Leaders want results, but they don’t always plan for results. Often, they let people carry on working hard, but without a firm focus. Use the following four steps to keep a focus on results.
Business context - what are the priorities?
What is your organisation trying to do? It may seem obvious to you as leader, but is it obvious to all employees. If they don't know, they might be focusing excellent efforts in the wrong direction. Questions to ask are: What is at the heart of the business? What is different about this organisation, that makes it leading edge? If the employees know, it's easy for them to aim for the right results.
Strategic goals - what are the goals?
It pays to be ambitious. If you have little, easy to achieve ambitions, that's probably as far as you'll get. You can go places by being outrageous. Have a BHAG. This stands for Big Hairy Audacious Goal. It comes from Jim Collins and Jerry Porras in "Built to Last Successful Habits of Visionary Companies." Collins and Porras researched large successful companies, and found they were distinguished by goals that might be considered wild.
Plan monitor and review - what do we need to do to make it happen?
The BHAG may sound like a fairy tale, but you have to treat it as a planned process. Start by defining the key result areas. Within these, identify the specific things that must happen, that will move you towards your BHAG. Work out what resources you will need, in terms of equipment and personnel. Then establish action plans. This includes a number of sub plans, where specific individuals are assigned to perform specific tasks, to specific standards, within a specified timeframe.
Innovate and improve - what do we need to do differently?
The best laid plans of mice and men go oft awry. You need to build this in. Problems can be a stopper that sends everyone home depressed. Or they can be a base point for new ideas and creativity. Creativity needs both the sudden spark, the abrupt change in thinking, that leads in a new direction, and careful analysis and planning. Archimedes leapt out of his bath and ran through the streets shouting his excitement. He also sat at his desk and did calculations in the finest detail. If the sudden spark is to become a reliable flame, you need a systematic approach.
The first step is to establish what is causing a problem. It's unlikely to be just one thing, so you need to examine all areas. One way to do this is to brainstorm, to get as many ideas as possible, even if some of them are zany. The time to evaluate is when all ideas are on the table. Decide what criteria are necessary to make ideas worth exploring further. Pick out the ideas that meet those criteria. After discussion, choose which idea to carry forward, and then draw up an action plan, and do it. It won't be perfect, so keep it under review.
This brings you back to the beginning. As well as reviewing the success of the plan, review the focus. Check that it hasn’t strayed into different goals.
To find out more about how we can help with your people investment, please visit www.trans4mation.com or contact:
Nick Cotter
T: +44 (0) 870 606 4400
F: +44 (0) 870 606 4411
nick.cotter@trans4mation.com
PO Box 44
High Street
Evesham
Worcestershire
WR11 4ZJ
