Thoughts on Leadership & Management

The company that I buy my assessments from, Profiles International, put out a very cool article about what top companies do right and why they are so successful. I enjoyed the article and what was said and so I thought I would add it to my blog for your reading. At the bottom of this blog you will find a link to a website with a report on these 20 top companies. Enjoy!

“Organizations that are flourishing in this economy must have it easy, right? You know which ones they are. Their products and/or services are always in demand. If economic downturns have touched them, it is not apparent to the outside world. In fact, they are the envy of the rest of the world and have many people asking, “Can we start selling what they are selling?”

The most important question is not what are they selling, but how are they succeeding.

We have answers for you right here, taken from Profiles research. What we have learned from studying hundreds of America’s best companies and conducting interviews with their top leaders is that productive people play a large part in making these organizations go. These companies make the job look easy because their management of people is part of a well-executed plan.

Our survey included more than 1,600 publicly traded U.S. companies and helped reveal the practices that enable them to out-produce their colleagues down the street or across the country. Here are five common traits of America’s best organizations:

1. Their cultures are driven by performance, and this performance is the result of an understanding shared by the company’s top leaders. Leaders not only understand the current culture, but they know what the company will look and feel like, and how it will operate, next year and in 10 years. They work as a team and have the skills, tools and experience to bring in only the people who will best fit their culture. They have the courage to reject even highly qualified workers who are not a good match to the culture.

2. Top managers are highly effective. The managers of top U.S. companies are not only personally successful, but they also ensure that the individuals for whom they take responsibility are successful too. The effectiveness of these managers flows from natural talent, and it requires them to communicate, lead others, adapt quickly to change, skillfully build personal relationships, manage tasks with efficiency, take action that gets results, and develop others as well as themselves.

Top companies know what it takes to select, train and retain top managers.

3. High-performance companies accomplish more work with fewer people because they know exactly what everyone does at work. This requires that managers have a clear view of their mission and that they never get off track on other tasks. Highly effective companies scrutinize each request for new positions. They expect more from every employee, asking them to arrive at work on time or early. Quitting time is dictated by the completion of the work, not by the hands of the clock. If someone is doing work that is ancillary to the most important tasks, effective leaders look at ways to streamline it.

As reluctant as leaders of these top organizations are to create new positions, they are eager to invest in technology and training if it means more efficient use of people and less job creation. Running lean and mean turns them into flexible work athletes who can easily handle special projects, seasonal high demands, unplanned worker absences, and other surprises. They are cross trained to do more than one job. When new people come on board, selection and training processes ensure they are productive from the start.

4. They achieve goals at the employee level, which translates to results at the organizational level. With objectives and goals clearly defined, and performance measures aligned to match, employees focus on what matters most. The employee selection process is designed to bring in employees who best fit the job, match the team, and are compatible with their managers. If lack of skill leads to reduced performance, the organization provides training to close the gap.

Companies whose employees are reaching their goals are more likely to be those that have invested in ergonomic furniture and other necessities that enhance employee comfort. They know that reducing injuries and increasing workplace comfort enhances worker satisfaction and productivity.

5. Top companies stress innovation. This doesn’t mean they clamor for blockbuster ideas; they are more likely to encourage increased efficiency by fine-tuning products or processes. Small and continued growth is more realistic and less expensive than the occasional “big idea” that turns heads for a short time.

But just as important, these companies encourage the exchange of ideas among employees, managers and top leaders with an open communication style that empowers everyone. And they act quickly on good ideas by putting them into action because they know that inaction is counterproductive.

If you want to know more about top-performing organizations, including which companies are included in our survey, visit www.americasmostproductive.com. You can download the full report and review other important information about what keeps an organization on top. Perhaps some of the ideas you find there will set you on your own path to a clear vision of what is possible.

Here is the link: http://www.americasmostproductive.com/

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Filed under: Hiring, Leadership, Management

I found this article in my favorites folder from several years ago.  I re-read it and have confirmed that it is in the right folder.  I like what John has to say and wanted to share it with you.  Enjoy!

