The most difficult transition: FIRST TIME. In a survey we LEADER

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1 The most difficult transition: FIRST TIME In a survey we LEADER INSIGHTS FROM SEVERAL RESEARCH STUDIES INTO THE CHALLENGES AND CHANGED LEARNING HABITS OF FRONT LINE LEADERS IS IT TIME TO REINVENT FRONT LINE LEADERSHIP PROGRAMS?

2 INTRODUCTION It s time to reinvent the development of front line leaders. IN THE PAST THREE YEARS, HFL has conducted four studies into the leadership development of front line and emerging leaders. This primer describes the key insights that we have gained from these studies, and why we have changed our thinking about program design for front line leaders. Insight #1 Insight #2 Insight #3 Insight #4 Insight #5 Learning styles have changed Front line leaders tell us they don t want to be taught via time consuming, traditional, workshop-based methods. Personal coaching trumps workshops Coaching is personal, it s news they can use, and it s superinteractive. It suits today s front line leaders down to the ground. In a survey we Front line leaders are under intense pressure Front line leaders lie awake at night worrying about how their teams will manage increasing workloads with fewer resources. Foundation skills first, high performance skills next Data suggests that early front line leaders have different skills development needs to those who have survived for two years. Front line leaders can learn from one another They share common experiences, and once shared, confidence grows. Their stories and discussions are powerful learning tools. Taking these insights into account, HFL created FASTLEAD, a curriculum-based small group coaching solution for front line and emerging leaders. HFL Research HFL Leadership has a focus on real world research to sharpen knowledge, gauge effectiveness of program design and impact, and explore new trends that are emerging. We believe that the answer is in the room, and research participants before, during and after every engagement. Increasingly, we survey those that participants report to in order to track sustained effectiveness of programs. Our philosophy is to openly share research with the leadership development community, and this primer is an example of this. We welcome feedback. LESSON LEARNED: New conditions and attitudes require new program designs The Most Difficult Transition: First Time Leader 2

3 INSIGHT #1 We need to adapt designs for new learning styles The old style of leadership development is not what today s front line leaders want or need, according to a study we conducted in 2013 (see Note 1). We asked front line participants about their preferred learning styles. Even with a small sample, the results were consistently startling. Three critical themes emerged: Short & Sharp Hands On Close & Personal Respondents were clear that they wanted short and sharp learning events, not long winded sessions that took them away from the workplace for long periods of time. Respondents were consistent in their view that they didn t want theory. Rather, they In wanted a survey practical wepragmatic advice that helped them lead their teams better tomorrow morning. We call this news they can use. When we asked what type of learning environments they most enjoyed, participants nominated coaching and mentoring, followed by on the job training, followed by work projects. Workshops came a distant fourth. Front line leaders are demanding new approaches from those charged with their development. They need just-in-time, immediately relevant and deployable skills and knowledge, that enable them to produce improved team results as soon as possible. The Productivity Puzzle Most CEOs and CFOs we talk to these days are demanding productivity improvements from their organisation. Front line leaders are in the front line of this search for a productivity dividend. They manage the majority of staff in most businesses and, properly developed and supported, can find these improvements. But most organisations develop only a small proportion of their front line leaders. Quite a puzzle. LESSON LEARNED: Make front line development short, pragmatic & personal The Most Difficult Transition: First Time Leader 3

4 INSIGHT #2 In coaching, they feel in control of the conversation Front line leaders rate coaching as having the greatest impact of any professional development methodology they have encountered. In a survey we conducted in 2012 (see Note 2), 47% of front line leaders say coaching has great impact, and a further 44% said it had some impact. The survey asked many questions about coaching and several themes emerged: It s personal Trust matters Engaging & now It was personal. The conversations were directly relevant to the challenges they were currently facing in the workplace. They got to solve their issues themselves, led by questions and challenge from their coach. They could trust their coach. Nearly every front line respondent said they felt they could tell their coach anything. Respondents reported In a feeling survey their we coach was on their side and fully invested in them. It was highly interactive and engaging. Respondents reported time passing quickly, being fully present and engaged, and the development method being flexible, enabling them to talk about immediate workplace challenges. When we tested coaching pods for the first time (three front line leaders, one coach), respondents were also positive. They liked the pods because they quickly discovered everyone had the same issues as themselves (a relief!), and they felt less pressure in a small group because they didn t feel they always needed to have the answer. LESSON LEARNED: Coaching based solutions work best for the front line. The Most Difficult Transition: First Time Leader 4

5 INSIGHT #2 What front line leaders said about coaching experiences My coach is my personal advocate who is on my team - objective and wants me to succeed. My coach is not guided by any politics or anyone else s agenda. They are completely objective. A fantastic sounding board. It is open, honest, uninhibited. My coach also provides essential development advice and provides helpful benchmarking data. The most useful In a training survey we I have ever had! Outstanding experience. Coaching is by far the most beneficial component of the program for me - by a long way. The biggest benefit was dealing with current challenges, problems and learning techniques for managing them. The ability to express ideas, objectives and concerns freely. I opened up without fear of negativity or recriminations. The Confidence Trap Many recently promoted front line leaders suffer from a dramatic and very stressful loss of confidence. They discover that what had seemed a simple task when watching from the bench leading the team turns out to be very complicated and difficult. This lack of confidence drives them to make poor decisions and exhibit unhelpful behaviours. Once they realise, perhaps via coaching pods, that their colleagues have similar challenges, and that solutions are about systems and techniques, their confidence and leadership effectiveness grows quickly. SOURCE: HFL Coaching Survey 2012 The Most Difficult Transition: First Time Leader 5

