Why Skilled Workers Struggle as Managers & How to Change That

Think of David. For years, he was your best welder; precise, efficient, always hitting his targets. So, you promoted him to First-Line Manager. It seemed the logical step. Six months later, David is stressed. His team’s output is inconsistent. You wonder what changed? Does this situation sound familiar in your facility?

It’s a common story in manufacturing and warehousing. We spot top technical workers, those skilled in their craft, and promote them to lead. It’s a way to reward skill and dedication. Yet, too often, neither the new manager nor the business sees the positive results they hoped for.

Question: Why does this happen so frequently?

The truth is, the exceptional skills of a great technician often differ vastly from those needed to effectively lead and inspire a team. This transition is a significant hurdle. But what if there was a clear strategy to bridge this gap and turn those skilled workers into truly effective managers who drive performance?

The Promotion Paradox: Rewarding Skill, Creating Struggle

Why does this rewarding promotion often create a difficult situation? It often starts with the best intentions. In manufacturing and warehouses, we value technically excellent people. They know the machinery, understand the processes, and consistently deliver high-quality work.

Promoting star technicians to management seems smart. It recognizes their skill and ensures high standards continue.

But top individual work skills rarely match those needed to lead and grow a team. The focus shifts from doing work to getting work done through others. This is a big change many are unprepared for.

Remember: If your newly promoted managers are finding this transition difficult, it’s seldom a reflection of their previous skill or work ethic. More often, they haven’t been equipped with the specific tools and mindset required for this distinctly different leadership role.

This leaves you asking: how can we better prepare our technical experts to become effective leaders and build the key skills they now need?

From Doing the Work to Leading the People

As a leader, you know that a skilled technician’s success is built on their deep technical expertise, their ability to solve practical, hands-on problems, and their direct personal output. They understand their specific tasks and equipment intimately. When you promote them to manager, however, the entire definition of success changes.

Their value is now less about their individual technical input and more about their ability to enable their team to perform. This transition demands a new set of competencies that often require focused development:

• Communicating with Impact: Beyond understanding a task, managers must clearly articulate the ‘what’ and the ‘why’ to their team. This ensures everyone understands the goals and their specific contribution to achieving them.
• Setting Clear Expectations: Effective managers learn to define what good performance looks like and apply these standards consistently. They need to be skilled in framing these expectations so that every team member understands their role and responsibilities.
• Developing Your Team: The focus shifts to motivating individuals and identifying their unique strengths and areas for growth. Helping a team reach its full potential is a core leadership skill that directly impacts your business’s capabilities.
• Giving Feedback That Helps: Good managers create a culture where two-way feedback is normal and constructive, which is essential for improving both individual and team performance. This involves learning practical techniques for delivering messages that inspire positive change.
• Handling Difficult Situations: Challenging conversations are an unavoidable part of management. Equipping managers with the emotional intelligence to navigate these situations effectively builds trust and resolves issues efficiently, maintaining team cohesion.

Remember: New managers often find these people skills most demanding. Managing tasks is one thing; leading people with new techniques is very different.

Why It Matters: The Real Costs to the Business

When a technician becomes a manager, the challenge isn’t just personal. It directly and greatly impacts the business. Senior leaders must understand these impacts. If new managers can’t lead people well, costs can be high and these costs are often hidden by daily work pressures.

Consider the ripple effects within your manufacturing plant or warehouse:

• Reduced Team Productivity: Poor delegation or unclear communication slows teams. Unclear instructions or managers doing too much reduces efficiency.
• Lowered Morale and Engagement: Unsupported teams with unclear goals lose motivation. This creates a less engaged workforce just doing the minimum.
• Increased Errors and Safety Concerns: Where precision and safety are vital, poor leadership causes communication or team gaps. This leads to mistakes or safety issues.
• Higher Staff Turnover: Good people often leave managers, not companies. Unskilled managers can’t handle team issues or build a good workplace. Experienced staff may leave.
• Missed Strategic Goals: Poorly led teams often fail to meet company goals.

Leadership development for new managers is not just an expense. It’s a key step to prevent these large, hidden costs. It builds a stronger, high-performing company.

Bridging the Gap: Equipping Managers for Success

The good news: these problems can be solved. Changing from skilled technician to good people leader doesn’t mean constant struggle or hidden costs. With support and focused training, new managers can gain the skills to succeed.

Remember:It’s not about “fixing” individuals who were brilliant at their previous roles.

Instead, we give them new skills for leading people in manufacturing and warehousing. This involves:

• Building Managerial Confidence: Help new leaders understand their role. Build their confidence to guide a team well.
• Sharpening Communication Skills: Learn to share information clearly. Listen well. Ensure everyone understands your messages..
• Mastering Expectation Setting: Give practical ways to define and share performance standards.
• Fostering a Feedback Culture: Learn to give and get helpful feedback. This supports individual and team growth.
• Leading with Emotional Intelligence: Help managers handle hard talks and team issues with more awareness and empathy.
• Driving Team Engagement: Understand how to motivate and inspire a team. Help them perform their best always.
• Aligning with Organisational Goals: Help managers see how their team’s work helps the company’s goals and values.

These are practical leadership tools, not abstract ideas. When new managers learn and use these skills, the change can be great. But how can companies offer this key path for growth?

Transforming Technicians into Confident Leaders

The path from skilled worker to confident, effective manager is big. This change needs more than technical know-how. It demands new people skills. Promoting top technical staff is a good start. But it’s not enough without investing in their leadership growth.

For new manufacturing and warehouse managers, the challenge is real. So is the chance to grow and succeed. For the company, helping these managers grow means stronger teams and a better culture. This brings better business results.

With the right skills and mindset, your first-line managers don’t just manage. They lead.

Ready to help your managers achieve lasting success?

Learn how our Management Series helps your first-line managers succeed. Download our program overview.

Want custom leadership training for your company? Speak to a member of the Primeast team today.

Inconsistent Managers: The Real Cost to Performance

One plant team hits all targets. Morale is high. The work area is spotless. The next shift, same gear and goals, struggles. Frustrations show. Standards vary.

What makes the difference?

Often, the frontline manager’s consistent (or inconsistent) approach is the difference. Have you observed these variations across your sites?

This isn’t just about different personalities. In a busy plant or warehouse, inconsistent frontline leadership is more than a small bother. It can be an unseen drain on performance. This uncertainty affects everyone.

Daily differences ripple through your company culture, safety, productivity, and team engagement. How deep do these ripples go? What is the real cost?

This article explores how varied leadership behaviors at the supervisory level can undermine your organisation. It also shows why building steady, good management skills in frontline leaders is a vital strategy.

What Does Inconsistent Frontline Leadership Look Like?

Remember: Leadership inconsistency isn’t abstract. It shows up daily on the shop floor or in the warehouse. When frontline managers approach their roles differently, team members are often left navigating a confusing landscape of shifting expectations and practices.

Consider these common examples:

• Varying Communication: One manager might give detailed daily briefings on targets and process changes, while another offers minimal information, leaving their team to guess. This affects how well tasks are understood and done.
• Uneven Rule Application: In critical areas like safety protocols or quality checks, if one manager is diligent and another overlooks minor breaches, it sends mixed messages. It can make essential rules seem optional.
• Differing Problem-Solving: When a machine breaks down or a shipment is delayed, does every manager follow a standard procedure? This leads to varied downtimes or solutions.
  Inconsistent Feedback: Some managers provide regular, constructive feedback, helping individuals to grow. Others may avoid difficult conversations, or only point out negatives, leaving team members unsure of where they stand or how to improve.
• Varied Team Engagement: How team meetings are run, how achievements are recognized (or ignored), and how concerns are addressed can differ greatly between managers, directly impacting team morale and motivation.

The result of these daily variations is often employee confusion and frustration. This breeds unfairness. Team members struggle to know what’s expected.

Question: What happens when this unpredictable environment becomes the daily reality?

The Ripple Effect on Your Organization

When frontline leadership is a lottery of different styles and standards, the effects aren’t contained within individual teams. These differences often spread. They impact wider company culture, productivity, engagement and, crucially in your plant, your safety record.

Undermining Your Culture

A strong, positive culture is built on shared understanding, trust, and predictability. Inconsistent management directly erodes these foundations.

If one team feels that another operates under a different set of rules or expectations, it can breed resentment and an “us versus them” mentality. This makes it very hard to build unity or commitment to company values. People need to know what to expect from leaders. Without that, a strong culture is impossible.

Compromising Safety, A Critical Business Risk

Where machines, processes, and people must work together, safety is a lifeline, not just policy. If managers apply safety rules differently, one careful about PPE, another relaxed for instance, it sends a dangerous message. This may signal safety standards are negotiable or less important than production.

This leadership variance greatly raises risks of near-misses, incidents, and injuries. This impacts your people and creates serious business risk. Clear, consistent safety leadership is non-negotiable.

Dragging Down Productivity

Picture a production line. One manager carefully follows every step. Another allows shortcuts for quick numbers. The result? Inconsistent product quality, increased rework, and time wasted correcting errors.

If expectations for output, quality, or problem-solving are unclear or change by the supervisor, teams lose rhythm. This causes bottlenecks, missed targets, and constant fire-fighting, not smooth, planned work.

Lowering Engagement Levels

People want to do good work. They do well with clear, supportive leaders. If managers are inconsistent with communication, recognition, or concerns, employees quickly disengage. Why offer a suggestion for improvement if it’s handled differently each time, or worse, ignored? Why go the extra mile if appreciation is erratic or seems unfair?

Disengaged staff show less initiative and solve fewer problems. Experienced people may seek valued, consistently managed roles elsewhere.

The Root: Why Underdeveloped Managers Lead Inconsistently

Remember: Different management styles usually don’t come from lack of effort or care.

So, what lies at the heart of such inconsistency from your frontline managers? Often, they are promoted for one skill set, then need different skills to succeed.

Beyond this initial skills gap, several factors contribute to inconsistent leadership:

• Lack of a Shared Leadership Framework: When new managers aren’t provided with specific training in leadership principles and effective behaviors, they naturally fall back on what they know. This could be their own personality, observations of previous managers (both good and bad), or simply a process of trial and error. Without a common understanding of “what good management looks like” in your organisation, variation is almost guaranteed.
• Gaps in Confidence and Clarity: Stepping into a leadership role, especially for the first time, can be daunting. Underdeveloped managers may lack the confidence to consistently address performance issues, manage conflict, or make tough decisions. They might also lack clarity on how to apply best-practice leadership techniques in real-world situations on a busy shop floor or in a dynamic warehouse.
• Varying Interpretations of “Good”: Without a clear, unified approach to leadership, each manager may develop their own interpretation of what it means to be a “good boss.”

While individual strengths are valuable, this can lead to teams experiencing vastly different management styles, making it hard to build a predictable and fair environment.

For middle managers, these are the patterns you might recognize among your own team leaders. It’s rarely about poor effort. More often, they lack a consistent toolkit or shared view on leading well.

Question: How can you help them, and the business, build more helpful consistency?

Development as a Strategic Enabler of Consistency

So, how can a company change varied management styles to reliable, good leadership? Addressing inconsistent frontline leadership is a strategic move. It’s about reducing business risk and getting steady results, not just fixing “people issues”.

Remember: This isn’t about forcing every manager into an identical mould, which would stifle individual strengths. Instead, it provides a shared view of good leadership actions and the core ideas for team success.

Structured development programmes for frontline managers play a vital role here. They achieve several key things:

• Establish a Common Language: When managers learn and use a consistent set of leadership terms, concepts, and approaches, it naturally leads to more aligned behaviors. Everyone begins to understand what “good” looks like in practice.
• Equip with Proven Tools: Effective programmes provide practical, actionable tools for crucial management tasks – from running productive team briefings and giving constructive feedback, to delegating work and motivating individuals. This replaces guesswork with proven methods.
• Build Confidence in Application: Learning new skills is one thing; feeling confident enough to apply them consistently under pressure on a busy factory floor or in a dynamic warehouse is another. Good development includes practice and support, building that essential self-assurance.
• Align Behaviors with Organizational Values: Leadership development can be tailored to reinforce your specific company values and strategic objectives, ensuring that frontline leadership actively supports the wider business aims.

This shared approach has great benefits. When all frontline managers use a shared base of good leadership, standards improve.This builds a predictable, fair, high-performing workplace for all teams. It often cuts the need for close oversight.

What could aligned, effective frontline leadership achieve in your company.

From Costly Variation to Strategic Advantage

Inconsistent frontline leadership in your plant is more than isolated events. This pattern slowly harms performance, creates needless risks, and stops your company from doing its best. The true cost of this inconsistency lies in untapped potential, preventable problems, and a culture that struggles to find its footing.

But a clear path can turn this problem into a strategic gain. Investing in the development of your frontline managers does more than just teach new skills. It builds a shared view of good leadership. It creates a steady way to motivate teams, talk clearly, and keep standards. This builds a base for a stronger, high-performing company.

Don’t let variable leadership undermine your success. Give your frontline managers the tools and confidence to lead well.

Ready for steady, high-performance leadership? Download our Management Series info to see how we prepare frontline managers to succeed.

Or, to talk about aligning leader actions for company-wide consistency, speak to Primeast today.

Why Skilled Workers Struggle as Managers & How to Change That

Think of David. For years, he was your best welder; precise, efficient, always hitting his targets. So, you promoted him to First-Line Manager. It seemed the logical step. Six months later, David is stressed. His team’s output is inconsistent. You wonder what changed? Does this situation sound familiar in your facility?

It’s a common story in manufacturing and warehousing. We spot top technical workers, those skilled in their craft, and promote them to lead. It’s a way to reward skill and dedication. Yet, too often, neither the new manager nor the business sees the positive results they hoped for.

Question: Why does this happen so frequently?

The truth is, the exceptional skills of a great technician often differ vastly from those needed to effectively lead and inspire a team. This transition is a significant hurdle. But what if there was a clear strategy to bridge this gap and turn those skilled workers into truly effective managers who drive performance?

The Promotion Paradox: Rewarding Skill, Creating Struggle

Why does this rewarding promotion often create a difficult situation? It often starts with the best intentions. In manufacturing and warehouses, we value technically excellent people. They know the machinery, understand the processes, and consistently deliver high-quality work.

Promoting star technicians to management seems smart. It recognises their skill and ensures high standards continue.

But top individual work skills rarely match those needed to lead and grow a team. The focus shifts from doing work to getting work done through others. This is a big change many are unprepared for.

Remember: If your newly promoted managers are finding this transition difficult, it’s seldom a reflection of their previous skill or work ethic. More often, they haven’t been equipped with the specific tools and mindset required for this distinctly different leadership role.

This leaves you asking: how can we better prepare our technical experts to become effective leaders and build the key skills they now need?

From Doing the Work to Leading the People

As a leader, you know that a skilled technician’s success is built on their deep technical expertise, their ability to solve practical, hands-on problems, and their direct personal output. They understand their specific tasks and equipment intimately. When you promote them to manager, however, the entire definition of success changes.

Their value is now less about their individual technical input and more about their ability to enable their team to perform. This transition demands a new set of competencies that often require focused development:

• Communicating with Impact: Beyond understanding a task, managers must clearly articulate the ‘what’ and the ‘why’ to their team. This ensures everyone understands the goals and their specific contribution to achieving them.
• Setting Clear Expectations: Effective managers learn to define what good performance looks like and apply these standards consistently. They need to be skilled in framing these expectations so that every team member understands their role and responsibilities.
• Developing Your Team: The focus shifts to motivating individuals and identifying their unique strengths and areas for growth. Helping a team reach its full potential is a core leadership skill that directly impacts your business’s capabilities.
• Giving Feedback That Helps: Good managers create a culture where two-way feedback is normal and constructive, which is essential for improving both individual and team performance. This involves learning practical techniques for delivering messages that inspire positive change.
• Handling Difficult Situations: Challenging conversations are an unavoidable part of management. Equipping managers with the emotional intelligence to navigate these situations effectively builds trust and resolves issues efficiently, maintaining team cohesion.

Remember: New managers often find these people skills most demanding. Managing tasks is one thing; leading people with new techniques is very different.

Why It Matters: The Real Costs to the Business

When a technician becomes a manager, the challenge isn’t just personal. It directly and greatly impacts the business. Senior leaders must understand these impacts. If new managers can’t lead people well, costs can be high and these costs are often hidden by daily work pressures.

Consider the ripple effects within your manufacturing plant or warehouse:

• Reduced Team Productivity: Poor delegation or unclear communication slows teams. Unclear instructions or managers doing too much reduces efficiency.
• Lowered Morale and Engagement: Unsupported teams with unclear goals lose motivation. This creates a less engaged workforce just doing the minimum.
• Increased Errors and Safety Concerns: Where precision and safety are vital, poor leadership causes communication or team gaps. This leads to mistakes or safety issues.
• Higher Staff Turnover: Good people often leave managers, not companies. Unskilled managers can’t handle team issues or build a good workplace. Experienced staff may leave.
• Missed Strategic Goals: Poorly led teams often fail to meet company goals.

Leadership development for new managers is not just an expense. It’s a key step to prevent these large, hidden costs. It builds a stronger, high-performing company.

Bridging the Gap: Equipping Managers for Success

The good news: these problems can be solved. Changing from skilled technician to good people leader doesn’t mean constant struggle or hidden costs. With support and focused training, new managers can gain the skills to succeed.

Remember:It’s not about “fixing” individuals who were brilliant at their previous roles.

Instead, we give them new skills for leading people in manufacturing and warehousing. This involves:

• Building Managerial Confidence: Help new leaders understand their role. Build their confidence to guide a team well.
• Sharpening Communication Skills: Learn to share information clearly. Listen well. Ensure everyone understands your messages..
• Mastering Expectation Setting: Give practical ways to define and share performance standards.
• Fostering a Feedback Culture: Learn to give and get helpful feedback. This supports individual and team growth.
• Leading with Emotional Intelligence: Help managers handle hard talks and team issues with more awareness and empathy.
• Driving Team Engagement: Understand how to motivate and inspire a team. Help them perform their best always.
• Aligning with Organisational Goals: Help managers see how their team’s work helps the company’s goals and values.

These are practical leadership tools, not abstract ideas. When new managers learn and use these skills, the change can be great. But how can companies offer this key path for growth?

Transforming Technicians into Confident Leaders

The path from skilled worker to confident, effective manager is big. This change needs more than technical know-how. It demands new people skills. Promoting top technical staff is a good start. But it’s not enough without investing in their leadership growth.

For new manufacturing and warehouse managers, the challenge is real. So is the chance to grow and succeed. For the company, helping these managers grow means stronger teams and a better culture. This brings better business results.

With the right skills and mindset, your first-line managers don’t just manage. They lead.

Ready to help your managers achieve lasting success?

Learn how our Management Series helps your first-line managers succeed. Download our program overview.

Want custom leadership training for your company? Speak to a member of the Primeast team today.

Inconsistent Managers: The Real Cost to Performance

One plant team hits all targets. Morale is high. The work area is spotless. The next shift, same gear and goals, struggles. Frustrations show. Standards vary.

What makes the difference?

Often, the frontline manager’s consistent (or inconsistent) approach is the difference. Have you observed these variations across your sites?

This isn’t just about different personalities. In a busy plant or warehouse, inconsistent frontline leadership is more than a small bother. It can be an unseen drain on performance. This uncertainty affects everyone.

Daily differences ripple through your company culture, safety, productivity, and team engagement. How deep do these ripples go? What is the real cost?

This article explores how varied leadership behaviours at the supervisory level can undermine your organisation. It also shows why building steady, good management skills in frontline leaders is a vital strategy.

What Does Inconsistent Frontline Leadership Look Like?

