I'm conscious that some of my more recent posts have been toward the longer end of online reading tolerance, so this week it is a shorter one.
I am sometimes asked if I have a general philosophy on business leadership and management. Reflecting on my experiences across various teams, functions, geographies and cultures, start-ups to established businesses, big and small; I often find myself coming back to the following:
Work Smart, Kick Goals and Have Fun!
There is definitely no shortage of excellent leadership and management approaches, frameworks and inspirational quotes out there. Let me expand and explain why I particularly like this one.
Work Smart.
You have probably heard from someone that "it's not about working harder, its about working smarter". I think that is partially correct but in working smart I think there are also many times when it is also about working hard. Results are often highly correlated with effort and pushing ourselves and teams to do better than the competition, to rise and meet the tough challenges head on.
Working smart is however also much more than just working hard. It also involves acquiring, managing and contributing the right people with the right skills in the right place at the right time. It involves creating a working environment where people are inspired and encouraged to be and do their best. It means making the best of available productive time. Finally for me it also means thinking about how, when and where you "work" - maintaining a healthy (and productive) mental, physical and spiritual balance in life.
Kick Goals.
The kicking goals attribute I think is great as a simplified measure of progress and success. In both sport and as a life philosophy, kicking goals is an essential association, element and measure in winning the game! I would often walk the office floor to check in with the team and simply ask; "are you kicking goals?" It is a great conversation starter.
In a football game as example; all the many hours of team selection, planning, training & coaching are essentially measured up in kicking goals. I then often think about the emotions in a game from kicking no goals, one goal, many goals and of course the winning goal. It's also inspiring to see and experience the team support, celebration and joy that comes when each goal is kicked - and ultimately in winning the game and perhaps the championship.
I think there are some great lessons that can be observed from sport and applied to leadership and management teams in the business world. Depending on where your team is at, it may be about just kicking the first goal as much as winning the game. It's hard however to associate success with a team that isn't kicking goals - no matter how brilliant the players or the game plan!
Often in complex business structures and scenarios we can find lots of explanations (and excuses) as to why things may not being going to plan. If no goals (or not enough goals) are being kicked then it's probably time to look at the team, the game plan, the training and coaching ... and working a bit smarter!
Have Fun!
Lastly but by no means least, in all that you do, have some fun. As someone once put it very simply for me:
"If you don't like what you do or what you are doing, then do something different!"
Makes sense. Sounds so simple, but as always, much easier said than done.
It would of course also be naive to suggest that life or work is just 100% fun. There are always the ups and downs, the good and the bad, the best and the worst. I think we have to take an "on balance" approach and if the positives aren't outweighing the negatives, then its time for some changes.
I think we also have to view and appreciate the broader definition of "fun" and enjoyment and respect that we are all different. For some the concept of fun may be sky-diving, bunjee-jumping or performing for a live audience (definitely a fear for many others). For some it maybe a complex mathematical or business strategy challenge. For others, the fun of social interaction in the working environment.
It is interesting and exciting to observe the different approaches now being taken to the design and culture of many office working environments to bring about a greater sense of freedom, creativity, interaction and as it would appear - fun.
This does need to be appropriate of course to the safety, compliance, brand, culture and operational needs of each situation and business environment.
Think about your own work attitudes, behaviours and outputs in "fun and happy" times compared to those when not so fun and happy. Those forces are significantly influential in workplace culture and performance.
I do also suggest there is benefit in a healthy mix of fear and fun in taking on big goals and achieving them. A concept that I have referred to in a previous article in being "Uncomfortably Excited". That which motivates us toward new levels of learning, experiences and achievement.
I think it is upon all of us to try and find the "fun" in each situation - if you can't, then make some. A laugh and a smile is an excellent tension and pressure reliever! It is also not about waiting for fun, it is about having fun - that means the onus is on each of us to manage our own mindset, environment and experience. Don't wait for someone else to create your fun!
That said, if you are a leader and manager of teams I would also ask what you are doing to create some "fun" in your working environment. I can tell you from experience that those times and moments will get remembered and talked about long after all the powerpoint presentations and excel spreadsheets are forgotten!
It's a complex world we live and work in, uncertainty is equalled with opportunity, pace and progress must be balanced with reflection and consideration. My advice for survival and success...
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