Developing a Good Leader for your Crew Adapted from Information by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers Finding someone with the right skills to lead a crew can be challenging in the drilling industry. According to leadership expert Tery Tennant, who with his wife Linda, own Attainment Inc., a Phoenix-based consulting firm that helps successful people move to the next level; the first step is recognizing what a good leader actually is. “The measure of a good leader is how well their team functions without them,” he stated. New leaders can have a tough time letting go of day-to-day tasks they’ve grown accustomed to doing as an employee, but it’s necessary to delegate those tasks so the leader can focus on their own development. High-payoff activities (HPAs) change when you become a leader. HPAs are the six most important activities you should do for at least 80% of your work day. Once leaders identify their own HPAs, they will be able to help employees develop their own. “Recognize that efficient and effective are two different things,” Linda said. “Efficient is about getting everything done as quickly as possible. Effective is about getting the right things done. It’s important for a leader to get the right things on the task list.” When leaders fail, it’s typically due to one of the following issues: jUsing the power of the position rather than coaching jReactively putting out fires instead of proactively developing long-term solutions jMaking decisions employees should be making jMicromanaging employees rather than helping them develop jNot clearly communicating expectations jNot holding employees accountable for performance jNot providing effective performance feedback and training jAssuming what motivates them, will also motivate employees Another issue new leaders may experience is the struggle to shift from employee, to managing employees. A lot of times in the drilling industry, crews have worked together for years and have become friends. It’s a tough situation for a lot of people, but if authority is used correctly, the shift can be a smooth one. Here area some leadership tips for using authority effectively: 1. You don’t want to try to be an employee’s friend, but you don’t want to be the enemy either. Simply focus on getting the job done effectively. 2. Provide consistent feedback and coaching; this is how leaders improve their teams. Forget asking if you can provide some “constructive criticism”, all your employee will hear is the second word - criticism. Coaching is a more positive word because it’s about becoming better at your job and winning as a team. It’s also important to conduct your coaching and feedback privately, not in front of fellow crew members. However, it’s okay to publicly praise employees for a job well-done. In fact, public recognition is crucial to building a self-motivated team. 3. Follow through on your own commitments. This is how leaders build credibility and inspire their teams. “Leaders need a system to make sure that when they say they are going to do something, they follow through and do it,” Tery explained. 4. Finally, leaders must provide clear job expectations - in writing. “Then leaders can provide performance measurements, offer feedback, and hold people accountable,” Tery concluded. “When employees understand what is expected of them, that actually makes the leader’s job a lot easier.” 17 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® DECEMBER 2020 WWDRphoto. EXB Irrigation by: Rain Bird Academy Training January 11-15 ~ Portland, OR January 11-15 ~ Sioux Falls, SD January 18-22 ~ Campbell, CA January 25-29 ~ Oklahoma City, OK January 26-28 ~ Boise, ID phone: 800-498-1942 www.rainbirdservices.com More education opportunities during events can be found by clicking here online at: worldwidedrillingresource.com Education Connection
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