FAQ Friday - FAQs for Leaders - February - Sustain Energy from Kickoff Meeting
One Friday each month I dedicate the post to looking at some questions I have heard recently from developing leaders. Sharing those questions and my thoughts for them is a way for me to spread the information to as many leaders and future leaders as possible. If you have a question about leadership or just a situation you would like some additional insight on, please email me at Effective Retail Leader. Let’s look at this week’s question.
I just had a great kickoff meeting for the new year - now how do I sustain that to ensure I achieve the results we have established?
Congratulations on a successful kickoff meeting - they are always an exciting way to start the year. The team is full of energy, and everything you talked about seemed possible during the meeting. It is great to have the feeling of momentum starting the year. The results are a clean slate (for the most part), and there is renewed enthusiasm in the cause and purpose of the team.Reality has a way of working its way back onto the scene when everyone gets back to their own location the next day though and maintaining that level of excitement and the commitment to the expectations can quickly wane. I have been there and experienced it many times on both sides of the equation. So how can you avoid losing all of that ‘pumped up’ urgency?Here are three ideas to help to achieve the results you want from your kickoff meetings:
Keep it real to begin with
As you have your meeting or immediately following it, acknowledge that while it is a new year and the results scoreboard may be clean - the trends and behaviors that existed the day before will still be there today and likely tomorrow. Until something in you as a leader changes to redirect the current movement they will progress similarly as they are today. Help your team identify what those actions are and begin to change those that reflect the new course and expected outcomes. If you don’t address those root issues, everything old will return.
Keep it constant
If real change is to occur, you need to keep your messaging constant. It can get frustrating that it feels as though you’re saying the same thing over and over, but it is necessary to ensure it resonates with the entire team. (This step never changes regardless of your level - the messages need always to be reinforced.) Most things written or stated about change will tell you it takes at least seven occurrences before people will begin to understand and make the changes. I am sure there is never an exact number; the point is clear, you will need to remain vigilant in your message clear and the new norm for those around you.
Keep it simple and stay the course
One of the biggest challenges I faced, especially as a multi-unit leader was I was so excited to get new ideas out to the team that I forgot to reinforce the pieces we had just discussed. Even if you had been working on a plan for the new year for weeks before January, it was new to the team when you shared it during the meeting. They are still absorbing everything you said - statistically speaking, they likely have forgotten 60+% of what you covered during the session. That may sound awful, but it happens in every meeting (and 60% is generous). Model, recognize and reinforce your messaging through your visits (DMs and above) or one-on-one discussions (local leaders) the message you carried through your meeting.Connect the message and new expectations to the current situations and observed behaviors. Celebrate the changes with your team as you see them. Stay your course, do not layer on new items until the ones you covered in your kickoff meeting are firmly embedded, and the team has embraced them all. That is their sign that they are ready for more. Then you can build on the foundation you established in January throughout the year.Join other retail leaders in continuing their development journey with Effective Retail Leader.com. SUBSCRIBE today to receive FREE leadership tips directly to your inbox and monthly newsletters that provide many tools to help further develop your leadership skills all at no cost. JOIN NOW!No spam ever - just leadership goodness.