Blending The Four Personality Types of Leadership

You have a great bunch of people, everyone’s working hard, but you’re just not quite hitting the mark as a team. The problem may not lie with the mix of skills but rather the blend of personalities.

 

By Nicola Field

Building a like-minded team can seem like a strategy for success. However, it could leave you short on a key ingredient – a diverse blend of personalities.

As a leader you’re probably aware of the technical strengths and weakness of those who report to you. And you know you need a high calibre group of people. But a strong group isn’t the same as a strong team, and all organisations need the right mix of personalities to achieve maximum productivity.

Are you dominant, or an influencer?

Teams are typically made up of a variety of personality types. This inherently creates scope for friction and even poor performance. The challenge for managers and leaders is not to resolve “personality clashes” but rather to understand the strengths, weaknesses and quirks that each person brings to the table – and help them work together more cohesively.

So what are these personality types? Charles Go MIML, Research Product Manager at the Institute of Managers and Leaders (IML), explains that a key resource for use in this area is a behavioural profiling tool, such as Everything DiSC.

A variety of psychometric tests are available that centre around the DISC concept. They are based on the work of US psychologist William Moulton Marston, who identified four primary emotions and associated behavioural responses. DISC itself is an acronym that reflects the four different personalities of dominance, influencer, steadiness, and conscientious.

A “D” or dominant personality, for instance, is strong willed, outgoing, direct, fast-paced and task-oriented. “I” personalities – the influencers – are sociable, talkative, lively and people-oriented. Those steady “S” personalities are kind-hearted, supportive, accommodating and prefer things to move at a moderate pace. The “C” people on your team are logical, private, cautious and analytical.

Go says that we each have a personality that can broadly be slotted into one of these four categories. However, as complex beings, few of us will fall absolutely into a single category. We aren’t just one style – people tend to be a blend of styles. DISC profiling recognises this. For example, a “CS” personality type may have a cautious disposition, and be careful, soft-spoken, and self-controlled.

Go explains why it is worth knowing where your personality sits within DISC, saying, “Once you find out which category you fall into personally, it is much easier to recognise the different types of personalities within your team.” From here, leaders can form a clearer view about the way their team interacts.

Juggling diverse personalities

A report by the Stanford Graduate School of Business noted that diversity in a team can be a plus. It found the mere presence of diversity – even something as simple as race or gender – can cue differences of opinion. This cueing can enhance a team’s ability to handle conflict. A more homogeneous team, on the other hand, may not be able to handle conflict as well because the team doesn’t expect it.

That said, Go believes having a team filled with, say, D types is not necessarily a bad thing. “It’s easy to assume the team should have a balance of personality types,” he says. “But if one particular personality is dominant it doesn’t mean the team is weak. It can be a strength, because everyone has a similar way of doing things. The key is to look at how you can manage these people as a team.”

It would be easy to assume that leaders need a blend of each personality type, and Go points out that “leaders do need a bit of everything in the sense that in some situations you need to be an influencer, while in others you may need to be more dominant.” This, he believes, is where the value of DISC lies: “It encourages self-reflection as a leader, and makes you aware of situations where you need to think differently”. If you’re a strong D for instance, you might have to make a more conscious effort at moving slowly and methodically on a project than would,
say, an S.

None of us like to feel we can be pigeonholed into a certain personality type. To avoid this, and to allow team members to better understand the dynamics of the group as a whole, DISC testing is typically followed by a debrief session with a trained facilitator. “This helps to create a common language among the team,” says Go. “It also reduces the possibility of individuals being branded as a certain type of personality, and avoids the risk of people looking at their own DISC report in isolation.”

Understanding the personalities on your team can deliver multiple benefits. It helps to build a sense of trust and encourage team members to tap into each other’s skills and experience. It saves time and energy that is otherwise wasted on office politics and conflicts. And cohesive teams are more productive, which can ultimately create a competitive advantage.

Increasing use of psychometric tests

Of course, there is nothing especially new about these sort of psychometric tests. According to Hudson’s The Hiring Report: The State of Hiring in Australia 2015, 54 per cent of senior executives value psychometric testing as part of the recruitment process. And 40 per cent say they’re seeing more psychometric testing being used now than in the past.

