Weinstein, power, me and you

 

The ever-evolving and increasing allegations involving Harvey Weinstein, the Oscar-winning Hollywood based movie producer, make for incredibly distressing reading. Even more distressing is the sheer number of female friends of mine who have taken to social media to post #metoo and indicate that they have also been the victim of sexual harassment, or worse.

Of course, my personal distress at all of this is a million miles from the point. My distress is nothing compared to what Weinstein’s accusers have been through. Or indeed the millions of women who are finally feeling able to say, ‘enough is enough’.

And it’s true. Enough is enough.

It’s quite obvious to me – as I’m sure it is to everyone who is following the Weinstein story – that at its heart this is a leadership issue. Let me be very, very clear here and say this; if the allegations surrounding Weinstein are true, then a number of very serious criminal offences have been committed, and the full force of the law across numerous jurisdictions should be brought to bear on the matter and on Harvey Weinstein. But beyond the question of legality in this case (and I am keen that these are not downplayed in any way – sexual assault is a criminal offence), what is also at play here is a question of leadership power. And crucially, the abuse of that power.

“In any relationship at work between a leader and his or her staff, the fact that the leader has power means that there is always going to be a significant question mark over the question of consent.”

Let’s call a spade a spade and get this out of the way; leaders have power. We can deny this as much as we like, and we can argue that ‘power’ has no place or part in modern leadership. We can talk about open-plan offices and the leader simply being ‘one of the team’. We can point to numerous culture initiatives that have served to cloud or mask the traditional power – and outdated power dynamic – that existed in workplaces of old. But the truth remains – a leader still has considerable power.

It’s how we choose to use that power that is absolutely key.

In a previous role, I worked for a well-known children’s charity. In many ways, it was a dream job. I led the marketing and fundraising team and I absolutely loved it. I went home each day with that rare sense of having ‘made a difference’. After five years in the role, I discovered that the CEO was sleeping with a number of the staff members. I want to be crystal clear about this. There was no suggestion that any of this was being done without the consent of all parties ‘involved’. None at all. And, to be even more clear, consent is absolutely key. Consent matters. I want to ensure that this is fully understood in this story.

The thing is, I think that for a leader, consent is the absolute baseline. A leader’s bar for this type of behaviour absolutely must be set at ‘consent’ at the very, very least. But in fact, I believe that as leaders our bar must be set higher. Much, much higher. And it must be set higher because, like it or not, we have power in the workplace and this power clouds everything else. Including consent.

In any relationship at work between a leader and his or her staff, the fact that the leader has power means that there is always going to be a significant question mark over the question of consent. As leaders, it is our responsibility to recognise this and acknowledge it. It is also our responsibility to act on it. By ignoring it we risk doing incredible damage to the people in our organisations or to the organisation itself. And in all likelihood, to both.

“Often, ‘trade-offs’ are made for what is considered to be high performance, withstanding poor behaviour. Poor behaviour is poor performance.”

So, what do I mean by ‘act on it’?

I believe that leaders must disclose all relationships at work. They must be fully disclosed to the most appropriate person (HR, their own manager, the Board) and they must be disclosed in an appropriate and timely way. Just as leaders are expected to disclose ‘conflicts of interest’ (at IML the leadership team discloses conflicts on a quarterly basis), so we should be expected to disclose ‘personal relationships’ inside the workplace. For me, this is absolutely essential.

In addition to ‘leadership disclosure’, Allison Keogh – an expert in leadership, culture and change and Director of Expansion Consulting – recommends that the following steps should be taken within the workplace to act as an appropriate ‘check and balance’ to the power that the leader has;

