4-D Followership Assessment Report

Transcription

1 4-D Followership Assessment Report Rodger Adair December 11 th, 2006 The Inside-Out approach to personal and interpersonal effectiveness means to start first with self; even more fundamentally, to start with the most inside part of self -- with your paradigms, your character, and your motives. Stephen Covey

2 Purpose of the 4-D Followership Assessment Report The purpose of this report is to help employees and employers identify where they are best aligned in relationship to tasks and responsibilities in the workplace. Regardless where we are in the organization, we are all followers. Most of us serve as both Followers and Leaders at the same time. Thousands of training hours have been spent developing better leaders, and very few developing better Followers the very foundation of great leadership. The 4-D Followership Model describes how Followers and Leaders interact behaviorally within a work environment. This report analyzes which Followership Quadrant you fit into naturally, which aligning zones you gravitate toward when performing tasks; and what common stresses have the strongest pull on you. With this report you and your supervisor can develop strategies that will help better align your duties and tasks to the Followership Zone(s) to which you are most naturally attracted, while identifying the areas causing the greatest stress in the workplace. This report measures three factors of human behavior. These are: Natural, most comfortable tendencies within the workplace Adaptable tendencies within the workplace Reactions to common stress Natural tendencies are the most adaptable zones an individual can be aligned with. Employees have a great deal of experience in their Natural Zones. Some may find they are more energized and creative while in their Natural Zones. Higher productivity and stronger job satisfaction result from being aligned with Natural Zones. These Zones are easy to align to since the end results are typically known. Adaptable tendencies are comfortable and familiar, yet not an exact alignment. This slight misalignment can either motivate employees to grow and turn Adaptable Zones into Natural Zones over time, or create growing stress that will not subside until the employee returns to the Natural Zone to recover. Adaptable Zones may be comfortable at first, but soon feel stressful as the individual stays away from the Natural Zones for too long. Reactions to common stress are symptoms of prolonged exposure to unproductive situations, being out of alignment for too long, and/or being pulled quickly from an aligned zone into an unfamiliar and/or uncomfortable situation. Stress Zones are difficult to align to since the end result is typically undesirable. 1

3 Followership Alignment Worksheet Your current position: What types of tasks do you typically perform at work (mark all that apply)? Reliable Success-Oriented Consensus Decisive Compliant Productive Promote Mission Coordinating Disciplined Self-Reliant Goal-Setting Work Alone Loyalty Competitive Delegate Collaborate Inclusive Innovative Follow Directions Service-Minded Consistent Efficient Facilitate Groups Self-Promoter Team-Oriented Cohesive Encourage Others Independent Conforming Eager Build Relationships Take Charge Summarize (in your own words) what you do at work: What is your current stress level (check one)? Low Slight Moderate High Extreme From where does stress seem to affect you most (prioritize 1= least, 4=most)? Work Family Social Personal 2

4 Rodger Adair Passive/ Aggressive Defiant Complacent Complacent Ambivalent Ambivalent Skeptical DISENGAGED DISENGAGED Resistive DISGRUNTLED DISGRUNTLED Cynical Cynical Antagonist Antagonist Devoted Devoted Interested Interested DISCIPLE DOER DOER Entrepreneurial Entrepreneurial Ambitious Ambitious Dedicated Autonomous Supportive Cooperative Natural Adaptive Supportive Disciple/Passive Stress Rodger Adair, 2006 Natural Zone(s): Supportive Adaptive Zone(s): Cooperative Stress Zone(s): Complacent Note: Words that are italicized and underlined are out of place and indicate that the presence of high stress levels have affected, or currently affect this person. 3

5 Quadrant/Zone Descriptors In Alignment Some employees see themselves as part of an organization that provides products/services that make society a better place. For this, they serve to ensure their boss, coworkers and customers get what they need. These employees may become the martyr, putting the needs of the organization before their own. Even when things become stressful, they work best while serving. Misaligned Under extended stress these employees may show little or no allegiance to the organization. Though they may enjoy their job, they may not believe that they have a progressive career path within their organization. Typically, these employees may feel unable or unwilling to change jobs and will acquiesce to organizational demands over personal needs to stay employed, even with no interest or desire to improve. Alignment Summary Naturally filling a supporting role, Rodger understands the need to step back and become a cheerleader for his teammates and co-workers. He feels this gives them approval to excel for him as well. Rodger feels that he is reliable, believing this trait is invaluable to peers who depend on him. He takes responsibility seriously. He sees steadiness as an attribute. As a cohesive-minded employee, Rodger may produce good results. Rodger can be obliging, allowing the company goals to become his primary from time to time, as long as he has opportunities to get back on track to what may really be his most important goals. Rodger may seek ways to turn his current position into facilitative challenges to help him grow professionally and move on. Rodger may work well with specific deadlines. He may agree that change and growth are unavoidably a constant, and works comfortably with a varying routine day after day. He may volunteer for projects that push him to grow and learn new things. 4

