Success always has failure in it. Weak leaders pretend and fearful leaders need everything to be okay. But, nothing works perfectly.
You’re never successful without failure.
Every initiative, program, event, or project has glitches, inefficiencies, and dropped balls.
Improving and Fixing:
The downside of improving is oppression. “Isn’t it ever good enough?” However, strong cultures create environments where the pursuit of better is expected, embraced, and enjoyed.
Jeremy Kubicek, CEO of GiANT Impact, uses “curbsides.” After client appoinments, teams huddle curbside to evaluate the meeting. They discuss what worked, didn’t work, and how to improve, before they go their separate ways.
Systematic evaluation prevents
performance feedback from becoming personal.
Chris LoCurto, told me about after-event meetings when he was VP of Live Events for Dave Ramsey. He remembers the first meeting where he asked what wasn’t working. “No one said much. So, I shared what I could improve.”
“Treat people with dignity.
Don’t let people be blamed.
Focus on issues. Everyone makes mistakes.”
Chris LoCurto
The second after-event meeting was a little better until someone said, “So and so did…” Chris told the team we’re not playing the blame game. We’re focusing on issues. He said, “I wanted team members to talk about their failures in front of their peers.”
“When you allow people to make mistakes
they’re free to take on more responsibility.”
Chris LoCurto
Chris believes after-event meetings were pivotal to creating strong team connections. He saw team mates bring their strengths to the weaknesses of others, for example. Furthermore, authentic communication freed team members to rise up and lead.
How can leaders create environments where the pursuit of better is embraced and enjoyed rather than being oppressive?
