28 Mar
[email protected] Leadership

Be Purposeful With Behaviors

Human behavior flows from three main sources: desire, emotion, and knowledge.
–Plato

The last piece of our VMGM (Vision, Mission, Goals, Measures) discussion is related to BEHAVIORS. We must be purposeful with our behaviors, and bottom line, all of our behaviors must support the achievement of our VMG.

This obviously requires that we are intimately aware of our VMG, that we are not only very clear on our role, but that we have a deeper understanding of HOW our role impacts successfully living and achieving our Vision, Mission, and Goals.

As Plato says our BEHAVIOR flows from our desire, emotion, and knowledge.

We also have to ensure our key processes and strategies are linked with our vision, mission and goals. This includes:

  • Hiring
  • Training and development
  • Performance Appraisals
  • Rewards and Recognition
  • Communication plans (the mode, the frequency, the level of content)
  • Change (anything new?)
  • Conflict (managing differences and expectations)

Do you want your behaviors to be modeled by others? Be honest! Ideally we’ll see positive behaviors in others, and if we’re truly effective leaders, some of those behaviors we observe may have been influenced by our own actions and behaviors.

You know the old clichés:
Walk the talk. Practice what you preach. Lead by example. Actions speak louder than words. Don’t ask others to do something you’re not willing to do. Be continual learners. Practice and apply new learnings. Be open to feedback. Listen twice as much as you talk.

Bottom line: be aware that we as leaders are indeed observed so model the behaviors that will help us, our colleagues, and our direct reports achieve the vision, mission, and goals for our organization.

Behavior is what a man does, not what he thinks, feels, or believes.
—Emily Dickinson

21 Mar
[email protected] Leadership, Success

Goals and Measures – Keys To Success

People with goals succeed because they know where they are going.
–Earl Nightingale

We’ve discussed how VISION statements are dreams or aspirations that provide direction and also how MISSION statements provide us with clarity and personalize our VISION statements. The next key elements for success include GOALS and MEASURES.

GOALS add even more clarity to our vision and mission statements and ACTION is required.    Think in terms of what, when, and how the actions will be executed, by whom, and in what time frame. (Dates must be identified, even if they are only target dates).

GOALS keep us moving forward. They help us focus and track progress towards what we’d like to achieve. No one knows why a written goal is more effective than one that’s known and understood but not committed to paper. Some psychologists theorize that writing triggers important processes in the subconscious, which in turn inspires action towards achieving those written goals. So, don’t keep your goals in your head, document and share them!

It’s okay to start small. Consider one to three goals you wish to accomplish this year. Make sure they are clear; if the goals require others to be involved ensure that the “supporting” cast knows their roles, and that time frames, tasks, and ownership are assigned. (ex. Who’s going to what by when with weekly check-ins).

Note: Understand that goals can be changed or dropped – the idea is to keep on target with your desired results. Sometimes goals must change when dependencies or personal or organizational strategies and priorities change. That happens. Communicate the “what and why”, and document and share the new goals.

Don’t neglect to include measures that track your progress. Have milestones been met? Why or why not? Celebrate your successes and assess any misses (what kept you off track? What’s needed to gain momentum and move forward?)

What would it take for you to get excited and motivated to realize your goals? Determine what you want to achieve, make a plan, commit to it, and go for it!

Sticking to good habits can be hard work, and mistakes are part of the process.   Don’t declare failure simply because you messed up or because you’re having trouble reaching your goals. Instead, use your mistakes as opportunities to grow stronger and become better.—Amy Morin

14 Mar
[email protected] Leadership

Vision versus Mission

Outstanding people have one thing in common: An absolute sense of mission.
–Zig Ziglar

Last week we talked about VISION statements and shared that they are a dream or aspiration that provide us with direction. This week we’ll take it a bit deeper and talk about MISSION. Mission statements bring clarity to our vision; it represents what we must do to support realizing our vision, and it personalizes it for us.

Below are a few comparison examples of vision and mission statements:

ZAPPOS
VISION: Our purpose is to live and deliver WOW!
MISSION: As we continue to grow, we strive to ensure that our culture remains alive and well through our 10 Core Values:

Deliver WOW Through Service
Embrace and Drive Change
Create Fun and A Little Weirdness
Be Adventurous, Creative, and Open-Minded
Pursue Growth and Learning
Build Open and Honest Relationships With Communication
Build a Positive Team and Family Spirit
Do More With Less
Be Passionate and Determined
Be Humble

AMAZON
VISION: To be earth’s most customer-centric company; to build a place where people can come to find and discover anything they might want to buy online.
MISSION: Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking.

MICROSOFT
VISION: To empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.
MISSION: Empower people through great software anytime, anyplace, and on any device, and to help people and businesses throughout the world realize their full potential.

TARGET
VISION: Make Target your preferred shopping destination in all channels by delivering outstanding value, continuous innovation and exceptional guest experiences by consistently fulfilling our Expect More. Pay Less. Brand Promise.
MISSION: We fulfill the needs and fuel the potential of our guests. That means making Target your preferred shopping destination in all channels … Besides getting paid, the “company mission” is the most important thing for a Target employee.

Note: Target also stated that comparably data clearly shows that a focused mission statement and cohesive core company values are vital to maintaining employee alignment.

PEOPLETEK
VISION: Creating Worldwide, Individual, Team and Organizational Excellence
MISSION: Connecting leaders, teams and organizations to the coaching development and tools they need to be successful

As you read through them, did you think the MISSION statements added clarity each VISION? Does your workplace have both VISION and MISSION statements? Do you know how to support them?  Stay tuned!

Stay focused on the mission.
— Naveen Jain

07 Mar
[email protected] Leadership

Having A Known Vision

VISION = A dream or aspiration that provides direction and guides us to a place far away. It may be unattainable, but we can focus our attention and make strides for ideally getting there.

Having written VISION, MISSION, GOALS, and MEASURES is old “news”, but they are essential elements for achieving the results we (and our organization) desire. Not everyone has a vision statement and struggle creating one, so we wanted to share a few:

ZAPPOS: Our purpose is to live and deliver WOW!

AMAZON: To be earth’s most customer-centric company; to build a place where people can come to find and discover anything they might want to buy online.

FORD: People working together as a lean, global enterprise to make people’s lives better through automotive and mobility leadership.

MICROSOFT: Empower people through great software anytime, anyplace, and on any device, and to help people and businesses throughout the world realize their full potential.

DISNEY: To make people happy.

CVS: We will be the easiest pharmacy retailer for customers to use.

TARGET: Make Target your preferred shopping destination in all channels by delivering outstanding value, continuous innovation and exceptional guest experiences by consistently fulfilling our Expect More. Pay Less. Brand Promise.

And ours:
PEOPLETEK: Creating Worldwide, Individual, Team and Organizational Excellence.

As you can see, some visions are very simple and to the point, and others add a bit more detail. There is no right or wrong vision statement as long as it’s a dream or aspiration that provides direction.

Do you have and support a vision statement? Is it understood and shared across the organization?

Good leaders have vision and inspire others to help them turn vision into reality. Great leaders create more leaders, not followers. Great leaders have vision, share vision, and inspire others to create their own.– Roy T. Bennett, author The Light in the Heart