Creating change is the secret to managing change.
Organizations facing crisis often allow momentum to slowly dissipate into a wait and see process. They choose to hang on to a failing plan (that may have taken months to produce) rather than change course or walk away. To these organizations, to walk away or change would be akin to failure, while staying the course is seen as determination. At this stage crisis looms and the organization is immobilized; everyone is simply hanging on. In fact, just the opposite is what activates adrenalin, stirs imagination and mobilizes people to take action. Leaders raise the bar for current performance by searching for markets that have been ignored. Leaders challenge how monies are spent by seeking more from less. Leaders evaluate personnel and leave those with little potential or value behind. Leaders prepare the organization for success by creating an environment where crisis is an opportunity. They push through the fear of failure, knowing change is the soul of hope.
The journey to creating and managing change begins with a series of questions about an organization’s reality. What is the state of affairs within our ecosystem? How will others influence our action? Are there partnerships that should be broken? Made? Adjusted? Continued? Who is our customer? How can we meet WHO’s needs? Do we have the skills to deliver an experience to WHO that exceeds their expectations? Are our physical assets capable of producing the desired results? Will our personnel adapt to WHO’s needs? Do they have the mental tenacity to adapt? Are they the future of our organization? These questions must be answered in an inclusive environment that permits individuals, groups and partners to embrace reality as it is today and to form a vision of what tomorrow can be, leading the organization’s change. Strategy is then developed in collaborative surroundings generating buy in and momentum for execution. Collective action will protect ecosystem members and lead to a shared value increase.
Creating change is determined by the resolve to constantly observe ones ecosystem dynamics.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
October 2008 Deep Insights
The Road Less Traveled:
CRITICS challenge the behavior of one, a few or many. They seldom participate in the creation of what they criticize and rarely propose alternative solutions or evidence to justify their criticism. Critics love anecdotal discussions that feed emotional responses. They lie in wait for decisions to be made, then appear. Critics avoid participation and position themselves to fend off accountability and ownership. Their right, as they see it, is to voice their thoughts, take exception and dispute the behavior of others. Critics avoid criticism; their goal is to stand alone.
COACHES on the other hand encourage people to adopt reality and are driven to find the facts and embrace them. Coaches challenge anecdotal information and expect specifics or simply toss the anecdotal data aside. They listen but are not influenced, they probe, and they help others uncover their illusions. A coach adopts a mental model that embraces the traits of others. This model uses strengths to build collaborative behavior, action and/or solutions. Coaches help people concentrate on their strengths even when performing under extreme circumstances. They understand building a high performance team requires making weaknesses irrelevant by using the strengths of all. Coaches construct a route with others that includes interventions along the way. These interventions or meetings help determine what has been positive and what has been negative. Coaches direct dialogue helping the team redeploy its strengths increasing the positive and negating the negative. The goal is for everyone to succeed.
COACHING is an art, built on participation that holds everyone accountable for holding everyone else accountable.
CRITICS challenge the behavior of one, a few or many. They seldom participate in the creation of what they criticize and rarely propose alternative solutions or evidence to justify their criticism. Critics love anecdotal discussions that feed emotional responses. They lie in wait for decisions to be made, then appear. Critics avoid participation and position themselves to fend off accountability and ownership. Their right, as they see it, is to voice their thoughts, take exception and dispute the behavior of others. Critics avoid criticism; their goal is to stand alone.
COACHES on the other hand encourage people to adopt reality and are driven to find the facts and embrace them. Coaches challenge anecdotal information and expect specifics or simply toss the anecdotal data aside. They listen but are not influenced, they probe, and they help others uncover their illusions. A coach adopts a mental model that embraces the traits of others. This model uses strengths to build collaborative behavior, action and/or solutions. Coaches help people concentrate on their strengths even when performing under extreme circumstances. They understand building a high performance team requires making weaknesses irrelevant by using the strengths of all. Coaches construct a route with others that includes interventions along the way. These interventions or meetings help determine what has been positive and what has been negative. Coaches direct dialogue helping the team redeploy its strengths increasing the positive and negating the negative. The goal is for everyone to succeed.
COACHING is an art, built on participation that holds everyone accountable for holding everyone else accountable.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
September 2008 Deep Insights
WHO defines a company? Is it its investors? Is it the CEO? Is it its Management? Is it its Employees? Or is it all these elements combined? In order for a company to be successful, you must ask yourself WHO is the company I work for and what purpose does WHO ask me to embrace?
