Session 5 Determining Priorties - Employee Engagement...SWOT SWOT analysis is a powerful model for...

Session 5

Determining Priorties

© The Employee Engagement Group Session 5 All rights reserved

5-1


5-2

1. Where are we today?

Make a list of 5 – 7 statements that describe your current

state as it relates to employee engagement in your

organization. Some areas you might consider are:

Voluntary turnover numbers

Survey scores around engagement

Absenteeism

Internal conflict levels

Productivity and quality levels (compared to a different time)

Team development


5-3

Tools to Determine Current State

These are a few tools to help you determine the current state of your organization.

SWOT

SWOT analysis is a powerful model for many different situations. The SWOT tool is not just for business and marketing. Here are some examples of what a SWOT analysis can be used to assess:

A company (its position in the market, commercial viability, etc)

A method of sales distribution

A product or brand

A business idea

A strategic option, such as entering a new market or launching a new product

A opportunity to make an acquisition

A potential partnership

Changing a supplier

Outsourcing a service, activity or resource

Project planning and project management

An investment opportunity

Personal financial planning

Personal career development - direction, choice, change, etc.

Education and qualifications planning and decision-making

Life-change - downshifting, relocation,

Whatever the application, be sure to describe the subject (or purpose or question) for the SWOT analysis clearly so you remain focused on the central issue. This is especially crucial when others are involved in the process. People contributing to the analysis and seeing the finished SWOT analysis must be able to understand properly the purpose of the SWOT assessment and the implications arising.

Strengths Weaknesses

Opportunities Threats


5-4

SWOT Analysis Guide

Strengths

Advantages of proposition?

Capabilities?

Competitive advantages?

USP's (unique selling points)?

Resources, Assets, People?

Experience, knowledge, data?

Financial reserves, likely returns?

Marketing - reach, distribution, awareness?

Innovative aspects?

Location and geographical?

Price, value, quality?

Accreditations, qualifications, certifications?

Processes, systems, IT, communications?

Cultural, attitudinal, behavioral?

Management cover, succession?

Weaknesses

Disadvantages of proposition?

Gaps in capabilities?

Lack of competitive strength?

Reputation, presence and reach?

Financials?

Own known vulnerabilities?

Timescales, deadlines and pressures?

Cash flow, start-up cash-drain?

Continuity, supply chain robustness?

Effects on core activities, distraction?

Reliability of data, plan predictability?

Morale, commitment, leadership?

Accreditations, etc?

Processes and systems, etc?

Management cover, succession?

Opportunities

Market developments?

Competitors' vulnerabilities?

Industry or lifestyle trends?

Technology development and innovation?

Global influences?

New markets, vertical, horizontal?

Niche target markets?

Geographical, export, import?

Market need for new USP's?

Market response to tactics, e.g., surprise?

Major contracts, tenders?

Business and product development?

Information and research?

Partnerships, agencies, distribution?

Market volume demand trends?

Seasonal, weather, fashion influences?

Threats

Political effects?

Legislative effects?

Environmental effects?

IT developments?

Competitor intentions - various?

Market demand?

New technologies, services, ideas?

Vital contracts and partners?

Obstacles faced?

Insurmountable weaknesses?

Employment market?

Financial and credit pressures?

Economy - home, abroad?

Seasonality, weather effects?

Political effects?


5-5

Tuckman’s Team Development Model


5-6

Great Ten Leadership Team Evaluation Guidelines Once you’ve decided to use the Leadership Team Evaluation with your team, these guidelines will help you to address it successfully with your group: 1. Review the Leadership Team Evaluation document.

Change the values on question 3 to your values Determine that the statements and descriptions meet your company and team needs

o These questions have been created with engagement in mind; use caution if changing questions

The rating scale should remain 1 – 10 Comment boxes are not included purposely – the results of this survey are meant as a

conversation starter. Comments will come during the subsequent discussion. 2. During a team meeting, preface the exercise by stating:

I’d like to do an evaluation of where we think our leadership team stands as a whole by doing a quick survey. Please complete this survey as honestly as possible – all answers will remain anonymous and we will only see the cumulative results. Once you are done, please put the survey in this envelope.

