THE WHEELS ON THE BUS GO ROUND AND ROUND

If you have ever had children, you will be familiar with this old children’s song. I think virtually every youngster I’ve known has been taught this song by parents or friends.

But why am I using it as the headline for this week’s leadership newsletter?

The lyrics, “the wheels on the bus go round and round,” can be thought of as similar to the workings of any organization.

The wheels go round and round every day. People do their jobs. People work on projects. People aim to fulfill goals. People collaborate.

At the end of the workday, people return home, then come back the next day and start all over again. And the wheels on the bus keep turning!

However, the wheels on the bus will not go round and round unless people are contributing: the driver on the bus, the engineers who work on the bus, the cleaning crew who takes care of the bus, the gasoline team who fills up the bus, and so many more people.

Even though the wheels on the bus go round and round, it takes a team to make sure that continues on a daily basis.

Once the bus is taken care of and in good shape, people can board that bus and use it as a mode of transportation. This brings us to one of the most recognized leadership sayings that’s been around for decades.

“You need to have the right people on the bus” for an organization to be effective.”

This makes sense to a certain degree. If we do not have the right teammates working with us, our organizations will not succeed. That’s why hiring the right people, onboarding them effectively, looking out for their professional growth, and checking in with them on a regular basis are so critical.

However, over the years, I have learned that having the right people on the bus is not sufficient.

Instead, we as leaders must focus upon having the right people in the right seats on the bus!

In so many situations at work and now in volunteering, I have seen well meaning and well-intentioned people in the “wrong” positions.

What do I mean by that? I mean that the skills and aptitudes that they demonstrated did not match the needs of the particular job they were hired to do or were transitioning into.

As leaders, it is our responsibility to conduct regular check-in with our teammates to make sure that their particular skills match the evolving needs of the jobs they fill.

I was reminded of this valuable lesson recently when two volunteers with whom I work closely transitioned out of senior roles and were succeeded by new volunteers.

The volunteers who stepped aside were in no way doing poor jobs. They were well-intentioned. They were smart. They were accomplished. They were willing.

However, the new volunteers possessed certain attributes that the initial volunteers had not demonstrated:

-Vision

-Collaboration

-Curiosity

-Creativity

-Humor

-Humility

-Great listening

-Self-awareness

As you continue to work with your teammates, I encourage you to routinely do a check-in: compare their job descriptions with their best aptitudes. Always make sure there is a good match.

Sometimes it is completely acceptable to change someone’s position description or ask them to move into a different position within the organization that better matches their skill set.

This is a win-win for both your team member and for the organization.

As you continue your leadership journey, please strive as hard as you can to make sure you have the right people in the right seats on your bus!

If you believe this content would resonate with a friend or colleague, please feel free to forward it along!

-Larry