leadership issues in implementing change

Leadership Issues in Implementing Change

BSN 2005Jacksonville, Florida

October 5, 2005

Leadership Issues InImplementing Change


Presented By…Presented By…

Ann W. PinneyMA, MBA

Ann W. PinneyMA, MBA


Presented By…Presented By…


“Behavioral Safety—it’s an employee-driven process, isn’t it? What’s that have to do with me?”

Quote From A Leader:

b. Was hoping he could finally park safety in some other area besides his lot.

a. Has his hands full with other tasks.

c. Has conflicting accountabilities.


“The days in which we could come to work, do our jobs and

not think consciously about safety are over…

Get aboard or you will miss the train.”

Bob Brennan, President of Manitoba Hydro


Our History• Safety Improvement Initiatives

– Some organizations struggled more than others• Took longer to implement• Had greater difficulty getting employee participation

– Resistance highly correlated with assessment findings

• Poor morale• Low trust• Conflict


Our Own Studies

• In behavioral safety, the participation of leadership is critical– During first year (correlation = .42)– During second year

• Formal leaders (correlation = .76)• Informal leaders (correlation = .68)


1999 Leadership & Employee Participation(10 Locations)

01020304050607080

% Employee Particiption

> 80% 60-70% < 40%Leadership Observations


Our History• Leadership practices seemed to be the best

predictor• Leaders made two types of errors:

– They were too ‘hands off’- or -

– They were too directive


Mission/Vision

Process

Practices

Results

Values

A Values-Based Culture“Walk the talk”


“Nothing undermines the communication of a visionary

change more than behavior on the part of key players that seems inconsistent with the vision.”

John Kotter, Leading Change


We want to address 3 questions:

• Why we need leaders on board when implementing Behavioral Safety?

• What actions do leaders need to take?

• How can we help them to do it?


What are the effective leaders doing?

• Interest caused us to go back to the research literature and our clients

• Included studies that directly examined behavior and performance

• Involved interviews of – 9 CEO and General Managers– 12 Safety Managers/Change Agents


Recent Research on Leadership

• 19 studies (field & experimental studies)• Examined the differences between

effective and mediocre leadership• Effective leaders had followers who

– Perform better and– Had more positive attitudes

• More importantly it showed – What leaders should do and– What they should avoid


Consistent Results Literature and Interviews

• Research Data– Manufacturing– Financial institutions – US Army– 38 ft racing sail boats– Theater groups

• Across different cultures (US, Sweden,& Israel)

• Interview Data– Manufacturing– Logging/Sawmills– Oil & Gas– Software Design– Utilities

• Across different cultures (US, Canada & Germany)


Sample Study• Komaki, Desselles, & Schepman (1988) • US Postal Service• Independent variable - Supervisor trained

to:– Provide non-specific positive feedback– Monitor activities without comment– Monitor activities with specific feedback

• Dependent variable– Quality of performance– Employee attitudes


* Komaki, Desselles, & Schepman, 1988.

Quality Performance

7580859095

100

Monitoring &Fdbk

Monitoring Positive Fdbk

% A

ccur

acy


Improving AttitudesCOMMENTS ABOUT MANAGERS*

05

101520

Monitoring &Fdbk

Monitoring Positive Fdbk

% T

ime

spen

t

Positive Negative


What do effective leaders do?• Begin monitoring early in social

interaction• Spend more time monitoring

–Directly observing

–Discussing performance• Prompt followers to talk about their own

performance

• Give significantly more feedback


Less Effective Leaders

• Engage in solitary activities and avoid interactions with followers

• Talk more about expectations, without monitoring

• Talk about work, rather than performance• Provide less feedback


What do we need for our leaders to do? (Interviews)

1. Speak about the safety improvement process everywhere in meetings and out in the field

2. Model visibly the desired actions—conduct a observation, make a decision in defense of safety, “monitor and give feedback”, etc.

