Development FIRST Yields Continuous Improvement

One of the most important qualities of a good leader is the ability and desire to develop their employees. Taking an active role in the development of your team demonstrates confidence and concern for the future of the organization. Unfortunately, development coaching doesn't come naturally to many leaders. The Development FIRST model outlines the following strategies for employee development:

Focus on priorities: Identify critical issues and goals.

Implement something every day: Stretch your comfort zone.

Reflect on what happens: Extract maximum learning from your experiences.

Seek feedback and support: Learn from other people's ideas and perspectives.

Transfer learning to next steps: Adapt and plan for continued learning.

A good development plan should include the following components:

• A limited number of development priorities. For best results, people should not tackle more than one or two objectives at a time.
• Opportunities to incorporate daily action. Successful development is evolutionary, not revolutionary.  Smaller daily activities will yield better results than on big burst of activity. An effective development plan specifies situations, time, and people that will trigger development action.
• Focus on job development activities. Training and development programs are useful, but people also need on-the-job practice.
• How and when the person plans to reflect on new learning. Research shows that it is not enough to practice new skills: people need time to think about what they have learned. They need to talk about, write down, and think about what they did, what happened, and what they learned.
• Ways to get ongoing feedback and to track and sustain progress. People need to get accurate, current information on progress to persist toward their goals. An effective plan identifies:
• Sources and processes for getting relevant feedback.
• People who can provide encouragement and support.
• How the person will measure progress toward his or her goals.
• When and how people will review their plans and transfer them into next steps. Plans often need to be adapted as circumstances change and people get more skilled.

Many organizations are undergoing a revolution. They are under tremendous pressure to stay abreast of change, to do more with less, and to become more agile and versatile. To keep pace, their approach to development must undergo a revolution as well. This revolution requires them to rethink assumptions and to reposition development practices. To meet these demands, organizations need to shift their focus from the tools, programs, and events of development to the ultimate goal: continuous learning that is integrated with people's daily work lives. With learning the foreground, the tools, events, and strategies of development can be more potently deployed to meet the challenges of dynamic organizations.

10 Common Employee Recognition Mistakes

Recognizing your employees will help you retain your existing workforce and keep them highly engaged as they would be motivated to receive the reward or recognition for the hard work they put in. Employee recognition programs help in achieving the long-term and short-term goals of the organization. 

Despite our best intentions, recognition can go wrong.  And when it goes wrong, it can lead to far more problems for an organization than having no recognition at all.  Recognition problems can result in decreased morale, lowered performance, customer service problems. and a decline in profitability.

Here's a review of the most common recognition makes that are made in organizations:

The rush to recognition.  It is absolutely essential for organizations to have a systematic plan for recognition.  More than a few companies that have rushed to get an initiative rolled out have neglected important components for an effective recognition program.

Rewards that aren't rewarding.  Some awards given in a recognition or incentive program create more problems than they fix.  Deciding what employees value with checking with them is a sure way to increase your risk of missing the motivational mark.

One size doesn't fit all.  Another basic mistake people make is to provide the exact same recognition or reward to every employee out of a false sense of fairness.  Few things are as unfair as the equal treatment of unequals.

Loss of freshness and relevance.  You can't expect a recognition program or activity to remain effective forever.  Even the best programs need to be reevaluated and renewed from time to time.

Confusing priorities and alignment.  It is amazing how many organizations send confusing and conflicting messages in their recognition practices and systems.  When performance expectations are unclear, employees waste a tremendous amount of human energy trying to figure out what is really expected. 

Subjective recognition.  Subjective recognition is uneven at best, and wrong and unfair at its worst.  This can be avoided by using carefully defined, objective criteria.  Checklists can help identify behaviors and results that are worthy of recognition.
 
Entitlement recognition. When recgonition is done just to be nice it comes to be expected, leading to a culture of entitlement.  Too much recognition is almost as bad as too little recognition.  Recognition should be viewed as a valuable organizational resource and should be used as such.

Recognition take-aways.  When a recognition program ends, which most eventually do, employees commonly feel deprived.  The result can be a decline in morale and performance.

Inappropriate recognition.  Sometimes recognition is too small or too large.  It is very important to differentiate recognition from rewards.  Recognition is positive reinforcement for something well done.  A reward is something tangible that often accompanies recognition.

Zero-sum recognition.  Zero-sum games are those in which in order for somebody to win, somebody else must lose.  This might make sense in competitive sports and games, but doesn't make sense in a collaborative workplace.  There needn't be any losers.
 
Untimely recognition.  Delay is the enemy of recognition.  Don't let your recognition submittal and approval process stand  let you miss an opportunity to recognize your employees.

