Guest Article: Almost Honest by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

What would happen, if...

- we honestly spoke about our successes

- we honestly discussed the issues we were struggling with

- we honestly shared when we lack self-confidence

- we honestly described our frustrations about the world of work

- we honestly told our colleagues how we feel about them

- we honestly shared how it is impossible to be all things to all people all the time

- we honestly let someone know how important they are to us

- we honestly did something we’ve always dreamed of doing

- we honestly lived the life we want to live

- we honestly told the truth..to ourselves

I wonder what that organization would look like?

I’d love to hear form you.

No Excuses.

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Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - Almost Honest»

Check out more of Jay Kuhns' work at No Excuses HR

Guest Article: HR In A Quarter Mile by Melissa Fairman

Last week I started a new job at Mickey Thompson Tires and Wheels. As the HR Manager for a performance tire and wheel company, I’ve been on a crash course through the world of tire operations, customer service and sales but the coolest part of my first week was going to Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School.  

 

That’s right, someone put me in a car that can go 200+ miles an hour (not to worry the speed was capped at 130) and it was up to me to steer straight (that was actually the easiest part). Hurtling down the ¼ mile track is an exciting/exhilarating/nerve-wracking experience that was an awesome way to put me (literally) in the driver’s seat of our customers.

 

Mickey Thompson encourages all their new hires to go on this once a year opportunity for a number of reasons but the HR geek in me loved it beyond the thrill seeking aspect. It is a great team building opportunity but more importantly people can see how they are directly connected to the business. 

 

Below is a video of my first attempt, this was a ⅛ mile and and yes I screwed up the burnout.   email readers may have to click to the website to view the video.

Frank Hawley Drag Racing School from Melissa Fairman on Vimeo.

 

What do you do to show people their connection to the business? 

Article source:Melissa Fairman - HR In A Quarter Mile»

Check out more of Melissa Fairman's work at HR Remix

Six proven conflict management strategies

Conflicts can cause tension and reduces group effectiveness, leads to a loss of productivity and increase staff turnover. While conflicts can be good for improving the quality of decision-making and helping to foster an environment of self-evaluation, there is a point where conflicts can go too far. 

The following 6 strategies will help you to manage conflicts before they escalate and damage relationships.

1.    Consider an individual’s personality when engaging in discussions

Over time, personality has been used to explain why people behave the way that they do, and while valid in most situations, there is no excuse for poor behaviour.

2.    Consider your role in the resolution process

If you are not directly involved in the conflict, you can only be a facilitator as this is not your conflict to resolve. If you are a facilitator, find out what the expectations of the parties are. Sometimes people don’t want anything to happen, they may just want to complain!

3.    Consider your communication/body language

You should avoid aggressive behaviour, interrupting or talking over people, talking loudly to get the point across and generalising. If one party is displaying any of these behaviours, call it out. You can say something like, “I think the conversation is getting heated, let’s take a break and re-visit it after a coffee.”Also, try to match your communication and body language to that of the other person e.g. if they are standing up, stand up too.

4.    Resolve the conflict in a timely manner

Ideally, the conflict should be resolved within two days. It is recommended to use an informal approach first to bring up the issue. You can ask the other party to have a coffee to discuss “something” but never bring up the issue via email as this can cause miscommunication.

5.    Gather the facts

The key points to address are what happened, how it happened and what the outcome was. Encourage analysis of the situation, such as whether the differing perspectives could be due to a misinformation or miscommunication, whether it was facilitated by stress, tiredness or being under pressure and whether the incidence had occurred before. Consider all points of view before making a decision.

6.    Encourage parties to talk to each other

Parties should talk to each other to get down to the bottom of what they want. Usually people will not change their behaviour, but they will become more aware of it and can select when those behaviours will or will not come out.

Guest Article: You're Not Prepared by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

"Humility is the only true wisdom by which we prepare our minds for all the possible changes of life."
- George Arliss

How are you preparing for the changes ahead in your world? Have you chosen a humble path? 

Or, have you decided to fight change at every turn?

Guess which option will serve you best?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.



