Jim Wentworth

In these posts we have addressed several key roles that organizations require in order to operate successfully.  When played well, these roles lead to successful business and individual outcomes that make our businesses thrive.  So far, we have addressed the roles of “leader” and of “individual.”  But these are not the only roles we need. In order to be successful, every organization needs people to play specific roles and meet important expectations. The Stages of Impact™ is a model that Emerge Leadership Group uses to describe these needed organizational roles and how people filling them should approach the work.In this model, the horizontal axis describes the approaches people may take to their work, from very tactical to very strategic.  The vertical axis describes how contributions change from self-oriented to organizationally-oriented impact. Stage 1 defines the role where people seek to establish their capability.  The approach taken is very tactical and the value of the contribution is limited to what they can do themselves.In the Stage 2 role people must approach their work in tactical ways.  In this Stage there is more autonomy and complexity to their work than in Stage 1, as people demonstrate and apply their expertise.  Although the approach taken is tactical, the value of the contribution rises and may include the impact work has on other people.Stage 3 describes the leadership role.  People who truly act like leaders take the Stage 3 approach their work.  People in Stage 3 may or may not have management responsibilities.  People in this Stage are much more strategic than in Stage 2.  While perhaps continuing to do some hands-on work, they focus their contribution on the things that can be done with and through others. The Advanced Stage 3 role is leading others too, but doing so at a much higher level.  In this Stage, people must learn to think even more strategically and to act “at arm’s length” from the day-to-day work.In the Stage 4 role, people have the “broadest” view and the longest time-horizon of anyone in the organization.  Their purpose is no longer about the specifics of how to get things done; rather they create systems and processes, allocating resources so that others can get things done.  People in this Stage position the organization within the marketplace and do all they can for the longevity of the organization.A careful consideration of this model leads us to understand that not only do organizations need each of these roles to be present, but also if we are truly going to thrive, the expectations of each of these roles must be met.  For example, if we have people in Stage 1, but those people are not engaged in appropriate learning and helping activities, the need for Stage 1 will not be met and our organization will not thrive.  People in Stage 2 who do not consistently and appropriately apply their skills and expertise with minimal supervision, then organizations suffer with inefficiency and poor quality.  When people should be in Stage 3, or Advanced Stage 3, or even in Stage 4 do not focus on the leadership requirements of their work, but instead act as if they are the only ones who can actually do the work, then the entire enterprise is at risk.When organizational leaders take deliberate and careful efforts to identify the Stage roles within their organizations, and then plan on filling those roles based upon the expectations of the roles, they stand a much greater likelihood of success.  However, it is often the case that organizational leaders staff positions based upon how well someone met the expectations of the previous Stage, not on what is required of the desired Stage role.  For example, how many people are promoted to management, not because they are truly good (potential) leaders, but because they were outstanding at their individual contributor role? Each of the roles described by the Stages of Impact can be seen as some level of leadership: from learning how to “lead self” all the way to learning how to “lead the organization.”  When cast in this light, the resultant “leadership field” provides us with a way to look at and staff our organizations.  Once staffed, we also have a clearer picture of development needs within the roles; you develop people based upon what is expected of their current role, not the previous roles they may have filled.  Organizations will do well to take the time required to consider how they staff and develop their people in the roles those people are expected to fill.  When organizations take this time and effort, our data shows that these organizations tend to out perform their counterparts by a significant margin.

Seeding the “Leadership Field”

