3 Points of View: How can leaders pause to focus on long-term strategy?

In a busy world, how can leaders ensure they are setting aside time to focus on creating their strategy? Three Chartered Managers share their thoughts.

 

Jillian Ritherdon CMgr FIMLJillian Cable CMgr FIML

CEO and Company Secretary, Venture Housing Company

 

As someone who survived a close encounter with terrorists; lost a step-son in a preventable incident; and whose mother died of cancer at a young age; I know that life can be both very short and extremely arbitrary. So, above all, do what inspires you. As a very wise mentor once said to me: “If you lead a life of purpose, your job will be an inspirational journey”.

My practical tips are:

  • Delegate day-to-day tasks. This frees up your time for strategic thinking, helps develop your people, and assists succession planning.
  • Slowly handwriting my ‘to do’ lists on paper and prioritising tasks embeds them in my mind and stimulates thoughts in a way that typing does not. I then set up alerts in my electronic diary. Freed from the fear of forgetting an important deadline, my mind can relax and contemplate the ‘helicopter view’.
  • Self-care is important. Some of my best ideas have come during a massage, riding a horse or whilst mowing the lawn! Sometimes the mind needs to be in a non-work zone for the strategy to emerge.

 

Carol Sutton CMgr FIMLCarol Sutton CMgr FIML

Director, On The Business

 

It all starts with preparation and intention. Make sure you understand what your long-term vision and goals are – and be crystal clear on how you will know when you have achieved them. Then be bold and begin. Just as you would never dream of waiting to start a journey until every traffic light en route was green, you should accept that there will never be a time when all the business conditions are perfect. So get started! (See CE Lindblom’s papers on Muddling Through and Still Muddling, Not Yet Through for a useful and enjoyable read on this subject.)

Periodically schedule time to check in on your progress and be smart about when you schedule that. I’m a big advocate for active procrastination. Accept that you won’t always be in the right frame of mind to tackle strategy – and don’t feel bad about that. If you struggle to focus on the written word during the afternoon, try and organise meetings or schedule phone calls during that time. (Eisenhower’s decision matrix offers a great rule of thumb for how to spend your time effectively.)

 

Michael Coe CMgr FIMLMichael Coe CMgr FIML

Support Services Manager, Maritime Saab Australia

 

Taking time for reflection can easily be pushed aside due to day-to-day demands. In my experience timing is the key. Ideas can sometimes come from the most unlikely sources and at random times. Capturing these ideas, whether relevant or not at the time, is key to successful planning. This includes process/organisational changes, business opportunities or any other puzzle pieces that contribute to strategic planning. In this way, the time spent on reflection for strategy has more meaning and content.

It is easy to set high-level plans that remain dormant afterwards because they are prepared for representation rather than genuine change. It is pointless attending planning meetings with a blank sheet because that’s unlikely to achieve productive outcomes.

Big picture planning is easier with content. It can sometimes be more effective using a ‘bottom up’ approach rather than ‘top down’. Laying out the opportunities and ideas can make the strategic pathways more apparent. This makes the eff ort spent on reflection and planning worthwhile – delivering real outcomes – and therefore encouraging us to commit our time to it, either individually or collectively.

This article originally appeared in the June 2019 print edition of Leadership Matters, IML ANZ’s quarterly magazine. For editorial suggestions and enquiries, please contact karyl.estrella@managersandleaders.com.au.

What leaders need to know about modern slavery laws

By Elizabeth Ticehurst

 

It is hard to reconcile slavery – mostly thought of as a barbaric ancient practice – with the modern Australian workplace. Our employment laws and regulations are amongst the strictest in the world and our minimum wage is easily one of the highest. However, the reality is that practices such as forced labour and debt servitude still exist, even in developed countries, and can likely be found in the operations or supply chains of most businesses. Reliance on imported goods from regions such as South East Asia means that Australian companies are significantly exposed.

Until now, these connections to slavery and exploitation were hidden behind complex global distribution networks. But new legislation will force Australian businesses to inquire into and report on modern slavery risks in their operations and supply chains.

 

WHO WILL BE AFFECTED?

Two modern slavery laws have now been passed in Australia – the Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth) and the Modern Slavery Act 2018 (NSW). While both laws have a similar aim and content, the NSW law covers organisations carrying on business in the state with an annual revenue of A$50 million or more. The Federal Act has a higher annual revenue threshold of A$100 million but applies nationwide. Larger companies will not have to report under both schemes, as companies who report under the federal scheme will be exempt from making reports under the NSW scheme.

It is also worth noting that New Zealand organisations with revenues in Australia of more than A$100 million will be also subject to the federal requirements too.

 

WHAT ARE COMPANIES REQUIRED TO DO?

Under both laws, a company must produce an annual report on modern slavery in their operations and supply chains. The reports must be approved by the board of directors and will be made public by the respective governments. Broadly, the reports must cover six main criteria:

 

  • The entity’s structure, operations and supply chain
  • Risks of modern slavery practices in the entity’s supply chain (including any entities owned or controlled by the reporting entity)
  • Actions taken to assess and address modern slavery risks, including due diligence and remediation processes
  • How the entity assesses the effectiveness of its actions
  • The process of consultation with entities owned and/or controlled by the entity
  • Any other relevant information.

 

IS REPORTING THE ONLY OBLIGATION?

The short answer is yes. At present, neither law requires any entity to take concrete steps to prevent or eliminate modern slavery in its supply chain. However, because the reports will be made public, it seems pertinent to ask what you want your report to look like.

Organisations that value their public image will want to produce a report that paints the company in a positive light and highlights the efforts they have made to ensure ethical practices in their operations and supply chains. The federal reporting system in particular will enable a direct comparison between entities in the same industries. It is intended that this will create public pressure on organisations to improve their practices. However, care needs to be taken to ensure that reports are accurate – misleading information in reports can be subject to significant penalties.

