An Interactive Primer

Human Development &

Leadership Division
1
Strategic Engagement Skills for Quality
Professionals: An Interactive Primer

Instructions

Welcome! To receive the most value from this article, please take a moment to
review the three (3) assessments and graphic in the Appendix of this primer.
Complete each of the assessments when prompted in the appropriate section to
assess your company context, identify your own skill levels, and determine the
developmental actions that are right for you.

Introduction

As a Quality Professional leading major change, you can play a more impactful
role in driving business results for your Company while at the same time
increasing your Professional Net WorthTM (a measure of your professional
impact, influence, and income at a given point in time).

This represents an exciting opportunity for you as a Quality Professional to

raise the bar professionally by understanding the level of change capability
required to deliver results in your company and the skills necessary to perform
at the highest possible level professionally.

Part I: The Business Context of Organizational Change Capability

Over the last ten to fifteen years the discipline of leading change in
organizations has evolved rapidly in response to changes in the worldwide
business environment.

Market volatility, globalization, tightening lending practices, increased

regulation, currency devaluation, and a variety of other external changes have
increased internal business turbulence and uncertainty in corporations. At the
same time, the expectation to deliver results has increased or continues
unabated by the uncertainty. Actions including restructures, work force
reductions, process and quality improvements, customer focus initiatives, and
technology implementations, among others, are undertaken to deal with
external changes and deliver required results to customers and shareholders.
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Some organizations are making thoughtful choices about the level of internal
change capability they require to meet their goals, while in other organizations,
decisions about level of change capability is largely left to individuals.

For example, Merck & Co. chose to make a significant investment in change
capability in the mid-2000’s as part of a broad organizational transformation
that yielded favorable implementation results for the organization and
shareholders. By contrast, a Senior VP at a financial services company I worked
with several years ago made an initial investment in change and process
capability, but lacked the deep commitment of the executive leadership team.
As a result, major strategic initiatives were not supported by skilled change
leadership resources and, in many cases, underperformed and/or delivered
results late. Another unfortunate byproduct was the loss of key talent
1
associated with those strategic initiatives.

The model in Figure 1 is one method to understand levels of change capability

by assessing the anticipated level of business uncertainty versus expected
results.

Figure 1: Given a turbulent external environment and relentless expecta on for improved
business results in many companies, the bar is con nually being raised on change capability.

business
uncertainty Change
Acceleration

“Speed”
Change
Leadership Initiate, anticipate
Business Acumen
“Behaviors” Trusted Advisor
Change
Execution Outcomes
Influence
“Human Risks” Coach
Change
Management Capabilities
Expertise, Feedback
“Tools”
Ad Hoc Partner
Prepare
Change
Technical Pro
“Tactics” Role Player
Communicate
Invisible
Pair-of-Hands
results

Copyright 2012 ignitem. All rights reserved.

3
Ad Hoc Change Capability- Organizations with low levels of turbulence and low
expectations for results are relatively uncommon in an age of rapid change, but
do still exist. Often characterized by a small number of projects to which they
apply a series of loosely related tactics, this type of organization relies upon
little more than communicating the changes to the people who need to
change. Providers of the support are often behind the scenes, lacking visibility
and/or credibility with business leaders. They are considered a ‘pair of hands’
called in on a tactical basis. There is no common change toolkit and individuals
contribute only what they can based upon their own experience. Business
targets are often missed or abandoned altogether; when they are met it is
often due to the heroic efforts of a few or a fortunate random success.
Governmental agencies are sometimes held up as an example in this space
(though it is important to note our government colleagues do not always agree,
insisting that there are high levels of change in government). I continue to
encounter Fortune 500 companies across a variety of industry segments that
have not yet awakened to the need for change capability.