6 INSIGHT #3 First time leaders worry about failing to perform Front line leaders struggle really struggle with many of the basic leadership skills, according to the results of a Development Planning Study HFL conducted during 2013 (See Note 3). We asked this question: What three things keep you awake at night because of your leadership position? The free text answers have been codified by our team and the overall results are displayed in the graph below. The top six concerns were: Leading is hard work They find it much harder than they expected, and there appears to be no manual. Team welfare Motivating the team and keeping them happy is a challenge: they are high maintenance. High work load My image with my team In a survey we They are under intense workload pressure, feel under-resourced, and can t cope. They worry that they are letting their team down, and they appear poor leaders. Managing up There is little support from managers, and they don t know how to change this. Personal Issues Life/work balance is being affected by long working hours, and worry about failure. Team /my own performance Team welfare/ motivation High work load/ unfinished work My image with my team Managing up Personal issues/well-being Conflicts with team Conflicts with staff Strategy/ direction Time Meeting deadlines Budgets,costs, revenue Team capabilities Team resources Other The Most Difficult Transition: First Time Leader Top three things that keep Front Line Leaders awake at night 31% 28% 25% 19% 15% 15% 15% 14% 12% 11% 8% 7% 6% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% Source: HFL, Front Line Leader Development Results 39% 42% LESSON LEARNED: Front line leaders struggle with the practical basics 6

7 INSIGHT #3 Awake at night: in their own words What else can I do to motivate staff? How my boss's style of micro management impacts on our team. Whether or not my team views me as a good manager. That I'm doing the best for all team members as a leader. WHAT THREE THINGS KEEP YOU AWAKE AT NIGHT? In a survey we How can I influence the team to be on board, and understand the reason why? When I need to performance manage a nice person. How to communicate to my boss effectively. Keeping the trust and respect of the team. The new challenges of working on the front line 1. Leaders and producers. Most front line leaders get promoted and get to keep their old jobs. This increases pressure and reduces flexibility for time away from the workplace for training. 2. The squeeze is on permanently. The new norm is reduction of resources, and a race for productivity. Doing more with less is not an ambition on the front line, it s a daily reality. 3. Team results outrank training in importance. Even when they are not at work (at a workshop for example), the new breed of front line leaders are mentally back at the workplace. They don t believe they have the luxury of being away for a day. The Most Difficult Transition: First Time Leader 7

8 INSIGHT #4 Start with the basics, then move on to advanced Front line leaders have different development needs depending on the length of leadership tenure. In a comprehensive study conducted in 2013 (see Note 3), we explored what the development needs were of hundreds of front line leaders. The results showed that those who have been leading for less than two years required development in what we call the foundation skills of front line leadership. These topics are about, more than anything else, survival. They include topics such as setting performance expectations, managing up, effective communication, and establishing team purpose. Those who have lead teams for more than two years proved competent at these In early a survey foundation we skills, and their development needs focused more on the softer skills to get teams into a high performance state. These included emotional intelligence, self awareness, and conflict management skills. LESSON LEARNED: Different topics for different levels of experience The Most Difficult Transition: First Time Leader 8

9 Sequence matters The research suggests that front line leaders need foundation skills developed first, that allow them to master the basics of leading a team. Then, they need advanced skills to start producing higher performance from themselves, individual team members, and the team as a whole. 6. Delegation 5. Effective Communication 4. Establishing Team Purpose 3. Coaching & Developing Others 12. Leading Change 11. Conflict Management 10. Self Awareness 9. Influencing without Authority B. Time Management 2. Managing Up 8. Engaging & Motivating Others A. Managing versus Leading 1. Setting Performance Expectations 7. Emotional Intelligence MANDATORY FOUNDATION ADVANCED 9

10 INSIGHT #5 Credibility with this group requires us to listen carefully Front line leaders have learned, through the School of Hard Knocks, what to expect leading on the front line. We asked in our 2013 study (see note 4): What do you wish you had known before you became a front line leader? The respondents compiled an extraordinary list of insights, which we so compelling we turned them into a book (see below). This wisdom from the front line is front of mind for all of our front line leadership coaches when we interact with this cohort. Some powerful excerpts: B E M P S U B is for Boss. Your boss isn t going to be as helpful or as talented as you might think. E is for Expectations. Setting clear goals upfront, is a critical success factor. In a survey we M is for Mistakes. You ll make mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes. The trick? Learn from them. P is for Personal. Don t take it personally. People will be difficult whoever is their leader. S is for Stress. You are going to need strong self control because running a team will drive you crazy. A detailed reading of this research demonstrates just how much front line leaders are left to their own devices. Comments about the lack of support from managers, development opportunities, and broader advice are commonplace. U is for Underperformers. Every team has them, and leaders need to deal with them quickly. The A to Z of Leadership Success takes its lead from the wisdom of participants. Published in 2014, it provides practical examples of what to do, and what to avoid, when addressing 32 challenges of leading on the front line. Sample copies are available from for HFL Leadership Client Directors. LESSON LEARNED: Listening hard to the front line helps you be credible. The Most Difficult Transition: First Time Leader 10