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Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - You're Not Prepared»

Check out more of Jay Kuhns' work at No Excuses HR

Guest Article: Leadership in the Crucible of Work (Book Review) by Ben

Last week I took a vacation with my family to enjoy the lovely beaches of south Alabama. I was able to squeeze in a little reading, and here are the fruits of that labor. Today we have book review on Leadership in the Crucible of Work: Discovering the Interior Life of an Authentic Leader by Sandy Shugart, PhD (Amazon).

The book was interesting, and I read it like I mentioned in my previous post on reading for leaders. Here are a few insights from the book:

• Sometimes followers are as important as the leaders. The author talks about the importance of having a clear, strong leader in musical ensembles–an example I’ve never considered previously. Leaders jumping up to “take the reins” in those situations would hamper performance, not improve it.
• I think I wrote about this another time, but it bears repeating: leaders should ask themselves “Am I seeking genuine commitment from my associates, or deep down do I only want compliance?” There is a major difference in the two, and it would do us all well to think about the people we lead. How can we best garner commitment from them without forcing them into a mindset where they must comply blindly?
• Bouncing off the previous comment, if you truly want commitment, are you willing to give it yourself? Like so many things (respect, attention, value) when you want something, you have to offer it to others before it can be returned to you.
• Do you truly believe in the talent of those you lead? Do you believe they are great at what they do? Because if you spend all of your time thinking, “I could do that job better than them if I had time,” then you’ll never have a great team. And if they truly are not that great, consider replacing them. It’s not worth it to walk around all the time second guessing people.
• This quote:

The most dangerous thing about communication is the illusion it occurred.

• A note on the price of experience: “We run to the familiar. This is the price of expertise, the loss of the innocence of a beginner for whom nothing is familiar and so all choices are still possible.
• And finally, a note on collaboration. We hear the word often and are expected to just “know” what it means. But it doesn’t have the same definition in the mind of each person (hint: for some it looks like an opportunity for micromanagement under the veil of collaborative working). The author’s comment on it made me stop and consider my own method of defining what collaboration looks like: collaboration enlarges leaders and those being led; micromanagement diminishes both.

So, if you’re looking for a book on leadership with some good, thought-provoking takeaways, you might consider checking out Leadership in the Crucible of Work: Discovering the Interior Life of an Authentic Leader by Sandy Shugart, PhD (Amazon link).

Article source:Ben - Leadership in the Crucible of Work (Book Review)»

Check out more of Ben Uebanks' work at Upstart HR

Guest Article: 4 Key Skills Employees Need for the Workplace of the Future by Jennifer Miller

I’m a sponsored blog partner with Spherion (a staffing and recruiting organization) and am participating in the release of findings from Spherion’s Emerging Workforce Study.  All opinions are mine.

What are the top skills that the employee of the future needs? A recent study commissioned by Spherion and conducted by Harris Poll aimed to find out. Given that big data is making its way into all elements of the workplace, it may not surprise you to discover that the survey identified skill sets that support the tech-intensive world of work:

• Problem solving skills
• Strategic thinking skills
• Evolving technology expertise
• Ability to understand and interpret data

The good news is that both employers (with HR managers serving as the voice of the employer) and employees were in agreement that these four abilities represent critical skills needed to succeed in the workplace of the future.

The not-so-good news, according to the survey, is that there is agreement on what employees need to develop, but not necessarily the best way to get there. Just over one third (35%) of employees polled said they “worried a lot about falling behind in acquiring new skills that will be needed in the future.” Moreover, the same percentage—35%—are also concerned with finding the time to keep their skills up-to-date.

Employers are not as concerned about these issues. According to the HR managers polled, only 26% feel challenged by keeping up with training demands. As a former employee of corporate America with experience as a Human Resources manager and also as a line manager, I can understand this gap in perception. HR managers view their role as ensuring that appropriate training opportunities exist. But as it often happens in the workplace, the successful implementation of these training programs comes down to leadership: the line managers. If employees feel they can’t leave their jobs to attend training to update their skills, they will resist attending the training. At the very least, they’ll be distracted while in attendance at the training session. Neither is optimal for learning new skills.

