No one would dispute an undercurrent of fear continues to run through our current economic climate. Yet fear, as it relates to creative tension, can be a valuable tool for motivating high performers.
Nothing innovative or truly cutting-edge is born of complacency. Leaders need to motivate employees by inspiring them to achieve their maximum potential. To be sure, the balance between fear and creative tension is a fragile one. But when this balance is achieved, its payoff will be a high performance culture.
In a sense, high performers thrive on fear. They are inherent risk-takers who have little interest in playing it safe. As such, they operate best in a culture where creative tension is the norm. They bristle at the idea of being micromanaged. Yet, born decision-makers, they also have no qualms about being held accountable. Rather than shy away from responsibility, they embrace it. Rather than walk away from a challenge, they meet it head-on. Leaders need to find a way to effectively stimulate these high performers while simultaneously affording them the freedom they need to succeed.
Of course, creating a culture of fear benefits no one. Creativity cannot thrive in an environment where fear — a fear of failure, primarily, and its dreaded consequences — is prevalent. Leaders need to be sensitive to creating a culture in which the creative process, often in the form of risk-taking, is not simply tolerated but actively supported and sustained as a means to achieving success.
And to that end, a little fear can go a long, long way.
Business & Talent. Aligned.
How you manage talent spells the difference between success and failure. To gain a competitive edge, leaders must be prepared to address shifting economic, social and demographic trends that impact workforce performance. Stay informed with research, insights and advice from our leading industry experts. The world of work is changing. Is your company ready?
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
Do you know Pat Tangent?
I’d like to introduce you to Pat Tangent. You may already know Pat. Pat likely works just down the hall from you. Pat Tangent is a furious multitasker whose lack of focus on any single thing for any length of time sends Pat off in various directions at a constant and frenetic pace. The result: hard to know. Is Pat’s ability to multitask beneficial or detrimental to performance? The answer is vital for leaders to understand!!
As T+D reports, 75% of people believe they multitask at work. Further research cited in The New York Times found that the consumption of media (such as email and TV) has exploded – adding to the gravitation away from being able to focus on one task at a time. These days people consume three times as much information each day as they did 50 years ago. They are constantly shifting their attention. Computer users at work change windows or check email or other programs nearly 37 times an hour.
Being able to complete one task quickly and then move onto the next item is a result of heightened concentration, not superior intellect. (Play a game testing how well you switch between tasks.)
It takes a mix of skills to get it right. Some people have a natural tendency toward, high need for and find satisfaction in great task variety. While others are just the opposite. Knowing who has a preference for each condition can really help employers to hire and develop the right people for the roles that demand a lot of variety and for those that don’t. This is the value of using assessments. Placing a high task variety person in a low task variety role can have detrimental effects on productivity and performance. The reverse is also true. Either mismatch can result in frustration by the individual and low engagement.
Utilize assessments to hire for the right mix so the Pat Tangents of the world (and Pat’s polar opposites) can thrive and deliver.
As T+D reports, 75% of people believe they multitask at work. Further research cited in The New York Times found that the consumption of media (such as email and TV) has exploded – adding to the gravitation away from being able to focus on one task at a time. These days people consume three times as much information each day as they did 50 years ago. They are constantly shifting their attention. Computer users at work change windows or check email or other programs nearly 37 times an hour.
Being able to complete one task quickly and then move onto the next item is a result of heightened concentration, not superior intellect. (Play a game testing how well you switch between tasks.)
It takes a mix of skills to get it right. Some people have a natural tendency toward, high need for and find satisfaction in great task variety. While others are just the opposite. Knowing who has a preference for each condition can really help employers to hire and develop the right people for the roles that demand a lot of variety and for those that don’t. This is the value of using assessments. Placing a high task variety person in a low task variety role can have detrimental effects on productivity and performance. The reverse is also true. Either mismatch can result in frustration by the individual and low engagement.
