The Importance of Strategic Dialogues - Part #2

THEME: New Year, More Challenges

FOCUS: The Importance of Strategic Dialogues - Part #2

Sunday morning: February 21, 2010

Dear friends,

The purpose of a strategic dialogue is to define and infuse into the organization clarity about three things. As I mentioned last week, the first is strategic context, namely why are we making changes within the organization. While everyone knows that organizations change and change often, these day I continue to discover that many people do not understand why the changes are taking place within their specific organization. The result is limited sustainable movement forward and often the rise of significant turf battles.

The second goal of a strategic dialogue is creating clarity about strategic direction, namely where are we going. Leaders need to connect the aforementioned why element with the where are we going piece of the picture, i.e. the importance of vision which I shared earlier this winter in one of my previous Monday Thoughts Weekly E-mails. When the organization's strategic plan plus the vision and mission are connected to the need for change, there is the opportunity for people to focus and take ownership.

The third part is organizational philosophy, namely how are we going to move in this new direction. For me, exploring organizational philosophy creates clarity about how to apply the vision, mission and core values. It is the taking of the intangible organizational philosophy and turning it into a mental framework that everyone knows, understands and owns in order that they can achieve optimal performance, all day and every day. The problem with many leaders this winter is that they are trying to create clarity about these three parts by the power of their ego or position, rather than through strategic sharing and listening.

Strategic sharing is different than just telling people what to do and why to do it. First, it begins with a foundation of mutual respect. Recognizing that all involved have the potential to discover the answers to challenging strategic questions, leaders who do strategic sharing come as equals to the conversations. As Ken Blanchard wrote years ago: “We all have pieces.... The world and its problems are too complicated to go it alone. Together is better.”

This level of sharing is built upon a foundation of strategic listening. While many leaders get caught up in tactical problem solving mode, those who listen strategically look for the overall flow of the conversation and the organization's understanding of what is happening. It is from a place of listening that something unique happens. As Stephen Covey reminds us: “Real listening shows respect. It creates trust. As we listen, we not only gain understanding; we also create the environment to be understood. And when both people understand, both perspectives, instead of being on opposite sides of the table looking across at each other, we find ourselves on the same side looking at solutions together.” In short, strategic sharing and listening help the organization move past the paradigm of leaders and followers. It generates the opportunity to not get caught in the victim place of us vs. them, and instead generates a collective "we".

This week remember: Leaders must engage the heart and mind as well as the hands when seeking to turn a challenge into an achievement. For those who want to explore strategic dialogues in greater detail, I suggest you check out the From Vision to Action booklet called “Turning Challenges into Achievement”. You can find information about it on our website:

http://www.chartyourpath.com/Challenges-Achievement.html

Have a wonderful week,

Geery

Geery Howe, M.A.
Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in
Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change

Morning Star Associates
319 - 643 - 2257

The Importance of Strategic Dialogues - Part #1

THEME: New Year, More Challenges

FOCUS: The Importance of Strategic Dialogues - Part #1

Monday morning: February 15, 2010

Dear friends,

Every week now I meet more and more people who are overwhelmed by the amount of work that needs to get done. In a jobless recovery, more people are working more hours to just keep up with, what at times feels like a herculean set of tasks, i.e. a ton more work and fewer people to do it. And in the midst of all of this, we are leaders are not paying very close attention to one critical element, namely decision-making.

Every day decision-making is happening regardless of our presence. These decisions are impacting product development, customer service, strategic execution, and staff satisfaction and engagement. What we as leaders forget is that these decisions are not always being made in a conscious or thoughtful manner. Many of them are being made just to get past the current pile of work so that someone can get on to the next pile or stuff that presents themselves at the moment. Unconscious decision-making and poor decision-making is impacting our business every day.

Successful decision-making is a three stage process as outlined by Noel M. Tichy and Warren Bennis in their excellent article called “Making Judgement Calls: The Ultimate Act of Leadership”, Harvard Business Review, October 2007. As these authors point out, Stage #1 is the “Preparation Phase” where leaders identify what are the problems, frame them up within the context of what is happening and then mobilize and align people to understanding what and why this is a problem that needs a decision. Stage #2 is the “Call Phase” where the actual the moment of decision takes place. While many people think of this stage as a single moment of rational analysis based on knowable and quantifiable variables, the best leaders know it is a dynamic process influenced by multiple variables which are often outside of a leader’s direct circle of control or influence. The best leaders make decision that influence what is happening but also set up a framework for others to make successful decisions. Finally, Stage #3 is the “Execution Phase” when a a leader mobilizes resources, people, information and technology to support the decision.