3. Hand out the blank evaluations to everyone (including yourself) and provide whatever 4. Give the surveys to someone to tally on the Excel spreadsheet and continue with the meeting

Data should be tallied and double checked for accuracy Print the report on the ‘Report’ tab (enough for one per team member)

5. Discuss results, identifying lows and highs, and encouraging comments. An action plan

could result from this discussion

Instructions for Using the Excel File 1. Enter the Leadership Team name and current date

2. Take the first survey and enter the scores of each question vertically in the cells on the spreadsheet

under ‘Survey #1’. See example on Excel spreadsheet.

3. Repeat for each survey

4. Double check entries

5. Click the ‘Report’ tab and print the report (best in color), one for each participant

6. Put reports in an envelope and return to the team leader

7. Destroy original surveys


5-7

Leadership Team Evaluation Read the 10 statements and corresponding notes. Rate our Leadership Team on each statement using a scale of 1 – 10 (see Rating Key below). Results will be tabulated and displayed as a benchmark.

1 Our Leadership Team makes decisions unselfishly, for the greater good of the company

We don’t make decisions in our own self interest

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

2 Our Leadership Team is seen by its employees as aligned on mission, strategy, goals, and priorities

We focus and align in one consistent direction

We behave in a way that supports this focus

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

3 Our Leadership Team ‘walks the talk’; we live the values the organization stands for

Our mutual commitments and values:

Integrity

Respect

Balance

Open Communications

Flexibility

Safety

Innovation Note: These are sample values – insert the values for your company

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

4 Our Leadership Team automatically and consistently ‘assumes the best intentions’ in one another

We do not assume ‘motives’, especially when we disagree

All team members assume that teammates want what is best for the organization

It is okay to have different opinions, but the team can engage in an open and respectful discussion

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Rating Key

1 = Not at all

10 = Excels at this


5-8

Leadership Team Evaluation (continued)

5 Our Leadership Team openly discusses issues in meetings

We have open, respectful, but yet challenging conversations in meetings

We do not have contrary discussions in the hallway after the meetings

We avoid ‘I won’t comment on your sandbox if you don’t comment on mine’

Team members say what they want in the room, not after the meeting

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

6 When a decision is made in a meeting, we own the decision as ours and fully support it outside the meeting

Our employees hear a single voice When decisions are made we support

the decision with our employees

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

7 We are acutely aware of the impact of the shadow we cast on our organization

We recognize that everything from our words to your moods are noticed by your employees

We act with the knowledge that others look up to us, and emulate our behavior

We are seen by our employees as being aligned

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

8 We fully participate in initiatives rather than just ‘blessing’ them

Because of the ‘shadow’ phenomenon*, our company initiatives are supported by all of us

We all share in the responsibility, knowing that how we are led determines how we lead

* The ‘shadow’ phenomenon states that leaders have tremendous influence on company environment

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

:


5-9

Leadership Team Evaluation (continued)

9 All teams are managed and measured with the same level of accountability

Team members openly admit their weakness and mistakes

Team members willingly make sacrifices (such as budget, turf, headcount) in their areas of responsibility for the good of the team

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

10 We as individual team members are slow to seek credit for our own contributions but quick to point out those of others

Individual members focus on the needs of the team and not their individual promotion or needs

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10


5-10

Employee Engagement Benchmark Data

Employee ratings of an organization's strengths and weaknesses can identify areas upon which to focus in order to increase employee satisfaction. Indeed, if you had no other data, you would still be in a position to make decisions about what to do in response to employee survey results.

You will be able to make much smarter decisions, however, with additional normative data. For example, it's not uncommon to discover half a dozen attributes which receive relatively poor ratings in comparison to others in the survey. What's to be done?

