I know, it sounds counterintuitive. As a leader you want action and you want it now! You talk about it. You share with your people you strategic plan. You push for them to start taking immediate action. . . and nothing happens!
Maybe you need to plug people into the equation first.
I just came back from facilitating a 3 day meeting in Iceland. The first day was especially tailored to bring together a group of 60 people, and getting them to know each other. They work for a recently designed section of an international company. For two years they have struggled to unite criteria, push innovation forward, and collaborate.
On the first day they got to know each other through a variety of activities and opportunities for conversations in mixed groups. Many started to feel for the first time that they were really one team.
On the second and third day participants found ways to collaborate and start taking specific action toward the future. At the end of the three days the leader of the group told me he felt that in those days more progress had been made than in the past two years. People were seeking others out. There was sharing of vital information. The group was energized.
Although a few people felt they would have liked to start taking action from the first day, the majority felt that without the opportunity to come together and get to know each other in an informal, relaxed way, the progress of the other two days would not have been possible.
You see, without people, there is no action!
There are some pre-requisites for people to be able to take effective action:
- They need to know each other.
- They need to trust each other.
- They need to understand what needs to happen.
- They need to take ownership of the process.
- They need to be part of the plans.
- They need to be energized by their participation.
All this takes time. Not months, not weeks. But special time set aside for this purpose.
Successful leaders know the importance of people. They take the time to bring their people on board before running half cocked for action. It might feel like a slow start. But it will accelerate the success of the action.
Remember. . .
Make no mistake. People come first.
For fast action, start slow!
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Photo by: doublej11