Requisite HR August Newsletter 2016
Leadership
In this month's edition we will be discussing an aspect of leadership that is rarely covered, how good leaders are influenced by others via collaboration. Many may think that this is paradoxical, because we tend to think of leaders as influencers, not the other way around, however a good leader has an open and curious mind. In the beginning of civilisation leadership styles started with the Command and Control approach, where a person was in charge - they had all of the answers and fixed all of the problems and believed that all employees were intrinsically lazy. Over the centuries leadership has evolved to focus on the creation of work environments in which people are empowered, encouraged and supported. No longer do we see leaders as solo heroes and visionaries. Due to the complexity of business today, no one person can master all the components required for a business to be successful and as such those that excel in leadership today, are those practising Collaborative Leadership.
For organisation to be competitive today they must be focused on value creation, to this end we employ people with varied perspectives, skills and knowledge to support the organisation’s leaders. In employing these people, we seek their ‘expertise’ to provide knowledge and understanding. When we do not collaborate with these individuals it is an opportunity lost for insights that can lead to success. However, when we actively involve these individuals to obtain their contributions, we are creating an opportunity for them to challenge our current thinking and thoughts and thus influence us towards a new direction or a better solution. We allow them to influence us, our core beliefs and thoughts. To reap the benefits of these interactions, we must be set aside our own ego and belief that we know best, and be open-minded to the opportunities. A diversification of thoughts and skills within our team plus an appreciation for contributions are essential for effective leadership and strong team performance today. Effective implementation of this leadership style can leads to: • Greater creativity, • Greater innovation, • Greater responsiveness to challenges, • Higher-quality decision making, • More efficient training, • Higher staff retention, and • A sense of value and belonging amongst team members All essential requirements for running a successful business today. To implement this style of management, an individual needs to be well skilled in: • Creating a vision and a link between individual’s tasks and team direction, • Employing, developing and engaging a diverse team, • Creating and facilitating communication and idea sharing opportunities, and • Conveying a genuine interest in the contributions of others. Openness and a willingness to collaborate is an admirable trait, it demonstrates that the person is willing to change their core beliefs in order to achieve a greater good or purpose.
Are you willing to be influenced by others?
Schwarz, R. (2016) How Leaders Can Help Others Influence Them: Decision Making. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/topic/decisionmaking
Are Leaders Born or Made?
In an increasingly competitive and globalised world economy, with rapid changes in technology and trends there is a need for highly competent leaders. There are arguments for both sides, and some say it's a combination of both, for example let's take a look at this case study: Do you see the baby in the image, dressed as Maria from The Sound of Music? Her name is Joey, and she is the latest Instagram sensation. Her mother, @lauraiz, dresses her in hilarious outfits while she sleeps soundly. Do you think Joey realises what influence she has and that she already is a leader in kids fashion and social media trends? Absolutely not, but she will learn. She was not born with marketing talent, but she was born with gorgeous chubby cheeks and an endearing smile, making her very photogenic, thus contributing to her success. She was born into a nurturing and loving home where she will watch and learn from her mother's eye to detail, humour and kindness. While you cannot easily teach charisma or confidence, two defining qualities of a leader, she may grow up to have these qualities based on the interactions she has, the experiences she lives and the transactions that occur from birth. Although a leader may have been born with certain skills that enhanced his or her chances and marked his or her initial aspirations toward becoming a leader. A leader was ‘Born’ as all humans are, but “Made’ into a leader. Made by life and made by the experiences he or she obtained while growing up. It is how a person chooses to respond and how adept a person is at learning from the successes and mistakes of themselves and others, that are critical to establishing one's leadership skills.
OUT NOW Requisite HR Book Club Because who has time to read the whole thing?