  1. Know your current situation. Many organisations have a ‘blind spot’ in this area, thinking it is not relevant or occurring in their organisation. Confidential staff surveys routinely focus on ‘engagement’, ‘wellbeing’ and ‘diversity’, but rarely overtly ask questions about harassment, bullying, intimidation or poor behaviour. Leaders and HR should survey people on the extent of issues, the level of reporting and satisfaction with the handling of complaints.
  2. Build it into your values, strategy and goals. Values and culture statements need to specifically focus on equality, respect and inclusion and crucially detail what they mean. But they are not enough. Nor are policies. You need to have a strategy and specific goals that you are accountable to, talk about, measure and review on a regular basis.
  3. Create the environment for transparency and disclosure. Share the values, strategy and goals with all staff and your steadfast commitment to them. Reward and celebrate people who are promoting and defending the values. Agree on a philosophy of dealing with complaints in a way that you would if it were to be made public. For example, if you wouldn’t want it to be publicly known that you have protected a perpetrator, then don’t protect them.
  4. Establish shared responsibility and power. Keep absolute or implied power in check. Establish a coalition of champions at all levels of the organisation, with structures and processes that give them power to safely escalate complaints. Ensure that there is more than one avenue for complaints, with measures to protect people from repercussions for reporting.
  5. Embed accountability within processes.  Often, ‘trade-offs’ are made for what is considered to be high performance, withstanding poor behaviour. Poor behaviour is poor performance. Include behavioural expectations in recruitment and selection, induction and performance review processes and give them sufficient weight. For anyone in a position of power and influence, build in confidential 360 feedback with targeted behavioural questions.

In my own case – back at my dream job at the children’s charity – I made the difficult decision to talk to the CEO about his behaviour. Unfortunately, this fell on deaf ears. Undeterred, I approached the Chair of the Board. I met him for breakfast to tell him what was ‘going on’. And the outcome?

The Chair of the Board asked me to leave the organisation that same afternoon.

(Apparently, the CEO was performing well and getting results. The CEO’s relationships with staff members were his own business, not mine or the Board’s, and my position in the organisation was now untenable).

“We remain such a long way from leaders acknowledging the power they have and taking responsibility for using this power ethically and appropriately.”

Unfortunately, that’s what we’re up against. And this is one reason (I stress, one reason) why I find the Weinstein story and the #metoo campaign so distressing; we remain such a long way from leaders acknowledging the power they have and taking responsibility for using this power ethically and appropriately.

It’s high time that this changed. And change must start with us – the leaders. We must set that bar much higher than it is currently set. And we must do this immediately.

 

By David Pich FIML, Chief Executive

Institute of Managers and Leaders

With thanks to Allison Keogh (allison@expansion.com.au)

 

Annie Parker Gives Her 5 Top Tips For Surviving The Uphill Trek

Written by Carolin Lenehan

 

Annie Parker’s journey into the intoxicating world of startups began atop Mount Kilimanjaro, where she pulled out her phone, and in a single text, quit her job.

“I thought I’d get this huge adrenalin rush when I finally made the summit, but instead I fell in a heap and cried,” she recalls.

The sense of achievement wasn’t the cause – instead, the realisation hit that nine months spent trying to fill some missing sense of purpose were over, and now she would have to go back to the job that wasn’t doing it for her.

Six years on, Parker is interim CEO of Australia’s legendary startup nursery Fishburners, with responsibility for 845 early stage tech startup companies.

 

Here are her five hot tips to surviving the uphill startup trek:

 

  1. Take responsibility and make your own path

“When I reached the summit I realised that I had to take responsibility for my own personal development. No one can decide what your future is, and no one should do it for you, because if they did, they’d probably get it wrong,” Parker says.

 

  1. You’ll know the tipping point when you feel it

There is an inevitable point of no return with every startup.

“It’s like abseiling down a cliff . . . That moment where you tip backwards and you go, ‘What if this doesn’t work, what if this rope doesn’t hold me?’ You realise you are so vested in the potential of what this idea could become that you can’t bear the thought of finding out later someone else did it instead.”

 

  1. It only takes small steps to move forward.

Get over your fears, take that first small step and learn more. Then take another.

“A startup – by definition – has probably not been done before, so it’s OK that you don’t what the whole plan is from day one,” she says.

“Attend some startup events at places like Fishburners – you’ll be surprised how happy people are to share knowledge and experiences. From there, it starts to become obvious what the next right step is for you.”

 

  1. It’s OK to not be OK

Starting a business is a risk, and things can go wrong. Annie’s moment came earlier this year. In a raw and brave LinkedIn post, she shared:

I think it’s hugely important not to gloss over the bad bits and call them out for what they are – valuable (painful) learning experiences… I know everything will work itself out in the end, but until it does, I’ll be wrestling with the embarrassment of not being able to make the plan work; the worry that people will think less of me; the concern for others we bought along on the journey and hoping that they’ll be okay too….

 

  1. “Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming.”

