A few days ago we wrote part 1 of this two part post and mainly focused on the actions of those that are protecting lousy. In part 2, we are putting the focus on Inspiring Greatness. Oddly enough we could just say, “Do the opposite” of part 1. As you read through this, keep in mind that most managers tend to spend the vast majority of their time with the weakest and worst or dare we say… the lousy employees. Great managers understand that the majority of their time should be spent with the best employees, inspiring greatness. Here are a few things to let you know if you’re on the right track.
You might be inspiring greatness if you’re doing any of the following:
- Recognizing and celebrating the heroes. Conducting a scheduled, weekly team meeting and recognizing a hero for remarkable performance will show your appreciation for remarkable performance while at the same time, show other team members what you expect from them. It clarifies the standard. It will also encourage healthy competition among your best people.
- Utilizing a team calendar. The team calendar is not a myth! It really does exist in some of the best teams. The team calendar allows you and your team to control the day instead of the day’s events controlling the team. The calendar will allow greater flexibility and will make you more available and more professional. Managers and leaders that show up for meetings on-time and maybe even a few minutes early tend to inspire the team to do the same. It will inspire the performers by showing you respect their time and their meeting agenda. It starts with the calendar.
- Holding employees accountable. Jack Welch had a philosophy of firing the bottom 10% each year. Some might think that’s harsh but he held his people accountable and it inspired greatness. If you’ve set minimum standards or non-negotiables in your organization then hold employees accountable to them. This accountability allows the engaged or the great employees to flourish and be recognized for their performance by their manager and their customers. It will insure that the great don’t suffer for the poor performance of the lousy. Inspire greatness by not allowing one single lousy to undo excellence and infect the culture of greatness. Hold your team accountable and greatness will show itself.
- Following the Leader and following the chain of command. When we’re following the leadership of our organization we’re staying out of the mud that the Lousy plays in. We’re not getting involved in the gossip. When we follow the chain of command we’re allowing and trusting our managers to do their jobs. Believe it or not, it will inspire them. Trust your people and trust your leadership. If you can’t then you might be in the wrong place. So either adjust or depart. Either way, it will inspire!
Remember the old but true saying, “actions speak louder than words”. If you’re reading this article, odds are, you could improve in some of these areas and you want to do so. For those that didn’t bother reading this post, odds are high that they are protecting the lousy. It’s a new day. Make a choice to Inspire Greatness.
