The Leadership Secrets of Santa Claus Continued

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Santa Claus uses ten practical strategies for leading others and getting big things done all year long.

The 10 Leadership Secrets of Santa Claus

1. BUILD A WONDERFUL WORKSHOP

Make the Mission the Main Thing

Santa runs a productive and happy workplace, in spite of intense pressures and challenges by taking specific actions.

First, he makes sure that all the elves and reindeer know the mission (“Making spirits bright by building and delivering high-quality toys to good little girls and boys”) and why it’s important.

Second, Santa spends time with individual employees—discussing how their respective jobs specifically link with, and contribute to, the accomplishment of the mission.

Third, he’s kept the mission “in front of folks” by posting it on walls, discussing it at staff meetings and training sessions, including it in internal correspondence, and through a host of other activities that help ensure it stays our central focal point.

You can’t possibly focus on your mission without also focusing on the folks that make your mission happen. The two go hand in hand…

It’s important to use self-evaluation and periodic feedback from the team. Santa uses questions to evaluate his own performance like the following:

In the last several months, what have I done to…

Be accessible (physically and mentally) to employees who would like my attention?
Be considerate of staff-member needs?
Provide employees with the training, tools, resources, and feedback required for success?
Keep employees in the “what’s happening” information loop?
Help team members maintain an appropriate balance between their professional and personal lives?
Demonstrate respect for employees’ time and talents…as well as respect for them as individuals?
Solicit, and listen to, staff-member ideas and concerns?
Help everyone develop and grow?
Fairly distribute the work and workload?

Making sure that everyone knows what values are important, and then helping everyone turn those good beliefs into everyday behaviors is how leaders create a great place to work.

2. CHOOSE YOUR REINDEER WISELY

Hire Tough So You Can Manage Easy

Santa explains that he’s come to realize that “because it’s employees who ultimately make our mission happen, staffing is my single most important responsibility. The time I spend hiring the right way is nothing compared to the time I’ll have to spend dealing with the wrong reindeer.” So, take a hiring lesson from Santa. Invest in doing it right up front and everyone—especially you—will be happier down the road.

Go for the Diversity Advantage

Another key lesson on employee selection from Santa is to involve the elves. “Different” toy makers bring new skills, perspectives, and ideas to the workshop. They provide more than one way of thinking, planning, producing, and problem solving. Santa notes that “they made us better, stronger, and much more in touch with the ‘different’ shapes, sizes, and colors of customers that we serve.”

3. MAKE A LIST AND CHECK IT TWICE

Santa’s success—and resulting reputation for excellence—is the result of clearly defined goals combined with well-thought out plans to accomplish those goals. Santa and his team break down one huge annual goal (the mission) of “delivering the goods” into a series of manageable, bite-size subgoals.

Plan Your Work

Santa answers six questions for each goal:

What needs to be accomplished?
Why does it need to be done? (How does it contribute to our overall mission?)
When does it need to be accomplished?
Where am I/are we now in relation to this goal?
Who will be involved in accomplishing this?
How will it be accomplished? (What specific steps and activities are involved, and what resources are required?)

Santa knows you have to follow the plans—whether you’re assembling toys or working to achieve your goals. As he put it, “If we want to hear jingle bells ringing on the 24^th, we need to set and live by goals…all year long!”

Work Your Plan

Goal setting—planning your work and then working your plan—not only leads to effectiveness, it also fosters efficiency…it helps you minimize waste.

To make the most of your time:

- Prioritize tasks (do the most important things first) and use “to do” lists to organize daily activities.
- Start and end meetings promptly—and issue agendas in advance.
- Teach time-management skills and techniques. Take advantage of time-saving technology.

Make the Most of What You Have

To make the most of your employee talent and expertise:

- - Involve the people with the knowledge in the decisions.
  - Match jobs with worker skills and interests.
  - Enhance employee expertise through training and developmental assignments.
  - Encourage employees to share their knowledge with others.

4. LISTEN TO THE ELVES

Involving workers in running the operation—and in making decisions that affect them—is a key strategy for leadership success.

Santa recognizes the importance of listening not only to customers, but also to the elves, reindeer, and others in his workshop. As his challenges grow with each new season, more and more he relies on teamwork, collaboration, and the contributions of each member of the workshop team.

Whether it’s through formal surveys, hotlines, informal discussions, “slip me an anonymous note about my leadership” invitations, or whatever, you must find your own way to ask, listen, and act.