Valued employees—the ones managers want to keep—are often the most conscientious. Therefore, they’re typically the most stressed when it comes to leaving their immediate work area to attend training. They worry that nobody will be there to pick up the slack. And when they return from training, they’ve either got a mess to clean up or a pile of work that requires extensive catch-up. I can’t tell you the number of times when I was as a corporate trainer that people would confide in me: “Jennifer, I’m excited to come to the training, but I dread going back to work after being out of the office.” Or, I would see people fleeing during their breaks, anxiously talking on their cell phones, trying to get an hour’s worth of work done in 15 minutes.

Is the answer shorter training programs? Possibly. But learning new skills takes time, as well as the ability to relax and open up to the learning experience. I’m all for creating “learning chunks” to shorten the duration of the learning event and increase learning retention. But at some point, leaders must understand that developing the skills of their workforce is a critical part of staying competitive in the marketplace. No matter what the teaching methodology—classroom, webinar, on-the-job, simulations or using tech-based apps—there must be space allotted in an employee’s day for this learning. Until managers understand (and buy in to) this idea, the gap in skills development will not close.

 

About the Emerging Workforce Study: For more than 18 years, Spherion has examined the issues and trends impacting employment and the workforce. This year, Spherion’s “Emerging Workforce Study” was conducted between March and April of 2015 by Harris Poll, a Nielsen company. The study polled over 2,000 workers and 225 human resource managers on their opinions and attitudes regarding important workplace topics such as employee engagement, job satisfaction, generational differences and work/life balance. One of the study’s goals was to look for indicators for what the workplace will become. As the perspectives and attitudes of the workforce evolve, employers must better understand employees for greater business success.

You can also follow Spherion on Twitter (hashtag #EWS2014) or join them on Facebook.

Disclosure: Spherion partnered with bloggers (like yours truly) for their Emerging Workforce Study program. As part of this program, I received compensation for my time. I was free to form my own opinions about the data supplied by Spherion and all opinions are my own. Spherion’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations.

 

photo credit 123rf.com – Copyright : Robert Churchill

Article source:Jennifer Miller - 4 Key Skills Employees Need for the Workplace of the Future»

Guest Article: Advice from my father: Learn new things by Ross Clennett

Dad was always cutting out articles of interest, reading books and attending classes. He loved to learn and I am sure his commitment to ongoing education helped him live as long as he did. One of the articles he read contained the following list that he transcribed and kept in his daily view:

Guest Article: Weed Out The Weak by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

I want you to think about the person on your team who is the most problematic. You know the one...they have loads of potential but somehow can never quite get the traction necessary to keep up. That sense of urgency memo that is the new normal in the world of work never quite made it to their desk.

Now let me ask you...why do they still work for you?

You Don't Have the Guts
This may sound a bit harsh, but let's be honest...you've known for a long time that person should move on to another organization. 

But you haven't stepped up yet.

This may sound cruel, but candidly they are not getting any satisfaction out of their current situation either.

But you haven't stepped up yet.

This may not be politically correct, but I'd rather be honest. Plus, being 'pc' has nothing to do with effective leadership when someone needs to go.

But you haven't stepped up yet.

I told you that you didn't have the guts.

How About You
There is nothing left to say...except this last observation. 

While you're complaining about that employee who needs to go instead of doing something about it, all of your other employees as well as your colleagues are watching you.

Hmmm, I wonder how that looks?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - Weed Out The Weak»

Check out more of Jay Kuhns' work at No Excuses HR

Guest Article: Thank Them On Their Way Out by Melissa Fairman

Have you ever given your two (or three) week notice and felt the company was writing you off before your two weeks were up? Maybe your boss started giving you the cold shoulder and your team mates started leaving you off team meetings? Suddenly no one wanted to talk to you at the proverbial water cooler? Yea…we’ve all been there done that.

