What an exciting thing to do – develop a business! For me it’s about alchemy – that amazing mysterious process of creating something wonderfully valuable out of bits and pieces. It reads like a recipe book, really. Take one good idea, add a lot of energy and hard work, gradually mix in well thought-out systems and strategies, and pour out through a set of highly effective people.
Sound familiar to you? It is to me. I’ve been part of the building and developing of at least four dynamic, successful businesses; both as an employee back in my corporate days and most recently as a business owner. We’re in a tremendous stage of growth and development right now at Progress Productions and every day I’m reminded of some of the most important Principles for Progress which I share with my clients and need to continually reinforce to myself!
Here are five of my Key Principles for progress:
1. People will always perform for their reasons, not yours
If I want my team to go and grow with me, I need to continually find out what turns them on. What are their personal drivers and inhibitors? What are their psychological needs in regards to their work environment? What are their fears and concerns, and how can I help them manage them? What are their values and goals and how can I ensure they are in alignment with mine? All your strategic planning, your goals and objectives will be useless if the people you need to help achieve them don’t have the same level of commitment as you do.
2. People can only perform up to the level of belief they have in themselves
This was a massive discovery for me! I also discovered during my early years in management the tremendous power of the Pygmalion Effect – that people would largely live up to my expectation of them. So I’ve learned that if I want to build my business through my people, I have to build their belief in their capacity to achieve. Not to the point of any delusion about current performance, but with a real conviction about potential. If I want to lift their achievement, I first have to help them lift their belief!
3. People want floors, flexible walls and no ceilings
While we are growing we usually want a level of security beneath us, a floor or a foundation. Keep your team informed of your plans and your activities so they know where they stand. Allow them flexibility of operation within specified measurable frameworks, and let them know the sky’s the limit, for achievement recognition and reward.
4. People treasure recognition and need to own responsibility for creating it
Everywhere I present and consult, people tell me they don’t get enough recognition. Sad, isn’t it? I usually ask them how much recognition they give! They look at me as if I’m nuts. But a good culture of recognition is carefully and deliberately developed, with praise and appreciation shown up, down and sideways. Find fun ways to encourage everyone in your team to recognise achievement in others – but be careful to keep it genuine, spontaneous and both individual and team based. Teach your team to ask for feedback if they’re not getting it the way they want it. It works! And teach them they own the responsibility for earning it, too.
5. All people are creative
Each one of us has created our life just the way we want it, or at least the way we’ve settled for it. But some of us have been told we’re creative (see Pygmalion Effect) so we actually use our creativity courageously. Others who haven’t been told they’re creative, naturally don’t believe they are. Encourage and ‘incentivate’ involvement and innovation.
Building a business is hugely rewarding – building your people is even more so. Please let me know if I can help.
