Imagine you are leading an organisation. Some of the people are super positive; some swing between positive and neutral; some are negative. How do you want to work with the different kinds of people? In the old days organisations often told you to concentrate on turning-around the negative people. But that did not work. Nowadays you put your energy into the engine, not the trailer. Here are 3 steps you can take with the different kinds of people.

1) The positive people.

“Reward the behaviour you want repeated,” is the motto in all organisations. So you encourage the positive people. They are the engine, but they also need support. Frequently they volunteer for tasks, do great work but also get exhausted. You need them: a) To be positive models: b) To be the ‘drivers’ in the organisation: c) To also ‘be selective to be effective’, otherwise they will burn themselves out. Spend time with the positive people, find out their passions and clarify their ‘A’ talents. Then encourage them to make their best contribution to the organisation. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to encourage the positive people are:

*

*

*

2) The positive-neutral people.

Such people can become the backbone of the organisation. They respond well: a) To knowing the goals - the ‘What’: b) To knowing the game plan - the ‘How’: c) To being given a sense of ‘ownership’ in implementing their part of their strategy: d) To being given on-going encouragement and the support they need to do the job: e) To getting a share of the rewards. You will follow these steps in your own way. One leader said:

“I toured every country in the EMEA region and did 2 hour sessions in which I literally met every person. Meeting groups of around 20 people, I talked about last year’s achievements, before outlining the goals for the next year. I used a flip chart and a few slides, but the tone was mainly conversational. Looking at the challenges ahead, I invited people to ask their questions and answered these as honestly as possible. Finally I reiterated the organisation’s strategy and outlined what we could all do to get some quick successes. People seemed to appreciate the sessions.”

Sounds hard work? Perhaps, but it can be harder if you do not connect with people. Given the right kind of support, they will do superb work and go that extra mile. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to
encourage the positive-neutral people are:

*

*

*

3) The negative people.

They must make a decision: Do they want to be part of the organisation or not? You can outline: a) The results to achieve: b) The ‘rules’ - the ‘Dos & Don’ts’ for reaching the goals: c) The rewards. Be positive but be firm. As adults, people can make choices - and each choice has consequences. Give people the opportunity to consider the ‘deal’. They can choose whether they want to opt-in and make a positive contribution. This must then be followed-up by deeds rather than words. If they do not change, then act to protect the other people and maintain a positive culture. completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to give encouraging but
clear messages to the negative people – and then act - are:

*

*

*

Great organisations are made-up of people who choose to be there every day. They are volunteers, not victims. So build on the positive people and do whatever is necessary to guide the organisation to success.

You may recall the old exercise that was sometimes announced by a facilitator on team workshops. They said:

“This afternoon you will all be going on a parachute jump. But there is one condition. You are not allowed to pack your own parachute. You must choose somebody else in the team to do that job. So who will you pick to pack your parachute?”

The announcement was, of course, a joke. But it underlines a key point. It is vital to build a team of ‘parachute packers’ – people who you can rely on to deliver the goods. Let’s look at the actual team you work in at the moment – and imagine you are the leader of that team. Here are three steps towards building a team of reliable people.

1) You can clarify where you are a superb parachute packer.

Everybody is a parachute packer in some activities but not in others. A person may be brilliant at fixing computers, counselling troubled people, cooking a banquet or whatever. They are absolutely reliable when performing certain tasks – but they do not have the interest, eye for detail or finishing ability in others. Consider yourself as a leader. You may be superb at clarifying the strategy, communicating a vision, providing support to your people, making tough decisions or whatever. On the other hand, you may have little feeling or interest in technical detail, public relations or managing day-to-day operations. So what are the specific leadership activities that you can be relied on to deliver? Try completing the following sentence.

The specific activities where I
am a good parachute packer are:

*

*

*

2) You can clarify where other people are superb parachute packers.

“Tackling this exercise was an eye-opener,” said one leader. “My first response was to say there were many parachute packers in the team. But then I had second thoughts. Looking at the team: a) Four people were utterly reliable and loved their roles. b) Three people were reliable but bored in their roles. c) Two people enjoyed parts of their roles but were disinterested in crucial activities. d) One person was simply not suited for the role or the team.”

“Bearing this in mind, I made several decisions. These included: a) To encourage the parachute packers to build-on and – if they wished – expand their roles into other areas. b) To encourage the ‘bored’ people to craft their ‘perfect roles’ and hand-over other parts of their roles. c) To invite one person who enjoyed part of their role to expand this aspect into a full-time role; but to encourage the other person who was only partly interested in their role to move on. d) To find somebody who could fill the non-performer’s role.”

Try tackling the exercise on this theme. Looking at the actual team where you work at the moment, imagine you are the leader. Consider everybody in the team and complete the following sentences.

