August 2003

Company Profile

Leadership is trying when others don't

by Dr. James Van Wagoner

My staff was getting sluggish and complacent. We needed a spark, never mind a fire! I realized that I was not encouraging my staff to grow. I was assuming that if I paid them well, and complimented their performance that I was a good boss. After some introspection, I realized I could serve them better.

I had a meeting with them and started the ball rolling. We were going to grow as individuals. We needed to find areas or subjects they wanted to improve in. The fact that I cared and wanted to help was a catalyst to immediate improvement.

We entitled the project: "Enhancement Strategies."

Here are the steps we followed:

***  Step 1: I asked my staff to identify three weaknesses or areas of frustration in their job. I reviewed each list and selected one weakness that I thought would benefit "the job and the person" the most.

***  Step 2: Their next assignment was to recommend three ways to improve their weakness, frustration or problem. I encouraged them to suggest two ways that were of minimum cost and perhaps one that might be a one‑day class, book, piece of equipment, furniture, etc.

***  Step 3: We met again and "fine tuned" their strategies. After the meetings, I e‑mailed each of them the list of agreed-upon assignments and a date to re‑evaluate their progress in three-to-six months.

My staff was so impressed with my efforts, they became more satisfied. This improved the atmosphere and productivity immediately. We are one month into this program and I am watching assertiveness skill‑building, one work station has undergone some organizational changes, and one staff member has signed up for a local seminar on communication skills.

It's rewarding to be a leader. People love to grow! I have learned as a leader that "rainy days replenish the earth, and challenges replenish our souls."

(Dr. James Van Wagoner, ambassador for Palmer Colleges, is a frequently sought after speaker. He can serve as a key note speaker, continuing education speaker, and has served thousands of chiropractic students with his unique National Board Review programs [NBS,Inc.]. To find out more information, please call: Palmer Chiropractic College 563/884‑5430 or NBS 563/359‑8989.)