Don´t rely on incentives when you have to identify prospective leaders

Ideas for improvement are rewarded with praise and career opportunities if they are being made proactively. If the very same ideas are launched via incentives that are carried out by the organization or superiors managerial appreciation and support are significantly lower. Behind this phenomenon lies the assumption that employees who have to be invited or explicitly asked to show engagement cannot be intrinsically motivated. And only this supposedly most authentic sort of motivation is essential when it comes to selecting prospective leaders for the company, the institute or the party.

These are the results of a recently published intercultural study run by scientists in the US (Maryland) and India. Additionally the researchers point out that incentives still are an effective tool for getting employees involved and empowered. Heads in spe are to be much better identified by their proactive engagements to the benefit of the organization, though.

Park/Tangirala/Hussain/Ekkirala: „How and When Managers Rewards Employee´s Voice: The Role of Proactivity Attributions”, In: Journal of Applied Psychology, 2022, vol. 107, Nr. 12, 2269-2284.

From the practice:

Doesn´t this sound familiar to you even when you think about private stuff? Who is calling, texting or emailing you proactively without any extra need = just in-between times will be much more considered to be a true friend or a really interested member of your family than those who do this just in case of your birthday or the Festive Season.

Once again I am holding a plea for proactivity: to move by yourself and not to wait until being asked provides significantly more pros than cons: when you pop up on your own because tasks cannot be finished as agreed, when you are flagging up your observations concerning deficits and unregularities of your own accord or when you bring in ideas without having been nudged. This sort of proactivity stands for responsibility, true interest and the capability to entrepreneurial thinking.

And please don´t worry: even the shyest among you can train and learn it.

Maximum transparency helps in case of strategic ignorance

„I don´t need to know this” – how often do we say or hear this sentence, particularly under time pressure and when decisions have to be made. A recent German-British study demonstrates, though: to argue quick, superficial decisions that are more self-serving than useful for the cause with time pressure is just a lame excuse. The researchers have identified much more avoidance of conflict resolution as the key trigger when decision makers do not want to deal with the real issues although helpful information and data would be available. It is simply more challenging to avoid what has to be done when we do know how to solve the respective problems. It is simply more difficult then to execute change, effective change, which might evoke conflicts – with yourself and with others.

The scientists recommend maximum transparency – that´s how to get strategic ignorance under control.

Jarke-Neuert/Lohse, „I´m in a Hurry, I don´t want to know! Strategic ignorance Under Time Pressure”, in: Journal fo Experimental Psychology: General, 151(11), 2833–2845.

From the practice:

Who does not want to be aware of his/her own deficits, will not look for a psychotherapist. Who does not intend to change his/her behavior in the office, will not be interested in new methods of leadership. Who wants to make decisions without changing anything effectively, does not need any information about long-longlasting approaches. But: looking away pays off only in short term – issues are getting bigger over time.

Maximum transparency against strategic ignorance means: 1. Be aware unconditionally about the negative consequences of your alleged quick wins: what does this tell to yourself and what for the involved ones? 2. Do confront these consequences with the benefits, with the advantaqes of sustainable solutions and your respective decisions. 3. And please ask yourself then, whether you still „do not need to know”.

Talks are finished way to early – due to false assumptions

Most of us deny themselves enjoyable interesting moments in finishing talks with new acquaintances like seat neighbors in the plane, at the conference or at a party much too early. Why do we do so? Because we tend to believe that such conversations will turn dull and boring after a couple of minutes, even if they have started charming and inspiring. These are the conclusions of a newly published study by US business schools Booth, Berkeley and Kellogg. In 5 laboratory experiments including almost 1.000 participants the surfacing message was clear: we should overcome our negative predictions and invest in these types of talks half an hour in any case where a bit of time is available.

Kardas/Schroeder/O´Brien: “Keep Talking: (Mis)Understanding the Hedonic Trajectory of Conversation”, in: Journal of Personality and Social Psychology: Interpersonal Relations and Group Processes”, 2022, vol. 123, Nr. 4, pg. 717-740.

From the practice:

Relationship is not to be built, let alone estabilshed within a few minutes. Period. A few minutes can be effectively used for launching a rhetorical appetizer or for dropping substantial key messages. To be memorized by a person whom you have not met before more time is needed, though. Only then you may reach a depth within the conversation which enables both interlocutors to get to know each other and to build up emotional connections.

Ok, some of you might respond now, but why should I do this? Because particularly these unexpected talks may enrich and inspire our daily routine, regardless whether you stay in touch afterwards or not. In times where so many people are confronted with so many challenges and lack so often positive news, I do believe in these talks as a good emotional strategy.

