ENGAGING MANAGERS AS AGENTS OF EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT

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1 ENGAGING MANAGERS AS AGENTS OF EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT A Quantitative Analysis of Manager-led Development Strategies Over the past four years, the Corporate Leadership Council and the Learning and Development Roundtable have conducted studies that provide rich background for the Roundtable s current research. These studies have explored questions whose answers have relevance for all organizations, including the following: - What role do managers play in boosting employee retention? - How do managers inflect employee performance? - To what extent do managers serve as a primary source of informal learning? The results of this research provide overwhelming evidence demonstrating the importance of managers to the metrics critical to a high performance workforce. These studies have also demonstrated the value of informal learning approaches relationships, experiences, and informal feedback to develop leaders and managers. This is a brief summary of the overall report, however it points out the critical priorities that managers would benefit from following to assist their staff in their growth and development while enhancing their overall performance. For a copy of the full report, please contact Peak Experiences at peak@auracom.com Goal Setting and Self-Directed Behaviour Change One of a manager s most important tasks is management of the personal growth and leadership development for themselves and their subordinates. In addition to the day-to-day responsibilities of their job and the long-range planning for their department, a manager also has the very personal responsibility for their own future planning. In an earlier time, growth and development was handled in large part by the organization one joined and belonged to for life; today s rapidly changing work environment and increasing job mobility have vastly increased the future alternatives and potentialities for almost any manager. Few managers, however, take full advantage of this freedom. Too much freedom can be terrifying, and predicting the future in this turbulent, changing world seems to many an impossible task. An easier, much safer approach is to ignore the future and to avoid setting personal goals and looking at oneself for growth opportunities. Personal growth and career development are determined by the inertia of the past and the happenstance of the present rather than by one s personal life goals and hopes for the future. Goal setting and experiential learning are perhaps the most important aspect of personal growth and leadership development. The ability to conceptualize life goals and to imagine future alternatives for living and leading can free us from the inertia of the past by providing targets in the future that serve as guides for planning and decision making. Research results from several areas, management, behavioural science, and attitude change; all confirm the importance of goal setting and hands-on experience for personal growth. Commitment to clearly stated goals and values leads to achievement of those goals. Yet achieving commitment is not as easy as it sounds. It is critical that individuals create the time needed to accumulate a growing set of personal accomplishments. Self-efficacy is referred to as a collection of beliefs concerning our ability to perform behaviours that will result in outcomes we most fervently desire. It is noted that the single most important determinant of self-efficacy is the accumulation of personal accomplishments. Self-efficacy is defined as the power to produce effects or intended results. Self-esteem is more concerned with a person s level of self-respect and the extent to which a person believes that they are worthy of the accomplishments that are realized in all aspects of life. Self confidence is an attribute that would appear to be closer to the surface, where self-efficacy seems to relate more to a deeper inner belief to succeed and achieve. Peak Experiences - The Learning Company PO Box 1065, Antigonish, Nova Scotia, B2G 2S3 Telephone: peak@atcon.com

2 Why Manager-led Development Matters The business case for manager-led development depends on rigorous and reliable evidence linking managers to the work force metrics that matter most for the businesses. When managers are effective at developing their employees, they can impact their businesses in two primary ways; - First, effective managers can enhance essential employee attitudes and behaviours, such as their commitment to the organization core values and goals and in effect their overall dependability. Improvements in these attitudes and behaviours in turn, increase employees strengths and overall performance. - Second, effective managers directly improve the performance of employees by helping them become more productive and efficient in carrying out their work. A Road Map for Engaging Managers as Agents of Employee Development The Four Fundamental Questions for Manager Led Development 1. Making the Business Case: What impact does manager-led development have on employee attitudes, behaviours, and performance? 2. Focusing Manager Efforts: What specific manager lead development activities have the greatest impact on employee performance? 3. Driving Manager Effectiveness: What are the most important influential drivers for improving managerial effectiveness in developing their employees? 4. Prioritizing Our Efforts: What are Learning and Development s largest window s of opportunity for improving manager-led development? Does Manager-Led Development Make a Difference? Key Take A Ways 1. Making a compelling case for manager-led development rests on two pillars; a) demonstrating the extent to which managers can enhance employee performance; b) demonstrating the degree to which manager-led development can shape employee attitudes and behaviours, and thereby, indirectly improve employee performance; 2. By developing their employees managers can create enormous changes in the attitudes and behaviours critical to their employees success, sometimes by as much as 40 %; 3. The total impact that manager-led development can have on employee performance can be substantial, up to 25%.