The people who are parachute
packers and enjoy their roles are:

*

*

*

The people who are parachute packers but
are bored with some or all of their roles are:

*

*

The people who are parachute packers in parts of their
roles but do not deliver on other crucial activities are:

*

*

The people who may not be the
right fit for the role or the team are:

*

3) You can build a team of superb parachute packers.

Leaders sleep easier at night when they have the right people implementing the right strategy in the right way. This calls for getting reliable people throughout the whole team. The worst phrase to use with some leaders is ‘trust me’. They do not believe in ‘trust’; they believe in ‘certainty’. They follow the maxim extolled by one of the Red Arrows flying team, who said: “When turning right, we do not ‘trust’ that everybody else has turned right. We know that everybody has turned right.” That is why leaders like ‘parachute packers’. They know the jobs will get done, so therefore sleep easier at night.

Imagine you are the leader of your team. Looking at your answers to the exercise in the previous section, what decisions must you take? How can you make sure that people are doing work they enjoy and can be relied on to deliver the goods? After taking these steps, are there still any team activities that remain uncovered? How can you make sure those tasks are completed successfully? Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things we can do to build a team of superb parachute
packers & make sure all the activities are completed successfully are:

*

*

*

Everybody understands that the world of work has changed. So it is vital to clarify and communicate the new employment contract. This should outline the employer’s and employee’s responsibilities in achieving the organisation’s goals. Imagine you have been invited to help an organisation to create such a contract. Let’s explore how to make this happen.

1) You can clarify the new employment contract.

Start by involving the leadership team in clarifying their view of the new kind of contract. Invite them to brainstorm what they believe are:

a) The employer’s responsibilities in working towards achieving the organisation goals.

This is both a practical and psychological contract. So the employer’s responsibilities may include, for example:

* to communicate the picture of success;

* to communicate the strategies for achieving success;

* to create an encouraging environment in which people can achieve success;

* to encourage people to use their strengths to contribute to achieving the picture of success;

* to make clear contracts with people about their part in achieving the picture of success.

* to give people the support they need to do superb work;

* to provide the encouragement, tools and opportunities that people can use to take charge of developing their careers.

* to do whatever is necessary to guide the organisation to success;

b) The employee’s responsibilities in working towards achieving the organisation goals.

* to choose to contribute to the picture of success;

* to clarify their part in implementing the strategies for achieving success;

* to contribute to creating an encouraging environment in which people can achieve success;

* to use their strengths to contribute to achieving the picture of success;

* to make clear contracts about their part in achieving the picture of success.

* to do superb work;

* to take charge of developing their careers.

* to do whatever is necessary to achieve the picture of success.

You may then want to involve groups of employees in adding to the contract. This is what we did in the early days at Air Miles, the loyalty company. One surprise was they were even tougher in stressing the responsibilities of the employees. Let’s imagine you have been asked to put together such a contract. How would you make it happen? Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to clarify
the new employment contract are:

*

*

*

2) You can communicate the new employment contract.

Communicating the contract is crucial, for example, when interviewing prospective employees. Today’s professionals know this ‘contract’ intuitively, but they appreciate it being spelled-out. People can then choose whether or not they want to join this kind of organisation.

Older organisations face a trickier challenge - especially if they have many people who are institutionalised. But that is just the sort of situation where it is necessary to communicate the contract. Sometimes it takes time to embed the new approach. Several years ago one established company tried to communicate such a contract, but failed to do so properly. One year later terrible financial results produced lay-offs and they re-communicated the contract. People realised that, in order to survive, they must all take responsibility. So they adopted the new way of working. The company is now relatively successful - but with a modern employment contract.

How would you communicate such a contract? Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to communicate
the new employment contract are:

*

*

*

3) You can continue reviewing the new employment contract.

Times change. ‘Older style’ organisations, for example, would have produced a document that required employees to be ‘on-site’ five days a week. Modern companies will give people more freedom providing: a) They are contactable; b) They deliver great results. How to keep up-to-date? One approach is to gather groups of employees – leaders, managers and front-liners – to revitalise the contract. You could also start with a blank piece of paper and begin again. Whatever method you use, it is vital to continue to clarify, communicate and get commitment to the contract. People will then know the practical and psychological rules for working together. Bearing these points in mind, try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to keep reviewing
the new employment contract are:

*

*

*

Imagine you lead an organisation. You want to provide people with a compass that they can continually refer to in their daily work. Great organisations frequently do this by focusing on their values. These provide guiding principles that run through every part of the business. People can refer to this compass whenever making a decision. For example, when hiring team members, providing customer service or dealing with crises. Building a values-driven organisation provides the greatest chance of success.

Sounds simple, but it is not easy. Great organisations ‘live the values’ - rather than ‘laminate the values’. It is not enough to produce a values-statement and laminate it in plastic. People watch what you do - not what you say. A value is not a value until it is lived. Let’s assume that you are serious about building a values-driven organisation. Here are three tips for making it happen.

