How managers can become good coaches

Managers are placed in positions of influence and responsibility on the basis of skills and abilities. However, being accountable for the performance of others makes people management a larger component of the manager’s role. It’s then important that managers are equipped to guide their people. Effective coaching is key.

If coaching is not a feature of your team, it should be. And if you are already coaching, is it time to assess how effectively you’re doing it?

Ask yourself these three questions:

Is coaching expected of managers?

Hitting targets and meeting KPIs are all expected in most roles, managers included. In the hustle and bustle of taking care of business, coaching often falls quite low on the list of priorities. This is one of the reasons why managers do not have effective coaching skills. It’s not treated as a priority and an integral part of a manager’s role.

But doing so could have real benefits. A recent Gallup report notes that focusing on employee performance development (instead of waiting for poor performance and then ‘managing’ it) improves the quality of work, productivity and leads to better business outcomes.

Ongoing and effective coaching plays a huge role in the continuous improvement of employee performance.

 

Do managers know what coaching involves?

There are many misconceptions about coaching. Some think of it as maneuvering people. Others believe it’s the same thing as teaching. But coaching should really be about helping the coachee to find their own way.

Tennis is an interesting lens to view coaching from. The all top players have coaches. Tennis, in contrast with other sports, lacks coaching interaction during the match. There are no pep-talks, the athlete is left to perform and the coach simply looks on in encouragement. What’s the point? Coaching isn’t about telling someone how to do their job, it’s about empowering and guiding them to make the right decisions come crunch time.

In fact, Sir John Whitmore, a leading figure in executive coaching, defines coaching as, “unlocking people’s potential to maximize their own performance. It is helping them to learn rather than teaching them”.

Coaching can be done externally, where a consultant is brought in to help the coachee, or internally, where the direct manager of the coachee supports their improvement. It can also be conducted informally, not following a set structure or schedule but still demonstrating coaching skills in the way the conversation is carried out.

 

Are managers equipped with the skills to coach?

Because coaching isn’t weaved into the fabric of expected managerial duties, it’s likely that most managers lack the skills needed to be an effective coach.

Managers do well to invest in training on skills that support coaching. Tips include:

  • Active listening
  • Asking effective questions
  • Assist employees to set clear goals
  • Aim to instil accountability based on fair and accurate evaluations

The Info: Women in leadership must-read books

By Sarah McDuling

 

We are living in a time of great change and challenge; a time when people are being encouraged to examine gender biases and work towards gender-balanced leadership.

The goal, of course, is to create an environment of inclusivity and equality – a culture which not only allows women to achieve their goals, but one that actively encourages young girls to succeed professionally in the same way that young boys have always been encouraged. The question is how do we get there and, perhaps more importantly, how long will it take?

Currently, 47% of the Australian workforce is female, but only 13.7% of chair positions in the country are held by women and only 16.5% of Australian CEOs are women. In fact, 70.9% of reporting organisations in Australia have a male-only team of key management personnel.

Meanwhile, internationally, only 25 of the CEOs in the Fortune 500 are women. When can we expect that number to rise closer to the 50% mark? It has been estimated by the World Economic Forum that the gender gap won’t close entirely until the year 2186. As a single professional woman, I find these numbers deeply concerning. Do we really need to wait that long?

Knowledge is power and when it comes to women in leadership, empowerment is key. As a woman there are two questions I find myself constantly contemplating: How? And who? Firstly, how can I achieve my professional goals in a culture that is intrinsically skewed in favour of men? And secondly, who are my role models?

Luckily, I happen to work in the book industry and so when seeking knowledge, I don’t have to look very far. Here are two recommended reading lists titled How to Lead and Who to Follow. The first is a list of books by successful women in leadership roles, full of valuable advice for women who aspire to become leaders themselves. The second is a list of powerful and thought-provoking memoirs by female role models. Read these books. Read them, not only to learn how to become a great leader, but also to discover what kind of leader you want to become.

 

HOW TO LEAD

 

DARE TO LEAD BY BRENÉ BROWN

How do you cultivate braver, more daring leaders? And, how do you embed the value of courage in your culture? Dare to Lead will answer these questions for you.

