Cultivating Business Success Through Empathy

Many of us work under significant stress with constant change and unending demands for high performance. Traditional leadership models rooted in authority or control are proving less effective than a more human-centered way: compassionate leadership. Compassion acts on empathy and creates a workplace where people feel seen, heard, and valued.

Why is compassionate leadership critical to success today?

“Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care.”
– Theodore Roosevelt

Enhanced Employee Well-Being

Think about your own experience: Don’t you tend to perform better when you’re feeling better? Focusing leadership on people’s physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing sends a message: we care about you and support you. When people feel like they’re valued, they are more resilient to stress and less susceptible to burnout. And they’re better equipped to give their best.

For instance, during the COVID-19 pandemic, companies that adopted compassionate leadership practices—such as flexible work arrangements and mental health support—saw higher levels of employee satisfaction and retention compared to those that didn’t. These organizations recognized that their employees’ wellbeing was crucial for sustaining both individual and business success.

Increased Engagement and Performance

People whose leaders demonstrate compassionate behavior and attitudes tend to be more engaged at work. They are more likely to invest in their work and go above and beyond in their roles. Natural outcomes of engagement include better performance, increased innovation, and a competitive edge for the organization.

And if you want evidence, a study by the American Psychological Association found that employees who felt their leaders were compassionate reported greater job satisfaction, commitment to their organization, and overall performance. The study highlighted that compassion in leadership not only fosters a positive work environment but also drives tangible business outcomes.

People whose leaders demonstrate compassionate behavior and attitudes tend to be more engaged at work.

A Resilient and Adaptive Workforce

In the face of constant disruption, compassionate leadership can help people – and by extension, organizations – navigate challenges more effectively. In times of crisis or change, emotions run high. Leaders who are empathetic are better able to understand their teams’ concerns and provide the support necessary to adapt. The ability to meet the moment builds resilience within our teams, enabling the organization to weather uncertainties and emerge stronger.

We’ve seen that during economic downturns or organizational restructuring, compassionate leaders who maintain open communication and provide reassurance help their teams stay focused and motivated. This mitigates the distress around uncertainty and helps preserve morale, contributing to a quicker recovery.

Actions to Cultivate Compassionate Leadership

1. Listen actively and validate experience.

Listen without an agenda, practice silence, and refrain from judgment. Acknowledge the other’s experience, whether or not you agree. What they’re experiencing and feeling is valid. Try to understand their perspective. Doing so demonstrates care and fosters trust.

2. Encourage open communication.

Giving people the space to share their opinions and concerns frees up tension and provides room for collaboration and connection. Be the person who makes people feel safe. Ensure you have a predictable cadence for one-on-one meetings and team communication. Discuss expectations openly and give positive feedback for behaviors you’d like to see the team demonstrate.

3. Foster a culture of inclusivity.

We’re stronger when we value our differences. Seek divergent ideas, consider opposing viewpoints, and encourage dissenting opinions. Sometimes this creative tension is exactly what’s needed to get to the best outcomes. When we include all points of view, people feel respected and heard. What greater gift could we offer?

4. Provide support and resources.

Know what the physical, mental, and emotional health benefits are in your organization. Do you have an EAP program? Partner with a coaching service? Have gym stipends? Knowing these and other benefits can help you offer the right tool for the situation.

5. Lead by example.

Practice self-compassion. Modeling desired behavior will go farther than talking about it. Set the tone by interacting with care. Think and talk through business decisions with the awareness that actions impact people. Help your people do the same. This can help others see what desired behavior looks like; they’ll follow your lead, creating a ripple effect of empathy throughout the organization.

We’re stronger when we value our differences.

As leaders, we influence the direction of our organization through our relationships with people. To be compassionate means we’re working to alleviate the suffering of our people. When we do, we enhance their wellbeing, engagement, and performance. In a world where we’re doing all we can to keep up with constant change, the ability to lead with compassion isn’t only beneficial…it’s essential.

Are you a super communicator? No? Are you familiar with Supercommunicators by Charles Duhigg? No?! This best-selling book is our latest book club pick. All of us at Emerson Human Capital are reading it, section by section, and meeting to discuss our takeaways.

As consultants in the world of Learning & Development and Change Management, we have to be good listeners and ask thoughtful, appropriate questions. It’s how we ensure we deliver on the real needs of our clients. So, we’d like to think we are already super communicators – but are we?

Here’s what we’ve learned so far by reading and discussing the book.

A Few Key Ideas

Three Types of Conversations

Duhigg organizes his book around three main types of conversations:

1. What is this really about?
2. How do we feel?
3. Who are we?

Understanding the answers to each of these questions ensures participants are engaging in the same type of conversation.