 

WHICH INDUSTRIES ARE LIKELY TO BE IMPACTED?

Fashion and apparel is an industry where modern slavery risks are apparent. Oxfam Australia’s #whatshemakes campaign is placing significant pressure on apparel retailers to ensure higher wages for garment workers in developing countries. However, modern slavery risks have also been identified in financial services, property, food and beverage, agriculture, mining and healthcare. When looking at supply chains, factors include where products are produced in high risk geographies (countries experiencing conflict or high corruption levels); or where there are vulnerable populations (migrants or unskilled workers). Reporting entities will need to examine these ‘hot spots’ and consider what controls and due diligence measures they have in place at the procurement stage.

Even within Australia, increased scrutiny is required. Building services, cleaning, travel, security and maintenance services have all been identified as sectors with a high risk of worker exploitation. Surveys conducted by the Fair Work Ombudsman have identified persistent underpayment of wages and other legal and ethical issues in these sectors. Organisations affected by these new laws will need to report on the actions they have taken to address modern slavery from 1 January 2019 onwards. Whilst some organisations will take a ‘tick the box’ attitude, a more constructive view is to see this as an extension of the company’s corporate social responsibility, and an opportunity to provide investors, employees and customers with insight into how the company is managing its modern slavery risks.

 

Elizabeth Ticehurst is Special Counsel – Employment at KPMG.

 

This article originally appeared in the September 2019 print edition of Leadership Matters, IML ANZ’s quarterly magazine. For editorial suggestions and enquiries, please contact karyl.estrella@managersandleaders.com.au.

How to manage the ultimate remote workforce

When working life gets particularly stressful, many managers and leaders utter the old adage, ‘We’re not saving lives’. And, for most CEOs, that’s absolutely true.

But what if the organisation you lead actually does – literally – save lives? And then, what if your organisation also happens to be one of the most quintessential Australian brands in existence – right up there with Vegemite and the Sydney Opera House?

Oh, and just to keep it interesting: Let’s say that you and many of your staff spend large parts of your working lives flying long distances at breakneck speeds in tiny aircraft.

Now that is pressure on a whole new level.

Meredith Staib MIML agrees that being CEO of the Royal Flying Doctor Service (Queensland) is not a job for the faint-hearted. But she’s loving her role heading up one of the largest and most comprehensive aeromedical organisations in the world.

BUILT FOR THE TASK

Before joining RFDS, Staib was already one of Australia’s leading emergency assistance executives. She had provided leadership to global organisations such as the Cover-More Group (part of Zurich) and Allianz Global Assistance. Her experience also spanned clinical and corporate management roles in the health, medical assistance and travel insurance sectors.

As if all that weren’t enough, Staib has also held international board positions including being an executive committee member of the International Assistance Group (IAG) in Paris, France. In that role she shared global accountability for the IAG’s continued success and led the board in developing and defining IAG’s strategy.

That career trajectory suggests that Staib must be a strong and implacable leader. But is there anything that does scare her? And how does she manage a remote workforce scattered across more than one million square kilometres of land? IML ANZ chief executive David Pich CMgr FIML caught up with Staib to find out.

DAVID PICH: When someone thinks of the RFDS, it’s obviously the planes that spring to mind. But there’s a lot more to it than that isn’t there?

MEREDITH STAIB: That’s right. It’s not solely an aeromedical organisation. It does so much more. We provide free dental care. We’ve got a big mental health program. In fact, that’s probably one of our most rapidly growing programs. We do about 25,000 primary health consultations annually. We employ about 380 people including pilots, nurses, doctors, allied health professionals, mental health clinicians, dentists etc. We’ve got nine bases across Queensland, with 19 aircraft. In fact, if you combine all the aircraft across all the RFDS sections, we’re Australia’s third-largest airline after Qantas and Virgin.

MASTERING COMMUNICATION

DP: As a leader, how do you manage staff when they’re spread across a vast State like Queensland?

MS: Obviously, our people in Brisbane get to see the senior leadership team a lot of the time in the corporate office. But the experience is different for those based remotely. As a leader, the key to that is communication and making yourself available. You have to be clear on your strategy and make sure everyone knows the vision and mission of the organisation, and where we’re going. It’s important that the senior leaders in the business share that.

DP: What about face-to-face communication?

MS: Technology has made communication a lot easier, of course, with video conferencing, Skype, social media and so on. But as a leader, you really need to walk the floor. I’m a big advocate of that because you can’t sit in an office and expect all the information to come to you. So you need to be out among the people. Within 90 days of starting at RFDS, I made it a priority to get out and around to our bases. I’ve lived in Queensland for a long time but, when I made those trips, it really brought home to me what a vast state this is.

SOLIDIFYING STRATEGY

DP: The RFDS has existed for 90 years and some people might think, ‘Well, the CEO just has to keep the organisation strategy on the same track as before’. Is that the case?

MS: When I joined, the organisation had just formalised a five-year strategy and we’ve just started on that journey. But my experience of strategy is that you can’t ‘set and forget’. You should be reviewing your strategy every six months because things change. It could be technology, it could be people, it could be regulations. You need to be ahead of the game strategically. I think it’s also important to check in with people regularly, to align their work to the wider strategy. Then every year, our board has an offsite strategic board meeting in one of our bases to review the strategy. Are we still on track? Is it still right for the business? After my first 90 days in the role, I had the opportunity to present to the board. I validated that we have the right strategy and, as CEO, I was turning my mind to execution.

DP: And as a leader, a big part of strategy execution comes down to people, right?

MS: Yes, absolutely. People are one of the main pillars of our strategic delivery. I think they are the RFDS brand – that’s how important they are. I’ve been really struck how people are willing to represent the brand, and go the extra mile to make a difference.