 

HOW WOMEN RISE BY SALLY HELGESEN & MARSHALL GOLDSMITH

Do you hesitate about putting forward ideas? Are you reluctant to claim credit for your achievements? Do you find it difficult to get the support you need from your boss? If your answer to any of these is ‘Yes’, How Women Rise will help get you back on track.

 

LIVE LEAD LEARN BY GAIL KELLY

The first female CEO of one of Australia’s big four banks, Gail Kelly is celebrated as one of our finest, most innovative thinkers on leadership and workplace culture.

 

WOMEN LEADING BY CHRISTINE NIXON & AMANDA SINCLAIR

Women Leading smashes tired prescriptions that women should lead like men, highlighting a long history of innovative female leadership.

 

THRIVE BY ARIANNA HUFFINGTON

As the cofounder and editor-in-chief of the Huffington Post Media Group, Arianna Huffington is by any traditional measure, extraordinarily successful.

 

HOW REMARKABLE WOMEN LEAD BY JOANNA BARSH, SUSIE CRANSTON & GEOFFREY LEWIS

How Remarkable Women Lead explores provocative issues such as whether feminine leadership traits (for women and men) are better suited for our fast-changing, hypercompetitive, and increasingly complex world.

 

WINGING IT BY EMMA ISAACS

CEO and entrepreneur Emma Isaacs believes that you can’t plan every detail in life; instead, take action now and figure the rest out as you go along.

 

LEAN IN BY SHERYL SANDBERG

Sheryl Sandberg is chief operating officer of Facebook and co-author of Option B with Adam Grant. In Lean In, Sandberg reignited the conversation around women in the workplace.

 

WHO TO FOLLOW

 

UNFETTERED AND ALIVE BY ANNE SUMMERS

Anne Summers’s story has her travelling around the world as she moves from job to job, in newspapers and magazines, advising prime ministers, leading feminist debates and writing memorable, influential books.

 

200 WOMEN BY RUTH HOBDAY & GEOFF BLACKWELL

Two hundred amazing women answer the same questions about life, happiness and regrets.

 

FIGHT LIKE A GIRL BY CLEMENTINE FORD

Clementine Ford is a beacon of hope and inspiration to Australian women and girls. Her incendiary debut Fight Like A Girl will make you laugh, cry and scream.

 

WOMEN KIND BY DR KIRSTIN FERGUSON & CATHERINE FOX

Dr Kirstin Ferguson joins Walkley award-winning journalist Catherine Fox to examine how women’s shared clout is transforming communities, workplaces and leadership.

 

ANY ORDINARY DAY BY LEIGH SALES

In her powerful book, journalist Leigh Sales examines what people fear most and why? And when the worst does happen, what comes next?

 

EVERYWHERE I LOOK BY HELEN GARNER

Including Garner’s famous and controversial essay on the insults of age, her deeply moving tribute to her mother and extracts from her diaries.

 

MY LIFE ON THE ROAD BY GLORIA STEINEM

From journalist, activist, and international icon Gloria Steinem comes an all-new memoir of a lifetime of listening and learning from people, travelling America and the world.

 

NOT JUST LUCKY BY JAMILA RIZVI

Jamila Rizvi exposes the structural and cultural disadvantages that rob women of their confidence, helping women fight for a more inclusive, equal workplace for all.

 

THE GOOD GIRL STRIPPED BARE BY TRACEY SPICER

When Tracey Spicer was sacked by email after having a baby, this good girl turned ‘bad’, took legal action against the network for pregnancy discrimination. (Spicer will be MC at IML’s International Women’s Day Great Debate in Sydney on 8 March. Details at iml.eventsair.com/international-womens-day)

 

BECOMING BY MICHELLE OBAMA

In her memoir, a work of deep reflection and mesmerising storytelling, Michelle Obama invites readers into her world, telling her full story as she has lived it – in her own words and on her own terms.

AVAILABLE FROM BOOKTOPIA

All these books are available at booktopia.com.au

Sarah McDuling is the Senior Content Producer for Booktopia and the Editor of the Booktopian Blog.