According to a February 2011 report published by the Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, the rate of people voluntarily separating themselves from their current employment (i.e., the “quits rate”) has exceeded the layoffs rate, a situation not seen since 2006! These data may be one indicator that an economic recovery is underway.  Good news indeed!For some employees this news clearly opens the door to greener career pastures: after an extensive period of biding their time in jobs in which they might not be fully engaged (perhaps dealing with less-than-ideal immediate managers, workplaces, etc.), more attractive opportunities are finally available.  For some employers, conditions have finally eased sufficiently so they can start attracting and hiring the best and the brightest again, gaining competitive edge.But wait.  The news isn’t all good.What is the implication of a growing number of professionals being “on the move” again?  Based upon numerous industry sources, the number one reason people leave their current job has to do with the quality of the relationship they have with their immediate manager.  That is, while people may like the company they work for and the work they do, if the relationship they have with their immediate manager is difficult or less than desirable, the more likely they are to leave if given the opportunity.So, with the quits rate exceeding the layoff rate, which employees in my organization may be the most likely to depart?  As obvious as the answer to this question seems, organizations continue to struggle in both acknowledging and dealing with it.  Clearly, top talent – those with the most desirable skills, experiences, insights, etc. – are the most likely to abandon ship, finding “better” opportunities elsewhere.  The functional effect of this migration can leave organizations in the lurch, an effectual “brain-drain” where their organizations slowly decay from within.At Emerge Leadership Group we believe the key to the answer to this issue rests squarely in employee engagement.  Like others, we believe that employee engagement leads to numerous positive business outcomes including: retention of high contributors, increased productivity, and higher client satisfaction scores.  We also agree that what managers do impacts the engagement of their direct reports more than anything else.  When you have an immediate manager who takes seriously and implements plans to build and maintain your personal engagement, your experience in your work tends to be more positive than if your manager doesn't do these things.   Engaged employees tend to stay with their organizations.  Employees not so engaged are more likely to leave if given the opportunity.If you are in a situation where (for whatever reasons) your immediate manager doesn’t build your engagement what can you do?  What can you do if you are a manager who wants to build the engagement of your direct reports? Research conducted at Emerge Leadership Group has produced the ZONE Model of Engagement™, a four-component model that describes the framework in which people can choose to become engaged at work.   The first component of this model is “Z,” which stands for: zeal, passion and emotion – the deep personal feeling you have for the work you do.  The second is “O:” understanding the organizational need you are fulfilling and the way you are expected to meet it.  Third is “N:” the network of relationships you build and maintain that help you get your work done.  The fourth component is “E:” the expertise, skills, and abilities you bring to your work or develop to contribute at the highest possible levels in your job or function.  When these four components are present at sufficiently high levels – or “aligned” – in your work, you stand a greater chance of being engaged that if one or more of them is not so present.  The ZONE Model of Engagement has a proven track record of assisting individuals and leaders diagnose and create prescriptive plans to assist with employee engagement issues.   If, as an individual, you ever feel less than fully engaged in your work and wonder why, the ZONE Model of Engagement can help you identify the core issues that seem to be creating the problem.  For example, you can ask yourself, “How passionate am I about the work I am currently involved in; do I really care about what I do (“Z” questions)?  Or, “Do I really understand what is expected of me; are the expectations of my role clear; what do I not understand about my role in this organization (“O” questions)?  Or, “Do I have sufficiently strong relationships with enough people throughout my organization that I can ask for and receive help to get my work done when I need it; do I know enough people who have enough influence who can be my advocate on projects or initiatives (“N” questions)? Or, “Are my skills sufficient for me to make a substantial contribution to my work now; what skills or abilities do I lack so that I can meet the expectations demanded by my role and responsibilities (“E” questions)?Leaders can use this sort of questioning as a place to being conversations with direct reports who may be struggling with their level of engagement.  When leaders approach individuals who seem to have lower than desired levels of engagement and engage in honest conversations about their engagement using the ZONE Model, the source of engagement issues may be quickly identified.Once the source of engagement issues is found, individuals and leaders can take appropriate actions to begin correcting whatever is not appropriately aligned.  For example, if individuals find any one or combination of ZONE components to be specifically low, they may find ways to re-channel their passions, gain clarity about their role and contribution to the organization, reach out to others and build stronger networks, or build or re-apply their existing and developing skill sets.In summary, if organizations desire to curb the out-flow of talented people from their organizations, wish to build the environments of employee engagement, or if individuals want to find ways to be more satisfied at work and make a real difference in the work they are doing RIGHT NOW, then using the concept of the ZONE Model of Engagement can be a powerful tool in creating these desirable outcomes.

Abandon Ship

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Demo Day Agenda: (All times below are Eastern Standard Time)


	11:55am-12:00pm ATD Introduction &amp; Welcome
	12:00-12:30pm Deliver High-Impact Learning Experiences to Frontline Teams (Schoox)
	12:45-1:15pm Supercharge Business Results Through Structured Hard Skills Curation (Seertech)
	1:30-2:00pm Scalable Enterprise Training Across Diversified Audiences (imc)
	2:15-2:45pm Transformative Learning Strategies for Business Impact and Employee Engagement (LearnUpon)
	3:00-3:30pm Litmos LMS – AI Powered for an Effortless Learner Experience (Litmos)


Jim Wentworth

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