Author: Formium

  • How do you create a virtual coffee machine?

    How do you create a virtual coffee machine?

    Since the pandemic began, many organisations have flagged up their fear of losing the creativity and relationship-building that came from chance encounters. The happenstance conversations that came from making a coffee, waiting for a lift, or getting some water are seen as vital for forging connections within and between teams and sparking novel solutions. And think of all those times when you leave a meeting and then have a great conversation about the issues as you’re walking back to your desks?

    In a fascinating article from back in 2014 a senior Samsung executive states their new office “is really designed to spark not just collaboration but that innovation you see when people collide.”

    So what is happening without this collision? One of the big problems is that the absence may not be felt in the short-term; it is only as we move into the long-term of remote and hybrid working that this lack of connections will impact on creativity, relationships and performance. You’ll see it in greater friction and blame between teams when things go wrong, you’ll notice fewer cross-team solutions and you’ll see teams proposing new ideas that get quickly shot down by other teams.

    So how do you get round this? Our Remote Leadership Mastery course introduces managers to our Creating Collision 3-step process:

    1. Identify the mechanism

    We encourage managers to consider the mechanism that they’re trying to replace, as that will help them choose the right solution.

    Mechanisms that underpin the ‘collision is beneficial’ theory can include:

    • Social bond as a bridge between teams: “I know Alex a bit, so I’ll approach her first about what the sales team are doing on this problem…”
    • Opportunity to answer/raise questions: “…by the way, I’ve been meaning to ask your team about…”
    • Opportunity to gather/offer knowledge: “So what are you up to now…..? Oh, we tried something like that last year and learned….”
    • Opportunity to gain/offer differing perspectives: “But if you try that, it’ll cause problems for the Finance team’s workflow…”
    • Opportunity to suggest enhancements: “Well if you’re thinking of doing that, it would be really helpful for us if you could…?”

    2. Learn from others

    Many organisations have tried differing approaches to this problem, and we always encourage our course participants to share their knowledge and we all learn from each other.

    Some great ideas that we’ve come across include:

    • Virtual coffee machine: An always-open chat room that anyone in the company can enter. Employees are encouraged to take 10-15 minutes coffee breaks just chatting with whoever is there.
    • Chat partners: Employees are assigned a person at random to have a conversation with – using emails, video chat or telephone.
    • Communication champions: Each team member is assigned another team in the organisation and tasked to build up a link.
    • Cross-team projects & activities: Encouraging and actively designing projects, working parties and discussion groups to maximise engagement from across all teams. In the past we’ve seen Diversity working groups, fundraising groups and traditional ‘social committees’ all play a great role in forging connections.

    3. Share leadership

    A top-down solution probably isn’t the best approach. This is an area where you need your team, and all the other teams, to be driving this forward. Your role should be to think about how to get everyone to appreciate the issue, accept responsibility, and give them the freedom and resources to discover and try out some solutions. You’re going to need solutions that fit the organisational and team cultures – but most importantly with individuals.

    So it’s unlikely a single solution will address all the mechanisms that you’re trying to replace. In an office there are multiple opportunities for collision, and you need to replicate this variety when remote or hybrid working.

    Finding the solutions to the lack of collisions is actually a great example of using a project to create new collisions – get teams working together, forging new connections and promoting innovation and creativity!

    Get some help

    Unsurprisingly it is this final element of implementation that proves most difficult for managers and leaders. On Remote Leadership Mastery this is where we spend the most time, discussing in the interactive workshops how to identify the mechanisms you want to address, to assess your organisational and team cultures, to consider which approaches fit best and to develop a strategy for successful implementation.

  • Are you ready for another ‘new normal’ ?

    Are you ready for another ‘new normal’ ?

    A few weeks ago, I heard a business leader referring to life at the moment as the ‘interim normal’ because he didn’t want to accept that this was ‘the new normal.’

    I’ve got some sympathy with this approach – the last year has seen deeper and wider changes in organisations, management and leadership than we’ve seen in any other twelve months. People have endured almost constant change, with plans made one week being totally revised the next.

    Labeling this as an ‘interim normal’ can help people cope – it won’t be like this forever.

    But the danger is going too far the other way – many people seem to think that we’ll all be back in our offices soon, and the ‘old normal’ will return. But it’s clear to me that home-working is here to stay – whether it is full-time, part-time or occasional activity. Organisations and employees are keen to maintain the advantages of home working such as less time commuting, a reduction in expensive office space and access to a wider recruitment pool.

    But let’s not forget that the shift to home working has come at a cost. I’ve seen companies taking a hit on productivity, teamwork, collaboration, morale and innovation. Many of these organisations, leaders and teams seem to be relying on temporary fixes, superhuman effort, adrenaline, desperation and a hope that they can keep treading water until the ‘old normal’ returns.

    But if the ‘old normal’ isn’t coming back, the big question is – how many of the supposedly ‘temporary’ fixes are fit for the long-run of hybrid office-home working?