1) You can clarify the values.

Gather your leadership team. Explain the benefits of building a values-driven organisation. Providing they want to embark on this journey, brainstorm the possible values. Vote on these and, if possible, end up with no more than four values. Air Miles - the loyalty company - took this approach during its early days. After beginning the session with around 17 possible values, they settled on 4 they wanted people in the company to live every day. These were:

Air Miles followed the basic rules for creating values. These include: a) Go for a few values - otherwise there are too many to remember. b) Make each value no more than 3 words. c) Use the active voice in each of the values. For example, ‘Take responsibility,’ rather than ‘Responsibility’. Clarify the values, then move onto the next step.

2) You can clarify the consequences of living the values – and whether or not you are serious.

Invite your leadership team to embark on a series of exercises. (These are explained in greater depth in the companion piece 3 tips for running a ‘values in action workshop’.) The exercises include:

* Living the values: translating them into action

Taking each value in turn, invite the leadership team to clarify the specific things that people can translate this value into action. For example, how could a person demonstrate ‘taking responsibility’? This might include being on time for meetings, making clear contracts, meeting their promises, being professional, seeking ‘win-win’ solutions, etc.

* Living the values: the pluses and minuses

Living the values has consequences. The pluses will include, for example, people having a common framework for making decisions. They will refer to the values, rather than huge manuals. But there may be downsides. For example, managers must make tough decisions about people who do not fit the future culture. Clarify the pluses and minuses of living the values: a) for the organisation; b) for the customers; c) for the employees; d) for any other groups.

* The values challenge.

Living the values is simple when sailing through calm water, but more difficult during stormy weather. Invite people to consider scenarios that might challenge the values. For example, because of factors in his personal life, a previous high performer has failed deliver for the past 2 years. You began by being supportive - but now suspect he could do more to fix his personal problems. Colleagues in his team are now complaining about his behaviour. How can you live the values in this situation? Invite people: a) to consider the possible choices and consequences; b) to then go back to the values to make their recommendation. Whatever the decision, there will still be pluses and minuses, but it is vital to do whatever best fits with the values.

The leadership team must now decide on the way forward. Invite them to reflect on the following questions: “Are we serious? Bearing in mind what we have covered, do we still want to go ahead with living the values?” If the answer is ‘Yes,’ then move onto the next step.

3) You can clarify how to integrate the values into the organisation.

There are several routes for making this happen. The route that Air Miles took, for example, included:

* The leadership team spent several months focusing on living the values themselves before actually communicating them to the organisation.

* Every employee then took part in a ‘values in action’ workshop. The leadership team presented the values and invited people to tackle the exercises already mentioned. The workshop concluded with people making clear contracts with the leadership team about: a) The things we are prepared to do to live the values; b) The support we need to live them in our daily work. The workshops were well received and became part of the induction programme.

* The values were integrated into the organisation. They provided the framework for recruitment, induction, promotion, career development and every aspect of the business. People continually returned to this compass when making tough decisions. This helped them to continue building a values-driven organisation.

There are many ways to introduce values. Whichever approach you take, the key question to ask is: “Are we serious?” If you are, the benefits are enormous.

How can you recruit, retain and reward good people? The first step is obviously to ensure that everybody knows the team’s story, strategy and road to success. Telling the story is also vital when recruiting people. You can give candidates an overview of the ‘what, why, how, who and when’. Great teams ensure their people ‘know the deal’. People know: a) The employer’s role in working towards the goals; b) The employee’s role in working towards the goals. They can then decide whether they want to be part of the team. Let’s consider how you can work with people who want to bring the story to life.

1) You can employ people who embody the team’s story.

Great teams are made up of people who have ‘similarity of spirit’ and ‘diversity of strengths’. (Diversity of spirit is a recipe for disaster.) When looking at a present or prospective team member, ask yourself:

“Does this person embody the spirit of the team? Do they want to bring the values to life? Do they want to contribute to the team’s story? If so, how can we encourage them to make this happen?”

You are looking for characters, not clones. This calls for hiring people who are committed to maintaining the team’s balance between consistency and creativity. Great teams have people who follow the key principles in a consistent way. They then produce professional performances that always deliver at least 8/10. Such teams also encourage people to express their creativity at the right time. They can then produce peak performances – the 10/10. Looking at your team, do two things. First, write the names of the people who embody the team’s story. Second, describe the specific things they do to translate it into action.

Great teams recruit people who want to live the story, but this does not mean individuals must stay for the rest of their lives. Such teams often have a golden period when the individuals’ agendas align. There comes a time when some people want to move on - and that is okay. Great teams spot the signs early. They then recruit others who want to develop the story.

