Engaging First Line Leaders

Session 6

Engaging First Line Leaders

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Emotions and Engagement

Positive Emotions that Drive Engagement / Negative Emotions that Drive Dis-engagement

Valued
Confident
Inspired
Enthusiastic
Empowered

Disinterested
Bored
Lethargic

Irritated
Insulted
Manipulated

Uncomfortable
Anxious
Vlunerable
Intimidated
Fearful

First Line Leader Role in Engagement

The #1 driver of employee engagement is one’s first line supervisor*

Disengaged managers are 3 times more likely to have disengaged employees**

Less than 10% of middle managers rated their management training to be excellent

75% of people voluntarily leaving jobs say their boss as the reason

* Gallup survey of 80,000 Global Employees

** Sirota Intelligence Study

Skills of Leaders that Engage

Leadership Evaluation

On the following statements, rate on a scale of 1 – 10 (1 = Not at all, 10 = Excels at this) or, if not applicable, NA.

Global Perspective / Rating
Not at all Excels at this
Works effectively in cross-cultural environment / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / NA
Shows an appreciation of the value of diversity (race, nationality, culture, age, gender, sexual orientation) / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / NA
Varies his/her approach to adapt to cultural differences / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / NA
Vision and Alignment / Rating
Not at all Excels at this
Communicates clear vision for his/her part of the organization / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / NA
Translates vision into motivating strategies and implementation plans / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / NA
Helps people set short-term priorities in line with long-term goals / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / NA
Helps direct reports understand how they contribute to the vision / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / NA
Staff Development/Succession Management / Rating
Not at all Excels at this
Recruits and selects talented people / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / NA
Clearly communicates performance expectations / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / NA
Takes appropriate action when performance does not meet expectations / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / NA
Conducts timely and effective performance reviews / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / NA
Regularly gives open and honest feedback / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / NA
Places a high priority on coaching people / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / NA
Helps others prepare for increased responsibility / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / NA
Proactively looks to promote from within / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / NA
Works with employees to identify career growth plans that link with business growth plans (cross-training/professional development) / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / NA
Helps less experienced employees gain experience interacting with clients / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / NA
Delegates decision-making to the appropriate level (closest to work/client) / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / NA
Looks to eliminate unnecessary work or obstacles to productivity / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / NA
Has proactively identified and developed a successor to him/herself / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / NA
Motivation/Recognition / Rating
Not at all Excels at this
Recognizes and rewards achievement when performance surpasses expectations / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / NA
Seeks input before making key decisions / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / NA
Shows employee empathy / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / NA
Is distant enough to be objective / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / NA
Keeps promises and commitments / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / NA
Focuses on how results are achieved as much as on what results are achieved / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / NA
Provides positive feedback when deserved / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / NA
Bases pay fairly on both quantitative and qualitative results / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / NA
Establishes a culture which enables others to succeed / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / NA
Team Development / Rating
Not at all Excels at this
Works cooperatively with others to achieve common goals / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / NA
Successfully manages conflict / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / NA
Works effectively with peers and colleagues / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / NA
Willingly shares his/her “best” individual talent with others / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / NA
Respects the importance of other people’s time / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / NA
Consistently treats people with dignity and respect / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / NA
Inspires people to follow / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / NA

Exercise - Twelve Needs a Leader Must Fill Self-Assessment

On the following chart, force rank yourself in each category from 1 – 12:

•1 = Highly Effective

•12 = Needs most work

Use each number only once but use all numbers.

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Twelve Needs a Leader Must Fill

Below is a list of the twelve needs a leader must full with team member comments and descriptions. Use this to help complete the assessments.

