Do you ever long for simpler times when change occurred only occasionally? Do you even remember times like that?
Those days are long gone, but strong managers need to know how to deal with tumultuous change for themselves as well as in leading their people.
It’s that time of the year where you’re wondering what the heck happened to the year…how did it go by so quickly…. and … how am I going to complete everything that I committed to do in 2023?
Well, there are about 80 days left in this year. The biggest challenge is falling into the trap of trying to do everything that you didn’t accomplish all year. If you turn into a whirlwind, you might make a little progress on several things, but may end up feeling dissatisfied because you didn’t get a great result on an important initiative.
This topic has come up with clients several times in the past few weeks. For example, one executive who is preparing for retirement wants to hire someone to manage operational issues in the company. He hadn’t thought of this as succession, but that’s exactly what it is.
When you hire for succession, you’re not just thinking about hiring a competent person to fill a position. You’re considering a longer-term leader for key positions in your company or department.
As a leader, you’re always “on”, whether you want to be or not. Sometimes it seems like everyone is observing your actions and making judgments. And, of course, these judgments are usually made out of context, without full information.
This comes with the leadership territory and as such people want to see confidence, decisiveness, and consistency in their leaders.
Two months of the year have whooshed away and before too much more time passes, it’s worth taking time to look at what you’ve accomplished so far this year.
Are you on track? Are you pacing the way you expected late last year when you finalized your plan for 2023? What has changed and how are you accommodating those changes?
CEOs who aspire to spectacular growth have expectations of nothing short of exceptional results from their leaders. They rally these leaders with optimistic views of the future and eyes on the rewards that will be given for achieving KPIs and other metrics.
Strong leaders take the nod and push their departments forward with similar focus. The drive for growth is pushed down through the organization where outstanding results are expected consistently.
Last time we looked at what worked and what didn’t work for you in 2022. Today we’re previewing the new year with a focus on refreshing your mindset.
The end and beginning of the year are typical times that people think in terms of a fresh start. To have a successful fresh start, you will benefit by rebooting your mindset.
This month has continued the trend of busy Decembers. Everyone seems to have been going full steam since the beginning of the month and many have frantically tried to get twice the work done in half the time.
Once again, time management reigns.
Sometimes you need to make an announcement or take an action that will likely cause discomfort. Leaders who recognize this in advance can shape the message by foreshadowing empathy.
This means that although the impact of the bad news may be hard, you understand its effect and are standing in the shoes of the people receiving the message.
How often do you hear those words in the workplace? Not as frequently as you’d like, I imagine. Instead, often, you probably hear either silence or those career-limiting words, “it’s not my job.”
People who are eager to help and take on new responsibilities are primed to advance in your company. They don’t think about whether it’s what they were hired to do; rather, they see these situations as opportunities to learn and grow in their jobs.