Remember: Leadership inconsistency isn’t abstract. It shows up daily on the shop floor or in the warehouse. When frontline managers approach their roles differently, team members are often left navigating a confusing landscape of shifting expectations and practices.

Consider these common examples:

• Varying Communication: One manager might give detailed daily briefings on targets and process changes, while another offers minimal information, leaving their team to guess. This affects how well tasks are understood and done.
• Uneven Rule Application: In critical areas like safety protocols or quality checks, if one manager is diligent and another overlooks minor breaches, it sends mixed messages. It can make essential rules seem optional.
• Differing Problem-Solving: When a machine breaks down or a shipment is delayed, does every manager follow a standard procedure? This leads to varied downtimes or solutions.
  Inconsistent Feedback: Some managers provide regular, constructive feedback, helping individuals to grow. Others may avoid difficult conversations, or only point out negatives, leaving team members unsure of where they stand or how to improve.
• Varied Team Engagement: How team meetings are run, how achievements are recognised (or ignored), and how concerns are addressed can differ greatly between managers, directly impacting team morale and motivation.

The result of these daily variations is often employee confusion and frustration. This breeds unfairness. Team members struggle to know what’s expected.

Question: What happens when this unpredictable environment becomes the daily reality?

The Ripple Effect on Your Organisation

When frontline leadership is a lottery of different styles and standards, the effects aren’t contained within individual teams. These differences often spread. They impact wider company culture, productivity, engagement and, crucially in your plant, your safety record.

Undermining Your Culture

A strong, positive culture is built on shared understanding, trust, and predictability. Inconsistent management directly erodes these foundations.

If one team feels that another operates under a different set of rules or expectations, it can breed resentment and an “us versus them” mentality. This makes it very hard to build unity or commitment to company values. People need to know what to expect from leaders. Without that, a strong culture is impossible.

Compromising Safety, A Critical Business Risk

Where machines, processes, and people must work together, safety is a lifeline, not just policy. If managers apply safety rules differently, one careful about PPE, another relaxed for instance, it sends a dangerous message. This may signal safety standards are negotiable or less important than production.

This leadership variance greatly raises risks of near-misses, incidents, and injuries. This impacts your people and creates serious business risk. Clear, consistent safety leadership is non-negotiable.

Dragging Down Productivity

Picture a production line. One manager carefully follows every step. Another allows shortcuts for quick numbers. The result? Inconsistent product quality, increased rework, and time wasted correcting errors.

If expectations for output, quality, or problem-solving are unclear or change by the supervisor, teams lose rhythm. This causes bottlenecks, missed targets, and constant fire-fighting, not smooth, planned work.

Lowering Engagement Levels

People want to do good work. They do well with clear, supportive leaders. If managers are inconsistent with communication, recognition, or concerns, employees quickly disengage. Why offer a suggestion for improvement if it’s handled differently each time, or worse, ignored? Why go the extra mile if appreciation is erratic or seems unfair?

Disengaged staff show less initiative and solve fewer problems. Experienced people may seek valued, consistently managed roles elsewhere.

The Root: Why Underdeveloped Managers Lead Inconsistently

Remember: Different management styles usually don’t come from lack of effort or care.

So, what lies at the heart of such inconsistency from your frontline managers? Often, they are promoted for one skill set, then need different skills to succeed.

Beyond this initial skills gap, several factors contribute to inconsistent leadership:

• Lack of a Shared Leadership Framework: When new managers aren’t provided with specific training in leadership principles and effective behaviours, they naturally fall back on what they know. This could be their own personality, observations of previous managers (both good and bad), or simply a process of trial and error. Without a common understanding of “what good management looks like” in your organisation, variation is almost guaranteed.
• Gaps in Confidence and Clarity: Stepping into a leadership role, especially for the first time, can be daunting. Underdeveloped managers may lack the confidence to consistently address performance issues, manage conflict, or make tough decisions. They might also lack clarity on how to apply best-practice leadership techniques in real-world situations on a busy shop floor or in a dynamic warehouse.
• Varying Interpretations of “Good”: Without a clear, unified approach to leadership, each manager may develop their own interpretation of what it means to be a “good boss.”

While individual strengths are valuable, this can lead to teams experiencing vastly different management styles, making it hard to build a predictable and fair environment.

For middle managers, these are the patterns you might recognise among your own team leaders. It’s rarely about poor effort. More often, they lack a consistent toolkit or shared view on leading well.

Question: How can you help them, and the business, build more helpful consistency?

Development as a Strategic Enabler of Consistency

So, how can a company change varied management styles to reliable, good leadership? Addressing inconsistent frontline leadership is a strategic move. It’s about reducing business risk and getting steady results, not just fixing “people issues”.

Remember: This isn’t about forcing every manager into an identical mould, which would stifle individual strengths. Instead, it provides a shared view of good leadership actions and the core ideas for team success.

Structured development programmes for frontline managers play a vital role here. They achieve several key things:

• Establish a Common Language: When managers learn and use a consistent set of leadership terms, concepts, and approaches, it naturally leads to more aligned behaviours. Everyone begins to understand what “good” looks like in practice.
• Equip with Proven Tools: Effective programmes provide practical, actionable tools for crucial management tasks – from running productive team briefings and giving constructive feedback, to delegating work and motivating individuals. This replaces guesswork with proven methods.
• Build Confidence in Application: Learning new skills is one thing; feeling confident enough to apply them consistently under pressure on a busy factory floor or in a dynamic warehouse is another. Good development includes practice and support, building that essential self-assurance.
• Align Behaviours with Organisational Values: Leadership development can be tailored to reinforce your specific company values and strategic objectives, ensuring that frontline leadership actively supports the wider business aims.

This shared approach has great benefits. When all frontline managers use a shared base of good leadership, standards improve.This builds a predictable, fair, high-performing workplace for all teams. It often cuts the need for close oversight.

What could aligned, effective frontline leadership achieve in your company.

From Costly Variation to Strategic Advantage

Inconsistent frontline leadership in your plant is more than isolated events. This pattern slowly harms performance, creates needless risks, and stops your company from doing its best. The true cost of this inconsistency lies in untapped potential, preventable problems, and a culture that struggles to find its footing.

But a clear path can turn this problem into a strategic gain. Investing in the development of your frontline managers does more than just teach new skills. It builds a shared view of good leadership. It creates a steady way to motivate teams, talk clearly, and keep standards. This builds a base for a stronger, high-performing company.

Don’t let variable leadership undermine your success. Give your frontline managers the tools and confidence to lead well.

Ready for steady, high-performance leadership? Download our Management Series info to see how we prepare frontline managers to succeed.

Or, to talk about aligning leader actions for company-wide consistency, speak to Primeast today.

What is a 360 Degree Leadership Assessment?

Today’s leaders face a dizzying pace of change, rising expectations, and the constant pressure to deliver, while staying human.

They’re expected to be strategic, emotionally intelligent, commercially aware, and people-focused. All at once.

No pressure, right?

Across industries, we see organizations grappling with the same challenge: how to grow leaders who don’t just cope with pressure, but truly thrive. The ones who can lead with clarity, build trust across the business, and empower their teams to perform.

At Primeast, we believe better awareness builds better leaders. That’s why our leadership development programmes start with a 360-degree assessment, because real growth starts with real insight.

The answer isn’t always more training. It’s better insight.

Because before you can grow, you’ve got to:

• Understand how others experience your leadership.
• Identify which strengths you overuse.
• Recognize where blind spots may be holding you back.

That’s where a 360 degree leadership assessment makes a real difference.

It’s more than a feedback tool, it’s a mirror. With the right mindset and support, it can unlock meaningful growth.

But it all starts with a simple idea: better awareness leads to better leadership.

Why Traditional Feedback Leaves Leaders in the Dark

Most leaders are used to getting feedback from their manager. Maybe once a year in a review. Maybe in passing, after a big project or presentation. And while it’s better than nothing, it’s rarely enough.

Here’s the problem. That kind of top-down feedback only offers a narrow view. It misses how you show up for the people you lead. It doesn’t catch the quiet signals your peers notice. It won’t tell you how your behavior is landing day-to-day.

And often, people won’t say what needs to be said. Not because they don’t care, quite the opposite. But because it feels risky, or awkward, or they assume it won’t make a difference.

That’s where leaders can end up in the dark. They’re doing their best, working hard, delivering results, but they don’t always know what’s working and what’s not. What’s building trust, and what’s quietly eroding it.

This is where traditional feedback falls short. It keeps things surface-level. And when the goal is to help leaders grow into their full potential, surface-level doesn’t cut it.

Real development needs a fuller picture. One that comes from different directions. One that builds trust, sparks reflection, and starts a deeper kind of conversation.

That’s what a 360 assessment provides.

How a 360 Degree Assessment Works

A 360 degree assessment brings together feedback from all around you, not just your manager. It includes input from peers, direct reports, sometimes clients or partners. And yes, it includes your own self-assessment too.

The process is structured, confidential and designed to build trust. Participants are invited to give honest reflections on specific behaviors; how you lead, communicate, support, delegate, listen. It’s not about vague opinions. It’s about observable impact.

Most assessments are done online, using a clear framework that’s easy to follow. But what makes the difference isn’t the platform, it’s what happens with the data.

Once the feedback is gathered, the results are pulled into a report. It shows where there’s alignment, where there are gaps, and where perceptions might be clashing. Maybe your team sees you as a strong decision-maker, while peers view you as quick to shut down debate. A 360 highlights that disconnect, and gives you a starting point.

But the real insight comes through conversation. That’s why we always combine the report with expert debriefing and coaching. Because feedback alone doesn’t drive change. Understanding and support do.

And here’s where the power of a well-run 360 becomes clear. It’s not about ticking a box. It’s about seeing yourself more clearly through the eyes of the people you work with every day.

What It’s Like to Go Through One

For many leaders, the idea of doing a 360 assessment brings a mix of curiosity and nerves. That’s completely normal. After all, it’s not every day you get to hear what people really think of your leadership.

Let’s run through an example. Laura manages a regional sales team for a retail brand. She’s well-liked, driven, always hitting targets. But she’s been told she needs to “develop her leadership presence.” Vague, right?

When Laura went through a 360, she got feedback from her line manager, a few peers, and her direct reports. The questions focused on behaviors, not personality, which helped keep things grounded and constructive.

What came back surprised her. Her manager saw her as confident and capable. But her team felt she was often distant. Unavailable. Always busy. They didn’t doubt her intentions, they just didn’t feel she was fully there when they needed her.

That insight hit hard, but it was exactly the nudge she needed to move from ‘doing’ to truly leading.

Laura took those themes into her coaching sessions. She realized that her ‘busyness’ was making her seem unapproachable. She started blocking out short check-in windows each week, being more present in conversations, asking more questions and listening more openly.

A few months later, her team felt the shift. They started showing up with more ideas. More ownership. The change wasn’t massive, but it was real. And it started with seeing what she couldn’t see on her own.

That’s what it’s like to go through a 360. It can be challenging, yes. But with the right support, it’s also one of the most valuable things a leader can do for their own growth, and for the people around them.

What the Results Can Reveal

The most valuable feedback is often the kind you didn’t expect.

360 assessments bring that to the surface. They reveal where your leadership lands well and where it doesn’t. They shine a light on patterns that may have gone unnoticed for years. Sometimes that means spotting a strength you’ve undervalued. Other times it means seeing how a well-meaning behavior is missing the mark.

It’s not unusual for leaders to discover they’re being too hands-on when their team needs space. Or that their communication style is clear to their manager but confusing to peers. Or that what they thought was decisiveness is being read as impatience.

These aren’t character flaws. They’re often just habits formed under pressure, or assumptions made without real-time feedback. And because the 360 includes perspectives from different groups, not just the people who usually speak up, you get a more balanced view.

The aim isn’t to score you. It’s to show you how your leadership is experienced.

And when you see that with clarity, with support, not judgement, you get the insight needed to grow. Not through guesswork. Through evidence. Through conversations that stick.

Common Worries And How to Overcome them

Let’s be honest, when people hear “360 feedback,” their first thought isn’t usually excitement. It’s a worry.

Will I be judged? Will this affect how I’m seen? What if it’s negative?

Those reactions are completely human. But most of the time, they don’t match the reality. The truth is, when a 360 assessment is introduced well and handled with care, it doesn’t feel like a test. It feels like an opportunity.

It’s not about catching you out. It’s about helping you see the version of you that others work with every day. Not to knock your confidence, but to build your awareness. Not to label, but to guide.

And the best part? Most people are far kinder and more constructive than we expect. They want you to succeed. They want to be heard. They want things to improve, for you and for them.

What’s important is how the process is set up. Confidentiality matters. Clear purpose matters. And having the right support in place, someone to walk through the insights with you, not just hand over a report, makes all the difference.

That’s why at Primeast, we never drop feedback on someone’s desk and walk away. We build trust into the process from the start. Because when people feel safe, they lean in. They reflect. And that’s when real change starts to happen.

The fear? It fades quickly. What stays is the insight, and the shift in how people lead as a result.

Why We Use the Leadership Circle Profile

At Primeast, we primarily use the Leadership Circle Profile for 360 feedback in our leadership programmes.

Why? Because it’s more than a feedback tool, it’s a framework built for transformational growth. It offers:

• Benchmarking against the most effective leaders in the world, so leaders can see where they stand in a global context
• A research-backed developmental model that helps leaders evolve beyond old habits and adopt behaviors that truly serve their goals
• Both objective and subjective data, capturing how leadership is experienced across different relationships
• A robust debriefing process that identifies the One Big Thing to focus on in the next 6–12 months, plus insights to support development for up to two additional years

We also offer other 360 frameworks, depending on the needs of your leaders and your organization. You can explore these on our Assessments page.

Is a 360 Assessment Right for Your Organization?

Not every business is ready for this kind of process, and that’s okay.

Getting value from a 360 degree assessment depends on a few key factors. Are your leaders open to feedback? Is there a culture of psychological safety, or a willingness to build one? Are you ready to support the conversation, not just deliver the data?

This isn’t about ticking boxes or chasing trends. It’s about meaningful development. And that takes maturity, commitment, and trust.

If those things are in place, or if you’re ready to start building them, then you’re in a strong position to get real value from a 360 process. Not just once, but as part of an ongoing development strategy that truly supports your people.

At Primeast, we’ve been guiding organizations through this work for over three decades. We know the difference between a tool that delivers insight, and a process that actually transforms behavior. That’s why we don’t just offer assessments, we build the support around them to ensure they land, stick and lead somewhere useful.

Whether you’re leading a single team or shaping a whole culture, we’ll help you choose the right framework, prepare your people, and turn feedback into fuel for growth.

Let’s start with a conversation.

What is a 360 Degree Leadership Assessment?

Today’s leaders face a dizzying pace of change, rising expectations, and the constant pressure to deliver, while staying human.

They’re expected to be strategic, emotionally intelligent, commercially aware, and people-focused. All at once.

No pressure, right?

Across industries, we see organisations grappling with the same challenge: how to grow leaders who don’t just cope with pressure, but truly thrive. The ones who can lead with clarity, build trust across the business, and empower their teams to perform.

At Primeast, we believe better awareness builds better leaders. That’s why our leadership development programmes start with a 360-degree assessment, because real growth starts with real insight.

The answer isn’t always more training. It’s better insight.

Because before you can grow, you’ve got to:

• Understand how others experience your leadership.
• Identify which strengths you overuse.
• Recognise where blind spots may be holding you back.

That’s where a 360 degree leadership assessment makes a real difference.

It’s more than a feedback tool, it’s a mirror. With the right mindset and support, it can unlock meaningful growth.

But it all starts with a simple idea: better awareness leads to better leadership.

Why Traditional Feedback Leaves Leaders in the Dark

Most leaders are used to getting feedback from their manager. Maybe once a year in a review. Maybe in passing, after a big project or presentation. And while it’s better than nothing, it’s rarely enough.

Here’s the problem. That kind of top-down feedback only offers a narrow view. It misses how you show up for the people you lead. It doesn’t catch the quiet signals your peers notice. It won’t tell you how your behaviour is landing day-to-day.

And often, people won’t say what needs to be said. Not because they don’t care, quite the opposite. But because it feels risky, or awkward, or they assume it won’t make a difference.

That’s where leaders can end up in the dark. They’re doing their best, working hard, delivering results, but they don’t always know what’s working and what’s not. What’s building trust, and what’s quietly eroding it.

This is where traditional feedback falls short. It keeps things surface-level. And when the goal is to help leaders grow into their full potential, surface-level doesn’t cut it.

Real development needs a fuller picture. One that comes from different directions. One that builds trust, sparks reflection, and starts a deeper kind of conversation.

That’s what a 360 assessment provides.

How a 360 Degree Assessment Works

A 360 degree assessment brings together feedback from all around you, not just your manager. It includes input from peers, direct reports, sometimes clients or partners. And yes, it includes your own self-assessment too.

The process is structured, confidential and designed to build trust. Participants are invited to give honest reflections on specific behaviours; how you lead, communicate, support, delegate, listen. It’s not about vague opinions. It’s about observable impact.

Most assessments are done online, using a clear framework that’s easy to follow. But what makes the difference isn’t the platform, it’s what happens with the data.

Once the feedback is gathered, the results are pulled into a report. It shows where there’s alignment, where there are gaps, and where perceptions might be clashing. Maybe your team sees you as a strong decision-maker, while peers view you as quick to shut down debate. A 360 highlights that disconnect, and gives you a starting point.

But the real insight comes through conversation. That’s why we always combine the report with expert debriefing and coaching. Because feedback alone doesn’t drive change. Understanding and support do.

And here’s where the power of a well-run 360 becomes clear. It’s not about ticking a box. It’s about seeing yourself more clearly through the eyes of the people you work with every day.

What It’s Like to Go Through One

For many leaders, the idea of doing a 360 assessment brings a mix of curiosity and nerves. That’s completely normal. After all, it’s not every day you get to hear what people really think of your leadership.

Let’s run through an example. Laura manages a regional sales team for a retail brand. She’s well-liked, driven, always hitting targets. But she’s been told she needs to “develop her leadership presence.” Vague, right?

When Laura went through a 360, she got feedback from her line manager, a few peers, and her direct reports. The questions focused on behaviours, not personality, which helped keep things grounded and constructive.

What came back surprised her. Her manager saw her as confident and capable. But her team felt she was often distant. Unavailable. Always busy. They didn’t doubt her intentions, they just didn’t feel she was fully there when they needed her.

That insight hit hard, but it was exactly the nudge she needed to move from ‘doing’ to truly leading.

Laura took those themes into her coaching sessions. She realised that her ‘busyness’ was making her seem unapproachable. She started blocking out short check-in windows each week, being more present in conversations, asking more questions and listening more openly.

A few months later, her team felt the shift. They started showing up with more ideas. More ownership. The change wasn’t massive, but it was real. And it started with seeing what she couldn’t see on her own.

That’s what it’s like to go through a 360. It can be challenging, yes. But with the right support, it’s also one of the most valuable things a leader can do for their own growth, and for the people around them.

What the Results Can Reveal

The most valuable feedback is often the kind you didn’t expect.

360 assessments bring that to the surface. They reveal where your leadership lands well and where it doesn’t. They shine a light on patterns that may have gone unnoticed for years. Sometimes that means spotting a strength you’ve undervalued. Other times it means seeing how a well-meaning behaviour is missing the mark.

It’s not unusual for leaders to discover they’re being too hands-on when their team needs space. Or that their communication style is clear to their manager but confusing to peers. Or that what they thought was decisiveness is being read as impatience.

These aren’t character flaws. They’re often just habits formed under pressure, or assumptions made without real-time feedback. And because the 360 includes perspectives from different groups, not just the people who usually speak up, you get a more balanced view.

The aim isn’t to score you. It’s to show you how your leadership is experienced.