Try tackling the exercise on this theme. Describe the specific things you can do to recruit, reward and retain people who embody the team’s story. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to recruit, reward and
retain people who embody the team’s story are:

*

*

*

2) You can employ people who express the team’s story.

“Three years ago I took over a demoralised business,” said one MD. “After clarifying the future strategy, I spent the first year getting the right staff and building the right systems. This called for spending lots of time with the positive people. I encouraged them to stay and involved them in helping to shape the future. Within one year our performance was solid, but it wasn’t outstanding. So I encouraged people to build on strengths and find more ways to express their ‘A’ talents. That was when we began delivering top class work.”

‘Similarity of spirit’ is crucial: but so is ‘diversity of strengths’. Great teams start by providing a solid foundation. They then provide a framework within which people can express themselves. How does this work in your team? How can you encourage people to express their personalities? You may want to encourage them, for example:

· To build on their strengths - to spend more time focusing on where they deliver ‘As’, whilst managing the consequences of their ‘Bs’ or ‘Cs’.

· To use Appreciative Inquiry to clarify when they performed superb work, the principles they followed and how they can follow these more in the future.

· To use their personalities to provide great service – and add that touch of magic – that enables the customers to succeed.

Sometimes you may need to encourage people to think beyond the old cliché that: ‘There is no ‘I’ in team.’ Actually, there are lots of I’s in ‘team’. It just that people express these I’s in different ways towards building the word TEAM. (See below.) They use their personalities to encourage other team members and contribute towards achieving the team’s goal. They follow the key principles, perform superb work and ensure the team achieves peak performance.

Try tackling the exercise on this theme. Looking at your team, describe how you can encourage people to express themselves on the way towards achieving the team’s goals. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can to do to encourage people to
use their personalities to express the team’s story are:

*

*

*

3) You can employ people who will enhance the team’s story.

Great leaders create and maintain the framework. They keep people’s eyes on the story, strategy and road to success. Such leaders also keep their eyes on both today’s and tomorrow’s business. This enables them to ‘surf the sigmoid curve’. They stay ahead of the game, spot opportunities and keep developing - rather than slide down the curve before taking action. Great teams take several steps towards making this happen.

- They continually look ahead, spend time with pacesetting customers and anticipate future scenarios.

- They ask themselves and their people: “Looking to the future, what are the challenges: a) For ourselves; b) For our customers? Bearing in mind our strengths, what are the opportunities? How can we help our customers to succeed? How can we enrich, energise and enhance our story? How can we continue to be successful?”

- They then do whatever is necessary to develop the story, strategy and road to success.

Great leaders may set the strategy, but they recognise it is people who bring it to life – both now and in the future. So they employ people who express today’s story whilst, in some cases, also being able to shape and enhance tomorrow’s story. This is always a fine balance – because it is vital to deliver today’s business whilst shaping tomorrow’s business.

Try tackling the exercise on this theme. Looking to the future, describe how you can employ people who will enhance the team’s story. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can to do to employ
people who will enhance the team’s story are:

*

*

*

There are many models for hiring great people. This article has focused on steps you can take to choose people who embody, express and enhance the team’s story. You will do this in your own way to continue building a superb team.

There are three kinds of organisations operating in today’s world. Some are making the new rules for work. They may be in new media, technology or doing pioneering work in another field. Some organisations are trying to squeeze what they can from the old rules. They may be in finance, retail or other process-driven businesses. Some are trying to follow both the old and new rules. They may be running the majority of their organisation in an established way - but also aiming to be inventive in certain areas. Let’s look at these three kinds of organisations.

1) Some organisations are making the new rules.

Some are doing pacesetting work. They are going into new lands, making new rules. People are energetic, self-motivated and working hard towards a specific goal. Their spirit is entrepreneurial. They emanate a sense of purpose – to build a new venture, launch a fresh product or win a pot of gold. Some have a sense of hubris – believe their know it all. Many are hungry to learn from any field, however, in order to gain the slightest advantage. Virtually all are goal-centred. They focus on: a) The purpose; b) The principles; c) The people who will enable them to reach the goal.

“The biggest challenge is getting the right people,” said one leader. “Being in a fast-moving industry, we want people who can take responsibility, make decisions and enjoy working in a team. They must also be ‘street-wise’ – doing their best for customers, but not ‘selling the farm’. We don’t offer the best wages, but everybody is a shareholder. Selling the business will mean everybody makes money – but for some it will be £25k, rather than a million. We are honest about that with people when they join. The upside is they will have been part of a successful company that already has a huge reputation. People will move-on to other exciting jobs in the industry.”

Can you think of an organisation that is making the rules? How are they putting this into practice? What kinds of people thrive in this organisation? What are the pluses and minuses of working in such a place? Try completing the following sentences.

An organisation that I believe
is making the new rules is:

*

The specific principles they are
following for making this happen are:

*

*

*

2) Some organisations are trying to squeeze what they can from the old rules.

