Make sure you stand up when you present to a group of people. Get out of your comfort zone and stand versus sitting. It will be more engaging and captivating than sitting down, plus it shows you are confident about what you are presenting. Sitting down and presenting can be viewed as a lazy presenter or a presenter who is not confident. Practice your presentation at least seven times and stand and present with confidence. It's the right thing to do and it models the way for others.
When given a project and a deadline by your manager, finish it on time. Make sure you allow enough time to finish the project so it can be done in time to meet the deadline. Being able to be counted on is important. The last thing your manager wants to hear is when the project is due is that you aren't going to have it to them on time. What that really says is that other things were more of a priority than his or her project they gave you. Being able to be counted on and being a person of your word is important and it's the right thing to do. Plus it models the way for others. Sometimes your wife wants you to be a knight and rescue her. Yesterday was one of those days. I was able to work from home and handle the water flooding issue in my kitchen. By making the right decision to stay home and handle the crisis it helped my wife feel that I was her knight in shining armor. Had I gone to work and left her to deal with the situation I would have missed that opportunity and it would have cost us four times as much to repair the leaking water because I ended up calling our painter who also is a handyman and now the repair bill is less than $500. When given the opportunity to stay home and take care care of your family is a crisis situation, make sure you make the right decision. After all it models the way for other potential knights. So this morning I walked downstairs to a pool of water on the floor and water rolling down the kitchen table light due to a pipe bursting since we hit negative degree temperatures here in Kentucky. You can panic, get upset, get frustrated...or just learn to deal with an extremely difficult situation with peace, grace and by staying calm. Realize there's not much you can do now other than turn off the power and the water, and then start cleaning up the mess and calling a plumber to come fix the pipe and call your painter to repair the drywall and repaint your wall and ceiling. Staying calm helps set s great example for your spouse and children and models the way for them on how to deal with stressful situations, one step at a time. That's what you need to do with your New Year's resolutions...verbally say them outloud to a group and/or post them on your wall. One of the best things I have done over the past four years is write out my New Year's resolutions or as I call the 3-4 things at work my "Professional Focus Points." If you make this a habit each year, around August or September you start thinking of what you want to work on before the Chrstmas and New Year's holiday break. Pick three to four areas you want to work on, improve upon, or accomplish. Then tell them to a group of co-workers or friends and then post them on your wall for anyone to see. Then work on them throughout the year and watch your resolution / focus points improve or make happen. Accountability, it's a great way to model the way for others. Just after taking time off to celebrate Christmas and the new year, it's time to get back to work. When you show up to work today, what do you plan to accomplish? What will you do to get off to a quick start in 2014, and more specifically in January. Have you decided on what three or four things you want to accomplish this year? Make sure to write them down and hang them on your office wall to remind you every day. Getting a fast start will help position you to have a great year. Start this year off today with a plan and accomplish today what you know you need to do to have a great year. It's the right thing to do and it models the way for others. "For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding;... He guards the paths of justice, and preserves the way of His saints. Then you will understand righteousness and justice, equity and every good path." -Proverbs 2:6, 8-9 When you take a couple of weeks off work in a leadership role it's alright to take a break, but it's not alright to become missing in action. As a leader for 15 years now, for me the difference is when taking a break you still need to check emails every once in a while and respond to any messages from leaders above you or employees reporting to you, and especially your direct manager if they reach out to you. Missing in action is where you disconnect and don't respond to anyone, either via phone or email, even your manager. To do this in leadership creates issues and doubts about your commitment to the company and the role that you are in to your direct manager and your employees question whether they can rely on you when they need you, especially during a two week vacation when newer employees may not have the same amount of time off available as you, but still need direction. I'm all about taking time off and taking a break to refresh your body, mind and spirit, but when you are a leader, make sure to live up to the position God put you in and be an example of what a good leader does and is. It's the right thing to do and it models the way for others. Find a way to make it happen. Be the person that others know can make things happen when it seems impossible or others might just give up. Don't just watch what happens or be the person who wondered what happened. Being able to make things happen takes extra work and skill, but it's a better way to do life that is much more rewarding, exciting and better to model the way for others. Every once in a while it's great for your body, mind and spirit to sleep in and take it easy. It can help manage outside stress and internal tension that you may not have even known was there. Keeping your body, mind and spirit fresh helps you have your "game on" and be ready to model the way for others. |
"Modeling the Way" BlogMark A. Watkins is a Region Sales Manager in the Midwest with Rollins, Inc. and strives to Model the Way as a Sales Leader, Teacher, Visionary, Innovator, Problem Solver, Coach and Mentor. Archives
August 2018
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