Successful creativity often is judged by winning or losing in the short term. These short sited creative wins become the criteria to judge others and the voice that speaks loudest. It becomes the standard overlooking sustainability for long term success but it fails to deliver.
Short term judgments of creativity are predicated on solving current issues quieting those who attempt to ensure longevity. The need to instantly and creatively solve a short term issue will overwhelm the need to establish long term value, consistency and trust. People who build short term creative solutions are often glamorized, written about and held in the highest esteem. Their criterion for success is then written for others. However, if that short term creative success falters, those who created and enjoyed the notoriety whimper into the shadows without a second thought from anyone. Long live the King, the King is dead.
Creativity over time is a goal that deserves more focus. Will what we are about to do maintain value, is there a consistency of purpose, does it follow core values and is it creating a level of mutual trust between all parties? A creative product is the result of discovery, attentive to lessons learned, merging insights into ideas and shutting out the voices demanding short term success criteria. Energy is dedicated to connecting past and present events and to envisioning a future where more value has been created.
Creativity is a way of being. It is embedded in an organization; it is a product of small, medium and long term success criteria. Creativity is an orchestra not a soloist. Creativity is a journey not a destination.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Sunday, October 21, 2007
October 2007 Deep Insights
Performance evaluation begins by setting goals for the future, matching capabilities and talent against the goals and then structuring metrics to tell everyone if we are moving toward our goals.
Goals are the foundation of performance evaluations. Without goals all views of the here and now become subjective. Each view is determined by an individual who creates chaos. Goals allow people to know where they are expected to go and what part they will play. Goals serve as the impetus to develop new skills, discard outdated skills and enhance skills that are useful. Goals and skill development set the evaluation process in motion.
Assessment of capabilities against goals leads to the future success of the individual and company. When an individual learns where the company is headed, understands how his or her capabilities will or will not add value, a vision for what is needed arises. This vision is no longer an individual vision but a global vision in its formulation to achieve success for the company.
Metrics are the mirror for effort in motion to achieve individual and company goals. Metrics are interventions for everyone to focus on their efforts producing results. If results are not forthcoming, efforts must be redirected to ensure success. Transparency of metrics is the best of all worlds allowing people to make adjustments independently before goals are not met.
Performance judged against goals with metrics to forestall crisis will lead to individual and company success.
Goals are the foundation of performance evaluations. Without goals all views of the here and now become subjective. Each view is determined by an individual who creates chaos. Goals allow people to know where they are expected to go and what part they will play. Goals serve as the impetus to develop new skills, discard outdated skills and enhance skills that are useful. Goals and skill development set the evaluation process in motion.
Assessment of capabilities against goals leads to the future success of the individual and company. When an individual learns where the company is headed, understands how his or her capabilities will or will not add value, a vision for what is needed arises. This vision is no longer an individual vision but a global vision in its formulation to achieve success for the company.
Metrics are the mirror for effort in motion to achieve individual and company goals. Metrics are interventions for everyone to focus on their efforts producing results. If results are not forthcoming, efforts must be redirected to ensure success. Transparency of metrics is the best of all worlds allowing people to make adjustments independently before goals are not met.
Performance judged against goals with metrics to forestall crisis will lead to individual and company success.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
September 2007 Deep Insights
Are we as good or as lackluster as our metrics deem us to be? Organizations often lean toward celebrating success or chastising themselves when in fact their performance is being dictated by uncontrollable circumstances. To determine the “uncontrollable” an organization must understand their ecology.
Ecology is understanding the environment in which you live predicting interactions and their influence on your strategy. One must map the parts from the largest to the tiniest connecting them with what is known. How do they influence each other? What is happening in their environment that will force them to act in a manner that is positive or negative to your desired results? Are trends emerging that will create wide industry upheaval or lead the industry to new levels? Will these trends be local, national or international? How does your environment affect your thinking, your personnel and your competitors?
