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I’m often asked to give a plan of attack when taking on a new
assignment. While there have been
thousands of books written on the subject, successful leadership requires an
organized and thoughtful approach from the start. This approach can be concisely summarized in
an interview, but it takes up to a year to fully implement and ensure you’re on
the right track. I call it the make SPACE
approach.
Strategy: All organizations require a strategy so they
know where they’re going in the first place.
This includes a Vision, where the organization sees itself in the
future. It also includes a Mission, how
the organization intends to get there or its purpose for existing. The key components of speed, quality and cost
also come into play when putting together a strategic plan. The organization must decide in which of
these areas will it strive to be “best in class” and in which areas is it sufficient
to be competitive. Trying to be
everything to everyone can get a company in trouble, but failing at one of the
above to at least be competitive is also dangerous.
Process: Organizations need a “road map” for employees
to function over time. They must know
what they’re supposed to be doing and how they’re supposed to be doing it. This includes systems and processes that it
takes to complete basic functions such as payroll, billing and accounts payable
for example. And all company processes
need to be documented and employees must be doing what is documented. Early stage companies are naturally in a
state of “flux”, but they also must invest time in this part… even if it
changes frequently.
Accountability: The organization must establish measurable
and attainable goals for all to see and understand. Those goals must clearly tie back to the
Vision and Mission. More specifically, I’m
referring to an individual report card at all levels. When things go well, celebrate it and when
things don’t meet expectations, corrective actions must be taken. A company without this focus may have the
best and brightest employees, but if they’re all going in different directions,
they’ll have a much smaller chance of reaching the goals.
Continual Improvement: All that we do can be improved or refined in
some way over time. Without a continual
improvement approach to what the organization does, things will stagnate, people
will get bored and results will erode. I
would say that one percent of your team has to have this as their only goals –
process, product or service improvement.
Some would use the techniques such as Lean or Six Sigma to accomplish
this and that’s fine. It doesn’t matter
what you call it. What matters is that a
culture of continually evolving to meet and beat the expectations of the
customer, internal or external, is required to continue to grow. The most successful organizations have this
as component of their DNA.
Environment: Last, but not least… if your organization has
people in it, this may be the most important part of the plan. Good employees do well. Willing employees do great. And you’ll never know what the employees are capable
of until they are willing. The environment
it takes to succeed long term is an environment where people are a key
component of the equation. How does this
happen? I know it seems like I’m
oversimplifying, but ask them. That’s it.
Ok, you have to take some action on some of the things they have on
their mind. You also have to be mindful
of the highly effective interpersonal habits – these can be found in countless
places. They key to being successful in
this area is that you have to be willing to invest in them through building
trust, effectively listening, building a collaborative culture and respectfully
resolving conflict.
It’s as straightforward as can be, but you’d be surprised at the number of
organizations you’ve worked in that leave out key components. For sure, all of these areas require
investment, but I’ve seen organizations fail that left out just one of
them. Is there enough SPACE
in your schedule be successful?
I was often asked how to be more charismatic when I was working closely with
Setting strategy isn’t the same as leading strategy. Even the best strategist can falter when it comes to implementing and sustaining the right direction for the business. And it’s not just about the planning. It’s also about the doing.
Think about the last time you were talking to someone and they were paying attention. They seemed to be interested. They were “connected” with you and “in the moment”. This is to say they were actually listening. If you’re lucky enough to have had that experience recently, how’d that make you feel? I’ll bet most of you are saying things like “honored”, “respected”, “cared about”, “relieved” or even “shocked”. I get that. And anyone that has an audience of one or more gets it, too.
Recall the last time someone broke an agreement with you. Think about how it made you feel in that moment. It doesn’t matter the size or significance of the agreement. Any time someone lets you down, it leaves a “mark”. And while I’d admit that some marks are deeper than others, they’re all marks and will in some way impact the trust you have in that person.
