By now it’s a common lament. After years of trimming mid-management ranks, businesses are scrambling to find people to lead their organizations, if not today or tomorrow, then soon enough.
The mad dash for potential leaders has produced fierce competition; finding and keeping tomorrow’s leaders has become one of the most important competitive advantages.
With that in mind, members of the Canadian Human Resources Planners gathered in a downtown Toronto hotel for a one-day symposium last month to meet and discuss the three crucial elements of a strategy to redress this shortage — the recruitment process, integrating new executives quickly, and turning good leaders into great leaders.
It begins, of course, at the beginning.
The search for strong leadership
While the war for talent rages on with no sign of let-up, many companies are using ineffective and inefficient recruitment practices to bring people on board. And when they do implement an effective recruitment strategy, they seldom maintain the discipline to follow it when things get a little bumpy, said Michael Stern of Michael Stern Associates, a Toronto-based management consultant and executive recruitment firm.
It is not easy to develop a good recruitment strategy. It takes a great deal of time and resources. While some companies make it up as they go along, others become dependent on the latest flavour-of-the-month recruitment theory.
A good recruitment strategy is a combination of many things but companies need to dedicate both the time and resources it requires, which can be considerable.
Taking a look inside to carefully evaluate the talent pool before looking outside the office is an important step, often overlooked. Equally important is the determination to stick to the strategy even when things get a little hectic, he said.
CEOs know that finding and keeping the best people is a top priority, but, “Non-compliance HR concerns are the first thing to be thrown overboard when things go bad,” Stern said.
Even though a big project suddenly comes along that threatens to dominate the corporate agenda, a thorough and committed recruitment strategy must still receive the time and resources it requires.
Hit the ground running
Executive integration is a blind spot for many organizations, says author and HR consultant John Burdett.
Poaching of leadership talent is easier than ever before and companies that don’t make the effort to help a new executive get integrated will find unhappy new executives ready to move on. And yet, too often new people are brought in and left on their own to find their way.
Burdett outlined the steps for the successful integration of new executives covered in his book, New Role, New Reality.
The three most common mistakes that organizations make is:
•they don’t make clear their leadership philosophy;
•there is no real map to show the new person where they are within the organization or where the organization is headed; and
•there is no person to champion the culture and assist the new executive in fitting in.
Ultimately, it is up to the individual to integrate themselves into the new role, he said. But, the company and more specifically, the HR department must provide them with the tools and the support they need to succeed.
There are a number of things the new person has to do early on, but the first is let go of the past, he said. Typically, people refer to how they did things at their old job for up to a year after they move into a new position, but it is essential to let go of the old way of doing things and pick up as quickly as possible on the culture that shapes the processes in the new environment.
HR has to help the new employee understand the culture, make it as real as possible, clearly describing the expectations for leaders within that culture and how teams operate, for example.
Making good leaders great
The final link in the leadership chain is developing the talent available, transforming them from good leaders to exemplary leaders.
There are three essential components to the making of a great leader, Nancy Lonergan-Larsh an independent consultant who specializes in leadership and organizational development, told the crowd during her session on optimizing leadership performance
Naturally, they have to have the necessary technical skills, experience and knowledge, but companies typically focus too much on competency building and neglect the other essential elements of great leaders, namely integrity and influence.
Leaders can’t be taught either integrity or influence, and the truth of the matter is nobody should become a leader without both of these, she said. However, great leaders are made when organizations and development coaches find people that already have these qualities and strengthen them further.
There is a huge return waiting for organizations that find the people who are already very good leaders and try to propel them to the next level by expanding the integrity and influence they already have, she said.
The truly exemplary leaders have taken the time to do some soul-searching and consequently are in a role and doing a job that they truly love. When that happens, their work becomes a life-giving rather than a life-draining pursuit and their influence grows as employees are more inspired by people who love what they do.
It is difficult to teach leaders how to grow their integrity and influence but good coaching guides them.
Referring to a teaching process designed by Kent Osborne, Lonergan-Larsh said it’s important for great leaders to develop broader perspectives and clear lines of sight to important business issues so that they are able to overcome daily trials and tribulations and still keep the operation moving forward, she said. The result is a leader with greater ability to influence, who will bring the rest of her charges along with her.
Common errors in the search for leaders
1. Not knowing what job you are trying to fill. Too often companies don’t take the time to consider what role they want the new person to fill. Is a person from outside really needed? Is the old job description still valid? Start with a blank piece of paper to redefine the position.
2. Not targeting the right candidates. The obvious places are not always the best place to look. It is possible to find great people in other sectors and industries. Create a list of “must haves” and “nice to haves,” but be careful to not have too many “must haves,” else you eliminate the entire talent pool. Two or three is ideal. Hire for attitude and train for skills.
3. Not spreading the net properly. Networking, advertising, headhunting and search agencies are all important, but remember the “blind date” rule when asking for referrals. Friends and peers can be reluctant to make recommendations, fearful they will be blamed if the referral turns out to be a dud. The blind date rule says: if you fix me up with someone, you’re not responsible for how things turn out.
4. Not managing the interview process. Senior people, by and large, tend to talk too much. A good rule of thumb in an interview is to keep your mouth shut 80 per cent of the time. The interview should not feel like a conversation. It should be a two-way evaluation for which interviewer must be well-prepared and willing to take the time to sell the candidate on the position as well as evaluate them.
5. Not asking the right questions. Ask some focus-shift questions which will dislodge the person from practiced answers.
6. Neglecting the reference check. Probably the best indication of future performance is past performance so it is important to do as thorough a check as possible within the time available. Always ask, “would you rehire?” Anything less than a ringing endorsement should be considered suspect.