What’s different this time around is the recognition that psychometric testing doesn’t have to be limited to the talent acquisition stage. As the Hudson report points out, most senior executives have been through an assessment process themselves and understand the value it can add. Test results help leaders understand more about themselves: who they are, what drives them, and the strengths they can play on.

Having a grasp of what motivates people is one of the most critical levers of leadership – and organisational success. A review of psychometric tests by the London School of Economics and Political Science found that they deliver “significant correlations between personality scales and measures of job performance”. Nonetheless, knowing how to make the most of what you learn from psychometric testing still hinges on your ability to lead and manage people.

Most personality psychologists believe that traits and situations are interactive. This is one reason why DISC can be so helpful — you can learn to adapt your own responses depending on the DISC style of individuals in your team. The bottom line is that as a manager and leader, you may choose not to behave in a way you’re most comfortable with, but instead use one you know will be more effective for your entire team. It takes conscious effort but as the motto for DISC goes: “It’s not all about me. It’s about us.”

About Everything DiSC

Everything DiSC is part of a suite of analytical people tools offered by IML to members and non-members. A number of Everything DiSC tools are available, and depending on the version, an Everything DiSC survey can take as little as 15-20 minutes to complete. It measures personal tendencies and preferences. It does not measure intelligence, aptitude, mental health or values.

For example, the Everything DiSC questionnaire asks about how you respond to challenges, how you influence others, how you respond to rules and procedures, and about your preferred pace of activity. It does not measure every dimension of personality.

Managers are discouraged from completing the test and interpreting the results themselves. Facilitators available to conduct a debrief with follow-up activities. IML’s Charles Go MIML says that learning outcomes tend to be better when smaller groups are involved, but Everything DiSC can work for larger teams of up to 25 people.

Read full details on Everything DiSC at managersandleaders.com.au/people-analytics

Understanding where each team member fits in the work wheel

Leaders can also tap into another important IML resource, the TMS Team Management Profile (TMP). The TMP uses the Margerison-McCann Team Management Wheel to identify the individual’s work preference from eight core activities (starting from the creation of an idea, assessment of the idea, planning and so on).

IML’s Charles Go MIML notes, “The TMP tool works on the theory that when individuals are matched with what they do best, they are more likely to perform at a high level in their role.”

The TMP is based upon self-assessment and identifies where in the eight-stage process each person is best suited. Go adds, “It’s a great way to discover the preferences of each member of the team and enables leaders to successfully and confidently assign people to projects and tasks.”

Full details on the TMP can be read at managersandleaders.com.au/people-analytics

From wilderness to CEO: how I started my first company

When I left my last job at Logica, it was a tough decision to make as I had to survive without income in order to achieve my dream of setting up a successful startup. But that’s what 88% of the entrepreneurs do. My parents kindly invested in the new business.

In 1995 – two years after the first web browser was released, I spent all my money on a high-speed internet connection (only 64K then) and headed out to research what business would benefit from the Internet. I’d been using the Internet since the 1987 when I did a research trip to the USA with my University. The Internet was a great solution but what was the problem?

I then tried my hands into real estate business but turned out that it was challenging as agents kept all their prices hidden and only revealed them to clients who walked in the door. The next on my list was to get into travel accommodation. After testing the market for a while I realized that people were taking a punt. I could foresee an income of around 1,000 GBP per year, but little prospect of any increase soon. So I was back to the drawing board.

After several more abortive ideas I realized the real problem was staring me in the face. Communication on the Internet was a real challenge for most companies. What was the point of a website if you couldn’t get email? I created an email solution and within a year I had seven people working for me. I remember the first customer well, like every entrepreneur does – Falmouth College of Arts. Within a few years Telstra, the US Army, and NASA made to our customer list. I ran the world’s forum for email – anyone with a question about setting up email came to me. I owned the problem to which I  happened to have a great solution.

Looking back, I was young and able to take the risk of jumping before I had an income.

But what was really  required for my success was to get out of my comfort zone and test my ideas with strangers.  I walked into shops, called people, sent them letters to discover what my potential customers thought and listened to the response before I built anything.

