For those of you who read our last newsletter you will have seen my article, ‘Leading with a Smile – The Norway Option’, all about the positive impact interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær is having on his team, Manchester United, and their results. Unfortunately, two days before the newsletter came out, they were beaten in the Champions league first leg, 2-0 at home. Now, the statistics show that no team has come back from a first leg home defeat of this magnitude……..until now!
With 10 players missing or injured and Pogba on a red card, United set off to Paris and won, 3-1, meaning that they are through to the quarter finals.
Kim Cameron author of Positive Leadership suggests that many organisations strive toward the norm, all doing pretty much the same things, whilst successful organisations have what he calls a ‘Positive Deviance’. Now I know I have written about this before but it so simple and important that I thought I would give you some tips you can use straight away again.
1. Make sure everyone in the team meets with the user of their product and service and understands the importance of their role and the contribution it makes.
2. ‘Catch people doing something right.’ Offer more praise than critique at least on a 6:1 ratio. We have a negativity bias that amplifies criticism.
3. Use positive up beat language about results and goals you want to achieve.
4. The gluteus maximus of the human being is proportionally larger than any other mammal because we evolved to stand on two legs so we could carry things using our hands and cover distances. So, your bottom is not for sitting on!
5. Show some teeth! Use the 4-minute rule by asking yourself ‘What would the best (insert job title) look like act like and feel like’?
6. Stay above the line, take:
Ownership
Accountability
Responsibility
_______________________________________
Blame
Excuses
Denial
Any time you are feeling negative you are below the line.
OK, so United lost to Arsenal on Sunday, their first defeat in the league since Ole arrived. But he has already shown he has ‘bouncebackabilty’, do you?