Executive View: How to drive significant increases in performance

In an exclusive series with AM-online, Dr William Holden, chairman of Sewells, provides his monthly Executive View sharing insights into people and performance management to help automotive retail leaders to inspire, motivate and guide their dealership teams more effectively.

Getting people to change the way they think, feel and behave is the key that unlocks the door to positively and sustainably transforming business performance and results.

During these difficult economic times, getting sustainable outstanding performance in any area of your business  is based on people having the right expertise, performing consistently and persistently – on a “want to”, “can do” basis.

As we’ve stated before, performance transformation really isn’t about doing extraordinary things; it’s about doing simple things extraordinarily well.  Yet so many look for the new fad or gizmo, and don’t do the basics well.

Execute the following eight simple, timeless principles, to drive significant increases in performance in your business and teams:

1) Live and work with a purpose - know what you want.

People don’t usually fail through lack of talent or ability, but lack of purpose. Make it your primary mission to align your team with one purpose and become brilliant at learning what drives each individual to stay engaged and focused on turning the purpose into a reality.

2) Love what you do - don’t let the “dream stealers” drain your energy and determination to succeed. Exude passion and enthusiasm that your team will want to replicate.

3) If you have the odd failure move on - falling over isn’t defeat … not getting up is! Support and/coach those that fall down and encourage them to get back up

4) Be ‘other people’ centred - appreciate and thank others for their efforts. When people feel appreciated and valued in their roles, they are more likely to exhibit behaviour that will produce the kind of performance results you are looking for

5) Set goals and visualise - imagine what it looks and feels like to have achieved them.

This will make you dig deep, be resilient, and ultimately unstoppable. Inspire your team to see, feel and believe in the same picture, and you will make them unstoppable too.

6) Believe - in your unlimited, gifted, talented, resourceful self. If you don’t believe in you, why should anyone else? Believe in the ability of your team.

If you can master the ability to unlock their unused potential,  just imagine what that would do for your results.

7) Cultivate a positive attitude - if you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right. Don’t let negativity and doubts drag your team down.

8) Live fully in the moment - if you are still talking about what you did yesterday, you probably won’t achieve much today.

Planning and performance reviews are essential in any business, but don’t let them be to the detriment of missing the opportunities today.

So, be the best you can be, always - in all situations - with all kinds of people, and watch the performance go through the roof.

Please remember, when you were made a leader, you weren’t given a crown. You were given the responsibility of getting the best out of others to sustainably improve performance and results.

Author: Dr William Holden, Sewells