Cornerstone Blog

Across the world, we are collectively experiencing one of the most significant changes of our lives. The loss of physical touch, standing close to people without fear, and dinner out with friends. We have lost the option of celebrating milestone – birthdays, weddings, graduations, baby showers, holidays and cancelled vacations, the losses are mounting.

Many frontline workers can no longer go home and spend time with their families. Countless numbers of people have lost childcare while working, have taken over the education of their kids while working. Others are feeling the stress of uncertainty, both in their ability to provide for those who depend on them and keeping them safe and well.

We keep hearing that we are all in the same boat but are we? Perhaps we are in the same storm with many, many different boats in the water. Boats that have strength to sustain the strongest waves, smaller boats that have been reinforced over time and are resilient, and those that are new and untried.

How the boat maneuvers in these waters will depend heavily on the agility of the captain and the crew. The outcomes will be greatly dependent on how the boat is steered.

While agility in leadership has been a cornerstone to success, the coming change will rely even more heavily on the agility of the leaders themselves in companies, large and small.

Physical distancing touches every aspect business and as we prepare to reopen our business operations regardless of size and sector we have to approach this reset thinking in 3D. Thinking in 3D gives us a different perspective than simply looking at the scenario in a narrow cluster of facts and data. Leaders now need to look deep into their organization and take into consideration the impact on its people, customers, business operations, market conditions, available cash and future capital required, and backup plans if there is a second wave of COVID-19.

This represents a rethink of how leaders will need to move their business forward for short and long term success. Protecting and embracing employees will be key to sustainable success. Much more emphasis will be needed on health and wellness, communicating with transparency on a frequent basis and engaging for feedback and ideas.

Cutting staff to reduce costs is typically the fastest approach to saving money. But is it the best? Without talent and experience moving forward will be even more difficult, so expenses in other areas should be looked at first: consolidation, seeking better pricing from suppliers and other stakeholders might be considered as a first option. Perhaps less office space frees up resources to retain a company’s most valuable asset – its people.

It may be very well that working from home will be the mainstay for quite sometime in combination with essential core teams working in an office/manufacturing setting. Leaders will need to be open-minded on these matters of how to best design workflow and productivity while protecting employees. Tough questions will need to be asked and innovative solutions sought. Ensuring solid technology platforms are in place to support a hybrid model of working at home and in office will be essential.

Fostering relationships and developing new ways of accountability will be a factor in ensuring an engaged and focused workforce. Leaders will need to hone their listening skills and connect with their employees on an emotional level to drive morale, retention and solutions to tough problems. This will take more energy and more time on the part of leaders at all levels on a consistent basis. New employee programs, such as reward programs, will need to be introduced as well and may look quite different than they do today.

Regardless of the boat you are in – one key word comes to mind – Agility!

Of the many  business developments related to the COVID-19 epidemic, none has been more dramatic than the demand for medical-grade masks. The drive to meet the global need has created a supply surge in China unlike anything in the past decade, ending in a new, multi-nation industry.

As the virus continued spreading around the world, the demand for medical-grade masks exploded. Healthcare Professionals (HCP) are not properly equipped in most countries. In China, it is the contrary. Professionals are protected and the population is systematically wearing masks in public areas.

Before the crisis, manufacturers in China were supplying roughly 20M masks per day. With the epidemic, the manufacturing capacity in China increased to over 100M per day in March. The global pandemic spawned a business opportunity with booming demand.

With such an opportunity, reality rapidly takes over.  In China, the price of masks has escalated. It is now more than 3 to 4 times what it was before the epidemic. Quality has also become an issue. New manufacturers have joined the business, some without the proper certification.

Foreign buyers have fallen foul of speculators and illegal manufacturers.  Foreign governments and private businesses have increased the tension with panic purchasing, driving the price of masks still higher.

Negotiation and payment does not end the story. Now you have to get them from China to your country. But there is no transportation.

The collapse of the passenger airline business means there are very few regular flights for cargo. What flights there are may be subject to wartime requisition regulations imposed by importing countries, confiscating masks transiting their airports.

