Recognize signs of standstill
Business is going like clockwork, and suddenly sales collapse - this is what happens to many companies. What seems like a cliff is actually a shallow slope. Leadership expert Boris Grundl reveals which signs indicate the approaching end of company growth and how managers can prevent it.
Long before problems are reflected in the numbers, attentive leaders recognize the first clues. Boris Grundl identifies six focus areas as roots or signs of stagnation: finance, products, employees, hiring, recruiting, problem solving.
Without glacé gloves: Finances
If positions in higher ranks fall for the temptation of harmony, financial distress lurks. "Behind many insolvencies is a leader addicted to harmony," Grundl summarizes. Need for harmony prevents open discussions and serious, painful decisions - also and especially with regard to monetary matters. Clarity clears the air: A clear profile of internal goals and guiding principles paves the way and gives courage to speak out about what is uncomfortable. Weaknesses are addressed openly, appreciatively and at an early stage in order to actively initiate improvements.
The product carousel is spinning again
Previous box office hits lose their luster or fail due to a lack of scalability; new ideas stick to the tried and true. The reason lies in the way mistakes are handled. "In many companies, leaders interpret error culture as an avoidance strategy. Yet only error-learning culture spurs growth." Error-avoidance culture creates an atmosphere of fear: Mistakes are allowed to happen, but they are dissected in detail and then assigned to one or more culprits. To avoid criticism, employees therefore prefer to forego unconventional ideas. The situation is different in a work environment that sees mistakes as a basis for learning. Instead of shelving a process because something went wrong at the first attempt, team members work out together which individual elements worked well and implement them in the next project. Very important: don't hold grudges! A positive culture of learning from mistakes stimulates creativity, a sense of belonging and a sense of responsibility - which generates new products.
Systematically retaining talent: Recruiting
The middle management position to be filled again? The last new hire ran away before the end of the probationary period? Company structures that are unsystematic or subject to the whims of individuals fuel dependencies on individuals and drive away new talent. Decisions must not be made by the management team alone - if announcements are made from above without warning, frustration quickly arises in the corridors. Instead, transparent standards and comprehensible systems provide orientation and objective comparability. They encourage people to feel part of the system and to want to deliver above-average performance for the team and the company. Leadership means creating systems with clear processes and responsibilities that encourage self-running.
The art of problem solving
Attentive employees have an early inkling of stagnant developments. For other team members, family care or a personal disaster is gnawing away at their energy reserves. Instead of looking ahead, they show up for work listlessly or shuffle irritably from meeting to meeting, soon causing the entire team to suffer. If no one intervenes, the downward spiral continues to wind its way down. The remedy is mental transformation: away from diffuse task orientation to goal-oriented result orientation. Instead of working through a list item by item and getting bogged down in the day's work, the willing call to mind what result they want to have achieved at the end of the day and keep their eyes on the goal. This spurs spirited action and a positive attitude - day after day. For empowering leaders, it's important to map out this mental map for each individual employee and align it with the company's goals. With result-oriented task descriptions, attentively and regularly checked in a joint discussion, they fuel personal responsibility and self-efficacy. Careful project management makes clear the meaningfulness of a project and the importance of the person or persons responsible.
Setting
If all company members know their area of responsibility and understand what they contribute to the company's goal, they euphorically assume responsibility. Conveying this enthusiasm is easy if the organization conveys a clear picture of its core. Successful companies are characterized by clear and pointed positioning; all employees know where the company fits in the market, what values it represents and what its unique selling proposition is. It helps to record the clear visions in writing under the following question: What radiates inwardly, what radiates outwardly? The answer, as well as a pointed positioning, promotes a high degree of identification among employees. I know who I work for - I feel a sense of purpose in what I do. Without this driving force, people achieve only mediocre results in the long run, even with good salaries. Another important role is to recognize the connecting and separating aspects between oneself and one's company. If eager employees focus on what connects them, this promotes the development of their own strengths.
Performer instead of poser: employees
Salary increases, company cars, bonuses or VIP cards: leaders easily fall prey to the desire for status. For them, personal success and an excellent image shine in the spotlight. They channel their energy into personal advancement. But self-centeredness lowers the performance level in the long run - and is contagious. Those who model ego posturing for their team reap the rewards of status greed. Positive forces are released by the intrinsic desire to gain recognition for results and to direct one's ambition toward what is best for the organization. Leaders encourage this attitude by demonstrating purpose, cohesion, and their own performance.
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