Don't make these mistakes in your recognition system.  Employee Recognition might seem to be a tedious process to follow, but it surely is an essential and important one for every organization and helps you achieve your goals for the long term. Having a sound employee recognition system in place will not help you retain highly engaged and motivated employees.

Lean Quote: Lesson’s From My Father

On Fridays I will post a Lean related Quote. Throughout our lifetimes many people touch our lives and leave us with words of wisdom. These can both be a source of new learning and also a point to pause and reflect upon lessons we have learned. Within Lean active learning is an important aspect on this journey because without learning we can not improve.

"It’s only when you grow up and step back from him—or leave him for your own home—it’s only then that you can measure his greatness and fully appreciate it."   —  Margaret Truman

As Father’s Day approaches, I’ve been thinking about my dad and the many timeless life lessons he’s taught me.

1. Aim past your target.

If you want to hit your mark, aim past your target.  If you fall short, you’ll land closer.  My Dad is a Bruce Lee fan so if you’re a fellow Bruce Lee fan you might recognize the point.

2. Believe none of what you hear and half of what you see.

Don’t fall for it.

The trick is to be a healthy skeptic without becoming a callous cynic.

3. Do the things you don’t want to, so you can do the things you want to.

This is a way to look at discipline and duty with a healthy respect.

4. Don’t just see what’s in front of you.  See what’s all around you.

This comes in handy in a lot of scenarios, especially when you’re in unfamiliar territory or in a dangerous place.

My Dad has good peripheral vision and I’ve developed mine.

This is especially important on the road too.  For example, don’t just watch the car in front of you.

Watch the cars way ahead and look for signs.

If the cars ahead are slamming their breaks, chances are the car in front of you will too.

Looking ahead has saved me from many accidents.

5. Don’t wear clip-ons.

Learn how to tie a tie.

My Dad made it a point that I learn how to tie a tie.

It felt sort of like a rite of passage, and was a big step up from my former clip-on ties.

6. Earn it.

Don’t expect hand outs.  Work for what you want.

I learned how to be a work-horse and how not to be afraid to roll up my sleeves and get to work.

I’ve also learned to deal with the fact that lots of things in life don’t come easy, and that if something is really worth it, then work for it.

7. Focus on what you control and let the rest go.

Don’t stew on the stuff that’s beyond your control.

If you want to make things happen, focus on what you control.

8. Fight back.

The easiest target is one that doesn’t fight back.

Fight back with skill and make any bully think twice.

9. Find a way.

There’s always a way and there’s more than one way to skin the cat.

Never get stuck.

If you really want it, you’ll find a way.

10. Push past your limits.

Never give up.  You don’t really know what you’re capable of until you’ve really given all you’ve got.

Even when you think you’ve given all you’ve got, you’ve still got more.

Happy Father’s Day to you Dad, and to all of the inspiring dads!

5 Ways to Get Employees Engaged in Process Improvement

Businesses in virtually every industry wrestle with how to engage teams in efforts to improve business processes. Even once they do get employees involved, it’s often a challenge to sustain the momentum.

The good news is that given the chance, most employees do want to have a voice in process improvement. Management just needs to make it as easy as possible for staffers to do so.

Here are 5 ways to engage employees in business process improvement:

1. Put People First

The outstanding qualities and talents of your team members could provide the organization new ideas that could be innovative or useful to level up your services and products. Take the time to inspire and engage tenacious, passionate people who will happily take the lead on your process improvement efforts. Ensure that workers have proper training, ongoing support, and the resources they need to get involved with continuous improvement initiatives.

2. Let Go

Empower your employees and let them explore. You have to give your employees venue to experiment, to try and test their ideas. No one will take risks in the company if they feel there is lack of support and understanding. Innovation has a process, one that is flawed and has moments of glaring imperfection.

3. Make Involvement Easy

Allow your team members to have fun in the workplace. Sometimes, when the work environment is too serious and too strict, it can hinder creativity and continuous improvement. Having fun during work allows employees to be more relaxed yet productive and that is when they begin to be inspired and produce new and exceptional ideas. Needless to say, a stressful work environment doesn’t give one the frame of mind to think of doing things differently. The employee would only look forward to the end of the day.

4. Encourage Collaboration

Process improvement is a team effort, so it is essential to let everyone know “we’re in this together”. An efficient way of encouraging continuous improvement in the workplace is to set up cross functional or continuous improvement teams. Teams will be tasked to come up with ideas how to enhance work processes.

5. Lead and Communicate Expectations

Managers and team members should communicate expectations on a regular basis. Communication lines are open so that all parties can respond and ask for clarification if need be.