Think about how often you or your team have jumped into a discussion out of habit or urgency (with or without an agenda), only to walk away wondering, “What just happened?” or feeling that you didn’t get your needs met. Recognizing and acknowledging the type of conversation helps avoid confusion and inefficiency.

Four Rules of a Learning Conversation

1. Pay attention to what kind of conversation is happening.
2. Share your goals and ask what others are seeking.
3. Ask about others’ feelings and share your own.
4. Explore whether identities are important to this discussion.

Quiet Negotiations

Duhigg tells us, “Within every conversation there is a quiet negotiation, where the prize is not winning, but rather determining what everyone wants, so that something meaningful can occur.” This quiet negotiation focuses both on what everyone wants and on the rules for making decisions together. He frames negotiation as a “subtle give-and-take” to ensure everyone wins, rather than the more common understanding of negotiation as a zero-sum game.

Neural Entrainment

It seems at our cores, Emersonians are kind of nerds. One of our loves is neuroscience. So, imagine our fascination when Duhigg introduced the concept of “neural entrainment.” He says, “At the heart of every conversation is the potential for neural synchronization,” which is an alignment between speaker and listener that is a key to the effectiveness of the communication.

Our Questions and Challenges

Sharing to Connect vs. Shifting Focus

At Emerson, we love to use the power of storytelling. Duhigg uses real-life stories to teach his concepts. Early in the book, he describes how a CIA agent learned to build and recruit key resources through sharing personal feelings and vulnerabilities.

When our team met, we paused to debate this further. After all, it seems every active listening principle tells us to keep the focus on the speaker and not grab the spotlight. We were left wondering how these concepts peacefully co-existed. (Spoiler alert: Duhigg dives into this further in section two of his book.)

The Post-Pandemic Problem

How do we overcome the challenges of connecting in a post-pandemic, more remote culture? Supercommunicating is about connecting. However, to our team it feels even harder than ever to make connections. One of us said, “Things seem so much more transactional.”

We had a few ideas to help overcome this challenge:

• Go to meetings a bit earlier and chat with those early to join.
• Turn your cameras on. See and be seen.
• Use humor. Share laughs, person to person. Be human together.

Manipulation?

Duhigg uses a case study to demonstrate the concepts of super communicating. The example is based on a jury in deliberations. As we read how one jury member applied super communicating principles, we could see how the minds of other jurors were changed.

We wondered whether supercommunicating was simply a form of masterful manipulation. As we talked, we decided it’s more about drawing out what really matters to other people — uncovering what they value and want. Duhigg helps us see past a “zero sum game” to a negotiation experience in which the pie gets bigger and everyone wins.

Simple Ways We’re Becoming Super Communicators

Get past: “I have an agenda and I need to get X, Y, and Z out of this meeting.” This doesn’t create strong relationships. Let go of your agenda and thoughts and be mindful and present, so you can actually read the people and what they need. It is important to get to the objective, but strong connections better in long-run for project.

Ask upfront: “What do you want to get out of this meeting? Use this with internal teams and with clients. Co-create a plan for the agenda. Even start with yourself to prepare for conversations. Duhigg suggests answering these questions first:

• What are two topics you most want to discuss?
• What is one thing you hope to say that shows what you want to talk about?
• What is one question you will ask that reveals what others want?

Adopt: Help, Hear, Hug? Clarifying the conversation means recognizing what each participant needs. As Duhigg says, “Different needs require different types of communication, and those different kinds of interaction – helping, hugging, hearing – each correspond to a different kind of conversation.” Is it a practical conversation (helped)? Emotional (hugged)? Or social (heard)?

Establish the shared language to help define what kind of conversation is really happening. Get aligned right away. As our team said, “Why not? That way, we’re having the same conversation!”

Intrigued by some of these concepts? Stay tuned for Are You a Super Communicator? Part 2 to find out what we learned from the rest of the book.

Consider a multi-directional development model.

In the consulting world—and certainly not limited to this field—it is all too common for organizations to adopt a “move up or move out” culture. In other words, individuals must get themselves promoted to a higher rung of the org chart; if they’re not promoted within a pre-set timeframe, they’re considered unredeemable or fired.

In its worst form, it is survival of the fittest. In its best form, it operationalizes a growth mindset, supporting individuals as they develop and advance along their chosen career path.

But is “up or out” the only direction?

What about side-to-side? Or even forward and back? Does your organization have a plan for someone to opt out of an “upward” path? Can they do so with emotional and professional safety?

