Does Your Workplace Foster Excellence Or Mediocrity?

Everything needs the right climate for growth. 

If you have mediocre conditions you are going to get mediocre results. 

You have to provide the right conditions to manifest excellent results. 

It doesn’t really matter what results you are seeking, if you are not mindful of the climate you are operating in and/or creating, your results may be mediocre rather than excellent.

Take a look at your company… an honest, objective look. 

·      Are you achieving your goals?  Are you generally meeting or exceeding your forecasts without some kind of threat or negative consequence? 

·      Do your Team Leaders regularly reach out to you with questions and concerns? 

·      Do they occasionally reach out and tell you that they aren’t sure what to do, ask how best to proceed, and ask for advice or clarity?

·      Do they sometimes question your decisions?  And does this lead to an open discussion?

·      Do you trust pretty much all of them?  Do you extend trust as a rule?

·      Do you foster a culture of encouragement, and give 5 to 9 positives for every constructive comment?  

Do you do this yourself, and do you remind others to do this?

It doesn’t matter what you would like to happen, or what should happen…  Answer these questions with what is actually happening in your workplace.

If you answer mostly no to these questions…

You are likely creating and supporting a culture of fear, and you are fostering mediocre performance. 

You are teaching your team Leaders to keep their opinions to themselves; to play it safe and shoot for staying under the radar; that they are not safe in their jobs; and that they should not take any risks or chances to strive for excellence.

You are developing a culture of ‘every man for himself’.  Your team Leaders do not feel that they are an important part of the team, nor do they share your goals.

You will see this reflected in disengaged team members and team Leaders.  They will be going through the motions, however they will not be showing any passion for their work.  Your team members are not happy in their jobs, and this will not feel like a happy workplace; they are not engaging with your customers; nor are they striving to do their best.

You can turn this around!  It will take time, and energy, and you can do it.

How to foster excellent results…

·      Excellence follows clear and transparent expectations.  Everyone at every level should be aware of the expectations, and they should be consistent at each level.

·      Encourage innovation by aligning rewards with attempts at innovation and risk taking, in addition to excellence, as long as it is supporting the stated goals.   

·      Encourage mistakes… if you are not making mistakes, you are not trying hard enough!  And if you can’t afford a mistake then be a partner in that area/process.  Don’t leave your team leaders out to dry… work with them to ensure success where it is critical.

·      Understand that everyone is not great at everything.  We all have our strengths, and we should be playing to our strengths and working to build on them.  People will need help in areas that are not their strengths, support them; partner them with those who have those strengths; partner with them yourself.  Fully support them through the hard times and they will reward you with trust and loyalty.

·      Build strong trusting relationships… this is Leadership people.  Creating relationships with others is what allows you influence them.  Yes it takes time and energy… do you want to achieve your goals or not?

·      Build a culture of trust.  This means that you, the Leader, must extend trust to those around you.  It is up to you to say, out loud, publicly, that you trust them, believe in them, and are confident in them.  It’s up to you to help them feel safe in their jobs… safe trying new things, safe attempting and possibly failing.  Your Leaders and team members are the ones carrying out and achieving the goals of the team… each one of them needs to feel like an appreciated, and important part of the team.

·      Build a culture of encouragement.  This means you are not critiquing everything everyone does all of the time.  Would you welcome someone outside your company to come in and second-guess every decision you ever made?  So stop criticizing all of the time, and start praising every little win.  You will be amazed at the difference in the attitudes of those around you when you start seeing the things they do right.  Yup… they will start doing more things right.

·      Understand the cyclical nature of everything… no one stays on top forever.  No one will be striving to be at the top of their game if they will get in trouble for every slip.  No team Leader will work harder, and push his or her team to be atop the KPI list if all they get is hassled when they cannot maintain that position.

·      Reward Leadership and Leadership development  -- people have to feel inspired to achieve excellence, and we are not inspired by some disconnected goals, or by tasks.   It takes Leaders, people who build relationships to inspire a team to greatness.  Reward leadership development because you need to be in this for the long run… you need to build bench strength… tomorrow's Leaders.

