By Dave Anderson
As the new year begins, most people spend time reflecting on the past 12 months and anticipating a fresh start. Associations generally have their own version of this custom. They take inventory of their programs and services, organizing their books, and evaluate what was done right (and not so right) in hopes of preparing yourself for another year. Included in this assessment should be a look at the character of your organization.
When you really think about it, the Ponzi schemes and shady CEO scandals that made headlines throughout 2009 boil down to a lack of solid character. Character does matter in business. Right now is a great time to sit down and define your goals for the character of your association with your staff. That's right. Executives (leaders) need to get serious about defining what their organizations stands for and need to share those values with staff.
It's amazing how few leaders take the time to do this. They may feel uncomfortable discussing character issues, or maybe they've never given a lot of thought to what they really stand for themselves. But just resolving to sit down and articulate your beliefs is a powerful exercise and one that yields powerful results.
Here are five simple rules that every staff member, from the executive director on down should follow to ensure that they have a rock-solid character next year.
Don't tell white lies. We're all guilty of telling a white lie or two. In fact, most of us do it on a daily basis and hardly even notice anymore, and while we may consider those little untruths to be harmless, consider that instructing your receptionist to tell a caller that you're out of the office when you really aren't is a reflection on your own character. White lies are still lies, after all. Think of all the business scandal stories from this past year and how many of them were the result of dishonesty and how that dishonesty shattered the lives of so many people.
Even though telling the truth may sometimes be the hard and unpopular thing to do, honesty is rule number one to developing sound character. Tell the truth because it is the right thing to do, and encourage your staff to do the same. It protects your personal integrity, and honors, rather than diminishes, everyone who hears what you have to say.
Keep your commitments. Have you ever made a business promise that you didn't keep? Perhaps you didn't follow through with a promised promotion, or skipped out early on a day when you promised to work late. Don't take your promises casually and explain to your staff that they shouldn't either. Before you commit to anything, make certain that you can live with the worst-case scenario resulting from what you're agreeing to, and always, always follow through. Do what you said you'd do, regardless of the cost. Go the second mile. One of the most common character flaws in leaders and their staff is that they do just enough to get by; they come to work and do just enough to get paid and just enough not to get fired. That's not good enough. Think about it this way: If the majority of people are doing only the minimum, then those who give just a little bit more of themselves will stand out and be highly valued, a great asset for any organization or individual to have. So think about what you can do to go the extra mile each day.
Some of the most successful leaders will readily admit that they are no smarter than their less successful counterparts. They simply outwork them, outthink them, and, as a result, outperform them. By doing what others were unwilling to do, going where they were unwilling to go, saying what they were unwilling to say, learning what they were unwilling to learn, and risking what they were unwilling to risk, they earned a success and a lifestyle that the just-enough-crowd was unable to attain.
Don't give false impressions. When it comes to business, false impressions are everywhere. From misleading advertising campaigns to padded resumes, it's easy to find examples of people trying to make others believe things are better than they really are. But you have to be upfront and honest with those you work with, or you may lose your credibility and build up bitterness and resentment in a once-valuable business relationship.
There are a few simple things you can do to get your staff and organization on the road to transparency. Make sure that you aren't spinning feedback to make someone feel as though they're doing better or worse than they really are. Don't mislead any potential job candidates or employees about realities concerning compensation, advancement, or future plans. Cultivating a culture of honesty in your organization will only help your association achieve its mission.
Reconcile and forgive immediately. Holding grudges is a common and unfortunate consequence of competitive business. Resentment builds up when staff leave organizations, mistakes are made, or when coworkers feel slighted. This is an appropriate time of year to take an inventory of grudges you may be nursing, people you're resenting, and those with whom you must reconcile. It doesn't matter how far back the offense was. If you're carrying it around, it's affecting your performance, whether you realize it or not. Suggest to your staff that they think about any hard feelings they may be harboring from the past year and encourage them to make amends.
When you are busy harboring resentment and holding onto grudges, you are taking time and energy away from the things you could be doing to increase your productivity. Bring closure to past offenses. Identify amends you must make, with whom, and do it quickly. By holding onto these hard feelings, you aren't hurting the other person; you're hurting yourself, and having a clear conscience and a sound heart is a key component to having a solid character.
Skeptical about your ability to pull off this character-building assessment, not to mention how well received it's likely to be at the office? Just give it a try. You'll be pleasantly surprised by the results. Even if you can't bring yourself to discuss these matters openly, just living them sends a persuasive message. It's one thing to sit down with your staff and share your values, but the best way to get the message across is to make sure you are setting the example yourself.
Dave Anderson is president of Dave Anderson's Learn to Lead and author of If You Don't Make Waves, You'll Drown; Up Your Business!; How to Deal with Difficult Customers; and the TKO business series (all published by Wiley & Sons). He and his wife, Rhonda, are also co-founders of The Matthew 25.35 Foundation, which helps feed, educate, and house destitute people throughout the world.