The alternative is to charter a cargo plane – at a very steep price. Chartering a plane just for masks during “peace time” is insane, given the low added value and big volume. Now in “war time”, it is justified by horrendous pricing.  Half of the mask’s value (landed in Europe) is made of transportation costs.

Other restrictions can arise.   Alternative exporting through Hong Kong – a Special Administrative Region — is not possible since Chinese customs refuse to release masks going to Hong Kong. They are apparently afraid it would supply masks to the students who would then demonstrate again.

At the end of March, the supply panic is at its peak. Several cases of sub-standard Chinese equipment are made public in Europe. China reacts swiftly by imposing a ban on all manufacturers of face masks who are not properly registered.  It is a good measure, but the list doesn’t include many new manufacturers.

Customs also acts to restrain the outflow, adding another shock to the supply chain on top of the challenges of procurement and transportation.

As we advance through April,  rationality is returning and many countries have found their way to manufacture these essential products by themselves. Most European countries have a strong textile industry and thus raw materials.

With the mounting economic pains, workers are available to do the job locally, the opportunities now confront local entrepreneurs and a new virtuous cycle is born!

EDITOR’S NOTE

Eric Bouteiller is leader of the Life Sciences & Health Practice at Cornerstone, based in Beijing. He has been working pro bono on behalf of the French Chamber in China to coordinate the sourcing of masks and medical equipment much needed in France and Europe.  Contact: eric-bouteiller@cornerstone-group.com for additional information.

It is said that every cloud has a silver lining.  It may be hard to find right now in the Coronavirus cloud, but new opportunities arise in all crises.

Perhaps this pandemic will help organizations around the world to further value the importance of digital transformation of processes, investment in training their leaders and bringing new skills to their workforce, in pursuit of strategic management of the organizational culture.  In short, work for the common good.

In only a few days, companies and economies were significantly impacted by the speed of evolution of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and its consequences in society.

For Human Resources areas, crisis management involves a great challenge, not only because it directly affects all areas of a company, but also because it tests the fundamental efficiency of an organization — leadership, resilience, trust, communication and the ability to adapt.

Many companies adopted measures aimed at reinforcing hygiene and coexistence practices, but the greatest impact in the current situation was the suspension of travel. This led to the implementation of remote working models in organizations where the policies were probably not developed or were not sufficient to meet the crisis. In this context, those responsible for Human Resources have to act as facilitators so that the business can continue, regardless of the circumstances.

In the first place, it is key that they have the necessary tools and processes that allow rapid learning of work and remote leadership for people who never worked this way, generating virtual training spaces for leaders and collaborators.

Secondly, they must manage information continuously through effective, impactful channels that reach all collaborators with the necessary speed (email, intranet, webinar, posters, etc.).

Communications should include

• issues that raise awareness of the need to be responsible for oneself and others,
• measures to take to avoid spreading the virus
• actions to prevent the spread, especially to avoid making mistakes that later have much higher costs for the person and the organization . It is important to be flexible, adapt and change without fear depending on the situation.

Likewise, it is essential that Human Resources reach out to employees stranded in other countries, providing everything necessary so that they feel cared for by the organization.  HR should  instruct the leaders of these people so that they can follow up with these people.

Containment also requires giving reliable and direct support to workers in particularly challenging circumstances.  Take the case of companies based on the digital economy model or GIG economy such as Uber, Rappi, Globo, whose workforce may experience more complications and uncertainty.

Will they stop working and go into quarantine if appropriate?  Or will they continue to do their work to avoid losing income? This is a time to show empathy and compassion not only as Human Resources leaders but also as an organization. The main theme of communications must make their involvement go a long way in showing that the organization really cares.

We are in one of the most challenging times I can recall with pressure from many directions, much of it beyond our control.  How we act and react will have an impact on the outcome for us, for our employees and for our organizations.  The time you invest now establishing the appropriate plan of action will determine how prepared you are when things get better (and they will)!

What does the new world look like?

• Social distancing is changing organizational dynamics and relationships
• Virtual is the new norm
• Changes are coming almost daily
• We are still reacting to external forces

As you approach today’s challenges and determine how to address them, think about Winston Churchill’s comment “it is always wise to look ahead, but difficult to look further than you can see.”  Leaders need to help keep focus on what can be controlled, not what you as a leader would like to control or other “what if’s”.   Today the short-term eclipses the long-term!

