Leadership systems that

create powerful companies

From Unconsciousness to

Authenticity

Five Stages of Organizational Life

HRPA

January 23, 2015

Presented by: Heather Hilliard

Behavioral Change & Leadership Expert

What you will learn

Concept of authentic organization

Stages of organization life

How to take your organization to the next stage

Implications for HR practitioners

How to bring consciousness and authenticity to

your organizational and leadership practices

Leadership systems that

create powerful companies

Are you part of

an authentic

organization?

Let’s find out…

YES…

Clearly define ‘who you are’

Experience or reality matches; intentional

Accept reality of your leaders and work with them

Decisions made objectively

Espoused values tangibly present

NO…

Unclear who you are; maybe different depending on who you work for

Don’t do what you say or deliver on promises

Complain, withhold and/or blame

Decisions made to avoid conflict or discomfort

Why is it important?

Being authentic isn’t easy

Key to achieving potential

Inauthenticity is a barrier to

growth and performance

Over time, leads to

organizational dysfunction

5 Stages:from unconscious to authentic

Stage 1:

Unconscious

Competent

Stage 2:

Becoming Conscious

Stage 3:

Designing the

Authentic Organization

Stage 4:

Building the

Authentic Organization

Stage 5:

Working in the

Authentic Organization

Unconscious Competent

Product or service that the business owner is

competent at building, delivering or providing

Leader or leaders are workers

Focus on survival of the business

Lack of branding or consistent

identity internally and externally

Absence of business systems and

processes

Stage

1

Crisis of Growth & Stuck Point

Growth of the business leads to:

increase of internal chaos, acting out &

dysfunctions

conflict due to lack of boundaries, role

definitions or organizational structures

energy spent fixing problems

no longer “high” on business

feel powerless in own business

Stage

1

Unconscious Competent

To move to Stage 2:

Think of the business as an entity

with structural & functional needs

Address absence of leadership that

creates chaos

Give up beliefs that are getting in

the way

Identify real issues & brainstorm

solutions

Stage

1

Becoming Conscious

Recognize business can’t sustain growth without infrastructure

Can identify issues but don’t know how or have time to resolve them

Experiment with solutions to issues in a non-systemic way

Delegation of authority, adding another level of management

Stage

2

A body without bones will flop…. So will a business without a

sound structure.

Crisis of Growth & Stuck Point

Growth of the business leads to:

autonomous decision making

issues aren’t dealt with; leads to

power struggles; high turnover

employees feel complain, get

away with non-performance

unpredictably, chaos, confusion

leaders feel they can never do

enough

Stage

2

Becoming Conscious

To move to Stage 3:

Consider needs of organization as a whole instead of addressing issues

Consider people & system needs

Focus attention internally, investing in building the foundation for the organization

Address the importance of the employee experience to the success of the business

Recognize the need for external expertise; support and hire experts

Stage

2

Designing the Authentic Organization

Stage

3

The turning point

Stepping back from the focus on

making money to building awareness

of who the business is, it’s ecosystem

that governs behavior and productivity

Need to ask:

What is your organizational identity?

What is your organizational

ecosystem?

Your Organization’s Identity

The three organization’s identity questions:

Who do our customers think we are?

Who do we think we are?

Who are we, really?

Stage

3

Culture Identity Image

Your Organization’s Ecosystem

Complex connections between environment, functional

areas, people, leadership, supply chain, etc

Comprised of constituents and elements that are

intended to function interdependently to achieve a

desired result

Interdependence is necessary for an ecosystem to

function in a healthy, productive fashion

Ensures alignment of actions, behavior & outcomes

Stage

3

Your Organization’s Ecosystem

By mapping the points of

interdependence, systems are

designed to support the efficient

functioning of employees

The map shows gaps between

behaviors and the organizational

identity, vision and strategy; defined

employee & leadership behaviors;

communication; etc

Shows importance of all employees,

raising employee engagement, sense

of their value and job satisfaction

Stage

3

Behavior, systems & processes must be aligned to a single

identity to move ahead.

Designing the Authentic Organization

To move to Stage 4:

Create Organization’s Identity & Ecosystem through

assessment & audit of current reality

Design systems & processes to link departments &

elements of the business

Deal with employee resistance to the change process,

conflict, etc.

Build trust with employees by engaging them in the

design of the systems and change process

Leaders need to be prepared to walk-the-talk

Stage

3

Building the Authentic Organization

Build a comprehensive change

plan, including training needs that

emerge

Implement the change process

Deal with resistance, issues

Communicate, communicate,

communicate

Recognize employee’s needs and

fears during the change process

and stay in close communication

Stage

4

You know the value of investing in your

business to increase bottom line results

Building the Authentic Organization

To move to Stage 5:

Ensure systems that have been

implemented are used

Ensure that employee experiences are are

constructive

Look for gaps in ecosystem design and make changes

Regular review of employee and team behavior,

providing feedback and making adjustments

Regular assessment of leadership performance to

ensure leaders are walking-the-talk

Stage

4

Leading & Working in the Authentic Organization

Consistent assessment of alignment with organization’s identity &

ecosystem

Strategies & initiatives chosen carefully, with long-term commitments

and goals

Employees engage in the planning process so everyone has a full

understanding of their role

Macro-management approach; congruent approach to leadership and

management

Employees are given expectations and objectives and work on own to

achieve them; accountability system ensures engagement

Leaders maintain close contact and communications; act as a

sounding board for decisions; coach and mentor employees

Stage

5

Best Practices for the Authentic OrganizationConstantly evolving the organizational

identity

Recognize that identity develops with the growth of the business

Yearly assessment to ensure that stated identity is consistent with state of the business

Make required changes to brand, communications, practices, etc.

Ensuring Alignment with Organizational Identity

Ongoing assessment to ensure that the organization and people accurately reflect their stated mission, goals, and brand promise.

Linked to performance management

Best Practices for the Authentic Organization

Ongoing Commitment to Authentic Experiences

Ongoing Self-Assessment and Transparency Practices.

Willingness to objectively assess performance, behavior, etc. and to hold oneself and others accountable

Ensuring Consistency

Framework is in place to ensure consistent practices

Questions?

For more information, contact us:

Heather Hilliard

hhilliard@caliberleadership.com

416.406.3939

www.CaliberLeadershipSystems.com

www.StrivingStyles.com