I’m a bit of a karate nut and I recently learnt from my Sensei, that whilst he has failed many competitions and won one very big one, he has only got to this point through failing. He advised to go out there to win, but when you don’t, take a bow and say: “thank you for teaching me a lesson”.
You can also apply this in business. For every challenge you face, when you feel you have failed or someone has failed you, take the time to reflect and see it as a learning opportunity.
Being let down and disappointment is an inevitability for any leader. When a member of your team lets you down, how you respond will speak volumes about your leadership style, and how your employees view you. In the first instance don’t take it personally, take a step back to reflect on the situation and diffuse your anger or disappointment. You don’t fully know the circumstances, for example, is there something happening in their personal lives that has had an impact on their performance at work?
What was your role in the circumstances?
As you take the time to assess and reflect on what has happened, think about whether you clearly communicated the objectives and if the staff member had the necessary training and resources to fulfil the task.
Don’t assume that others are being thoughtless or selfish. Clarify in your own mind what outcome you want when you speak to the person involved. Ask yourself what have I learnt from this? And how could I have done things differently? Move away from blame and anger, instead develop a learning mindset, that will help to achieve greater things and not repeat the same mistakes.
Coaching and outcomes
Some leaders may view that holding people accountable is key to getting results, but what if expectations haven’t been clearly communicated? Then it can lead to stifling innovation and creativity, where people are too worried to make a mistake, with a loss in productivity and morale.
Rewarding and acknowledging good performance at work is important, in the same way that coaching and learning from poor performance is too. Helping an employee to learn and grow from a situation is an opportunity for them and the business.
Don’t just assume that someone has understood the task in hand, just because they have said they do. Ask them to walk you through and explain what they are going to do. Involve them in the setting of objectives so that they are fully involved in the whole process, and remember to check in and have clear lines of communication throughout, so that any concerns or issues can be picked up quickly and then resolved.
If you want your team to respect you as a leader, then you need to treat them with dignity and respect. Credible leaders watch out for the interests of their people and support them, driving their engagement and productivity.
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