#006 - Marcus Buckingham's first, break all the rules

Five things I learnt from Marcus Buckingham's book first, break all the rules

There are some books that you read where you get to the end of a page or even a paragraph and you think, yes, that makes total sense, that aligns with all I've learnt so far.

There are other books that you read and you get to the end of a paragraph and think, hmmm, that totally goes against all that I've been taught.?

A book with the sub title "What the World's Greatest Managers do Differently" is definitely going to fit in to the second category.

You have a choice. You can either ignore it and keep reading, or you can stop and think about it.

Here are five things I learnt from Marcus Buckingham's book first, break all the rules, (although I've stuck to the less controversial ones for this edition, I'll share more provocative ones next time round!):

1. Managers should be the catalyst speeding up the reaction between colleague talents and company goals

Companies have goals, people have talents.

If people are working towards the company goals but not using their talents you are missing out.

If people are using their talents but not contributing to the company goals you are not going to survive long.

As a leader, you should set things up so that the people you have in your team are using (and developing) their talents in relation to the company goals.

This is one of the fundamental roles of manager - connecting a person's talents to the goals of the organisation.

2. Talent is potential that needs to be applied to the right circumstances

It is not enough for someone to have talent. That talent needs to be applied.

There are many people across the world, with many talents.

Just having those talents does not guarantee success.

Even using those talents does not guarantee success.

There are many, many talented people who have not "succeeded".

Marcus Buckingham says that talent is?

a recurring pattern of thought, feeling or behaviour that can be productively applied

Environment, motivation, timing, support are all other factors that influence whether the talent is used and used successfully.

The challenge of this to me was twofold.

Firstly, am I making use of the talents I have?

Secondly, am I creating an environment where the talents of others can thrive?

3. Observe your best talent so that you can share their secrets

The people in your team who are best at what they do have approaches, processes, routines all of their own. If they didn't they wouldn't be the best.

So spend time observing them, learning their secrets, asking questions, finding out what makes them thrive so that you can help others to use these for themselves.

Be wary of just creating a model that means that everyone has to do as your top performers do - that doesn't always allow everyone to shine in their own way, but see what you can learn that will help everyone.

4. Focus more on the skills that are in a person than the gaps that they have

It can be tempting to try to fix a person, or to develop weaknesses that they have - with good intention.

It is much more effective to find the real strengths that they have - which may be hidden - and to develop those and to give space for those to be used fully.

This is especially important for new colleagues. Give new colleagues the space they need to bring the value you hired them to deliver.

When we think about products - they have a certain purpose and something that they are good at and we look at how to make them even better at that particular thing. We do not spend time trying to make them something that they are not - there is little point in that.

We should take more of this approach with people. Let their strengths shine.

5. Forcing others to adopt our way makes them resentful or dependent - both of which reduce effectiveness

I was listening to Chris Voss on a podcast recently. He talked about the fact that

people will die for their autonomy.

If we have a set way of doing things that is just our way of doing it, and we force people to do it that way they are likely to become resentful or dependent.

Resentful - people will have their own views and approaches and ideas about the best way or most appropriate way for them to do things. If they are not allowed to express or apply these thoughts then they will resent doing things the way that you are asking them to. They will not feel listened to.

Dependent - if you force people to do things your way without any thought they will stop thinking and will always be looking to you for advice, direction or guidance - which will stop you from being able to do more impactful things.

It may be that if you leave people to come up with their own ways of doing things that?

a.) they will understand what they are doing better

b.) they will care about it more and

c.) they will choose to do things in exactly the same way as you would have wanted them to do anyway, or

d.) they find a better way of doing it.

So, what about you?

What leadership rules do you break?

How do you bring out the best in others?

What have great managers that you've had done differently?