How to act

Employees need to trust your organization.  So do customers.  Act in a manner that earns and retains this trust.  Show what you stand for.  The current challenges have an impact on everyone, but often in different ways.  Make certain what you do is a team effort; your team is comprised of human beings who have emotional needs.  Leadership includes considering these needs.  Remember, they look to you for leadership, but they also look to your “human side” and your personal support. Everyone is going through the same challenges, yet these challenges may have a different impact on them.  You have an opportunity to show each team member and each customer how important they are to your organization.

It is different for everyone

Working remotely has been around for some time, but it has only been a concept for most of the workforce.  Suddenly each individual has a new perspective because she is sitting at a different desk.  Today’s separation eliminates informal communications that have been an important part of many organizations.  This lack of informal communications can result in feelings of isolation.

Communications are perhaps the most important tool that leaders have available today.  Develop a communications plan that not only passes along information necessary to do the job, but that also engages each individual and encourages her input.  Listen to what she says, and how she says it.  Including everyone keeps them part of the team.  A team is more powerful than the sum of the individual members.  Make decisions quickly, even if you don’t have all the data you would prefer.  Address requirements for today, then for the future;  after all, you have to survive today for that future to exist.

For anyone who has been working an 8- hour day in an office, the challenges of working remotely may include what to focus on.  Provide guidance in terms of short- term goals and priorities.  Everyone wants to contribute.  Help them understand what is important.  Contributions are not based on the time spent.  If it only takes 4 hours, encourage them to spend the extra time doing something for themselves, their family, or friends.

Prepare for the future

The right steps taken today will lay a sound foundation for when you can have more influence on the outcomes.  Keeping your employees engaged during this challenging time will place your organization in a strong position when things turn around.  Encouraging each individual to use this time to learn something new or do something she has wanted to do will help her use the time productively.  View the current situation differently, embrace the ambiguity, and be flexible.  Help everyone grow.  Most leaders rely on different styles of leadership, depending on the situation.  This is a time when compassionate, collaborative leadership may be most effective.

Alan Weiss noted so eloquently in his current newsletter: “This, too, shall pass.  We will resume  our lives and businesses, hopefully somewhat wiser and kinder. The question is never about what’s happened to us.  The question is always about what we’re going to do about it.”

Make the most you can of this difficult time, and your organization will emerge in a stronger position, ready to tackle the new world.

SHANGHAI, CN March 27 2020 – Cornerstone International Group, a global talent management firm, this week introduces a new executive search and coaching capability in Singapore. 

The Cornerstone Singapore team of senior professionals is led by CEO and MD Edwin Yeo, a veteran manager and practitioner of 21 years executive search experience in the Asia region.

“We are delighted to welcome Edwin to the Cornerstone International Group,” says Chairman Simon Wan. “Edwin is widely known and respected in Singapore which is a  key location in the region. Cornerstone Singapore will cover Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia and Vietnam.”

The Cornerstone International Group (Cornerstone) is a leader in executive search and leadership development services in 36 countries.  It has head offices here in Shanghai  and in the United States at Atlanta, Georgia.

Singapore is a leading global city of 5.6 million people with a dynamic economy and a conducive environment for entrepreneurs and enterprises.

“Our team here has experience in all major business sectors, working on international, regional and local mandates,” says Yeo.  “I have always admired Cornerstone and the way it does business.  We have a lot in common and it will be exciting to work with our new colleagues around the world to benefit our clients.”

Cornerstone last year marked its 30^th anniversary. To learn more, visit the global website at www.cornerstone-group.com

 

For Information

Edwin Yeo
CEO & Managing Director
Cornerstone Singapore
Mobile: +(65) 90460908
Email: edwin-yeo@cornerstone-group.com
Tel: +(65) 63250158
Address: 11 Collyer Quay, The Arcade, Unit 14-08, Singapore (049317)

We don’t know where we are on the COVID-19 curve of confusion and destruction, but how we look back on Spring 2020 depends heavily on how global business responds to the challenge.