Listen to the feedback the elves give Santa, “We like it when you occasionally work next to us—giving us a hand and keeping you in touch with the operation. But the thing we appreciate most is when you ask what you can do to make things easier and better for us, and better for the workshop—and then you do those that are reasonable and appropriate. Thank you, Santa, for making the effort to see things through our eyes…”

5. SAY HO HO HO, BUT DON’T FORGET THE SNOW

Build Contagious Enthusiasm

Santa discovered that a workshop filled with Ho Ho Ho’s is not only a more enjoyable place to work but also one that is more positive and productive. Elves and reindeer working together with smiles on their faces are contagious.

So, make the goal of recognizing positive performance part of every reindeer and elf’s job expectations.

Santa’s Recognition Rules

- - Make It Timely: Give recognition as soon as possible. Don’t wait until later because sometimes “later” never comes.
  - Get specific: Tell recognition recipients exactly what they did that was positive. A mere “Good job, Rudolph” really doesn’t say that much.
  - Be Appreciative: Tell team members what their positive performance means to you, to the other elves and reindeer, and to the goals of the workshop—and thank them for that.
  - Get Personal: Adjust the style and method of your recognition to the receiver. Give “different strokes to different folks.”
  - Make It Proportional: Match the type and amount of recognition with the value and impact of the achievement.

Santa has developed a series of sayings to help the workshop team make progress:

Expect the Unexpected

- - “It’s the Things That You Least Expect That Hit You the Hardest”
  - “Life’s Not Always Fair, So Build a Bridge and Get over It!”
  - “If It Was Easy, Anyone Could Do It!”

Get Problems Solved…Together

- - “Problems Are Opportunities in Disguise!”
  - “There Are Always Solutions!”
  - “Do It Now Because Sometimes ‘Later’ Can Easily Become ‘Never.’”
  - “Complaining Doesn’t Solve Problems, Doing Does!”

6. GIVE THEM GIFTS THAT LAST A LIFETIME

Santa explains, “Developing our team is about more than just teaching folks how to do their jobs; it’s also about teaching them how to be successful. And there is a difference between those two concepts.”

As leaders, we must identify all of the factors and characteristics that comprise employee success—and help team members learn, grow, and develop the skills we want them to have in each of those areas.

Good interpersonal relationships are critical to maintaining both a positive working environment and high-quality performance, but experience teaches that:

- - Occasional squabbles between workers are inevitable.
  - Most workers need help resolving those squabbles.
  - It’s the job of the leader to help them repair what’s broken.

Santa’s CALM Model

- - Clarify the Issue (Think it through yourself): What am I upset about? What actually happened? How might I have contributed to the problem?
  - Address the Problem (Share your feelings with the other person): Here’s what happened… Here’s how that made me feel…
  - Listen to the Other Side (Understand his/her feelings): Give your total attention. Never interrupt. Ask questions (for clarification only).
  - Manage Your Way to Resolution (Decide what you’ll do): Agree that a problem exists. Identify each other’s concerns and needs. Explore possible win-win solutions. Agree on a course of action. Close on a positive note.

Santa notes that one of the most appreciated lifetime gifts he’s given his staff is a continual emphasis on pride and professionalism. As he put it, “We teach those concepts, we discuss them, we expect them, we reward them, and we quickly address the infrequent times when they are found to be lacking within our operation.”

He emphasizes that everything the workshop team does at the workshop bears a personal signature. Each action you take—the way you complete every task, assignment, project, or job duty—is a reflection of you. And that fact leads to two questions everyone needs to ponder and be concerned with:

- 1. What does my “personal signature” look like?
  2. Does it portray someone who exhibits pride in him/herself and the work they perform?

7. GET BEYOND THE RED WAGONS

Red Wagons were the prized workshop product for many years. Moving beyond them would be a major shake-up that would force the elves out of their comfort zones and throw them into the new and unknown.

To keep the same level of commitment they had shown to red wagons, Santa couldn’t just dictate change, he had to orchestrate it. That involved applying several strategies—ones he’s replicated many times in response to the never-ending need to move in new directions.

- 1. Santa complimented the elves on their history of red wagon excellence and expressed his pride in their past accomplishments.
  2. He introduced the change they were facing and explained why it was necessary.
  3. The team discussed the benefits to be gained—individually and collectively—for making the required change. Of course, the two biggest benefits were “staying in business” and “staying employed.”
  4. Santa asked for everyone’s commitment to the new direction…and got it.
  5. He made sure that everyone on the team understood that change of this nature was inevitable—they had no choice whether or not it would come. Their only choice was how the team responded to it.

Like many of you, Santa’s team is—first and foremost—in the customer service business. Obviously, his team’s job is to give people what they’re looking for. And as their wants and needs change, they have to change along with them. The more employees understand about how the business works, the more likely they are to accept and support change.

