Step
One
Size
up the Situation
Start out by remembering that your job is not to take personal
responsibility for problems that your direct supports will
bring to you. Your role is to support your people and hold
them accountable for results. Bratton advises that this is
a very important point to remember and should remain as the
foundation of your role as a leader.
Step Two
Get to Know the Organization
Take the opportunity to get to know the people who work in
your organization. Ask key questions that prove your intention
as a listener. The people who work for you will be appreciative
of the opportunity to be listened to. They inevitably want
to be heard and, in fact will offer you a wealth of insight
into how the organization really works.
Listening will be an effective tool in building relationships
with your staff. As they begin to open up to you, their level
of trust will increase and more information will be at your
disposal. At the same time, you will be able to gather a sense
of the issues and challenges facing you.
Step Three
Analyze the Situations That Need Attention
By listening to
the people in your organization, you will inevitably hear
every problem both large and small. Your challenge is to reframe
these situations and focus on what concerns you and what is
important for the organization’s success. You can then
engage in action planning. This process can turn you into
a facilitator of the procedures by which your subordinates
and others participate in developing plans to improve situations
that are or may jeopardize goal attainment.
Step Four
Develop Your Vision
The next step is
to decide for yourself what you want to happen. Develop your
vision of the preferred future and translate it into goals
for the organization. Ultimately, your goals are the final
product that comes forth after listening and gathering information
and identifying the situations that need attention. |