If the WHO of a company is left unanswered the company’s elements create individual strategies and tactics for success. Such individual tactics most likely will be in conflict with the collaborative efforts for the company as a whole. Investors demand short term returns that sacrifice long term investments. CEOs must decide between short term investor thinking, including their own financial rewards and long term investments for the continued success of the company. Management is trapped seeking performance for immediate results, judging the contributions of its element, not the whole. Employees focus on their efforts to become a valuable proposition but do not recognize efforts for the element will not necessarily lead to results for the whole. The diversity of these answers creates a selfish interest by each element that must be overcome by answering, WHO is a company?
WHO answered. The company is the provider of all to all. Without the company all elements have no today or tomorrow. The WHO is a living being, providing a product/service for which it is paid a fair market value. WHO must survive, WHO must be cared for, WHO must build collaboration between its elements to make contributions to the whole. Together each element must learn how and when to lead or follow. They must learn that their individual goals may not be the priority for the whole. WHO needs strategy to meet its market demands which require a leadership transfer from one element to another when needed. The elements of WHO must learn effective teamwork and how best to serve WHO with their strengths.
WHO is your company? A living being that requires all elements to make contributions in an order dictated by current and future markets for the WHO as a whole.
If the WHO of a company is left unanswered the company’s elements create individual strategies and tactics for success. Such individual tactics most likely will be in conflict with the collaborative efforts for the company as a whole. Investors demand short term returns that sacrifice long term investments. CEOs must decide between short term investor thinking, including their own financial rewards and long term investments for the continued success of the company. Management is trapped seeking performance for immediate results, judging the contributions of its element, not the whole. Employees focus on their efforts to become a valuable proposition but do not recognize efforts for the element will not necessarily lead to results for the whole. The diversity of these answers creates a selfish interest by each element that must be overcome by answering, WHO is a company?
WHO answered. The company is the provider of all to all. Without the company all elements have no today or tomorrow. The WHO is a living being, providing a product/service for which it is paid a fair market value. WHO must survive, WHO must be cared for, WHO must build collaboration between its elements to make contributions to the whole. Together each element must learn how and when to lead or follow. They must learn that their individual goals may not be the priority for the whole. WHO needs strategy to meet its market demands which require a leadership transfer from one element to another when needed. The elements of WHO must learn effective teamwork and how best to serve WHO with their strengths.
WHO is your company? A living being that requires all elements to make contributions in an order dictated by current and future markets for the WHO as a whole.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
August 2008 Deep Insights
Waking up to view a Strategic Plan Execution should not arouse panic. However, in most cases the view of reality is unpleasant. The crisis is there and only a miracle will resolve the lack of performance. Fortunately, wake up surprises can be avoided by structuring a culture of forestalling, not solving crisis.
Forestalling begins in the initial stages of Strategic Planning, when an organization diagnosis its environment and the factors that will effect its success or failure. At this stage your organization should ask: What elements will determine positive or negative influences? Who is best suited to closely watch? Who has the respect of the organization to call attention to their observations? This last question is important.
As observations will be the guide for forestalling crisis while allowing the organization to take advantage of an unsuspected opportunity.
Observations alone are not actionable. They must be coupled with a Strategic Plan that includes critical paths leading to indicators that will navigate the organization toward success. Without a plan for execution everyone interprets observations with their own ramifications, but with a plan, dialogue has boundaries. Dialogue leads analysis to determination of the effects of observations and the possible consequences on the whole of the organization’s Strategic Plan.
Knowing how the Strategic Plan, as a whole, will react to potential surprises allows everyone to participate in forestalling prior to solving random symptoms. The process of forestalling saves energy for root cause resolution, rather than draining energy through blaming others, pointing fingers or trying to prioritize symptom resolutions. These energy drains are eliminated in a culture of forestalling because people are thinking about the future, not dragging themselves into the past for causes that may not matter today.
Discipline is the final element. Surprises can come from within or outside of an organization’s environment. Therefore, forestalling requires a perceptive eye. What is thought not to matter may prove to matter. When this occurs, critical path execution landscapes must be redrawn to meet the new and improved Strategic Plan. A culture that forestalls will only survive when everyone is committed to making observations, spotting potential surprises, and taking action to prevent the derailment of the Strategic Plan.
Forestalling begins in the initial stages of Strategic Planning, when an organization diagnosis its environment and the factors that will effect its success or failure. At this stage your organization should ask: What elements will determine positive or negative influences? Who is best suited to closely watch? Who has the respect of the organization to call attention to their observations? This last question is important.
