Results, it is what we are paid to deliver

[Today’s Tuesday Reading is from Sean McDonald, Vice-President of MOR Associates. Sean may be reached at sean@morassociates.com.]
 
“Is responsive to urgent requests.”
 
If you have taken a 360 Leadership Assessment with MOR, it is likely the statement above was your highest score. As a leadership coach, seeing this as your highest score gives reason for pause. Are the immediate needs of others overriding the important work you are responsible for? The 360 report data typically leans toward that truth with the neighboring question of “Delivers the desired results” as a lower score.
 
Many of your peers across the country, and you too I am guessing, pride themselves on being reliable and a source of solutions. Layer in the mighty response IT workers put forward these past two years with bringing everything and everyone online and the results we were hired to do often became secondary. The purpose of this essay is to support our focus on delivering the desired results.
 
“Ultimately a leader gets paid to deliver results” – Jim Bruce
 
In 2013, I collaborated with Jim Bruce in creating a video for the MOR community highlighting five behaviors in support of delivering desired results. Some of the research was pulled from Ulrich, Zenger, and Smallwood in their book, Leading for Results.
 

1. Focus on the result – if you, as the leader aren’t focused on the priority results, why would anyone else be?
2. Clearly and specifically communicate expectations and targets to the members of your group, your clients, and stakeholders. This is also an opportunity to align on purpose and reminders of the ‘why’.
3. Measure your progress toward your goal. Keeping score creates better opportunities for recognition and celebration of wins.
4. Constantly take the actions necessary to reach your goal. As one colleague recently said, “what is the next best action?”
5. Seek feedback about ways to improve your outcomes.

 
We hope you can make some time this week to get to the balcony, be clear on the top results you are pursuing, and that your behaviors are aligned toward meeting those needs. A clear focus is needed, and perhaps even an evolved focus as we look to transform on the road ahead.