Utilize assessments to hire for the right mix so the Pat Tangents of the world (and Pat’s polar opposites) can thrive and deliver.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Feedback as mentoring
For managers, as much as for employees, the feedback session can be an event to dread. While the employee may feel like the lead in a horror movie, the manager sometimes faces the distressing prospect of having to deliver home truths at the risk of offending or, worse, demoralizing the employee. Even under the best of circumstances, the feedback session is rife with tension. It doesn’t have to be this way.
With the right approach, feedback sessions will be positive and rewarding for all concerned. One key is to frame the event correctly. Feedback should never just be about skills and capabilities, but should also include a discussion about career interests. Employees need a clear sense of their strengths and weaknesses, as well as their interests and what the organization expects of them so that they are equipped to help the organization achieve its goals.
A second key is to approach feedback as an open, collaborative effort. Give praise where praise is due. Ask questions and listen to explanations. Work together to set a course for improved performance.
A third key is frequency. A single annual performance review simply sets everyone on edge. Providing feedback routinely, however, demonstrates your continuing interest in and support for someone’s development. Feedback and mentoring become indistinguishable.
With the right approach, feedback sessions will be positive and rewarding for all concerned. One key is to frame the event correctly. Feedback should never just be about skills and capabilities, but should also include a discussion about career interests. Employees need a clear sense of their strengths and weaknesses, as well as their interests and what the organization expects of them so that they are equipped to help the organization achieve its goals.
A second key is to approach feedback as an open, collaborative effort. Give praise where praise is due. Ask questions and listen to explanations. Work together to set a course for improved performance.
A third key is frequency. A single annual performance review simply sets everyone on edge. Providing feedback routinely, however, demonstrates your continuing interest in and support for someone’s development. Feedback and mentoring become indistinguishable.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Off with his head!
According to Herodotus – the first great historian of western culture – when Artabanus, uncle to the Persian emperor Xerxes, poked holes in Xerxes’s plan to invade Greece, an angry Xerxes refrained from putting Artabanus to death only because he was family. After Artabanus, who would have dared raised an issue with Xerxes?
In business, as in history, some leaders aren’t always open to disagreement and many people seek to avoid conflict. Staying off the radar, not ruffling any feathers, nodding “yes” is always the safer and more comfortable alternative. But it isn’t necessarily the most successful. Xerxes’s invasion, of course, proved a complete disaster.
Expressing and accepting a challenging point of view isn’t always easy. As Herodotus shows, leaders who react badly to challenges have a long history. But when a new idea creates a firestorm, maybe it needs to be looked at a little more deeply to better understand why it feels threatening.
Are you – as a leader – open to disagreement? Or are you surrounded by people who don’t challenge anything you say?
In business, as in history, some leaders aren’t always open to disagreement and many people seek to avoid conflict. Staying off the radar, not ruffling any feathers, nodding “yes” is always the safer and more comfortable alternative. But it isn’t necessarily the most successful. Xerxes’s invasion, of course, proved a complete disaster.
Expressing and accepting a challenging point of view isn’t always easy. As Herodotus shows, leaders who react badly to challenges have a long history. But when a new idea creates a firestorm, maybe it needs to be looked at a little more deeply to better understand why it feels threatening.
Are you – as a leader – open to disagreement? Or are you surrounded by people who don’t challenge anything you say?
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Feedback as mentoring
For managers, as much as for employees, the feedback session can be an event to dread. While the employee may feel like the lead in a horror movie, the manager sometimes faces the distressing prospect of having to deliver home truths at the risk of offending or, worse, demoralizing the employee. Even under the best of circumstances, the feedback session is rife with tension. It doesn’t have to be this way.
With the right approach, feedback sessions will be positive and rewarding for all concerned. One key is to frame the event correctly. Feedback should never just be about skills and capabilities, but should also include a discussion about career interests. Employees need a clear sense of their strengths and weaknesses, as well as their interests and what the organization expects of them so that they are equipped to help the organization achieve its goals.