It was a great learning for me as I got to dive deep into their world and   understand  how they looked at things. By doing this I was able to quickly narrow down ideas that would really work at the end. Only after contacting and speaking to many hundreds of people did I eventually hit on a problem I could solve. That of providing communication on the internet.

The same process works now!

Statistics show that entrepreneurs over 40 have a significant advantage over the younger generations. The reason being  they already know an industry and so they can see how things can be improved. They already have a network of people who’d benefit, the confidence to go and ask open questions and listen to the response. And because they already have an income, they are not financially stressed.

When you know how, testing an idea to see if it can become a source of revenue costs very little – just a pack of business cards, some time and a little thought. Some people stumble on the process, others stand on the shoulders of the greats. Many start in their spare time and their passion takes over and customers start arriving.

Knowing you have to ask open questions and listen is the key. Listen to the answers and find others with a passion to solve the same problem as you.

Then you have the dream team…

By Brian Dorricott

Founder of two businesses exited through multi-million MBO and sale to Cisco Systems, speaker and  guide to hundreds of Entrepreneurs.

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

The magic of Mimi

Photo: Dr Donna Odegaard and her mother, Edith LeFrancois Bessen.

Dr Donna Odegaard AM was silenced as a child but has since dedicated her life to ensuring the voices of Indigenous Australians don’t suffer the same fate.

Story by Tracey Porter.

Dr Donna Odegaard is an unlikely business leader.

Birthed into a large but impoverished family in 1953, her early years in the outback were spent living in a tent before the consequences of the hardship the family endured saw her torn from the familial bosom and placed in an institution, thousands of kilometres away.

Despite her humble beginnings, Dr Odegaard has risen to become one of Darwin’s most respected business women with interests across everything from fashion and interior design to primary production and property development.

Yet it is her work with the Indigenous community – rather than her commercial acumen – that continues to afford her the greatest satisfaction.

And it is inspiring leaders such as Dr Odegaard who have contributed to the celebration of the role women play in the community.

Having dedicated the past three decades to increasing Indigenous opportunities across a broad spectrum of sectors including native title, media, education, training and employment, Dr Odegaard is an Indigenous Alumni Award winner, an Australian of the Year nominee and a Member in the General Division of the Order of Australia for significant service to Indigenous cultural heritage.

The woman her grandchildren fondly refer to as “Mimi” possesses a Masters in Law and Aboriginal Land Claims and also holds a PhD on Treaty – a background which saw her play an instrumental role in securing the Larrakia Kenbi Land Claim.

A twice-published author, the respected Larrakia elder is the founder and CEO of Aboriginal Broadcasting Australia but also sits on numerous business and community boards including the Indigenous Land Corporation, the Indigenous Business Trans-Tasman Delegation and the government driven Indigenous Reference Group Developing the North, headed by federal minister Matt Canavan.

When pushed to define the driver for her success, Dr Odegaard credits her austere upbringing with offering her a perspective not normally enjoyed by others in leadership positions.

“For me it was about being in survival mode. It was tough juggling motherhood, rent, sewing but I worked hard. I had to… but what that has given me is a great appreciation of, and priority for, family and hard work. I’m more concerned about what I can do than what I can’t, what I have than what I don’t.”

Aged under two when she was sent to the girl’s home and seven when she was released, Dr Odegaard says despite the fact some of her sisters were also present, at the time she felt forced to build her own support network.

“No one tells you what a family is. It was a difficult time particularly for my parents. I had a black man who would visit me and cry and I didn’t know who he was. Then I had my mother who was trying to remain close to all four of her daughters until such time as she could take us all out. But because I was institutionalised, I became a very good listener because that’s how I was groomed, I couldn’t speak and had to remain silent.”

In 1970 Donna, by then a 17-year-old mother-of-one, found history repeating when she found herself alone once again following her husband’s conscription into the Vietnam War. Deprived of income, the teenager was forced to think on her feet in order to provide for herself and her child.

In possession of little else but an extraordinary amount of determination and an old sewing machine – given to her by her mother who through necessity had provided everything from bedding to food for her family – Donna set about sewing, making clothes for her baby and the extended family.

