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| I've asked some
of you, the ALF Alumni, if you have seen improvements in
the company since the program? Some of you have contacted
me directly via email or during our coaching sessions, and
have had the same question. How do we know if ALF is working?
The answers were varied. Some said,
yes, in certain departments, but not company-wide. Some
said, no. "I'm trying to implement some of the tips
you provided, but my manager, who also attended ALF, is
ignoring the concept of improved leadership completely."
said the manager.
Here's my suggestion: All
managers must develop and foster open communication. Communication
is an art. You must practice being a good communicator
and listener. Refer back to some of the rcises we used
on "Communication: Giving and Receiving Feedback."
It is important to create an environment where employees
feel comfortable approaching you and talking with you.
You should also feel comfortable with this same philosphy
with talking to your manager. So, if you feel that your
manager is not implementing Best Practices from ALF, then
it is your responsibility to setup a meeting to openly
and honestly discuss your concerns. Be prepared to talk
about "specific" actions/behaviors that have
taken place that are contrary to this improved leadership
initiative.
Here's YOUR COMMUNICATION CHALLENGE…
Take the time to talk to your fellow managers ! Once a
month, select someone in the company that you either don't
know, but would like to get to know, or perhaps someone
in another group that is part of a project team you or
your staff member is working on. Pick up the phone, introduce
yourself and ask to have a cup or coffee or lunch.
Fostering
cross-functional lines of communications
will:
1.
help with misinformation
2. create an atmosphere of information sharing
3. create a better understanding of conflicting
priorities
4. help to understand a different point
of view
5. open the door for creativity
6. improve the Anritsu work environment!
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You'll
have an opportunity to provide this feedback
directly to Mark and your fellow classmates
at our upcoming ALF Alumni lunches starting
in April. Come prepared! Your input counts!
Each manager must take the initiative and
ownership to
be a better leader - COMPANY WIDE ! |
|
Be patient
! Changing behaviors takes time. Anritsu is going through
a companywide transformation - that's right a big change.
Developing and improving leadership skills will be an
ongoing development process. Just imagine…. if everyone
takes ownership to improving their own action items in
their ALF Improvement Plan, companywide improvements will
happen faster.
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The
most important talent you must develop
is the is the talent of your leaders.
~ Peter Drucker |
Communication
-Stopping Behaviors
An important aspect of whether people are willing to communicate
or not is how they are responded to when they attempt to do
so. Dr. Jack Gibb, author of Trust: A New View of Personal and
Organizational Development, sites s behaviors that are communication
discouragers and encouragers:
| Discourages
|
Encourages
|
| Judging |
Description |
| Superiority |
Equality |
| Certainty |
Openness |
| Controlling |
Problem-Orientation |
| Manipulation |
Positive Intent |
| Indifference |
Empathy |
|
These
behaviors modes are often engaged in innocently and unconsciously,
certainly not deliberately by well-meaning people. In addition
to the actual words that are spoken, the tone of voice and body
language can stop communication
Building
Leaders at All Levels
Companies that have a network of leaders throughout
the organization are the ones most likely to thrive.
By Sarah Fister Gale
In an unpredictable economy, companies that have
a network of leaders throughout the organization are the ones
most likely to thrive. Employees who are given the opportunity
to develop leadership skills are more inclined to take responsibility
and feel pride in their work. When they are empowered to make
decisions and be accountable for their actions, potential leaders
take ownership in the success of the company, and often become
superior performers.
“The velocity of business is increasing and the pace of
change has picked up,” says Jim Concelman, manager of
leadership development at the Pittsburgh office of DDI, an employee
selection and development company. An employee’s ability
to make independent decisions is especially critical as products
and customer ectations evolve. In the wake of this change,
the role of leadership is shifting as well, Concelman says.
Front-line employees are ected to lead teams, mid-level managers
are heading up strategic initiatives, and downsized staffs are
ected to take responsibility for more work with less guidance.
These
new opportunities call for more than management skills. They
also require managers to arouse enthusiasm and establish an
environment of respect and dependability, in which employees
are encouraged and ected to contribute their opinions.