 

I’m familiar with the off-boarding process through HR (of course), but also because I recently went through this process when I gave notice at my last position and accepted a new position at Mickey Thompson Performance Tires. My previous company did a great job transitioning me out of the organization,  which caused me to think a little more in depth about that whole “transition out of the organization” piece.   You can do it well and leave your departing employee with a great feeling or you can do it badly….with all of those consequences.  Here is a quick snippet of a post I wrote over PIC:

“…how companies treat departing employees is just as important.  In my post I advised departing individuals of a critical decision they can make:

“ ‘This is a time when you have a choice: you can resign and preserve relationships with the people you value or you can burn a lot of bridges.’ ”

Managers have the same choice.”

 

Click over to Performance I Create to read the entire post.  

Article source:Melissa Fairman - Thank Them On Their Way Out»

Check out more of Melissa Fairman's work at HR Remix

Guest Article: Walk With Me In Hell by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

I spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about leadership. I read about it, watch others practice it, and sadly see many struggle with it (including me.) Once in a while however, a leader moves from the pack of nameless faces and rises above the masses.

It is rare...

...and for that brave soul, it can be a very lonely place.

Courage
Think about the leaders in your organization. Many are mired in an endless task list, administrative duties that have nothing to do with either the company's values or strategic plans, or have very little time to actually support the talent on their teams.

Talent, after all, is the only thing that matters in today's world. No talent...no culture...no execution...no profit. Nothing.

So which leader in your world has moved out of "the way things are done here" and has taken a bold step forward? I'm not talking about the ones who say they're bold...I want you to identify a leader who has taken action that demonstrates the courage to truly be bold.

Do you still have anyone on your list?

Bold Can Be Hell
I think we can all recognize when "things need to change" in our organizations, right? The metrics are bad, decisions are not being made in a timely manner (or at all), and important deadlines are missed.

Someone needs to take action. But...

"My calendar is really tight this week, so I'll get that on my To-Do list and convene a task force at some point to fully examine all of the issues involved, and make sure I don't step on any executive's over-inflated ego...I mean toes."

Bold leaders simply do not accept the same old duck and run approach that so many faux-leaders rely on to survive.

Bold leaders do something. They break through bottlenecks. They force their way through the blockers in the company. They execute plans in a way that others are simply afraid to do.

Yes, I said it. Many leaders are simply scared to lead. It is much easier to focus on one's survival than it is to put the organization ahead of yourself.

What are the consequences of taking real action? Criticism. Colleagues turning on you. A scramble to justify their own ineffectiveness. 

Candidly, the bold ones are put through hell. That is until the results prove the bold leader was correct all along...and then they are suddenly considered a genius.

There is a reason no one ever talks about bold teams. It's only the individual that gets the coveted label of being bold.

How About You
Who are the bold leaders in your organization? Have you fired up the blow torch and joined the dinosaur naysayers on the attack; or, are you willing to walk with the brave ones and provide the support they deserve?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.



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Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - Walk With Me In Hell»

Check out more of Jay Kuhns' work at No Excuses HR

Guest Article: Lead better meetings with these 16 questions by Jennifer Miller

Does leading meetings frustrate you? Maybe you have someone in your meeting who has ideas— lots of them—who can’t seem to shut up. Or perhaps it’s the opposite issue: meeting participants are shutting down good discussion in the interest of “keeping things moving.”

If either of the scenarios sounds familiar, then you will want to read my latest post on Smartblog on Leadership. It’s about the two types of conversational flow that meeting leaders must master to lead effective meetings. The article also includes a free download (no opt-in needed) of my informational sheet called, “16 Discussion Questions to Help You Lead Better Meetings.”

So, go on over to Smartblog on Leadership and check out: Lead better meetings with these 2 conversational paths.

Article source:Jennifer Miller - Lead better meetings with these 16 questions»

Balancing Job Demands and Job Resources

Psychology research has made great headway in relation to uncovering the factors that influence
the interplay between job resources and job demands. However, finding a practical balance between the two within your workplace is often quite challenging. This article aims to introduce you to the various factors that may come into play if you are feeling stress within your workplace. Stress within the workplace is often attributed to high demands and low resources.

