Does your boss really need you? Does your company need you? Why are you so important that your company or organization should pay you and bother with all of your upkeep?
I mean think about the cost savings and freedom from aggravation if you no longer showed up to work. If you were no longer employed there, there would be one less headache for HR, one more parking space available, and more room in the company refrigerator.
Well, if you are doing your job as a leader, then the answer to the question of does your boss and organization need you is yes. Your organization needs someone to coordinate the efforts of others that would naturally get out of control and waste time, energy, money, and effort. You are needed to keep things running smoothly. You are needed as an important part of a functioning mechanism of dynamic moving parts that can occasionally need maintenance or redirection.
Executive Board Room
Have you ever been in an executive meeting where the expectations were thought of as frivolous? Have you ever walked out of an important meeting thinking that you didn’t have to report back with accurate results? Did you think that you could do anything you wanted to and allow your team to do anything that they wanted to without repercussions?
Or, conversely, do you take your position, your authority, your influence, your job role, and your expectations seriously?
I can image that you take your job seriously and that your organization takes your job seriously. I can imagine that there is actually little room for reoccurring errors or sloppiness. Otherwise, your organization wouldn’t waste their time on you and someone more important would get your parking space.
So, with this , I simply want to paint a picture to help you understand your true strategic role as a leader. I want you to understand what you mean to the organization and why you actually have a job there. You are worth the headache for HR; your parking space was created for your use, and the company has a refrigerator for your use and happiness.
Big Picture View
Look at the wristwatch picture above. It is of a finely crafted machine that produces accurate results on a consistent basis because of the working components within it. Just like that wristwatch, your job is to produce accurate results and report that information in your next meeting. Your job is to report the time, not teach your counterparts and superiors how to build a watch.
As in the picture of the Rolex watch above, you are the face of the watch. As in the picture below, the parts within the watch that work together to give you your results are your team members.
Your Team
Look at the components in the exploded view of the wristwatch.
See that each of the parts are different in size, shape, and color.
See that some of the parts do minor roles and other parts do major ones.
See that they are all unique and are purposeful.
See that when they are all in place and working together, that you can expect accurate results.
See that they are all encased in a package that is under your care and dominion.
Your Role: Watch Repairman
So, if you have a well functioning team, your daily role really is to be the light lubricant that keeps all the parts working together. You shouldn’t be shocked that each one of your team members is built differently, acts differently, or requires either more or less maintenance. What you would expect is that they come to work to perform specific jobs in a coordinated fashion to provide value toward the mission.
If you have problems with your results, simply go repair your team. Find out why parts are not working together. If you need to repair or replace parts, then do what is necessary to accomplish those objectives.
Expectations
Machines break. Fix them. If you discover that your watch isn’t working at all, find out why. Get the diagrams and reference manuals and study what is going on and why. Repair your watch. If you are overwhelmed and need help, get it. Focus on the task of keeping your machine running smoothly. This is your job and this is what the people in the executive meetings want: a well-oiled machine.
When you find yourself mired in the details of work or looking at your team wondering WTF? (Why the face?), simply step back from the details and understand your role as a maintenance repairman of a very fine instrument. This will give you the refreshing and objective perspective needed to handle the details of running all those moving parts in the right direction.
So, how well is your watch constructed? Do you have a Rolex, or do you have a discount store dollar watch? How well are you envisioning your big perspective to help keep your sanity and focus on the bigger picture? How well are you are getting the right lubrication in place when needed. I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences!
——————–
Tom Schulte is Executive Director of Linked 2 Leadership
He provides leadership training fit for the Blackberry-Attention-Span
Email | LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | Web | Video | Conference | Blog
Image Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watch, tp178.com
This post took me back to the different teams I have been responsible to lead and as my leadership as grown, I believe the teams have grown. Is my team a Rolex yet? Maybe not, but I like the Timex theme “We take a lickin, and keep on tickin!”
You might have read many articles on various articles. However, most of the time you came to know that content was not up to the mark. This article is actually related to the topic and features unique information relevant to the theme of the article.