Government actions are key, but government actions are also by default slow.  An important characteristic of the new pandemic is the astonishing speed with which the virus establishes itself in a population.  Statistics are made obsolete overnight.

Business of all kinds – for-profit and non-profit – is the global mechanism upon which most hope will be pinned for speedy, common-sense and caring resolution of an unusually serious threat. (On March 3, 2020, companies and their foundations had contributed close to $800MM, 86% of the dollar value pledged to fight the coronavirus worldwide)

Corporate HR by default is on the front line.  The Human Resources function is to organize and meet the needs of people in a manner that meets the needs of the organization.  A basis is efficient, effective and swift communication.

While the immediate threat is to people, the outcome could be a social and economic collapse unimaginable only a few decades ago.  It is a very real threat.

My perspective is here that people are starting to get ready now, but they  missed the start.  Unless it is a really international company, most organizations are just not ready.  Even more reason for business leaders and their HR departments to get up to speed as fast as they can.

From years of business engagement in China and Europe, I see three essential considerations for any Human Resources function in managing the current environment.

1. Show care for employees
2. Undertake the basic measures for prevention and health and “go beyond”
3. Prepare and execute a Business Continuity Plan (BCP)

 

Show Care for Employees

They are your primary concern.  Having the trust of employees that “they are in good leadership hands” is crucial to avoid panic, resistance and lack of engagement.  This is the starting line.

 

Undertake Basic Measures For Prevention And Health

Employees must be given accurate information about ways to prevent the spread  of infection as well as the means to act on that information.  Share specific public health guidelines and direct employees to official sources of information.  In addition to country-level websites, here are some other resources:

https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/situation-reports

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=mOV1aBVYKGA&feature=emb_title

You can also use simple but comprehensive video material available from the WHO which can be used for training employees.

The “basics” – e.g. wash hands frequently for 20 sec minimum —  need also to be communicated through multiple channels including posters, leaflets, webinars, emails etc

 

Prepare And Execute A Business Continuity Plan (BCP)

The BCP is a comprehensive strategy that is critical to protecting not only the health of employees but the economic and organizational health of the enterprise.  There are six components.

Leadership

This arguably is the most important component, given the dire consequences of failure to act appropriately in this crisis. There are two aspects of Leadership to consider

• The appointment of a Crisis Team Owner, or Manager, fully accountable for execution and compliance with the measures taken.
• Planning for leadership continuity in the absence of critical leadership functions.

At times like this, organizational leadership assumes even more importance. Leaders are expected to see into the future. They are not there to manage for today.  So when faced with a crisis such as COVID-19, the leader is looking at tomorrow and, in that process, should be going beyond to prepare for what others may not yet envision.

For example, as I write, governments issue new directives every day. Businesses of course need to follow, but they can also go beyond.  For example, if face-to-face meetings should be kept to only the vital one, why not ensure all meetings are ‘virtual’, using the technology available today.

Human Resources

This requires a review of policies such as leave of absence, absenteeism, travel, workplace closure, selective recall from affected countries and flexible work arrangements.

Privacy protection policy of employee health data and ensuring all employees’ contact information is up-to-date.

Virus Protection & Containment

All employees need to be familiar with infection control and good personal hygiene. A robust sickness surveillance process should be in place.

Visitors as well as employees should be screened and company premises cleaned and disinfected.

An adequate supply of PPE (Personal Protection Equipment) must be maintained and training undertaken in the correct use of masks, gloves and disinfectants, etc

Stakeholder Management

Employees are far from being the only group requiring special attention.  Continuity planning and protection is required for essential suppliers, services providers and customers

Steps should be taken to understand the BCP of suppliers and service providers and to communicate your processes. Essential customers need to be identified and contacted and plans drawn up to meet their needs.

Planning should include the potential need to activate alternative suppliers and sources.

Communication

Finally, the best planning has little value if it is not successfully communicated.  The need to communicate with diverse audiences calls for accountability in the form of a project communications leader and specific rules of communication.

Employees in particular must have a clear understanding of the BCP and how it affects them.  It is recommended that a specific channel of communication be set up just to traffic enquiries.

