“We struggle with the complexities and ignore the simplicities.” Norman Vincent Peale
I once planted a $5 shrub in a $50 hole and marveled at how quickly it grew. It was planted in fertile ground, received lots of sun and was watered regularly. But a few years later it had lost its original shape, its vibrant color and it had stopped growing. I had ignored the shrub, taking for granted that it would continue to grow despite being burdened with a complex tangle of dead and dying branches. So, to save the shrub (and myself from digging another $50 hole) I used a very simple tool, trimmed it to a few core branches and the shrub experienced an amazing growth spurt.
As with any living organism, when an organization grows it’s faced with ever increasing levels of complexity. How many times have you found yourself longing for the days when things were simpler, more relaxed and easier? Dan Sullivan, President and Founder of The Strategic Coach, says “No further progress or growth is possible for an organization until a new state of simplicity is created.”
There was a recent article by Drake Bennett in the Boston Globe about “cognitive fluency” which is simply a measure of how easy it is to think about something. Not surprisingly, people prefer things that are easy to think about to those that are hard. So, people develop shortcuts to help them focus limited mental resources in a world where they’re constantly bombarded with things that demand their attention. Researchers point out that the brain is suspicious of difficulty. So, for people to have faith and confidence in us as leaders we must make ourselves easier to understand. We must examine and simplify everything that we ask our people to do.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Good Housekeeping
You may have heard that three Hyatt Hotels in the Boston area terminated 100 housekeepers as a cost cutting measure to offset a decline in revenues. In light of the massive job losses all around the country this wouldn’t seem like much of a news item. But, how Hyatt terminated the housekeepers has resulted in a hailstorm of protest reported by the Boston Globe, The Wall Street Journal, National Public Radio and all the major networks. It was reported that the housekeepers were asked to train some new workers who would be filling in during vacations. The housekeepers discovered on August 31st that they were all being replaced that day by the same employees that they had trained. The trainees were employees of a Georgia company, Hospitality Staffing Solutions. These employees will earn about half of what the housekeepers were earning. So, in one swift move, Hyatt succeeded in reducing some costs, creating a public relations debacle and losing the trust of its remaining employees. Not so good.
Meanwhile, other hotels in the area have taken a different approach in response to declining revenues. Earlier this year one hotel ended its contract with the company that provided its security and night janitorial service and replaced them with hotel workers from other departments who might have otherwise been laid off.
Over the last year many of my clients have faced similar if not worse revenue declines. I talk with many business owners and thought I’d share a couple of stories how two companies dealt with their issues. Although they’re in different industries, they have similar values and take them seriously. Their values guide them through very difficult situations and help them make the right decisions.
The first example is from a restaurant company that began taking action over a year ago in anticipation of a slow economic recovery. In November of 2008 the executive team developed a plan that has resulted in an overhead reduction of $800,000. This included departmental staff reductions, eliminating some benefits and reducing executive salaries 10%. One of the members of the executive team told me, “Our goal was to do as much as possible without impacting our field operations team. We communicated these steps to the field by holding a series of meetings with all of our General Managers and providing them with the complete picture so they would understand what steps we were taking and why we were taking them.”
Despite this action, revenues continued to decline to the point that the initial savings were not enough. What to do? Having fostered a culture of transparency, the executive team called a town hall meeting. “Midway through 2009, we realized that we would need to trim additional costs. We also realized that we had reduced overhead as much as we could and we now needed to impact the field team. We scheduled a General Manager off-site meeting to pull them into the solution. We communicated the impact of our earlier actions, where we NOW stood financially, where we needed to go and, several cost savings ideas. We then let them discuss alternatives among themselves. The next day, as part of a breakout session with our executive team, the General Managers provided their suggestions. We then asked each GM to force rank his or her top three actions. One week later, after we had time to tally the results, we conducted a series of Webinars to share with them the final outcome. They had identified over $900,000 in savings and taken ownership of the decision".
Each year this company conducts an employee survey to gain feedback on how it’s doing as an employer. This year’s survey was completed after the round of cost cutting initiatives. The company surprisingly had some of its best survey results ever. One of the General Managers stated, “It’s great to be able to face upcoming tough times and changes that need to be made for the company to stay afloat. Thanks for being proactive.”
