Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Old Habits Worth Reviving
Have you ever thought to yourself, “I wonder why I stopped doing that thing?” This thought came to me on a recent hot day and I revived a habit from childhood—swimming every day. Can’t remember when I stopped swimming regularly, and forgot about all the great benefits of the activity. Aside from the physical well-being, swimming gives me a sense of freedom and peace...plus it’s a lot of fun.
If you’ve been in the workplace for any amount of time, you have had the opportunity of seeing different programs come and go. I’ve heard some organizations call these programs “Flavor of the Month”—in other words, the hype will only last for a short time and be replaced by another program next month.
Reflecting back in my career, here are some of the leadership habits I learned from various training programs:
* Use a time management system and know the night before what your tasks are for the next day.
* Don’t be caught off-guard in a down economy. Consistently ask yourself (and the team) “What if we...?” when discussing your products, services, and customers.
* Give each member of your team weekly feedback and have a system for recording the information.
* Never neglect networking regardless of how busy you are.
Today, more than ever, there are some good leadership habits to revive regardless of current trends. What good habits do you need to resurrect that brought you early success in your career? Taking a few minutes and searching your memory for these gems may be exactly what your team needs.
Until next time...live like you mean it!
Marjorie