Some are doing everything possible to make the old system work – with varying results. Some are succeeding. They are recording profits but, at the same time, may be upsetting their customers or staff. The spirit is ‘engineering’. They believe in their system and urge their people to make it work better. Many banks, insurance companies, retailers and even some software firms are taking this approach. Some organisations are failing. They are overloading their staff with targets, internally-focused activities and ‘painting by numbers’ procedures. There is little joy in such places. People turn-up for work and go through the motions. There is little vision higher up the chain. Senior managers produce many initiatives, but few communicate a compelling company ‘story’. Such senior managers are in ‘Stalin’s country’ – where occasionally one or two get taken out and shot. They may have failed to deliver; other times it can be because new leaders shoot a few people on ‘whim’.

Can you think of an organisation that is trying to squeeze the most from the old rules? How are they putting this into practice? What kinds of people thrive – or survive - in this organisation? What are the pluses and minuses of working in such a place? Try completing the following sentences.

An organisation that I believe is trying to
squeeze the most from the old rules is:

*

The specific principles they are
following for making this happen are:

*

*

*

3) Some organisations are trying to follow both the old and new rules.

Some are trying to get the best of both worlds. Building on the principles that work, they want to maintain their core offering. At the same time, however, they see the world is changing. This poses a fundamental challenge: How to keep the best of the past – yet also shape a successful future? Some organisations are taking the following steps.

* They are maintaining and improving their core business.

* They are developing future business by building ‘successful prototypes’.

* They are keeping these two activities separate – which allows both types of businesses to practice the principles in their own ways to deliver success.

This final point is crucial. Good organisations follow their time-honoured principles. But the ways these core principles are practiced must continue to evolve. Customer service in the 21^st century, for example, calls for different approaches than in the 1980s. Some organisations fail to understand such implications. So they hire enthusiastic people to build new types of businesses – then ask them to follow ancient internal procedures. Good organisations give people the accountability, autonomy and authority required to deliver successful prototypes. Such new ventures then develop the future income streams. Only a few organisations manage this balancing act. They maintain their core offerings – whilst also developing successful new businesses.

Can you think of an organisation that is managing to follow both the old and new rules? How are they putting this into practice? What kinds of people thrive in this organisation? What are the pluses and minuses of working in such a place? Try completing the following sentences.

An organisation that I believe is successfully
following both the old and new rules is:

*

The specific principles they are
following for making this happen are:

*

*

*

There are three kinds of organisation operating in today’s world. It is useful to know which kind of organisation you prefer. Each type does, of course, contain both pluses and minuses. Bearing these factors in mind, you can consciously accept the whole package. You can then perform fine work and deliver success.

Imagine you are a leader who is aiming to build a team. Super teams get the right balance of warriors and warrior-wizards. (There is no space for ‘wannabe-wizards’ – those who have talent but are not prepared to work hard.) Let’s explore how you can identify the people you want in your team.

1) You can get a strong core of warriors.

Warriors love to work hard. They are responsible, resilient and have the ability to overcome setbacks. Disciplined by nature, they perform consistent work and will always get you to 7/10. Make sure at least 70% of your team are warriors. One leader said:

“Whenever I take over a new team, I ask myself: ‘If everybody left tomorrow and offered their services back as freelancers, who would I hire and what would I hire them to deliver?’ Frequently I start by ‘rehiring’ the responsible people who provide the foundation for the team. They are ‘parachute packers’ – people you would trust to pack your parachute – and give you the confidence to fly. Too often these people go unappreciated.”

Who are the warriors you already have in the team? Who are the warriors you would like to add? How can you keep encouraging these people? Try completing the following sentences.

The warriors I already have in the team are:

*

*

*

The warriors I would like to add to the team are:

*

The specific things I can do to encourage the warriors are:

*

2) You add some warrior-wizards.

Warrior-wizards love to work hard - but they also provide that touch of magic. They have the talent, wisdom and imagination to make creative breakthroughs. Get at least 30% warrior-wizards in your team. They are the people who will make the difference when it matters. They will get the team to 10/10.

Sport highlights a key principle regarding talented people – one that has implications in other fields. An athlete may perform superbly at one level but, when moving to a higher stage, find themselves to be ‘average’. This frequently happens with rising stars as they climb the sporting ladder. Some naturally gifted athletes find this difficult. Previously life has been ‘easy’, because they succeeded via their raw ability. Progress now depends on working hard. Some find this daunting and choose to say: “Well, I could have made it if I had wanted.” Other athletes reframe the situation as a challenge. They say: “I was outstanding at one level, but now I am in the ‘pack’. I will work hard to make the best use of my talent.” Some go on to become outstanding at this higher level. This is a characteristic of warrior-wizards. They are prepared to work hard to succeed.