Need / Description
Authority
Someone is in charge / Employees want to know that there is someone in charge and that they have one person who they go to for support and that can make final decisions. Demonstrating a strong management style and doing what you say you will do is essential for filling this need.
Clarity
Someone is saying what’s expected of us / Having a sense of what is expected of you, both in productivity and in your development is essential to a successful career. The leader who can clearly establish expectations and provide the ‘why’ and ‘how to’ direction can be more effective leading people.
Cohesion
We’re all singing from the same song sheet / As each team member understands expectations (see Clarity) and where they fit in the team structure (see Structure), they are all working from the same page of instructions. This creates a common understanding among all team members, increases team development, and reduces conflict.
Direction
Someone knows how we’re getting to our goals / The leader can confidently communicate the direction of the team to meet team goals. Direction that is unclear or ambiguous creates a vacuum that team members will try to fill, often moving the team off track. When team members have faith that the manager/leader knows how to get to the goals, they are more likely to follow.
Inspiration
We feel good about what we are doing / A leader that inspires will help employees see the value of the job and feel good about the vision, direction, and dedication of the team. This is not to say that a leader needs to give motivational speeches or breathe fire and brimstone to influence employees, but the leader must inspire employees to do their best with what they have and feel good about doing a good job.
Reassurance
Someone is looking out for us / Leaders often go behind closed doors and are involved in decisions that impact their employees and teams. This can be a time in which employees feel the most powerless and vulnerable. If they know that their leader ‘has their back’ and will look after their interests as well as the company’s, the feelings of powerlessness will be reduced.
Recognition
What I do matters / Employees want to know what they do matters and want to be recognized for doing a good job. An effective leader will provide the appropriate recognition to employees and teams that demonstrates and reinforces their value to the team, department, and company.

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Twelve Needs a Leader Must Fill (continued)

Need / Description
Rolemodel
We have someone to look up to / A role model is someone who we can adapt behaviors to be like. A leader can have an impact on the team and individuals by consistently demonstrating the kinds of behaviors that people want to see in a leader.
Security
Things will probably turn out okay / In today’s business world, nothing is guaranteed, especially employment, job structure, and the organization of the company. At any time, a leadership team may make changes to staffing, departments, and entire organizations. As a leader, it’s important to communicate that, no matter what happens, things will probably turn out okay. Note that this is not a promise or guarantee that things will turn out the way the employee wants them to, but employees can be secure in the fact that change is often needed and leads to better things.
Structure
Everyone knows where they fit in / Employees want to know where they fit in – to the team and to each piece of the organization above and below their position. An effective leader will identify and communicate the structure and where each person fits into that structure. Employees should know their roles, boundaries, and what is expected of them (see Clarity)
Trust
I believe in you / Trust in one’s manager the #1 way to build an engaged culture. A leader that develops the trust of employees and teams generates a high level of engagement. Trust ties many of the other needs together especially reassurance, security, role model, and direction.
Vision
We know what we’re working toward / An effective leader communicates to the team the ultimate goals of the team, the department, and the business. Team goals are consistently tied to the vision of the company and employees know how their team contributes to its success.

Twelve Needs a Leader Must Fill Assessment

Force-rank the person you are evaluating on the following 12 needs a leader must fill as follows:

1 = Highly Effective

12 = Needs most work

Remember to you each number, 1 – 12, only once.

Need / Rank / Team members say… / Suggestions for improvement
Authority / Someone is in charge
Clarity / Someone is saying what’s expected of us
Cohesion / We’re all singing from the same song sheet
Direction / Someone knows how we’re getting to our goals
Inspiration / We feel good about what we are doing
Reassurance / Someone is looking out for us
Recognition / What I do matters
Role model / We have someone to look up to
Security / Things will probably turn out okay
Structure / Everyone knows where they fit in
Trust / I believe in you
Vision / We know what we’re working toward

After completing your ranking, look at the areas that you feel need improvement (9 – 12) and make suggestions about what can be done in order to increase effectiveness in each of these areas?

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Sample Scoring Sheet

Once you’ve collected responses from your team members, transfer their ratings into the following form, average ranking scores, and look for patterns in the distribution of numbers. Does your team agree with your ranking? Are there areas that are more than a 3 point delta?

