Leadership in Hospitality Series V: No Excuses for Not Being a Good Leader

For the fifth article of the Leadership in Hospitality (in the Golf Industry) Series, I thought I would stay on the theme of looking at the writing/posting of Marcus Buckingham. I find some frank, blunt and/or direct commentary in this one: There is no excuse for not being a good leader and it all starts with LOVE! #loveinwork #leadership Check out this short for some of these blunt truths:

• I love the first question: What is the best RITUAL FOR A LEADER? Interesting that he chose the word “ritual” and not “habit” or something like that. Rituals are commonly referred to as practices or even rhythms. In that sense, one can see how it’s relational, mutually beneficial, and it is more likely to work as a rhythm than as a forced habit.
• MB’s answer is direct: “…check in with each of your people for 15 minutes every week – ask two questions: 1) What did you love about last week? 2) What are you working on this week?”
• Can’t do that he asks? No excuses like too many people, too boring or I’m too busy leading he doubles down with, “…no, no, that is the leading bit – the leading bit – if this bores you, the idea of touching base with someone…maybe you shouldn’t be a leader.”
• Note: he also clarifies the difference between “touching base” in a supportive way and “checking up on them” in a manner that messages you don’t trust them. Touching base is for one purpose only, because we humans need the attention, to feel valued, motivated and to keep from withering.

With that being said, how will you ensure you “touch base” in a meaningful way, 1 to 1 and ask them the two questions:

• What did you love about last week?
• What are you working on this week? (And be sure to let them answer completely.) If you’re the type of leader who tends to check up on your people, this is a great way to help them stay accountable. And it is more likely to be to themselves than to you (and that is way more important.)
• Make this ritual a rhythm of your leadership this season, starting today.

For more on this topic about “The Check-In Conversation” check out this 3:11 length video from Marcus Buckingham.

As you’d expect, there are some nuggets in this video too:

• What happens on the best teams is this. Their people believe:
  • They have a purpose: “At work, I clearly understand what is expected of me.”
  • They recognize excellence: “I have a chance to use my strengths every day at work.”
  • They feel support: “I know I will be recognized for excellent work.”
  • They have confidence in their future: “In my work, I am always challenged to grow.”
• Buckingham simplifies it for us: “Know Me, Focus Me”
• He asks, what would a leader have to do to get their people to “strongly agree” to feeling known and focused at work? Simply put, Buckingham says, “It would be frequent strengths-based check-ins about near-term future work.” (That is a free activity for a leader, no expenses for the company, no funding investment…just a leader and a team member sharing their time in a meaningful way.)
• Brass tacks: What are your priorities (this week) and how can I help? In this question, leadership is recognizing that some tasks, efforts or items are presumably more important than others.
• 5 – 5 – 5 Check-In: Take 5 minutes to share 5 things with me about the 5 days?
• “A year isn’t a marathon, it’s 52 sprints…my job as a leader is to make sure that Sprint 35 is as energizing for you as Sprint 1.” For us in the golf industry, we don’t have 52 sprints per se, but we do have a sprint for each of the weeks that we are “in-season” and in our “shoulder season” don’t we? Based on that, this should make sense to each of us.

With these two correlated resources and their concepts in your mind, let me ask you to consider again: How will you ensure you “touch base” every week for strengths-based check-ins about near-term future work starting this season, this month, this week (or today?) Applying these principles to build up the way our team feels their purpose and uses their strengths will net out in better team performance, morale and cohesiveness.

If you’re a leader or an emerging leader and you’re struggling with applying these concepts, please reach out to me so I can “check-in” and help you figure out what you need to do to make this stick. I would love to connect with you when you have time to talk about the context of your situation and how we can work together to help you apply these principles in your own way that makes you a difference maker who benefits the entire organization and your career in the process. Check out my calendar booking link below to find a time that works for you.