One option, of course, is to attempt to address all of the low scores at the same time. In some cases, limited resources may preclude an across the board response. Even if such a full court press is possible, it is often an inefficient use of organizational resources. Alternatively, you might make a judgment call, focusing on those attributes which you think matter most to employees. And you may be right.

Normative data, however, increase your odds, for they show where you stand in comparison with many other organizations on the same attributes. A case in point -- employee ratings of salaries and wages are substantially lower than their ratings of, say, corporate communications or quality of supervision. Looks like a money problem, but is it?

It may be that, compared to other organizations, your wage and salary ratings are on the upper end of the scale. And your apparently satisfactory communications ratings are actually lower than those of other organizations.

That kind of information is precisely what norms are designed to provide.

Without that information, you can't really tell where you stand, and you may waste resources fixing "problems" that simply reflect prevailing views of employees in general, and missing an opportunity to address the real areas in which your organization lags behind others.


5-11

Balanced Scorecard

The balanced scorecard is a concept and tool first conceived by by Robert Kaplan and David Norton.

The balanced scorecard idea debuted in the Harvard Business Review in 1992.

"The balanced scorecard retains traditional financial measures. But financial measures tell the

story of past events, an adequate story for industrial age companies for which investments in

long-term capabilities and customer relationships were not critical for success. These financial

measures are inadequate, however, for guiding and evaluating the journey that information age

companies must make to create future value through investment in customers, suppliers,

employees, processes, technology, and innovation."

It allows managers a tool on which view critical operational factors and their inter-relationships with

current and future performance in mind.


5-12

B. Where do we want to be?

Start with the end in mind:

What is it you want to achieve? Where do you want to be?

Think ahead 5 years and picture your organization where you would like to see it. What did you do to get here? If you were being honored as one of the Fortune 100 Best Places to Work, what would you put in your acceptance speech as the top 5 – 6 actions you and your organization took to bring it to this point?


5-13

C. What are the impediments (and what is currently working)?

What’s getting in your way of receiving a Best Places to Work award? Below, make a list of

What is preventing you from receiving that award today What successes you can build on – what is working in your

organization

What are the impediments What’s working in your organization?

From your list of impediments, what are 3 - 4 key topics that need to be addressed?


5-14

D. Identify solutions and strategies

Part 1 – What do we do to get there?

Part 2 – How will we do it?


5-15

Building the Plan

The final part of the process is building the plan which includes selecting the best actions to take. Remember, you can’t do it all – a good employee engagement action plan focuses on a limited number of topics, keeps it simple, and executes flawlessly.


5-16

Idea Evaluator Matrix Instructions

Participant Instructions

On your own, use the next page to rate each idea (identified by number). Rate the idea by placing a small ‘x’ or ‘dot’ in one of the 4 boxes:

A = Low cost, high impact (do it!) B = High cost, high impact (no pain, no gain) C = Low cost, low impact (may or may not be worth it) X = High cost, low impact (probably not worth it)

The horizontal axis represents impact and increases from left to right. Vertical axis represents cost and increases from top to bottom; cost includes time, resources, and money. Remember that the vertical axis of the matrix is situated from top to bottom, high to low. The mark should be placed relative to where it goes on the cost/impact scales (see samples below). The higher the impact, the further to the right the mark will be within the box; the lower the cost, the higher the mark will be within the box.

Marked as a high impact

idea, but on the high side

of the cost axis within the

‘A’ quadrant.

Marked as a low cost idea

with a medium impact

within the ‘C’ quadrant


5-17

Idea Evaluator Form

1 C A 13 C A 25 C A 37 C A

X B X B X B X B

2 C A 14 C A 26 C A 38 C A

X B X B X B X B

3 C A 15 C A 27 C A 39 C A

X B X B X B X B

4 C A 16 C A 28 C A 40 C A

X B X B X B X B

5 C A 17 C A 29 C A 41 C A

X B X B X B X B

6 C A 18 C A 30 C A 42 C A

X B X B X B X B

7 C A 19 C A 31 C A 43 C A

X B X B X B X B

8 C A 20 C A 32 C A 44 C A

X B X B X B X B

9 C A 21 C A 33 C A 45 C A

X B X B X B X B

10 C A 22 C A 34 C A 46 C A

X B X B X B X B

11 C A 23 C A 35 C A 47 C A

X B X B X B X B

12 C A 24 C A 36 C A 48 C A

X B X B X B X B


5-18

Facilitator Instructions (web meeting) Objective: The purpose of this exercise is to evaluate ideas in order to prioritize based on cost and impact. Preparation:

