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Employee Lifecycle Leadership DNA Robert Myatt

one of the 4 key ‘pillars’ that would enable

Talent Pools. The DNA process revealed

organisation in the past – we need to make

key stakeholders and sources of

starts to happen without costing anything;

Thames Water to achieve its goal of

a clear profile of leadership capability.

the shift. We have to become more open,

organisational power.

over 95% of actions in Development Action

becoming the UK’s leading water company.

The organisational strengths included:

face to face, engaging. And engage better

Kaisen Consulting Ltd. robert.myatt@kaisen.co.uk

The definition of People and Leadership was

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straightforward, it meant…

Faced with a tide of business challenges, the leaders and Executives in Thames Water

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Ensuring we have the right capability

decided the best way forward was to take

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Developing this capability

a long hard look at themselves. They found

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Ensuring that we engage with people

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that developing emotional intelligence was

Plans are things that individuals can start

with the customer.” The business recognised

These programmes develop specific

working on with their team or line manager.

Very strong results focus: a drive

that it needs to work as a team, not as

management skills, Andrea confirms,

Andrea adds “The DNA process is informing

to achieve and to deliver against

individuals or individual departments, to

“It’s about creating a desire for change and

business decisions; we are already making

challenging targets, maintain high

harness this huge drive to deliver in the

hence changing behaviour. It’s not about

business decisions that have a high associated

standards and to keep on exceeding

workforce and become the leading UK water

giving managers a load of interesting theories

cost if one gets it wrong or delays the decision.

expectations

company.

or academic concepts, it’s about what they’re

We have had examples of assembling new

Strong customer focus: a clear

Connecting with people. Following

actually going to do differently as a result

teams, turning around poor performers and

understanding of the needs of customers,

the profiling session, every manager going

of training.” Thames Water is already seeing

identifying high-potential individuals, all as a

going to be key to leaders releasing the

In the DNA. Working with Kaisen

desire to tailor the service to meet varied

through the DNA process committed

the benefits of what they’re doing differently:

result of information gained from the DNA

organisations’ potential.

Consulting, Thames Water launched the

needs and to set very high standards for

themselves to a Development Action Plan

“There is a level of depth and maturity in

process. We’re getting more managers asking

Development Needs Analysis (DNA) process,

customer service

(DAP) that they would work on with their

discussions about people that wasn’t there

to put their people through the DNA, across

Strong intellectual capabilities: the

manager, with support from HR and external

before. Succession planning decisions are

the business managers are seeing the value of what comes out of this process.”

“Our strategy is to become the leading water

which was seen as driving the analysis

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company in the UK in the next three to five

phase – understand what you’ve got, work

business has a lot of very bright people,

coaches where appropriate. Having identified

being made on the basis of objective and

years”, declares Werner Böttcher, Managing

out what the gap is, and then address the

which will help in responding quickly

some common capability gaps, Thames

comparable data that comes from a thorough

Director. “Leading means doing more: it

gaps. Over the course of 6 months, the top

to changing circumstances, making well

Water worked with Kaisen to design and

analysis of each person.

means operational excellence, first class

170 managers went through a 2-day

thought-through decisions and taking

implement focused development

customer service, and financial performance.

profiling process. These managers came

the longer term view when solving

programmes. These included:

So how do we get there? Can we continue as

from right across the business, MD and top

problems

we did for the first 15 years? Most likely

team down. Key to the success of the

not.”

project was the commitment from the top;

control that will be important for coping

drive high performance.

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High levels of resilience: emotional

they had to be seen to be role modelling the

with organisational change, leading

It never rains … The current Executive

process. “I was in the pilot group”, says

others through change and team working

Management Team (EMT) inherited years of

Werner. “I have a strengths and weaknesses

under-investment in the water network and

profile, as anybody has. For example, the

The capability gaps which would enable the

were now faced with missed Ofwat targets for

process highlighted that my ‘emotional

leaders to harness all these strengths were:

water leaks. Add to this waves of negative PR

awareness’ is not so well developed, in other

and the reduced rainfall last winter, the EMT

words, I’m not always good at putting

found themselves in a significant pool of

myself in your shoes.”

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Ability to engage the workforce:

At an individual level, 100% of leaders reported that they were clear about where

The information has helped us to identify

they needed to develop and 95% felt their

what areas we need to be targeting in order

performance would improve as a result of

Performance coaching: providing leaders

to get a general uplift in the quality of

the DNA programme.

with the ability to engage people and

leadership,” says Andrea.