Bakker and Leiter in 2010 drew up a model of how demands and resources interplay and the effect they have on engagement and stress. The most popular model at the moment is the Jobs Demands Resources (JDR) Model, which highlights the following relevant factors:

Job Demands:

• Increased workload beyond what might be reasonably completed
• Role Conflict - when conflicts arise between the multiple roles that have to be filled
• When there is a low amount of resilience in terms of handling change
• Role Ambiguity
• Work pressures from employees or managers internal to the business or, customers and clients externally
• Emotional demands – this is particularly relevant to Allied Health as we work so closely with individuals, especially when they are requiring assistance
• Mental demands – this relates to when the role is mentally exhausting and there is an inability to have rest break
• Physically demanding work

Job Resources:

• Increasing the amount of social support
• Seek extra feedback, specifically relating to your work, but also your general behaviour in the workplace
• Increasing the amount of supervisory coaching that you are receiving or rather putting a slightly different spin when you request feedback
• Increasing the amount of autonomy or control you have in your job
• Finding ways to increase your optimism within the workplace whether this be through increasing the social aspects of your work or taking a needed break
• Increasing your competence in the role – this may be through seeking extra training or gaining clarity about your role

Reducing the amount of job demands and increasing the amount of job resources has been shown to have a positive impact on:

• Mental and physical health factors which decreases the likelihood of energy depletion and burnout
• Motivational factors
• Levels of engagement
• Increased job satisfaction
• Overall happiness and levels of enjoyment

If managing stress in the workplace is something you would like to know more about, we recently wrote an article on Mindfulness in the Workplace, which you may find useful. You can read more about that here. 

  

Guest Article: My Dad, Anthony (Tony) Campbell Clennett: 25/02/1934 - 12/07/2015 by Ross Clennett

My father, Tony, passed away peacefully last Sunday 12 July 2015.   A country boy, from Dover, 80km south of Hobart, Dad boarded at Friends' School for his high school education. As a youth, Dad was a very good runner, winning the 1950 Tasmanian Schoolboys' 880 yard event as well as being a member of the school's winning cross country team.   He was
Article source:Ross Clennett - My Dad, Anthony (Tony) Campbell Clennett: 25/02/1934 - 12/07/2015»

Check out more of Ross Clennett's work at hisblog

Guest Article: Important Questions all Leaders Should Ask of Top Performers by Jennifer Miller

How do you keep your top talent from jumping ship? For starters, let them know how much you value them. According to research, something as simple as conducting a “stay interview”—a conversation in which you review an employee’s likes and dislikes about the job—can help significantly reduce turnover of valued staff members.

Want to give stay interviews a try, but aren’t sure where to start? Head on over to Smartblog on Leadership for my monthly column in which I share 12 questions for you to conduct effective stay interviews.

 I’m curious: have you ever had anything that resembles a “stay interview” with your work team leader? If so, what was the impact on your job satisfaction?

Article source:Jennifer Miller - Important Questions all Leaders Should Ask of Top Performers»

Guest Article: Communication Breakdown by Jay Kuhns, SPHR

Leader A - "I have the notes right here...this is what we agreed to at the last meeting."

Leader B - "No it's not. We needed these pieces to be ready today."

Leader A - "Look, let me read through my notes. I have everything documented from last time."

Leader B - "That's not what I understood the plan to be. Let me read my notes...see, they're very different."

Organized Does Not Equal Accurate

The scenario above sounds silly, right? How in the world could two high performing professionals in the same meeting, taking the same notes, come away with such different expectations?

Impossible!

…except I’m Leader A… I did take great notes. I thought I had interpreted the details properly. But the messages could have been interpreted exactly the way Leader B understood them. We were both right…sort of…but because I didn’t ensure we both had the clarity necessary I ended up being wrong.

For the record, I really do not like being wrong.

Leading Means Learning Too

The obvious takeaway here is to make sure everyone is “clear” about what should happen next. That’s not my point. The real issue for me in this life lesson is to pace myself. 

I’ve discovered that I push myself hard in many areas. Trying to be the super-leader is difficult to sustain, and next to impossible to achieve long-term.

So the balance point has to be based on an open mind and a willingness to learn when I stumble.

Yes, I could have reconciled my notes better, but the root cause of me missing the deliverables in that meeting were more about my mindset than they were about the the task of checking everyone’s to do list.

