Great comment I heard recently. There seems to be a lot of assuming across most organizations about why things are not being done correctly. We assume they should know. We assume they understand. We assume they know what is expected. We assume they know what 100% complete looks like. We assume they know how to produce 100% completed results. We assume they know what is going wrong and how to fix it.
In “7 Habits of Highly Effective People”, Stephen Covey challenges us to “Seek to Understand and Then to be Understood.” I can tell you as I work with visionary owners and leaders across the country this seeking to understand is a real challenge. It seems that ownership and management assumes the team knows what is wrong and how to fix it. It seems that ownership and management assumes the team knows why the owners and leaders are so frustrated and they should know how to change and address.
Can I tell you, in most instances, the owner/ manager and the employee/ team member, either do not really know why there is so much frustration or, they know what is causing the challenges and issues but ownership and leadership don’t really seem to care to dig in to the cause and help to solve the issue. I also know that a good bit of the time, it is the ownership or leadership that has helped contribute to the issue or challenge.
I say let’s turn the page. Let’s start over. Let’s set aside some time to talk with each team member about the issues or challenges with an attitude of trying to understand the cause and to be a part of the solution. It may be that you have the wrong person on the team but over 90% of the time we have significant systems and process issues causing the chaos, drama, disappointment and frustration for ownership, leadership, employee and teammate.
Let’s take time this week to bring in each teammate and discuss any issues, challenges or frustrations but this time, let’s seek to understand and help develop some solutions.
You got this!!