Lastly, cultivating a culture of excellence starts at the top, however none of the other levels of Leaders will follow through with these positive actions if your reward system is not in alignment.  You will get more of what you reward and celebrate… you will not get what you do not reward.  It’s that simple.  

How Successful Leaders Build Teams That Thrive

I really enjoy both what Tanveer Naseer has to say, and the way in which he says it.  I think his posts are well written, and give us useful information to make us better Leaders.  I have not done this with anyone else, and if you are going to follow any blogs, his should be one of them.

How Successful Leaders Build Teams That Thrive

Developing Your Future Leaders Part 7… Even More Traits That Describe Leadership

Even More Traits That Describe Leadership

Problem solving:  defined as finding solutions to overcome obstacles, to find a way around, or through difficulties.  Again, I think that this is one of the easier qualities for us to recognize in our team members.  We usually hear about it after the problem has been solved, when a team member explains how they achieved the outcome.  It may be after we ask why it was late, or in a form we didn’t expect.  You may find that many of your team members were affected by some unexpected event. At best, the work of some was delayed, and at worst the work of others stopped.  Then you will likely have one or two who found a way to continue working and get done on time.  These are the people you want by your side.

The people who are good problem solvers will have varied backgrounds, they will have connections outside of the department, and they will be open minded.  These people will have read and be familiar with any training materials they received, and they will know more about the machinery/systems/materials you use than most other team members.  Sometimes they will come to you to ask if they can skip steps; add steps; change the order; or alter a process… if at all possible your answer should be ‘yes, of course… let me know how it’s going’.  These are the people who will help your business grow.

Relationship building:  defined as the ability to identify and initiate working relationships, ability to find and maintain a mutual understanding.  In your team members, you will have a few who seem to know, and be known by an unusually large number of their coworkers.  Alternatively, it may not be that large a number, and they will have developed connections to people outside of their normal work group.  Most people, if asked, will have a high regard for team members with this quality, and they will find them trustworthy.

The people you want will not be involved in gossiping, so you will not usually find them in the normal gossip group.  These people will probably have a positive attitude, and they will usually be wearing a smile.  In fact, they will probably have spent at least a little time attempting to develop a relationship with you.  They will be the ones who ask if you have kids, where you grew up, and what’s the next move for you… not necessarily all work related stuff… they will be the ones who want to get to know you.  In my opinion, as well as in my experience, relationship building and Trust are really what Leadership is all about.  I don’t believe that one can call themselves Leaders if they cannot trust and/or are not able to build relationships.  If you find these two qualities in any of your team members, find the time to take them under your wing and help them develop their strengths.

Self-confidence/self esteem:  defined as a feeling of trust in ones own abilities, a realistic view of ones own ability and power.  Hmmm… this one can throw some of us off.  I don’t believe that people will follow anyone who is not confident in their abilities, judgment, and qualities.  And at the same time we all know a number of people with inflated egos, who believe that they are God’s gift to everything. 

I don’t think it’s very difficult to weed out those people in our search for Leadership qualities in our team members.  However, some of us may not be as confident in ourselves as we would like.  So it can be easy for us to feel that someone with an appropriate level of self-confidence is showing conceit, and an excessive sense of their worth.  This is something that only you can see and evaluate.  Each of us must be honest with ourselves, listen to how we judge ourselves, assess our own self-talk, and make a determination about our own self-confidence.  Only then can we safely and honestly judge the self-confidence of those around us. 

Now… we still have to identify actions that describe the quality of self-confidence, don’t we?  Self-confident people are less influence by their peers, and tend to make better decisions.  They will not be jumping into the spotlight, or bragging.  We will often see self-confidence and self-responsibility together in the same people.  These people will not go with the flow if it is negative, divisive, or works against their own goals.  In fact, they will often be the ones taking a stand against the grain of the rest of the team, only because they are not afraid to be wrong.  They will be the ones who don’t need much assistance, however when they do they will not hesitate to ask for help.  They will be the team members who admit their mistakes, and if they joke it will be at their own expense.