    My challenge to you is to spend a few minutes thinking ahead, and wondering:

    • What short-term pains are you putting up with, that really can’t become long-term problems?
    • What temporary patch-up job was good enough for crisis management in 2020, but not suitable for steady state operations?
    • Where are you relying on unsustainable effort from individuals rather than well-balanced workloads, skills and expertise?
    • What are your plans for dealing with the problems of increased home-working, such as difficulties with on-boarding new staff, promoting morale and managing performance?​

    I’ve been helping staff from a variety of organisations to adapt to some of these remote leadership challenges, to work smarter and implement new ways of working. So often when we try to address problems we focus on the gaps, on what is missing or working badly. Whilst this is a natural reaction, I’ve seen a real opportunity for leaders, managers and organisations to benefit from a remote leadership and change management approach that focuses on strengths and builds on what is already working.

    The more I’ve heard about these issues with remote leadership, the more I thought about putting together some kind of program that would let me help others using the experience that I’ve had myself.

    So I’m currently developing a series of online workshops and coaching that will help managers and leaders overcome the challenges of remote leadership and put positive leadership in practice.

    To hear more, come along to my Remote Leadership Masterclass – a free 60-minute webinar on Monday 29th March at 1230 BST.

    You’ll learn:

    • A surefire technique for assessing your remote leadership to work out where you’re doing great, and where you could do better.
    • The new risks your organisation face when changing to hybrid working.
    • A different way of thinking about leadership that will help you build an integrated and successful team.
  • Even the little words count – what your communications say about you

    Even the little words count – what your communications say about you

    When lockdown occurred in the UK back in March, businesses and shop keepers posted messages in their windows informing customers of their closure. A simple act, you’d think, without much meaning. But I’d argue that some of the examples I saw on walks around my local streets show that even the smallest communication gives you an opportunity to demonstrate your values, showing that you care for your customers and are acting professionally.

    We’re playing our part: many notices made it clear that they were deciding to take action to protect themselves, their customers and their community – whereas others highlighted they were following government rules to close. The former businesses appeared to be proactive, taking responsibility, and choosing to act for the greater good. The others might have meant that they didn’t want to close, but it didn’t come out like that in their sign.

    If we think about theories of control and power, the businesses who stated it was their choice to close implied they were responding to an intrinsic motivation for action, that they had control over their activities.

    We care about you as customers: obviously this is easier for some businesses – many (but significantly, not all) hair and beauty businesses were able to demonstrate their real reciprocal relationships with their customers, with light-hearted comments about fixing their hair whatever state it would be in post-lockdown, references to the staff team by their first names, etc.

    This was in stark contrast to two national chains (one pub, one coffee shop) who displayed standard printed notices declaring the venue was shut and little else (apart from a warning that no stock was left on the premises). This language and style came over as cold and uncaring.

     

    Keep in touch: a handful of companies emphasised that customers could keep in touch via social media. Again, this is more relevant and effective for certain business sectors, but it really made a difference, helping create a sense of a community, of customers being seen as more than just a source of revenue.

    Reflection

    I appreciate that before lockdown businesses were acting under great pressure and confusion and may have rushed to get this communication done, but the difference in tone and approach between businesses is noteworthy – even when both are in the same industry and same size.

    So my suggestion to you is that you think about all your communications, whether to staff or customers:

    • Use them as an opportunity to display your values, and think about the message written between the lines.
    • Many companies – both office-based and retail – have reported a benefit from communicating more often and trying different communication methods – could you do likewise?
  • People with Purpose

    People with Purpose

    Prior to lockdown I enjoyed a couple of days in Lyme Regis, the English seaside town renowned for its fossils – and the setting for the newly-opened film Ammonite, which tells the fascinating story of Mary Anning, the original 1800s fossil hunter.

    What is amazing about Lyme Regis are not just the fossils embedded in the cliffs but the huge boulders and stones, just lying on the beach, full of ammonites – the traces of sea life from millions of years ago.

    These relics from the past sparked a conversation about what we leave behind, what is frequently referred to as “legacy” – or “the work you are meant to do.” When this concept first started becoming popular in management and leadership studies it seemed to me a little, well, self-important – why should ‘little ole me’ be thinking about my professional and personal legacy in this way?

    But the positive psychology research backs up the value of this thought process – people who act with a purpose are more fulfilled in their activity, get more done and are happier overall. When we reframe what we are doing as part of something bigger, an overall aim or goal, we perform better.

    This is reinforced by the science of strengths – that we are at our best when we are using those skills and aptitudes that we are good at, and that make us feel energised and enthused.

    We’ve seen so many examples of the power of a purpose in recent months as individuals, communities and societies have pulled together for the greater good.

