How Difference Makers Make Mondays Work

I’m writing this while thinking about you. It’s Sunday, and you’re wrapping up a great weekend with your friends and family! Now, you’re slightly shifting into work mode, preparing for the week ahead. We all do this, right?
 
Maybe you’ve looked at your calendar to see what projects require your time tomorrow or maybe you’ve scrolled through your inbox and replied to a few emails. You might be excited to jump right in tomorrow morning or you may be a bit anxious about what’s ahead when you get to the office. Whichever way you’ve chosen to prepare and whatever it is you’re feeling like as you do, it’s driven by your desire to be effective. You’re the one I’m thinking about. You’re the one who’s asking,  “What can I do to be at my personal best this week and achieve something that makes a difference?”

What really makes Mondays work isn't our well thought out plans or our well documented next steps. Those things are important but their not what makes it work. What makes Monday work is the group of people you and I interact with and depend on to move anything forward. I want to help by giving you real ways you can increase your effectiveness and truly make your Mondays work.
 
3 Ways To Make Mondays Work
 

• Realize that no remarkable achievement will ever come from anyone going alone. I used to believe that if it was “important” then I had to be the one who did it. Someone else might not be as thorough or care as much about the quality as I would. What I discovered was operating like that caused me to take on more responsibility than was necessary and it isolated me from my team. What’s not important in the business, yeah? I was grabbing everything! Over time, I learned that being at your best doesn’t mean taking it all on yourself. These questions helped me think through how to bring others into the work for the week and maybe they’ll do the same for you this week.
  
  1. Are you really the only one who could do what needs to be done?
     
  2. Who else do you need to help you with that project?
     
  3. Who can do the work 80% as good as you and needs to be empowered?
     
  4. What would it feel like if you increased the number of people who are capable of handling 5 of those tasks that are taking up your time to prepare for the week ahead?

• Realize that bringing others with you has more to do with your behavior than it does their competency. Here’s the deal. You hired others because they’re good at what they do! However, the thought of not being the one to do it all could cause you to resist empowering them. I used to believe that if I wasn’t doing it all then I wasn’t needed or valuable to the company. I bought in to the idea that leadership was managing everything. My team unintentionally became a means to my end- getting things done. That’s good if you’re working alone but it falls short when your working with people. These questions will help you determine if there’s something your believing that doesn’t line up with being your best this week. 
  
  1. Is this really something that only I can and should be doing this week?
     
  2. Have I clearly set an expectation of what needs to be done so that the person responsible has all the information they need to win?
     
  3. Do I need to provide training to someone so I can empower him or her?
     
  4. What do I need to start, stop, or keep doing related to this particular work?

If you’ve already been made aware that this is a blind spot for you and you’re looking for help navigating through the process of changing you’re behaviors, I’m ready to come along side you.  Register for your free strategy session here.

• Realize the single greatest limiter to your success is your current leadership ability. There was a time when I acted like my title and position made me a leader. I believed that because I held them both, others were obliged to follow me, and if they didn’t something was wrong with them. This was such an embarrassing mistake, but I learned a valuable lesson! I learned it’s possible to want others to join you in getting work done and still feel stuck. I even thought I was empowering others but wasn't seeing the results I wanted. I learned that the greatest limiter of my and my teams success was my leadership ability. If this is happening to you, it’s time to ask yourself some questions. 
  1. What needs to change for people to follow me, not just comply when their job description says they have to?
  2. What action will I take that communicates my belief in the people I want to empower this week?
  3. What do I need to do in order to gain more buy-in to me, before I ask others to buy-in to the work I want completed?
  4. Who can help me clearly see the reality of my influence and impact on others at work?

 
W. Shane McKenzie is an executive coach who helps leaders achieve greater effectiveness and become more fulfilled in their work by facilitating positive changes in their leadership behaviors. Join the Leadership Transformation Roundtable to get your copy of the questionnaire I use to discover how close my intentions match the reality of those I lead.
 
What others are saying about W. Shane McKenzie
 
"I’ve worked with Shane for several years. He possesses a unique and highly effective combination of strategy, team leader and great communicator, a rare combination. He has a very strategic mind so he makes connections and sees disjointed paths where others do not. This allows him to both plot direction and execute the path to success. He’s truly committed to the greatness in others. He listens fully, asks the right questions at the right time, and gives us the space to both think and respond." - Linda Lindquist-Bishop, Strategic Facilitator, Speaker, Exit Planning for Business Owners, and World Champion Athlete
 
“Shane is a trusted peer whose advice I seek when faced with leadership challenges. He brings clarity to tough situations and has been an objective sounding board for over 14 years!” – Pamela Westbrooks, Vice President of Administration
 

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