Discover how to apply your
leadership knowledge to improve your work performance, a
leadership activity designed for you.
Did you know that a reflective
leadership activity is critical to your personal growth and
development
?
Initially it might take you up to six
weeks to get into the minds of your employees and motivate
them to share your vision. However, as you practice your
skills, reflect and learn you will find that you will become
skilled in the art of rapid culture
change
.
Rapid Culture
Change occurs when, in quick succession, you
implement a series of small changes all consistent with your
selected business priority, which results in a significant culture
change.
When you first
start using these techniques, you will quickly discover that
your employees will each react differently to your messages.
Sometimes you will complete your MBWA activity and
wish things had gone differently, you will often think
of things you could have said or done differently.
With a regular reflective leadership
activity, you will enhance your personal
development
and
you will learn ways to improve your motivational techniques.
When should I be
reflective?
The timing of your
reflection should be sometime after your Management by walking
around activity and preferably the same day.
What should I reflect on?
You should consider what you set out to achieve and
how you went, comparing your plan and MBWA activity with our theory
and find areas to improve.
Whilst many
people are anti theory, you will find theory to be an invaluable
tool to improve your leadership.
During your reflective leadership activity all you need to do is
take five minutes to think about your time “on the floor” and
consider what went well and what went poorly, consider your
perception and the reactions of your employees.
Your Reflective Leadership Activity
And, Management by Walking Around
While reflecting on your management by
walking around floor walk you may like to consider reflecting on the
following points
Often when you first start your
management by walking around you will find that is can be like
opening the floodgates to a lot of pent up issues or
employee frustrations.
(Tip: Avoid engaging in lengthy discussion
on issues or making a promise that you later discover you cannot
keep).
If you encounter this scenario, be
persistent keep with your MBWA program – remember that
you are the leader; you have the positional influence to shift the
focus onto your topics.
You may need to spend 6 – 8 weeks on the
same topic. However, you may have to clear up some legacy issues
before the employees are ready to be engaged.
Were there any suggestions made
by any of your employees?
If so, the follow up is a powerful
motivator.
For example:
Where
Oil Blend
Plant
Priority
Safety
Sub Priority
Improving Housekeeping in blend plant
Employee Suggestion
Put a window in Oil Store to improve work
environment
Next steps Leadership Activity
Later, I found some money in the budget and asked the
employees team leader to discuss the suggestion with the
employee and together to organise the installation of a window
or alternative. Once installed, the employees painted the work
area and kept it
clean
Where
Timber
Mill
Priority
Timber Quality
Sub Priority
Prioritise quality over volume throughput
Employee Suggestion
A new layout for the new product
store
Next steps Leadership Activity
Later (the next day) at a suitable
time, I went back to the employee and asked
him to walk me through his suggestion.Then I asked him
to share it with his peers and, if they
agree – trial the
suggestion
Did you get side tracked at any time by an
employee with a great idea or by an emerging issue? If so,
how can you maintain your focus next time?
Always finish all conversations with
your topic, for example if your topic is cross selling “Thankyou
for discussing your suggestion with me; and for discussing your
cross selling results”
Listen to employee suggestions and
advise the employee that you will come back to them for more
details, finish with a parting comment on your topic.
If you were ambushed on a topic – best
you investigate the topic, as sometimes you need to have the
facts with you for next time.
If
your people ambush you on a topic, ask yourself was it all of your
people or just a few, is it the same people all the time? If so,
develop a plan to overcome these people.
Was this a one-time event or will it
always happen?
When you first start out you may find
that your employees have so much pent up frustration that you
have to let them vent, you may like to fast track this by
running a likes and dislikes session with them. You may also
have to grin and bear it for a few weeks sticking to your theme
until the culture turns.
Don’t pander unnecessarily to a topic as
you may find that you end up fuelling a topic that you could
have left alone
Were you asked by your people about
something topical – such as the work to improve the office
layout?
This type of emerging topics is important to employees; these might
be a trigger to run some employee communication sessions on the
changes.
Management by Walking Around - General
Tips
These tips
will enhance your reflective leadership
activity
!
Sometimes, whilst doing your management
by walking around you will find a particularly negative employee.
Why? Well, all we can say is it not you or your work environment causing this level of negativity, some
people are simply negative.
Whilst you have to talk to them, you do not have to
reward them with additional attention. Listen to these people’s
negative comments, smile and say, “I believe things will get better”
and move on. (Arguing reinforces their thinking in their
mind) You will find overtime that their negativity will reduce,
if you remain positive
If you got into an argument with an
employee during your Management By Walking Around, don’t do it
again. It
becomes a sport for employees to see who get the biggest rise
out of you. If an employee makes you angry, you can always ask the employee
to make a time to discus the issue with you later,
in a meeting room.
Did you raise your voice or yell at
someone, again, don’t do it – employees have no respect for managers
who raise their voice, giving you less influence and making you more
frustrated. Next time just smile and walk away.
Did you
issue an instruction that you should have ask the team leader to
issue, if so go tell the team leader and let them know you wont do
it again. Never bypass the organisation structure, (See step one for
exceptions to this rule)
Where to from here?
Wow, you have completed the formal part
of your MBWA learning and ideally, you will have already started to
experiment with using these techniques.
If you are persistent, you will improve your
leadership skills, your people’s performance and the quality of your
peoples working lives …… and you will become known for your ability
to get things done.
Give yourself credit for what you have
achieved, only a small percentage of managers are prepared to be
persistent with techniques like these and if you are in that small
percentage you will cease being a manager and start being a leader.
(Don’t forget to use a reflective leadership
activity everyday to help you improve your leadership
capabilities)
If you enjoyed this learning program, then
you might also like to visit our other pages
How to be a good leader, everyday
Leadership Skills that you cannot do
without
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