Eye on the Workforce

In the Project Management 2.0 GIG, the question was asked, "Why is it SO hard to hire the right people?" It is a good question and there has been some good discussion. Most of those who have commented have agreed that preparation for recruiting and selection is important.

Selection is hard because there are so many factors to consider and they all take different techniques to tease out the best candidate. After you determine that the candidate has the right mix of skills and just the right amount of experience, there is another key factor.  Job Fitness is the term usually associated with determining whether the individual will thrive in the organizational culture (values, mission, etc.) and work environment (degree of centralization, maturity of processes, number of co-located workers, etc.).

If you do not specifically select a candidate that fits in your organization, you will be surprised by inappropriate behaviors such as outbursts of frustration, low productivity, inappropriate creativity, irresolvable dissatisfaction and more. It will be difficult to pinpoint just why the behavior is occurring, adding frustration to the manager's job.  ("Why did that worker turn out to be such a whack job?")

Errors in selection for fitness can bring a "lone wolf" into an organization that is run using strong cross-functional teams. ("Boss, there are so many hurdles, I can't get anything done in this place!")

Errors in selection for fitness can bring a worker desiring clear, steady project execution into a chaotic organization where ambiguity reigns. ("Boss, stakeholders are rarely available when I need them - I can't get anything done in this place!")

So you defintely want to prepare to check for job fitness. Next post will detail techniques to use in interviews.

Let's look again at that recent Gallup poll and see just what ignoring workers (as opposed to providing some type of feedback) can do.

The category we're going to look at is the state of being actively disengaged, in other words "ready to act out from their job frustration." Workers who are actively disengaged can interfere with the proper functioning of their team. They can bring down the morale of workers around them. They can even exhibit wild unexpected behaviors. Hypothetically,  an actively disengaged flight attendant might spew obscenities, grab a couple of beers and slide down the emergency slide becoming an international sensation. Hypothetically.  (Question of the week: What's the equivalent action for a project manager?)

So how does the amount and type of feedback affect the numbers of actively disengaged workers?

• Of workers who reported receiving feedback on strengths, only 1% were actively disengaged. 
• Of workers who reported being ignored,  40% were actively disengaged!

Based on these survey results, organizations or teams where workers are not getting feedback - for whatever reason - can have four in ten workers who are just looking for a chance to do something to "get back" in some way at their supervisor or employer.

Even in workers who get feedback only on their weaknesses, the survey says there are 22% who are actively disengaged. That is far too many to complete projects successfully and obtain customer satisfaction.

No matter what other environmental or cultural problems you have surrounding your project, do what you can to make sure as many workers as possible are engaged at work. One proven strategy is to provide feedback focusing on each worker's strengths.

Below are three general ways you can provide feedback. Look them over and rank them (mentally) as to most effective. It may be trickier than it looks.

1. Focus on strengths
2. Focus on weaknesses
3. Focus on neither strengths nor weaknesses (ignore the employee)

Here's what we know, based on a recent Gallup poll. Of a group of employees who reported that they had a manager who focused feedback on their strengths, 61% were "engaged" in their company's success. Of a group of employees who reported that they had a manager who focused feedback on their weaknesses, 45% were "engaged" in their company's success. And finally, of a group of employees who reported that they had a manager who ignored them, only 2% were "engaged" in their company's success!

What does it mean to you?

• Do not ignore workers when it comes to feedback.
• Do provide feedback at least on strengths, but it's better if it is balanced.
• If you need help in providing feedback of all types effectively, then get that help. It makes a big difference - in their success and yours.

There is more to this survey, and I'll post that next.

I previously defined employee engagement here. It is a critical topic and you can find more of my posts on this topic by conducting an advanced search on blogs only, search term "engagement".

Here's the problem:  Your projects that involve organizational change will meet with some level of resistance, perhaps significant resistance which will affect success. Leadership communications is a key tool to counter that resistance. But how do you inspire enough project workers (or organizational employees) to tip the balance in favor of supporting your project?

Simon Sinek explains in this short presentation that you have to start with the Why. He says sales pitches - remember that you are selling your project - usually only include the What and the How. The What is the deliverable(s) associated with the project and may even include the benefits to the users. The How is everything you say about how you will work with stakeholders and create a high-quality product. And that is usually the end of the message.

Sinek says that great leaders add another element to the message which distinguishes it as inspiring: the Why. The Why is a message that resonates deeper in the brain. It is the rationale for the project in the first place. For example, it may be that the project is a necessary part of the corporation's response to changes in the marketplace, readying it to be able to thrive in the upcoming global economy. Pow! That message has punch! People will tend to follow that lead. Cascading a message from leaders emphasizing the Why through the affected parts of the organization will cool resistance to your project.

Measure of Difficulty...In the world of mass market products, what percentage of potential buyers do you have to convince to purchase your product to "tip the balance" so that it is widely accepted?

a.  8%

b.  18%

c.  28%

d.  38%

Watch the video to learn the answer, or wait for my post next week. Might the percentage be the same for change in an organization?

Let me know...Is this a communication technique you can use in your organization?

For my latest articles and more on workforce management (some of which do not appear on our front page), check out my Workforce Management Department page, and subscribe to the Head's Up Newsletter.

A U.K. survey took the pulse of employees in July and found that employee morale remains low. After last week's post, this should not be a shocker, but there is some detail in the report that can help you respond more effectively. Morale matters because it is a direct influence on productivity. Usually when you see lower morale you see lower productivity.

First, consider what you can do to improve morale. Do you find it difficult to think of ways to work around morale killers such as bad corporate news, continuing layoffs, spending constraints, resource constraints and the like?

Well then, this report brings you good news. None of the above were listed as major problems by respondents. The three things that respondents said their bosses were least likely to do was:

Coach on the job

Discuss training and development needs

Give them feedback on how they are performing

You know, those items don't sound like rocket science to fix. But think a minute - How are you in meeting those needs? If you can spend a little time now helping workers improve their skills, you can have a significant effect on morale. And that will, in turn, improve productivity.

If you have not attended to the development of workers in a while, start looking for opportunities to do so. Examples to help you find something appropriate for your situation:

• Make it easier in your project for project workers to cross-train or help in new areas.
• Publicize areas where help is needed in your project and ask for volunteers
• Ask your HR employee development representative to assist you with creating opportunities
• Use internal discussion board to identify major skill needs in the project and discuss options for meeting those needs

By the way, my leadership article last month was used in gantthead's Head's Up Newsletter, which you should be subscribed to. It does not appear on my departmental page just yet, but I'm working on it.