This line from Finding Nemo’s Dory character was on repeat in Annie’s head as she dug deep to put one foot in front of the other and climb her mountain.

“Starting a business you will have moments where you feel you’re spent and have no energy left, but just give it another half hour, day or that extra week, and you never know- you might still find a way through.”

 

Are You A Leader By Position Or A Leader By Respect?

Written by Joe Hoolahan Founding CEO of JESI

 

Any journey worth taking often comes with its own level of risk vs reward.  Ups and downs.  The JESI journey has certainly had plenty of both. One of the greatest assets we rely on is our people.  After all – JESI to its core is about people.  Making sure they are ok.

We all hear corporations throw around lines such as; “People are our greatest assets, Without our people, we would be nothing, Our people and success go hand in hand.”

Now if this is the case, how do we maintain a successful culture and a successful business?

I would like to add the added complexity…

What if you have no idea about what path it is you need your team to take? What if you are working in an environment that has few proven rules, paths or formulas?

How do you keep your team focused, engaged and willing to walk – or -run into the greatest unknown of their working lives!

 

For me (and I would hope for my team) this is all about respect.  Respect touches many aspects of any business growth.  But when this is the starting point – the core – it allows you to start on the right foot, the same page and all be rowing in the same direction. (I think I covered most of the metaphors there.)

One of the greatest beliefs I personally hold closest is that ‘people don’t wake up in the morning and set out to piss someone off’.  If I hold this value as a truth, I can also look at nearly every challenge, error, missed the deadline, oversight- yes, stuff up… as a genuine mistake.  Ones we must learn from and reduce the likelihood of it re-occurring.

 

Respect is knowing that people will always do the best they can.  Knowing when a culture that is right, will allow people to work independently and/or remotely or anyway they need to deliver great results.

For example, I have never been a big believer in sick days or clock watching.  I have always trusted that people will demonstrate and respect the rules of the game, and not to game the system.  If a person is not at work, I respect they must have a great reason.

 

By providing a culture where people take ownership, can and do stuff up… or maybe not get it right the first time, but at the same time be accountable – this relies totally on respecting each team member.

 

I have been fortunate throughout my career and personal life where I have seen many demonstrations of where someone’s ability to ‘own it’ has earned a lifetime of respect.

As an amateur football coach, I have seen players push themselves to the point of breaking, to play as hard as they could ever imagine.  I love that some of the greatest demonstrations of true leadership have come from my involvement in sport.

For a player to admit they are no longer up to it… absolute respect. Or the player who puts his hand up to take on the toughest opposition player – respect. Or the player who sacrifices his own game for the betterment of the team – respect.  Or the player who ‘owns it’ when things don’t go right – respect.

 

Captain Gavin Cooper riles his boys up after the Cowboys win over the Roosters to reach the grand final.

Recently the sporting world was abuzz with the Cowboys Captain Gavin Cooper taking the stage to make a heartfelt speech. After losing to the Melbourne Storm in the 2017 Grand Final, Cooper went out of his way to congratulate their opponents with grace and style. For a team who was considered to be on a fairytale trip, with many outside of North Queensland not giving them much chance of winning’, they sure were the fan favourites, just going to show the amount of respect they have earned from the rugby league community and their fans.

 

This isn’t the first time the team have been in the spotlight for showing acts of kindness and respect, not long ago we saw an injured Captain Johnathon Thurston cleaning up the locker room.  Again – an amazing demonstration – instant respect.  This is not his role or job – but a great example of respect and doing the right thing.  Not just for his team – but more importantly, those who come after him

 

Respect is something that can be earned – admired.  As we know, It can also be given or lost in an instant.

 

No sporting fan, employer or workmate can ever deny all they would ask from anyone is to give their best.

So as an employer, manager, mentor or a coach, we must continually respect our people. Respect that not all jobs are equal – but all jobs need to be respected and valued.

At JESI, we have a number of key roles from Developers to Sales & Marketing.  What I admire is the ever-increasing level of respect.  Respecting that Sales without product is for nothing.  And without Sales, the product is nothing.

Our team everyday rides a number of different waves.  What I know is the level of respect is now built on some common beliefs – some unwritten team rules;
-We are all giving it our best.
-We will put our hand up when we don’t know… or we are struggling.. or need a hand.
-We all share the lows and all celebrate the wins!
-We are all having a crack!

