Why leaders should make time for strategic thinking

One of the most important remits of top leaders is the strategy. However, if 96% of leaders admit to not having the time to think strategically (as they are pulled into managing the day-to-day tasks), is it really as vital as most claim it to be?

 

Keeping strategy front of mind

An organisation’s strategy should never be treated as ‘set and forget’. Today’s business environment is engulfed in a constant stream of subtle discontinuities that may undermine an organisation if they aren’t watchful. Since these are unexpected and irregular, dealing with it requires being attuned to existing patterns, yet able to perceive important breaks in them.

Leaders must also guard against complacency. As success may trick you into becoming content, therefore risking the chance that you lose the edge and intensity that led you to the top.

 

That’s why leaders must make the time to seek out new opportunities, guard against looming threats and take advantage of untapped strengths. That’s why strategies should never be left static.

Although staying flexible in strategic terms doesn’t mean jumping from strategy to strategy. What it requires is continuous incorporation of new ideas to maintain the effectiveness and relevance of your strategy.

 

In Leadership Matters: 7 Skills of Very Successful Leaders, IML ANZ chief executive, David Pich walks leaders through the crucial skill of setting strategy. Here are three things we learn from Pich about why leaders require strategic thinking time:

 

1. To recognise when the strategy needs adjusting

According to Pich, successful leaders can detect when the strategy needs to be tweaked or changed. He warns, “there is a tendency for today’s leaders not only to believe that they have all the answers but to believe that these answers must be the right answers, every time.”

To fight against what Pich calls ‘strategic stubbornness’, it’s important for leaders to pause from time to time (and not just during the allocated ‘strategy day’) to gauge where the strategy is at and what adjustments must be made.

 

2. To involve others in strategic planning

Pich also cautions against setting strategy in a vacuum. He points out the need for buy-in from those who need to support and implement the strategy.

It’s imperative that leaders make time to meet with relevant stakeholders when assessing the fitness of the current strategy. Resist the temptation to go at it alone because that might be the quicker route. Involve others to ensure you receive the support you need to deliver the strategy.

 

3. To avoid feeling daunted

For Pich, setting strategy is the equivalent of eating the proverbial elephant. You need to cut it down to manageable chunks rather than trying to tackle it as a giant whole.

In his experience taking the helm at IML ANZ, Pich said, “We sliced and iced the big hairy elephant! Over the course of two full days (and with very significant pre-work), we arrived at what we called [IML ANZ’s] four strategic pillars.”

There are no shortcuts to a great strategy. Invest the time and keep checking in on yours to ensure that it sets you on the path to success.

Sources (these articles are available to IML ANZ members via Leadership Direct):

Finding the balance between getting things done and getting to know your people

By Shelley Flett

 

As leaders, we are influencers – and as influencers, we must encourage, enable and empower others to perform in a way that leads the business to success. We must do this while fostering a healthy workplace culture and to do it efficiently requires a different kind of balance. The most effective and successful leaders are those who can balance getting things done while nurturing their relationship with their people.

Take a look at Howard Schultz who is a great example of a leader who has perfected this balance. Schultz took charge of Starbucks in the 1980s and turned a regional coffee company into one of the world’s top brands. Howard’s net worth today is $4 billion so he’s clearly capable of getting things done and yet his focus has always been around people and building a company that “honours and respects the dignity of work and the dignity of all men and all women”.

 

Imbalance is the enemy

So why do so many leaders struggle to find this balance? Naturally, each of us have a preference of either getting things done or getting to know people and will gravitate to one or the other without giving it too much thought. And while both focuses are equally important, an over-focus in one area is often to the detriment of the other.

When a leader over-focuses on task and under-focuses on people it can result in:

  • Short term and unsustainable results driven by control, consequence or rewards (like overtime or bonuses)
  • Unrealistic pressure on the team and elevated stress on individuals which can increase absenteeism
  • Disengagement or the loss of trust by employees who may believe their leader doesn’t care
  • Impatience and frustration with conversations that aren’t task focused
  • Struggle for employees to connect with their leader who appears to be super-human with no weakness, vulnerability or fear of failing

 

Similarly, when a leader over-focuses on people and under-focuses on task it can result in:

  • A fear of upsetting others and therefore avoiding conflict or having vague conversations with implied consequences that are often misunderstood by employees
  • Saying yes and agreeing to unrealistic expectations – often to their own detriment
  • Being perceived as ‘soft’ or not serious about delivering results
  • Taking too much responsibility and justifying poor performance with peers and senior leaders

 

Why finding the balance matters

When a leader can get the balance right and pay just as much attention to getting things done as they do to getting to know their people, they will:

  • Create deeper trust and stronger relationships – regardless of the current challenges
  • Communicate and consistently manage expectations of what success looks like for both the individual and the business
  • Experience more open and transparent conversations, robust debate, challenging of ideas and innovative thinking
  • Gain greater respect for differing perspectives and encourage curiosity about alternative ways of working
  • Empower others to make decisions – including where, when and how work is performed

 

Creating the balance between task and people starts with awareness, of your own preference, and then consciously shifting your focus evenly across task and people.

