This has been one of those days, where as a leader, I really earned my keep. On the other hand, it was actually just another day. I had some truly great leadership successes and frankly, those are what keeps the leader going. I had a counseling session with an associate who has been a bit of a challenge for many months. That conversation was actually quite instructive because it was clear that I handled it in a way that, 20 years ago I would never have done.
When I was a leader “puppy” I had a style that I was very proud of, and frankly a style which was bold, direct and painfully perilous. By that I mean, every time I addressed a tough HR issue, I would consider candor and directness, indeed on occasion, blunt. The problem is, that may have made me feel good, meaning, I believed that I was being honest, efficient and candid. This to me was a characteristic of behavior that was honorable. i worked every day to be honest and integrity was a paramount value.
Indeed, integrity remains a value, but what I have learned is that candor may not always be the answer. As leaders, we must always be aware that our goal is to influence behavior in our associate employee; not to prove that we are honest and candid. Our goal must always be kept in mind. Our own behavior influences the people who are our working associates. We must always do whatever it takes to influence behavior positively. the objective must be to decide what caused the person to deal with an issue the way we have discovered. In short, we must “get inside their head.” Yes, we are amateur psychologists, but we must understand human behavior than we already have been trained to do.
Indeed, our results are always going to be measured by market acceptance. In short, make certain that your sessions end up to be fun for you and the staff.