In my mind – that is respect.

 

Joe Hoolahan is a speaker at IML Leadership Matters Conference: 7 attributes of very successful leaders at Rydges Southbank Townsville on Tuesday the 17th October 2017.

 Book tickets here.

 

 

Why There’s Nothing To Fear From AI

Emotional intelligence will still be a key attribute once AI takes over our rudimentary work. By Candice Chung

 

It’s a question straight out of a science fiction novel . . . will artificial intelligence eventually replace us?

As machines continue to get smarter, and our appetite for quotidian technology grows, it makes sense that the most rudimentary work involving rote tasks and mass information processing are being automated. Think of a time when the ATM didn’t exist, or when ticket sales were only done over the phone or in person; or the idle nights at video stores where memories of summer jobs — once a rite of passage for cash-strapped teens — grew faint as well-worn VHS tapes. All those tasks were once performed by humans, but now, a world of digital providers await us.

But while it’s true that artificial intelligence is changing the labour landscape, experts believe it will also bring forth opportunities for a different kind of talent.

“There’s a lot of speculation that many employees will lose their jobs due to new technology, [but it has actually] allowed us to more effective pinpoint where, and how, we want people to work for us,” says Sue Howse, managing director of Harrier Talent Solutions.

“What automation and robotics can’t do is strategically manage themselves, staff, clients or take into account the unknown or the Black Swan events of the world. To be successful companies will always need those with a high level of emotional intelligence (EQ) who can navigate different circumstances.”

Areas that will see a rise in demand for high-EQ employees include client-facing and decision-making roles. In fact, according to findings on Havard Business Review, skills like “persuasion, social understanding, and empathy” are going to become “more and more prized over the next decade”, as artificial intelligence take over menial tasks.

 

“When the limits of technology have been reached and human interaction is required to solve a problem, a new type of person needs to show up”
– Linda Simonsen, CEO of Future People

 

There will also be a spike in demand for roles that require emotional labour. “Emotional labour refers to work that involves managing one’s own emotions or those of others. This especially applies to leadership roles and project managers leading change and transformation, as well as front line roles that involve engaging people, such as contact centre and face-to-face customer service and sales,” says Linda Simonsen, CEO of FuturePeople.

“When the limits of technology have been reached and human interaction is required to solve a problem, a new type of person needs to show up. This in-demand person will be a highly engaged, knowledgeable and emotionally intelligent brand ambassador who can connect emotionally, show empathy and personalise the solution.”

The key to thriving in the era of AI is a willingness to embrace change and demonstrate flexibility. “It’s an exciting time. AI is a positive step for the business world,” says Simonsen.

“It will see non-value-add and transactional tasks automated, freeing up people to do what makes them human – that is, their ability to feel and impact how others feel; think creatively; collaborate and engage with others to solve complex problems.

No Budget For Bonuses? Don’t Despair

 

 

How to motivate with less. By Candice Chung

When companies experience a squeeze on budgets, managers often face the legitimate fear that it can dampen staff morale. What happens, for instance, when a lean fiscal year brings with it an ineluctable freeze on pay rises and bonuses?

It’s a tough piece of news to break to top performers. But here’s the silver lining: when it comes to motivating staff, money isn’t the all-powerful magic bullet we believe it to be. In fact, research shows financial rewards do not strictly translate to a rise in employee productivity or morale. According to a 2013 study, the $62.56 billion spent on performance bonuses across the UK per year had “no impact on the motivation and commitment levels of the vast majority of recipients”.

So what causes the bonus paradox? Daniel Pink, the bestselling author of Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, argues that once our basic financial needs are met, most workers are driven by a sense of purpose in their work more so than pure profit. What’s more, once the level of work surpasses menial tasks, and “conceptual, creative thinking” is involved, monetary incentives can actually lead to poorer performances. Instead, what drives people through good times and bad are what Pink refers to as ‘intrinsic motivators’.

“We all have fundamental human needs that cannot be met by money. When these important human needs are met, we thrive,” says Michelle Bihary, applied neuroscientist and workplace resilience expert.

Drawing on Pink’s research, Bihary states there are four things most of us seek from work: autonomy (not being micro-managed), mastery (skill development opportunities), meaning (a sense of purpose aligned to personal values), and social connectedness (a sense of belonging).