Change Management Capability - Organizations with modest levels of

turbulence and modest result expectations are far more common. Typically,
they have made an investment in a common toolset and are working toward
preparing the organization to adapt to change. A handful of professionals are
taught the technical aspects of change and are deployed on projects to support
the business. Those professionals are often seen as ‘role players’ since they are
called in to play a specialist role on a project. Role players do not always
possess a depth of business acumen that allows them to influence leaders as
effectively as they might like. There is often a Project Management Office in
this scenario. The discipline of leading change may be subjugated to, or lack
integration with quality, process, project management or other standard
functional areas. Initiatives deliver some, but not all, of their intended results
and there may be a sense that something more is needed (though it is often
not exactly clear as to what is missing). There are a very large number of
examples of companies in this category as most major corporations have
invested in some foundational level of change capability. For instance, a simple
search of the job title of ‘change management’ in LinkedIn reveals hundreds of
companies of all sizes and industries, from Amazon to Walmart, employing
professionals in this capacity.

Change Execution Capability- Organizations with significant levels of

turbulence and expectations for results need to effectively manage the large
number of changes underway in the organization and make an investment in a
variety of mechanisms to support those. Project management, risk
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management, change management, and improvement methodologies are
usually introduced in a concurrent though potentially uncoordinated way with
the intention of more rigorously managing and delivering results from
projects. There is a risk of creating an illusion of well managed projects.
Lacking integration and direction can result in competing approaches; ‘heavy
handed’ risk reporting, inflexible application, and confusion among the
approaches. Practitioners at this level tend to possess a depth of change and
influence skills, are well positioned at mid-senior levels of the organization to
partner with the business, and provide expertise and feedback that has a
significant level of acceptance and impact within the business. Initiatives
deliver results at a higher level, though ‘high cost of overhead’ is a risk
associated with the rigor of this level. Merck & Co. was operating at the
Change Execution Capability Level several years ago and I am aware of a
sizeable number of companies including Aetna, Lowes, Highmark Blue
Cross/Blue Shield, Verizon, and others who have taken bold steps into this
level of capability building.

Change Leadership Capability- Organizations with high levels of turbulence

and result expectations are operating at a level of speed and intensity that
require a more agile style of support. Whereas, Change Management focuses
on tools and preparing the organization for an orderly (paced) transition to
upcoming change, Change Leadership focuses on helping people rapidly adapt
their behavior to changes real-time. Professionals are highly skilled in change
and are also literate in the business outcomes required. They tend to be more
senior and have the credibility and presence to coach senior executives on the
behaviors required to make the change successful. Methodologies in this
space are highly integrated and run in the background so as not to create a
distraction for the business. They are chosen depending upon the business
problem that needs to be solved. Initiative results are largely met and the
tone of the implementation is less controlling, suggestive of a high level of
engagement of the right people across the organization. Companies including
Florida Power & Light/NextEra Energy, Catalent Pharma Solutions, East West
Bank, Providence Health System, CN (Canadian National) , Mondelez (formerly
Kraft), and TRowe Price are among those making investments and inroads to
this level of capability.

Change Acceleration Capability- Organizations with very high levels of

turbulence and results expectations operate at an accelerated pace and
intensity. They are continuously anticipating, initiating, and processing
external market and customer changes that enhance their company’s
performance. Speed is critical and there is little distinction between change
5
 projects and day-to-day work. Quality professionals have an exceptionally high
level of business acumen, in fact, they are virtually indistinguishable from the
executives they support. They are welcomed as key advisors to leaders and
teams on matters of initiating and executing strategic priorities. They weave
quality, process, change, project, and risk methods seamlessly into all they do.
Results are delivered consistently and without excessive effort. Breakthrough
results are common and high levels of energy and engagement exist at all
levels. Some of the best examples of companies operating at this level such as
General Electric and IBM are steeped deeply in innovation and have made
unprecedented investments in change leadership development..

As the external environment continues to evolve, it is likely that the level of

change capability required for organizations to achieve their goals will continue
to grow. At the same time, we should not assume that the highest levels of
capability will be required in all instances.

The key for Quality Professionals leading change is to diagnose their

organization’s current versus desired level of change capability so they
understand both the organizational and individual actions that need to be
taken to close the gap, moving themselves and the organization forward.

