SPRING 2018
communication and integration ,” says Peter . Internal barriers can be more of an 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 .”
MEET TOM PETERS
Tom Peters is coauthor of In Search of Excellence — the book that changed the way the world does business , and often tagged as the best business book ever . Seventeen books and 35 years later , he ’ s still at the forefront of the “ management guru industry ” he single-handedly invented . What ’ s new ? A lot . As CNN said , “ While most business gurus milk the same mantra for all its worth , the one-man brand called Tom Peters is still reinventing himself .” His most recent effort , forthcoming in April 2018 , is The Excellence Dividend : Meeting the Tech Tide with Work that Wows and Jobs that Last . Tom ’ s bedrock belief : “ Execution is strategy — it ’ s all about the people and the doing , not the talking and the theory .” In November 2017 , Tom received the Thinkers50 Lifetime Achievement Award .