We are getting ready to move. We’re very excited to close the door on too many rooms for two people, too big a driveway to remove snow from, too big a yard to cut. We’re looking forward to getting just what we need to enjoy the next phase of our lives.
Preparing for the move has included some tough decisions. Do we really need to keep the faded print that we won’t hang on the wall anymore…just because my parents gave it to us? (No.) Do we need to keep the big clunky, chunky 10 year old TV….just because it still has a clear picture? (No.) Should we hold on to my grandmother’s porcelein coffee and dessert sets…even though we just display them but don’t use them? (Yes!)
Taking our teams into the future requires the same examination and, sometimes, very tough questions and answers.
Are you retaining people on your team who were once team leaders but aren’t willing to learn new skills for continued success? Are you tolerating less than good productivity because a team member is a really nice person and great at organizing pot lucks? Are you hanging on to processes that don’t work, just because that’s the way we’ve always done it? Are you investing too much time trying to ‘save’ someone, when they have proven to be unwilling to save themselves? Are you asking people to follow you, but you aren’t being a good follower yourself?
The right questions today can set the stage for a bright future. I’m keeping that in mind with every item I’m choosing to take with me to our new home. We all need to consider that as we take our teams to our new future.
Tuesday Tidbits are weekly messages I send to my leadership team. They are generally short & sweet, often focused on leadership or teamwork, always positive and, hopefully, motivational. I hope you also find some meaning in them.
