Ever worry that you’re a bottleneck in your company?
You’re not alone.
We have so many cliches around this…
- “I’m tired of putting out fires.”
- “I feel like I’m on a treadmill.”
- “I’ve got to get out of the weeds.”
Whether you lead a team or the entire company, you know that being stuck in the day-to-day just doesn’t work in the long run.
But how do you step out of it?
You need to build reliable systems that empower your team.
This is something I’m working on with my own team here at Legacy of Significance. We’re investing time and energy into articulating and improving our systems.
And I know it will pay off. I’ve seen how impactful this strategic work is in my past companies and the companies I work with as a facilitator and coach.
So where do you start?
I believe these three systems are foundational:
- Alignment
- Accountability
- People Development
1. Alignment
Successful groups have a shared vision — where are you going and what will it take to get there?
You can use frameworks like Bloom Growth (my personal preference), EOS, Balanced Scorecard, OKRs, MAP, or Scaling Up to articulate and align on goals and strategies.
You may also want to take a fresh look at your communications and meetings. Do you have a good cadence? Are you able to keep that vision in sight and adjust it as things change?
2. Accountability
Next, ask yourself:
- Does everyone know know their role and responsibilities?
- Have I set clear expectations?
- Have others made clear commitments?
- How are we tracking progress on those commitments?
An accountability system ensures you have the clear communication and follow-through needed for an engaged, results-driven team.
From simple spreadsheets and documents to more complex project and process management software, your accountability system needs to make it easy for teams to get clear about their commitments and progress.
Does each person in your organization understand what they personally need to deliver or do? Often, this means they “have a number,” a key performance indicator or leading indicator metric that supports the results you want.
On a related note, if you missed our recent masterclass with Cesar Quintero, you can sign up for the replay here for a limited time: Leading a Culture of Accountability: Align, Communicate, Execute.
3. People Development
Finally, how are you developing yourself and your people?
As leaders and as managers, we must be proactive about understanding ourselves and the people we lead.
You can tap into many different tools to help gain this understanding, including models like DiSC, The Five Behaviors, and Appreciation Languages. It’s awesome to see the “aha!” moments when our clients learn these models together.
Your system for developing people may also include onboarding, team building, community service, manager training, and other professional development.
Look for opportunities to work on skills that support emotional intelligence, communication, and healthy conflict. These are the building blocks of trust and cohesive teams.
With alignment, accountability, and people development systems in place, you’re on your way. You’re able to spot and remove bottlenecks. And you empower the whole team to help take your company to the next level.
I’d love to hear back from you. How do these systems look in your company? What improvements would you like to make?
If you’d like to talk more about these foundational systems, let’s connect here or on LinkedIn.
Always grateful,
Brian