Monday Morning Routine

Today is the start of a new week.

And a new month.

And for new graduates it’s the dawn of a new journey.

For many in my world, summer is a time of transition and change.

For others, today marks the shifting of gears from school mode to summer mode.

For lots of families it’s the home stretch for school. (2-3 more weeks in the McLane house!)

Leaders Set the Tone

One of the many things about leadership I learned from working with Tic Long [back in my YS days] is the importance of Monday morning. Pretty regularly, usually on a Monday, Tic would grab a cup of coffee and work his way around the building to check in with everyone. It was almost never about work. It was almost always conversational.

“Hey big fella, what did you guys do this weekend?”

I’m pretty Type A so I come into every Monday morning like a bull comes into an arena. I’ve got an agenda, stuff to do, a checklist… and Monday morning always feels like a horse race to me. Go. Go. Go.

Tic interrupted me. He’d pop in and I’d have to stop what I was doing. It bugged me in a way that I looked forward to it over time.

Was it that Tic didn’t have a list of stuff to get done? (When I first started I was really put off by this, he was bothering me, and I thought he was just wasting time.) Nope. There was a habit and (presumably… intentionality) to walking around and checking in with everyone in the building.

Yes, Tic is social so it felt natural. But, doing this, it had a net effect that mattered in three specific ways:

1. You were reminded that you were known, you were more than what you produced.
2. You were reminded that you were important, what you did at work wasn’t your whole life.
3. He got to check-in with each person one-on-one.

The point isn’t to copy what Tic did. What he did worked for him but might not work for you. The point is that if you’re a team leader, you set the tone for your team.

If you come into Monday morning dragging your butt or feeling grumpy or hiding in your office, scheduling meetings, etc.– expect the same from those you lead.

Conversely, if you get out and set the tone for your team– expect others to follow.

Positivity begets positivity.

Care begets caring.

Valuing others begets others feeling valued.

Photo credit: Hot Coffee on a Cold Day by David Joyce via Flickr (Creative Commons)