Plumbing or poetry?

It was at the end of one of my more challenging roles. It had not been easy to be a leader through a series of structural changes in what was already a demanding project. When one of my team members wanted to say a few words about me at my final team meeting, I was not sure they’d be entirely complimentary.

In the end they spoke warmly about my willingness to listen to the team and put myself in their shoes, no matter how much the feedback was difficult to hear on occasions. It’s not the sort of feedback leaders often receive – they certainly won’t get it from the latest performance statistics. And it wasn’t going to ensure operational success by itself. But is it actually just as important?

As leaders we are expected to perform in ways which sometimes seem contradictory – setting clear direction whilst being great listeners; inspiring with a vision whilst implementing clear guidelines and processes; focused on delivery but scoring high in people surveys. How do we balance it all?

It reminded me of the advice that leaders need to work in both poetry and plumbing. The poetry sets the vision and provides the bigger picture clarity – targeted at the human being in all of us. The plumbing sets out how the work will be done to ensure success. We all tend to be stronger in one of them. So it’s important we always consider where our natural preference lies – and ensure we don’t neglect the other one.

Here’s some of the things I have learnt in my career:

Set the vision but always, always think about how things translate into reality – I can think of countless wonderful strategic documents in my time - well conceived, expertly consulted and beautifully drafted – but ultimately didn’t change very much. Some of these documents were mine…. Many others were eye-catching policies or strategies which were then thrown over the fence for someone else actually to deliver, mostly with mixed results. In simple terms I’ve learnt to deploy two techniques which have helped me.

Firstly, use actionable and measurable language where you can. Can the objectives and words you use actually be delivered, tracked, measured and improved? Secondly, ensure that the documents have measures in place. It’s an old phrase, but what is not measured is less likely to be delivered. When I helped update the HMRC Charter a few years ago, we made sure the language used was as accessible as possible and that there were clear performance indicators in place.

Don’t forget the end user – this is one which often shocks me. I’ve worked in MP correspondence, rolling out a new digital tax system, processing UK visas overseas, answering customer complaints and building confidence in the Criminal Justice System. In each of those examples there is a clear end user.

But it often happens that the end user can get lost amidst operational, financial, political and practical considerations. It’s easy for those things to become more important amidst day to day delivery challenges, despite the best of intentions. This is why I have been heartened by the increased profile of user centred design and customer focused delivery . If the end user is at the heart at the beginning, middle and end of what you do, it can act as the North Star to guide you through the inevitable bumps in the road.

You’ll need to listen for the sake of listening sometimes – if you are a delivery, “plumbing” focused leader, you’ll be itching to get into the next conversation about how things can be done faster, quicker and more efficiently. You might find conversations with your team frustrating when they tell you why the old way works better or feel derailed by a customer or stakeholder who you feel can’t let go of a point.

But if you don’t hear them out, there’s a risk you’ll be seen as that leader who dismisses their point of view, “shuts them down” or fails to respect their perspective. It’s also important to vary the channels. Different people will be more comfortable in different situations – if you leave it all to a Q&A in the big team meeting, you are unlikely to get the full picture. So mix it up by attending the team meetings of people you manage, set up an online survey for your team and talk to a range of people 1to1.

Keep acting like a toddler – but not in the way you might think! If you are more “poetry” inclined, you may set a grand vision and be confident everyone must understand it and it will be delivered as you intended. You may be inclined to believe people when they tell you it is all going well. But as a leader you’ll be told lots of things. In particular you’ll be told things by people who may be feeling insecure, wanting to impress, be confused, be coming from a certain perspective or be operating with optimism bias without being aware.

A toddler will often ask a question and keep asking “why?” even after you have given what you thought was a complete answer. As a leader if you keep asking “why” or “how” (respectfully of course), it can sometimes help you get to the root of an issue and ensure that the detailed processes are in place to deliver what you want.

In summary, it’s good to be aware of whether you prefer writing poetry or tackling the plumbing. Don’t be ashamed of playing to your strengths. But don’t lose sight of your less preferred way of working. Or ensure you build a team strong in those skills!