Simple Things

A thought for the weekend.

We often overlook the simple leverage point in favor of a more complicated solution. Of course we need systems and norms to track process and progress. I am not saying we do not need those. But we often miss a simple step that can have a huge impact on these goals and outcomes. We should create a system where we check ourselves and what we are doing and make sure we do not miss the simple, the elegant that is sitting right in front of our face. Make a date on your calendar to review and check these items out on a regular basis. These small things can make huge differences.

For example, we think about customer service a great deal. It is hugely important we all know that. But how often do we focus on making sure we are smiling? Taking it one further how often do we focus to make sure that we ourselves are smiling let alone our team. But imagine the huge impact a simple smile on everyone’s face would make on our customers experience and even on their whole day. And ideas like this allow us to have the opportunity to model this behavior immediately and show our people “follow me”.

So want a customer service system that can start working immediately with no investment? Show everyone the power of a smile. We have these ideas that are around us and we often allow the complexity of what we are doing to get in the way of something that is simple that can work wonders.

Simple, Easy and Elegant. Make it a habit to look for the simple things that can create that leverage – it is worth it.

a secret ingredient

When we are looking at getting something done there is a step we always forget to detail. Frankly it is because it is not all that exciting when you look at it on the surface. But when you compare what you get when you include this special ingredient as to when you do not – then you can see the magic.

So what is the secret ingredient?

Follow Up.

As a concept “follow up” gets some discussion. But the key is the system we put in place to make sure it happens. This is the secret to excellence in execution – and it is not complicated in its idea but it is crucial in its importance and challenging in its discipline.

So here is a quick mental test
1. Rate yourself on follow up from 1 to 10 (1 is worse and 10 is best – and no one is a 10)
2. Think of 1 thing you can do next week to try to improve you follow up

So here is the crux of the idea – where do you put the result of step 2? Where do you put these ideas so you can check to see have you (or your team) completed a goal by the time you were targeting.

It is simple in its concept but very challenging in its implementation. Do you have a system? If so what are the types of items that fall through the cracks? If you do not have a system talk to anyone who you trust and see what they do – this little idea of “follow up” is the key to success.

Each step of improvement in follow up unleashes amazingly powerful forces on your teams. Accountability, productivity and innovation are all built on the foundation of following up and doing what we say we are going to do.

I have been working on how to improve my system for years – and on some days it even works well. But there are days when I struggle with it like everyone else.

But the key is to remember that focusing on improving on this one little idea, adding this one little ingredient to the mix can literally change EVERYTHING – and that is if anything an understatement.

This is not a revolutionary idea – but all of us often do not stop and think about the huge power that lies in this little idea of “follow up”.

It may not be the idea that changes the world for you but without follow up all that idea will ever be is just a thought.

Follow up is what makes thought, ideas and dreams into something real.

We would all take that in a heartbeat.

"Follow Me" Leadership

There was a series of essays done on military leadership. The series was made into a book called “Follow Me” - it is also the way I have heard several people sum up several elite unit’s and army’s leadership “school”.


What a wonderful point. Leadership is about inspiring action in others toward a goal. A huge part of that is behavioral. What better way to think about this, teach this and inspire this than model that behavior and turn to those who are looking to you and say … follow me.


We all want to feel like we are a part of a goal and destination. We all want to know that we are heading somewhere. And we all want to know that we have people in it with us that we can count on and be inspired by their actions.


So whether it is picking up things from the ground, smiling and greeting customers or finding ways to improve your own work we all have ideas and items we know are crucial to our success.


Take a moment and think about what some of these behaviors may be.


Put some time in your day when you are with you people and make sure you show them this behavior – and be proud of it.


Because what you are saying is this:


“What makes us work here isn’t just dependent on you, it isn’t just dependent on me. We are all in this together and I am willing to ‘walk the walk’ with you to make sure we do what we need to do to make our goals a reality. I am not just going to tell you, I will show you. I will do it with you. Here is what we need to do to get better every day. Follow me”


And they will.

Elements of Great Managing

I was reading over a study that Gallup did on managing in an uncertain future. Of course the future is always uncertain – but they were discussing with some much change going on how do managers need to think about their people and how they are working with them to make the feel good about where they are working.


They had a list of “what does great managing look like?” that there are a couple of key points that we can look at and ask ourselves “do the people on my team feel like that?”


These are the items that from Gallup’s research of what people who perform best and feel the best managed claim


1. I know what is expected of me

2. I have the tools to do the job right

3. I get to do something I am good at everyday

4. I have received recognition or praise for my work in the last 7 days

5. My supervisors cares about me and respects me

6. I feel as though I am encouraged to get better and do more at work

7. My opinions count

8. I feel my job is important

9. My team and I are committed to doing quality work

10. I have had opportunities to learn and get better in the last 12 months


As a thought exercise we should all take a moment and see how we would guess our team would score themselves on some of these questions. It may lead us to trying to coach some of our people differently and see what their response to the change looks like.


What is clear from this list is what we have always said about managing people is true.

- Clear Expectations

- Timely feedback – especially positives are key – the closer to the moment of the behavior the better

- Fairness and Respect to the whole team is vital


Managing people and performance is an active task – we all have to own it and take pride in the results. Whether you are doing everything on this list or none of them (although I suspect y’all – like me – do some well and some … not so much) thinking about these approaches and asking “what is it that we can do tomorrow to improve ourselves over yesterday?” is a key to our success and improvement.


We all can be better at helping our people be better. They in turn can help us be better. No matter what the times we all know the power that comes from a team that is well run and runs together.


We should all take this as good food for thought, digest and see what we can do –


Keep it up