tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79642985702538717622024-02-19T01:43:57.890-05:00The Tolero Think TankKey to Tolero Solutions mission is delivering organizational improvement solutions & facilitating sustainable growth, one way we do this is through collaboration & knowledge sharing; It is for this reason that we have developed & launched the Tolero Think Tank, our new blog, to share ideas & insights & promote dialogue between colleagues, strategic partners & friends to engage in meaningful solutions to help facilitate organizational improvement & sustainable growth.Tolero Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12437818590603660092noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964298570253871762.post-68516122680411150352012-11-19T11:42:00.000-05:002012-12-03T13:02:20.195-05:00Leadership, Power and Ethics – Huh?<div align="center" style="text-align: left;">
<img alt="" class="alignleft wp-image-1763" height="144" src="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/ethics1.jpg" title="ethics" width="216" />So by now we’ve all heard about <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=ceo+ethics+studies&oq=ceo+ethics+studies&sugexp=chrome,mod=0&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#q=petraeus+sex+scandal&hl=en&tbo=u&source=univ&tbm=nws&sa=X&ei=JIGmUNngL8WV0QHE7IBY&ved=0CCwQqAI&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.&fp=9bcdf">the scandal</a> with retired general and former head of the CIA, David Petraeus. Some of my European colleagues have balked that we can be a bit uptight in the U.S. when it comes to mixing business and personal – and that may be the case. However, as that is the culture in which we live (and lead) - those in positions of power need to conduct themselves within certain boundaries. Obviously someone failed to have this conversation with David Petraeus or <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/09/us-lockheed-kubasik-idUSBRE8A81JA20121109">former Lockheed Martin CEO</a>, Christopher Kubasik.</div>
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As an organizational development and leadership practitioner - I often work with C-Level executives and Military and Civilian leaders. Sometimes the work is focused on them - leadership development and coaching - though often it is focused on the organizations they lead and helping them to improve in one way or another. Regardless, I often stress to leaders in <a href="http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-winner-effect/201211/petraeus-sex-and-the-aphrodisiac-power-0">positions of power</a> that their actions, ethics, values, and behaviors have a direct impact on the attitudes and behaviors of those they lead and thus on the organizational culture. Those impacts can be positive or negative.</div>
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As Ken Hultman and Bill Gellerman say in their book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Balancing-Individual-Organizational-Values-Tightrope/dp/0787957208"><i>Balancing Individual and Organizational Values</i></a><i>, </i>ethics are standards of good/bad or right/wrong behavior, and morals are standards for avoiding or minimizing harmful or bad behavior/wrong behavior. Thus, a moral is also an ethic, but not all ethics are morals. They are internal to a person. Organizations as such don’t have values and ethics, but since they are comprised of human beings, their cultures are shaped by the values and ethics of those human beings. If those human beings at the top – leadership – commit unethical behaviors - what kind of message does that send to those they lead?</div>
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<img alt="" class="alignleft wp-image-1764" height="210" src="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/scandal.jpg" title="scandal" width="168" />In the recent cases of David Petraeus and Christopher Kubasik - did their unethical actions have a negative impact on their respective organizations? Kubasik’s actions “did not affect the company's operational or financial performance," the company has stated. Though damage control has already begun, I think time will tell. I do give Lockheed credit – they have a <a href="http://www.lockheedmartin.com/content/dam/lockheed/data/corporate/documents/How-Ethics-Process-Works.pdf">written code of ethics for employee</a>s, when they found out their leadership violated this code, they forced his resignation. The CIA and the government on the other hand, <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57550371/leon-panetta-orders-military-ethics-review-in-wake-of-david-petraeus-sex-scandal/">have been a bit slower</a> in taking corrective actions.<i></i></div>
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<span style="color: #4aa7d3;"><i><b>"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely” - Lord Acton</b></i></span></div>
