Change is a Leader-Employee Relationship Business

Last weekend, I facilitated a leadership team as it updated its governance model. When reviewing supplier contacts, the team validated that the executive who oversaw each supplier was the person who had the best relationship with them. "It's a relationship business," said one leader. This is true for all businesses; good relationships drive the best outcomes.

Change management is also highly influenced by relationships. Midway through my career at Cadbury, my responsibilities expanded from the US and Canada to "the Americas." Just before meeting the Mexican Leadership Team, a colleague said, "You won't add any value until after they hug you." He meant that team members needed to get to know and build trust in me before they would openly discuss their business. Before then, I was visiting on a "Royal Tour" with no tangible impact on the leaders or their business. I was hugged on my second visit.

The leader-employee relationship is essential for change to occur. How leaders are perceived by their employees is a predictor of change success. The more they are respected, trusted and liked, the greater the likelihood that people will buy into their vision of the future. If leaders are poorly viewed, their vision will be rejected, planned changes won't be adequately supported and outcomes won't be achieved.

The 2016 Edelman Trust Barometer study states that only 65 percent of employees trust their leaders to do "what is right." This statistic has disastrous implications for change. It implies that negative past experiences with leaders are influencing how employees perceive them and the future visions they will be asked to build.

One of the first questions I ask a leader is, "Could you tell me about past changes you led?". Mention of poor implementation and results suggests that the leader's relationship with employees is tarnished. Repairing the relationship will be a priority. 

Here are ways that leaders can build their relationships with employees through the changes they lead:

• Speak from the average employee's perspective – address employees from their frame of reference by honestly communicating how they will be affected by change, both positively and negatively
• Deliver on your commitments – do what you say when you say you will do it. This is a blind spot for many leaders because other priorities overshadow internal commitments. Employees always track leaders' behaviour and not following through on promises compromises credibility
• Ask for and act on input and feedback – co-creation and ongoing feedback are fundamental change enablers. Relationships are enhanced only when decisions are made based on this information 
• Share credit with those who did the work – An old management adage is give credit to your team and blame to yourself. Crediting those who achieved the results leads to trust, reciprocation and continued efforts to build the future
• Take time to socialize with employees – relationships are personal and speaking with employees, including answering their questions, builds familiarity, approachability and loyalty
• Create a link between past successes and future challenges – just as past failures can tarnish leader relationships, successes can galvanize them; success breeds success

Like all businesses, change is about relationships. The quality of relationships that leaders have with their employees directly impacts the outcomes they achieve. Like all relationships, they are built over time, earned by the actions people do and behaviours they express. Making them a priority will provide leaders with the buy-in and support they need to build a better future.

Phil

The Do's and Don'ts of LinkedIn Introductions

LinkedIn is an excellent social networking platform. As its 'join now' internet page states, you can "connect, find, be found; power your career; and learn and share". I can't think of anyone I know through business who hasn't joined and created his or her own LinkedIn profile.

One way to connect is through the introduction feature that allows you to introduce two people in your network who could benefit from knowing each other. It can be an excellent way to support your connections. 

This week, I caught up with someone through LinkedIn who I had met while organizing a speaking engagement. She said, "I take pride in my LinkedIn network and want to ensure that people like you don't get solicited as a result of the connections I have." My considerate acquaintance raised an important watch-out: introductions can be unwanted and become burdensome commitments.

To be effective and appropriate, LinkedIn introductions need to have a specific purpose, such as connecting someone who is looking for information with a person who has it. Recently, I introduced someone who was considering making a career change with a person who had made the same move. The specific purpose of the introduction was to share experience, perspective and insights. It was a great match. 

General introductions typically aren't effective and can be viewed as impositions. Since there is no purpose other than to meet, they lack a catalyst for conversation and relationship building. Also, they can be seen as inappropriate by the party who isn't interested in making a new connection. Many people are overloaded and don't have time in their busy days (and nights) to chat when there is no concrete reason to do so. 

Here are my do's and don'ts of making LinkedIn introductions: 

• Do make introductions between people who needs specific information with those who have it 
• Do realize that you are asking a favour of the knowledge provider
• Do ask yourself if you would welcome a similar request from one of your connections before making it
• Do send a note to the information provider asking permission to make the introduction – this is the only way to be sure that the connection is welcome
• Do state the purpose of the connection in your introductory note
• Do provide an overview of each person's background to help kick-start the initial conversation
• Do end your note by saying you hope the connection will be of mutual benefit
• Do follow up to see how the exchange went – this will help you assess future connections
• Do keep a record of your introductions so you have templates for future ones – it will also help you build your skill in introduction writing

• Don't assume people have time to meet new people
• Don't make general connections just because someone wants to meet a person in your network – most will come across as prospecting requests that will damage trust and harm your relationships
• Don't make connections where the person requesting it only wants a favour from someone in your network (a job, an introduction into his or her network, etc.) 
• Don't make multiple connections with the same person in your network without confirming he or she has the time and interest for them – if not, it is an imposition 
• Don't make introductions to people in your network that you don't know – your introduction will not be seen as authentic if you can't recall how you know them

Your LinkedIn network is a professional community that you build, support and benefit from over time. Making connections between people who you know is one of the best features LinkedIn offers. Treating your community with respect by how you do so will make it and your relationships grow even stronger.  

Phil