Self-discipline:  defined as the ability to do what one thinks is right, control of oneself and one’s conduct.  Or… doing what you don’t want to do now, so later you can do what you want to do.  People who are disciplined will have their own goals, and will not be wasting time at work.  They will not often be late, nor will they be likely to be hanging around after work.  They will not make excuses for themselves, and will often be some of your hardest workers.  They will stay on task, and follow through. 

They will generally follow rules without having to be told twice.  They will probably be very involved in some sport or activity after work.  They will be the team members who show emotional intelligence.  They are team members who do not take short cuts, at least without asking first. 

Servanthood:  defined as a person who performs duties for others, a person in the service of another.  At work, servant Leadership is the desire to do for others… to help others achieve their goals, to help them grow as people, help them become healthier, wiser, and more autonomous.  As for finding servanthood in our team members, we will be looking for the people who do for others before themselves.  If there is a line for food or treats, look to the back of the line… not at those who are a little put off that they are at the back, but at those who look as though they chose to be there (and they just may have).

When in a group setting, you will look for those who make sure the needs of the other members of the group are met, and that everyone is heard.  They may be heard making sure the group understands that any action they take should be for the greater good.  Just as we find gold by looking for the rock with which it is often found, we can look to other qualities and be likely to find servanthood.   We should look for humility, authenticity, and empathy.  These people will be long-term thinkers, and much less interested in anything short term.   They will encourage their coworkers, and will often help others with issues outside of work.

Teachability:  defined as able and willing to learn, capable of being taught.  We might also say humility, and they are not exactly the same thing.  The people who are teachable will be open to the ideas of others, and listen much more than they talk.  They will admit it when they are wrong, and have no problem talking about what went wrong, as well as what to do differently next time.  They will also freely ask questions, and ask for directions.

These people will take criticism with ease, and will be able to change their behavior quickly and with a smile.  Doing what they are asked to do is no problem, and does not involve their ego.

So these are some of the ways in which we find Leadership qualities in our team members.  After over 30 years of hiring and developing hourly team members, I have come to believe that pretty much every one of us has one or more of these qualities in varying degrees.  As Leaders, our job is to seek and find these qualities in our team members; acknowledge and help develop them; and for hiring Leaders, hire for them.

Oh… and if you like my blog, please ‘like’ my Facebook page.  The button is just up there at the top right.  I dare you to click it!  

Developing Your Future Leaders Part 6... More Traits that describe Leadership

More Traits that describe Leadership

Today we have part 2 of 3 for the list of traits that describe Leadership qualities. We will look to find these in our team members, and then know which team members have these Leadership qualities within them.  Then it’s our job to help them recognize and develop these qualities.  We help them find, develop, and play to their strengths for their good, and the good of the team and company.  So, let’s get at it.

Emotional intelligence:  defined as awareness, control, and expression of ones emotions, the ability to monitor ones own emotions.  This was not on John C. Maxwell’s list, and I think it’s important enough to add it.  These people are relatively easy to find.  And… this quality cannot be taught.  It only comes through personal work, so when you find someone with emotional intelligence, take the time to see what other Leadership qualities they have.  The people you are looking for will not hesitate to volunteer how they are feeling when communicating with others.  They are able to recognize their emotional state, and therefore are not controlled by their emotions.  People who experience emotional outbursts are not generally emotionally intelligent.  Emotionally intelligent people do get upset on occasion, and they will immediately know why.

These people will be aware of their strengths and weaknesses.  They are the ones who get along with just about everyone.  They will be empathetic, and so will be able to recognize the emotional state of others.  Money will not be the main motivating factor for these people, and they will generally be very self-aware.

Focus:  defined as concentrating on one thing, pay particular attention to.  At work, we are looking for people who stay on task.  They find ways to avoid interruptions and distractions.  They do not get involved with gossip, side conversations, or phone checking.  These are the people who are always done on time, or early, and who have time to help others.