The second example is from a manufacturing company with 185 employees that produces machined parts for the automotive industry. As you can imagine, this company has been hard hit. At the beginning of 2009, revenues were off 40%. Faced with this challenge the CEO and executive team considered its options; massive layoffs, reduced hours across the board, wage cuts, to name a few. They decided on the following: 1) terminate 25 temporary workers, 2) terminate 20 workers whose jobs were no longer needed due to loss of particular business segment, 3) offer 10 employees early retirement, 4) offer furloughs of 4 to 12 weeks to employees on a volunteer basis (15 employees took furloughs), 5) close the plant one week each month from January through August.
The CEO held meetings with all employees letting them know the severity of the problem facing the company as well as the course of action. Individual meetings were held with impacted employees. Both management and hourly employees were affected and shared the pain equally.
Closing the plant one week per month allowed employees to collect unemployment for the week that they didn’t work and they continued to receive their insurance benefits. Throughout the 8 month period, the CEO and executive team conducted plant-wide meetings to keep everyone abreast of the health of the business. This action helped the company survive the most difficult period in its 59 year history. Business began to rebound in August and in September the plant operated for the entire month. The company also hired 8 temporary employees.
I hope these two examples show you that your business can not only survive these difficult times but also thrive in the future. Ultimately it’s the owner who must make the difficult decisions that keep the business on course. By involving everyone in the solution, the weight of the decision is borne equally and the best is made of a bad situation. You’ll live to fight another day. It is good housekeeping.
Meanwhile, other hotels in the area have taken a different approach in response to declining revenues. Earlier this year one hotel ended its contract with the company that provided its security and night janitorial service and replaced them with hotel workers from other departments who might have otherwise been laid off.
Over the last year many of my clients have faced similar if not worse revenue declines. I talk with many business owners and thought I’d share a couple of stories how two companies dealt with their issues. Although they’re in different industries, they have similar values and take them seriously. Their values guide them through very difficult situations and help them make the right decisions.
The first example is from a restaurant company that began taking action over a year ago in anticipation of a slow economic recovery. In November of 2008 the executive team developed a plan that has resulted in an overhead reduction of $800,000. This included departmental staff reductions, eliminating some benefits and reducing executive salaries 10%. One of the members of the executive team told me, “Our goal was to do as much as possible without impacting our field operations team. We communicated these steps to the field by holding a series of meetings with all of our General Managers and providing them with the complete picture so they would understand what steps we were taking and why we were taking them.”
Despite this action, revenues continued to decline to the point that the initial savings were not enough. What to do? Having fostered a culture of transparency, the executive team called a town hall meeting. “Midway through 2009, we realized that we would need to trim additional costs. We also realized that we had reduced overhead as much as we could and we now needed to impact the field team. We scheduled a General Manager off-site meeting to pull them into the solution. We communicated the impact of our earlier actions, where we NOW stood financially, where we needed to go and, several cost savings ideas. We then let them discuss alternatives among themselves. The next day, as part of a breakout session with our executive team, the General Managers provided their suggestions. We then asked each GM to force rank his or her top three actions. One week later, after we had time to tally the results, we conducted a series of Webinars to share with them the final outcome. They had identified over $900,000 in savings and taken ownership of the decision".
Each year this company conducts an employee survey to gain feedback on how it’s doing as an employer. This year’s survey was completed after the round of cost cutting initiatives. The company surprisingly had some of its best survey results ever. One of the General Managers stated, “It’s great to be able to face upcoming tough times and changes that need to be made for the company to stay afloat. Thanks for being proactive.”
The second example is from a manufacturing company with 185 employees that produces machined parts for the automotive industry. As you can imagine, this company has been hard hit. At the beginning of 2009, revenues were off 40%. Faced with this challenge the CEO and executive team considered its options; massive layoffs, reduced hours across the board, wage cuts, to name a few. They decided on the following: 1) terminate 25 temporary workers, 2) terminate 20 workers whose jobs were no longer needed due to loss of particular business segment, 3) offer 10 employees early retirement, 4) offer furloughs of 4 to 12 weeks to employees on a volunteer basis (15 employees took furloughs), 5) close the plant one week each month from January through August.
