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Good Data Into Good Actions

#assessments #eqfit Oct 17, 2022

Turning good data into good actions only happens with intentionality.

For any plan to achieve the desired outcomes, there has to be a process to carry out the plan. Here is a recent example of what that might look like in an organization.

Example: The Unknown Root Causes

Listening to a senior leader recently, they were frustrated with the lack of collaboration and communication they perceived in their team. They could not understand why there seemed to be a bottle neck where there used to be the free flow of communications and better productivity. I asked a few questions to determine what had changed in their workplace. Here is that list:

  • 75% of their workers are now remote
  • Their weekly meeting via virtual connection seem awkward
  • Managers are doing more work that should be done by their direct reports
  • People are not growing and developing at the desired pace
  • Several key employees have left recently

In drilling deeper, this is what I found behind each of these concerns:

  •  75% of their workers are now remote - Many of these workers are ready to come back to the office but have not been offered that option. This is an informal communicative organization which use to get some of their best ideas in casual conversations that happened during the normal course of a business day. These opportunities have gone away with the move to being remote.
  • Their weekly meeting via virtual connection seems awkward - When I asked what that looked like, they said most people do not turn on their cameras. A simply requirement to have the camera on would hold people more accountable to be engaged. They also fell into the trap of allowing the weekly meetings via virtual connection to become stale by using the same agenda every week.
  • Managers are doing more work that should be done by their direct reports - Managers are finding it easier to just do the work and make the corrections themselves than try to get their direct reports to do it. This is reducing the opportunity for employees to grow and develop while reducing the time the managers have to do the things only they can do.
  • People are not growing and developing at the desired pace - Just as stated before, people are not being given the opportunity and accountability to grow and develop. The online courses offered are not engaging. Employees see the development process as an after thought, not a benefit.
  • Several key employees have left recently - 2 of these because they wanted to be back in the office full time but were not aware this was an option. Most that left were looking for a culture where they felt more a part of what was happening.

By "assessing" the situation, I was able to bring insight into many of the root causes of the deficiencies this organization was experiencing.

What happens when you assume?

I think we all know how this goes. Assuming is the slippery slope to all kinds of problems. The data was there for the senior leader, he just did not have a good way to get that information in a useful format.

Good data is data that helps you make your best decisions...AND...is readily available to you! Then you can put this data into action.

The point of all of this? Too many times I have seen strategic plans fail because they were based on faulty or missing data. One of the most difficult areas to get good data is on the most important asset any organization has...its people. Leaders often assume that this data is not available or at least not easy to access. This is far from the truth! There are many ways to get good data on people, teams, and entire organizations...and NO, I am not just talking about climate surveys.

I had a business owner hand me their most recent climate survey for his company. He asked me what I would do with it. I don't think he appreciated my comment about them selling their product by the pound. It was literally 4 inches thick in an oversize binder. I seriously considered dropping it into the trash can that was handy to make my point. Please hear what I am saying...there is nothing wrong with climate surveys, they can provide good insights. But without a bridge in how to best use this information, what good is it? I am talking proven action steps. An intentional path forward.

Good Data into Good Actions

To get the strategic results you want, you have to have good data to make your plans. Then you need good action steps to ensure that the right things are being done consistently to achieve the right results.

Do you know what the biggest roadblocks are to achieving the results you want in any part of your life? Disruptive emotions. Those emotions, either positive or negative that derail you. It is important to understand the role of emotions in your decision making. They provide two primary things, information and energy. I am not advocating you remove the emotional element. In fact, I am saying the opposite. Learn how to better navigate your emotions for a more strategic outcome. Don't lose that energy, use it.

In planning, people will always play a major role in achieving the desired outcomes. Not getting good data on where your people are creates a significant unknown. It is just as important to equip people with the tools to manage their emotions. Emotional data is readily available in the form of EQ. These scientific measures provide excellent insight into how prepared someone is to lead, make decisions, operate and execute their responsibilities, and navigate the changing environment.

Here are 3 steps you can take to ensure you get better results and outcomes:

  1. Assess where your people are today. Use validated EQ assessments to get insight into the primary drivers of behavior, actions, and decision making...emotions and how well people navigate them.
  2. From that good data, focus on action steps that will lead to greater outcomes. Equip people to be better prepared, even for the unknown.
  3. Create your plans with the best possible data in hand, pairing good data with the right action steps. Don't let uncertainty about what you can measure stand in the way of getting the data you need. Ask people how they have gained the insight they need.

These may seem simple steps, but the impact is profound.

I had someone ask me how to prepare for the unknown. Here is what I said,"You cannot prepare for the unknown, but you can prepare yourself and your people to be ready to embrace what comes next, whatever that may be."

Remove the roadblocks, enhance agility and resilience, be ready. That is the path to success in our world today.

 

Copyright © 2022 EQFIT® - Author: Steven Goodner All rights reserved. No portion of this material may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permissions contact: [email protected]

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