One of the most provocative topics in present business is leadership. Managing, motivating and directing organizations is challenging, however, guiding personnel is more challenging. Recent research abounds on helping leaders motivate and improve morale, and most solutions fail.

While the available research is useful, it encapsulates issues denoting immediate change. The primary challenges are that in order to change results, beliefs must change, and further change can result from an event such as training or a workshop. Organizations, employees, and notably behavior will not change with one program. Changing beliefs requires a process. This helps stimulate attitudes and beliefs. When organizations develop a process methodology, silos decrease, productivity increases, and morale improves.

During our 15 years of research with hundreds of small and multinational organizations and business leaders, we find a lack of process. We believe that business functions similar to athletics; they both require commitment, energy, and practice. Leaders must take new processes, allocate accountability and time, and apply process principles. We developed PRACTICE to assist leadership deployment.

P – Personnel Comes First
The vital asset of any organization is an employee. Internal stakeholders are the nucleus of organizational function and production. Loyal core provides results and profits. Leaders must acquire, develop, and communicate to the core. Organizational culture exemplifies employee assets. Personnel retention and morale are higher when culture focuses on employees. Loyal employees like loyal clients assist in profitability.

R – Relationships with key Stakeholders
A study by the Corporate Leadership Council reveals the tremendous impact managers have on an employee’s level of commitment. It is imperative to note that individuals do not leave companies - they leave poor managers. Failure to build inter-office and departmental relationships contributes to negative morale. Research shows that taking time to build relationships with employees through personal interaction is a key step for high morale. Employees need to feel trust and respect.

A - Attentiveness to Strategy
Many leaders pay many large consulting firms, exorbitant fees for strategy. The only problem, the research remains in an office bin or shelf. The problem with strategy is two-fold, 1) executives that do not understand or believe it and 2) a failure to communicate the strategy to all organizational stakeholders. Strategy cannot sit on a shelf. Similar to blood through veins, strategy must produce within all functional levels. Failure to communicate speed, direction, and fuel consumption eventually leads to a tragic crash or a lost vehicle.

C – Communication Essentials
Research into leadership illustrates an interesting correlation with famous and egregious leaders. Ironically, both groups exemplify superfluous oratory. Leaders understand the need to communicate. Announcements good or bad provide feedback required by employees to understand purpose and direction. A failure to communicate is a failure to lead.

T – Talent Acquisition
1. Start with the right people. No firm we work with ever hires on a proactive basis. Most firms conduct employment searches reactively. Seek employees that fit with the organizational culture and with the obligatory skills. Never wait!
2.    Hire for skill – Talent is innate. Organizations hire for personality and behavior first and skill second. Skill is not interchangeable, behavior is. A great hire might have a wonderful temperament and lack the skill to plug a socket into an outlet. I recall a five star hotel that hired another level of housekeeping to repair floors. Hire the right people for the right job and lower costs.
3.    Look at best practices from best people – Management focuses on “fixing those that cannot” rather than “improving those that can”. Icons of performance exist in your organization. Discover what they do right and encourage others to emulate it.
4.    Passion – In the 1980’s Sylvester Stallone appeared again as Rocky this time with a theme, “Eye of the Tiger”. What a great metaphor for valuable talent. Seek to acquire talent that truly loves work.

I – Investments in Assets
Investment in the number one asset- people is vital. Never terminate training when results lower, rather increase them. The time for improvement is when things need improvement not when they are working well.

C – Cultural Strategies
Leaders develop the culture and those that do, have skin in the game. Apple UPS, Southwest, and many others illustrate an uncompromising need to serve clients and treat employees well. Develop cultures that strive for greatness not adversity.

E – Evolving with the Enigma
Organizations are enigmas just when you gain a resolution they change. Organizations must be open to and flexible with change. However, doing so requires critical, consistent, and collaborative analysis. Obtain a team that provides honest feedback, timeliness, and insight.

Similar to the athlete striving for perfection, leaders too must practice to alleviate imperfections. The best leaders constantly evaluate, seek success, and adopt new methods of improvement.

© 2008. Drew J. Stevens. All rights reserved.

This entry was posted on Monday, November 10th, 2008 at 12:03 pm and is filed under Drew Stevens PhD, Leadership, leadership skills. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.