I’m definitely dating myself but I vividly remember those words from the Apollo 13 crew in 1970. The efforts of the crew and supporting NASA staff at mission control averted a crisis by adapting to the current conditions and executing a plan. Fast forward to January 2012 and there is no doubt that we have a problem. Talent Magazine reports that an estimated 21 million Americans are thinking about changing jobs this year. Like the crew and support staff involved with the Apollo 13 mission success in the “new normal” will be dependent on your ability to adapt to the changing conditions that you are faced with while continuing to execute the organizations business plan.
I started out to create a platform that leaders / managers could use to adapt to their current circumstances by maximizing the talent they have available to them. However, given the gravity of the situation I thought a 12 step program that is designed to help you to align and engage the talent on your team and in your organization so that you capture as much discretionary effort from the talent in your organization as possible would get your attention. It is that extra effort channeled in alignment with your strategic plan that will separate you from your competition in this new economy.
Every 12 step program that I’m familiar with begins with the recognition and admission that we have a problem. The reality is that most organizations have been running lean since 2008. We’ve had to do more with less, talented people have not seen the advancement or pay increase opportunities they might have expected and many businesses continue to hold the line on their investment in people. Great 12 step programs start with a base line and build, or rebuild, from there. Have you established your base line yet? How aligned, engaged and committed to the strategic plan are the people in your organization, or on your team? When was the last time your organization measured the connection between the strategic plan and the talent you are counting on to execute that plan?
The art of aligning talent with the strategic plan for the business requires bi-lateral communication. The message from senior leadership must be a clear one that is well communicated to each and every individual contributor you are counting on to make the plan a reality. It is mission critical that any issues with the execution of the plan that arise are quickly communicated back to the senior leadership team to facilitate any required changes. A recent survey of 368 Canadian HR professionals found that leaders could improve engagement if they:
- Communicate clear expectations (71%)
- Listen to employee’s opinions (62%)
- Give recognition (52%)
Aligned teams and organizations are always composed of engaged employees. As leaders and managers the impact of our own honesty and integrity on engagement is incredible. That’s what allows us to build the trust needed to fully activate the spend of discretionary effort on the part of our direct reports. Those first two steps in the process are foundational elements that just can’t be ignored.
Self awareness is also a must if we are to lead effectively. How our words and actions are perceived by others determines how well we connect with the people we require to get the job done. Great leaders recognize that it is not a one size fits all world and adjust their messages accordingly to the audience. What works for you might not work for the people on your team. As their leader it is your job to determine what motivations and drives they need met to set them up for success in the role they are currently in.
Best-in-class organizations make sure that they hire and promote the right fit every time. These companies have seen and want to avoid the cost of a bad hire as well as the cost of the “Peter Principle”. There are two additional considerations to the standard resumé and interview process that determine fit. It has been well documented that behaviour is a critical factor in determining the level of success in a role. The second item is the cognitive ability of the candidate for hiring or promotion. When we are able to assess the behaviour required for the role (job matching), the behaviour of the candidates and their cognitive abilities our prospects for a successful hire or promotion go from the incredible low point of 14% all the way up to 75%.
Acceptance is our ability as a leader to recognize the strengths that each individual on our team possesses. If you are using behavioural and cognitive data to assist you in your hiring/promotion decisions you’ve got an incredible roadmap to the people on your team. It is this building block that allows great leaders to be able to multiply available talent. Knowing who is good at what and allowing them to focus on what they are good at makes your life as a leader far easier. Several of my clients use the format I’ve provided here to keep them focused on what’s important to their direct reports.
Goal setting sounds simple enough but might just be one of the most poorly executed strategies in many organizations. How can we expect people to buy in on the goal if we don’t allow them to participate in the creation? One report by Leadership IQ suggests that only 15% of employees believe that the goals their leadership has set for them will help them achieve results. There are a number of different formats we can use to establish goals from SWOT analysis to setting SMART goals. My suggestion is to pick what works for you and your team and work together to establish how their individual plans fit with the overall strategic plan.
The previous step is actually the start of the performance management process. Best-in-class organizations do not treat performance management as a once a year event. Great leaders have a process that is far more frequent, quite often informal, yet adds greatly to the level of engagement on their teams. More often than not the results of an engagement survey indicate that communication is an issue. People want to know how they are doing and once a year just doesn’t cut it.
By managing performance more frequently I don’t mean for you to micro manage the people on your team. You either hired or promoted them because you thought they were capable of performing in the role so let them do it…their way. Do that and you are sure to create a culture of accountability. This also requires that you accept responsibility along with them when things don’t work out. That goes right back to the foundational trust issue. Nothing stops innovation and accountability faster than either being “thrown under the bus” by your boss – or seeing you boss to that to another member of the team.
When we reward performance it is important that we recognize people in a way that is most natural for them. Money is not the primary motivator when you’ve engaged the people on your team. I will say that it is a case of different strokes for different folks. We see this time and again in those companies that use a behavioural assessment to help determine fit. They’ve got all of the data they need to manage recognition effectively.
It has been said that if you aren’t developing your successor the chances of you moving up the corporate ladder are slim. Succession planning will become even more crucial as the silver tsunami approaches. Best-in-class organizations are constantly monitoring their workforce for home-grown talent that can move into increasingly complex roles.
When an organization develops leadership capabilities at every level of the organization they create a robust talent pipeline. Statistics show that the chances of success for new hires in more senior roles dramatically increase when the talent comes from within the organization. This one strategy will positively impact your retention on a number of fronts. Bear in mind however that not everyone is interested in the climb up the corporate ladder.
The 12th step is service. In most organizations individual contributors make up 70 to 80% of the workforce. The frontline leaders in your organization that are responsible for directing this vast group will be the ones that largely determine how aligned and engaged your workforce is. This service mentality starts at the top of the organization and cascades throughout. The goal for your organization is to align, engage and perform. To do that effectively you have to give the same level of great service you would deliver to your clients…to your direct reports.