The CEO held meetings with all employees letting them know the severity of the problem facing the company as well as the course of action. Individual meetings were held with impacted employees. Both management and hourly employees were affected and shared the pain equally.
Closing the plant one week per month allowed employees to collect unemployment for the week that they didn’t work and they continued to receive their insurance benefits. Throughout the 8 month period, the CEO and executive team conducted plant-wide meetings to keep everyone abreast of the health of the business. This action helped the company survive the most difficult period in its 59 year history. Business began to rebound in August and in September the plant operated for the entire month. The company also hired 8 temporary employees.
I hope these two examples show you that your business can not only survive these difficult times but also thrive in the future. Ultimately it’s the owner who must make the difficult decisions that keep the business on course. By involving everyone in the solution, the weight of the decision is borne equally and the best is made of a bad situation. You’ll live to fight another day. It is good housekeeping.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Letting Go
Teddy Roosevelt once said that “the best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it.”
There are two parts to this challenge. The first is finding and selecting people who fit your company and who have the capacity to learn, to grow and to do their jobs well. The second is staying connected with your people so they are clear on expectations and held accountable for results. If you don’t do both of these things well you’ll never build an effective team, one capable of taking your organization where you want it to go.
If you find yourself feeling guilty for taking time off from work or not enjoying a family vacation because you’re worrying about your business, you have to question whether you’ve picked the right people and why you’re not comfortable with them doing what you’re paying them to do. Does your anxiety stem from not trusting your judgment about the leadership team you’ve selected or from not trusting that they’ll do what you want them to do, or both?
Assuming that you’ve picked the right people (ones who share your values) and that they’re in the right seats (have the capacity to do their jobs well) the next step is to let go. But in letting go, you’re not abdicating your leadership role. You’re creating a framework for your leadership team to stay connected and engaged.
To keep people connected, establish a meeting pulse for your leadership team. You must meet weekly and follow a specific agenda that lasts no longer than 90 minutes. Stay focused. The first half of the meeting is to report, review and create your issues list. Webster’s defines an issue as “a point, matter or question to be disputed or decided.” The second half of the meeting is to prioritize, identify, discuss and solve the key issues. The solutions lead to action items that get completed within the next 1 to 2 weeks.
To keep people engaged, establish quarterly priorities for your company (3 to 7, not 37) and for each member of the leadership team (again, less is more - 2 to 3 is a good start). Choose these priorities carefully. Ask yourself, “Do these quarterly priorities help me achieve my goals for the year? Are they tied to my company’s financial performance?” You should also ensure that each priority is SMART – specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely. And, ask each person to establish a process by which they’ll achieve their key priority. You’ll find that no person is an island and that they’ll need each other’s support to complete their priority.
With the right people in the right seats connected and engaged you’re ready to let go. By letting go, you’re not stepping away you’re actually empowering your people to step up, to take responsibility and hold each other accountable to do what they say they will do. Exercise self-restraint while staying connected and engaged.
Now, go enjoy some time off. Your team will keep things running smoothly while you’re gone and you’ll have fewer issues to deal with upon your return.
There are two parts to this challenge. The first is finding and selecting people who fit your company and who have the capacity to learn, to grow and to do their jobs well. The second is staying connected with your people so they are clear on expectations and held accountable for results. If you don’t do both of these things well you’ll never build an effective team, one capable of taking your organization where you want it to go.
If you find yourself feeling guilty for taking time off from work or not enjoying a family vacation because you’re worrying about your business, you have to question whether you’ve picked the right people and why you’re not comfortable with them doing what you’re paying them to do. Does your anxiety stem from not trusting your judgment about the leadership team you’ve selected or from not trusting that they’ll do what you want them to do, or both?
Assuming that you’ve picked the right people (ones who share your values) and that they’re in the right seats (have the capacity to do their jobs well) the next step is to let go. But in letting go, you’re not abdicating your leadership role. You’re creating a framework for your leadership team to stay connected and engaged.
To keep people connected, establish a meeting pulse for your leadership team. You must meet weekly and follow a specific agenda that lasts no longer than 90 minutes. Stay focused. The first half of the meeting is to report, review and create your issues list. Webster’s defines an issue as “a point, matter or question to be disputed or decided.” The second half of the meeting is to prioritize, identify, discuss and solve the key issues. The solutions lead to action items that get completed within the next 1 to 2 weeks.