In addition, other stakeholder groups should be identified and approached to ensure understanding of all relevant crisis measures.

 

WHAT NOT TO DO

Almost as important in the circumstances is knowing what not to do:

• Creating a “one-size-fits-all” policy set. People get affected in different ways and providing a level of ownership to management will increase trust and engagement.
• Keeping other operations in the dark. The anxieties and concerns of regional and global staff need to be addressed and it is essential to demonstrate empathy and support towards all colleagues.
• Treating absences as “unpaid leave”. This will just add to staff’s stress and financial burden at an already challenging time. Expecting them to forego salary for reasons beyond their control may be seen as unfair and undermine organizational trust.
• Underestimating adverse and long-term psychological impact on your staff. This is a time to show empathy and compassion not only as an HR leader but also as an organization. It is a time when emotions are running high, and people are affected more deeply, at the psychological level, than you may think.
• Lack of visibility of your top leaders: as in any crisis, your top leaders must make their presence felt through direct communications. This will go a long way in building morale and assuring your staff that the organization truly cares.

In summary, this is the time to show leadership and “go beyond” wherever we can, to show care and strengthen trust among all of us. Crisis offers also great opportunity to show that we walk the talk and values are ‘lived’ in the decisions we make and the actions we show.

Leave a comment here, or contact me directly at peter-buytaert@cornerstone-group.com 

Five or six years ago, as we realized how crazy the world was becoming, the acronym VUCA was born, short for Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity.  The impact of climate events, (Australia) and the ongoing struggle to contain viral infections (COVID-19) have since shown us the unfortunately reality of living in a VUCA  world.

On the positive side, technological disruption, accelerated by a growing appetite for entrepreneurship in the world, accelerated by China’s growing share in the world economy and Gen Z’s push for impact investment, all bring a story of hope to bring solutions where we need it most.

All these events should raise our awareness that it is timely to re-assess how we define leadership and develop it. Do you know what it takes to lead in the digital (networked) world, conditioned by increasing volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity?

Here are eight significant observations about what is happening today that in our view shape what we need to be ready to lead in these extraordinary times

 

First observation: The brain is more than ever THE critical resource. Where in the past, managing (lean) processes and people to execute for results was key to success, today this is important but far from sufficient to excel in and sustain performance.

Rather it is the organization who can unleash the collective potential of its ‘brains’ that will build a formidable competitive advantage and will continually adapt successfully to an exponentially changing world. As such, the key resource in industry 4.0 is the brain and the ideas it will produce.

Impact on leadership? Leading ‘brains’ is significantly different from leading processes and merely engaging people to ‘execute’. A brain’s creativity peaks when motivated through engagement and provided a sense of freedom. Brains want to be empowered and not controlled. They want to be treated fairly and with respect. They want to continually learn enhanced by their ‘connectedness’.

 

Second observation: Continued technological disruption with the creation of new business models, markets and new value networks. Impact on leadership here? Joint IMD – Cisco research revealed that in order to cope with disruption, the agile leader must show humility and adaptability to accept new reality, vision to overcome daily challenge and engagement to ensure powerful collaboration. In our view that could collectively refer to more ‘wise’ leadership.

 

Third observation: The rise of Artificial Intelligence and the importance of ethics and trust to ensure its purpose is for good. As we deploy AI in organizations and solutions, our agile mind will require to un-learn what we learn as new information becomes increasingly available and what is ‘knowledge’ today may no longer be tomorrow. AI also thrives on We-Q rather than I-Q: It’s power to deliver ultra-information lies in cross-discipline, cross-functional, cross-organizational collaboration and information sharing. Silo-thinking here is counter-productive.

 

Fourth observation: In the networked world of Industry 4.0, ACCESS to resources rather than CONTROL of resources brings power. In other words, ‘Protection of our territory’ is counter-productive”. As such, organizations will need to review how they structure themselves to maximize information sharing and stimulate collective development and response.

Our well-known matrix organizations with ‘silo’ based thinking and target setting is unlikely to be the right approach to address this. ‘Swat’-like intervention and agile project teams building on core competencies across functions and markets are possibly an answer.