Corrective feedback and consequences as recipe for success

We are learning from mistakes, aren´t we? Not necessarily because frequently we tend to fade out our failures and try to get back to routine without any much fuss.

According to a new study from Germany there are two parameter which neutralize this so-called “tune-out-effect” and make not before then learning possible: 1. Corrective feedback and sufficient time in a secure atmosphere to analyse what has gone wrong. 2. The concern about optional negative consequences – from image damage till loss of the job.

Comparing learning from mistakes with Learning from and with success the two approaches apparently are likewise effective.

Keith/Horvath/Klamar/Klese, „Failure to Learn From Failure Is Mitigated by Loss-Framing and Corrective Feedback: A Replication and Test of the Boundary Conditions of the Tune-Out-Effect“, in: Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 2022, vol.151, no. 8, e19-e25.

From the practice:

Now at least we have it in black and white: we must not assume that people are automatically interested in learn from their mistakes and develop further. And: a substantial motive for the concept of “Learning from mistakes” are the awareness and the knowledge that otherwise you will face personal consequences.

These results are to be noted and underlined in red particularly for those who shy away from any kind of negative consequences as reactions for periodical mistakes or even worse announce that there will be consequences and then don´t dare to execute them. That´s definitely not credibility.

Being the leader or superior you have to maneuver proactively. To hope that people pull themselves together on their own to get better, is mostly illusion.

New insights support singletasking

Being involved in a telephone conversation reduces speed and quality of the response substantially. Our ability to make the right decisions is affected particularly. This means in detail: phoning still does make us altert and oriented, the execution of successful measures falls short, though, according to a reduced amount of information which can be processed in such a multitasking scenario. A recently published British study emphasizes this based on 2 subsequent and interdependent experiments. So previous insights and conclusions where singletasking is strongly to be preferred in case of complex tasks get additional support.

The researchers refer in their paper predominantly to the usage of mobil phones during driving.

Gunnell/Kunar/Richards/Watson, „Telephone conversations affetct the Executive, but not the Alerting or Orienting Network”, in: Journal of the Experimental Psychology: Applied. 2022, vol. 28, nr. 2, 249-261.

From the practise:

In any office there are lots of comparable situations where it is definitely not a good idea to make a call in parallel: meetings or while controlling of performance and/or data. This British study demonstrates: even if you realize and localize developing dangerous dynamics in front of you you will not take the necessary steps in the familiar quality. OR let me put it like this: as long as you do not interrupt and stop your call you will make easily make false decisions, put inadequate reactions in place or deliver non-helpful messages towards your employees or participants of your meeting. Singletasking is doubtlessly not only a matter of the respective code of conduct, but a path everyone should go to guarantee better results during complex challenges.

No, it is not an old hat, it is still highly accurate: no phone when it really matters.

If relations are key, meet in person

100% Online Meetings are a substantial risk for your leadership and for your team´s entitativity: one who perceives all the others at the table just two-dimensionally, is not able – even with the best of intentions – to develop any deeper understanding for them. On the contrary: clichès and prejudices are popping up quickly and can be reduced not before you have met in person. Only non-virtual meetings provide opportunities to capture colleagues (and leaders alike) with all our five senses. And only then we get to know each other faster and better and are capable to interpret statements and behavior (more) correctly.

With a lack of entitativity or team spirit, though, meetings – please see my blog from June – may get chewy and leadership gets tougher than necessary.

The US-researchers recommend to all superiors: get out of the online-mode and get back to personal gatherings in case relations are key.

Blanchard/McBride/Allen, „Perceiving Meetings as Groups: How Entitativity Links Meeting Characteristics to Meeting Success”, in: Psychology of Leaders and Leadership”, 2022, vol. 25, nr. 2, 90 – 113.

From the practice:

Online-Meetings do have a lot of benefits. But with them teams also do fall apart in the long run – no doubt.

If you as a leader or the host of a meeting want to avoid that you should take this checklist as a tool: 1. Provide opportunities for getting to know each other better within the call –circumvent the old fashioned boring introduction rounds, but ask all participants to explain their suggestions more clearly, observe mimics and gestures of everyone at the virtual table more carefully and address them if you notice anything outstanding or request regularly that the guys raise among themselves questions of any kind. 2. Arrange common topics as part of the agenda – common goals, common worries, joint solutions.

All of this connects – perhaps more than you might think. And it overcomes the virtual canyon that develops automatically by the screen.

