Focus On People by Brad Thames
In this article, Brad Thames discusses how focusing on 'People' rather than 'the Job' can lead to better outcomes, emphasizing the importance of a people-centric approach in leadership.
Focus on ‘the Job’ and ‘People’ becomes hard; Focus on ‘People’ and ‘the Job’ usually works itself out.
You may have heard this one before; be people-centric rather than task-oriented, ‘lead’ vs. ‘manage,’ etc. On the surface, at least intellectually, this seems rather straightforward. We all know that knowing is easier than doing, but a key factor (often missed) in this conversation isn’t missing this point, it’s not failing to understand the difference, it’s not even the challenge of learning ‘leadership’ concepts… it’s understanding that there is a clear relationship between these ideas and the fact that both of them are necessary.
Think of a treadmill… an ability to lead controls how high the incline is, how ‘hard’ it is to manage and get results. Granted, this is an oversimplification, there are plenty of outside factors that influence leadership circumstances at any given time, but the better you lead, the less you have to ‘manage.’ When you lead rather than manage, when you focus on the people more than you focus exclusively on the tasks at hand, better results often just happen. People want to achieve, people want to perform for leaders they respect and feel respected by, people want to feel valued and feel valuable. So how do you create this type of leadership environment where good things have a much better likelihood of just happening?
I’ll borrow a concept discussed by Kerry Patterson in his book, Crucial Conversations. In his discussion, he asserts that two keys to a difficult conversation are 1) making positive assumptions about the other person and 2) taking (or trying to take) someone else’s perspective from the beginning. The premise is summarized as “why would a generally kind, generally reasonable, generally intelligent human being be feeling/acting this way?” I believe that this assumption and perspective of people is critical to good leadership in a broader sense than just having a hard conversation. Make the assumption, take it to heart, that people are generally kind, generally reasonable, and generally intelligent and capable. Consider, at all times, where their mind and heart may be. Always, always, always start from here.
This starting point and thought process largely eliminates a host of potential risks and prejudices from everything that may follow in a leadership relationship. Remaining leadership ‘tips and tricks’ come a lot more naturally and often are simply byproducts of this perspective:
Be genuine and open with information and communication. Sure, there’s a such thing as sensitive information and timing, but we’re all adults and can generally see the writing on the wall. You will sacrifice your credibility if you refuse to acknowledge and deal with realities that are right there for everyone to see.
“I don’t know” is a powerful and often completely appropriate and acceptable response. Use it.
Expect the best out of people and you may be surprised. Expect the worst, and your results are pretty much guaranteed.
Allow people the space to succeed. All too often, the pressure for outcomes and even unintentional micromanagement ends up suffocating your team.
Active listening… listen to understand, not to respond. Even if you’re right, collaborate and come to mutual conclusions. You may find you’re not as right as you thought you were.
Be careful when trying to help. Especially with ‘people manager’ relationships, offering up ideas too freely or aggressively can easily come across as a mandate or expectation. Don’t stifle their capability and creativity.
Be human, and remember that your team are humans, too. There are always professional lines to maintain but know that they are subjective and can change at a moment’s notice. It is incredible what can happen when your team knows you are sometimes just as vulnerable as they are.
It really boils down to the basic premise that people are generally good and generally productive on their own. So often, we forget this and end up wasting our own time and energy ‘managing’ when A) it’s not really needed and B) it does more harm than good. The people are what are important in any given leadership situation. Do right by your team and others.
Focus on ‘the Job’ and ‘People’ becomes hard; Focus on ‘People’ and ‘the Job’ usually works itself out.
Brad Thames is an experienced Enterprise Strategy Leader with 15 years of expertise in transforming enterprise strategy and execution into high growth and performance. His approach involves cultivating organizational chemistry and creating finely tuned execution strategies to align various disciplines and partners for successful outcomes. Brad views the world as a puzzle, focusing on assembling the pieces and creating a vision for companies.
His skills include project and change management, organizational strategy, talent management, and strategic partnership development. He is adept in turning visions into reality, ensuring alignment with real objectives. Brad started his career in Training, Learning, and Development, and holds multiple professional certifications, including PHR, PMP, and CCMP, highlighting his commitment to ongoing personal development.
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