You Can't Ignore the Warning Signs

"You have to understand, we're special here."
"Our culture is different than other organizations."
"Our values drive 100% of our decisions."
"Innovation is one of our core strategies."
"Our employees are our most valuable asset."

For the love of all things good and holy, 

please stop saying these phrases. 

You don't back them up. You aren't going to back them up. Oh, and your employees stopped believing your empty "culture" talk a long time ago.

Words + Action = Leadership
Words matter. They can be inspirational, threatening, filled with empty promises or so energizing that entire organizations follow you.

But for those of us that have interacted with (or been a part of) senior leadership teams we've not only heard those opening phrases...we've used them!

Ouch!

Newsflash! Your organization is only special when you combine the fancy language in your mission and values statements with action. 

If your behavior does not match your rhetoric, you have failed.

Publicly.

The Front Line
Action happens in every organization on the front line. You remember the front line, it's where all of the employees are located. Not in the fancy board room, or the executive meetings where the head nodding in agreement is so prevalent I've often thought I was head-banging at a metal show. (see inspirational song reference)

The opportunity to engage, challenge the leadership status quo (who is often only interested in protecting their position at all costs), and make a meaningful difference is right in front of you.

However, the warning signs of inaction, group-think, and a clear disconnect from the reality of your corporate culture must not be ignored.

How About You
Don't be the talented leader who is tossed aside when a new CEO arrives and quickly picks up on your history of inaction and fear. Start earning your money today. Start challenging your colleagues when they need it. And above all else, get the hell out of your office and start building real relationships with the front line.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

pic inspiration

It's A Kingdom Thing

"Perspective is the most important issue in the world of work today." 
- Me

There, I said it. I know everyone is a genius (including me sometimes); but the reality is that unless we recognize and appreciate the fact that every employee has their own perspective on the workplace, we'll never make any progress.

Who's Agenda Is It
Are you developing (read here --> pushing) your view of what your organization's culture should be on the employees? When you hold focus groups, team meetings, or group discussions does it feel more like you're trying to convince the staff of something instead of getting their input and changing what your original vision was in to something better...and...maybe more realistic too?

When new policies are implemented across the company do you invest the time to really understand how the changes will impact employees; or, is it easier to justify why the change is necessary and assume the "fallout will be minimal, I'm sure." 

The danger of having a strategically oriented global view of the workplace is that we no longer "see" the details of the work being done on the front line. We miss these details not because we don't care, we simply have jobs that are no longer focused on the fine details of daily operations. It's not wrong, it's just the reality of serving in a different role.

You're Afraid, Just Admit It

Why is it that leaders really don't want input into their decisions? Is there something wrong with truly engaging the team of people around you to develop a shared vision going forward? Is that a sign of weakness, or inability to lead, or incompetence?

I submit to you an emphatic no! Quite honestly, the leaders that choose to open themselves up and allow their team members to fully participate in how the work gets done are going to be much more effective in the long run. 

Why? It's those same team members that will execute that plan and make it successful.

That means the leader is successful too. Are you with me?

How About You
Do you value the perspective of your employees? Really? When was the last time you proved it? Or, maybe your definition of "proving it" is that you held a staff meeting and announced what you decided was best. I'm not sure that's the perspective I've been talking about. We're all part of the same workplace kingdom...maybe we should start leading with that in mind.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.



pic