 

Fifth observation: Going back to the very start of this article, socio-political and environmental shifts resulting in a more Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous world are the new reality. The recent events of the Coronavirus, the Brexit, tensions in the climate events are all testimony of how unpredictable our world and its economy have become.

For leadership this requires more than ever agility, resilience and creativity to meet the challenges ahead. Ambiguity and complexity also demand solid self-awareness (to recognize what we don’t know) as a starting point for understanding of the new reality emerging.

 

Sixth observation: China continuing its quest to be the leading economic power. Apart from a predicted conflux of Western and Eastern values in leadership, we see China as an accelerator of all previous events with its massive population and purposeful motivation to solve challenges in healthcare, environment and urbanization.

China is already leading the way in electrical vehicle introduction, mobile based payments, virtual reality and has a tremendous resource of new entrepreneurs all vying to be the next unicorn in a digital world.

The impact on leadership here is simply that it’s time for the Western world to wake up and corporate (and political) leadership will play an increasingly important role to bring people out of their comfort zone and adapt to a new reality where China is directly shaping how our world will look like in the next decade.

 

The seventh observation is the emergence of GenZ in the workplace, raised in a mobile world with a desire to have impact on a better planet and freedom to find purpose and passion in life. Attracting and retaining the best possible GenZ talents will require from leadership increasingly fair process and a ‘servant’ leadership approach based on humility and strong values, inspiring them with purpose and passion.

GenZ also experienced over the last decade the failure of leadership through so many scandals and will demand increasingly integrity, diversity, inclusion in the workplace. To avoid ambiguity, ‘servant’ leadership is a stronger rather than weaker leadership as it is built on humility and fairness, with a desire to lead from a position of respect rather than ‘title’.

 

Eighth observation:  GenZ is also an accelerator to the emergence of the social enterprise where a leader’s window moves beyond profit with value-based decisions and passion for purpose.

Also here the social enterprise will require more ‘servant leadership’ where the leader engages the team bottom-up, provides access to resources and inspires teams with purpose to drive high performance. Moreover, a leader’s window should broaden beyond ‘money’ and include ‘impact’ as a critical measurement of performance.

Recoding Leadership is a ‘Must’

Reflecting on these eight observations, let’s review the original question: Do you know the way to lead in the digital age? What is recurring impact on leadership that we observed? … and what does it mean for leadership development?

All eight observations refer to leaders needing to be humble, showing integrity, having passion for purpose, being fair and respected, having an agile mind…based on a good dose of self-awareness.

These are not your typical soft skills but rather refer to the CHARACTER of leadership… That’s exactly why RECODING leadership and leadership development is a must!

Character cannot just be ‘trained’ but leadership development can have significant impact by focusing on:

1. Increasing self-awareness as a basis for unlearning and change, using assessments, coaching and equipping leaders and their stakeholders with feedback and deep listening skills.
2. Providing structure and tools to make quality decisions and communicate them in a way that will improve their effectiveness with new models on leading change in a VUCA context, fair process of decision-making and to stimulate WeQ@work.

Last but not least, Recoding leadership also implies a new look at how we deliver on leadership development.

We can see here three core trends emerging to have the right impact:

• Learning shots for continual learning rather than one-time workshops or off-site training delivery, applying instead different and combined ways of learning (e-learning, webinars, coaching, action-learning, etc). In essence, providing a leadership journey over time to close both individual and organizational gaps.
• Customization via personal learning clouds starting with an assessment and self-awareness as a basis for bespoke design of learning resources.
• Mobile applications (e-learning APPS) to support the learning journey as we learn on the go and our concentration span is getting increasingly limited.

Recoding leadership is timely to get ready for industry 4.0.

The world’s largest economy has been staggered by the outbreak of a tiny virus but, step by step, China is mobilizing its workforce to return to work and business in face of the pervasive spread of COVID-19.

Cornerstone International Group, with six offices in mainland China and Taiwan, conducted a short online survey this week of 17-21 February among our business partners and friends, to gauge the current status of Back to Business in China.

The data is based on 126 responses to the questionnaire, from Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong and other locations such as Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Guangdong. All of the cities have been affected by the outbreak and many are bearing the brunt of the disruption.