People are also central to my thinking when I focus on future-proofing the organisation. We rely upon four skillsets that are in very short supply in Australia and overseas: pilots, nurses, mental health clinicians and doctors. So we can’t rest on our laurels there. We need to make sure we’re an employer of choice and we attract and retain talent. We need to support colleagues if they need to go and live somewhere remote, away from their family. Or if they need to work shifts, because we operate 24/7. Or if they need to work out of hours to support fundraising and community events.

DEVELOPING LEADERSHIP SKILLS

DP: Your workforce is clearly very passionate about what they do. They literally change the course of people’s lives for the better. However, that can sometimes come with a flipside can’t it? Passionate people can be amazing with their technical specialism, but not always strong at managing and leading those around them.

MS: I started out as a nurse myself and have worked with clinical professionals for most of my career. You shouldn’t assume that because someone is technically a great clinician, they’ll naturally be a great manager. Leading others is a skill people have to learn. I’ve been fortunate to develop the skills to manage people and drive organisations forward – but that has required training, qualifications, and experience. I think it’s our responsibility as leaders to provide those kinds of development opportunities for technical specialists who want to grow. We need to help them build upon the technical foundation they already have.

DP: Does mentoring have a role here too, do you think?

MS: Yes, I’m a big supporter of mentoring. It’s invaluable if you can have a person outside your organisation offering advice and guidance. That external perspective is so useful. I’ve been both a mentee and a mentor during my career and all those experiences have helped me professionally. When I look back over my own career, I’ve sought to learn something from all the leaders who I have worked with. I think that’s how you develop your own leadership style.

MANAGING RISK AND STRESS

DP: Flying planes in the air and dealing with medical emergencies, your organisation is exposed to a fair amount of risk. As a leader, how do you manage that?

MS: It’s when leaders underestimate risk that you run into challenges. So I take a rigorous approach to managing it. From my previous career experience, I understand health risk. And RFDS has got really strong clinical governance.

I’ve now learned a lot in a short space of time about the aviation side of the organisation too. As part of my leadership role, I hold the Air Operator’s Certificate from Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority. So ultimately, should something go wrong, then that will rest with me as the manager holding the licence. That’s a lot of responsibility but I’m comfortable with it as I have an expert team in the aviation space.

So, I know I’ve got the right people in the right place. We have defined structures around reporting. These people have direct access to me, and I meet with them regularly. I think the main thing I need to do as the responsible manager is make sure they feel that we have an open and collaborative relationship. If they need me to raise any risk issues with the board, then that’s what I’m here for.

DP: Collectively, your organisation deals with life or death situations all the time. On a personal level, how do you manage stress?

MS: Like many people in the health sector, I’m passionate about what I do and consequently it can be challenging managing work-life balance. But my home life is a welcome distraction from work. I like to run and do gardening. I have two great kids and they help me switch off from work. The normal things like, ‘Mum, where’s my school hat?’ and ‘I need help with my homework’. That all helps.

But I don’t think anyone takes a senior leadership role and expects it to be a nine-to-five job. And modern technology means that everyone in today’s workforce is virtually connected 24/7. You can either see that as a challenge or an opportunity. I think it’s quite liberating to be able to work from anywhere in the world.

The full version of this article originally appeared in the September 2019 print edition of Leadership Matters, IML ANZ’s quarterly magazine. For editorial suggestions and enquiries, please contact karyl.estrella@managersandleaders.com.au.

The business of mindfulness in modern workplaces

By Anthony O’Brien

 

It’s not the start of an Irish joke, but what do search engine Google, retailer Target and bank JP Morgan, share in common? Apart from making plenty of moolah, these corporate heavyweights have introduced a commitment to mindfulness practices into their workplaces in recent years.

While often associated with adherents to the Buddha rather than mammon, mindfulness training courses are becoming common in New Zealand and Australian workplaces as firms seek ways to reduce stress and absenteeism, increase productivity, develop better leaders, and generate more creative workplaces.

The Australian Psychological Society’s website says work-related stress results when the demands of work exceed resources for managing those demands. Another report from the Victorian Government says workers experience stress over organisation culture, bad management practices, job demands, the physical work environment, relationships at work, change management, lack of support, role conflict and trauma.

 

MINDFUL LEADERSHIP

As a leadership tactic, mindfulness helps people to be more effective by directing focus to the most pertinent task at hand, according to Harvard Business Review. Deprogramming multi-tasking tendencies and intentionally focusing with full attention results in higher quality interactions and decisions, says HBR.

Pippa Hanson CMgr FIML, Chief Executive Officer from The Sports Injury Clinic, regularly speaks on the topics of stress management, work-life balance and thriving under pressure. The IML ANZ Member believes the age of the mobile phone and the internet has increased the need for mindfulness. “People are on their emails, not just when they’re sitting in front of a computer but they’re getting access on their phones. They’re carrying those phones around with them, they’re contactable 24/7 if they’re not putting boundaries in place.”

Creating boundaries is being mindful of what limits you’re setting for yourself as a manager and leader, “not only to complete your day-to-day activities, but so you know what your day looks like and what time it starts and finishes,” Hanson advises. “If you allow your day to be interrupted by responding to every email, you’re not mindful of what your day looks like, and that causes pressure, stress, poor mental health, and a lack of productivity. So, a lack of mindfulness has a negative impact on people’s work day.” Hanson also advises managers and leaders to be aware of how many times per day they check emails, while strategies such as turning off app notifications, can improve mindfulness.

 

DEFINING MINDFULNESS

Hanson says mindfulness can be confusing for the uninitiated. “I find some people only associate it with meditation or colouring in. They don’t believe that they’re mindful when they do other activities like crafts,” she says. “Mindfulness is about being present and aware of your current situation, rather than being on a mouse wheel and just going through the motions every day.”

