Always Give A Good Day!

Today I had a discussion with the Managing Director of a multi-sector, multi-million pound organisation. We spoke for over 30 minutes about his views on his organisation and how he thinks about things. This is a man who can get through over 100 topics in 20 minutes, a man who, when not actually physically doing work or creating new partnerships is ALWAYS thinking about the next thing. This guy is on a different level from anyone I’ve ever experienced. So what on earth is he doing taking time out of his extremely busy day to talk to me?

This isn’t any Managing Director. This is Stevie Kidd that I’m talking about and he does things very differently. I’ve been working in KDS this week as part of the Training team, delivering to 2 youth groups. Stevie was investing time in me to discuss and provide feedback on my experiences this week and explained the importance of doing this.

This strategy of taking time to develop people provides opportunities for me to improve as a trainer, which improves the quality of service for the youth groups, which improves the business objectives of the company, and so on….. This is the ripple effect. Those 35 minutes could be the catalyst for life-changing choices, for me or one of the young trainees. Who knows how far-reaching it can go?

The main message I took from this meeting was this: Investing in People is more than a plaque on a wall of an office or workplace. It’s a strategic objective that’s got to be done every day. To truly invest in people is to take time to find out who they are; what makes them tick. It’s knowing when extra support is required and providing it, leading by example, but not just to employees.

I heard Stevie’s son say something today that I’ve heard Stevie Kidd say time and time again – “What’s next?” It’s a question I now ask myself on a regular basis thanks to Stevie, but I was amazed to hear it from a 12 year old. THIS is what I mean by investing in people. If a 12 year old has that kind of attitude to life – what will the power of his thinking be like when he’s 22? Unstoppable.

To finish off – I got an email from Stevie today and at the bottom of his email the message is: “Have a good day, but please ensure you give a good day.”

Stevie’s strategy is to ensure everyone gets a good day.
 

Joe Wilson

1 Comment

Posted by Roger on 11 April 2011

Fantastic experience, and a great overview of an inspirational leader.

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