As observations will be the guide for forestalling crisis while allowing the organization to take advantage of an unsuspected opportunity.
Observations alone are not actionable. They must be coupled with a Strategic Plan that includes critical paths leading to indicators that will navigate the organization toward success. Without a plan for execution everyone interprets observations with their own ramifications, but with a plan, dialogue has boundaries. Dialogue leads analysis to determination of the effects of observations and the possible consequences on the whole of the organization’s Strategic Plan.
Knowing how the Strategic Plan, as a whole, will react to potential surprises allows everyone to participate in forestalling prior to solving random symptoms. The process of forestalling saves energy for root cause resolution, rather than draining energy through blaming others, pointing fingers or trying to prioritize symptom resolutions. These energy drains are eliminated in a culture of forestalling because people are thinking about the future, not dragging themselves into the past for causes that may not matter today.
Discipline is the final element. Surprises can come from within or outside of an organization’s environment. Therefore, forestalling requires a perceptive eye. What is thought not to matter may prove to matter. When this occurs, critical path execution landscapes must be redrawn to meet the new and improved Strategic Plan. A culture that forestalls will only survive when everyone is committed to making observations, spotting potential surprises, and taking action to prevent the derailment of the Strategic Plan.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
July 2008 Deep Insights
Tracking financial results is an important element of any successful organization’s operation. However, it is not the end all. Organizations must develop navigational measurements that predict what the results will be and encourage strategy or tactical adjustments as needed.
Financial reporting paints a picture of the effort expended by an organization from a historical viewpoint. Therefore, organizations can only take action after the fact. Damages that could have been avoided accumulate; actions that would enhance results in a timely fashion cannot be taken. To avoid such issues, organizations must drill beneath financial goals to find tactics/activities that are integral for financial success.
Once established, tactics/activities must be converted into commitments between people. Actions taken through commitments are the foundation of an organizations successful execution of its strategy. Commitments encourage people to hold each other accountable. Transparency in commitments creates the trust essential for negotiations when collaborative action is needed.
Negotiations are necessary to understand how each person will deliver their commitment. Negotiations build awareness of situations that may hinder or add unnecessary conflict. Through negotiations, planned interventions can evolve to guarantee performance. Interventions should focus on at least two items: anticipation of situations that could occur and what actions should be taken to successfully execute the organization’s strategy. People must approach this process in the spirit of experimentation, not entering negotiations or interventions to place blame. It must be a place of support and collaboration, people working together to meet commitments.
Commitments made in a transparent public forum, in a collaborative environment of experimentation will usher an organization into financial success, beyond expectations. Tracking and measuring commitments is the navigational pathway to successful financial results.
Financial reporting paints a picture of the effort expended by an organization from a historical viewpoint. Therefore, organizations can only take action after the fact. Damages that could have been avoided accumulate; actions that would enhance results in a timely fashion cannot be taken. To avoid such issues, organizations must drill beneath financial goals to find tactics/activities that are integral for financial success.
Once established, tactics/activities must be converted into commitments between people. Actions taken through commitments are the foundation of an organizations successful execution of its strategy. Commitments encourage people to hold each other accountable. Transparency in commitments creates the trust essential for negotiations when collaborative action is needed.
Negotiations are necessary to understand how each person will deliver their commitment. Negotiations build awareness of situations that may hinder or add unnecessary conflict. Through negotiations, planned interventions can evolve to guarantee performance. Interventions should focus on at least two items: anticipation of situations that could occur and what actions should be taken to successfully execute the organization’s strategy. People must approach this process in the spirit of experimentation, not entering negotiations or interventions to place blame. It must be a place of support and collaboration, people working together to meet commitments.
Commitments made in a transparent public forum, in a collaborative environment of experimentation will usher an organization into financial success, beyond expectations. Tracking and measuring commitments is the navigational pathway to successful financial results.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
June 2008 Deep Insights
Leaders are challenged as generations pass through time and their organization. Good leaders know they must adapt to the needs of each generation without losing the initiative of any.
The first step is to create a vision that various generations can embrace. Young people seek excitement, challenges, opportunities to learn and occasions to broaden their experience. Midlife adults seek continued learning or satisfaction through contributions to the organization. Mature individuals seek more comprehensive challenges to make contributions or contribute by assisting midlife adults and young people.