Once you find this balance it’s not something you unlearn or forget – it becomes your way of leading and even your way of living.

In Schultz’s departure message to employees, he maintained the balance between task and people, writing “success is not an entitlement; it must be earned every day through hard work and teamwork. Try to listen with empathy, respond with kindness, and do your best to perform through the lens of humanity”.

When a leader can generate a culture of accountability and deep trusting relationships then they move to a position of influence!

 

Shelley Flett is an expert in leadership development and team performance, with more than a decade of experience in operations and call centres across banking and telecommunications. She is focused on maximising efficiency and building high performance team cultures. Shelley is the Author of ‘The Dynamic Leader: Become the leader others are inspired to follow’ (Major Street Publishing RRP $29.95). For more information visit www.shelleyflett.com.

How does organisational culture shape your brand

Brands are much more than a name or symbol of a product. Leadership and people-management specialist and author, Karen Gately, believes that in a highly competitive world with the pressure on many organisations to lift their game intensifying, leaders are wise to define brand more broadly as the reputation that underpins consumer confidence and inspires buying decisions.

So how does organisational culture fit into this definition? Gately defines culture as the way things are done within an organisation. However, she cautions against believing that organisational cultures exist in a vacuum. “It’s entirely possible for an organisation to be confronted with behaviours from within their ranks, that are not reflective of culture. Once off, exceptions to the rule while problematic are not reason alone to ring the culture alarm bell.”

Gately knows that there are many examples of organisations who have failed spectacularly in maintaining trust in their brand because of a profit-centric culture. “Findings of the banking royal commission provides endless examples of a lack of integrity and poor behaviour,” she says.

“It’s evident the issues exposed were far from isolated incidents of poor decision making or selfish actions on the part of random individuals. In many instances, these behaviours were instructed, encouraged and rewarded by the organisations they worked for.”

As we’ve seen post-royal commission, distrust damages brands.

So how can leaders shape a culture that makes a positive influence on your brand? Gately lists three ways:

 

Set clear expectations around employee behaviours

Creating a powerful brand through people starts with being clear about what is expected and needed.  Leaders are wise to invest in ensuring every person on the team understands what successful behaviours look like. In other words, ensure a clear line of sight between how people go about their jobs and the influence that has on brand reputation.

 

Understand the touch points between your business and customers

Build understanding of the touch points between your customers and business, and the opportunities people have to influence trust and loyalty. Create awareness of the ways in which behaviour influences not only what people think, but also their subconscious reactions to your brand in the future.  Reflect on for yourself on when you have held an opinion about an organisations brand but have struggled to identify exactly why you feel the way you do.  Sometimes people don’t even bother to work out the answer. They simply move on to a brand they feel better about.

 

Get your hiring process right

Creating a great culture is unquestionably influenced by the quality of hiring practices. Getting it right from the start requires a disciplined and uncompromising approach to selecting people who are aligned with the organisation’s values. From there what matters most is that people are held accountable for the standard of behaviour they bring, and influence they have on your organisations brand.  Reward and recognise brand ambassadors and take decisive steps to address the attitudes and behaviours of those who are not.

 

Karen Gately, founder of Corporate Dojo, is a leadership and people-management specialist.  Karen works with leaders and HR teams to drive business results through the talent and energy of people. She is the author of The People Manager’s Toolkit: A Practical Guide to Getting the Best From People (Wiley) and The Corporate Dojo: Driving Extraordinary Results Through Spirited People.

Thinking bigger for business development

By Adrienne McLean MIML

Thinking bigger about what your business offers to customers can propel the business into areas of growth never imaged. It also keeps the business relevant, agile and in step with changing market forces locally and internationally.

But if something isn’t broken you don’t fix it, right? Sticking to the same way may seem reproducible and efficient, but is it limiting your business? While being able to offer a service or product well is of course good business, remaining stagnant in the way you do things means business efficiency could suffer. If you think of a wheel, it fundamentally hasn’t changed but its features have adapted to suit the needs of today’s modern vehicles.

