Feature

Cultivating Leadership

By Jeff McManus

At the age of 37, the University of Mississippi hired Jeff as the Director of the newly formed Landscape Services Department. As one of the most junior directors on campus the immediate challenges that faced him were staggering – exceptionally low morale with an unacceptable lack of productivity. In many ways, the Ole Miss landscape services was an extreme example of the same problems facing many organizations then and today.

Jeff believed the challenges could be overcome with focused team effort. So, he established a four-step process he calls “The GROW System.” Jeff works from the position that everybody wants to be successful, and they can be by recognizing their personal potential. Great Teams, Raising Results, Offense Scores and Winning Attitudes formed Jeff’s GROW System.

Jeff has been praised by Forbes and the Huffington Post for his book, Growing Weeders into Leaders, where he shares how his team went from last place to being on the national stage. It wasn’t long before Professional Grounds Management Society (PGMS), Newsweek, Princeton Review and USA Today all recognized Jeff’s teamwork and awarded their efforts with the nation’s most beautiful campus designation.

Some winning strategies for growing leadership have been shared by Jeff here!

(Reprinted with Permission of Jeff McManus)

SIMPLE REWARDS

“There is more hunger for love and appreciation in this world than for bread.”

– Mother Teresa –

Giving recognition and appreciation in the workplace is a powerful tool that can have a significant impact on employees’ hearts and minds leading to higher morale, engagement, and overall organizational success. Over the years I have launched numerous recognition programs that have stood the test of time, maintaining their impact on our employees.

Here are three key reasons why incorporating recognition practices in the workplace is essential.

Positive Work Culture: Recognition for a job well done serves as a form of positive reinforcement, reinforcing the value of an employee’s contributions. Acknowledging and appreciating employees’ efforts and achievements can significantly boost their morale, leading to increased job satisfaction and motivation. This, in turn, can foster a more positive work environment and improve overall employee retention rates.

Motivation: Regular recognition can contribute to a culture of appreciation and respect within the workplace. When employees feel that their hard work is being noticed and appreciated, they are more likely to feel engaged and committed to their roles and the organization’s objectives. This heightened engagement often translates into improved productivity, as employees are motivated to go above and beyond to achieve both personal and organizational goals.

Loyalty and Belonging: Incorporating recognition into the organizational culture can help create a positive and supportive work environment. When employees feel valued and appreciated, they are more likely to develop strong emotional connections with their work and the organization. A culture of recognition promotes teamwork, collaboration, and a sense of camaraderie among employees, leading to increased loyalty and a stronger sense of belonging within the organization.

Recently, at my daytime job we developed a challenge coin. Challenge coins are small, custom-made coins or medallions that typically bear an organization’s emblem, logo, or insignia. They are traditionally used to represent membership in a particular group or unit, such as the military, law enforcement agencies, or various organizations. These coins hold significant cultural and symbolic value, often representing camaraderie, achievement, and solidarity among members of the organization.

I originally used them to boost morale and foster a sense of belonging. Today, our challenge coins have evolved into a cherished tradition, with members often exchanging them as a sign of respect or to commemorate shared experiences. We award them as tokens of appreciation, recognition of outstanding performance, or as souvenirs marking significant events or milestones. The coins are a simple reward that has come to represent the shared respect and unity within our organization.

The use of recognition in the workplace is a strategic approach that not only acknowledges employees’ hard work and dedication but also contributes to a more positive, engaged, and productive workforce. By fostering a culture of appreciation, organizations can cultivate a supportive environment that nurtures employee growth, satisfaction, and overall well-being.

“Brains, like hearts, go where they are appreciated.”

– Robert McNamara –

REWARD GREATNESS!

Ways Great Leaders Connect With Their People

Leaders are judged on their results. Great leaders know they must work through a team of people doing hands-on work to get the results the organization needs. Let’s compare it to a train. The train conductor must make sure that everyone is onboard, and that each car is connected correctly before leaving the station and before there is any hope of staying on schedule and reaching the destination. Connection, one to another, is key to getting the results.

Recently I was leading a discussion with a half a dozen top branch leaders of an organization about why leaders need to connect, not just communicate with their people. One comment was, “You connect because people will work harder for people they like and respect” and someone else said, “We are so action focused, we sometimes miss the relationship part of the work process.”

