The ingredients of a good leader: from analyzing the tasks at hand to balancing individual and team efforts, a leader must always be a motivator.

• Author: Andolsen, Alan A.

The role of leadership is a crucial component in the success of any records management program. Leadership is even more important during the current transition from a paper-based records management program to one in which information is maintained in a digital, rather than tangible, format. During the next decade, the truly successful records management programs will be led by individuals who understand the tasks at hand, the capabilities of their staff, and the synergy necessary to achieve long-term objectives.

One of the first objectives a leader must accomplish is achieving a true balance between individual effort and teamwork of the staff as a whole. The realization of this balance comes from a structured approach to the tasks that are an integral part of the program. When the interplay among the individual, the team, and the task is in harmony, a good leader is assured of success.

Analyzing the Tasks at Hand

There are several components involved in analyzing tasks:

* Define. The first, most obvious, though often most overlooked, step is to define the tasks at hand. It is difficult to conceive how anyone can lead without having a clear idea of the work at hand and the goals being sought. A good leader can present, in simple terms and often with a compelling vision, the reasons why the team will be working together, the benefits that will be gained, the difficulties that may be faced, and the rewards to be gained.

* Plan. The natural corollary to the definition of the tasks at hand is a structured plan on how to proceed. The good leader is also a good planner who is able to recognize the different steps in the task, how they fit together most effectively, and the most realistic time periods for their completion.

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* Assign Work and Resources. Probably the most crucial aspect of task analysis is assigning work to the appropriate staff member. Leaders must fully understand each staff member's skill capacity to help their staff best achieve results. In addition, each staff member must receive adequate resources to be able to complete the task. Resources include an interdependent mix of people, money, and time.

* Control Quality and Pace. Once the process is underway, a good leader is constantly analyzing what is occurring. For a records manager in particular, the focus must be on excellent quality as a result of the effort that the staff is expending. Quality is often affected by pace. A good leader does not allow external pressure to speed up the process, possibly reducing the quality of the result.

* Compare "Should Be" and "Is." As the task progresses, there should be a continual comparison between what is actually occurring and the original plan that was created. Many efforts fall apart because the leader and team lose sight of what was originally intended.

* Recognize Changes in Plan. Finally, a good leader recognizes that no plan is perfect. If the proper attention has been paid to the quality of the effort, its pace, and the difficulties that have arisen, the adjustments to the overall plan can be made easily and quickly. A good leader is not afraid to change a plan in midstream, if that means a better chance to achieve the objectives efficiently and effectively.

Leading a Team

Leading a team properly requires several complementary efforts on the part of leaders:

* Set Standards and Establish Discipline. Among the most important dements that help build a true team are communicating clear performance standards and establishing discipline. In the first instance, a good records management leader can reference industry standards for the specific tasks that must be carried out. By placing the work to be accomplished in the framework of accepted standards, it is then much easier to establish the discipline necessary to complete the work. In this case, discipline does not necessarily mean punitive measures for...