It is not possible to observe and track your entire ecosystem. Therefore, once the parts of your ecosystem have been mapped, decisions must be made to prioritize “WATCH LISTS.” Which part will have the greatest impact on your strategy and its execution? Who should be the watcher and what events should they share? Who should they share with, when and how? How will decisions be made to alter execution or the strategy that drives execution? What path will lead to performance when chaos reigns? When will we revisit the “WATCH LIST” to determine if those on the list matter or don’t matter? Should new parts be added? Should old parts be deleted?
These questions are important when determining performance, or lack of. Is performance because of me or in spite of me? Knowing the answers will lead to watching uncontrollable ecosystem parts. Organizations that know their ecosystem are prepared to act, not react, to uncontrollable parts and their influence on performance.
Ecology is understanding the environment in which you live predicting interactions and their influence on your strategy. One must map the parts from the largest to the tiniest connecting them with what is known. How do they influence each other? What is happening in their environment that will force them to act in a manner that is positive or negative to your desired results? Are trends emerging that will create wide industry upheaval or lead the industry to new levels? Will these trends be local, national or international? How does your environment affect your thinking, your personnel and your competitors?
It is not possible to observe and track your entire ecosystem. Therefore, once the parts of your ecosystem have been mapped, decisions must be made to prioritize “WATCH LISTS.” Which part will have the greatest impact on your strategy and its execution? Who should be the watcher and what events should they share? Who should they share with, when and how? How will decisions be made to alter execution or the strategy that drives execution? What path will lead to performance when chaos reigns? When will we revisit the “WATCH LIST” to determine if those on the list matter or don’t matter? Should new parts be added? Should old parts be deleted?
These questions are important when determining performance, or lack of. Is performance because of me or in spite of me? Knowing the answers will lead to watching uncontrollable ecosystem parts. Organizations that know their ecosystem are prepared to act, not react, to uncontrollable parts and their influence on performance.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
August 2007 Deep Insights
Vison, goals, objectives, tactics and processes are only of value when results surpass effort. Often organizations and their personnel spend endless amounts of energy to determine how they will walk or run forward, not in place or backwards. The “PLAN” becomes the goal. Personnel continue their efforts toward a perfect plan and get lost not taking action to move onward.
Avoiding “PLAN SYNDROME” requires the stamina to focus on results by measuring the outcome of effort. Knowing what works and what doesn’t requires a navigational model. With the final goal in mind the organization must build a time line with benchmarks back to today. Benchmarks are intervention points to evaluate effort against results. Intervention points provide learning and opportunities to adjust effort for continued success or corrective action to improve results. The worst of all worlds is to continue supporting efforts that are not productive. Timelines, benchmarks and interventions bring results into focus.
Focus on results builds accountability. Consequently, in order to be successful, this environment calls for TRANSPARENCY. When results, not the “PLAN” are the goal, people need data published and available to measure their own and others performance. Surprises must be eliminated. Individuals must have an opportunity to take their own initiative to alter their behavior and their effort on an ongoing basis. Transparency encourages self discipline; improving performance and limiting wasted energy and effort.
Essential to not falling victim to “PLAN SYNDROME” is an organization’s resolve to create a transparent environment and provide navigational benchmarks that clearly illustrate when efforts and energy are producing results.
Avoiding “PLAN SYNDROME” requires the stamina to focus on results by measuring the outcome of effort. Knowing what works and what doesn’t requires a navigational model. With the final goal in mind the organization must build a time line with benchmarks back to today. Benchmarks are intervention points to evaluate effort against results. Intervention points provide learning and opportunities to adjust effort for continued success or corrective action to improve results. The worst of all worlds is to continue supporting efforts that are not productive. Timelines, benchmarks and interventions bring results into focus.
