Why is it so hard to do things that are easy?

Most of today’s leaders and managers are too busy doing their own job to focus on the needs of their direct reports. However, only a fraction of quality time needs to be spent to make a big difference on three key aspects of leading and managing others: hiring, training, and communication:

Hiring. Hire the best employees by using a behavior-based interview process. Learning about an employee’s past performance in similar situations is a key indicator of future success.

Training. Ensure that all of your employees are trained on what they are expected to know, and how they are expected to perform. All employees want opportunities to learn and grow in their roles through periodic coaching and development either formally in a classroom, with a coach, or informally with the help of a peer.

Communication. Communication requires two-way dialogue, exchanging ideas, asking questions, and receiving answers. Get out of your office and talk to your employees every day. Know what they are working on, what motivates them, and what they find challenging.

These three actions are fundamental to every leader and manager’s role and are easy to take. Being a better leader or manager is about taking the quality time and effort to do the easy things.

What are the steps you are taking today to ensure the easy things get done?

Jim Molloy, Consulting Partner