And when you see that with clarity, with support, not judgement, you get the insight needed to grow. Not through guesswork. Through evidence. Through conversations that stick.

Common Worries And How to Overcome them

Let’s be honest, when people hear “360 feedback,” their first thought isn’t usually excitement. It’s a worry.

Will I be judged? Will this affect how I’m seen? What if it’s negative?

Those reactions are completely human. But most of the time, they don’t match the reality. The truth is, when a 360 assessment is introduced well and handled with care, it doesn’t feel like a test. It feels like an opportunity.

It’s not about catching you out. It’s about helping you see the version of you that others work with every day. Not to knock your confidence, but to build your awareness. Not to label, but to guide.

And the best part? Most people are far kinder and more constructive than we expect. They want you to succeed. They want to be heard. They want things to improve, for you and for them.

What’s important is how the process is set up. Confidentiality matters. Clear purpose matters. And having the right support in place, someone to walk through the insights with you, not just hand over a report, makes all the difference.

That’s why at Primeast, we never drop feedback on someone’s desk and walk away. We build trust into the process from the start. Because when people feel safe, they lean in. They reflect. And that’s when real change starts to happen.

The fear? It fades quickly. What stays is the insight, and the shift in how people lead as a result.

Why We Use the Leadership Circle Profile

At Primeast, we primarily use the Leadership Circle Profile for 360 feedback in our leadership programmes.

Why? Because it’s more than a feedback tool, it’s a framework built for transformational growth. It offers:

• Benchmarking against the most effective leaders in the world, so leaders can see where they stand in a global context
• A research-backed developmental model that helps leaders evolve beyond old habits and adopt behaviours that truly serve their goals
• Both objective and subjective data, capturing how leadership is experienced across different relationships
• A robust debriefing process that identifies the One Big Thing to focus on in the next 6–12 months, plus insights to support development for up to two additional years

We also offer other 360 frameworks, depending on the needs of your leaders and your organisation. You can explore these on our Assessments page.

Is a 360 Assessment Right for Your Organisation?

Not every business is ready for this kind of process, and that’s okay.

Getting value from a 360 degree assessment depends on a few key factors. Are your leaders open to feedback? Is there a culture of psychological safety, or a willingness to build one? Are you ready to support the conversation, not just deliver the data?

This isn’t about ticking boxes or chasing trends. It’s about meaningful development. And that takes maturity, commitment, and trust.

If those things are in place, or if you’re ready to start building them, then you’re in a strong position to get real value from a 360 process. Not just once, but as part of an ongoing development strategy that truly supports your people.

At Primeast, we’ve been guiding organisations through this work for over three decades. We know the difference between a tool that delivers insight, and a process that actually transforms behaviour. That’s why we don’t just offer assessments, we build the support around them to ensure they land, stick and lead somewhere useful.

Whether you’re leading a single team or shaping a whole culture, we’ll help you choose the right framework, prepare your people, and turn feedback into fuel for growth.

Let’s start with a conversation.

Organisational Culture Change Models: A Guide

What Are Culture Change Models?

Organizational culture determines how people interact, make decisions and deliver value in a workplace.

A good culture creates engagement, innovation and alignment to strategic goals. But when culture becomes a barrier, whether through misalignment, disengagement or resistance to change, it can hold organizations back from reaching their full potential. That’s where culture change models come in.

Culture change models are structured frameworks that help organizations understand, shift and align their cultural elements to desired outcomes. They give leaders and teams the tools to diagnose the current cultural landscape, identify gaps and create action plans for transformation.

Why Are Culture Change Models Important?

Culture change is a complex process involving deeply ingrained beliefs, behaviours and systems. Without a clear framework these elements can feel intangible and overwhelming to address. Culture change models simplify this complexity by:

• Providing diagnostic tools to assess the current state of organizational culture.
• Giving strategic clarity for aligning values, practices and goals.
• Ensuring a systematic approach that engages all levels of the organization.
• Enabling leaders to track progress and measure the impact of change initiatives.

Organizations have big goals that require not just operational changes but also changes in how people think and act. For example a company may want to be innovative but has a risk averse culture.

Culture change models are the bridge, turning strategic aspirations into behaviours that deliver results.

5 Popular Culture Change Models: An Overview

Organizations looking to change their culture have many models to choose from, each with their own perspective and approach. Below is an overview of some of the most well known culture change models and what they are all about.

1. Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions

Geert Hofstede’s model looks at how national and regional cultural differences impact workplace behaviour.

It identifies 6 dimensions of culture, such as individualism vs collectivism and uncertainty avoidance, to help organizations navigate cross cultural challenges.

Application: For multinational companies looking to bridge cultural gaps and create global teams.

Advantages & Disadvantages

Provides a detailed framework for understanding cultural diversity.
Useful for addressing cross-border organizational challenges.
Promotes inclusivity in multinational operations.

Limited focus on organizational dynamics beyond national culture.
Does not address individual or subcultural differences within organizations.
May oversimplify complex cultural traits into broad categories.

2. Schein’s Model of Organizational Culture

Edgar Schein’s model looks at culture as a layered construct:

• Artifacts: Visible elements like office layout and dress codes.
• Espoused Values: Officially stated beliefs and values.
• Basic Underlying Assumptions: Unspoken, deeply ingrained perceptions.

Application: For diagnosing and understanding both visible and hidden cultural elements that drive behaviour.

Advantages & Disadvantages

Offers a comprehensive understanding of cultural layers.
Addresses deep-seated issues by focusing on underlying assumptions.
Encourages reflection on the alignment between stated and actual values.

Complex and time-intensive to analyse and implement.
Provides limited guidance on action steps after diagnosis.
Requires skilled facilitators for effective application.

3. The Competing Values Framework (CVF)

This model categorizes organizational culture into 4 quadrants:

1. Collaborate (Clan): Focused on teamwork and cohesion.
2. Create (Adhocracy): Prioritizing innovation and adaptability.
3. Control (Hierarchy): Emphasizing structure and consistency.
4. Compete (Market): Driven by results and competitiveness.

Application: To balance competing priorities and identify dominant cultural traits.

Advantages & Disadvantages

Provides a clear framework for understanding organizational priorities.
Encourages a balance between flexibility and stability.
Supports leadership in identifying cultural strengths and weaknesses.

May oversimplify organizational dynamics into rigid categories.
Requires careful interpretation to avoid promoting conflicting goals.
Less effective for addressing deeper value-based issues.

4. The Denison Model

The Denison Model links organizational culture with business performance, for:

• Mission: Clear purpose and strategy.
• Consistency: Systems and values.
• Involvement: Employee engagement and empowerment.
• Adaptability: Response to external change.

Application: A practical way to measure cultural impact on performance metrics.

Advantages & Disadvantages

Directly connects cultural attributes to measurable business outcomes.
Balances internal focus with adaptability to external changes.
Provides actionable insights for driving employee engagement.

May not capture nuances of deeper cultural dynamics or values.
Best suited for performance-focused transformations rather than purpose-driven ones.
Requires consistent data collection and analysis to be effective.

5. The Barrett Values Model

The only culture change model that puts values at the centre, the Barrett Values Model identifies current and desired values to align leadership and behaviour with long term goals.

Application: For purpose driven organizations wanting to create cultures of trust, collaboration and sustainability.

Advantages & Disadvantages

Focuses on the deeper alignment of personal and organizational values.
Encourages long-term cultural sustainability and resilience.
Provides a people-centred approach to transformation.

Heavily reliant on leadership buy-in and active participation.
Requires robust communication and engagement strategies to succeed.
May be less effective for addressing operational or performance-centric issues alone.

Which Model to Choose

All culture change models are useful but the choice depends on the organization’s goals, challenges and context. For example:

Hofstede and Schein are good for understanding cultural roots and dynamics. CVF and Denison are for balancing priorities and aligning culture with performance. The Barrett Values Model is unique in its focus on deep seated values and personal alignment. Now you can choose a model, or combination of models, to support your transformation journey.

The Barrett Values Model: A Deep Dive

As organizations try to adapt and survive in a changing world, aligning their culture to their values has become more critical.

The Barrett Values Model is one of the most popular culture change models and it’s unique in that it starts with values as the foundation of organizational transformation.

Values drive decisions, behaviors and organizational priorities. Misaligned values lead to disengagement, inefficiency and resistance to change. The Barrett Values Model identifies and maps the current cultural values and the desired future state and creates a clear path for transformation.

The Seven Levels of Consciousness

At the heart of the Barrett Values Model are the Seven Levels of Consciousness which apply to individuals, teams and organizations. Each level has its own set of priorities and behaviours:

1. Viability: Focuses on basic needs such as financial stability and health.
2. Relationships: Emphasizes interpersonal connections, trust, and communication.
3. Performance: Centers on achieving excellence, recognition, and status.
4. Evolution: Encourages adaptability, continuous learning, and innovation.
5. Alignment: Highlights finding meaning, shared vision, and values alignment.
6. Collaboration: Involves social responsibility, community contribution, and ethical practices.
7. Contribution: Represents selfless service, commitment to humanity, and environmental sustainability.

How It Works

The Cultural Values Assessment (CVA) is the foundation of the Barrett Values Model. This diagnostic tool gathers input from employees at all levels, mapping:

• Current Values – What employees see as the current culture.
• Desired Values – What they want the culture to be.
• Entropy Levels – Where the dysfunction or misalignment is, often expressed as bureaucracy, conflict or fear.

By comparing current and desired values organizations can see where to focus their cultural change efforts.

What sets the Barrett Values Model apart is its people centric approach. By aligning personal and organizational values it creates a deeper sense of belonging, motivation and engagement. Other models focus on processes or behaviours, this model recognizes the intrinsic link between human values and organizational success.

Primeast’s Use of Barrett Values

At Primeast we use the Barrett Values Model to:

1. Align Leadership: Help leaders live and breathe the desired culture.
2. Build Trust and Engagement: Align personal and organizational values to create collaboration and loyalty.
3. Drive Purposeful Transformation: Ensure the cultural change supports long term strategic goals.

By anchoring culture change in values, organizations can create a foundation for innovation, growth and resilience.

Choosing the Right Culture Change Model

Choosing the right culture change model is key to any organizational transformation. It requires careful thought about the size of the organisation, the challenges you’re facing and the end goal of the cultural change programme.

Understanding Organizational Context

For larger more complex organizations the biggest challenge is often cultural differences across regions or departments. With mergers and acquisitions there can be multiple cultures playing out against each other creating tension and conflict. Subcultures commonly occur in all organizations and the Barrett Values Assessments enable enterprise wide measurement with data cuts and targeted diagnosis which can help to prioritize key focus areas and ultimately hep in creating greater cultural synergy across organizations.

Models like Hofstede’s and Denison’s can be used in more granular situations during team development or leadership workshops informing study of intrinsic and extrinsic motivations and practices.

Identifying the Challenge

The type of challenge your organization is facing and use-case will influence the choice of model. If inefficiencies or inconsistent processes are the root cause then the Denison Model’s focus on adaptability and mission clarity will be a practical solution.

But if unspoken norms and deeply held beliefs are driving behaviour then Schein’s Model is particularly useful. By helping organizations uncover those hidden assumptions this model provides a foundation for real change.

Aligning with Organizational Objectives

Your objectives for cultural transformation will also influence the choice of model. For organizations looking to innovate and be creative the Competing Values Framework (CVF) highlights the cultural dynamics that drive adaptability and agility.

For organizations looking to build trust, engagement and alignment with core values the Barrett Values Model is the best. Its focus on creating a values driven workplace means employees feel motivated and connected to the organization’s purpose.

Evaluating Leadership Readiness

Any culture change effort hinges on the readiness and commitment of leaders. Leadership alignment is a key component of the Barrett Values Model which provides tools to help leaders live the organisation’s values and build trust during change.

A supportive and engaged leadership team can be the difference between a successful transformation and a stalled programme.

Combining Models for Better Outcomes

In some cases combining models can be a more comprehensive approach. For example Schein’s Model can diagnose the existing cultural layers and the Barrett Values Model can align those layers to the organization’s desired future state.

Blending the structural focus of the CVF with the purpose driven approach of Barrett Values can balance innovation with long term objectives.

Choosing the right culture change model is about more than solving the immediate challenge, it’s about building a sustainable culture.

By evaluating the organization’s context, priorities and readiness leaders can choose a model, or a combination of models, that will support long term success.

Action Plan: Implementing Culture Change with Models

Understanding the models is only the first step; the real work is in implementing them within your organization.

Success requires a structured approach that links leadership, engages employees and measures progress towards the desired cultural shift.

Step 1: Diagnosing the Current Culture

Before you start any change initiative you need to understand the current cultural landscape. Tools like the Barrett Cultural Values Assessment (CVA) or Schein’s artifacts analysis will show you what drives behaviour, the underlying values and the gap between leadership and teams.

This diagnostic phase provides the foundation for informed decision making and targeted interventions.

Step 2: Engaging Leadership

Alignment is key to cultural transformation. Leaders need to not only understand the desired culture but also model it through their behaviour and decisions.

The Barrett Values Model for example puts a strong emphasis on helping leaders embody shared values so they become role models for the rest of the organisation. When leadership is aligned it builds trust and credibility and opens up the organisation to cultural change.

Step 3: Developing a Clear Plan

Once the current culture is mapped and leadership is aligned the next step is to develop a plan. This means setting priorities based on the chosen culture change model. For example if using the Competing Values Framework (CVF) the organization may decide to prioritize innovation or collaboration and develop initiatives to build the behaviours that support those goals.

A plan should have measurable objectives, specific timelines and milestones to measure progress and flexibility to adapt to the unexpected.

Step 4: Engaging Employees

Cultural transformation can’t happen without the workforce. Clear and transparent communication about the “why” behind the change is key.

Employees need to know how the change aligns to the organization’s purpose and how it benefits them personally. Using values as a foundation as in the Barrett Values Model will create a shared sense of purpose and emotional investment in the change process.

Practical actions include workshops, feedback sessions and interactive activities that reinforce the desired values and behaviours. When employees feel involved and valued they will be more likely to engage in the transformation.

Step 5: Monitoring and Refining

Cultural transformation is not a one off initiative but an ongoing process.

Regularly measuring progress using tools like CVA or the Denison Organizational Culture Survey will keep the transformation on track. Metrics such as employee engagement, retention rates and productivity will be indicators of cultural health.

Organizations should be open to refining their approach. Feedback loops from employees or leadership will provide valuable insights to inform adjustments to the plan. Continuous learning and adaptation is key to embedding lasting change.

Implementing culture change models is more than just ticking boxes, it requires commitment at every level of the organization.

By following a structured approach and using proven frameworks like the Barrett Values Model you can ensure your cultural transformation is successful and sustainable and provides a foundation for long term growth and alignment.

Building a Values-Driven Culture for Long-Term Success

Culture is at the core of every successful business, how teams work together, innovate and achieve their goals. By using culture change models, organizations get the tools and insights to navigate transformation effectively. These models give clarity, structure and direction so leaders can align behaviours and practices to organizational aspirations.

Among the many frameworks out there the Barrett Values Model stands out for its focus on values as the foundation of culture. It’s a transformative approach not just addressing surface level behaviours but also getting deep alignment between individual and organizational priorities.

This values driven approach creates a culture that’s resilient, engaged and purposeful so it lasts.

But no one model fits every organization. Choosing the right framework depends on your organisation’s unique challenges, goals and context. Whether it’s the innovation focused Competing Values Framework, the diagnostic depth of Schein’s Model or the performance focused Denison Model the key is to choose a model, or combination of models, that aligns to your future vision.

At Primeast we specialize in guiding organizations through their cultural transformation journey. By listening deeply, diagnosing challenges and tailoring solutions to your context we help you get sustainable results.

Whether you’re embarking on a values driven transformation or a broader culture shift we’re here to support you every step of the way. Contact us today. 

Developing the Next Generation Of Leaders for Long-Term Success

In a world of rapid technological advancements and evolving workplace dynamics, nurturing the next generation of leaders is crucial for long-term organizational success. As industries become more complex and interconnected, building a strong future-ready leadership pipeline requires a balance between technical skill development, emotional intelligence, and adaptability. In this article, we’ll explore practical, easy-to-action strategies that organizations can adopt to empower next-generation leaders and ensure they are well-equipped for the challenges ahead.

Implement Iterative Technical Skill Development

The pace of technological diffusion is accelerating, meaning technical skills need continuous upgrading. To prepare next-generation leaders for a rapidly changing landscape, it is vital to implement development strategies that evolve over time. Developing new technical skills can be challenging and requires an understanding of how to help people adapt to doing things in new ways. Developing a learning culture is critical and should advocate a learning mindset as well as focusing on developing skillset:

1. Encourage Continuous Learning: Provide access to learning platforms and resources with reward and incentive for individuals taking ownership of their own learning and socialising this learning. Encourage participation in regular technical training sessions or certification programmes.
2. Create Learning Pathways: Design individualized career development plans that include technical skill-building milestones that can be reviewed and updated regularly.
3. Mentorship Programmes: Pair emerging leaders with technical experts or senior leaders for mentorship, focusing on knowledge transfer in relevant technical areas.

By making technical learning iterative, organizations enable leaders to stay ahead of industry trends while improving their problem-solving capabilities.

Foster Adaptive Leadership Skills

In an unpredictable and fast-paced business environment, next-generation leaders must master adaptive leadership. This involves being flexible, learning from challenges, and making decisions with incomplete information. Adaptive leaders can thrive in uncertain situations, steer teams through change, and foster innovation.

How can you support this:

1. Simulate Real-World Challenges: When designing development programmes, build in role-playing exercises (real-play) or simulations (e.g., crisis management drills) that put emerging leaders in high-pressure, real-world scenarios where they must respond quickly. In doing this it is important to create a learning environment where participants can ‘fail safely’ and receive constructive, developmental feedback.
2. Encourage Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration: Promote project-based learning that involves working with teams from different departments to develop a broader understanding of how different parts of the business function.
3. Develop a Growth Mindset: Incorporate regular feedback loops and emphasize learning from failure. When emerging leaders view setbacks as opportunities to grow, they become more resilient.

Adaptive leadership helps next-generation leaders handle the volatility of modern business environments, enhancing their capacity for decision-making under pressure.

Bridge the Generational Knowledge Gap

Intergenerational collaboration is crucial to passing down institutional and organizational knowledge while fostering innovation. The knowledge gap between senior leaders and the younger workforce can hinder growth if not addressed effectively. Bridging this gap requires creating systems that encourage the exchange of expertise and values between generations.

1. Create Reverse Mentoring Programs: In addition to traditional mentorship, reverse mentoring allows younger employees to mentor senior staff on emerging technologies or trends, fostering mutual learning and respect.
2. Host Intergenerational Workshops: Regularly bring together employees from different generations for workshops that explore collaborative problem-solving, technological integration, and innovation.
3. Build Collaborative Communities: Create forums (online or in-person) where employees can ask questions and share expertise openly. Cross-generational collaboration can be fostered through knowledge-sharing platforms, lunch-and-learns, or innovation sprints.

By facilitating mutual learning, organizations can close the knowledge gap while leveraging the strengths of each generation.

Cultivate Self-Awareness and Emotional Intelligence

Self-awareness and emotional intelligence (EQ) are critical leadership skills that help future leaders manage teams effectively, navigate conflict, and maintain strong interpersonal relationships. Organizations must ensure emerging leaders develop a high level of emotional literacy and empathy.

1. Developing Emotional Intelligence: Offer training on active listening, empathy, emotional regulation, and social awareness to help future leaders understand their emotions and the emotions of others.
2. Personality Assessments: Use tools like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), DiSC profiles, or 360-degree feedback mechanisms (e.g. EQI, Leadership Circle) to help emerging leaders reflect on their strengths and weaknesses, promoting self-awareness. These can then form the basis of discussion around personalized development planning.
3. Promote Mindfulness and Stress Management: Provide ongoing (not a one-hit fix) mindfulness training, support and resources on stress management to enhance leaders’ emotional resilience and mental well-being.