Focus on results builds accountability. Consequently, in order to be successful, this environment calls for TRANSPARENCY. When results, not the “PLAN” are the goal, people need data published and available to measure their own and others performance. Surprises must be eliminated. Individuals must have an opportunity to take their own initiative to alter their behavior and their effort on an ongoing basis. Transparency encourages self discipline; improving performance and limiting wasted energy and effort.
Essential to not falling victim to “PLAN SYNDROME” is an organization’s resolve to create a transparent environment and provide navigational benchmarks that clearly illustrate when efforts and energy are producing results.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
July 2007 Deep Insights
Achieving desired results is often thought of as a masterpiece an artistic event, led by one person who has vision, charismatic charm, unequaled energy and insights to avoid obstacles. True, there are instances of such events but there are more that follow the process I describe.
First, a vision must be shared by all. It must be transparent to an organization, it must be the charismatic charm that drives people to a level of energy that is unequaled in past endeavors. The future directed by many not driven by a few.
Second, all leaders must be committed to avoiding obstacles not solving problems. They must create and maintain an environment where personnel are committed to open and honest evaluation of their actions as well as others. This environment is best orchestrated by creating ownership, recognition and thoughtful consideration of people’s individual desires.
Third, architecture to embrace this concept is designed through critical paths that establish what-who-when. The critical path establishes a timeline and intervention intersections guaranteeing information flow to avoid obstacles. It builds responsibilities for project participants that are transparent thus holding people accountable for their actions. It focuses everyone on results not effort yet allowing personal space for individual initiative. The critical path fosters teamwork, mental models for competent execution, while capturing and directing people’s efforts toward their shared vision.
TEAM vision, not SOMEONE’S vision is an artistic event lead by a process that rewards many not few.
First, a vision must be shared by all. It must be transparent to an organization, it must be the charismatic charm that drives people to a level of energy that is unequaled in past endeavors. The future directed by many not driven by a few.
Second, all leaders must be committed to avoiding obstacles not solving problems. They must create and maintain an environment where personnel are committed to open and honest evaluation of their actions as well as others. This environment is best orchestrated by creating ownership, recognition and thoughtful consideration of people’s individual desires.
Third, architecture to embrace this concept is designed through critical paths that establish what-who-when. The critical path establishes a timeline and intervention intersections guaranteeing information flow to avoid obstacles. It builds responsibilities for project participants that are transparent thus holding people accountable for their actions. It focuses everyone on results not effort yet allowing personal space for individual initiative. The critical path fosters teamwork, mental models for competent execution, while capturing and directing people’s efforts toward their shared vision.
TEAM vision, not SOMEONE’S vision is an artistic event lead by a process that rewards many not few.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
June 2007 Deep Insights
Creativity is subjective in the eye of the beholder. Creativity can be the creation of something new or collectables repackaged to meet emerging needs or my opinion of. A definition is elusive and may best be found in a process encouraging participation surfacing insights and trends leading to ideas driving results to an unexpected level.
Participation, collaboration, sharing information, asking questions, searching for facts, understanding circumstances and the environment, it is a process that welcomes everyone through a culture that respects an individual’s right to be different. It is a world where fear is non-existent, freedom reigns and guilt afflicts those who do not speak out. It’s a culture where failure is a learning experience, an opportunity to expand everyone’s knowledge; a second in time, a step on the path, an experience waiting for NEXT.
Insights and trends drawn from participation provide knowledge built from diverse views of a world willing to become transparent, a willingness to invite others to understand their communities and provide products benefiting people and organizations. Building relationships for future insights and sustaining participation not knowing the influence of one on another. They are vehicles for change in a chaotic environment where full control is no control.
Ideas surface when open participation is encouraged welcoming communities with diverse views to understand each other. They must accept co-existence of safe havens and free zones. Where individual ideas are not judged but used to stimulate and build more ideas. Where right or wrong is not the issue but results are the goal.
Creativity is leadership holding itself accountable for a culture that embraces ideas, trends and insights limiting its telling to establishing standards enhancing participation.