Within 12 months her remit extended to making collections of children’s clothes to sell to her local community for a small profit. It was the start of a career for the enterprising young mother that would help her and her family endure for at least the next 25 years.

“It was a valuable lesson, to perfect a craft to ensure that if I identified a need I could actually have a better quality of life for myself and my babies,” she says.

Dr Odegaard says her experiences have equipped her with many skills useful in her day-to-day role managing others – not least of which is the ability to observe, to listen and to do things with what she terms “a good heart”.

Motivated by a sense of obligation to honour the efforts of her mother, her daughter, her sisters and the countless other women who have assisted on her journey, Dr Odegaard says she is neither a ruthless leader nor a walkover.

Instead her approach is one based on mutual respect.

“In terms of my legacy, I want my children to be proud of who I am and what I do. I have learnt that you have do right by yourself first, your family, community and society to get what you want. You need to be able to build your staff and encourage those with whom you come into contact with to be the best that they can without judgement.

“I think you have to instil a sense of hope, to let them know that ‘it doesn’t matter what you don’t know, it’s what you’re willing to learn’. Be persistent and keep going until you find out what it is you want to do. Be a leader and a role model and things will come your way – expect hard work and it will happen.”

* NAIDOC Week, is a celebration designed to commemorate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Celebrated by both Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australia’s, festivities are held across all corners of the country. For more: www.naidoc.org.au

How to achieve change through influence

By Clara McCormack, Facilitator, Leading Teams

In my role as a facilitator, I regularly discuss with clients the need to influence behavioural change to positively impact on organisational culture. Sometimes it’s talking with leaders who have authority to direct change, but mostly it’s enlightening team members on how they can influence change.

So, what’s the difference between authority and influence?

Authority is about exerting a formal right to direct others to do something.

Influence is about compelling someone to make a change – in behaviour, in their decisions, or about their thoughts on someone or something. Influence is nothing to do with the organisational chart – anyone can have influence, including those not in a position of authority.

If you want to influence change in your business, consider these key steps

1. Know your audience

Understanding people’s behavioural preferences is a great way to learn how to influence them. One way that we do this is through the use of the DiSC®* behavioural preference tool. This tool helps individuals to decode both their own and others’ behaviour in the workplace and how they prefer to be communicated with.

As individuals, we all interpret situations, behaviour and communication differently. Having this extra degree of self-awareness, and understanding of the people around us, can help us to ensure we treat others how they would like to be treated, not how we like to be treated.

Identifying who you are trying to influence and what their style is (and how it differs from your own) is beneficial when working out the best way to have an effect on their behaviour or a course of action. Imagine a situation where you like lots of detail and process around a solution to a problem, but you’re trying to influence someone who likes a brief summary and is outcomes-focused. You would need to use their preferred style, rather than your own natural preference, to get the best possible outcome with that person.

2. Understand the organisational culture

Take the time to work out the current culture and how this might impact the changes you want to make. Find out who makes things happen in your organisation (we call these people ‘centres of influence’) and who are the blockers that might stop change from happening. If there is an accepted process for change already, look at what opportunities for influence that process affords you. If you work with the existing culture, rather than against it, your ideas will be seen as more congruent with the current ways of working and therefore less frightening.

3. Understand values and language

Making an effort to gain information on what an individual’s values and priorities are, and what benefits your ideas for change will have on their role, is important. By tailoring the language you use with them to effectively represent their values – putting it in a way they value and understand – and by helping them to understand what’s in it for them, you will positively impact your level of influence with that individual.

4. Build relationships

Building strong workplace relationships is integral to influence. Strong relationships typically lead to trust, and if people trust you, they will be more likely to listen to your ideas and what you have to say. I have seen many examples in the workplace where people have great ideas but cannot influence others due to a lack of trust or a solid relationship.

And it’s good to remember that having strong professional relationships is vital not just for influencing, but for high performance in the workplace as well.

5. How to approach influencing change

People have said to me, “Isn’t influence sort of like manipulation?”

It’s a valid question but the answer is no. You should view influence as constructive negotiation; as helpful in gaining traction with your ideas for change. If it feels manipulative maybe consider whether your motives are ethical and if the change you’d like to effect is really going to positively impact the organisation?