Cultivating emotional intelligence not only improves leadership capacity but also enhances collaboration, innovation, and team dynamics.

Promote a Culture of Innovation and Agility

Organizations that foster innovation and agility create environments where next-generation leaders can experiment with new ideas, adapt to market changes, and lead teams through uncertainty. Encouraging a culture where innovation is supported by an agile mindset will ensure long-term success:

1. Facilitate Risk-Taking: Support innovation by creating a safe space for risk-taking with clear boundaries, where failures are seen as part of the learning process. Leaders should feel empowered to experiment with new approaches without fear of punitive consequences.
2. Agile Methodologies: Integrate agile project management methodologies, such as Scrum or Kanban, to help teams remain flexible and responsive to changing priorities.
3. Celebrate Innovation: Recognize and reward employees who bring creative ideas to the table, whether through hackathons, innovation challenges, or regular brainstorming sessions.

A culture of innovation and agility ensures that emerging leaders are not just reacting to change but driving it.

Encourage Strategic Thinking and Foresight

Beyond technical skills and adaptability, emerging leaders must learn to think strategically and anticipate future trends. Organizations must provide resources and platforms that promote forward-thinking and strategic insight:

1. Future Scenario Planning: Use scenario planning exercises to help leaders explore different future possibilities and consider the strategic decisions they would make under various circumstances. We love this scenario planning template – a good start to structuring discussions; you can download it from here.

1. Expose Future or Aspiring Leaders to Strategic Projects: Assign emerging leaders to cross-functional strategic initiatives that require a broader understanding of market dynamics and business growth strategies.
2. Networking and External Exposure: Encourage participation in industry conferences, professional associations, or think tanks where leaders can gain insights into emerging trends, global markets, and innovation strategies.

Empowering next-generation leaders requires a multi-dimensional approach that goes beyond technical expertise. By fostering adaptability, bridging generational knowledge gaps, promoting emotional intelligence, and cultivating a culture of innovation, organizations can create leaders who are equipped to navigate the complex and rapidly evolving business landscape. These practical, easy-to-action strategies will not only prepare emerging leaders for immediate challenges but also ensure they are ready to drive long-term success in a constantly changing world.

Developing the Next Generation Of Leaders for Long-Term Success

In a world of rapid technological advancements and evolving workplace dynamics, nurturing the next generation of leaders is crucial for long-term organisational success. As industries become more complex and interconnected, building a strong future-ready leadership pipeline requires a balance between technical skill development, emotional intelligence, and adaptability. In this article, we’ll explore practical, easy-to-action strategies that organisations can adopt to empower next-generation leaders and ensure they are well-equipped for the challenges ahead.

Implement Iterative Technical Skill Development

The pace of technological diffusion is accelerating, meaning technical skills need continuous upgrading. To prepare next-generation leaders for a rapidly changing landscape, it is vital to implement development strategies that evolve over time. Developing new technical skills can be challenging and requires an understanding of how to help people adapt to doing things in new ways. Developing a learning culture is critical and should advocate a learning mindset as well as focusing on developing skillset:

1. Encourage Continuous Learning: Provide access to learning platforms and resources with reward and incentive for individuals taking ownership of their own learning and socialising this learning. Encourage participation in regular technical training sessions or certification programmes.
2. Create Learning Pathways: Design individualised career development plans that include technical skill-building milestones that can be reviewed and updated regularly.
3. Mentorship Programmes: Pair emerging leaders with technical experts or senior leaders for mentorship, focusing on knowledge transfer in relevant technical areas.

By making technical learning iterative, organisations enable leaders to stay ahead of industry trends while improving their problem-solving capabilities.

Foster Adaptive Leadership Skills

In an unpredictable and fast-paced business environment, next-generation leaders must master adaptive leadership. This involves being flexible, learning from challenges, and making decisions with incomplete information. Adaptive leaders can thrive in uncertain situations, steer teams through change, and foster innovation.

How can you support this:

1. Simulate Real-World Challenges: When designing development programmes, build in role-playing exercises (real-play) or simulations (e.g., crisis management drills) that put emerging leaders in high-pressure, real-world scenarios where they must respond quickly. In doing this it is important to create a learning environment where participants can ‘fail safely’ and receive constructive, developmental feedback.
2. Encourage Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration: Promote project-based learning that involves working with teams from different departments to develop a broader understanding of how different parts of the business function.
3. Develop a Growth Mindset: Incorporate regular feedback loops and emphasise learning from failure. When emerging leaders view setbacks as opportunities to grow, they become more resilient.

Adaptive leadership helps next-generation leaders handle the volatility of modern business environments, enhancing their capacity for decision-making under pressure.

Bridge the Generational Knowledge Gap

Intergenerational collaboration is crucial to passing down institutional and organisational knowledge while fostering innovation. The knowledge gap between senior leaders and the younger workforce can hinder growth if not addressed effectively. Bridging this gap requires creating systems that encourage the exchange of expertise and values between generations.

1. Create Reverse Mentoring Programs: In addition to traditional mentorship, reverse mentoring allows younger employees to mentor senior staff on emerging technologies or trends, fostering mutual learning and respect.
2. Host Intergenerational Workshops: Regularly bring together employees from different generations for workshops that explore collaborative problem-solving, technological integration, and innovation.
3. Build Collaborative Communities: Create forums (online or in-person) where employees can ask questions and share expertise openly. Cross-generational collaboration can be fostered through knowledge-sharing platforms, lunch-and-learns, or innovation sprints.

By facilitating mutual learning, organisations can close the knowledge gap while leveraging the strengths of each generation.

Cultivate Self-Awareness and Emotional Intelligence

Self-awareness and emotional intelligence (EQ) are critical leadership skills that help future leaders manage teams effectively, navigate conflict, and maintain strong interpersonal relationships. Organisations must ensure emerging leaders develop a high level of emotional literacy and empathy.

1. Developing Emotional Intelligence: Offer training on active listening, empathy, emotional regulation, and social awareness to help future leaders understand their emotions and the emotions of others.
2. Personality Assessments: Use tools like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), DiSC profiles, or 360-degree feedback mechanisms (e.g. EQI, Leadership Circle) to help emerging leaders reflect on their strengths and weaknesses, promoting self-awareness. These can then form the basis of discussion around personalised development planning.
3. Promote Mindfulness and Stress Management: Provide ongoing (not a one-hit fix) mindfulness training, support and resources on stress management to enhance leaders’ emotional resilience and mental well-being.

Cultivating emotional intelligence not only improves leadership capacity but also enhances collaboration, innovation, and team dynamics.

Promote a Culture of Innovation and Agility

Organisations that foster innovation and agility create environments where next-generation leaders can experiment with new ideas, adapt to market changes, and lead teams through uncertainty. Encouraging a culture where innovation is supported by an agile mindset will ensure long-term success:

1. Facilitate Risk-Taking: Support innovation by creating a safe space for risk-taking with clear boundaries, where failures are seen as part of the learning process. Leaders should feel empowered to experiment with new approaches without fear of punitive consequences.
2. Agile Methodologies: Integrate agile project management methodologies, such as Scrum or Kanban, to help teams remain flexible and responsive to changing priorities.
3. Celebrate Innovation: Recognise and reward employees who bring creative ideas to the table, whether through hackathons, innovation challenges, or regular brainstorming sessions.

A culture of innovation and agility ensures that emerging leaders are not just reacting to change but driving it.

Encourage Strategic Thinking and Foresight

Beyond technical skills and adaptability, emerging leaders must learn to think strategically and anticipate future trends. Organisations must provide resources and platforms that promote forward-thinking and strategic insight:

1. Future Scenario Planning: Use scenario planning exercises to help leaders explore different future possibilities and consider the strategic decisions they would make under various circumstances. We love this scenario planning template – a good start to structuring discussions; you can download it from here.

1. Expose Future or Aspiring Leaders to Strategic Projects: Assign emerging leaders to cross-functional strategic initiatives that require a broader understanding of market dynamics and business growth strategies.
2. Networking and External Exposure: Encourage participation in industry conferences, professional associations, or think tanks where leaders can gain insights into emerging trends, global markets, and innovation strategies.

Empowering next-generation leaders requires a multi-dimensional approach that goes beyond technical expertise. By fostering adaptability, bridging generational knowledge gaps, promoting emotional intelligence, and cultivating a culture of innovation, organisations can create leaders who are equipped to navigate the complex and rapidly evolving business landscape. These practical, easy-to-action strategies will not only prepare emerging leaders for immediate challenges but also ensure they are ready to drive long-term success in a constantly changing world.

Feedback Models – Why Do We Still Get it Wrong?

In the world of modern leadership, feedback is a critical tool for employee development and team growth. Creating a feedback culture is often spoken about as the ideal for organisations; they dream of a world where teams operate in a psychologically safe space, where communication is constructive, compassionate and collaborative. Teams strive for open, honest conversation, where boundaries are pushed safely and innovatively; where employees strive for continuous improvement based on radical candor, non-judgmental, unbiased communication; where striving for better, drives best performance.

So, why is it still the most common request we receive when designing leadership development programs? Why do we still get it wrong?

Despite the abundance of feedback models, leaders often fail to effectively communicate, leaving teams confused or disillusioned.

We explore why that might be the case, starting with a brief look at some of the most commonly referenced feedback models. We dive into what leaders may be missing when it comes to giving and receiving feedback.

The top 5 Feedback Models

1. SBI (Situation-Behavior-Impact)
This model promotes a process which begins with defining a specific situation, the behavior observed, and the impact it had on others. It aims to be clear and objective but often lacks a focus on actionable steps.

2. AID (Action-Impact-Desired Behaviour/Do)
Similar to SBI, the AID model stresses the impact of an action and what change is needed in the future. It’s helpful for steering behavior in a constructive way but can feel prescriptive.

3. IDEA (Identify-Describe-Encourage-Action)
IDEA adopts a more coach-based approach; including encouragement alongside actionable feedback, which fosters support. Leaders may struggle with balancing honesty and positivity, potentially downplaying necessary criticism.

4. EEC (Example-Effect-Change/Continue)

A model that aims to capture the impetus for change to improve outcomes; recognizing and advocating for positive affirmation in equal measure.

5. STAR/L (Situation-Task-Action-Result/Learning)

A popular feedback model however it can lack focus on improvement and change; hence the addition of the L-Learning.

What’s Missing: Why Leaders Still Get It Wrong

Despite these well-structured models, feedback often misses the mark. Here’s why:

1. Emotional Intelligence and Empathy
Models provide structure, but leadership requires emotional intelligence. Many leaders focus on following the formula of a feedback model without tuning into the emotions of the recipient. Effective feedback requires a genuine understanding of the other person’s feelings and how the feedback will be received. For example, even well-delivered constructive feedback can trigger defensiveness if empathy isn’t shown. Leaders take care to consider ‘intention’ and what you want the ‘receiver’ to take away, while being aware of your own communication styles and how you may need to adapt this to meet the listener.

2. Actionability vs. Reflection
Feedback should always be actionable, yet leaders often forget to offer specific ways for improvement. Many models outline what needs to change but stop short of equipping the recipient with tools or guidance to improve. Help the receiver to consider ways they might change their thinking and behaviors in light of the desired impact. When feedback lacks practical steps, it becomes overwhelming and ineffective.

3. Consistency and Timing/Regularity
Leaders can either wait too long for formal feedback sessions or give feedback at inappropriate times. Feedback needs to be regular and provided close to the behavior it addresses. Delaying feedback for quarterly reviews makes it less effective, as employees may no longer connect the feedback to the specific behavior. On an organization level, inconsistency in terms of quality of feedback, tone and specifics can have a knock on effect in terms of morale and engagement. Train your leaders to give and receive feedback well.

4. Clarity and Directness
One common mistake is a lack of clarity. Feedback must be straightforward, yet many leaders beat around the bush, fearing confrontation. The feedback becomes muddled, leaving employees unsure of what to actually improve.

5. One-Sided Communication
Feedback should be a conversation, not a monologue. While some models encourage dialogue, many leaders still treat feedback as a one-way process. They focus solely on delivering their message without listening to the recipient’s perspective or allowing space for questions.

6. Over-Reliance on the Model
While feedback models provide structure, they are not a substitute for genuine connection. Leaders can get bogged down by adhering strictly to the model, losing the personal touch necessary to make feedback meaningful. Models are guides, not rules, and leaders must adapt their approach based on the individual and the situation.

Conclusion

Despite the plethora of feedback models available, leaders often fail because they overlook the human aspect of feedback. The best models provide structure, but true feedback success lies in emotional intelligence, actionable steps, clear communication, and a focus on dialogue rather than delivering a formulaic response. By incorporating empathy and real-time adjustments into their feedback, leaders can create the kind of culture where feedback, really is the gift it should be.

Feedback Models – Why Do We Still Get it Wrong?

In the world of modern leadership, feedback is a critical tool for employee development and team growth. Creating a feedback culture is often spoken about as the ideal for organisations; they dream of a world where teams operate in a psychologically safe space, where communication is constructive, compassionate and collaborative. Teams strive for open, honest conversation, where boundaries are pushed safely and innovatively; where employees strive for continuous improvement based on radical candour, non-judgmental, unbiased communication; where striving for better, drives best performance.

So, why is it still the most common request we receive when designing leadership development programmes? Why do we still get it wrong?

Despite the abundance of feedback models, leaders often fail to effectively communicate, leaving teams confused or disillusioned.

We explore why that might be the case, starting with a brief look at some of the most commonly referenced feedback models. We dive into what leaders may be missing when it comes to giving and receiving feedback.

The Top 5 Feedback Models

1. SBI (Situation-Behaviour-Impact)
This model promotes a process which begins with defining a specific situation, the behaviour observed, and the impact it had on others. It aims to be clear and objective but often lacks a focus on actionable steps.

2. AID (Action-Impact-Desired Behaviour/Do)
Similar to SBI, the AID model stresses the impact of an action and what change is needed in the future. It’s helpful for steering behaviour in a constructive way but can feel prescriptive.

3. IDEA (Identify-Describe-Encourage-Action)
IDEA adopts a more coach-based approach; including encouragement alongside actionable feedback, which fosters support. Leaders may struggle with balancing honesty and positivity, potentially downplaying necessary criticism.

4. EEC (Example-Effect-Change/Continue)

A model that aims to capture the impetus for change to improve outcomes; recognising and advocating for positive affirmation in equal measure.

5. STAR/L (Situation-Task-Action-Result/Learning)

A popular feedback model however it can lack focus on improvement and change; hence the addition of the L-Learning.

What’s Missing: Why Leaders Still Get It Wrong

Despite these well-structured models, feedback often misses the mark. Here’s why:

1. Emotional Intelligence and Empathy
Models provide structure, but leadership requires emotional intelligence. Many leaders focus on following the formula of a feedback model without tuning into the emotions of the recipient. Effective feedback requires a genuine understanding of the other person’s feelings and how the feedback will be received. For example, even well-delivered constructive feedback can trigger defensiveness if empathy isn’t shown. Leaders take care to consider ‘intention’ and what you want the ‘receiver’ to take away, while being aware of your own communication styles and how they may need to adapt this to meet the listener.

2. Actionability vs. Reflection
Feedback should always be actionable, yet leaders often forget to offer specific ways for improvement. Many models outline what needs to change but stop short of equipping the recipient with tools or guidance to improve. Help the receiver to consider ways they might change their thinking and behaviours in light of the desired impact. When feedback lacks practical steps, it becomes overwhelming and ineffective.

3. Consistency and Timing/Regularity
Leaders can either wait too long for formal feedback sessions or give feedback at inappropriate times. Feedback needs to be regular and provided close to the behaviour it addresses. Delaying feedback for quarterly reviews makes it less effective, as employees may no longer connect the feedback to the specific behaviour. On an organisation level, inconsistency in terms of quality of feedback, tone and specifics can have a knock on effect in terms of morale and engagement. Train your leaders to give and receive feedback well.

4. Clarity and Directness
One common mistake is a lack of clarity. Feedback must be straightforward, yet many leaders beat around the bush, fearing confrontation. The feedback becomes muddled, leaving employees unsure of what to actually improve.

5. One-Sided Communication
Feedback should be a conversation, not a monologue. While some models encourage dialogue, many leaders still treat feedback as a one-way process. They focus solely on delivering their message without listening to the recipient’s perspective or allowing space for questions.

6. Over-Reliance on the Model
While feedback models provide structure, they are not a substitute for genuine connection. Leaders can get bogged down by adhering strictly to the model, losing the personal touch necessary to make feedback meaningful. Models are guides, not rules, and leaders must adapt their approach based on the individual and the situation.

Conclusion

Despite the plethora of feedback models available, leaders often fail because they overlook the human aspect of feedback. The best models provide structure, but true feedback success lies in emotional intelligence, actionable steps, clear communication, and a focus on dialogue rather than delivering a formulaic response. By incorporating empathy and real-time adjustments into their feedback, leaders can create the kind of culture where feedback, really is the gift it should be.

Reflective Practice – a practical guide and how to action

A Practical Guide to Reflective Practice for Leadership Development Using Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle

Reflective practice is your secret weapon when it comes to leadership development. It allows leaders to learn from experiences, adjust thinking and behaviours, and continuously improve their effectiveness.

Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle provides a structured framework for this process, making it one of the most powerful practices to master as a leader.

Graham Gibbs developed his “six-stage reflective model” (1988), which emphasises the process of turning reflections into actionable insights. Each stage encourages deep exploration of what happened, why it happened, and how to improve.

This practical guide will help you work through any situation where you might have experienced less than favourable results, and understand what changes you might want to take to ensure a better outcome. It promotes ownership and taking responsibility for your own behaviours and will help to shine a light on programmed behaviours which may now longer serve you when working with others.

Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle Template

Here is an template for you to use to get started using Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle. For each stage we’ve provided a template for the framework and also an example of how it might work in practice:

Stage 1: Description

In this stage, you describe the facts of the situation or experience that you want to reflect on. The goal is to capture the details without assigning judgment or bias at this stage.

Identify the experience: This could be a leadership challenge, a decision you made, a team conflict, or a project outcome.

Consider the following:

• What exactly happened?
• Who was involved?
• Where and when did it take place?
• What was the outcome?

Leadership Example:
During a team meeting, a conflict arose between two team members about the direction of a project. As the leader, I tried to mediate, but the conversation escalated. The meeting ended without resolution, and team morale seemed low.

Stage 2: Feelings

Reflect on your internal experience, your emotional responses to the situation. Understanding your feelings is crucial because emotions often influence how leaders react and make decisions.

Reflect on your feelings during the event:

• How did you feel before, during, and after the situation?
• What were you thinking as events played out?
• How did you think others were feeling? What did you notice that might provide clues?

Be honest: It’s okay to acknowledge feelings of frustration, anxiety, confidence, or satisfaction, as these inform your behaviour. You can also begin to understand why these feelings might have been activated.

Leadership Example:
At the time, I felt frustrated and a bit powerless. I was also concerned about how the rest of the team perceived my handling of the situation. I wondered if they felt I lacked authority or the ability to resolve conflicts effectively.

Stage 3: Evaluation

Reflect on what went well and what didn’t. It’s important to take a balanced approach and acknowledge both the positive and negative aspects of the situation.

Identify successes:

• What did you handle well as a leader?
• How did the team respond to positive aspects of your leadership?

Acknowledge mistakes:

• What didn’t go according to plan?
• Where were the key challenges or failures in your leadership approach?