When Trish Emerson founded Emerson Human Capital Consulting, she knew firsthand the up-or-out culture that many of us have experienced. She wanted to build an organization with a “multi-directional” culture.

As I consider how this has played out within Emerson, I can cite real examples of current team members who have moved “up” into leadership roles then “back” to more client-focused roles. Others have transitioned from full-time employees to contractors. Others are clients turned employees turned contractors. And still others have been contractors and then joined us as full-time employees.

Our philosophy—doing meaningful work with people we love—isn’t limited to linear career paths. We want those people we love—the talented, creative, relational, impactful people—to find a sweet spot where they can thrive. In turn, this nurtures the culture and the well-being of our overall organization by retaining team members in ways that allow them to be their best, high-performing selves.

I experienced this firsthand recently. I spent decades in up-or-out and “in order to grow you have to go (somewhere else)” career scenarios. A year ago, I accepted a promotion at Emerson. At the time, the role was new. There were aspects of the role presented to me that I knew I would love. Other aspects I knew would be challenging or less energizing than my other work.  We collectively agreed to try it; if it didn’t work, we’d figure it out. In other words, there was an “opt out” card on the table.

Over the course of the year, I found myself questioning whether this role was the right thing at the right time.

I decided to talk to Trish, our CEO, about shifting back to the role I had loved. I recently worked on a client project focused on empathy, belonging, and trust, so I was very tuned-in to these dynamics as I approached her to discuss what a move would mean.

How remarkable to be able to say, “She made it so easy!” She secured my sense of belonging by quickly confirming that all team members need to be in roles that help them thrive. She sees how that feeds the well-being of the organization. She empathized with the factors at play for me as a whole person – not just “Workplace Lisa.” She created psychological safety by allowing me to own the message about my decision – what got said, by whom, and when. And I had every reason to trust my employment was never at risk, nor did I sense there would be hidden political implications or surprise consequences. In fact, this decision doesn’t preclude me from future promotions.

What is your workplace culture like when it comes to career mobility?

Is “up” the only direction? Do you lose team members because they need to go to grow? Or do you have an opt-out path, framed in safety and belonging? Are there alternative paths that still reflect success and embrace an individual’s experiences, strengths, and skills? How do you make these options more than just words?

I’d love to hear from you. Use the form below to share your thoughts.

Do your design and delivery create the right environment?

Psychological safety is a hot topic in discussions about organizational culture. Moreover, business leaders seem to understand that safety, empathy, trust, and belonging are critical to the well-being of both employees and organizations.

Recently, I had the opportunity to develop a course on these four components of culture. Our client believed that teaching leaders how to foster empathy, belonging, psychological safety, and trust would improve employee engagement, retention, DEI, and civility issues, helping the organization achieve its goals.

But simply talking about these four components wasn’t enough.

We needed to demonstrate them throughout the entire learning experience. This meant choosing words, imagery, and a course structure that allowed our audience to feel safe and stay engaged while they worked through vulnerable and challenging topics.

How did we do this?

1. We chose language that avoided direct reference to gender identification, race or ethnicity, age, or disability status. For example, we would refer to “team members” and “supervisors” without specific demographic references.
2. We used stories to make the concepts relatable. Storytelling engages our minds and hearts. It taps into our capacity for empathy. We didn’t just want to teach about these concepts, we wanted the learners to experience them. For example, we used stories and scenarios that featured the “whole person” at work. We also used videos from recognized experts like Simon Sinek, who taught about trust through a story. We relied on powerful Ted Talks to teach about assumptions.
   

   We use “paper people” and stick figure imagery with no race, age, or gender.

3. We carefully selected visuals that were inclusive but not specific. What does this mean? For example, we used pictures of hands coming together in a group; the hands represented different skin tones and different genders. We avoided images with faces that might reinforce the assumptions our brains already create. We used “paper people” and stick figure imagery with no race, age, or gender.
4. We used visuals that were inclusive and specific. Sometimes we just needed to include faces. So, we made sure the faces in our imagery and case studies were representative of the team members in our client’s organization.
5. We called attention to our brains’ tendencies toward assumptions and biases. We made a lesson out of this very real human function, and then taught how awareness can help us set those stories aside to be replaced by openness, curiosity, and empathy.
6. We set a group agreement to protect confidentiality. We made it ok to share what participants learned in the workshop but agreed not to share what other participants said.
7. We started and ended with “your one word.” This workshop was delivered virtually, so we needed to intentionally build a sense of connection. We started with introductions that included name, team, location, and “your one word.” Each person shared a word to describe how they were feeling coming into the workshop that day. We heard everything from “excited” and “motivated” to “stretched” and vulnerable.”
8. We included group and individual activities. Not everything has to be shared to be learned. Particularly for topics like these, the learners needed time to reflect and apply at an individual level. They did this through self-assessments, confidence checks, and application activities focused on specific members of their teams. They also worked in groups on case studies so they could benefit from ideas and takeaways from their peers. Whenever appropriate, we did whole group debriefs so participants could benefit from different thinking and ideas.

