I consider myself to be a willing person. Let that linger.
When we are manager or leader or father/mother or loved one or friend, we have to be willing. Willing to embrace change and uncertainty and joy and happiness and failure. I understand the word. I opened one book to one page and found will, willing, willingness (or variation, self-will) seven times. And while I can count the number of words or variations of the word, I must also link to two other words for that particular word to matter…honesty and openness.
When I became a manager, I was definitely willing. I will always be that. I am open…that is not a hard one for me. I am challenged by honesty. This makes me vulnerable. That is the catch. You see this is a perfect trifecta. You cannot be one without the others. They are all symbiotic. A dollar fifty word that means you cannot have one without the other. Like a flower and a bee.
So how does willingness work into our management and leadership along with honesty and openness? Sometimes it is simple. A simple decision may be to continue to work with someone. A Rep, who you know is not “getting it done” is causing you stress, and despite all efforts, is less than great. You really still want them to be better. It can be that simple (or is that the complex one). Or maybe something seemingly more difficult and you have to let someone go. It is time. You have tried and tried and documented everything possible and they still are not improving.
Are you willing to save someone in the same breath you are willing to let someone else go?
Now that is a question. Right?
Let’s do an exercise. Apply the word willing in something that is right in front of you. For me, I am willing to finish this blog. I am willing to hear how my youngest daughter’s skating lesson went. I am willing to ensure my documents for my client met their needs. I am willing to love anyone I can today for nothing in return. OK, some of you got misty on that last one. That’s OK.
Let’s be real. Your team depends on you. Even if they don’t say it…at all. They want leadership. They want direction and consistency. They want you to care about their success and the success of their job. They want a leader who is willing to fail and succeed and always be honest and open when whatever it was occurred. While I believe we would all agree this is important, I also believe we take this simple trait, this easy characteristic for granted. I am willing to…what?
So here are some steps. Maybe simple, maybe not.
What in your management behavior needs to change? What does it look like to others? Are you willing to fight or flee…from your issue, their issue, the business?
Pick one thing to align with what you do well. Don’t try to fix what is obviously broken or needs work, choose a strength. Pick one thing that makes sense, which you can drive and rely on.
Let someone else know you are working on “x”. Do not change a behavior on your own, it takes others.
When in doubt, question your objectives for the day. Have you drafted the right list?
And maybe the biggest question, what do you carry into management, into leading others? Personal or professional? It matters. It does. Are you willing to grow someone else in spite of yourself?
What does willingness really look like? It can be something big or something small. It has to be honest and you have to be open. Managing Skippy, Todd and Mary means they won’t expect perfect, they will just expect willing to do what is needed.
Honestly? Yep.
Open? Yeppers.
Willing? Yes.
Thank you Joe.