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 ASSESSMENT #1 : Using Figure 2 as an example, determine your Organization’s Current
Capability Gap

Step #1: Identify your organization’s current level of ‘business uncertainty’ (1= Low, 5
= Medium, 10 = High) by noting with a dot on the vertical axis.

Step #2: Identify your organization’s current level of ‘expected results’ (1= Low, 5 =
Medium, 10 = High) by noting with a dot on the horizontal axis. Connect these dots, as
shown in Figure 2.

Step #3: Using the descriptions provided above, estimate your organization’s current
level Change Capability. Strike lines that reflect this level of capability as shown in
figure 2.

Step #4: Reference the italics in the descriptions above to estimate your personal level of
Change Capability; using an asterisk to reflect your capability.

The area in between the lines is evidence of the Change Capability Gap in your company
and represents an area of opportunity for quality leaders to enhance both business and
professional results. Part II of this primer discusses implications, opportunities, and
actions for change leaders where a gap exists.

Figure 2: The delta between an organiza on’s actual level of change capability and the level
required to deliver results in their environment represents an Area of Opportunity for Quality
Professionals.

business
uncertainty Change
Required Acceleration
Capabili es “Speed”
Change
Leadership Initiate, anticipate
Your Business Acumen

*
Capabili es Change
“Behaviors” Trusted Advisor
Execution Outcomes
Influence
Actual “Human Risks” Coach
Change
Capabili es Management Capabilities
Expertise, Feedback
“Tools” Partner
Ad Hoc
Change Prepare
Technical Pro
“Tactics”
Role Player
Communicate Area Of
Invisible Opportunity
Pair-of-Hands
results

Copyright 2012 ignitem. All rights reserved. Illustra ve

7
Part II: The Change Capability Gap- Implications for Quality
Leaders

A gap in an organization’s current versus desired levels of change capability,

represents an opportunity to facilitate a higher level of organizational results
TM
and concurrently increase our own Professional Net Worth .
TM
What is Professional Net Worth (PNW)?

Professional Net WorthTM is a measure of your professional impact, influence,

and income at a given point in time.

Why is PNWTM important?

First, our professional impact and influence can improve our company’s
business results. We have collectively struggled (for years) to overcome the
widely quoted 70% change implementation failure rate. Even if you believe the
70% rate is somewhat questionable (as I do), your own experience likely tells
you that too many projects still underperform relative to their expected
outcomes. No matter the percentage rate, opportunities are lost in
underperformance.

I am advocating that we adjust our skills and mindset about what it really takes
to advance our companies and ourselves during times of rapid change. This
does not involve more tools, checklists, or risk- management, project -
management, change-management or any other traditional management
approaches which have done little to reduce persistent rates of project
underperformance.

Improving results is about increasing our collective ability to move people to

action through judgment, persuasion, influence, hi-impact conversations, and
coaching. It is time to move ourselves up the curve from basic Change
Management (tools, theories, and checklists) toward more evolved Change
Leadership skills. We must learn the concrete words to say and the actions to
use to influence behavioral change, along with the coaching skills and the
judgment for how and when to use them.

For example, one leader I worked with who had an ‘absentee sponsor’ carefully
crafted a reframing conversation with him that resulted in a complete
turnaround once the sponsor understood the consequences of his behavior.
Another was able to overcome significant dysfunction with a leadership team,

8
not by addressing all the sources of their dysfunction, but by reducing
complexity through five simple alignment questions.

By knowing how to use these and other points of leverage as described below
Quality Professionals can deliver similar results.

Second, Professional Net WorthTM directly challenges the long held belief that
professionals who lead organizational changes are overworked, undervalued,
and underappreciated behind-the-scenes heroes.

It is important to recognize that the tactical nature of a traditional Change

Management approach has directly contributed to that belief. This, along with
the very real prospect of increasing intrinsic and extrinsic rewards that are
valuable to each of us, should be a powerful motivator to consider a personal
shift toward Change Leadership.

