Getting Leadership Development to Stick!

It was over dinner with some friends... we were talking about the latest techniques and approaches in delivering leadership programs that I was confronted with an uncomfortable truth - lots of leadership development just doesn't stick!

 

The conversation was really interesting. We talked about things we could do whilst facilitating... techniques for creating the perfect environment for participants to be able to have transformative experiences were discussed - things like matching the environment to the mood being created, using the latest brain science to support unique learning experiences, and so on. An aspirational and inspiring conversation.

Why doesn't it always stick?

From programs I've been involved in (either as participant, program manager, or facilitator), it's difficult to 'hand on heart' say there has always been consistently long-term, sustained transformation in leadership culture.

I've been in the room for many sessions that have clearly provided transformational experiences for participants. My assertion is that the reason the 'transformational experience' doesn't translate to 'long-term transformational change' is because participants are faced with too many culture barriers to take the experience in the room back to work. 

You hear a lot of "hope they don’t try that new xyz leadership theory on me...", "the boss has been to a 'love in', so expect some attempts to try new stuff, but it won't last long", etc.

Getting sticky!

We all know that if you want a new behaviour to become a habit, it takes practice. When we train team members in a new task, it is best practice to give them coaching and opportunities to use the new skill in the workplace - see 70:20:10 below.

It makes sense to me that we give leaders the same opportunity to engage in ongoing coaching and workplace practice to set new practices into habits. My experience is that leaders are sent back into the workplace and expected to run with the new insights with little support and against an existing culture that can be tough to break through.

When I think about supporting leaders, Kotter's 8 steps to leading change model works pretty well in this case. The facilitated session that gets people emotional and pumped up about making change to their leadership practice is just like step 1 of Kotter's model - Establish a Sense of Urgency... Often referred to as a 'burning platform'. It's the spark that lights the flame!

For sustained transformation in the leadership practices within an organisation, we need to consider how we keep the flame burning. The other 7 steps of Kotter's model need to be incorporated back at work. A couple of examples I can think of:

• Forming peer to peer learning groups that can work as coalitions - incorporating online tools such as Yammer, forums, etc. to ensure that time and distance don't become barriers. Accountability for this needs to be built into the program.
• Coaching leaders to build a vision of what leadership looks like in their organisation - ensuring that it is aligned to strategic goals and values of the organisation and includes their people - ie. it supports the existing culture to move forward.
• Providing tools and skills for leaders to bring their people along the journey - whether it's through communicating the vision of leadership, teaching back the techniques that got them fired up in the session in the first place, empowering their people to practice the techniques in their own leadership practice, etc.
• Ensure that the leadership development program isn't just a 'one hit wonder'. Make sure that there are ongoing sessions (online or in person) where participants can continue to check in on their progress and re-experience a taste of the original session that lit the spark!
• Budget for annual reviews on leadership performance against the benchmarks of the program - success should look like the objectives of the initial program in action - sustained and refined on a continual basis.
• Make sure that the feeling that motivated the initial burning platform is spread far and wide in the organisation – see John Stepper's work on 'Working Out Loud'

As I drove home from dinner that night, all I could think was that after the spark has been lit and there's a burning platform for transformational change across an entire organisation, the most innovative thing that I can do is to start disrupting the way that we bring leaders back in to the business! I think it starts with being an unreasonable friend to sponsors and stakeholders to take true ownership of sustained leadership practice.

If you want to make change stick at your organisation connect with me at www.remarkablelearningsolutions.com

Remarkable Teams Keep Working At It!

I'm a footy fan - AFL is my code. In particular, I'm a Hawthorn fan. I've had a pretty good run of it over the years. The love affair started in 1986 as a 9 year old kid growing up in Canberra, a land where the rugby codes ruled supreme in the 80's. It was the first time I really watched a grand final on TV and sure enough 1986 was a Hawthorn premiership year. I've been supporting the brown and gold ever since and they've rewarded me with 6 more premierships since then, so not a bad bunch to hitch my wagon to!

Ok, enough indulgence, the point of my message comes down to recent updates in my twitter feed showing photos and video of my mighty hawks already back at pre-season training - trying to get better for another crack at a premiership in 2015. Sure all teams are doing that at this time of the year. The thing that gets me thinking is how sporting teams don't stop trying to improve. 

The hawks are coming off just winning back-to-back premierships. They've been the best team for the last two years (and they came runner-up the year before that too), but they don't rest on achievements of the past. Across the organisation they seek improvement and innovation. It's during this time of the year that coaching and football department staff go on study tours to learn from the best overseas, players go on camps to ensure they have the connections with their team mates that is required for remarkable performances. The pursuit of high performance in elite sport is relentless and impressive.

What about in business? Sometimes when we get to the top of the tree in a particular discipline, or achieve market dominance it can be easy to bask in the mastery or achievement. The challenge is to continue trying to improve. Continue engaging in professional development, keeping your team 'match-fit' and ready to take up the next challenge.

So, as many of us take some time out to reflect on the achievements of 2014, what are you doing to stay on top in 2015? Is your team pulling in the same direction? Do they know the direction? Are your leaders connected into the game plan?

Business and sport aren't so different. Click on this link to connect with me directly if you'd like to keep getting better and start your team's pre-season training for 2015!

VUCA in the Context of Adaptive Leadership

VUCA as an acronym for Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity is a really good starting point for thinking about the environment that many businesses operate in, and ultimately seek to thrive in.

A couple of acknowledgements. Firstly an article in HBR by Nathan Bennett and James Lemoine for helping me understand the need to look at each element for it's unique challenges rather than looking at all 4 elements as something that can be solved for with just one type of intervention.

Secondly, to Jon Mertz from Thin Difference who eloquently describes the adaptive approach that leaders need to take in the face of each of the elements of VUCA using approaches that include:

• In times of Volatility - be a RELIABLE leader
• In times of Uncertainty - be a TRUSTWORTHY leader
• In times of Complexity - be a DIRECT leader
• In times of Ambiguity - be an UNDERSTANDABLE leader

Jon has also arranged these into a 2x2 matrix working along a 'speaking/listening' axis and a 'philosophy/values' axis with more detailed descriptions - worth having a read if you're interested to get more into it!

Reading up on VUCA has helped me think about the value of taking an adaptive approach to leadership. It's an acceptance that in business we face many threats. Some are known, some emerging, and some we can look forward to in the future. As a leader, the ability to maintain presence and mindfulness will always stand you in good stead to make decisions in an adaptive way when facing into each of the VUCA elements. Essentially, helping your business thrive in a sustainable way!