Our Potential in 2014

Mike, Kurt and I will know that 2014 has realized its potential when we see streamlined focus on family, hands-on experimentation, and envelope-pushing career growth flourishing in our lives. These are the hopes and aspirations of The Potentiality’s leadership team as we step into the brave new world of a new year. Here is how we will reach our potential in 2014.

Deep Focus | John’s Potential in 2014

For me, this will be The Year of Deep Roots because of the local focus of both my personal and professional worlds.

Achieving Focus

In early 2014 I will become a father, and with parenthood, so I’m told, comes a deeper engagement with community through activities (play groups), connections (new parents), and geography (I plan to walk and bicycle my child most places). Parents tell me that child-rearing puts many things in perspective, such as “success” and “wellbeing” and “love” – whatever the case, the responsibility of parenting will bring both levity and groundedness to my life. While I find the stereotypical pieces of parenting advice/wisdom – “your life is over” and “oh man, you will never get any sleep, better bank it now!” occasionally annoying, I am appreciative of such feedback because it also affirms that balancing a happy and healthy and supportive family, kickass workplace performance, awesome passion projects (like this one), community service, lifelong learning, and social fun will require incredible focus, organization and some realistic and tough decisions about what can actually be accomplished on four hours of sleep after a busy work week.

Deep, Local Engagement

Recently, I enthusiastically shared ideas about how I will work to create positive community impact through my work with the People Solutions team at Vancity, where we are a co-operative bunch. When it comes to business-led positive impact, well, it doesn’t get much better than Vancity. With social justice and financial inclusion, environmental sustainability, and co-operative principles at the heart of our business, this year has the potential to be one of transformative change in the Lower Mainland, which will begin in the Lower Mainland and be adopted around the world.

Scaled, Realistic Winning

As a competitive person who is hyper-involved in life, my goals of deep, local focus on family and work will be tough ones to achieve. Needless to say, based on the above commitments and ideas, I will know that 2014 has realized its potential when my lovely wife Michelle and I reflect positively on the happiness and health of our wee one and our growing family. And I will know that 2014 has realized its potential when Vancity’s vision for healthy communities – and its role in fostering them – is taking shape in the Lower Mainland.

Intersecting Generations | Michael’s Potential in 2014

In 2014 I’m most interested in the intersection of integration and innovation within a multi-generational workforce. How will communities and organizations face their challenges and attain potential during a transitional time where boomers exit (or cling to roles within) the workforce and are replaced by two generations with vastly different skills and styles?

Increasing generational diversity brings increased complexity and new challenges.

I believe one considerable challenge is a significant shift in leadership styles as boomers retire and high-performing (and, possibly, unprepared) gen-x’ers move into these positions. Coupled with the gap between the preference for independent action among gen-x and the tendency of millenials to prefer collective action, we’re facing big friction in our communities and organizations.

We’re also facing great opportunities. The diversity brings new perspectives and ideas to the table.

So how do our incoming Gen-X leaders (myself included here), often described as adaptable and entrepreneurial, but impatient and cynical, build high-functioning teams and orgs?

I believe it’s to get out of their(our) comfort zone, get hands-on, and get communicating. These three elements are my pillars for potential in 2014.

Get Uncomfortable

It’s a new year with new challenges. Don’t fall into the trap of looking to simpler times for the solutions to today’s problems. Be prepared to experiment (lots), and be prepared for some of your experiments to fail. What’s most important  is to integrate that experimentation with the two other pillars.

Get Hands-on

Many new gen-x leaders will default to a hands-off style. This is something to be conscious of, and manage carefully as you’ll need to attend to the day-to-day and especially human relationships if you’re going to encourage millenials and boomers to take risks and follow your lead.

Get Communicating

Unplug and start meeting people face-to-face. You will need to be the bridge between people if you want to achieve success and innovation within this diverse environment. The more you communicate – actually getting out there and building relationships by exchanging thoughts and ideas – the more you’ll understand your unique network. As each layer is peeled back, your unique personal, community, and organizational potential for 2014 will reveal itself.

Visionary Leadership | Kurt’s Potential in 2014

In 2014 I’m looking forward to moving increasingly away from an individualistic communications role (with which I am very comfortable) into the new role of supporting and leading a team to achieve our vision.

In the past, competencies like communication, creativity and adaptability have been the most critical to the success of a sole communicator like me. In the coming year I expect to develop my leadership and collaborative competencies as I seek to engage, support and lead my team. It is an exciting time that will require me to hone new competencies and also allow for an enhanced influence within my organization. With this in mind, here are three actions I intend to consistently consider in the New Year to help me reach my potential in 2014.

Get Strategic

While tactics are important, understanding the bigger picture is critical when you are leading a team. Ensuring all team members are moving in the same direction requires significant consideration. While such an approach can be bereft of the immediate rewards you feel when you implement a tactic successfully, in the long run, strategic thinking is critical to the successful implementation of bigger picture initiatives. Consciously integrating it into your daily thinking is a good first step to being more strategic.

Clearly Communicate Expectations

Just because I know what I want to accomplish and what success looks like doesn’t mean that my team will. If I don’t communicate ideas effectively to my team members, I shouldn’t be surprised if the work doesn’t materialize in the way I’d hoped. As a leader I want to set out clear goals and expectations at the beginning of a project or campaign and then let my team work independently to accomplish them. At the end of the project I intend to evaluate the results and review the successes/challenges so as a team we can continue to evolve our processes.

Continue to Push the Envelope (a Bit)

The higher one climbs, the easier it gets to take the safe (often less creative) route. Innovation becomes secondary to maintaining the status quo to avoid rocking the boat. Many institutions and organizations inadvertently encourage this, which can quickly lead to organizational stagnation. Developing new ideas and finding creative ways to implement the measures that you belief will support your organization’s strategic goals is as important at a mid-level as it is when starting out (and looking to differentiate yourself) or when you’ve attained great power later in your career (and are able to command changes with less fear of repercussions). Constant innovation, review and evolution is not only good business, it is good for morale (both yours and your teams).