How to you determine the organizational performance in STEM organizations? 

You may wonder, are STEM organization any different from other organizations? I have worked with STEM organizations across many industries, including healthcare, pharma, bio-tech, automotive, engineering, IT and also finance. There is a pattern that I noticed: STEM organizations and STEM leaders are data-driven. As a result, they often look at performance by analyzing data. Consequently, they are good at achieving outcomes that are data-based – and they are excellent at understanding the drivers behind those numbers. (We previously looked at other strengths of STEM leaders in our article “A Scientific Approach to Leadership”)

Nothing wrong with that – with the exception that it’s easy to overlook the non-data-side of performance. In producing the data-based outcomes, STEM leaders easily overlook factors that are hard to quantify. This shows up when difficult interactions are not handled well, when teams do not get enrolled in the goals or when facts and expertise are used to influence clients.

To clarify the pattern that I see, I took a closer look at my observations of having worked for twenty+ years with STEM organizations. I reviewed findings from culture assessments, notes from my past consulting engagements and training programs, and observations from interviews with many STEM executives. 

The missing piece: the human side of leadership

 

The pattern became very clear: STEM leaders often miss opportunities to build relationships with customers and partners. They can also improve the collaboration and engagement within their teams. In addition, their leadership doesn’t always foster a culture of innovation and agility.

So, what to do? The technically sound approach might be to start with a thorough gap analysis. Next comes the building of a dynamic model to simulate causes and effects. Then we create a development/action/communication plan (including a risk-assessment and contingencies). Finally, comes the action. Here’s what’s going to happen with this approach: it’s again creating something data-based, data-heavy and quite likely overthought. Let’s keep it simpler! Let’s not create a plan.

Take the next step to improve leadership and organizational performance in STEM organizations

 

Let’s use the post-it method:

Select three action items for the day. Make sure the actions are relationship oriented. This could be going to a co-workers office and simply asking how they are, sending a thank you note or acknowledging someone for an accomplishment.

Write the three action items on three post-it notes. Post the notes at the bottom of your screen. When you’ve completed the action, throw the note away. No tracking, no data, just action and impact.

Turning this into a habit will not only improve your leadership. It will also have a positive impact on the organizational performance in STEM organizations.