| One need only look out the window to see
that spring is clearly upon us, even in the Upper Midwest. The pond
outside our office thawed weeks ago, and turtles, herons, wood ducks
and other wildlife have begun to make appearances. This spring issue of our newsletter, now called “Reflections on Leading,” is the first that will be distributed entirely through cyberspace. By moving fully into the electronic era, we hope to publish more often and provide a new level of information and insight. We hope you find it helpful, and are always interested in your feedback. Grown-Up Leadership: The Workshop “A disciplined way to infiltrate organizations with better leadership practices.” Imagine bringing together teams of experienced leaders to assess their strengths and learn and practice the skills that will increase their effectiveness and help propel your organization forward. For years, The Bailey Group has successfully led workshops for organizational leaders across the country. This particular seminar now has a new name: The Grown-Up Leadership Workshop. You might be tempted to assume that this workshop was based on the recently-published book of the same name. But in fact the opposite is true: the ideas in Grown-Up Leadership (the book) evolved from the workshop, which we have conducted for many years under the name of “Leading Creatively” for organizations such as University of Minnesota, Fallon Worldwide, Ceridian, and others. Like the book, the Grown-Up Leadership Workshop addresses the topics of personal development and experiences as key contributors to one’s leadership style. The basic program, which may be customized to address the specific leadership challenges faced within your organization, focuses on three key competencies for effective leadership:
The workshop is delivered in three group sessions over a six month
period, with individual coaching provided to each participant in
between sessions. Participants receive 360º feedback and design a
personal development plan based on the results. Assignments to apply
what is learned in the “class room” back on the job and a
post-workshop survey to assess behavior change rounds out the
experience. Allocating Time: How Leaders Prioritize their Workday Leadership requires a specific set of priorities and skills in order to succeed. Sometimes we see leaders—particularly newly appointed leaders of functional areas like engineering and finance—fall into the trap of believing that their primary value comes from the technical expertise they bring to their jobs. As a result, they find themselves doing work their subordinates should be doing, canceling one-on-one meetings and staff meetings because of more “urgent” priorities, and grumbling that no one works as hard or can do the work of their department as well as they can. Such an activity trap is a dangerous place for someone who is accountable for return on investment, cost and quality control, motivation and retention of key employees, and corporate vision. How can you address these bottom-line outcomes if you’re always busy “doing the work”? Effective leaders we know step back from deadline-based work to consider their current reality and to decide how to best spend their time to accommodate these new priorities. They seek out new kinds of tasks that help set a clear direction for their organization, get people focused on a common set of objectives, and inspire, achieving results through their ideas and through the people they lead. Here are some positive ways that I’ve seen leaders effectively allocate their valuable time in a given work week: Being strategic. Strong leaders set aside several hours each week to thinking strategically, anticipating future ideas and direction, and planning for success. Tasks that involve strategic thinking include reading, engaging in dialogue with others in (and outside of) your industry, attending training and conferences, working with a coach, writing or even thinking quietly. Forming and strengthening relationships. Leaders who succeed invest time and energy in relationships with bosses, key clients, and peers from other work groups. They share information about their work, areas of focus, and ideas for future planning. Good leaders also listen well, making sure they really understand another vision or point of view. Through lunches, scheduled and impromptu meetings, phone conversations or even golf games, they’re building trust, learning about other priorities, and forming ideas. Coaching and developing people. Every good leader I know sets aside priority time for each of the people who can affect their team’s successes and outcomes. These leaders know their staff members well, and can articulate specific goals, areas of passion, special skills and capabilities, areas of concern or anxiety, big ideas, even outside interests. More important, they help their team members convert the passion, ideas and skills into successful work outcomes. Team building. Successful leaders build teams that function well
together, support individual members, believe in their own capacity,
and stay focused on achieving their objectives. They help team
members understand the roles they play in the bigger picture, and
help them find creative ways to contribute to the team’s success.
They make time to learn how to hold effective meetings, build
consensus, delegate tasks well, and facilitate networking. The above represents a good starting list, to be tailored to your particular industry and needs. Make your own list as specific as you can. With whom will you seek to build relationships? What books will you read, what conferences will you attend, how and when will you make time to connect with your team? Feel free to consult with any of our team members if you need help—it’s what we do best. LB Now Available: The Taking Charge of Your Career Workbook, 3rd
Edition
Many of our clients have used Taking Charge of Your Career as a
guide in their own professional work, or as a tool to engage their
employees, since it was first published in 1998. Some of the book’s
contents have been updated, and we are particularly grateful to our
associate, Barb Krantz Taylor, for collaborating on this edition by
sharing both her experience and her expertise. One Final Note We are sad to announce that Maureen Bailey is leaving The Bailey Consulting Group. She has been an important part of our company for a long time. She will be continuing her work as a coach and consultant--if you want to reach her, you can may leave her a voice mail at 763-535-1570, or send her an email at mbaileyconsulting@msn.com. back to top |
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