[Originally published on Linkedin, April 20, 2015]
Hi Everyone – Lately I’ve been exploring several good books on Management for the purpose of further sharpening my own professional capabilities- growing a little bit more every day! I thought I’d share an idea that came to mind the other day, not from one book in particular, but from my own pondering on the “Fine Art of Management”:...both professional and personal.
Roadblocks
As Managers and Executives, we have a responsibility and obligation to constantly “remove roadblocks” that are in the roadway of our team members’ professional success. By doing so, we are not only helping each team member to reach their full potential, but we are also extending the reach of our own influence exponentially....through them!
Boundaries
And….while it may sound ironic, we also have a core responsibility to set and communicate fair boundaries for our team- not as “roadblocks”, but as “guide-rails” on the roadway to assist our team members to keep on the right general path and avoid major trouble zones along the way (If you’re like me, the trouble zones you know well from tough experience…!). Amazing results come alive!
The Principles
These same core principles apply to us in other personal environments as well, don’t they? For example, as parents with respect to our own children, we need to remove those roadblocks for our kids (including at times some of our own bad habits, undesirable behaviors, and self-defeating ideas) so they can reach their full potential, but we also need to set and communicate appropriate boundaries for them so that they can keep in the right path. The same applies when we are working in our various social and civic settings. Amazing results come alive!
One more thought: Remember the saying….If you are at a poker game and you look around the table and can’t spot the sucker…then the sucker is you. Same deal here – If you look around your business and can’t spot any roadblocks….then consider that the roadblock may be you or something you are doing. Ask around...if you've made the effort to create an environment of trust, your team will give you the answers!
What roadblocks can you remove for your team today? Tomorrow? Next week?