Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
You Factor
Citation preview
YYoouu FFaacc
ttoorr
Put the "You Factor" to Work
(Just Like President Obama Does)
Management SeriesYYoou u
FFAAccttoorr
An inspiration from Management article
YYoou u
FFaaccttoorr
President Barack Obama's inaugural address put the nation on notice. If we want to get things done, we better work together. "For as much as government can do and must do," Obama said.
"It is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies." From the inception of his campaign, Obama has stressed what political commentators (notably David Brooks of the New York Times) might call the "you factor."
That is, if you want to make it happen, do it yourself. Government will help, but you need to demonstrate initiative.
YYoou u
FFaaccttoorr
Executives working in the private sector, too, can make use of Obama's theme.
There is only so much a leader can do by herself;• it will be up to the team to execute. • It will also be up to individual employees to look to make things happen.
This theme should resonate well.
Once upon a time, companies took care of individuals, from recruitment to retirement. Career management was something your company did for you. Now, employees must do for themselves. Here are some ways to encourage the "you factor" in the workplace.
YYoou u
FFaaccttoorr
YYoou u
FFaaccttoorr
• Challenge Challenge conventional conventional thinking thinking
• Encourage Encourage dissentdissent
• Recognize Recognize progressprogress
• Own your Own your careercareer
4 ways to encourage the “You factor “
YYoou u
FFaaccttoorr
• Challenge Challenge conventional conventional thinking thinking
4 ways to encourage the “You factor “
Group think prevails in every organization. It emerges from the best of causes, that is, people doing the right thing to help the company. But when everyone pulls so hard in the same direction, it may result in people failing to think for themselves. That is why initiative is so important. Good managers are those who use occasional staff meetings for people to raise objections and to point out different ways of doing things.
YYoou u
FFaaccttoorr
• Encourage Encourage dissentdissent
4 ways to encourage the “You factor “
Innovation springs from dynamic tension. You want people to feel comfortable to challenge the status quo. One way to encourage oppositional thinking is to ask individuals to become advocates for specific interest groups. That is, assign one team to approach their job from what customers would want them to do. Ask another to adopt the shareholder's point of view. Still another team might want to adopt the mindset of a competitor. From such alternate viewpoints new ideas can emerge.
YYoou u
FFaaccttoorr
• Recognize Recognize progressprogress
4 ways to encourage the “You factor “
Pushing hard against obstacles is tiring. People need encouragement especially when forward movement is hard to perceive.
The leader must acknowledge the efforts of his team. For example, celebrate the milestones of a project. Make certain that people understand what the team has achieved and how those efforts tie into the success of the entire organization.
YYoou u
FFaaccttoorr
• Own your Own your careercareer
4 ways to encourage the “You factor “
Managers should be in the habit of asking employees to seek out development opportunities.
Such opportunities may take the form of job rotation and cross-functional training. Also, consider technical training and professional development.
The latter two may be at a premium in the era of cutbacks, but they are essential to individual and team growth
ACTION NOTE:
Can you have too much "you factor" on your team?
Yes. Every manager will want to have employees so self-directed, but if their self gets ahead of team direction then disorganization will follow.
A company of 100 self-directed leaders is terrific; a company of 100 individually oriented leaders is chaos. Therefore, leaders at every level must submit their leadership to the needs of the organization.
Successful leaders can leverage the "you factor" in their leadership. Done correctly it encourages ownership of problems and their solutions. It makes people feel more in control of their own destiny. Now in our time of economic travail that sense of control will be essential to getting ourselves and our organizations moving forward again.
YYoou u
FFaaccttoorr