People need to buy in to your ideas. There are lots of ways to achieve this: consulting with the relevant people or decision-makers, asking for their ideas and getting feedback from them on what you’re proposing.

It’s important that you identify the people whose support you need to get your idea for change over the line – who is going to be affected by the change and who will advocate on your behalf? It’s human nature for there to be ‘safety in numbers’, or what we call the ‘weight of numbers’, and if you gather a coalition of advocates, others are most likely to be positively influenced by the majority.

Lastly, use your authenticity to make your point. If you have expertise in your field and passion for the changes you’re proposing, let these show! Your enthusiasm for your ideas will be contagious. And remember to be thick-skinned – the change you want may take some time to achieve (but that’s nothing personal) and a strong level of persistence and patience might be required.

 Clara McCormack

Clara McCormack joined Leading Teams in 2012, coming from the sports industry. She originally worked in a marketing role at Leading Teams before becoming a facilitator. Clara’s in-depth understanding of people and psychology means she can work in a wide range of industries with people from all backgrounds. She is particularly passionate about maximising individuals’ potential which results in a greater contribution to the team. A great strength of Clara’s is her deep passion for the Leading Teams model which she uses as a blueprint for both her professional and personal lives.

 

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.

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)

 

How To Manage Your Star Employee

Written by Nicola Heath

When managed well, a star employee can be a great asset to an organisation. If not, they can become a toxic presence in a team.

 

Capable, high-performing star employees can be a valuable addition to a team – if they are managed well.

Simon Smith is founder and CEO of Southern Cross Coaching and Development and a judge in the 2017 Institute of Managers and Leaders’ Australian Leadership Excellence Awards (ALEAs).

He says in some cases a star employee can act as a double-edged sword. “They can be important for inspiring other people around them to improve and develop. But, if they’re too much on a pedestal, people can think, ‘I’m never going to get there, so there’s no point’.”

A high-performing employee may look good on paper, but problems can arise if their behaviour doesn’t align with an organisation’s values. Smith recalls working with a star performer who was a poor cultural fit for the company. He didn’t work well in a team, withholding information and neglecting to help his colleagues. “While he was a star, he was a toxic star,” Smith says.

 

What makes an employee a star?

 

In Inc., Shine United CEO Curt Hanke identifies the top five traits of star employees: they have integrity and a proven ability to get things done, are low drama, plan ahead to avoid surprises and are passionate about what they do.

 

It’s important to deal with each employee as an individual and avoid blanket policies, emphasises Smith, who recommends using one-on-one conversations to find out what drives your star. “Listen to what they need and what’s important to them.”

 

This dialogue should shape the approach you take. “Some stars like to be praised in front of the whole team, some don’t,” says Smith, who warns against making assumptions about your team members. “As a rule of thumb, lots of autonomy is normally good for a star performer, but they may need a fair amount of attention. It depends on the person.”

 

Give your star regular feedback in an honest and respectful manner. “Reinforce what they’re doing well, ask them where they need to improve and what assistance they need to do that.”

 

Mentorship can be beneficial – if it’s something the employee wants and needs. “Getting them the right mentor is the key thing,” says Smith.

 

Having a clear picture of your employee’s goals will help to avoid burnout, a serious risk for high-performing team members who love a challenge and have unlimited drive.

 

It will also help avoid what Michael E. Kibler, writing for HBR, calls brownout – when successful, high-performing people to lose their passion for work.

 

The solution Kibler recommends is one he calls ‘active partnering’, where a manager invests resources in helping an employee achieve both professional and personal goals.

 

“The point is to foster a dialogue that allows bosses (and therefore businesses) to build true partnerships with their most important people,” Kibler writes, dismissing critics who claim the approach is too unwieldy. “When firms do so, it dramatically increases the commitment and impact of its stars.”

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.

 

 

Managing Millennials

By Sharon Ferrier, Director of Persuasive Presentation

In 1953 William L. Patty and Louise S. Johnson in their book “Personality and Adjustment” lamented about the youth of today and wrote about a quote attributed to Socrates

“The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers.”

