Developing Effective Leaders by Aligning Values and Behaviors

Overview

As a regional manufacturer positions for ambitious growth goals and a diversified future, it was essential to create the framework to find, select and develop the types of engaged and energized employees that will enable the organization to not only survive but thrive. In a competitive landscape, where employees were more selective, discerning and oftentimes less committed to an organization, it was important for them to set themselves apart and provide value outside of traditional compensation metrics. By creating an employee experience rooted in values, trust, and opportunity, employers have the opportunity to not only find and retain the best employees but to also experience the benefits of an engaged workforce.

Insight generated from the Switch Cultural Readiness Assessment indicated opportunities for the manufacturer in key areas of Leadership, Culture, and Communication. In order to address the challenges uncovered in the Assessment, and to create additional rigor around key employee touchpoints, Switch was asked to build a Roadmap focused on building and nurturing the next level leaders within the organization.

Approach

As the co-owners adjusted their focus on leading the business towards the future it was essential for the Supervisors and Managers to develop the knowledge, skill and energy to effectively lead their teams. While the Managers and Supervisors were technically competent and had the experience necessary to perform the tasks of their jobs, they needed training to take them to the next level and to move from skilled workers to effective leaders. Switch designed a Roadmap to deliver coaching and facilitate team workshops designed to give the team of Supervisors and Managers the insight, tools and support needed to step into their leadership role in a way that drives communication and builds trust through an increased understanding and emphasis on the critical elements of Emotional Intelligence and the need for personal energy management.

Throughout this program we focused on critical elements of an effective leader and provided opportunities for participants to practice energy management and capacity building techniques.

Outcome

Important success metrics for this program were to 1) improve leader effectiveness with their team 2) improve relationships across the leader group to drive cross departmental collaboration and a unified feeling of team across the organization. At the end of the program a leader who had been demoted because of performance issues, decided to recommit to the organization, adjust some much needed health behaviors and was reinstated to his previous management role. As a visible figure and example for the organization, his behavior change and re-commitment to being a leader within the organization was a visible example of leading by example. Other leaders began to seek him out and held him up as a model for collaboration and teamwork.

A second leader identified a desire and a need to bring perspective to the organization and too give back. He presented a plan to the co-owners to implement monthly giving activities to engage the organization in a shared, charitable experience, to promote community, drive empathy and give back to the community that they live in. This leader transformed from angry with frequent vocal outburst with team and other leaders to an example of team work and collaboration. He began modeling new skills to manage his emotions and productively respond to challenging team members. His team notice, other leaders and the co-owners all noticed a dramatic behavior change and the impact it made to the “feel” on the floor.

The work with the leaders and subsequent Assessment, illuminated the need to better define and communicate the organizational values. Phase 2 is to work with the Keeper of Culture to define and merchandise values and behaviors for the organization.