3 Some Things Matter More Than Others Quick Quiz 1. What are the three most impactful manager led development activities? 2. What type of manager led development activities have no meaningful impact on employee performance? 3. In what ways can managers efforts at employee development hinder their performance? Maximum Impact on Employee Performance The Manager s Employee Development 1. Helping employees set their developmental goals 2. Helping employees create plans to achieve their developmental goals; 3. Creating written contracts with employees describing what they and the manager will do as a result of specific things they learn 4. Reviewing where employees stand on their plans to achieve their developmental goals; 5. Helping employees understand the expectations on which they are evaluated at performance reviews; 6. Helping employees set performance targets for the work they perform; 7. Participating in the kind of development activities managers expect from their employees; 8. Ensuring employees have the skills and knowledge they need before they need it; 9. Ensure each project or assignment is a learning experience for employees; 10. Helping employees have the kind of experience at work that will help them develop; 11. Giving employees feedback during performance reviews about the strengths of their past performance; 12. Serving as mentors to employees 13. Giving employees feedback during performance reviews about the weaknesses of their past performance; 14. Giving employees feedback during performance reviews about their personality strengths; 15. Discussing employees work related ideas or concerns with them; 16. Teaching employees a new skills, concept, process or procedure; 17. Helping employees apply new skills or knowledge in their work; 18. Help employees learn to solve problems on their own; 19. Giving employees advice based on the manager s own experience; 20. Helping employee find the training they need; 21. Passing along information about relevant development opportunities to employees; 22. Passing along information about job opening in the organization to employees; 23. Helping employees find solutions to work related problems; 24. Helping employees find information to answer work-related questions.

4 Maximum Impact on Employee Performance Focusing Managers on What Matters Most Employees benefit most from managers who clarify performance standards and focus on experience-based learning opportunities. Impact of Manager-Led Development Activities Set Performance Objectives Help Find Information Create Learning Contracts Ensure Projects Provide Learning Explain Performance Evaluation Standards Provide Experiences That Develop Assess Development Progress Help Find Training Feedback on Personality Strengths Create Individual Development Plans Feedback on Performance Weaknesses Help Apply New Skills/Knowledge Pass Along Job Openings Pass Along Development Opportunities Feedback on Performance Strengths Teach New Skill or Procedure Give Advice on Own Experience Ensure Necessary Skill/knowledge Model Expected Development Help Find Solutions Act as a Mentor Set Development Goals Discuss Work Concerns Help Employees Learn to Solve Problems Building a Business Case for Manager-led Development A compelling case for manager-led development rests on articulating the links between Manager activities, employee attitudes, and employee performance. Manager-Led Development Effectiveness Impact on Employee Attitudes and Behaviours How does manager-led development shape important attitudes and behaviours underlying employee performance? Discretionary Effort Organizational Commitment Job Satisfaction Intent to Stay Having Necessary Resources Adaptability and Dependability Interpersonal Relations Impact on Employee Performance What impact does manager-led development have on employee performance? Directly - Through greater efficiency and productivity Indirectly - Through improved employee attitudes and behaviours

5 Playing the Right Part Viewing the activities that effect employee performance across the entire manager-led development process, a number of key roles emerge that managers should be playing in developing their employees: - in the planning stage of the manager-led development process, managers should fill the vital role of performance and development strategist. - when helping employees execute against their learning and development plan managers should act as servant leaders and act as; Solution Enablers Learning Experience Architects Opportunity Brokers - The final critical role managers must play, the Honest Appraiser, occurs as they monitor and evaluate how well their employees are developing and performing. These roles consist of a set of activities that, taken together, vary in the extent in which they enhance employee performance. Effective Learning Experience Architects can improve employee performance by as much as 19.4%, while the best Solution Enablers can grow employee performance by as much as 8.7%. The Manager s Employee Development Check List RANK DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY FULL DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITY 1. Ensure Projects Provide Learning 2. Explain Performance Evaluation Stds 3. Provide Experiences That Develop 4. Assess Development Progress 5. Help Find Training 6. Feedback on Personality Strengths 7. Create Individual Development Plans 8. Feedback on Performance Weaknesses 9. Help Apply New Skills/Knowledge 10. Pass Along Job Openings 11. Pass Along Development Opportunities 12. Feedback on Performance Strengths 13. Teach New Skill or Procedure 14. Give Advice on Own Experience 15. Ensure Necessary Skill/knowledge 16. Model Expected Development 17. Help Find Solutions 18. Act as a Mentor 19. Set Development Goals 20. Discuss Work Concerns 21. Help Employees Learn to Solve Problems 22. Set Performance Objectives 23. Help Find Information 24. Create Learning Contracts - Ensures each project or assignment is a learning experience for employees - Helping employees understand the expectations on which they are evaluated during PR - Helping employees have experiences at work that will help them develop - Reviewing where employees stand on their plans to achieve their development goals - Helping employees find the training they need - Giving employees feedback during performance reviews about personality strengths - Helping employees create plans to achieve their developmental goals - Giving employees feedback during PR about the weakness of their past performances - Helping employees apply new skills or knowledge in their work - Passing along information about job openings in organization to employees - Passing along information about relevant development opportunities to employees - Giving employees feedback during PR about the strengths of their past performance - Teaching employees a new skill, concept, process, or procedure - Giving employee advice based on the manager s own experience - Ensuring employees have the skills and knowledge they need before they need it - Participating in the kind of developmental activities managers expect from employees - Helping employees find solutions to work-related problems - Serving as a mentor to employees - Helping employees set their developmental goals - Discussing employees work-related ideas or concerns with them - Helping employees learn to solve problems on their own - Helping employees set performance targets for the work they perform - Helping employees find information to answer work-related questions - Creating written contracts with employees describing what they and the manager will do as a result of specific things they learn