“If a workplace helps to meet these needs, it will have thriving employees — making it easier to retain top talent,” says Bihary.

The good news is that companies can seek to fulfil those core needs in spite of financial downturns. Kelly Quirk, CEO of Harrier Human Capital, calls this the ‘total rewards’ approach.

 

 

“Many workers in corporate environments will feel more motivated and productive if they have a say in how they do their jobs”
– Kelly Quirk, CEO Harrier Human Capital

 

 

“Non-financial rewards are increasingly important as wage growth remains stagnant. Despite averaging 4 percent a year from the mid-1990s to 2013, wage growth has now dropped below 2 percent,” says Quirk.

Flexible work arrangement can be a powerful way to incentivise staff. “Trust is a huge factor in motivating others to perform well, and this can come through in the empowerment of employees to make decisions and work flexibly,” says Quirk.

“Whether it’s working from home one day a week, being able to take a longer lunch to go to the gym in return for starting earlier, or otherwise not being bound by traditional working hours, many workers in corporate environments will feel more motivated and productive if they have a say in how they do their jobs.”

Other effective motivators may include value-based incentives. In other words, programs that support diversity and inclusion, learning opportunities or personal development that recognise workers as well-rounded individuals, with interests and priorities outside of work.

Digital Web Agency Sitback Solutions has long championed the idea of personalising rewards to keep employees engaged. Voted one of the Best Places to Work in Australia third year in running, the company has successfully launched a number of non-financial initiatives that have resulted in a highly motivated and committed workforce.

“We base everything on values and make sure that any incentives are personal and authentic….[It could be anything from] free healthy snacks, flexible working hours, support around family or pet commitments,” says Careen Redman, head of People and Culture at Sitback.

“A reward doesn’t have to have a tangible cost attached if it’s valuable to an individual’s wellbeing.”

Escape To The Country: Are Your Skills Portable?

 

 

What do employers need to do to get good people from metro areas to relocate to regional areas? By Nicola Heath

 

Scott Timmins AFIML never wanted to move to Townsville.

“I thought ‘it’s a small country town . . . and I won’t get much out of my life up here,’” he recalls. Twenty years later, the people solutions specialist at TP Human Capital says he’s now considered a local.

Australia is a heavily urbanised nation. According to figures from the Grattan Institute, three-quarters of Australians live in cities with a population above 100,000.

We also live in a knowledge economy, where highly educated people gravitate towards inner cities – “where knowledge-intensive activities are clustered, and where demand for knowledge workers is highest,” states Deloitte’s 2015 report, The Purpose of Place: Reconsidered.

The challenge for employers in regional areas traditionally reliant on declining primary and secondary industries is to attract skilled workers from the cities.

They are up against significant anti-regional bias. Like Timmins before his move to Townsville, most Australians are reluctant to relocate to a regional area for work.

A survey by SEEK found just two out of five Australian workers would consider relocating to a regional area.

 

What skilled workers want

Nearly half the survey respondents said they would relocate for a pay increase to the tune of $20,000 to $30,000 a year.

Timmins recommends regional employers carry out a market analysis of metro wages to come up with a competitive remuneration package, and consider offering perks like a car or rent assistance.

Concerns about career progression is another issue. More than half of those surveyed said they felt that moving to a regional area would limit their career.

But Timmins says employers can sell roles in regional areas as good experience. Whereas a career in the CBD often leads to specialisation, in the regions, jobs are often multi-disciplinary.

A manager in a government department in outback Queensland may require skills across three or more different industries, says Timmins. “That can be really beneficial for them in the long term.”

The breadth of experience they gain in such a role can assist their career progression, whether they want to stay in regional Australia or return to the CBD.

 

What makes a region attractive?

Lifestyle is a big factor. Australians love living by the sea – 80 per cent of Australia’s population lives within 100 kilometres of the coast.

Jock Collins, Professor of Social Economics at UTS Business School, singles out transport infrastructure and an effective broadband network – “not one that goes through copper wires but one that’s very fast” – as critical measures to attracting people to regional Australia.

Investment in regional universities is crucial in both generating employment and stemming the flow of young people moving to the city to work or study.

Migration can drive economic growth, bringing “skills, experience, tastes and preferences that contribute vitality and vibrancy,” states the Deloitte report.

