Tag Archive for: Effective Leadership

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Expectation Setting – Who Cares?

Feeling The Pressure Of Long Hours...Are Expectations Clear?!!

Does an employee have the right to clear expectations?

Or, is it the employee’s responsibility to ask if they are unclear about any aspect of their role. As leader’s should we just expect that the clarity and details will come in time – it’s not like there is an expectation of high performance on day 1..or day 10..or day…? Or, is there never an expectation of high performance? There should be!

Earlier this week I read a blog on the Leaders Beacon website (thanks Colleen Sharen) providing insight into expectation setting. It got me thinking. How well do we as leaders really set clear expectations? Do we induct our new employees effectively? Is this even on the radar of leaders or central to business planning and strategy? Do we consider business requirements, measurement and regularly review these aspects for our longer-tenured team member’s? Fair questions for leaders…not so great a reality.

Expectation setting is more than providing a broad brush-stroke of requirements as highlighted in a position description document. It is also not simply a high-level group of role requirements that form part of the probation period, if there is one. It goes well beyond that and has a direct correlation to employee engagement. It is defining a reality for that employee – with depth and meaning – based on the information included within but not exclusively from work documents, policies and position descriptions. Yet, it is more than that.

Every individual has different expectations of themselves, their leader and the employer. Each team member brings different skills, values, biases, desires and other personal traits to their role. It is the leaders job to understand the employee well enough to blend business needs with personal needs. This helps to build strong relationships, opportunity to align values and remove uncertainty that often comes from unexplained or misunderstood diversity between employees.

Clarity in expectations is not only important for each employee but clearly of benefit to the employer/business. The risk is that if expectations are not clearly set and understood, performance will suffer, morale of this employee and possibly others around them may decrease and certainly, the ability to ‘master’ their role is diminished. It is a lose-lose situation and yet not all that rare an occurrence.

Reduced discretionary effort and a limited willingness to engage beyond the bare minimum are also potential risks. Additional pressure is often felt by the employee and can be demonstrated through behaviours such as increased hours in the workplace, withdrawing from the team, irritability, sullen attitudes and other negative outcomes.

Setting each team member up for success starts before their first day. We all make judgments and these start during the recruitment and interview process – for both the employer and the potential employee. Hopefully, you have set a good standard of communication and enhanced the image of your business throughout the recruitment process. This high standard certainly must be consistently delivered from day one of employment, assisting to build employee engagement, which is of value to any leader as noted below.

  • In world-class organizations, the ratio of engaged to actively disengaged employees is 9.57:1.
  • In average organizations, the ratio of engaged to actively disengaged employees is 1.83:1.

Actively disengaged employees erode an organization’s bottom line while breaking the spirits of colleagues in the process…estimates this cost to be more than $300 billion in lost productivity alone. Beyond the significant differences engaged workgroups show in productivity, profitability, safety incidents, and absenteeism versus disengaged workgroups, we have proven that engaged organizations have 3.9 times the earnings per share (EPS) growth rate compared to organizations with lower engagement in their same industry. (1)

In any role, the employee has the right to expect a clear understanding of what is required of them. Every task, function, skillset, policy and other related expectations should be provided early in his or her tenure. This set of expectations should then form part of the regular rhythm of coaching, discussions and review.

It is never fair employment strategy nor smart leadership to expect that an employee will ‘pick up’ all they need to perform their role to a standard if that standard is never clearly established.

This includes the need to also check in and ensure clarity (for both parties), along with a willingness and ability to meet the expectations now or in the future with the proper support, development and training.

If we don’t, then we are breeding and encouraging mediocrity in our leadership standards, within our team cultures and potentially setting the bar low before your business has had a chance to excel.

Expectation setting – who cares? You should!

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Leadership – It’s About You

Effective leadership is neither easy nor a given – it takes effort, practice, ongoing learning & persistence.

The Truth about Leadership: The...

The rewards that stem from being an effective leader are difficult to articulate or describe to someone who has never felt them.

