I’ll be vague.

I was in a meeting of a group of people the other day and there was a presentation being made to the group. (is that vague enough?) Simply put, this organization does a lot of things right. A lot also slips through the cracks, however and doesn’t quite make it past the adequate bar.

As a part of this group and someone who notices when things aren’t quite up to par, I immediately pulled out my phone and made the following note to myself: “In a young organization there must be ONE person who calls the shots. ONE person who critiques EVERYTHING. ONE person who asks why? Why do we Do that? Say that? Wear that? Why didn’t we Fix That? Clean That? Change that?

A) This is not micro managing. This is leading. These questions allow you to get answers so that you can have understanding. It also causes your department leaders to consider all that they are doing. It consistently lets them know that excellence is the bar.

B) This is called training. Around my former company we used to say that leaders should “Inspect what they Expect.” — Until they don’t have to inspect it anymore b/c it has been ingrained in their reports who are then ingraining it in their reports and so on.

In this particular situation I’m vaguely referring to there was a leadership breakdown. Someone put out a sub-par presentation — listen to me. . . because they knew they could. They knew they wouldn’t be called on it and if they were, it would blow over.

As a leader of a young and growing organization you have to be on every detail. You must critique EVERYTHING.

It’s your responsibility. Your customers, your congregation, your team.

Remember: Inspect what you Expect.