Empowerment, Team Orientation, and Capability Development. These are the three areas that make up the Involvement Quadrant.
For the most part, each of these three areas requires the right attitude or maybe attitude adjustment by the team leader.
Only the leader can provide the Empowerment (Delegation) required for individuals to take responsibility and accountability for their particular area.
While team members can create a great Team Orientation, the leader has the opportunity to destroy or hinder those efforts with a single spoken word or email response.
Capability Development can only be provided by the leader but more importantly, the team leader must know the “future potential self” of each member to get the most out of that development.
Great Cultures require Great Leadership
Isn’t it interesting that so much of the Involvement Quadrant requires great leadership? While the overall emphasis here is about corporate culture, it just doesn’t happen without great leadership.
Maybe that’s why Culture is one of the three elements of my Team Leadership Culture company name. Making it last on the list doesn’t diminish its value. In fact, building a great culture should be the goal of every leader and team in the company. Great Corporate Cultures are not less important than Team and Leadership, it’s the goal of Teams and Leaders! Without a great culture, the corporation never lives up to its potential.
Customers Know
Poor cultures are immediately spotted by customers. Have you noticed walking into a retail establishment you seem to immediately sense good and bad cultures?
In one experience I was being helped by a person who was dressed like they just came from a skateboard park. Nothing against skateboard parks, I have grandchildren who enjoy them and are good skaters. But it sends the wrong message to customers in a retail store.
When I inquired about a particular product the person could only say “I think its waterproof. Sam at our other store knows more about this.” When I asked if he could call Sam in the other store his response was “I don’t have the number for the other store.” End of conversation. And end of my ever again entering that store. They obviously had a culture that was not customer-focused.
Customers know!
Let’s Explore
After looking at the unique combination of the Involvement and Adaptability quadrants, the next few blog posts will explore each part of the Consistency quadrant. Join me.
