So when asked this question, what do you think is the most vital part of your company, the part that can make or break it?
In my opinion, I will always answer that in one way...and that is your people!
You can have the greatest business in the world and without a competent team you have nothing.
Your staff are the heart of the company so choose them wisely and when you gather the right team, do not micro manage them!
The best leaders assemble the right team, mentor and guide them while setting them free to do what they do best.
You don't have to run around trying to perform every role in your business. Your talent as the leader is that you are essentially the quarterback, positioning your team and laying out the strategy and roadmap to success.
Your team should have the attributes and skills to achieve your end results. Your job is to foster the environment in which they are able to grow and flourish in their roles.
I am not saying that you are there to be their best friend; that is not at all what you are there to do. You are there to guide, lead and mentor them.
You should still be coming from a place of respect, but in the same token, make yourself approachable.
Sometimes you will have to redirect a person's energy, or even fire them, but that is all part of leadership.
If you are wearing the big pants, you are going to have a big job.
Wednesday, 27 August 2014
Monday, 7 July 2014
Welcome to My Endeavour Born From Dysfunction
Today I create my first post with great excitement and pride.
This endeavour was born out of repeated negative experiences with various levels of management at different organizations, combined with my observations of human nature and how closely it parallels that of the horse.
I am a horse person and have been for more than 40 years. I have worked in various capacities in the corporate world for almost 30 years. I also manage a horse boarding and breeding facility that has more than 50 horses and 10-15 clients on site at any given time.
I have spent many years looking for the perfect career, one that would combine my passion and abilities.
The straw that broke the camel's back created a major epiphany and a realization that I wanted to make a difference out in the world.
In 2012, the director of the department that I worked in called a meeting of his entire administrative staff team. More than 6 months prior, he had restructured the admin group, hiring an unknown and unproven supervisor to oversee approximately 8 or 9 staff members working in various administrative roles.
I was supervisor of a very specialized team and although the director assured me that we wouldn't fall under the admin group, we were placed in this person's hands. She was to learn each and every job in the group, having a clear understanding of the various roles and even going so far as to cover the desks of all positions when staff members were away.
Sadly her incompetence, lack of professionalism and rudimental grasp of basic office skills became evident very quickly. Her micromanaging and confrontational style of leadership led to conflict, frustration and general dissatisfaction among the ranks.
When the director restructured, he stated that this was a test program and if it didn't work out he would return to the original internal structure. Not once did he check in with staff to ask how things were going, nor did any members of Human Resources, who were overseeing the program and the supervisor. Things began to deteriorate with people going into his office in tears at least once a week.
A hastily scheduled meeting was called by the Human Resources team, whereby all staff members were intimidated, castigated and told that if they didn't like it there they had options. In other words, if you don't like it here, then you can leave.
It took everything in my power not to stand up and thank him for providing me with options and walk out the door, effectively leaving them somewhat inconvenienced, but stay with the ship, I did.
As I sat and reflected on the events of the day after performing damage control with my staff, (yes, because they were shell-shocked by what had just taken place. I had kept them sheltered from the dysfunction as much as I could to keep morale up. Well so much for that!) a major epiphany hit me like a ton of bricks.
Say I was riding a horse in the mountains that I had trained to fear me and something spooked him, throwing me from his back. That horse would turn tail and run as hard as he could to get away, essentially leaving me stranded and possibly hurt in the middle of nowhere with all of my supplies and everything attached to his back.
Take the same scenario with me riding a horse that I respected and in turn taught to respect me. I still fall off, and yes the horse may run a few strides out of fear, ultimately returning to stand by my side, choosing to be with his leader.
The idea of coaching management was born in that instant, the culmination of years of trying to figure out what I wanted to do when I grew up. The whole idea of coaching using horses as my medium, well, it inspires me in more ways than I ever thought it could.
In the corporate world, if you are a boss and you run your team by intimidation, you will never have loyalty. Your staff will complain behind your back and won't give you their best efforts. Employee retention will be non-existent; your team in a constant state of flux, in turn decreasing productivity.
Imagine a team working together in an environment where they feel like a valued contributor, where they are respected as a person and an employee. A place where their input is heard and valued. Because you respect them, they in turn respect you. They will be top performers and will make you look good because they want to make you happy. Never mind the environment will be one of happiness and productivity; not tension.
I am in the process of building this from the ground up and yes, there are many people doing something similar...so what makes me different?
Well, my experience and how I will be conducting the sessions.
I want people to be inspired, entertained and moved. I want everyone to get something from their day no matter what it is even if it's simply a great break from the office where there were some laughs, time with horses and fun with co-workers in a casual, and relaxed environment.