11 Research Notes Note 1 HFL conducted a study among 65 front line leaders involved in our programs in April While a small sample, the results were compelling, with a large majority of respondents favouring shorter, smaller and more personal development interventions rather than longer workshops. The results also mirrored the feedback from our consulting group, which was that any attempts to have front line leader groups turn off phones and and not worry about work for a day was a pointless request: all of them worried all day about what was happening (or not happening) back at their workplace. Our consultants in the past couple of years have also reported anecdotally that groups appear more stressed than in the past a product typically of their teams being underresourced in relation to workloads. They are, like all of us, being asked to do more with less. 11

12 Research Notes Note 2 HFL conducted a major survey of all of those who had been participants or managers of participants in HFL s coaching system during a two year period. The Coaching Survey was completed in November Respondents were asked to complete a 10- minute online survey, with two versions one for coachees, and one for their managers. Coachees. In total, 294 coachees were initially listed for contact to complete the survey. Of these, coachees who have been coached within the last two years (174) were additionally contacted by telephone, and encouraged to undertake the survey. For every completed survey, HFL donated $10 to the children s charity, Canteen. A total of 117 coachees responded to the questionnaire, a response rate of 40 per cent. Managers. In total, 154 managers were listed for contact to complete the survey. Note that in some clients, managers had multiple coachees in the HFL program. Further note that some managers were also coachees. Of these, 132 calls were made to managers to encourage them to respond. A total of 54 managers responded to the survey, a response rate of 35 per cent. Organisations. Coachees from a total of 11 companies were asked to participate in the survey. These companies represent a broad industry spread, from financial services to manufacturing. All but one of the respondent companies is a large organisation, with 1000 employees or more. We agreed we would not share the identity of the client organisations in the public report, for competitive reasons. 11

13 Research Notes Note 3 HFL conducted a study to discover the most common development needs of front line leaders. The study was conducted in 2013 and is ongoing today, but initial analysis was conducted from over 300 responses in June 2013, and published a month later. The methodology deployed was a questionnaire of 30 statements, with questions grouped in to batches of five, and respondents were asked to rate which statement was most like themselves, and which least like themselves. Respondents were forced to rate from one to five in each group. Ten development topics were developed by HFL, and each topic had three questions ranged throughout the survey. Respondents receive a written report after completing the survey, immediately generated, which identifies for them their top three development areas out of the ten topics researched, and some detailed suggestions about how to develop stronger skills in each of these areas. Respondents were mostly from Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore. A series of additional free text questions were also asked in the survey, and responses to these formed the basis of some of the insights described in this primer. Responses to one question What do you wish you had been told about leadership prior to becoming a leader? went on to form the basis of a book. 12

14 Research Notes Note 4 The survey described in Note 3 contained free text answers to several questions. In analysing these, our consultants clustered and then categorised comments from respondents in order to create charts that described the percentage of respondents commenting around a particular theme. For the data collected for the book The A to Z of Leadership Success, we simply developed a list of pieces of wisdom we felt were helpful to new front line leaders. As the list grew, we developed the idea of making it an A to Z, and most topics fitted neatly into an alphabetical category. 12

15 About FASTLEAD FASTLEAD is a curriculum-based, small group coaching solution that is now a proven way of accelerating the leadership development skills of front line and emerging leaders. After many clients piloted the program in 2014, our growth in 2015 on this program has been remarkable. FASTLEAD works because it is designed around the needs of the front line leaders. Two hour coaching sessions with three participants and one professional coach form the core of the program, but it is heavily supported with many other face to face and digital components. The flexibility of the design means that coaching pods can be executed face to face or virtually, with participants from multiple countries and time zones participating. Pods can be deployed tactically for just three participants, or whole programs involving 50 front line leaders can be deployed within a matter of weeks. HFL have developed a lowcost front line leader 360 degree multi-rater survey tool which accompanies the course. To find out more, either visit or call your HFL Leadership Client Director. 13

16 HFL Leadership is a specialist leadership development firm headquartered in the Asia Pacific region. We boast a core group of specialists, strongly supported by a collaborative wider group of coaches and leadership specialists who run their own independent practices. We are part of a global network of like minded and skilled firms which enable us to deliver internationally for our clients. Many of our principal consultants come from a business background, and this might account for our pragmatic, results-based approach to leadership development. Our research seeks to inform our designs to ensure every participant on every program can develop their leadership capability, and can measure that they have done so. Please contact us at info@hflleadership.com For information about FASTLEAD: SYDNEY: SINGAPORE: MELBOURNE: