A001

Fostering creativity

Do you encourage creativity and initiative within your team, or do you just want them to follow your instructions and get it done?

I once had a boss tell me that he would like to run his company like a sergeant in WW1 so he could order his workers out of the trenches and shoot them if they refused! Now this is an extreme example of a narcissistic boss, and you will not be surprised to here that his staff turnover would average near 100% p/a, but in some ways I think he is verbalizing what a great deal of team leaders really feel; "I know best, do as you're told".

But what happens when the Sergent gets shot? Or takes leave, or decides to work on a new initiative?  Do you really want to develop a team of dependants that rely on you for every decision they make?  That is surely going to limit the effectiveness of both you and your team, and severely reduce the level of commitment and job satisfaction within your team.

The alternative is to develop a team of independent creative thinkers and problem solvers who come to to the office each day to stretch and push themselves and work at their art!

weighing up the options

So you've got a tough decision to make, you list out your options, give them each true consideration and decide the best course of action......... or did you?  Did you really consider all the options available to with the belief you could actually follow each of the paths?  Or did you discount those options that seemed out of reach, or too hard, or a place you just don't want to go?

So maybe you didn't really make a decision at all, maybe you followed your default path, the one you're comfortable with, the well worn path that's got you to where you are today.

Until you are willing to to go to the place that a decision will take you, you haven't considered it, and by doing so you are limiting your options and fooling yourself in the process!

finding your super power

Too often we do too much, spread ourselves too wide and our focus too broad and by doing so we dilute our efforts and results.  

When we start out, whether in our careers or businesses, we spread ourselves around by necessity, we don't yet know what we want to do or what we're good at so we try our hand at a bit of everything......but if you want to achieve something worthwhile sooner or later you'll need to find your superpower; that is the thing that you, or your business, does better then anybody else.

It's not always early to find your superpower but its the first step to achieving real success in your career or business.  For a few clues on where to start your search,  click here.

building a career

There's a golden rule to career progression in the building industry (or any other industry for that matter); PERFORMANCE PRECEDES REWARDS.  If you want to advance your career you simply have to show the willingness to do more than you get paid for and show that you are capable of performing a role or taking on responsibilities beyond your current pay grade.  Once you have shown your capabilities you become more valued by your employer and you are then in turn rewarded accordingly.

This is a simple idea but it’s amazing how many times I've heard people say; I don't get paid for that, or when I get paid for that then I'll do it............. It's never going to happen; you will never get paid to fill an important role without first proving your worth!

So why all the resistance?  Because stepping up is hard, it takes commitment and dedication, it means staying back to finish the project even when you don't get paid for it, or making that tough phone call, or important decision that nobody else is willing to make.  It means becoming a leader instead of running with the pack, and most of all it means stretching yourself beyond your comfort zone!

It's hard yes, but the payoffs by far out-weight the work and once you get used to stretching and working outside of your comfort zone you find it becomes uncomfortable rather than scary!

For a more in depth guide to becoming a leader take a look at this.