The document discusses an approachable leadership model that focuses on effective communication through establishing a clear vision and strategy, using various formal and informal communication practices, providing tools and training to develop communication skills, and emphasizing two-way feedback to understand employees and respond to their needs. The model aims to increase employee engagement and productivity by making leaders more approachable through their communication abilities.

1. The Approachable Leader:
Communication Techniques That Bring Out the Best
IABC 2011 Employee Communications Conference
Breakout Session 1
Linda Dulye, president/founder, Dulye & Co.

2. Outcomes
Focus:
Leader as
Communicator
Takeaways:
A model with practical
tips, tools and
practices for you to
bring to your execs
(don‟t do it for them!)
© 2011 Dulye & Co.
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3. Sound Familiar?
―We are primarily an
engineering organization,
where soft skills are not as
prized as technical skills,
even in
management.‖
© 2011 Dulye & Co.
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4. Huge Opportunity to Add Value
Why?
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5. #1 Workplace Challenge
Ensuring employees remain
engaged & productive
--- 2011 “What‟s Keeping HR Leaders Up at Night?” survey
© 2011 Dulye & Co.
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6. Approachability Drives Engagement & Productivity
Strong tie to bottom line!
For every 1% percent gain in an
executive‟s time spent with at least one
(company) insider, productivity advanced
2.14% .
--- 2011 Harvard Business School research
© 2011 Dulye & Co.
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7. The Approachable Leader Model
Game Plan
Equipment
Scoreboard
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8. Basis for Our Model
Employee Engagement
2-Way Communications
Pulse Check Measurement™
Leadership Development
© 2011 Dulye & Co.
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9. Sound Familiar?
―We don’t have any
standard
(communication)
process.
We just assume that
managers know what to
do.‖
© 2011 Dulye & Co.
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10. Game Plan
Vision
1
Team
Strategy
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11. Change Views and Perspectives about Communications
Clear Vision of
Where
and
What it Takes
to Get There
© 2011 Dulye & Co.
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12. New Vision: Degree of Difficulty
Harder than ever to connect and make an impact!
Average U.S. worker receives 200+ e-mails,
phone calls, text messages EVERY DAY!
© 2011 Dulye & Co.
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13. New View: Interactivity
Tell:
Outgoing
message
Transition from
cascades to cycles
2-way, Emphasize listening
closed and learning
loop
Create capability and
culture for direct
Listen/Learn: feedback and
Incoming feedback dialogue
© 2011 Dulye & Co.
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14. New View: Not an Event
Continuous
Repetitive
Measurable
© 2011 Dulye & Co.
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15. New View: Takes More Than One Department
Shared ownership
© 2011 Dulye & Co.
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16. Job Responsibilities: Gov‟t Agency Case Study
Leader as Communicator:
 Reinforce and relate key messages
 Provide context for change and decisions
 Facilitate open dialogue within and between work
groups
 Listen to and learn from the different views and
voices
 Respond to and act on direct feedback
 Model the message: Say = Do
Partner with HR to establish consistent responsibilities in
your organization‟s performance management system.
© 2011 Dulye & Co.
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17. Core Practices: Defense Contractor Case Study
Formal Practices
• Staff Meetings
• Town Hall Meetings
Establish a
• Skip Levels
steady rhythm
with formal and
Informal Practices
informal practices
• Walkarounds
• Listening Sessions
• Blogs
© 2011 Dulye & Co.
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18. Concrete Procedures: Defense Contractor Case Study
Staff Meeting Example
• Communicate high-level messages
Purpose • Discuss local importance / involvement
• Share info/ideas between team members
• In-person and web meeting for remote
• Direct reports and key stakeholders
Format • Defined agenda distributed in advance
• 75% focused discussion / 25% open
Frequency • Weekly for 30-45 minutes
• Real-time effectiveness check conducted
Measurement after each meeting
Minimize variation, maximize consistency.
© 2011 Dulye & Co.
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19. Common Metrics: Private Sector Co. Case Study
Go beyond conventional
audits
Measure outcomes and impact
 Leader performance (engagement, proficiency,
knowledge)
 Workforce performance (knowledge, engagement,
productivity)
 Business performance (quality, cost, customer
service, etc.)
© 2011 Dulye & Co.
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20. Equipment
Tools
Training
Practice
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21. Don‟t Give Execs a „Pass‟: Private Sector Case Study
Employee ratings of senior leader competency
Thumbs up Thumbs down
Receiving feedback 45% 55%
Giving messages 42% 58%
© 2011 Dulye & Co.
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22. Core 4 Tool for Skills Development
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23. Relay: Strike a Balance
Mitigate E-overload and educate on media use.
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24. Relate: Simple, Meaningful Messages
“Leaders must
passionately share
the strategies that will get
the business moving…”
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25. 4. Nail Your Message
Relate: Key Message Tool
Main point
Proof point/
Support story
Summary point
Develop content around simple message points.
© 2011 Dulye & Co.
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26. Relate: Gov‟t Agency Case Study
Customization Tool
Key message
Why is The His/her His/her