Most importantly, we reviewed the concepts, the content, and the visuals with our client advisory team to make sure each aspect would land well. We had to check our own stories and assumptions about what would be effective and open ourselves to the feelings and experiences of the advisors. In other words, we had to practice what we were preaching in our own course.

Do your design and delivery create the right environment? Tell us about it using the form below.

Enterprise Resource Planning. The software that touches every single part of your business takes, on average, 18.4 months and roughly 3-5% of your revenue to implement.

Companies make these big investments because ERP can deliver efficiency, productivity, visibility, better forecasting, and data security, all while reducing costs. In fact, many companies consider ERP essential to their future. Nem Fontanilla, who has spent 27 years enabling global transformations, recommends that organizations “Design the ERP with the vision in mind and leverage it to accelerate the achievement of your team’s vision, not to enable the current reality.”

Unfortunately, most companies experience a rough ride on the way to those benefits. A friend of mine is CEO of a midsized company, and is in the the second year of a promised six-month cutover. When he described the team’s difficulties closing the books due to the cutover, and the accounting teams increasing frustration, another friend chimed in. His team had a similar issue with their ERP implementation. He described their reaction as “organ rejection.”

Is your organization fighting off the ERP implementation? Here are some of the reasons.

“No time for that.” It’s more than enough to get the day-to-day work done. Adopting a new system demands attention and energy that equates to another full-time job.

“The best person for this project already has a job.” If you want the new system to work well, you need your best people on the ERP team – the folks who know your business best. So who is running day-to-day operations while they’re focused on your company’s future? The irony is that they’re so essential to the business that they can’t be spared, yet they’re probably worried they won’t have a job when the project ends. You have two obstacles to staffing your ERP team right.

“It’s good enough.” The old system and process works well enough. The team works on auto-pilot – they know what to input and where to send it. They find it hard to imagine the benefits of an operational overhaul outweighing the urgency of the moment. And frankly, some departments might be right about that. They might find the new system is worse for them even though it benefits the company as a whole.

Feeling a little defeated? You’re not alone. It’s chaotic enough to run a business. Now you’re intentionally introducing something that might break it.

Here’s what to do.

Embrace the suck. Assume employees will hate it. It’s a big change. Every living person is here because our ancestors were paranoid enough to anticipate danger and survive. Your new system is an intruder.

Resist cliché communications. Do not create a basic elevator speech. Do not create “talking head” videos of your executives saying how important this is. You will reinforce every cynical assumption your people have about this effort. Instead, create a consistent message frame that is customized by the speaker based on the audience. For more on how to communicate, go here.

Communicate based on impact. Employees care about when they will be affected and how. If you communicate too much, people tune out. You’re just teaching people to ignore you. For each person or team, communicate just what matters, just enough, and just in time.

Say the thing. There’s a natural tendency to hold back information that’s unpleasant or undefined. But fight that urge; the more more explicit you are, the more you dispel confusion and build trust. Spell out your scope and your timelines. If there will be layoffs, say so. Identify who is impacted and how.

Show them this time is different. Sometimes employees resist a change because they equate it to another change that “failed.” So highlight the differences between this project and others in the past. Differences might include:

• New Approach
• Different Team
• Different Budget
• Tighter or Expanded Scope
• Different Focus
• New Code
• Different Timing

Create fresh starts. A long ERP initiative can feel like a slog. Psychologically, we respond better to beginnings and ends. Seize on any arbitrary beginning that feels real: a new quarter, a new phase, hitting a milestone, or new metrics (like testing or training numbers). Help the team and the organization feel the progress and success by celebrating those starts and ends.

Focus on one small win. For each job role, think of only one thing an employee can do to use the new system, even if it’s as trival as logging in. Have them do it, and have them do it often. Make sure it’s easy, and that the experience is positive – for example, that the screen they’re on actually works. This gives them a sense that they can be successful and it makes the new system feel more familiar.

Double-down on From-To. Nem Fontanilla, who has spent 27 years in change and transformation, recommends that teams “(design) end-user readiness activities with (the user’s) day in the life in mind. Help them contextualize and see the change from their vantage point.” Where do your current fields appear in the new system? It’s that level of detail employees will want. Where is the data people used to use – where is it now? Document that, and train that. The more specific you are, the easier you make it for your people.

