The eternal optimist!
[sh_dropcap style=”theme” dropshadow=”true” color=”foreground”]O[/sh_dropcap]ften referred to as the Queen of the Silver Lining, I perceive myself as an optimist.
Even COVID had something to offer beyond death and destruction. It revealed the unholy messes we had accumulated in our business systems. Showed us where we got lazy and careless thinking no one would notice. It demonstrated how imbalanced the pay scales are from the C-Suite to delivery people. And wouldn’t you know it was the delivery people, essential workers. hourly employees that kept the engine running, not the CEO’s!
COVID showed us what and who is really important to our society. Everyone has a role to play in keeping the Ship of State afloat.
All bets are off on the way we did business. We had to become clever again and come up with new ways to keep our businesses open. So, this is a perfect time to reassess our definitions of success, leadership, and expression of values.
Everyone has something to contribute.
A small company must define what it means to be an executive within its context. Here are questions you can begin to ask:
- Where does the authority originate?
- Is this a top-down organization or a matrix relying on all people to respond to issues?
- What is the scope of the executive’s actions?
- How does this executive’s position impact the organization?
A simple view
A simple view is to introduce how each tier of team member functions within the organization. This is best accomplished at onboarding new members.
In this way, people can see how they may flourish within the matrix of the company. This is a time to drill down on the components of job descriptions and how they interact with others. This tactic provides more certainty to an otherwise sketchy view of a new hire or someone newly promoted.
The core value with this process is communication. In this way, participants can begin to understand their role within the company and how it impacts the whole picture. This can be a discussion point for the. 30-day review. The manager can assess how the person acclimates to the position and where they may want to advance.
Provide the tools
Applications like Evernote or MS OneNote are excellent ways to coordinate team members as they gather and store information. It is a focal point with easy access.
These simple steps set a positive pace and provide new people with a level of comfort to develop their confidence.
Offer An Executive Coach
This is an excellent time to offer an executive coach to set people on a supportive positive path. The coach is their “Jiminy Cricket” to answer questions they may be shy about asking a manager. All interactions are under confidentiality and provide a sturdy foundation to build trust. When you assign a coach, the subtext to the team member is that you are invested in their success and support their success.
You are assured of a bountiful payoff when you lead this way. -MC