Leadership Example:
On the positive side, I maintained my composure and ensured everyone had a chance to voice their opinions. However, I struggled to guide the conversation towards resolution. The conflict lingered, which affected team dynamics.

Stage 4: Analysis

Now you can analyse why things happened the way they did. Look for underlying causes, patterns, and dynamics that influenced the outcome.

Analyse causes:

• What were the root causes of the problems or successes?
• How did your actions influence the situation?
• Did your leadership style or behaviours help or hinder the process?

Leverage frameworks:

• Use leadership models, theories, or past experiences to deepen your analysis.

Leadership Example:
The conflict escalated because I focused too much on being neutral rather than assertively steering the conversation towards a solution. My democratic leadership style worked in the past, but in this scenario, a more directive approach may have been necessary.

Stage 5: Conclusion

At this stage, take time to reflect on what you learned from the experience and consider how you might approach a similar situation differently in the future. It may sometimes help to explore these questions with a coach.

Lessons learnt:

• What should you continue doing based on this experience?
• What could you change or improve?

Explore alternative approaches:

• How could you have approached the situation more effectively?

 Leadership Example:
In hindsight, I should have intervened earlier and more decisively. I could have proposed a compromise or set clear expectations for resolving the conflict. I also realized that I need to improve my skills in conflict resolution.

Stage 6: Action Plan

This final stage is about turning reflection into action. It’s about creating a plan for how you will apply your insights to future leadership challenges.

Develop a strategy:

• What steps will you take to improve your leadership in similar situations?

Set goals:

• Identify key leadership skills you want to develop, such as communication, conflict resolution, or assertiveness.

Leadership Example:
Next time, I will adopt a more structured approach to conflict resolution, setting clear guidelines for discussions and stepping in earlier to mediate. I’ll also seek out training on managing difficult conversations to strengthen my skills in this area.

Gibbs Reflective Cycle Example

Here’s an example of how to integrate Gibbs’ model into your daily leadership practice:

1. Set time for reflection: Regularly set aside time—whether daily, weekly, or after major events—for structured reflection using Gibbs’ cycle.
2. Record your reflections in a journal: Writing down your reflections at each stage helps clarify your thinking and track your leadership growth over time.
3. Solicit feedback: Ask for feedback from peers or mentors to gain different perspectives on your leadership. This can inform your reflection and action planning.
4. Review and refine: Periodically review past reflections to identify recurring patterns or persistent challenges in your leadership. This will help you adjust and continuously improve.
5. Practice self-awareness: Stay mindful of your emotions and thought patterns as you lead. This self-awareness is essential for meaningful reflection.

Benefits of a Reflective Model in Leadership Development

Enhanced Self-Awareness: By systematically reflecting on your actions, feelings, and outcomes, you develop a deeper understanding of your leadership strengths and areas for improvement.
Continuous Learning: The cycle encourages a mindset of lifelong learning, helping you evolve as a leader through every experience.
Improved Decision-Making: Reflecting on past decisions enables you to approach future situations with more clarity, confidence, and better judgment.
Increased Emotional Intelligence: By recognizing and analysing your emotions and those of others, you become more adept at managing interpersonal relationships and team dynamics.
Adaptive Leadership: The cycle helps you fine-tune your leadership style, making it more flexible and responsive to different challenges and contexts.

Reflecting on your own performance and outcomes is a critical part of improving leadership effectiveness; unlocking the power of reflection to cultivate resilience, insight, and adaptive leadership.

If you’d like to subscribe to receive regular practical coaching tips you can sign up to our Constant Coach series.

Reflective Practice With Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle

A Practical Guide to Reflective Practice for Leadership Development Using Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle

Reflective practice is your secret weapon when it comes to leadership development. It allows leaders to learn from experiences, adjust thinking and behaviours, and continuously improve their effectiveness.

Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle provides a structured framework for this process, making it one of the most powerful practices to master as a leader.

Graham Gibbs developed his “six-stage reflective model” (1988), which emphasises the process of turning reflections into actionable insights. Each stage encourages deep exploration of what happened, why it happened, and how to improve.

This practical guide will help you work through any situation where you might have experienced less than favourable results, and understand what changes you might want to take to ensure a better outcome. It promotes ownership and taking responsibility for your own behaviours and will help to shine a light on programmed behaviours which may now longer serve you when working with others.

Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle Template

Here is an template for you to use to get started using Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle. For each stage we’ve provided a template for the framework and also an example of how it might work in practice:

Stage 1: Description

In this stage, you describe the facts of the situation or experience that you want to reflect on. The goal is to capture the details without assigning judgment or bias at this stage.

Identify the experience: This could be a leadership challenge, a decision you made, a team conflict, or a project outcome.

Consider the following:

• What exactly happened?
• Who was involved?
• Where and when did it take place?
• What was the outcome?

Leadership Example:
During a team meeting, a conflict arose between two team members about the direction of a project. As the leader, I tried to mediate, but the conversation escalated. The meeting ended without resolution, and team morale seemed low.

Stage 2: Feelings

Reflect on your internal experience, your emotional responses to the situation. Understanding your feelings is crucial because emotions often influence how leaders react and make decisions.

Reflect on your feelings during the event:

• How did you feel before, during, and after the situation?
• What were you thinking as events played out?
• How did you think others were feeling? What did you notice that might provide clues?

Be honest: It’s okay to acknowledge feelings of frustration, anxiety, confidence, or satisfaction, as these inform your behaviour. You can also begin to understand why these feelings might have been activated.

Leadership Example:
At the time, I felt frustrated and a bit powerless. I was also concerned about how the rest of the team perceived my handling of the situation. I wondered if they felt I lacked authority or the ability to resolve conflicts effectively.

Stage 3: Evaluation

Reflect on what went well and what didn’t. It’s important to take a balanced approach and acknowledge both the positive and negative aspects of the situation.

Identify successes:

• What did you handle well as a leader?
• How did the team respond to positive aspects of your leadership?

Acknowledge mistakes:

• What didn’t go according to plan?
• Where were the key challenges or failures in your leadership approach?

Leadership Example:
On the positive side, I maintained my composure and ensured everyone had a chance to voice their opinions. However, I struggled to guide the conversation towards resolution. The conflict lingered, which affected team dynamics.

Stage 4: Analysis

Now you can analyse why things happened the way they did. Look for underlying causes, patterns, and dynamics that influenced the outcome.

Analyse causes:

• What were the root causes of the problems or successes?
• How did your actions influence the situation?
• Did your leadership style or behaviours help or hinder the process?

Leverage frameworks:

• Use leadership models, theories, or past experiences to deepen your analysis.

Leadership Example:
The conflict escalated because I focused too much on being neutral rather than assertively steering the conversation towards a solution. My democratic leadership style worked in the past, but in this scenario, a more directive approach may have been necessary.

Stage 5: Conclusion

At this stage, take time to reflect on what you learned from the experience and consider how you might approach a similar situation differently in the future. It may sometimes help to explore these questions with a coach.

Lessons learnt:

• What should you continue doing based on this experience?
• What could you change or improve?

Explore alternative approaches:

• How could you have approached the situation more effectively?

 Leadership Example:
In hindsight, I should have intervened earlier and more decisively. I could have proposed a compromise or set clear expectations for resolving the conflict. I also realized that I need to improve my skills in conflict resolution.

Stage 6: Action Plan

This final stage is about turning reflection into action. It’s about creating a plan for how you will apply your insights to future leadership challenges.

Develop a strategy:

• What steps will you take to improve your leadership in similar situations?

Set goals:

• Identify key leadership skills you want to develop, such as communication, conflict resolution, or assertiveness.

Leadership Example:
Next time, I will adopt a more structured approach to conflict resolution, setting clear guidelines for discussions and stepping in earlier to mediate. I’ll also seek out training on managing difficult conversations to strengthen my skills in this area.

Gibbs Reflective Cycle Example

Here’s an example of how to integrate Gibbs’ model into your daily leadership practice:

1. Set time for reflection: Regularly set aside time—whether daily, weekly, or after major events—for structured reflection using Gibbs’ cycle.
2. Record your reflections in a journal: Writing down your reflections at each stage helps clarify your thinking and track your leadership growth over time.
3. Solicit feedback: Ask for feedback from peers or mentors to gain different perspectives on your leadership. This can inform your reflection and action planning.
4. Review and refine: Periodically review past reflections to identify recurring patterns or persistent challenges in your leadership. This will help you adjust and continuously improve.
5. Practice self-awareness: Stay mindful of your emotions and thought patterns as you lead. This self-awareness is essential for meaningful reflection.

Benefits of a Reflective Model in Leadership Development

Enhanced Self-Awareness: By systematically reflecting on your actions, feelings, and outcomes, you develop a deeper understanding of your leadership strengths and areas for improvement.
Continuous Learning: The cycle encourages a mindset of lifelong learning, helping you evolve as a leader through every experience.
Improved Decision-Making: Reflecting on past decisions enables you to approach future situations with more clarity, confidence, and better judgment.
Increased Emotional Intelligence: By recognizing and analysing your emotions and those of others, you become more adept at managing interpersonal relationships and team dynamics.
Adaptive Leadership: The cycle helps you fine-tune your leadership style, making it more flexible and responsive to different challenges and contexts.

Reflecting on your own performance and outcomes is a critical part of improving leadership effectiveness; unlocking the power of reflection to cultivate resilience, insight, and adaptive leadership.

If you’d like to subscribe to receive regular practical coaching tips you can sign up to our Constant Coach series.

7 Leadership Negotiation Skills to Make the Breakthrough

Why negotiation skills are important

As a leader, you will need to hone leadership negotiation skills to cope with a multitude of situations. Effective negotiation skills are essential for successful communication and collaboration in these scenarios. Negotiation is an essential skill for resolving conflicts and achieving mutually beneficial outcomes.

Whether you are mediating in a difficult breakdown in communication, working on a complicated client deal, or negotiating a new pay deal or change in working conditions, the likelihood is that there will be some compromise needed to reach an agreeable solution. Mastering negotiation skills benefits both personal and professional interactions by improving communication, collaboration, and conflict resolution.

Understanding Negotiation

Negotiation is a complex process that involves two or more parties working together to reach a mutually beneficial agreement. It is a vital skill that can be used in various situations, including business, personal relationships, and conflict resolution. Understanding negotiation is essential for effective communication, building trust, and achieving successful outcomes.

A skilled negotiator must have a thorough understanding of the needs, concerns, and goals of all parties involved. This requires active listening, empathy, and effective communication to build rapport and trust. By analyzing the situation, identifying potential obstacles, and developing a strategy to overcome them, a skilled negotiator can navigate the negotiation table with confidence and precision.

Preparing for Negotiation

Preparing for negotiation is crucial for achieving successful outcomes. It involves thorough preparation, research, and planning to understand the needs and concerns of all parties involved. A skilled negotiator must be able to:

• Identify their goals and objectives
• Research the other party’s needs and concerns
• Develop a strategy for negotiation
• Anticipate potential obstacles and develop a plan to overcome them
• Prepare for different scenarios and outcomes

Effective preparation involves gathering information, analyzing data, and developing a clear understanding of the negotiation process. It also involves identifying potential risks and opportunities and developing a plan to mitigate them. Thorough preparation ensures that you are well-equipped to handle any situation that may arise at the bargaining table.

Here are 7 leadership negotiation skills to improve outcomes:

1. Achieve the win/win

An agreement that ends with an enforced deal will break down. Real breakthrough is achieved when both sides can claim victory, and your needs and those of the other party are both satisfied through a negotiated agreement. The real outcome is the creation of a positive environment to move forward together. Successful negotiations are achieved through trust and respect, fostering better outcomes for all parties involved

2. Never be the first to make an offer

Opening first always gives the other party the upper hand in negotiations. Let them make the first offer: this way you’ll have a better feel for the limits under which you’ll be negotiating. If a better than expected offer is made, you may be able to negotiate even better.

3. Be emotionally adept and practice active listening

Emotional intelligence is perhaps the critical key to attaining excellent leadership negotiation skills. An emotional intelligence assessment will tell you where you are currently on the EI scale. It will give you the knowledge needed to develop a number of skills associated with negotiation, including:

• Self-awareness
• Self-regulation
• Social awareness
• Relationship management

Improve your emotional intelligence and you’ll improve your leadership negotiation skills.

4. Ask for more than you expect to receive

If you ask for more than you expect to receive, you may be pleasantly surprized by the response. Setting the bar high allows greater wiggle room to negotiate down. In addition, it is unlikely that the other party will walk away from negotiations at this point, so starting high has very little cost.

5. Communicate flexibly

The most successful negotiators are those who communicate well. Understand the person with whom you’re negotiating, and how to assess their likely reactions and your communication skills will improve. Lack of communicative ability will hold you back, while well-rounded interpersonal skills will propel your leadership career.

6. Once the deal is closed, stop negotiating!

As you progress in negotiations, you’ll hit several mini-closes. This might be the conclusion of a point you want to make, a story you wish to tell, or fine details you want to discuss further. Once you have said what you need to, stop talking. Let the other person have their say and put their point across. Not only will you better understand the counterargument or need, you’ll also gain respect for listening well.

7. Always make it personal

Connect with your people and create working relationships that help to progress the organisation and the individual. Learn what makes your people tick, and take a genuine interest in their wellbeing: you’ll find that in any negotiation, having a set of shared values and common goals will enhance the potential for a positive outcome.

Contact Primeast today to discuss our Management Development Series, including our Energy Leadership Program that helps develop high performing managers into inspirational leaders that understand the importance of leadership negotiation skills.

The Negotiation Process

The negotiation process involves several stages, including:

1. Preparation: Gathering information, researching the other party’s needs and concerns, and developing a strategy for negotiation.
2. Opening: Establishing a rapport, building trust, and setting the tone for the negotiation.
3. Discussion: Exchanging information, identifying potential obstacles, and developing a plan to overcome them.
4. Bargaining: Negotiating the terms of the agreement, including price, delivery, and other conditions.
5. Closing: Finalising the agreement, ensuring that all parties are satisfied, and documenting the terms of the agreement.

A skilled negotiator must be able to navigate each stage of the negotiation process effectively, using active listening, empathy, and effective communication to build trust and achieve successful outcomes. Understanding each stage and the skills required will help you become more adept at the negotiation table.

Conclusion

Negotiation is a complex process that requires thorough preparation, research, and planning. It involves active listening, empathy, and effective communication to build rapport and trust. A skilled negotiator must be able to analyze the situation, identify potential obstacles, and develop a strategy to overcome them.

By understanding the negotiation process, preparing effectively, and using essential negotiation skills, individuals can achieve successful outcomes and build strong relationships. Negotiation skills are essential for effective communication, building trust, and achieving successful outcomes in various situations, including business, personal relationships, and conflict resolution.

7 Leadership Negotiation Skills to Make the Breakthrough

Why negotiation skills are important

As a leader, you will need to hone leadership negotiation skills to cope with a multitude of situations. Effective negotiation skills are essential for successful communication and collaboration in these scenarios. Negotiation is an essential skill for resolving conflicts and achieving mutually beneficial outcomes.

Whether you are mediating in a difficult breakdown in communication, working on a complicated client deal, or negotiating a new pay deal or change in working conditions, the likelihood is that there will be some compromise needed to reach an agreeable solution. Mastering negotiation skills benefits both personal and professional interactions by improving communication, collaboration, and conflict resolution.

Understanding Negotiation

Negotiation is a complex process that involves two or more parties working together to reach a mutually beneficial agreement. It is a vital skill that can be used in various situations, including business, personal relationships, and conflict resolution. Understanding negotiation is essential for effective communication, building trust, and achieving successful outcomes.

A skilled negotiator must have a thorough understanding of the needs, concerns, and goals of all parties involved. This requires active listening, empathy, and effective communication to build rapport and trust. By analysing the situation, identifying potential obstacles, and developing a strategy to overcome them, a skilled negotiator can navigate the negotiation table with confidence and precision.

Preparing for Negotiation

Preparing for negotiation is crucial for achieving successful outcomes. It involves thorough preparation, research, and planning to understand the needs and concerns of all parties involved. A skilled negotiator must be able to:

• Identify their goals and objectives
• Research the other party’s needs and concerns
• Develop a strategy for negotiation
• Anticipate potential obstacles and develop a plan to overcome them
• Prepare for different scenarios and outcomes

Effective preparation involves gathering information, analysing data, and developing a clear understanding of the negotiation process. It also involves identifying potential risks and opportunities and developing a plan to mitigate them. Thorough preparation ensures that you are well-equipped to handle any situation that may arise at the bargaining table.

Here are 7 leadership negotiation skills to improve outcomes:

1. Achieve the win/win

An agreement that ends with an enforced deal will break down. Real breakthrough is achieved when both sides can claim victory, and your needs and those of the other party are both satisfied through a negotiated agreement. The real outcome is the creation of a positive environment to move forward together. Successful negotiations are achieved through trust and respect, fostering better outcomes for all parties involved

2. Never be the first to make an offer

Opening first always gives the other party the upper hand in negotiations. Let them make the first offer: this way you’ll have a better feel for the limits under which you’ll be negotiating. If a better than expected offer is made, you may be able to negotiate even better.

3. Be emotionally adept and practice active listening

Emotional intelligence is perhaps the critical key to attaining excellent leadership negotiation skills. An emotional intelligence assessment will tell you where you are currently on the EI scale. It will give you the knowledge needed to develop a number of skills associated with negotiation, including:

• Self-awareness
• Self-regulation
• Social awareness
• Relationship management

Improve your emotional intelligence and you’ll improve your leadership negotiation skills.

4. Ask for more than you expect to receive

If you ask for more than you expect to receive, you may be pleasantly surprised by the response. Setting the bar high allows greater wiggle room to negotiate down. In addition, it is unlikely that the other party will walk away from negotiations at this point, so starting high has very little cost.

5. Communicate flexibly

The most successful negotiators are those who communicate well. Understand the person with whom you’re negotiating, and how to assess their likely reactions and your communication skills will improve. Lack of communicative ability will hold you back, while well-rounded interpersonal skills will propel your leadership career.

6. Once the deal is closed, stop negotiating!

As you progress in negotiations, you’ll hit several mini-closes. This might be the conclusion of a point you want to make, a story you wish to tell, or fine details you want to discuss further. Once you have said what you need to, stop talking. Let the other person have their say and put their point across. Not only will you better understand the counterargument or need, you’ll also gain respect for listening well.

7. Always make it personal

Connect with your people and create working relationships that help to progress the organisation and the individual. Learn what makes your people tick, and take a genuine interest in their wellbeing: you’ll find that in any negotiation, having a set of shared values and common goals will enhance the potential for a positive outcome.

Contact Primeast today to discuss our Management Development Series, including our Energy Leadership Program that helps develop high performing managers into inspirational leaders that understand the importance of leadership negotiation skills.

The Negotiation Process

The negotiation process involves several stages, including:

1. Preparation: Gathering information, researching the other party’s needs and concerns, and developing a strategy for negotiation.
2. Opening: Establishing a rapport, building trust, and setting the tone for the negotiation.
3. Discussion: Exchanging information, identifying potential obstacles, and developing a plan to overcome them.
4. Bargaining: Negotiating the terms of the agreement, including price, delivery, and other conditions.
5. Closing: Finalising the agreement, ensuring that all parties are satisfied, and documenting the terms of the agreement.

A skilled negotiator must be able to navigate each stage of the negotiation process effectively, using active listening, empathy, and effective communication to build trust and achieve successful outcomes. Understanding each stage and the skills required will help you become more adept at the negotiation table.

Conclusion

Negotiation is a complex process that requires thorough preparation, research, and planning. It involves active listening, empathy, and effective communication to build rapport and trust. A skilled negotiator must be able to analyse the situation, identify potential obstacles, and develop a strategy to overcome them.