    While the legacy we leave after us, in our jobs, our communities or friendships, may not be visible or held in memory for long – and definitely not in comparison with an ammonite – I recommend you spend some time thinking about your purpose:

    Ask yourself:

    • What is it that you are great at? How can you do more of this?
    • What drives you? Think about what underlies your decisions, how you choose to spend your time. What are the things you really care about?
    • What energises you? What are those activities that you can totally lose yourself in?
    • In your roles – professional, personal and community – is there an underlying theme in what you do, how you do it and what you are interested in?
    • Looking back in 20 years’ time, what will you want to have achieved? What will it look and feel like?
    • Or look back – what have been the things you think you were particularly praised for?

    If you want to look deeper, one of the best things I can recommend is working with a coach to help you identify your purpose, and work out how to engage it throughout all aspects of your life. Contact us for more details or click here for more information about coaching.

  • Change under pressure – 10 lessons from the NHS response to Covid-19

    Change under pressure – 10 lessons from the NHS response to Covid-19

    We’ve all heard inspiring tales of resourcefulness and innovation in the face of Covid-19, from people, communities, companies and institutions across the globe. I found this recent report, Providers Deliver, from the UK’s National Health Service to be a fascinating selection of how local hospitals and health teams, working with their staff and partnerships, have managed to successfully change under pressure.

    Here are the 10 key lessons that I’ve identified in the report:

    Have a clear goal – the Countess of Chester hospital introduced a revolutionary whole-hospital rota to maximise use of their resources. Darren Kilroy, executive medical director, stated this was designed to ensure “everyone would be focused around one common goal” of helping meet the needs of Covid-19 patients.

    When faced with so many competing issues, having a single clear goal makes it easier for people across roles, teams and departments to accept the need for change, and fully embrace a new way of working. Darren considered the single aim had a major impact: “people learned new skills, and as it got going the junior staff enjoyed being part of it because they were dealing with something very real and making a difference. It became a really enjoyable roster to be involved in as everyone was really engaged.”

    Have clear parameters – in the press we sadly saw many stories where a company tried to help out but were impacted by the rigorous demands of medical or regulatory requirements. Understanding the constraints is vital to achieving effective change. It is notable that the provision of PPE in Northumbria and the repurposing of the sleep apnoea machine in Leeds were undertaken with close attention to these quality standards.

    Find and work with partners – the only silver lining in the tragedy of the early months of coronavirus was seeing how individuals, communities and companies rallied round, trying to do their bit to help.

    Faced with a shortage of quality PPE, Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust developed an eye-catching solution – working with a PPE manufacturing consultant to establish its own network of textile manufacturers. Eventually the partnership has set up a bespoke factory, generating jobs and providing PPE for regional customers.

    London Ambulance Service NHS Trust took an radical approach to partnership working: firstly 170 mechanics from the Automobile Association supported them to keep all their ambulances on the road, reconditioned 50 newly-sourced second-hand vehicles and refitted some non-emergency transport vehicles.

    But it wasn’t just about the vehicles, a creative approach was needed for staffing. Chief executive Garrett Emerson explained: “I then had a conversation with the commissioner of fire services about using firefighters to work alongside our clinicians and increase the numbers of ambulances we could deploy in London. We just agreed to get on with it and make it happen.”

    This is another newly-forged partnership that will have long-term benefits: as Garrett Emerson comments, they hope “to keep a small number of firefighters on a rotational basis continually within the service, keeping their skills up with the ability to stretch to larger numbers in the event of pressures.”

    Value your people – “to influence and drive change, [your staff] have to be well cared for” – Patrick Scott, Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust.
    It’s like that old saying, ‘treat your employees like they can make a difference and they will’. The report highlights that it’s not just about basic welfare in a hazardous and stressful situation, it is also about really listening, communicating proactively and giving employees responsibility and authority to make changes.

    Give people space to innovate – many of the examples show what people can do when tasked with solving a specific problem, within clear operational parameters, and outside of usual protocols/constraints for e.g. funding, staffing or governance. The advice from Julian Hartley, chief executive at Leeds Teaching Hospitals is telling: “You don’t micromanage or try to second guess everything. If you have the necessary cultural ecosystem, the set of relationships feeding off one another, and technology and innovation in one branch of medicine, it can cross-fertilise very quickly into another.”

    Break the silo – so often when I’m working with large institutions, I’m asked about breaking down boundaries, so it is fascinating that most of these examples show how a crisis can spark people working across traditional divides.

    In Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust staff developed a new multi-agency mental health service to reduce pressure on A&E. Saskya Falope, manager of this new mental health urgent care hub stated “It has allowed us to think differently about how we use our resources and has allowed partnerships to really come together, using everybody’s expertise rather than working in silos.” And this working across boundaries has positive results – “Working with colleagues in social care, housing and acute trusts, gets patients the right care that they need rather than the fallback always being A&E in an acute hospital.”

    Reflecting on the Countess of Chester hospital’s new whole-hospital rota, Darren Kilroy stated: “there’s been a much more cohesive sense of shared understanding across traditionally quite disparate groups of staff, and there’s a much clearer understanding of how a hospital has to work together to get the job done”.

