).

Step up or get out of the way…

Photo: Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

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Setting Expectations – How Far?

Jan24
2012 Leave a Comment Written by Steve

The other day, I asked a group of “new” managers, “what is the basic thing or task that you need to do for your employees?” The overwhelming favorite was setting expectations. Why is that? It is almost always the first thing that is taught to managers. You have to provide direction to your employees and the best way to do that is setting goals and expectations. They seemed to listen to that lesson well… What if you were to take it a look at expectations a bit further? Would you see the minimum set needed to be successful? How high of expectations do you give? We all have employees that go much further than the stated expectations. Those could be your raising stars. Do you set higher expectations for them? Do you tell them those expectations? If so, do you tell the other employees as well?  Draws out that do you provide a sliding scale of expectations?

For me, those questions are tough to answer. Why? Couple of things come to mind right off the top. First, when you lay everything out in a nice neat package, you may lose the creativity of those high performing stars on your team. They will not have the freedom to stretch on their own. I have worked in two types of rewards systems. Merit systems would struggle with setting up the higher expectations and having everyone or almost everyone meet those expectations you have set out. You would be basically telling the team here are the expectations, but at the end of year we will not be able to reward all the same. The other was a flat time in grade system. This system sets you have to be in grade for a minimum timeframe before promotion. Depending on where you fall is more important than what you have done (for the most part). As an employee, I wanted to know how I could move up and be extremely successful. Almost all of the employees I have managed wanted the same.

From experience,  I have had managers that have communicated the exceeding expectations set and others that would not. For those that would not, I would simply ask, “Describe what that may look like?” The answers were all over the place. I did get what was felt an honest answer, “I’ll know it when I see it.” When you stop and really think about that you have two simple thoughts. The manager has not clue would probably be the first thing that pops in… Think some. I took it as if I truly want to be a high performer, I have the door open as to what that means. I can do whatever I think is right (of course, within some set of rules) and make it happen. Stand out and be seen! Raising my value (to myself, my team and organization).

What would you do? Those “new” managers really struggled with this question. From the experienced crowd – what would you really do

Photo from: Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

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Change… Really?

Jan20
2012 Leave a Comment Written by Steve

I have listened to many a sermon (well, maybe just a call to action) from the leader of an organization that started out the year with a “New year, need for change – an organizational change…” How many times have you seen the new organizational charts come out with some shuffling of the decks, or “new” folks coming in? The call is for organizational change… Can that really happen? My honest opinion is “no!” No matter what you do to shuffle the deck or add a new person to the organizational chart will do nothing. What does it take for “real” organization change? Think about that for  a minute. I think we all have ideas about that. Well, here is my take…

Look at yourself: If you want change you have to be the first one to step up and make the change that you want. How many times have you watched the leader say, “we need to change and here is where I think we need to go”? This is the one area that we can learn from those that have failed in the past. I really feel that the change starts at the top. I used to tell my team, “hold me totally accountable. If I am failing, tell me!” Step up and lead.

It is a two way street: Make sure that you are making it more than just a powerpoint presentation. Have open and honest communications with your team. I know we all have seen the nice slides and gotten some charge out of them, but when you want to go deeper, there was nothing deeper. Make sure you have open lines of communications.

Make that change – obtainable: It is easy to look at something that is so far out there. We all like to have visions of grandeur, but please be realistic. Make sure that everything that you want is something that CAN happen…

Get the troops involved: If you really want change, you better figure out how to include your team. Setting expectations is something we all have to do. There is no question about that. It is important how you include your team in that process. The most successful changes that I have witnessed have one thing in common, everyone was standing together around the vision. Start small and encourage them. The rest will follow, especially if you have done the first 3…

Don’t rush the troops: It is always easy to push for results. Be patient, please. Take your time and encourage your folks. Failure is always just around the corner, especially if you rush everyone. Stand firm, but remember that patient is a virtue.

I bet there is always more that one can do to make sure that the change that they want, will happen. From my experience, these are the things that I need to have to look at. Do you have anything to add?

Photo… Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

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