By understanding the negotiation process, preparing effectively, and using essential negotiation skills, individuals can achieve successful outcomes and build strong relationships. Negotiation skills are essential for effective communication, building trust, and achieving successful outcomes in various situations, including business, personal relationships, and conflict resolution.

How to Manage a Multigenerational Workforce

Is Your Workplace Environment Conducive to Collaboration Amid Generational Differences?

As younger employees join your workforce and older employees remain employed for longer, your organisation is likely to become a multigenerational workforce. This diversity of age demographics presents leaders with many challenges that must be overcome. In this article, we examine seven of these challenges.

Understanding Generational Differences

Understanding generational differences is crucial for effective management in today’s multi-generational workforce. Each generation brings unique attributes, values, and experiences that shape their perspectives and behaviours. By recognising and embracing these differences, organisations can foster a more inclusive and productive work environment.

Generational differences can be attributed to various factors, including historical events, technological advancements, and cultural shifts. For instance, Baby Boomers grew up during a time of economic prosperity and social change, while Generation Z is characterised by their digital nativity and diverse backgrounds. Understanding these differences can help managers tailor their leadership styles, communication approaches, and professional development opportunities to meet the needs of each generation.

Moreover, recognising generational differences can help bridge the generational gap and promote knowledge sharing between older and younger employees. By leveraging the strengths of each generation, organisations can create a more collaborative and innovative work environment. For example, younger employees can bring fresh ideas and technological expertise, while older employees can offer valuable experience and mentorship.

Benefits of a multi-generational Workforce

A multi-generational workforce offers numerous benefits to organisations, including increased productivity, improved decision-making, and enhanced innovation. By embracing generational diversity, organisations can tap into the unique strengths and perspectives of each generation, leading to better problem-solving and a more competitive edge.

Moreover, a multi-generational workforce can help organisations attract and retain top talent, as employees of all ages are drawn to inclusive and diverse work environments. By offering flexible work arrangements, professional development opportunities, and a culture of respect and empathy, organisations can create a workplace that appeals to multiple generations.

Additionally, a multi-generational workforce can help organisations better understand and serve their diverse customer base. By having employees from different generations and backgrounds, organisations can gain valuable insights into the needs and preferences of their customers, leading to improved customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Collaborative team working on Talent Development

1. Age

There are many personal challenges associated with age, and these manifest in the workplace. Younger employees may desire more flexibility and the opportunity to work from home. Older employees may have more exacting wellness needs. Leaders should create the flexible workplace environment that addresses the needs of all employees, promoting a healthy work life balance.

2. Values

Our values are determined by many factors, including upbringing and experiences. Older generations have lived through the Cold War and economic strife. They were raised by parents who suffered war during World War II. They took part in civil rights movements. Younger generations have been at the forefront of technological advance, and are living with a future shaped by climate change.

Baby boomers expect millennials to have the same commitment to hard work and long hours. Millennials expect more flexibility and shorter hours in the office with greater autonomy. Leaders must manage these conflicting values, respecting all workers and helping each to understand and accept the different ways in which full contributions are made.

3. Workplace Relationship Issues

Older employees, particularly those from the Silent Generation, tend to be more conservative in their approach to workplace relationships. They have been conditioned that work is work, and personal issues should be left at the door. However, today mental health and wellbeing is considered of great importance. Employees are encouraged to discuss a wider range of issues, and organisations accept the overlap between personal and professional lives more readily. This can create friction between employees, as some wish to discuss subjects that others consider to be taboo.

Organisations are combatting this challenge by providing ‘safe spaces’’ where controversial subjects may be discussed openly, and equipping managers with the skills to carefront rather than confront conflict between work colleagues.

4. Feedback

The need for feedback differs between generations. Younger employees tend to thrive on constant feedback, whereas older workers require less. For older employees, feedback should be given when necessary, not when desired.

How does a leader know how often to give feedback? Ask each employee, and set a schedule for them. Remember, though, that continuous communication leads to healthier relationships, and less confusion when honest truths are finally revealed.

5. Preferred Communication Styles Across Generations

The communication preferences of different generations in the workplace stretch from the millennials’ use of social media and digital communication channels, to the baby boomers’ desire for face-to-face conversation or email.

An organisation must establish how best to communicate, and set a strategy that embraces all preferences. For example, a team meeting may be followed up by a video summary posted to employees’ email inboxes or on the company’s intranet.

6. Dress Code

Older workers, who witnessed the rise of personal computers, are used to the formality of workwear. It helps them draw a line between their professional self and their personal self. Younger workers are more likely to wish to wear the same clothes in the office as they would outside. While many organisations have relaxed their dress code, many have not. This can cause conflict between employees and management.

While there is no single correct answer to dress code – often it is part of the DNA of an organisation – it is important that, while a workplace may not have a uniform, workplace dress code is uniform and observed consistently by all.

7. Perceptions of Work Ethics

Older generations often accuse younger workers of having poor work ethics. However, perception of work ethic varies between generations.

Older employees are more likely to remain at work until their work is complete before leaving for home. They see younger employees leaving before their work is complete and believe that this is indicative of a poor work ethic. However, these younger employees – often more digitally adept – may be working remotely from home, where they feel more relaxed and productive.

Organisations may combat these perceptions by managing by performance and introducing workplace project management systems to routine. Taking this action often helps people to work more collaboratively and understand that being office based is not always necessary to be productive.

Accommodating Diverse Working Styles and Needs

Accommodating diverse working styles and needs is essential for creating an inclusive and productive work environment. Organisations can offer flexible work arrangements, such as telecommuting, flexible hours, and compressed workweeks, to accommodate the needs of employees with caregiving responsibilities, health issues, or other personal circumstances.

Moreover, organisations can provide a range of benefits and perks, such as wellness programs, employee assistance programs, and professional development opportunities, to support the well-being and career advancement of employees. By recognising and accommodating the diverse needs and preferences of employees, organisations can create a workplace that is inclusive, supportive, and empowering.

Furthermore, organisations can use technology to facilitate communication and collaboration among employees, regardless of their location or work style. By leveraging digital tools and platforms, organisations can create a virtual workspace that is accessible, flexible, and inclusive, allowing employees to work effectively and efficiently from anywhere.

In Summary

In multigenerational workplaces there is a wide diversity of values, preferred communication styles, mental wellbeing issues and preferred methods of working. Differences even stretch to how employees dress for work.

When leaders understand the different characters of each generation, they will more easily discover the strengths of each generation and use these to improve collaboration. To build a cohesive team, managers must create a workplace environment that allows all generations to contribute fully and embrace the qualities of their work colleagues.

Contact us today, and discover how we could help your managers and leaders be more effective in developing multigenerational teams and foster the collaboration that delivers high performance.

How to Motivate a Team: 7 Effective Ways

Leading via the link between team motivation and engagement

Many studies, surveys, and polls have concluded that employee engagement is key to building a successful business, leading change initiatives, and developing high-performance teams. To answer the question of how to motivate a team effectively, it’s essential to foster engagement. In its eighth meta-analysis measuring the effects of employee engagement, Gallup found that:

“Work units in the top quartile in employee engagement outperformed bottom-quartile units by 10% on customer ratings, 22% in profitability, and 21% in productivity. Work units in the top quartile also saw significantly lower turnover (25% in high-turnover organizations, 65% in low-turnover organizations), shrinkage (28%), and absenteeism (37%) and fewer safety incidents (48%), patient safety incidents (41%), and quality defects (41%).”

Given so many positives of employee engagement, it is little wonder that organizations are continually finding ways to increase employee engagement and create a productive work environment. Connecting team members to the company’s mission can enhance their sense of purpose and belonging, ultimately influencing their performance and morale within the workplace.

What is employee engagement?

Employee engagement describes how people are committed to the work they do and the values and mission of the organization for whom they work. They are happy team players who are invested in their colleagues, their team, and their organization, and employees feel motivated to contribute their best.

In other words, they are motivated to turn up, help others, and do the best work they can. However, engagement is not quite the same as motivation, but a complimentary quality – a key ingredient in employee engagement. For example, motivated employees feel that their work is meaningful, while engaged employees are emotionally committed to their work. Good leaders motivate their employees to be engaged. A lack of motivation and engagement can lead to poor performance, reduced productivity, and a toxic work environment.

Setting the Foundation for Success

Setting the foundation for success is crucial for motivating a team. Maintaining good air quality and including indoor plants can enhance overall employee well-being and motivation. A motivated team is more productive, engaged, and committed to achieving their goals. To set the foundation for success, team leaders should establish clear expectations, provide necessary resources, and foster a positive work environment.

This includes setting SMART goals, providing regular feedback, and recognising team achievements. By setting the foundation for success, team leaders can create a motivated team that is equipped to achieve their goals.

Understanding Team Motivation

Understanding team motivation is crucial for effective leadership and achieving business objectives. Team motivation is the driving force that encourages individuals to take action and achieve their goals.

Recognising that each team member has unique goals, aspirations, and motivations is essential. By understanding what drives each team member, leaders can create a positive work environment that fosters motivation, productivity, and job satisfaction.

Team motivation is influenced by various factors, including clear goals and expectations, recognition and rewards, autonomy and flexibility, opportunities for growth and development, a positive work environment, open communication, and fair compensation and benefits.

Addressing these factors can help leaders create a motivated team that is committed to achieving the company’s mission. A motivated team is not only more productive but also more engaged and satisfied with their work.

How to engage employees with motivational tactics

Many motivational techniques will serve the simultaneous objectives of engaging employees and developing a high-performing team. Here are seven of the techniques used by successful managers and leaders.

1. Share the big picture to give them feel valued

Share your vision with your employees, helping them to see how they fit into the achievement of that vision by providing tasks that help the team progress toward its goals. This will provide the purpose they need to engage with the big picture. Keeping employees up to date with the latest developments and how their roles contribute to the overall vision can further enhance their sense of purpose. Connecting team members to the company’s mission can also enhance their sense of purpose and belonging, ultimately influencing their performance and morale within the workplace.

2. Motivate individuals to motivate the team

Each member of a team will have individual aspirations, goals and objectives. It is a manager’s responsibility to learn what makes their employees tick, and how to create the environment where the needs of individuals can be activated to improve the team, ensuring each team member feels valued and motivated. Providing positive feedback to acknowledge achievements and efforts can uplift employee morale and drive engagement.

Listen to ideas, learn from their experiences, and recycle into the team environment, showing how individual success can propel the team to greater teamwork. This personal and individual approach will help to incentivize employees with a clear understanding of the power of collaboration.

3. Give trust

A team leader should give trust to their employees and show that they trust their abilities by handing over responsibility. This responsibility may be given through providing specific tasks that challenge, or by asking an employee to manage a project sub-team, or perhaps requesting that a team member act as chair in a team meeting. There are many opportunities to share responsibilities and give trust each day – these should be used.

4. Motivate with milestones

Lofty goals often remain unaccomplished because they seem so far away, and unachievable. This serves to demotivate and disengage. Focus instead on smaller, challenging but achievable milestones that will help individuals and teams progress.

Reward achievement of each milestone, and reinforce how much nearer it takes the team to its final target, thereby boosting team motivation. Additionally, fostering team camaraderie through various team-building activities can keep team members motivated by allowing them to bond personally and enhance their collaborative spirit.

5. Reward performance based upon feedback

Value performance and attitude by recording, measuring and rewarding feedback from clients, suppliers, colleagues and other stakeholders. Seek to reward the expected behaviors that help to drive teamwork and promote the organization.

6. Energize the team by exampling expected behaviors for a productive work environment

Employees follow the lead of their managers and the organization’s leaders. An enthusiastic, energetic leader who exudes positivity toward work and the organization’s values and goals is more likely to keep the team motivated and create that energy within his or her team.

7.  Communicate openly

Be transparent about company goals and progress. Hide nothing, so that there are no surprises. Allow people the opportunity to voice concerns and ask questions, and provide honest feedback. Always show respect in the communication process, and include team members in the decision-making process, valuing their contribution and helping them to understand their value to the organization. Additionally, organizing team building activities can further enhance open communication and strengthen team bonds.

Empowering Team Members

Empowering team members is essential for team motivation and success. Empowerment involves giving team members the autonomy to make decisions, take ownership of their work, and providing them with the necessary resources and support to achieve their goals. When team members feel empowered, they are more likely to feel motivated, engaged, and committed to their work.

Empowering team members can be achieved by providing them with clear goals and expectations, recognising and rewarding their achievements, and offering opportunities for growth and development. Additionally, leaders can empower team members by providing them with flexible schedules, allowing them to work independently, and giving them the freedom to make decisions. This sense of autonomy and trust can significantly boost team motivation and drive the team towards success.

Setting Clear Goals and Expectations

Setting clear goals and expectations is essential for team motivation and success. Clear goals and expectations help team members understand what is expected of them and what they need to achieve. When team members have clear goals and expectations, they are more likely to feel motivated, focused, and directed.

Clear goals and expectations can be achieved by setting specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals. Leaders can also provide team members with regular feedback and coaching to help them stay on track and achieve their goals. Additionally, leaders can use goal-setting frameworks, such as OKRs (Objectives and Key Results), to help team members set and achieve their goals.

By setting clear goals and expectations, leaders can create a motivated team that is committed to achieving the company’s mission. Clear goals and expectations also help team members track progress, receive honest feedback, and feel motivated to go the extra mile. This clarity and direction are vital for maintaining high levels of team motivation and ensuring the team’s success.

Fostering a Positive Work Environment

Fostering a positive work environment is essential for motivating a team. A positive work environment encourages team members to feel valued, motivated, and engaged. To foster a positive work environment, team leaders should promote open communication, encourage teamwork, and provide opportunities for growth and development. This includes creating a healthy work environment, providing flexible schedules, and offering work-life balance. Investing in the team’s professional development through workshops and online courses can further enhance employee engagement and effectiveness.

By fostering a positive work environment, team leaders can create a motivated team that is productive and committed to achieving their goals.

Investing in Team Development

Investing in team development is critical for motivating a team. Team members feel motivated when they are learning and growing in their roles. To invest in team development, team leaders should provide opportunities for training, mentorship, and coaching. This includes providing regular feedback, recognising team achievements, and offering opportunities for advancement.

By investing in team development, team leaders can create a motivated team that is equipped to achieve their goals.

Measuring Success and Adjusting Course

Measuring success and adjusting course is essential for motivating a team. Team leaders should regularly track progress, solicit honest feedback, and make adjustments as needed. This includes setting clear goals, providing regular feedback, and recognising team achievements.

By measuring success and adjusting course, team leaders can create a motivated team that is productive and committed to achieving their goals.

Conclusion

Employee engagement and employee motivation work hand in hand to energize teams in the work they do and the goals of the organization. When team leaders, supervisors and managers employ effective motivation strategies, the team should become a more collaborative and cohesive unit, fixed on the achievement of individual and team goals. This level of engagement could transform a team’s results.

Contact us today, and discover how we could help your managers to redefine their own behaviors and embed the leadership techniques to build high-performing teams.

The Pros and Cons of Employee Empowerment

Research published in the 2011 Journal of Applied Psychology (Antecedents and consequences of psychological and team empowerment: a meta-analytical review – Siebert, S.E.; Wang, G.; Courtright, S.H.) provided a number of pressing reasons for organizations to encourage employee empowerment. Fostering an empowering work environment through a strong company culture can significantly boost morale and initiative among staff, while also enhancing resilience during challenging times.

By understanding that there are two sides of the coin when instigating an employee empowerment strategy, an organization will be better positioned to maximize the advantages and minimize any disadvantages.

What is employee empowerment?

For an organization operating in the fast-paced, modern business environment, passing some responsibilities to employees enables quicker decision-making at a lower level. At lower levels, people generally have a closer and deeper understanding of many of the basic processes and procedures that ‘get the job done’ and help the strategic vision of the organization to be achieved. It would appear to make sense, therefore, to give people more autonomy in their decision-making: in a word, empowerment.

A key aspect of this empowerment is the management philosophy, which emphasizes granting autonomy and support to employees. This philosophy promotes independent decision-making and contrasts sharply with micromanagement, highlighting that a culture of empowerment significantly enhances job performance and employee satisfaction.

Empowerment is viewed by seven in 10 employees as an important element of engagement, and employee engagement produces a range of benefits, including:

• Improved productivity, with 22% higher profitability
• 41% lower absenteeism
• Employees who are 4.6 times more likely to perform at their peak

Because employee empowerment is so highly connected with employee engagement, it is little surprise that many of the advantages of empowerment are directly related to the benefits of employee engagement.

The advantages of employee empowerment

There are several definite advantages of embedding a strategy and culture of employee empowerment. These include:

Employee empowerment is crucial for a company’s success as it leads to increased morale, productivity, and tangible benefits like higher profits and better employee retention rates.

Faster problem solving

First, because empowered employees are so close to issues and problems that require resolution, response times should decrease. Faced with a problem, people who are close to it have a natural affinity for it and a definitive reason to find solutions rapidly – it aids their work, making their time easier and more productive.

Executives are often detached from the shop floor, and lack the depth of knowledge required in the solution-finding process.

Increased morale and productivity

People who are given the autonomy to make their own decisions feel trusted and that their contributions are a direct factor in their company’s success. This is a direct determinant of employee morale. For example, 91% of Google’s employees say that they carry meaningful responsibilities within the organization: for six years running Google has been ranked by Fortune as the best company to work for.

Empowered employees working without continual oversight from a manager or supervisor tend to feel more respected. Artificial obstacles to progress of tasks are removed when employees no longer need their supervisor’s approval to move from one stage to the next. Motivated employees contribute to increased moral and profitability per employee improves accordingly.

Additionally, people own the responsibility given to them, and the manager/employee relationship benefits accordingly.

Greater involvement leads to greater commitment

With the greater involvement engendered by their increased responsibility, engaged employees become more involved in organizational strategy. They begin to look at colleagues and customers differently, and their commitment to the company and its future grows. Satisfied employees lead to satisfied customers. Such commitment also leads to decreased staff turnover and reduced costs of hiring and training.

Lower levels of management stress

When employees are empowered with responsibility, managers become freed to concentrate on strategy and the bigger picture. Instead of becoming enmeshed with day-to-day decision-making, managers can concentrate on strategic objectives, project planning, professional development, and customer-centric activities.

Empowering employees invigorates leadership by removing the stress of day-to-day management responsibilities.

Improved staff retention

Empowerment leads to greater employee satisfaction and improved staff retention in the workplace. The 2013 empirical study ‘Employee Empowerment and Job Satisfaction in the U.S. Federal Bureaucracy: A Self-Determination Theory Perspective’ found that empowerment practices (such as information sharing, access to job-related knowledge and skills, and discretion to change working practice) have a positive and sizeable effect on job satisfaction.

In a study of 19,700 exit interviews, the Saratoga Institute found that job dissatisfaction factors were among the top seven factors for people searching for a new job.

Clearly, people who are more satisfied at work are less likely to want to change jobs – and improving staff retention has an immediate and sizeable impact on the bottom line. The Society for Human Resource Management has calculated that replacing a member of staff costs an average of between six to nine month’s salary in recruitment and training costs. For an employee on a $50,000 salary, this is between $25,000 and $37,500.

According to the Work Institute, more than 41 million employees voluntarily left their jobs in 2018. With the Bureau of Labor Statistics calculating average salary as $48,672, poor staff retention is costing the U.S. economy an incredible $1 trillion to $1.5 trillion per year.

The disadvantages of employee empowerment

Lack of experience increases risk

While the handing down of responsibility promises to improve speed, agility and productivity, a concern is that decisions are now being made by less experienced and less expert personnel. This can increase the number of mistakes made and put reputation at risk.

