Cream or Crap?
When executing a change at work, is it standard practice to treat everyone the same? I am not talking about respect, dignity, and the like. I mean using a ‘peanut butter’ approach in attention, communication, direction, accountability, etc.
Mark Goulston, the Leadership columnist at FastCompany, recently published a wonderful, direct, and actionable list on managing teams for change:
10 Ways to Frustrate and Squander the Cream of Your Crop
- Unclear vision from the top
- A mission that seems meaningless
- Little or no strategy
- No system for holding people accountable
- Having a system for accountability but not using it (a.k.a. the slackers get to slide by)
- Mediocre managers who lack clarity, commitment and passion are difficult to respect
- Rewarding mediocre people whose only skill is knowing how to work the system
- A culture rife with whining, complaining, blaming and excuse making
- Having to rely and depend on people who are not reliable or dependable
- Having your best people see other companies where their talents would be much better utilized
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What would you add to the list?
Stumble it!
Joe Raasch :: Oct.22.2007 :: Change Management, Employee Engagement, Leadership :: 4 Comments »
What a great list!!!
Number 1 – “unclear vision from the top” is so very common.
Before moving into the business world I was a pastor for 17 years.
In the ministry we had a saying, “a mist in the pulpit means a fog in the pew.”
The same is true in a business.
A misty minded CEO means a foggy headed management team and even worse for the rank and file employee.
Thanks for the heads up on FC piece.
Keep creating…clear vision,
Mike
Hi Mike,
Thanks for visiting! You’re right – a misty mountain top does nothing for vision, does it? Change and strategy do begin at the top, in so many ways. I experienced a CEO change at a former employer. The previous CEO had been an avid golfer. Her entire team golfed. The new CEO was a runner. It was great fun to see the team hit the treadmills so they could participate in daily ‘lunch runs’.
This mist can happen in lower places as well. That critical relationship between manager and staff…
You are so right about the disconnect between manager and staff.
Many managers undervalue their role of communicating the vision while linking staff job performance to the fulfillment of the vision.
Everyone needs to think like a leader!
Keep creating…a clear view,
Mike
That space between manager and team – this is where performance management lives!