In my book, 4 Secrets of High Performing Organizations, I suggest that high performing organizations and the people who lead them have four things in common:

  • Successful businesses and the people who lead them develop and communicate a clarity or purpose and direction.
  • Successful businesses and the people who lead them engage the full commitment of everyone in the organization.
  • Successful businesses and the people who lead them skillfully execute the things that matter.
  • Successful businesses and the people who lead them build strong, lasting, mutually beneficial relationship with important outside constituencies.

I like the book How Full Is Your Bucket?  It makes some great points about how leaders can build an engaged and committed workforce.  The idea is simple, leaders can build an engaged and committed workforce by “filling the buckets” of the people they lead.

On page 15, the authors say:

“Each of us has an invisible bucket. It is constantly emptied or filled, depending on what others say or do to us. When our bucket is full, we feel great. When it's empty, we feel awful.

“Each of us also has an invisible dipper. When we use that dipper to fill other people's buckets -- by saying or doing things to increase their positive emotions -- we also fill our own bucket. But when we use that dipper to dip from others' buckets -- by saying or doing things that decrease their positive emotions -- we diminish ourselves.

“Like the cup that runneth over, a full bucket gives us a positive outlook and renewed energy. Every drop in that bucket makes us stronger and more optimistic.

“But an empty bucket poisons our outlook, saps our energy, and undermines our will. That's why every time someone dips from our bucket, it hurts us.

“So we face a choice every moment of every day: We can fill one another's buckets, or we can dip from them. It's an important choice -- one that profoundly influences our relationships, productivity, health, and happiness.”

Pretty good common sense, right?  If you agree, the question becomes “how do I go about filling the buckets of the people who work for me?”

Here are my thoughts on how leaders and small business owners can become bucket fillers instead of bucket drainers.

  • Be courteous – say please and thank you.
  • Be positive – look for things that are going right and build on them.
  • Help others feel good about themselves.  Give praise when it’s due, help people when they are having difficulties.
  • Ask people about their goals.  Show a genuine interest in them and their goals.
  • Introduce yourself to people you don’t know.  Once you know people’s names, use them.
  • Smile.

The common sense point here is simple.  These six simple common sense tips can help you become a bucket filler and not a bucket drainer.  Use them, and watch the commitment and engagement of the people you lead grow.

That’s it for today.  Thanks for reading.  Log on to my website www.BudBilanich.com for more common sense.  Check out my other blog: www.SuccessCommonSense.com for common sense advice on becoming the career and life success you are meant to be and to get a copy of my new ebook Star Power: Common Sense Ideas for Career and Life Success.

I’ll see you around the web, and at Alex’s Lemonade Stand.

Bud

PS: Speaking of Alex’s Lemonade Stand – my fundraising page is still open.  Please go to www.FirstGiving.com/TheCommonSenseGuy to read Alex’s inspiring story and to donate if you can.


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