?That question mark can mean many different things, so use it carefully. As you come across areas that may need some attention and care, start with a simple question, why are we doing it this way? Do your best not to attack or offend people, but rather focus on the solutions and better ways of achieving desired outcomes. Your new …
Who should you include in e-mails
E-mails are a staple of the business world and whether we like them or not, they are here to stay a while longer. When writing e-mails you should focus on being both efficient (no War and Peace novels, please) and effective (get your point across and go for the desired outcome). Focus on actionable items or knowledge sharing and exclude …
Be mindful of the present, but staff for the future
Build your teams thoughtfully. As opportunities open up to add new staff, carefully consider both your team’s and organizational needs then staff accordingly. Don’t simply replace “like for like”, but rather focus on both current needs as well as your future strategic direction you are planning to take. Each member of your team has a role to play and is …
People want to be heard and appreciated
People have an innate desire to be respected, heard, understood and appreciated. Once they reach out to those of us in customer service (READ: we are all in customer service) they want to feel that their concerns and problems are important to us, that we will take them seriously and be of assistance to them. Even when we are not …
Support people’s dreams
Leaders support and empower others, they don’t bring them down. This also applies when people are leaving your team and moving onto new opportunities and at times even completely different careers. Good people and good employees should always be supported, even when their immediate departure will impose certain limitations and challenges to your operations. Help them during the transition phase …
Focus on your personal strengths and hire your weaknesses
Focus on your personal strengths and hire your weaknesses. Each of us have different skills and talents and we should leverage them for our success. These qualities will complement qualities of others as you build or join teams and with everyone working together towards a unified vision, success is guaranteed. Contrary to what you may have heard in the past, …
Leaders ask questions
As you get an opportunity to meet with people who are tasking you and your team with a project or an operational or strategic need please remember to ask relevant, clarifying questions. Clarify all that isn’t clear and ask questions as soon as you have an opportunity. Don’t make assumptions that someone else sitting around that table will ask the …
Innovate first, take the lead
As you notice opportunities for improvements, both strategic and operational, take the lead, innovate first and get those advancements in place. Don’t worry about getting the credit or recognition and don’t do it with that motivation in mind. Focus on improving lives of others, such as your clients, your team, your partners and after all, yourself. Recognition for achievements will …
Respect employees’ personal time
Respect your employees personal time. Please do your best not to “bother” your staff (except in rare, emergency situations of course) outside their work hours with work related questions and responsibility. If you find yourself consistently contacting people outside work hours chances are that there’s a big problem at play. You may have “bottlenecks” within your operations and you should …
How to be a great leader
To be a great leader you must make your intentions, actions and decisions about others, not yourself. You also need to provide needed resources and create a safe and relaxed environment. Additionally, you also need management skills to build on as all members of your team must be aware of the policies, rules, guidelines and responsibilities. Finally, share responsibility, empower …