Talk to the People You Lead

I subscribe to Laurie Taylor’s Tips and Tactic’s Ezine.  The October issue had some great common sense advice for leaders.  “Talk with your direct reports for 30 minutes every week in order to open up communications and break down barriers to growth.”

I’ll say it again – this is great common sense advice.  However, I know very few leaders who actually use it.  In the ezine, Laurie told a story:

“When I was conducting a workshop on ‘Cracking the Code to Your Company's Growth’, I mentioned this tactic (talking with your direct reports) to my room of CEOs and managers. One manager raised her hand and seemed a bit annoyed. 'I have 8 people that report directly to me. Do you mean you expect me to spend 4 hours every week talking to them?'”

The answer to that question is an unequivocal “yes”.  It’s only common sense.  The most basic job of any leader is to help the people he or she lead to succeed.  You can’t do that if you don’t have regular, meaningful conversations with those people.

Unfortunately, too many managers and leaders think like the one in Laurie’s story.  When I challenge them on this, they usually say that they are too busy to meet with their people regularly.  When I probe a little further, I find that they are too busy because they don’t delegate properly.  Instead of spending their time teaching their people what to do and how to do it, and then holding them accountable, they either do the work themselves or spend their time looking over their people’s shoulders. 

Leaders can break this cycle by heeding Laurie’s suggestion and spending focused time with the people they lead.  In these conversations, they can teach people what they need to know, show them how to do something the right way, listen to their problems and concerns and help them succeed.

John Kelly is one of the best leaders I know.  He meets with the people who report to him for one hour every week.  Before he got promoted, he had 12 people reporting to him.  That’s 12 hours out of every week.  John tells me that those were the best, most productive 12 hours in his week, because he had meaningful, substantive conversations with his people.  He found that as a result of these weekly meetings, the people he led got more done with fewer problems and ended up taking up less of his time than they did before he started them.  John has fewer people reporting to him since he got promoted, but he continues his practice of weekly one to one meetings.

The common sense point here is simple.  Effective leaders spend time with their people dealing with routine things.  In this way, routine things don’t turn into big problems.

That’s it for today.  Thanks for reading.  Log on to my website www.BudBilanich.com for more common sense.  Check out my other blog: www.SuccessCommonSense.com for common sense advice on becoming the career and life success you are meant to be and to get a copy of my new ebook Star Power: Common Sense Ideas for Career and Life Success.

I’ll see you around the web, and at Alex’s Lemonade Stand.

Bud

PS: Speaking of Alex’s Lemonade Stand – my fundraising page is still open.  Please go to www.FirstGiving.com/TheCommonSenseGuy to read Alex’s inspiring story and to donate if you can.

Comments

[Eileen]

This is good advice which I've been so busy that I've forgotten about implementing lately with my own assistant. Thanks for the reminder.

I just wanted to let you know I'm one of your regular readers, and really enjoy your columns.

Best regards,
Eileen
Dedicated Elementary Teacher Overseas (in the Middle East, but formerly of Denver!)
elementaryteacher.wordpress.com

[quirkyalone]

Good advice, thank you. Have to try it with my people.