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As an OD practitioner I was once told something by a mentor that still sticks with me today, you may not be able to make people change their values; however, you can help them see the wisdom of changing their behaviors. As Cameron & Quinn state “An organization’s culture is reflected by what it values, the dominant leadership styles, the language and symbols…” Interviewing 1709 CEOs from 64 countries and 18 industries, (from September 2011 to January 2012) <a href="http://theweekinethics.wordpress.com/2012/05/31/the-week-in-ethicsibm-global-ceo-study-values-empower-employees/">IBM identified</a> that the top organizational attribute to draw out the best from their workforces was ethics and values (65%). So what does it say about the culture of an organization when those selected to lead it have somewhat <a href="https://www.scu.edu/r/ethics-center/ethicsblog/atthecenter/9132/Power-and-Ethics-in-the-Executive-Suite">sketchy values and ethics</a>?</div>
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Values and ethics are important, and apparently power does corrupt.</div>
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<span style="color: #00ccff;"><i><b>“Values (and ethics) are the fuel which drive the engine of desire to make vision a reality…” – Broholm</b></i></span></div>
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What kind of reality do you want for your organization?</div>
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<i><b>About</b></i><i> Scott Span, MSOD: is President of </i><a href="http://www.tolerosolutions.com/"><i>Tolero Solutions</i></a> - an<i> Organizational Improvement & Strategy firm. He helps clients to facilitate sustainable growth by developing people and organizations to be more responsive, focused, productive and profitable.</i></div>
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<a href="mailto:scott.span@tolerosolutions.com" title="Email Scott Span">Email</a> | <a href="http://www.tolerosolutions.com/" target="_blank" title="Tolero Solutions">Website</a> | <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/scottspan" target="_blank" title="Scott Span on LinkedIn">LinkedIn</a> | <a href="http://www.twitter.com/SSpanTolero" target="_blank" title="Scott Span on Twitter">Twitter</a> | <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/thetolerothinktank" target="_blank" title="The Tolero Think Tank Blog">Blog</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tolero-Solutions/131665363577261?sk=app_112078882147346" target="_blank" title="Tolero Solutions Facebook">Facebook</a></div>
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<b>*All Rights Reserved. Reproduction, publication, and all other use of any and all of this content is prohibited without authorized consent of Tolero Solutions and the author.</b><br />
<br />Tolero Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12437818590603660092noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964298570253871762.post-23143528771704742762012-11-01T16:31:00.000-04:002012-12-03T13:02:20.173-05:00CEO to Commander in Chief: Do The Same Skills Apply?<p style="text-align: left;" align="center"><img class="alignleft wp-image-1750" src="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/70_480x480_Front_Color-White.jpg" alt="" width="165" height="165" /></p><br/><p style="text-align: left;" align="center">Achieving the leadership status and title of the Commander in Chief – President of the United States of America - is <em>the</em> highest appointed leadership position one could achieve. Sure – being a CEO is also a great achievement and the role is also intricate and complex. But leading a group of employees is much different than leading an entire nation.</p><br/><p style="text-align: left;">I mean…they don’t call the President the Commander in Chief (CIC) for nothing!</p><br/>With an election happening next week, leadership qualities are coming to the forefront. One candidate was a former CEO. So - putting on my organizational development practitioner hat - politics aside, left or right or red or blue, this raises an interesting question.<br/><br/><span style="color: #429a28;"><em><strong>Just because someone was a CEO does that mean they have the leadership skills to be Commander in Chief (CIC)?</strong></em></span><br/><br/>Some may argue that good leadership is good leadership –- whether you’re managing kids at home, serving as the CEO of a company, or as the Commander in Chief of a nation. (for more on our take on good leadership, feel free to see some <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/category/leadership/" target="_blank">previous articles</a> on the topic including one <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/the-obama-jobs-speech-real-life-leadership-lessons/" target="_blank">relating to politics</a>)<br/><br/>Can CEOs run the U.S. equally or better than a candidate with a traditional political background? Various articles and <a href="http://www.industryweek.com/leadership/ceos-bet-theyre-us-presidential-material">studies have been done</a> on this topic. The reality is, that though many leadership roles do require similar traits, they may also require different decision making processes and application of those skills and traits. Just because you may have certain <a href="http://management.fortune.cnn.com/2012/08/14/is-obama-or-romney-a-better-leader-how-to-judge/">skills and traits to be a success</a> in one leadership role doesn’t necessarily mean you have the skills and traits to be successful in another. Even if you do - can you execute actions using those skills and traits in a way that will contribute to success in the same way for two different roles.