Government grants enhance the affordability of culture change programs

A combination of state and federal government schemes designed to enhance the formal qualifications of Australians have the added bonus of providing the resources for corporate culture change programs.

The challenge is that many leaders aren't aware of the opportunity they have available to them and therefore don't fully leverage the culture change opportunity.

As a facilitator of such programs I help senior leaders recognise that the real benefit of the programs for companies are the conversations about their business that the course material catalyses. In simple terms, the course material and the courses themselves create the space for staff to talk about their organisation in a safe way. In other words, they have the opportunity to have Conversations That Matter.

In every session that I have facilitated staff have learned something about their business that they did not previously know. Often this knowledge was considered by others in the room to be "known by everyone". Yet it quickly becomes obvious that not everyone did know.

For example one organisation with whom I have been working has a bonus system in place that rewards staff for submitting ideas via their intranet that, if adopted and they produce measurable business improvements a bonus is paid to the employee. A lot of the mid-level managers in the program didn't know that the system existed.

If it wasn't for the program and the opportunity to talk about organisational systems designed to enhance idea generation, the conversation that resulted in the knowledge sharing would not have occurred. This type of conversation occurs in every session.

The opportunity to overlay the program with a specific culture change focus is both available and logical. Why not use government funding to pay for a program that enables real conversations about the organisation to be conducted that are influenced by theory! In addition, the program provides employees with a nationally recognised qualification.

In fact, it is my experience that corporate programs offer the greatest opportunity for theory to be understood and applied because the program creates the space for colleagues to apply theory to the practical operation of their business. In many cases the theory can then be applied in real time.  When properly understood and facilitated such opportunities can provide enormous benefits for everyone.

Please feel free to contact me if you are interested in how such a program can benefit your organisation and employees.

The Challenge of 'Truth to Power' for Leaders

While travelling around Australia working with senior and development leaders in a corporate development program, I have been asking the following question:

"How easy is it for employees to deliver potentially unpleasant messages to more senior people in organisations?"

Their reply has been effectively unanimous.

"It's very difficult!"

"Why?" I have asked.

Reasons have varied but have included:

• Fear of negative consequences to themselves should the message not be accepted
• Fear of being perceived as a 'negative person' by senior managers which could negatively affect career opportunities
• Past experiences within the same or previous companies where such messengers were treated poorly
• Fear of being required to provide a solution for the issue

The core message is that people are reluctant to provide potentially negative messages to more senior managers.

I have then asked,"So let's flip this issue around. From the perspective of your roles as leaders, do you see this reluctance to provide messages to senior managers as an issue for you?"

Once again I have received a unanimous response.

"Absolutely!"

"Okay. What can you do about this challenge?"

The conversations have been remarkable. Participants have recognised the real and genuine challenge for many employees to provide potentially 'negative' feedback to senior staff.

The issue, known as 'Truth to Power' relies on senior staff to be aware of how their reaction to 'negative' messages can have an exponential affect on whether or not employees continue to provide them. This requires the senior managers to have an acute awareness of this challenge and to to err on the side of being more supportive of people bringing forward messages rather than less supportive (or worse being defensive).

Interestingly the leaders involved in the discussions I have shared above have been honest about the fact that for many of them they naturally have a defensive response to such issues when they are raised, yet recognise the damaging affect being defensive can have on future messages being presented.

The leaders have shared that it is important to acknowledge the issue and even if it is already known, to thank the employee for having the courage to raise the issue. They have also suggested that leaders need to 'close the loop' in terms of providing feedback to the employee about what has happened with their issue, particularly if the leaders initial response was to 'look into it'.

It is totally understandable for people to have concerns regarding providing negative feedback to senior leaders. yet high performing teams and high performing organisations need to manage the Truth to Power challenge if they wish to reach their potential.

What are your experiences of 'Truth to Power' in the workplace and how have you managed this challenge from a leadership perspective?

Create your New Year Resolution

If you are in to announcing New Year resolutions, as many people are then I encourage you to create the outcome of your resolution throughout 2012.

I use the word 'create' deliberately. You see we have the ability to create the future we desire. Making an announcement on New Year's Day is only a very small part of creating your desired future.
It is critical that you you are as clear as possible about the benefits that you will receive from bringing your New Year resolution into reality.