Take a look at your team. Who are the warrior-wizards? Who are the warrior-wizards you would like to add? How can you encourage these kinds of people? They may be gifted, but must choose to align their talents to serve the team. How can you do your best to make this happen? Try completing the following sentences.

The warrior-wizards I already have in the team are:

*

*

The warrior-wizards I would like to add to the team are:

*

The specific things I can do to encourage the warrior-wizards are:

*

3) You can encourage everybody to be warrior-wizards.

Everybody can be a warrior-wizard in some area of their life. They can do the grunt work - then move onto the great work. They may or may not be able to do this in your team - but it is important to give them the opportunity. How to make this happen? One way is to use the super teams approach. First, communicate the team’s goals – the picture of perfection. Second, ask each person to show how they would like to contribute towards achieving the goals. Third, make clear contracts about their contribution. Encourage each person to focus on where they can continue to be warriors, but also add that touch of wizardry. You will then be more likely to build a wonderful team. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to encourage
everybody in the team to be a warrior-wizard are:

*

*

*

Role theory says that: “If a person is expected to fill a certain role, then they will often fulfil it.” This can happen in the family, for example, where individuals may fill the different roles of ‘problem child’, ‘perfect child’, ‘peacemaker’, ‘encourager, ‘workaholic’, ‘suffering martyr’, ‘sick child’, ‘achiever’, ‘responsible one’ or whatever. It can also happen in teams, organisations and society. Role theory can be used to help people to succeed; or it can be abused to ensure they fail. Let’s explore how this works in practice.

1) You can recognise the power of role theory.

So let’s start by revisiting role theory. This states that: a) People are expected to fill certain roles; b) People find these expectations are re-enforced by others around them. These are communicated through messages, norms, rewards and punishments that show how people are expected to behave; c) People are then more likely to fill the expected roles. One key point is worth underlining. Role theory rests on the assumption that many people want affirmation and they seek this by tending to ‘conform’. They behave in a way that is accepted. This also explains why some people make radical shifts in their lives. They leave one ‘system’ that rewards certain behaviour – but where they feel uneasy – and move to another where they develop a more rewarding role. Bearing in mind these factors, let’s explore how role theory can be used in different ways.

A frightening experiment in role theory took place during the 1960s. A group of junior doctors were asked to spend a day taking the roles of patients in a mental hospital. This was to be part of their training – an exercise in empathy. The doctors duly filled the task and acted-out in ways they had seen patients behave. The day ended and they went to put on their coats, but were met by staff saying: “What are you doing? You are patients. You must stay in the hospital.” The doctors went crazy – explaining they were actually on a training exercise. The staff said: “Many of our patients think they are doctors. Go back to the wards.” The doctors started protesting, screaming and behaving irrationally. “See,” said the ward staff, “you are crazy.” The nightmare continued with the doctors becoming more like patients. They were finally released, but it was a salutary lesson. The doctors realised how quickly they had lapsed into odd behaviour after being treated as patients.

Role theory can also be used to get positive results. When I ran a therapeutic community for young people, for example, they were expected: a) To be responsible; b) To encourage other people; c) To visit universities to teach budding social workers how to encourage troubled teenagers. The young people met these expectations and – by and large – fulfilled the positive roles.

Try tackling the exercise on this theme. First, looking at your own life and work, can you think of a time you have seen role theory in action? Describe the example. Second, describe the specific things that were done to reinforce people to continue to stay in a certain role. Try completing the following sentences.

The time I saw role theory in action was:

*

The specific things that were done to
reinforce people to stay in a certain role were:

*

*

*

So how you can use role theory to, for example, succeed in an organisation? Let’s explore this area.

2) You can use role theory to design people’s roles.

Imagine you are a manager. You can use elements of role theory to help your people to achieve success. This means moving from older views of ‘roles’. Traditional organisations defined roles in terms of activities – what people should ‘do’. Managers then supervised employees, making sure they completed the tasks. This might appear efficient, but it was not always effective. Why? Organisations confused activity with results. People spent time on activities that might or might not contribute to achieving success. Newer organisations focus on results – defining roles in terms of what people should ‘deliver’. People clarify the ‘what’ – the specific results to achieve. They then focus on the broad principles of ‘how’ they will produce the results by ‘when’. This calls for hiring responsible people who do what is necessary – within parameters – to produce success. ‘Roles’ have therefore become focused on ‘deliverables’ – though they still contain clear ‘dos & don’ts’. How does this work in practice? Imagine you are creating a role. You will cover the following areas:

Designing a role

The Deliverables. The specific results
we want the person to deliver are:

*

*

*

The ‘Dos & Don’ts’. The dos & don’ts we want them
to follow on the route to delivering the goods are:

*

*

*

The Desired Support. The specific support they will need to
do the job – and how we can supply this support - is:

*

*

*

The Deadlines. The specific deadlines by which
we want them to deliver certain results are:

*

*

*

How to make this work? Following classic role theory, it is important to ensure that: a) You define the required outcomes; b) You ‘reward the behaviour you want repeated’; c) You then do everything possible to help the person to fulfil the role successfully. This brings us to the next stage.