Figure 3: Professional Net Worth increases as you move up the con nuum.

business Change
uncertainty Acceleration

“Speed”
Change
Leadership Initiate, anticipate
Business Acumen
“Behaviors” Trusted Advisor
Change
Execution Outcomes
Influence
“Human Risks” Coach
Change
Management Capabilities
Expertise, Feedback
“Tools”
Ad Hoc Partner
Prepare
Change
Technical Pro
“Tactics” Role Player
Communicate Professional
Invisible Net WorthTM
Pair-of-Hands
results

Copyright 2012 ignitem. All rights reserved.

9
Components of Professional Net Worth TM

Let’s explore the three components of Professional Net WorthTM along with
their interdependencies:

Impact: The level of tangible value and contribution you deliver in the
organization (e.g., leading a $1mm global initiative versus a $50K departmental
project) along with intangibles like your credibility, capability, and reputation
for delivering that value.

Influence: The extent to which you are able to persuade others to behave in
ways that get the outcomes they want, e.g., shaping your sponsor to exhibit the
necessary behavior at exactly the right time and place to drive project
outcomes. Their outcomes can be professional and personal. Influence can
help you have greater impact.

Income: The extent to which you are able to persuade others to behave in
ways that get the personal and professional outcomes you want. (e.g., shaping
your sponsor/leaders to provide rewards you value such as flex time, additional
responsibilities or pay, working remotely, etc.). Income is about things you
value in return for your contribution, not just money. Influence and impact can
2
help you attain better income.

Assessment #2: Evaluate Your Professional Net WorthTM

Use the attached assessment to evaluate your Professional Net WorthTM.

Once you have done so reflect upon:

 Am I having the level of impact I would like to in my current assignment?

 Is my current level of influence sufficient for the work I do?

 Does the income I am accruing reflect a fair exchange of effort for things
that I value?

 Overall, am I satisfied with my level of Professional Net WorthTM at this

point in my career? Or, is there more that I can do to improve?

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Assessment #2: (See appendix for enlarged version)

(IMPAC
Professional Net Worth (PNW) TM

A measure of your professional impact, influence, & income at a given point in me.
IMPACT 2. FIRST (sp)
To Some
Not at All Degree Completely
1 2 3 4 5

1. In my company, I’ve earned a wide reputa on for consistently delivering major results.

2. Execu ves & colleagues treat me as a’ business leader’ first rather than ‘change manager’.

3. ‘Pushing’ my way in is unnecessary; I’m invited to deliver value on my company’s most

important and complex ini a ves.

4. Dealing with poli cs is one of my strengths; my network helps me overcome poli cal
obstacles and assure effec ve implementa on.

5. Senior execu ves in my company count me as an objec ve & trustworthy advisor.

6. I know how to shape my sponsor’s thinking and behavior to consistently get what’s
needed from him/her, even when it involves difficult conversa ons I remain confident.

7. The recogni on I receive from leaders & peers confirms for me that my work is valued.

8. My compensa on is at or above a level that reflects my true contribu on.

9. I am able to arrange for non-monetary rewards I value because of my contribu on.

Copyright 2012, ignitem. All rights reserved. Excerpted from ‘The 7 Cri cal Elements’. For individual use only. Copying and distribu on prohibited.

11
If I am looking to improve my Professional Net WorthTM what skills do I need
to increase my impact, influence, and income?

As you may have gathered, improving your impact, influence and income are
outcomes of what work you are doing and how you choose to do it.

If you have concluded it is necessary to improve your Professional Net

WorthTM it is essential to engage with your organization more strategically in
order to increase your impact, influence, and income.

There are seven Strategic Engagement Skills that will help you to accomplish
an increase in PNW. These skills are often not covered in leadership training
and are rare in curricula in Quality, Operational Excellence, and other Change-
related disciplines. Yet Strategic Engagement Skills are often thought of as the
“missing element” in these disciplines.

Key Point: If your Professional Net WorthTM is not where you want it to be,
developing the Seven Strategic Engagement Skills is the key to helping you
move forward.

