Quick Tips for New Leaders

Project Management

You need well executed projects to accomplish your goals. Clearly define and delegate.

• Define the elements of the project and assign responsibility to those best able to manage and execute those elements.
• Once assigning a task to someone – let them handle it. They should be accountable to you, but you should not rush in to micro-manage or to give others pieces of the project.
• Respect the chain of command you have established.
• Allow project leaders to pick your own team (committee) and manage them
• Clarify team (committee) goals and deadlines – hold people accountable.
• Always give positive recognition.

Meeting Management

Your time and everyone else’s is of incredible value. Invest it wisely.

• Set and keep a time schedule.
• As meeting manager (CEO or facilitator) be on time.
• Have an agenda – and publish it – also have paper copies.
• No surprises – everyone involved should know the purpose of the meeting.
• If guests are invited, advise them in advance that they are guests and will be given the opportunity to speak when it is appropriate to the reason they are in attendance.
• Nurture a climate that encourages people to express their own views – and to offer constructive disagreements and/or criticism.
• Share the responsibility of the meeting with attendees by having them responsible for different aspects of the agenda.
• Have a living agenda rather than a static one and allow others to input into the agenda before it is published.
• Start and end on time – that shows respect for others

Goals and Premises

In order to understand the differences in points of view, we most often have to go back to the basics: 

What are the basic premises under which they are operating and what are the goals they are trying to achieve?

One story from my consulting practice:

I was shadowing the Chief Engineer in a transportation company one day, during my role as his mentor. He and I attended a meeting that was being led by an out of state consultant. Our roles were to listen – not to take over.

The out of state consultant was offering his conclusions as to where signal switches should be placed along the track for a new kind of train. He thought (for example) they should be placed at A, C L, and Q.  Another consultant (from a competing company) was saying, you are all wrong, they need to be placed at A, B D, F, and M. The two consultants went back and forth, “I’m right you’re wrong” without ever having reached an agreement.

As I listened I realized that their basic premises and eventual goals were different. The out of state consultant was suggesting switches that would enable the most speed. The local consultant knowing the terrain was suggesting switches that would create the most safety.

Each was right, given their basic premises and goals.

So, when we disagree with someone as to how they should do something, perhaps we ought to first learn what their premises are and what they want to accomplish.