The next phase is to extend the process Poor performance is being addressed where

further down the organisation, producing

Stakeholder engagement: developing

previously managers didn’t have the skills

a broad and rapid up-lift in leadership

leaders’ ability to identify and influence

or confidence to do so before. Development

capability.

Derailers – and how they vary in different populations

this reinforced the message that was

business challenges. Internally, employee

coming out of the original survey results

Gillian Hyde, PCL

acceptable facade is not maintained. These

difficult to discover from any other

gillian@psychological-consultancy.com

11 scales are grouped into 3 main clusters –

established enquiry methods.

engagement was not high. Feedback on

The DNA process is a one-on-one profile

– ‘managers don’t listen!’. A lack of

organisational surveys pointed to poor

that uses in-depth interviews and

capability here will undermine the

leadership as a significant contributor to

psychometric tools to look at a person’s

company’s effectiveness in securing ‘buy

It is not surprising that bosses who alienate

one’s insecurities by withdrawing from

Differential derailers?

people’s de-motivation. The organisation’s

underlying psychological skills and business

in’ from people for change and being

colleagues and subordinates undermine the

contact with others, Moving Against which

PCL and its clients have used the HDS with

preparedness for succession planning was

‘know how’. The process helped identify a

able to influence across the organisation

commitment and effectiveness of the

concerns allaying one’s fears and anxieties

a vast number of organizations in various

also questionable. When the previous COO

leader’s suitability for their current role, but

Boldness: a lack of proactivity would

workforce with inevitable consequences for

by dominating, influencing and persuading

business sectors and in the course of this

left it threw up the issue of where his

also their potential for roles in the future.

hold Thames Water back from driving

productivity, retention and the bottom line.

people and Moving Towards, which concerns

work we have noticed some interesting

successor was coming from; where was the

However, the focus of the process was not

innovation, stepping ‘outside of the

Based on research into leadership and

building alliances with people and

differences in the distribution of derailers

company’s talent pipeline?

just about analysis but also about action.

frame’ in introducing efficiencies and

management derailment, the Hogan

conforming to others’ wishes as a way of

across different types of organisations or

managing one’s own worries or concerns.

across certain types of jobs. A couple of

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Moving Away, which concerns managing

Andrea Grist, Head of Organisational

exploiting opportunities to move ahead

Development Survey (HDS) identifies these

Waves of change. Clearly things had

Development, asserts, “If the business is to

of the market

sorts of patterns of dysfunctional

to change. Work was already underway to

change it is not enough to simply navel

Assertiveness: a limited ability to

interpersonal leadership behaviour.

As publishers of the UK edition of the HDS,

define what leadership should look like for

gaze, the important question was: what are

influence would reduce the organisation’s

These ‘dark side’ tendencies erode trust,

PCL has accumulated extensive experience

In our experience we have found that

Thames Water; they had identified things

leaders going to do differently as a result of

effectiveness in challenging

loyalty and enthusiasm and are of obvious

of using this instrument in individual

people working in the private commercial

they should do ‘more of’ and things they

this process? Hence the two days included a

inefficiencies, communicating direction

concern in relation to managerial and

assessment contexts, in assessment and

sector, and particularly in global financial

should stop doing. They quickly began to

half day development planning session and

and priorities, and driving change

leadership roles. The HDS measures eleven

development centres, and also in the

institutions, tend to have more derailers

realise there was an emerging pattern of not

the production of an individual

through the business

such flawed interpersonal styles that

delivery of conversion courses. In our

in the Moving Against group of scales –

enough of the former and too many of the

Development Action Plan. Just as with

become exaggerated under pressure and that

judgement, the information generated by

Confident-Arrogant, Charming-

latter. Consequently, as part of a major

genetic DNA, we’re all individuals and the

Werner reports, “The core skill we are looking

are difficult to detect in interviews - for

the HDS always adds invaluable insights to

Manipulative, Vivacious-Dramatic and

project to re-define Thames Water strategy,

way in which the business develops its

for is ‘engaging’. The evidence suggests that

example, the charm and social aplomb that

the assessment process, highlighting issues

Imaginative-Eccentric – suggesting that this

‘People and Leadership’ was identified as

capability needs to be dealt with as such.”

we have not naturally been engaging in this

is revealed as manipulation if the socially

for individuals that would be exceedingly

group of people are more likely than the

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these comparisons are detailed below.

