Are You Ready for the Best Year Ever?

14 Questions for 2014

Are You Ready for the Best Year Ever?

1.            Have you effectively broken down silos in your organization? 

Ø   It’s amazing how often we are called into organizations that ‘claim’ customers are the #1 focus, yet internally departments are at war with one another. 

Ø  Can those within your organization flowchart the customer experience from start to finish? 

Ø  Do those you lead recognize the ‘internal’ customer they serve?  Are they striving to ‘delight’ their internal customers so their external customers can in turn be delighted?

2.           How are your relationships with others? 

Ø  President Reagan formed working friendships with leaders in the opposite political party; he accomplished much more than presidents who have just solicited input from a narrow group. 

3.           “Can you hear me now?”

Ø  What kind of listener are you? 

Ø  The best way to make informed decisions for your organization is to ensure you are well informed on issues.  Do you regularly receive feedback?  Have you set-up a mechanism to “hear” all the news – good, bad, and opportunities you can capitalize upon to strengthen performance? 

Ø  How do you feel about ‘actively’ engaging employees to share their perspectives?  It’s amazing what those who are willing to ‘hear’ have learned from “Stamp Out Stupid” and/or F.I.S.H. ‘Fresh Ideas Start Here’ forms that challenge employees to identify issues and recommend solutions. 

4.           Who gets your ‘BEST’?

Ø  At every meeting you attend are the ‘customers’ that are spoken of in your mission statement the dominant focus of discussions as you focus on how to improve and where to focus continuous improvement efforts? 

5.           Have you developed and effectively shared a vision of the future for your organization? 

Ø  Opportunities, technology, new challenges and competition keep the world changing.  Observation, intuition, and analysis let us ‘picture’ future needs and wants of those we serve.  Have you engaged those who work with and for you in such a way that they feel ‘ownership’ in the vision and passionately pursue its accomplishment? 

6.           In what ways are you supporting leadership by others?

Ø  You most likely already have those within your organization who are natural, respected leaders. Many others can be assisted in developing their leadership and interpersonal skills with access to training and development opportunities.

7.           Are you an encourager? 

Ø  Do you actively, regularly engage in ‘good finding’?  Do you seek and see the best in others?  Are you ‘too busy’ to compliment?  Are you waiting for perfection or do you encourage the right steps along the way towards goal accomplishment? 

Ø  Are you a builder on the construction team or a demolition expert when it comes to motivating the spirit?

8.           How are you harnessing the power of teams? 

Ø  When your team is actively engaged in improvement projects and continuous improvement efforts, buy-in increases.

9.           Are you skilled in providing critical feedback?

Ø  Many managers and leaders shy away from critical feedback or discipline.  It conjures up visions of being sent to one’s room without supper!  As a result, we often unwittingly allow poor behavior to continue, thus condoning an unhealthy culture and/or lack of results.  Our careers should be a journey of growth and development that means we need coaching along the way.  When we leave employees without feedback and coaching, they can only replicate what they already know.  Strong feedback and coaching impacts an employee’s potential – you have the ability to create a vision of who they are, how they engage in work, and how their role positively impacts other’s lives. 

Ø  Are you skilled in turning ‘wake-up call’ conversations and disciplinary actions into rewarding interactions?

10.      What are you role modeling?

Ø  By simply observing your actions can employees ‘see’ your organization’s values in action?  Leaders set the tone for what’s really important and their expectations through daily behaviors. 

11.      Is trust high? 

Ø  Is your organization one of high trust?  Do customers (the public) trust you?  Do employees trust you?  Is ongoing character development part of your corporate culture?

12.      Is your attitude worth catching?

Ø  Does a ‘check-up from your neck-up’ show you need an antidote to negativity?  Would you like 100 of your employees with your attitude interacting with your customers?  Do you have positive attitude maintenance and enhancement practices in place? 

13.      What are you curious about? 

Ø  When leaders stop being curious their effectiveness wanes.  What would you like to explore/learn this year?  And, you don’t need to restrict yourself to only work endeavors to increase your overall effectiveness.  A number of years ago when working with an owner of a major sports franchise, he shared his best thinking happened when he had a pair of knitting needles in his hands.  He shared the movement relaxed him, he could feel muscle tension release, and his mind was able to get unstuck.  He pointed to several solutions and opportunities that were identified as he sat quietly with yarn and needles.  

Ø  What is it you’d like to learn this year – Spanish?  Project Management?  Scuba certification?  Pottery? 

14.      What’s next? 

Ø  Is continuous improvement ingrained in your business approach?  Have you expanded beyond simple corrective action and problem solving to a culture of innovation? 

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The New Year is upon us.  Are you ready to make 2014 your best year ever?  We stand at the ready as your partners in development your talent pool should you desire any assistance.

Ability is what you’re capable of doing.

Motivation determines what you do.

Attitude determines how well you do it.

   --Lou Holtz

May you ‘do’ 2014 exceptionally well!