Prepare to invest in cutover twice. You’re working toward an end state. But in between here and there is a transition state. The support materials you develop differ for each state. You need temporary processes and training for employees who have the context of how they work now. These transition materials will be irrelevant once you complete the cutover. The second set, your steady state materials, are for new employees who have never known your old processes. They live on going forward. Some people try to skip the transition investment and only invest in the end state. However, that forces employees to figure it out on their own, which is a bit like interrupting a line of ants – they find a new path, but you have no way to control or predict it.

Nem Fontanilla says, “Turning on the ERP is the beginning…The functional teams need support to fully realize the value. It does not just happen because the new capabilities are available.”

Getting past the organ rejection takes focus and preparation, but it can be done. The huge investment in your ERP requires no less.

Our advice: consider welcoming back this old new trend.

In just the last week, I’ve read several articles heralding the arrival of a new trend among office workers: Chronoworking. The term refers to the practice of adjusting your work schedule to align with those times of the day you’re most productive.

The only problem with this new trend? It’s not new.

In ages past, individual workers naturally gravitated toward work schedules that were most productive.  It was only as we entered the Industrial Revolution (with synchronized looms and mills) followed by the Information Age (with its cube farm/corner office dichotomy) that rigid scheduling became the norm.

But even then, there were notable exceptions. Thomas Edison famously took up to three naps a day; he found that the breaks in work allowed for new thoughts or solutions to a problem, and he had a pen nearby to capture thoughts upon waking.

Chronoworking: the practice of adjusting your work schedule to align with the times you’re most productive.

Growing up, I often watched my mom unpack files and manuals on government procurement from her bag and set them on our kitchen table to work on; she tended to do her best work in the evening hours. (With three boys at home, I can’t imagine how our house was conducive to work, but she found a way).

When I worked in an office, I would arrive an hour or more before the workday began; I found that I could accomplish more focused work in those first two hours of deep concentration than I could in the next nine hours.  Working from home, it’s not unusual for me to tackle one or two tasks between 4:30 and 5:30 am, go to the gym, and then return home to “begin” my workday.

Chronoworking is at a new point of inflection. Though working outside traditional office hours has been a “trend” for as long as people could carry home a briefcase, it’s gotten a boost from recent world events and innovations. VPN connections and cloud platforms make it easier. Covid made it normal; the abrupt work-from-home transition necessitated some work hour flexibility that people aren’t keen to relinquish during the return-to-office wave.

It’s now so ubiquitous that we feel we can say it out loud: We don’t all work well at the same times. That’s okay.

So, if you are a leader in your organization and you see this “trend” on the horizon, what do you do?

• Think about your own work patterns. I struggle to think of one executive or entrepreneur who does not (instinctively or intentionally) structure their work patterns to leverage their most productive times of the day. In fact, most leaders get to where they are in large part because they optimize their work patterns. If you have benefited from work flexibility, shouldn’t your employees?
• Foster trust and ownership. You hired great people, right? So let them be great. Give them some choice in the way they deliver on their mission. Working at the right times doesn’t just make people more productive, offering choices makes them feel in control and trusted, which is motivating. If you really need team members to hold down the pneumatic lift on an office chair between 8 AM and 5 PM to feel they’re productive, are they really the best people for your organization anyway?

We don’t all work well at the same times. That’s okay.

• Communicate clearly and intentionally. Employees using flexible work schedules must have stated expectations and accountability. And they need to understand the purposes and benefits of work flexibility. Be intentional in the balance between flexibility and cohesion. For example, create common times when the team comes together, virtually or physically. This sends an important message: While we all work differently, we are one team working toward a goal together.

Allowing chronoworking is a change for many teams, and we know that change is hard. We also know that the most successful organizations embrace change.

Use your organizational values as a compass in an automated world.

Imagine walking into a workplace where decisions are made at the speed of light, tasks are completed with superhuman precision, and innovation is not just a buzzword but a daily reality.

This is the vision many organizations are chasing as they adopt artificial intelligence (AI). But as the AI landscape continues to evolve, some organizations are simply running to keep up, with no clear destination.

How do you know if you’re headed in the right direction? Our tip — check each milestone against your organizational values.

Why Values Matter in the Age of Automation

Without a strong set of values guiding AI, organizations find themselves in a maze of ethical difficulties and impersonal interactions.

For instance, what if an organization deployed AI chatbots for customer service without adequately addressing their limitations? This could frustrate customers and badly damage the brand.