The beauty of using horses as the medium is that no two sessions will ever be alike and in the horses' eyes everyone is equal. They couldn't care less if you are the CEO of a Fortune 500 company or the team lead of a 5 person office with high school education.
They have a way of humbling and moving even the toughest of customers. My knowledge of people and horses combined will deliver the best of both worlds to all of my clients.
I don't profess to be perfect or a hero--just a person who is very passionate about what I do and I want to make a difference out in the world.
We all spend so much of our lives at work and my goal is to help you deliver the leadership framework necessary to create a highly effective and motivated team who will produce top notch results, while working in a positive, professional productive environment.
You will learn how being a leader differs from being a boss. I will expand upon these ideas in future posts.
It's time to take "The RIght Lead"
This endeavour was born out of repeated negative experiences with various levels of management at different organizations, combined with my observations of human nature and how closely it parallels that of the horse.
I am a horse person and have been for more than 40 years. I have worked in various capacities in the corporate world for almost 30 years. I also manage a horse boarding and breeding facility that has more than 50 horses and 10-15 clients on site at any given time.
I have spent many years looking for the perfect career, one that would combine my passion and abilities.
The straw that broke the camel's back created a major epiphany and a realization that I wanted to make a difference out in the world.
I was supervisor of a very specialized team and although the director assured me that we wouldn't fall under the admin group, we were placed in this person's hands. She was to learn each and every job in the group, having a clear understanding of the various roles and even going so far as to cover the desks of all positions when staff members were away.
Sadly her incompetence, lack of professionalism and rudimental grasp of basic office skills became evident very quickly. Her micromanaging and confrontational style of leadership led to conflict, frustration and general dissatisfaction among the ranks.
When the director restructured, he stated that this was a test program and if it didn't work out he would return to the original internal structure. Not once did he check in with staff to ask how things were going, nor did any members of Human Resources, who were overseeing the program and the supervisor. Things began to deteriorate with people going into his office in tears at least once a week.
A hastily scheduled meeting was called by the Human Resources team, whereby all staff members were intimidated, castigated and told that if they didn't like it there they had options. In other words, if you don't like it here, then you can leave.
It took everything in my power not to stand up and thank him for providing me with options and walk out the door, effectively leaving them somewhat inconvenienced, but stay with the ship, I did.
As I sat and reflected on the events of the day after performing damage control with my staff, (yes, because they were shell-shocked by what had just taken place. I had kept them sheltered from the dysfunction as much as I could to keep morale up. Well so much for that!) a major epiphany hit me like a ton of bricks.
Say I was riding a horse in the mountains that I had trained to fear me and something spooked him, throwing me from his back. That horse would turn tail and run as hard as he could to get away, essentially leaving me stranded and possibly hurt in the middle of nowhere with all of my supplies and everything attached to his back.
Take the same scenario with me riding a horse that I respected and in turn taught to respect me. I still fall off, and yes the horse may run a few strides out of fear, ultimately returning to stand by my side, choosing to be with his leader.
The idea of coaching management was born in that instant, the culmination of years of trying to figure out what I wanted to do when I grew up. The whole idea of coaching using horses as my medium, well, it inspires me in more ways than I ever thought it could.
In the corporate world, if you are a boss and you run your team by intimidation, you will never have loyalty. Your staff will complain behind your back and won't give you their best efforts. Employee retention will be non-existent; your team in a constant state of flux, in turn decreasing productivity.
Imagine a team working together in an environment where they feel like a valued contributor, where they are respected as a person and an employee. A place where their input is heard and valued. Because you respect them, they in turn respect you. They will be top performers and will make you look good because they want to make you happy. Never mind the environment will be one of happiness and productivity; not tension.
I am in the process of building this from the ground up and yes, there are many people doing something similar...so what makes me different?
Well, my experience and how I will be conducting the sessions.
I want people to be inspired, entertained and moved. I want everyone to get something from their day no matter what it is even if it's simply a great break from the office where there were some laughs, time with horses and fun with co-workers in a casual, and relaxed environment.
The beauty of using horses as the medium is that no two sessions will ever be alike and in the horses' eyes everyone is equal. They couldn't care less if you are the CEO of a Fortune 500 company or the team lead of a 5 person office with high school education.
They have a way of humbling and moving even the toughest of customers. My knowledge of people and horses combined will deliver the best of both worlds to all of my clients.
I don't profess to be perfect or a hero--just a person who is very passionate about what I do and I want to make a difference out in the world.
We all spend so much of our lives at work and my goal is to help you deliver the leadership framework necessary to create a highly effective and motivated team who will produce top notch results, while working in a positive, professional productive environment.
You will learn how being a leader differs from being a boss. I will expand upon these ideas in future posts.
It's time to take "The RIght Lead"
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