These people plan ahead.  They keep their work area clean and organized.  They may take many short breaks, which can help our brains stay on topic.  People who are focused know that multi-tasking is not really possible… we cannot concentrate on two things at once.  So… they will work on one thing with all of their attention and energy, and then when needed, they will move all of their attention and energy to the next thing.  You may see them using notes, or checklists to keep themselves on task.

Generosity:  defined as the quality of being kind and giving, willingness to give.  At work, people who are generous will often put your agenda before their own, helping you look good instead of looking for credit for themselves.  They will be the ones who share credit with their coworkers, and also share information with them.  The people you are looking for will ask if you have time to talk, instead of demanding your attention when it suits them.  They will train and mentor other workers, even when they are not asked to do so. 

Generous people will show gratitude when given something, including credit.  They will be literally generous when someone at work is collecting for charity, or someone in need.  They will be the ones who give of their time by offering to come in early or stay late when the need arises.  They will work cooperatively with other towards a common goal.  Generosity is a very difficult quality to teach, so if you find this in a team member with other Leadership qualities, help them find their way.

Initiative:  defined as the ability to follow through on a plan, the ability to assess and initiate things independently.  The people you are looking for here will be the ones who go the extra mile to get the job done.  They will volunteer for extra work, or the new task.  They also jump right to work when they get there, rather than talking to all of their coworkers before getting to work.   These people will make sure you are caught up with where they are in their project, and they will make suggestions to save money or energy.

At my work, I watch for team members who pick up trash when they see it, straighten out or fix other people’s work, hustle even though no one seems to be watching, ask if they can change or add to a routine to improve it, and keep me in the loop.  Listen for the people who ask “what if…”.  They are persistent, they intelligently as why they have to do something, and they praise others without expecting anything in return.

Collaboration:  defined as working with someone or a group to achieve something, working together in a joint effort.   People who collaborate will ask for clear expectations.  They will share credit and ideas with other team members.  They will receive from peers, and give feedback appropriately.  They state their opinions tactfully, without attacking the other people involved.  They will be careful to define problems without placing blame.  These are the people who will support group decisions, even when they are not in total agreement. 

In meetings, you might see them checking for agreement, and attempting to gain commitment from other group members.  They will check for understanding, and be sure everyone is on board as they move forward.  They will invite contributions from each and every member of the group, and do it without judgment.  You will see them happy when others get the win, and glad to be part of the group.  I find that in order to be good collaborators, people must have many of the qualities of Leadership within them, just waiting to be developed.  Being good at this takes many qualities and skills, so when you find someone who is a very good collaborator, start working with them as soon as you can.

Positive attitude:  defined as approaching life with optimism and confidence, believing that our attitude can affect the outcome.  These people are not very difficult to spot.  They see the glass as half full, they show gratitude, and they are appreciative.  They will often be very hard workers, and usually see the best in people.  They don’t often criticize others, they don’t usually get involved in gossip, and they don’t tend to complain.

The people you are looking for will accept what is, without complaint.  They will be happy to be on the team, win lose or draw.  They will often compliment others, even strangers.  They are happy for the success of those around them, and they are usually good at building relationships.  You can probably think of many more ways to spot someone who has a positive attitude.  This is one quality that is very hard, if not impossible to train… it has to come from within.  Someone who wants a positive attitude will have some personal work to do in order to achieve that goal.  This is also a very difficult, if not impossible quality for us, as Leaders, to teach.  Make an effort to find and develop other Leadership qualities in these people.

Well these posts are getting way too long.  I was going to post a 2600 word post, and I thought better of it.  This is the first half… last part tomorrow.

Oh… and if you like my blog, please ‘like’ my Facebook page.  The button is just up there at the top right.  I dare you to click it!  

Developing Your Future Leaders Part 5... Traits that describe Leadership

Traits that describe Leadership

So… where were we?  Oh yeah… you have this team, some of whom you might have been able to hire, and the rest you inherited.   You are just starting to meet with them to get to know them and build relationships.  You can count on this process taking some time, as it always takes time for people to get to know us, and trust us enough to start to open up to us.  Once they do open up to us, we can find out who they are, what they care about, and what their goals are.  We can ask them many of the same questions we would ask if we were interviewing them, and find out how they see themselves, as well as how they see the world and how they fit into that world.

