Welcome
to the July edition of Servant-Leadership Solutions Newsletter.
This month I have more exciting news. This issue is late
because I've been waiting until I had time to complete a
few things so I could tell you about them here. So, grab
your cup and let's dive in!
First
and foremost, I spent a day with Larry Spears earlier this
month. We met at DePauw University (Greencastle, IN), Larry's
alma mater, and discussed several upcoming projects. Here
are the highlights:
In
the past I've mentioned that my essay Learning Servant-Leadership
from Native America - Again will be included in Larry
Spears' upcoming anthology of essays. I'm very pleased to
announce that Paulist Press will publish The Spirit of
Servant-Leadership in 2010. I am honored to be included
in a series that has featured essays by many notable management
luminaries, including Stephen Covey, Ken Blanchard, and
Max DePree, to name just a few.
Larry
and I are also developing a book and associated material
based on his seminal essay Ten Characteristics of Effective,
Caring Leaders. We will expand the discussion on these
characteristics, and also offer exercises that will help
the reader better incorporate the concepts into their daily
lives. There is no due date on this project, as we
believe it is an important undertaking that deserves careful
planning and execution throughout the process.
We
also discussed several ideas for shorter articles and essays,
including a series of short biographies on active servant-leaders.
We will now prioritize our list and get busy!
While
at DePauw, Larry showed me a massive art installation called
Simple Logic. Constructed entirely of branches and
twigs, it's a series of "rooms" that look like
nothing I'd ever seen before. It struck a chord within,
so I took a few minutes to video it, using the installation
to make a point about problem solving.
Simple
Logic
This
video is an excellent segue into my second piece of news:
I now have a You
Tube channel. (Of course, I have friends whose animals
have their own You Tube channels!) I already have channels
for Foodstock
Charities and Deeper
Blues, as well as a new channel we're starting for the
Rick
Turner Guitar Company. The new channel will be feature
short clips to help improve your business and short features
on active servant-leaders.
Third
on the list of news items is the termination of my contract
with Eden Electronics and its parent company US Music Corp.
Eden founder David Nordschow brought me on board shortly
after his sale of Eden to USM. For close to five years,
I have assisted with numerous areas, most of which focused
on relationships with dealers, consumers and artist endorsers.
David
left the company last summer, but asked me to stay on to
assist with the transition after his departure. However,
with the collapse of the economy, and therefore the musical
instrument market, USM has been going through drastic cost-cutting
measures for quite some time.
Leaving
now has served several purposes, both for myself and for
USM. By stepping aside, thereby saving the company money,
they are able to keep others on board. Many of my duties
have been transferred to employees within the company, while
others are being set aside until the company can again afford
to fund them.
I
am very fortunate that I have other sources of income, while
many of my coworkers did not. And, to be honest, it feels
good knowing I did something that may well save someone
else's income. In addition, there are some exciting new
ventures in which I am very involved, and I want to be able
to give myfull attention to them. (I'll announce them at
soon as it is appropriate.)
I
very much appreciate my time with USM, and am very proud
of my work with David. It has been a pleasure to work with
David, and to assist him with achieving his goals. I very
much look forward to working with him again in the future.
Finally,
I will be traveling at the end of this week to visit the
NAMM Summer Show. NAMM is the trade association for music
manufacturers, and I will be representing the Rick Turner
Guitar Company. As part of the festivities, I will be performing
with Sean O'Bryan Smith, and also with Roy Vogt, at the
Low Show. Sean and Roy are both close friends, and committed
servant-leaders. It's always great fun to work with friends,
and even more so when it includes the opportunity to perform
with them.
Growing
People
One
of the ten traits of effective, caring leaders - servant-leaders
- is the commitment to the personal growth of those with
whom they work. This commitment may take many forms, such
as providing funding and other resources for personal and
professional development, actively seeking input on projects
from all team members, and encouraging participation in
decision making. But why is this important?
When
a manager makes a commitment to the growth of their team
members, the individuals thrive. Because they are given
the proper resources to succeed, the company prospers. A
commitment to training ensures that employees continue to
develop the skills and abilities necessary to the company's
success. Providing a positive environment helps everyone
be more productive. In addition, a strong commitment to
the employee results in a greater commitment to the company
and its goals by the employee. This leads to greater job
satisfaction (as wells as to a greater sense of personal
fulfillment) which in turn, reduces employee turnover and
its associated costs of recruiting and training replacements.
Many
companies ignore their commitment to employees in an effort
to save money. Unfortunately, many never realize that they
are instead costing themselves money and productivity. In
these situations, short-term cost-cutting leads to long-term
stagnation.
If
you are truly committed to the success of your organization,
the personal growth of every employee should be a primary
focus. Just as a chain is only as strong as its weakest
link, an organization is only as strong as its employees.
Strengthen your commitment to your team, and you will strengthen
your company's chances of success.
Resource
- Organization
Scanlon
Leadership Network
The
Scanlon Leadership network "quietly lead[s] the way
in gainsharing, goalsharing, labor-management cooperation,
employee involvement, open-book management, lean systems
and servant leadership."
Want
to demonstrate a greater commitment to your team? Schedule
a short (15-20 minutes) private interview with each person.
Explain that your purpose is to better understand how to
help each individual accomplish their goals. The following
is not a be-all end--all list, but here are a few questions
you can ask:
1.
What are your career goals?
2. Where do you want to be in five years? Ten?
3. What skills do you have that you aren't able to use in
your current position?
4. What skills would you like to learn over the next year?
5. How can I help you do better in your position?
6. How can I help you achieve your life goals?
Investing
a few minutes with each team member can uncover a lot of
useful information. In the past, this process has helped
me identify several people ready for advancement, and has
identified many new ways I could provide the support necessary
for an individuals success and personal sense of fulfillment.
You've
Got Questions
Q:
I've read and heard a lot about Twitter. How can I use it
to market my company?
A:
Truth be told, I myself am a very new user of Twitter, as
well as the Facebook and MySpace variants of this concept,
and I'm learning by doing. So far, the greatest danger I've
seen with these services is that you can quickly overwhelm
your subscriber with useless information. To avoid that,
I'm starting slow and tracking feedback for each message.
Here are some other tips:
Write
your message on Twitter. Then, before sending, copy the
message for use on Facebook and MySpace. Twitter and Facebook
limit you to a total of 140 characters (and spaces). By
writing in Twitter, you can send the exact same message
on virtually every service.
Send
only messages that the reader will find beneficial.
For instance, a retailer could send messages about upcoming
or ongoing sales: Today Only: Half-Price Widgets! A
service company might offer a link to new information:
Here's an article on Ten Things You Should Know About
Your Cleaning Service.
Thought
for the Day
The
task of leadership is not to put greatness into humanity,
but to elicit it, for the greatness is already there. John Buchan (1875-1940)
End
of Servant-Leadership Solutions V2009, #5, a publication
of:
Lane Baldwin Servant-Leadership Solutions My business is improving yours.™
Copyright
by Lane Baldwin Servant-Leadership Solutions, 2009. Reprinting
or republication of Servant-Leadership Solutions is prohibited
without prior approval.