3) You can use role theory to help people to succeed.

Role theory emphasises the need for constant reinforcement to keep people on track. This is certainly the case if a system wants to suppress people – because otherwise they break out and grow. Many years ago I taught family therapy. Working with families, we saw how the parents, for example, shifted responsibility for problems onto the ‘scapegoat’ – such as a son who was misbehaving at school. “Everything would be alright if it wasn’t for him,” was the creed. Certainly the youngster must take responsibility – but he was also used to deflect attention from other issues. The family maintained him as the scapegoat, however, by constantly criticising and setting him up to fail. They seldom nurtured his talents, encouraged or helped him to succeed. If he did succeed, the parents and other family members must examine their relationships. The family system found a way to deal with its pain – albeit a dysfunctional way – and reinforced him in the scapegoat role.

You can also use role reinforcement in a positive way - especially if people have chosen a role they will find fulfilling. Imagine that you have employed somebody to deliver the goods. You can use the best elements of role theory: a) To agree with them on the deliverables – the results to achieve; the ‘dos & don’ts’; the desired support and the deadlines. b) To encourage by giving specific feedback on what they do well; c) To meet with regularly to check on their progress and, if necessary, do some ‘course correction’. You can invite them to describe what they are doing well - plus what they can do better and how; d) To publicise success stories about their own and their team’s achievements; e) To ‘reward the behaviour you want repeated’. This may seem artificial – but it mirrors many elements of role theory. But it often delivers the goods.

Try tackling the exercise on this theme. First, describe a specific situation where you can use role theory to enable people to succeed. Second, describe the specific things you can do to help them to get positive results. Try completing the following sentences.

The specific situations where I can use
role theory to help people to succeed is:

*

The specific things I can do to help
people to get positive results are:

*

*

*

There are many ways to enable people to succeed in organisations. Providing it is used in the right way, role theory can help them to deliver positive results.

Imagine you are leading a team. You have clarified the team’s strategy for achieving its picture of success. Let’s explore how you can orchestrate people’s talents to reach a goal.

1) You can clarify people’s A, B and C talents.

Start by writing the names of all the people in your team. Looking at each person in turn, describe the specific things that they deliver. Write a list of their ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’ talents.

As. These are the specific activities in which they achieve 9+/10. They consistently achieve peak performance. Try to be as specific as possible when describing these things they deliver.

Bs. These are the activities in which they can produce 7+/10. Whilst they may do these things competently, they do not hit the heights. They may also get bored doing these tasks and make occasional mistakes.

Cs. These are the activities in which they seldom reach even 5/10. They have no feeling for the activity and make basic mistakes.

One person wrote: “My Marketing Director, Dave, is brilliant at delivering campaigns that connect with the business and produce bottom-line results. Sally, the HR Director, delivers strategies that enable our people to make their best contributions to the business. She has also produced a programme that finds and retains talented people in the company. Mary, our COO, has the ability to translate our vision into specific actions that resonate with our people on the ground. Roy, our FD, is good at providing strategic financial advice. That is his ‘A’ talent’. The problem is, however, that he gets bogged down in the day-to-day management of the financial team. Certainly he can do this task, but we need him to play to his ‘As’. He needs somebody who can run a more self-managing finance department.”

Try tackling the exercise on this theme. First, write the names of the people in your team. Second, write the specific activities in which they deliver ‘As’. (If you wish, at some future point, you may also want to describe where they deliver ‘Bs’ and ‘Cs’.) Try completing the following sentences. Continue until you have covered everybody in your team.

The Person’s Name: ______________

The specific activities in which they deliver ‘As’ are:

*

*

The Person’s Name: ______________

The specific activities in which they deliver ‘As’ are:

*

*

The Person’s Name: ______________

The specific activities in which they deliver ‘As’ are:

*

*

2) You can clarify how to co-ordinate people’s talents to achieve the goal.

Let’s assume that you have clarified the team’s strategies and people’s strengths. Bearing in mind the team’s overall goal, ask yourself the following questions.

* How can we make the best use of people’s strengths to achieve the team’s picture of success? How can we put people in the places where they will deliver ‘As’? How can we, if necessary, cover the areas where they deliver ‘Bs’? How can we make sure nobody is in a position where they deliver ‘Cs’?

* How can each person therefore make their best contribution toward achieving the picture success? How can we make clear contracts about their specific contribution? How can we give them the support they need to implement their part of the strategy and ensure the team achieve success?

* How can we make sure we fill any gaps? For example, are there any areas we have not got covered? If so, how can we get these tasks completed successfully?