Don’t automate processes without considering the implications and checking them against your values. Automation should enhance, not replace, the human touch. Every outcome should be aligned with the organization’s mission, vision, and values.

Without a strong set of values guiding AI, organizations find themselves in a maze of ethical difficulties and impersonal interactions.

The Role of Values in Decision-Making

Just because we can, does it mean we should? What guides our organizational decisions?

AI systems learn from historical data, which can contain biases. If the data are biased, the AI model might spread those biases. Imagine an AI-powered hiring tool that inadvertently discriminates against certain demographics due to biased historical hiring data. This could lead to unfair employment practices and even legal repercussions.

If, instead, the organization embeds its values into decision-making, it creates a culture of consistency and trust. Employees and other stakeholders understand that company actions are founded on those values.

Values and ethical rules should guide our decisions, not software features. Values ensure that as we delegate tasks to machines, we’re not also outsourcing our ethical responsibilities.

Just because we can, does it mean we should?

Protecting the Human Heart in a Digital World

As we embrace the incredible potential of advanced automation, let’s not forget the human heart beating at the core of our organizations. It’s the passion of the people, guided by clear and compassionate values, that will ensure technology enhances our work rather than defines it.

For instance, a hospital may have AI-driven diagnostic tools that are incredibly accurate, even revolutionary. But healthcare workers know that delivering a diagnosis without empathy will cause patients anxiety and distress. The most successful organizations will be those that harness the power of automation without discarding human insight.

Automation should enhance, not replace, the human touch.

So, let’s program our future with not only intelligence, but with wisdom and foresight. As our capabilities grow, so can our humanity.

Three Takeaways for Optimizing AI

Values are the compass. In a world steered by automation, clear organizational values provide direction and purpose, ensuring that every technological advancement serves the greater mission.

Ethics determine the heading. As automation becomes more prevalent, the temptation to prioritize efficiency over ethics can grow. Maintaining clear values helps resist this temptation and fosters a culture of integrity.

Advanced automation is a crew member, not the captain. While automation can greatly enhance efficiency and decision-making, it should not inhibit the passion and judgment of the people that make up the organization.

As the lines between human intuition and AI are blurring, clear organizational values have never been more crucial. As we sail into the uncharted waters of AI, these values are the stars by which we navigate, ensuring we don’t get distracted by shiny new software and lose sight of our humanity.

HR professionals must think of themselves as change agents.

Perhaps no role is shifting faster than the HR professional. If the pandemic showed us anything, it was that the employee experience is essential to survival. HR is not only helping navigate choppy post-pandemic waters, but also evolving into a true strategic partner.

This is not just about external catalysts or inclusion in strategic decisions. It’s about mindset. HR professionals must start thinking of themselves as change agents.

For example, a global company wanted to launch a development program to change the behaviors of its leaders, world-wide. Other initiatives like this had flopped, but this one was a smashing success. Why? In part, it was because HR itself made some significant behavior changes of its own.

1. From understanding business needs to forecasting them.

Having ears to the ground, HR could see early on that the business model was shifting from individual contribution to team performance. Soon, leaders would have to work with multiple global cross-functional project teams and get them to collaborate quickly to drive business outcomes. Because HR anticipated this need, the program was not merely a reaction to a problem; it was a proactive solution.

How they did it:  HR claimed a “seat at the table” and participated in business decisions. They held regular meetings with employees and managers and asked the right questions. They also conducted frequent pulse surveys to gauge the mood of the employee base and respond.

2. From tracking metrics to owning Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

The HR team committed to employee engagement (a company KPI) instead of focusing on tactical metrics like total training hours or training feedback scores.

How they did it: They kept organizational goals front-and-center during every conversation and work session. They brainstormed with their internal clients to identify the right HR success metrics to achieve employee engagement and to drive the desired employee behaviors. For example, training didn’t end in the classroom but was followed by simulations and mentoring to ensure that the learning stuck and leaders managed their teams optimally.

3. From understanding diversity to fostering inclusion.

Even though corporate headquarters was in the U.S., the move to team performance was global. HR knew many typical elements of training and communication didn’t resonate globally, so they paid special attention to that.

How they did it: HR crunched the numbers to identify real data on diversity. Then, they used the quantitative results to make the program culturally inclusive. For example, they knew that employees in other countries might be alienated if the company continued to use U.S. baseball metaphors. So they asked their geo stakeholders to share their stories and metaphors, then applied the lens of local culture to all experiences.

