Identifying and Building the Five Elements of a Healthy Work Culture: #4
By Craig Ross and Steven Vannoy
Fourth in a five-part monthly series from the upcoming book, "Leadership Gold" by Steven Vannoy and Craig Ross. (Last month's featured article)
Developing Clear, Achievable, Stretch Objectives
During this current trend of headcount reductions coupled with rising responsibilities, leadership is under a microscope. "Do more with less" is the battle cry. Stress? Longer hours? That's a certainty…for those who choose to lead the "old way."
For those who are stuck in management patterns of the past, leadership means doing the job on their desk as well as controlling the work of their direct reports. Here are the telltale signs of this costly management approach:
"I can't get it all done!" - Of course he can't; not only does he have to do his own job, but he feels like he has to do everyone else's job as well.
"Why isn't my team more engaged?" - Because the manager has robbed her team of the very thing that motivates them: ownership.
"I've got to find better help!" - These managers should consider providing their teams with help in the form of greater leadership.
"Why is my team easily derailed by attitude problems?" - Because a culture has never been created that allows team members to thrive.
We are all aware that there is another, better way. There are select individuals who rise in the ranks of leadership who know that a "leadership" position does not equate to longer hours and more tasks. Instead, they accept a greater responsibility in going "upstream," in building certain qualities within their team. This, of course, creates greater results "down stream." These five upstream elements of a healthy, productive work culture are identified in The Big 5 of the New Leader's Job, a blueprint for organization success from Pathways to Leadership, Inc.
Elements of the Big 5 of the New Leader's Job
Building the Individual (See full article)
As leaders recognize and build individual team members, immediate implications are in store for the culture as a whole. When individuals are less defensive, have greater confidence, are more open to change, more accountable and are better decision makers, everyone benefits.
Becoming a Wellness Culture - A Solutions Focused Approach (See full article)
A greater focus is placed on what's working vs. what's not working, strengths vs. weaknesses, and what can be learned vs. who is to blame. This sort of forward-focus allows individuals and teams to engage in an issue (formerly known as a crisis), resolve it, learn from it, and thus use it as a pillar for future growth and success. This creates a solution-focused culture as opposed to perpetuating a fix-it culture.
Unlocking Full, Free, Two-way Information Flow (See full article)
Communication is not just an objective, it's taught, nurtured and rewarded. Leaders who build this element understand that: 1) they are communicating all the time, 2) they must consistently state what they see now and in the future, 3) communication is not limited to providing information, but gaining information from others, 4) listening is the quickest road to solutions, and 5) communication isn't complete when everyone has finished talking (they close the loop with feedback).
This month we add the fourth element:
Developing clear, achievable, stretch objectives.
During the Pathways to Leadership® program, this element of the Big 5 of the New Leader's Job often elicits intense conversations. Is 'achievable' and 'stretch' an oxymoron? Ultimately, no, decide the participants - as long as certain conditions exist.
Those conditions are found in the first three elements of the Big 5:
- By building individuals and relationships trust has been established. Leaders are not always going to be able to include employees when establishing objectives. The leaders, of course, possess some information that can't be shared. However, team members know this and, if healthy relationships have been established, they won't waste resources doubting those they're following.
- By becoming a solutions-focused work culture the leader generates essential requisites for success when it comes to setting and meeting objectives: enthusiasm, greater creativity, willingness to take risks, confidence, momentum, resiliency, and pride. These behaviors don't happen by accident; the Wellness leader has been careful to look for what's working, focus on solutions, ask often "what can we learn?" and share what she appreciates about others and their work.
- By unlocking full, free, two-way information flow the guesswork has been eliminated. Alignment of purpose allows participants to fully understand their roles and responsibilities. As objectives are pursued, resources are maximized.
Why do effective leaders insure that objectives are clear, achievable and a stretch vs. simply setting objectives? They know a) that the work place is full of distractions; when objectives are clear, employees can navigate by priorities; b) if the objective is not achievable, motivation will dissipate; and c) the objective must be a stretch in order to challenge and retain talent and stay in front of the competition.
As one company president stated, "When you build all the elements of the Big 5 of the New Leader's Job, then the idea of 'clear, achievable and stretch objectives' no longer elicits laughter or fear. Instead, it becomes logical, reasonable and achievable."
Establishing objectives, setting the course or vision, is a critical step in creating change. Having built the above elements, effective leaders have little to fear, nor are they resigned to 'twisting arms.' Instead of focusing on the results they want to create, these leaders develop the people and conditions that will drive and create these results.
David Aslin, Distribution Manager for a Schering-Plough facility, has worked hard to build the Big 5. He reports, "We're allowing people to try things that we were afraid to do in the past. It's a more empowering environment than it was three to four years ago. They're more willing to do things on their own. It (my leadership) is more a job of allowing this to happen. It's leading less."
The effective leader using The Big 5 of the New Leader's Job as a blueprint for organizational success knows the importance of building clear, achievable, stretch objectives. By accomplishing this necessary step, employee ownership increases, which eliminates reactionary measures that waste resources - including the leader's time.
Next month Part 5: Build a Healthy Team Identity.
(c) 2003 Pathways to Leadership, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