Bearing these answers in mind, you can answer then the question: “How can we co-ordinate people’s strengths to achieve the goal?” At first it can sometimes be to answer this question. But keep asking it and you will find the answers. Certainly I have found that, with some creative thinking, people can find solutions and combine their talents to build a superb team.

(Older style organisations sometimes find it difficult to generate creative solutions. So they rush back to putting people in boxes based on historical job descriptions. The problem is that people then mainly use their ‘Bs’ and ‘Cs’, rather than play to their ‘As’.)

Try tackling the exercise on this theme. First, describe the specific things you can do to ensure people play to their strengths and make the best contribution towards achieving the team’s goals. Second, describe the specific things you can do to ensure any gaps are filled. Try completing the following sentences.

The specific things I can do to make sure people play to their strengths
and make their best contribution towards achieving the team’s goals are:

*

*

*

The specific things I can do to make sure any gaps are filled are:

*

*

*

3) You can co-ordinate people’s talents to reach the goal.

The next step is to swing into action. Let’s assume that you made contracts about people’s parts in reaching the goals. You will then focus on ‘managing by outcomes’, rather than ‘managing by tasks’.

Every month you will invite each person to present: a) The specific things I have delivered in the last month towards achieving the picture of success; b) The specific things I plan to deliver in the next month; c) The challenges I face, the strategies I have for tackling these challenges and the support needed to achieve success. This will ensure that people are fulfilling their contracts and work towards the team’s goals.

Great leaders continue to keep their eyes on the big picture. Bearing in mind the team’s strategy on the road to success, keep taking reality checks. So you may ask questions like:

* What are the specific things we are doing well? How can follow these principles even more in the future?

* What can we do even better and how? How can we make these things happen?

* What can we do to continue capitalising on people’s strengths? How can we translate these ideas into action?

* What can we do to compensate for any gaps and ensure all the other tasks are completed? How can we make this happen?

* What else can we do to co-ordinate people’s talents to achieve the picture of success? How can we translate all these ideas into action?

Try tackling the exercise on this theme. First, describe the specific things you can do to keep people’s eyes on the goal, ensure they fulfil their contracts and continue to co-ordinate people’s talents to achieve the goal. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to continue to co-ordinate
people’s strengths to achieve the picture of success are:

*

*

*

There are many models for building a team. This article has outlined one approach to co-ordinating people’s strengths. Put into practice properly, it can enable your people to move from 8/10 to 10/10.

Imagine you are a leader. Your contribution will be judged by three things. First, by what you personally do. Second, by what your team delivers. Third, by the legacy you leave. The word ‘legacy’ may have become overused, but it is remains a key element in a leader’s work. Let’s explore how you can leave a good legacy.

1) You can clarify your legacy as a leader

An artist tries to cheat death by leaving behind a body of work. A leader leaves behind achievements and memories. There are, of course, many different kinds of leaders - such as people leaders, business leaders, thought leaders and creative leaders. Different leaders obviously leave different kinds of legacies.

Imagine you are leading a company. How do you want your contribution to be remembered? Start by listing the groups of people who will be affected by your work – such as your employers, employees, customers and other groups. Looking into the future, describe the actual words you want each group to be saying about your contribution. Describe what you want them to be saying about what you did regarding the profits, products, people and planet. Previously many business people cared primarily for their profits - but nowadays it is vital to leave a more sustainable legacy.

Looking at yourself as a leader, what do you want to pass-on to people? What will be the benefits – for yourself, for other people and for the planet? Try completing the following sentences.

The legacy I want to leave as a leader is:

*

*

*

The benefits of leaving this legacy will be:

*

*

*

2) You can clarify the key strategies for leaving the legacy.

Looking at your legacy, ask yourself: “Am I serious? If so, what are the 3 key strategies I can follow to deliver the legacy? What will be the pluses and minuses involved in pursuing these strategies? How can I maximise the pluses and minimise the minuses? Am I prepared to take the tough decisions that will be necessary? How can I continue to keep my eyes on the goal - rather than get distracted by tactics? Am I prepared to do what is necessary to deliver the legacy?” Try completing the following sentence.

The key strategies I can follow to deliver the legacy are:

*

*

*

3) You can do everything possible to leave your legacy as a leader.

Great leaders do whatever is necessary to deliver the legacy. Keep your eyes on the goal. There will be distractions, setbacks and disappointments, but they are part of the journey. Every leader encounters difficulties along the road. Dame Cicely Saunders spent years raising money to found the modern hospice movement in Britain. Peter Beneson met resistance when founding Amnesty International. Abraham Maslow was criticised for encouraging psychologists to study health rather than sickness. Keep returning to your compass and focus on the real results to achieve. Recommit to your beliefs and press on towards delivering the goal. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I must do to ensure I deliver the legacy are:

*

*

*