It’s worth asking if there are new markets your business can go into. Or could you offer new products to your current market?

The business development process may simply involve implementing a culture of continuous improvement or it may require you to look for the next big growth step. Whichever stage the business is in, these five steps are important for thinking bigger about the business and focusing on what the business is offering customers and prospects.

1. Innovate

Coming up with new approaches and better delivery of the service/product to the customer are the driving forces for innovation and growth. Awareness of what is happening in the industry and the market is also essential. If you don’t keep track of these, beware – other companies certainly do and they can overtake you.

Thinking bigger about your business offerings drives innovation. Wanting to be the best, wanting to offer a brilliant service, wanting to reach more clients than ever thought possible – all these mindsets will help drive the innovation your business needs for business development.

2. Plan

Boldness and aiming high will get the business out of its comfort zone and propel it forward. However, change and improvement require more than just new ideas and aspirations – you must support it with a plan. Set goals against implementation timeframes. Whether these are long- or short-term periods will all depend on the size of the change and what you are trying to achieve.

Set down a pathway for growth that involves everyone in the business – from management to staff. Inform everyone of their involvement in the change to ensure a smooth process.

3. Set goals

This is about setting your focus and involves the following steps:

  • Set SMART goals – Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic and Timebound
  • Keep goals easy to see as reminders
  • Check in daily and weekly to track whether you’re on target
  • Celebrate when tasks are completed, and goals are achieved
  • Reset to goals that will stretch you and the business further

4. Collaborate

Constantly search for strategic partners who can help you in the pursuit of your aspirations. You may (or may not) currently do business with them but always keep an eye out for those who can help you get where you want to go.

Building collaborations will also help with secure referral partners and affiliate marketing – therefore growing your connections and the opportunities to get your message out there.

5. Measure

Measurement is pivotal as it keeps the business honest. Select metrics that are relevant to your goals and what you are trying to achieve.

You can measure several metrics including:

  • Financial: Measure the impact on the profit and loss or cash flow statements
  • Sales and marketing: Track the number of leads in pipeline, website views or sales calls against acquisitions
  • People and teams: Set metrics to measure not only what your people are achieving but also if they remain motivated

Thinking bigger is a mindset of growth and development about your business offering. It’s the way to build the business and achieve your aspirations. Focusing actively in on innovation, planning, setting goals, collaborations and measurement will propel business development on a successful pathway.

Do an audit on your business and check where you are at with each of these five steps. This will highlight steps for the business to think bigger and look at growth strategies.

Adrienne McLean is the founder and principal marketing and speaking coach for The Speaker’s Practice – which runs workshops, coaching and events that help professionals to improve their marketing and communications.

IML ANZ Members in Sydney are invited to join Adrienne at the Professional Services Marketing Conference on August 17th, 2019. This information conference takes delegates on the business development journey starting with marketing and digital marketing, going through to sales topics with mindset topics covered throughout the day. IML ANZ Members who book by July 17th enjoy a 15% discount when they use the code IMLEB. To book or find out more, visit www.professional-services-marketing-conference.com.

How forming the right informal relationships impact a leader’s influence

In literature, film and television the hero might be credited with the victory, but often their decisions are coloured by an influencer in the background. In business, being an influential leader is not confined to those with a seat in the boardroom. Leaders outside senior management are in a prime position to influence change, innovation and decision-making – if they form the right informal relationships.

Within formal, structured hierarchies, each player must know their role and stick to it. Think teams or project groups – sticking to the structure is vital in these scenarios.

However, not all decisions are made within meetings and inside structured groups. Managers can also have their ideas heard and considered by building informal relationships.

Based on a study, casual coalitions may come about through chats at coffee shops, the office hallways or even while exercising together. These informal conversations can then help managers build a friendly relationship with senior leaders and other colleagues. That, in turn, allows managers to – in the best case, inform key decisions and at worst, provide senior leaders with an idea of how the organisation thinks and feels.

The aim is to develop more candid conversations and open up new lines of communication between key decision-makers and the rest of the business, not creating a channel for lobbying personal interests.

Informal relationships do more than just afford managers the ear of senior leaders. These coalitions can influence other key activities:

 

Informal relationships influence innovation

Research on innovation describes it as a social process since it is not limited to the conjuring up of ideas but also involves acceptance and implementation. This means that the innovator and the individual responsible for delivering it must agree.

