Benchmark Learning's Blog

Successful leaders are always reading, attending classes, and learning from others.  They never stop growing and learning.  The leader who says, “I have made it and there is nothing more I need to do to grow.” will not be the best they can be for long.

It is particularly important in today’s world that leaders take the time to stay current, not only in their field but also in leadership methods.  I recall a few years back that I met a leader in his office and he had no computer.  I made a comment that this was the first time I had seen an office without a computer in years.  His response startled me.  He said, “I just never have taken the time to learn how to use one of those darn things.  Besides, I am a leader and have no need to be on a computer all day.”

I asked, “What about e-mail?”  His response was again revealing.  He replied, “If someone wants to talk with me, they can just call.  I just review reports all day and send notes to people on paper.  I don’t want to get caught up in hundreds of e-mails each day.”

Granted, leaders need to get out of their office and be with people.  But, leaders also need access to information and tools that are only available on a computer or over the internet.  Some leaders may feel embarrassed if their team or staff knows that they are taking courses or getting help to learn.  I beg to differ and suggest that the opposite is true.  Leaders who are not developing and growing are the ones who should be embarrassed.

Leaders set the example.  No where is this more important than in the areas of personal and professional growth.  Leaders should be aware of their strengths and weaknesses and continually strive to learn and improve.

Are you a learner?  Do you take the time to learn something new each day?  What example are you setting?

I just finished an excellent article in the New York Times about “Google’s Quest to Build a Better Boss.  It’s not clear where the code name, Project Oxygen came from, but regardless, the results are impressive.  It confirmed what we ate BenchMark Learning have been saying for a long time – you build a better leader by focusing on developing their talent management skills and behaviors.

Google did an incredible job analyzing more than 10,000 observations about their managers across more than 100 variables and accumulated over 400 pages of interview notes.  Then they rolled out the results and incorporated into their training and coaching programs.

Of the eight major points that were the result of the analysis, a few deserve special mention.  First, technical expertise ranked dead last among Google’s findings.  What employees valued were bosses who focused on their development, made time for one-on-one meetings and helped people by asking questions and took time to get to know their employees…in other words, a good part of talent management.

One of the highest desires of employees is the desire for coaching.  Google has its own internal coaching program and trains leaders to be effective coaches.  People appreciate this and see the value; in fact, they want the program expanded.  The article gives one example of a very poor people manager who was given one-on-one coaching.  Six months later the team members acknowledged he was improving and a year later he was promoted.

Most companies do not have the resources of Google, but have the good intentions.  This is where self-initiated development becomes most important.  If an organization can instill the need into their employees and provide access to resources, such as our SID Workbook Series (www.thesidway.com) , people will take advantage of the resources and improve their management and leadership skills.

In today’s technical world, employees don’t expect their managers and leaders to be the best in technical expertise.  They do expect, however, that their leaders be great at coaching, motivating, problem solving, and attentive to their personal and professional needs.

Uncertainties in the economy always seem to result in more work with fewer resources.  There is less hiring and sometimes even personnel cutbacks, as well as fewer financial resources to do the same work that needs to be completed.  How do leaders and managers deal with these facts most effectively while maintaining and even increasing business and reputation, all while keeping staff motivated and performing at their peak?

Before you can identify the specific solutions in how to effectively manage more with less, it’s important to take some time to assess your situation.  This may involve getting team members or peers together to discuss in order to determine where the biggest needs are occurring.  Enlisting feedback from your team and/or peers communicates that you are aware of the problem and that you are serious about taking the best actions to improve the situation.  It also helps motivate your team by keeping them actively involved in identifying the issues and later knowing that they will be part of identifying the solutions. 

Typically, the most common high level areas that need addressed in effectively managing with fewer human and financial resources are:

1. Managing time and priorities efficiently
2. Managing human capital needs
3. Managing client/Board of Director/Board of Trustee expectations

Over the next few weeks I’ll be looking at each of these categories more closely and sharing ideas that you can use that may help you and your team keep on top of the day-to-day needs within the organization and with your clients.

In the meantime, be proactive and get your team and/or peers together to assess the situation by identifying the greatest and most pressing issues. 

We’ve all been getting feedback since we were youngsters and usually it’s given for us to be our best; however, it seems it still doesn’t get any easier to receive feedback.  Wouldn’t you think that as a skilled professional, maybe even at the height of your career, you wouldn’t need feedback anymore in how to improve, especially when it seems you are doing just fine, everything’s under control, profits are rising, and employees are fairly happy?

In my experience, those at the top of their game know how to not only ask for feedback, but they receive feedback well and make visible improvements based on sound feedback.  You would be surprised at how much you can learn about yourself when you solicit feedback on the state of your performance, the state of the organization, and anything else under the sun for that matter!

Typically, as a seasoned manager, your technical skills are mastered.  The difficult part comes when working with others in a team environment, running a department or business unit, navigating the corporate environment, and a variety of other operational and employee and customer-facing issues that inundate us.  These areas are typically more difficult for leaders than the technical aspects of the job and if we are in any management capacity at all, it is crucial to have exceptional ability in these and other leadership areas.  This is where feedback can be very valuable to us and our success.

I know I’ve only skimmed the surface on receiving feedback, so stay tuned for Part 2 on the best ways to receive feedback.

Most leaders deal with time management issues.  There is much to do and limited time to accomplish everything.  Here are four recommendations that may help you get a grip on the limited time you have to do your work.

Set aside 20 to 30 minutes of quiet time in the beginning of the week to review your schedule and prioritize your tasks.

1. Focus on the most important tasks.  Resist the urge to do the easy tasks to get them out of the way.  Often, when we do this we get to the important and more difficult tasks too late and the time pressure affects the quality of the work.
2. Build time into your schedule to plan ahead, catch up on research or projects that are pending, and take care of yourself.
3. Have an agenda for meetings and stick to it.  Just because you have allotted an hour for a meeting does not mean that you must fill the hour. Identify decisions that need to be made and ensure that they are made during the meeting. 

There are many characteristics that make up an authentic leader.  Two are perhaps the most critical to attaining maximum effectiveness: leading through relationship and leading by example.  Any clever individual can manipulate circumstances and people to accomplish tasks for a time.  However, we can all think of leaders who have a reputation for being shallow, conniving, and untrustworthy.  These individuals have severely damaged their capacity to influence and motivate others.

Consider leaders who have a natural magnetism; those who are admired and followed because of the respect that they have earned.  A renowned military leader and the first U.S. president, George Washington, immediately comes to mind.  This is a man who literally changed the course of a war, and a nation. More...