In the mean time, we need to start looking for Leadership qualities.  Like we talked about here, we are going to start splitting up responsibilities, and giving them to the team members we think have Leadership qualities that need to be developed.  In order to be able to choose the right people, we need to look at what they are doing, how they are acting, and decide which ones have Leadership waiting to get out.  We started this in the last post here, and we’ll continue it here.

So, I think the easiest way to move forward with this will be to list the qualities (for our purpose here we’ll use John C. Maxwell’s list from The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader ), and then list actions that describe that quality.  Last time we talked about self-responsible, so we might skip that one.  He lists them in alphabetical order, so here we go…

Character:  defined as the way we think, feel, and behave… our personality, or the mental and moral qualities of an individual.

It’s who we are on the inside, and how we act when no one is looking.  So, for actions, how we act from minute to minute is a good starting place.  Most of us can do almost anything for a short period of time.  We can all ‘be on our best behavior’ like when we were kids and we were going to church, or someone important was coming over.  And we can only do that for so long… then we revert to who we really are. 

So we are looking for the workers who are consistent.  The ones who always give their best effort.  Even if their best isn’t the best of everyone you have, if it is their best, and they consistently give their best, I’ll take them.  I’ll take them over the people who can do better, and who only chose to give their best when it suits them.   Character is concerned with why we do what we do, and so the person who always gives their best does it because it’s important to them.  The person who can do better, and who only give us this level of work when it’s important to them has some other motivation… they are not motivated by doing their best, or what’s best for the team.  We cannot make anyone give their best… it’s a choice that each of us must make for ourselves.  Look for consistency, and a desire to do good work for it’s own sake.  I do not believe that character can be taught… I do think that each person is able to change his or her character, and in my experience this only comes after some very trying time, or some very negative consequence. 

Charisma:  defined as charm or compelling attractiveness, that can inspire devotion in others, or a spiritual power or personal quality that gives individuals influence or authority over others.  Charisma can be hard to describe in terms of actions, and I believe that we can find it in our team members.  Charisma shows itself as expressing our feelings spontaneously and genuinely, which can allow Charismatic people to affect the moods and emotions of others.  They also show empathy, reading the emotional states of others, and connecting to them through those feelings.  They are able to make others feel as if they are the only people in the room!

Charismatic people are emotionally intelligent, and in social situations they are expressive, sensitive, and are able to carry themselves with poise and grace.

On our teams, these people will show themselves as the natural Leaders in most situations.  Other team members will look to these people for guidance when the team gets together.  Other team members will refer to ‘charismatic’ ones as the heart, or soul of the team.

Communication:  defined as the ability to convey information effectively and efficiently.  And, we all know that someone skilled in communication does much more than that.  Good interpersonal communication involves appropriate eye contact, reading body language, and using tone of voice, as well as hand gestures to convey not only the simple message, but also the emotional tone of the message.

People who have this quality will often take the opportunity to say something like “what I think Joan is trying to say is…” and then they will put the thoughts and emotional message that Joan was unable to convey into easily understood words and gestures.  I know you have one of these people on your team.  These are the people I always wish I had whispering in my ear when I am trying to ‘lead up’.  Almost without exception, I leave that conversation saying to myself “oh… I should have said this, or that…”.  These are the people you want by your side when attempting to change the culture of your team in a whole team meeting!

Commitment:  defined as working very hard towards, or being dedicated to, a pledge, promise, or obligation.   In the real world, we see commitment in those team members who work harder to be sure to get the job done on time; who ask to stay late to finish a task; who jump in to help others for the benefit of the whole team; and who are can be counted on to be there when needed.

These are the people who will stand up to their coworkers, perhaps able to rally others to get the job done.  These are your team members who are not easily discouraged, who will stay late, come in early, learn from their mistakes, and can work as a team player when needed.  You can probably think of at least one or two of your team members who fit this description. 