The second step is to build an environment to fulfill the vision. The environment must utilize the strengths of each generation. Young people should be encouraged to speak out, challenge the status quo and bring their world into the daily activities of the organization. They should be encouraged to ask “Why not?” without fear of retribution. Midlife adults in their respective groups looking for challenges or contributing by doing must be part of building execution plans. Both groups can find and utilize their strengths when they are a part of planning execution. Their competencies will lead to the successful execution of the vision. Mature individuals need an environment where they can remove barriers for young people or midlife adults to perform. Their challenge is to maintain clarity for the VISION, keeping others on task. It is the responsibility of mature individuals to coach the other generations through barriers, be they processes or behavior, and to help the organization successfully adopt change for both.
The third step is to develop a transparent measurement process, beyond financials and tied to activities that will ensure success. Each generation must have the information necessary to create accountability. Each generation must know they have moved beyond effort to results.
Leaders need the ability to function with people from varying generations. The ability to recognize each generation’s value will keep the environment healthy and will keep people contributing to the VISION.
The first step is to create a vision that various generations can embrace. Young people seek excitement, challenges, opportunities to learn and occasions to broaden their experience. Midlife adults seek continued learning or satisfaction through contributions to the organization. Mature individuals seek more comprehensive challenges to make contributions or contribute by assisting midlife adults and young people.
The second step is to build an environment to fulfill the vision. The environment must utilize the strengths of each generation. Young people should be encouraged to speak out, challenge the status quo and bring their world into the daily activities of the organization. They should be encouraged to ask “Why not?” without fear of retribution. Midlife adults in their respective groups looking for challenges or contributing by doing must be part of building execution plans. Both groups can find and utilize their strengths when they are a part of planning execution. Their competencies will lead to the successful execution of the vision. Mature individuals need an environment where they can remove barriers for young people or midlife adults to perform. Their challenge is to maintain clarity for the VISION, keeping others on task. It is the responsibility of mature individuals to coach the other generations through barriers, be they processes or behavior, and to help the organization successfully adopt change for both.
The third step is to develop a transparent measurement process, beyond financials and tied to activities that will ensure success. Each generation must have the information necessary to create accountability. Each generation must know they have moved beyond effort to results.
Leaders need the ability to function with people from varying generations. The ability to recognize each generation’s value will keep the environment healthy and will keep people contributing to the VISION.
Monday, May 26, 2008
May 2008 DeepInsights
RELATIONSHIPS for flawless execution come in many shapes and sizes. They are human, technical and environmental. Each requires oversight activities to sense when the specific relationship necessitates revisions.
HUMAN involvement is best when people understand the goal, commit to the goal and hold themselves accountable for performance. Often goals become clouded as time passes because dialogue dwindles. When dialogue dwindles, time is dedicated to doing WORK instead of understanding how the work contributes to reaching the goal. Time outs must be maintained to keep everyone focused on the big picture understanding who, what and how to assist those who are struggling to keep up.
TECHNICAL issues are often the cause of individual struggles. They require clear definition with active support. The answer may lie in training, equipment, outsourcing, consultation or revision to the goals that would make the technical issue irrelevant. Scheduled time outs are a great investment to determine root cause and solution.
ENVIRONMENTAL concerns are best thought of as outside influences that can be positive or negative. First, one must know their ecological system and what parts might influence their outcome, positive or negative. Second, assignments for observation should be made to determine if an event is noteworthy. Third, data should be reviewed in a collaborative setting to determine the effects on goals and execution.
HUMAN, technical and environmental issues left unattended will generate lack of goal clarity, weaken commitment, reduce initiative and sap creativity. The solution is discipline to schedule more not less dialogue in a knowledge workplace.
HUMAN involvement is best when people understand the goal, commit to the goal and hold themselves accountable for performance. Often goals become clouded as time passes because dialogue dwindles. When dialogue dwindles, time is dedicated to doing WORK instead of understanding how the work contributes to reaching the goal. Time outs must be maintained to keep everyone focused on the big picture understanding who, what and how to assist those who are struggling to keep up.
TECHNICAL issues are often the cause of individual struggles. They require clear definition with active support. The answer may lie in training, equipment, outsourcing, consultation or revision to the goals that would make the technical issue irrelevant. Scheduled time outs are a great investment to determine root cause and solution.
ENVIRONMENTAL concerns are best thought of as outside influences that can be positive or negative. First, one must know their ecological system and what parts might influence their outcome, positive or negative. Second, assignments for observation should be made to determine if an event is noteworthy. Third, data should be reviewed in a collaborative setting to determine the effects on goals and execution.
HUMAN, technical and environmental issues left unattended will generate lack of goal clarity, weaken commitment, reduce initiative and sap creativity. The solution is discipline to schedule more not less dialogue in a knowledge workplace.
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