One of my favourite leadership-themed books of all time is, The Truth About Leadership by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner. The premise for the book is that the authors have identified ten ‘Truths’ that form the core elements of effective leadership identified over years of research. In the introduction Kouzes and Posner highlight that, “…as much as the context of leadership has changed, the content of leadership has not changed at all (since we first started studying leadership).

The fundamental behaviours, actions, and practices of leaders have remained essentially the same since we first began researching and writing about leadership over three decades ago. Much has changed, but there’s a whole lot more that’s stayed the same”. (1)

This is an interesting point, possibly an obvious one to those who have been practicing the art of leadership and attempting to develop as many related skills as possible over the years, but one worth highlighting. The essence and key points of leadership – the things that make good leadership, good leadership – have not changed that much in the past 30 years or even before that. Why?

I believe that it is essentially because leaders, by definition, are working with and for people. Leadership is a values-driven, people-connection, relationship-based function…or at least it is when performed well. The elements of effective leadership, the qualities that separate good leadership from bad, are heavily reliant on how well we connect with those around us, particularly those looking for guidance and support from us.This is not to say that leadership concepts have not gained depth and sophistication in thought and practice over the years.

People were being led before the 1980’s, need leadership now and certainly will also in the future. The common thread here is not leadership itself, but people. Connecting with people, developing meaningful relationships and helping others to thrive is not a new concept. It is possibly better understood and articulated now and technology has most definitely assisted to disseminate this information more broadly but leadership content has changed little.

It is the people-oriented aspects that define great leaders. Adept leaders drive change and results by helping others achieve more than they would have if they were not developed, realising their greater potential and being led capably. The leaders who are able to connect with others through their head and heart, build trust, credibility and work with and for their teams, not at or in spite of their people, are the most successful.

I regularly observe and am frequently approached by managers who are concerned and frustrated at their inability to make the kind of difference they either wish to or are being asked to by their bosses and business leaders. Many times these managers are also the people who have not developed the depth of relationships and connection with their team members and peers. They struggle to delegate, often micro-manage, work long hours and often appear tired and run down. Leadership is sometimes described as a lonely role. It certainly is for these people who are at the vanguard of management but are missing the point about leadership!

Leadership is not an automatic ‘gift’ or something that can be gained over-night. However, with practice and commitment, base leadership abilities can be built upon because many of these attributes are already within us.

These traits and skills may be raw – they may even be unknown at this stage – but the ability to recognise opportunity and develop is the first in many steps that effective leaders have taken in the past and that you can make now…for the future!

Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago: Warren Buffett

I am genuinely excited about reading the rest of this book. Although I have only read the first couple of chapters, it is already resonating with me. I will write other blogs based on the content delivered in ensuing chapters, I am sure. In the meantime, enjoy life and keep on transforming yourself and those around you.

(1) The Truth About Leadership: The No-Fads, Heart Of The Matter Facts You Need To Know, James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner, 2010, Jossey-Bass

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Falling Into Leadership

An individual taking on a leadership role is often something that has ‘just happened’.

Being a genuine leader does not come from the role and title designated to you but rather from your decision-making, inclusiveness, delegation skills, ability to communicate and other, well-recognised and documented traits. Many of these traits can be learned and enhanced through proper coaching.

Does this story mean anything to you?

You started in a company at a lower level. Opportunity presented itself in the form of a chance to step-up temporarily or permanently into a role providing more money, esteem, credibility or some other perceived benefit. You jumped at it! Of course, along with all of the benefits the role also came with much higher expectation…that of others and your self.

You worked hard…things went fairly well but you didn’t really feel supported to truly excel. You wanted to be the best operator so didn’t ask many questions  – after all, asking questions shows that you were not ready for the promotion in the first place, doesn’t it? “Better to bite your tongue and work your way through the issues on your own”, is a common thought and action at this stage.