A faint but discernable dividing line separates achievers from dreamers. At first glance this line may be difficult to distinguish. You may be tricked into believing that talents, titles, or resources draw the line between the doers and dreamers. However, if you spent a significant length of time with a group of leaders, the line splitting the achievers from the dreamers would become crystal clear.

What makes the difference? Attitude. Achievers have a can-do attitude that sets them apart from mere dreamers. Achievers are sold out to success—no matter the obstacles—and they are willing to put forth the effort and pay the price of success.

In my days observing leaders, I have identified four main groups.

1. Cop-outs These people set no goals and make no decisions.

2. Holdouts These people have beautiful dreams, but they are afraid to respond to challenges because they lack the self-confidence to overcome difficulties.

3. Dropouts These individuals clearly define their goals, and, in the beginning, they work hard to make their dreams come true. However, when the going gets tough, they quit.

4. All-Outs These are the stars. They want to shine out as an inspiration to others. Once all-outs have set their goals, they never quit. Even when the price gets high and the challenges mount, they’re dedicated. Their can-do attitudes carry them to greatness.

Here are 10 keys to cultivating a can-do attitude.

Key #1: Disown Your Helplessness

Can-do people aggressively pursue solutions, and, in the process, uncover creative solutions others never even try to find. Can-do leaders take responsibility for the future, whereas lesser leaders blame circumstances or other people when facing roadblocks. Rather than wallowing in helplessness, can-do leaders search diligently to overcome the obstacles in front of them.

Key #2: Take the Bull By the Horns.

Can-do people are fearless. They go straight to the source of their solution. Their very effort commands attention as they wrestle a problem to the ground with expediency. I have discovered that people with a can-do attitude have an aggressiveness about them. They take the bull by the horns. When they enter into the arena of action, they don’t wait, they initiate.

Key #3: Enter the No Whining Zone.

Can-do people abstain from complaining. They recognize its futility and guard their minds and mouths against indulging in this time-wasting activity. As George Washington Carver observed, “Ninety-nine percent of failures come from people who have a habit of making excuses.”

Key #4: Put On Another’s Pair of Shoes.

Can-do people empathize with others. They attempt to see any predicament from the other person’s perspective in order to make the best decisions.

Leaders see the world from their perspective and others’ perspectives. They use their own perspective to give direction, and they use others’ perspectives to forge relational connection. Both direction and connection are indispensable to taking the team on a successful journey.

Key #5: Nurture Your Passion.

Can-do people are immune to burnout. They love what they do because they’ve learned how to fuel the fire that keeps them moving. In leadership, the prize is not given to the person who’s the smartest, nor to the person with the advantages in resources and position, but the prize goes to the person with passion.

Key #6: Walk the Second Mile.

Can-do people exceed expectations. While others settle for an acceptable solution, they aren’t satisfied until they have achieved the unimagined. They set expectations for themselves higher than what is dictated by the people or situations around them.

Key #7: Quit Stewing and Start Doing.

Can-do people take action. While others are crippled by worry, fear, and anxiety, they have the fortitude to press forward. The perfect moment when all is safe and assured may never arrive, so why wait for it? Can-do leaders take risks.

Key #8: Go With the Flow.

Can-do people can adjust to change. They don’t get caught griping about an unexpected curve in the road. They accept transition with an optimistic outlook. They realize it’s less important what happens TO them, than it is what happens IN them.

Key #9: Follow Through to the End.

Can-do people not only initiate, they finish. They are self-starters with the capacity to close the deal.

Key #10: Expect a Return as a Result of Your Commitment.

If you make an all out commitment with a can-do attitude, expect a return. Passionate commitment is contagious, and resources follow resolve. Committed leaders will reap rewards and find open doors as others are drawn to the excitement and energy emanating from them.

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Filed under: Communication, Inspirational, Leadership, Management