Best Companies research in 2008/9 points to 'trust in senior leadership' as the biggest single factor affecting staff engagement (and, thereby talent retention, performance and impact) in the current climate. This is probably because turbulence in the economic environment is creating real anxiety. Employees need to believe that leaders know what they are doing and have the ability to steer the organisation through and ensure its survival.
In the third sector, I’ve noticed over the past year that leaders and employees are expressing a concern that their ministry should not suffer adversely in this climate. In other words, people in this sector are motivated by and concerned for their organisations’ mission and are keen to ensure it is safeguarded.
Bearing in mind these points, the questions and anxieties some staff may be carrying at the moment could be framed as 'Are they (beneficiaries) safe..?'; that is, will leaders keep their interests at the forefront of their minds and not get distracted. 'Are we (organisation) safe..?'; that is, are leaders focusing on and prioritising the right things bearing in mind external and internal opportunites and challenges. 'Am I (me) safe..?'; that is, do the leaders value and care about me?
In the Christian organizations I work with, there’s an additional implicit question at the heart of this matter. ‘Is He (God) safe..?’; that is, will leaders stay faithful to the organisation’s Christian identity, values and sense of calling or compromise these things for expediency’s sake as they navigate through tough times.
Although different people experience change dynamics differently and it's hard for leaders to make concrete reassurances in these unpredictable times, this frame could form a useful backdrop for leadership communications over the coming months. The challenge is how to manage tensions between these potentially competing agendas and demands whilst maintaining a genuine sense of focus, integrity and hope.
Tuesday, 19 May 2009
Saturday, 2 May 2009
The Partnership Business
Business partnership is a new way of working for many in OD and HR and it can feel both exciting and challenging. I’ve found through experience that the nature of this relationship and what it looks like, who does what, what makes it work well in practice etc. is influenced by a range of factors beyond formal job descriptions. These include implicit expectations of one-another (‘this is the part I believe I/you should play); historical experience (‘this is how we’ve always done it in the past’); interests, preferences and skills of each person (‘this is what I can/would like to contribute’); capacities of each person to deliver (‘this is what I have time/expertise to do’); quality of relationship (‘you understand me/I can trust you’).
Confusion, frustration or misunderstanding can arise if different parties carry different implicit assumptions or expectations about one-anothers’ roles, responsibilities etc. The models or paradigms sketched out below are intended therefore as tools to help surface similarities and differences by asking, ‘is this how you see my/your role?’, ‘which aspects of this work best for us?’, ‘what should we each do more of, less of or differently?’, ‘what would make the biggest improvements in the future?’ etc. The models are not mutually exclusive and the OD/HR professional may need to flow between models depending on circumstances - and contract accordingly.
Model 1: Internal consultant (performance coach)
OD/HR role: consultant, coach, mentor to leader. Focus: develop leader’s capacity to achieve his or her goals. Relational modality: ‘transformational’. Features: listens, questions, challenges, advises.
"You [leader] are responsible for good people leadership, management and development in your part of the organisation. Partnership means bringing my [OD/HR] knowledge and expertise to bear alongside yours to help you make wise decisions and to succeed. I will help you identify key issues that you would do well to bear in mind and, as appropriate, offer you challenge, guidance and advice. Unless there are legal, ethical or policy issues that are compelling or prohibitive, the final decision will ordinarily be yours as line-leader/manager. I bring three key contributions to the table: my consulting, coaching and mentoring capabilities; my expertise in the OD/HR field (e.g. change leadership and performance development); my knowledge and relationships within and outside of the organisation. I have three interrelated goals in mind: to help you understand and address the issues, challenges and opportunities you face; to ensure a wise and successful outcome for the organisation; to build your capacity to understand and deal with similar issues in the future."
Model 2: Co-leader (joint stakeholder)
OD/HR role: joint leader/stakeholder with leader. Focus: ensure OD/HR and leader achieve shared or complementary goals. Relational modality: ‘transfunctional’. Features: listens, proposes, negotiates, decides.
"We [leader and OD/HR] hold shared responsibility for good people leadership, management and development in your part of the organisation. Partnership means pooling our knowledge and expertise to achieve a better outcome than either of us could achieve on our own. We will each bring our own agenda and contribution to the table: e.g. personal style, vision and values; roles and responsibilities; group/team goals; knowledge of key issues; professional experience and expertise; proposals for the way forward. We will draw on these to learn from each other and agree the way forward. We will take shared ownership of issues and actions as joint stakeholders. I have three interrelated goals in mind: to work with you to understand and address the issues, challenges and opportunities we both face; to find mutual solutions that satisfy our respective goals and responsibilities; to ensure a wise and successful outcome for the organisation."