Your boss didn’t spend much time developing you or even working with you day to day. This autonomy had its benefits, but also plenty of downside. You were often stressed, tried to please everyone and in so doing often pleased the few, including yourself.

Longer hours and pressure meant that you regularly wanted something different but didn’t know how to achieve it or even what that difference looks like.

However, after a while further opportunity presented itself. Another step onwards and upwards. You wondered why you were being considered as you don’ t feel like you have been particularly effective in your current role, but people seem to like you and you occasionally receive some good feedback, however insincere it often seems. You know in your heart that you are not ready for more responsibility…more stress…but you wonder can I “fake it ‘til I make it at an even higher level?”

So, you take on the new role because it’s expected of you, or it offers greater prestige, salary or some other perceived benefit – you don’t want to let others down and certainly the benefits outweigh the negatives…don’t they!??

Now, you’re leading people.

You are responsible for a process and regular input into projects and other ad-hoc work requiring your expertise, skill and knowledge. You are also now not only accountable for yourself but leading, developing, coaching and inspiring others. Are you ready to lead? If not, the impact will be felt by many. Effective leadership can have a significant benefit on a team or business culture, personnel satisfaction, attrition, sickness levels and the bottom line. Ineffective leadership has exactly the opposite impact. Now, how does that pressure feel for you???

Does this scenario sound familiar? In my experience and working with many new and experienced leaders, this is a very common journey felt by many. Most of these people felt they had few opportunities to rectify their situation. Progress and genuine development will only succeed if you are willing to take some risks, source someone to assist you (a coach, mentor, role-model or some other trusted person) and challenge your own beliefs, perceptions and perspectives.

The ability to take yourself out of your comfort zone often enough to test yourself and learn, is key. Knowing when to step back into your comfort zone is also a skill linked to self-awareness and emotional intelligence. These are skills and traits that can be learned.

Regularly the difference for individuals who are experiencing these fears, self-limiting beliefs, poor feedback and other negative impacts is their willingness to seek help. There is no doubt that the most effective and respected leaders in any role or organisation are those who recognise that they are not in their role because they have all the answers. Rather they are successful because they understand their own strengths and limitations, possessing the emotional intelligence to surround themselves with a team who have various strengths and skillsets that contribute to the synergy and effectiveness of the team.

Ironically, emphasising delegation as a standard, building strong/ trusting relationships, focusing on self-development and coaching of others, amongst other elements starts to enable development and improvement. This manifests itself through better work-life balance, team members feeling more engaged through contribution and being heard, less of a feeling that the leader has to take on all the work his/herself, prioritisation and many, many other more positive influences.

The first step is the key step. Seek out someone you trust to share your situation with and move forward through understanding your choices and taking relevant action.

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People and Process: Aligned or Loggerheads?

I often wonder what it is about processes that many managers have a need to see as entirely separate from their people.

Similarly to my previously documented thoughts regarding the key differences between leaders and managers, the ‘need’ to focus solely on the process is often due to the conscious or unconscious decision to concentrate time and energy on the simpler or more controllable part of the equation.

Unfortunately for those leaders with this mindset, unless you are in a pure process driven environment (which is rarer than many people think unless/until robots take over our world!), this leaves out the core reason why
these processes often fail – a focus on our people!

The ability to bring individuals and team members into the process is key to project success or meaningful outcomes. Engaging the people and teams involved, communicating the context and being specific about why the process exists or change is required, will often be the deciding factor between process success and failure. Rarely will a process in itself be the difference – it requires input, management and control of and with your people.

If we are not clear about what role our team member’s play in the overall project then the entire process change will likely fail.

This is a regular occurrence within the project and business world, where much of the planning and time is dedicated to setting up the ‘right’ program and lean elements that will provide the most effective structure or process. It is too often assumed that with cursory levels of communication and a base understanding that employees will simply fall into line and grasp the key elements.

These core elements may well be understood however buy-in, context and discretionary effort are almost always limited or compromised when an individual does not participate in the early project planning cycle and/or has little ownership or accountability into inputs or outcomes.

