Written by: Santarvis Brown, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
You’ve likely heard the quote “A goal without a plan is just a dream.” For some companies, this saying is the foundation of improvement. But what does it mean to you? What does it mean to you as a leader? And what does this expression mean to your teammates and employees?
To be an effective leader I implore you to focus on what is next for your organization. I am not just talking about a bottom line your company has set. I am talking about focusing on what’s next for those who you lead. In fact, by focusing on the future for those you lead you are providing a significant improvement for your company rather than just looking at your organization’s goals.
In previous months you’ve read about being a servant leader. The servant leader focuses on their employees to achieve employee and company success. Here are just a few reasons why focusing on your team’s goals improves the company
Improved employee morale. Improved employee morale motivates people to perform better and increases creativity.
Employee longevity: Employees are more willing to stay at a company, and with a leader who believes in their employees. In turn that long-term employee has more buy-in into your company and offers a lot more tools and resources than training a new employee.
Identify areas of improvement. Identifying areas of improvement improves the entirety of a team as well as individuals. People don’t all grow at the same speed. Being able to find strengths in all employees and where you can improve performance benefits everyone.
In the world of leadership, you often see leaders focusing on themselves ahead of those whom they lead. I look at this as the opposite approach to improving yourself and career as a leader.
Remember, effective leaders create effective teams. And that starts with focusing on the future of those you lead. So, how do we do this? Well, I like to call my focus on an employee’s future the 3IPlan. That is, you Investigate your employee’s needs. You Identify how your employees’ skillsets can satisfy those needs, and you Implement a plan to do so.
Investigate
Take time to sit down and discuss with an employee, what their career and work needs are. For some employees this may mean flexibility in their role. For others, a need may mean a promotion or higher paying job. And for many employees needs include praise for good work.
Identify
The most effective leaders know who their employees are, their employees’ motivations, and an employees’ skillsets. Do you have a list of your employees’ skillsets readily handy? Most leaders don’t. But you don’t want to be most leaders. You want to be the most effective leader. By identifying the skillsets of each of your employees you can also identify who will perform best in different areas of your organization.
Implement
And the fun part of this process is implementation. During the previous I’s did you find out information you didn’t know before? Do you have an analytical employee working in a creative role? Do you have a creative employee in a mundane task? Refocusing people to improve based on their natural skills is necessary to have your team running optimally. Implement your plan and you will find results.
An effective leader not only focuses on an organization’s future, but also the future of their employees ahead of their personal goals. Why? Not only is focusing on your employees’ future good for the employee and company, but it will also improve you as an effective leader.
Santarvis Brown, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Dr. Santarvis Brown has spent 15+ years serving as a leader, innovator, and changemaker in education, showcasing in-depth insight as an administrator, educator, and program director. A noted speaker, researcher, and full professor, he has lent his speaking talent to many community and educational forums, serving as a keynote speaker. He has also penned several publications tackling issues in civic service, faith, leadership, and education.