    Use your existing resources better – focusing on what you have rather than what you haven’t is a great way of thinking differently about a problem. This was exemplified by the staff at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust who took their stock of an obsolete sleep apnoea machine and worked with the mechanical engineering department of University of Leeds to repurpose it to make up for a shortfall in ventilators.

    This is not just a local success story though – by continuing their research, the University has designed a device that is sufficiently cheap and quick to manufacture that it could help lower-income countries across the world.

    Ask your end-users – for a change to be really effective, engaging the people who use the service can reap rewards. When setting up the mental health support hub in Leicestershire, the manager Saskya Falope said they “started collecting patient feedback and ideas from very early on…we asked patients what do you like or not like about A&E? How can we do it differently?” Asking such open questions can generate unexpected insights, such as changing the bright lighting usually found in A&E to something more soothing.

    Bring your people with you – The University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust innovated by installing temperature scanners at access points, aiming to reassure the public that the hospital was still safe for patients with non-covid health issues. To ensure it would be successful it was piloted in an administrative area, and thought was given how to get the staff on board – as Tracy Bullock, chief executive commented: “Making sure you’ve got the right engagement with the staff and making sure you’ve got their buy in and they understand the standard operating procedure that runs alongside it is essential… it’s getting your comms right.”

    Staff at the Countess of Chester hospital knew a change to a radically new way of working rota could be problematic, so prepared the ground carefully, as Darren Kilroy explains: “quite a few weeks of engagement, sharing with the juniors what the roster would look like, undertaking the comms that would inform how this would work, and making sure it was attractive to those members of staff who were going to work on this roster who weren’t used to dealing with patients of this kind”.

    Don’t be afraid to change – a highly-regulated sector such as healthcare can discourage the risk-taking that is inherent in change, but the teams in this report were able to harness the compelling purpose and unprecedented situation. Tracy Bullock at University Hospitals North Midlands sums this up: “We were definitely a bit nervous at first, because we knew no one else in the NHS had done this before. But there was something about just biting the bullet. It’s intuitive, if it goes right and you think it’s going to help, you have to just go with it. That was the key bit of learning for me.”

    Reflection

    What I really value in this report is the range of changes: from smaller-scale and temporary solutions to those with long-term and even global benefits. The report reinforces that the ability to change under pressure is underpinned by the organisational culture and individual skills, abilities, relationships and experience.

    I know for many people and businesses this is a desperate time without any upside, and my heart goes out to you – I don’t want to minimise your situation. But I am fascinated by how some organisations have been able to change under pressure, so my question is: how have you changed the way you work, and how is it having benefits for you, your customers and community?

     

    Picture credit: Edgar Soto on Unsplash

  • Ensuring performance improvement: a review of Learning Transfer at Work by Paul Matthews

    Ensuring performance improvement: a review of Learning Transfer at Work by Paul Matthews

    How do you ensure that learning and development activities generate the performance change you want? This question is at the heart of Paul Matthews’ readable and engaging book. A strength of the book is that the messages are equally appropriate for line managers supporting their team members to develop as they are for L&D professionals wanting to improve their value to the organisation.

    Paul Matthews gets to the heart of the matter – how do you ensure that learning is enacted in the workplace, and that this change in meaningful, lasting and effective? From this flow a range of other questions and ideas, with a common theme of learning and development as part of a workflow, in which a formal training workshop is one of many elements. This requires a strong and active partnership between staff member, line manager and L&D team throughout the learning intervention.

    The author adopts an unusual structure, the first 90 pages covering the theory and ideas in a traditional structure. He challenges why learning transfer activity is not undertaken, and explores elements of learning theory and behaviour change, including how memories form and how behaviours are triggered and adapted.

    The second 130 pages are structured as bullet points and short paragraphs – asking direct questions, providing external examples/contributions and presenting previously established ideas in a different format. This theory first, application/engagement second approach mirrors the flipped classroom approach he espouses.

    Key messages addressed include:

    Is training the right answer?

    Paul argues the importance of ‘performance consultancy’ – ensuring that all other opportunities to improve performance have been explored, and that the business benefits and sought outcomes are clearly articulated before a L&D solution is commissioned.

    You need a coalition

    To ensure successful behaviour change and performance improvement you need the involvement of line and senior managers before, during and after the intervention. You need to support and develop an organisational/team culture that supports development, mentorship and invests time in learning transfer activities such as coaching, reflection, on-the-job practice. You can gain buy-in through clarity around the exact business improvements that the programme will generate.

    It is a 4-day programme, not a workshop plus pre/post work

    Each workflow element is important and necessary in its own right, not an optional extra to the workshop. This message is as important for line managers as for the participants as it sets out the expectations that they will need to be involved in designing/supporting activities to embed the learning in the workplace, such as practising the new skills/behaviours in a safe setting.