Interestingly, during the post-implementation discussions and review some managers often look back at these (failed!!?) outcomes and wonder why the process failed, without even considering the broader picture and what part their decisions and narrow focus initially may have contributed.

Often the phases and stages are not clearly distinguishable…so, thinking of people and process as intertwined but with different inputs may assist in removing the barriers for change. Our people are the all-encompassing link that will ensure true success and sustained change!

When managing people and change, keep these points front of mind:

  • Processes do not deliver outcomes, people do. If we treat process as the hero and people as an afterthought, we set the work up to struggle. Unless you live in a pure process driven world, which is rare, the human side will make or break the result.
  • Bring your team in early. Explain the context, the why, and what will change and what will stay the same. Be clear about the problem you are solving, the benefits, and the trade offs. When people can see themselves in the plan, resistance drops, relevance rises, and energy goes where it matters.
  • Role clarity is the hinge between a neat plan and real progress. Spell out who owns which decisions, where collaboration is needed, and how handovers work. Invite your people to help shape inputs, risks, and measures, rather than telling them after the fact. Ownership builds commitment, and commitment beats compliance every time.
  • Too often we invest our effort in the perfect structure or programme and assume a quick briefing will carry the rest. It rarely does. People might understand the steps, but without buy in and context, the extra effort that lifts performance is missing.
  • After a rollout, it is easy to blame the process when results disappoint. Look wider. How did decisions get made, how well did we listen, and did people feel trusted and involved. Leaders who hold both the plan and the people view build stronger delivery and better outcomes.
  • Treat people and process as intertwined. Set simple rhythms for communication, short feedback loops, and review both the mechanics and the relationships. Your people are the link that turns a good plan into sustained change.

Effective leaders ensure that they seek to understand both the planned outcomes and how their people are going to influence and drive all of the elements within the process to achieve that outcome.

This type of thinking provides a more solid platform to ultimate success.

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Seeking Work-Life Balance: Myth Or Manageable

I was recently fortunate enough to be invited to participate on a panel in my workplace focusing on work-life balance – a phrase that is possibly overused and misunderstood and a term that I have read conflicting opinions on in recent months.

 

 

The panel forum consisted of a number of employees in the audience and 4 panel member’s, including myself, who each pitched out their own thoughts on the topic and then received questions from the audience. It was a very interesting exercise as I found that each of our situations was quite different. Whereas we may have been in similar roles at work, our roles and focus at home was quite varied regarding how we manage our time and the choices we make. However, there were some consistent themes that carried over between speakers.

My view is that work-life balance is an extremely important facet of my life. I have significant responsibility in my role – something I take quite seriously, particularly the support, satisfaction and growth of my team. However, nothing is more important to me than my family.

My work provides me an income, a great deal of satisfaction and has contributed to who I am, my knowledge, values and self-awareness but I always seek to balance what is required from me at work with that at home. It requires developing a  strong skillset around delegation; time management / prioritisation; recruiting and developing the right team and culture; building trust and many others attributes. I work with many managers who do not find a balance often because they struggle to understand what is most important to them.

A recent article highlights research that demonstrates that many of us are finding this balance more difficult to achieve. Key findings include:

  • The majority (78%) of those who work overtime prefer payment to time off in lieu
  • 75% of part-time workers believe work/life balance is becoming harder
  • 83% of full-time workers believe it is becoming harder
  • 24% of workers earning less than $50,000 are finding it much harder
  • 65 per cent of workers perform work tasks or answer work-related calls when they are on holiday
  • 35 per cent of employees never work on holidays or days off

Source: Work Life Balance Harder Than Ever

It requires a definitive view and focus on goals and direction, otherwise it is too easy to get ‘pulled into’ other people’s needs and wants. Often these wants seem urgent but in fact, are not critical. This is where relationships, communication and prioritisation are key.

