Parenting Executives
I have heard it said that leading a company is similar to raising children. I agree. There are similarities. My concern is you are a weaker leader at work or home because you are not leveraging our career leadership skills at home, or vice-versa. Let me suggest 7 ways you can use similar systems to succeed both in your career AND at home
.
1.
Culture
: Define your mission (purpose for being), vision (where you are going as a company) and values (how you do business). Why not also do this for your family too?
2.
Expectations
: Set clear, measurable expectations for the
behaviors
of your employees and peers at work; plus with your spouse and kids at home. Go to the Free Stuff section of
to download now.
3.
Goals
: Set clear, measurable annual goals using my T.A.R.G.E.T. method that deliver the results you are seeking. Delegate the responsibilities for achieving these goals to your employees. Do the same for your family, you/your spouse and your children. Also available at the Free Stuff section of
.
4.
Appreciate
: Take time to follow-through on your commitments to employees and remind them how much you value them. Do the same for your family. When is the last time you bought flowers for your spouse, brought them their favorite treat or spent time just focused on them just to demonstrate your love? Do not wait too long...
5.
Sanctuary
: Schedule time to remove yourself from your work to regain perspective, renew your commitment to leadership and recharge your batteries. Renew your commitment to your family too by investing some of your personal time to eliminate life's clutter and focus on what is truly important.
6.
Retention
: Schedule retention interviews with employees to confirm they see a future with your company, are fully engaged and feel valued. Take time to demonstrate your love for your family too. Forget the TV, the Internet and your selfish interests. Invest time to recharge through your most important relationships.
7.
Accountability
: Follow-up as promised and respectfully hold your employees accountable for their expectations, goals and other commitments. Do the same with your family.
There is more you can do, but this is a great start to being an effective, intentional leader in your home and career.
MEETING IDEAS
You cannot discuss family issues in a business setting, however you can forward this newsletter to your team for consideration.
If you want to use this topic for a meeting, please consider simply asking open-ended questions based on the 7 areas of leadership above.
1. Culture
: What is our mission as an organization? What is our vision? What are the values that define how we do our work better than our competition?
2.
Expectations
: What are your Expectations for me as your boss? What are our Expectations between coworkers?
3.
Goals
: What are our company goals for 2010 (2011?)? What are the specific responsibilities of people related to our achieving these goals?
4.
Appreciate
: How do you know that our company values you as employees? What makes you think we do not value you and your contributions?
5.
Sanctuary
: How much time, when and where should we each take to regain perspective, renew our love for leadership and recharge our batteries?
6.
Retention
: Are we meeting your expectations as a company? Explain your career path with our organization? When is the last time someone complimented you? What was the situation and why?
7.
Accountability
: What are you struggling to follow-up on in a timely manner?