Part III: The Seven Strategic Engagement Skills

The seven Strategic Engagement Skills provide you with the roadmap to make
the transition from being a “pair of hands” to being able to take on a more
valuable role “coaching and guiding” your leaders to successful performance.
They address how to better influence the human side of change, with special
focus on persuading senior leaders to perform their critical role in change.

The Strategic Engagement Skills are the key lever to becoming a more effective
quality and change leader. These skills are: storytelling, role positioning,
creating alignment, facilitation, coaching, engagement, and accountability.
(See Figure 3)

Figure 3: The Seven Strategic Engagement skills are a key lever to increase
change capability .

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13
In order to understand your proficiency in each of the Strategic Engagement
Skills answer the following questions as you read the description of each skill
below, then plot your scores ‘spider diagram’ style on the attached graphic.
You can answer for both yourself and your team, if you wish.

Assessment 3. (See appendix for enlarged version)

Seven Cri cal Elements - Skills Assessment

A measure of the seven skills you need to increase your impact, influence, & income.

To Some
Not at All Degree Completely
1 2 3 4 5

To what extent do you ( ) and your team ( ) know how to :

1. Coach leaders to tell a visceral ‘compelling story’ about their business

gap.

2. Navigate complex poli cal agendas & dysfunc on to help leaders make
decisions and behave in ways that are consistent with their goals.

3. ‘Show up’ in individual, group, and large group interac ons to

spontaneously add value and solve problems in the moment.

4. Use techniques to coach middle managers so they can personalize

change and bridge the organiza on hierarchy.

5. Mobilize large numbers of people to ac on quickly, even when

implementa on may be difficult or unpopular.

6. Create agreements with individuals and groups to assure accountability

and las ng results.

7. Posi on your role as a strategic advisor so your services can be used to

provide maximum value and you can receive maximum rewards.

Copyright 2012, ignitem. All rights reserved. Excerpted from ‘”Seven Cri cal Elements Project Assessment’. For individual use only. Copying and distribu on prohibited.

14
Assessment 3, Continued (See appendix for enlarged version)

Seven Cri cal Elements Skills: Plot Your Scores

Illustra ve
Individual & Team
Scores

Copyright 2012, ignitem. All rights reserved. For individual use only. Copying and distribu on prohibited.

The Seven Strategic Engagement Skills

Let’s explore the nature of each of the Strategic Engagement Skills in detail:

Storytelling: Motivate leaders to see improvement opportunities and take

action.

Persuading leaders to tell motivating stories about their initiative is one area
where, as a Quality Professional, you can help leaders to weave a deep people
perspective into how they describe their initiative. This makes the Leader’s story
immediately compelling to the audiences that they’re talking to.

Stories use the exact same business facts but are told in a much different
sequence. They bring the customer to life in a visceral way to make a personal
connection, automatically creating empathy and compassion on the part of the
listener. Data once depicted in overcrowded charts and tables are transformed
into an undeniable, real-life need. Further, storytelling helps to address the
dynamic that most employees are not expected to possess, the same level of
business literacy as an executive. This enables influence of others in ways that
are not strictly the articulations of ‘business case’.

15
One company I know brought the Lean seven wastes and variability data to life
featuring images and stories of families streamlining their work processes so
they could spend more time with their loved ones. Though the project was
about business productivity, it connected with people at an emotional level. It
was an overwhelming success because people related and took it personally.

It is critical that you hone your skills in storytelling, because your leaders are
going to learn from your example. In addition, through your storytelling alone,
you can often increase the leader’s motivation and commitment to the
initiative.

Assessment Question: Do you know the specific techniques to coach leaders

on how to tell a visceral, ‘compelling story’ about their business gap? Rate
yourself now.

Alignment: Overcome complex political agendas and team dysfunction.

Each of us has likely experienced some level of leader disagreement or

dysfunction in our organizations. These behaviors routinely surface among
leadership teams and they can get in the way of the team being able to
implement change.

In just the first few days of a strategy execution assignment at a major

transportation company I experienced leaders’ refusal to take ownership,
disinterest in the change being addressed, avoidance of alignment discussions,
and feigned agreement when they actually strongly disagreed.