To keep people engaged, establish quarterly priorities for your company (3 to 7, not 37) and for each member of the leadership team (again, less is more - 2 to 3 is a good start). Choose these priorities carefully. Ask yourself, “Do these quarterly priorities help me achieve my goals for the year? Are they tied to my company’s financial performance?” You should also ensure that each priority is SMART – specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely. And, ask each person to establish a process by which they’ll achieve their key priority. You’ll find that no person is an island and that they’ll need each other’s support to complete their priority.
With the right people in the right seats connected and engaged you’re ready to let go. By letting go, you’re not stepping away you’re actually empowering your people to step up, to take responsibility and hold each other accountable to do what they say they will do. Exercise self-restraint while staying connected and engaged.
Now, go enjoy some time off. Your team will keep things running smoothly while you’re gone and you’ll have fewer issues to deal with upon your return.
Why Cyclists Shave Their Legs
A life-long passion of mine is cycling. I started riding seriously about 30 years ago when I got tired of running. I’ve averaged about 3,000 miles per year ever since. My non-cycling friends enjoy ribbing me about the lycra shorts, flashy jerseys and in particular about the fact that I shave my legs. One friend once asked “How far up the leg do you shave?” That would be like asking a Highlander what’s under his kilt. Anyway, you get the picture.
The leg shaving started right after seeing the movie “Breaking Away”, and it has nothing to do with aerodynamics but more to do with hygiene. I tell my cyclephobe friends that in the event of a spill it’s almost impossible to escape without some amount of road rash. The higher the speed the more of a “strawberry” you have to show for the experience. So, it’s much easier to clean, sterilize and bandage the wounds on a shaven leg than on one that could be harvested for two blankets and a throw rug.
Through all my race and road miles I’ve been fortunate to have never had a serious mishap. Call it luck or being alert, I just count my blessings. Well, my luck (and alertness) ran out last night as I had my first bang-up in a long time and fortunately I’m able to write about it. I was riding my usual route and was less than two miles from home when I made a right hand turn onto a road that was being repaved. And, surprise, surprise … the road bed was strewn with fresh gravel and tar. A car was approaching the intersection as I was turning into it and, with nowhere to turn, I went down. It’s amazing how banged up you can get at a relatively low speed. As always, I was wearing a helmet but I neglected to wear chainmail.
The incident left me with scrapes, bruises and a sore shoulder but, other than that I’m no worse for wear. And, fortunately the clean up was made easier by the silky-smooth legs. So, in this case an ounce of prevention (a dab of shaving cream) really is worth a pound of cure. I expect to be out again this evening and will be more alert for sand and gravel and, I’m getting another can of shaving cream.
The leg shaving started right after seeing the movie “Breaking Away”, and it has nothing to do with aerodynamics but more to do with hygiene. I tell my cyclephobe friends that in the event of a spill it’s almost impossible to escape without some amount of road rash. The higher the speed the more of a “strawberry” you have to show for the experience. So, it’s much easier to clean, sterilize and bandage the wounds on a shaven leg than on one that could be harvested for two blankets and a throw rug.
Through all my race and road miles I’ve been fortunate to have never had a serious mishap. Call it luck or being alert, I just count my blessings. Well, my luck (and alertness) ran out last night as I had my first bang-up in a long time and fortunately I’m able to write about it. I was riding my usual route and was less than two miles from home when I made a right hand turn onto a road that was being repaved. And, surprise, surprise … the road bed was strewn with fresh gravel and tar. A car was approaching the intersection as I was turning into it and, with nowhere to turn, I went down. It’s amazing how banged up you can get at a relatively low speed. As always, I was wearing a helmet but I neglected to wear chainmail.
The incident left me with scrapes, bruises and a sore shoulder but, other than that I’m no worse for wear. And, fortunately the clean up was made easier by the silky-smooth legs. So, in this case an ounce of prevention (a dab of shaving cream) really is worth a pound of cure. I expect to be out again this evening and will be more alert for sand and gravel and, I’m getting another can of shaving cream.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Coaching Anyone
I’m asking two questions here: 1) are you coaching anyone and 2) do you enjoy coaching? Hopefully the answer is “yes” to both questions. But, if your answer to either or both questions is “no”, you’re not alone.