For example, if you have made a resolution top 'get fit in 2012' then clarify the benefits that getting fit will provide you. Your list may include:

• looking better
• more energy
• better sleep
• a happier partner (if you have one!)
• increased chances of finding a partner (if you don't have one!)
• higher self confidence
• less anxiety
• improved concentration

Clearly this list could go on.

The point is, once you are clear about the benefits that the creation of your New Year resoluion will provide, the more clear you become about the 'cost' of not creating such a future.

As Swedish neurologist David Ingvar discovered, writing down these benefits also increases the clarity with which your brain pictures the future you desire. Such clarity, coupled with developing and writing down your plan, significantly increase your ability to take the required actions to create your desired future.

If you keep your picture of the future (possibily represented by images or the list of benefits that you have established above) somewhere where you will see it regularly, your capacity to continue to take the required actions to create the future you desire will continue to be enhanced.

As the year progresses you wil bring your New Year resolution into reality. After all, isn't that what we really hope for when we make a New Year resolution in the first place!

What are your New Year resolutions and how are you going to bring them into reality throughout 2012?

Is your People Strategy aligned with your Service Strategy?

Your organisation’s People Strategy includes everything from recruitment, to development and the way people exit your organisation. People are fundamental to the implementation of your Service Strategy so the way that you approach your recruitment, development and exit processes are examples of that strategy in action. 

How do you recruit, develop and exit people from your organisation? 

Are these activities performed in a way that reflects a service approach toward your people?

Copyright Gary Ryan 2011

Research Participant

The way people are exited from an organisation is a true test of its approach to service. When the company had to reduce staff numbers through no direct fault of its own and it did everything it could over a 12 month peeriod to help to prepare the exiting staff for their next job, I thought to myself, “This company really cares about people. I hope that their next company cares as much.”

Why not use this article as a catalyst for Conversations That Matter® within your workplace.

 

The OTM Service Strategy includes 7 key elements and 50 attributes that provide synergy for an effective service strategy. Find out more here.

Does clutter detract from the services you offer?

Clutter creates stress and creates a sense of disorganisation. What systems do you have in place to keep both front-of-house and back-of-house areas free from clutter?

If you ‘sweep your mess under a carpet’ rather than clean it properly, your back-of-house systems and processes will eventually let your front-of-house operations down.

Would you be comfortable letting the public see your back of house operation? If not, why not?

What could you do about this situation?

Copyright Gary Ryan 2011

 Research Participant
Our back of house operations had always been a shambles. But we seemed to keep getting away with it. Until one day we didn’t. And the company nearly went broke because of it. Luckily we survived and we cleaned our act up. Literally!


Why not use this article as a catalyst for Conversations That Matter® within your organisation.

OHS&E, Privacy and Risk are all about Service Excellence

A service approach to occupational, health, safety, environmental, privacy and risk management issues means that your underlying approach is not one of compliance, but one of creating an environment that is safe and productive for your staff, and one that is safe and respectful for your customers.

A service approach means that you proactively schedule reviews of these aspects of your work so that you are never out-of-date. This means that you may go over and above standards set out by the law. Sometimes they just aren't what the standard should be.

What is your organisation's approach to these aspects of service excellence?

©Copyright Gary Ryan 2011

Research Participant

I used to get quite stressed about safety compliance issues. Once I shifted my thinking and recognised that safety isn’t about compliance but about being able to deliver great service, it somehow made it easier.

Why not use this article as a catalyst for Conversations That Matter® within your workplace.

What promises are on your corporate website?

Recently when working with people in the areas of management development and/or service excellence, I have been surprised by how many employees know very little about what is on their company website.
Upon discovering this issue I then ask the staff members if they have ever had situations where clients have referred to something that they had read or viewed on their website that the staff member didn't know about.
Nearly everyone has said that they had experienced such a situation.

When I then ask who they believe is responsible for ensuring that they (the employees) know what is on the website, they reply, "Senior Management" or "The Marketing Department".

Very few people say, "Me!".

In reality it is a two way street. Senior managers and marketers should communicate with staff regarding what is being communicated via the corporate website. Staff should also take personal responsibility for knowing what is being communicated. In this way the Market - Communication Gap can be minimised or eliminated.

What is your experience of this issue?

Find out about the OTM Service Strategy to help you to close your market - Communication Gap.