Everything you need to know about Member Exchange

The Institute of Managers and Leaders’ Member Exchange mentoring program.

  

The four-month program is a fantastic opportunity for IML members to share their knowledge and skills, while giving something back.

 

Since the complimentary program’s inception four years ago, some 2,000 mentees have benefited from being paired with a mentor – a role which about 1,500 members have taken up, many several times.

Margot Smith FIML, General Manager, Membership – Strategy and Engagement at IML, says Member Exchange pairs up professionals from a broad range of industries, which can range from the resources, education, finance and not-for-profit sectors to name a few, to help with a range of career aspects.

“It could be for coaching purposes. For one person new to the workforce, they might need help enhancing their LinkedIn profile. For others, they might need advice about talking to their manager about a change in role and responsibilities. It could be a raft of things, but it is usually about general management and leadership development,” she says.

 

Smith explains the key competencies of being a mentor are listening, developing a mentee’s confidence and providing a different perspective.

“You are not there to give answers, you are there to coach and lead mentees to solutions,” she said. “It could be providing clarity with goal-setting if they are having difficulties. Or helping them to see a pathway if they are currently feeling blocked.”

The program requires contact between the mentor and mentee once or twice a month.

A desire for career development and an eagerness to learn are Smith’s top tips for mentees wanting to get the most from their mentoring experience.

 

“Don’t be shy about what you would like to get out of the program,” she adds. “You need to be mindful that the mentors are volunteers and that they are giving back. But your career development is no one’s responsibility but your own — so be hungry for management and leadership development. Take the mentor’s advice and run with it. And importantly, do any ‘homework’ recommended – whether it’s reading an article, freshening up your LinkedIn profile or catching up with someone new to your network.

“Make sure you are honest with yourself, that you are setting goals and challenging yourself to learn.”

 

   

An opportunity to give back was what spurred Barry Gordon CMgr FIML to share his wisdom and knowledge as a mentor. Impressed by his experiences, he recently completed a stint as a mentee.

 

Humbling, positive and rewarding are the words Barry Gordon uses to describe his involvement with Member Exchange.

Gordon, a contracts and compliance director with Transport for NSW, said volunteering as a mentor felt like an obligation he should meet.

As he puts it, “If you have achieved some positive outcomes in your life, it is up to you to give back to others who may be struggling.”

 

His two mentoring experiences involved coaching and guiding a young woman in taking over a family business, while the other stint saw him assist an engineering project manager in ways to secure project director roles, via help with cover letters and networking.

He has remained in touch with both mentees, and says seeing the positive changes to their careers was rewarding.

“I have had nice thank you emails and we’ve caught up for a meal and coffee to see how things are settling in,” he says. “It’s rewarding seeing posts on LinkedIn of past mentees’ achievements.”

The positive mentoring experiences led Gordon to consider how he could personally benefit from Member Exchange.

“I started to think, ‘what else can I learn from this and what is in it for me on the other side?’” he says. “I probably looked at it like, I am in the same boat as my mentees. I am in position ‘x’ and looking at what is position ‘y’ for me.”

He said his journey as a mentee helped with gaining a different perspective, while also providing him with a sounding board from his mentor; a semi-retiree who worked in consultancy.

 

Gordon believes Member Exchange is successful because it bridges a gap. “I have found, and certainly with the mentees I have been linked to, that there is just a big gap. People want help but don’t know where to get it,” he says. “These networks don’t necessarily exist in their day-to-day roles.

“As a mentee — reach out, there’s a powerful network of people in IML that are willing and able to help where possible. So make use of it.”  

 

  

About the program:

 • All IML individual members are eligible (excluding IMLa members).

• Apply via the website: managersandleaders.com.au/mentoring-program/mentees

• Mentees must provide information about what their objectives are. E.g. Career development, returning to the workforce after having children, assistance in
career development.

• For more information please email mentoringmanagersandleaders.com.au or phone 1300 661 061.

THE SIX LAYERS OF INTENTIONAL LEADERSHIP

BY David Pich FIML and photo by roy scott

  

One of the real privileges of leading the Institute is that I’m frequently asked to present at conferences and events. Of course, I do my very best – diary permitting – to say yes.