A second key is to approach feedback as an open, collaborative effort. Give praise where praise is due. Ask questions and listen. Work together to set a course for enhanced performance.
A third key is frequency. A single annual performance review simply sets everyone on edge. Providing feedback routinely, however, demonstrates your continuing interest in and support for someone’s development. Feedback and mentoring become indistinguishable.
With the right approach, feedback sessions will be positive and rewarding for all concerned. One key is to frame the event correctly. Feedback should never just be about skills and capabilities, but should also include a discussion about career interests. Employees need a clear sense of their strengths and weaknesses, as well as their interests and what the organization expects of them so that they are equipped to help the organization achieve its goals.
A second key is to approach feedback as an open, collaborative effort. Give praise where praise is due. Ask questions and listen. Work together to set a course for enhanced performance.
A third key is frequency. A single annual performance review simply sets everyone on edge. Providing feedback routinely, however, demonstrates your continuing interest in and support for someone’s development. Feedback and mentoring become indistinguishable.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Leadership as a contact sport
The key to effective leadership is clear, thoughtful, open communication. And, as more people connect via social media, what better way to reach employees than through the various ways they currently interact?
By leveraging social media for communication, leaders can help create a feeling of community, as well as improving the level of trust, according to Smart Blog on Workforce. But perhaps more important are the implications for boosting employee engagement. Why? Research from Right Management shows that engagement is linked to such factors as having a clear understanding of expectations, the company’s mission and how roles are linked to business objectives, as well as feeling valued by senior leaders and committed to the organization’s core values. And all of these issues are contingent on senior leadership’s ability to communicate and connect with employees.
Still, senior leaders can’t just jump into social media. First, they must understand beforehand the differences between social media and more traditional methods of communication. Most important, given the interactive nature of social media, successful communication requires being open to comments and suggestions and willing to respond in a give-and-take, as Donald Bulmer points out in "Why Business Leaders Should Care".
That’s not to say leaders should only use social media. In fact, when it comes to communication, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. While one person might prefer using Facebook or reading a blog, another might choose email or in-person meetings. But, if they use the right mix, leaders are sure to find they’ve contributed to creating an environment of mutual respect – and increased levels of engagement.
By leveraging social media for communication, leaders can help create a feeling of community, as well as improving the level of trust, according to Smart Blog on Workforce. But perhaps more important are the implications for boosting employee engagement. Why? Research from Right Management shows that engagement is linked to such factors as having a clear understanding of expectations, the company’s mission and how roles are linked to business objectives, as well as feeling valued by senior leaders and committed to the organization’s core values. And all of these issues are contingent on senior leadership’s ability to communicate and connect with employees.
Still, senior leaders can’t just jump into social media. First, they must understand beforehand the differences between social media and more traditional methods of communication. Most important, given the interactive nature of social media, successful communication requires being open to comments and suggestions and willing to respond in a give-and-take, as Donald Bulmer points out in "Why Business Leaders Should Care".
That’s not to say leaders should only use social media. In fact, when it comes to communication, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. While one person might prefer using Facebook or reading a blog, another might choose email or in-person meetings. But, if they use the right mix, leaders are sure to find they’ve contributed to creating an environment of mutual respect – and increased levels of engagement.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Escape Dilbert!
Why do so many people relate to Dilbert? Is it because we recognize in Dilbert’s work-a-day world an image (a highly exaggerated and distorted image, one would hope) of our own? And what does that say about the uniqueness, or lack of uniqueness, of the organizational cultures in which we operate? Are organizations so undifferentiated that we all read Dilbert with a rueful pang of self-recognition?
Perhaps your company needs to do more to build a culture that stands apart. A place to start is with your vision, mission and values. These statements should express goals and aspirations that are uniquely yours. If they could apply equally well to your competitors, you need to start again. Take chances. Share the message with all of your employees and engage them fully so that they understand how their roles contribute. Create a culture that reflects your values and that employees can embrace.
We can’t beat our competitors if we are all doing the same thing.
Perhaps your company needs to do more to build a culture that stands apart. A place to start is with your vision, mission and values. These statements should express goals and aspirations that are uniquely yours. If they could apply equally well to your competitors, you need to start again. Take chances. Share the message with all of your employees and engage them fully so that they understand how their roles contribute. Create a culture that reflects your values and that employees can embrace.
We can’t beat our competitors if we are all doing the same thing.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Focus on HR "soft" issues ensures value after a merger
Global merger and acquisition activity could rise as much as 35% this year. But for mergers and acquisitions to succeed, it’s essential that companies address such "soft" issues as effective change management and alignment of culture with strategy. Yet, senior leaders seldom give them the priority they deserve.
That was the conclusion of a study by Right Management of post-M&A performance that surveyed 156 companies in North America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region. It found that the top factors correlated to achieving value and growth were, in large measure, human resources issues. Yet, the four composite indices where participants gave their organizations highest marks were productivity, value creation, business integration, and customer focus, while the four bottom-rated indices were talent management, alignment, internal communications, and culture integration. Thus, according to the study, "hard" issues tend to be addressed more effectively than softer, people-oriented factors.
Why does this happen? Part of the explanation lies in the role of HR executives in most organizations. Because they often are perceived as not being conversant in finance and business basics, HR professionals tend to be left out of M&A planning and implementation. As a result, their input is given short shrift.
That’s a mistake. HR should be brought in at the front end of the M&A process – before the ink dries. In fact, because "people" issues are so important to M&A success, organizations should give HR and business considerations equal weight. Business objectives, after all, can only be achieved when top performers are there to make them happen. In the process, HR professionals need to be actively involved in the planning and implementation, and given full-time, dedicated resources related to culture and change-management issues.
But HR professionals also have a responsibility to step up to the plate by calling attention to the substantial value they add to the integration process. To make the case for the benefits they can bring to the organization by focusing on talent retention during and after the transition, they first need to demonstrate to senior leaders their understanding of key business issues. Here’s some of the value they can bring:
-- Facilitation of preliminary integration discussions with business leaders
-- Future focus on workforce strategy
-- Development of retention strategies critical for the deal to succeed
-- Active role in due diligence process
-- A first look at organizational design, cultural issues and leadership
-- Planning the launch of the integration team
If leadership doesn’t include HR as serious partners – they run the risk of undermining the potential value the organization can reap from the merger.
That was the conclusion of a study by Right Management of post-M&A performance that surveyed 156 companies in North America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region. It found that the top factors correlated to achieving value and growth were, in large measure, human resources issues. Yet, the four composite indices where participants gave their organizations highest marks were productivity, value creation, business integration, and customer focus, while the four bottom-rated indices were talent management, alignment, internal communications, and culture integration. Thus, according to the study, "hard" issues tend to be addressed more effectively than softer, people-oriented factors.
Why does this happen? Part of the explanation lies in the role of HR executives in most organizations. Because they often are perceived as not being conversant in finance and business basics, HR professionals tend to be left out of M&A planning and implementation. As a result, their input is given short shrift.
That’s a mistake. HR should be brought in at the front end of the M&A process – before the ink dries. In fact, because "people" issues are so important to M&A success, organizations should give HR and business considerations equal weight. Business objectives, after all, can only be achieved when top performers are there to make them happen. In the process, HR professionals need to be actively involved in the planning and implementation, and given full-time, dedicated resources related to culture and change-management issues.
But HR professionals also have a responsibility to step up to the plate by calling attention to the substantial value they add to the integration process. To make the case for the benefits they can bring to the organization by focusing on talent retention during and after the transition, they first need to demonstrate to senior leaders their understanding of key business issues. Here’s some of the value they can bring:
-- Facilitation of preliminary integration discussions with business leaders
-- Future focus on workforce strategy
-- Development of retention strategies critical for the deal to succeed
-- Active role in due diligence process
-- A first look at organizational design, cultural issues and leadership
-- Planning the launch of the integration team
If leadership doesn’t include HR as serious partners – they run the risk of undermining the potential value the organization can reap from the merger.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Is anybody listening?