How About You

What pace do you keep? Are you trying to constantly over achieve like me (not good 24/7!); or, have you found that sweet spot that allows for high tempo work that has a slower pace built in? If you have, you need to share your secret.

I’d love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Article source:Jay Kuhns, SPHR - Communication Breakdown»

Check out more of Jay Kuhns' work at No Excuses HR

Guest Article: International HR Management: An Interview with Debbie McGee by Ben

Last year I met a subject matter expert on international HR issues through my local SHRM chapter. A few months later, when I was looking at some HR challenges affecting our expatriate employees, I ran across her again. When I spoke at ALSHRM in May, she was presenting across the hallway on international human resources best practices. In other words, she knows what she’s doing! So I wanted to take a moment to chat with her and learn more about the special niche she fills.

Ben: So, let’s establish your credibility. Tell me about your background. 

Debbie: I have been working with international employee issues for more than two decades. 13 years in international individual taxation and another 12 years in International Human Resources/Global mobility. I have worked as a Senior Manager with Big 4 Accounting Firms, as well as run corporate Global IHR departments for multinational corporations with more than 2,000 expatriates.

In addition, I have managed more than 60 country combinations, including Asia to Europe, Europe to the Americas and  Americas to Asia/Europe. That means travel is a big part of my work: I’ve visited over 30 countries and even lived in Europe for 6 years.

As far as credentials, I am a CPA as well as GPHR, so I think with both sides of my brain and easily switch the conversation from talent development to accounting/taxation for that same talent. My current role is President and CEO of PZI International Consulting, Inc, where I helps clients effectively and legally expand their talent into global marketplaces.

Ben: How did you end up working in an international HR role?  

Debbie: After managing national accounts for the accounting firms and designing programs/policies for their international HR departments, it was a natural progression to move to the corporate side.  I wanted to make a bigger impact with one company and felt by going in and designing the program as a best practice Center of Excellence from the ground up, I could impact not only the corporate culture, but also have an impact on individual employees career as well as quality of life.

My first role as a Global Mobility Manager was with an accounting client.  They wanted to grow the program internally and focus on more than the tax/payroll piece of the IHR program.  I was brought in to design and run that function.

Ben: What was your favorite part of working globally within HR?

Debbie: I like helping people and knowing that I made a difference in someone’s life.  As a CPA, I felt I seldom gave good news to a client, but as a Corporate Head of IHR, I could directly affect an employee’s quality of life while they were working abroad for the company.  Often employees would call me on their last day at the company to thank me for helping them and their families during a difficult situation while they were based abroad for the company.

My main goal was to make the family unit a successful team while they were abroad.  They were the face of the company, whether in the local markets, the local schools or the foreign workplace.  If they were challenged, happy to be there and excited about what they were doing, that would reflect well on the corporation as well.

Ben: What was the most challenging part of international HR work?

Debbie: Human Resources are often a last minute thought for many business units.  They are so entangled in getting the business, closing the sale, that the human capital piece of it is seldom thought through.  I worked diligently at changing the corporate culture around what was required to expand the company into international markets.  I spent a lot of time training the business units, the other functional areas, rather than waiting for them to come to me, I went to them.

I think being proactive and making people aware of why they need to talk with you lets you be an equal stakeholder in the business development, rather than a stumbling block for the business units.

International HR/Global Mobility is still not a well understood area within organizations.  It isn’t until something goes wrong, someone is in jail, someone is turned away at a border, that many companies begin to look at this function and realize the complexity of it and why they need to have people running it that know all the questions to ask and where to find the answers.

Ben: If you could go back and offer some advice to yourself as you were getting started in this type of role, what would you say?

Debbie: No one knows everything.  Being a subject matter expert is a good thing, but you have to understand the business and the business needs.  Otherwise just because you may know the answer, doesn’t mean the business wants to hear it.  Most important part of being a stakeholder in a business is to :: Ask, Listen, Solve.  In that order.  Don’t assume you know the answer before you ask the question.

Ben: Any closing comments, wit or wisdom?