Model 3: Service provider (task supporter)
OD/HR role: service provider for leader. Focus: resource leader to achieve his or her goals. Relational modality: ‘transactional’. Features: listens, offers, informs, provides.
"You [leader] are responsible for good people leadership, management and development in your part of the organisation. Partnership means providing you with practical support by doing tasks that you don’t have the time or technical expertise to do (e.g. recruitment processes, drawing up contracts). My [OD/HR] role is to supplement your work and thereby release you to focus on other tasks. The focus of our relationship is on achieving people-related tasks that you identify as priority in a timely and efficient manner. I will provide you with technical information and advice where it is appropriate (e.g. in areas of policy or procedure) and be willing to intervene directly in situations where you believe my expertise could be most usefully deployed (e.g. personal development, mediating conflict). I have two goals in mind: to ensure that people-related tasks are accomplished according to policy and good practice; that you are released to work on higher priorities."
Confusion, frustration or misunderstanding can arise if different parties carry different implicit assumptions or expectations about one-anothers’ roles, responsibilities etc. The models or paradigms sketched out below are intended therefore as tools to help surface similarities and differences by asking, ‘is this how you see my/your role?’, ‘which aspects of this work best for us?’, ‘what should we each do more of, less of or differently?’, ‘what would make the biggest improvements in the future?’ etc. The models are not mutually exclusive and the OD/HR professional may need to flow between models depending on circumstances - and contract accordingly.
Model 1: Internal consultant (performance coach)
OD/HR role: consultant, coach, mentor to leader. Focus: develop leader’s capacity to achieve his or her goals. Relational modality: ‘transformational’. Features: listens, questions, challenges, advises.
"You [leader] are responsible for good people leadership, management and development in your part of the organisation. Partnership means bringing my [OD/HR] knowledge and expertise to bear alongside yours to help you make wise decisions and to succeed. I will help you identify key issues that you would do well to bear in mind and, as appropriate, offer you challenge, guidance and advice. Unless there are legal, ethical or policy issues that are compelling or prohibitive, the final decision will ordinarily be yours as line-leader/manager. I bring three key contributions to the table: my consulting, coaching and mentoring capabilities; my expertise in the OD/HR field (e.g. change leadership and performance development); my knowledge and relationships within and outside of the organisation. I have three interrelated goals in mind: to help you understand and address the issues, challenges and opportunities you face; to ensure a wise and successful outcome for the organisation; to build your capacity to understand and deal with similar issues in the future."
Model 2: Co-leader (joint stakeholder)
OD/HR role: joint leader/stakeholder with leader. Focus: ensure OD/HR and leader achieve shared or complementary goals. Relational modality: ‘transfunctional’. Features: listens, proposes, negotiates, decides.
"We [leader and OD/HR] hold shared responsibility for good people leadership, management and development in your part of the organisation. Partnership means pooling our knowledge and expertise to achieve a better outcome than either of us could achieve on our own. We will each bring our own agenda and contribution to the table: e.g. personal style, vision and values; roles and responsibilities; group/team goals; knowledge of key issues; professional experience and expertise; proposals for the way forward. We will draw on these to learn from each other and agree the way forward. We will take shared ownership of issues and actions as joint stakeholders. I have three interrelated goals in mind: to work with you to understand and address the issues, challenges and opportunities we both face; to find mutual solutions that satisfy our respective goals and responsibilities; to ensure a wise and successful outcome for the organisation."
Model 3: Service provider (task supporter)
OD/HR role: service provider for leader. Focus: resource leader to achieve his or her goals. Relational modality: ‘transactional’. Features: listens, offers, informs, provides.
"You [leader] are responsible for good people leadership, management and development in your part of the organisation. Partnership means providing you with practical support by doing tasks that you don’t have the time or technical expertise to do (e.g. recruitment processes, drawing up contracts). My [OD/HR] role is to supplement your work and thereby release you to focus on other tasks. The focus of our relationship is on achieving people-related tasks that you identify as priority in a timely and efficient manner. I will provide you with technical information and advice where it is appropriate (e.g. in areas of policy or procedure) and be willing to intervene directly in situations where you believe my expertise could be most usefully deployed (e.g. personal development, mediating conflict). I have two goals in mind: to ensure that people-related tasks are accomplished according to policy and good practice; that you are released to work on higher priorities."
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