<br/><br/><span style="color: #4aa7d3;"><strong><em>“…. 56% (of CEOs surveyed) also believe maintaining voter confidence is more difficult than securing the support of shareholders and directors as CEO.”</em></strong></span><br/><br/><span style="color: #4aa7d3;"><strong><em>– Korn/Ferry CEO Survey Aug. 2012</em></strong></span><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><img class="size-full wp-image-1751 aligncenter" title="ceo" src="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/ceo.jpg" alt="" width="259" height="194" /></p><br/><p style="text-align: left;">Let’s take a look at some key leadership traits, and considerations, from the perspectives of CEO and the Commander in Chief:</p><br/><p style="text-align: left;"><strong><span style="color: #4aa7d3;">Accountability</span></strong></p><br/><br/><ul><br/> <li><span style="color: #429a28;">CEO</span> – CEO’s and the CIC often have a different view on accountability. Though CEOs are hired, they are not often elected to serve the people, but to serve the shareholders. Since CEO’s are mostly accountable to boards and shareholders, decisions can often be driven by money, and not what is in the best interests of those they lead. A CEO is often more accountable for balance sheets than the welfare of their employees. This can often prohibit them from putting the interests of their people ahead of that of finances.</li><br/></ul><br/><ul><br/> <li><span style="color: #429a28;">CIC</span> – Though the balancing of financial matters and people matters is a shared struggle to an extent - the CIC is elected by all the people, not just appointed by a select group of peers - and thus is accountable first and foremost for the well being of those who elected him/her. One could argue that level of accountability includes commitment to balance sheets, though, when looking at financials, the CIC is most often doing so from the perspective of what is best for the people. In addition, the CIC is required to make life and death decisions, not just financial decisions. The CIC is accountable to serve the people who elected him/her, and not shareholders, in financial matters and matters of life and death. Most CEOs are not.</li><br/></ul><br/><strong><span style="color: #4aa7d3;">Transparency</span></strong><br/><ul><br/> <li><span style="color: #429a28;">CEO</span> – CEO’s don’t often see a need for transparency. They very rarely share personal information – which they may not want to share publicly. The job of a CEO doesn’t require corporate citizenship or social responsibility in leadership. Though more CEOs are making the choice to be socially responsible - it is not a mandate of the job. Besides very specific legal mandates and policies - nothing requires that a CEO be transparent (though those that are not will most likely see a negative impact on performance.) The CEO’s leadership often tends to be extremely secretive as CEOs often think personal information is not in the domain of those they lead.</li><br/></ul><br/><ul><br/> <li><span style="color: #429a28;">CIC</span> – The CIC knows that not even the most intimate moments are off limits. The CIC is required to think through decisions, beyond profit and loss statements, and to consider all available points of view. When communicating his/her decision, the CIC is often required by law to do so in a transparent manner. Of course politics is politics, scandals are scandals. Not every CIC chooses to be or can be transparent about every decision -whether personal or legislative – however, the expectation of transparency tends to be more prominent both from the CIC perspective based on the expectation from constituents. The general public, as often supported by law, can demand much more transparency from the CIC than employees can from a CEO.</li><br/></ul><br/><strong><span style="color: #4aa7d3;">Engagement</span></strong><br/><ul><br/> <li><span style="color: #429a28;">CEO</span> – Engaging in authentic communication is an imperative trait for any great leader if they wish to have supportive and trusting followers. Though it is important for a CEO to be a tough, no-nonsense, competent negotiator, it is also easy for a CEO to take a ‘my way or the highway’ view. This view will often alienate followers, not engage their support. If someone doesn’t like what the CEO is saying, then as the head honcho, it’s often too bad. CEOs don’t often invite disagreement. They can feel little need to explain or justify their thoughts and decisions and this view can often negatively impact followership engagement.