Historically,
leadership development has been limited to the cutive team
and the few up-and-coming people who are groomed to replace
them. That was fine in an economy in which the core business
strategy could go unchanged for years and a stable corporate
culture was the mainstay of success. This strategic model is
no longer viable. Today, employees are given leadership titles
and ected to figure out how to handle their new roles, but
aren’t effectively trained. Not surprisingly, they often
flounder. The title “leader” in many organizations
is met with scorn when the person assigned to the role has no
idea how to behave in the new position.
“Offering
leadership training is not just a feel-good issue, it’s
a critical business strategy,” says Will Pilder, senior
vice president of KnowledgePool Americas, a talent-management
company in Nyack, New York. As companies battle for customer
loyalty and new products emerge weekly, employees must have
a developed set of leadership skills to foster the balance between
freedom and reliability.
A
successful leader must be able to communicate, motivate, and
solve problems, Concelman says. But many managers aren’t
getting the necessary support to develop these skills. “Managers
are taught to do things by the book, whereas leaders need to
think of new ways to do things,” he says. “The two
skill sets are somewhat contradictory.”
Jon
Katzenbach, senior partner of Katzenbach Partners LLC, a performance
consulting firm in New York City, adds that leadership is about
more than following a set course. “It’s a mind-set
of adaptive responsiveness.” This quality is particularly
important at the front lines, where performance is directly
linked to a leader’s ability to inspire a team, and a
service rep’s freedom to respond to unique customer needs
can make or break a company’s reputation.
“Everyone
benefits from leadership development,” Pilder says. It
prompts employees to work harder for the company and set more
challenging career-development goals; it teaches managers to
be better coaches to their own direct reports; and it prepares
the entire population to react more effectively to a shifting
workplace environment.
“Leadership
at every level is the only way to infuse an organization with
the values and morale to maintain productivity, even in the
face of change,” Pilder says. It’s also the most
effective succession-planning technique. No longer can you groom
one individual for a specific job; you must have a pool of talented
people who can assume any leadership role when the need arises,
he says. When companies downsize or management positions open,
companies must have the skills and in-house erience to respond
to the change immediately.
Workforce,
October 2002
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As
a follow-up-up to the ALF program, Anritsu has asked
that I be available for private coaching sessions. I
recommend limiting the session to one-hour and prior
to the meeting have a specific agenda, or topic to discuss.
These sessions are private and we can meet at your office
or off-site. Some of your colleagues have taken advantage
of this service to discuss their 360 action plan, ALF
plan, cross-functional issues, etc.
Take advantage of this incredible opportunity to enhance
your leadership skills for *FREE*. Call me or drop
me an e-mail to reserve your coaching session NOW!
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Hottest Workforce
Management Job in 2010?
Which
will be in greater demand: ethics erts or compensation
directors?
Which workforce management
position will be most in demand s years from
now?
- Chief privacy
officer
- VP or director
of recruiting, recruitment marketing or employer
branding
- Chief diversity
officer
- Senior vice
president of human resources or chief workforce
officer or chief talent officer for a nonprofit
or
- Government
- Senior vice
president of human resources or chief workforce
officer or chief talent officer for a corporation
- Senior vice
president of human resources or chief workforce
officer or chief talent officer for a full-service
- Outsourcer (e.g.,
lt, EDS, Ceridian)
- Chief security
officer
- VP or director
of learning
- VP or director
of benefits
- Workforce management
professional with ertise and focus on global
business (e.g., China, India and elsewhere)
- VP of ethics
or corporate governance
- Compensation
director
- VP of labor
relations/union relations
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An Engineering Manager writes
in and would like to know how to handle a high-performance
employee that works p/t and gets paid
f/t. The employee isn't motivated to take on additional
work unless
he gets paid more.
Here's my
opinion. You must immediately sit down and discuss this
with your employee. This is sending the wrong message
to fellow employees. The last time I checked, business
hours were 8 - 5. Secondly, who's managing whom? This
clearly falls under "Spotting a troubled employee
# 8 - early departures."
If this employee
is highly competent at his job, it appears at first
glance that he might need more challenging work. Discuss
his personal job-related goals and also, where does
he want to go with the company. I am also curious how
he works with other employees? Good Luck !
Have
a question you need help with? Send your problem to:
whatdoido@businessbuilders.bz.
Your problem may be featured in n months newsletter!
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