Source: Michael Stern and Associates.
The mad dash for potential leaders has produced fierce competition; finding and keeping tomorrow’s leaders has become one of the most important competitive advantages.
With that in mind, members of the Canadian Human Resources Planners gathered in a downtown Toronto hotel for a one-day symposium last month to meet and discuss the three crucial elements of a strategy to redress this shortage — the recruitment process, integrating new executives quickly, and turning good leaders into great leaders.
It begins, of course, at the beginning.
The search for strong leadership
While the war for talent rages on with no sign of let-up, many companies are using ineffective and inefficient recruitment practices to bring people on board. And when they do implement an effective recruitment strategy, they seldom maintain the discipline to follow it when things get a little bumpy, said Michael Stern of Michael Stern Associates, a Toronto-based management consultant and executive recruitment firm.
It is not easy to develop a good recruitment strategy. It takes a great deal of time and resources. While some companies make it up as they go along, others become dependent on the latest flavour-of-the-month recruitment theory.
A good recruitment strategy is a combination of many things but companies need to dedicate both the time and resources it requires, which can be considerable.
Taking a look inside to carefully evaluate the talent pool before looking outside the office is an important step, often overlooked. Equally important is the determination to stick to the strategy even when things get a little hectic, he said.
CEOs know that finding and keeping the best people is a top priority, but, “Non-compliance HR concerns are the first thing to be thrown overboard when things go bad,” Stern said.
Even though a big project suddenly comes along that threatens to dominate the corporate agenda, a thorough and committed recruitment strategy must still receive the time and resources it requires.
Hit the ground running
Executive integration is a blind spot for many organizations, says author and HR consultant John Burdett.
Poaching of leadership talent is easier than ever before and companies that don’t make the effort to help a new executive get integrated will find unhappy new executives ready to move on. And yet, too often new people are brought in and left on their own to find their way.
Burdett outlined the steps for the successful integration of new executives covered in his book, New Role, New Reality.
The three most common mistakes that organizations make is:
•they don’t make clear their leadership philosophy;
•there is no real map to show the new person where they are within the organization or where the organization is headed; and
•there is no person to champion the culture and assist the new executive in fitting in.
Ultimately, it is up to the individual to integrate themselves into the new role, he said. But, the company and more specifically, the HR department must provide them with the tools and the support they need to succeed.
There are a number of things the new person has to do early on, but the first is let go of the past, he said. Typically, people refer to how they did things at their old job for up to a year after they move into a new position, but it is essential to let go of the old way of doing things and pick up as quickly as possible on the culture that shapes the processes in the new environment.
HR has to help the new employee understand the culture, make it as real as possible, clearly describing the expectations for leaders within that culture and how teams operate, for example.
Making good leaders great
The final link in the leadership chain is developing the talent available, transforming them from good leaders to exemplary leaders.
There are three essential components to the making of a great leader, Nancy Lonergan-Larsh an independent consultant who specializes in leadership and organizational development, told the crowd during her session on optimizing leadership performance
Naturally, they have to have the necessary technical skills, experience and knowledge, but companies typically focus too much on competency building and neglect the other essential elements of great leaders, namely integrity and influence.
Leaders can’t be taught either integrity or influence, and the truth of the matter is nobody should become a leader without both of these, she said. However, great leaders are made when organizations and development coaches find people that already have these qualities and strengthen them further.
There is a huge return waiting for organizations that find the people who are already very good leaders and try to propel them to the next level by expanding the integrity and influence they already have, she said.
The truly exemplary leaders have taken the time to do some soul-searching and consequently are in a role and doing a job that they truly love. When that happens, their work becomes a life-giving rather than a life-draining pursuit and their influence grows as employees are more inspired by people who love what they do.
It is difficult to teach leaders how to grow their integrity and influence but good coaching guides them.
Referring to a teaching process designed by Kent Osborne, Lonergan-Larsh said it’s important for great leaders to develop broader perspectives and clear lines of sight to important business issues so that they are able to overcome daily trials and tribulations and still keep the operation moving forward, she said. The result is a leader with greater ability to influence, who will bring the rest of her charges along with her.
Common errors in the search for leaders
1. Not knowing what job you are trying to fill. Too often companies don’t take the time to consider what role they want the new person to fill. Is a person from outside really needed? Is the old job description still valid? Start with a blank piece of paper to redefine the position.
2. Not targeting the right candidates. The obvious places are not always the best place to look. It is possible to find great people in other sectors and industries. Create a list of “must haves” and “nice to haves,” but be careful to not have too many “must haves,” else you eliminate the entire talent pool. Two or three is ideal. Hire for attitude and train for skills.
3. Not spreading the net properly. Networking, advertising, headhunting and search agencies are all important, but remember the “blind date” rule when asking for referrals. Friends and peers can be reluctant to make recommendations, fearful they will be blamed if the referral turns out to be a dud. The blind date rule says: if you fix me up with someone, you’re not responsible for how things turn out.
4. Not managing the interview process. Senior people, by and large, tend to talk too much. A good rule of thumb in an interview is to keep your mouth shut 80 per cent of the time. The interview should not feel like a conversation. It should be a two-way evaluation for which interviewer must be well-prepared and willing to take the time to sell the candidate on the position as well as evaluate them.
5. Not asking the right questions. Ask some focus-shift questions which will dislodge the person from practiced answers.
6. Neglecting the reference check. Probably the best indication of future performance is past performance so it is important to do as thorough a check as possible within the time available. Always ask, “would you rehire?” Anything less than a ringing endorsement should be considered suspect.
Source: Michael Stern and Associates.