Employers, particularly in non-coastal areas, are increasingly looking to foreign workers to fill skills shortages, says Collins, who surveyed 1000 skilled migrants in regional Australia about their experiences. “Most said they had a warm welcome in the bush,” he says.

Regional cities can also build prosperity by enhancing their connections to inner cities and developing tertiary industries that employ knowledge workers.

One way to achieve this is “for governments and industry to locate significant knowledge-intensive activities in regional cities,” states the Deloitte report.

This worked in Orange, NSW, where the Greiner government moved the NSW Department of Agriculture (now the Department of Primary Industries) in the 1990s, at a time when traditional manufacturing jobs were in decline.

Today, Orange is thriving. It has a university campus and a new hospital that has cemented its position as a regional health centre. Unemployment remains low at 4.1 per cent, while property prices have risen 11.8 per cent in the 12 months to June 2017.

Back in Far North Queensland, Timmins has come to love Townsville, a city with “a country feel about it.”

“I never thought I’d see myself living in Townsville for the rest of my life, but I don’t see myself going anywhere else.”

Scott Timmins AFIML is a speaker at IML Leadership Matters Conference: 7 attributes of very successful leaders at Rydges Southbank Townsville on October 17, 2017. Book tickets here.

 

 

 

The Importance of neurodiversity in the workplace

By Candice Chung

 

When it comes to attracting diverse talent, most companies tend to think of this in the context of improving gender or ethnic diversity. In recent years, however, the concept of neurodiversity has emerged as an area of growing interest on the HR frontier.

Put simply, neurodiversity refers to the idea that workplace inclusivity should extend to neurological differences. This means finding a way to hire and retain talents with conditions such as ADHD, dyslexia, Tourette’s syndrome, or those who may be on the autism spectrum.

In Australia, over 80 percent of people with autism are unemployed or underemployed. Neurodiverse candidates often get left behind in standard hiring processes, with some struggling to fit in with typical corporate culture or missing social cues.

And yet according to a 2015 study by Drexel University, many high-functioning autistic job seekers have the kinds of skills, focus and problem-solving abilities that are highly sought after in specific industries.

“Technology-related work resonates for many on the autism spectrum, with many excelling at mathematics, cryptography, and programming,” says Andrew Ramsden, Founder and CEO of leadership development firm, Alpha Transform.

Companies that are currently leading the charge in hiring neurodiverse workers include accounting firm EY, software company SAP, Microsoft, and Hewlett Packard Enterprises, which pioneered the highly successful Dandelion program in Australia. Launched in 2015, it’s a holistic pilot program that includes on-the-job and life-skills development training, matching candidates with autism with roles in testing, analytics and cyber security.

“Research tells us time and again that diversity in all its forms will galvanise a company culture, so long as the culture doesn’t perpetrate silos,” says HR expert Nathalie Lynton from Shared and Halved Consulting. “The more diverse and inclusive a workplace, the better and faster problems are solved. Innovation will occur at a greater rate, too.”
To improve workplace neurodiversity, Lynton suggests being open and transparent in everyday recruitment practices. This means incorporating taglines like, ‘Our company supports diversity in all its forms, neurodiverse candidates are encouraged to apply’ in job ads.
Also, don’t hire purely on ‘cultural fit’, says Ramsden. “This can too easily become a ‘gut-feel’ excuse to reject those who are different.”

“Remember that for many roles, job-hunting skills are very different from the on-the-job skills required. Allow applicants opportunities to show you the work they’ve achieved and what they’re capable of. On-the-job tests and trial periods allow a better assessment of what people are actually capable of.”
In the end, just as some employees will be introverts and some extroverts, some will be neurodiverse. ”Part of a leader’s tools box is learning how to interview and communicate with different people and understand [the opportunities they may bring to the company],” says Lynton.

 

 To gain further insight on Emotional Intelligence, Self Awareness and Neurodiversity, be sure to book at one of our upcoming Conferences on the 7 attributes of successful leaders today.

Change With A Capital C: What Works?

We should all expect to go through upheavals during our working lives, which is all the more reason to become competent at dealing with it. By Professor Danny Samson FIML

 

 

Organisational change is hard and often unsuccessful because even seasoned managers can fall prone to underestimating organisational inertia. We often insufficiently attend to the concerns employees have about change, principally what will happen to them. Yet in these highly turbulent times, surely change management should be a core capability of every competent leader and every organisation that wants to sustain its survival and prosperity. So, what works and what are the pitfalls?