</li><br/></ul><br/><ul><br/> <li><span style="color: #429a28;">CIC</span> – Can the CIC also take a ‘my way or the highway’ view to communication and decision making? Sure they can. However, they will often get little accomplished in doing so (particularly reelection). It is often the support of the constituency that helps the CIC drive their agenda through the legislative process. The CIC needs to take a different view on engagement if they intend to govern in the best interest of the people. This view not only includes being a competent negotiator, it also includes a certain leavel of diplomacy and the ability to engage with those they serve to gather varying opinions and information, and adjust decisions accordingly. These are skills many CEOs don’t often choose to exercise as they often see no need.</li><br/></ul><br/>Now –<strong><span style="color: #888888;"> to be clear</span></strong> I’m not saying that it’s not possible that leaders of corporations can make good leaders of government and vice versa. And I'm also not saying that all CEOs and all CICs are the same. What I’m saying is <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/Opinion/2011/1222/5-standards-for-presidential-leadership/Love-of-the-daily-toil-and-mechanics-of-governing">they tend to look at things a bit differently</a>, thus even if sharing the same skill set, they often take different actions motivated by those different views and experiences. It's less about the debate of having the skills (assuming one does) and more about the ability to apply them in a given situation. Thus, being a good leader at one job is not necessarily synonymous with being a good leader at the other.<br/><br/>Leadership ability is often the deciding factor as to whether something succeeds or doesn’t – in business and in politics. Whether you’re debating who to vote for or who to work for – take a hard look at their leadership skills as related to their work, and ask yourself – do they have the skills to succeed in this role? Am I ready to follow their lead?<br/><br/><strong>NOTE:</strong> This article is not intended for political debate and does not endorse a specific candidate. It is simply to raise the question of leadership qualities, and if in fact they translate from one position to another, using a real time example of such an instance.<br/><br/><strong><em>About</em></strong><em> Scott Span, MSOD: is President of </em><a href="http://www.tolerosolutions.com/"><em>Tolero Solutions</em></a> - an<em> Organizational Improvement & Strategy firm. He helps clients to facilitate sustainable growth by developing people and organizations to be more responsive, focused, productive and profitable.</em><br/><br/><a title="Email Scott Span" href="mailto:scott.span@tolerosolutions.com">Email</a> | <a title="Tolero Solutions" href="http://www.tolerosolutions.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a title="Scott Span on LinkedIn" href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/scottspan" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a> | <a title="Scott Span on Twitter" href="http://www.twitter.com/SSpanTolero" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a title="The Tolero Think Tank Blog" href="http://tolerosolutions.com/thetolerothinktank" target="_blank">Blog</a> | <a title="Tolero Solutions Facebook" href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tolero-Solutions/131665363577261?sk=app_112078882147346" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br/><br/>________________________________________________________________________________<br/><br/><strong>*All Rights Reserved. Reproduction, publication, and all other use of any and all of this content is prohibited without authorized consent of Tolero Solutions and the author.</strong><br/><br/> <br/><br/> Tolero Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12437818590603660092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964298570253871762.post-78218806970688810302012-10-16T18:32:00.000-04:002012-12-03T13:02:20.202-05:00Do I Really Want To Work Here? What Are You Doing To Keep Me Engaged?<p style="text-align: left;" align="center"><img class="alignleft wp-image-1719" title="images" src="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/images.jpg" alt="" width="182" height="136" />Many of us have experienced that moment - that moment when the excitement of a new job or new role begins to wane and we feel less than enthusiastic about going to work every day – the engagement decline.</p><br/>When you get that <em>“Ugh, I so don’t want to come to work today…”</em> feeling, often the catalyst can occur for many different reasons. It could be changes within the organization, or the impact of outside environmental factors. Perhaps a lack of feeling challenged due to poor skills to role match, leadership changes or managerial style played a part, or maybe a technology or cultural change was the catalyst. Regardless, employee engagement has begun to decline.