Here is a book I recommend you browse (or read again) along this early summer: The “Four Agreements” by Don Miguel Ruiz. I personally found this teaching in 2012 and I see daily its beneficial effects, so much so that I like to read it regularly, just as I like to review from time to time of Tintin comics of my childhood. This is what I call fundamental to the team manager and I would like in this article highlight their importance.
1st Agreement: “Be impeccable with your Word” The manager / team leader devotes most of its activity to communicate with his employees, customers, subcontractors. A silence sometimes has an equally powerful force than words. A posture adjusted his speaking is modeling, reassuring and motivating for the team; it is also a guarantee of efficiency in management decisions.
2d agreement: “Do not take anything personnaly.” I learned by experience to differentiate “to take seriously” to “do things seriously.” The track is often cramped indeed not to fall into the trap of taking a problem personally and feel responsible for everything that happens to share our involvement, our “committment”, while most of our actions are collective and leader is not the bearer of the cross.
The 3rd agreement is probably my favorite, because the more complex living inside: “Do not make assumptions.” Personally, my scientific background and my experience constantly make me issuing assumptions. In human relationships, this unfortunately generates pollution when there is a communication gap: a silent, unspoken is interpreted in the proper frame of reference is the individual who makes his own truth.
4th agreement: “Always do your best.” The company is committed to excellence, and this from the world of education of our children. But how to define this supreme level? My own definition, in addition to the standards that prevail in each sector or area of activity is primarily to be able to make the best possible according to his ability, knowledge, allowing to live more intensely this challenge and review its criteria performance regularly according to our ability and the circumstances or environment. It gives me all the difference with victimizing position to say: “I did what I could” … which can leave as hear, I produced something, but I’m not satisfied, I have failed and by the way it is not my fault ..
In our personal and professional life, I consider these four lessons have not aged despite their three thousand years. Happy reading!
Richard, june3rd 2016