During these cold winter days in the midwest and during this wacky jobless recovery where burnout and worry continues at an all time high, the missing piece for me this morning is a critical element in Stage #1. With so many people having their heads down and plowing through piles of work, they are making decisions unaware of the context of what is happening inside or outside the organization. “On to the next thing” is the new mantra. The value of strategic level dialogues between leaders and employees is that they create awareness and ultimately understanding of context. This level of awareness and understanding will change the quality of Stage #1 and Stage #2 actions. When done regularly, they will change Stage #3.

If we are seeking better results at work, then now is the time to schedule strategic level dialogues. During this time period of sharing and listening, we have the opportunity to expand awareness and understanding. We also over time will improve decision-making and collaboration.

This week figure out how you want talk with your people about the context of service not just the results of service.

Have a magnificent week,

Geery

Geery Howe, M.A.
Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in
Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change

Morning Star Associates
319 - 643 - 2257

The End of the Comfort Zone

THEME: New Year, More Challenges

FOCUS: The End of the Comfort Zone

Monday morning: February 8, 2010

Dear friends,

I often tell seminar participants and consulting clients that “real change takes place outside your comfort zone.” Recently, the response has been the same all over the country, “What comfort zone? We lost that a long time ago. Now it is just challenge or chaos all day long.” In a world and an economy that feels topsy turvy, many leaders are hanging on for dear life and hoping for better days. Others are focused with laser-like precision on one critical concept, synchronization.

As you may remember, synchronization is the act of making sure a combination of events operate systematically and in unison. For example, the conductor of an orchestra serves to keep the orchestra in time. Through their actions, all the different parts and players result in a quality performance. In today’s business world, we are looking for improved synchronization at the operations, the strategic and the cultural levels of the organization.

Jason Jennings in his book, Less is More: How Great Companies Use Productivity as a Competitive Tool in Business, Penguin Putnam, 2002, explained it this way, “In productive companies, the culture is the strategy.... Unlike other companies, productive companies know the difference between tactics and strategy. The difference is the foundation that allows them to stay focused and build remarkable companies. They have institutionalized their strategy.”

When they have institutionalized their strategy, they build a culture which is binary. A binary number system is one based on two numbers, namely one and zero. In a binary culture, there are people who are one with the organization and others who are not. Those who are not are zeros and thus are removed from the organization because they are not in alignment and do not add value to what is taking place. Therefore, when the organization is in full alignment, i.e. culture, strategy and operations are united, then all of the parts become synchronized and work effortlessly.

This week examine the concept of synchronization at the culture and strategic levels. Remember the importance of institutionalizing your strategy.

Have an awesome week,

Geery

Geery Howe, M.A.
Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in
Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change

Morning Star Associates
319 - 643 - 2257

The Customer

THEME: New Year, New Challenges

FOCUS: The Customer

Monday morning: February 1, 2010

Dear friends,

In the September 1999 issue of Fast Company magazine, Anne Busquet , President of American Express Relationship Services, wrote, “Many people believe that we have entered the age of the internet. Actually it’s more accurate to say that we’re living in the age of the customer. Make no mistake: Customers are in control today. They have access to more information than ever before, and they can retrieve it faster than ever before. There has never been a better time to be a customer - or a more demanding time to be a company.”

Over a decade later, customers are still in control and it still is a demanding time to be a company. Our challenge this year is to understand that we are no longer operating in a product or service based economy. Andrea Ayers surveyed 2,000 customers, 1,592 employees and 127 senior executives across 10 major industry segments in the United States and in United Kingdom and reported the results in her article called “What Your Customers Are Really Telling You” in the September/October 2009 issue of Chief Executive Magazine. As she wrote, “The results tell us that we have shifted from a service economy to the experience economy, where customers are in control, brands are becoming commodities and successful companies create superior experiences. Customers have more power in the marketplace than ever before, but they are harder to reach, harder to impress and more likely to take their business elsewhere without notice.”