Santa instituted regular State of the Workshop meetings to keep everyone informed about what’s happening (future plans, new products, planned purchases and upgrades, staffing issues, field trip reports, etc.). For the workshop team, teaching “the business” of the business has been good business.

8. SHARE THE MILK AND COOKIES

Help Them See the Difference They Make

Santa constantly communicates two messages to the staff:

- - We don’t make and deliver toys, we make and deliver happiness, and
  - We couldn’t do that without you!

Santa makes it a priority to spend one-on-one time with each and every elf and reindeer—telling them face-to-face how their individual talents contribute to the team and make a difference to those who will unwrap their handiwork on Christmas morning.

Nothing motivates employees more than knowing they’re making a difference. Find ways to make that happen in your workshop.

One of the most important characteristics of effective leadership is an “attitude of gratitude.” Learn to truly appreciate workers who meet or exceed your expectations.

Recognizing employees—doing right by those who do right—is one of the best things Santa does for his elves and reindeer—and for himself as well. Santa point out, “I feel good when I do it…they feel good when they receive it…and they’re more motivated, and therefore more likely to repeat the performance I want and need in the future. Everyone wins. What a deal. It’s happy holidays for all!”

9. FIND OUT WHO’S NAUGHTY AND NICE

Confront Performance Problems…Early

Santa detailed his learning about dealing with a performance problem. One elf, Igor, was consistently tardy. Santa explained:

I overlooked Igor’s tardiness (Mistake No. 1)—hoping that it would magically go away on its own. Of course, it didn’t… Then, instead of dealing with Igor one-on-one, I chose to send out a memo to the entire workshop staff reminding everyone of the importance of being on time (Mistake No. 2). I hoped Igor would read it, get the message, and correct the problem without my involvement. Of course, he didn’t.

As the problem continued, I looked for every excuse to avoid a confrontation (Mistake No. 3). But the issue came to a head when one of the other elves approached me and asked, ‘When are you gonna do something about Igor? His being late all the time is really unfair to the rest of us.’

I called him into my office and unloaded on him (Mistake No. 4). We were both angry and the tension was high. And then he asked a question that shut me up faster than a raised eyebrow from Mrs. Claus: ‘If this issue is so important, why didn’t you say something to me sooner?’ There was no good answer to offer, only excuses—the same type of excuses I wouldn’t accept from others. I had been unfair to the other elves…and to Igor as well.

Coach “the Majority in the Middle”

The middle star group is the backbone of Santa’s workshop. They’re the good, solid workers who, day in, day out, bring our mission to life. And many of them have either positive or negative potential; some have the capacity to experience super-stardom, while others run the risk of slipping into the falling-star ranks.

When it comes to managing the majority in the middle, the goal is clear: make sure they avoid being naughty, help them stay nice, and work with them to get even “nicer.”

Santa noted, “I used to think that the best thing I could do for those folks was to leave them alone and let them do their thing. Boy was I wrong! Like everyone else, great performers don’t like to be ignored or taken for granted.”

Most realize that they need to be worked with, involved, recognized, and rewarded. In other words, they need to be coached. So, Santa plays these three key roles: Santa the Encourager, Santa the Developer, and Santa the Cheerleader.

10. BE GOOD FOR GOODNESS SAKE

Set the Example

Ethics is so important—that’s why making sure that integrity “happens” is one of Santa’s most critical responsibilities. Regardless of what’s said or written elsewhere in the workshop, Santa’s actions—whether good or bad—are the performance standards his team will follow. There’s no getting around it: Santa must model the behaviors that he expects from others.

Here’s a simple “Workshop Test” or “What’s Right?” Test

- 1. Is it legal?
  2. Does it comply with our workshop rules and guidelines?
  3. Is it in sync with our values?
  4. Will I be comfortable, guilt-free, or even jolly if I do it?
  5. Does it support our goals, commitments, and mission?
  6. Would I do it to my family or friends?
  7. Would I be perfectly okay with someone doing it to me?
  8. Would the most ethical individual I know of do it?

Building accountability for proper behavior involves the following from Santa as Leader:

- - Keeping eyes and ears open to what’s happening.
  - Providing ongoing feedback.
  - Displaying “zero tolerance.”

It’s our day in, day out, seemingly insignificant actions and behaviors that determine our overall goodness. At Santa’s workshop, they focus on the big integrity issues while giving equal, if not more, attention to the “small stuff.” It’s important to recognize that everything counts—for your people, and especially for you as their leader.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Most importantly, never forget that getting big things done all year long isn’t about magic. It’s about leadership.

Happy holidays. Happy all days!