YOUR Mission

It's the 6th Installment of the Employee Purpose Perspective (EPP). Thus far, we have introduced the following principles:
Collaboration
Purposeful Intent
Personal Relevance
Unique Value Proposition
Embrace Impossible

Today we ask the question: Is it possible to lead a group of individuals within a common system?

Answer: No!

70% of first time Managers fail. The number one reason Managers fall short is because they fail to engage their workforce. This is because Managers are told to throw a blanket over 10 completely different people and expect consistent results.

Work becomes synonymous with boredom because it is not given applicable relevance. You have team meetings twice a week...why? That's what your employees are asking....why are we here, again..? What's the Purpose?

The answer from the Manager's corner is usually....because....(that's it). It is what it is (the worst phrase ever and an insulting misinterpretation of a Buddhist philosophy). Manager's have their marching orders, they are instructed to bestow them upon their teams, and all march together to increase stock points. Rats in a maze without purpose.

We Can Do Better Than That!

The real question is: What separates Leaders from Managers?

Answer: the ability to give every one of their team members a personal mission.

Jason will have different motivations than Jennifer. We need to invest in understanding individual motivations and help the individuals find purpose. You cannot do that by setting group goals. You have to make THEIR goals ~ YOURS.

Relationships matter most. Relationships take personal investment. Work is seldom personal. Therefore, our investment is not in the PEOPLE that make up the system but the SYSTEM itself. Discard the people and plug into the spreadsheet - Cowardly!

Here's how to get to know your people:
Engage
Differentiate
Quantify

Paul Westerberg, where have you been?
We each have our artist of choice. Let's say you are a die hard Mats fan, if your boss sighted a lyric from Paul Westerberg in a sit down meeting - how much would that mean to you?

I get it, you can't pretend to love something you don't, and pretend it's personal. But the effort to genuinely understand means more than you know.

Togetherness
Boss #1 + Employee A = Two people with common frustrations and a need to make better. Why not talk about it?

I once had a boss who taught me how to be a man. He had been through the ringer, his life was difficult, and he spent countless hours listening to me complain. When he left our company, he told me in honest terms that he thought his advice was lost on me....that hurt.

What does it all mean...
Money isn't everything. You get to a point in your career when you come to understand that. Then what...?

What would you be willing to accept more than dollar bills? To some it means freedom to create their own schedule, for others the opportunity for advancement.

Your challenge is to determine what really matters to your employees, to help them make it part of their life, and to incent their courage accordingly.

Our core values speak to:
Integrity
Innovation
Accountability
...these ideals are something different to everyone.

We spend far too much time convincing others of what WE believe in. Why not invest in THEM and fashion your advising from there?

Micro-Management is dead, the rules are changing, and everyone has options.

Everyone is willing to put money aside to be part of something that they believe in.

All you have to do is understand what makes me, me...and incent accordingly.

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

Embrace Impossible

It's the 5th Installment of the Employee Purpose Perspective (EPP) and our task today is simple:
Embrace Impossible

When you join a new company the outstanding performer pulls you aside and lets you know, "how things are done around here".

Some see the extending of the olive branch as an honor. Others see proposed limits on the standard for success. It is simple to look at the best, admire their talent and strive to be like them. You can also understand that top performers want to stay at the top and every new team member may serve as a threat to their throne. Don't get me wrong, I despise internal competition, I also dislike the abuse of tenure!

Everyone has a plateau and it is horrifying to see the great fall from grace. Those who cling to the past do so because they have lost their ability to repeat greatness. Allow not proposed limits to keep you from exceeding the norm and redefining the standard. There is nothing impolite about doing the best you can, it helps everyone get better! If ever you are told to 'slow down' you know you have victory in your clutches. Never Slow Down...re-establish the standard.

Possibility is merely a metric of what has been. That time is past and there are no limits to where we go from here! If you are willing to accept the norm, you should stay in bed. If you are comfortable playing second fiddle, you shouldn't join the band. You belong on the field not on the bench. Allow no one to set the standard for you.

3 Keys to Achieving the Impossible:
Consider the Source
Give Yourself Credit
Do Not Entitle

The Best?
The team's number one producer is often not the most credible resource. Some people get lucky, others know how to work the system, there are those who use their resources well, and others that are massively disciplined in their approach. There is nothing wrong with succeeding by the means that fit your personality.

Warning: Do not assume 'top producer' means most knowledgeable!

What Got YOU here?
I was once told to go to the team's top producers to understand the formula for success. None of the advice I received made sense. I asked an employee in another department what he thought? He said, "If they define success, you should consider yourself a leader already"!

It made sense...be humble in seeking advice but don't take it as gospel. Don't forget who you are, what got you here and the achievements that got you hired. Don't think because you are the 'new girl' that you cannot be a leader.

Round Here....
Titles, tenure and earning statements don't tell the whole story. You do not need a trophy to prove your worth. You don't need to be at the top of the ranking report to know you are great at your job!

Think about who you really want to be and start from there. No one reserves the right to define boundaries for you. Maybe you have failed to establish the success you had five years ago....that does not mean you cannot get back there. Maybe you are the best on the team, that doesn't mean you have plateaued.

Think of your life's greatest achievements, keep them in your heart, and take the Glory back.

There is nothing you cannot achieve if you define, for yourself, what is possible.

When you get to the top of the mountain turn around and do it all over again.

There is no Finish Line!

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave