“The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it.” – Teddy Roosevelt
At times it is wise and profitable to revisit the basics and the obvious. There is a huge difference between knowing what to do and actually doing what we know. So let’s look at some basics regarding People Management.
You cannot reach your vision and goals without the help of others. Your greatest asset is people – the “right” people. People that share your company’s values, ethics, personality, culture and vision. Our primary objective is to get the right people on our bus, those people in the right seats on the bus and the wrong people off, and then direct the course of the bus yourself. Therefore, recruiting, training/coaching, developing and retaining your competent employees are critical success factors for your company and some of your primary responsibilities as a leader. Our focus should be to develop others and create the right conditions for their success. In short, unleash the full human potential of your organization.
We should challenge our employees and then hold them accountable. Without adequate accountability, we are making a deadly mistake. Countless times business owners, executives, managers, etc. hold meetings, have great interaction and conversation, decisions are made, and then there is no follow through. Everyone gets up and walks out of the meeting and things just don’t get done.
In addition, we should be very careful about letting your employees become your social friends. We need to remain objective to make decisions in the best interest of the company. Trying to please or be liked by everyone is a sure bet for disaster. Instead, strive to be respected.
Our leadership and other strengths are not worth much if we are not able to achieve leverage and results through other people. Keep reminding yourself and your management team that the greatest assets of your business are your people!
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