Insight from "Rising To The Challenge In Times of Uncertainty" by Celeste Whatley. Article published on April 10 but a timely reminder as we tentatively emerge from the current situation. Ask yourself, "Am I the leader they need?"
"No matter where you work, the impacts of COVID-19 and intensifying calls for social equality and justice have created new expectations of global corporations and international business leaders.
This reckoning in public health, political, social and economic terms will require global business leaders to see the world around them more differently than ever before. Therefore, it is time to really think about how we reset policies and practices to support equality and fairness."
Insights from "A Reckoning for Companies and Global Leaders Alike" by TRANSEARCH International.
"These are certainly tough times. Employers and employees are facing financial challenges, fears about physical and mental health, and countless other very real and personal worries. Effective leaders need to lead with more heart and empathy now than ever before."
A familiar scene… A company's hiring committee sits around the boardroom table, discussing the recruitment of a new CFO. Somebody declares "this new CFO has to be strategic." Somebody else adds "they must be results-oriented." Everybody nods in agreement.
However, nobody actually knows what strategic and results-oriented mean in real terms for this CFO, let alone how to screen and compare candidates appropriately. In all likelihood, each term has been interpreted differently by members of the hiring committee.
Our teams use our proprietary Orxestra® methodology to assess "the DNA" of an organisation and calibrate fit. Orxestra® enables our teams to evaluate talent in a meaningful way that is directly linked to the personality of your organisation.
The results have been dramatic - better short-lists, highly engaged candidates, stronger chemistry during interviews, and seamless onboarding. Orxestra® not only significantly reduces the risk of a mis-hire, but leaders screened using our methodology tend to have longer and more successful careers than those hired through a traditional process.
Insights from "Orxestra® Method" by TRANSEARCH USA.
If you found time recently to reflect on where you are on life's journey or on the pathway of your executive career, you may have found yourself thinking more about your purpose, your time and your priorities.
Facilitation is like skiing. Preparation, practice and picking the right line are essential. In other words, know your audience, know the outcome desired, and introduce a facilitation approach (style) that best fits the situation.
John Burdett outlines four facilitation styles. One size doesn't fit all. A masterful facilitator sees the four approaches as a rich pallet of behaviours to be mixed, matched and blended as the situation demands.
Insights from "Facilitation - the Forgotten Art" by John Burdett.
Few companies teach facilitation as part of their leadership development agenda. And yet, if we want collaboration, if we want to grow teams, if we want to challenge talent in a meaningful way … being able to get the best out of meeting of minds becomes pretty important.
Excellence in facilitation shares much with what it means to be an outstanding coach:
- Humility
- Conduct with a hidden baton but don't start to play any of the instruments
- Come with a beginner's mind … be open to being surprised
- Pass power to the participants
- Ask great questions
- Push for clarity around what the real issue is but avoid suggesting potential solutions
- Listen, listen, listen
- Summarise what has been agreed to
- Push for objective action regarding next steps
Good luck on your next opportunity to facilitate. It is one of the most difficult but at the same time rewarding leadership skills. Remember, from a career perspective, bringing the best out of a group session is something of a forgotten art.
Insights from "Facilitation - the Forgotten Art" by John Burdett.
In the current talent environment, doing everything possible to protect your investment in a strategic hire means committing to a strong Leadership Integration process. An effective process provides the framework for defining what success means for a new leader. The specific design parameters for a virtual Leadership Integration program will vary based on the unique features of the organisation and the demands of the role.
Bedford/Teal set out core elements that should be included in a best in class virtual onboarding program, including:
- Understand their technology needs
- Ensure onboarding goals are clearly defined
- Provide a copy/framework of the on-boarding plan
- Establish a personal reach out process
- Provide an opportunity to debrief from the recruitment/search process
A successful interview fosters meaningful, productive conversation for both parties. Consider the following as you refine your approach:
- A good interview question invites a case study of workplace thinking. Ask questions that give candidates the chance to demonstrate their professional capability, experience and problem-solving skills.
- Prepare questions that genuinely give candidates the chance to demonstrate their ability. It is challenging to prepare questions that push the candidate to think, but that is the purpose of your meeting.
- Get candidates to talk beyond what they have rehearsed. Help candidates feel like they are in their work zone, where they can roll up their sleeves and tell you in their real voices what it is like to do the work they love to do.
- Prepare a score card. This is a touchstone indicating what the team is seeking in your new hire. Use it as the basis for your questions and conversation. The score card matters.
Having a voice in how your team grows is an honour and a responsibility. Be reflective about it, and be purposeful as you continually refine your approach.
Insights from "Five Signs You're a Bad Interviewer" by John Ryan.
Catherine Devrye provides tips, gleaned over many years, to those working from home for the first time; thankfully with benefits of technology that weren't available 25 years ago. Catherine includes tips such as discipline and routine through to time out and rewards.