4. From following HR trends to focusing and executing the most relevant trends.

The HR team had a good sense of multi-generational workplace and digital revolution, but they decided to thoroughly examine how these trends impacted the company and how best to manage them.

How they did it: HR read the research and reached out to networks and business stakeholders to get their input. They investigated trends and analyzed impacts. These findings guided all relevant HR actions. They made sure the communications, training, and tools they rolled out resonated with the target audiences. For example, they used the latest technology platform to engage digitally savvy millennials who were primed to be future leaders.

As HR became more involved with company strategy and their stakeholders, they better understood their pivotal role in all organizational change. HR is responsible for promoting employee behavior change. That starts with changing their own behaviors.

Executive Facilitation

Part 5: Use the Emerson difference as inspiration for your sessions.

The team at Emerson Human Capital have constructed and facilitated thousands of executive sessions. In this time we think we’ve learned a thing or two. Here’s how we do executive facilitation differently.

We say the thing.

Before the session, we uncover big issues and potential effects of the decisions coming out of the session. The first step is a conversation with the sponsor or lead executive. We ask things like, “If this meeting goes sideways, why might that happen? Personalities? Politics? Sensitive initiatives? What will the consequences be? This gets us ready to address any elephants that might wander into the room.

Before the session, we uncover big issues and potential effects of the decisions coming out of the session.

Then, as we conduct the session, we set up discussions and activities to remove obstacles and get the tough decisions made. We remind participants that they are the leaders of the organization, and if it were easy, anyone could do it. They won’t be successful unless they lean in and get through the hard stuff.

We make them better decision-makers.

Whenever possible, we combine team effectiveness and business strategy. While execs are together, why not get better at moving the ball forward? Synergy is the word. Sometimes, what comes between a leadership team and its business goals isn’t about facts and figures, it’s about emotional attachment to ideas, or bad team dynamics.

We design on the fly.

If you keep your eye on the prize, and your current agenda isn’t moving it closer, what do you do? You recalibrate and shift, live.

Nothing is more important than getting the group to its outcomes

As facilitators, we take in the vibe, synthesize what we’re getting from the group, and reassess the trajectory of the session Many times, we have redesigned an agenda or activities on a lunch break or after day one of a two-day session. Nothing is more important than getting the group to its outcomes – certainly not our precious agenda and pretty slides. We’re happy to revise them or ditch them and go to the whiteboard to get the right work done.

We don’t deliver a lecture.

A facilitator is not a presenter. He or she facilitates the group’s work. Our job is to manage the process, offer concepts and information, set up scenarios, facilitate discussion and work, get consensus on decisions, and prepare the team for the next steps.

We facilitate in the context of change.

Every executive working session is intended to make a difference, so we view it through the lens of change. We don’t see the working session as an event, but as part of a change process. So, as we plan the session, we plot a course by asking key questions: What Is the ultimate business result we need? What has to happen before, during, and after the session to make sure we get to that goal? And how do we make those results sustainable? Once we answer those questions, we conduct the session. We show participants the whole journey. We make sure we get the outcomes we intend out of the session. Then we define next steps, responsibilities, milestones, and metrics.

We bring our change experience into the room.

We’re not facilitators who happen to know something about organizational change. We’re change practitioners with decades of experience. That means we bring in real-life examples that illuminate the problem executives are trying to solve. We can also identify pitfalls, in the room, and help the group avoid them. And, of course, we set the group up to make real change from the outcomes of the session.

We’re not facilitators who happen to know something about organizational change. We’re change practitioners with decades of experience.

We use behavioral science to help the session count.

We don’t “deck and dash.” Coming out of the session, we are ready to help executives implement their decisions. We do that with the help of science-based methodology. For example, we create motivation profiles that help each group of stakeholders adopt the change. We use three levers that make change stick: making the change feel familiar, controlled, and successful. And we use the power of the organization’s “early adopters” to create momentum toward the goal.

Put another way, we don’t want to leave our clients with a really expensive three-ring binder. We leave them with real, sustainable change that has business impact. You can use these ideas to improve your outcomes too.

ICYMI: Executive Facilitation Series Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 & Part 6

Executive Facilitation

Part 4: Techniques to make sure your executives get what they came for.

There are few things in shorter supply than an executive’s time. When invited to a working session, they worry about wasting hours with nothing to show for it.

If you’re running an executive working session, you want them to leave thinking it was time well spent—that they achieved the outcomes they needed and know what to do next, to make it real.

Here are six tips.

Tip #1: Establish desired outcomes.

The only way to get to the right place in the end is to begin with the end in mind.

That means getting consensus on the outcomes of the session well before it starts—when you send invitations. Then, confirm those outcomes in the room.