Debbie: Companies should grow their networks, read up on developing trends in the IHR industry. “the authorities haven’t caught us yet” is no way to do business internationally.  Investing in your international HR group is as important as investing in your 401k plan or your product development. Every company today should be looking at how they can expand into international markets, the business is definitely out there.  Expanding into these markets means expanding your human assets into those markets.  Make sure you are as diligent with your human assets as you are with your product assets.

Ben: Thanks for your time, Debbie! This has been incredibly insightful.

—————-

I hope you enjoyed this interview exploring some of the ideas around international HR practices with Debbie McGee. You can find her at her website or on LinkedIn.

What are your thoughts about international HR? Is it harder than domestic HR? How did some of these comments influence your opinion? 

Article source:Ben - International HR Management: An Interview with Debbie McGee»

Check out more of Ben Uebanks' work at Upstart HR

Guest Article: The Real Meaning of Engaged Leaders by Jennifer Miller

Much of what’s written about “employee engagement” focuses on how to get your employees more involved at work. As a leader at your company, you’re also an employee; how “engaged” are you? And, are you engaged in the right things? Undoubtedly, you’re busy, but is that the same as engagement?

According to research by Development Dimensions International (DDI) 89 percent of leaders with strong interaction skills have more engaged teams. It makes sense that there is a correlation between your interaction as a leader and employee engagement. After all, when leaders consistently connect with their team members in a positive way, they create an environment of open communication. This connectivity has positive business results as well: the DDI survey indicated that “plugged in” leaders had three times less turnover and 83 percent led their teams to exceed their productivity goals.

Yet there’s an irony at play. Consider for a moment two possible meanings of the word “engaged.” One is: to be thoroughly involved, as in, “the employees were highly engaged in the customer service rollout.” Then there is “busy or otherwise occupied.” In order to have the first type of engagement with your team, as a leader it’s necessary to forgo the second. Leadership places many demands on you; are you sending “I’m too busy” signals without knowing it? Here’s how to tell the difference between an Otherwise Occupied Leader and a Plugged-In Leader.

Awareness of challenges. Plugged-In Leaders are able to sense when something’s amiss, either with the whole team or an individual, because they’re in touch with their employees regularly. Plugged-In leadership is not micromanaging; rather, it’s paying careful attention to individuals’ unspoken concerns and the friction points that typically occur in a department from time to time. Otherwise Occupied Leaders often fail to see the early clues that there’s trouble ahead because they’ve rushed through a conversation, or they miss the conversation completely because they’re overbooked.

Level of distraction. High wire artist Nik Wallenda has said, “I’ve trained all my life not to be distracted by distractions,” and with good reason: attending to a distraction could kill him. Being distracted by phone calls, texts or email while talking to your employees won’t kill you, but it will destroy your credibility. Otherwise Occupied Leaders think that their employees will cut them slack while they do a “lap glance” to surreptitiously send a text while in team meetings, but they’ve misjudged the situation. By falling prey to the many distractions offered by technology and the tyranny of the urgent, Otherwise Occupied Leaders telegraph that those right in front of them are of lesser importance. Better to be a Plugged-In Leader and silence the cell phone and give your undivided attention to the task at hand.

Attention to commitments. Plugged-In Leaders place a premium on connecting with their employees, even if it’s just a quick check-in every so often. How many times have you cancelled a meeting with your team in the past three months? Your answer may be a clue to how you’re perceived by the team. Plugged-In Leaders understand how important face-time is to their employees, so they rarely cancel one-to-one meetings, because it’s often the only chance they get time to cover important career-building topics with their team members. Otherwise Occupied Leaders continually have “last minute” changes that take precedence over time with team members. How many times can your team hear, “something came up” before they write you off as uninterested in them or their work?

It’s one thing to give your team members space to flourish by developing their self-sufficiency; it’s another thing entirely to be completely unavailable. The best leaders are still connected to those they lead, offering coaching, support and mentorship when needed. The best way to have an engaged team of professionals is for you to engage as well.

 

This post originally appeared on Smartblog on Leadership.

 

image credit: 123rf.com   Balint Roxana

Article source:Jennifer Miller - The Real Meaning of Engaged Leaders»