How a Leader Went from Unintentionally Breaking Relationships with Her Employees to Becoming the Model for Employee Engagement in Her Company

Most leaders become leaders because they perform their job or area of discipline really well, are results driven, hard working and committed and, as a result, get promoted up to being the leader of others doing the same work. 

The problem with this very common practice is that the skills it takes someone to do their job are not the same skills it takes to LEAD OTHERS doing the job. The transition from individual contributor to leader most often creates a skill gap that results in significant stress and frustration for both the leaders and the people they lead.

Every leader wants a great team and every team wants a great leader…yet today we know that the majority of the workforce in our country is disengaged. This disengagement is often a result of a lack of leadership skills. 

According to Gallup and American Psychological Association surveys:

• 75% of employees say ~ their boss is the most stressful part of their job
• 65% ~ say they would take a new boss over a pay raise
• 40% ~ leave companies because they can’t get along with their boss

I’ve been in business and leadership for over 30 years and I can tell you it doesn’t have to be this way. This article describes the journey of one of our clients who transitioned from having been a leader who was unintentionally breaking relationships with their team and struggling to keep them motivated - to becoming the model for employee engagement in her company.

If you’re ready to develop leaders who can lead with confidence no matter what challenges or crises are happening in your business, click below to schedule a discovery call:

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Read on to discover the steps this leader used to transform her leadership and the entire culture of her team, and how YOU can do the same…

Upon partnering with this leader, here are some of the challenges she and her team were experiencing:

• She was struggling to keep employees motivated and seemed to be breaking relationships with her employees.
• Error reports were coming in left & right and team members seemed to look for someone/anyone to blame.
• Team members didn’t trust management or one another, weren’t willing to offer help and support to each other to meet deadlines and were generally not working well as a team.
• Employees didn’t feel respected or appreciated, which led to them doing the bare minimum and not feeling motivated or willing to take ownership of hitting important department and company goals.
• Employees stopped volunteering to work rotations because they felt overworked and underappreciated.
• The department negativity resulted in lower quality of work, unmet goals and low productivity / efficiency levels.
• Employees seemed to dread coming into work because of the lack of teamwork and not knowing what the day had in store.
• There was frequent turnover of employees to other departments, as well as other employers, due to the unhealthy team culture.
• It was taking a toll on both the leader’s and employees' personal lives as well, going home each day from such a stressful work environment.
• 360 results revealed the leader was being perceived as a dictator, and a boss without empathy, who only cared about getting the expected results (this couldn't have been farther from her intention, but it was how she was being perceived).

Ultimately, these challenges resulted in zero ownership in the work quality and zero pride in working for the company, poor communication, constant frustration, employees feeling exhausted and unappreciated, gossiping, and consistently missing performance goals.

Needless to say, the leader and the employees were stressed and facing significant challenges.

In order to help this leader become a more effective and confident leader, we implemented a 3 step strategy. Step 1 always begins with the ‘WHO’ of the leader. At Executive Impact, we have a mantra we wholeheartedly believe in…

“WHO YOU ARE IS HOW YOU LEAD, AND HOW YOU LEAD DETERMINES THE SUCCESS AND CULTURE OF YOUR TEAM AND ORGANIZATION.”

Step 1: Upgrade Your Leadership Effectiveness by Becoming a ‘Coach Approach’ Leader

We launched leadership coaching and mentoring sessions, measured the impact her leadership was having on her team, and created a customized leadership development plan that would help her become a more effective, respected, and celebrated leader.

Coaching sessions, as indicated by the leader herself, became her ‘judgement free zone’ where she could really get to the root of her behaviors, understand the beliefs and behaviors that were holding her back from being most effective, which allowed her to intentionally upgrade her mindset.

The 4 phases of the Coach Approach to Leadership model, designed to close the leadership skill gap and elevate leadership effectiveness:  

? 01 Discover ~ Understand and leverage your leadership DNA beginning with an individual leadership assessment, intake coaching sessions and measure the impact your leadership is having on your team through an in-depth leadership 360 assessment.

? 02 Relate ~ Solidify key competencies necessary to gain high levels of trust, elevate accountability, communicate effectively, resolve employee conflicts and better influence others.

? 03 Coach ~ Deep dive into understanding human behavior and develop the mindset and skill set to be a great coach leader.

? 04 Achieve ~ Tap into the natural tendency to be a results-driven leader, learn to accelerate results without having to ‘drive’ people but by empowering them to reach higher levels of success.

Step 2: Build a Strong Team ~ Founded on Trust, Respect, Accountability & Communication

The leader participated with her team in six, 4-hour facilitated group sessions designed to build trust, develop the team dynamic and improve communication among team members, and included the following topics:

•  Kickoff Session ~ Defining the Dream Team & Laying the Team Foundation with an Individual & Team Assessment to Uncover Natural Wiring & Team Culture
• Building Trust & Respect ~ The Teamwork Model, Defining Trust, Warning Signs of Low Trust & Strategies to Rebuild Trust
• Transforming Communication ~ Communication Methods, Active Listening & Unpacking Conflict
• Elevating Accountability ~ Accountability Defined, The Accountability Formula & Accountability Through Giving/Receiving Feedback
• Creating Team Vision & Culture ~ Developing a Team Vision Statement & Guiding Values/Behaviors
• Team Execution ~ Facilitated Team Working Through 6 Business Case Scenarios to Demonstrate Roles, Responsibilities & Decision-Making Authority & Parameters

Step 3: Cultivate a Culture Where Employees Feel Appreciated & Motivated to do Great Work

The leader also implemented several operational and team engagement strategies to further support and develop the team:

•  An open door policy for employee concerns.
• Slowing down to make sure her team knows they are valued and being truly listened to.
• A quality-based performance incentive program.
• A team ‘committee’ to gather feedback, problem solve and share ideas
• Private, uninterrupted time for listening, sharing ideas, problem solving, giving/receiving feedback, answering questions and celebrating individual successes.
• Monthly birthday lunches and employee recognition for acts of kindness and for going above and beyond.
• Fun department events and activities such as chili cooks offs, potluck meals, finish the phrase contest, etc.
• Voluntary quarterly team outings such as bowling, trivia night, escape room, etc.