Participation, collaboration, sharing information, asking questions, searching for facts, understanding circumstances and the environment, it is a process that welcomes everyone through a culture that respects an individual’s right to be different. It is a world where fear is non-existent, freedom reigns and guilt afflicts those who do not speak out. It’s a culture where failure is a learning experience, an opportunity to expand everyone’s knowledge; a second in time, a step on the path, an experience waiting for NEXT.
Insights and trends drawn from participation provide knowledge built from diverse views of a world willing to become transparent, a willingness to invite others to understand their communities and provide products benefiting people and organizations. Building relationships for future insights and sustaining participation not knowing the influence of one on another. They are vehicles for change in a chaotic environment where full control is no control.
Ideas surface when open participation is encouraged welcoming communities with diverse views to understand each other. They must accept co-existence of safe havens and free zones. Where individual ideas are not judged but used to stimulate and build more ideas. Where right or wrong is not the issue but results are the goal.
Creativity is leadership holding itself accountable for a culture that embraces ideas, trends and insights limiting its telling to establishing standards enhancing participation.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
May 2007 Deep Insights
Management practices tend to lead people to “stop talking and go to work” but they must be more versatile allowing “watchful talking” to be a part of work. The execution of a Strategic Plan is a universe filled with disruptive events. Such events may be relevant or irrelevant, complex or simple and they can support or derail a Strategic Plan. Whatever the event or combination of events, everyone involved must talk watchfully.
Asking specific questions against plan benchmarks is key to successful execution. Watchful talking is the art of using the answers to such questions to map the environment in which an execution takes place. What must be learned for our plan to work? What predictable events will occur in the short term? How will they affect the plan? Who will they affect in the plan? Who should we tell? The answers to such questions should result from looking at the environment as a whole, from inside and outside of the company. Connections should be drawn from large and small events, people and technology innovations, local and global economies, government regulations and/or proposed regulations.
While this first aspect of watchful talking protects day to day activities, future events must also be predicted to avoid impediments before they occur. Such future events are called watchful predictions and are a positive and useful by-product of watchful talking. People charged with execution gain an awareness of others’ environments from learning what events could cause impediments for them. Once determined, watchful predictions can trigger adjustments in the effected environment and allow a smooth execution. Forewarned by predictions, watchful talking will create necessary adjustments prior to derailment of a Strategic Plan.
Everyone must embrace talking at work in a way that enhances the execution of the Strategic Plan. Watchful talking is an art that leads to a structured mapping process for execution. As the mapping process unfolds, watchful predictions become self-evident; built from the plan’s environment as a whole. Watchful talking and watchful predictions are processes through which events are understood and execution altered for success.
Asking specific questions against plan benchmarks is key to successful execution. Watchful talking is the art of using the answers to such questions to map the environment in which an execution takes place. What must be learned for our plan to work? What predictable events will occur in the short term? How will they affect the plan? Who will they affect in the plan? Who should we tell? The answers to such questions should result from looking at the environment as a whole, from inside and outside of the company. Connections should be drawn from large and small events, people and technology innovations, local and global economies, government regulations and/or proposed regulations.
While this first aspect of watchful talking protects day to day activities, future events must also be predicted to avoid impediments before they occur. Such future events are called watchful predictions and are a positive and useful by-product of watchful talking. People charged with execution gain an awareness of others’ environments from learning what events could cause impediments for them. Once determined, watchful predictions can trigger adjustments in the effected environment and allow a smooth execution. Forewarned by predictions, watchful talking will create necessary adjustments prior to derailment of a Strategic Plan.
Everyone must embrace talking at work in a way that enhances the execution of the Strategic Plan. Watchful talking is an art that leads to a structured mapping process for execution. As the mapping process unfolds, watchful predictions become self-evident; built from the plan’s environment as a whole. Watchful talking and watchful predictions are processes through which events are understood and execution altered for success.
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