For Hanson, who manages a busy allied health business employing 60 staff including health practitioners and administrators, mindfulness includes taking a midday break to assess the first half of the day before the afternoon shift begins. “I walk, at the end of the day because after a busy schedule of meetings, phone calls and face-to-face contact, just walking and listening to a podcast, radio or music, allows me to switch off from work, before I step back into family time.”

Hanson adds that mindfulness doesn’t just speak to physical fitness, but mental fitness and the ability to cope with pressure, stress, and the unexpected.

 

Mindful leader, Catherine Stock-Haanstra FIML

 

FINDING THE SWEET SPOT

A 90-day mindfulness plan has been around since Warren Buffett was a boy. But it’s only now becoming more widely accepted in business, says Hanson. “Mindfulness has crossed over into leadership in the workplace for health and wellness as well as business strategy and time management.” While practising mindfulness is part of Hanson’s daily routine, it is also a major component of her firm’s broader strategy. “Our leadership team takes a day every quarter to switch off from everything. This day is about focusing on our achievements and where we’re going, but really without interruption and without taking the phone calls and without reacting to the emails. This enables us to be present, slow down and focus without the extra pressure.”

Hanson says individuals will have a unique mindfulness sweet spot. “Mindfulness is different for everyone, and everyone does respond differently, and it’s about identifying that for yourself. There are simple breathing strategies that you can do at lunchtime to slow your heart rate down, and to take those deep breaths, which when you’re rushing and busy you don’t often do. Others might walk around the block, or someone might say, ‘No, I’m going to put my headphones on and listen to music for 10 minutes’.”

Laps of a pool give swimmers plenty of time to cogitate and practise mindfulness, while Hanson says some people gain satisfaction from running or riding. “When you’re focusing solely on something different, your present activity, you are switching off from work, or your family life because you can’t think of both of those things at the same time.”

If managers and leaders can understand mindfulness, they are better placed to educate their teams. “Maybe the phones haven’t stopped and the team won’t take a lunch break or a tea break. However, if managers and leaders can teach their employees about walking away and getting some fresh air and then coming back, it just makes for better relations in workplaces, better relations with clients and better outcomes for everyone.”

The full version of this article originally appeared in the September 2019 print edition of Leadership Matters, IML ANZ’s quarterly magazine. For editorial suggestions and enquiries, please contact karyl.estrella@managersandleaders.com.au.

The future of the workplace is flexible

By Anthony O’Brien

 

‘Working nine to five’ for many of us old enough to remember is more closely aligned with the offices, factories, and workshops of the 20th Century. A phrase also popularised by singer Dolly Parton, working nine to five is giving way to the flexible working arrangements demanded and legislated for, in Australia and New Zealand today.

 

According to the 2018 Deloitte Millennial Survey, the three most essential elements millennials look for from a new employer are pay (51%), culture (57%) and flexibility (44%). With millennials set to make up 42% of the workforce by 2025, Charles Go MIML, Research Product Manager at IML ANZ, says, “Flexibility is becoming a very important topic and will be the norm in the future.” Go hosted an IML ANZ webinar, ‘Navigating the Future of Work’ in April examining the importance of flexibility, the gig economy and the skills managers need to navigate modern workplaces.

 

It’s worth reiterating that workplace flexibility is enshrined in Australian law through the Right to Request Flexible Work arrangements that form part of the National Employment Standards (NES). This right to request flexible working arrangements applies to permanent workers and casuals employed for 12 months or more.

 

Catherine Heilemann AFIML, director at the Salary Coach, explains, “There are some eligibility criteria for the Request Flexible Work arrangements such as being a carer, having a disability, being 55 or older, experiencing domestic violence, being a parent and so on.” In a past career at IBM, Heilemann was the first manager to have a virtual team with a mix of Australian employees working flexibly and outsourced workers in China and India.

 

FLEXIBLE IS BECOMING THE NORM

According to a June 2018 survey from recruiter Hays, the most common flexible working practices employers offer are flexible working hours and compressed working weeks (77%), part-time employment (75%) and flex-place arrangements, such as working from home or an alternative location (66%).

 

“Some employment situations lend themselves towards greater flexibility,” Heilemann says. “It’s tough for some workplaces to offer the kind of flexibility that companies such as IBM offer because they have people working on shifts and who must attend a location to perform their work.

 

“Doctors, nurses, teachers, railway maintenance specialists, factory workers and the like must attend their place of work to do their job.” Although, Heilemann says many shift workers can bid for their start and finish times. “This is a common practice with airlines. Moreover, workplaces allow for staggered shifts starts such as at Sydney Trains, with 6 am, 7 am, and 8 am starts at some maintenance depots.”

 

Billie-Jo Barbara CMgr FIML, Deputy Director of Workforce Planning at Charles Darwin University, adds that her former employer, the NSW Government takes the view of ‘if not, why not?’ She says this encourages employers and leaders to think beyond compressed hours and part-time work towards flexible strategies such as staggered starts and finishes. “This might even be about allowing an employee who currently takes two hours to commute each way in peak times to start later,” says Barbara. “Flexibility looks like a whole different range of things.”

 

ORGANISATIONS MUST ADAPT

Notwithstanding the pervasiveness of flexible working, the concept appears to have limited influence on recruitment and retention, according to the 2018 IML ANZ Staff Retention Report. When asked the main reasons for resignations, only 6.6% of surveyed organisations listed ‘lack of flexible work arrangements’ as a main reason, compared to 75.7% of organisations who listed ‘to seek a new challenge.’

 

Moreover, only 7.4% of those surveyed said a ‘lack of flexible start and finishing times’ were factors in resignations compared to 38.7% that listed ‘insu­fficient financial reward. Despite these findings, Heilemann maintains that if an employer isn’t offering flexible working arrangements in some form, “then they probably won’t be winning any prizes as a great place to work.”