Whether the innovative idea is implemented may therefore rely on the strength of the informal relationship of the parties involved. The better each other know and trust each other, the higher the likelihood of a successful outcome.

 

Informal relationships influence change

One of the most difficult situations to manage is change. People are wired to resist it yet it’s a recurring feature in the modern workplace. However, a study found that having a strong informal network can affect successful change management.

It concluded that those with strong informal networks became clear change agents regardless of their position in the organisation. The study also found that people who built their informal networks acted as a bridge between socially disconnected colleagues resulting in improved buy-in when change is rolled out.

Make more time for quick chats and start building healthy casual relationships with your leaders and colleagues. You never know how your influence can impact the rest of the business.

Sources (these articles are available to IML ANZ members via Leadership Direct):

The merits of peer learning for leaders

Leadership is a transformative process – once you’ve become a people manager your thinking around leadership changes. As you progress every day, many factors influence how you learn, and suddenly that is no longer an activity reserved only for the classroom. Not surprisingly, the best way to learn could be through your peers.

 

The way we learn is changing

A recent study reveals that 70% of workers learn from their peers and only 21% rely on what their L&D or HR departments offer as learning options.

Because leaders bring with them a unique set of skills, knowledge and experiences, the advantages of learning from peers are further magnified when applied to this group. According to organisational development expert and facilitator of IML ANZ’s Intentional Leadership Foundations program, Kerry Irwin, sharing these aspects amongst peers enriches the learning experience.

Irwin explains, “The theory and practice delivered in a peer learning program is brought to life by the participants’ past experiences. It embeds the learnings. So whilst the theory may fade in the mind of participants, the examples shared by others in the room means the learnings are brought further to life and they stick.”

 

Diversity of thought is better

Several perspectives are also better than one. Irwin strongly believes that leaders benefit from the wide experience and views brought into the room by a cohort of peers.

“A teacher-led or trainer-led approach limits the participants to only one view. Either that of the trainer or the organisation who designed the program.”

Irwin adds that effective peer learning does not require a trainer or a teacher. “You need a facilitator who understands and encourages the flow of discussion, which brings about fruitful learning,” she said.

 

Not a silver bullet

Of course, peer learning should be just one element of the way leaders learn. Irwin points out that coaching is best conducted one-on-one and when it comes to technical learning, courses that are focused on the individual’s skills gap, and therefore the need, is best.

Adult learning delivery should vary according to the individual’s personal learning preference, and this is a key consideration as to whether peer learning is the right choice. “Some may learn better as an individual, for example online, if group work makes them anxious therefore hurting their learning experience”.

 

Learning from and with like-minded individuals has its merits when contrasted to the typical classroom-based, teacher- or trainer-led approach. Mainly when peer learning is an element of a leadership development program, participants have strong shared motivation: learning to be better leaders. Irwin also states the importance of being open to others’ views and experience. She concludes, “If they approach the session with a curious mindset – even better!”

Why do organisations need learning leaders?

Have you ever noticed that the difference between the words ‘leader’ and ‘learner’ are merely two letters? Perhaps it’s because the best leaders are ones who constantly seek to learn and encourage the same of others. We unpack why the learning leader is the best type in today’s modern business world.

Organisations know that good leaders never stop seeking development. According to IML ANZ’s latest research on employer and graduate expectations around leadership skills development, 72% of employers believe they need leadership skills development in their organisation.

In addition, the 2019 National Salary Survey found that one of the top human capital challenges for organisations is the need to develop effective leaders (44%). Interestingly, survey respondents (52%) also rated this as a crucial value-add to organisations if managed correctly.

Clearly, organisations will then seek leaders who share their view on the importance of leadership development. For the individual, that starts with their attitude towards the importance of learning.

Another benefit of having a leader who continually seeks to learn is that they will encourage those around them to do the same.

If you’d like to become a learning leader, here are some simple tips:

 

View learning as an unending process

Progress in technology, education and society mean that what we knew a few years ago may already be outdated. The time between when we acquire knowledge and their ‘use-by date’ is shrinking.

Leaders therefore, must look at every opportunity to learn and to update their expertise. When you’re the person in charge of organisational changes, the strategy, business growth and employee engagement, you cannot afford to get left behind.

 

Stop thinking that learning equals courses

As humans, we like to evaluate ourselves based on measurable, tangible and finite outcomes. Part of the appeal of attending a class is that participants normally come away with a piece of paper that tells them they’ve ‘learned’ about a particular topic, skill or capability.

