Month: October 2019

The Ideal Strategic Manager

Throughout my career, I’ve been fortunate to meet a handful of individuals who truly exemplify what it is to be a Strategic Manager.

Very early on in my career, I worked with Rick Maguire,  senior vice-president of inventory management at Target. Rick always amazed me when a fire came up: either he already knew the answer, or he was quickly he able to frame the problem and move the team forward.

Because Rick spent so much time analyzing what was going on, analyzing what the future could be, and checking in with his leaders, he was able to see clearly where others just saw fog.

He had checkpoints in place to make sure that what he was expecting was happening. He “inspected what you expected.” Rick definitely had his moments when he would get upset or angry when something didn’t happen, but it was usually after the plan was in place and somebody dropped the ball—not because something happened that he hadn’t thought of.

As a senior vice president and a Strategic Manager, he was able to be forward-thinking and have his managers underneath him keep a clear understanding of where things were.

And Rick was one of the biggest supporters of the development of his team, investing in large leadership development programs, mentor programs, and executive coaching to get his team ready to take on more and more.  

For our team, Rick’s foresight and clear expectations resulted in a happy, engaged, and productive work environment. It was challenging work, but I still think fondly of that experience today.

I learned from Rick that you can achieve it all by not doing it all.  His ability to lead a clear vision, influence change, and coach his team created results that he could have never reached by doing it all himself! 

Leadership Development is more than On-the-Job

I’ve spoken to thousands of executives who today are the top of a company, and I’ve asked them all the same three questions. First: Earlier in your career, did you experience leadership coaching and/or management training that significantly impacted your elevation from manager to executive? In response, the vast majority of older executives I’ve spoken with said yes.

My follow-up question: Are you investing in your employees with the same degree of leadership and management coaching and training? The vast majority of older executives said no.

My final question: How do you expect your employees to learn the leadership skills and tools that you possess if you’re not investing in similar formal training and coaching? The vast majority of executives blinked once or twice. I almost could see a lightbulb go off in their head.

When talking about their development, most executives point to a mix of sources that spurred their rise from manager to executive.  A training program, tied in with some mentorship and coaching, plus some big responsibility from their supervisors who delegated to them a handful of challenging projects, is the usual mix.

As we look at training’s place in today’s world, we see it’s a shadow of what it once was in defining leadership and developing talent.  And here is why.

The 70-20-10 Model for Learning and Development is a common formula based on studies of effective learning experiences.  The model states that individuals get 70 percent of their learning from job-related experiences, 20 percent from interactions with others, and 10 percent from formal training or workshops.  The model was created in the 1980s by three researchers and authors working with the Center for Creative Leadership, a nonprofit educational institution in Greensboro, N.C. The three, Morgan McCall, Michael M. Lombardo and Robert A. Eichinger, were researching the key developmental experiences of successful managers.

Although I highly agree that 70% of learning experiences happen on the job, it doesn’t mean throw new leaders into the deep end and see if they can “learn it on the job”.  I think the 70 20 10 model illustrates the need for blended learning. Take 10% of your time and take a formal learning experience to learn the new process, skill, or behavior. Then through a mentor or manager (20 percent of learning), and 70 percent of learning on the job, it blends together for effective learning.  By throwing them in the deep end without the 10 percent formal learning, does not result in effective learning.

As we continue to cut costs and streamline the business, management training programs are often what’s cut in budgets, because most executives believe it’s a priority for tomorrow, but outweighed by other of-the-moment priorities. And executives lie to themselves that their learners will learn 70 percent by just being on the job, and then they cut the training budgets eliminating leadership development programs.

Luckily, helping your employees develop is an investment much less costly than burnout and turnover. Time for executives to invest in the coaching and development of the next gen leader.

Did you hear this summer that the World Health Organization included burn-out as an occupational phenomenon that has factors influencing health status and influences the frequency of contacting health services?

WHO defines burn-out as a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.  It is characterized by three dimensions:

• Feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion
• Increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job
• Reduced professional efficacy. 

When I read this definition, I think of the Corporate Exhausted Hero.  That leader that tries to take it all on as an individual contributor, a manager, and a leader.  They are focused on getting tasks completed themselves, while also trying to pull themselves up to the big picture to build a strategy for the future.  They try to keep their team happy but rarely can focus more than a week or two into the future. 

Burn-out will continue to drive turnover in corporate America, especially with these Exhausted Heros.  As the Exhausted Hero continues to take on more work, takes less vacation, and works longer hours, their burn-out becomes overwhelming and these high potential employees will continue to be faced with the choice to leave or just try to hold on. 

Exhausted Heros need to focus on elevating to a Strategic Manager.  By focusing on these core skills, they can pull themselves from the brink of burn-out:

• Create a Vision:  This forward thinking skill allows both the leader and the team a roadmap to the future that sidesteps major roadblocks.
• Influencing Others:  By identifying who needs to be aligned with the plan and take intentional steps to convince them  to get onboard, leaders can eliminate additional roadblocks and keep the work going
• Leading Change:  By staying ahead on the change curve, leaders can communicate to the team, leadership, and key partners where projects are in the process of change.  If people understand where they are and where they are going, change is way less daunting!
• Coaching & Delegating:  Strategic Managers pass ALL individual contributor work to the individual contributors through delegating projects and tasks, and by coaching their teams to success. 

Many Exhausted Heros struggle elevating to Strategic Manager on their own. If you are an Exhausted Hero or manage an Exhausted Hero, consider hiring a Leadership Coach or building a Customized Leadership Development Program.

Today, I had the great pleasure of facilitating a culture transforming workshop at QuinStreet, a global digital marketing company. This awesome group of women reminded me that leadership development is a multiple choice game.

Women’s Development – At QuinStreet, a female senior leader created a women’s program that includes culture transforming workshops, informal mentors, and networking.

High Potential Development – With the State of Colorado, I am co-creating a leadership development program focused on high potential talent. Through facilitated workshops that occur every quarter, one-on-one leadership coaching, and a 360 degree feedback tool, this organization is focused on developing this important and influential group.

Leadership Expectations – At Streamline Brands, a national swim school company, we have created a series of customized leadership programs focused on defining the expectations for leaders in the organization. Every month, I facilitate a workshop focused on a new defined leadership expectation.

Executive Development – At Advertising Production Resources (APR), I am working with the top 20 within the organization to define leadership and they continue to grow.

Executive Coaching – Some organizations are focused one leader at a time, providing executive coaching with extra support to elevate their leadership. I am currently working with executives in energy, government, retail, manufacturing, information technology, digital marketing, and entrepreneurship.

No matter the method, it is critical to create dedicated leadership development programs for your organization. This not only creates leaders, improved productivity, and elevates effectiveness, it also ignites employee engagement and value.