When change is radical, being “Big C” change as against incremental in nature, then the stakes and the risks are commensurately higher. By radical or Big C change, we refer to large transformations or makeovers, whether they are of culture, structure, size, technology, location, product range, distribution channel or any other core element of an organisation.

With radical change in particular, it’s critical to have a strong and compelling vision that motivates and justifies the change. Otherwise, when the going gets tough (and it will), the doubters will emerge and get a strong voice.

The next step is communicate comprehensively the necessity of such a change. Deal openly with the naysayers, and get quickly into the implementation phase. This brings us to the crucial and proven element of successful implementation of major change: create a solid project plan and drive it with tough, hard accountabilities expected from all participants. The project plan is the guiding ‘change map’ that overcomes the chaos that would otherwise result.

Otherwise we’re asking for chaos through ‘ad hockery’. If difficult decisions need to be implemented, such as downsizing and redundancies, then these need to be anticipated as part of the plan, and implemented in a thoroughly professional and precise manner. All employees will want to know their future, so the sooner this can be resolved, the better.

Successful change management is planned and executed in a fast and decisive manner so that the organisation can settle and stabilise.

This approach works much better than the “death by a thousand cuts” approach of multiple incremental steps in an attempt to get to the same end point. I saw this major contrast in New Zealand when both their Post and Telecom businesses were going through major restructuring and downsizing, with one doing a radical change process and the other announcing a five-year downsizing process.

NZ Post was successful in doing it fast and hard, then rebuilding its systems and culture, introducing new technology and renewing almost every aspect of its operations and service levels.

 

“It’s critical to have a strong and compelling vision that motivates and justifies the change.” – Professor Danny Samson

 

 

Similarly, when I served on the board of the TAC (Transport Accident Commission) in Victoria, we chose to implement new e-business technologies, even though it meant that many jobs would change and some would disappear in our pursuit of higher levels of productivity and client service.

Perhaps the hardest thing to change in an organisation is people’s behaviour and culture. As a young engineer (many years ago) working at ICI in Sydney, I was amazed at the negativity of the industrial culture, and the gulf in attitude between managers and the workforce, along with the many insipid managerial attempts to chip away incrementally at the unproductive culture there.

Finally, with necessity being the mother of invention, the need for radical change was realised. A new site manager was brought in to overcome the deeply resistant and negative situation that had built up over decades. He brought sincere, yet firm, intentions, restructuring the workplace arrangements very substantially, enduring personal threats from militant resistors.

When the going got tough during a six-week strike he even had to deal with second thoughts from head office, which was ready to buckle on some of the core issues. He showed a huge amount of personal courage to see through the changes and implement the visionary plan to bring the company out of the industrial dark ages.

Executing radical change needs a vision and a plan, and the ability to demonstrate and communicate benefits of change to the business the. But tying it all together is the leadership team with the determination — let’s call it the stiff backbone — to see the journey through.

 

What Millennial Companies Get Right

 

Every generation brings with it a unique perspective and experience – otherwise why would people keep coming up with names to describe them? So what can business owners or potential startup founders from other generations learn from millennials? By Carolin Lenehan

 

MONICA Wulff is a statistician, a startup founder, and a Gen Y millennial. But once you strip the labels away, she’s a young Australian businesswoman receiving kudos and recognition around the world for her work developing a reliable statistical base of knowledge about Australian startup founders and the enabling environment they need to sustain them.

As CEO and co-founder of Startup Muster – Australia’s most comprehensive survey into this burgeoning growth sector – Monica’s views on what can be done to help new startup businesses grow and prosper are both insightful and innovative.

 

Do it with Passion

“We haven’t had the hard times faced by previous generations. We haven’t had to grit our teeth and say I’m just going to do this job, even though I hate it. For us it’s, ‘I’m going to follow my passion, I’m going to follow my purpose, I’m going to work somewhere or on something that is unique to me, and from that, I will be able to make an income and a living’,” Wulff says.

For Monica, this was easy – she loved statistics, then she fell in love with the startup world. Startup Muster is the marriage of the two and she has no problem putting every ounce of her being into making it work.

