Planning times into our schedules to pray and reflect ensure we are seeing the bigger picture and are moving forward at His pace. Here are a few things all leaders can do to ensure we are doing business better.
1. Be a mentor.
A major reason people quit companies is because they don’t feel they are growing, they don’t feel people care. Mentoring key workers and then having them mentor others allows for one-on-one developmental training of essential co-workers and staff. This will increase employee loyal and performance. It also helps new hires to assimilate more quickly to their roles and to the company culture. And in mentoring, do not only focus on the business bottom-line but help the mentee to integrate all areas of their life and work as Jesus would.
2. Have a mentor.
Just as you are investing in others, who is investing in you? Who is tracking with you in your business, family, character, walk with God? Even the most disciplined people struggle. Find someone who is 2+ steps ahead of you on the path of life and invite them to proactively work with you as you work with others. If you have trouble locating a mentor, contact the OPEN Network for ideas.
3. Look back to the future.
People focus on weekly or daily to-do lists, but they don’t always look at the bigger picture. Come alongside co-workers to see where things are headed and ask them what they want their quarterly and yearly contribution to be and then how will they achieve that? Whether it’s helping cut costs, growing annual revenues by a certain percent or improving their marriage, encourage them to think about the future. Then create a backwards timeline of how to get there month by month, week by week, and day by day.
4. Build relational accountability.
Your staff or co-workers should hold themselves accountable and be accountable to their colleagues. Being accountable means taking ownership of assignments, and being responsible for errors or mishaps. Accountability encourages diligence and leads to a better performance in completing tasks, because there’s more purpose and passion when a person takes ownership of an assignment.
5. Practice grandparenting.
This is a growing management strategy for building relationships with employees two levels below where you sit in the corporate hierarchy. Such relationships creates dialogue that goes deeper and wider than normal reports. While mentorship programs operate to enhance an employee’s life and work, discussions that take part through grandparenting are more about bigger picture things like business values and how the employee can contribute to the end goals. Obviously such relationships also spawn opportunities to share your personal priorities on wider scale.
6. Commit to inspire.
Inspiration has to come from the top. Innovation is caught, not taught. A leader must take full responsibility and be accountable for how co-workers/staff are developing and making decisions. Those working around you are watching. They will follow your example, not your words.
PATRICK LAI and his family have worked in SE Asia for over 37 years. His experience in doing business with Jesus has brought him to understand the meaning of work and worship in the marketplace. He started 14 businesses in four countries, six of which are still operating. Patrick and his wife, May, mentor and coach businesspeople working where there are few or no Christians. Check out Patrick’s latest book, Workship, now available in paperback and e-book.
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