 

Barbara says that trying to implement policies suitable to current and future workforces can be challenging for leaders trying to operate a profitable organisation. “I’ve noticed, for example, more millennials want a portfolio career at the start of their careers rather than the end.” A millennial herself, Barbara has already sat on several boards and been a coach, in tandem with her previous full-time role as a director of human resources with the NSW Department of Planning and Environment.

 

KEEPING YOUR BEST PEOPLE

Concerning staff retention, Heilemann equates flexible working arrangements with a bank account. “While you are depositing, things go well. Retention issues can relate to many things and offering flexible work arrangements to those who value it will add to the bank account.”

 

Go maintains that flexible working makes it possible for a diverse group of individuals to work for an organisation. “These arrangements support returning mothers and aged workers who need to work part-time or from home, as well as workers with health issues or disabilities,” he says.

 

Heilemann believes it is possible for older workers to undertake backfills to cover for employees on parental leave. “But for those who want to stay in the workforce, but not on a full-time basis, flexible working is a sensible option,” she says.

 

As with any change, maintaining the drumbeat on flexible work is crucial. “The IML ANZ 2016 Staff Retention Report found that only 3% of organisations lost staff to resignations because of a lack of flexible working arrangements. In 2018, this number doubled to 6%.

 

“At the moment, it is only a small percentage of employees who are linking a resignation to lack of flexibility,” says Go. “However, the concern is that both resignations and the desire for workplace flexibility is trending upwards. It’s crucial managers and leaders champion flexible working arrangements.”

 

IML ANZ itself celebrates the benefits of flexible work for people and organisations in a number of ways, including Chief Executive David Pich CMgr FIML being an ambassador for Flexible Working Day.

 

ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT

An area Heilemann has identified for improvement relates to those leaders who don’t trust their employees with flexible work arrangements. “These leaders don’t necessarily discourage working flexibly but do not encourage it with real intent,” she explains. “I’ve seen leaders in recent times who talk flexible work, but the team says behind their back: ‘oh they don’t like it.’ This discourages people from asking for flexible working. To those leaders, I say: set the guidelines for flexible work. Then let your people have it. Be sure to lead and manage the outcomes, not the hours at the desk working away or pretending to work.”

 

Barbara subscribes to the view that many employees aren’t aware of the flexible arrangements on other. For example, when Barbara worked in a human resources role for the NSW Government she wasn’t aware of provisions for a career break. “And, I worked in human resources! It wasn’t until I moved to the NSW Department of Planning that I became aware this provision existed.

 

The conversation about workplace flexibility is not just about women working part-time continues Barbara, “But it is about taking a study break, or the opportunity to try a different career path. Successful workplace policies are dependent on the culture of an organisation and the willingness of employers to enable these policies.

 

“The smart employers have recognised the research that workplace flexibility will help attract and retain good people. For some organisations, there is a lack of awareness, while the incidences of employers deliberately denying these policies are in the minority now.”

The full version of this article originally appeared in the September 2019 print edition of Leadership Matters, IML ANZ’s quarterly magazine. For editorial suggestions and enquiries, please contact karyl.estrella@managersandleaders.com.au.

Six ways leaders can inspire 21st century employees

By Sam Bell FIML

 

Many leaders struggle to inspire others. Yet, according to a survey conducted by Bain Research, employees are more than twice as productive if they are ‘satisfied’ employees. This suggests leaders who can inspire might provide a powerful competitive edge for their organisations.

In a similar vein, Harvard Business School gathered data from the assessments of more than 50,000 leaders, and the ability to inspire stood out as one of the most important competencies. It was the single trait that created the highest levels of staff engagement, and it separated the best leaders from everyone else. Crucially, it was what most employees wanted to see in their leaders.

Underscoring the importance of inspirational leadership inside workplaces, Gallup identified in their State of the Global Workplace report that 51% of employees are unengaged in their work and 17% are actively disengaged. This means that, on average, only 32% of employees are actively engaged in the workplace. Ultimately, organisations cannot survive or perform well with statistics like these.

 

TWO TYPES OF INSPIRATIONAL LEADER

I believe inspirational leaders can be placed in two distinct categories. Firstly, there are leaders who inspire a diverse population of people whom they have never physically met. These are usually leaders in their field – sport, politics, military and business – whom people admire because of their vision, their struggle, their achievements or their failures. Perhaps the most highly acclaimed inspirational figure of recent times who falls into this category is Nelson Mandela. People admire his lifetime of struggle and leadership for his nation on becoming President. Whilst most of us never met the man, we felt inspired by his journey.

In the second category are the people you know and see every day who give you the inspiration to do better in your daily life. This category of inspiration is by far the most important in my opinion. These people might be your family, friends, colleagues and yes, your workplace managers and leaders. It’s these ‘everyday people’ who give you a vision to be better, to improve, and who provide a purpose in life. These leaders understand the shadow they cast over others and ensure that, within their shadow, people know where they are going and the role they are playing to get there.

Today’s workplace leaders in this second category often lack the playbook to inspire today’s workforce, which is increasingly made up of employees who expect more meaning and value from their workplace. Where today’s leaders have typically cut their teeth in the workplace of the 20th century, today’s employees are increasingly products of the 21st century! The critical question when solving this leadership dilemma is: how do today’s ‘everyday leaders’ inspire the people they lead?