Joan F. Marques, (2010),"Awakened leaders: born or made?" Leadership & Organisation Development Journal, Vol. 31 (4) pp. 307 323 doi/abs/10.1108/01437731011043339
Interview
HAYLEY MILLOY
Our company is a small HR consulting firm that is dedicated to providing you with personal and quality service. So we thought, there's no better way for you to get to know our wonderful team than by featuring them in our monthly
newsletter. Each interview provides a quirky and fun insight into how our consultants got into their speciality and why they love it. This month we welcomed our new HR Advisor; Hayley Milloy. What was your first job? My first job was working for Target as a Register Operator. I was a very shy person to start off with, but grew to be very confident as my career progressed with the company. What was your most memorable experience in your working career? Every career experience I have had has been memorable. I have worked for a few companies on a temporary basis and felt that with each one I had left a legacy of my work ethic. I had made fantastic friendships both on a professional and personal level. I felt I have grown with each challenge and task I was set. Due to the variety of companies I have had the pleasure of working with, I’ve been able to see what works and what doesn’t. This has opened my eyes to see how I can assistant in changing future companies' mind set. How did you get into HR? I felt passionate about HR when I was working for Target. I felt I could make a difference with enhancing and empowering team members with their skills and knowledge. I could develop team members to be creative and to be passionate about what they want to achieve out of life. I love to motivate individuals by being infectious with my enthusiasm. Keeping with this month's topic, what is your leadership style? My Leadership style would have to be, To Lead By Example. If your employees can physically see you are putting in the hard work to achieve the goals for the company, you will have followers. Practice What You Preach, is another statement I lead by. If you set a standard for your family, your team or employees it’s best they see you practice that standard as well. So talk the talk and walk the walk.
What have been some challenges or interesting experiences in your career? One of my most interesting career experiences was working in the County Court of Victoria. My role was an Administrative Officer in the Criminal Registry department. It was a temporary role for three months. I had never worked in any government or legal role before, so had no background in law. I had to learn the system within a week. The role was quite intense and where accuracy with data entry was paramount. My own development within my capabilities grew and took my trust in myself to another level. I have proven to myself that I could achieve anything I set out to do. Along the way I did see some interesting characters whilst working there! What difference do you want to achieve in your career? I would love to be able to inspire people, to help them achieve their goals and to start thinking outside that Box that we are placed in to grow. I would want to see companies thrive and grow with the knowledge I have empowered them with. Tell us a little bit about your family. I have an adoring and supportive husband, we have two very energetic 9 and 7 year old boys. We have just recently relocated to Perth from Melbourne for the Lifestyle. We love the outdoor life of Perth and the weather is a huge plus in our books. The boys love their sport and we love being out on the weekends exploring. Every year we look forward to our holidays in Bali and hope to do some more travelling as the boys grow up. We are thrilled to have Hayley on board and warmly welcome her to the Requisite HR team. Currently a member of the project team working on our SME People Management Software nowyouknow, she is also available for client project work and providing outsourced HR support. 1300 164 737.
Monthly Competiton
COMPETITION CLICK HERE TO ENTER
Now that you're an expert in Leadership, answer the following question to go in the running to WIN: "Open-minded leaders are influenced by others via what?"
a)Coercion b)Chocolate c)Collaboration Submit your answers via private message on our Facebook page or
RE TO E H CK CLI R ENTE
you can email the answer to info@requisitehr.com.au. Terms & Conditions apply.
TERMS & CONDITIONS OF COMPETITION: Each monthly competition's closes 30 days from the published date. Each person may only enter once per month. Answers must be submitted via Email or private message on Facebook. The first 3 people to correctly answer the question will receive 4,3,2 points and every other participant after the top three will receive 1 point. All points will be kept in a tally and added to throughout the year. Competition winners will be announced via Facebook or Email and prizes will be awarded in December 2016. First Prize: Veuve Clicqot Champagne (valued between AUD$99.95-$69.99), Second Prize: Johnnie Walker Platinum Label Scotch (valued between AUD$98.95-$70.99), Third Prize: Godiva Signature Truffles (valued at AUD$50.00). Competition organisers can terminate or exclude entries if they do not meet the T&Cs of the competition.
Requisite HR Pty Ltd ABN: 35 606 293 476 www.requisitehr.com.au
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