Western Independent Banker - May/June 2009 - (Page 26)

Here are three critical shifts for all leaders who want more authentic control: From Fostering Compliance to Building Commitment: Over the years I’ve asked hundreds of managers if they knew the difference between commitment and compliance. They always do. And they also know the huge difference it makes in people’s attitude and performance. So how do we get commitment? The secret … is choice. And choice is incredibly under-leveraged in most banks. Remember this. Even when there is no choice in the goal, there is always choice in how we get there. From Telling to Asking: Of course there will be emergencies when the speed of action will trump other considerations. In such cases “telling” people what to do is appropriate. However when the work is complex and the “quality” of the outcome truly matters, it’s time for coaching. And when “learning” is critical it’s also time for coaching. And coaching means we ask powerful, provocative, awareness raising questions: Where are you going this quarter with your team? What assumptions are you making? What could we do to make this deal stronger? What other options do you see? Remember, at the heart of any change and improvement in performance is awareness. From Busting to Trusting: As leaders pressed for time, it’s easy to fall into an errors and omission management style. As in we only talk when something goes wrong. To build real trust we must talk, acknowledge and connect on a regular basis. Ultimately we must remember that the greatest gift we give associates is a feeling of trust. Trust in whom? Themselves! Sound corny? I hope not because I’ve asked hundreds of managers in coaching workshops to describe the single trait they most appreciated in their best coaches. The resounding response: “My best coach saw a larger version of me – than I often saw in myself!” So here’s my promise. Make these shifts and gain real control. Understand both what your people are doing, and why they are doing it. Make these shifts and reduce the number of fire drills. Make these shifts and your people will grow, learn and perform even better. Make these shifts and elevate yourself to a different leadership continuum beyond the pitfalls of traditional management practices. And finally, make these shifts and each one will take you closer and closer to having a team that will love, follow and work like crazy for you even in these wild and tough economic times. The only question is this – Are you ready? Dale Biron is Principal at Core Action Associates, Inc., a high performance c o a c hing c o mpa ny s pe c i a l i z ing in banks located in Mill Valley, Calif. Dale can be reached at 415-381-2858 or dale@core-action.com. 26 www.wib.org Western Independent Banker http://www.mybankersbank.com http://www.wib.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Western Independent Banker - May/June 2009

Western Independent Banker - May/June 2009 Contents A Message from the Chairman How to Keep Employees Happy … On a Shoestring Budget Keeping Good Employees in Today’s Marketplace Asset Appreciation: Front Line Employees Hold the Secret to Balancing Customer Loyalty and Profitability Great Places to Work – WIB Member Banks Why Real, Live Bankers Still Matter Getting the Best Results from an Executive Search Best Practices in Lender Incentive Programs The Enlightened Control Freak: How to Lead So Your Team Will Love, Follow and Work Like Crazy for You Even in These Wild and Tough Economic Times The Frightened Leader Don’t Train – Educate! WIB Service Corporation Report WIB Calendar New Members Advertiser.com Index of Advertisers

Western Independent Banker - May/June 2009

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