    Begin with the end in mind

    What is the sought outcome of the learning activity? How will you know it has been successful? Paul Matthews challenges the attitude that successful L&D delivery is a well-attended workshop with positive feedback sheets, instead arguing that measurement of outcomes in terms of participant behaviour and business impact is fundamental to proving intervention effectiveness, as well as return on investment and value for the organisation.

    Workshop attendance does not equal behaviour change

    Exploration of how we learn, how we respond to triggers and form new habits is fundamental to designing a programme to generate the sought business outcomes. The exploration of Dr Ina Weinbauer-Heidel’s 12 Levers of Transfer Effectiveness provides readers with a clear framework to consider how far their L&D interventions support learning transfer.

    Paul Matthews’ selection and effective presentation of fascinating insights from a wide range of psychology and neuroscience research is at the heart of this book, and provides practitioners with a range of mechanisms to ensure that learning is embedded and enacted in the world outside the classroom.

    Buy the book from Amazon UK or Amazon USA

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  • It’s good to talk…

    It’s good to talk…

    “Meetings are the bane of everyone’s life. No-one likes meetings. Nothing ever gets done”

    This appears to be the mantra of many a corporate warrior, and it is always interesting to see how different companies and industries try to break this view. So I particularly enjoyed an article in The Guardian newspaper about team meetings and the weird and wonderful ideas that are being used to keep them relevant and on-track.

    While some of these ideas look like they could only really exist in Silicon Valley, there is a consistent message – how do you make your meetings productive, relevant, engaging and on-time? And while this question has been kicking around forever – probably since the first cave-people sat down to work out how they were going to kill a woolly mammoth – it is even more relevant in today’s world of remote teams, flexible work patterns, video and phone conferences.

    I do a lot of work helping teams with their performance, and in my career have sat through my fair share of meetings. I will share with you my simple formula for successful meetings – plan,clarify, facilitate, support.

    1. Plan

    Whether you’re leading the meeting or not, time spent planning pays dividends. What are you going to get out of the meeting? Are you going to share information, for ideas, for decisions, to build team spirit, or to observe your team’s performance? What do you need to make it run smoothly? Who needs to be there and what role will each participant play?

    2. Clarify

    Make sure you and everyone in the meeting knows the purpose:

    • Why are we here? What is the purpose of the meeting as a whole, and each of the items on the agenda? Make sure everyone knows what is going on – having clear goals gives you structure, keeps everyone on track, and stops people going off on cross-purposes.
    • Why am I here? So often people switch off because they don’t think what is being discussed is relevant to them, or they don’t see the bigger picture. Take time to ensure each item is presented so that everyone feels involved and buys into the conversation.

    3. Facilitate, don’t dictate

    It is a team meeting, not your meeting. If you take more of a back seat you can encourage:

    • Ownership and personal development by having your team members take ‘meeting management’ roles such as chairing the meeting, time keeping or taking minutes.
    • Accountability by having the focus of the meeting on team members reporting back on their performance, on the agenda items, on their issues.
    • Group accountability by encouraging all members to ask questions of each other. A team meeting is not a series of conversations between you and your team members.

    4. Support each other

    You might need first to do some team building or thinking about how to structure the meeting for this to work, especially if you have a really competitive team! Think about how you can build the meeting around getting support from:

    • You as the team leader
    • Each other
    • The organisation (e.g. training or feeding upwards on changes to policy / practice)

    Focusing on support in this way helps you keep the meeting focused on positive solutions, not complaints and negativity.

    The missing factors

    There’s also another really important point that I think some of the ideas and attitudes in the article are missing. They focus so much on ensuring the meeting is not wasting time, there is a risk that this is overplayed to the detriment of social interaction. Especially with dispersed teams or infrequent meetings, don’t neglect the social side.

    What could you do to help your team members get to know and trust each other?

    • Always be in the room 5 minutes early to have a quick chat
    • Occasionally add in a team building exercise: quick quiz, craft challenge, presentation from each member on a non-work topic.

    And it’s not just a loss of social interaction. If project team meetings adopt the extreme position of ‘leave if it is not relevant to you’ you miss out the chance for innovative thinking or learning from each other. Or your meeting could come up with a great idea which falls apart immediately another department looks at it.

    Help is at hand

    If you want to know more about developing teams, I’m leading a session hosted by the Chartered Management Institute in London, on 19th November. I’ll share the techniques, models and ideas that I’ve used to help managers build high-performing teams. You don’t have to be a CMI member to attend, just follow the link: Developing Successful Teams

    For an engaging and practical guide on team effectiveness and collaboration, I’d recommend starting with Patrick Lencioni’s Overcoming the Five Dysfunctions of a Team [Amazon UK affiliate link]

    If you want bespoke help on effective team meetings and building strong teams, then click here to see how you can work with me and the coaches and facilitators at Formium Development.

    FREE STUFF !

    Our Positive Team Meeting checklist has really helpful guidance that is easy-to-use and practical.

