Table of Contents

0: Threads Culture

The people on your team are hungry for a specific kind of leadership. This chapter will give you the Threads framework for thinking about and understanding your role as a leader. You will also get your heart and mind right before implementing Threads within your team.

1: Get Your Core Values Right

If I asked you today to name your team or organization’s core values could you do it? How about the people on your team? In our experience 85% of the organizations we talk to have their core values and 95%+ of the employees don’t know what a single one of them are. It’s probably because a consultant led you down the wrong path to begin with. It’s time for a fresh start and to make your core values stick this time.

2: Set Results Expectations That Make Sense

Job responsibilities, competencies, goals, KPI’s, MBO’s… all of these ways to measure performance can be successful or fail depending on the situation. 

As a leader, it works best to understand all your options when it comes to setting expectations. Then you can apply the solution that makes sense based on the manager, team and business needs of the organization.

3: Introduce Your Team To Threads

We’ve all been to hear the speaker or finished reading the book and rushed into a rollout for your team. Nobody else who is seeing this “new thing” for the first time will be excited. Avoid that moment. Proceed Step-by-Step, ensuring buy-in from the team along the way.

4: Engagement & Performance Management

What process you choose to follow isn’t important. It is more about the time commitment and frequency than the format. You should have something immediate for when things happen, something at set interim points during the period for the employee/manager to connect and something more in-depth at the end of the period to measure what was accomplished and debrief before starting again.

5: Compensate Fairly & Transparently

It’s that time of year.  How you communicate raises and bonuses will determine who stays, who leaves, who’s motivated and if your team thinks you are fair as a leader.  Accepting the premise when your managers or HR team say, “Everyone in our organization is a “3 - Meeting Expectations” so we should give the same 2% raise to everyone across the board” isn’t good enough.  You owe your team more.  Compensation is the critical step that puts your money where your mouth is and confirms for everyone that you are for real.

6: Interviewing & Hiring The Right People

Most people focus on education, experience, skills and job knowledge. We hope the person is the right fit.

Threads Leaders develop a repeatable and defensible process to make sure they are finding the best core values fits that will be able to succeed in the role.

7: High Performers Who Ruin Culture

In every training we have done, I am able to pick these individuals out of the room based on their facial reactions when we explain Threads. If we can see who they are within 5 minutes, then you also know who these people are in your organization.

Your employees know who they are as well and they are watching to see what you will do. What does it say about you as a leader? Your inaction sends the message that any behavior will be excused because of high performance. “But these high performers are too valuable!” you imagine. They’re not. It’s time to conquer your fear and do what you know needs to be done.

8: Nice People Who Aren’t Performing

Coming soon!

9: Shift Your Focus to Flyover Country

80% of the people who are the most important to the success of organization were getting 20% of the attention. Policies, procedures, performance were previously created to contain issues with the 20%.

10: When Tough Things Happen With Good Employees

Life happens to even the best of employees. If you have someone who has been a valuable part of your team and is struggling, a Threads Leader can often help bring them back.

It takes more than just following the policies and procedures in your Employee Handbook. There is power in treating them like a human being.

11: Was It Worth It?

One day a significant chapter of your career will be over. You’ll be on your way to a new opportunity or even retirement.

As you sit alone in your office on your last day, you will try to find the meaning of it all. Your mind won’t go to the things you can see.