Leadership Development: Getting Others Up To Speed Fast

April 18, 2012

I was just speaking at the HSMAI Convention in Chicago where I had a blast connect with the group and sharing two key subjects- ProGOtiations: How to Get To Yes and How to Say the Right Thing at the Right Time.

During the session I got asked several fabulous questions which I wanted you to benefit from as well. The first question came from two different people and came down to this, “how do I get someone who works for me to do their job and not expect me to constantly prioritize their day. I find if I take the list of what needs to be done and put it in to clusters for the person, they perform but if I expect them to just make their own list and prioritize it I am waiting for ever for things to get done. Is this a culture difference or what?”

Actually it is a brain difference, not a culture difference and it is the number one reason that we have executives around the world sending people to us for coaching. I mean, wouldn’t you love if the person who worked under you could just do a mind meld with you and know exactly what to do, and when to do it?

Here is the next best thing:

Create your own mind meld with the following steps:

1. Share that you will be teaching your thinking, not the doing. This means that you expect them to make their own list and prioritize but you realize for a few weeks you will have to help them be able to do that.

2. Have them prepare what they think needs to be done for the week. Look over the list and dialogue with them on what things they forgot to put on there. Have them put those on in a DIFFERENT color ink. This is so when you debrief at the end of each week, you will both start to see the PATTERN in their thinking of what things they don’t think about.

3. Then have them take the list and prioritize and cluster the items that need to be done. Have them present it to you along with their logic of why they organized it the way they did. Share any changes you would make and WHY, then have them circle or write those changes in a DIFFERENT COLOR ink. Again you want to start looking for thinking patterns that are off.

4. Debrief at the end of the week asking them- what worked? What did they notice about what they forgot or how they prioritized? What will they do differently next week because of this?

Do this for a month and the person should become locked in to how you think about things, why, and how they need to adjust.

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