Thoughts and themes from an EE conf in Melbourne

Just wrapped up the Melbourne Employee Engagement conference and a couple of clear themes emerged:

• There's great value to be gained in giving your people access to the senior leaders in your organization - if that's not possible, remember that it's your people managers who will need to carry your engagement efforts.
  
• High salaries and a great safety record only get you so far in engaging your people. If they have to "park their brain at the gate" and get their intrinsic satisfaction (i.e. happiness and real engagement, a.k.a. "flow" experiences) from activities outside work, you've still got your work cut out for you as an organization.
  
• Acquisitions and mergers are a fast way to grow a company and gain needed technology and market share. M&A's attract lots of "bean counters" looking to realize efficiencies...equally important (and too-often forgotten) is the need for people-positive engagement practices. No company ever cut its way to greatness and in the final analysis it's people who make the competitive difference. Great to hear about practical ways to demonstrate the value of the intangible people dimension.
  
• A compelling presentation reminded us all of the power of stories to engage and motivate people. In the same vein, you'll find a tmc-related example of practical application of storytelling in an organizational setting (combined with the solution-focused technique The Affirm) here.
  
• One of my favourite quotes of the conference was from Michael Specht: It's not a social media problem, it's a management problem. If you don't trust your people, if they're already wasting time in other ways, and you give them social media tools - they're just going to go play. Highlights the role of technology as not only an enabler but an accelerator of what's already happening in the organization - hence also an amplifier. If you're disconnected from your people no amount of social media will reverse that trend.
  
• My equally favourite quote of the conference: Change programs [to improve people engagement] are not a sprint. They're a marathon. Enjoyed the insight offered that when leaders and manages fail to communicate using "formal channels," the result is not silence; instead the "informal" communication channels (i.e. the rumour mill) move in to fill the vacuum. For me the interesting question becomes: given that conversations in your organization are happening all the time - what can you do to get positive conversations working for you?

Those are my highlights from the Melbourne conference - tune in next week for an overview of both conferences.

.

Employee Engagement - interview podcast now online

Alex Manchester of Melcrum Australia recently interviewed me after I chaired the Melcrum Employee Engagement conference a few weeks ago here in Sydney. The interview is now available - you can listen to the podcast here and read coverage of the conference highlights on the Melcrum internal communications Hub.
TM

Joining Mercer M&A – Culture integration, strategic communications & corporate change management

After some months of negotiations and discussion, I am happy to now say that I have taken on an engagement with Mercer’s M&A practice in Australia/New Zealand as principal consultant specialized in cultural integration, strategic communications and corporate change management.

Several factors have made this opportunity an especially attractive one for me: Mercer’s research-based consulting approach, working as part of a global business area and having the chance to apply my knowledge and expertise on a larger scale than what would be possible as an independent consultant.

Thanks to the positive feedback and encouraging commentary that I’ve had about this blog, I plan to continue posting here in order to share the same insights, knowledge and connections that I have enjoyed writing about to date and I hope that it continues to inform and entertain.

TM

tm helps you get what you want

toddmontgomery consultancy (tmc) is an international consultancy in the areas of organizational change, leadership and people development.

In organizations, the focus is on "the people side of change" - leading people through change situations while effectively managing organizational and interpersonal complexity.

What kind of change?

Changes like mergers and acquisitions (M&As), strategic refocus, business transformation, restructuring, design changes, employee engagement initiatives, corporate culture and brand renewals, internal communication activities and a host of others - at both the organizational and individual level.

How does tmc work with clients? Well, a good indicator is the tmc corporate tagline:

This means working with leaders and teams so they are clear what they want (set the strategy and develop the vision). Then, based on what comes out of that, helping them define the things they need to do (individually and as a team) to get what they want. 

Together we diagnose, develop and deliver a program that helps leaders find practical, sustainable ways to get the best out of each individual team member. Particular focus is placed on effective communications, emotional self-management, integrating diverse talents and particular strengths within the team, and learning how to identify and positively influence patterns of behaviour in oneself and others.

Helping you achieve and sustain practical results
 
The work doesn't end there! In the next stage of our collaboration, tmc acts in an advisory role to offer guidance and assistance with the implementation - a key component of which is finding ways to embed change competencies in the organization to sustain the change in the long term.

The methodologies used to achieve these practical results may include: individual consultation, group facilitation, large group process, executive/group/performance coaching, and workshops to enhance skills development across the team. The ultimate objective is to not only develop skills but to create sustained behaviour change (where "behaviour" is simply a skill that is applied in real-life setting) for positive business results.

In larger organizations, internal facilitators and coaches can be certified in a combination of process, systems and group leadership methods to help carry out change initiatives and embed learning in the organization through practical application in the workplace setting.

The end result: a culture of engagement with motivated teams of people who get things done.

The tmc approach is based on the belief that there is no standardized, catch-all method that will suit every client. The focus is instead on responding to your particular reality and "making it fresh" every time - tailored to your reality and most importantly: enjoyable and engaging!

What about individuals?

tmc also helps individuals to identify and "get what they want." Here's how it works.

A short series of conversations help you to identify your desired outcomes and develop a practical action plan to achieve your goals. You'll experience greater clarity, a chance to "think out loud" and ways to use your particular skills, talents and abilities to get the tangible results you want. Each conversation builds on the last to promote accountability, highlight your progress, and encourage you to "have another go" - to go out and learn from each effort, adjusting course until you reach your destination.

To find out how tmc can help you get what you want, contact Todd at:

toddmontgomery
Mobile +61 431 989 434
Email toddm AT toddmontgomery.com.au
Skype ktoddmontgomery