This article is based on the following book: It’s Your Ship "Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy" By Captain D. Michael Abrashoff Published by Warner Books, 2002 ISBN 0-446-52911-7 224 pages
A challenge for every organization is to attract, retain and motivate employees. If a company succeeds in doing so, employees work with more passion, energy, and enthusiasm. This translates to an increase in productivity and more profit for the company.
Another factor to remember is this: real leadership must be done by example. Remember that the people below you follow your lead and that you have an enormous influence on your employees. They will look up to you for signals on how to behave and what the organization expects from them.
Remember that one of the secrets to a successful management of any organization is to be able to articulate a common goal that inspires people to work hard together. Proper, effective and open communication of goals, rules, instructions and expectations can spell a difference.
The best way for an organization to succeed is to give the employees all the responsibility they can handle and then stand back. Trusting your employees to do their job well sustains the company.
Trust is also a social contract – you have to earn it. Trust is earned when you give it. When people start trusting each other more and more, they stop questioning motives and start to work as one unit.
Encourage the people in your organization to be more result-oriented by opening their minds to new ideas. Encourage them to use their imagination to find new ways of doing things. Your employees must learn how to take the initiative.
It is also important to remember that sometimes, you need to learn to take calculated risks. Bet on people who think for themselves. By taking a "leap of faith" and trusting that one person can do the job and do it right, you increase his self-confidence and make him do his job even better. You must also learn to take a chance on a promising sailor. Give people second chances especially if you see potential in him. He might just surprise you with outstanding results. Lastly, if a rule doesn’t make sense, break it carefully. Remember, there is always room for improvement but think ideas thoroughly before implementing it.
In any business, standard operating procedure (SOP) is the rule. It is safe, proven and effective. However, SOP seldom gets outstanding results and distracts people from what is really important.
Innovation and progress are realized when you go beyond standard operating procedures. Sometimes, you have to look for new ways to handle old tasks and find new approaches to new problems.
Good leaders strengthen their organization by building their people and helping them feel good about themselves and their jobs. When this happens, morale and productivity is improved which translates to increased profit for the company. Focus on building self-esteem. Show them that you trust and believe in them. Praise them for a job well done.
Unity is essential to any organization. If you don’t support each other, the organization will soon encounter critical problems that may be irreparable. The job of a leader is to assemble the best team possible, train the unit, and figure out the best way to get the members to work together for the good of the organization.
Lastly, remember that people who enjoy and look forward to going to work are more productive and happy. You can create a positive atmosphere at work by letting people have fun and interact with their colleagues. Having fun at work creates more social glue for the organization. This results in productivity and loyalty.
About the Author:
Captain D. Michael Abrashoff is a Former Commanding Officer of the United States Navy. He is also founder and CEO of GrassRoots Leadership, Inc. Immediately after leaving the Navy, Mike created GrassRoots Leadership, advising others on how to empower their people while increasing profits and cutting costs. Mike continues to spread his message through his first book, "It’s Your Ship", published by Warner Books.
By: Regine P. Azurin Regine Azurin is the President of BusinessSummaries.com, a company that provides business book summaries of the latest bestsellers for busy executives and entrepreneurs.
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