    If you’re interested in team building, then check out our 10 Actions to build a strong team – top tips for helping you use a strengths approach to build better teams.

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  • Avoiding the stuffed anteater: striving for authenticity

    Avoiding the stuffed anteater: striving for authenticity

    In recent times we’ve grown used to the idea of ‘fake news’ and doctored photos, and even been warned about technological advances enabling ‘fake video’ – but the story a while ago of a photographer accused of using a stuffed anteater in a competition entry was sadly amusing. It was followed up by a couple of articles about the cheats regularly used in wildlife photography… like the bizarre practice of putting ants in the freezer. And all this is in contrast to – and possibly the reason for – the demand for authenticity that is current in brands, politics and a host of leadership and management books (and a fair few blog posts, too).

    And this poses a dilemma for many people. We’re pretty good at looking at other people and weighing up how authentic they are. But how do you ensure that you’re being authentic, and not inadvertently being, to paraphrase Holden Caulfield, a phony? How do we remain authentic whilst operating within the parameters of corporate polices, or when the responsibilities of our role means we have to step away from our usual habits? I’m thinking about those disciplinary meetings, difficult conversations, and other situations where as a manager you might have to act in a certain way that doesn’t come naturally – ‘feeling the fear and doing it anyway’ as Susan Jeffers said.

    In short, as managers and leaders we don’t always act naturally, but we should always act authentically. One of the ways in which I help leaders to do this is through using your strength, not just those things you are good at, but which energise and fulfill you. This is the key difference between strengths and skills (your ability to do something well). If you are using your strengths you will be ‘going with the grain’ – by working with what comes naturally to you, you will be authentic.

    You might ask what does this mean in practice? If I have strengths of Perspective, Hope or Prudence, how is that going to get me through a team meeting, or performance review? In his recent interview with me for People and Purpose – the Positive Leadership Journal, Ryan Niemiec of the VIA institute described how you can look at each task you have to complete from the position of your top five signature strengths, and planning out how you could actively use your strengths as you complete your tasks. Here’s a very basic example of using Curiosity and Kindness strengths:

    The great thing about using strengths is for those situations where you are less confident, where you have to step outside of your comfort zone. Sit down and plan ahead – how can I use what I’m good at to help me in this situation. This means that you will be authentic even if you are having to ‘play a role’ of manager.

    The other thing you can do is work with the strengths of your team. If you’re getting them to align what they do with their strengths, then they will experience that sense of fulfillment for themselves. So not just increasing productivity, but reducing the likelihood that you’ll come in one day and find they’ve used a stuffed anteater…

     

    Here’s some further things you can do:

     

    Watch

    See Ryan Niemiec’s interview in People and Purpose – the Positive Leadership Journal for more about how you can harness strengths.

    There’s a video and we’ve also written up a summary to help you.

     

     

     

    Read

    For practical information and guidance about helping your team find and harness their strengths, we’d recommend the Strength-Focused Guide to Leadership by Mike Roarty and Kathy Toogood.

    You can read the summary of the key ideas on our website to see if you’d like it.

     

     

    Investigate

    If you want help in finding your strengths, there are a number of different tools available, which use a series of questions to identify your relative strengths.

    To simplify thing, we’ve summarised five of these tools: Investigate strengths models

     

     

     

     

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  • Levelling the Playing Field

    Levelling the Playing Field

    My eye was caught some time ago by an article in The Atlantic lauding tech company Slack for its diversity. In a sector that is traditionally white and male they have reached unprecedented levels of female and ethnic staff members. This is good news; all research studies show that more diverse workforces have better performance and innovation, and any steps in the right direction should be applauded. But I was surprised to see that many of their ground-breaking solutions were techniques that anyone in the UK public sector for the last 20 years would have recognised. Yes, Slack had discovered the benefits of competencies, levelling the playing field (e.g. anonymous code review), asking candidates the same questions and providing training for their interviewers.

    The article is also interesting because it repositions these known techniques within the new language and thinking on unconscious bias. As a trainer I’ve gone from delivering courses on “Equal Opportunities” to “Diversity”, “Diversity and Inclusion” and now “Unconscious Bias”, reflecting the development of ideas and theories. I remember that the reaction of many participants to courses on “Equal opportunities” was on the lines of ‘I’m not a racist – so everything’s already okay’ or discussion about myths of political correctness such as town councils ‘replacing’ Christmas with Winterval.

    The reactions I get nowadays from course participants on Unconscious Bias is a lot more thoughtful. People are really interested that despite their intention to be non-discriminatory, they have complex and varied assumptions that they may not be aware of. The brain’s use of heuristics and short-cuts has received a lot more attention in recent years, popularised by writers such as Daniel Kahneman. The training I deliver nowadays focuses on learning how to respond, not to react – slowing down so that our rational System 2 thinking can kick in and take over from our System 1 emotional responses. It is about tapping into reality, not your own baggage and preconceptions.

