In the previous blog in this series my colleague, Miranda Hanes, discussed the percentage of women moving into leadership roles and the decidedly lower representation of women at the highest ranks in the organization. She posed the question, “Where are they?” I would like to expand upon Miranda’s blog by posing another question, “Where did they go?” We know that women comprise about 50 percent of the workforce and approximately 30 percent of managerial and supervisory roles, but very few women ascend to the C-suite in organizations. So the question, in my opinion, becomes what happens during women’s career progression that causes them to break the glass ceiling and ascend the career ladder, and why do so many women go over the glass cliff? Is it due to a lack of skill and competence, a matter of cultural fit, the need for work/life balance, or is it simply burnout and frustration with the need to work smarter and harder to reach the top spots.

A recent case study in the Business Insider titled “Why Women Are More Effective Leaders Than Men” helps answer some of these questions through its exploration of the effectiveness of male and female leaders at various points in their career. In this article, men were rated more effective early in career, whereas women were rated more effective mid-to-late in career, with effectiveness ratings having minimal mean differences beyond the age of 60. Some key differences as to what may contribute to this trend relates to behavioral characteristics such as: openness to feedback, willingness to change one’s leadership style, and a strong focus on professional development. Or in Hogan speak, a strong focus on strategic self-awareness.  

When thinking more broadly about how female leaders are typically characterized and perceived, there is a strong emphasis on competencies like collaboration, motivating and inspiring others, and team development. What is often left out of these conversations are competencies such as: delivers results and takes initiatives. Recent research has shown that women tend to fair equally well, if not better in some cases, on these competencies. However, very few organizations have women leading at the top of the house. So the question is why aren’t we promoting women more rapidly? Or even in many cases, where did they go or why did they opt out? In order to more directly answer these questions I think we need to go to the source. We need to spend more time talking to women in these high profile leadership roles to better understand their journey, their struggles, and what gets them out of bed in the morning and motivated to lead others.

Until we can have these conversations, our best strategy is to continue focusing efforts on leadership development programs geared specifically for women, and allowing women more access to strong female leaders earlier in their careers. Research suggests that women are interested and motivated by opportunities to develop, so these programs are likely working, and could be a great way to engage and retain high performing female leaders.

I might also add that we need to encourage both men and women to capitalize on their strengths. Although created equally, we know that men and women do not lead in the same way. Therefore, my advice for organizations is to stop focusing on leadership development in a vacuum. If women and men take a different approach and style to leadership, then create programs that focus on this difference and leverage it to bring diverse styles to the C-Suite. And for all of the aspiring female leaders out there, don’t try to lead like a man. We bring a different set of strengths and interpersonal style to the table. Let’s focus on that—even if it does mean we climb the ladder one rung at a time.

I recently had the opportunity to work with a client on a succession planning project for the organization's executive team. The members of the this team have been with the organization for quite a long time and are nearing retirement. As a result, they are working on a five-year plan that includes both identifying and training a successor for each role. In essence, they are making their “if I get hit by or bus or just decide to play golf instead of work plan.” This conversation spurred a number of ideas and thoughts around leaving a legacy in an organization, but also about life. Basically, it got me thinking about my own “what if I get hit by a bus plan.”

Nearly a year ago, my husband and I welcomed our son, Logan, into our lives and this experience has caused me to reflect on the lessons I want to teach him, the values I hope to instill, as well as, more broadly, the mark I want to leave on the world and the legacy I hope to create. Reflecting on these personal goals brings me back to my conversations with my client because our legacy goes beyond our home life. Let’s face it, we spend most of our adult lives at work. This notion brings me back to the conversation with my client because much of what goes into identifying a successor in an organization relates to our own personal legacies in terms of the reputation or brand we’ve created and, as a result, the shoes we hope will fill it in our absence.

From an organizational perspective, the leaders create the culture and ultimately the values for the organization. It is the people at the top who define and influence the mission of the organization whether that’s done on paper or just by example. Therefore, during a succession planning process, leaders are challenged with not only thinking about filling their own shoes, but the culture they want to leave behind and create with a new leadership team.