Here is what we learned:

 

Current Status of Work in China

98.4% of companies returned to some form of work this week but only 4.8 % are truly back to normal and fully operational.  Most employees are either working from home or a mixture of some office and home.

The Status of Work Anticipated This Week (Feb. 24-28)

Starting the week of Feb. 24, the government is promoting policies and guidelines on both the prevention and control of the Covid-19 outbreak and on best efforts to resume business and production.

As a result, the survey shows a majority of respondent (73.6%) expect to be back to normal or semi-normal operation during the coming week. (19.2 % fully normal and 54.4% semi-normal).  By March 2, a majority of companies will be returning to normal from semi-normal office mode..

Chinese HR Needs Anticipated In 2020

An ability to doing more with smaller staffs, to expand performance and to engage young leaders are key in the months ahead.  The Cornerstone Survey shows highest response on the need for Performance Improvement Training (40.8%) & Workforce Restructuring Consulting (40.0%).

China Business Survey Conclusions

Be Flexible

In addition to home office and flexible working hours, CEOs will need to empower employees to manage and plan their daily work with freedom to undertake family responsibilities.   Companies already proud of a flexible culture must be even more flexible entering the year of 2020.

Build Up Closer Connections

Provide IT support and solutions to ensure efficient and reliable remote working.  Internally, adopt more timely and transparent communication methods such as WeChat groups, Zoom calls, Go to meetings, etc.  Externally, keep in touch with clients and business partners actively and regularly.

Leaders must actively support any initiatives that could help employees and customers to steer through this crisis together as a partner and friend.

Focus on Human Capital Effectiveness

Many companies in 2020 are focusing on Performance Improvement. Other popular initiatives include Digital and Online training for Crisis Management, Stress Management, Continuous Improvement and Leadership Coaching.

Stay Calm and Reduce the Panic

Set up a CMT (Crisis Management Team) if you do not have one already, to ensure urgent action will be taken when needed. Encourage staff to share their own stories during the outbreak. Psychological assistance may also be needed for special cases.

Boost Morale

Mature Leadership is needed during the crisis to show real caring and encouragement to people and help rebuild their confidence.  Remind colleagues of the old saying “No winter is insurmountable, no spring will not come”

Search Out New Business Opportunity

Times of change are times of opportunity. Conservatively managed  businesses are now forced to make changes and incorporate business activities in new ways and new directions.

Enhance Company Safety System

During this critical period of recovery of production and business in the coming 3-6 months it is important to provide safety training in the plant or office, especially on COVID-19 protection and prevention.

This is also a good time to re-ensure every employee understands the company’s medical insurance policy, fire prevention & control and Employee Assistance Program.

Is leadership changing? The answer is yes, but in application, not in essence.

The essence of leadership can be summed up in three components:

1. VISION (the leader sees what others haven’t yet seen)
2. DECISION MAKING (particularly in selecting people)
3. INSPIRING (helps others to realize their full potential)

These core aptitudes to successfully exercise the leadership role have not changed.  But the manner or techniques of exercising leadership have indeed changed.

In the past, the method of leading could be seen in the image of the Maestro, conducting the output of orchestra members within the confines of a traditionally rigid musical score. A task of Management.

Today’s image of leadership in action is closer to that of a Rock Band Leader, whose role is to allow individual instrumentalists freedom to excel within a loose but harmonious framework. A task of Coordination.

Another difference can be seen in the leader’s motivation.  The pursuit of material rewards such as stock options and status symbols is less prevalent today. Nowadays, the leader is more likely to be seeking meaning and purpose in work which aligns with a sense of personal fulfillment and mission.

The characteristics or qualities that a true leader should have in order to stand out from the crowd have not changed. Valid as much today as in the past, these are:

• Willingness to lead (it is much easier to be led than to lead)
• Desire to excel (the leader is never satisfied with what has already been achieved)
• Charisma (the magnetism that true leaders possess which attracts people to them).

Here’s another way of putting this.  A genuine leader is:

• One who does not know … and asks.
• One who knows … and teaches.
• One who teaches … and practices (Walks the Talk!)

