One of the primary tasks of leadership is to effectively and efficiently allocate an organization’s resources. In business, this requires leaders to make critical decisions that ultimately determine the success or failure of the organization. However, making good business decisions alone is not enough to guarantee success. Effective leaders must also have the interpersonal skills to get along with others and build high-performing teams. Both critical reasoning skills and interpersonal skills are effective predictors of performance. Logically then, employers who care about job performance should want to know two things: do my employees make good decisions and do they have the interpersonal skills to effectively function? The best way to answer these questions is by using assessments.

Derailers are important because they are the habitual behavioral patterns that can get in our way. Typically operating below the level of conscious awareness, these behaviors are often easy to ignore. But when overused, they hinder performance. Coaching people to learn to work with derailers and manage stress can be a gateway into new understanding and help them increase their effectiveness.

The Stress-performance Relationship

The relationship between stress and performance level can be summarized by the bell-shaped stress-performance curve, also referred to as Yerkes-Dodson law (figure 1).

Many of our clients use Hogan Assessments to support selection and talent development programs. Due to the pandemic, however, selection has (understandably) been cut back dramatically. Now, HR teams have to focus on more difficult people issues while learning and development programs may be put on hold.

However, we still speak to HR professionals and coaches on a daily basis about support for different types of people initiatives. Not surprisingly, at a time when leaders are making decisions in high-pressure circumstances, and with budgets tighter than ever, addressing difficult people issues is extra complicated. As a result, we are keen to encourage clients to use valuable resources that are already available to them.

Many have not thought about using existing resources to support pressing, often unavoidable interventions. Here are three of the most common situations where we have been able to recommend organizations take another look at the Hogan Assessment data they already hold.

Lucrul de acasa si noile competente

Desfasurarea activitatii de acasa nu este o experienta noua pentru unii angajati. Aceasta tendinta este valabila in intreaga lume. Cu toate acestea, numarul real al persoanelor care lucreaza efectiv de acasa este mai mic decat numarul job-urilor care pot fi derulate de la distanta. Cel putin, aceasta a fost tendinta inainte de situatia curenta in care ne aflam generata de criza COVID-19. Ceea ce am vazut recent este ca pandemia a fortat multi angajati si organizatii sa faca trecerea, in mod oficial, la un mediul de lucru virtual.

Organizatiile s-au concentrat sa le asigure angajatilor lor toate resursele necesare pentru a-si desfasura activitatea eficient, asigurandu-se ca au tehnologia si infrastructura necesara (accesul la dispozitive inteligente, la platforme pentru conferinte video, securitatea internetului, etc.).

Cu toate acestea, este important sa nu neglijam comportamentele care devin necesare pentru ca oamenii sa poata lucra eficient de acasa, in mediul virtual.

In timp ce guvernele din intreaga lume sunt supuse unor presiuni tot mai mari de reluare a activitatii sociale si economice, liderii de pretutindeni iau decizii confruntandu-se cu incertitudinea si informatiile contradictorii. Deciziile care au dus la inchiderea afacerilor si carantinarea oraselor, desi au fost dificile, au reprezentat exercitii cu impact pe termen scurt si au fost mult mai usoare comparativ cu procesul decizional pe care liderii sunt nevoiti sa il ia atunci cand sunt implicatii pe termen lung.

Pentru a castiga ceva nou si important in viata, inevitabil ne confruntam cu alegeri. Nu vom pierde in greutate fara a ne schimba obiceiurile alimentare si nivelul activitatilor fizice. Nu ne vom consolida relatiile de familie fara a investi in timp de calitate cu cei dragi. Nu vom invata o limba straina fara a fi consecventi si a ne face timp pentru studiu si practica.

Pentru lideri, pana acum, 2020 a fost un exercitiu intens in luarea unor decizii dificile. Probabil ca si restul acestui an va fi pentru cei mai multi lideri si antreprenori un exercitiu de antrenare a constientizarii de sine, precum si un sir de alegeri si adaptari care sa permita supravietuirea si ridicarea organizatiilor pe care le conduc.

In multe dintre aceste decizii viitoare, identificarea alegerilor corecte si a celor gresite va fi dificila. In aceste timpuri, este critic pentru lideri sa reflecteze asupra unor intrebari cheie:

Un studiu global si o cercetare locala asupra personalitatii liderilor de HR si implicatiile acestora

Rolul principal al departamentului de resurse umane a fost, pentru mult timp, gestionarea beneficiilor angajatilor si rezolvarea problemelor acestora.

Astfel, echipa de HR avea, in trecut, doar un rol mic in formularea strategiei organizatiei, iar impactul asupra succesului sau esecului companiei era, de asemenea, minim. Organizatiile moderne, insa, au inteles, prin prisma experientei, ca potentialul oamenilor din organizatie este un aspect critic in economia supravieturii si a succesului unei firme.

Rolul echipei de HR a crescut in ultimul deceniu si a devenit deosebit de important acum, in aceste timpuri fara precedent. Departamentul de resurse umane detine in prezent un rol mai important in organizatie, deoarece el este cel care ofera un avantaj in fata competitiei prin atragerea si gestionarea persoanelor cu potential de performanta. Insa pandemia de COVID-19 a adaugat si alte functii critice printre sarcinile acestui departament: oferirea de suport liderilor si echipelor in gestionarea anxietatii, formularea de predictii pe termen scurt si mediu, chiar si in perioada aceasta imprevizibile, precum si oferirea de suport strategic business-ului in ceea ce priveste planificarea fortei de munca, strategiei de retentie si beneficii etc.

Pentru a intelege cum sunt echipati liderii de HR pentru a face fata cu success tuturor acestor provocari, Hogan Assessments a realizat un studiu global, analizand profilele de personalitate a peste 1,000 de manageri de HR.

Odata cu declararea starii de urgenta si implementarea recomandarilor de distantare sociala, multi dintre noi resimtim acut izolarea sociala. Si este normal, deoarece oamenii sunt prin natura lor, fiinte sociale.

Psihologul Matthew Lieberman a declarat ca nevoia noastra de conexiune sociala este la fel de fundamentala ca nevoia de apa si mancare. In timpuri stravechi, a fi parte dintr-un grup sau trib era esential pentru supravietuire. Astfel, conform teoriilor psihologiei evolutioniste, nevoia de conectare sociala a fost transmisa genetic ca un mecanism fundamental de supravietuire.

Astfel, nu ne surprinde faptul ca reducerea conectarii sociale are un impact asupra echilibrului emotional si asupra sanatatii psihologice. Iar acestea, la randul lor, impacteaza semnificativ eficienta la locul de munca.

Even during the best of times, research shows that absentee leadership is quite common and destructive to teams and organizations. What’s an absentee leader? One who displays neither actively positive leadership nor actively negative leadership; an absentee leader seems uninvolved and uncommunicative. For leaders whose teams are all working remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, the possibility of showing up as an absentee leader increases, even for leaders who typically are engaged with their teams in the office.

Employees whose leaders are absentee report less direction, delayed decisions, and a lack of feedback and involvement. Role ambiguity results, along with decreased job satisfaction, higher intentions to leave, and added conflicts with co-workers. Add to that the increased stress of the pandemic, and negative outcomes for organizations and employees could be exponentially increased.

Communication is key. There are many readily available tips for managers regarding the common pitfalls resulting from virtual distance between workers and leaders. There are also many useful aids for communicating more effectively with remote teams. A focus on communication undoubtedly is critical for managers at all times, especially now.