Sustainable little changes over time, amount to a lot!

Posted by on Aug 30, 2013 in Blog | 0 comments

wowimageI am just coming from facilitating my ELEVATE group this morning, and I just can’t stop myself from smiling at the improvements everyone is making in only 4 months of being in the program, yes only 4 months of the full 12 and already what I hear during results reporting time is just amazing.

How do these leaders, high potential managers and executive directors of non-profits are able to make significant changes and claim the huge impact they are already making in the way they are seen as leaders in their organizations? I wish the answer was complicated but it is actually rather simple.

It is all about the commitment they make in making small changes every month in different areas that affect the way they perform in their job and the results they are able to bring to their organization’s bottom line.

What would you think if you came to your office one day and you heard one of the key people you rely on, say one or more of the following:
- “I am finally starting to let go of my ego and letting other people take over certain activities that I don’t have to do any more, and this is freeing up my time to focus on more important things that relate to my role”
- “I am getting better at setting boundaries in how I spend my time and I feel like I am re-gaining control of my job… I was even able to take a day off, my first in almost 2 years”
- “Going home during lunch time a couple times a week has allowed me to spend some extra quiet time to reflect on important issues in my organization and at the same time has helped me reach some of the work–life balance I want.”
- “My goal this month was to be more transparent and improve communications with my staff, and it has helped a lot, I feel like my team is starting to open up and change their attitude towards me”
- “I have been creating task lists and they have worked for me, I am now more prepared when I go to meetings”
- “Communication with one of my direct reports has improved so much thanks to my decision to shift the way we have our conversations, she is now positive not only towards me but the whole team and that has had a huge impact in the way we work as a team”

Small, slow paced, thought out and meaningful changes that stick in the long run are more effective in driving positive changes in leadership skills of high performing, already successful individuals in a way that is meaningful to them, their organization, its employees and its customers.

When your best managers are given the opportunity to make a series of continuous small changes in their leadership skills, the impact in terms of return on investment and increased business results is significant, and I think the statements above are a true testament of that. Now imagine what kind of result you would experience in your organization if your high performers where the ones making those statements!