The risk of work practices falling into chaos must be tackled by proper training, and by ensuring that supervisors maintain organizational standards. These standards must incorporate an organization’s values and beliefs: care must be taken that employees do not work in accordance with individual values that may be divergent to the corporate mission and vision. Effective employee development is crucial in mitigating these risks by providing the necessary resources, support, and opportunities for professional growth.

Potential for decreased efficiency

When people are given the autonomy to make their own decisions, those decisions cease to be uniform. This lack of coordination can lead to problems down the line.

It is also the case that autonomous employees may decide to work slower on days when they feel distracted or lack the energy to forge ahead. Where some workers are performing more productively than others, without being rewarded for doing so, internal friction can increase. If not dealt with, this can cause confrontation or a spiral to the bottom as all workers decide to work at the pace of the slowest and least productive team member.

Blurred relationships

Empowerment inevitably leads to a flatter, more streamlined management structure. The risk here is that professional relationships become blurred, and boundaries of authority become broken. This might require greater control over employees, not less.

Accountability issues may arise, leading to a blame culture that, if left unchecked, will lead to further discontent and an environment of mistrust. In such a situation, it is likely that employees will decide to take less responsibility for fear of repercussions should things go wrong.

Poor decision-making

If a team lacks the individuals with skills commensurate to the project, tasks and work required, decision-making will be poorer. This will be to the detriment of the organization, as poor solutions lead to decreasing productivity and internal conflict.

Overcoming Barriers to Empower Employees

Empowering employees is a crucial aspect of any organization’s success, but it can be challenging to implement. Several barriers can hinder the empowerment of employees, including lack of trust, inadequate communication, and insufficient training. To overcome these barriers, organizations must create a culture of trust, open communication, and continuous learning.

One way to build trust is to give employees autonomy and ownership of their work. This can be achieved by providing clear expectations and goals, and then giving employees the freedom to decide how to achieve them. Additionally, organisations should encourage open communication by creating a safe and supportive environment where employees feel comfortable sharing their ideas and concerns.

Another barrier to empowerment is inadequate training. Employees need the skills and knowledge to perform their jobs effectively, and organizations must provide them with the necessary training and development opportunities. This can include workshops, mentoring programs, and online courses.

Finally, organizations must recognize and reward empowered employees. This can be done through employee recognition programs, bonuses, and promotions. By recognizing and rewarding empowered employees, organizations can reinforce the behaviors and attitudes that lead to empowerment.

Empowered Employees in Action

Empowered employees are more productive, engaged, and motivated. They are also more likely to take ownership of their work and strive for excellence. Here are a few examples of empowered employees in action:

• A customer service representative who is empowered to make decisions and take action to resolve customer complaints. This employee is able to provide excellent customer service and resolve issues quickly and efficiently.
• A software developer who is empowered to design and develop new products and features. This employee is able to use their creativity and skills to create innovative solutions that meet customer needs.
• A sales representative who is empowered to negotiate prices and terms with customers. This employee is able to build strong relationships with customers and close deals that meet the company’s goals.

In each of these examples, the empowered employee is able to take ownership of their work and make decisions that drive results. They are also able to use their skills and creativity to innovate and improve processes.

How can you improve employee empowerment?

Empowering employees is a cultural issue. Organizations that promote an environment of trust, clear communication, delegation and accountability tend to be good at employee empowerment. Here are five key practices that will help your managers and leaders empower their employees.

1. Share your organisation’s vision

Clear communication of vision is central to embedding a sense of ownership in your workforce. People who understand the vision and how their work contributes to achieving that vision are more likely to feel a part of something rather than just another number on the staff rota.

2. Share more responsibility

Delegating responsibility for work that is designed to improve the capabilities of your employees helps them develop professionally. This will strengthen your team’s ability to work autonomously and lead to lesser need for direct management.

3. Stop micromanaging

People become stifled in their work when they are micromanaged. Instead of managing tasks, delegate the responsibility for them, setting expectations clearly and providing guidance on responsibility. Decisions will be made autonomously but in line with organizational needs.

4. Be open to input

Especially when engaging people in transformational change, being open to ideas and involving people in decision-making helps ensure employees feel empowered and brings out innovative thinking.

5.  Be constructive and recognize good performance

Ensure that you recognize people for their effort and good performance, providing positive and constructive feedback to aid continuous improvement. It’s important to be specific when giving feedback and to highlight how positive behaviours have had a positive impact on colleagues. Positive feedback and recognition encourage people to be more creative problem solvers.

The bottom line

Weighing up the pros and cons of employee empowerment, the potential benefits to individuals, teams and the organization are clear and tangible. The potential drawbacks can be controlled by good management techniques, including:

• Positive leadership
• Coaching, training, recognition, and rewards schemes
• An open and transparent communicative environment

Within a culture of employee empowerment, organizations will develop higher-performing teams that think for themselves, developing innovative solutions as they work toward shared goals – and not a robotic workforce consisting of people who do what their managers tell them and now more.

Emotional intelligence among leaders is also associated with the ability to embed a more empowered workforce, helping people to take the initiative and evaluate their own performance.

In short, if an empowerment strategy is well managed, your people will become partners in your success. They will become a transformative force that will jumpstart change and ensure the goals of your strategic vision are accomplished.

Complete this short Employee Experience Assessment to help identify the key areas you need to focus on as a company.

Giving Feedback To Boost Confidence & Engagement

Giving Feedback Effectively

A 2009 Gallup survey of more than 1,000 US-based employees sought to qualify the impact of feedback on employees. Its findings are insightful:

• When a manager gives little or no feedback, the manager fails to engage 98% of employees.
• Four out of ten employees who receive little or no feedback become actively disengaged.
• Managers who concentrate on strengths when giving feedback are 30 times more likely to engage their employees than those giving no feedback.
• One in ten managers concentrates on weaknesses when providing feedback.

The conclusion drawn by the study is that the tools, techniques, and strategies that a manager uses when delivering feedback have a huge impact on employee engagement.

In this article I’ll discuss why feedback is crucial, the basis of an effective feedback strategy, and one of the key tools that provide a framework for constructive feedback.

Why is feedback so crucial?

Many studies have shown that engaged employees work more productively. They provide impetus toward shared vision, values, and goals. When you energize employees to perform at their peak, the impact on performance at individual and team levels is clear – and this directly benefits your bottom line.

To be engaged in your future vision, an employee needs to feel wanted. They need to know that their contribution is valued, and that they are helping the organization reach its goals.

When a manager provides no feedback, the employee feels ignored. When someone feels ignored, they feel unimportant. Even negative feedback is better than this, but constructive criticism is the most effective as it provides actionable suggestions for improvement while maintaining a positive tone.

Types of Feedback

Feedback can be categorized into different types, each serving a unique purpose. Understanding these types can help you tailor your feedback to the specific situation and recipient.

• Positive Feedback: Positive feedback is used to reinforce good behavior, acknowledge achievements, and boost morale. It’s essential to provide specific examples and context to make the feedback meaningful.
  • For instance, instead of saying, “Great job,” you might say, “Your detailed analysis in the report was outstanding and really helped us make informed decisions.”
• Constructive Feedback: Constructive feedback is used to address areas for improvement, provide guidance, and help employees grow. It’s crucial to focus on behavior rather than personality and provide actionable suggestions.
  • For example, “I noticed that the project deadlines were missed. Let’s discuss how we can better manage time and resources to meet future deadlines.”
• Negative Feedback: Negative feedback is used to address significant issues, correct mistakes, and prevent future problems. It’s essential to deliver negative feedback in a sensitive and supportive manner, focusing on the behavior rather than the person.
  • For example, “Your recent interactions with the team have been quite abrupt, which has caused some tension. Let’s work on improving communication to foster a more collaborative environment.”
• Formative Feedback: Formative feedback is used to guide employees during the learning process, providing them with insights and suggestions to improve their performance.
  • For instance, “During your presentation, you had some great points, but it would be even more effective if you could engage the audience with more eye contact and questions.”
• Summative Feedback: Summative feedback is used to evaluate employee performance at the end of a project or period, providing a summary of their strengths and weaknesses.
  • For example, “Over the past quarter, you’ve shown excellent problem-solving skills and have consistently met your targets. However, there is room for improvement in your time management.”

By understanding and utilizing these different types of feedback, you can provide more targeted and effective employee feedback, ultimately enhancing performance and engagement.

Word Feedback cut into a wooden cut circle placed over textured blue wooden background.

Setting the scene for constructive feedback

For feedback to be given, listened to, and then acted upon, there are some ground rules that must be observed. I call these the ‘tools for the road’.

When you drive the highway, you first need to know your destination. You need to know what you and others can control. For example:

• you are in charge of the car;
• a road traffic accident is out of your sphere of responsibility, though you may have cause to report and help; and
• delays or roadblocks have to be negotiated.

In the workplace this means setting clear expectations for your employees. For example, provide examples of work products that clearly reflect the quality and detail you expect from an individual. When setting clear expectations, it is crucial to communicate these to your direct reports to ensure they understand their responsibilities and the feedback process.

Let your people know explicitly what they control, and provide a continuum for feedback. Remember also that feedback is a two-way street. It is about listening, understanding, and acting.

Preparing to Give Feedback

Preparing to give feedback is crucial to ensure that the conversation is productive and effective. Here are some steps to help you prepare:

• Gather Information: Collect relevant data, observations, and examples to support your feedback. This ensures that your feedback is based on facts and specific instances, making it more credible and actionable.
• Define the Purpose: Clearly define the purpose of the feedback conversation, whether it’s to address an issue, provide guidance, or acknowledge achievements. Knowing the purpose helps you stay focused and ensures that the conversation is meaningful.
• Choose the Right Time and Place: Select a private and comfortable setting where the employee feels safe and open to receiving feedback. Avoid public settings where the employee might feel embarrassed or defensive.
• Prepare Your Thoughts: Organize your thoughts, and consider the employee’s perspective, strengths, and weaknesses. This helps you deliver feedback in a balanced and constructive manner.
• Anticipate Questions and Concerns: Prepare to address potential questions and concerns the employee may have. This shows that you are considerate and ready to support them through the feedback process.

By taking these steps, you can ensure that you give feedback in a way that is respectful, clear, and effective, ultimately fostering a positive and productive work environment.

Techniques for giving and receiving feedback

When providing feedback, it is important to be on point. Feedback must be specific to behaviour.

Providing specific feedback examples can help illustrate the points you are making and ensure that the feedback is clear and actionable.

For example, saying someone is doing a good job may raise a smile, but is a short-lived ‘throw-away’ appraisal. What is that person good at? What is it that they are doing which can be used as best practice, and inform the behaviour of others?

Consider which is the better and more effective feedback of the following:

“You’re working well on these reports. Well done.”

or…

“I see you’ve put in a process to reduce the time it takes to process these reports. That’s great work, and something we could use across the whole company.”

In brief, there are five elements of constructive feedback. It should be:

• Given in a timely fashion
• Clear
• Specific
• Non-judgmental
• Actionable

Making your feedback effective using a simple feedback framework

To make feedback effective (that is to say, something that will leave a positive, engaging impact on the employee) I recommend following the situation-behaviour-impact (SBI) model. This feedback model ensures that you hit the five elements of constructive feedback I highlighted above. For example:

Capture the situation

“In yesterday’s team meeting…”

Describe the behaviour

“…you interrupted constantly.”

Describe the impact

“This forced your colleagues to shut down. Consequently, we weren’t able to discuss their ideas and arrive at a team-based solution to our problem.”

From this specific feedback, you will be able to discuss behaviour, and jointly produce a plan of action that the employee can use to improve his or her performance.

Overcoming Barriers to Giving Feedback

Giving feedback can be challenging, and several barriers can prevent you from providing effective feedback. Here are some common barriers and strategies to overcome them:

• Fear of Conflict: Fear of conflict can prevent you from giving feedback. To overcome this, focus on the issue rather than the person, and use “I” statements to express your concerns. For example, “I noticed that the project deadlines were missed, and I’m concerned about how this affects our overall timeline.”
• Lack of Time: Lack of time can be a significant barrier to giving feedback. To overcome this, prioritise feedback, and allocate specific times for feedback conversations. Scheduling regular check-ins can help ensure that feedback is given consistently and timely.
• Uncertainty about How to Give Feedback: Uncertainty about how to give feedback can prevent you from providing effective feedback. To overcome this, seek training, and practice giving feedback in a safe and supportive environment. Role-playing scenarios with a colleague can be a helpful way to build confidence.
• Fear of Hurting the Employee’s Feelings: Fear of hurting the employee’s feelings can prevent you from giving feedback. To overcome this, focus on the behavior rather than the person, and provide feedback in a sensitive and supportive manner. For example, “I’ve noticed that your recent reports have had some errors. Let’s work together to identify the root cause and find a solution.”
• Cultural or Language Barriers: Cultural or language barriers can prevent you from giving effective feedback. To overcome this, be aware of cultural differences, and use simple language to ensure understanding. It may also be helpful to ask the employee to summarize what they heard to ensure clarity.

By recognising and addressing these barriers, you can provide more effective feedback, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and open communication.

How to receive feedback

As I said earlier, feedback is a two-way street. A good manager encourages his or her people to provide feedback on him or her. Doing so will aid your development as a leader, and further promote engagement. Encouraging your team to provide more feedback can help create a culture of continuous improvement and open communication.

When receiving feedback, you should follow these bullet point rules:

• Listen attentively
• Repeat only what you heard (to clarify)
• Ask for specifics (what you are doing well, what you are doing not so well)
• Show appreciation by saying “thank you”
• Ask if (and when) you can check back

If your people appear distant, disengaged, or disenfranchised, then you may need to brush up on your feedback technique. If you don’t provide effective discussion of performance, you are doing yourself, your employee, and your organisation a severe injustice.

Contact Primeast today to discover how an Emotional Intelligence course will develop and embed effective personal skills in the workplace, for leaders, managers, and employees.

Leadership Immersion – Transforming Learning

Thirty years involvement in leadership development has taught the team at Primeast a lot about the nature of leadership and the development of leaders. In recent years, unsurprisingly, the challenge for most leaders has been leading in an increasingly complex context. With this in mind, many of our clients have found it useful to distinguish between horizontal and vertical leadership development.

Without attempting to write a dissertation on this, I’d like to offer a simple differentiation between these two crucial elements for anyone who hasn’t come across the terminology and then offer just one approach for vertical development worth considering.

Horizontal development – building the leadership toolkit

I like to think of horizontal leadership development as adding more skills to the leader’s toolkit (conceptually laid out side-by-side on the leader’s workbench). So programs like presentation skills, influencing, engaging staff, empowerment and so on are one-by-one adding to the tools the leader can draw on.

Vertical development

However, studies have shown that leading in complex situations associated with the workplace today, requires more than a strong skill-set. Leaders also need a mature mind-set. Robert Keegan describes this evolution as a progression up ‘psychological levels’ (hence vertical development). At the top end of this scale the leader has to learn how to move from a self-authoring mind-set, where they (as the term suggests) decide what needs to happen and make it so, to a self-transforming mind-set where the purpose of their work is clearly bigger than they are and they understand that to serve it well they must collaborate with others who hold different and often opposing views or who may be culturally different.

Evolving Mindset

There are many ways to help leaders evolve their mind-set and mature in this vertical fashion. We use specialist diagnostics to help leaders understand their current leadership approach and to see where their developmental requirements fall. This is followed with coaching which supports leaders step by step through their development plan. And we also draw on experiential learning in groups and teams where leaders work with skilled facilitators to help them make sense of their learning experience.

Immersion Programmes offer something completely different

One of many types of experiential learning, especially suited to vertical leadership development is an immersion program, so called because we immerse leaders in an experience which is completely different from their ‘normal’ day-to-day existence and which stretches them emotionally and challenges their thinking and beliefs. Immersion programs encourage the participants to see a purpose which is bigger than themselves. These programs can be as creative as the sponsoring organization wishes and we have designed programs taking leaders to the developing world to help solve health problems, work with communities to improve employment prospects, engage with young people on environmental issues to name but a few. In large organizations, immersion programs can also be designed for several cohorts of learners in a series, working on a problem where a real difference can be made over time and the baton passed from one cohort to another.

It is also important to note that immersion programs are not limited to a physical experience. Much is possible with a creative and innovative approach and immersion programs can be just as effectively designed for the digital learning space. Our in-house design team have used learning technologies to create immersive virtual scenarios or simulations which test and challenge the participants’ thinking and provide a valuable opportunity for participants to move away from their comfort zone and enter a safe space where they can practice and reflect on their physiological response to a virtual activity.

Working on immersion programs like these is not a new thing, in fact Primeast has been involved in this type of development for almost thirty years and our team can share stories of some amazing experiences. And many organizations organise such interventions for themselves, which is great. But I would like to conclude with a thought.

The value of external facilitation

People who get to work on immersion experiences will often describe them as ‘life-changing’. I still remember the first of many trips to Malawi and being involved with the Open Arms Infant Home. But to gain maximum learning from such experiences, they have to be well-designed and supported by skilled facilitators who don’t get lost in the task (which is easy to do) but instead know when to ask participants the challenging questions- encouraging them to take a ‘balcony’ perspective on what is going on in the moment rather than remaining on the ‘dancefloor’ for the whole time and failing to gain the deeper learning. These are sometimes posed to the whole group and sometimes to a participant in a quiet space at just the right time. Or to play back an observation with appropriate sensitivity so a leader can reflect on the wisdom (or otherwise) of their actions and try a new and alternative approach. The skill in this must not be undervalued.

The Power of Experiential Leadership Development

2020 saw a dramatic acceleration in the uptake of virtual learning & development. The range of available digital learning platforms and portals exploded; both free to use and subscription based. Some now offer simple broadcast content and others have a SCORM functionality linking to the buyer’s LMS. However, they are mostly aimed at knowledge transfer and knowledge testing. This is great for improving what people know. However, it’s what people actually do at work, day in day out that counts.

Virtual Instructor Led Training also exploded, with thousands of hours of traditional face to face classes being switched to virtual delivery. Again, much of the focus is still on knowledge transfer, generally scaffolded with some discussion and a few activities converted for use in the virtual world. Some have been very successful; others less so.

Over the last few years my learning design colleagues at Primeast have found that the principles of experiential learning that we have honed, in our 30+ years of creating meaningful face to face learning experiences can and have been successfully transferred to the virtual environment. And so far, our clients have been delighted!

What is experiential learning?

In their simplest form, experiential learning sessions involve individuals being exposed to challenging scenarios, each of which has been designed to allow them to practise using what they have learned in a low-risk environment. We believe this is an important consideration as allowing leaders to effectively practise in real-life situations is too risky for all concerned (Bregman, Harvard Business Review, April 2019). Following solid adult development principles, the scenarios themselves also stretch, test and provide insights on a learner’s ability to lead in specific conditions.

The process generally follows these steps:

1. Create a simulated scenario depicting a potential issue/situation that replicates dynamics in learners’ day to day work.
2. Work through the scenario in real time to see how learners apply what they have learned and how they respond to the situation.
3. Use reflective debrief processes, such as 4F and deconstructive dialogue (based on Kegan, 2010) to examine the behaviors that were exhibited and actions or decisions that were taken.

Experienced facilitator/coaches lead discussions where groups of learners reflect in detail on how their underpinning mindsets and their actions (or lack of) affected the outcome and also what could be done for better effect if a similar scenario were to be faced again.

This focus on understanding the importance of mindset and the resulting action/decision-making while under the pressure of time, helps learners understand how they might react in similar real-world circumstances. It also allows them the opportunity to reflect on both their physiological & psychological responses – learning by feeling as well as doing, providing an even more profound learning experience.

This immersive combination of feeling and doing is the essence of experiential development and has been proven to be highly effective in transforming leadership capability.

