Five Performance Enhancing Moves For Work To Feel More Like Play

Ten best practices

Both coaches and players have rules to follow. But sometimes, just the notion of rules makes us want to break them. Leaders need to start looking at them differently. Rules provide a clear structure allowing you to take risks and personalize your style of play. When you drop the resistance and stop seeing parameters as restrictive, that is when the magic happens. It frees the mind to focus on what matters and keeps you from depleting your energy.

How you approach rules, set the parameters of play, and help people solve problems are important aspects of your personal brand as a leader.

STRUCTURE CAN MAKE US BETTER

I listen to leaders frustrated by a new team member who isn’t performing to their standards. Most often, they haven’t clearly set those standards.

Likewise, leaders become exhausted by a lack of cooperation and collaboration with their teams but they haven’t shared a clear vision of the business or their expectations for how the team should function.

Then there are leaders who have direct reports come to them with every problem they have. Fine at the beginning but eventually you want them to think independently through the various solutions and ask for input instead of answers. To make this happen you have to stop giving them the answers because it is easier in that moment. Start asking the questions to get them to think for themselves.

In each of these cases, a well-defined personal brand creates the structure to help you lead. This is the big idea behind defining your personal brand. It creates the structure, determined by you, in how you show up and want to be known. It removes the self-doubt in your mind and allows you to operate from a place of certainty more easily influencing how you lead and manage your team.

RULES OF THE GAME

In the game of work, the rules aren’t always clear and they seem to change depending on circumstances and the leader in charge. That is why it is essential to set the conditions for success and focus on what is important to you.

Here are five key approaches to help you achieve success:

#1 Define your personal brand to remove any doubt about how you show up with others. This allows you to contribute more intentionally to every interaction you have and influence the impression others have of you.

#2 Share your vision of the business so your team is clear about the goals and what is important to you. This allows them to align what they do with the goals of the business and have a greater impact, in a good way!

#3 Set the standards and expectations, then don’t waver. Define your expectations and stand by them whether it is convenient at the time or not. You have to be willing to do what you are asking others to do. This is what creates a powerful efficient team for the long run. Every leader wants to be part of a winning team.

#4 Be sure everyone on the team understands. Don’t ask if they understand, ask them to explain what they understand so there is certainty that they’ve got it. Ask where they want to go and how they’ll get there so you know how you can best support them in achieving the goal. Everyone wins!

#5 Give immediate feedback. When you participate in playing a sport, it is always clear when you are doing well and when you aren’t. You get immediate feedback so you can make the appropriate adjustments in real time. Consciously deliver feedback from a place of caring, not frustration. The difference will be felt.

Structure provides freedom to do the work and focus on what matters most.

YOUR MOVE

The leaders I work with who create structure for their teams report higher engagement, enthusiasm, and energy. You set the tone for the team. There are huge benefits when everyone knows where they stand and they know you have their back.

Considering the benefits of having rules, where do you need to create more structure, professionally or personally. Where do you want things to be running more smoothly?

Everyone wants to get better. Rules can teach people how to win every day.

That is a game worth playing, don’t you think?

Align yourself with what matters most to you. Live your brand fully expressed with intention and purpose to play bigger!

Are you interested in having a conversation to explore how you can define your personal brand and accelerate your growth as a leader, individually or as a team? Send an e-mail to book a complimentary 30-minute consultation.

Dorothy Lazovik

Dorothy is on a mission to shift the culture of organizations to people first! Supporting leaders in fulfilling their TO BE LIST to better deliver on their TO DO LIST. Doing the work impacts how leaders see themselves, the people they lead, the environment they create and the outcomes they achieve. Producing higher engagement, ownership and productivity. How would making a change like this elevate your business results?

Authentic Leaders Edge

Next Step

Ready to implement a model that elevates your leaders and has them taking ownership of who they are and the results they achieve? Interested in creating the environment that puts people first to increase engagement, build trust and improve how business gets done?

Let’s start a conversation. It will give you the opportunity to get your questions answered and understand if it is a good fit for you, your leaders or organization.