It is important not just to involve the organization’s leadership team in process improvement communications, but to make sure their support is visible to the entire operation. It also helps to build up a strong champion or network so that momentum can be maintained in all areas of the business.

Start your process improvement efforts with people being your top priority. The momentum you gain will embed a process improvement culture and position your organization to achieve your goals, whether they’re tech-related or people-centric initiatives.

Leave No Trace Leadership

Recently I attended a webinar by Douglas Dawson, Founder of Leg Up Solutions, titled the same as this post. As an Eagle Scout and Scout Leader in our local community these concepts really resonated with me. “The concept of Leave No Trace … is that when you are in the wilderness or out in nature in general, even the park in your neighborhood, you should leave no trace of your presence. You carry out what you pack in and you leave things better than you found them.”

There are seven principles of Leave No Trace. Douglas and his colleagues wondered if there was a way these seven principles could somehow be applied to leadership. They explored this idea and came up with the concept of Leave No Trace Leadership, establishing seven principles focused on leadership that leaves no trace of the executive, manager, or team member, other than, perhaps, fond memories and sustainable results. This requires the modeling of the two Shingo Guiding Principles mentioned earlier: Respect Every Individual and Lead with Humility.

#1 Think Ahead and Prepare

• Manage as if you have no power. Practically speaking, you may not.
• Think how can you better listen, coach and mentor others.
• Develop consensus rather than coerce others to agree.
• Consider daily about those with whom you will engage.

#2 Go & Observe Often

• Go to where the work is done. Ideally twice a day.
• Over time, cover all shifts and operations; direct and indirect.
• Use questions to learn what you need. Don’t lecture.
• Be purposeful in what you want to learn about the areas you visit.

#3 Support With Vigor

• Be liberal with praise.
• Teach skills enabling the workforce to make decisions at their level.
• Celebrate mistakes as learning opportunities driving nearer the ideal.
• Teach and model there is “gold in the red,” representing opportunity.

#4 Leave Things Better

• Pick up trash when you see it.
• Praise incremental improvement in behaviors and performance.
• When someone is struggling, find a way to buoy them up.
• Never denigrate another. Ever.

#5 Remove Bureaucracy

• Eliminate obstacles for team members, as quickly as possible.
• Use trust and confidence to streamline approvals of any sort.
• Allow teams and team members to make their own decisions.
• Remove processes, or process steps, that don’t make sense or add value.

#6 Respect Every Individual

• Speak up if you see behavior that undermines respect for every individual.
• Defend others, especially those not present.
• Thank others frequently for their efforts.
• Get over yourself and admit you are wrong. Say you are sorry.

#7 Model, Teach, Engage

• Walk your talk.
• Correct quickly. Yourself first, then others.
• Acknowledge and recognize the smallest improvements of others.
• Ask others what can be done better to Leave No Trace.

I believe that Leave No Trace Leadership is an important concept critical to organizations delivering sustainable results. It is more relevant and needed today than ever before. You can see the need as you look around the world. Whether you are an executive, manager, or team member, think about your leadership style. Are you planting trees the shade for which you know you will never sit under? Or are you chopping them down as you go?

Lean Quote: There Are No Shortcuts to Success

On Fridays I will post a Lean related Quote. Throughout our lifetimes many people touch our lives and leave us with words of wisdom. These can both be a source of new learning and also a point to pause and reflect upon lessons we have learned. Within Lean active learning is an important aspect on this journey because without learning we can not improve.

"There is no shortcut to perfection. All it takes is hard work, and more hard work."   —  Author: Kim Jong-hyun

So many people are in such a hurry to success that they eagerly take any shortcuts that come across their way. In reality, shortcuts usually lead to disappointments rather than quicker success. The key to any long-term success is to take the necessary steps to steadily progress rather than skip any of them.

Many people look at successful people and assume that it was easy or they just got lucky. Believe me, it is rare to find an individual that tells you they just happened to fall upon it. Success takes having the right mental attitude and a lot of hard work. 

Some people want quick success and they eagerly welcome any shortcut they can find. It is true that you will get a rare quick win, but when you look at the most successful people in life, you’ll find that theirs was not built on shortcuts. Let me encourage you to read biographies about successful people. You will be amazed what many of them went through to get to the level they wanted to achieve.

It’s going to take a lot of grinding day in and day out. You will experience setbacks, obstacles, and a lot of failures. You will be rejected but no matter what, never give up. If you want true success, you have to be willing to do what most people don’t want to do. That means early mornings and, often, late nights. There will be sacrifices. It’s not going to be easy but I promise you that it definitely is worth it.

