The Triumph of Substance Over Style: 5 Ways to Prove Your Worth

The Triumph of Substance Over Style: 5 Ways to Prove Your Worth by Laura Stack #productivity #leadership

Perception creates reality in most people's minds, but this tendency can lead you astray. You set the tone for your team, so make a commitment to putting substance over style. Refuse to lock your team into rigid ways of thinking and doing, in which the company line matters more than the bottom line. Within ethical, moral, and legal limits, do what benefits your organization most and gets you closer to its goals. To wit: 1. Break Free from Bureaucracy. Many organizations settle on what they consider "best practices" and stay there indefinitely. But "best" changes with technology and culture. Don't become so hardened that you refuse to take advantage of new "bests" as they become available and the old bests become outdated. 2. Stop Confusing "Busy" with "Productive." Who cares how many … [Read more...]

Teaching the Mission: Helping Your Team Understand and Achieve Alignment

Teaching the Mission: Helping Your Team Understand and Achieve Alignment by Laura Stack #productivity

Just as your car runs more smoothly and requires less energy to go faster and farther when the wheels are in perfect alignment, you perform better when your thoughts, feelings, emotions, goals, and values are in balance." — Brian Tracy, American motivational speaker and writer. In 2001, energy company Enron self-destructed in a scandal that still amazes those of us who witnessed it. Despite the core values literally carved into the façade of its Houston headquarters—Respect, Integrity, Communication and Excellence—top executives completely lost track of their company's official Mission and Vision. Instead, they focused on feathering their own nests and defrauding stakeholders to the tune of billions of dollars. As a leader, you can't allow anything like that to happen on your watch. … [Read more...]