Canadian HR Reporter

SEPTEMBER 8, 2014 CANADIAN HR REPORTER & STRATEGIC CAPABILITY NETWORK Credit: Keeton Gale (Shutterstock) Using the theory behind the successful book Moneyball can help increase engagement and productivity across North America, ac- cording to Mary Donohue, a social scientist and founder of Donohue Learning in Toronto. "Moneyball was (about) using the diff erence between what coaches believed and what the data said to build a better team," she said at a recent SCNetwork event in Toronto. However, the Oakland Ath- letics' baseball success in 2002 wasn't solely based on the genius of general manager Billy Beane, but rather the theoretical work of William Edwards Deming — the "father of modern productivity," said Donohue. It was Deming's transformative manufacturing theories that pro- pelled Beane and the A's to suc- cess, she said. Deming's theory got off to a slow start. In the early 1950s, he approached the major U.S. au- tomakers of the day and urged them to improve their production methodologies. He was resound- ingly rejected, said Donohue. However, Gen. Douglas Mac- Arthur approached Deming and requested he present his theories to companies in war-torn Japan as the country attempted to re- build its infrastructure. ere, Deming's advice was widely ac- cepted, and the eff ects still rever- berate today, she said. "He transformed how they manufacture cars… and revolu- tionized how cars were made," said Donohue. "(Deming discov- ered the) most important tool in manufacturing, communication, artificial intelligence, anything — if you reduce the variance, you build a better product." For example, while Ford mass- produced automobile transmis- sions to a one-eighth variance, Japanese companies improved that to one-16th — making for a slightly more expensive, but lon- ger-lasting vehicle, she said. "Closing the variance was the most important competitive edge they had." Practical application Within today's workplace, tech- nology has aided the diversity of communication methods, while the quality of that communication has exposed generational divides, said Donohue. For the past three years, she has worked to apply Deming's vari- ance theory to communication methods. "Right now, conversation is your product," said Donohue. "Teams having conversations are the only way you can now create." But technology is stifl ing suc- cessful conversations at work, with email chains, stagnant meet- ings and misunderstood text mes- sages each playing a role. Many North American work- places are in crisis mode, with failed communications causing cracks in long-standing cultural frameworks, she said. Executives are spending 40 hours a week in meetings or re- viewing email — leading to copi- ous amounts of overtime, general exhaustion and poor communi- cation techniques, according to a survey of 7,500 North American workers by Donohue. e roadblock is technology — as technological communication avenues have grown, engagement rates have dropped, she said. "As we saw the use of technol- ogy increase, we also saw disen- gagement increase," said Dono- hue, noting that by 2020, her anal- ysis shows nine of 10 teams will not be engaged with one another. Companies are creating com- munication technologies that workers don't want, making for an increased rate of variance, she said. Communicating via technology lacks proper social cues, creating different emotional responses than a face-to-face water-cooler conversation typically would, said Donohue. For instance, quick, inaccurate email messaging, low follow- through rates, and assumed mes- saging "are slowly tearing apart your workplace culture," she said. "You have to learn to retrain your brain. We're not spending any time on this. We're developing all the technologies in the world… but we're not teaching our brains how to use that technology. It's just an assumed skill." Generational diff erences e issue stems from the mam- malian brain — where gut feel- ings, instincts and anchor mo- ments are stored, according to Donohue. "Anchoring moments are how you frame solutions to your prob- lem," she said. "And each genera- tion has diff erent anchoring mo- ments based on their introduction to technology." For example, baby boom- ers grew up watching TV — a one-way communication device — while generation Z has been raised in the smartphone era, said Donohue. Each generation naturally pre- fers a diff erent communication style. But as the tech options be- come smaller, the gap in under- standing only grows, she said. "What we're trying to do is fi g- ure out how to fi nd the variance and close the variance in teams." Once a manager is able to self- identify a preferred communi- cation style, she is better able to understand her team's tenden- cies. From there, managers can attempt to close the variance and drive productivity, which subse- quently builds trust and improves engagement, said Donohue. Technological solutions can aid managers in interpreting data such as daily emails, texts and meeting summaries which inform on team connections. Generations can generally be grouped into descriptors that include similar anchoring mo- ments, work styles and commu- nication preferences, she said. Growing up in the shadow of the fi nancial crisis, generation Z workers are most motivated by money; millennials crave work- life balance after being raised by parents who were more prone to be stuck in the offi ce. All of these lead to diff erences in generational tendencies in terms of communication, collabo- ration and creation. To improve productivity and engagement, managers would be wise to understand the preferred communication styles of staff , es- pecially as technology allows for unique barriers such as a refusal to answer email — an act that would seem unreasonable in a face-to- face conversation. If communication is a problem, close the variance Oakland Athletics' Moneyball technique key to bridging gaps as technology evolves BY MARCEL VANDER WIER "We're developing all the technologies in the world… but we're not teaching our brains how to use that technology. It's just an assumed skill." ANCHORING > pg. 15

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