Leadership in a Brave New World
It is one of the great business ironies as organizational structures have become flatter, leaner, and simpler: the business of leading those organizations has become harder and more complex.
With
traditional hierarchies breaking down, leaders are increasingly
finding themselves managing across continents, age ranges,
and functions. This has put a massive strain on leaders at
all levels. In addition, flatter, leaner organizations mean
these same leaders can no longer rely on regular promotions
and pay raises to motivate their teams. Rather, they are having
to find alternative ways of engaging their people. In our
conversations with leaders, they offer up some timely insights
and strategies for leading in this brave new world.
Communicate again, again, and again
"It
sounds simple," says Morgan Chambers, Group Head of
Leadership and Development for National Grid, "but is
often difficult to do enough. Changing priorities mean that
employees are looking for clarification, guidance, and assurance
that their voice will also be heard. We are aware from our
employee survey data that as managers we need to communicate,
communicate, communicate," she says. "But it has
to be a two-way dialogue. Whether it is face-to-face, by email,
or through presentations to staff, it has to be about providing
them with an opportunity to ask questions about the information,
not just telling them."
Adding to the challenge, leaders are finding themselves in
the role of player-coach. They have their own personal responsibilities and project goals in addition to their team leadership responsibilities.
Their role as a coach is to be clear about what needs to be achieved and to suggest, advise, and consult the team on how to get there while not losing sight of their own priorities.
Climbing the corporate ladder: What ladder?
No matter where the organization is moving, ambitious and
talented people are still setting their own personal goals and
blueprints for their success. Leaders we spoke to are very aware
that the traditional career moves for their best and brightest
may not be readily available. So they focus on getting a better
understanding of what will provide job satisfaction outside
the traditional career-path route.
The good news is that the collapse of hierarchies and professional
silos means leaders have the opportunity to provide some great working experiences for their people, enabling them to work
across functions, divisions, and borders. It could be through project work, perhaps as part of a multi-functional team,
or via short-term assignments to other parts of the business, suppliers, or clients. Either way, leaders use these opportunities
to provide team members with motivating challenges as well as providing the support to ensure their success.
A
massive restructuring at Zurich Financial Services in the
UK has enabled Tony Solomon, interim Marketing Director, to
offer his team some unique work experiences. Over the past
few years Zurich has ripped out 40 per cent of the management
line and reduced the number of grading levels from 15 to half
a dozen. Solomon’s own part of the business –
the marketing function – is in the process of becoming
a shared service. "It’s meant a big expansion
of individual roles and responsibilities across the business
for my team, who is becoming involved in newer, more exciting
projects than ever before," Solomon says.
The
expansion of shared services arrangements brings its own leadership
challenges. Solomon has learned that in providing a service
across the business he has to be able to negotiate conflicting
priorities. "In this environment, clarity of expectations
and clarity of outcomes are essential," he says.
Reshaping reward and recognition
Extra
pay or promotion may be out of the question, but it is still
worth leaders looking at how they can use the budget flexibility
they have to reward high performing people. Zurich, for example,
is taking its highest performers from across the business
– called the Five Star Club – to Paris. In addition,
these high performers will be invited to a business development
session where they will be part of larger strategy discussions
with their peers and company leaders.
Circumstances change, values don’t
However, even the greatest leaders can’t do it all on
their own. If they are going to succeed in the more collegial
environment of today’s businesses, they need the systems,
structures, and – most importantly – the values
of the organization to back them up.
Strong
organizational values – and leaders who live them –
are vital. Solomon believes Zurich has moved from having a
management culture where staff feared speaking out to an open
leadership style where people aren’t afraid to ask questions
and leaders are prepared to give honest answers. It is not
always the answer people want, but at least they can understand
why and how changes are going to happen.
"We’ve done a huge amount of work on our values.
And it’s been the most important part of the process because leadership now is about being able to inspire people
and take them willingly to a place that has yet to be created," Solomon says.
"To
do this as a leader your team needs to be able to understand
what your values are, what you are here to do, and the purpose
of their role in getting there. If – as an organization
and a leader – you can be true to your values, then you have
something quite special.”
For
more information on how BlessingWhite can help your organization build a high-performance culture in a flat structure, call
1-800-222-1349.
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