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.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
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.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
April 2008 Deep Insights
Succession planning is often thought through when crisis, chaos or an unexpected departure occurs. Organizations must be proactive to protect themselves, their customers, investors and personnel. An anticipatory succession strategy must exist within their culture for recruiting, developing and fostering loyalty.
Active recruiting of “like minded” people to begin their careers with your organization is critical to a successful succession strategy. Relationships formed with educational institutions, business organizations and through community activities are sources that require cultivation. Too often, these sources are left unattended or assigned to midlevel/senior management.
In fact, they should be assigned to the most recent recruits. Recruits speak the language of their source and are capable of telling other “like minded” people about their positive experiences within the organization.
Development of the personal and professional skills of new recruits allows an organization to promote from within. This succession strategy requires an environment for employees to grow while participating in the development of others and occurs best through mentoring. While mentoring is often thought of as a download exercise by those with experience, technology has broadened mentoring into an upload experience as well. New personnel bring skills only they know. Organizations must create development opportunities for those skills to be uploaded into the organization. Succession planning is mutually beneficial, benefiting the new recruit and the organization as the development process progresses.
If managed correctly, the recruiting and development process will create an anticipatory succession strategy within the culture of the organization. Recruits will recruit. The mentoring process will ensure that information and development occur by uploading and downloading. And, promotions from within will provide an organization with a ready supply of competent and loyal successors.
Active recruiting of “like minded” people to begin their careers with your organization is critical to a successful succession strategy. Relationships formed with educational institutions, business organizations and through community activities are sources that require cultivation. Too often, these sources are left unattended or assigned to midlevel/senior management.
In fact, they should be assigned to the most recent recruits. Recruits speak the language of their source and are capable of telling other “like minded” people about their positive experiences within the organization.
Development of the personal and professional skills of new recruits allows an organization to promote from within. This succession strategy requires an environment for employees to grow while participating in the development of others and occurs best through mentoring. While mentoring is often thought of as a download exercise by those with experience, technology has broadened mentoring into an upload experience as well. New personnel bring skills only they know. Organizations must create development opportunities for those skills to be uploaded into the organization. Succession planning is mutually beneficial, benefiting the new recruit and the organization as the development process progresses.
If managed correctly, the recruiting and development process will create an anticipatory succession strategy within the culture of the organization. Recruits will recruit. The mentoring process will ensure that information and development occur by uploading and downloading. And, promotions from within will provide an organization with a ready supply of competent and loyal successors.
Monday, March 31, 2008
March 2008 Deep Insights
Management lives at the edge of peril; one side is success and the other failure. Decisions are constantly made that will keep the organization from stumbling into a vacuum of nothing. Success and failure can be equally dangerous if resources are not allocated through awareness, inclusion, feedback, development and participation.
If people in the organization are unaware of how their behavior benefits or distracts the organizations performance; Management has failed. Management must embrace a culture of transparency leading processes that drive inclusion. Once included people gain an awareness of their objectives and the behavior that breeds success will begin to take shape. Clarity of objectives will drive initiative to a higher level increasing performance to reach the organizations goals.
Good leaders will set transparent objectives and ask people to develop action plans to achieve success. Mechanisms will be structured to deliver transparent feedback for everyone to see each others performance. Transparent feed back will inevitable lead to a determination of where and when additional resource are required. When resources are allocated good leaders become active participants available for consultation. They embrace the perilous situation as an opportunity to further develop themselves and the personnel they are coaching. Everyone has a stake in the outcome.
Peril provides Management with the opportunity to seek out answers from people throughout the organization responsible for execution. Peril is a catalyst for organizations to embrace results not effort to become dedicated to transparency, collaboration finding the right way not the one way.
If people in the organization are unaware of how their behavior benefits or distracts the organizations performance; Management has failed. Management must embrace a culture of transparency leading processes that drive inclusion. Once included people gain an awareness of their objectives and the behavior that breeds success will begin to take shape. Clarity of objectives will drive initiative to a higher level increasing performance to reach the organizations goals.
Good leaders will set transparent objectives and ask people to develop action plans to achieve success. Mechanisms will be structured to deliver transparent feedback for everyone to see each others performance. Transparent feed back will inevitable lead to a determination of where and when additional resource are required. When resources are allocated good leaders become active participants available for consultation. They embrace the perilous situation as an opportunity to further develop themselves and the personnel they are coaching. Everyone has a stake in the outcome.
