Hitting a roadblock when it comes to reaching the next level of business growth?
Five ways to unlock your hidden
potential
By Charlie
Fleetham
Whether you're leading a JSE listed company or a four-employee start-up, all
business owners have one thing in common: you confront roadblocks to innovation
on a daily basis. One of the greatest challenges facing today's entrepreneurs is
finding and growing the type of innovative thinking your companies need to
survive. But with the right approach, you can uncover hidden leadership and
strategic capabilities in both you and your employees. Sceptical? Don't be.
Here are five key ways to unleash the hidden potential in your business
and achieve high levels of success:
1. Think two generations
ahead
Visualise your company 50 or even 100 years from now, even if
you don't foresee your product or service lasting that long. Such
forward-looking reflection creates an umbrella for long-term innovation to
occur.
Action Task
Working back from your 50- or
100-year vision plan in 10-year increments, ask and answer the critical "who,
what, where, when, why and how" questions about your business. For instance, who
will your target demographic be; what will your core products and business focus
be; where will your office(s) and facilities be located (nationally or
globally); when will key business milestones be achieved, why will your business
matter 10, 15 or 50 years from now, and how are you going to achieve your
business goals?
2. Confront and partner with the
unconscious
Experts suggest that of all the experiences, knowledge
and data stored in our minds, we are only "conscious" of, and actively use just
10 percent of it. The other 90 percent resides in our unconscious – it's this
part of our mind we can tap into for valuable insights.
Action Task
Daily, for the next 21 days, write one
paragraph about some aspect of your leadership process that you want to improve.
For example, let's say you find it difficult to take negative feedback from your
customers. The more you write about the situation, the more you'll tap your
unconscious for innovative ideas about solving the problem.
3.
Aim to increase energy, not just efficiency
Do a quick energy audit
of your employees to understand what energises the staff and fuels their
personal growth. If you understand what energises them, you'll be able to
implement actions that motivate your employees and increase productivity.
Action Tasks
Ask every employee to identify the
three things that energise him or her the most about their jobs. Also ask them
to identify the things they're not currently doing that would energise them.
Then match your employees to the energising activities that best fit their
talents and skills and needs.
Also ask your staff to identify the three
things that sap their energy, such as meetings or preparing reports. Help your
management team reduce the activities that de-energise the workplace.
4. Establish the freedom to innovate
Creativity
drives change, so tap into your employees' intuitive side by ritualising
"ingenuity time" on the job. Utilising creative techniques can often help people
see issues more clearly and open doors to potential solutions.
Action Tasks
Set aside enough money in your budget
for your team to compete for an industry-related contest. It will keep your top
people on their toes.
Encourage people to draw a diagram or depiction of
their business problem or challenge in the form of a character or situation
(such as a person headed into a storm or an animal confronting a group of
hostile animals). Then ask that they sketch the conclusion they think would
resolve the matter. Seeing their problem put to life often helps people envision
the best solution.
Enable and encourage your employees to volunteer for
community projects and social events to round out their work-life balance in
meaningful ways.
5. Start all problem-solving by taking
responsibility
Any problem you're directly involved with that you
wish to solve requires reflection on your role and responsibility related to
that problem. While you may not be the primary cause of the problem, reflecting
on your role will help you better understand and acknowledge how you may have
contributed to it.
Action Tasks
When you have a
problem employee, start the fix by asking yourself: "What changes do I have to
make in myself to help this person perform better?" You may not always identify
something that needs changing, but the mere matter of asking and spending some
time reflecting will make you a better leader.
When you have to deliver
bad news, like a layoff, be sure you tell the survivors what you're doing to
retain and reward the employees remaining and keep the lines of communication
open so that people are aware of key company developments.
Charlie is
the author of The Search for Unrational Leadership: Using Rational &
Irrational Methods to Change Your Life. © Entrepreneur Media, Inc. All rights
reserved.