Discovering the Power of Engagement

Series - Engaging leadership for a new post-covid world

Two: "Discovering the Power of Engagement"

Ray Atkinson – Henley MBA alumnus & Henley Alumni & Development Board member

"Every contact leaves a trace"
Sherlock Holmes

Why is this so important right now?

In a Post Covid – Brexit world, this Forensic Science principle will be more important than ever. Strategies however well defined, need to be underpinned by shorter-term operational decisions made by people who are energised and engaged with their organisation and its customers. Here, Line Managers are the leading Agents of Change. By their conversations and actions they create an environment where their team members choose or don’t choose to engage.

However, this can’t possibly happen in situations where they are constrained by bureaucracy; constantly changing expectations: unnecessarily complicated reporting lines; unclear boundaries; fear of making a mistake; lack of competence or just plain poor ENGAGEMENT.

Take three conversations!

In conversations with organisations that have gone through major change programmes, the outcomes are often described by senior executives as having been successfully executed! They say that there has been some resistance at lower levels and managers have left who were “unable to hack it”. But the organisations have become “fitter and stronger as a result of reorganisation”. Yet, these quotes from two so-called “survivors of change” tell a different story:

“A very significant change in my job......and another review with more change to come. I’ve been trying to put it into practice, but I still find it very difficult.....we’re pawns in the game plan..... It’s horrible, but you have to stick it out and see what happens. I’m not optimistic.....there’s not a lot you can do”.

“My anger has subsided. It’s been replaced by discontent and anxiety. I’ve adjusted my life style – less hours, and no Sunday evening emails. The Company has lost my total confidence, devotion, loyalty and trust.....I’m now wary”.

These are the people who are fundamental to delivering the future hopes, dreams and aspirations of the organisation! Yet it appears that, despite trying hard to make the change, they are losing energy and, like an army on the losing side, feeling tired and demoralised.

So what's new?

Our unique starting point is The Wadenhoe Model® and the part of this framework that is particularly powerful for creating an environment where everyone is fully engaged is the Performance - People - Place Triangle:

Strategy: Strategic changes are intended to have a far-reaching effect on organisational performance. However, if the detail behind the words is not clear outside of the board room, then little will change.

Performance: To perform well individuals need to understand the change required of them and how this fits together to improve the overall performance of the organisation. Another bullet point added to key activities, is not evidence that the Performance required is fully understood.

People: This is about really knowing the people who will deliver the change, both as groups and individuals. It is also concerned with ensuring that they have the necessary skills, knowledge and behaviour required to make it happen.

Place: Alongside the physical aspects of Place, this is primarily about addressing the question: “Do the values and behaviours in the organisation encourage Engagement?”

For each of the arrows shown in the Model above, we have developed a unique set of “connection checks” to ensure this thinking is fully integrated into implementation plans.