It’s a sports cliché – because it is true, and it is true in the working world as well. Winners are the ones who get the fundamentals right. Management is complex, but here are the five fundamentals to make sure you get it right:
1. Set
Clear Expectations. It makes common sense and it is backed up by
research (1). Make sure that your direct
reports are perfectly clear on what you expect of them. This includes job descriptions and lists of
responsibilities, but also those often “unwritten” expectations. Write them down.
2. Set
Goals. Setting goals
that are connected to expectations improves performance. This is also backed up by research (2), but
it is truly remarkable how often managers don’t do this with direct
reports! Set them annually and
quarterly, then follow-up. Check here
for advice on goal setting.
3. Provide
Encouragement and Appreciation. It is the right thing to do and
guess what, research (1 & 3) on leadership and management demonstrates that
it leads to higher levels of performance.
4. Establish
an Environment of Mutual Trust. Recent research (4) found that
what people want most from a leader is honesty.
And we know that this is the foundation for building mutual trust that
creates an environment for high performance.
5. Share
the Vision & Mission. In the same research (4) referenced above,
the #2 thing people want from a leader is for them to be visionary – or forward
thinking. This does not mean you have to
give an “I Have a Dream” speech at every staff meeting. Simply help remind everyone of the big
picture regularly. Why are we here? We can all easily lose focus on this with the
business of daily work. Remind people of
the difference you are there to make and the future you are building together.
Print this
and tape it to your wall at work so you don’t forget. Follow the five fundamentals and you will build a
winning team that truly makes a Mission
Impact.
(1) First,
Break All the Rules, Marcus Buckingham & Curt Coffman, 1999.
(2) A
Theory of Goal Setting & Task Performance, Edwin Locke and Gary Latham,
1990.
(3) The Leadership Challenge, James Kouzes
& Barry Posner, 2012, 5th Edition.
(4) James Kouzes & Barry Posner, “To Lead, Create
Shared Vision,” Harvard Business Review, January 2009.
For more
ideas on how you can lead breakthroughs in your organization, follow this blog
and check out my web site at www.SheehanNonprofitConsulting.com You will find free resources you can
download, including a Breakthrough Strategy Workbook that you can download at
no cost. You can also check out my book,
Mission Impact: Breakthrough Strategies
for Nonprofits, and buy it if you are interested. And you can follow Sheehan Nonprofit
Consulting on Facebook.
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