Schedule a webinar with the participants

Send the 2 page Idea Evaluator Form to all participants and ask that they print it out for the session

When opening webinar, select ‘Share Desktop’. Open PowerPoint (Idea Evaluator Matrix) and Word (Idea Evaluator Form and blank page).

Directions (web meeting) 1. Brainstorm ideas in an open environment; list ideas

If done in small groups, collect and combine ideas onto one central list blank Word document (remember to save the document periodically)

2. Work with the group to combine similar ideas to minimize repetition; edit the document as you go, removing any ideas that should not be part of this exercise

3. Go over each idea to determine:

Clarity – be sure the participants truly understand the idea – rewrite if needed

Control – if this idea is to be considered, does this group have the ability to implement; if not, eliminate the idea

4. Assign a number to each idea sequentially (if you have more than 18 ideas, you will need a second sheet for each participant)

5. Switch to the PowerPoint slide showing the Idea Evaluator Matrix. Explain the Idea Evaluator Matrix emphasizing these points:

Horizontal axis represents impact and increases from left to right

Vertical axis represents cost and increases from top to bottom; cost includes time, resources, and money

The matrix is made up of 4 categories: A = Low cost, high impact (do it!) B = High cost, high impact (no pain, no gain) C = Low cost, low impact (may or may not be worth it) X = High cost, low impact (probably not worth it)

Tips for Facilitating Brainstorming

Quantity vs. quality – promote rapid fire ideas

Piggy-backing on other ideas is encouraged

Capture all ideas

All ideas are ‘good’ in the beginning – don’t allow judg-ment, discussion, or debate

Prevent domination of one person; no long explanations

Ask clarifying questions


5-19

6. Ask participants to have their Idea Evaluator Form in front of them. Read these directions to

participants to clearly describe the process.

On your own, you are to rate each idea by placing a small ‘x’ or ‘dot’ in one of the 4 boxes. The mark should be placed relative to where it goes on the cost/impact scales. The higher the impact, the further to the right the mark will be within the box; the lower the cost, the higher the mark will be within the box.

Remember that the vertical axis of the matrix is situated from top to bottom, high to low.

7. Once everyone has finished,

Option 1 – ask the participants to .PDF their documents and e-mail them to you. Compile the results on a single form and send back to the participants with your notes and objectives for the next session

Option 2 – open a pre-formatted polling question; ask participants to rate each of the; make sure everyone has a chance to rate all ideas

8. After step 7 is complete, the results should show an indication of how the ideas should be prioritized; lead the group in a discussion to determine best next steps based on ratings and resources. Note the following as you discuss:

Ideas with many marks in the ‘A’ rating may be quickly adopted as high priorities; be sure to listen to those who rated this idea as a ‘B’ or ‘C’ to be sure key concepts aren’t being overlooked

Ideas with may ‘B’ marks require an additional discussion of resources – once again, does this group have the ability to truly implement or are there too many dependencies

Don’t discount ideas too quickly, even if they fall into the ‘X’ or ‘C’ rating; low impact ideas may still have value


5-20

Facilitator Instructions (live group meeting) Objective: The purpose of this exercise is to evaluate ideas in order to prioritize based on cost and impact. Preparation:

Make enough copies of the 2-page Idea Evaluator Form for each participant to have one (make a few extra copies as back-up)

Prepare a 10 – 12 flip chart pages with a 4 grid matrix labeled A, B, C, and X as shown below; number each page sequentially (1 – whatever number of pages). Be prepared to add additional pages to accommodate the number of questions.

