Leadership Tip – What are we supposed to be doing now?

Assigning tasks can be one of the more difficult parts of leading your team.

It’s easy to assume your team members understand the task much better than they really do. Your team members need to understand what they are supposed to be doing, and why, if they are going to function well.

That means that, as their leader, you need to ensure they are clear about the context of any task you assign, what the purpose is of the task, why it is important, any background information that’s available and how it fits in the bigger picture.

Remember to convey any constraints on what they can do, when or how, as well as what resources are available to them to complete the task.

By consistently explaining the context, purpose and constraints, and checking that individuals understand these three things, assigning tasks to your team will go much more smoothly.

Leadership Coaching Club Prize Winner

Thank you to everyone who entered our special prize draw at the Office 2006 Exhibition.

I am pleased to announce the winner was:

Ranjith Panangala of Foil Tech

who will receive a complimentary place in our next Leadership Coaching Club 10 week intensive starting in September, valued at $999.

Congratulations to Ranjith.

And thank you again to everyone who visited our stand and attended the Learn! Lead! Succeed! Seminars. It was great to meet you all.

Free Leadership seminars at Office Expo

Thank you to everyone who came to our seminar on The MAGIC of Leadership or dropped by our stand at Office Expo yesterday. It was great to meet you and hear about your work.

The Office Expo runs for two more day at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre, and if you register yourself as a visitor you will receive free entry to the seminars, which feature some of Australia’s leading speakers and would typically cost at least $35 each to attend.

Take advantage of the free registration on the website now and save. I hope to see you there. And remember to come up and say hello.
The program for the remaining two days is:
Monday 22nd May: 12pm – 8pm
1.30pm – 2.15pm
Everyone Needs a Mentor
with Kerrie Mullins-Gunst
3.00pm – 3.45pm
Creating Customer Service to Make People say Wow!
with Winston Marsh
4.30pm – 5.15pm
Change Navigation – 5 keys to successfully navigating life and business storms
with Helen Macdonald
6.00pm – 6.45pm
The Art of Influence – How to get what you want from others
with Paddy Spruce

Tuesday 23rd May: 10am – 5pm
11.00am – 11.45am
Powerful Presentations – How to sell yourself and your ideas with impact
with Paddy Spruce
12.00pm – 12.45pm
Seven Things You Can Start Doing Right Now to be a Better Leader
with Kerrie Mullins-Gunst
1.30pm – 2.15pm
The Magnetic Employer – Creating a magnetic workplace where workers are truly happy!
with Helen Macdonald
2.30pm – 3.15pm
How to Turn Your Customers into Evangelists
with Winston Marsh

“Management of the Future” Quote

“Human beings are compounded of cognition and emotion and do not function well when treated as though they were merely cogs in motion …

The task of the administrator must be accomplished less by coercion and discipline, and more and more by persuasion …

Management of the future must look more to leadership and less to authority as the primary means of coordination.”

Luther H Guilick, 1937

I’ve been doing rather a lot of travelling in the past ten days or so and when I see this quote, from way back in 1937, I’m reminded of that great travel anthem… “Are we there yet?”

For some more ideas on the different roles of leader and manager have a look at this article I wrote on Leadership Role Playing.

Somehow I think we’re still on the journey.