L&D: Enabling or unhelpful: What can we learn?

Angela Bingham, Executive Director People and Capability at the Open Polytechnic, shares tips and observations for when it comes to identifying and growing leadership behaviours.

Sometimes, in our busy lives, it’s easy to lose sight of the individuals who make up the team. My challenge to you is to really see the individuals in your team and understand their strengths, development areas, contributions and wellbeing. This way we support our commitment to diversity and inclusive practices. By the way, you’ll also be enabling your people so they can be creative, innovative and empathetic; therefore resilient.

Dr Esme Franken’s research is the cornerstone of the Leadership Development Programme at the Open Polytechnic. It has created a different type of conversation and expectation from leaders. Franken’s research came from the perspective that resilience is a developable capacity and the enabling of resilience starts with leaders. As we unpacked Franken’s research and partnered with a neuro-leadership expert (Jenny McDonald), we discovered the deep reach of the identified behaviours into all aspects of leadership. Here, I go through these behaviours and pick out practical tips you can incorporate into your leadership practice. Before we do, let's look at the unhelpful behaviours.

1. Micro-management

Takes away self-esteem because it creates a perception that leaders don’t believe in the ability of their kaimahi.

2. Doing things only to please the boss

Justifying tasks as a way to please up the chain; not what is right for the organisation.

3. Having low social and career support

People like to know they will get help if they ask. This becomes a lot easier if active (‘as and when’) conversations are held about development and competency.

4. Reactive leadership

The sense that work is sporadic and not strategically joined can leave individuals feeling like a strobe light with little purpose. And Jenny McDonald and I added one more:

5. Assuming one size fits all

This is not really seeing the individuals in the team, for example, calling out positive feedback in a public forum.

The reality check here is that, as leaders, we are mortal irrational human beings who don’t get it right all of the time. So when you reflect (or get feedback) and identify you’ve been displaying one of the five harmful behaviours, act quickly!

Resilience is a developable capacity and the enabling of resilience starts with leaders.

The way to take the sting out of the disabling behaviours is to call it. For example, “Can I be directive?” or “I know I am reacting now, I have to deal with XYZ”. Or challenge yourself to pause. If you reflect and realise you’ve displayed a disabling behaviour, apologise as soon as you can. “I wanted to mention to you that I reflected on XYZ and I realised I was not providing you clear career support.”

As HR practitioners, our role in supporting leaders and individuals is to incorporate the language into our daily dialogue with people in our organisations. When leaders or kaimahi present with a problem, maybe a useful way to consider a solution is to ask, “Has the behaviour been enabling or disabling?”. Provide ways for leaders to reflect with you and coach through to remedies or outcomes. It’s not easy. However, when you truly see people for the strengths they bring, the development they can learn, valuing wellbeing and contributions, you and your leaders will take a different lens.

Enabling behaviour

Managing the whole team

Understand that leadership is not an ‘averaged’ activity.

Managing stretch goals and safe failure

People have greater satisfaction when they are learning and growing safely.

Supporting personal growth and wellbeing

For our brains to continue to grow, they need to be stimulated and challenged.2

Enabling self-management

Enable autonomy and recognise that individuals are not there to replicate their leader; they are there to do their own job.

Recognising individual needs and contributions

Being seen is essential for growth, which in turn results in creativity and innovation. People like to know that they matter and their contribution is valued.

Outcomes

Team members will have enhanced energy, empathy, creativity and innovation.

Your team members will perceive you as valuing their specific knowledge and expertise. This will look like better teamwork and improved confidence.

Leaders who support personal growth and wellbeing are those who seek out opportunities, talk about the future possibilities, and advocate on behalf of their kaimahi, fostering enhanced commitment and confidence.

When leaders enable self-management, you can focus more on aims and outcomes rather than processes or ‘time at the desk’. Building trust that kaimahi can do the work reflects a belief in ability and competency.

When leaders recognise individual needs and contributions, you are tailoring your style to the individual and managing ‘as and when’ conversations. The correlation here is to intrinsic motivation and feelings of appreciation.

Tips

Normalise collaboration in a way that lets individuals use their strengths to benefit the team.

With our workforces becoming rich and diverse, having a shared understanding of people’s names and cultural world view continues to build quality relationships. Develop a practice of hearing people's stories.

Remove blame from the conversation and replace with learning. Enable your people to articulate how they learn best on the job and provide feedback on how their specific strengths will add value. Ask questions to confirm understanding and individually create a safe space for coaching and feedback.

Have conversations with your people about career aspirations and how the work they are doing now is working towards that aspiration.

Continue with positive reinforcement (that is genuine, timely and specific).

Create a space for ‘as and when’ conversations that provide feedback both ways. Take a ‘trust first’ approach and then be available for questions.

Encourage flexibility (now more than ever) and if your teams have rosters or shifts, challenge them to find ways to be autonomous within the limits of the organisation or the role.

Provide specific feedback in a way that is relevant and rewarding to the individual (not just relevant to you as the leader).

Ask individuals how they like to be communicated with. Ask questions (even at the interview) about the last time they received positive feedback.

Angela Bingham He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata! He tangata! He tangata! Angela Bingham started as the Executive Director People and Capability at the Open Polytechnic in October 2018. Before that she held a variety of leadership roles, with an emphasis on learning and development. She has worked for Kineo (Pacific), ACC, Endeavour IT Limited, Rugby New Zealand, the Department of Internal Affairs and ANZ, among others. Angela has a strong people agenda, which she has developed from her degree in community and family studies from the University of Otago. Angela’s philosophies are that an effective leader works for the good of others with a firm foundation in strength-based conversations.