I rarely hear business owners tell me how much they enjoy coaching or conducting performance reviews. In fact, most list their process for either event as woefully lacking and admit that they approach performance reviews or coaching sessions with apprehension, anxiety and fear. Face it, there’s a mystery around coaching and what makes for great coaches. Look at the sidelines of any sporting venue. If you’ve watched Phil Jackson, Vince Lombardi (childhood hero) or any of the great coaches, you see a different style that seems to work for each of them. What you don’t see is the substance behind the style. They’ve done their homework and they’ve laid a solid foundation. Vince worked his magic before the game, never wore a headset and confidently paced the sidelines knowing that his team would execute well and win. They don’t call Green Bay “title town” for nothing. Phil “the Zen Master” has helped his teams win more NBA championships than any other coach.
So why the apprehension, anxiety or fear around coaching employees? You might have your own answer to this but it’s usually due to poor preparation. Here are three things that will help:
1. Define your Company’s Culture. Discover and leverage the values that define who you are as people. When you unlock your core values and ensure that everyone shares these values you create clarity about what you stand for and what you won’t stand for.
2. Clarify Roles, Responsibilities and Accountabilities. Less is more here. Forget the 9 page review. In a nutshell, what are the 4 to 6 things that summarize the person’s role and those things for which the person is responsible and accountable? Ensure that everyone has a number. Every person must have a clear expectation of what they need to produce. All great coaches measure progress and have a measurement system (scorecard) in place.
3. Assign Quarterly Priorities. Challenge each person in your organization to complete at least one key priority (we call this a rock) every 90 days. Great coaches are also focused on results.
With this foundation in place, communicate the purpose for the session - you want them to excel within the company and to help the company improve. Now you’re ready for the coaching session. Here’s how it works:
1. Discuss with them how they’re living the Values. Let them tell you specific stories about how they’ve “walked the talk”. Share your observations with them. The outcome is to ensure that you have the Right People, people who fit into your organization.
2. Discuss their job role, responsibility and accountability. Do they demonstrate that they “Get it”, “Want it” and have the “Capacity to do it”? The outcome is to ensure that they’re in the Right Seat. If they don’t “GWC” they’re spinning their wheels and your company won’t get traction. Did they deliver their number(s)?
3. Review how well they completed their key priority or “rock”. The outcome is to ensure that your people put words into action, that they do what they commit to do. This puts “GWC” to the test and gives your company tremendous traction.
You can capture the entire discussion regarding Values, Roles and Rocks on a single sheet of paper. Now, I don’t want to mislead you. This process is simple but it isn’t easy. You must work at it. Vince and Phil didn’t get there overnight and you won’t either. But, this simple approach will demystify the coaching process and yield better results.
With quarterly coaching in place the annual performance/pay review will go much smoother. One of the things that frequently derail the annual review is the correlation between performance and pay. The employee is thinking “I’ve been working hard and haven’t heard anything negative about my work so I wonder how big my raise will be”. You’re thinking “She’s been working really hard and I’m happy with her work but we’re having a tough year and I don’t know how I’m going to tell her that she won’t be getting a raise.” Sound familiar? The pay increase becomes the elephant in the room.
During tough times it’s more important than ever to communicate with everyone in the organization. The quarterly coaching session provides a good opportunity to build trust and to let people know what’s happening. Better to tell them than to have them wonder. Remember, your best people (those who share your values and who get it, who want it and who are highly capable of doing it) have the most options. If they pursue those options you’re left with a weak team and your stars will more than likely be working for your competitors.
I rarely hear business owners tell me how much they enjoy coaching or conducting performance reviews. In fact, most list their process for either event as woefully lacking and admit that they approach performance reviews or coaching sessions with apprehension, anxiety and fear. Face it, there’s a mystery around coaching and what makes for great coaches. Look at the sidelines of any sporting venue. If you’ve watched Phil Jackson, Vince Lombardi (childhood hero) or any of the great coaches, you see a different style that seems to work for each of them. What you don’t see is the substance behind the style. They’ve done their homework and they’ve laid a solid foundation. Vince worked his magic before the game, never wore a headset and confidently paced the sidelines knowing that his team would execute well and win. They don’t call Green Bay “title town” for nothing. Phil “the Zen Master” has helped his teams win more NBA championships than any other coach.
