As we started our one-on-one the CEO quietly mentioned, “We didn’t achieve our growth goals and I don’t know what the problem is?”
As the distance grows between the CEO and the customer, a CEO’s leadership patterns must also grow or execution will deteriorate. New ways of learning and decision making are required because growth alters the historical feedback loop to the CEO. This makes the CEO uncomfortable.
As I mentor leaders, I often use the following model; to help them visualize this shift.
When the senior leader launches a plan from the center and the results that materialize at the edge disappoint, there is always a very good reason for it.
Assume that your customers are either attracted or repelled by the interactions they experience with your products, services, people, and systems or facilities. The growth or lack of growth that your company experiences simply reflect your customers’ experience over time; in comparison to your competition.
As we continued our one-on-one, this CEO mentioned, “We have introduced a ton of change into the organization”, so I asked, “What is your ratio of initiated change to intended results?” As his head dropped he said, “We have launched so many changes that are never fully implemented.”
The model above can help us realize that the person touching the customer is more important to results than the CEO. If this person perceives that you launch change without follow through, they will not execute well because experience has taught them that it doesn’t matter.
The traction point between your company and your customer is your employee.
Employees are not inputs to a business process; they are bundles of thoughts, feelings and emotion and they are searching for ways to experience meaning in their work. Your change initiatives will succeed if your employees can harvest more purpose and meaning for their lives, while executing the change.
Employees choose what is important to them – you don’t.
A workplace creates meaning for employees in the following ways. When employees constantly experience one or more of these through their work, they are more willing to embrace change; they see it as an opportunity to experience meaning.
Agency – A relationship created when one person, the “principal,” delegates to another, the “agent,” the right to act on the principal’s behalf in business transactions and to exercise some degree of discretion while acting.
Being Heard – You and your managers listen to them to receive new information or insight and you verbally acknowledge their contribution. Everyone wants to be learned from.
Contribution - Maximizing the way they influence their future by allowing them to make deposits to the transaction, relationship, project, goal or milestone. If they believe their influence is received then they will own the results.
Relationship – Their peers hold them in good standing because they contribute reliably and constantly. Their group is aligned with team purpose, milestones, goals and roles.
Time/money/safety – Secure that their value is fairly compensated and the relationships they provide and receive feedback from are safe.
Learning - They are growing and developing because of the work they are doing.
Appreciation – They receive feedback for the unique contribution they make. They have an “appreciation advocate”.
Attracting more of the right customers can only be achieved when an increasing number of employees experience fulfillment through their work. Without employee fulfillment, you will be tempted to believe that you control and drive Value Creation from the center and nothing would be farther from the truth.
How would you describe the quality and consistency of execution in your company? I’d really like to know your thoughts. Jim@peer-place.com
Jim