As John Maxwell says, “You must touch the heart, before you ask for their hand.” I believe this is true. So, here are my top 5 reminders to all leaders when it comes to connecting with your team:

Build trust with people. Listen to them, ask questions, care, genuinely care. That means doing several other things on this list as you are seeking to connect (See specifically reminders 2 & 3). Workers rate a leader’s honesty as the top leadership quality they admire. When we trust our workers and they trust us, the speed of the operation naturally goes up. When we don’t trust each other, things slow down.

Communicate on their level. Train yourself to talk in the language of those you are talking to. Don’t change the message, just take some time to figure out how to say it so they will hear it, receive it, process it and, if needed, act on it. Failing to understand what they need can cause a huge gap in the communication process.

Be present in the moment. It sounds so simple, doesn’t it? But in every moment of every day, we have dozens of things pulling for our attention. Train yourself to hit pause and “Be where your feet are.” That means hanging around long enough to listen once you’re done talking. If you truly listen to the questions and comments, you will learn more about the people doing the work you need done. You might even find some answers you didn’t know you were looking for.

Give your people freedom. Freedom to get the work completed. At first, this may seem like you are taking a step backward because everything slows down a bit, but it will pay big dividends once they have been trained and coached how to do the work. For instance, a person may not know how to operate a computer, but it doesn’t mean they can’t, and it doesn’t mean they are stupid. It may mean they simply have never been exposed to a computer. Nothing that some training and practice won’t fix. Allowing a person to make learning mistakes on the front end makes the back end so much easier.

Take the journey with your people. Don’t be a travel agent who sends people on a trip with a good-bye and well wishes. Go with them, work with them. Dr. Robert Khayat was an amazing Chancellor at Ole Miss. Each morning he got up early and walked the campus, picking up sticks, paper and saying hello to staff already on campus. He asked my team to make sure the campus was beautiful every day. His willingness to participate in his own instruction showed us he was on the journey with us.

Remember, you are the conductor of your train and making sure the connections are in place is your responsibility. As the day begins say hello first, smile and give them the thumbs up. Establishing those connections guarantees a smoother ride to your destination.

KEEP CULTIVATING CONNECTIONS!

Positive Growth: 21 Ways To Fertilize And Grow The Culture You Want

“Culture trumps strategy every time.”

– Peter Drucker –

1. Be honest. Never lie.

2. Lead by example – leaders set the tone and temperature of the organization.

3. Don’t take short cuts. Use every decision to build longterm culture.

4. Invest in key relationships on the team. People want to know their leaders do care.

5. Invest in growing your team’s knowledge, skills, and positive attitude. Start your training program now.

6. Focus on building a culture that attracts and retains top talent, not warm bodies.

7. Develop and grow your core values, mission, and vision statements.

8. Continuously remind your team about the ways your organization is living these core values, vision, and mission day in and day out. It gives people a deeper purpose to what they are doing.

9. Create buy-in by asking your team for their opinion on projects and processes.

10. Focus on developing your intrinsic elements for motivation: autonomy, mastery and purpose. Read Daniel Pink’s book, Drive.

11. Develop exceptional customer service in your people. Provide learning opportunities that are focused on equipping your team to grow and serve your customers well.

12. Develop a yearly schedule of positive culture building experiences.

13. Be competitive. People like to know they are on a team that competes at the highest levels. Even though we may not be on the field of athletics, encourage the mindset of being “better than” and “best.”

14. Share profits and loss information when appropriate.

15. Get input from your team on problems. Do this even when you know the answer. People like to solve problems and claim ownership to the solutions which grows pride in the work being done.

16. Share customer satisfaction surveys and responses. People like to hear encouragement and have direction.

17. Keep salaries competitive within the marketplace.

18. Be forward thinking. Look ahead and give others a sense of direction.

19. Inspire by being excited, energetic and positive about the future.

20. Help the team become more organized. Frustration starts when no one cares about a messy location. Organized people become demotivated and may even leave if sloppiness is accepted.

21. Listen. Change and opportunity begins at the top. When leaders stop listening, no one who can change anything is listening. People will know and get frustrated.

Keep cultivating your culture!