Trevor Stockwell Leadership Development Services

Let’s invest a few moments and think about the reality that 'Results relate to ratios'.

What is a ratio? Well, a loose definition we’ll use today is a mix of the right number of things in the right quantity, the right measure.

Recently I was repairing some crazy paving in the garden. I like a bit of DIY now and again, but I don't do a huge amount of building and construction type activities. So when it comes to mixing cement or concrete, experience has taught me to give myself a refresher! I watch a quick YouTube video to remind me of the right ratio between sand and cement. So that's what I did…I needed three parts sand to one part cement, (if you're doing any crazy paving soon, I've saved you a bit of time!)

Three what? Three shovelfuls of sand, to one of cement. How much water do you need? Well, I'm quite cautious, so I like to work this out gradually. I add a little bit of water to the sand and cement mix. Then start mixing it around, give it a few moments, add a little bit more water…mix it around again, more water, more mixing...

Keeping an eye on how the elements are coming together. Does it have the right consistency? You don't want to get it too runny, because then it's harder to work with. But you want it to be pliable enough. It's a balance really of getting the right elements in the right ratio so then you get the results you want.

It's similar to baking a cake, or when adding spices to your favourite dish. If you put too much in and get the ratio wrong, you can ruin it. Conversely, if you don't put enough in it's hardly worth doing it in the first place. In some instances, getting the right balance is different for different people, different tastes.

Results Relate to Ratios

How does this apply to our growth and endeavours? Well, you could have all the right elements. You could be doing all the right things, but if the ratios are incorrect, the results you’ll get will be less than ideal. Something needs to be tweaked.

Think about leadership, personal growth, any skill that you're looking to learn and improve on. You want several elements working together, i.e., information, some form of learning, input examples, case studies, you then need practical applications so you're able to put into practise the things that you're learning. Possibly adding external input from a tutor, a mentor, coach etc. In addition, you want to be reviewing every now and again to check...

Am I getting the results that I want? Have I got the right mix, the right ratio of the different elements? If you're not seeing the results that you think you should be seeing by now, then maybe you're spending too much time learning the information, the theory side of it, and not enough time in the practical aspect. Or maybe you're doing too much and you need to increase the information, the understanding that you've got in that area.

Self-leadership: develop a habit of regularly checking ratios. It doesn't need to take long, but regularly check in the areas that you're growing, where you want to progress...

Have I got the right ratio?
Have I got the right input from other people if I need it, the right information, am I spending enough time doing as well as learning?

Leading others: have you got the right ratio with regards to your team and how you interact with them? Are you visible? Are you hands-on in certain endeavours or at meetings, in the office, at the site, wherever it is you operate from, to the right degree? This will look different for different organisations. Or are you locked away in an office that nobody sees? Have you got the right ratio of interacting with people?

You're leading by example; can people see that you know what's going on? Do you visit the ‘shop floor’, interact with the workers, and are you building the right relationships?

Have you got the ratio of relationships right where people feel close and confident enough, secure enough that they can share a concern? They can raise a concern; they can share an idea for improvement or suggest a better way of doing things. The other aspect is, are you interacting too much with them, getting too bogged down in the everyday activities that need to happen and you're not spending the correct amount of time, the correct ratio from the helicopter view looking at the bigger picture, where you want to take the organisation, where the team needs to get to, and how you need to navigate that path?

Are you letting enough people do the hands-on day to day stuff that they're better equipped to do because you're responsible for the bigger picture, or are you micro-managing?

The right ratio in these examples can make such a difference between achieving the outcome that you want and getting the results that you could. But you may need to tweak different elements and the amount of time, effort and measure that you give to each of them.

Results Relate to Ratios…You might have all the right elements and be doing the right things, but you just need to tweak the ratios.

Have a think about it... and make the necessary adjustments to maximise your return on how and where you are investing.

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