DONT CAST BLAME, CAST VISION

There is a phrase, which I like to call the forbidden phrase, is, “Our people won’t…”  some variations of this phrase, maybe,  our team never, my staff won’t, our volunteers don’t, our middle managers refuse to, our sales force just doesn’t, or my kids won’t. It’s also important to watch for qualifiers to this phrase, based on geography, demographics, age, education, or cultural differences.

Oh! the challenge with that phrase is that when we say it, or any other version of it, we’re casting blame. As a leader, you never give blame. A leader always takes responsibility. Instead of casting blame, cast vision.

Here are examples of how to make the shift:

1.      Show Them Why What You Care About Matters: The very first thing we want to do when people on our team are talking about how they won’t do something is to remind them of the why behind the thing that needs to be done. Every little thing points to the larger vision, and in the small, mundane things, people tend to forget that. A reminder of the why is always a good restart.  

2.      Tell Them Again And Again And Again: As a leader, we get it. We understand the why and the reasoning behind it all and when we say something once, we expect others automatically get it as well. That’s not the case. In fact, as soon as you start to get sick of repeating yourself is just about the time it starts to sink in for someone else. Don’t underestimate the value of communication and think of creative ways to say the same thing over and over. People learn in different ways and hearing in a different light may help it click for them.

3.      Celebrate Any Forward Progress: Anytime there’s progress made toward the vision, let those on your team know about it. Celebrate them and the accomplishment, and if you can do it publicly, even better.

4.      Tell Stories About Someone Who Gets It Right: Stories are a very powerful form of communication and most everyone understands them in a better way than other forms of communication. When someone gets it right, find a way to craft together a short story on how they did it and how it benefited the team, organization, and vision.

5.      Set The Standard And Do More Of What You’re Asking For Than Others: As a leader, this is a must. Don’t just communicate; show those around you how it should be done and the standard at which it should be done. It all comes back to the leader and if you find your team constantly using the forbidden phrase, there’s a good chance it’s time to take a look in the mirror and see the standard you’ve been setting for everyone else.

Like I said at the beginning, it may be frustrating and you may feel like giving up on someone or in some area. Take the five steps outlined above and begin to implement them with everyone on your team and watch how the culture and workflow begin to shift in a positive direction. Over time, you can change the outcome. That’s what leaders do. 

McDuru Ehisojie

Transformational Speaker/Trainer / L&D Specialist/ founder Coach on Campus

www.coachoncampus.com.ng/ www.facebook.com/COACH on campus