Greetings!
This is the second issue of the newsletter as Elijah Consulting. As a gentle reminder, we are carrying on from where Shining Arrow left off, so the issue numbers remain. Last week, I was listening to Episode 270 of the official BNI podcast, an episode I found very enjoyable and which resonated very well with what Elijah Consulting is all about. The title of the podcast was "Congruent in Words and Actions". You can listen to it here: http://bit.ly/SUtg4X. I'd like to say this again - whether or not you're a BNI member, do make time to listen to these podcasts. Weave them into your schedule and listen when you're driving or commuting, but schedule it in. I download them onto my mobile and listen when I commute. It's a great way of getting a wise person's perspectives on all things related to networking, in this case. You may or may not agree with everything that the podcaster says, but listen anyway. Use whatever makes you uncomfortable to examine your own beliefs and values, or to spark off ideas you might not otherwise have. Do the same things for other podcasts as well.  Most of you would be familiar with the acronym WYSIWYG - What You See Is What You Get. Now, pause and reflect for a moment. Can you think of someone at your workplace who would be a great advertisement for the acronym WYSIWYG? Someone who is known to be transparent, dependable and does what he says he will do, even if it means unexpected sacrifice on his part? What is your opinion of this person? Do you want him on your team, assuming he's not? Technical know-how permitting, would he be one of your first choices for handling that very important project coming up? When there are disagreements at your workplace, do you think of him playing the role of mediator? If you are forced to lay people off, and he happens to be occupying one of those posts upon which the axe is expected to fall, would you try your utmost to keep him, against all odds? I hope you have at least a few names in your mind. Your workplace must indeed be a very miserable one otherwise. I don't know about you, but I have yet to see a genuinely joyful Dilbert cartoon. I hope none of those cartoons is a depiction of your workplace. What about you? Are you someone who will "Do What You Said You Would Do"(DWYSYWD)? Think carefully about this. If you are in a position of leadership, have you ever said things that might reasonably have stirred up hopes of some gratification, or discernible justice done, or an improvement in working conditions, in the minds of your people, whether you actually uttered the words explicitly or not? People expect things from leaders that they do not expect from others. For example, if you as a leader happened to express an exploratory idea along the lines of better staff benefits, say, an increase in the number of paid leave days per year in front of your staff, but knew deep within your heart that such a happy state of events was not at all likely to happen, then you would have defrauded your staff. To "defraud" is to promise something that you are not able to morally or lawfully fulfill. So, be discreet with your words. Discuss possibilities, by all means, just make sure everyone present is clear that it is a discussion, not a dissemination of policy.  So, how do we ensure that our brand, our image, our reputation, is not just a thin sneer of a flimsy facade? I can suggest two ways. First, decide to say what you mean and mean what you say. If you hear any news, whether good or bad, exercise due diligence to establish their veracity. If you believe that what you have heard could very well be true, but has not been confirmed, then say so, and explain why you think it could be true. Emphasize the fact that it is hearsay, and that confirmation can be expected in the not-too-distant future. People do not expect leaders to know everything, but they expect leaders to know what to say and do when things get a little foggy, and the company enters murky waters. When your people have experienced and know that your words carry a lot of weight, your credibility soars. Compose your words well all the time. You never know when you might have to eat them. If you wish to improve in the area of expressing yourself clearly by speaking clearly, there are any number of speech and presentation experts out there who would be most happy to bring you up to speed. I can certainly recommend Heather Hansen, for one.  The second way is to decide beforehand that your words will be borne out by your commitment to actions that fulfill them, even if you uttered them unknowingly to your disadvantage. You might have promised to deliver 20,000 disposable valves to a medical company by Monday, but forgot that your current production capacity is much lower due to a large number of staff being away on leave. Take action. Put existing production capacity on overdrive temporarily. Request staff on leave to return, and pay a premium for those who are able and willing to do so. Accept the huge dent in profits, or worse, to your war chest. Remember that money can always be made one way or another. A good name, held up by your dependable words, is hard to build and easy to lose, so guard it well. Do remember that a good name is different from merely having a good reputation, so focus on maintaining a good name first.
By now, you know whether or not congruency is a characteristic at your workplace. Do you think it is important to either enhance it or get it back on track? I'm sure you know that it is a genuine necessity. Don't falter, do something to establish and build congruency in your organization now. Have a great week ahead! |