So why the apprehension, anxiety or fear around coaching employees? You might have your own answer to this but it’s usually due to poor preparation. Here are three things that will help:
1. Define your Company’s Culture. Discover and leverage the values that define who you are as people. When you unlock your core values and ensure that everyone shares these values you create clarity about what you stand for and what you won’t stand for.
2. Clarify Roles, Responsibilities and Accountabilities. Less is more here. Forget the 9 page review. In a nutshell, what are the 4 to 6 things that summarize the person’s role and those things for which the person is responsible and accountable? Ensure that everyone has a number. Every person must have a clear expectation of what they need to produce. All great coaches measure progress and have a measurement system (scorecard) in place.
3. Assign Quarterly Priorities. Challenge each person in your organization to complete at least one key priority (we call this a rock) every 90 days. Great coaches are also focused on results.
With this foundation in place, communicate the purpose for the session - you want them to excel within the company and to help the company improve. Now you’re ready for the coaching session. Here’s how it works:
1. Discuss with them how they’re living the Values. Let them tell you specific stories about how they’ve “walked the talk”. Share your observations with them. The outcome is to ensure that you have the Right People, people who fit into your organization.
2. Discuss their job role, responsibility and accountability. Do they demonstrate that they “Get it”, “Want it” and have the “Capacity to do it”? The outcome is to ensure that they’re in the Right Seat. If they don’t “GWC” they’re spinning their wheels and your company won’t get traction. Did they deliver their number(s)?
3. Review how well they completed their key priority or “rock”. The outcome is to ensure that your people put words into action, that they do what they commit to do. This puts “GWC” to the test and gives your company tremendous traction.
You can capture the entire discussion regarding Values, Roles and Rocks on a single sheet of paper. Now, I don’t want to mislead you. This process is simple but it isn’t easy. You must work at it. Vince and Phil didn’t get there overnight and you won’t either. But, this simple approach will demystify the coaching process and yield better results.
With quarterly coaching in place the annual performance/pay review will go much smoother. One of the things that frequently derail the annual review is the correlation between performance and pay. The employee is thinking “I’ve been working hard and haven’t heard anything negative about my work so I wonder how big my raise will be”. You’re thinking “She’s been working really hard and I’m happy with her work but we’re having a tough year and I don’t know how I’m going to tell her that she won’t be getting a raise.” Sound familiar? The pay increase becomes the elephant in the room.
During tough times it’s more important than ever to communicate with everyone in the organization. The quarterly coaching session provides a good opportunity to build trust and to let people know what’s happening. Better to tell them than to have them wonder. Remember, your best people (those who share your values and who get it, who want it and who are highly capable of doing it) have the most options. If they pursue those options you’re left with a weak team and your stars will more than likely be working for your competitors.
Monday, July 13, 2009
The Management Team Annual Off-Site Planning Meeting
We’ve passed the mid-point of 2009. Are you confident that the latter half the year will be better than the first half? How about 2010? Are you hoping that things will be better or do you have a plan in place that is fueling your optimism? Are you worrying about things that are outside of your control or addressing issues that are well within your control? Let’s focus on some items that are within your control:
1) Employees: Do you have the “right people” in your organization? This starts with your Leadership Team. Do they share your values, embrace your company’s culture and Get it, Want it and have the Capacity to do their jobs well?
2) Clients: Do you have the right clients? In other words, is your Target Market clearly defined? Are you trying to be all things to all people or do you have a profile of your Ideal Customer, someone who truly values the things that differentiate you from your competitors?
3) Issues: How good are you and your Leadership Team at solving your company’s problems? Do you treat symptoms or are you getting to the heart of issues and solving them in a timely manner so they don’t linger for days, weeks, months and sometimes years?
4) Accountability: Again, starting with your Leadership Team, are your people accountable for what they say they will do? Does everyone in your organization have a clear sense of their roles, responsibilities and accountabilities?
