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Too many people have settled in their careers. They are spending the majority of their hours working for organizations that they just don’t align with.

This does not mean that the company or the product is inherently bad, it just means that they don’t really believe in the value they offer.

This is problematic for two reasons.

First, if this describes you, then you are suffering and wasting time unnecessarily.

I know that finding the right job is challenging, but I want to encourage you. Don’t stop searching for the right fit. There is a job out there with a company you can believe in, performing a role that will align with your talents, experience, and passion.

Secondly, you are not being fair to your employer.

If you don’t believe in your company’s offerings, it is next to impossible to be fully engaged and to give your best. Not only is this not right for the company, it will limit your future career opportunities.

I know there are many other reasons for finding the right job at the right company. My hope is that if you’re not there yet, you won’t give up the hunt.

Find something you can believe in!

Hope you enjoy!

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Daniel shares some observations about successful team culture in this follow-up to his recent post, The Monday Morning Huddle.

A few years ago, I started working with the leadership of a UK based petroleum additives firm. One of their primary initiatives is “organizational excellence.” Last week, I spent time with the leadership of a huge restaurant chain whose first principle of success is “operational excellence.”

Tomorrow I will be with a mortgage banking firm, and “manufacturing quality” is one of their guiding principles. Now, “manufacturing quality” does not have the word excellence in it, but as I read what it means to them the word excellence jumped right out.

As leaders, we must closely examine this trend.

Today’s consumers are experience minded. They like to buy from those they have relationship with and who have the ability to deliver excellence in their buying experience.

I have coached many leaders who have overlooked the need to make organizational, operational, or service excellence the foundation of how they deliver their products or services. They spend all sorts of time and money sending their clients handwritten notes and elaborate Harry and David gift baskets, hoping this will result in raving fans.

What we all must remember is that no matter how much fruit is in the gift basket or how nicely worded our notes are, if we did not deliver our product or service with excellence, the note and basket won’t matter.

Offering excellent services or products is the starting line; it is what allows us to compete in today’s business environment. If we don’t have excellence as a deep conviction tied to clear behaviors, we are likely to have businesses that are very much like leaky buckets. We will work hard to attract new customers today as we lose yesterday’s customers due to mediocrity.

At Building Champions, one of our Convictions is that we exemplify excellence in all we do.

Striving for Excellence,

When you feel unsure about next quarter, next week, or even tomorrow, fear can take over. It’s easy to lose sight of your larger plan when you feel like you’re scrambling. I’ve found, time and time again, that the best remedy for fear and uncertainly is a healthy dose of vision.

Whether you know it or not, your team is probably feeling the same uncertainty. Will my husband lose his job? How much of a loss will we take if we sell the house now? Can we still afford that vacation if I bring in less commissions?

The urgency of today pulls our eyes downward, and it’s more important than ever that we see there is something better ahead that’s worth fighting for. We all need to know that we’re a part of something bigger.

The 3-B Vision is the best tool I’ve found when coaching my clients on vision. Essentially, this tool helps you answer three questions:

1. To what will my team members BELONG?
2. If they invest their time and effort in this organization, who will they BECOME?
3. Together, what are we going to BUILD?

If you’ve created a vision already, it’s time to dust it off. Walking through this tool can help you see it with new eyes. If you’ve never created a vision before, then 3-B Vision is a great way to get started. I invite you to email us at info@buildingchampions.com to request a copy.

Make the time to lift your eyes up above the uncertainty of today. I know you will be refreshed by seeing the promise of what you belong to, who you can become, and what you are to build.

May this help you to see things more clearly,

Dealing with these very real scenarios can really bring a leader down.  And the unfortunate thing is that, if he spends too much time each day focused on these activities for too long, he and his team will begin to lose sight of why they do what they do.  They will lose sight of the mission, they will no longer see opportunity, and they will lose hope. 

Ultimately, if the leader has both eyes down on the data, the organization’s health and culture will suffer.

For the last few years, I’ve been saying that the best leaders have what I call bifocal vision.  They have the ability to keep one eye down looking at reality while keeping the other eye up looking at the future.  They do spend time managing to the very real challenges of today.  But they also spend time playing offense, sharing vision and executing plans that will help them and their teams to see the light at the end of the tunnel. 

I know from personal experience that this can be very difficult for a leader.  But without bifocal vision, I have seen leaders kill their organizations — long before they ran out of cash.

Action Plans:

1. Schedule time to review your key reports or scorecard.  Weekly is usually enough, but during times of crisis you may need to see the data daily.
2. Schedule time weekly to review your vision.  During times of crisis or real challenge, you might need to review it daily.
3. Share a portion of your vision with your team weekly.  This can be done by discussing a conviction and its corresponding behaviors during a weekly team meeting.  Or you could communicate one key element of what you see the organization or team becoming in an email message (or for even greater impact, try recording a short video from your desk).  The purpose is to keep the team balanced between dealing with the very real and sometimes painful changes of today, and remaining passionate and engaged with the possibility of tomorrow.

Keep one eye down and one eye up!