By Thomas Davis, CRNA, MAE, Lt. Col. (ret)
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In the popular HGTV reality TV show Fixer upper, Chip and Joanna Gaines work with buyers to select a run-down and under-valued home and then using vision combined with hard work, turn it into a showplace. The Gaines walk the buyers through three potential homes, all in need of repair. Typically, the buyers are openly disappointed with the current state of the property whereas Chip and Jo look at the same mess focusing on the potential beauty that it could become. The remodeling experts ask the buyers about features that are most important to them and listen carefully to preferences that are stated during the walk-through. The show progresses with the buyers selecting a property, establishing a budget, reiterate the items that are most important to them, and then turning the project over to the experts for remodeling. Midway through the project, Jo meets with the buyers, updates them on the progress and ensures that everybody agrees with the final design. The show ends with the amazed buyers walking through the newly remodeled home in disbelief that it could be the same property that they selected weeks earlier.
In the reality of the work world, some teams are run-down, underproductive and in need of a leader who will transform the current workplace into an employment showplace. Like doing a fixer-upper on a home, transforming a low-achieving workplace into an environment where people want to spend the day involves listening, developing a shared vision, leveraging resources and motivating team members to work hard to implement change. Be a fixer upper leader and create a workplace where employees are stimulated, motivated and want to spend their day.
Establish your goal
Your team must share your vision as well as your commitment to make things better. Encourage your team to share your vision by openly discussing the status quo, including the things that currently drain team spirit from the group. Ask them to describe their ideal workplace and the behavioral changes needed to move the ball in that direction. As in the TV show, listen attentively to reveal the most important needs and make a list of behavior changes needed to improve the morale of the group. Next, tune in to the group’s order of preference. After identifying 1-3 items for immediate focus, develop a plan and hold team members accountable for its implementation.
Identify your resources
Once the Gaineses have a solid vision for repairing the property, they quickly assess the resources at hand and make plans to obtain additional supplies that are needed. Likewise, take the lead in the remodeling of your team and how they interact with one another. Ensure that it has the resources needed to make the desired changes. You may need to modify work schedules, implement a streamlined method for communication or even place an absolute ban on gossip in order to get the job done. Do everything within your control to activate the priorities identified by your team.
Demo day
Chip’s favorite day on any project is demo day. Everything that is not necessary for structural integrity is ripped out and carted off to make room for reconfiguring the house and to allow for a make-over. To make room for your new way of conducting business, old thoughts and habits will have to be “ripped out and carted off.” During demo, be prepared to rid the construction site of behavior and of things that prevent the group from achieving their collective goal. Ultimately, the leadership goal is to guide your team to the promised land while keeping it intact.
Rebuild
Once the old thoughts and habits have been removed, the vacant space is fertile ground for new and fresh ways to conduct business. Keep your hands on the wheel and make sure that the void you created draws in feelings of collaboration and commitment. Remind team members frequently about their consensus of creating a preferred workplace and encourage only positive thoughts and creative energy to exist among teammates while on the job. Implement a spirit of accountability in which shared responsibility creates positive outcome.
Give frequent updates
Keep your team members in the game by meeting with them frequently and openly sharing the overall progress. Discuss both the areas in which the team is doing well and areas that lack progress. Routinely review the original goals, tweak the plan, and motivate individuals by sharing your anticipation of success. Toward the end of the HGTV show, excitement grows as the project nears completion. The children deliver food in preparation of Joanna’s all-nighter to ensure that the property is perfect for the grand showing the next day. Likewise, as your preferred workplace becomes a reality, be inclusive and harness the excitement of team members by having them participate in the planning of a celebration in honor of the changes that have been made.
Celebrate success
HGTV Fixer Upper ends each show with a segment where the finished project is presented to the buyer. The new residents of the house high-five in near disbelief as they walk through a structure that only vaguely resembles the structure they selected to recreate. As part of your leadership, celebrate with your team when attitudes and behaviors have changed and your workplace has been upgraded to become a magnet for fully engaged workers. Carve out time for a team meeting complete with treats and high-fives for those on your team who most aggressively pushed colleagues to a new and better place.
By challenging your team to fixer upper restoration, you no longer need to lead a team that’s at at the low end of productivity. Choose a reconstruction plan and get consensus, develop a strategy that’s inclusive and hold one another accountable for implementation. You too can restore, repurpose and lead a team that delivers the best possible service to clients and the organization.
Thomas Davis is a noted leader, educator, speaker and clinical anesthetist.