Principle 1: Senior Executives as Role Models (Item 3)

The senior executives' constant role modeling of these Business Excellence Principles and creation of a supportive environment are necessary to achieve the organization's potential.

Why this question is important

The results of your employee opinion survey results should show that the employees think that the senior executives are a consistent role model for the 10 Business Excellence Principles (e.g., trustworthy, believable, with high integrity, committed to the Principles).

It is important to measure employee's perceptions of senior executive's beliefs in the Business Excellence Principles. Question 2 asks about that. It is just as important to get high scores on that questionnaire and be seen to be doing things to improve those scores.

Senior executives establish culture

Senior Executives must take a deliberate role to develop culture in line with the Principles. This demonstrates to employees that the senior executives think that the Principles are important, and counteracts the treacle of inertia and tradition.

Company culture describes "the way things are done around here". It represents how the people act on what they see to be the company `values and beliefs'. It includes the `norms' of behavior that are acceptable to the company such as working hours, decision making processes, dress code, modes of speech etc. It includes how the company acts to implement each of the Business Excellence Principles.

The senior executives greatly influence the company culture. Culture develops, in part, through deliberate efforts by leaders to instill"our way of doing things" throughout the company, but also through imperceptible evolution.

A balance of perspectives

A balance of perspectives is important. It is always tempting to surround yourself with people who agree with you. It is comfortable. You do not have to deal with that troublesome so-and-so who is always saying the wrong thing.

It is also dangerous. Look for people with a different way of thinking, with different views, and add them to your team. Show that you respect and appreciate their opinion – especially when it is different from yours. If you are a practical concrete person, add people who are off with the fairies. If you are always trying to find new ways to do things, add traditionalists who are comfortable with the way things are. If you like to get things finished, add people who like to dawdle and procrastinate. If you like to hold off making decisions because you do not yet have enough information, add people who are always making snap decisions and have fixed views. If you consider the needs of people are irrelevant when you make your decisions, add people who make their decisions primarily on the need for harmony and the needs of people. And vice versa.

Seek your opposites, add them to your team, respect their opinions and show that you appreciate them. It is easy to do if you want it to be.

Employees' expectations of leaders

If you do not know what people expect of their leaders, it is difficult to provide it. Just as you must find out what your external customers need and then provide it, you must do the same for this group of important internal customers. `Employees' are the `customers' of your `leadership'. We continue to be amazed at how many people in authority (we cannot call them leaders) behave as though this relationship does not exist.

People expect their leaders to:

1. Set direction
2. Be consistent
3. Show they care and give support
4. Give space

People also expect their leaders to:

1. challenge process
2. enable others to think and act
3. model the way
4. paint pictures of the future
5. encourage the heart

Different cultures expect slightly different things of their leaders.

Americans expect from their leaders: ^[1]

1. Honesty 87%
2. Forward looking 71%
3. Inspiring 68%
4. Competent 58%

Honesty being so high and on top fits well with the discussion about `trust' in question 1.

Set direction and have consistent values

Having consistent values means the leader does not blow in the wind like a flag – taking on the beliefs and direction of the last person they spoke to, or representing this cause today and representing a contrary cause tomorrow. Leaders have to be consistent – be trustworthy and keep their word. By that, we do not mean stick with the old direction no matter what when conditions change. The good leader is in the top right quadrant. Look at the dysfunctions in the other three quadrants.

Good leaders give support

Employees also respond to the leader who provides support either by `being there' for them - explaining, showing, encouraging and acknowledging contribution (diagram top right). Or, from a distance by smoothing the way, opening doors, providing resources, allowing people to look after themselves and standing up for them (diagram bottom right). Consider the bullying behavior of the bastards on the left – the old-style boss — that generally causes people to withdraw their enthusiasm.

Your employees will respond best if you show you care and help to provide support and build bridges to the future (top right). An old saying is "I don't care what you know until I know that you care". We could modify that to "I don't care what you want me to do until I know that you care".

You do this by teaching; encouraging; nurturing and helping people see the future – encouraging the heart.

Notice the behavior in the other three quadrants: dictator, petty bureaucrat, technocrat. None of those behaviors are effective in achieving an enthusiastic workforce. They turn people off.

Footnotes

^[1] The numbers represent the percentage of US respondents selecting the attribute in 1993. From Credibility by Kouzes and Posner. (see recommended reading)