The pit-stop - An important part of leadership and managerial development
Mayur Kalbag is an Indian Corporate Leadership Coach, Corporate Trainer and author who regularly does corporate training for businesses in Fiji. He can be contacted via email: hotmail.com
Not just for a leader or a manager, but for each and every aspirational employee, a pit stop is a must as it plays an important role of a catalyst towards accelerating the growth and performance of a manager, leader or any professional in an organisation.
What is a pit-stop?
This term is basically a positively critical and concise activity that takes place during all forms of auto (car or motor cycle) racing.
I myself got to see it in real while attending one of the Formula One Car Racing events in Malaysia some years ago.
It was truly amazing to see the manner in which the racing cars while steadfastly manoeuvring through the multiple winding laps, would slow down and drive in for a pit stop.
In the short duration of that pit stop, the pressure of the car tyres would be checked, the car would get re-fuelled, the driver’s helmet visor (screen) would be quickly wiped so as to provide him with clearer vision and an overall checking or assessment would also be carried in the quickest time possible.
Interestingly, all these actions would be executed within only a few seconds by the pit crew comprising of expert -technicians and mechanics.
At times, I have seen that, during the pit stop the driver has had to give up in the race after being told that the car is incapable of being driven further.
The only reason for my detailed description and explanations about the pit stop is the fact that just as in a car or a motor cycle racing event, there is this critical aspect known as the pit stop, similarly, as leaders, managers or as aspirational professionals or employees, we too must make some time and space to create for our own dynamic and ‘developmental’ pit stop.
Purpose of pit-stop
We are human beings and not cars! In case you may have this doubt in your mind, let me clarify it for you.
I would like to respond to this doubt by saying that a pit stop probably is as essential for us as it is for the cars and the motor cycles.
The reason for this is the fact that just as a car needs to have its various aspects checked, we as managers and leaders also need to create time and space to make assessments and conduct regular checking of how our performance and progress has been in the department.
Especially managers and leaders must realise that as we are racing towards achieving our own targets, budgets and goals along with our team members, it is vital for us to make a specific space of an hour, once every week to create the pit stop with specifically three key objectives.
Objectives
The first objective of this one hour, once a week pit-stop is to assess the speed of work and its progress.
It is in this pit stop that you, as a leader or manager must look at whether the team is working at a medium or slow or a fast pace.
Along with this, the second objective is about looking at ways to resolve failures or encourage creative solutions or ideas to deal with incoming challenges.
The third and final objective of the pit stop is to re-fuel the entire team with the fuel of self- motivation, clarity of future tasks and the courage to face probable challenges.
A pit stop is also an excellent opportunity for a leader to listen to his team members and their feedbacks or observations as well as their possible grievances and thereby help to become better as a team.
The pit stop can represent positivity, inspiration, transformation, for not only the team but for the leader or manager as well.
Remember, we must that we all are in the race towards achieving our own goals and target, hence a pit stop is surely something that we must create in our lives.