In my last article, as well as throughout my career, I have consistently put an emphasis on "how" we do things, not just the "what'. Here, I'd like to tie this together with a man I admire, Ichak Adizes. His version is MT&R - treating each other with mutual trust and respect. I couldn't agree more.
What does this mean in the workplace? How we involve our people in their own management? How we tailor together their approach to getting results that serve both?
It starts with sincere leadership that forges a culture of working collaboratively. This involves listening, being willing to change things for the greater good, even when it may involve personal sacrifice, for the manager, person, or even the company.
Mutual means that even though there are different levels of responsibility, we approach each other as equal people in terms of discovering a solution.
Trust is being able to let go, not having to control everything. It's recognizing that the answer most often is "in the room", if we will only listen for it. It's also allowing others to make mistakes and learn from them. It is believing in the goodness of each other when given a chance.
Respect means even when we are the boss, we are superior to no one. God made us equal in dignity, even though talents may have been given in different forms. He expects us to treat each other accordingly, as we would our family.
It is these values that have driven how I am to approach putting "The Book" together. It should be a magical journey!
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
"The Book" Interviews Near Completion
By the end of this month, the interviewing of H/R Managers, Top, and Middle Management will be completed. The journey has been an incredible one; from New York to Illinois; from Michigan to California, people have been most cooperative and helpful.
What have I learned? Well, for starters, it's not nearly just about the Performance Review (PR). It's about having a passion for what one does and how it is pursued. It involves not only competency, but caring. It means building mutual trust, not simply going through the motions. And certainly it encompasses the creation of success and sharing it.
Some time ago (see my blog, July 28, 2010 "To Write a Book, Part 2"), I discovered that writing a book involves letting it carry you along. It's much more effective than imposing your will on it. And so it has been with the interviews.
I began with a list of questions (see my blog, Nov 27, 2010 "Interviewing for "The Book"), This helped me immeasurably with thought organization and putting those interviewed more at ease. What I discovered however, was that each person had their own approach to things and responded best to forging their own order and emphasis. It would flow much more smoothly and I would get more content of a higher quality.
Ichak Adizes in a Christmas blog, "Where is God" recently made reference to the importance of what he calls MT&R, Mutual Trust & Respect. Not only was this important in the process of interviewing, it has emerged as an integral part of "The Book". These, along with a hand full of other values will shape it as I prepare to begin writing after the first of the year.
What have I learned? Well, for starters, it's not nearly just about the Performance Review (PR). It's about having a passion for what one does and how it is pursued. It involves not only competency, but caring. It means building mutual trust, not simply going through the motions. And certainly it encompasses the creation of success and sharing it.
Some time ago (see my blog, July 28, 2010 "To Write a Book, Part 2"), I discovered that writing a book involves letting it carry you along. It's much more effective than imposing your will on it. And so it has been with the interviews.
I began with a list of questions (see my blog, Nov 27, 2010 "Interviewing for "The Book"), This helped me immeasurably with thought organization and putting those interviewed more at ease. What I discovered however, was that each person had their own approach to things and responded best to forging their own order and emphasis. It would flow much more smoothly and I would get more content of a higher quality.
Ichak Adizes in a Christmas blog, "Where is God" recently made reference to the importance of what he calls MT&R, Mutual Trust & Respect. Not only was this important in the process of interviewing, it has emerged as an integral part of "The Book". These, along with a hand full of other values will shape it as I prepare to begin writing after the first of the year.
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