This is a large topic that I am briefly touching on, but I would like to share my key thoughts as presented during the forum:

  • Understanding what is important to me
  • Understanding what is important to others – my family and my team
  • Surround myself with a good team – provides opportunity and ability to delegate and share workload
  • Develop my leadership skillset to be effective and efficient
  • Prioritise…Prioritise…
  • Find what you enjoy most…do more of it
  • Find what you enjoy least…remove as much of this as possible
  • Understand values and beliefs for yourself and of those closest to you
  • Communication and clarity are key
  • Work with and for your family and team…not at them
  • Take and maintain control of your choices and decision-making
  • Tell and show those most important to you that you love them…regularly!

One or more of these points may resonate with you and hopefully stimulate thought about where these attributes, actions and skills sit in your life. I would also be interested to know what you have done or work at to strike the ‘right’ balance in your life.

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Practicing Leadership: Skill Development and Commitment

Why Don’t We Practice Leadership Like We Do Other Skills?

Generally, it is accepted that we are prepared to spend time practicing learning an instrument, language, sporting skill or similar but are less willing to apply genuine practice time to develop leadership skills.

The Role of Practice and Coaching

I often facilitate leadership training in a group setting and conduct coaching and mentoring sessions with attendees supporting the learning. The face to face 1:1 coaching session content often refers back to the leadership training itself. This is powerful in that training rarely leads to lasting change in itself – something most of us already know.

Reinforcing the knowledge gained through practice and support is key. The opportunity to reflect internally and share with your coach or mentor adds weight to the ‘stickability’ of the training concept, content and the growth in ability for the budding leader.

Is Leadership Learned or Innate?

The age-old leadership question remains – are leaders born or taught – nature or nurture? I am not seeking to answer this today, however the question relates.

If you subscribe to the theory that leadership is predominantly learned, then it is natural to assume that to become proficient in leadership application, many weeks, months and years of practice is required.

Malcolm Gladwell and others refer to the premise that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to become proficient in something. Fair comment, even if this figure seems a little general, the point is that it takes many, many hours of practice to become highly proficient. However, the anomaly remains that most leaders I know assume that this skill is something that comes with a title and/or somehow automatically derives from holding a management position for a period.

This is perplexing and is inconsistent with the understanding that we need to practice to build capability in other areas of our lives.

Why Is Leadership Treated Differently?

Is it because leadership is less tangible than hearing someone playing a musical instrument over time; become more capable playing golf, as measured by a reducing score or handicap or other examples of measured improvement?

The perceived intangibles of leadership are difficult to describe to someone who has not felt the pleasure of leadership such as:

  • Turning around a ‘problem team member’
  • Helping someone through a difficult situation
  • Seeing improved results, profit or other measurable outcomes

The benefits of leadership success are some of the most powerful emotional accomplishments an individual can feel. Yet, until these are actually felt and the wins uncovered, a commitment to leadership is possibly one of the great contradictions of business. The role may require it but that does not mean leadership is actually provided to any depth.

The Emotional Hook of Leadership

Leadership is often talked about. It is a key to business success. The links are obvious, yet we still struggle to genuinely encourage and support our newer leaders to a level where they are comfortable performing more than transactional aspects of the role.

The desire to practice and become truly proficient and efficient as a leader requires us as experienced leaders to help expose the emotional benefits and connections as soon as possible in the leadership journey.

This emotional success and association with leadership as more than simply a concept or byword drives ongoing commitment and transformational change in an individual.

Once experienced, this once elusive success quickly becomes a tangible benefit for those being led and the potential to truly influence outcomes.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, leadership deserves the same level of deliberate, ongoing practice we give to any skill we truly value.

The difference is that its rewards aren’t just personal, they’re broader and deeper than that. When leaders commit to developing themselves with intention, the ripple effect touches teams, organisations and outcomes in powerful ways.

The challenge, and the opportunity, is to treat leadership not as a role we inherit, but as a craft we continually refine. The more we connect with its emotional impact, the more visible, valuable and transformative our leadership becomes.

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