If you’re going to go through the hard slog of a startup life then you need to be doing something that you’re passionate about.

“One of the first things new startups are told is to find your story,” Monica says. “You’ve got to have a problem that you’re solving. Unless you’re dedicated and in love with the idea, you’re not going to succeed and you won’t be believeable [to investors, customers etc].”

Monica Wulff: co-founder and CEO of Startup Muster.

 

Get comfortable putting yourself out there: behave like a digital native

Living, eating and breathing your product and your brand 24/7 is essential – you never know where your next opportunity or investor might come from.

Millennials have an edge from growing up curating their personal brand on social media – with positive and negative personal consequences.

‘Go social’ with your business, but do it with purpose and integrity. Every post, every photograph, every event you report in from, all need to be carefully curated to leave an imprint of who you are, what you stand for and what you are achieving. The story you are telling through blogs, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter and WeChat all need to evoke aspirational feelings in your customers and clients – particularly if you are targeting millennials!

 

It’s not Entitled. It’s Entrepreneurial.

In her 2017 book, The Millennial Myth, Crystal Kadakia seeks to redefine the labels into business strategies that harness the millennial mindset:
“It’s not lazy, it’s productivity redefined.
It’s not entitled, it’s entrepreneurial.
It’s not hand-holding, it’s agility.
It’s not disloyal, it’s seeking purpose.
It’s not authority issues, it’s respect redefined.”

 

She has described millennials as enabled by the internet, enabled by STEM, and driven by YOLO (You Only Live Once).

Millennials like Crystal and Monica were at university during the Global Financial Crisis, and the recession that followed. Their generation will be the first to be less well-off than their parents.

“What came out of it was the mindset that there’s no such thing anymore as a golden handshake after 40 years with one company… We are working to have more ownership of our future. I’ve got a mission, and some would describe that as ‘entitled’,” Monica said.

 

AND REMEMBER . . . DON’T FEAR FAILURE

Tackle your new business with passion, drive and integrity. Nurture its public image, curate it carefully. Don’t fear criticism, use it to hone your product and build your defences. If you do fail, learn from it and wear it as a notch on your belt. Soon it will be the new black.

 

Career Doctor: An IML Specialist Takes A Problem To Task

 

 

The problem: ‘I’m a new boss who has discovered that morale and productivity are low. What’s the best way to raise standards?’

 

Peter says: It’s easy to become overwhelmed, lost and bewildered as a young first-time manager taking over a dysfunctional team with a very negative culture. The situation can be magnified if there’s little or no support to coach or guide you through the steps you must take to establish your credibility and garner trust from the members in your team. In any case it’s best to have a fluid plan that you can adapt depending on circumstance. Once you have that set, consider the following as team-building tips that will help you execute your plan.

 

Let them know who you are
At the earliest opportunity, speak to the whole team about your work history and who you are as a person, and present an overview of why you were given the position.

Be open with your intentions
When setting out plans for the future, don’t be tempted to outline a “grand plan”. Building trust, boosting credibility and setting out guidelines for a collaborative culture are key. You will need to be inclusive while remaining cautious when explaining your vision of the team’s future, especially when it includes building a stronger more positive and proactive culture within the team.

Up close and personal
Spend one-on-one time with each team member as soon as possible. This provides the opportunity to learn more about each other, find out what’s working well and why, and what could be improved and how. It’s one of the best ways to find out what the real concerns are. This should become a fixed weekly or fortnightly catch-up to provide and receive open and honest feedback.

The task at hand
As soon as you know what’s working well and what needs to be improved from the team, convene a team meeting to advise your team on what you’ve learned from the one-on-ones and how you plan to tackle the areas that need to be improved (after ensuring to ask them for their ideas). Then divide up the tasks, empowering individuals and teams, while you take responsibility for the big-ticket items.

Accountability
Reinforce standards for correct behaviour and performance, referencing job descriptions and codes of conduct. Emphasise that you also abide by these standards. Respect, credibility and trust are supported by consistency and fairness in all you do. You’re a role model from the very first moment you take up the job. Your team will be watching you.

 

Peter Cullen is an education and training facilitator who teaches “Manage People, Performance and Business Effectively” courses. Each three-day program engages participants in developing and implementing their capabilities as manager and leaders.