this person(s) work customers
important you are team/
to: speaking department
with & company
Connect through „What‟s in it for ME‟ context.
© 2011 Dulye & Co.
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27. Receive: Sponge Factor
Seek to understand others
or
just to be heard?
Is your leader stuck in transmit?
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28. Receive: How Tuned In? Feedback Practices
How often do senior leaders in your business group
directly ask employees for feedback?
Never 13%
Sometimes 50%
Often 23%
Always 13%
0% 25% 50%
© 2011 Dulye & Co.
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29. Receive: Interest vs. Interrogation
Open-Ended
• Invite unfiltered feedback; Open discussion
• Yield more than a “yes” or “no” response
• “What was the highlight of the IABC
conference?”
+
Closed-Ended
• Deliver brief, specific answers
3V
• Wrap up a discussion (“Can we move
on?”) or quickly calibrate (“Do you
Factor
agree?)
© 2011 Dulye & Co.
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30. Respond: Follow-Up and Follow-Through
How is feedback….
Collected
Shared
Used
Speed to respond / act on feedback is a
performance discriminator!
© 2011 Dulye & Co.
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31. Closed-Loop Response: Health Care Case Study
• Leader Road Show (30 sites, 6 weeks)
• Large group, Small group, Walk-around
• Real-time feedback capture, same-day analysis & direct
review with leader promotes action learning
• Rapid response at local & corporate levels
IABC
award-winning
case study
available at
dulye.com
© 2011 Dulye & Co.
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32. Practice! Online Engagement: Aero. Co. Case Study
 Design content to
Leader as business needs – time
Communicator sensitive, key messages!
Toolkit  Showcase do’s, don’t’s,
success stories–in blogs,
videos, visuals
 Drive interactivity—Reach
/receive feedback on
desktop/mobile platforms
 Engage practice exchange
 Publicize metrics
Design with/for end customer to ensure value (over volume)
and practice of skills in a noticeable way.
© 2011 Dulye & Co.
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33. Scoreboard
Metrics
Polling
Dashboards
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34. You Can‟t Expect Results or Accountability If….
100%
100%
85% 83%
80% 80%
60% 60%
40% 40%
20% 20%
0% 0%
Manager proficiency is not Fair/poor rating for manager
measured in my organization proficiency for leading effective
communications
© 2011 Dulye & Co.
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35. Measure 2 Levels of Effectiveness
Practices/Tools/
Training
Impact
Leader performance
Workforce performance
Outcomes Business
Strategy
Business performance
© 2011 Dulye & Co.
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36. Measure Often through Quick Polling
Multi-media reach. Real-time Data.
Desktop polling via Sharepoint Live polling from
mobile platform
Quantitative
Qualitative
© 2011 Dulye & Co.
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37. Leader Performance: Private Sector Case Study
Impact Metrics: Leader Accountability Scorecard
Week
Week
Week
Week
Leader Weekly
2
1
3
4
Walk-around Program
Mary Barron
Tom Miller
Marion Jones
Michael Phillips
Chris Arielini
Chip Copeland
John Bulson
Kitt Potter
Peter Nakasian
Aaron Stein
Red = Incomplete Yellow = Late complete Green = Complete
© 2011 Dulye & Co.
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38. Leader Performance: „Approachability‟ Metrics
3V Leader
Visual
Vocal
Verbal
© 2011 Dulye & Co.
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39. Leader Performance Metrics: Health Care Case Study
Measure IMPACT on engagement and development
 Presented information clearly
 Encouraged participation
 Answered questions clearly
 Showed genuine interest
© 2011 Dulye & Co.
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40. Workforce Performance: Health Care Case Study
Impact metrics
2.8
I understand why a new 2.5
Multi-level medical segment strategy
is necessary 2.6
tracking Manager
Supervisor 2.6
I/C (Salaried) Poor Average High
I/C (Hourly) 1 2 3 4
© 2011 Dulye & Co.
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41. Business Performance: Private Sector Case Study
Outcomes Scorecard: Operational Excellence
Cost
Innovation
Savings
Number and Impact on
nature of ideas operational
(ie., Cross-functional, resource
requirements, speed to implement) performance
Leader walk-around program generated 40 employee ideas
generating $1,000,000 in savings in 1st year.
© 2011 Dulye & Co.
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42. Live Dashboards: Health Care Co. Case Study
Hard data presented
like operational
measurements
Posted on company
portal for employee
access
Consistent metrics
enable tracking and
best practice
identification
© 2011 Dulye & Co.
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43. Align with Planning Cycles: Private Sector Case Study
Communications Business Operations
Effectiveness Dashboard Dashboard
Live Dashboard example at
Dulye.com/dashboard
© 2011 Dulye & Co.
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44. Summary: Approachable Leader
© 2011 Dulye & Co.
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45. Approachable Leader: Customize This Model
Game Plan
Equipment
Scoreboard
© 2011 Dulye & Co.
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46. Final Thoughts: Pilot Before You „Roll Out‟
Line of Business
Open Leader
Burning Platform
© 2011 Dulye & Co.
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47. Final Thoughts: Your Role

Just
Program designer
 Program manager
don’t
 Facilitator
 Functional Partner


CPI Driver
Monitor do it…
 Coach for them!
© 2011 Dulye & Co.
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48. Thank You. Questions?
The contents of the presentation are considered proprietary to Dulye & Co.
Any reproduction or disclosure requires the consent of Dulye & Co.
For more information, please contact Roger Gibboni, COO, at 845-987-7744, rgibboni@dulye.com.
© 2011 Dulye & Co.
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