follow-through on commitments
Perhaps the most simple yet powerful characteristic of an effective leader is their ability is to follow-through on commitments. This is the best way to build trustworthiness and gain the confidence of others. We should show people that we are smart through our actions and performance, not just by saying smart things.
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Establishing our character as somebody who is reliable and dependable will create a solid foundation for trust and effectiveness. Our reputations will develop as a shadow of our true character and intentions. We will build strong relationships and others will seek our participation in projects and share opportunities. This ultimately creates efficiency and is essential for progress.
In contrast, failing to follow-through consistently, even with small tasks, will erode our credibility and integrity as they are experienced by others. When we only follow-through when others are watching, people may begin to question our integrity. Leverage your strengths to create reliability and then revel in their impact.
In contrast, failing to follow-through consistently, even with small tasks, will erode our credibility and integrity as they are experienced by others. When we only follow-through when others are watching, people may begin to question our integrity. Leverage your strengths to create reliability and then revel in their impact.
- If we say we are going to do something, then we should do it - or we should not have said we would. Again, we have a finite amount of time to manage everything in our lives. This means that we need to focus on things that are important. If it is not important, then we need to consider carefully if we should be doing it. Please note, some things may not seem important to you, but may be important to somebody else. This makes it important.
- Schedule tasks in your calendar so you have time dedicated to completion. This will ensure time to focus on that task. To-do lists may work for some, but it still relies on time being made available to address those tasks. When we make specific time for tasks, they are seen as more meaningful. If the task does not warrant being scheduled, then we may need to consider delegating that task to another.
- Take notes and organize information. Our strategies for storing important information and may differ, but we know that by taking notes we are more likely to remember things. The act of jotting down important comments and follow-ups during meetings also signals to others that we are paying attention.
- Do not fall victim to the fallacy that we can multi-task. It has been proven numerous times we can only perform one task well at a time. Focus on one thing at a time, and make sure to do it well. When we try to manage numerous tasks at a time, the quality of our work on each of them suffers, and our distractedness will be draining. When attempting to multi-task in group settings (meetings or conference calls), our inattention will undoubtedly be noticed. Attempting two tasks at once will take 150% longer than doing them separately, and the quality will suffer for both tasks.
- Reduce or even eliminate distractions. Turn off email and text alerts and even hang a sign that says "do not disturb". An open door policy should be translated figuratively, not literally. The policy is a metaphor for being available and approachable, not that we can be disturbed at any time. If we are truly leading by example and demonstrating strong values, a closed door does not mean we are not approachable. Use your door (or headphones, etc) when it makes sense. Your value-driven-actions will still make you approachable. Schedule your availability and show others that you value both your time and theirs.
- Check-in with others often. Provide status updates, and verify progress on tasks and projects. We should not assume that others understand our unique vision. We need to communicate our vision clearly and with passion. We may need to operationalize this vision and even translate components so that we can invite the help from others. Exercise humbleness and consider others ideas – even if at first we may disagree. We must also be sure to demonstrate authenticity when checking-in with others.
- Take ownership of team performance. At times it can be easy to quietly take a break from progress because we are waiting on somebody else. We may be fully aware of a contingency that has not been assigned to us specifically, yet we do not act. This is the sucker’s choice. While we do not want to enable another’s lack of follow-through, we should be aware that a team will succeed or fail together. When able, we should be willing to meet others more than halfway when necessary. Performance issues can be addressed at a different time, but we must reject complacency as an option. Take ownership and coach others rather than avoid uncomfortable conversations. The latter will surely result in everybody failing. Michael Jordan famously said, “There is no ‘I’ in team, but there is in win.”
- Be aware of the others’ needs. While we strive to focus our time on important tasks, we must also understand that there are some things that may be important to others, but not as important to us. Develop relationships so that colleagues can be open with us when they need something, and not be too timid to remind us if we forget. When we focus our time and success only on the things that matter to us, we are seen as selfish or obtuse.