Small Business Leadership Tip: Are You As Smart As A GOOSE?

As you're running your business on a day-to-day basis (yes including all the dirty work, meetings, client calls, hassles, heartaches and headaches) do you ever stop and wonder if there's an easier way? Does the thought occur to you - as it has to me oh so many times - that this whole work and business thing should simply NOT be this hard.

Finally, has it occurred to you to ask the key question, "How can I make it easier on my team - my customers - and myself?"

Animals can teach humans so much if we simply observe. Take a flock of geese for example.

The small business smarts of geese:

1. They fly in a V-Shape formation for a reason. It reduces wind resistance by 67%.

2. They all honk for the leader but they are always changing out the leader so that the leader can rest & they honk just as loudly for the next leader in line.

3. When one of the geese gets shot down, another goose will stay with him until he dies or until he is able to fly and rejoin the group.

Ponder these questions about the small business leadership lessons of geese:

1. In our workplace, do we work to reduce resistance within our team and "fly in formation" -- or do we create unnecessary resistance with our colleagues and customers?

2. Are you a "honker" - an encourager, team advocate and a builder of people?

3. Are you taking steps to ensure everyone on your team is ready to excel in leadership roles as needed?

4. When one of your team members is having a bad day or is "shot down," do you help them until they can "fly again"?

Remember, when it comes to being a leader you should always value the opinions of your team and followers. All successful leaders put in hard work and long hours more so than everybody else because they have a greater calling i.e. a responsibility to make sure everyone is on the right path and working towards goal achievement. Individual goals take a backseat in relevance with the goals of the team because it is only through teamwork i.e. cooperation and co-ordination can organizational goals be achieved. A leader never slacks off. Leaders never make excuses not to do a work or for not having to fulfill an objective. Leaders take full responsibility of whatever they direct their teams to do and however they plan to carry out tasks for goal achievement.

Apply these small business smarts of geese to help you achieve your leadership goals in your business.

Marvin is a left-handed, right-brained, intense, fun-loving, full blooded Cajun Man. He was an insurance agent for 18 years in St. Bernard Parish, a town of 70,000 people. All 27,000 homes were damaged in Hurricane Katrina. His life would never be the same and he's all the better for it. Marvin focuses NOT on Surviving the STORM, but learning how to DANCE in the rain. http://www.marvinleblanc.com/

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Small Changes Can Make Big Impacts

I'm a fan of the show "Dancing with Stars", not so much to watch the stars, but to see the feedback every week that allows the participants to actually get better - even become fairly decent dancers within a period of weeks. The feedback to help them progress is generally targeted, specific practice ideas to improve the overall performance every week. The expected criticism is welcomed to be better performers. The few stars that feel insulted, or take to blaming the judges are examples of those that didn't improve. If our businesses were comfortable with the same process and perspectives for giving and applying feedback on a regular basis, wouldn't our business results look different!

Intellectually, we all understand the power of feedback, but in my experience with companies, the formal process of providing feedback is one masked in secrecy (on-line 360 "checklists" intended to protect anonymity at all costs to insure honesty). How does a process like that help to build a feedback rich environment where leaders can openly and honestly help each other get better in specific areas in need of performance improvement?

I am encouraged with a company I am assisting, in their wish to share the results of their reports with their peers, the top leader, and the participants who provided feedback through the interviews. They are committing to supporting each other as they begin to make some behavioral shifts, and are willing to 'call each other out' in situations where they slip back. All this within a year of major change for them, including sizable staff reductions within a difficult operating environment.

So what does this mean to those of you who are interested in creating a "feedback rich" operating environment? How can you begin to build a culture that acknowledges and accepts feedback, recognizing that everyone can get better at something?

QUESTIONS TO EXPLORE

- If you conduct 360 feedback processes, are they customized to the fewest behaviors that are most important to your organization's success?

- If someone in your organization offered to give you unsolicited feedback, how would you respond?

- Do you ask others for feedback on how you're doing?

ACTION TO TRY

One approach to initiating a powerful feedback process doesn't even have to go with a 360 event. Executive coach Marshall Goldsmith has created a very simple, easy to carry out, process called FeedForward. The concept is just what the title indicates - a focus on getting better for the future.

The idea is to pick a behavior, that if improved, would create a positive difference in your life. You ask several co-workers or peers for some suggestions on how to improve that behavior for the future. Listen attentively to the suggestions and take notes, without any judgment or comments. Simply thank the participants for their suggestions.

By following up on the suggestions you receive, you show your commitment to grow and your co-workers and peers develop an increased wish to support you and further share their ideas and thoughts. Try it...it works!

Terri Hughes is the owner/principal of Terri Hughes, LLC, a leadership development & executive coaching business. She has been in the business of guiding change and developing leaders for over 25 years, primarily in the corporate space as vice president & director of leadership development and organizational change in a large retail corporation. She is a successful personal and leadership coach, and is a master facilitator.

Terri's recent clients include leaders and teams in manufacturing, technology, retail, health care, government, small business and higher education industries. She works with individuals and teams in a variety of situational change arenas including: leadership behavioral shifts, new role transitions, career changes, organizational and life changes.

Visit her website http://www.terrihughes.com/ for details, free resources and to schedule a complimentary consultation to discuss your needs.

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