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In any organization, formal opportunities exist for requesting and accepting specific ideas, suggestions and feedback. Most leaders are comfortable accepting and acting upon information offered in these circumstances.
However, through 20+ years of training and coaching others, I have identified several key phrases, often unsolicited and offered spontaneously, that should cause every leader to listen carefully to what follows and consider not only what is being said but the potential of the person saying it.
“I have an idea to change or improve something specific and here are the benefits of doing so.”
I’m not referring to the simple phrase, “I have an idea” or even “I have an idea to change or improve something,” although anyone who puts forth a suggestion should at least be heard and given a chance to elaborate on the reasoning behind it. It also does not refer to someone who is simply interested in complaining about a situation rather than improving it.
But when someone delivers that complete phrase, “I have an idea to change or improve something specific and here are the benefits of doing so”, it indicates not only a proactive mindset and a desire for improvement, but the critical thinking necessary to both make a suggestion and ensure it has merit.
In fact, the cognitive reasoning and personal values demonstrated in this simple phrase indicate:
- A genuine desire to create positive results
- The courage to put forth new ideas
- The forethought to think through a suggestion to ensure that it will provide specific benefits
- The ability to proactively communicate effectively and influence others
- The work ethic to go above and beyond to help the organization (or team) succeed
So, pay attention when someone mentions an idea accompanied by its anticipated benefits.
“How can I help/serve you better?”
This question will only come from someone with leadership potential.
In fact, the entire concept of the WOWplace is to create a place where people love to go because they make a difference rather simply a paycheck.
The person who asks the question, “How can I help/serve you better” is not interested in the paycheck alone as their reward for doing a job, and doing it well. They are not looking to do the absolute minimum in order to keep their jobs, or “marking time” from the minute they arrive to the minute they leave. Even better, they do not they need to have their hands held through most (or all) of their tasks. They’re self-sufficient, ambitious, intelligent and have a true desire to serve. That’s a WOW team member!
Recognize the leadership potential in this proactive and service-centered question and reward their desire to serve at a higher level by having an honest discussion about what else they can do in their current position, as well as where it could lead in the future.
Don’t just brush these team members off with a flip, “Oh, you’re doing fine. I can’t think of anything else you could do.” This only demotivates them and teaches them not to even bother in the future. Anyone who is satisfied with just “doing fine” is an OK person to have in your organization. But someone who wants to go beyond just “fine” is someone you don’t want to lose to another organization… or to a competitor. These team members will not stay if “fine” is all that’s expected of them. They will become bored, disengaged and likely leave as soon as an opportunity comes along that will challenge them to do more and be all they can be.
Why would any leader want to demotivate these team members, while retaining those who are simply happy to do the bare minimum? I understand that you can’t have all overachievers in your organization… but no exceptional leader wants an entire team of average or barely average performers.
Where will your future leaders come from? How will you get more from them when you actually need them to do more? And how will you remain productive if all of your superstars look elsewhere for personal fulfillment in their jobs?
So, instead of just telling them they’re doing “fine,” ask if they have suggestions regarding what more they could do. If they truly are proactive superstars, they will come to you with observations and ideas of what they can do to serve at that higher level.
Keep this in mind: If you “be there” for your superstar performers when they need you to help them grow, they will be there for you when you need them to perform at even higher levels.
“I don’t think that’s the right way to go; I’d like to challenge you on that.”
I know it’s much easier to have everyone agree with us all the time, but that’s not really the highest and best use of the talented people we hire, is it?
Apple’s founder Steve Jobs very aptly said, “It doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and tell them what to do. We hire smart people so they can tell us what to do.”
This includes challenging us on current processes, policies, procedures, products… everything! We can’t personally have every good idea – or the best idea – on every subject! We need outside perspectives. Often, that’s why we hire people – to help us grow, perform new tasks, develop new products, keep up with current challenges. If all we ever do is hire them and then refuse to take (or even listen to) their good advice, we not only waste our time and money hiring and training them for a position where they can’t possibly succeed, causing us to fail at our objectives in the process, but we’ll lose them as they realize they’re fighting a losing battle to actually accomplish what you hired them to do.
I know of a company that was growing so fast that the CEO hired a VP of HR to help them through this growth. But every time the VP made a new suggestion, the CEO slammed her down and told her, “That’s not the way we do things here.” He completely forgot that the things that got them where they were, were not going to get them any further. He had blinders on, refused to listen to a new way that would see them into the future… and lost his new VP within just a few months.
So, when someone you respect enough to have hired (and want to retain) them asks you if they can challenge you, allow them to do so. It doesn’t mean that you’ll automatically agree with everything they have to say, but it will allow you to have a productive discussion about the best way to proceed. And in the process, you gain a lot of respect from your team because you showed enough respect for them FIRST to ask and then listen to their replies.
Could you use more people in your organization who demonstrate these types of abilities and values? Most organization I know of could. And yet, too often these people are pushed aside and ignored because it’s easier to keep things “status quo” than it is to actually go through the process of changing something, even for the better.
Even worse, they are sometimes labeled “troublemakers” or “interlopers” who are either “stepping on toes in other departments” or looking to snatch someone else’s job right out from under them!
But recognizing and properly addressing these phrases has many benefits, including:
- The ability to tap into the hidden and underutilized talents of your team members
- Rewarding them in non-monetary ways that help both the organization and the individual grow
- Putting high performers on a leadership track that will fill your critical leadership pipeline
- Retaining team members longer because they feel valued, respected and listened to
- Improving outdated or under-performing policies and processes
- Increasing productivity, which can reduce costs and increase profits
- Serving customers at such a higher level that you create raving FANS rather than raving LUNATICS
- … and so many more benefits we can’t list them all here
If you’re at all concerned about the strategic objectives of your organization, then take care of your people. When you listen to them, recognize the full capabilities of your team and reward their efforts, they will prove to you that you’re not alone… and they will help you achieve your objectives.
In the next post, we will address the factors that must be present in any leader in order for them to recognize, capitalize on and reward the types of comments mentioned here.
See you on the next post! We love to hear from our readers, so please share your comments below!