Competence:  defined as well qualified; able to do things quickly and efficiently; effective in a job.   In real life, competence is much more than qualifications.  Often we look at the way a team member sees his or her work.  How they see the job; what the work means to them; and how they feel about the desired results will better define someone who shows competence.  We are looking for workers who try to figure things out on their own before asking for help.  These people at least attempt to solve their own problems, and at the same time know when to ask for help.  These people are able to remember instructions (I think because they care about the job), lists of things to be done, and things to check.  They do not have to be told over and over.  They can also take lessons learned on one task and use those lessons when working on another task.

You are looking for team members who take their work seriously, and do more than shrug off mistakes.  They care about their job, and the quality of their work.  They are generally confident in themselves and their abilities, AND they have an accurate picture of their abilities… they are not overconfident, nor do they boast.  They are adaptable, and you will see this when plans change, or problems come up.  They are able to move forward and keep working towards the goal. 

Courage:  defined as the ability to do something that is dangerous or difficult, able to face danger.  In our workplace, we look for team members who are willing to ask questions… yes… this takes courage.  We want team members who will correct other team members when they don’t follow rules, are in some way endangering others, or just not working towards the team goals. 

Giving trust is a courageous thing to do, so we look for team members who are trusting of others.  It also takes courage to listen to feedback from others, and hear it without defensiveness.  Do you have any team members like this?  The ability to give honest feedback, to say what needs to be said takes courage.  And it takes courage to give credit, instead of taking it for oneself.

Discernment:   defined as the ability to see things clearly and intelligently, the ability to decide between truth and error, or right and wrong, judgment.  How do we see this in our team members?  Discernment begins with knowing our capabilities and ourselves.  Then, we can judge what we can do well alone, and when we need to ask for help.  You are looking for team members who ask for help when it’s appropriate; and not when they just don’t want to work alone, or don’t want to figure it out for themselves. 

Team members who show discernment will be the ones making good judgment calls.  They will be able to prioritize, and know that ‘first things first’ is best.  You will think these people are good at reading between the lines to figure out what is really going on.

OK… three pages are enough for today.   We’ll pick this up tomorrow.

Oh… and if you like my blog, please ‘like’ my Facebook page.  The button is just up there at the top right.  I dare you to click it!  

Developing Your Future Leaders Part 4... How to Spot Leadership Qualities in Your Team Members

How to Spot Leadership Qualities in Your Team Members        

We’ve talked a lot about what to do when we see Leadership potential in our team members, however I don’t know that we’ve really spent any time on just how to spot that potential… or what exactly we are looking for.  So…

In The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader he listed many of the qualities we will be looking for.  We talked all about them here.  I also talked about his The 17 Essential Qualities of a Team Player: Becoming the Kind of Person Every Team Wants .  If you haven’t read either book, you should, as he gives a much better description of each, as well as examples to make each one understandable to most anyone.

You’ll remember that when hiring, we are looking for how our applicant sees himself or herself, the world, and how they fit into their world.  We are not very worried about skills or qualifications when we are hiring for hourly jobs.  If you need specific skills, qualifications, or certifications for your job, use that list to weed out the applicants without the needed skills, and then use the method described starting here.  You still need to hire people based on how they see the world if you are going to build a high functioning team.

Hiring in this manner has a second benefit, in that it helps us identify Leadership qualities in our applicants.  Those qualities may be something that our applicant is aware of and trying to develop, or they may be lying dormant, waiting to be recognized.  So let’s talk about exactly what that means…

Whether we are interviewing an applicant, or developing relationships with current team members, we are asking the same types of questions.  If we have specific skills or qualifications that we need, we have already weeded out those without them.  So we are only asking questions that allow us to assess how this person sees themselves and the world.  Do they posses the qualities of a Leader?

