As a business grows and moves forward, so does its need to take every member of the team along with it. In 2022, LeadMe Academy began working with our team. Over the course of the following year, almost every member of Analyze embarked on LeadMe’s 12-month programme.
The experience was business- and life-changing!
Here’s a few pearls of wisdom we won’t soon forget…
REFLECTIONS
“At the outset, I did the LeadMe programme as a team requirement, but I didn’t expect the amount of personal growth that would occur. It also has not stopped! The change has been sustained and in fact, it’s ramped up and spilled over into other aspects of my life as I’ve become increasingly more self-aware.” Amanda Budler, Analyze COO
“Giving our people the flexibility to manage their own performance has strengthened our overall productivity, not lessened it. There is no big stick, and it turns out there is no need for it! People seem to invest more time on projects, not less, and tend to go the extra mile without being asked.” Angela Bowyer, Analyze Futurist
“From a performance management perspective, we are valuing and measuring different things and this has had a huge impact on staff morale as well as productivity.” Michelle Van Kesteren, Analyze CPO
“People are bringing their whole selves to work… I think this speaks to greater sense of authenticity – of people being who they are not who they think people want them to be.” Jeremy Chetwin, Analyze CEO
“While our culture has always been good, now it’s great. The spotlight on self-awareness has been key – it’s resulted in greater team cohesion (at an executive level) and this then plays out and is modelled for the benefit of the wider organisation.” Cathy Banks, Analyze Executive Director and Founder
FURTHER OUTCOMES:
We’ve chosen to continue implementing the LeadMe programme with all new staff every year. To maintain our ‘flatter’ leadership structure and encourage ongoing learning at all levels, these newer members will be given the opportunity to share their insights and learnings with the wider team regularly. This way, everyone continues to learn, and the value of leaders at all levels will be practically lived out – as the junior and newer staff teach the rest.
DEEPER INSIGHTS:
Based on more feedback and discussion within our team, here are several key insights we’re taking with us:
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- Take everybody along. It’s no longer enough to just coach the top-tier execs, and focus on a thin band of people within your organisation. If you’re wanting to create a future-fit company, every person – from CEO to intern – must learn how to lead themselves better.
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- Stay honest. Measure the quality of conversations and debate – is everyone just ‘yes-men’ or can you have robust dialogue and change course when necessary?
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- Agency is everything. Pull don’t push. People were drawn not driven to get involved – which created far more engagement and people doing more not less.
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- Critical thinking and innovation requires space. Space in the diary, as well as space in the culture to fail fast and forward.
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- Don’t over-focus on KPIs. They tend to create check boxes that inadvertently lead to people doing the minimum instead of going beyond. Rather focus on key behaviours and empowering those. That way, KPIs will automatically be taken care of incidentally.
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- Everything is far more integrated than we tend to think. This applies to work/life integration as well as the health of the bottom line and the health of the culture.
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- Teams work better than ever after individuals gain self-awareness. Knowing oneself precedes knowing each other, having a shared language and learning how to work optimally together.
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- Everyone is a creative. Everyone want space to design their lives and work days in a way that brings them joy. In our team, people now ask, “How can I design my day to be my most productive self?” and, “How can we design as a team to serve the client best?” This has significantly reduced the storming before the performing.
