Level Five Leaders

Posted by Super Job For You | Posted in Business | Posted on 02-01-2009

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There are not many Level 5 Business Leaders around. What makes them so special is that they are well-grounded individuals; they know themselves. Their strength comes from having and holding onto a clear set of old fashioned values; they ignore the latest management fads. Through good times and bad, they share the glory and take responsibility for shortfalls.

Unfortunately, far too many organizations allow individuals to board and stay on the buses that are not ranked according to Collins scale. At Level Minus One, the individual is seen as an internal terrorist, undermining authority, creating havoc and working actively to destroy the very organization that provides them with a living. At Level Zero, disengaged, employees are drones, contributing as little as possible to avoid being terminated. Little can be done to motivate such individuals, because the source for inspiration was either never provided or was somehow lost along the journey of life.

To understand where people are on the scale, it starts with evaluating current employees fairly and honestly, setting aside tenure and relationships, looking at the ability to contribute to the organization going forward. Are they an asset or a liability? Do they make a positive contribution, not just in the past or the short term, but in the long term? Do they want more than a paycheck? Do they demonstrate initiative? Do they provide energy to the organization or do they drain it? Do they provide critical thinking skills? Do they have the ability to see around corners? Can they execute a project or assignment successfully without waiting to be told what to do and how to do it? If they were to leave the organization tomorrow, would they be missed? kineticdiecasting

What every great business organization wants are great people. Who are these individuals? They are advocates for the organization. These people push for decisions and action. They believe in the habit of ‘growing yourself’ and as a result, seek to learn at every opportunity. They want to be managed by strong leaders who have a clear vision. They want to be part of an organization that is focused on results and seek accountability. Should conflict surface, these individuals want to deal with it at the source and move on. Great people want to contribute and they want to surround themselves with winners, not whiners.

Collins sums up part of his book by stating that without strong people on the bus, a great organization will only be a dream. Who needs to be asked to exit your bus?

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Business Results

Posted by Super Job For You | Posted in Business | Posted on 23-07-2008

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One of the biggest challenges facing business owners today is achieving results. “We want growth! We want success! We want BUSINESS RESULTS!” has become the mantra of owners everywhere.

And, who can blame owners for wanting these things? They are the individuals who have put all at risk to create and build the business. In exchange, they want to see results. The failure of not achieving results in any organization is a great source of frustration. Here are some reasons why results are often lacking.

The first is that far too many jobs and written job descriptions list tasks to be completed and not results to be achieved. Another way to put this is that individuals are hired and being paid for activity and not for accomplishment.

The next time you walk through any organization, look at the individuals working and ask yourself “what results is this person supposed to be achieving?” People aren’t supposed to be hired to do “stuff” yet far too many of them do just that. All day long, week after week, month after month. And, when it comes time for their performance review, employees often expect a raise for keeping busy but not effective.

The second is that the results being sought are in conflict within the organization. A credit manager or financial manager has the responsibility to manage assets, including cash. The sales person is being charged with finding new business and this sometimes means uncovering opportunities to do business with customers or clients with less than stellar credit. So, the sales person is charged with achieving specific sales goals that run directly counter to that of the credit manager.

The third is that there is no hierarchy of results. No one has taken the time to explain how the sought after results of each person fits into the results of the department, then to the division, then to the company as a whole. Broken down person by person, it becomes clear what people have to do, by when, and in what order. It also becomes clear to identify when people don’t do what they are supposed to be doing, and so corrective action can take place, at every level.

The fourth is that the results are never discussed once they have been set. After being determined, the results are not referred to again, never reviewed, never measured and corrective action does not take place. The “report card” if you will, is never given to those that need it.

Fifth, people are told what results to achieve, but cannot accomplish the assignment for a variety of reasons. These reasons include not having the tools, not having the motivation or the understanding of what the steps or the process is. Many times those giving the orders assume that those getting the orders understand what but not the why or even the how to achieve the desired results.

If you wonder why things don’t happen as they should in your organization, take a look to see if one of these five are at the root cause. Take steps now to change job descriptions to include results, make sure people understand why they are on the payroll, that desired results are synchronized and focused, and that the tools are available.

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