It’s common knowledge that good leaders encourage their employees to dream big, but it’s less known that great leaders actually help them achieve those goals.
Have you ever considered how helping an employee achieve their goals and dreams could go far in helping you to achieve your own? It doesn’t matter if you are Second in Command and not the CEO. Personally helping your employees become more ambitious will ultimately reward you and the organization that you work for.
But, how?
Focus on Your Employee’s Personal Goals
Helping your employees to succeed in their personal goals to, in turn, help you succeed in your own is a concept from the book The Dream Manager by Matthew Kelly. It’s a concept that all great leaders should adopt.
Basically, the concept is, that if you focus on your employees’ personal goals instead of the work they do for your company, they’ll do just about anything to help you succeed in return.
Some might think it sounds wishy-washy or idealistic, but it works.
Have Them Write Down Their Goals
This concept can be put into practice by having your employees write down as many goals as possible in 30 minutes or less. Encourage them to use categories for these goals such as:
- Things I would like to buy
- Activities I want to do
- Subjects I want to learn more about
- Places I want to go
- People I want to meet
- Etc.
Dedicate Time to Their Goals
After your employees have written down their goals, dedicate time every week to help them set tangible steps to make these dreams come true. This does not mean you should be loaning them cash to buy a 7-series BMW or buying their plane ticket to Peru. Instead, helping, in this case, means reverse-engineering their goals into small, attainable steps.
Or, it could also mean lending your expertise and calling in favors from your own network to help your employees. For example, a CEO might help their COO take the right steps to obtain the CMAA certification that they’ve been wanting, just by putting them in touch with accomplished COO training experts. The grateful COO will then delve into a whole new realm of commitment and vigor, inspired and thankful for their CEO’s help.
Share Your Wisdom
A goal that is often shared by employees is to pay off their student loan debt. Lots of young people are being crushed by the burden of these loans and can never seem to get ahead. That’s where you can bring in your knowledge to help them.
If you know you have the skills to do so, sit those employees down and help them each work out budgets that’ll help them succeed in their student loan goals. Then, follow up each week to see how it’s working out.
With a few hours of mentoring, you just might be able to save your employees from a horrible situation. By helping them so immensely, you’ve in turn created loyal partners for life. They’ll never forget how you helped them, and it didn’t cost you a thing!
You can think about helping your employees’ goals selfishly if you want. Help enough people achieve their dreams and you’ll have so many loyal people in your pocket. You’ll always have a huge network of people to lean on for anything: hockey tickets, stock advice, even moving.
Everyone says a company is like a family, but that only comes when you really support your employees. Listen to their goals, then work your hardest to mesh them with your own. You’ll be amazed at what can happen!
Remember, whether you are CEO, CFO, or COO, you are the privileged 1% who can reach out and help the rest!
Do you help your employees with their goals? Let us know in the comments below!
If you have questions or would like more information, I’d be happy to help. Please send an email, and my team will get in touch with you!
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in August 2017 and has been edited for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