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Employee Lifecycle average member of the working population

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less socially anxious and less inhibited

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more risk-taking, more prepared to use

to engage in persuasive, influencing, dominating styles of behaviour to manage

about expressing their views than most •

take chances or express

The majority of research in the area of

responsibility to provide the relevant skills, the

collection of three viewpoints, using different

controversial opinions.

stress management has focused upon either

recognition and therefore reward of ‘healthy’

data gathering methodologies, and building

independent-detached – high scorers seem

organisational or individual level causes

management behaviours and the selection of

a validation stage into the research design,

their own insecurities. As a group, they are

a degree of spin or deception to get what

self-focused, uninterested in other

and interventions. In leadership research,

those with relevant skills into management

a robust and valid stress management

the sorts of people who are keen to make

they want, more prepared to exploit

people’s problems and unaware of how

the focus tends to be upon subordinate

roles. It can thereby begin to create a culture

competency framework will be developed. The

their actions affect others.

performance rather than wellbeing.

in which those responsible for people

second phase of the research, in 2007, will aim

focused-passive aggressive – high scorers

Very little is known about the pivotal role

management are expected to adopt ‘healthy’

to test the predictive validity of the framework developed in Phase One.

a strong impression, who enjoy receiving attention, and who are confident about

others to get what they want •

more creative but also more outlandish

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expressing their views and opinions. They

perhaps in their ideas, and more

tend to procrastinate, and display

of the manager in the prevention, causation,

management approaches, and can see how to

also tend to score lower on the Moving

impulsive and more likely to sometimes

stubbornness and reluctance to be part

identification and alleviation of stress in the

do so.

Towards group of scales than the general

enjoy confusing people because their

of a team.

workplace. This means that we lack the

average – Diligent-Perfectionistic and

ideas are so unusual!

Where we are going next.

evidence-base on which to build practice

Putting the management into

This project has been developed in recognition

more independently minded, less

MOVING AGAINST cluster

in this area. A team of Occupational

stress management. The first phase of the

of the fact that much of the responsibility for

they are also less likely than the average

concerned to conform to other people’s

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confident-arrogant – high scorers are

Psychologists at Goldsmiths College, led by Dr

project will focus on the five sectors identified

implementing the HSE management standards

member of the general working population

wishes, happier to go their own way, less

opinionated, self-absorbed, and unwilling

Jo Pryce and Emma Donaldson-Feilder, are

by the HSE as highest priority for stress

for stress is likely to fall on line managers. In

to be concerned about conforming to

worried what others’ think of them, and

to learn from their mistakes.

aiming to redress the balance in a research

management – Healthcare, Education, Finance,

order to support line managers with this task,

organisational procedures or being

less dependent on finding favour

charming-manipulative – high scorers are

project sponsored by the HSE.

Local Government and Central Government.

and to provide a robust evidence-base in this

dependent on the opinions of others, while

with others.

more spin than substance, take risks and

The competency framework approach.

40 employees and 24 managers will be

area, the project will identify the behaviours

Dutiful-Dependent – and this suggests that

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ignore their mistakes, they are hard to

The aim of the project is to identify the

interviewed in each sector, using the critical

needed for effective stress management, in

Clearly, these are generalizations and there

advise and don’t fully evaluate the

specific behaviours required by managers

incident technique to capture data concerning

order to draw up a stress management

will be many people working in these types

consequences of their decisions.

to effectively manage stress and from this

managers’ behaviours that impact upon the

competency framework. The identification of

vivacious-dramatic – high scorers are

develop a stress management competency

well-being of employees. Each participant will

relevant competencies will enable

tending to be focused on the bigger picture rather than on the detail of a project.

An even more extreme comparison is that

of organizations and roles that differ from

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with entrepreneurs. We were fortunate to

these descriptions. Nonetheless, there is

self-centred, impulsive, over committed,

framework. It builds on the results of a pilot

be asked to complete a written exercise

occupational psychologists, and others

have access to UK data supplied by Deborah

sufficient evidence to point to a general

too quick to take the credit and

study in the education sector and will produce

identifying the management behaviours

working within Human Resource and

Tom of Human Systems. Deborah was

trend in the directions described above.

unwilling to listen - especially to

a robust competency framework (or set of

associated with each of the six HSE

Occupational health fields, to integrate stress

negative feedback.

frameworks) across a wider range of sectors.