Although a fabulous quote, it has now been debunked as a myth. But what is interesting, is that the youth they were referring to are the baby boomer leaders and managers of today.

Every generation sees the generation that follows them as less respectful, narcissistic and more easily distracted. And I have no doubt that in 20 years’ time Gen Y will be making the same complaints about Gen Z!

In 2009 Daniel Pink published his book Drive and introduced us to the idea of intrinsic motivation and the personal need for autonomy, mastery, and purpose. Dr Jason Fox, himself a millennial, expands on this idea in his book Game Changers and links motivation with gaming techniques: Goals, Rules and Feedback.

Fox explains that:

Goals – align with purpose and the inherent reward of the work.

Rules – calibrate challenge which contributes to mastery.

Feedback – enhances the simulation and keeps people working with autonomy.

So what can we do as managers and leaders? A manager recently lamented “If people would just do as their told life would be so much easier.” The reality is, is that the days of command and control are over and none of us like being told what to do. When we are told to do something without consultation, we react with our inner 10 year old that says “Yeah? Make me!”

We need another tactic. Pushy people cause resentment and if we’re passive nothing gets done. We do have a third alternative however, and that is persuasion.

Here are some ideas on how to apply it.

Align goals and vision

I have a friend Helen, whom I refer to as Midas Woman. Helen has the Midas touch with dysfunctional teams. She is flown around the country by her organisation and magically transforms low performing teams into exceptional teams that end up being the top performers in their field.

A few months ago I was determined to find out how Helen did it. After an excellent meal (and quite a bit of wine!) I cornered Helen and asked her how she did it. She replied with “I listen, ask about their dreams and goals and then tell them what they want to hear.”

What??!! Surely it cannot be that simple?

Helen went on to explain. “I focus on what gets them out of bed in the morning, why they chose to work in this industry and what they value in their work. I then align their values with the company values and smooth the path for them to succeed and enjoy their work. Sometimes values do not align and I highlight this and explain that they may never be happy working here and support them in finding a new position.”

If we accept the validity of intrinsic motivation, we need to make an effort to understand what our people want and need. Persuasion means ‘to win others over, not to defeat them.’ In order to do this, we need to link the organisational goals with the individual.

Rules and guidelines

According to McCrindle Research Millennials over their working life will have over 17 jobs and five different careers. Managers need to be ready to induct employees efficiently so they can be productive as fast as possible. Inductions programs need to focus on core skills and culture and then be supported by on the job coaching and mentoring. Millennials (Gen Y) are known for asking ‘Why?’ A strong company manifesto consisting of “This is who we are and this is what we do.” needs to be communicated constantly.

Feedback

When we think of feedback we automatically add a negative in front of it. And yet quality, meaningful feedback is essential for improvement and job satisfaction. We all like to be recognised and to see progress. MBWA (Management By Walking Around) still applies and when it comes to persuasive communication, there is nothing more effective than face to face.

Have fun

Generally, many baby boomers see work like a plate roast and three veg, where the meat and vegetables, like work and leisure, do not touch. Alternatively Millennials see work and play more like spaghetti bolognaise where everything is interconnected and interrelated.

I remember years ago visiting a fudge stall at the famous Quincy Market in Boston. The fudge was made fresh daily and as the staff were making it, they would break into song and encourage customers to sing along as well. It was fabulous and the queues went out the door. I was equally enamoured when I heard about the FISH philosophy which was founded in the Seattle fish markets.

Having fun and being effective are not mutually exclusive. Over the past decade we have seen a dramatic reduction in the formality of workplaces. Great teams are diverse and encourage inter-generational communication. We need to view both sides of the coin, to integrate the past but also view our organisation with the fresh eyes needed to prepare our company for the future.

About the author:
Sharon Ferrier is the Director of Persuasive Presentation. Sharon’s background is in sales and marketing and along the way has studied business administration, marketing, management, journalism as well as more eclectic skills including comedy, improvisation and the art of persuasion. As an award winning speaker and salesperson Sharon uses her skills to help people become persuasive and influential speakers.

 

 

Sharon will be speaking at the Adelaide Masterclass on Engaging the work force – how leaders engage and inspire people to prepare for change on the 31st of October 2017.

Book today