Leadership:
"It's Communication Not Confrontation"
Communication
Tools That Prepare Business Leaders For the New Millennium
If someone asked who you would consider to be a true leader, you could
probably come up with a half dozen or so names. But would any of them come from
within your company? Probably not! If your company isn't recognized as a leader
in the industry, and you don't have a contingency of leaders on staff, you will
undoubtedly find yourself way behind the pack in the new millennium. In the
future you're going to have to recognize leaders with less than luck or
intuitiveness--you're going to have to incorporate better tools to find them!
How can your company identify a leader--not by a resume or an interview.
Research shows that 98% of resumes contain some form of fraud. Most interviews
are cosmetic and can be manipulative. You may already have many leaders within
your company but don't realize them. In some cases a company leader will surface
only during a crisis. That's not a particularly efficient use of manpower. Any
employee who has not been identified for his/her capabilities
early on has been cheated out of utilizing all of their talents. Conversely,
the employer has lost a huge opportunity to benefit from those talents.
Today, employers are looking for a more systematic means of identifying
leaders to play key roles in their companies. A Fort Wayne, Indiana based
company by the name of Roster, Inc. has patented a process called the Position
Matrix Management System. The system is considered fail-safe and helps identify
and "create" leaders. For the past twenty years Roster, Inc. has
perfected the matrix and trained literally thousands of companies how to use it
to their best advantage. "Organizing and documenting makes all the sense in
the world," says John King, President of Roster Network, Inc. "You can
have a vision, but if you don't have the road map or the tools you can't get
where you want to go, and you can't lead. We have the leadership tools that give
you the facts, and that's clarity!"
When King talks about tools and clarity he's referencing several
systematic matrixes' Roster provides including; Position Matrix Management,
Activity Based Management, ISO/QS Certification, and Business Efficiency
Testing. All of these systems provide the employer with the clarity to better
understand where their business is going or should be going. They also provide a
clear picture of what employees are doing, or should be doing! Those companies
who have kept in pace with the changing economy with an eye toward future growth
continue to work on productivity, efficiencies, and most importantly--people
improving. "We call this Business Rationalization," says King.
"Using these matrix tools is real business leadership, and that's where the
sizzle is!"
If you're viewed as a good employer you probably don't have a problem
getting good employees. But realistically it only takes a few disgruntled
employees to leave a bad mark on the company. Good employees want to work in an
environment that makes them feel good about themselves. They're looking for
direction, feedback and empowerment. If your employees aren't supported and
allowed to grow in their careers, their failure to achieve lies with you.
Consider for a moment what happens when you don't use a proven plan to
grow your company and your employees. In some circles that's referred to as
"Sand Lot Business". The analogy comes from one of the oldest examples
in time--organized sports. If someone asked you where you stood in your business
conference, consider what your answer would be. Are you in the top 10 amongst
your competitors, or dead last? How do you rate your business? How well are you
organized, and what management systems do you have in place? If your answer to
any of these questions is "no", consider yourself a "Sand Lot
Business!" Generally, businesses that fall into this category are compared
to sandlot baseball. Why? Because for the most part, they lack leadership,
organization, are quickly thrown together, and usually don't have very many
rules.
Some employees are born leaders, but without the right tools how far can
they take your company in the direction that keeps it competitive and
prosperous? Implementing the matrix tools that are provided by companies like
Roster, Inc. guarantees a clear road map in the hiring process, and assures
up-ward mobility of your company. Above all, it provides the ability to
recognize and develop true leaders.
There will continue to be a lot of “Sand Lot" businesses in the future, but if you're going to be a business leader in the next millennium understand that it will take a lot more than making decisions on the fly. It will take empowered employees with phenomenal leadership skills, and winners will be the companies that have the better tools!