It’s easier to manage, (control), compliance then initiative.
Compliance is easy to teach – just follow the clear instruction.

Our educational system is based on compliance.
Initiative is more difficult to teach, but it can be inspired.

The challenge is, in order to inspire, you must first be inspired.
But it’s much easier to teach “do as I say, not as I do and be.”
It just doesn’t inspire a very long shelf life of productivity.

Compliance vs. Initiative #2 is a post from: Gregory Neil Associates

Any time you think for yourself, your boss finds some way of letting you know that’s not really what you were hired for.

Your efforts are rewarded when you follow the rules, and criticized when you get a creative urge to contribute to the company.

You’re kept un-informed as to the long term plans and vision of the business, and managed to “just stick to doing your job.”

When you felt like you really got the job done and were expecting acknowledgement, instead you got criticism and feedback on how to improve and do a better job.

You know there is a GPS tracking devise on your vehicle, your time is monitored daily, and your emails are being checked.

Would you feel trusted? Empowered?

How would you feel? is a post from: Gregory Neil Associates

Initiative’s reward is the work itself.
Compliance works only for the reward.
Initiative thinks, then acts.
Compliance acts, then (maybe) thinks, then regrets.
Initiative creates plans and actions as needed.
Compliance copies the actions of others.
Initiative seeks to empower others.
Compliance uses resources to protect his/her own position.
Initiative risks committing and stands by it.
Compliance avoids the risk of commitment for fear of not looking good.
Initiative inspires good work in others.
Compliance demands work in others through control and fear.
Initiative learns from mistakes.
Compliance avoids mistakes at all costs.

Think about it: Didn’t every positive achievement in your business come from either yours or someone else’s initiative?

You have a choice. Fill your company with more compliant, less expensive people, or you can staff up with people who have stronger leadership. They might cost a bit more, but which gives you better ROI and peace of mind?

Invitation to action: Look at your organizational chart right now. Beside each person’s name, put a C or an I to indicate where you think their motivation comes from. Get an instant snap-shot of how your company is currently being run and driven, and determine where you want to begin to have more Initiative to show up.

Compliance vs. Initiative is a post from: Gregory Neil Associates

Andrew Carnegie expressed it very well when he said, “Take away my people, but leave my factories and soon grass will grow on the factory floors. Take away my factories, but leave my people and soon we will have a new and better factory.”

Invitation to action: Think of the three employees you have who you rely on the most — what are their gifts and talents you are maximizing? In what ways can you give them even more freedom and capacity to leverage the trust and competence they have demonstrated? Not sure where to begin? Contact me for a free consultation.

Where is your best ROI? is a post from: Gregory Neil Associates

There is ONLY one of you, and you have several to many employees.
The question is how best to leverage your time, attention, and efforts.

When you design your business culture to support people thinking for themselves, you harness forces beyond the ability to control, and beyond predictable outcomes.

Sure, it’s scary, takes courage, some wisdom, and the willingness to let go and try something new.

The reward is greater productivity, profits, and a business culture embracing innovation. And, when you take the risk, you offer employees what they want most, making them happier, and you benefit from less attrition.

Isn’t that why you went into business for yourself?

Invitation to action: Right now take five minutes to look at where you might be able to let go of some control and empower a motivated employee with more responsibility and freedom and less oversight. What’s the potential risk? What are the possible downsides? How much time might this free up for you? And, where would you put that time to good use if you had the extra time freed up?

Where is all the power? is a post from: Gregory Neil Associates

Do you invest in making better systems, or do you invest in making better people? Which one has the best ROI?

Systems people say design the business so anyone can do it. Hire the cheapest person you can get. (McDonalds perfected this.) Now, you have a business model designed to compete on price.

Works really WELL if you’re selling burgers…

When you have a business designed for people to follow instructions, and you staff up with the most “cost effective” people to run it, leadership, innovation, creativity, and real thinking get left out of the equation.

The real dilemma of choice is between people who are easily replaced vs. people with skills that are indispensible and hard to find.

The choice you make will determine how well your business model works. I guess it comes down to the question-What are you selling?

Invitation to action: Take a moment and look at the quality of the people working for you. Do they require constant supervision and need to be told specific instructions? Do they have the ability to think on their feet and deal with unexpected issues as they arise? Are they being used to their greatest strengths? Do you have to call all the shots and troubleshoot all the problems?

System or People: Where are you having the biggest problem? is a post from: Gregory Neil Associates

Leaders challenge the status quo.
Managers maintain the status quo.
Leaders take risks.
Managers do risk management.
Leaders are motivated for the accomplishment and the community.
Managers are motivated for the rewards.
Leaders take action in the face of being very uncomfortable.

Managers avoid uncomfortable situations.
Leaders give voice to their convictions.
Managers give voice to someone else’s convictions.
Leaders have initiatives.
Managers have rules.

Leaders invent, create, and cause change.
Managers maintain existing norms and roles.
Leaders cause growth for the reward of its social value.
Managers seek reward for their own personal value.

Leaders devote themselves to giving their best.
Managers are concerned with getting your best.
Leaders know when to quit and when to conserve energy and resources.
Managers avoid the risk of wasting resources.
Leaders manage through igniting passion and inspiration.
Managers motivate through fear, domination, and control.

You get to choose every single day whether to be a leader or a manager.

The Daily Choice is a post from: Gregory Neil Associates

When you make a commitment to a certain goal, you set the stage for several things to happen. Failure and disappointment will typically show up first.

Many people stop right there, finding it too painful to push beyond this. People in the “habit” of succeeding recognize and welcome that as merely the first step. And people really familiar with the work it takes to succeed, use this as a tool to support their continued accomplishment, such as, keep “pushing through” the resistance.

The bigger the challenge, often the more the resistance, which may show up as fear, frustration, anger, dissatisfaction, or annoyance in the pre-breakthrough state.

To quote a client that is having daily breakthroughs in his ability to make cold calls-”Why didn’t I start this years ago?” and “What was all the resistance about?” These are two questions clearly demonstrating a very common experience on the post-breakthrough side.

What you can do, or dream you can do, begin it now. “Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.” – Goeth

Breaking through…a very good habit to have is a post from: Gregory Neil Associates

There is nothing as powerful as the drive of the Human Spirit for Freedom.

Greatness lives inherently in every one of us.

Offering people the opportunity to think for themselves supports their dignity.

People having a choice in the work they perform creates accountability.

People working with peers and managers to solve problems and create solutions builds transparency and accountability.

People want to be a part of a winning team.

Businesses have a responsibility to provide growth and education for their employees.

Organizations can simultaneously support the life of the individual and the profitability of the business.

The greatest responsibility the owner of a business has is to the lives of the people who work there -this simultaneously sets a precedent for customers and the community.

Businesses demonstrating wisdom, integrity, and authenticity are rewarded with productivity, growth, and profitability.

Organizations are one of our greatest tools for social change.

I Believe… is a post from: Gregory Neil Associates

What you want as an employer is for your employees to show initiative, think for them selves, and respond fast when needed for day-to-day challenges. But are you willing to “let go” of control so they can step out of their box?

When they show a little extra effort, do you reward it or criticize it? Can you recognize that for a key employee to “step up” you might have to step down? Can you appreciate that it might be more challenging for your employees to “step out of their box,” then it is for you as an owner to step out of your comfort zone of control?

Many business owners feel threatened at even the thought of giving up control, and in one way or another, have designed business practices to support control rather than performance.

If what you’re getting is compliance instead of high performance, productivity, and profitability, there is very strong evidence this might be you.

Initiative vs. Control and Compliance is a post from: Gregory Neil Associates