Tag Performance | Jenifer Bartman

October 1, 2014 by Jenifer Bartman

High Performance Teams

It’s been said that if you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room. This statement has never been truer than in today’s business world. As our global environment continues to grow and becomes increasingly complex, so must the many companies that seek to meet the needs of customers and stay ahead of the competition; in the absence of doing so, they will cease to be relevant. As a result, leading businesses must continuously improve what they do and develop and offer the products and services that best fit with a rapidly changing world and ever discriminating consumer. There’s no doubt that a high level of bench strength is required in order to do so.

Seasoned executives recognize that one of the most powerful components for generating success is a high calibre team, both at a senior level and throughout an organization. It is through great minds, creativity, and heartfelt commitment that teams can soar to achieve uncommon things, to the benefit of the company and the consumers that they serve. In these types of situations, barriers are overcome, new ways to do things are found, and true market leaders are made. Team members recognize the unique component that they bring, and have the right attitude for encouraging the success of others, realizing that empowered groups can truly achieve more than individuals. What is critical, however, is a talented leader to bring it all together.

In this series, we have already considered the importance of a number of skills, including generating results, role engagement, and professional development. Here’s more about why successful executives understand how critical it is to surround themselves with high calibre people, always.

Where it Goes Wrong

One of the biggest threats to putting together a high calibre team is ego, closely followed by insecurity; there’s really no other way to say it. When business leaders take the focus away from what’s in the best interest of the company and instead dwell on their own personal needs, making the right decisions can become elusive. This is best illustrated by asking the question “why wouldn’t a business leader want to be surrounded by the absolute best people they can find?” The answer, too often, relates to their own personal issues.

Although it might seem exciting to have a group of less accomplished people take direction and follow without question, this situation can quickly run its course, especially when competitive challenges, risks, and complicated issues arise (and, they will. This is the business world!). A loyal, but poorly equipped team of can quickly end up over its head, with few resources that have the capability to help the company survive the situation. It’s at times like this when a business leader might look around and see lots of faithful colleagues, but little in the way of actual help. And, as the ship slowly sinks, the realization that leadership is often judged by results brings into clear focus that success in business is much more about meeting customer needs than personal ones.

Striving for success on an individual level might be what’s needed to make career progress; however, the senior leadership level is much more about assembling a stellar team and working effectively to generate results. Here’s how to shift your mindset and get started:

Define your strengths. Recognize what your best talents are and articulate them well, as this knowledge will help to identify your best team role. This is no different than determining if you play best at forward, defence, or “in net”. Make a commitment and move forward from there.
There is no “I” in TEAM. Perhaps a cliché, but it’s true. Being successful as a high calibre team member is understanding what your strengths are and bringing them into the group. Integrate, participate, collaborate, and achieve results, together.
Focus on the business perspective. Objectives should be derived from what’s in the best interest of the company, and this generally comes from what customers and the marketplace want and need. Position the business for success and then focus on getting there, without interference from the inside.
Recognize the learning benefits. Being in a room with lots of smart and accomplished people is a great learning opportunity, and the knowledge that you gain is portable and can be taken wherever you go. Think about it: spending your career years in a learning environment is so much better than the alternative.
Soar. Perhaps, the greatest feeling in the business world: supreme success! Earn it, live it, enjoy it, and then, repeat. This is what successful companies (and teams) do.

The day will come when you will be looking back on your career, instead of looking forward. Ask yourself what you most want your achievements to reflect. If real success is at the top of the list, chances are, it will only be achieved if you are able to be part of a “super smart” team that will challenge its members in the spirit of getting to the best result. If you’ve been there, you wouldn’t have missed it for anything else.

May 28, 2014 by Jenifer Bartman

Generating Results

Although it’s true that executive level roles have a greater strategic focus and are further away from the front line action, senior level people still have to be able to get things done. Whether it’s helping a management team to solve problems, identifying an expansion path, or overseeing core business activities, executives are accountable for (and often judged by) results. This is not an easy place to be, particularly in times of change or declining performance.

So, if people at the senior level of an organization are less involved in front line work, how do they get things done? The answer might be as simple as comparing a successful executive to one who is less accomplished in this regard; think: sound planning and direction; ensuring that a company has the right systems in place that allow staff and management team members to do more; generating a motivating environment; and, of course, having all of the right skills on hand. This could be described as a “gentle push”, that allows a company to move forward with decisive support, as opposed to stagnating or being plagued by indecision. Smart executives know that getting things done is, in part, about decision making, but also about having the necessary experience and judgement to make good decisions. It is this ability that fuels the critical act of implementation and the results that follow.

In this series, we have already considered the importance of a number of skills, including collaboration, professional development, and generating respect. Here’s more about why successful executives understand the importance of implementation and getting things done.

Where it Goes Wrong

Executives who lose focus on the importance of generating tangible results might find themselves on the outside of relevance. Whether leading a for-profit business or managing the limited resources of a not-for-profit organization, results and productivity matter. Those who spend too much time on unfocused or theoretical efforts run the risk of leading an organization to a point where it will ultimately do less; this is the risk of becoming too far removed from the front line work.

Before too long, organizations can start to have a lack of urgency; a dangerous place to be in a competitive, and resource constrained world. What doesn’t get done today gets put off until tomorrow, as the weeks and months go by with little achievement in the way of tangible results. From a customer standpoint, who wants to deal with these companies?

Ensure that upward mobility on the career path includes sufficient focus on turning the wheels of productivity. Here’s how to keep focused on generating results:

Use meeting time wisely. Meetings should be used to communicate important information, seek input, confirm action items, and move forward. In order to ensure that the focus is kept on getting things done (and not just talking about it!), meet only when needed, maintain focus by using agendas and action items, and curtail non-productive chit chat.
Pay attention to standards and systems. Although some might consider processes and standardized approaches to be mundane, remember that they not only benefit the company, but also those who perform well enough to meet or exceed targets. Use standards and systems as an opportunity to accelerate performance.
Measure and monitor results. Once standards are in place, they have to be managed, which means measuring actual results to target and taking corrective action where required. Those who have the discipline and talent to do so are well regarded by the senior ranks.
Compensate based on results. Structures that include a meaningful variable component tied to performance tend to focus people’s efforts on what’s important. Good compensation structures include short term and long term incentives, as well as measures for individual, departmental, and organizational performance. Roles that are structured in this manner can be a good opportunity for those on the way up to demonstrate their worth in tangible terms.
Watch competitors and the marketplace. Paying attention to what’s going on in the outside world can be an important reminder that organizations need to take action in order to remain relevant to those that they serve. Remembering that any organization should be thinking about customers, competitors, and markets at least 50% of the time can help to instill a results oriented mindset.

The reality is that the more senior a position becomes, the more directly accountable it is for the performance of the entire organization, which, in turn, reflects how well the actual job is conducted. This is a significant shift from that of less senior roles, so the sooner that the “results” skillset is developed, the better.