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T
Gary Bradt
ime management is a great idea for organizing your business, building efciency and getting things done. As a tool for leading people through change, however, it misses the mark. In fact, managing time is the last thing you want to do when leading change. Instead, invest time, and lots of it, in the people with potential to help you lead change. The returns may surprise you, and I have an incredible story to illustrate the point. Several years ago, I became upset when a player on the NFLs Carolina Panthers beat up a teammate and subsequently was suspended for one game by the team.
that day that Smith is a good man who made a bad mistake and was willing to learn and take responsibility for his actions. I admire him for that. From Richardson, I learned the power of a leader being personally invested in future leaders who can make a difference. Richardson invested time in me that day, but more importantly, he invested time and energy in Smith - someone with potential to lead change on the football eld. I can only imagine the discussions they had as they drove back and forth and the bonds they forged and then carried forward. I dont think its a coincidence
strategy, have their place. But both aspects of your business are useless if you dont have leaders to execute accounting and planning procedures. Therefore, hold yourself accountable for the people side of the business, too. Recognize more pressing issues will always come up, so do whatever it takes to make nding and developing people a priority. Schedule time for building relationships into your calendar. Make a list or create a spreadsheet to track your progress if you must. Set goals for people development and hold yourself to them. Identify your diamonds-in-the-rough. You cant invest in your future leaders if you dont know who they are. Some diamonds are obvious. Their talent and ability dazzles and stands out. But others may require energy and effort to unearth. Try using the technique of management by walking around. Get out of your comfort zone. Take the new employee to lunch. When you go out in the eld, make it a point to meet people relevant to your business, then follow up with them. Polish your gems by asking questions. The best leaders ask questions lots of them. They dont invest much time in running around telling people what to do. In fact, they dont hire people who have to wait to be told what to do. Instead, they unleash talent by presenting problems and asking for ideas rather than offering solutions. They understand their job is to lead, not to do. They encourage people to think. They encourage people to act. They remove organizational roadblocks that hold talent back. Explore ideas and build relationships beyond the boundaries of work. Engage people on a variety of topics beyond your common industry issues. Rening someones leadership skills often requires helping them look beyond their everyday world for novel solutions and product innovations they can bring back to their work. Become emotionally invested, too. Spend time getting to know your future leaders. Find out what matters to them, at and away from work. Sometimes
that the following season, Smith emerged as a star and helped lead the Panthers to a Super Bowl appearance. Richardson identied Smith as someone I call a diamond-in-the-rough, a leader with untapped potential. Then, he personally invested his time and energy to help Smith unleash his potential. You can do much the same for the uncut diamonds in your company. Here are four tips to help get you started: Hold yourself accountable for people development. Common comfort zones, such as crunching numbers and formulating
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Industry News
NATIONAL PUMP & COMPRESSOR OPENS BAKERSFIELD BRANCH
National Pump & Compressor opened a location in Bakerseld, Calif. The branch will initially focus on pump and pump accessory rentals and sales.