ESIP Model Implementation
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Implementation The Four Dimensions of Leadership Environment 1.
What is the culture of the organisation, and the culture of the team?
What is their purpose? Their goals? Their values?
What is the emotional aptitude of the team?
ENVIRONMENT
2. STRUCTURE
3. IMPLEMENTATION
4. PEOPLE
Structure
What measures are in place to measure performance and progress?
What KPI’s are used and how?
What policies and procedures are expected?
Implementation
What systems are actually used? How?
How are these systems taught and how is the success of the education assessed?
How are the systems usage measured and communicated?
People
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What training has the person received in the structure and the systems?
What ongoing feedback is given and what criteria for success is being used?
ESIP as a framework ESIP stands for the four dimensions of experience we will find in any situation or context.
It includes: 1. Environment – The qualitative aspects of the situation, including the vision, the values, the beliefs, the attitudes, the standards, the expectations and the purpose of the context we’re within 2. Structure – The quantitative aspects of the situation, including the benchmarks for success, the divisions of a company or within a team, the product centres, the operations manuals, the checklists, the policies, the procedures, and the lead measures and the lag measures 3. Implementation – What actually occurs, when it occurs, how often it occurs, who does it, when, and how do they demonstrate they’ve done it, what evidence is there it’s done, and who tracks it, how often, and how 4. People – Who is developed, what are they developed in (what areas), what skills do they have, how are those skills assessed and developed, what scope is there to go beyond their current abilities or skills, or often are they mentored, what’s expected of them within the mentoring, whether it’s formal or informal
Each of these dimensions has other forces at play, but these are the main areas we would consider when assessing and improving a team, an organisation or any context we find ourselves within. It’s beholden upon each of us to bring the very best aspects of each of these areas to where we find ourselves as leaders. It’s for us to set the benchmarks, maintain the benchmarks, demonstrate the benchmarks and improve the benchmarks. Then it’s for us to show others how to do the same, and thus creating leaders.
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Question the standards, their usefulness, their purpose and how well they allow the purpose to be achieved. A leader wouldn’t simply accept the benchmarks they’re told. Find out why they’re there, how they work, how they’re measured. Seek to understand if they’re the right measures or whether they can be changed, improved or completely replaced. Never settle for the benchmarks you inherit. Question them, not to assume they’re wrong, but to see how you can add value and improve upon what you find. Show others how you do this. Constantly hand your learning onto someone else. There are always areas to improve. There is always something to learn about how something is done, could be done, should be done and will be done. Learning ESIP is not a script. It’s not ‘I now get what it is’, it’s ‘I now see it wherever I go’. ESIP (a terrible name) is about becoming faster and more effective at assessing a situation and seeing what can be done to improve it or enjoy it. It’s a framework by which we can make decisions, solve problems, change markets, win markets, develop people, give feedback, recruit, performance manage, and develop products. Its use is across all contexts and situations. It can be used at the most micro level of detail, all the way to the most abstract concept or idea. It can be used to drill down into tight solutions, or to move up into how a task links to a purpose. When thinking about anything, if you can link it to its purpose, measure how to achieve that purpose, take the steps to achieve that purpose and show others how to do the same, you are leading.
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Implementation Everything until now has been in the establishment of standards. The qualitative standards in the environment. The measurable in structure. Implementation is what actually happens. It’s what actions, decisions and processes actually occur. It’s not what should happen – that was in the top two levels. This is what people do. It covers (and is not limited to): What we do When we do it How we do it How we decide it’s done Our evidence for completion What we maintain What we complete What we leave as incomplete What we focus on What we decide What we delegate Whether we look at things as short or long term Whether, and how, we report our results Who we report our results to – and if we don’t What actually happens
And all of this is compared to the best practices that are already established in the environment and the structure. So if we say our top value is results, yet we implement with a focus on ‘getting by’ and shortcuts, which tells us the actual implementation is not a match for best practice.
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We’ve identified a stretch. If we say that we have an operations manual for doing a set task, and disregard it, we’ve found another stretch. And the stretch isn’t just in what we’re doing and how we’re doing it. It’s also in our mindset – which is environment. What we’re saying is we have low standards and expectations. And we probably have low trust. Which means we probably have low productivity. And low results. And it can work in reverse. We can see a value of going the extra mile, and identify that many in the team do just that, and more, in surprising and fantastic ways. They’ve exceeded expectations. What we’ve identified are UGR’s – unwritten ground rules. They are what actually occurs. It’s like this. Someone joins a team, and asks about getting something done. The response is, ‘Sure, but don’t bust a boiler. The boss will only give you more to do.’ That person has just heard a UGR. An unwritten ground rule about things really happen around here. Or this scenario. Someone joins a new team, and asks about finishing a project. And the response is, ‘Sure, let’s do this. It matters that we come through on our commitments. Thanks for reminding us that we need to do this. Keep doing that. That’s exactly what we want for our team. Thanks.’ Same thing. It’s an unwritten ground rule – that meets and exceeds the standards that are said to exist. Implementation is about what really happens. What really happens when the boss isn’t looking. What really happens when no one is watching. What really happens when there are good excuses for not doing it. What really happens when there is a crisis. All of these moments are snapshots into the truth. I truly believe that we are assessed on our capabilities, not when things go well, but when there are good reasons for things to go badly. The crisis measures the person. Calm waters and easy sailing are manageable by anyone. Add a storm and see who really stands up.
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There is an energy about a highly functional and trusting team. People get things done with quiet purpose and the minimum of fuss. There is support for one another and an expectation of success. When there is a setback, there’s reflection, learning, adaptation and momentum. Mistakes are not reason to stop in a functional and successful team. They’re a part of learning and considered progress. They are not a way to judge someone, but to encourage personal reflection and improvement. Implementation for these people is about finding a way, making it happen, improving as they go and bringing the vision to life through action.
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