1) Develop greater business acumen. Keep abreast of what's going in the market and look at everything you do as it impacts the client. No matter what your role, your salary is paid for by current and future customers. Talk to them. How does what you do help the organization financially? Take accountability for creating a satisfied client base.

 

2) Step up one step on the ladder to look at things from a higher, more strategic vantage point. Do a SWOT analysis or Force Field Analysis once a quarter to gain a better perspective on your role, your team and your organization. Drop tasks  that do not contribute to achieving the strategic goals of executive leaders. Figure out who's "really" in charge of your organization and look at situations through his/her eyes. Be loyal to your own leader, but look beyond him/her to what's going on across and above functional boundaries.

 

3) Gain exponential increases in productivity through better working relationships. Individual productivity is increased when individuals feed off of each other's positive energy, when knowledge is shared among team members and when no team member feels he/she has succeeded until every other individual has succeeded. If you are a leader, make assignments that "force" team members to work together. As an individual contributor, make it a goal for 2009 to develop better working relationships with at least 3 other people in your organization.

 

Recently one of our clients made a commitment to a "memory upgrade" for her management team. First she documented a list of expectations she had for them in 2009, including stepping up to the plate to take over projects so she could move to a more strategic role. Next she asked the managers to compare their viewpoint about their strengths and weaknesses to the viewpoint of those who reported to them. This analysis revealed some discrepancies the team committed to remedy in 2009.

 

The next step was to call in Forward Focus to facilitate a session based on the DISC and PIAV assessments. DISC is a Communication Style inventory; PIAV identifies Personal Interests, Attitudes and Values which motivate the managers. By the end of the 2 hour session, the team members, who already had good relationships with each other, had even more understanding of each other and even more motivation to leverage their personal strengths in the service of the team and to better meet client needs. Each manager committed to be the Champion of one of the management expectations, acting as a role model and coach for the others on that competency. In future meetings, the managers will report to the team and to Forward Focus on their progress towards these goals. What a great example of a team that was willing to meet a new challenge!