 

SIX WAYS LEADERS CAN INSPIRE OTHERS

  1. Be passionate about the vision and mission. Sharing a vision and mission in a way that enables others to feel passionate is a useful starting point when inspiring staff. The vision and the mission provide essential anchors for empowering others to feel that their work has a purpose and meaning beyond everyday tasks. When a leader communicates the big picture regularly it can assist in reinforcing why the organisation exists.
  2. Listen to your employees. People need to see their ideas being incorporated into the team and into the organisation and/or they need to understand the reasons they weren’t adopted. The ability to inspire others is not only about doing; it’s about listening and explaining.
  3. Make people feel included. Feeling inspired is about feeling connected to the actions and processes that lead to the achievement of the organisation’s goals or to the decisions made. When a leader includes people in the decision-making process they feel a sense of ownership of that decision.
  4. Demonstrate integrity. While vision and passion are important, employees must also trust a leader. Trust stems from seeing that a leader’s behaviour is aligned to what they say. They speak and live by their values and behave ethically. Leaders set the pace through expectations and example.
  5. Establish an environment of continuous improvement. This includes providing opportunities for employees to grow and develop, both personally and professionally, and can be achieved by setting goals and targets, allowing for secondments to other parts of the business, establishing special projects or encouraging further study.
  6. Recognise achievement. While financial reward is undoubtedly a significant motivator, recognition plays a vital role in making employees feel important and appreciated. Indeed, research has shown that a key source of inspiration for employees is speaking directly to them about the value of their work to the organisation.

 

It’s vital for workplace leaders to remember the influence they have over others. Take action to become an inspirational leader. Someone is always watching.

Leading Well book
This is an edited extract from IML ANZ’s latest book, Leading Well: 7 attributes of very successful leaders (Major Street Publishing, A$34.95).

The book highlights seven attributes that ignite inspiring leadership. It focuses squarely on the personal attributes that can transform managers into leaders and good leaders into great leaders.

Order your copy here.

 

This article originally appeared in the September 2019 print edition of Leadership Matters, IML ANZ’s quarterly magazine. For editorial suggestions and enquiries, please contact karyl.estrella@managersandleaders.com.au.

The Info: Best books for ethical leadership

Booktopia’s Sarah McDuling reflects upon ethical leadership – and cherry-picks the best books for further reading.

 

At a glance ethical leadership may seem simple enough. By any interpretation, an ethical leader is a good leader. Integrity, justice, compassion and respect are values that must logically lie at the core of any conversation about leadership and ethics. Ethics are, after all, the moral principles that govern a person’s behaviour. To behave ethically is essentially to know and to do what is right.

However, authentic ethical leadership involves more than simply identifying and pursuing a list of core values. It requires a framework based on communication, action and trust.

Values-based leadership creates a working environment where employees feel secure. It fosters a sense of pride among colleagues – which boosts staff performance, retention and morale. Put simply, people who trust their leaders are happier, more productive and more successful.

While transparency and clear communication are core elements of ethical leadership, perhaps the most important is action – or ‘leading by example’. This can be done by aligning systems and processes to promote ethical reasoning, independence of thought, listening, flexibility and resilience. Without these processes in place, a leader may fail to walk the talk. Inspirational speeches are worthless if they aren’t backed up by action.

Ethical leaders are very rarely born, ready-made. They develop via a combination of training, learning and innovative thinking. With that in mind, I have chosen the books in this reading list to guide and inspire you to be the most ethical (and therefore most effective) leader you can be.

 

Recommended reading: Ethics and leadership

ETHICAL LEADERSHIP:

CONSCIOUS BUSINESS: HOW TO BUILD VALUE THROUGH VALUES

By Fred Kofman

 

TREATING PEOPLE WELL: HOW TO MASTER SOCIAL SKILLS TO THRIVE IN EVERYTHING YOU DO

By Lea Berman, Jeremy Bernard and Laura Bush

 

ETHICAL LEADERSHIP: CREATING AND SUSTAINING AN ETHICAL BUSINESS CULTURE

By Andrew Leigh

 

THE THOUGHTFUL LEADER: HOW TO USE YOUR HEAD AND YOUR HEART TO INSPIRE OTHERS

By Mindy Gibbins-Klein

 

THE POWER OF ETHICS: THE THOUGHTFUL LEADER’S MODEL FOR SUSTAINABLE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

By Pete Geissler and Bill O’Rourke

 

THE ETHICAL LEADER: WHY DOING THE RIGHT THING CAN BE THE KEY TO COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

By Morgen Witzel

 

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

FORCES FOR GOOD: CREATING A BETTER WORLD THROUGH PURPOSE-DRIVEN BUSINESSES

By Paul Hargreaves

 

HUMANE CAPITAL: HOW TO CREATE A MANAGEMENT SHIFT TO TRANSFORM PERFORMANCE AND PROFIT

By Vlatka Hlupic

 

LEAN IMPACT: HOW TO INNOVATE FOR RADICALLY GREATER SOCIAL GOOD

By Ann Mei Chang

 

PURPOSEFUL PROFITS: INSIDE SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSES MAKING A POSITIVE GLOBAL IMPACT

By Joanne Sonenshine

 

SOCIAL MOVEMENTS FOR GOOD: HOW COMPANIES AND CAUSES CREATE VIRAL CHANGE

By Derrick Feldmann

 

THE ETHICAL CAPITALIST: HOW TO MAKE BUSINESS WORK BETTER FOR SOCIETY

By Julian Richer

 

AVAILABLE FROM BOOKTOPIA | Find out more about all these books, and order them online at booktopia.com.au.

 

This article originally appeared in the September 2019 print edition of Leadership Matters, IML ANZ’s quarterly magazine. For editorial suggestions and enquiries, please contact karyl.estrella@managersandleaders.com.au.

Diversity, Inclusion and Performance Under the Spotlight

Contemporary corporate culture in Australia presents managers with many different demands. Of increasing relevance is the challenge to ensure we foster inclusion and contribution from an increasingly diverse workforce.

How are successful organisations tackling this challenge and what can managers and leaders do to make a difference?

