Employees Driving You Nuts? Want to know why?
Let’s just start off by saying that I am a champion for business owners. The economy needs you, and I respect you. Which is why I’m going to tell you the truth.
If your employees are consistently driving you nuts, it’s because you’ve either created or allowed it.
I know, that was harsh. But if you’re willing to understand why, you can solve the problem.
The thermostat sets the temperature. The thermometer reflects it.
Your environment is one of the most crucial elements in achieving your goals. And as a leader, this also applies to the environment you create for others.
You are the thermostat – even if you think you’re hiding the stress.
There will be days that things just don’t go your way. In business and in life, adversity is unavoidable and frustration is guaranteed.
We all go there. You just can’t dwell there.
“Life’s too short to have a bad day. You get a bad half hour, then move on.” – Brad Sugars
Are You Setting the Tone You Want Reflected?
When the temperature gets hot because the team is under the stress of a heavy workload or approaching deadlines, are you leading from a mindset of control or chaos?
Are you alleviating the pressure or cranking it up?
Are you building trust and confidence or (unintentionally) eroding it by a lack of consistency?
Are you helping them succeed or predicting that they’re going to let you down again?
Are you actually setting the example you want your team to follow?
See, we judge other people by their actions, but we judge ourselves based on our intentions. So while you might’ve had 100 “good reasons” to postpone the team meeting, guess what standard you just set. Your office looks like a bomb went off because you’re incredibly busy, but guess what you just taught the team about the importance of systems and structure.
Manage You, Before You Can Manage Them
It’s not uncommon for a leader to occupy multiple “seats on the bus”, especially as you’re growing. And I’ve found that the role that gets pushed to the back burner most often… is the one at the top.
In order to be the best leader for your team, you have to put your oxygen mask on first. It’s imperative that you schedule time to think, strategize and refuel. If you don’t schedule it, it won’t happen.
Balance is baloney, so stop searching for it.
The pendulum doesn’t get momentum by balancing in the middle – it gets it by swinging to extremes, one side at a time.
In other words, sense of balance actually comes from a full commitment to whatever you’re doing at that moment. Then a full a commitment to focusing on the next thing. One thing at a time. Be 100% in every conversation, 100% in every meeting, 100% present with loved ones, 100% at the gym, 100% at rest…
This act alone will quiet the internal chaos. Not to mention it’s critical for productivity. Sure, you might be just as busy, but priorities will come into focus and the noise of busyness will begin to fade away.
Now you’re back in the driver’s seat, rather than feeling like a passenger on a crazy rollercoaster. You’re ready to lead your team down the right path – not zig zagging down a different path each day.
Let the temperature you set for your team be one that truly exemplifies your core values, and that’s exactly what your team will reflect.
Final thought…
As you raise the standards, expect that some people won’t come with you.
The leadership lessons above will set the tone for a culture of accountability, mutual respect, and focus. It’ll also make anyone who doesn’t fit that culture stand out like a sore thumb. Either way, your employee headaches will disappear.