Peril provides Management with the opportunity to seek out answers from people throughout the organization responsible for execution. Peril is a catalyst for organizations to embrace results not effort to become dedicated to transparency, collaboration finding the right way not the one way.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
February 2008 Deep Insights
Sensing a company’s position in its environment is an art often forgotten, as managing acute crisis overpowers the pause required to achieve future goals. When current crisis overpowers a company’s ability to pause, energy is exhausted each day with little or no thought of tomorrow. How can a company avoid such pitfalls?
First, pause at set intervals to determine the company’s current state. During this pause, determine the company’s preparedness to function, preparedness to embrace issues with skills that meet the need. Identify skills that are unavailable and the choices that are available to fill them. Will these GAPS be filled through development, can they be resolved by outside talent or can they be mastered through an environmental change to make them irrelevant. Continued revisions must be made for energy to be spent on results.
Second, each pause must embrace issues beyond today. A company must sense the environment and its influence on tomorrow. A pause for analysis will determine what best of all worlds the company will participate in, in the future. What learning is required to be prepared to function productively in the future, what new processes lead to preparedness and how flexible are they? A successful company must understand that today’s answers are only valuable if tomorrow will be like yesterday. History is important; to the extent it leads one to embrace development for the future but can be an albatross if providing a sense of security.
Uncertainty is universal and can not be a scapegoat for avoiding a pause to understand ones environment. Sensing today and tomorrow, making choices for a company’s preparedness will lead to energy allocation for success.
First, pause at set intervals to determine the company’s current state. During this pause, determine the company’s preparedness to function, preparedness to embrace issues with skills that meet the need. Identify skills that are unavailable and the choices that are available to fill them. Will these GAPS be filled through development, can they be resolved by outside talent or can they be mastered through an environmental change to make them irrelevant. Continued revisions must be made for energy to be spent on results.
Second, each pause must embrace issues beyond today. A company must sense the environment and its influence on tomorrow. A pause for analysis will determine what best of all worlds the company will participate in, in the future. What learning is required to be prepared to function productively in the future, what new processes lead to preparedness and how flexible are they? A successful company must understand that today’s answers are only valuable if tomorrow will be like yesterday. History is important; to the extent it leads one to embrace development for the future but can be an albatross if providing a sense of security.
Uncertainty is universal and can not be a scapegoat for avoiding a pause to understand ones environment. Sensing today and tomorrow, making choices for a company’s preparedness will lead to energy allocation for success.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
January 2008 Deep Insights
PASSION is the internal desire to make contributions to causes that push us beyond our normal capabilities. No, it will not be without setbacks but we know we will reach our goal. Passion is energy.
Traveling the path driven by passion, information turns to knowledge, knowledge to action. The flow of information, knowledge and action reach a seamless stream where results become self-evident driving thirst for more. Time goes by; hours turn into days, days turn into weeks, weeks turn into months and months turn into years. Passion drives people to join and participate utilizing their strengths to their fullest, adding value, reaching beyond their goals. People learn to anticipate needs, building skills or finding them in new people adding value to achieve results. Experiments are the norm, not status quo, understanding environments where we act on goals for success. Occasionally when a person’s passion drifts or weakens departures occur, however, the process is one of encouraging outward movement bringing brilliant light upon a win-win for everyone.
PASSION elements are people’s desires, hopes, dreams and the resolve to stay the course while facing adversity. The elements are not derived from another’s point of view but by ones own beliefs. These elements are not created through fixing weaknesses but rather by allowing strengths to dominate, leading people’s passion into the limelight. Passionate people build an environment for others to succeed with them.
Traveling the path driven by passion, information turns to knowledge, knowledge to action. The flow of information, knowledge and action reach a seamless stream where results become self-evident driving thirst for more. Time goes by; hours turn into days, days turn into weeks, weeks turn into months and months turn into years. Passion drives people to join and participate utilizing their strengths to their fullest, adding value, reaching beyond their goals. People learn to anticipate needs, building skills or finding them in new people adding value to achieve results. Experiments are the norm, not status quo, understanding environments where we act on goals for success. Occasionally when a person’s passion drifts or weakens departures occur, however, the process is one of encouraging outward movement bringing brilliant light upon a win-win for everyone.
PASSION elements are people’s desires, hopes, dreams and the resolve to stay the course while facing adversity. The elements are not derived from another’s point of view but by ones own beliefs. These elements are not created through fixing weaknesses but rather by allowing strengths to dominate, leading people’s passion into the limelight. Passionate people build an environment for others to succeed with them.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
November 2007 Deep Insights
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.
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.
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