6 Alignment Being in alignment means working with processes that are comfortable and known. Also, this means working with people who are also in alignment with you. Unfortunately, we can not choose our co-workers as we do our friends. We make efforts to get along and end up adapting in ways, growing in areas, becoming better at processes and relationships we never previously imagined. The environment (whether work, social, personal, or family) that you are best aligned with can be identified. Each term alone does not define your most adaptable environment, but together you will get a clear idea of the ideal environment that you have found (and continue to find) success in. As we perform tasks at work we grow accustomed to specific processes to achieve success. The following Environment and Tasks that are bold and underlined have been identified as the most aligned and comfortable tasks which you perform. Energizing Work Environment: Reliable Success-Oriented Compliant Productive Disciplined Self-Reliant Loyalty Competitive Inclusive Innovative Consistent Efficient Team-Oriented Cohesive Conforming Eager Types of tasks most aligned to: Consensus Decisive Promote Mission Coordinating Goal-Setting Work Alone Delegate Collaborate Follow Directions Service-Minded Facilitate Groups Self-Promoter Encourage Others Independent Build Relationships Take Charge Once you discover where you are aligned with work environment and tasks types, you will discover that there has always been a pattern to the times when you felt that you have accomplished a great deal with ease, or felt energized and refreshed after completing a process. This is called Work Flow. This flow can be described as your natural and highly adaptive traits within the zones identified in the Followership Wheel on page three of this assessment report. The secret to success is to find opportunities to work within your natural zones as often as possible, meanwhile stretching toward zones you would like to make adaptive. As you grow in new areas, it is important that you come back to your natural zones from time to time to recharge your batteries, to refuel before venturing out to create new adaptive traits. 5

7 Mis-Alignment In the midst of stress, employees will always begin showing warning signs due to alignment toward the stress quadrants, or mis-alignment away from the natural quadrants. Now, with this report, we can easily identify the stress path that has historically plagued us. With this awareness, we can intervene and get off the path to greater stress by focusing on our time and energies on the natural and adaptive zones to get back on track and in the flow. Also, when see others fall victim to the same warning signs below, we can help them pull themselves back into their own Adaptive and Natural Zones(s). The next two pages discuss what we can do to help ourselves and each other rise to higher job satisfaction in our current positions. Disengaged employees tend to hold their frustrations in quietly, while disengaged employees actively seek to make their case. Managers find that they can deal with disgruntled employees earlier on in the stress quadrants. The warning signs listed below are not all inclusive. It is suggested that managers make the effort to get to know each employee individually, become familiar with the different warning signs and be vigilant and proactive in finding processes and activities that continually put employees in their natural and adaptive zones. Warning Signs Disengaged Employee Quiet Frustration Passively low motivation Loss of interest in assigned work Increased sick time and absences Reacts to stress by closing off or shutting down Quality and quantity of work suffers Professional relationships avoided Disgruntled Employee Open Frustration Openly low motivation Complains about assigned work Complaints about co-workers and management Reacts to stress by increasing negative activity Quality and quantity of work suffers Professional relationships turned off 6

8 Professional Relationship Do s and Don ts When working with fellow employees, supervisors and direct reports, we often forget that they have internal drivers and needs just like us. Many times we displace our own needs upon others, expecting them to feel as we feel. This is rarely the case. Also, some may simply react insensitive to the needs and expectations of others, believing that they can change and adapt to our own belief systems. The danger with those attitudes illustrated in the paragraph above ultimately will result in poor relationships and fragmented communication at work. If we are aware of what needs and expectations our co-workers, supervisors and direct reports have, then we can become better leaders, followers and coworkers, striving to create stronger working relationships that generate synergy, effective productivity and career growth. Some simple do s and don ts have been identified to help each of us relate better and more effectively. If you have co-workers, leaders or direct reports who are Disciples, but seem to be acting Disengaged or Disgruntled, focus on the do s for Disciples to affect the greatest positive change back toward their natural Disciple Quadrant. Do s Cultivate Listen Encourage Nurture Collaboration Provide Safety Give Ownership Disciples Don ts Placate Ignore Belittle Abandon Discourage Create Uncertainty Micro-Manage If you find that you have co-workers, leaders or direct reports who are Doers, but seem to be acting Disengaged or Disgruntled, focus on do s for Doers to affect the greatest positive change back toward their natural Doer Quadrant. Do s Mentor Listen Challenge Recognize Cheer On Provide Opportunities Give Responsibility Doers Don ts Coach Tell Overload Overlook Oppose Expect Compliance Dictate 7

9 Self-Motivated Interventions Interventions Counseling Build intellectual capital Establish personal/business goals Time management Team with stronger member/co-worker Determine success personally How they are typically applied The employee seeks after this venue to deal with stress Be a life long learner Establishing SMART goals to have a clear career path Establish parameters and measures to manage time better Find a stronger co-worker to improve you own skills Decide what success looks like and head that direction Direct Report Interventions Interventions Performance improvement plan Team meetings Assign/Reassign Establish team goals Counseling Mentoring Determine team success Human Resource assistance Employment Assistance Program Reorganize position Remove obstacles Coaching Recognize Performance feedback Succession planning Provide intellectual capital opportunities How they are typically applied Establish a plan to close employee performance gaps Hold regular meetings to keep communication open Determine which skills best suit the tasks to be performed Establish SMART goals as a team, getting input as all levels Help employees find appropriate venues to deal with stress Helping employees succeed beyond your tenure as manager Align established goals and business expectations together Seek Human Resources to assist in business related issues When the need arises, help employees seek assistance Determine which tasks and activities can be redistributed Ensure that you are NOT an obstacle to employee success Be a coach and cheerleader, not a dictator and disciplinarian Recognize the employees who go above and beyond Continually give feedback praising/correcting performance Preparing qualified and motivated employees for promotions Give employees every opportunity to learn and grow 8

10 Goals Page Set personal and professional goals to better align with your Natural and Adaptive Zones. First, list your Natural Zone(s). Then, identify whether you are or are not working at least 75% in your Natural and Adaptive Zones. Explain why. What typically pulls you from your Natural and Adaptive Zones, causing stress? Natural Zone(s): Are you working at least 75% of your time in your Natural and Adaptive Zones? Yes No Why/Why not? Activities/Habits I need to give up to move closer to my Natural and Adaptive Zones): Goal: I will get closer to my Natural and Adaptive Zones at work by: 9