Every organisation irrelevant of sector has to continue to change, adapt or evolve.
Most get this. At the same time there’s a tendency that I’ve noticed over the years.
The tendency to focus on the changes that others have to make rather than the personal change that you as a leader or manager has to make.
Right now everything might be working really well. Equally you realise that nothing goes well all of the time. Sooner or later you will face a challenge or opportunity.
In my experience there are 3 some common challenges that most leaders or managers face at some point. These include the following.
Challenge 1: The lack of time challenge
Too much to do and not enough time to do it. This is a big one and sadly not an area where you can buy an upgrade. You have the same time whoever you are.
What personal changes could you make?
- Get clear about your key results areas (those areas where your ultimate success or otherwise is judged)
- Start to track where you are spending your time
- Stop doing those things that don’t directly contribute to your key results areas
- Start to utilise the team of people that you lead or manage.
Challenge 2: The team or individuals who are not motivated
This can be frustrating. It’s easy to become critical of the team or individuals. At the same time this rarely achieves much.
What personal changes could you make?
- Stop applying a generic one size fits all approach to motivation
- Understand what motivates each individual
- Know each individuals zone of excellence and zone of enjoyment
- Try as much as possible to match the work you ask people to do to their zones of excellence and enjoyment.
Challenge 3: People are stuck in their way and don’t want to change
You want to make change but people on the team or at least a proportion of them don’t want to change in any way.
What personal changes could you make?
- Listen more and better understand their worries and anxieties
- Reassure them as much as you can
- Be more supportive
- Slow things down and reduce the pace of change
- Help them to take small steps rather than giant leaps
In truth change is always going to be a challenge. Equally there’s an awful lot that you can do personally in your approach to be a better leader or manager in my experience.