From an assessment standpoint, leaders are challenged with thinking about the values, drivers, and behavioral characteristics that will result in the next generation of leaders doing it just as well and hopefully better than they did. That being said, succession planning should be about bringing the right people in, but also creating and allowing for opportunities for them to do it differently and better than it has been done in the past. Leaving a legacy is not only about continuing previous successes, but also transcending them.

The birth of my son made the previous statement real for me in many ways. My goal is to teach him, to provide him a framework and stable ground for success, and then to get out of his way so he can find his own path.

Over the past 12 months, Hogan has discussed a number of hot topics in the talent management arena. We’ve introduced you to an interesting, entertaining, and derailing cast of characters with howdoyouderail.com, and we’ve provided insight about engagement, team building, and organizational culture with our series on The Rocket Model. After reviewing the blog entries for this year, I compiled a list of Hogan’s Hottest, Hot Topics in 2012. 

1. The Dark Side: Derailment and the Hogan Development Survey
This topic makes the top of the list because it is a real phenomenon. It is estimated that at least half of the individuals who are currently in leadership roles are failing or nearly derailing. The Dark Side (i.e. behaviors that emerge when we are under stress, pressure, or simply not self-monitoring) can rear its ugly head in a number of ways. We’ve all met the Loose Cannon, worked with the Show Off, or tried to deliver feedback to the Skeptic. These derailing behaviors can be career killers…literally. So it’s important that we focus on our reputation and self-awareness.

2. Self-Awareness: The value of understanding one’s reputation
One of the largest debates in the area of personality is that of identity and reputation. Identity relates to our values, goals, hopes, and dreams while reputation represents the behaviors that other people see that can either help or impede goal attainment. Reputation is what matters. It is what helps you climb the corporate ladder or go down the chute of derailment. We cannot modify our reputations without understanding why we do the things we do. Self-Awareness is the key to reconciling the differences between identity and reputation. Self-Awareness is the key to leadership success. 

3. The Talent Management Gap: Building a high potential pipeline in a Millennial world
If you have doubts about the generational differences in the reliance on technology or the importance of social networking just ask any 10-year-old who wants an iPhone for Christmas, or consult the children’s toy aisle at your local big box store and you will find an assortment of Kindles, Nooks, and even iPad look-a-likes for babies. I can personally attest to this because my five-month-old received one from our friends for Christmas. There are differences in the way Millenials and eventually Generation Z will approach the work world. These groups have a significant reliance on technology, are highly affiliative, and require immediate and regular feedback. Jackie VanBroekhoven’s blog, The Generational Workforce of the Future, is a great illustration of the need to understand each of the generations representing the workforce in order to build the talent bench of the future.

4. Engagement: Focusing on the employee and the team
Employee engagement has been a hot topic for a number of years and it will likely become increasingly important as we see a shift in the make-up of the workforce. Engaged employees tend to be more satisfied and more productive, and productivity ties directly to the financial bottom line. The moral to the story is that morale and engagement matter and an employee’s engagement is largely driven by his/her boss. That being said, we need to focus on developing leaders who can empower and foster engagement in their staff.

What’s in store for 2013? We have a number of new and interesting topics to address next year, so stay tuned for more information from The Science of Personality. Until then, Happy Holidays from all of us at Hogan!

Bullying is a topic that has been widely covered in the news recently. Schools are instituting and actively enforcing policies against bullying to prevent physical and psychological distress against those being bullied. Although we most frequently think of bullying in a school context, this sort of hair pulling, name calling, and harassing behavior is not limited to the elementary school playground or the high school locker room.

Bullies are everywhere, in academic settings and the corporate world alike. Why? Because those bullies who made fun of us on the playgrounds eventually grow up and learn to use their influence and intimidation tactics to make their way into the corporate world, and often to the top of the corporate ladder. Eventually, the hair pulling and name calling from childhood manifests itself as corporate bullies using emotion and aggressiveness to get their way and potentially make others feel ignorant as a means to win power over others.

A 2009 Forbes.com article by Nicole Perlroth provides an interesting commentary of the bullies in the C-Suite and in Hollywood. In her article, Nicole discusses two types of bullies: 1) the yelling, screaming, likes to see people squirm bully, and 2) the “I’m doing this for your own good” bully who uses emotion and aggression to both protect and demand performance from others. The interesting thing that both types of bullies have in common, especially in the corporate world, is that they get results. Martha Stewart’s perfectionistic, demanding, and micromanaging style is likely perceived by others as bully-like in nature. However, her ability to push people to their limits and demand perfection also commands loyalty from those who survive the tough work environment. It also allowed her business to continue growing rapidly while she was in prison. The late Steve Jobs is another example of bullying behavior that drove success. His creative, emotional, and at times condescending style created greatness, but at what cost and to whom?