<br/><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #4aa7d3;"><strong><em>“Employees who believe that management is concerned about them </em><em><em>as a whole person – not just an employee – are more productive, </em><em>more satisfied, more fulfilled. Satisfied employees mean satisfied </em><em>customers, which leads to profitability.”</em><br/>~ Anne M. Mulcahy</em>, former CEO of Xerox</strong></span></p><br/><span style="color: #429a28;"><em><strong>So – what can be done about the decline in engagement before it gets worse?</strong></em></span><br/><br/>Building a successful business requires more than just saying you value employee engagement – it requires creating a culture of <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Tolero-Solutions_Retention_Engagement_Fact-Sheet.pdf">high engagement</a>. If you want people to be engaged they need to feel valued, heard, and appreciated. They need to see where they fit into the organization, feel that what they are doing is making an impact to overall organizational performance, and feel as though the opportunity exists for ongoing learning and development. Simply put – they need to enjoy coming to work every day (ok, almost every day) and be inspired to give 100%.<br/><br/>So how do you prevent that moment when the excitement begins to disappear - the engagement decline – and show those working within (and with) your organization that you do in fact have a culture of high engagement?<br/><br/>High level – we’ll offer a few qualities that may trigger an engagement decline and a few that <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/a-pat-on-the-back-please-are-your-employees-recognized-for-their-performance/">help create cultures of high engagement</a>.<br/><table border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><br/><tbody><br/><tr><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><strong>Low Engagement</strong></p><br/></td><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><strong>High Engagement</strong></p><br/></td><br/></tr><br/><tr><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Unclear performance goals and expectations</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Clear performance goals and expectations</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/></tr><br/><tr><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Non merit based pay and promotion</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Merit based pay and promotion</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/></tr><br/><tr><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Lack of leadership interest in employees</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li> Leadership takes interest in employees</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/></tr><br/><tr><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Minimal opportunities for learning and development</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Ongoing opportunities for learning and development</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/></tr><br/><tr><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li> Un-collaborative environment</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Collaborative environment</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/></tr><br/><tr><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Not all people feel equal and valued</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>All people feel equal and valued</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/></tr><br/><tr><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Poor communication and feedback(voices not heard)</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Frequent feedback and open communication (voices heard)</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/></tr><br/><tr><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>No recognition for performance</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Recognition for performance</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/></tr><br/><tr><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Lack of alignment of values and culture</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Alignment of values and culture</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/></tr><br/><tr><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Minimal interest in customer satisfaction</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Concerned with customer satisfaction</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/></tr><br/></tbody><br/></table><br/>Organizations are quickly recognizing that having a strong and committed workforce is a key success factor for creating a <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/High-Performance-Culture-Whitepaper-12-17-11_FINAL.pdf">high-performing organization</a>. Yet many are still uncertain about where to start designing employee engagement and recognition programs.