Strategy #46: Talk the talk

Do not assume that just because they work for you, people understand or buy into the mission, or that they will pick it up through your example alone. You must not only walk the talk, but also talk the talk.Talk to people every day about values, vision, and mission of your organization.  Use stories and specific examples of patient care or customer service excellence to reinforce key aspects of your organization’s mission.

“In leadership,” said GE chief executive Jack Welch, “you have to exaggerate every statement you make. You’ve got to repeat it a thousand times and exaggerate it.” For over twenty years, Welch hammered away on a small number of key themes – being number one or two in every market GE serves, creating an empowered and boundaryless organization, and instilling a shared set of values and vision.  In the process, he became widely recognized as one of the greatest business leaders in the latter half of the twentieth century.

In the book Primal Leadership, Daniel Goleman and his colleagues describe the president of a research-based consulting firm which had been very successful, but which now faced the challenge of how to sustain its growth and move into new areas. This provoked a leadership crisis, during which the president was forced to reassess his own leadership style, and to make changes more in keeping with the company’s new directions. One simple but highly effective step that he took was reiterating the corporate mission statement at the beginning of every meeting, and inviting a discussion of ideas for pursuing that mission. The authors report that, “Although at first he felt a bit self-conscious, even awkward, as he persisted in cultivating new habits [and] it soon felt less gushy and more natural.”

Try this:  On an 11x17 inch page (tabloid size) create a matrix with The Twelve Core Action Values arrayed down the left-hand side and your organization’s stated values arrayed across the top. Then have meetings across the organization to discuss specific ways that encouraging your people to live their personal values (and The Twelve Core Action Values are their personal values) can help your organization more effectively achieve its valued outcomes. You have my permission to use The Twelve Core Action Values for this purpose – I’ll be happy to send you an example or two of how this has worked in other organizations if you send me an email at joe@joetye.com. Of course, one of the Strategic Values consultants from Values Coach would also be happy to help you make the most of this process.

“An evangelistic leader believes that the cause will succeed and then sets an inspiring example by withstanding long and difficult battles, fostering collaborative efforts, showing composure in difficult times, and remaining humble in victory. He plants his feet firmly on the ground yet keeps his dreams in the clouds.”

Guy Kawasaki: Selling the Dream

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