It’s also important to have a plan. Don’t just drift in life and expect good things to happen. Set milestones, set some crazy goals, and simply go forward and don’t look back. Remember, this is a marathon and not a sprint. The road will be filled with many obstacles and detours, just make sure that you work through them. Make the decision to make it happen.

Success involves taking risks. It’s better to try, fail, and learn from your failure rather than to regret not trying at all. There are no epic failures, only epic learns. Whenever you stumble, dust yourself off and keep going. If you want success, ultimately you make the final decision on what’s going to happen.

You can spend so much energy trying to find a shortcut to success only to realize that success requires hard work. And without it you will never get there. The sooner you realize it, the faster you’ll reach your goals.

5 Myths of Employee Engagement

The field of employee engagement has taken a beating in the several years. As we recover from the global pandemic, employee engagement should be front and center. We need strategies to keep people focused, happy and productive, all of which naturally contributes to talent retention, innovation, productivity, revenue, customer satisfaction and a positive workplace culture.

Although employee feedback is crucial to helping organizations understand the experience of their people, the truth is that for many organizations, insight into employee engagement is lacking. That’s largely due to a number of outdated assumptions or myths about how to create engagement programs and the surveys supporting them that stop us getting this right.

There are many myths and half-truths about employee engagement. Below are five of the most common ones.

1.     Disengaged employees are bad employees

It’s easy to blame people for not being engaged with your company. However, there are several reasons why a good employee may feel disengaged at work. Are they in the right role with the right responsibilities? Do they understand the company mission and vision? What is their motivation for doing a good job?

It’s not uncommon for people to fall into a state of complacency in the workplace. Inertia takes hold, and they believe that things won’t change because they’ve always been a certain way. Processes won’t adapt to changing circumstances. “This is how we’ve always done things” feels like a very safe reason to avoid conflict and accept undesirable circumstances. However, once someone has some autonomy, mastery, and a sense of purpose, they can move mountains. “I have the freedom to make things better, the skills to make things better, and the desire to make things better! I’m going to make things better!”

2.     Satisfied employees are engaged employees

Employee happiness or job satisfaction are concepts often conflated with employee engagement. However, it’s absolutely possible to be completely happy with your job and completely disengaged from your company. People can be happy with their coworkers, their day-to-day tasks, their compensation, and so on, but not care much about the company’s higher level goals. Some may even feel safer not sticking their head up and forming a stronger connection to the company. Why commit to more work to meet company goals when you’re doing perfectly fine for yourself by keeping a low profile? Some people that fit this profile may not care much about the company mission while deeply enjoying their work experience.

3.     Everyone is responsible for increasing their own engagement

Some managers believe employees are solely responsible for their own engagement. However, engagement is a two-way street. Just like any relationship, you need participation from both sides—in this case, the employee and the manager representing the company—in order to have a great relationship. Putting the onus on employees is a bit lazy. As a leader, you must reflect on your contributions (or lack thereof) in facilitating employee engagement.

Or put more simply, if you want an engaged team, you yourself must be engaged.

4.     Leaders are inherently engaged

Speaking of engaged leaders, not all leaders are automatically engaged with the company. Your level of engagement will fluctuate over time, so it’s entirely possible a once-highly-engaged leader no longer feels the connection they once did. With leadership promotions come responsibilities that are neither enjoyable nor avoidable. Leaders are more likely to hear negative news—problems, deficiencies, and gaps that need to be filled—than they are to hear positive news. After all, leaders help guide teams when they need it, and most people don’t ask for help when things are going well.

Additionally, leaders are less likely to receive praise than individual contributors. It’s uncommon for employees to thank their boss for doing a great job with corrective action. Or intervening in something they believe they could have handled themselves. Or declining a raise request. These things are difficult for leaders and can eventually wear them down.

5.     Engagement is the result of a good culture

Building a great company culture is no accident. Neither is a high level of engagement. Both are the result of a disciplined leadership team consistently promoting their desired behaviors and attitudes. The key word is discipline. Company culture and employee engagement are not natural outcomes of a one-and-done attempt to make things better. Leaders are responsible for regularly engaging team members.

It’s often said that company culture can’t come from the top down. While this is true in one sense, it’s false in another. Certainly, every person on your team influences the culture that exists in your company. However, the actions and attitudes of company leadership demonstrate what is expected of people and what is acceptable. A leader who complains to his direct reports can expect that his direct reports will complain to their subordinates as well. A leader who praises his team and builds them up when they need help can expect team members to do the same.

Employee engagement isn’t a passing trend. It’s the key to productivity and an organization’s success. To be successful, though, organizations need to invest and create employee engagement strategies based on internal surveys conducted. Finding out what makes your team tick is the first step toward change and making a difference in your organization.