These individuals are great examples of what often gets you to the top, may cause you to fail, or in Hogan terms, derail. Although both Martha Stewart and Steve Jobs were and in Martha’s case continue to be wildly successful, there is a cost. Whether it is in the form of brand image, personal reputation, or the trail of bodies that often follows these individuals whose strong and abrasive interpersonal style may destroy others.

Confidence, aggressiveness, and the ability to set high expectations are critical characteristics in successful leaders; however the way these behaviors are perceived by others is what ultimately distinguishes a great leader from a corporate bully. Awareness of the impact one’s behaviors has on others is the key to success in the corporate world and the elementary school playground alike.

The bottom line: It’s important to recognize the intention and the impact our behavior has on others because name calling and temper tantrums can only get us so far. If we don’t pay attention to and modify these behaviors we may find ourselves a captain without a team – kickball, dodge ball, or executive.

At the recent Conference Board in Chicago, a number of talent management professionals and consulting experts gave presentations on next-generation leadership. These discussions included a variety of topics, from recruiting generation Y and Millennial employees to social networking and overcoming the talent management gap as Baby Boomers retire. The common thread in these topics there were three recurrent questions 1) how do we develop next generation high potentials for senior leadership roles, 2) do we tell them they are high potentials, and 3) how will this impact their ability to be authentic leaders?

The general consensus from the Conference Board attendees was that telling these individuals was important for a number of reasons. Mostly, formal identification of high potentials allows employees to opt out of these programs if they are not interested. For those who are interested, formal identification may increase commitment to such programs. One of the concerns with telling these individuals they have been identified as the future of the organization is that they may lose sight of what they need to do from a development perspective today to ensure success once appointed to these senior leadership roles. Additionally, there is a concern about the ability of these individuals to be authentic leaders.

Last week my colleague Jackie VanBroekhoven wrote about the shadows leaders cast. These shadows begin developing early in our careers, and without careful attention and behavior modification they may supersede our successful initiatives and bottom line results. When reflecting on the Conference Board dialogue about high potential identification, the importance of shadow management could not be truer. In addition to committing to development programs these high potentials also need to commit to self-development and shadow awareness.

The current political environment is a great place to observe the consequences of our shadows in action. As we prepare for the 2012 election year the speeches and promises for change are in full force. Regardless of your political views, you are likely to observe politicians leveraging their confidence, charisma, and innovative ideas to change the current economy to get your vote. The question of authenticity comes into play when it is time to put these plans into action. Take Rick Perry’s current proposal of a flat tax plan. Is this the new financial strategy to save the US from the current debt crisis or is it simply a political message to take interest off his poking fun of President Obama’s birth certificate situation? What sort of shadow does Governor Perry cast and will this shadow impact his success in the upcoming election?

These leadership shadows are much easier to identify when people are in the public eye. Politicians, CEOs, and other public figures likely have these shadows following them quite literally when paparazzi are lurking in the bushes and standing in their driveways.

Public figures aside, have you ever thought about the shadow you cast? If others were to describe you when you weren’t around what would they say? Are you confident engaging and charming or arrogant socially dominant and risk taking? In addition to self-awareness and behavior change we all need to be mindful of these looming success killers or shadows that may negatively impact our reputation.

This topic of shadow awareness is particularly salient in the current workforce. Although organizations may not be identifying the next CEO or United States President in their current high potential programs, they are indentifying the next generation of leaders who may be tasked with ascending the ranks of the organization faster than their predecessors. That being said, these programs need to focus on developing the skills and behaviors for leadership, but also challenging these individuals to think about the legacy they want to leave behind and figuring out whether you’re afraid of your shadow is a great place to start!

My husband and I needed a break from the heat last weekend, so we ventured out to the movie theater. We decided to see Horrible Bosses – I’m a Jason Bateman fan, and my husband (not surprisingly) finds Jennifer Aniston quite talented. As the storyline unfolded – three friends plotting to kill their respective bosses – I started thinking about how many memorable films have depicted frustration and dissatisfaction in the workplace.