    So ideas such as asking everyone the same interview questions, or using anonymous assessments can now be seen in a new light. Previously it was about levelling the playing field to avoid active discrimination – now it is about using a level playing field to prevent our unconscious biases from coming into effect.

    For more reading and thinking…

    Thinking Fast and Slow [Amazon UK affiliate link]

    If you want to know more about the science behind unconscious bias, then this really is the best place to start. Daniel Kahneman’s 2012 book is a fascinating introduction into System 1 and System 2 thinking, the mental shortcuts we take, and how we are more influenced by unconscious thinking than we would like to admit.

     

    Gold Standard Recruitment & Selection

    For tools and methods to ensure fair recruitment, there is a great article by diversity specialist Fiona McPhail in People and Purpose – the Positive Leadership journal. Fiona takes you through the recruitment process, building in fairness and equality all the way.

     

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  • 5 of the best… Strengths Tools

    5 of the best… Strengths Tools

    If you want to find out your strengths, your best bet is to use one of these five strength assessment tools. They differ greatly in the number/categories of strengths, what you get for your money, and options for follow-up work, such as bespoke development programmes. We think that each assessment has value and can appeal to a different audience, so spend some time on their websites to make sure you choose the right one for your needs.

    Information is accurate at time of press (summer 2018), but the models and the reports offered continue to be refined.

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Finding your strengths is the first step to accessing the enhanced performance, motivation, engagement and commitment that comes when you are harnessing your strengths in your work and life. At Formium Development we can help you with all aspects of finding and harnessing your strengths, through training, coaching and assistance. If you’d like our help, please get in touch.

     

     

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  • Appreciative Inquiry: Strength-based organisational influence

    Appreciative Inquiry: Strength-based organisational influence

    We’ve all been there. You are tasked with delivering a significant change to processes, products or ways of working. Before you even start you are told by colleagues or staff that this will never happen, it’s impossible to do and all you feel is push-back.

    Leading change can feel like pushing a boulder up a hill with the risk that it will roll right back down at any moment.

    I’m sure this sounds familiar, as it is derived from two commonplace issues – that people often fear change and resist it, and that most organisations introduce changes by focussing on existing problems and shortcomings, such as John Kotter’s famous ‘melting iceberg’.

    But what comes of this approach? A negative atmosphere as everyone tries to dodge responsibility, and you impose a top-down change that will hopefully fix the problem. And how many times do you fix one problem only to find that you’ve now created another? Or find that people resist adopting your solution at all?

    If you think about how we apply the idea of strengths for a person – that you can deliver better change and growth by harnessing strengths rather than focussing on weaknesses – then you can imagine there is a similar approach for teams and organisations.

    Appreciative Inquiry (AI) is that approach – it focuses on finding out what already works, and how to leverage those successes and strengths. It is a collaborative approach, because unless you have everyone involved, you can’t effectively incorporate the multiplicity of perspectives. By co-creating a vision as well as the approach together, you’ll reduce resistance to change and have a more effective and lasting solution.

    The theory and research underpinning Appreciative Inquiry (AI) is extensive, as is the track record of AI being used effectively in a whole host of settings across industries, countries and sectors.

    The Appreciative Inquiry process starts with a positively stated topic choice or inquiry question, such as: “How can we deliver maximum value for our customers within our existing resources?” or “Creating innovation through collaboration with other departments or organisations” or “Becoming a high performing and fun team.” Its power comes from the combination of focusing on what works and approaching changes with an open, enquiring mind.

    The AI process then uses a simple 4D model to address the topic – Discover – Dream – Design – Deliver

    This may not seem that different from a range of other such models, until you look at what happens in each phase.

    Traditionally managers would use root cause analysis to try and understand problems. In Appreciative Inquiry, this phase is about looking positively at what is already working, helping us identify the key ingredients of success for this team or organisation. It embraces the positive traditions and stories that they have about themselves.

    Looking at existing success helps engagement and creativity and generates confidence for the next stage. You may find those existing examples of collaboration or of innovation that can act as the template for wider improvements.

    Rather than the narrow focus on solving problems with the minimum effort in the minimum time, this visioning phase is about using the positivity so everyone feels safe in challenging the status quo, in thinking about the big picture, and creating a vision that reaches into the future.

    We ask questions like “How does our version of excellence on a budget look, and crucially why does it matter?”

    When you’re grounded in what’s worked, and because you’re involving everyone, you can build a compelling dream that generates commitment to action.

    The Appreciative Inquiry approach is to focus on bridging the gap to your dream, while making sure there is alignment with values, strategy, structures and processes.

    Co-creation means working with all involved, which ensures that you don’t ‘rob Peter to pay Paul,’ and generates crucial buy-in and joint-ownership of change.

    This stage is when you work together to translate the vision into action plans and share roles and responsibilities in making it happen.

    You’ll need to maintain the momentum – keep talking together, challenging each other, reaffirming commitment to change.

