June 18, 2015- ISSN# 1545-2646
Is there a limit to Lessons Learned
The basic answer is, there really is no limit on lessons learned but how many times can the same lesson be learned?
As leaders, part of developing future leaders is to give them opportunities to grow and learn from their successes and their failures. If a leader never experiences some of the “Lessons Learned” then they can never really relate to what or who they are leading.
I usually refer to these times where a leader can develop the skills of another leader as teachable moments. Events where something happens and right then and there the opportunity to use it to teach real world skills is available.
These don’t have to be big events or significant challenges or issues. Even small items make good teachable moments.
I raise the question about a limit because I sometimes see leaders repeating the same teachable moment over and over and over again. So why? Part of this is that talent is scarce. Owners don’t want to start over on a potentially undetermined and unproven new talent. They already know what they are dealing with and not sure if new options are really any better.
Another aspect of this is in various cases some leaders, parents, teachers….. are so forgiving that employees have been groomed to just expect to be forgiven. “Everyone is not perfect” or “Everyone makes mistakes.” Accountability to standards is a moving target.
This is evolving at such a degree that some employees don’t even realize they are doing it. I was at a clients the other day and a staff member had missed some information which was needed for placing an order. When confronted with the absence of data and the potential ramifications the employee just shrugged it off. She said that no one is perfect. She just expected for it to be forgotten about and went along her way.
The absence of the data had no personal or financial impact on her specifically but would have cost the business in terms of possible cash flow, customer retention or other various ways. Yes eventually too many of these would end of costing the company so much they would have to reduce staff etc.
I also know that some of you might have already used the “Fired” term for this individual but it is some much easier to say this when it is not you having to deal with the aftermath.
I raise this questions not to put you on alert but to simply have you ponder – are you condoning this type of employee forgiveness model to the degree it is costing your bottom line dollars and cents? Pretty difficult to put a hard dollar amount on it but I suspect it is costing you real business time, money and customers.
Take some time this week to observe if this unlimited lessons learned environment is proliferating in your business. If yes then what might you do to see if it needs to be curbed?
Don’t know if this is an issue in your business? Give JKL Associates a call at (313) 527-7945 to discuss.
Questions or comments – email us at partners@jklassociates.com or call our Office at (313) 527-7945
Copyright – JKL Associates 2015
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