ENERGIZE TO OPTIMIZE
Jack Daly
Jack Daly is an expert in corporate culture that inspires audiences to take action in customer loyalty and personal motivation . He delivers explosive keynote and general session presentations . Jack brings 30 + years of field proven experience from a starting base with CPA firm Arthur Andersen to the CEO level of several national companies . Jack is a proven CEO / Entrepreneur , having built six companies into national firms , two of which he subsequently sold to the Wall Street firms of Solomon Brothers and First Boston .
ENERGIZE TO OPTIMIZE
Gain Peak Performance
We can ’ t expect different behavior from others than what we ourselves offer as an example . “ We are the message ” in our companies today . Business leaders , no matter the sector , must develop ways to thrive during times of constant change . I offer ten specific action ideas ( discussed below ) to all of my clients as these ideas are designed to gain peak performance from our most important resource — our employees .
Never before have we seen companies put so much pressure on their employees to work longer and harder . John Hinrichs , president of the consulting firm Management Decision Systems , observes that “ ten or fifteen years ago , we used to talk about job enrichment . Now we talk about job engorgement .” There are numerous reasons for this stress-inducing tendency : corporate restructurings , which have wiped out layers of managers without reducing the amount of work to be done ; new technologies ( which eventually will lessen the need for supervision ) that are currently causing tough transitions for managers and employees ; and increased competition coming from large , efficient players and from niche opportunists .
OUR CHALLENGE AS LEADERS AND MENTORS IS TWO-FOLD . FIRST , WE MUST ENERGIZE OUR ASSOCIATES SO THEY CAN OPTIMIZE THEIR PERFORMANCE NOW . SECOND , WE NEED TO MAINTAIN BALANCE AND PERSPECTIVE IN OUR OWN LIVES IN ORDER TO HAVE A PROPER WORKING
You Are the Message
RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR ASSOCIATES .
Here are the ten things to think about and then proactively implement in your organization . And if you think some of these ten “ energizers ” need to come from the top of your organization to be successful , I remind you that leaders start where they are . Do these on your own , and then see what happens around you .
1 . Energizers set direction for their units by writing quarterly mission statements . As part of this process , the team commits to established values . Enthusiasm is generated within departments as team members formulate their shared missions . Revising those statements quarterly rekindles that energy and commitment while also providing an opportunity for each person to develop appropriate short-term goals .
2 . Energizers truly listen and , thus , are plugged in to reality . They are both open and inquisitive , and their search for ideas is never-ending and boundless . Useful suggestions can come from competitors , suppliers , customers , front-line associates , trade groups , and even mentors . Ask yourself , “ How much time did I spend truly listening ?” Good listeners practice “ zero-based thinking ,” which requires that we forget the way we ’ ve always done things and allows us to look at situations in a new light .
3 . Philosopher John Gardner has referred to what he terms “ tough-minded optimism .” Energizers possess such a spirit , which combines hope and realism as the driving forces in building a business . Focusing on customer needs helps make this happen . A leader is more interested in serving the customer than in worrying about what the board of directors will think .
4 . Energizers are forever thinking about and articulating their company mission and values . At least once a year , give a speech reinforcing what you and your company stands for . Nearly every
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