Results Produced

The leader AND team experienced a true transformation…here is some of the feedback we received:

• The leader grew in her confidence and was able to build a bridge of trust with her team members, learned how to be a coach leader and became her team’s biggest cheerleader.
• Employees feel listened to and respected by their manager.
• Team members expressed how happy they are with their jobs now and with the team atmosphere.
• Department morale is at an all-time high…and the overall attitude within the department is GREAT.
• Employees are more focused and efficient because they aren’t as stressed.
• Employees willingly accept ownership for results and invest time supporting and mentoring each other, stating, “I couldn’t work with a better group of people!”
• Communication has dramatically improved.
• Employees have expressed how joyful and fun the work environment is today.
• The department has successfully onboarded 20 new team members, several of which have expressed how grateful they are to work for the company.
• The leader reported, “The team is one big family helping each other become the best that they can be.”

The leader shared with us that the team came together and bought her a Christmas gift (a mini refrigerator so she could keep her coffee creamer cold ??). She stated, “To some that means nothing - but to me that was everything. In all the years that I have been in Management, not one time has the team come together to do anything for me. Individually, yes, there were some. But never as a team. This let me know that there was a true change in the morale and trust.”

How Life Changed Beyond the Workplace

In addition to her professional growth, the leader told us that her life had also changed beyond the workplace. She stated, “On a personal note, my spouse and kids have noticed a positive change in me and that has made our bond stronger. My Faith has gotten stronger and my relationships with my family and co-workers have improved. The coach approach in your personal life is just as important as it is in our professional life as well. This has been a very positive outcome for me.”

As you can see, this leader underwent a massive transformation, which produced extraordinarily positive results - not just for her and her relationships with her employees, but for the business as a whole.

Develop Agile Leaders Who Can Lead with Confidence, Even During the Most Challenging Situations

This client is just one of the many incredible leaders we have been blessed to partner with who have significantly increased their productivity, employee engagement and business results by becoming a more effective leader. If you’re ready to develop your leaders to help you reach your goals faster, please book a call at https://go.oncehub.com/alissadewitt or email us at [email protected].

About Alissa DeWitt

Alissa DeWitt, MCC, CPC, CERS, is the Founder, CEO & Executive Coach at Executive Impact, an organization dedicated to developing leaders and building leadership dream teams. With 30+ years in the people business and using the “Coach Approach to Leadership,” Alissa and her team are passionate about helping leaders increase their capability to effectively coach diverse generations, creatively solve business problems and achieve breakthrough business results.

Feedback from Her Team Members

“I wanted to let you know that I have noticed a big change in the team. The people in the department are happier and more willing to get the job done. I believe this change is due to management. Keep up the good work!”

“2 years ago, I would say the work environment in our department was very stressful. It was taking a toll on my personal life and family to go home from a stressful job. There was a lot of negativity with people expressing new ideas, error reports coming in left and right, and everyone looking for someone/anyone to blame.

As of today, I can say that the morale has changed tremendously. We’re constantly encouraged through gatherings outside of work, team building exercises, and getting help setting up orders if needed. I am more focused and can get more work done efficiently because I’m not as stressed as I was 2 years ago.”

“I’m one of the new hires hired within the last 13 months. Several months into my training, my mentor received a new job promotion into a different department. The colleagues around me stepped in to make sure I did not get left behind. They have just been wonderful helping me to get the knowledge that I need to perform my job well. Kudos to all four of those guys! They’re the best! The teamwork and morale at the company is exceptional, and you couldn’t work with a better group of people. Everyone is friendly and is willing to help at any given time!”

“I’ve been working here almost 13 years. We have certainly seen some ups and downs here. Department morale has been just about the lowest I’ve seen. I dreaded coming into work, not knowing what the day had in store. Things started changing, and in turn morale turned around. Department morale and overall attitude is great now! I’m happy to be in my department and don’t mind coming to work. Things are more fair across the board and with LOTS less complaining. You always know you have someone to go to for anything. I feel fortunate to work at this company, and especially to work in this department!”

Feedback from the Leader

“Developing as a leader was a stressful process in the beginning. The 360 results showed that others perceived me as a dictator, a boss without empathy, and only cared about getting expected results. There were several emotions that I had to work through as a result of this feedback. It was painful feedback, yet I knew this was not my heart or my intentions. The process required deep self-reflection and a willingness to change.

Working with Alissa and going through the coaching process was the best thing for me. There was a no judgement zone and it allowed me to really get to the root of the issues.

Alissa, I cannot thank you enough for what you have done for me personally and professionally. Thank you so much for your coaching and believing in me. You have no idea the impact that you had on my life both professionally and personally. This has been a great experience (lots of emotions) and I am glad that you were with me on this journey. I believe paths cross for a reason…I know I have gained a longtime friend and sister in Christ. Please continue to do God’s work and impacting lives."