6 Five Lead Roles for Managers The Manager-led development activities that impact performance fall into five roles across the breadth of the process Planning Execution Evaluation Performance and Development Strategist Solution Enabler Learning Experience Architect Opportunity Broker Honest Appraiser Activity Impact Activity Impact Activity Impact Activity Impact Activity Impact Explaining Performance 19.8% Evaluation Standards Help Employees 11.6% Apply New Skills/Knowledge Ensure Projects 19.8% Are Learning Experiences Help Employees 13.6% Find Training Assess Development 13.8% Progress Create Individual 12.0% Development Plans Teach New Skill or 7.7% Procedure Provide Experiences 19.1% That Develop Employees Pass Along Job 10.3% Openings Give Feedback On Personality 13.3% Strengths Ensure 6.7% Necessary Skills/Knowledge Give Advice From Own 6.7% Experience Pass Along Development 8.7% Opportunities Give Feedback on Performance 11.9% Weaknesses Create Learning (- 11.0%) Contracts Give Feedback On Performance 8.0% Strengths 12.8 % 8.7 % 19.4 % 10.9 % 11.8 % Average Maximum Impact of Role Activities on Employee Performance Source - Learning and Development Roundtable Manager-led Development Survey; Learning and Development Roundtable Research

7 Significant Attitude Adjustments Effective execution of manager-led development activities can have a powerful impact on employee attitudes and behaviour Impact of Manager-Led Development Effectiveness Employee Attitudes Employee Behaviours Maximum Impact on Employee Attitudes and Behaviours 39.7% 37.2% 29.4% 27.3% 13.8% 12.7% 8.3% 6.8% Employee Retention Job Satisfaction Organizational Commitment Necessary Resources Discretionary Effort Interpersonal Relations Adaptability Dependability When Managers Undermine Performance A deeper look at three (3) manager-led development activities illustrates how seemingly beneficial activities can hinder employee performance. Manager-led Development Set of Performance Objectives Help Find Information Create Learning Contracts Activity: Impact on Employee Performance Impact on Employee Performance Impact on Employee Performance Maximum Indirect Impact Through Attitudes and Behaviours 4.0 % 6.1 % 4.7 % Maximum Direct Impact on (- 5.6 %) ( %) ( %) Employee Performance Total Impact on Employee Decrease (- 1.6 %) Decrease (- 4.3 %) Decrease ( %) Performance in Employee Performance in Employee Performance in Employee Performance Managers who excel at setting performance Managers who provide information Managers who create written objectives may focus heavily on end results may not help employees apply it to learning contracts may encourage without paying comparable attention to the their work or allow them to internalize employees to become so focused on means by which employees will attain the information resulting in employees meeting the terms of the agreement their objectives. who become overly dependent. they lose sight of other opportunities.

