Toolkit
If you are a first time leader of people, or a first time general manager, and you are wondering where to put your efforts as a leader, we developed this simple self-review template for you. The critical success factors for each table are derived from literature we reviewed, the good practice in PIF reviews and the filmed interviews we completed.
Leadership and Governance
Critical Success Factors / Yes? / No? / What can I do?Clarity and galvanising power of strategy and purpose
Staff see the Board, CE and SLT as joined up and as reflecting strategy and purpose in daily behaviour and decision-making
A dynamic strategic narrative is present, rigorous and frequently discussed. The strategy is ‘alive’ and inclusive
Stories are used to illustrate strategy, purpose and what success will look like through the organisation but especially from first line managers to the front line
Leaders bring the voice of customers/end users/stakeholders to the strategic narrative
The strategy and purpose are used to discriminate and prioritise. They simplify the world and things get stopped because of them
The Board and CE can describe strategy in the context of the wider system
Board, managers and staff can all consistently describe how they make a difference to NewZealanders
The CE and SLT model substance and results over process and rules
Staff do not give an internal answer to the question: ‘what is the biggest risk to strategy execution?’
Values, Behaviour and Culture
Critical Success Factors / Yes? / No? / What can I do?Culture is a matter of conscious design, rather than left to chance
Board, CE and SLT model the values and behaviours required in day to day actions
Leaders show 100% belief in agency purpose
Leaders cultivate a culture of candour by admitting their mistakes and sharing real information
The culture has been shaped by the needs of customers and stakeholders
Culture is actively monitored, measured and reported on
Leaders work with the strengths of the existing culture and pick their battles – focusing culture change on a few key things
Values and behaviours are a key aspect of performance management
There are many organisational stories about culture and values
Leadership and Workforce Development
Critical Success Factors / Yes? / No? / What can I do?Leadership development is nuanced, rather than undifferentiated
The workforce is viewed as a strategic asset and invested in accordingly
Workforce strategy strongly reflects organisational strategy and is owned at SLT level
There is granular and dynamic workforce information and analytics
Talent management is normalised and embedded
The compact between employer and employee is explicit and reflects modern approaches to workforce value
Creating value in staff is seen as adding value to the service, not just the agency
Management of People Performance
Critical Success Factors / Yes? / No? / What can I do?The judgements applied in the performance management system are tightly aligned to key strategic objectives
Performance conversations are frequent, authentic, normalised and held at the top of the cliff
The agency works to magnify people’s strengths and develop their weaknesses
Performance management is viewed through the lens of teaching/learning rather than as punishment
Recognition is regular and meaningful
The union relationship is strong and strategic, rather than episodic and transactional
Staff strengths and development points are viewed in the context of the future capability requirements needed to execute strategy
Engagement with staff
Critical Success Factors / Yes? / No? / What can I do?Agencies let people be themselves and diversity is valued
The agency can tell great stories about its purpose and its people which improve understanding of strategy and instil pride
The CE inspires belief in agency purpose and ambition
The agency engages unions and staff in regular strategic narrative
There are many vehicles for employee voice and it is safe to speak truth to power
The agency has forged powerful connections between individual and organisational values and mission
The agency shows how daily work is meaningful in terms of overall purpose and strategy
Rate your own agency
We have borrowed this from Harvard Business Review. We liked it so much we recommend it to you. It captures many of the key ideas from the filmed interviews.
How do you think your employees would rate these attributes in your organisation?
1 / Getting to Great: your map to navigating the straits of internal leadership – February 2014LET ME BE MYSELF
I’m the same person at home as I am at workI feel comfortable being myself
We are all encouraged to express our differences
People who think differently from most do well here
Passion is encouraged even when it leads to conflict
More than one type of person fits in here
DISCOVER AND MAGNIFY MY STRENGTHS
I am given the chance to developEvery employee is given the chance to develop
The best people want to strut their stuff here
The weakest performers can see a path to improvement
Compensation is fairly distributed throughout the organisation
We generate value to ourselves by adding value to others
MAKE MY WORK MEANINGFUL
My job is meaningfulMy duties make sense to me
My work gives me energy and pleasure
I understand how my job fits with everyone else’s
Everyone’s job is necessary
At work we share a common cause
TELL ME WHAT’S REALLY GOING ON
Information is not spun
It’s not disloyal to say something negative
My manager wants to hear bad news
Top executives want to hear bad news
Many channels of communication are available to us
I feel comfortable signing my name to the comments I make
MAKE ME PROUD TO WORK HERE
I know what we stand forI value what we stand for
I want to exceed my current duties
I am accomplishing something worthwhile
I like to tell people where I work
DON’T HINDER ME WITH STUPID RULES
We keep things simpleThe rules are clear and apply to everyone
I know what the rules are for
Everyone knows what the rules are for
We, as an organisation, resist red tape
Authority is respected
1 / Getting to Great: your map to navigating the straits of internal leadership – February 2014
Source: Creating the Best workplace on Earth, Harvard Business Review, May 2013
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1 / Getting to Great: your map to navigating the straits of internal leadership – February 20141 / Getting to Great: your map to navigating the straits of internal leadership – February 2014