The benefits of an immersive and experiential approach to learning

One of the areas where this approach has been found to highly effective, regardless of business scale, is that it stimulates challenge of extant mindset or thinking. Often business growth is held back, not by technology or what people do but leaders’ internal operating systems and their modes of thinking, both individual and collective.

Being stewarded through scenarios by an experienced experiential facilitator/coach surfaces those underpinning mindsets that drive the way people act and the decisions they make and can be analyzed at key points during, and at the end of the scenario. The care taken in designing scenarios that replicate workplace challenges means that insights are easily linkable to the real-world and discussions which result in insights which can be enacted more effectively.

Can experiential learning really be done virtually?

Now consider the virtual learning space in which we now spend so much of our time. Recent reports from a range of respected sources like EY & Harvard Business Review have highlighted the narrative around digital fatigue which has grown significantly since the start of the pandemic.

Virtual learning environments which exacerbate this digital fatigue will not be effective, will not be a good investment and will just add to the overall reduction in human effectiveness organizations may experience.

However, we have found that there is little reason why the principles of experiential learning cannot apply to the virtual learning space and change this game around.

Feedback we have received from our learners indicates that fatigue has been mitigated by our focus on their personal and collective experience as learners, alongside teaching them useful concepts. Simple steps such as allowing facilitated reflective debrief discussions in small groups to promote psychological safety creates both engagement and insight for everyone involved.

The ability to design thoughtfully constructed, stimulating digital-enabled virtual experiences which reflect scenarios that are faced in reality is a very specific skill. It requires diagnosis, analysis and a creative and innovative approach which embraces the technological opportunity to leverage sound learning principles. As one of our colleagues noted “the trick is to see it less like designing a class or workshop and more like creating a live TV production”. The best virtual learning feels like a perfectly choreographed performance that immerses, stimulates, engages, challenges and inspires. It must stir the mind, the body and the heart. Like all good learning.

If you’re currently finding yourself working in teams or managing teams remotely and/or virtually, read more about how you can help build trust in remote teams.

Find out more about how we can help you creating truly engaging and experiential learning, both face-to-face or virtually; speak to a member of the team today.

How to Foster Purposeful Leadership

In my twenty-year career in the field of purposeful leadership, I have read, digested and repeated many quotations from leaders past and present. If I had to identify the one that has impacted me most it would be this:

“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom” – Viktor E. Frankl

There is so much depth and wisdom in Frankl’s words, especially when his personal experience is considered. Frankl was an Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist and a Holocaust survivor. He survived Theresienstadt, Auschwitz, Kaufering and Turkheim. He was uppermost in my mind when I personally visited Auschwitz and Birkenau last month (June 2019). He was also uppermost in my mind when I chose to follow the footsteps of several of Primeast colleagues by enrolling to become a practitioner in The Leadership Circle, a powerful diagnostic to help leaders tap into the wisdom identified by Frankl.

The Leadership Circle is a 360 degree instrument to give leaders feedback on the extent they are creative (top half of the circle) or reactive (the bottom half). It is grounded in leadership research from not one but many respected sources. Having gone through the process as a participant, I can speak first-hand on the profound effect it had on me. But that’s another conversation that I’m very happy to have another day with interested parties.

The reason for writing this article is simply to make the connection between Frankl’s wisdom and this modern-day leadership development tool,emphasising the importance of understanding one’s leadership purpose.To what extent do we really make use of the space between stimulus and response?’

I am aware of the profound difference between being reactive (not using the space) and being creative (using the space).’ I catch myself frequently failing to use the space, reacting to stuff that happens, at work, at home, in restaurants, you name it. I also notice that, when I’m busy, the chances of ‘reacting’ are increased.

Let’s face it, in today’s busy world of work, is anyone not busy? Is there anyone that wouldn’t benefit from understanding their leadership gap (between reactive tendencies and creative capability)?

Understanding Purposeful Leadership

Purposeful leadership is more than just a management style; it’s a commitment to leading with a clear sense of direction and intent. Purposeful leaders are driven by a strong sense of purpose that guides their decision-making and behavior. They are not just focused on achieving business goals but are also dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of their employees and stakeholders.

These leaders inspire and motivate others by creating a positive organizational culture where everyone feels valued and engaged.

Research has shown that purposeful leadership is linked to numerous positive outcomes. Employees who work under purposeful leaders often exhibit higher levels of engagement and job satisfaction. This, in turn, leads to improved organizational performance. By fostering a sense of purpose within their teams, leaders can create an environment where everyone is working towards a common goal, resulting in a more cohesive and productive workplace.

Discovering Your Purpose as a Leader

Discovering your purpose is a deeply personal journey that requires introspection and a willingness to explore your core values and passions. It’s about understanding what drives you, what you stand for, and what you hope to achieve in your leadership role. Your purpose should resonate with your personal values and align with the organizational purpose, serving as a source of inspiration and motivation.

To embark on this journey, take time to reflect on your values, passions, and strengths. Ask yourself what kind of leader you want to be and what kind of impact you want to make. Seek feedback from trusted colleagues and mentors to gain insights into your strengths and areas for growth.

By aligning your purpose with your personal values and the broader organizational goals, you can lead with authenticity and make a positive difference.

Framework to use to discover your purpose as a leader

These steps provide a practical framework for leaders to discover their unique purpose, enabling them to lead with clarity, authenticity, and lasting impact.

1. Deep Self Reflection
   • Set aside dedicated time and space to think.
   • Reflect on your life experiences, key moments and personal achievements.
   • Ask yourself: What drives me? What do I stand for as a leader?
   • What impact do I want to have on others and the organization?
2. Clarify Your Core Values
   • What are your top values (e.g. integrity, growth, empathy, impact)?
   • When have you felt most fulfilled or proud — what values were present?
   • Write down 5-7 core values that describe you and how you lead.
3. Your Passions and Interests
   • What parts of work or life get you fired up?
   • What types of problems or challenges do you enjoy solving?
   • What am I naturally drawn to in my role as a leader?
4. Define Your Leadership
   • Imagine the type of leader you want to be and the legacy you want to leave.
   • What leadership qualities and characteristics do you most admire in others?
   • Write your personal vision for leadership in 3-5 sentences.
5. Your Strengths and Unique Abilities
   • Take an honest stock of your strengths, skills and natural talents.
   • Use self-assessment tools or ask for feedback from trusted colleagues, mentors or coaches.
   • Where do your skills and passions overlap — these are often clues to your purpose.
6. Seek Feedback and Perspective
   • Have open conversations with mentors, coaches and trusted colleagues.
   • Ask for feedback on your leadership style, strengths and areas for growth.
   • Use their feedback to challenge your own assumptions and discover blind spots.
7. Align with Organizational Purpose
   • How does your personal purpose support or align with the organization’s purpose?
   • How can you contribute to something bigger than yourself?
   • Where can you create more meaning and impact in your role.
8. Write a Personal Purpose Statement
   • Combine your values, passions and leadership identity into a purpose statement.
   • Make it simple, memorable and inspiring (e.g. “To inspire others to reach their full potential through empathy, courage and continuous learning”)
   • Review and refine this statement as you grow as a leader.
9. Live Your Purpose Daily
   • Live your purpose in your daily actions, behaviors and decisions.
   • Stay true to your values and purpose even in tough times or uncertainty.
   • Use your purpose as a “North Star” to guide your leadership journey.
10. Revisit and Evolve Your Purpose
    • Your purpose may change as you grow or as your role changes.
    • Review your purpose periodically and ask if it still aligns with your values and goals.
    • Let your purpose evolve as your leadership journey unfolds.

The Importance of Vulnerability for Purposeful Leaders

Vulnerability is a cornerstone of purposeful leadership. It involves being open, honest, and transparent, even when it feels uncomfortable. Vulnerable leaders create a safe and supportive environment where employees feel empowered to share their ideas, concerns, and feedback. This openness fosters trust, collaboration, and innovation, as team members feel valued and heard.

By embracing vulnerability, leaders can connect with their employees on a deeper level, understanding their needs and concerns more effectively. This connection enables leaders to make more informed decisions that benefit the entire organization. Vulnerability also demonstrates humility and a willingness to learn from mistakes, which can inspire others to do the same. In a culture of openness and empathy, everyone can contribute to the organization’s success.

Leading with Purpose

Leading with purpose means using your sense of purpose as a guiding star for your decision-making and behavior. Purposeful leaders are driven by a clear direction and are committed to making a positive difference. They inspire and motivate others by creating a positive organisational culture and making tough decisions that align with their purpose.

To lead with purpose, start by crafting a clear purpose statement that encapsulates your values and goals.

Use this statement to guide your decisions and actions, ensuring they align with your purpose. Communicate your purpose to your team, helping them understand the “why” behind your decisions. Additionally, prioritize your own well-being and development, recognising that your purpose is closely tied to your personal values and passions. By leading with a clear purpose, you can create a meaningful and impactful leadership journey.

Overcoming Challenges

Purposeful leaders often face significant challenges, from resistance to change to limited resources and conflicting priorities. To navigate these obstacles, leaders must be resilient, adaptable, and creative. They need to be willing to take risks, experiment with new approaches, and learn from their mistakes.

Staying focused on your purpose and values can help you overcome these challenges. By keeping your greater purpose in mind, you can make decisions that align with your long-term goals, even in the face of adversity. Inspire and motivate your team to work towards a common goal, creating a sense of collective purpose and direction. By overcoming challenges with resilience and creativity, purposeful leaders can make a lasting positive impact on their organizations and the people they lead.

Find out more about how Primeast services can support you and your organization to achieve greater success here: Leader and Leadership Development.

What the Tour de France can Teach us About Teamwork

Giant-Shimano rider Marcel Kittel has attributed his opening stage victory in the Tour de France to his team.

“I have to say thank you to my boys,” he said after he crossed the finishing line. “They worked very hard for me. I think the advantage for me today was the team. When you look at the last 5km, we were for sure the strongest team. We could do it how we wanted and that was important for the victory.”

The words of the German are particularly poignant given the controversy surrounding Team Sky in the run up to the tournament, which ended with Bradley Wiggins being left out of the race.

Tensions between Wiggins and Chris Froome have been making headlines ever since 2012 and the words of Kittel only serve to highlight the disparity between the togetherness of the British team and that of the German’s.

If nothing else, the frictions with Team Sky and Kittel’s ride to victory are a lesson in the importance of teamwork and togetherness for the achievement of excellence.

A tale of two teams

When we look at Team Sky and Giant-Shimano we can see clear differences in how they function as teams.

Rewind to before the Grand Depart and Sir Dave Brailsford had given an interview to L’Equipe in which he had said that his next objective was to win the Tour de France with a Frenchman. A comment that would have done little to instil a sense of support in British favorite Chris Froome. This disjointure isn’t without precedent either, with Froome having previously criticized Brailsford for reneging on agreements and not giving him the support he needed.

On the other side there is the coach of Giant-Shimano, Rudi Kemna, whose main headline-making activity thus far this year is selecting the first ever Chinese Tour de France rider. What’s more, when talking to the press he has focused largely on the talent, claiming each member has been chosen to create the best sprint formation around Kittel and Degenkolb.

“It is always hard picking a selection for the Tour.” Kemna said. “And especially so this year when we have so many riders all at near enough the same level and capable of bringing a lot to the team. The way we are heading into the Tour is the way that I like to start a race – with a team full of confidence and with clear goals. I am looking forward to going to the Tour and showing the world who Team Giant-Shimano is.”

It is perhaps these clear goals that have given Giant-Shimano the edge. Indeed, at Primeast we have seen that no matter the context – sport or business – all team members need to be aligned to a clear purpose to achieve excellence.

Conversely, the goal of Team Sky has been somewhat marred by conflicting egos, including tensions between Froome and Brailsford, and perhaps ill-advised press statements from those associated with the team.

Disjointure in Team Sky can be traced back to 2012 and while it hasn’t prevented the team from reaching the top of the podium, it hasn’t made for a smooth ride. Two years ago Froome pulled away at stage 11 against orders and in 2013 the team fell apart at stage nine, leaving Froome riding alone and vulnerable.

When we look at Giant-Shimano it’s a different story, not least because the team has two victories under its belt in this competition. Throughout the Tour de France the riders have ridden as a team thus far, being called a ‘masterclass in teamwork’. They have intensified pressure at the same time and worked in such a way as to ensure Kittel can take victory.

Team Sky, on the other hand, put in one of it’s its worst performances, amid Froome’s embroilment in accusations that he had been given preferential treatment through his use of certain medications. It seems instead of all riders being focused on the collective purpose of winning, other considerations – mainly individual – have taken precedence.

There’s no I in team

The Tour de France has certainly made clear that when it comes to creating a successful team, each member has to be valued for their role and has to be working towards the same purpose. There is no room for egos, as these affect engagement and achievement of the goal.

Start putting ‘I’ above ‘we’ and Patrick Lencioni’s five team dysfunctions become apparent.

Absence of trust – This happens when team members are unwilling to be vulnerable and open up about mistakes and weaknesses. Without this honesty, there is no foundation for trust. In Team Sky, Wiggins himself commented on a lack of trust between him and Froome, which has arguably been borne from a mutual inability to admit fault.

Fear of conflict – Conflict is one of the most powerful tools teams have but if people don’t engage in debate or ignore tension – much in the way Brailsford is said to have buried his head in the sand over Froome and Wiggins – a team loses its ability to understand each other and explore resolutions.

Lack of commitment – If a team is not engaged in open, unregulated debate, it becomes difficult to get team members to engage with purpose. This is because they haven’t been involved in the decision-making process. At Primeast we work with teams to ensure leaders involve all members to formation of purpose, values and goals. This way, a generalised team purpose becomes, for every member of the team, ‘our purpose’.

Avoidance of accountability – When people become misaligned from purpose, it becomes hard to hold people to account. This is because they haven’t committed to the plan in the first place.

Inattention to results – As a result of the first four dysfunctions, a team will often fail to achieve its purpose and generate results. This is because individual needs have been placed above the importance of collective goals.

Take aways from the Tour de France

For businesses, the Tour de France has thus far demonstrated the importance of ensuring all team members are aligned to the same purpose and no one person is elevated above the rest.

What’s more, those in charge need to lead from the front and create a culture in which team members feel supported. Whether in sport or business, a lack of togetherness at a team level will make it impossible for a company to deliver results.

Primeast has been working with organizations for over thirty years as learning and development partners. We can support you and your teams to get the compelling purpose, strong team culture, and fully aligned internal processes you need to succeed.

To start a conversation with us today, you can email Simon directly or call Primeast on +44 (0) 1423 531083.

Leading to Prime

I am sometimes asked where our company name comes from – and specifically why the word ‘prime’ features. The story goes back to our early days, when we collaborated with Gerry Faust PhD., a leading California based thought leader and researcher into the concept of ‘The Organisational Lifecycle’.

His work, alongside business partner, Ichak Adizes, identified that an organization didn’t necessarily have a finite life. Their research showed that if the organization operated in such a way as to maintain a state of optimum performance called ‘Prime’, it’s life could be extended almost indefinitely.

There are similarities to what Jim Collins PhD. found in his ‘Built to Last’ and ‘Good to Great’ research; find your evolutionary sweet spot, constantly reinvent and the organization is much more likely to become a long-term creator of value. Our founder, John Campbell, found the quest of helping organizations achieve and sustain Prime so compelling, that it was included in both our reason for being…and our name!

We have maintained that purpose, embracing change as we go to ensure relevance. Enabling, developing and advising leaders on how to get to the space where they can deliver long term value for their customers, their employees and their owners – to Prime.

Prime is the optimum position on an organizational lifecycle, where the organization finally achieves a balance between control and agility.

Prime is not actually a single point on the lifecycle curve but is best represented by an area of the curve that includes both growing and aging conditions. This is because agility and self-control are incompatible, creating healthy tension. Sometimes the Prime organization is more flexible than controllable, sometimes it’s not flexible enough. And given the fact that context is always changing, the area where Prime exists also changes.

Leaders who genuinely ‘Lead to Prime’ recognize that they need to keep their organizations just below the summit of the curve to remain in Prime and not be tempted into the trappings of Stable and the beginning of Premature Aging. As we know so vividly from 2020 nothing remains static. Leading to Prime requires constant attention and energy from both leaders and their people, continually reinventing and developing both the organization and themselves and adapting to change. We are in it for the infinite game.

When Leaders ‘Lead to Prime’ they:

• Ensure the organization is guided by its purpose, it’s reason for being. Working with the leadership team and other key stakeholders they create a clear vision of how to fulfil that purpose so everyone knows what they will do and will not do to make the journey. In short ‘they walk their talk’ and help others to do the same.
• Pursue with passion an enterprise-wide focus on external stakeholders to earn their long-term satisfaction. This results in a high degree of stakeholder loyalty. At the same time, because of the clarity of vision, the organization knows when and how to say ‘no’ to the market. It is disciplined enough to protect itself from engaging in ‘bad business’.
• Drive the institutionalisation of a collaborative, entrepreneurial spirit and creative mindset which consistently produces controlled, profitable innovation.
• Manage the company in a way so it operates in a focused, profitable energized and sustainable manner.
• Think and act systemically, ensuring organizational structures work well. Opposing forces are balanced. There is alignment between vision, strategy, structure, culture, information, resource allocation and rewards. Leaders who are ‘Leading to Prime’ continuously adapt and realign these subsystems to meet the challenges of VUCA environment.
• Make priorities clear so the organization knows what to do and what not to do. That clarity of vision and priorities allows a certain composure and peace of mind when they make tough decisions.
• Champion the balancing act of support and challenge throughout the organization where stretching goals are set and enabled so they can be consistently achieved.
• Recognise that appropriate, effective and reliable infrastructure provides support for the entire organization and resource it to the best of their ability.
• Continually seek opportunities for intra- and inter-organizational integration and cohesion with clients, suppliers, investors, and the community. Decision-making is done in an environment of healthy, constructive conflict. These aid internal cohesion which enables the Prime organization to devote much of its energy externally.
• Strive to create an outstanding place of work where people enjoy spending their lives. Consequently, employee churn or turnover is at a healthy level, as both experience and new thinking are valued. The importance of work/life balance is recognized and instances of burnout are rare.
• Create opportunities for people to align their purpose with that of the organization and liberate their talents to deliver results and personal success
• See change as ‘business as usual’ rather than ‘change management’. As it is the norm, people embrace change and work hard, adapting to shifting markets and technologies, innovating to meet growing stakeholder needs.
• Learn continuously and encourage others to do the same. They recognize it comes in many ways; from formal and informal learning right though to learning by understanding different perspectives when people disagree.
• Act with courageous authenticity as they understand their own values, those of the organization and act in alignment with them.
• Lead an organization that endures, survives and thrives on disruption, enjoying consistent, above average long-term growth in value and worth.

‘Leading to Prime’ is not easy as it requires a shift in mindset as well as behavior. It requires commitment, investment in time, energy and inevitably funding. However, the opportunity is huge, if you are willing and brave enough to make the leap and take a fresh look at how leaders ‘lead to Prime’.

The second part of our name – east, is an abbreviation of our original name from 1986 – Executive And Staff Training.

Our name and how we do things have changed, but our quest has remained constant over the years – we support our clients with the development of their leaders and people so that their organization gets to, and remains in, Prime.

Talk to us about how we can help you and your organization on your journey to being in Prime, email Russell Evans here or call him or our client relationship team on +44 (0)1423 531083.

We invite you to take a few minutes and try out some of our assessment resources which will give you some insights into growth and development opportunities.

The Primeast PrimeFocus™ assessment takes you through the eight elements that must be aligned to deliver prime performance and helps you to understand where you and your organization are on this journey.

Completing the Primeast Leadership Challenge assessment will help you to identify potential leadership development opportunities.