 

I have to say that the most enjoyable aspect of any presentation I deliver is almost always the Q&A session that follows. It’s an absolute pleasure to hear the views of the many and varied audiences (from association members, to teachers, to public sector workers, to MBA students) on management and leadership practice. Of course, like all presenters, I’m always a little nervous about the “curly questions” that might be thrown my way. These are usually those questions that reference specific companies or leaders with the ongoing Royal Commission into the financial services sector a very good case in point.

 

But the question that I always enjoy answering – and the one that I am invariably asked, albeit in a variety of slightly different guises – is “what can managers and leaders do to improve their management and leadership competence?”.

 

It was all the way back in late 2017, when I was asked this question at a conference in Brisbane, that I first used the term “intentional leader”. I used the word intentional to illustrate that managers really need to commit to being better and doing better. I wanted to emphasise that, in the vast majority of cases, good management practice doesn’t happen by accident. Of course, it can “just happen”. Some managers and leaders are fantastic at what they do because it comes naturally to them. For them (the lucky ones!) management is an effortless breeze.

 

Unfortunately, the reality is that the lucky ones are not the norm. They are the tiny minority. Just as the athlete who breezes effortlessly into the first team or who runs a sub-three-hour marathon with next to no training are the tiny minority, so the leader who leads well from day one is a very rare occurrence. For the rest of us – mere mortals – competence and good performance are a result of hours, days, weeks, months and years of practice. Improvement only occurs because we commit to being better. And that commitment is about intent.

 

Just as organisations need a vision and a strategy to head towards that vision, managers and leaders need a vision of who they want to be and how they want to manage and lead – and they need a strategy that will take them there.

 

So, when I get asked what leaders can do to be better, I refer to what IML calls “the six layers of intentional leadership”.
These are six practical things that managers and leaders
can do to improve.

 

The six layers of intentional leadership

1. Listen and ask questions. Leaders speak last

2. Find a mentor

3. Commit to self-awareness

4. Think before you act. Find time to make decisions

5. Commit to professional development

6. Reflect

 

And finally, the all-important (and yet so often forgotten) seventh layer; good leaders learn to say “thank-you”.  

 

BY David Pich FIML, chief executive of the Institute
of Managers and Leaders

 

 

 

 

Curious about how IML Membership works, and what it costs? Visit managersandleaders.com.au/join-iml/ to find out more

 

chief executive of the Institute
of Managers and Leaders

Three key ways to create a mentally healthy workplace

beyond blue

 

By beyondblue

 

 

One in five employees in Australia is likely to be working with a mental health condition and interestingly beyondblue research has found that despite 91% of employees believing workplace mental health is important, only 52% think their workplace is mentally healthy.

While organisational leaders are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of good mental health at work, many aren’t quite sure how to turn this awareness into action.

The good news is any business can achieve great outcomes by following a process that includes involving employees in the design, implementation and review of mental health strategies.

While leaders have a major role to play, everyone in the workplace needs to play a part for there to be enduring improvements.

A key responsibility for leaders is to inspire and inform employees so they can achieve their best possible mental health.

beyondblue has found there are three crucial elements that lay the groundwork for improving the mental health culture of a business.

Creating a mentally healthy workplace

  1. COMMITMENT FROM SENIOR LEADERS AND BUSINESS OWNERS

Showing a visible commitment to mental health in the workplace is essential to developing a plan, its implementation and ongoing refinement.

Leaders should educate themselves and inform staff about conditions such as anxiety and depression and speak openly about mental health, including their own personal experience if they feel comfortable.

Making mental health an everyday discussion in the workplace creates a culture where managers will know how to look after their own mental health and what to do if an employee tells them they are experiencing difficulties.

It also makes employees feel comfortable that they can speak to a manager about a mental health issue.

Staff will also have the ability to recognise if a colleague is struggling, the knowledge to support them and refer them to professional health services.

workplace activities and staff participation

  1. ONGOING MEANINGFUL PARTICIPATION

Research shows that involving your workforce in developing and imbedding a workplace mental health strategy is essential to the initiative’s success.

