FutureSYNC Consultants – May 2020
FutureSYNC International (FSI), is always looking for real-world examples of strong leadership teams who operate with a laser-like focus on Employee Engagement Strategies. We are fortunate to find some of these remarkable examples right here in the State of Montana. This blog will focus on Montana’s Secretary of State Office (MT SOS). The leadership team has not only operated with sound strategy and designed artful execution methods, but they have also successfully landed in the rarified space of “FSI’s Top-Ranked Employer” status regarding their engagement outcomes. Securing this milestone was indeed a notable accomplishment. However, maintaining it is where one’s leadership secret sauce really matters.
MTSOS’s story began, where it should, by crafting a powerful Mission, Vision, and set of Core Values based on finely-honed and intentional leadership beliefs. Those leadership beliefs and the creative, cost-effective approaches to engagement initiatives caught our attention in the beginning. As FSI has long proclaimed, “All behaviors are born of belief” clearly comes into play in this work.
MTSOS leaders Corey Stapleton and Christi Jacobsen stopped the urge of activity and instead led their leaders through the “Belief Distillation Process.” As we all understand, leadership alignment factors will make it or break it when it comes to engagement and organizational outcomes—critical work that should never be rushed through or overlooked.
FSI encounters a fair number of businesses that have over worshipped the engagement survey process itself, only to have lost the focus on the foundation upon which it all rests—that foundation is all about the quality of leaders at the helm. Most sports-related coaches would preach that you don’t win a game by staring at the scoreboard; instead, you win it with passion, leadership, and a great playbook.
After crafting their Mission, Vision, and Core Values, MT SOS moved toward building their “playbook” and defining what winning looks like:
- Ensuring that MT businesses can thrive by easing processes and improving efficiencies
- Insisting on impeccable customer service
- Cultivating a culture of engagement
- Building teams with extreme intent
- Hard-wiring personal accountability standards
- Elevating the collective Emotional Intelligence within the leadership team
Then, the real fun began by securing the trusted talent to do the leadership work. Corey and Christi understood the “Belief to Behavior” trail, and embraced the slow to hire process.
Building the quality of your leadership bench-strength takes both time and courage. Take the time to distill a candidate’s beliefs, to watch and ensure their alignment, and have the courage to know when it is not the right fit for the organization and its cultural intent.
In closing, FSI has valued the of the quality of Corey and Christi’s work in regard to leading with extreme intent.
To learn more about building and utilizing an Employee Engagement playbook of your own, contact FutureSYNC at (406) 254-2326.