8 Goal Setting and Self-Directed Behaviour Change There are several factors that make achieving commitment difficult. (Why people fail) 1. Reluctance to give up the alternative goals not chosen: to choose one goal is to implicitly reject others. Unless one clearly believes in the importance (core values) of the goal and its superior value, other goals will as time passes dominate and overshadow the initial decision. 2. Fear of failure: without goals and ideals one can never fail. Making a commitment to a future state involves a risk to one s self-esteem if the goal is not achieved. This fear of failure makes it difficult to totally commit oneself to a goal. 3. Lack of self-knowledge: it is difficult to choose goals and make future plans when one is not certain about who they are and what they value. Confusion about oneself leads to confusion about what one s future self should be. 4. Lack of knowledge about the environment: lack of awareness of the opportunities available in the environment can also produce confusion and an inability to define goals that one can become committed to. An important part of a goal-setting process is researching the resources and opportunities afforded by the environment and using the information gained to discover new goals and redefine old ones. 5. Insecurity and low self-confidence: if one s circumstances or life style leads one to feel as though one is a hopeless victim of circumstances, they will have difficulty in planning their future and becoming committed to future goals and tapping ones potential. To achieve goals implies a sense of self-control and control over one s environment. To become committed to a goal, one must feel as though they have the ability to achieve it. 6. Procrastination and laziness: most often people get out what they put into life and their personal growth and development. The more energy put in and more people get out and there is no room for procrastination if one is looking to be more satisfied with the effectiveness of their work. Therefore, one of the most critical parts of self-improvement initiatives is to take time to reflect on ones self and to work on developing competencies that better ones self. The only real change is self change, so waiting for others to change is simply a waste of time. There are, however, some things that can be done to increase commitment to goals: (why people succeed) 1. Explicit examination of the value of the chosen goal and comparison with other rejected alternatives: by explicitly considering alternative opportunities that may arise one can avoid being swayed in a weak moment by alternatives. One especially useful technique is linking short-term goals with long-term objectives. Awareness that a particularly difficult shortterm goal is linked to a long-term objective can avoid its rejection for a more immediately gratifying but short-term pleasure. 2. Committing oneself to a continuing process of self-evaluation and goal setting: one cannot in one sitting plan ones future life. The world is changing far too rapidly for any of us to anticipate the future clearly, and our goals change as our experience increases. The risk of missing unforeseen alternatives by working blindly towards obsolete goals can be minimized by continued reassessment of goals. By seeking feedback from others about oneself and by using this data for continuing self-evaluation, one can achieve a more accurate self-image and a clearer conception of one s values. 3. Support from others: commitment to goals is best achieved in a supportive atmosphere. Others significant in one s life are invaluable for building self-confidence, helping to clarify thinking about the future, and getting helpful feedback about behaviour on a daily and weekly basis. Personal growth does not occur alone. It is through interactions with others that we discover ourselves and first experience our ideals and values. SUPPORTING THE GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT PROCESS The key functions that are significant for supporting each others growth and development are as follows; ACT AS ROLE MODEL People showing what is possible; information source. CHALLENGE OTHERS TO GROW Motivating new ways of doing; skill development LISTEN & CLARIFY OTHERS DIFFICULTIES HELP WITH PROBLEM SOLVING Listening to help & comfort; feedback and clarity. Assisting to clear up problems in crisis and everyday situations.

9 Leveraging Strengths Overview: For the sake of clarity let s be more precise about what we mean by a strength. The definition we will use through out this one page summary is quite specific: consistent near excellence performance in an activity. By defining strength in this way, we reveal three of the most important principles... Most organizations are built on two flawed assumptions about people: 1. Each person can learn to be competent in almost anything; 2. Each person s greatest room for growth is in his or her areas of greatest weakness. Presented so badly, these two assumptions seem too simplistic to be commonly held, so let s play them out and see where they lead. If you want to test whether or not your organization is based on these assumptions, look for these characteristics; your organization spends more money on training people once they are hired than on selecting them properly in the first place; your organization focuses the performance of its employees by legislating work style. This means a heavy emphasis on work rules, policies, procedures, and behavioural competencies; your organization spends most of its training time and money on trying to plug the gaps in employees skills or competencies. It calls these gaps areas of opportunities. Your individual development plan, if you have one, is built around your areas of opportunity, your weakness. your organization promotes people based on the skills or experiences they have acquired. After all, if everyone can learn to be competent in almost anything, those who have learned the most must be the most valuable. Thus, by design, your organization gives the most prestige, the most respect, and the highest salaries to the most experienced well-rounded people. To break out of this weakness spiral and to launch the strengths revolution in your own organization, you must change your assumptions about people. Start with the right assumptions, and everything else that follows from them - how you select, measure, train, and develop your people - will be right. These are the two assumptions that guide the world s best managers: 1. Each person s talents are enduring and unique; 2. Each person s greatest room for growth is in the areas of his or her greatest strengths. Few organizations, however, have developed a systematic process for the efficient use of their human resources. (They may experiment with individual development plans, 360-degree surveys, and competencies, but these experiments are mostly focussed on fixing each employee s weakness rather than building their strength.) Talents are your naturally recurring patterns of thought, feeling, or behaviour. Your various themes of talent are what the Strengths-Finder Profile* actually measures. Knowledge consists of the facts and lessons learned. Skills are the steps of an activity. These three-talents, knowledge, and skills-combine to create your strengths. * Strength-Finder can be found on the web at: