Managing Meaning in the New Economy

As a manager, I am fortunate. I work with some of the brightest people that I know. The recruiters here at Delta Dallas are all articulate, sharp and good communicators. Recruiters, after all, must possess those qualities in order to succeed. You would think that this would make my job as Vice President of Operations easy. Well, it doesn’t.

You can talk to anyone who is in charge of any team, anywhere on the planet, and they will tell you that one of the highest priorities they have is managing meaning. You have to manage the meaning of vision, goals, objectives, project milestones, and your constituents’ interpretation of these elements each day. (Sometimes you have to manage them from moment to moment!)

When you are talking about the importance of meaning, the first thing that must be addressed is the need for what I call collective company meaning. A foundation of certain elements and dynamics have to be established in an organization before you can begin to define meaning in individual projects or initiatives. There are many things you can establish, but the two most vital pieces are:

1. A clear, established company culture
   People should know what to expect from their environment, and what behavioral, professional, and performance standards are set from their interview to their exit. This doesn’t mean that there will never be moments when people need to be coached on nuances in cultural expectations, but your environment should create a clear picture from day one.
2. A clear, shared company vision
   This comes straight from leadership. You can engage workers at every level by letting them know what your company is facing, good or bad – and engaging them in the process for growth. They need to be engaged in shared vision from the very beginning, as it creates meaning for even the most menial of tasks.

Once everyone is speaking the same language corporately, you can begin to create meaning within the context of specific projects. When we are beginning a new project or initiative here at Delta Dallas, I find that it works best when I have met with my team to establish communal meaning and interpretation of the following:

• The purpose for the project or initiative
• Expectations
• Common milestones for the project that are meaningful to each player and team
• Specific times to check back in and be assured that everyone is still sharing understanding
• Time line for completion
• How results will be measured and interpreted

I have found that when we are assured that we have a common understanding of project elements and company vision; it allows everyone to move forward with increased confidence. If leaders establish a culture of authenticity, vision, and opportunity through shared meaning, they can create a great deal of loyalty in their constituents and increase innovation as well as productivity. The new economy demands it.

Kim Follis, CPC, CTS is Vice President with Delta Dallas. Reach her at 972-788-2300 or kfollis@deltadallas.com.

Go Fish!

Recessions create leaders. These days, as part of the leadership team here at Delta Dallas, I find myself recounting my earlier recession experiences to my team. During the first recession I went through in this industry, I was clueless. During the second, I almost went down for the count. When this recession came along, however, I just looked up and said “Bring it on!” It has been important for my team to know that I can relate to the challenges they are experiencing in this recession.

In times of uncertainty, it is natural for people look to those in charge – their leaders – for guidance. My team is reassured by the fact that this is my third recession and I am still ready for the challenge ahead. In any difficult time, people start to look around to see if their leaders have the qualities they perceive to be most important in a person worthy of following.

We have an open atmosphere here at Delta Dallas. From my desk I can hear almost every conversation in the office. Lately, I have been intently listening to our recruiters’ conversations about leadership. Every day we discuss what qualities our candidates desire in a potential manager. We also converse with clients about what leadership qualities they are looking for in an employee. It turns out; there are a few qualities that consistently rise to the surface during these conversations. They are:

Vision: The ability to give direction.
Motivation: The passion to carry you through what you need to accomplish.
Confidence: The strength of belief in oneself.
Initiative: The fortitude to make decisions and do what needs to be done.
Knowledge: Not only possessing the information, but sharing it with others.
Productivity: Bottom line, quantifiable results.

Here’s the eye-opener, though. My staff has actually been discussing the characteristics that I look to develop in them. My goal is to build more than a team. My goal is to build a team of leaders.

I have been particularly interested in the relationship between leadership qualities and productivity lately. As I have been reading, I have found that some of the experts believe that it is a leader’s responsibility to maximize team productivity and to contribute by example – and I agree with a majority of their comments. However, the most important productivity factor in our office is developing the leader within each of our employees. It is much easier to set goals for your team and be done with it than it is to make efforts to develop leaders. But in my experience – individuals who can lead themselves have higher production levels. Ancient Taoist Lao Tzu said, “Give a man a fish; feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish; feed him for a lifetime”. It has been more important to teach my team the life skills of goal setting, accountability, and measurement. These personal leadership tools will help them to maximize their production as individuals and for our company.

Are you ready to develop individual leadership in your team? It is a process, but you can begin to guide and grow your internal leaders by teaching them what the essentials are. This week, take a few of your top producers (they will be the best team members to begin with) and ask them to answer the following questions:

• Do you have clearly-defined SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-Bound) goals related to specific job responsibilities?
• Have you defined systems, procedures and processes in place for each job task?
• Do you have an understanding of the acceptable measurement tools for the job at hand?
• Are you evaluating your work regularly and the results you have obtained?
• Do you have the adequate tools/skills available to accomplish the defined goals?
• Do you have the authority and decision-making ability to complete the required tasks?
• What motivation is present to drive needed results?

As your employees work through these questions, they take on the responsibility for their own productivity and differentiate themselves as company leaders.

Creating leaders has many rewards. In the past few months I have been inspired by the leaders in my own staff. Their feats of leadership, risks toward personal accountability and personal productivity have amazed me. One of our consultants came up with a new hiring solution to meet the financial/guarantee concerns of a client creating a win/win situation. Another consultant worked with a client to explain the importance of weekly one-on-ones with her staff in order to review departmental goals and expectations. I have even seen our team of grown women celebrate each other’s weekly accomplishments with whistles, pom-poms and silly string . . . creating a sense of community and motivation for the week to come.

As a leader, let it be known that you expect leadership qualities in your staff and provide support . . . but press your team to come up with their own creative solutions. You will be doing your employees a favor by preparing them for the times ahead. The economy to come will require that employees think creatively and offer far more value than just filling a cubicle. Talent will be a critical factor for workers and corporations in the new economy. By mentoring your employees, you are preparing them for maximum production and developing your company culture for the future ahead.

Kim Follis is Vice President for Delta Dallas. Reach her at kfollis@deltadallas.com or 972-788-2300.