Staff should be invited to participate in its design, development, implementation and review.

Employees have a role in influencing the strategy’s design and will feel that they own the changes and the results, once the plan is implemented. It will also mean the strategy will be relevant to the specific needs of the workplace.

workplace communication

  1. KEEP THE COMMUNICATION LINES OPEN

Informed staff are engaged staff.

Continual communication will help break down barriers to addressing mental health and wellbeing while also contributing to reducing stigma.

Regular and ongoing communication also means a mental health strategy can be adapted as needs change and can gain buy-in from new employees.

These three factors are crucial to the success of mental health plans in workplaces.

They can help ensure that a workplace treats mental health the same as physical health, that stress and other mental health risks are managed, and employees are able to thrive.

Watch the video below to learn more about how you can play a role in workplace mental health.

 

FIND OUT MORE

Members of the beyondblue Workplace Engagement Team will present a series of mental health workshops at 18 locations throughout February and March as part of the IML 2018 Leadership Outlook Series.

They’ll provide insights into how to develop a workplace mental health plan and show how beyondblue’s Heads Up website and resources can guide an organisation’s approach.

To participate in a session, click here.

How to choose a leadership coach

Written by Phil Crenigan FIML, Executive coach and the Managing Director of Executive Turning Point.

 

Leadership coaching is big business. while it can have a positive influence on your career, much of the benefit comes down to finding the coach who is right for you.

JUST LIKE LIFE, our careers do not run in straight lines. A leadership coach can at least help to keep you on the right path, so long as you do your research and find the right one.
Recent studies have confirmed that engaging the right external leadership coach has a profound and measurable effect on positive engagement. It can also unlock potential and increase performance in two main ways – developmental coaching and coaching to resolve a problem or potential risk. In the latter case, I would argue that every coaching experience is a positive one, provided the organisation or individual will acknowledge that a problem or risk exists.

 

DEVELOPMENTAL COACHING
A leadership coach can help you to develop greater emotional intelligence. They can also help improve your skills and knowledge and provide frameworks for work/life balance, which is essential for good leadership. At an interpersonal level, a coach can support a leader in a new role and help teams set the bar for inspiring behaviour.At an organisational level, they can support the succession planning process by helping people realise their potential.

They can also fast-track the development of those with high potential and assist those who are leading transformational change or who have to influence a board. One of the most rewarding aspects of my work is acting as the team coach to build high performance. The ability to inspire others is a critical trait of successful leaders, but knowing how to build high performance is not always easily understood.

 

COACHING TO RESOLVE PROBLEMS OR RISKS
A leadership coach can help prevent career derailment and reduce stress levels or other emotional factors that might be interfering with performance. They can assist the coachee to address career-limiting behaviours and to avoid cultural misalignment in new roles. Where talent retention is an issue for an organisation, the engagement of a leadership coach can make a significant difference to the employment brand. A skilled leadership coach will be effective at reducing conflict between team members and closing gaps in the leadership skills that may be required in transformational change.
An experienced external leadership coach is usually preferred over internal coaches, given they tend to have less bias, focus on the right issues and require commitment and application of just-in-time learning. As personal development is often a casualty of time-poor executives, the engagement of an external leadership coach is both efficient and effective as there is a specific focus on outcomes.

 

CHOOSING A LEADERSHIP COACH
When it comes to selecting the right coach for you or your organisation, you must understand what you want to achieve from the process. As with many professions, there are outstanding coaches out there. However, as Leo D’Angelo Fisher described in his 2013 Australian Financial Review article ‘Time for Executive Coaching to come out of the shadows’, it seems there are more executive coaches out there than Elvis impersonators. D’Angelo Fisher wrote: “Coaching is one of the most heavily spun sections of the consulting fraternity.

I have met many scores of coaches over the years; they have ranged from impressive trusted advisors and confidantes of substance to opportunistic spivs, flakes and carpetbaggers.” This simple checklist can help you choose the right coach.

 

 

1. START WITH THE ISSUE
What is the purpose of coaching and what is the desired outcome? What does success look like? How might you measure the outcome? Ensure you have secured support from your boss whatever level you are.