Let’s use “trust” as an example.  Can you train someone to trust?  Do you think that you can find someone who does not instinctively trust others, and find a way to get them to start extending trust?  You cannot!  None of us can do that.  And yet trust is perhaps the most powerful influencer there is.  You cannot name one successful Leader who has not been able to extend trust.  We simply cannot do anything alone… we must trust others if we are to achieve our goals.

You can take almost any team member you have, and start building a relationship with them.  Get to know them, show them that you are human by sharing your faults and mistakes.  Find out about their lives, and what goals they have for themselves.  Over the course of these conversations you will build a relationship, which will gain you some level of influence over your team member.  If you then actively help them achieve their goals, so that they really understand that you care about them, you will achieve a higher level of influence.  If however, at the very beginning, you state that you care about them, value them, are happy to have them on the team, and extend trust, you will gain so much more influence almost immediately. 

You can extend trust by allowing them the freedom to decide how to achieve the results you desire; by giving them responsibility for ordering something; or by asking them to be responsible for some other task.  You are responsible for providing them with the tools and training needed.  You can, and should follow up to be sure that they are achieving the desired outcome, and you should be there to help them when they need help. 

Our job as Leaders is to gain influence over others in order to achieve the team goals.  There is no quicker way to gain influence, or a stronger bond than by extending trust.  And we cannot train someone to trust.  Either it is there, inside them, or it is not.  They can develop that quality if they choose, and it is no easy task.

As we talked about in the hiring series, we need to understand that it’s pretty normal for applicants to think they should tell us what we want to hear.  However that doesn’t do either of us any good at all.  If we fail to see that this is what they are doing, we will end up putting them into a role under false pretenses, and where they are likely to fail.  Not a good outcome for anyone.  So… it’s up to us to spend some time getting the applicant or team member relaxed and comfortable.  You are the Leader, so this is up to you.  You are in charge of speaking in a manner that will allow the person you are communicating with to let go of any ‘script’ or prepared thoughts, and just talk to you honestly.

As I’ve stated before, there is absolutely no need for any of this to be adversarial.  You should not be showing anyone who is boss, or exerting your authority.  Speak to them as if you just met them at a family picnic, and you are interested in getting to know all about them.  We need them to talk to us honestly and openly.  We can use our own faults and mistakes to show our humanity, and help them to talk about their own.  We aren’t necessarily looking for their faults… we all have plenty of them.  We are looking for actions, and attitudes that describe qualities.  That might be a little confusing…

This time, let’s use self-responsible as an example of a quality we are looking for.  We can probably agree that this is a quality we find in most every Leader, right?!  OK, so we will look for this quality in our team members.  So how would we define ‘self-responsible’?  We might state that self-responsibility is acknowledging that you, through your thinking, feeling, and behaving, are in control of how you experience life.   That’s fine, and how would you tell a team member how they might act, if they wanted to show that they were self-responsible?  That first definition doesn’t work anymore, does it?

Now we have to come up with some actions that show ‘self-responsibility’, so we can look for them.  Literally, self-responsible means not blaming other people or circumstances for anything.  So when we have team members who accept, or better yet, volunteer responsibility when something goes sideways, we are witnessing self-responsibility.  We also look for people who reach out to others to build relationships… they take responsibility for those relationships.  We see it when people accept responsibility for their feelings.  We see it when people ask for help when they need it, and before they get in too deep.  My own personal take will also add people who fully accept a job, role, or task as if they owned the company.  Those people will do their best without having to be told to; they will find new, more efficient ways to get things done; they will ask if they can change how things are done to save money or time; and they will keep you in the loop, because they are responsible for your relationship.

Does that make more sense?  Those are the actions we are looking for when we talk to our applicants and team members. For each quality, we look for actions that describe that quality.  

I don’t think it’s rocket science, and it does take some practice.  Most of us have been trained to look for skills and qualifications, and it can be tough to stop doing what we’ve been doing for so long.  And yet these qualities are the only things that are of any real importance.  So… with practice, we can look for, and see the actions, and the traits that show the beginnings of Leadership in each of our team members.

Next time we can look at qualities other than self-responsibility, and see if we can come up with some actions or traits for each of them. 

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