Here are some basic differences that separate an administrator from a true leader :

In truth, Leadership is not a question or function of status, title, inheritance, or of bravado … but rather of credibility, influence, mastery, wisdom, and, especially, attitude.

So exercise your Leadership with Wisdom (the supreme Wealth we have) and with Responsibility (not only duty or obligation, but to respond to your Abilities, that is, to realize your Potential!).

 

START BY BEING A LEADER OF YOURSELF!

Business leaders face the daily choice of how to use the most limited resource available to them: time. Their challenge is to continually lead more effectively and efficiently at higher levels of organizational complexity.

Almost every leader I have met admits that week after week they do some things that someone else on their team could easily do. Their rationale includes not wanting to lose the time it would take to get someone up to speed on the task and often an assumption that they can do it faster and better than anyone else.

That choice to keep doing what another could do keeps them from letting go of the urgent to address the more important. It’s the danger of defaulting to one’s subject matter expertise in operational tactics rather than stepping away from operations to think about strategy.

The strategic role of leadership is to see around the corner—to see what others do not yet see. It demands time away from operations by climbing to that 30,000-foot perspective to discover what’s ahead. It requires the analysis and synthesis of relevant data: the latest information about the industry, the market, the customer, the competition, the vendor, the employee base, and the changes in technology.

Since time is limited, the invitation to every leader is to offload some tasks so they can address more important responsibilities.

It is the “urgent important” dilemma. How do leaders address the conundrum?

Handing Off and Letting Go

Delegation is a handing off process combined with a letting go process. Responsibility (handing off) is an assignment the leader gives to a team member along with accountability for results. Authority (letting go) is the appropriate power a leader gives to a team member to use time and organizational resources to reach a shared outcome.

The return on investment?  The team member gets a stretch assignment that enhances their leadership capacity. The leader frees up time and resources to give attention to strategic issues of greater organizational complexity.

There is a four-step process of getting a team member ready for full responsibility and full authority. When leaders don’t go through all four steps,  it diminishes their ability to lead at higher levels of organizational complexity. It also prevents the development of direct reports through the stretch assignments that are handed off.

And together it keeps the organization from achieving its productivity potential of delivering services or products efficiently and effectively.

Answering the “Who” Question

First, there are four delegation selection questions when a leader is considering which team member is ready for a stretch assignment.

• The Competence Question: Can they do this delegated assignment?

• The Bandwidth Question: Do they have time to do this delegated assignment?

• The Personal Drive Question: Will they successfully complete the delegated assignment?

• The Cultural Fit Question: Will we like them while they do the delegated assignment?

The Delegation Matrix

Developmental delegation is a process that leverages four messages designed to meet team members at each stage of readiness to take on a new responsibility.

• Stage One: Low Responsibility/Low Authority. The leader communicates to the team member, “Come watch me do this.” Then they debrief on what the team member observed.

• Stage Two: High Responsibility/Low Authority. The leader communicates, “Let’s do this together. You help me.” Then they discuss what the team member observed, experienced, and learned.

• Stage Three: Low Responsibility/High Authority. The leader says, “Let’s do this together. This time, I’ll watch you do it.” Then, the leader provides feedback for discussion from what was observed.

• Stage Four: High Responsibility/High Authority. The leader finally says, “Now you do it, and I will be available to support you.” Then, the leader delegates full responsibility and full authority with ongoing review and support.

Delegation Readiness and Stretch Assignments

Recent leadership development research indicates the value of stretch assignments as the optimum approach to move emerging leaders from a talent pool into a leadership development pipeline.

The formula includes four components: microlearning around leadership competencies; coaching conversations around learning application; on-the-job application to develop new leadership habits, skills, and behaviors, and reflection that leads to more learning and new application.

Investing in the development of team members not only frees up the leader to address more strategic concerns, but it contributes to the engagement and retention of your best talent.

It also shapes an organizational culture with a reputation that attracts the best talent in the competitive landscape.

Delegation only happens by choice, never by chance.

 

(Editor:  Dick Daniels is founder of the Leadership Development Group, a Cornerstone Certified Leadership Executive Coach, and a regular contributor to the global blog. This article first appeared on the web pages of the Association for Talent Development)