2. IDENTIFY A SHORTLIST OF COACHES
Ensure they have the experience to address your issues and avoid having a coach imposed upon you.

3. DO YOUR OWN DUE DILIGENCE 
What do you see when you Google a potential coach’s names? Do they have strong recommendations from former clients on LinkedIn?

4. SEEK EXAMPLES FROM YOUR CANDIDATES
Ask them to show how they have addressed a particular issue in the past and understand the process they will adopt. Be clear on what style of coach you want and assess whether they are the right fit in your initial discussions.

5. ASK TO SPEAK TO THEIR CLIENTS
Find out what it is like to be coached by this person.

 

The relationship you develop with your leadership coach will be one of deep trust and respect, so it is worth being rigorous in the selection process so you get the most out of it.

Top five gifts of an exceptional Mentor

By Duncan Fish, Executive Coach & Interpersonal Skills Expert at The Engaging Executive.

The term Mentoring is quite popular, but what does it mean to you? In my opinion, the role of a Mentor is to espouse wisdom from a position of experience. The term ‘Mentor’ is derived from the story of Homer’s Odyssey. Odysseus, King of Ithaca, had to leave his son to fight in the Trojan War, and entrusted the care of his household to a man named Mentor, who served as teacher and overseer. I have both had Mentors and been a Mentor to others in my career. It is a very rewarding process, and I have often learned as much from the Mentee as he or she has learned from me. So in this article I wanted to define, what I believe, are the top 5 gifts of an exceptional Mentor.

Sharing Wisdoms

Often I get asked, ‘What is the difference between a Coach and a Mentor’. Depending on the style of coaching in question, I would suggest that a Coach does not need to be an expert in the topic of a coaching conversation.  A Coach’s role is to use thought provoking questions and structure to enable someone to come to his or her own conclusions. Whereas a Coach will not usually give ideas or suggestions, a Mentor is expected to do this.

I currently have a Mentor, named David. This man is several stages more advanced in his business thinking than I currently, and has wisdoms well beyond mine. In fact, I chose this man to be my Mentor as he works in a similar style of business to mine and has travelled the same road. What are currently hurdles and challenges for me, are things he has already overcome. So the first gift of an exceptional Mentor is ability to pre-empt future roadblocks and help you circumnavigate them.

Challenging Limiting Beliefs

I see my life in two halves: before I met John and after I met John. John was the man who became my Mentor when I was 25 years old. Having not done very well at school, I was still carrying a lot of baggage and believing I was an academic idiot. As I had not gone to university at that point in time, I used to feel intimidated by anyone who had a university degree.

One day John took me to one side and had a conversation which changed the entire course of my life. He could see I was passionate about helping people, and he could see something in me that I couldn’t see in myself. One day he said, ‘Duncan, you would make a great Psychologist’. I replied, ‘I can’t, John. That would mean going to university and I am too old, too dumb, too poor and too scared’. However, John was an exceptional Mentor and he could see that I was being held back by my limiting beliefs. So he challenged me on all of these issues; he challenged me until I started to think differently. One by one he questioned my beliefs and probed and disentangled the story I had been telling myself all those years. That challenging  my beliefs about myself gave me the impetus to go to university, become a Psychologist, start my own business and go on to become an Author. The second gift of an exceptional Mentor is to enable a winning mindset.

Opening Doors

Another role of a Mentor is to create networks for the Mentee. It can be hard work for Mentees to get access to the people they need to advance their careers. In a world of email and geographical dispersed teams, you can’t always just ‘bump into’ the people you need. Although this is a rule of thumb, a Mentor is normally at least two levels above the Mentee. As such, a Mentor is normally well connected due to his or her more strategic role. That often means operating beyond his or her own silo and forming relationships more broadly.  Whilst we like to believe, and should, in meritocracy, if you can’t get on board with the fact that having the right connections help, you are missing 50% of the equation. So the third gift of an exceptional Mentor is to open doors and enable connections.

Being Impartial

With the role of a Mentor comes great responsibility. It can be easy to get wrapped up in the role of being the ‘wise sage’ and living your life vicariously through the Mentee. However, you always need to remember, it is not your life and you are not the one who has to live with the consequences.