One of the first movies that came to mind was 9 to 5 starring Jane Fonda, Dolly Parton, and Lily Tomlin. In 9 to 5 the women dream of murdering their overbearing, humiliating, and sexually harassing boss. In this case, their accidental murder attempt (never keep the rat poisoning with the coffee creamer) resulted in kidnapping their boss and taking over his job. Ironically, the organization had greater productivity, work life balance, and employee satisfaction under their reign. This film provided a great portrayal of some of the frustrations and barriers women faced during the 1980s.

More than a decade later, the film Office Space provided a comedic outlet for anyone who was being downsized, analyzed, or bored by a mundane work environment. After a meeting with an organizational efficiency consultant, Peter Gibbons plots to steal money from Initech with the help of two friends: Samir and Michael Bolton. When this plan works a little too well, the men try to correct their mistake and end up watching their company be burned to the ground by their disgruntled co-worker, Milton.

Flash forward to last weekend. Once again, Hollywood portrayed three friends working for arrogant, micromanaging, and sexually harassing bosses. Each friend faces unique challenges in his work environment, but the sentiment is the same: the work environment will improve with a staffing change.

In addition to providing a humorous take on the workplace’s daily frustrations, these films have a common theme: they illustrate that leadership plays a vital role in employee satisfaction and motivation in the workplace. In a presentation I recently attended, the speaker asked the audience how many people had worked for a bad boss. The show of hands was astonishing! When asked what these individuals found frustrating, we heard responses like volatile, micromanaging, and manipulating – adjectives related to interpersonal style and behavioral characteristics, rather than skill or intelligence.

Although the Hollywood portrayal of these bosses may be dramatic and comedic, these individuals do exist in the workplace, and organizations need to provide opportunities for self-awareness and development.

If not, we may have more cases of disgruntled employees – minus the money laundering and murder plots (of course).
 

Understanding the dynamics of a team is critical to successful goal attainment. What does the team value? What drives the team members and sets them up for success, and more importantly, what derailment obstacles may they encounter? 

A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to experience the power of collaboration in action. Every year, Oklahoma City hosts a marathon in honor of those who lost their lives in the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. The 2011 race marked the 11th annual marathon event, which includes everything from 5k races to the full marathon and even a marathon relay. This year, I participated in the marathon relay with an amazing group of women. We called ourselves the Derailing Divas because over the course of 26.2 miles with six driven, socially self-confident, and engaging women there is bound to be a little derailment going on. Although the relay consisted of five legs, the Derailing Divas had six team members. The sixth, The Coach, ran the half marathon and served as the running expert for our team.

The race is not something that the Divas will forget anytime soon. As we left our hotel at 5:30am on Sunday May 1st, the sky was dark and cloudy. Within minutes of arriving at the race site, thunder and lightning came crashing around us and so did the rain…torrential rain. Visions of a beautiful and sunny race day quickly faded, but with these dreary conditions, the Divas’ determination increased.

After a 30 minute delay, I walked to the starting line with The Coach. As we worked our way through the thousands of runners to find our place on the wet pavement, a sense of urgency (HPI Adjustment) and fear of potential failure (HDS Cautious) emerged. Would we be able to complete the relay in these conditions? Am I going to let my team down if I run slower in the rain? In that moment of self-doubt something amazing happened -- the race started and as thousands of runners made their way past the memorial, the crowd began to cheer. It was at this point that I realized that the race wasn’t about my time; it was about our team goal to finish the race with a sense of pride for the cause, to have a fun, and persevere despite the weather.

As I started the last mile of my 6-mile leg, my shoes and clothes were soaked, and I was ready to throw in the wet towel. Then I started thinking about our team and the fact that the other Derailing Divas were waiting on me. I began running faster and met The Navigator at the relay station. She greeted me enthusiastically and took off to continue the race. The Navigator eventually met up with The Timekeeper, and as the race progressed, we continued to run faster. When The Timekeeper met The Networker she received updates on everyone’s progress and the weather conditions. On the final transition, The Finisher took the baton and ran with heart and determination to finish the race despite wind, rain, and hail.

