The D in L.E.A.D.E.R.S: Development
“The Good Get Better, the Best Excel!”
How many of you went in to work this morning hoping that today everything would go perfectly? Your staff will be productive… there will be no errors, no complaints from the customers or the boss, and all work will be done on time on budget… there will not be a single personnel problem because the entire staff will be humming as a team. Such days are rare in any work environment, but they can and do happen. “Perfect days” happen when the team members are all working to achieve mutual goals and they are all excellent performers.
Most leaders have never experienced a perfect day. Indeed, many years ago, a cynical but probably all-too accurate friend of mine said that his definition of management was, “…one damn thing after another.” I laughed when I first heard that, but every time I have used that expression with groups over the years, I get this knowing nod that clearly suggests that there is painful truth in the comment. Being “In Charge” means being responsible for a sequence of challenges that need resolution. In short, each day is spent going from one problem to another.
What can we do to make the transition from the status quo of endless problems to the productive hum of perfect days? Some would say: nothing. There is no chance to be in the “perfect world” because life is tough and unfair, and every job involves reckoning with reality. Others, and I include myself in that group, believe that (although perfection is probably never achievable) striving for perfection is a rational goal. Unfortunately, most of us do not strive for perfection; instead we settle for goals well short of that. A discussion on “striving to be the best” is a subject for another day, when I address continuous improvement as a core value for all leaders. Today’s focus is on helping your staff constantly strive to be better.
Every leader must be committed to helping the associates to grow and improve. This requires a commitment not just to giving your staff the opportunity to achieve, but also to developing their capabilities. As leaders, we must commit a major part of our normal work day to helping our staff grow. We must teach, coach and support the growth of our associates. Anything less would be neglecting our core leadership responsibility. Development, the center word in our L.E.A.D.E.R.S. mnemonic, is the central concept in the journey towards being Leaders. Everything we discussed before builds up to Development; everything after follows on Development.
Developing staff is hard work. If you are developing staff, you are not going to go about your own work and enjoy a day of perfection. You are helping your staff to find mistakes, avoid mistakes or recover from mistakes. Your day can only get better, and come closer to that perfect day, if you are working with your staff to grow and improve. If you want a day where you can enjoy the pleasure of no problems, then you must invest in your staff so that they can develop their knowledge, skills and even attitudes that affect performance. Fail to invest in them and you will fail to reap the rewards of peak performance by your unit.