<br/><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #429a28;"><strong><em><img class="aligncenter wp-image-1720" title="Engage1" src="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Engage1.png" alt="" width="422" height="255" /></em></strong></span></p><br/><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #429a28;"><strong><em>So how do you create an organization of high engagement? </em></strong></span></p><br/>For starters, here’s a thought – <strong>ASK YOUR PEOPLE</strong>! Many organizations have not actually elicited employee feedback regarding these types of programs. What do your people think – have you surveyed the workforce on their thoughts? Successful <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/raise-your-hand-if-your-organization-can-improve-employee-development-recognition/">engagement and recognition</a> programs require employee input. If you’re a leader, have you asked your employees what motivates them? If you’re an employee, has leadership in your organization asked what motivates you? If yes, has the organization taken your feedback and turned it into actions?<br/><br/>Short answer – use the 3 steps below to develop and excel in the <em>“High Engagement”</em> qualities listed above.<br/><ul><br/> <li><span style="color: #429a28;"><strong>Ask your employees what they want, listen, and take action.</strong></span> What types of knowledge and learning opportunities can help them better perform their jobs? What types of knowledge and learning opportunities make them feel challenged as individuals? Why are the highly engaged so engaged? Why are the low engaged not more engaged? What would make them more engaged? Collect the data and act on it. Offer options based on employee input. One of the quickest ways to increase performance is to increase engagement. One of the quickest ways to increase engagement (or at least so we’ve found) is to make sure your employees feel heard, valued, and appreciated.</li><br/></ul><br/><ul><br/> <li><strong><span style="color: #429a28;">Provide opportunities for learning and development.</span> </strong>Brown bag lunch and learns, webinars – take advantage of various formats available for employees to share knowledge and interests with others who may benefit– to challenge others and feel challenged. Providing employees the opportunity to transfer knowledge increases an employee’s communication skills. This is an easy way to provide recognition, which contributes to making employees feel valued and heard, increasing engagement.</li><br/></ul><br/><ul><br/> <li><span style="color: #429a28;"><strong>Hire people who fit your culture and share your organizational values.</strong> </span>When hiring people don’t just hire based on skills and experience. Hire also based on cultural fit. All people are different, some may excel in certain cultures and some may not. If you’re a creative entrepreneurial organization that doesn’t have an overly rigid structure, then hire people who thrive on that type of environment, not people who thrive in a more overly structured environment. Values alignment is imperative. Hire people who share the values of your organization not those who may be in conflict with them. Many tools and technologies are available to help in the assessment of cultural fit of new hires. Once you hire people, who are skills and cultural fit, communicate early and often. Let people know where they fit into the organization, and make sure they understand how and what they are doing is making an impact to overall organizational performance.</li><br/></ul><br/><ul><br/> <li><span style="color: #429a28;"><strong>Understand your needs and admit you don’t know what you don’t know.</strong></span> If specific learning and development or organizational changes are requested by employees, and are of value to the organization and customers, and you don’t have the capability in house to deliver then look outside. Partner with other organizations or outside resources on learning and development, organizational communication and change, and leadership development and coaching offerings (not to toot our horn, though c’mon it is our blog, Tolero Solutions can help with designing learning and development programs and delivering employee engagement recognition strategies – <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/contact/" target="_blank">contact us for more</a> info)</li><br/></ul><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #4aa7d3;"><strong><em>“You shouldn’t be looking for people slipping up, you should be </em><em><em>looking for all the good things people do and praising those.”</em><br/>~ Richard Branson,</em> founder of Virgin</strong></span></p><br/>Here’s hoping that most of you desire to have a culture of high engagement –and strive to create and maintain an organization where people really want to work! What triggers your engagement decline feelings?<em> </em>What do you think are the impacts, if any, of not focusing on engagement and retention?<br/><br/><em><strong>About</strong></em><em> Scott Span, MSOD: is President of </em><a href="http://www.tolerosolutions.com/"><em>Tolero Solutions</em></a> - an<em> Organizational Improvement & Strategy firm. He helps clients to facilitate sustainable growth by developing people and organizations to be more responsive, focused, productive and profitable.