A Mentor always needs to appreciate that they are an outsider in the scenario. As such, they may only ever hear one side of the situation – that of the Mentee. Part of the role of the Mentor is to question this version of the truth to ensure that the Mentee is thinking from a number of perspectives. It can be dangerous for a Mentor to take sides. In fact, it could put them at odds with the Mentee’s own manager, especially if the Mentor and manager both work in the same organization. Hence, the fourth gift of an exceptional Mentor is to be objective and not take sides.

Goal Setting and Follow Up

When becoming a Mentor it is important to have an objective of the sessions. One of my personal gripes is seeing Mentoring sessions turn into coffee catch ups that go nowhere and then fizzle out. I have helped several organisations to set up formal Mentoring schemes and the ones that work are nearly always the ones that adopt a goal setting philosophy.

I always advise that the first session is a planning session, and that there should be an agreed number of sessions that the Mentor and Mentee contract to keep. This can be revised on an ongoing basis. In the same way as coaching, the Mentee should be required to set goals for between the sessions and to be accountable for completing the tasks agreed with the Mentor. The Mentors role is to help refine these goals, based on their wisdom, but not to set them absolutely. After all, they are a Mentor not a Manager. Saying that, the Mentor needs to ‘keep the Mentee honest’ and ensure they follow through on the agreed goals. So the fifth gift of a Mentor is goal setting and accountability.

Duncan will also be speaking at the Canberra Masterclass event ‘Decoding Leadership: From Specialist to Leader’ on the 15th September 2017.
Book Now to hear more from Duncan and many other professionals from the Canberra area at this full day interactive event.
Be quick! Early bird pricing is available until Friday 18th August 2017.

Freedom Fighter

 

In the Institute of Leaders and Managers new book, Leadership Matters, Transparency International boss Cobus de Swardt explains why he’s just as passionate now about combatting corruption as he was fighting the scourge of apartheid in the 1980s.

Transparency International is a global movement that brings together companies, governments and business to fight corruption on a worldwide scale. Operating in more than 100 countries, its headquarters are in Berlin. Managing director Cobus de Swardt was born and raised in South Africa, where he was jailed for refusing to undertake compulsory army service. He eventually fled South Africa for Australia under significant personal danger. He has headed Transparency International since 2007.

David Pich: I think in future years people will look back on this decade and the word corruption will be commonly used. What do you define as corruption?
Cobus de Swardt: I view corruption as the abuse of entrusted power for private and personal gain. This comes in many forms. One of the most significant ways to fight corruption is to fight for greater transparency – that’s why we’re called Transparency International.

DP: What do you define as transparency?
CDS: Definitions of concepts such as transparency, corruption, accountability and integrity are actually dynamic and evolving. It comes back to your opening question really. The last few years have seen definitions shift and transparency [as a concept] is developing faster than all the others. Some people [now] refer to a much more radical transparency. I believe that in five to 10 years’ time from now, this will, again, move quite dramatically. Five years ago, little attention was being paid to things like statutes of limitations, so governments could relatively easily do deals on arms or whatever [in the knowledge that] the statute of limitation would last for 30 years or more. But if that statute of limitation is five or 10 years, it becomes a very different issue even at a government level. So transparency is about making things much more difficult to hide and bringing things out into the light. In South Africa, as young [anti-apartheid] activists in the 1970s and 1980s we always wanted to have the right to speak the truth to those people in power, but now I think that [situation] is being reversed. We now want those in power to speak the truth to us! The notion of transparency being much more instant, much more direct, and dramatically more open. For example, if you look at corporate reporting, even four or five years ago companies didn’t want to report on their activities on a country-by-country basis. They would say, “Here’s our overall global financial statement”. It was very difficult to tell what was happening at a country level. That debate about transparency now seems like it happened two decades ago, but it didn’t, it was only five years ago. And now country-by-country reporting has become project-by-project reporting.