Have you experienced any of these in your own work?

Change will not occur unless the leaders themselves are willing to change, so
we need a targeted effort to help them move forward together.

Quality Professionals can support the leadership team commitment and

decision making by visualizing the political landscape, effectively navigating
among players, understanding which behaviors are not consistent with the
goals of the team, and then helping the leader(s) modify those behaviors in a
simple and straightforward manner.

Some of the most valuable outcomes of alignment are increased clarity,

reduced complexity, and improved efficiency.

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 Assessment Question: Rate your level of effectiveness navigating complex
political agendas & dysfunction to help leaders make decisions and behave
in ways that are consistent with their goals. Rate yourself now.

Facilitation: Develop a reputation for adding immediate value and enabling

others to solve problems in the moment.

Facilitation is a form of indirect influence that supports individuals or groups to

enhance the solutions they design and remove obstacles to their problem
solving.

Facilitation involves elements such as helping individuals clarify and

communicate their thinking; providing common tools for teams across a
portfolio of changes; light touch coordination guidance or conflict resolution
support; identifying and addressing project enablers that must be in place to
achieve project outcomes (e.g., structure, governance, technology, rewards,
etc.); or gently guiding people to conclusions and action.

As a Quality Professional you are uniquely positioned to provide facilitation

services to leaders and teams that move people to action and get things
accomplished quickly, with an efficient effort.

Once I was stopped in a hallway by a Senior Vice President at a consumer

products company who had an urgent issue to resolve. We walked to his office
and he cancelled several meetings. Four hours later, using a basic 2x2 to assess
options, a rough VEN diagram, and a rotation of other team members through
our problem solving session, his issue was resolved and his next steps as a
leader were clear.

Facilitation doesn’t necessarily mean standing at a flip-chart facilitating a group

discussion (though it can). Facilitation means understanding the relationship
between human behavior and business outcomes so that you can take actions
spontaneously to enable others to achieve their best results.

Assessment Question: Are you able to effectively ‘show up’ in individual,

team, and large group interactions to spontaneously add value and solve
problems in the moment? Rate yourself now.

17
Coaching: Bridge understanding across the hierarchy for faster and deeper
change adoption.

A source of influence that is often missing in major change initiatives involves

coaching middle-level managers to help personalize the change, bridge the
hierarchy, and move people toward desired behaviors. People Managers are
the ones who translate the priorities of a far away ‘corporate program’ into a
relevant shift that is meaningful to people locally.

A manager at a major manufacturing company lamented that he had to

discipline an employee who refused to make changes required by a new
company policy; as a result, their relationship and the employee’s performance
deteriorated. Ultimately the employee was exited. The manager wished that
there was more that could he could have done. In looking back, he could have
been much better prepared to address the change with the employee but there
had been no help - the manager had been on his own to explain and implement
the policy with no more than his own instincts to rely upon.

Coaching middle-level managers through a leadership cascade is one of the

most important things that we can do, as there are typically many more of
them than us, and we can’t get to all of them directly. Setting up forums,
resources, and conversations to help leaders understand the implications of
the change for themselves so they can then translate the change to the
broader organization is key to effective implementation.

Assessment Question: Do you know the techniques needed to coach

middle managers so they can personalize change and bridge the
organization hierarchy? Rate yourself now.

18
Engagement: Mobilize large numbers of people to take action.

Engaging individuals to make behavioral changes is the foundation of

traditional Change Management. However, attempts to do so are often
academic or overly complex.

A more strategic approach to engagement is to equip managers and their

people with the support they need to help change themselves. Some examples
include simple scenarios, conversation templates or scripts, and helping to
prioritize/free up time allow managers to collaborate on how to make the
change happen locally.

For instance, in an energy company a client team held mini-Kaizens just prior to
implementation ostensibly to temporarily free up time to implement the
changes over a period of a few weeks. Following that period, people began to
realize the work that had been temporarily de-prioritized probably did not
need to be done going forward. More formal Kaizens were undertaken to
permanently streamline work in that part of the organization.