Need / Manager Ranking / Team Average / Team Member / Team Member / Team Member / Team Member / Team Member / Team Member / Team Member / Team Member / Team Member / Team Member / Team Member / Team Member / Team Member / Team member
Authority / 1 / 2.3 / 3 / 2 / 2 / 1 / 4 / 3 / 3 / 1 / 1 / 3 / 3 / 2 / 3
Clarity / 10 / 9.2 / 12 / 11 / 8 / 10 / 10 / 9 / 8 / 8 / 10 / 9 / 8 / 7 / 12
Cohesion / 7 / 5.3 / 4 / 6 / 3 / 5 / 1 / 12 / 7 / 7 / 2 / 1 / 5 / 11 / 4
Direction / 8 / 1.8 / 1 / 3 / 1 / 2 / 2 / 1 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 2 / 1 / 3 / 1
Inspiration / 9 / 10.1 / 6 / 10 / 12 / 8 / 8 / 11 / 12 / 12 / 12 / 6 / 12 / 12 / 6
Reassurance / 4 / 4.8 / 5 / 4 / 5 / 4 / 6 / 6 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 4 / 4 / 5 / 5
Recognition / 12 / 8.8 / 10 / 8 / 9 / 9 / 11 / 7 / 10 / 9 / 8 / 12 / 7 / 6 / 10
Role model / 6 / 10.4 / 9 / 12 / 11 / 12 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 11 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 10 / 9
Security / 5 / 6.3 / 8 / 7 / 7 / 7 / 5 / 5 / 6 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 6 / 4 / 8
Structure / 11 / 9.5 / 11 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 5 / 11 / 9 / 9 / 11
Trust / 2 / 3.1 / 2 / 1 / 4 / 3 / 3 / 2 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 10 / 2 / 1 / 2
Vision / 3 / 5.5 / 7 / 5 / 6 / 6 / 4 / 4 / 5 / 4 / 6 / 5 / 6 / 8 / 7

Action Plan

Area needing Attention / Action(s) to Make Improvements / Revisit on (date)
Role model – 4.4 point delta / Address difference in team meeting – ask for anonymous feedback on where I could improve
Share results with my mentor – discuss how I can be seen as more of a role model / January 12
February 1
Structure – both rated with high number / First, determine if this is important to the employees – this can be done through the team meetings and in our one-on-one meetings / January 30
Inspiration – both rated with high number / Looking at all the 12s, I’m much less inspirational than even I thought. Combine this with my attention to my score as a role model / January 12

Scoring Sheet

Need / Manager Ranking / Team Average / Team Member / Team Member / Team Member / Team Member / Team Member / Team Member / Team Member / Team Member / Team Member / Team Member / Team Member / Team Member / Team Member / Team Member
Authority
Clarity
Cohesion
Direction
Inspiration
Reassurance
Recognition
Role model
Security
Structure
Trust
Vision

Action Plan

Area needing Attention / Action(s) to Make Improvements / Revisit on (date)

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Tips for Making Improvements in Each of the Twelve Needs

Authority
Leaders develop a sense of authority by:

Do what you say you will do
Demonstrate competence
Learn what your employees do
Empower team members
Listen and leave room for input
Practice transparency
Confidence with the ability to change your mind
Support of organizational vision and direction
Other ideas:

/ Clarity
Leaders provide clarity through:

Creating clear expectations
Validating expectations – are they measurable, logical, enforceable?
Reinforcing expectations at each opportunity
Consistently enforcing expectations – play no favorites
Communicating expectations to new employees
Other ideas:

/ Cohesion
Leaders develop team cohesion by:

Identify and live the values of the organization
Defining the vision and direction
Creating 2-way communication
Creating competition within the team
Develop a sense of pride to be on the team
Create a level of trust between team members and yourself
Establish clear goals
Other ideas:

Direction
Leaders define direction by:

Creating a clear vision of where the team is going
Mapping out how the team will reach the vision
Defining growth opportunities for team members
Providing coaching and mentoring to employees with growth potential
Investing in learning and development opportunities
Communicating changes to the direction with clear reasons and impact
Confidently making and communicating decisions
Other ideas:

/ Inspiration
Leaders can inspire their team through:

Establishing the vision and direction
Recognize people doing something right
Eliminate barriers to getting tasks done
Listening
Giving credit instead of taking
Thinking about purpose
Make team members accountable
Other ideas:

/ Reassurance
Leaders provide reassurance by:

Doing what you say you will do
Maintaining transparency
Supporting management decisions even if it’s against employee wishes
Delivering clear and concise communication, especially about what impacts the team
Sincerely representing your team and team members
Delivering news, good or bad, immediately team members want to know
Other ideas:

Tips for Making Improvements in Each of the Twelve Needs(continued)