When the race was complete, the Derailing Divas had a celebratory lunch and shared stories of their experiences throughout the day. I’m not sure if it was our competitive drive (HPI Ambition) or sensitivity to our teammates’ emotions (HPI Interpersonal Sensitivity) that pushed us to persevere and exceed our own expectations, but the Derailing Divas succeeded. We completed the race 30 minutes faster than we anticipated! The Derailing Divas’ success was impacted by a number of things, but most of all we were successful because we shared a few things in common. The Divas are driven and competitive (HPI Ambition), collaborative and sensitive to others needs (HPI Interpersonal Sensitivity and MVPI Affiliation), and like to have fun and tell a good story (MVPI Hedonism and HDS Colorful).  I would certainly be willing to run a race with these Divas again, only next time I hope for a little more sunshine!
 

Have you ever wondered why people fall in love? What drives that spark, the initial attraction, and the eventual relationship? Relationships have been in the news a lot this week. On Valentine’s Day, there were stories of couples trying to obtain the record for the longest kiss, how the Obamas keep romance alive in the White House, and whether employees give their “work spouse” a Valentine. The last of these headlines really caught my eye. An article by Eve Tahmincioglu on msnbc.com describes the work spouse as someone with whom you have camaraderie during the long work days. The article cites a number of examples of what this “spousal relationship” may look like, but in general a “work spouse” is someone you speak to when making a business decision, someone who buys the coffee creamer you both like so you can share, or maybe it’s the person to whom you vent during a difficult day.

After spending time thinking about this and taking a walk around the Hogan office to observe some of this camaraderie in action, I think MSNBC may be on to something. Considering the fact that we spend the majority of our waking hours in the work environment, it is important to find colleagues that we can connect with and an organization that we consider a home away from home. In fact a recent survey by OfficeMax found that approximately 50% of respondents admit to having this type of platonic connection in the workplace.

Although the idea of having these friendships in the workplace is appealing and intuitive, these relationships are probably more of a cultural phenomenon. Research has shown that individuals in certain industries tend to report these relationships more than others. Specifically, individuals in Human Resources, Sales, and Marketing are more likely to establish these workplace friendships than are Finance and IT professionals. What is it about these industries that drives the employees to seek out these connections in the workplace? The culture! For those of you who’ve spent some time in the areas of Human Resources and Marketing you will generally find a group of employees who are motivated by collaboration and establishing alliances with others to get things done. In Sales, developing relationships both internally and with clients is imperative for longevity and growth. In contrast, IT and Finance professionals are likely driven by analytical decision making and the bottom line over that of collaborative decision making and building a community within the organization.

When thinking about the key drivers for these industries in Hogan language, we are referring to the Motives, Values, Preferences Inventory (MVPI). The MVPI is an assessment that provides insight regarding one’s key motives and drivers. This assessment is often used in a selection context to determine if a candidate’s motives and drivers align with an organization. As a result, the MVPI is a powerful tool for predicting cultural fit and ultimately an employee’s satisfaction with an organization. For those individuals in IT and Finance roles, the need for analytical decision making and a focus on the bottom line is related to the MVPI Science and Commerce scales. In contrast, the Human Resources, Customer Service/Sales, and Marketing industries consist of employees who may have a need for collaboration, building a community, or a “work spouse.” These drivers are related to the MVPI Affiliation and Altruistic scales.

A recent review of IT and Sales professionals in the Hogan archive further supported this need for Affiliation and Altruism for individuals in Sales/Customer Service roles. In particular, it was found that Sales professionals have mean scores of 71.9% and 56.3 % on Affiliation and Altruistic, respectively. In contrast, IT professionals indicate a much lower need for collaboration and building a sense of community with mean percentile scores of 53.6% and 48.3%.

So what does this information tell us about “work spouses” and Valentine’s Day? It tells us that organizational culture matters and feeling as if one’s values and drivers align with the organization is key to a successful and long term working relationship.

With regards to some of those previously mentioned headlines you may be wondering about, the record for the longest kiss is 46 hours. The Obamas keep the romance alive with laughter but the First Lady would not mind a little jewelry on Valentine’s Day either. Should you have gotten a Valentine for your “work spouse?” It depends. If your “work spouse” is your actual significant other, a nice dinner and some chocolate never hurt anyone.