Chapter 3: Quick Wins
This is probably one of those hated corporate expressions — Quick Wins. But for the lack of smarter words, I’m going to use it here anyway. The thing is, you have some fresh ideas when you first take over the management role, and it’s time to use them and create some impact. Now, don’t feel pressured about this, because that might make you do something stupid. It’s not about doing something; it’s about creating an impact.
There’s no need to leave a big dent in the universe. Small, incremental changes are fine. It can be an external recognition of your team or catching someone doing something right. Remember, this isn’t about you — it’s about your team. You are only as good as they are. By highlighting their wins, you’re putting a spotlight on your leadership. This is how you’re starting to build your Team Brand.
Another way of going about it is doing #ChallengeAccepted against a hard problem that was around for years. You know, one of those oh, this was always so bad, and we can never solve it things. How about tackling that? You shouldn’t be afraid of not succeeding, and you can’t mistake that for failure. Failure is giving up without trying.
Overall, you’re trying to bring some freshness to the organization. That means change, and you’ll face resistance. Don’t let that stop you. Find meaningful progress and keep making it.
Small wins can be as simple as getting your team together and inviting them for lunch, dinner, a walk, maybe a charity project. If one of them has a hobby, you might practice delegation by offering them to lead the entire team into a joint activity. Just make sure it’s pleasant and light. A little competition never hurts, but don’t let it go too far — remember that you’re doing this to create a better team spirit to drive the business results.
I have to admit that I have a challenge with those. As soon as there’s a competition, something wakes up inside me, and I turn into an animal. There might or might not have been occasions when I’ve literally ran a customer over during a go-cart race and injured someone during a soft-weapons fight on a balance board. I know better now and stay away from those, opting for more cooperative games.
A quick win might also be as simple as admitting a mistake. You try something, you’re proven wrong, or it doesn’t work, stand up and say, “It’s my fault. I was wrong.” That’s a power move.
<!— Chapter meta —>
What are my examples? Are there any (funny) stories to add and spice things up?What is this chapter about anyway? Is it about giving advice for some quick wins or making a case for them, or what’s the purpose? Maybe it can be included as part of some other chapter — e.g., the next one (Develop Your Signature Style)?
I’ll park it for now and take another look at it later.
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