Walk the talk – do what you ask your people to do

Business is tough right now.  Chances are good that you’re asking people to tighten their belts and take every opportunity that they can to reduce costs at your business.

At Dulye & Co., we’ve heard from clients about travel restrictions, limitations on attendance at industry and professional conferences, deferring events and hiring, canceling summer college internships and the list goes on.

But, as a leader at your business, are you holding yourself to the same requirements?

What you say and what you do – walking the talk – says a lot about you as a leader and has an enormous impact on your credibility.  An attitude of “do as I say, not as I do,” sends a signal to your team that the rules everyone else abides by somehow don’t apply to you.  And that’s a bad message.

So what’s a well-intentioned leader to do?  Here are a few tips:

Do what you say.  If you’ve asked everyone else to buckle down, you do the same.  Get cost-saving ideas from your leadership team and employees. What can we do without? What can I do without? Be creative, get competitive.  Competition can spark new and creative ideas.  As a leader, all eyes are on you, so make sure that you let people know what you’re doing to comply with your own directives. 

Let’s give them something to talk about.  People are going to talk anyway, so why not give the water-cooler crowd something that will make a positive impact on the business?  When you get your leadership team together (hopefully weekly, but that’s another article), put an item on the agenda to discuss compliance to directives.  Perhaps someone held a video conference or a web meeting rather than flying to Cleveland and staying in a hotel.  Talk about it–and have team members share that information with direct reports.  Passing along real examples provides guides that your organization will emulate.

Rewards and recognition.  We’re not talking about giving away a new car here.  Want to make a big impact?  Get out of your office, walk through the corridors and find the person who attended the web meeting instead of going to Cleveland.  Shake that individual’s hand and say, “Thanks . I appreciate your support.” Five words go a long way towards motivating that individual as well as others.

Need to deviate?  ‘Fess up.  Things come up and, sometimes, you need to NOT do what you asked others to do.  Well, you’re the boss so that’s okay…right?  Wrong.  Remember, all eyes are on you and your credibility is at stake.  When you have to do something different, let people know why.  At the weekly staff meeting, let everyone know what you need to do and why you’re going to do it.  Then have your staff share the information with their people so that you maintain your credibility. 

Get creative.  If you need to deviate, see if you can consolidate several tasks and accomplish several things at once.  Maximizing your investment is another good example to set for the folks back in the trenches.  Plan your time so that you make the most of every minute and then share that experience with others.

When you do those tough things that you’ve asked others in your organization to do, it lets people know that you’re serious.  It gives them the proper incentive to follow your lead.  And it goes a long way to creating the environment of trust and teamwork that is so important in lean times, when “do more with less” is more than a cliché – it’s reality.