Chapter 9:
"Collaboration is a social imperative--without it you can't get extraordinary things done in organizations" (Kouzes & Posner, 2007, p. 224).
The problem with this statement is that many leaders tend to forget it. If you think about it, no great feat was accomplished by one man and one man only. Everything of significance requires joint efforts. To ignore that fact is to warrant a disastrous future for yourself and your company. To me, a good leader is one that acknowledges this statement and works to organize a team that an achieve almost anything. There are many leaders who do that, and the book even references some. It just involves being open-minded and realizing that you are not the almighty, despite your extreme desire to be."By consulting with others and getting them to share information, you make certain that people feel involved in making decisions that affect them" (Kouzes & Posner, 2007, p. 232).
I WISH more leaders did this. If they did, there would be SO many happier employees. People want to feel a part of something. I think I said that in one of my previous blog posts, which means that I really believe it. But, it's true. People want to help, they want to make an impact, they want to make a difference. What better way to do that than to get them involved in decisions, especially important decisions that can have long-term benefits. Getting people involved is a lot easier than some leaders make it out to be. A simple, "What do you think and why?" could open up an entire discussion. Leaders must remain free of negativity during this discussion though, otherwise the employee will be hesitant to answer the same question in the future."It's like putting together a jigsaw puzzle. Each person has a piece, and if even one piece is missing the puzzle is impossible to complete" (Kouzes & Posner, 2007, p. 224).
Remembering that everyone, yes everyone, has an impact in the company will guarantee that everyone does whatever they can to help the company succeed. Sometimes it may be hard to see the puzzle piece that a person holds, but to pretend he/she does not hold it would be foolish. Some people have an amazing potential that just needs to be uncovered. If you help that person feel connected and part of the larger team, he/she may unleash that potential and become your greatest asset. Work together and watch wonders happen!Chapter 10:
"...set up a buddy system in which a younger, less knowledgeable individual was paired up with someone who had more experience and expertise." (Kouzes & Posner, 2007, p. 250).
I think this type of system, or mentoring program if you will, is awesome! I also look for it when I enter new things; whether it be work related, school related, or social-event related. What better way to learn how to do something than from someone who is already doing it? What better way to NOT make mistakes than to learn the mistakes from a seasoned professional and how to avoid them. The buddy-system is great and I want to see more of it."The most significant actions a leader can take to ensure that people can decide for themselves are to provide more choices, design jobs that offer latitude, and foster personal accountability" (Kouzes & Posner, 2007, p. 254).
While this sounds well and good on paper, I can see how it can be difficult in practice. Sometimes it is hard to offer choices and great growth potential when the company is limited in scope or resources. However, an important aspect for constituents to remember is that sometimes personal growth can be more rewarding than professional growth. It can offer opportunities beyond what professional growth would offer. That is NOT to say professional growth should be ignored, because it shouldn't. But it IS to say that growing as a person should be as important, if not more important, than growing your title."Enhancing self-determineation means giving people control over their own lives" (Kouzes & Posner, 2007, p. 270).
This, in turn, will increase individual accountability. As much as people want to be part of something larger than themselves, which most do, they also want to maintain control over their lives. People want to be part of something large but also want to have a say. If you give people the ability to take accountability for their actions by giving positive rewards, you will find that people WANT to be held accountable versus being forced to do so. You even have to be open to failure and embrace it. Not just your own failure, but the failure of your constituents. Because, no one is perfect and people do fall. It's how you react when they fall that determines how comfortable they feel in getting up and being willing to fall again.References:
Kouzes, J., & Posner, B. (2007). Foster Collaboration. The Leadership Challenge (4 ed., pp 221-247). San Francisco: Joseey-Bass.Kouzes, J., & Posner, B. (2007). Strengthen Others. The Leadership Challenge (4 ed., pp 248-278). San Francisco: Joseey-Bass.
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