People Tend to Support What They Help to Build

It’s about engagement, enthusiasm, the idea that “I’m a part of this and I’m going to do my best to make it succeed”. How powerful would it be if you could engage the staff to that depth of and passion for what they do?

People tend to support what they help to build, so how do you translate mandate, focus, and vision for an organization into projects that engage staff as key players in the future success of each one? One of my client’s managers does that with his staff when at all possible. Every organization has its pet projects and the ones that staff have to get stuck with, however when you strike that balance like ‘John’ did the result is engagement.

The key is paying attention. When the staff is sitting around the boardroom table and a new file comes in that they have to work on, he looks around the table to see whose eyes light up because of the subject matter. Then he starts asking questions of the group as to their opinions on how to get going on the file. He then listens for engagement, interest, level of energy in the responses and how each one begins a dialogue with the group and from that, along with their work load and all the other things managers have to take into consideration, tasks to the people who were fascinated by the project and look at it with a sense of possibility. They were already engaged, looking forward to tackling it and doing it really well, not to mention already having fun with the concepts and plans to get going.

Tasking to strengths; well this is one way of looking at it but it’s more than that. It’s letting people fly after their imagination has already engaged in the project and letting them go with it. Even if they don’t have all the experience and knowledge necessary to jump in immediately, with this level of energy they will find out everything they need to know and then some, and grow in the process.

It might take a bit more time to discern staff’s interests and level of engagement but if you did this on a regular basis, could you imagine how powerful it would be for your organization to have complete engagement, loyalty and a sense of ‘being a part of it all’, not just a small piece in a huge puzzle of manpower?

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Realizing Potential

Leaders are alchemists of vision and potential --- i.e. potentialists. They’re also chess players and understand that all the pieces, or their people, move differently. Each individual leaves an impact all their own. True leaders discover what is unique about each individual, capitalize on it, and assign roles and tasks based on that uniqueness. The trick is not compromising these unique talents and strengths while at the same time creating and defining a vision and commonality that brings all the uniqueness together in order to move the organization and its people forward.

Budding leaders will take jobs based on people and leave their jobs because of people. They will be inspired by leadership or turned off by the lack of it. Ask yourself this “What if you could transform your organization by the very next act you undertake?” How would your leadership be transformed if you asked yourself that question on a regular basis? A benchmark of sorts.

Coaches are potentialists. We bring out the best in our clients based on their talents and strengths and, as a Shadow Coach™ what’s even more powerful is when I am able to make my clients aware of talents they hadn’t recognized before. We all have shadow personalities. Often we suppress them believing we need to demonstrate a specific façade or way of being based on our roles and responsibilities. How much richer would our leadership be if we brought all facets of ourselves to the table, thereby speaking to the personalities of all those we work with, not just a select few?

Think for a moment.....what hidden talents do you have that you would love to explore more of but just don't have time to, don't think anyone would be interested in them, or think they're nothing unique and even if you could do 'it' it's nothing out of the ordinary so you don't even try?

People become who they might be when they let go of who they are. Don't try to box yourself in. Open the cover and let yourself go to fly wherever your passions want to take you. Once you're in alignment with your passions nothing will stop you. And if you're a leader and see a glimpse of this in someone in your organization, encourage them, inspire them and give them a safe place to let those passions and talents take flight.

Best!
Donna Karlin