In a tire manufacturing company, scripts were created during the

implementation for shop floor huddles asking “what successes did we have
today?” and “what setbacks did we have today?”. The focus of the questions
was to provide a constructive outlet for worker reactions to the changes and to
help the work group learn what worked (and didn’t) and build momentum
while they did so.

In addition, choreographing effective peer-to-peer interactions can

dramatically reduce the fear and anxiety that can sometimes accompany major
implementations.

It is also important to anticipate and address common perception challenges

that can undermine the change, e.g., laying off and hiring concurrently, doesn’t
affect me, you are making my work harder, etc..

Assessment Question: How effective are you at mobilizing large numbers

of people to action quickly, even when implementation may be difficult or
unpopular? Rate yourself now.

Accountability: Create conditions to assure results will last.

19
Indirectly influencing the accountability of others is among the most difficult
challenges Quality Professionals face. However, by building accountability into
the process of implementation you can dramatically increase the likelihood of
sustained results.

A quick review of the project FMEA or Control Plan can also reveal that a
disproportionate amount of accountability may have been deferred until late in
the project. For example, when we spot ‘mini-projects’ (versus tasks); such as a
new compensation plan that needs to be designed, a facility relocation not yet
complete or organizational restructuring pending; it is a clear sign that critical
enablers that must be designed and implemented are being ‘bolted on’ to the
back end of the project and may never be implemented in time to support the
change

In addition, when we see a lack of ‘organizational hooks’ (e.g., linkages to

scorecard or other group and individual performance management
approaches) we need to ask ourselves if the appropriate levels of accountability
are in place to support results and continuous improvement over the long
term.

Finally, it is also, worth noting that it is important to prepare and build

capabilities in the ‘receiving organization’ prior to project decommissioning and
handoff; it is a critical step that often receives less attention than it should.

Assessment Question: To what extent are you able to create agreements

with individuals and groups to assure accountability and lasting results?
Rate yourself now.

Role Positioning: Situate yourself for maximum influence.

One of the most foundational actions a Quality Professional can do to set-up

themselves and their project for success is to effectively position their role in
the eyes of their leaders.

We have all likely experienced the feeling that we can bring so much more to
the table, but that our skills are underutilized or misapplied.

In one of my first jobs out of college, I worked in Human Resources for a

Business Unit Head who had served in the CIA for 25 years. His definition of
Human Resources was strictly Personnel (benefits and labor relations tactics)

20
rather than a high value role that focused on talent and organization
development. Through careful dialogue, questions, and suggestions I was able
to deliver at a higher level after about 6-8 months. But, had I not crafted a
working agreement with my leader clarifying how we would work together and
what I could contribute, I would have been relegated to low value work.

Role positioning is about knowing how and when to accelerate the process of
relationship building to move from a tactical role as a ‘pair of hands’ to a more
value added role as a ‘coach’ or ‘strategic advisor’. For example, using
presence, credibility, technical capability, feedback input, and sharing insights
or advice at the right times will positively influence the direction of the process
and better position you in the organization.

Mutually clarifying your roles, e.g., how you will work together, through
creation of a practical working agreement with your sponsor is also extremely
useful. It can help to shape leaders away from assigning you tactical low value
add work and free you up to work at a higher level.

It is also critical to be able to articulate the nature and contribution of your role
in just a few seconds using a micro-story format to educate others on the value
you bring to their work. There is also no substitute for practical pertinent
experiences effectively shared.

Assessment Question: To what extent are you able to position your role as
a strategic advisor so your services can be used to provide maximum value
and you are able to receive maximum rewards? Rate yourself now.

It is important to exercise your Strategic Engagement Skills to continually move

up the curve and stay slightly ahead of your organization. At the same time, it
is critical that you work with leaders of your organization based upon their level
of change capability so the relationships you build feel comfortable and
supportive as you help them develop their own change capability.

Key Point: Quality professionals can identify the Strategic Engagement Skills
they need to deliver a higher level of business results for their company and
TM
increase their Professional Net Worth at the same time.

Learning Summary
21
1. Due to a turbulent external environment and relentless expectation for
improved business results in many companies, the bar is continually being
raised on change capability

2. A gap in an organization’s current versus desired levels of change capability

represents an area of opportunity to facilitate a higher level of
organizational results and concurrently increase our own Professional Net
TM
Worth

3. Professional Net WorthTM is a measure of your professional impact,

influence, and income at a given point in time

4. The Seven Strategic Engagement Skills (storytelling, alignment, facilitation,

coaching, engagement, accountability and role positioning) are the key to
increasing organization change capability and individual Professional Net
WorthTM

5. As a Quality Professional you should assess your company change

adaptability & gap, identify your Strategic Engagement Skill levels, and
determine the developmental actions you will take to enhance your skills.
Applying these skills will improve company results and simultaneously
increase your Professional Net WorthTM

6. Be mindful not to appear too far ahead of your organization’s change

capability; engage with leaders based upon where they are on the capability
curve and gently coach them to develop their change leadership skills for
better business and personal results

22
 TM
Resources to Help You Increase Your Results & Professional Net Worth

If the idea of developing Strategic Engagement Skills to increase your

TM
Professional Net Worth interests you, join Kimberlee Williams and Human
Development and Leadership (HD&L) Division for a complimentary 2-part ASQ
workshop “The Change Leader’s Guide: Seven Powerful Ways to Drive Results
& Increase Your Professional Net Worth” July 8 & 21 that more fully explore
and apply the concepts in this article.

In these webinars, Kimberlee illustrates points through spirited examples and

stories that span more than $4bb in improvement initiatives. You will take the
two assessments real-time to 1) pinpoint your current level of Professional Net
WorthTM , 2) understand your current skill level in each of the Strategic
Engagement Skills, and 3) go deeper into the steps you can take to increase
your skills every single day.

Go to www.asqhdandl.org to access the webinar recording.

Footnotes
1
Companies referenced are for illustrative purposes only and represent a point-in-time observation. In dynamic
environments circumstances and leadership can change rapidly causing companies to move up or down the
continuum based upon internal adjustments.

2
Note there is a fair exchange of receiving income for delivering impact, recognizing you will often need to use
influence to request what you want. Impact/influence/income can accrue over time, but are also subject to rapid
shifts (e.g., your organization is acquired and you report to a new leader).

23
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kimberlee Williams, President of ignitem, is on a
mission to guide business professionals worldwide
to dramatically improve business results at their
Companies and simultaneously enhance their
Professional Net WorthTM through engaging public
and corporate change leadership workshops, turn
key resources, & coaching.

Previously Kimberlee served at Merck and Co. as Executive Director- Strategy,

Operational Excellence, & Change for a $3bb Global Services & IT business unit
and the Global Head of Change Execution for a $46bb/90,000 employee base,.
She is a certified Black Belt and master change leader.

Her approach to leading change has enabled more than $4bb in business value
in 18 industries throughout the course of her career. Kimberlee can be reached
at Kimberlee.williams@ignitem.com or www.ignitem.com.

24
ABOUT THE PRIMER
This primer is brought to you by ASQ's Human
Development & Leadership Division. Our mission
is ‘to be the community of choice for everyone by
making human potential a global priority, an
organization & personal imperative ‘.

We serve the community by providing

publications like this, education, webinars,
conferences and other resources for personal and professional growth and
for leadership skills development.

To learn more about us, and to see our entire library of primers and webinars
you can visit us at http://asqhdandl.org/

Please contact me at Bill Barton barton.bill.e@gmail.com if you need more

information or are interested in working with our team as a member leader!

Bill Barton, Chair, HD&L Division, ASQ

25
APPENDIX

To access Full Size Figures please copy and paste the following
link in your Browser.

http://asqhdandl.org/uploads/3/3/3/8/3338526/engagement_skills_appendi
x.pdf

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The Human Development and Leadership Division
Helping you reach your potential
www.asq.org/hdl