In yesterday’s Advisor, leadership experts Aaron K. Olson and B. Keith Simerson, EdD, shared tips for winning the hearts and engaging the minds of your employees. Today, their advice regarding the final piece of the puzzle: leveraging your employees’ hands.
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Olson is chief talent officer at Aon plc, a global firm specializing in risk management and human resources, and Simerson provides consultation, executive coaching, and leadership development in the areas of strategy formulation and execution. They are co-authors of the book Leading with Strategic Thinking: Four Ways Effective Leaders Gain Insight, Drive Change, and Get Results (John Wiley & Sons: 2015).
Leveraging Their Hands
It is important for employees to “use both hands” when striving to do what they are being asked to do. It is through the skillful application of their full abilities that they will add value and the organization or community will achieve its potential. While buy-in and commitment are extremely important, the team must possess and apply the proper tools to accomplish the task at hand.
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We use “tools” broadly in this context, as it includes necessary skills and abilities. We also broadly define the “job” to include helping to formulate and refine the vision, in addition to helping determine the best path forward.
To leverage the hands of others, you need to intentionally determine what is required of stakeholders, and then take concrete steps to ensure they have the means of doing what is required. This includes forming a deep understanding of the inputs (e.g., information, instructions, and guidance), mechanisms (e.g., resources and tools), and mechanics (e.g., the actions or activities) required for success.
Often it involves working side by side with your employees to explore ways to enhance what is already in place. Today, working alongside employees often differs from times past. Information and interaction flow in real time, aided by technology that has accelerated the pace of change. This has real implications for how you prepare and work with stakeholders. As a leader, you should:
- Consider just in time briefings rather than training classes.
- Consider short videos or daily social media postings rather than monthly newsletters.
- Consider collaborative forums like online meetings and interactive polls in place of traditional broadcasts or one way communications.
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Enabling others to contribute requires more than a committed and knowledgeable team. Team members also need to be actively engaged. An approach built on a solid foundation of inputs and two-way collaboration will contribute to an environment that instills self-confidence, buy-in, commitment, and advocacy.