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.

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.

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.

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.

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.