Archive for the ‘goal’ Category

You`ve made your New Year resolutions. You`ve set some goals and created your personal/professional action plan. What`s missing? I often find that goals and objectives are only about completing tasks. A leader’s relationships need to be attended to as well, and it is rare that these are part of their goals.

People want to follow a leader that they respect and trust. It is satisfying for followers to get “things” done. But they depend on you to communicate and steer them in the right direction. And you can`t do this without exceptional communication and great relationships.

Intuitively, we know that relationships are key to leadership. When our workplace relationships are healthy, our organizations flourish, work becomes “flow” and creativity abounds!

Although research into the effect of workplace relationships on the bottom line is scant, I think we`ll see more of it. My prediction is that as more research is done, we`ll see that strong, healthy relationships are a key element in sustainable leadership and sustainable organizations.

Don`t wait until the research is out. Consider including some workplace relationship goals as part of your 2010 goals. Some ideas to get you started:

• What workplace relationships do you need to consider? Consider your manager, your peers, your employees, your clients and customers. If you are leading a public organization, consider the taxpaying public.
• Which of these relationships need to be nourished? Like our children and our gardens, our relationships at work need tending. Which relationships do you need to pay more attention to? What will you stop doing, delegate, or re-prioritize in order to make the tending of relationships a priority?
• What will strong, healthy workplace relationships look like to you? Spend some valuable time reflecting on what great workplace relationships will look like for you. What will you be doing differently when those relationships are fully nourished? What will your manager, peers, employees and organization be doing differently? What bottom-line benefits will be realized?
• What specific goals do you want to set for specific relationships? Consider individuals, teams, networks you belong to. What would you like to change about how you relate to these? How will you make the personal changes needed? For each ?€“ what is a first step you can take? What is the next step? How will you stay accountable to the changes? What will prevent you from reaching your goals?

What has worked for you in strengthening your workplace relationships?

As a leader you are the role model. Set some goals for your relationships at work that will assure they are healthy and strong, and watch others follow your lead to help create a great place to work.

The new year, that wonderful time of the year when we all try to set new personal goals, is almost upon us.

For the overachieving leaders out there (I know some of you: limit your personal goals!!!! Too many and you lose focus. It is disappointing not to achieve them.

How about setting one BIG HAIRY AUDACIOUS GOAL and focusing on that one? My advice:

1. Make it a measured stretch goal. In other words, don’t over do it, but make sure that it’s not too easy.

2. Quantify it and track it for six months (at least). How much more quality time will you spend with your family each week? 2 hours? 3? More? Track or journal how many hours you’re actually spending. Six months should allow the new behavior to become habit and sustainable.

3. Have someone hold you accountable and check in with them regularly. A friend, a partner, a mentor or a coach will do, but request that they be tough on you!

4. Celebrate your success. A cup of latte or a party – whatever works for you is fine, and will help you to feel great about your accomplishment.

John McCain used a term today in responding to criticism that inspired me. He said “I am an imperfect servant”. Mr. McCain went on to state that even though he was imperfect, he loved this country and would serve it to the best of his ability if elected president.

What a wonderful term, “imperfect servant”. We are all imperfect, but yet we expect our leaders to be nothing short of perfection. In my experience, the best leaders strive for perfection (as many of us do), even though it may be an unreachable goal. We must learn to be tolerant of imperfection, to some degree, of our imperfect leaders.

All of us can learn to forgive some degree of imperfection in our leaders. Perhaps imperfection is the ultimate in perfection? May we learn to be discerning and to withstand the ambiguity and complexity inherent in leadership – and be grateful that, after all – our leaders are only human.