Risk & Business Magazine JGS Insurance Magazine Spring 2019 | Page 19

EXCELLENCE
impediment to effective execution than
competitors’ actions, whereas teams that
can support one another can improve
operational performance through
coordinated execution.
Most companies don’t need expensive
training sessions or management
overhauls to make strides toward a more
engaged and productive workforce, Peters
has found. There are ways to reset the
corporate culture using simple tools that
have been in our personal arsenals all
along, he says. Most of the solution boils
down to people—how you hire them,
treat them, and reward them. On his list
are some simple recommendations like
really listening to employees without
interruption, hiring nice people, and
managing by wandering around so you
really have the opportunity to get to
know your employees.
Listening earns its place at the top of
this list because while most of us agree
that listening is important, according to
Peters, we don’t behave accordingly. “We
probably think we’re pretty good at it,
but with all due respect, in five out of six
cases, we are likely delusional,” he says.
When a doctor, for example, interrupts
you while you are telling your story
and whips out the prescription pad, he
or she may not have extracted enough
useful data to make a truly informed
decision. The doctor in this case has
marginalized the patient and not created
an environment for true engagement and
co-ownership of the problem.
Listening, says Peters, is the ultimate
mark of respect—the core of effective
cross-functional communication, the key
to making the sale, and the bedrock that
underpins a commitment to excellence.
A good listener “exists totally for the
given conversation,” giving the other
person time to reach clarity without
interruption, he says. A good listener
never finishes the other person’s sentence.
Other paths toward strong leadership
include running effective meetings,
nurturing allies throughout the
organization, dispensing enthusiasm,
and even fine-tuning your body language.
Becoming a student of excellence is
not easy, but a great deal of the process
relies on common sense to move your
organization forward in a positive way.
When asked to hypothesize about the
long term, Peters says in his typical blunt
way, “I don’t know what will happen 25
years from now, but I know you have
a good shot of surviving if you keep
getting better and continue to work your
backside off.”
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