In previous decades, companies compartmentalized everything from product creation straight through to sales and services. But nowadays, the customer is no longer willing to tolerant fragmentation. They are in control and want to be partners in the process.

The solution in 2010 is to differentiate our business by developing a unique relationship with our customers. Through real time data, integrated products and authentic service, we need to develop unified experiences. This will be very difficult because we must create an organizational culture, plus on-going services experiences, that can work with the “Nintendo Generation”, “Baby Boom Generation” and the “GI Generation.”

The first step is make sure your company has the ability to plan and the capacity to execute what has been planned. Realizing that many senior executives are recovering controlaholics, this may not be easy but it is essential. We also must have employees who believe in what they are doing, engaged in doing it better every time, and willing to explore new ways of working at the conceptual level and the tactics level.

If you can dream it, you also need to build it. If you build it, they may not come unless that have been part of the process. This is the new normal.

This week understand that what we learned in 1999 is directly connected to what we are learning in 2009. The customer will continue to evolve. Our organizations must do so as well.

Have an outstanding week,

Geery

Geery Howe, M.A.
Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in
Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change

Morning Star Associates
319 - 643 - 2257

Personal and Organizational Fragmentation

THEME: New Year, More Challenges

FOCUS: Personal and Organizational Fragmentation

Monday morning: January 25, 2010

Dear friends,

As we continue to work through this roller coaster ride of an economy, I am reminded of the following phrase: If all you have is a hammer, then everything looks like a nail. During this period of economic turmoil, many people and their organizations feel like they have been hammered repeatedly. And the results have been personal and organizational fragmentation.

When the core parts of our lives and our companies have been fractured or significantly stressed, there are multiple reactions and decisions that surface. Often, we focus on solving immediate problems. While this helps to a point, this does not allow us to prepare for future growth opportunities. It just reduces today’s pain and anguish.

With this in mind, we as leaders need to refocus on strategic talent management and time management issues. The pain of today’s economy will pass. It may happen in less than a year for some, or it may be in three years for others. Nevertheless, the critical first step is to develop a work place where people feel supported and encouraged to do their best. We desperately need to keep, and to further develop managers and leaders who grasp the importance of people feeling supported, and apply it within their circle of influence. These managers will impact whether or not other key people are still committed and employed by the company when the recovery takes place.

Second, along with a strong culture of support, we need to deploy people to major strategic initiatives. While operational excellence is important, unification after fragmentation begins at the strategic level not just at the operational level. Here at the strategic level, we need to recognize that past success is the enemy. As many authors have pointed out, that which got us to where we are now will not always get us to where we need to go. Thus, clear strategic direction and defined goals and timelines are vital. These improvements position us for the future and strengthen our ability to manage at the day to day level of execution, too.

Finally, we must realize that time management is not just clock management. Time management can be viewed as the linear management of tasks, but when I meet people who successfully manage difficult and complex changes, I also find someone who is clear about their personal and professional priorities. These are leaders whose personal core values are in alignment with their organization’s core values, too. When priorities and values are clear, then time is not about watching the clock, but about working well with the others and prioritizing the challenges before us all.

This week remember that we need more than hammers and nails to put this world back together. We need thoughtful leaders with open hearts, attentive listening and compassionate understanding. We need leaders who recognize that even though healing at times come with pain, the pain should not define the overall healing process.

Have a good week,

Geery

Geery Howe, M.A.
Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in
Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change

Morning Star Associates
319 - 643 - 2257

Returning to Vision

THEME: New Year, More Challenges

FOCUS: Returning to Vision

Monday morning: January 18, 2010

Dear friends,

Not too long ago, she called me on a cold and snowy morning. “We are going though pretty drastic organizational change here. Due to the efforts of our management team, we are hoping to survive these tough times, bring in lots of new funding and move the company into new markets. We also want to bring more people to a higher level of accountability. It is a difficult place and several new folks are excited and our old guard is really resisting the changes. They do not want anyone telling them what to do. With more expected, we will all need to step up to get the work done.” She explained to me that she wanted me to do a full SWOT analysis, a mission statement redefinition process, at least one team building retreat, and a set of facilitated organizational meetings to reduce resistance.