To look into this, Australian corporate learning and development specialists, Team Management Systems (TMS), recently hosted a series of forums, assembling leading practitioners in the field of diversity and inclusion (D&I). TMS recognises that organisations must identify a discernible performance improvement from the collaboration teams comprising diverse individuals.

Seven major themes of diversity and inclusion

In distilling the outcomes and content from the forums, TMS identified several key issues and recurring themes that emerged.

  1. Organisations must understand and work with differences

Diverse thinking and different perspectives are needed if organisations are to solve some of today’s most challenging and complex problems of the future. Establishing common ground is a crucial factor in this process – once we achieve this, we can improve connections exponentially. We can build our understanding of diverse perspectives by using different lenses and feedback tools.

  1. A focus on the individual is essential

Every individual needs to feel included and valued, which requires acknowledging the whole person and all that they bring to their workplace.

  1. A top-down approach is needed if these initiatives are to succeed

Senior leaders need to personify diversity, which means doing more than just endorsing a policy. All levels of the organisation need to be involved, with passionate advocates developing and implementing the plans across the broader organisation.

  1. Increased self-awareness is central to addressing unconscious bias

Organisations have many initiatives to improve performance, all of which require dedication and resources. Nevertheless, self-awareness and emotional intelligence training is critical to helping people understand each other and communicate more effectively. A key insight is that leaders’ competencies need to be developed to create greater self-awareness so that conflict can be addressed constructively.

  1. Notions like intersectionality also need to be considered

When we look at multiple elements of diversity in combination – e.g. ethnicity, gender and age – we need to be mindful of the compounding impact on an individual’s experience and identity. Our programmes work best when we consider how complex attitudes towards diversity can impact all areas of an employee’s life.

  1. D&I programmes need to foster compassion in corporate life

We must think about the personal impacts beyond policy and initiative, by encouraging a culture of compassion to develop within organisations. There is no place in any corporate culture for ignorance or discrimination. At the same time, we need to be sensitive to lifestyle factors and how they can impact on some of our more significant initiatives.

  1. D&I initiatives cannot be tokenistic and must deliver a performance gain

Inclusion programmes should work at the grass-roots level and be designed to empower people genuinely. Skills training in areas like hosting effective meetings can encourage people to call-out non-inclusive language and behaviour, which helps to create safe, supportive workspaces.

There is plenty of evidence that organisations with diverse leadership have recorded impressive returns and, without assuming causality, we have to ask, ‘why wouldn’t you foster diversity?’ It’s possible to see a change in the bottom line when people are hired who look, think and make decisions like your customer base.

Diversity and inclusion – moving forward

As the Australian workforce recognises the importance of creating inclusive teams, this topic becomes ever more relevant for managers and leaders. The Institute of Managers and Leaders Australia and New Zealand has a suite of diagnostic and development tools designed to improve the ability, of your leaders, to better communicate with a wide range of unique individuals.  Thus addressing the unconscious bias issue through improving self-awareness. If you would like to like to know more about the range of People Analytics tools available, please call 1300 362 631, email corporate@managersandleaders.com.au or visit managersandleaders.com.au/people-analytics.

Digital innovation primer: Part four – AI and robots are here

By Craig Baty FIML

 

In this fourth of five articles on digital transformation for non-technical leaders, we’ll look at AI and robots. In last week’s article we saw how pervasive the Internet of Things has become, now let’s look at how AI and robots impact today’s workplace and world.

 

A higher intelligence?

 

Artificial Intelligence is the application of computing power to problems previously solvable only by human thought, if at all. It comes in many forms. Key technologies and applications include:

 

  • Advanced analytics: the proliferation of Big Data has led to the creation of massive data sets that can be effectively analysed only with AI tools. AI can spot complex patterns in the data visible to humans. AI’s usefulness as an analytics tool is especially relevant in the use of predictive analytics and decision automation.
  • Natural language processing (NLP) and speech recognition. NLP involves the interaction between computers and unstructured speech and text. The technology involves massive processing power and complex algorithms and is used in such applications as speech recognition and machine translation.
  • Cognitive processing: Otherwise known as semantic computing, refers to digital processing that attempts to mimic the operation of the human brain. It is especially suited to the analysis of large unstructured datasets and has been shown to be more effective than humans in the diagnosis of many diseases.
  • Robotic process automation (RPA): RPA has grown out of Business Process Automation (BPA), and refers to the use of AI techniques to automate workflow and business processes. A good example is the use of NLP to scan incoming emails and undertake the appropriate action, such as generating an invoice or flagging a complaint.
  • Machine learning: The use of AI techniques to help computers make decisions based on previous events. Like many AI techniques, machine learning involves a combination of raw computing power and logic-based models to simulate the human learning process.
  • Chatbots and virtual assistants: Chatbots are robotic processes that simulate human conversation. They are often used for automated online help functions. The technology is also used for so-called ‘virtual assistants’, which uses AI to interact with humans to provide information that helps them undertake specific tasks.

 

Brain and body: AI and robots

 

AI is software, while robotics is hardware. Robots are machines, usually but not always driven by AI-based software. Their first widespread use was in production line manufacturing, where they could be programmed to perform repetitive tasks. As AI becomes more sophisticated and robotics technology evolves, robots are increasingly performing more complex functions, from domestic tasks to education and training to mimicking human performance and behaviour.

Any application that involves AI being applied to the physical world is essentially robotics. This includes autonomous vehicle and aerial and seaborne drones. These also cross into the Internet of Things (IoT). It is common that these evolving applications typically draw on a range of technologies.

Although we are many many decades away from AI being able to completely replicate human decision making and behaviour (and opinion is divided as to whether this will ever happen), AI is not going away and will increasingly permeate all aspects of daily life. To remain ahead of the curve, leaders need to understand the potential for using AI to augment their capabilities and should begin the process by working with their teams to identify potential applications, then develop these ideas into proofs-of-concept (POC).