It was refreshing to learn from a recent poll that so many employees want to make a difference. Fifty-seven percent said they make at least 20 suggestions a year. That’s a lot more than we anticipated, especially given reports of low employee engagement. Which leads us to ask, are organizations listening? Our research tells us that three top drivers of engagement include “my opinions count”, “senior leaders value employees” and “everyone is treated with respect”. If engagement levels are so low (our own research tells us that only 34% of employees are engaged), organizations may be missing an opportunity to engage workers and harness the creativity and innovation employees are anxious to offer.
But this is just one element of engagement. What wasn’t asked in our poll was what kind of suggestions were being offered. Far too many times, employees offer suggestions that are outside their scope of responsibility. Two additional top engagement drivers include “I understand how I can contribute to meeting the needs of our customers” and “I am encouraged to take ownership of my work”. Leaders would do well to direct employees to focus on their individual roles and processes where they can take ownership and accountability. As a result, their contribution to the organization is at a higher level and has a meaningful impact on the success of the business.
Bottom line: Build a culture of trust by showing you value contributions and that everyone’s opinions count. Demonstrate your trust in employees by giving them an opportunity to share and act on suggestions.
But this is just one element of engagement. What wasn’t asked in our poll was what kind of suggestions were being offered. Far too many times, employees offer suggestions that are outside their scope of responsibility. Two additional top engagement drivers include “I understand how I can contribute to meeting the needs of our customers” and “I am encouraged to take ownership of my work”. Leaders would do well to direct employees to focus on their individual roles and processes where they can take ownership and accountability. As a result, their contribution to the organization is at a higher level and has a meaningful impact on the success of the business.
Bottom line: Build a culture of trust by showing you value contributions and that everyone’s opinions count. Demonstrate your trust in employees by giving them an opportunity to share and act on suggestions.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Workforce strategy: looking to the future
The speed of change, created by advances in technology, means that jobs are evolving at a breakneck pace. And that has significant implications both for organizations and individuals.
An urgent issue relates to addressing vital questions about future workforce needs: What skills and abilities will be necessary for success that are not in play now? How do you assess the current talent pool for the skills that will be required in the future? What is the best approach: to hire from the outside or to build competencies internally? Or, should you move to a temporary staffing solution?
As organizations struggle with these questions, individual employees also face a world in which many jobs are becoming extinct, while new ones are appearing to take their place. They must address a different challenge: finding ways to adapt and grow, to embrace these changes and turn them into opportunities.
For organizations, the solution lies in understanding which type of skills and abilities will be required as driven by workforce trends like demographic changes, technology use, increasing market sophistication and other forces. Then creating a process ensuring they have the right people in the right roles – and that their talent strategy supports their current business goals and future business strategy. For individual employees, it’s the chance to look ahead to the future, rather than at the door that’s closed behind.
In either case, the ability to create a plan for addressing rapid workforce change will mean the difference between success or failure in the market.
An urgent issue relates to addressing vital questions about future workforce needs: What skills and abilities will be necessary for success that are not in play now? How do you assess the current talent pool for the skills that will be required in the future? What is the best approach: to hire from the outside or to build competencies internally? Or, should you move to a temporary staffing solution?
As organizations struggle with these questions, individual employees also face a world in which many jobs are becoming extinct, while new ones are appearing to take their place. They must address a different challenge: finding ways to adapt and grow, to embrace these changes and turn them into opportunities.
For organizations, the solution lies in understanding which type of skills and abilities will be required as driven by workforce trends like demographic changes, technology use, increasing market sophistication and other forces. Then creating a process ensuring they have the right people in the right roles – and that their talent strategy supports their current business goals and future business strategy. For individual employees, it’s the chance to look ahead to the future, rather than at the door that’s closed behind.
In either case, the ability to create a plan for addressing rapid workforce change will mean the difference between success or failure in the market.
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