Establishing meetings as role model for team spirit and culture

Team spirit, group identity or entitativity: the feeling to belong is a substantial parameter whether meetings are effecitive or not. Best preparation, tough moderation and consequent follow-ups are not sufficient if participants not perceive themselves as a group that a) has common goals, b) meet over a longer period of time and c) interact regularly. This is the conclusion of a recently published US-study. Apropos interaction: entitativity is mainly triggered by a support of dissent – where there is always space for discussing controversial opinions positive group identity rises.

Managers should therefore, according to the researchers, establish meetings frequently as role models for high quality collaboration. If dissens is not managed professionally in meetings, it won´t happen anywhere else in the working place as well.

Blanchard/McBride/Allen, „Perceiving Meetings as Groups: How Entitativity Links Meeting Characteristics to Meeting Success”, in: Psychology of Leaders and Leadership”, 2022, vol. 25, nr. 2, 90 – 113.

From the practice:

Any study that contribute to more effectiveness of meetings – currently only 50% of all meetings are considered to be effective, the other half seems to be waste of time – is warmly welcomed. It is unbelievable how much time and money is lost by bad and unprofessional meetings, let alone how this gets on anybody´s nerves.

What I do like when going through the actual study is the idea that meeting are role models for the targeted sort of collaboration. Let me summarize like this: 1. In relevant, periodical meetings employees can perceive themselves as groups – frequently better and more sustainably than by all those extra team building events. 2. In these meetings they should experience how they, how groups in this specific working place are functioning at a highest standards. This means, though that we do need much much more competence of managers in developing, running and leading meetings.

The more change is needed the more employees´ inputs become matchwinners

The Ukraine-war, rising prices in the energy field, inflation and the climate issue: almost any organization is facing increasing exogenous threats. In this context two subsequential connecting studies in the US which have gone into depth with “voice” as a success factor in times of change gain major attention. The conclusion: it´s the Timing that counts.
Accordingly supports prohibitive voice in the beginning of any crisis (disruptive stage) when managerial errors have to be avoided. On the other hand promotive voice when innovative ideas by the staff are brought up does have its particular positive effects during the socalled recovery stage.
And: the more change is needed, the more an existing culture of voice makes the differences whether an organization succees or fails. The American scientists therefore recommend to accept voice beside leadership and the composition of teams as relevant for crisis resilience, too.
Li/Tangirala, “How employees´ voice helps remain resilient in the face of exogenous change”, in: Journal of Applied Psychology, 07/2022, pg. 668 – 692.

From the practice:

Let me add and differentiate:
1. In any accurate threat top management is well advised to invite personell to prohibitive voice – meeting by meeting. It seldomly comes by itself. 2. To generate promotive voice it most often needs separate platforms like team workshops – jour fixes are definitely the wrong format. 3. „Culture of voice“ does not mean grassroots democracy which is proven to be fatal in the times of crisis. In light of these new academic findings superior should give employees voice specifically – at the right time and with the right direction.

Conclusion: more support or hands off

The new Code of Ethics for superiors as coaches consist not of 10 commandments, but 9 rules. 9 rules which Australian researchers have presented recently based on a survey among 580 managers: 1. Define and communicate which sort of coaching you apply in your organization, 2. Be transparent regarding potential conflicts of interest, 3. Agree upon the degree of confidentiality with the coachee, 4. Use your influence as the coach with responsibility, 5. Leave it up to the coachees to participate in the coaching, 6. Stay within professional paths, 7. Clarify which degree of empowerment you want to achieve and when therefore the coaching has to be finished, 8. Avoid dependencies, 9. Do treat al employees in the same way regardless if they are your coaches or not.

Additionally the scientists conclude: managers who also work as coaches with their employees were too often kept alone by their organisations. More supervision and trainings are desperately needed, more ethical framework instead of more skills has to be established, though.

Milner/Milner/McCarthy/Veiga, „Leaders as Coaches: Towards a Code of Ethics“, in: The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science. 1-25, 2022.

From the practice:

Always I was sceptical when it came to superiors as coaches. For me the conflict of interest between the superior who has to thrive the interests of the organization and the coach who has to support the coachee without any limits is almost impassable. Let´s assume that the coachee wants to leave the company due to career ambitions, but the company has to hold him/her within in the organization under all circumstances. How should the superior as the coach behave professionally in such a situation? Also we have to take into account that effective coaching needs time, time superiors normally do not have as wished: 10 hours per coachee as the minimum. On the other side I do believe in a constant integration of coaching techniques in superior´s everyday life, i.e. to guide employees step by step towards the results desired. This is a much much better strategy than to articulate targets only and not to take care of how their teams get there – procedures you quite often can observe when looking into the depth.

The Code of Ethics still is a helpful added value for managers and organisations alike. Congrats!