Recognition
Leaders recognize effectively by:

Identifying specific areas that will be recognized
Communicating expectations in order to receive recognition
Recognizing consistently
Communicating recognition up the chain
Being sincere in recognition – recognized because it’s deserved
Saying thank you
Individualizing recognition to each team member
Other ideas:

/ Role Model
Leaders develop as role models by:

Do what you say you will do
Self-awareness – know your faults and work on them
Commitment to developing people
Empathy and compassion for employees and others
Make decisions logically and with as much information as possible
Listen
Persuasion techniques
Have role models yourself, and talk about them
Continuous self-improvement – model your role models
Envision a better future
Collaboration with colleagues
Other ideas:

/ Security
Leaders provide a sense of security by:

Communicating to employees information available
Transparency
Building trust with employees
Confidence
Compassion
Understanding
Identifying possible alternatives
Helping employee with problem solving
Other ideas:

Note:remember, never promise security, especially job or position security
Structure
Leaders develop structure through:

Identifying specific roles and responsibilities
Assigning roles and responsibilities so everyone knows
Identifying leaders within the team to provide support
Defining growth opportunities for team members
Other ideas:

/ Trust
Leaders create trust by:

Demonstrate compassion for your employees and others
Do what you say you will do
Defining growth opportunities for team members
Demonstrating competence
Having a connection with employees – ask questions, take interest
Committing to the greater good
Being consistent – employees want to know what goes for them, goes for everyone else
Other ideas:

/ Vision
Leaders communicate vision by:

Maintaining connection with organization
Providing clear examples of how the vision relates to the team
Supporting the vision of the organization
Discussing with the team their perception of the vision – clarifying misunderstandings
Other ideas:

Vision and Alignment Worksheet

Company Vision and Strategy / Department or Team Vision, Strategy, and Priorities

Communicating and Monitoring Goals

Department Goals / How do you monitor and communicate progress?

What reward systems do you have in place?

Team or Department / Individual

Foundation of Motivation

Keys to Creating an Environment that Motivates

Setting and Communicating Clear Expectations

Performance Expectations / Development Expectations

Expectation:

Performance Management Model

How do you hold people accountable in your organization?

Communication – How does your organization meet these communication needs?

Motivation Technique Assessment

Read the statements below and pick the option (1, 2, 3, or 4) closest to your experience. If your experience is that you seldom do what the statement indicates, circle a 1; if you always meet the criteria of the statement, mark a 4; use 2 & 3 for all others depending on which way your answer leans.

Statement / Seldom / Always
I try to persuade and influence people rather than force them or guilt-trip them to do what I want. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
I try to make work as enjoyable as possible for my co-workers and employees / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
I talk to people who don’t cooperate to find out their reasons. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
I use my knowledge of nonverbal communication to influence discussions. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
I give the people I work with full and frank information whenever possible / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
If I ask people’s opinions, I make a point of implementing their ideas when I can. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
I avoid office politics and gossip. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
I discourage other people from being involved in office politics and gossip. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
I involve people in issues at the earliest possible opportunity. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
I give reasons for my actions and for any disagreements with people. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
I seek consensus and encourage others to do the same / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
I react to failure by analysis and correction, not blaming. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
I seek a balance between firm control and giving people independence. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
I make conscious efforts to improve my motivational skills. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
I change benchmarks to keep targets at stimulating heights. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
I revise the system in order to remove obstacles to performance. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
I encourage people to be open about what they consider positive motivators. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
In talking with people about their performance in joint efforts, I invite appraisal of my own effort. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
I organize work so each person can actually complete the assigned task. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
I get full, clear feedback from people whose behavior I have to evaluate. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
I look at assignments and projects as ways people can develop themselves. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
I encourage people to act on their own initiatives. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
I delegate work that does not have to be done by me. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
If difficult ‘people decisions’ are needed, I make them willingly. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
I act to avert or settle disputes and personality clashes. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
I make changes only after consultation with those affected. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
I thank people for good work face to face or by handwritten note. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
I break the rules when there is sound reason to not work by the book. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
I look for and seek to help people who are not using their potential. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
I seek opportunities for radical change and take them where possible. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
I give praise and/or other rewards on merit alone. / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
Total of each column:
Total of All 4 Columns:

To Score: