Anyone that is driven to be successful, however you define success, is, usually, a “doer”. Whether we find that trusted person who helps make things happen or we just do it ourselves, we get things done. Making things better for a person, a people, a business, etc. are all reasons why we do what we do.
However, as we progress in life, the scope of our responsibilities, generally, widen and our goals, thus, get bigger. There are more balls in the air at any one time. There are more things on the action list that have to get done to accomplish the goal and claim victory. This is where we realize, we can’t do it alone.
Whether this is within a business environment, a charitable organization, a household, whatever it may be, as our goals become more and more lofty, we need help. Embracing and empowering others to help drive our goals forward is critical in continuing to accomplish what we set out to achieve.
In this light, the following are 5 tips that we need to consider to engage and empower those around us to assist us in accomplishing our goals:
- Explain the purpose to everyone: It is imperative that we communicate the “purpose” to those that we are working with in any endeavor. The purpose, or strategy as it is sometimes referred to, needs a clear communication plan to disseminate a consistent message to everyone, and how the strategy impacts each individual (or collective group of individuals). When people understand why they are doing what they are doing, they are significantly more effective, efficient and, most importantly, committed.
- Explain the culture and how it impacts the process: We need to clearly define the culture that is expected within the “work” environment and, more importantly, live it. We must expect and require everyone to live it as we work to accomplish our purpose. The importance of culture is critical to align people to a common goal…culture binds people together. Basically, it is how we want people to treat one another and others as we work to accomplish our goals.
- Delegate: Delegation is not only giving some one something to do; it is giving them the authority to make decisions on how it gets done. We need to empower our team so they feel comfortable in making decisions, while, at the same time, knowing when (based on the magnitude of the issue) to escalate an issue to us for our final stamp of approval. To do this, it is critical that we set the boundaries for decision making/escalation with our team upfront and then let them run!
- Be available for our team and manage our progress: We need to schedule time with those that “work” for us, both one-on-one and as a team, so we can maintain organization and focus, assist our team with their challenges and resolve issues that require our attention in a timely manner. We always need to be there to help those that are supporting our efforts; not to mention to teach them and, of course, learn for ourselves.
- Celebrate success: When the purpose is accomplished, celebrate the success of the team, not just individuals within the team. This in itself will build the team for the next challenge that awaits.
We may not always want to admit it, but we all need help now and again. Embrace it and “the sky’s the limit” on what we can truly accomplish!
Prism Partners International can facilitate the development of your vision, mission and strategy, and deliver resulting action plans to embed these into your organization to motivate your people to superior performance and results. In addition, through our online training, we can deliver innovative and practical lessons to develop your people to be high performers and great leaders.
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