5) Alignment: Is everyone clear on the Vision for your organization and are they all in the same boat rowing in the same direction? What is the cost to your organization when some are rowing in one direction, some another, some not rowing and some not even in the boat?
An effective Leadership Team devotes time to work “on” the business. This involves rising above the day to day activities associated with working “in” the business and focusing on the company’s overall health. Given the difficulty that most businesses currently face, it’s now more important than ever for you to plan your Management Team’s Annual Off-Site Meeting to develop a strategy that meets market conditions. The objectives for the planning session are three fold:
1) Increase Team Health: A healthy team is reflected by trust, commitment, accountability and results.
2) Create a Clear Company Vision: A clear vision lets everyone in the company know where it’s going and exactly how it will get there.
3) Identify the Issues List: There’s good therapy in getting all the issues (not symptoms) out on the table so they can be solved. Are your issues clear or are they buried deep within the organization?
The Agenda for Day 1:
1) Review the previous year’s results. How did we do?
2) Review the previous quarter’s Key Priorities. Did we complete them?
3) Team Health Exercise
4) Organizational Checkup. Is our organization’s health improving?
5) SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) Analysis
6) Issues List
7) 3 Year Picture, at a high level
On Day 2:
1) Review the Issues List
2) Review the 3 Year Picture
3) Complete the 1 Year Plan
4) Establish Key Priorities for the next quarter
5) Identify, Discuss and Solve Issues
6) Next Steps and Conclude
Accomplishing the stated objectives of improving Team Health, Vision and Problem Solving involves time to think clearly without interruptions and distractions. This is why holding the meeting off-site is crucial. To accomplish the items listed on the agenda takes focus, energy and effective communication. It must be clear that there is an expected return on this investment of time and money. Viewed this way, the Annual Planning Meeting is a boon to the company, not a boondoggle for the Leadership Team.
It’s important to communicate the Agenda and the Outcomes to everyone in the organization. This can have a calming effect. Better for people to know the plan than for everyone to wonder what might happen next. The Management Team Annual Off-Site Meeting is time well spent and when done effectively will more than pay back the investment of time and expense.
1) Employees: Do you have the “right people” in your organization? This starts with your Leadership Team. Do they share your values, embrace your company’s culture and Get it, Want it and have the Capacity to do their jobs well?
2) Clients: Do you have the right clients? In other words, is your Target Market clearly defined? Are you trying to be all things to all people or do you have a profile of your Ideal Customer, someone who truly values the things that differentiate you from your competitors?
3) Issues: How good are you and your Leadership Team at solving your company’s problems? Do you treat symptoms or are you getting to the heart of issues and solving them in a timely manner so they don’t linger for days, weeks, months and sometimes years?
4) Accountability: Again, starting with your Leadership Team, are your people accountable for what they say they will do? Does everyone in your organization have a clear sense of their roles, responsibilities and accountabilities?
5) Alignment: Is everyone clear on the Vision for your organization and are they all in the same boat rowing in the same direction? What is the cost to your organization when some are rowing in one direction, some another, some not rowing and some not even in the boat?
An effective Leadership Team devotes time to work “on” the business. This involves rising above the day to day activities associated with working “in” the business and focusing on the company’s overall health. Given the difficulty that most businesses currently face, it’s now more important than ever for you to plan your Management Team’s Annual Off-Site Meeting to develop a strategy that meets market conditions. The objectives for the planning session are three fold:
1) Increase Team Health: A healthy team is reflected by trust, commitment, accountability and results.
2) Create a Clear Company Vision: A clear vision lets everyone in the company know where it’s going and exactly how it will get there.
3) Identify the Issues List: There’s good therapy in getting all the issues (not symptoms) out on the table so they can be solved. Are your issues clear or are they buried deep within the organization?
The Agenda for Day 1:
1) Review the previous year’s results. How did we do?
2) Review the previous quarter’s Key Priorities. Did we complete them?
3) Team Health Exercise
4) Organizational Checkup. Is our organization’s health improving?
5) SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) Analysis
6) Issues List
7) 3 Year Picture, at a high level
On Day 2:
1) Review the Issues List
2) Review the 3 Year Picture
3) Complete the 1 Year Plan
4) Establish Key Priorities for the next quarter
5) Identify, Discuss and Solve Issues
6) Next Steps and Conclude
Accomplishing the stated objectives of improving Team Health, Vision and Problem Solving involves time to think clearly without interruptions and distractions. This is why holding the meeting off-site is crucial. To accomplish the items listed on the agenda takes focus, energy and effective communication. It must be clear that there is an expected return on this investment of time and money. Viewed this way, the Annual Planning Meeting is a boon to the company, not a boondoggle for the Leadership Team.
It’s important to communicate the Agenda and the Outcomes to everyone in the organization. This can have a calming effect. Better for people to know the plan than for everyone to wonder what might happen next. The Management Team Annual Off-Site Meeting is time well spent and when done effectively will more than pay back the investment of time and expense.
Monday, July 6, 2009
A Walk in the Woods
Have you ever been lost in the woods? I mean really lost? That terrifying, “oh s _ _ t! I’ve really gotten myself into a tight spot this time” kind of lost. Lost to the point where you worry about having to spend the night or perhaps several nights alone? What was the first thing that you did after the panic subsided and you stopped wandering around aimlessly? You probably sat down and thought to yourself “wait a minute, settle down, take a breath, THINK for a minute.” And it was during that moment of clarity that you started really thinking about your situation differently. You were able to figure it out and find your way out of the woods.
There’s a lesson here that can be carried over to your business. How often do you find yourself so deep in the woods that you can’t see the trees? What do you do? Do you take a minute by yourself to settle down, take a breath and THINK? To see things clearly it’s important to make some “think time” for yourself.
To clarify, “think time” is not recreation, playing hooky or goofing off. It’s quiet time that’s dedicated to thinking about your business and your life. We call this a “Clarity Break”. Here’s how it works. Schedule a time that works for you to leave your office and think. I mean really think! This can be the library, a favorite coffee shop, going for a hike or whatever it takes for your mind to break free from all the stuff that’s worrying you or holding you back.
I have a friend that discovered bicycling a few years ago. He schedules time during the week to get out alone and ride for an hour or so. No interruptions, no phone calls, no distractions. He tells me that he does some of his best thinking during these breaks from the office. This is actually part of his work routine! “What do you think about on your rides?” I asked him. “I think about how I can add value in my role as the owner of my business. I think about nagging issues that need resolution and how I might approach those issues differently. I think about how lucky I am to have a business worth worrying about. I think about how I can help others. I always seem to return to the office in a much better frame of mind. I take out a pad of paper and write down the things that I was thinking about. It really helps me put things in perspective.”
Let’s face it, thinking is hard work. As Henry Ford once lamented, it’s probably the reason why so few people do it. Try my friend’s routine for a few months. Schedule the time to THINK and see if it helps you approach things differently. You’ll learn to appreciate the trees again and that walk in the woods!
There’s a lesson here that can be carried over to your business. How often do you find yourself so deep in the woods that you can’t see the trees? What do you do? Do you take a minute by yourself to settle down, take a breath and THINK? To see things clearly it’s important to make some “think time” for yourself.
To clarify, “think time” is not recreation, playing hooky or goofing off. It’s quiet time that’s dedicated to thinking about your business and your life. We call this a “Clarity Break”. Here’s how it works. Schedule a time that works for you to leave your office and think. I mean really think! This can be the library, a favorite coffee shop, going for a hike or whatever it takes for your mind to break free from all the stuff that’s worrying you or holding you back.
I have a friend that discovered bicycling a few years ago. He schedules time during the week to get out alone and ride for an hour or so. No interruptions, no phone calls, no distractions. He tells me that he does some of his best thinking during these breaks from the office. This is actually part of his work routine! “What do you think about on your rides?” I asked him. “I think about how I can add value in my role as the owner of my business. I think about nagging issues that need resolution and how I might approach those issues differently. I think about how lucky I am to have a business worth worrying about. I think about how I can help others. I always seem to return to the office in a much better frame of mind. I take out a pad of paper and write down the things that I was thinking about. It really helps me put things in perspective.”
Let’s face it, thinking is hard work. As Henry Ford once lamented, it’s probably the reason why so few people do it. Try my friend’s routine for a few months. Schedule the time to THINK and see if it helps you approach things differently. You’ll learn to appreciate the trees again and that walk in the woods!
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