What do we mean by outcomes? That depends on your organization and your group. Outcomes might include strategies, decisions, operating models or principles, plans, schedules, or conceptual frameworks. Make sure you define them well. What would a good outcome look like? Does it have words, visuals, lists, timelines, assignments of responsibility…?

Also, identify any specific decisions that the group either must make or is not going to make. This can help avoid misguided energy during your session. Sometimes, participants push for a decision instead of properly exploring the topic because they think a decision will be made in the meeting. You don’t want people slipping into “selling mode” when it’s not the right time for it.

Once you agree on outcomes, let them guide the session. Check often to make sure you’re on track to get to them by the end of the session. Use those outcomes to prioritize topics or activities.

Tip #2: Set the rules and enforce them.

Come up with a few ground rules. You’re not being rigid; you’re proactively removing obstacles to your outcomes.

For example, set the timing: start time, end time, and break times. Consider setting a rule that you resume work on time and don’t stop to help late joiners catch up. Decide how to prioritize and focus the work; some facilitators use a “parking lot” (white board, flip chart, or PowerPoint slide) for off-topic discussions, so you stop them but don’t lose them.

Ask participants to voice any objections and then agree verbally to the rules. This will help the group self-correct when it goes off-track.

Tip #3: Prepare the group for productivity.

Think about any obstacles you might encounter with your particular set of participants.

For example, do you have a participant at odds with the others on a particular issue? Get ready to deal with that. You might want to shore up the minority position or, if the participant is just impeding progress, you might frame his or her objections as out of scope; put them in the parking lot and follow up later.

Do you have participants of different ranks? You’ll have to create a level playing field. Maybe make sure the lower-ranking people contribute first, so their ideas aren’t dampened by a boss with a different view. Or gather some ideas from those with less power ahead of time, and prompt participants to share them.

Tip #4: Minimize the troublemakers.

We’ve all been there. One person in the group seems to be taking up all the air. Or worse, they’re actively undermining the group. Lucky you, facilitator, they’re your problem now. Here are some tips:

• Make it a rule. Set an expectation, up front, that participants will stay on-topic, let others speak, and work collaboratively.
• Redirect them. First, assume good will; the troublemaker might not be aware that they’re a problem. Call them out, politely, and ask to hear from others. For example, “Thanks for your input, Jim. I want to make sure we hear all the ideas in the room. Carol, do you have any thoughts on this?”
• Suffocate them. Not literally, but don’t give them airtime. Direct questions to other participants and, if necessary, ignore their comment and pivot to another subject or participant.
• Use your physical presence. Move across the room to stand next to them—or even stand with your back to them – and address the rest of the group.
• Enlist the group. Reward good participants. Encourage constructive, on-topic, collaborative behaviors with praise and reinforcement. Often, the group will move onto the right path and shut the troublemaker out.

Tip #5: Maintain momentum.

As facilitator, your job is to keep the group moving toward those outcomes. Here are a few ways:

• Ask questions to clarify, elaborate, guide, or show the group where there’s a gap in their thinking. Validate, reflect back, and connect dots.
• Exercise patience. Sometimes progress is messy. Give the group the time they need for organic discussion and idea generation.
• Shut up. People love to fill silence. If no one is talking, just wait and they will. And, in any case, make sure you’re only speaking as needed to facilitate. If you’re talking a lot, there’s something wrong. Don’t do the work for them or put words in their mouths. You want participants to own the results of the session; that will happen only if they land on the solutions themselves. We want to share back what we’re hearing to validate it, and connect dots, but we want them to form the conclusions
• Check progress and focus. Breaks are a good time to decide whether your pace and direction are right. Assess this yourself and/or ask a few participants what they think. Is the group hitting the milestones? Are they filling out the picture they need at the end? If not, when the group reconvenes, reset them toward their goals.

Tip #6: Close with clarity.

Did the group produce what they wanted? Show them! Play back what they produced, get consensus that it’s right, then plan to take it forward.

Confirm any decisions they made, then build a cascading messaging plan. This plan defines how to handle the decisions, information, or concepts coming out of the session—what should be kept confidential and what should be shared with the rest of the organization. Next, decide which information goes to which groups. Finally, agree on the talking points and terms to use when delivering the messages. Establish activities, responsibilities, and a timeline. Importantly, define the very next step to be taken for each key decision and schedule a follow-up meeting to check in. This will create momentum and give the group a quick win.

Don’t let your great work stay in the room—use your session outcomes as a launching pad to make a real impact on your business.

ICYMI: Executive Facilitation Series Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 5 & Part 6