 

Digital transformation – why you should care

 

Join us in Sydney where Craig will present an informative and insightful TEL Talk: Digital Transformation – Why should I care? This brief primer on Digital Transformation will address:

 

  • What is Digital Transformation and why is it important for today’s leader?
  • What are the key technologies and processes to be aware of?
  • How have these technologies been used to create truly transformative business outcomes?
  • As a leader, how can you prepare yourself for an increasingly digitalised future?

Craig Baty is Principal and Founder of Technology & Management Services (TMS), which specialises in research-based data-driven thought leadership and consulting for ICT strategy, outsourcing, vendor management, go-to-market execution, and market and competitive intelligence. TMS also consults on cross-cultural communications and managing virtual teams across multiple geographies. He previously held C-level leadership roles with global telecommunications provider BT (British Telecom), Japanese ICT & technology giant Fujitsu and ICT research and advisory firm Gartner. Craig currently serves as NSW Vice Chair of the Australian Computer Society (ACS) and on the NSW Council of the Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA).

Digital innovation primer: Part three – The Internet of Things (IoT)

By Craig Baty FIML

 

In this third of five articles on digital transformation for non-technical managers, we’ll look at the Internet of Things. After introducing workplace innovation in last week’s blog, we look at how the Internet has become all-encompassing, enabled the internet of things (IOT) and become even more vital for all leaders to understand and leverage.

 

From Internet to Internet of Things (IoT)

 

The Internet was first developed as a way of connecting computers to each other. With the rapid growth of digital technology almost anything can now be connected to the Internet – hence the term ‘the Internet of Things’ (IoT).

 

There is a multiplicity of ‘things’ that can be connected to the Internet. It is not only devices. By definition, anything with an IP (Internet Protocol) address can be connected. Wireless technologies such as WiFi, Bluetooth and 4G and 5G telephony mean that devices and sensors do not need to be physically connected – indeed, with IoT, remote connectivity is the norm.

 

The key to IoT is the ‘embedding’ of Internet connectivity into virtually any kind of physical device, which means they can be controlled and monitored over the Internet. They can also act as monitors – or sensors – for other devices and applications. This opens almost infinite possibilities and expands the scope of the Internet and what it can be used for.

 

Putting the IoT to work

 

The IoT can be best understood using examples in different environments, as introduced in this non-exhaustive list of IOT applications:

  • Medical and health: IoT is the key technology for e-health, enabling remote diagnostics and monitoring, inside hospitals and in the community. Monitoring patients’ clinical condition and behaviour is a key aspect of effective healthcare.
  • Buildings and dwellings: The so-called ‘smart home’ is a primary example of IoT technology. Virtually all domestic appliances can be IoT enabled, allowing them to be remotely controlled or activated according to external conditions. At the commercial level, building management systems do the same thing on an industrial scale.
  • Energy and environment: The so-called ‘smart grid’ uses IoT technology to monitor and control the efficient distribution of energy. Smart sensors can be used to monitor all aspects of the environment and are increasingly being used for such applications as earthquake and tsunami prediction, warning and mitigation and wind-farm optimisation.
  • Transport: A high-profile application of IoT technology to transportation is the rise of the Autonomous Vehicle (AV), otherwise known as driverless cars. More important than the technology and the vehicle itself are the monitoring and control mechanisms that enable it to move safely and efficiently around the transport network. IoT technology is also important and controls transportation systems such as trains and aircraft.
  • Manufacturing: Automation has long been part of the manufacturing process. The IoT takes this to a new level, enabling vastly improved process automation, much of it based on big data and the sophisticated analysis of it. Digital twinning using IoT enables factory management to effectively replicate their factory on-screen or use virtual reality/augmented reality (VR/AR) to monitor, manage and maximise factory floor operations from a remote location.
  • Agriculture: The IoT has made possible such applications as driverless tractors and automated irrigation systems. However, its primary application of agriculture is in monitoring the environment to enable the right decisions to be made about the most efficient farming practices.
  • Smart cities: The term means different things to different people, but what they all have in common is the widespread deployment of IoT enabled applications including traffic and parking management, public space lighting, infrastructure monitoring, disaster recovery facilitation, and the like.

 

IoT has now moved beyond its earlier limited industrial applications and now permeates most aspects of society. As IoT can be embedded in almost anything, people are becoming very inventive. However just because your front door mat, your toothbrush and your mower could all be connected, it doesn’t mean that they should be. Leaders need to resist the desire of their employees and management to connect absolutely everything, and work with their teams to develop ideas for IoT use that can enhance corporate operations, improve safety, and create a competitive advantage.

 

In next week’s blog we will introduce Artificial Intelligence, robots and their impact.

 

Digital transformation – why you should care

 

Join us in Sydney where Craig will present an informative and insightful TEL Talk: Digital Transformation – Why should I care? This brief primer on Digital Transformation will address:

  • What is Digital Transformation and why is it important for today’s leader?
  • What are the key technologies and processes to be aware of?
  • How have these technologies been used to create truly transformative business outcomes?
  • As a leader, how can you prepare yourself for an increasingly digitalised future?

Craig Baty is Principal and Founder of Technology & Management Services (TMS), which specialises in research-based data-driven thought leadership and consulting for ICT strategy, outsourcing, vendor management, go-to-market execution, and market and competitive intelligence. TMS also consults on cross-cultural communications and managing virtual teams across multiple geographies. He previously held C-level leadership roles with global telecommunications provider BT (British Telecom), Japanese ICT & technology giant Fujitsu and ICT research and advisory firm Gartner. Craig currently serves as NSW Vice Chair of the Australian Computer Society (ACS) and on the NSW Council of the Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA).