Name of weekly column: The CEO is dead long live the CEO

This week's contributor: Ian Buckingham, consultant, Bring Yourself 2 Work

I don’t entirely subscribe to the notion that your senior executives should be the archetypal hero leaders. Conversely I believe that there’s far too much made of the pivotal role of the chief exec as a role model and internal communication font.
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Yes the premier director is the critical architect of public opinion and external stakeholder relations. He/she should also be the maestro in the top team orchestra. But unlike the conductor he/she can hardly be expected to grab the second fiddle when their owner misses his bus.

Line managers are key communicators

I’ve worked in the communication, change and OD sectors for quite a few years now and there’s very little doubt in my mind that the most important communicators within organisations are line managers and supervisors. In fact, with the re-engineering of so many customer-facing processes, the emphasis placed on the engagement skills of line managers is rising.

Of course it’s important that the members of the top team are all 'on song' and 'in tune'. Of course it’s vital that they share a belief in and can convey the compelling story of the evolution of the business. But it’s the line managers who are the everyday representatives of that story, they are the daily sponsors of the brand.

Line managers are today’s hero leaders, the chief engagement officers or ceos. They are the ones uniquely placed to connect with the largest cadre of people and to do so with authenticity. Why? Because they stand the greatest chance of really understanding the customers and employees, and only they can truly translate the corporate sound-bites into engaging, digestable chunks.

Streetcorner communication

Just as I believe passionately in 'streetcorner communication', I’ve little doubt that people are more effective when they can be themselves in the workplace. This is especially true when the job they are doing is in line with and encourages expression of their core values.

In recognition of this notion, some organisations have responded with a raft of cascaded initiatives and events designed to encourage people to trust that the leadership values their contribution and cares about them. These attempts to engage with employees by encouraging them to be themselves at work certainly need to be sponsored and, where possible centrally co-ordinated but they are undeniably most effective when they are implemented locally in an appropriate style that is in tune with the local culture.

The following news report lampoons what happens when organisations attempt to institutionalise employee engagement without empowering and enabling their local leaders. You make up your own mind about the split between fact and fiction in the tale:

A homage to The Onion.com: News report
 
London - England

"In workplaces as diverse as a DIY Double Glazing in Deptford through to Cooperative Biscuit’s largest plant in Hyde, Manchester, English workers joined their international comrades on Saturday to commemorate yet another "Bring Yourself to Work Day" with sporadic, scripted and mandatory celebrations.
 
Office workers settle in for a full day's worth of activities

"Bring Yourself to Work Day is a special workplace event observed five times weekly, and often more, in every factory, office, warehouse, restaurant, and retailer of goods or services worldwide. The event has been institutionalised in the U.S. for generations now and is just catching on here in England as a way to instill in the workforce a sense of responsibility through repeated exposure to a largely unfulfilling work environment. It also introduces otherwise inactive adults to the benefits of steady employment, being managed and the importance of punctuality.

"'This is really a positive experience for everyone involved,' said Human Resources Senior Vice Executive Maureen Smith in a special ceremony at her own Harlow office, during which her staff ate jam doughnuts as they stared at their computer screens. 'Each day is a chance for employees across England to reacquaint themselves with the particulars of their jobs, whether they consist of marking exam papers or unloading tins of cat food off wooden pallets. What's more, many of them get compensated for it.'

"That this celebration occurred on a Sunday, fast becoming the traditional start of the work week, was not lost on many English workers during their morning commute. 'Bring Yourself to Work Sunday, eh?' said Brentford systems analyst Alex Bass, 34, who commutes an average of three hours a day but had clearly just heard about this festival. 'Can’t argue with that.'

"'It's too bad I'm not awake enough to fully appreciate such a great milestone,' said Super Drug cashier Alecia Wallace, a 29-year-old Aylesbury mother of two.

"Bring Yourself to Work Day events include special presentations, conference calls, and various deadlines. But there's time for leisure, too, including having short non-work-related conversations with coworkers, eating lunch, making tea, reading memos, receiving team briefs and going to the bathroom.

"And there’s incentives too! If the employer feels an attendee has adequately brought himself to work, the participant may be invited to join in a broader series of activities, where he can learn more about the importance of being a team player and brand ambassador, what to do during meetings, and how to patiently await a cost-of-living pay increase.

"The mood was palpable as commuters set out to mark the historic occasion.

"'I've been coming to Bring Yourself to Work Day since I was 19," said Croydon resident Nancy Kordich, 21. 'I shouldn’t say this but sometimes I get the urge to not bring myself to work, but I always relent, because if I don't go, who knows when I might get the chance to participate in a celebration again? This isn’t being recorded is it?'.

"Although some participants choose to mark the occasion at a single location for many years, others prefer to bring themselves to several different affiliated job sites successively over the course of one lifetime. Studies suggest that millions of especially enthusiastic English folk regularly enjoy bringing themselves to two or three jobs each day.

"At one time, virtually all US employees were encouraged to participate, until legislation passed in 1938 limited the celebration to people over the age of 14.

"While the vast majority of those taking part in Bring Yourself To Work Day are rewarded with a modest cash gift or momento from the employer, some complain that there is little correlation between the amounts given and the amount of time spent celebrating. Still, many admit they have grown quite attached to the daily occasion."

"'I don't know where I'd be if it weren't for this event,' said drywall installer Donald Simmons, 42. 'Probably watching tv, or sleeping in. Or at one of my son's five-a-side games.'

"Added Simmons, 'You know, for a big celebration, Bring Yourself to Work Day goes awfully slow though.'

"Although archaeological evidence shows that Bring Yourself to Work Day has been an observed human event for at least 30,000 years, several historians theorize that the day could stretch back as far as the time of Homo erectus, when early humans first realised that antelope would not willingly allow themselves to be eaten."

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