3. Develop measures of accountability for successful adoption of the safety improvement process

4. Hold supervisors accountable for active participation.


Desired Management Actions

Weekly

SUPPORT INSTEAD…Had 3 “hallway” talks about Behavioral Safety

Covered implementation progress with direct reports

Conducted at least one observation


SUPERVISOR’S/CHARGEHAND’S SAFETY INDEX

Date:

BEHAVIORS YES NO N/ARight Now:1. Pull over to dial cell phone2. Wearing seat belt3. Driving the speed limit4. Wearing portable radio when outside vehicle5. Wearing the proper PPE6. Notified operator/crew upon entering work areaToday:7. Instructed someone on a safety procedure8. R+ a safe act9. Gave feedback on someone’s performanceWeekly:10. Conducted an observation with checklist11. Held one-on-one discussion with employee about Behavioral Safety12. Corrected an unsafe condition this week

# YES = % Safe BehaviorsTOTAL YES + NO = TOTAL


Safety Index for Manager of ManagersExample of Behaviors w/Different Levels of Importance

Requirements Yes No

100 Pts. possible

ScoreWeight

Discuss/establish safety index w/direct report

Approve and fund a safety modification

Create a R+ plan

Post up-to-date feedback graph

Reduce supervisor’s task load by one item to create time for conducting an observation

R+ supervisor for conducting and index

Help a peer with their PIP or safety plan

Talk about safety progress w/supervisor weekly

Hold a hallway “chat” with employee about safety

TOTAL POINTS

10201510

20

1055

10


How do we get the leader to buy-in?

1. Speak their language.


WORKER LOST DAYS*

183

3 9 12 5

90

115

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

1999Q1 1999Q2 1999Q3 1999Q4 2000Q1 2000Q2 2000Q3 2000Q4

Total1999 2072000 111

*Almost equivalent to losing one person for entire year


WORKER LIGHT DAYS*

62

116147

215

83

468

2263

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

1999Q1 1999Q2 1999Q3 1999Q4 2000Q1 2000Q2 2000Q3 2000Q4

Total1999 5402000 636

Equivalent to more than 2 people not “on task” for entire year


$0

$50,000

$100,000

$150,000

$200,000

$250,000

1999Q1 1999Q2 1999Q3 1999Q4 2000Q1 2000Q2 2000Q3 2000Q4

Total Range1999 $116 - 289K2000 $135 - 337K

INDIRECT COSTS*

Average employee costs $55K – Cost of 2 – 7 people a year*Using 5 to 12 times direct costs based on NSC & DOL statistics

Variability = Safety System Out Of Control


SALES TO RECOUP COSTS*

339116 183 269

591402

2272

1364

255

1337

746

1633

620608742 1033

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

1999Q1 1999Q2 1999Q3 1999Q4 2000Q1 2000Q2 2000Q3 2000Q4

Annual Range1999 1.8M - 4.0M2000 2.1M - 4.6M

Dol

lars

in 1

000’

s

*Assuming a 10% Profit Margin, i.e., company keeps 10% of every dollar in sales.


Resources for Calculating $’s

• Occupational Resources Councilwww.orc-dc.com

• www.osha.gov e-tools, download$afety Pays


How do we get the leader to buy-in?

1. Speak their language.2. Understand what are their

consequences.


Pinch Points for Leadership(Interview data)

• “Too many initiatives to support at once = dilution”


Communication for Change

Total

Change

• Over 3 months- Total 2,300,000 words or numbers

• Kick-off meeting = 13,400 words

• 13,400/2,300,000 words = .0058


“Help…I can’t keep up!”



•“Too many initiatives to support at once = dilution”

• Limit competing programs during the Safety Improvement implementation.•Talk about the safety initiative everywhere—meetings, shop floor, informal hallway chats.



• “I’m being squeezed daily for production performance from corporate”


SiteManager


Frontline Supervisor



• “I’m being squeezed daily for production performance from corporate”

• Educate all those who carry consequences for the leader on what to expect in outcome measures during the implementation process.

• Have corporate management use the “tell me about it” approach.


Pinch Points, cont.

• “No matter how much we point out what the leader needs to do, he/she won’t do it.”


Pinch Points, cont.

• “No matter how much we point out what the leader needs to do, he/she won’t do it.”

• Determine whether it is a “CAN’T DO orWON’T DO problem.

Won’t Do----Change the consequences.Can’t Do----Change out the person.


Pinch Points, cont.

• “I don’t have enough time.”


It’s amazing what a little water and sunshine can do!


Pinch Points, cont.

• “I don’t have enough time.”

• Help create the accountability measures, write the speeches, help create the management checklists, and whenever possible orchestrate reinforcement for the manager.


CEO’s To Do List• Communicate, communicate, communicate.• Check the pulse weekly (monitor/feedback).• Be willing to go out on a limb.• Look for champions.• Don’t wait for people to “feel comfortable.”• Model visibly that safety is the priority every

day.• Have metrics to reflect short-term gains.


“A bad leader can kill a good process.”

Rixio MedinaCorporate Safety Manager

Citgo Petroleum

leadership issues in implementing change

Business