Directions 1. Brainstorm ideas in smaller groups of an open environment; write

ideas on flip chart paper.

If done in small groups, collect and combine ideas onto one central list on flip chart paper

2. Work with the group to combine similar ideas to minimize repetition

3. Go over each idea to determine:

Clarity – be sure the participants truly understand the idea – rewrite if needed

Control – if this idea is to be considered, does this group have the ability to implement; if not, eliminate the idea

4. Assign a number to each idea sequentially (if you have more than 18 ideas, you will need a second sheet for each participant)

5. Hand out the form and matrix to each participant and explain the Idea Evaluator Matrix emphasizing these points:

Horizontal axis represents impact and increases from left to right

Vertical axis represents cost and increases from top to bottom; cost includes time, resources, and money

The matrix is made up of 4 categories: A = Low cost, high impact (do it!) B = High cost, high impact (no pain, no gain) C = Low cost, low impact (may or may not be worth it) X = High cost, low impact (probably not worth it)

Tips for Facilitating Brainstorming

Quantity vs. quality – promote rapid fire ideas

Piggy-backing on other ideas is encouraged

Capture all ideas

All ideas are ‘good’ in the beginning – don’t allow judg-ment, discussion, or debate

Prevent domination of one person; no long explanations

Ask clarifying questions


5-21

6. Read these directions to participants to clearly describe the process.

On your own, you are to rate each idea by placing a small ‘x’ or ‘dot’ in one of the 4 boxes. The mark should be placed relative to where it goes on the cost/impact scales. The higher the impact, the further to the right the mark will be within the box; the lower the cost, the higher the mark will be within the box.

Remember that the vertical axis of the matrix is situated from top to bottom, high to low.

7. Once everyone has finished, on the numbered flip chart pages ask participants to transfer their ratings from their paper to the quadrants on the page in approximately the same position.

8. After step 7 is complete, each flip chart should provide an indication of how the ideas should be prioritized; lead the group in a discussion to determine best next steps based on ratings and resources. Note the following as you discuss:

Ideas with many marks in the ‘A’ rating may be quickly adopted as high priorities; be sure to listen to those who rated this idea as a ‘B’ or ‘C’ to be sure key concepts aren’t being overlooked

Ideas with may ‘B’ marks require an additional discussion of resources – once again, does this group have the ability to truly implement or are there too many dependencies

Don’t discount ideas too quickly, even if they fall into the ‘X’ or ‘C’ rating; low impact ideas may still have value


5-22

Action Plan Date:

Metric Area Opportunity Identified Specific Action Results Expected Responsible Person

Timetable


5-23

High Impact Teaming – Next Steps

Draft your action plan and send to the planning team for further refinement including: o Opportunities and actions identified o People responsible o Results expected o Timeframe

Monthly meetings with planning team for updates

Communicate often with all staff to demonstrate progress

After 9 – 12 months, discuss successes and next projects

Stop Doing That!

Are there things you should stop doing? What are they and why are you still doing them?

Engagement

Action Plan

And

Session 6 Pre-work

© The Employee Engagement Group All Rights Reserved. 1 Session 5 Action Plan

Use additional pages if needed. Please finish all sections and be prepared to discuss during session 6

Action Plan

1. Use the HIT process to evaluate and determine needs – be sure to use the Idea Priority Matrix to evaluate the

best ideas. Make notes of the successes and challenges to discuss at our next session.

What went well? What were the challenges?

© The Employee Engagement Group All Rights Reserved. Session 6 Pre-Work

Use additional pages if needed. Please finish all sections and be prepared to discuss during session 6

1

Session 6 Pre-work

How does your organization hire or promote people managers?

What do you do well?

What could be improved?

What training do people managers receive?

Session 5 Determining Priorties - Employee Engagement...SWOT SWOT analysis is a powerful model for...

Documents

Transcript of Session 5 Determining Priorties - Employee Engagement...SWOT SWOT analysis is a powerful model for...