I listened thoughtfully, and then suggested that she and I plus her management team sit down for a good visit. A couple of weeks later, we all gathered in their conference room. Most drank large cups of coffee and Coke while plowing through a massive a bowl of chocolate candy. I meanwhile drank a cup of herb tea. During this meeting, I listened with great interest and focus to the issues and problems at hand. They talked about ancient history, i.e. what happened ten years ago, numerous turf battles, performance issues, historic incidents of miscommunication, a general lack of trust, and a universal feeling of being overwhelmed by it all.

As I listened, I remembered Proverbs 29:18: “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” This particular management team had a bit of a vision but not one that was embraced by every one. Most felt it was just more work to be done and more difficult solutions to deliver.

So, during a break in the complaining, I reminded them of the importance of vision. Pointing out that a vision is a statement of what an organization hopes to achieve, I asked if they knew what the vision was moving forward. There was silence around the table. Then a couple of people said, “more sales and solutions,” “more markets”, and “more accountability.” We know from experience that the best companies and the best leaders along with their management teams have a clear sense of vision. It gives direction and meaning to the journey, and it creates inspiration which is necessary for the difficulties that come with organizational change.

With guidance and thoughtful reflection, this management team carefully and slowly shifted from the complaining mode of operation to the strategic mode of operation. We clarified the vision and discussed its impact. Once things were back in perspective, resistance was no long an issue and focus was possible.

This week work on vision. Define it, clarify it and communicate it. In a time period when we are feeling vulnerable to economic forces over which they have no control, it is good to have a vision that inspires us.

Enjoy the week,

Geery

Geery Howe, M.A.
Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in
Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change

Morning Star Associates
319 - 643 - 2257

One-Trial Learning

THEME: New Year, More Challenges

FOCUS: One-Trial Learning

Monday morning: January 11, 2010

Dear friends,

Life’s difficulties can be a powerful teacher.

Back in the early seventies, I was a young teen-ager at summer camp. Late one afternoon, I put an axe through my right ankle. It was a traumatic accident that required emergency surgery and later reconstructive surgery. Fortunately, with the help of good orthopedic surgeons, I can walk without pain or difficulty. But, never again did I touch an axe without heavy work boots on.

This past August, I picked up an axe to hang it on the wall in the basement of our home when I realized that I was not wearing boots but only sneakers. I believe it was the first time in nearly 36 years that I had changed my behavior. I also realized that a single incident had defined my behavior for quite some time.

Right now, we are experiencing major events that will impact a generation for decades if not life times. Robert Lawrence Kuhn, an international investment banker and corporate strategist wrote a fascinating article called “Personal Lessons From the Financial Crisis” in the September/October 2009 issue of Chief Executive Magazine. When he reflects on all that has happened, he believes the trick is to learn from, but not overreact to this market downturn. He worries about the psychological trauma that could be ossified into “counterproductive behavioral traits.”

As he explains, “In experimental psychology, it’s called “one-trial learning.” For a rat in a maze, make the the electric shock painful enough, say along one route, and the animal, after only one such experience, will be extremely reluctant to go there again. Even if the shock is turned off, the rat will not venture to find out. Even if the route might lead to the largest reward, the rat will not seek to explore it. Whereas in normal learning situations a rat may require multiple trials to remember and work accurately, if there is deep trauma involved, one trial does it. So too, after shocking financial loss, one-trial learning could affect many of us - and this is often not for the good. Because if that happens, if our attitudes solidify and become impervious to change - for example, if we become reluctant to be adventurous - then we will have lost more than mere money. The good news is that human beings are not rats (at least most of the time), and pains of all kinds can be overcome.”

The financial meltdown of 2008 was very difficult. We are still experiencing it’s impact as we enter 2010. For many, it has been a “one-trial learning experience.” And because of the pain and trauma from this meltdown and subsequent recession, we are highly reluctant as leaders to take risks, explore new strategies, and create change. Nevertheless, we need not become victims by all that has happened . We also must not become cavalier and turn a blind eye to what has happened. Instead, we need to learn the appropriate and vital lessons from all that has happened. We need to continue to take risks, create strategy and make organizational change take place.

This week begin a strategic dialogue with your immediate team and then with a greater circle of employees about what are the lessons to be learned form the last two years. We need to learn appropriate lessons but not let them solidify into inappropriate and debilitating behaviors.

Have a great week,

Geery

Geery Howe, M.A.
Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in
Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change

Morning Star Associates
319 - 643 - 2257