Management Standards. Perspectives will also

management into existing management

coaching a small group of entrepreneurs who she describes as being “all successful

The structure of the HDS

be gained from HR personnel through a half-

competency frameworks and inform the

and at the brink of their next level”. For

The Hogan Development Survey scales

be creative, high scorers are impulsive,

The competency approach has been chosen

day workshop, sponsored by the CIPD. The

development of interventions (such as training

example, one has been turning over

identify people who are hard to work with

eccentric and unaware of how socially

because it provides managers and HR with

interview data will then be analysed using

and development for managers) that embed

£7million and is just about to step up to

because -

inappropriate their ideas may be.

clear guidance, in a familiar format, on what

thematic analysis, and all management

the relevant behaviours into day-to-day people

MOVING TOWARDS cluster

behaviours are important. It will also allow the

behaviours associated with the stressful

management activities.

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diligent-perfectionistic – high scorers are

alignment of the management of stress with

incident will be extracted, before being

enthusiastic-volatile – high scorers

unable to delegate, their determination

existing people management practices.

grouped into themes using a card sort

If you would like to know more about

are moody, irritable, bad tempered,

to do every task equally well makes them

technique. Each participant will then be

the project, or about how you or your

inconsistent and impossible to please.

seem fussy, critical, and stubborn about

The approach offers a number of

provided with the emergent framework and

organisation could get involved, please contact

shrewd-mistrustful – high scorers take

their work.

opportunities. It will enable the development

asked to rate each competency by importance

Rachel Lewis at Goldsmiths College on

dutiful-dependent – high scorers are

and training of those with management

to stress management. By ensuring the

r.lewis@gold.ac.uk or on 07957 296343.

three more outlets from the two he has.

When we looked at the entrepreneurs’

MOVING AWAY cluster

composite HDS profiles, we found a general

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trend for entrepreneurs to score higher on the Moving Against and lower on the Moving Toward scales than the average

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member of the working population. More

criticism personally, readily feel

specifically, the extreme highs and lows

mistreated and are prone to retaliate

indecisive and find it impossible to make

when they feel they have been wronged.

decisions on their own.

on the entrepreneurs’ profile indicates that they are:

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imaginative-eccentric – although they may

careful-cautious – high scorers are rule-bound and unwilling to

A new perspective on stress management

Do UK organisations know what the new age legislation means for them?

New research published by the Department

benefits, retirement, recruitment, appraisal,

for Work and Pensions in conjunction with

training, promotion and redundancy as well

pay scales with length of service

as attitudes and awareness.

increments extending over 5 years, and

Emma Donaldson-Feilder, Jo Pryce,

management standards for stress in order to

identify and manage stress experienced by

the Department of Trade and Industry

Rachel Lewis & Paul Flaxman

provide guidance on best practice for

their team.

explores the extent to which current

organisations. Whilst this initiative will be

employment policies and practices accord

5% of establishments had incremental

15% had performance pay with no The main findings are:

“…bad managers tend to cause stress. It is not

driven from Health & Safety, much

Manager behaviour is also of key importance

with equal opportunity with respect to age.

necessarily that they are bad at managing stress,

responsibility for implementation will fall on

as managers themselves have been found to

The report provides findings from a

but that they are bad at managing and that

line managers. Providing managers with

be a potential cause of stress. For example,

quantitative survey of employers in Great

Opportunity policy and 56% had one

makes life quite stressful for people below them.”

ownership of the process is economical and

the manager-subordinate relationship is one

Britain, and was designed as a baseline to

that addressed age.

The importance of the manager

best practice, however it necessitates not

of the most commonly reported causes of

evaluate the effects of the forthcoming

in preventing and reducing stress

only that managers have an informed

stress in the workplace; there are direct links

Employment Equality (Age) Regulations

in the workplace. The Health and Safety

understanding of what stress is, but also that

between particular leadership the stress levels

2006. It provides information on practices

age was only carried out in 19% of

Executive (HSE) recently developed

they have the relevant skills and abilities to

of their direct reports.

relating to equal opportunities, pay and

establishments.

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formal assessment process. These could be hazardous practices under the new

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72% of establishments had an Equal

legislation.

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63% of establishments had a pension scheme and early retirement was

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Equal Opportunities training addressing

provided for in 42% of establishments.

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