In studying any concepts in management, you are likely to come across his name.  Peter Drucker.  He was one of the first management consultants focusing on business improvement and worked with many of our leading corporations.  Heard of Management by Objectives (MBO)?  Mr. Drucker came up with that...and many other concepts businesses use to become more effective.

In his book, "The Effective Executive:  The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done", he summarizes his findings on the practices that effective executives have in common.   They seem pretty straight-forward on the surface, but implementation of them take some effort and focus.  The most effective leaders followed these eight practices: 

1)  They asked, "What needs to be done?"  Constantly.  An effective executive only focuses on one goal, maybe two, at a time.  Additionally, at regular intervals, he is re-evaluating those priorities to make sure they're still on track toward the RIGHT objectives. 

2)  They asked, "What is right for the enterprise?"  Not shareholders, not the Board of Directors, but what will make the business succeed.  Then the profits and pleasing stakeholders falls into place. 

3)  They developed action plans.  They figured out what needed to be done and who should do it...methodically.

4)  They took responsibility for decisions.  The buck stopped with them.  They held people accountable, but in the end, it was their responsibility to be sure everything stayed on track.

5)  They took responsibility for communicating.  They didn't expect people to just "get it".  They arranged meetings and weaved the messages and goals into everyday conversations.

6)  They were focused on opportunities rather than problems.  A problem is seen as a way to meet a need that is currently not being satisfied - either in making a customer for life or in providing a product that is superior to what's currently being offered.

7)  They ran productive meetings.  This often means not having meetings at all.  Discipline is one of the keys here.  Since time is our most valuable commodity, we are best suited to manage it as such.

8)  They thought and said "we" rather than "I".  Enough said - TEAM!

 

Human Resources.  We actually have company departments that are specifically tasked to help manage one of the most important resources of your organization : employees.  And as such, employees are resources that help you achieve your business objectives. 

Here are three important ways you can improve your customer's experience - and they all involve the proper deployment of your people!

1.  Acknowledge that all employees play a key role in bringing your brand to life.  Successful branding is not just a marketing or sales function.  It is an essential role for EVERY employee.  Make sure all everyone in your organization understands what your business stands for and how they can contribute to the achievement of that goal.

2.  Audit your internal communications to ensure they are consistent with your brand identity and promise.  Branding isn't a one-time event, it should be part of an on-going campaign for customers, and employees, as well.  Invest time in consistently promoting your brand internally and empower employees to act on it.  This includes meetings, written memos, staff gatherings, etc.

3.  Regularly solicit opinions from your employees on new and better ways to deliver your brand promises.    Because employees often are the first line of communication to the customer, their input on how to improve processes can be insightful.  Convene staff meetings, hold contests, be innovative in extracting ideas that can lead to improvement in the delivery of service to your clients.

Bottom line:  Involve your employees, your key resources, to help you achieve exceptional customer service that translates to customers for life!

Source:  The Gallop Blog

Finishing up on my latest book, "18 Minutes: Find Your Focus, Master Distraction and Get the Right Things Done," by Peter Bregman, I have one more item for thought - especially tailored for perfectionists...how about getting it half right?

Gasp!  Half right, really?  Well wait a minute, let me explain.  I think the best way to do that is to tell about the example Bregman used in his book.  He was basically tasked with establishing a performance management system for a client.  Well, we all know that managers pretty much hate doing performance reviews and the company Bregman was working with was no exception.  No matter how hard the company tried, and how many sticks or carrots they implemented, they could not get managers to get the reviews done.  Bregman went in and fully redesigned the program...perfectly. 

One problem...it didn't work either.  So he started asking questions of the managers.  Eureka moment.  Bregman went back to the drawing board with the initial information and then approached the managers again when he was 50% finished.  What he presented was a framework.  When the managers said, "That won't work", Bregman asked,  "Why", followed by, "That's a good point, how can I change it to make it work?"  From there, he would tailor an approach that worked for the various departments.  Although this took a little more work, he was able to improve compliance to over 90%. 

The lesson:  Resist the temptation to PROVE your way is right.  Open yourself up to the BEST way for your "customer" by asking questions ALONG the way.    

 

Leadership Effectiveness is one of the buzz words of today's generation...and with reason.  Maximizing leadership skills typically translates to business success.  But with so much noise out there, how do you focus on what's really important?

One word: Pause.  We get so wound up in the day to day demands, that we don't stop long enough to think about our next steps or longer range goals.  One way to move your business forward toward your vision is to schedule quarterly reviews of pause.  Pause to consider four things:

1)  What should I be doing more of?  Identify the things that are giving you great results and do more of those types of activities.

2)  What should I be doing less of?  What are the things that are a waste of time or are not effective...if you can't simply stop doing them, is there a way to minimize the time spent doing those tasks?

3)  What do I need to start doing?  There are likely things that leap to mind when you read this question.  Those nagging voices in your head telling you, "I really should be doing...".

4)  What do I need to stop doing? Probably the hardest thing to do is to stop doing what you've always done.  It takes discipline to make sure the highest priority items are always in focus.  The best way to do that is to eliminate time wasters.  Saying "no" is not comfortable, but in the interest of maximum productivity, sometimes it's necessary.

Taking the time to re-focus can bring any leader closer to success.  Use these four questions as a starter to get you on your path...