DP: What do you think can be done to see ethics and integrity placed at the heart of decision-making in leadership?
CDS: I think that it starts with the leader. Regulation and rules need to be in place of course, but leaders must constantly think about the values they want to promote. This question is at the heart of sound leadership. It’s much easier for a leader to think about the outcomes they want to deliver, but leaders need to constantly think about the underpinning values to these outcomes. If you think about social policy in general, I would argue that most social policies are often quite devoid of a strong value-driven framework. It’s often the same with leadership. Many leaders are driven by outcomes rather than values. That needs to change.

DP: I agree that many organisations are focused on outcome and output. A lot of a leader’s decision-making is linked to output, not to value. I think that ethical leadership is about a much stronger link between outcome and value. Decision-making is such an important part of successful leadership, don’t you think?
CDS: I do think there’s a very strong element that whatever you do you should at all times feel comfortable with that decision. If, for whatever reason, your decisions were to become public knowledge, would you feel comfortable with that? That’s the test of sound decision-making. In my role at Transparency International, I often have companies say to me, “Oh, this corruption thing, it’s so complicated, our people don’t know what to do because the laws are so . . . ” And I typically say, “Just use common sense”. I recommend using ‘The New York Times test!’ Ask yourself, if the decision I make were to appear on the front page of The New York Times, would I still do it? Probably 99 per cent of times you would say yes, but it’s the other one per cent that you need to think about. Being an ethical leader is about passing The New York Times test 100 per cent of the time.

Take Two – Asterisk and Reward

Ben Luks MIML had just been appointed as marketing, product and client liaison manager at Adelaide-based IT company Comunet when he joined the Institute’s mentoring program. He was teamed up with Bob Schroder FIML, managing director of consulting firm Asterisk management, and says the experience gave him the confidence he needed to become a successful manager.

Why did you join the Institute’s mentoring program, Member Exchange?

Ben Luks: I’d recently been appointed to a new management position and it was the first time I’d been a manager. I realised I had to learn as much as I could as quickly as possible. The chance to join the mentoring program came at a very crucial point in my career. Bob was very generous with his time and was willing to meet with me every fortnight for about six months, which was fantastic.

Bob Schroder: I’ve been mentoring business leaders for quite a few years, mostly in the area of small-to-medium-sized businesses. This was my first experience with the mentoring program and I joined because mentoring challenges my own thinking. I find that an emerging manager sometimes faces the same issues I faced in the past as well as many different ones. Also, some challenges just look different, but are really the same ones in disguise.

What did you get out of the experience?

BL: I feel more confident in my management role compared to where I was when I started. The mentoring program gave me the skills and the ideas I needed to perform effectively as a manager and the confidence that comes with that is very important. It also gave me the opportunity to see the next steps forward in my career and to think about the bigger picture. Bob really opened my eyes to what is possible beyond my current role and where I could go from here.

BS: Well, it sounds a little bit corny, but I like to give back. I think that’s really important. I’ve had a career in management and consulting over the past 30 years. It’s been interesting and exciting and rewarding for me and I want others to have a similar experience in their own careers.

What did you learn from each other?

BL: Bob provided a different perspective on management and shared insights from his vast experience as a management consultant. The team I manage includes people quite a bit older than me, and Bob emphasised that anybody can be a manager – it doesn’t matter how old you are. If you have the ability to work effectively with people and to give them the opportunity to grow into their roles and the space they need to perform to the best of their abilities, then you can be a manager. That was a lesson I learned from the outset and it was really empowering for me and very inspiring.

BS: I enjoy interaction with bright young managers. Ben, particularly, is a bright young chap who’s on the growth path. I gained a better perspective on the way in which emerging managers think and the perspectives of the new generations of employees who will shape business in the future. That’s particularly important.

Would you recommend the mentor program to others?

BL: Absolutely. For any new manager, or any aspiring manager, the program enables you to learn skills and insights that really can only be gained from years of experience. You can’t put a price on having access to that knowledge and experience.

BS: Yes, absolutely. I’d say to anyone who’s considering becoming a mentor in the program that if you’re doing it for the expectation of significant personal or financial benefit, you need to re-examine your motives. Those things will happen, but they’ll happen by making you into a better and well-rounded manager.