Learning can come from a variety of contexts. Leaders can gain new knowledge from trialling a new process for instance. Shift the focus from the ‘outcome’ to the ‘journey’ and the lessons won’t be confined to just whether the process resulted in a win or loss.

 

Learn from your people

In the relentless cadence of managing and leading the business, it can be easy for leaders to focus only on their individual learnings. However, reflection is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate that you are a learning leader.

Involve your people when reflecting on outcomes, processes and areas of improvement for the team and the business. Each person has a unique way of viewing things and no two people will ever come up with exactly the same idea – no matter how similar they think and behave. By taking in the perspectives of others, you’ll open yourself up to experiences and ideas that would have simply been impossible for you to learn about.

Why you need to re-engage demotivated employees

There’s no denying that motivation drives performance. So when employees lose their drive to succeed how can managers help them? More importantly, should managers try to salvage motivation?

Motivation is the force that leads to success. In fact without the willingness, persistence and mental effort that result from high-motivation, 60% of team projects fail. High-performance cannot be achieved without motivation.

Employees, however, lose this drive for various reasons. They may no longer feel positively challenged in their role or perhaps they are dealing with a difficult situation. They could also be feeling that they are not rewarded fairly for their work.

It’s therefore prudent for leaders to be supportive when good employees lose their motivation. You don’t want them to be demotivated to the point of leaving. IML ANZ’s National Salary Survey found that on average, it costs A$23,410 to replace staff who leave. Not to mention the invaluable cost of losing the knowledge and understanding those employees have of your organisation and customers.

What can managers do to re-engage demotivated employees? Here are some ways:

 

Reward for extrinsic motivation

This includes external or tangible rewards such as salary, benefits, the conditions of work and even the physical work environment.

Managers must be cautious not to assume that extrinsic motivation is the quick fix. There could be a number of factors that influence de-motivation. Instead, use extrinsic motivation as just one of the ways to re-engage your employee.

 

Support their intrinsic motivations

Here is an area where leadership skills can truly make an impact – boosting an employee’s intrinsic motivation. Unlike extrinsic motivation, this takes time, effort and commitment to build within employees.

An intrinsically motivated worker is one who feels confident in their capability, enjoys a healthy sense of challenge in their work feels appreciated by workmates and displays care and consideration for those around them.

There is also no silver bullet for boosting intrinsic motivation. Much will depend on ensuring that you value the achievements of employees in a fair and visible way. It also helps to work on communications skills so that you can be a source of reassurance for employees who may be waning in their motivation.

Middle managers: The key layer for influencing performance

You might have heard that between senior management and front-line employees there’s an idiomatic ‘30,000 ft drop’ – a gaping chasm of information, insight and inspiration lost between the two layers. However, middle managers exist within that space and are therefore in a key position to bridge the gap and influence performance.

It seems like a challenging place to be and research confirms that to be true. According to a study conducted among CMI members, 80% of middle managers recognise that they are important in building trust within the workplace but only 31% feel that those around them share that view.

 

Trust impacts performance

That’s a difficult fact to ignore considering trust influences performance. One study found that managerial activities can effectively improve performance, in particular, those of teams. To promote high team performance, managers, especially those directly in charge of teams, need to actively engage in fostering trust. This includes monitoring the level of trust in teams, managing team members’ perceptions of threat and initiating trust-building activities. All of which fall within the responsibility of middle managers.

 

Middle managers hold the key to unlocking trust

Research also identifies that the role middle managers take in strategic decision making put them in a key position to influence the rest of the organisation. These roles include:

  • Synthesising information. They have a unique view of the organisation that allows them to interpret and evaluate information in a way that senior management can’t.
  • Championing alternatives. This unique perspective means they are able to see alternative options and present these to upper management.
  • Facilitating adaptability. Being ‘on the ground’ and seeing first hand the challenges and obstacles that staff experience, middle managers are best placed to foster flexible organisational arrangements when it comes to executing the strategy.
  • Implementing strategy with intent. Middle managers are also best-placed to handle interventions that align organisational activities with the overall strategic intention.

 

Support middle managers to improve employee performance

What can organisations, senior leaders and managers themselves do to optimise the strategic role of middle managers?

  • Organisations can invest in developing middle managers in their leadership skills
  • Senior leaders can support middle managers through active involvement, coaching or mentoring. Keep them informed and display trust towards this layer of management.
  • Middle managers can proactively seek out ways to improve their influencing (upwards, downwards and laterally), communications and decision-making skills.

Sources (articles available to IML ANZ members via Leadership Direct):