    Agree how you will hold each participant accountable for delivering their commitments, but don’t fall back into negativity and top-down power.

    Reflect back on what you’ve learned about the traditions and stories people tell about themselves, and use them to overcome any obstacles. Continue to celebrate successes.

    Appreciative Inquiry is effective

    As an external facilitator who has used an Appreciative Inquiry approach with many teams, I can tell you that it works. So many top-down change programmes fail because of the fear, resistance or lack of ownership. With AI, that initial focus on ‘what works already’ gives people security, helps them understand that their particular perspective is valued. This enables them to be creative, to see the big picture and to consider what they individually need to do for the team to reach their compelling vision.

    While Appreciative Inquiry works exceptionally well on large-scale change or organisational development programmes, it is not just about externally-driven change or solving specific challenges. Some of my best experiences have been using AI approaches in team away-days to help them reflect, define their own vision and agree how they will act differently in the future, all based on what they were already great at.

    Many of my clients use an external facilitator because it helps create a level playing field for all participants, and because we can more easily ask the big questions and identify the ‘we’ve always done it like that’ assumptions. But any manager can learn how to use an AI approach – there’s a wealth of accessible resources to help you – books, websites, videos, webinars.

    Eszter Molnar Mills is a strength-based leadership and organisation development specialist.

    She helps organisations and individuals reach enhanced performance by reflecting on what works, and by developing skills and strategies for improvement.

    Through Formium Development, Eszter supports organisations, teams and individuals through consultancy, executive and team coaching, and facilitation.

    If you’d like help or advice on implementing the Appreciative Inquiry approach, then please get in touch.

     

     

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  • Review: The Strengths-Focused Guide to Leadership

    Review: The Strengths-Focused Guide to Leadership

    If you want a practical manual to understanding how to harness strengths, for you and your team, this book is a great place to start, as it:

    • introduces the key concepts of strengths
      • provides the research base for more inquisitive readers
      • illustrates with narratives
    • prompts you with a range of exercises and action points
    • explains how to weave strengths into your practice as a leader.

     

    What really sets this book apart is the emphasis on practicality. Numerous exercises help you engage with the ideas. There are questions, forms and questionnaires for you to use. The book looks at embedding strengths in all your work, including coaching, team meetings, recruitment and appraisals. So even if you know the value of using strengths, this is still a worthwhile read.

    A further great feature is the use of dialogues, showing the ideas in action (e.g. a coaching session transcript) or as two alternative ‘scripts’ – one using strengths, the other weakness. These stories keep you grounded in reality.

     

    The whys, whats and hows of using strengths

    The authors define strengths as something that:

    They show the advantage of working with strengths: that you are doing more of what you are best at. They set out the alignment between using strengths and increased sense of authenticity and purpose, increasing satisfaction and engagement. This naturally leads into a more productive cycle, with faster and better results.

    For any readers averse to leaving a weakness-focussed approach, the authors provide both the evidence for focussing on strengths, and also how to address weaknesses with a positive mindset.

     

    The MORE model

     

    My strengths: To identify your own strengths, the authors offer five different methods: strength spotting, weakness spotting, a 5 steps strengths map, 360 degree feedback and online strengths assessments. They provide the exercises, questions and examples to help you through whichever of these methods you prefer to use.

    Roarty and Toogood suggest 8 ways to develop your strengths:

     

    They also provide 6 ways to manage your weaknesses. To align your goals and strengths, they suggest usual SMART objectives should rather be SMARTIE – adding Important and Energising.

    Others’ strengths: The book suggests approaches to introduce strengths as a concept and to support your team in identifying their strengths.

    Regular conversations: To embed strengths into daily practice, the authors provide checklists and questions which embody the three principles that will help you develop a strengths mindset:

    • start with an outcome focus
    • focus on what’s working
    • manage weakness from strength

    They advise how to use this mindset in one-to-one conversations, development planning, team meetings and coaching: interventions where a strengths-focus has great rewards.

    Employee processes: Roarty and Toogood provide specific advice for a strength-based approach for performance appraisals, development discussions and recruitment. Particularly interesting is their approach for adapting to institutional reality: that while you may be required to use certain forms, competencies or expected approaches, you can still use a strengths mindset and techniques to provide a better outcome.

    Leadership and teams

    The book ends by providing the advice, evidence and resources to use strengths in two key challenges: creating a high-performing team, and in leading change. While specific examples are given, the advice reflects the key messages delivered previously, as detailed above.

     

    You can buy The Strengths-focused guide to leadership, by Mike Roarty and Kathy Toogood, on Amazon UK or Amazon USA

     

     

    Eszter Molnar Mills is a strength-based leadership and organisation development specialist.

    She helps organisations and individuals reach enhanced performance by reflecting on what works, and by developing skills and strategies for improvement.

    If you’d like help or advice on using strengths – such as implementing the MORE model, helping you find or use your strengths, or adopt a coaching approach, then please get in touch.

     

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