</em><br/><br/><a title="Email Scott Span" href="mailto:scott.span@tolerosolutions.com">Email</a> | <a title="Tolero Solutions" href="http://www.tolerosolutions.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a title="Scott Span on LinkedIn" href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/scottspan" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a> | <a title="Scott Span on Twitter" href="http://www.twitter.com/SSpanTolero" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a title="The Tolero Think Tank Blog" href="http://tolerosolutions.com/thetolerothinktank" target="_blank">Blog</a> | <a title="Tolero Solutions Facebook" href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tolero-Solutions/131665363577261?sk=app_112078882147346" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br/><br/>________________________________________________________________________________<br/><br/><strong>*All Rights Reserved. Reproduction, publication, and all other use of any and all of this content is prohibited without authorized consent of Tolero Solutions and the author.</strong><br/><br/> Tolero Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12437818590603660092noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964298570253871762.post-52760771505857925142012-10-08T15:19:00.000-04:002012-12-03T13:02:20.188-05:00Diversity Matters to Your Bottom LineIf you read our article: <em><a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/do-i-really-want-to-work-here-what-are-your-diversity-practices-telling-me/">Do I Really Want to Work Here: What Are Your Diversity Practices Telling Me?</a> ... </em> you may be thinking <em>(well, or at least so some of you have told us)</em> , “valuing diversity sounds great, but it takes work. How is embracing diversity going to increase my organizational performance?”<br/><br/><span style="color: #429a28;"><strong>A few thoughts, on why embracing diversity is not just the right thing to do, but is imperative to organizational success…</strong></span><br/><br/>Companies that diversify their workforces have a distinct competitive advantage over those that do not, especially in the coming years as the diversity of our population increases as does globalization in business. There are several predominant factors that motivate companies to see the importance of having diverse workforces. A recent report from the <a href="http://www.shrm.org/">Society for Human Resource Management</a> identifies six key reasons embracing diversity should be part of an organization’s strategic goals and objectives:<br/><br/>1) Greater adaptability and flexibility in a rapidly changing marketplace<br/><br/>2) Attracting and retaining the best talent<br/><br/>3) Reducing costs associated with turnover, absenteeism, and low productivity<br/><br/>4) Return on Investment (ROI) from various initiatives, policies and practices<br/><br/>5) Gaining and keeping greater/new market share (locally and globally) with an expanded diverse customer base<br/><br/>6) Increased sales and profits<br/><br/>In a quick search, we've found several other studies on the importance of diversity in creating a high performing organization:<br/><ul><br/> <li><a href="http://www.uri.edu/advance/files/pdf/Leveraging%20Diversity%20.%20.%20.%20%20Jayne%26Dipboye_2004.pdf" target="_blank">Leveraging Diversity to Improve Business Performance</a></li><br/> <li><a href="http://ncrve.berkeley.edu/CW82/Diversity.html" target="_blank">Diversity Initiatives in the Workplace</a></li><br/> <li><a href="http://chrs.rutgers.edu/pub_documents/38.pdf" target="_blank">The Effects of Diversity on Business Performance </a></li><br/></ul><br/><div><br/><br/>Here’s hoping that most of you desire to be part of an organization that embraces diversity –and strive to create and maintain an organization where people really want to work! What do you think are the impacts, if any, of not valuing diversity?<br/><br/></div><br/><em><strong>About</strong></em><em> Scott Span, MSOD: is President of </em><a href="http://www.tolerosolutions.com/"><em>Tolero Solutions</em></a><em> Organizational Development & Change Management firm. He helps clients to facilitate sustainable growth by developing people and organizations to be more responsive, focused, productive and profitable.</em><br/><br/><a title="Email Scott Span" href="mailto:scott.span@tolerosolutions.com">Email</a> | <a title="Tolero Solutions" href="http://www.tolerosolutions.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a title="Scott Span on LinkedIn" href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/scottspan" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a> | <a title="Scott Span on Twitter" href="http://www.twitter.com/SSpanTolero" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a title="The Tolero Think Tank Blog" href="http://tolerosolutions.com/thetolerothinktank" target="_blank">Blog</a> | <a title="Tolero Solutions Facebook" href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tolero-Solutions/131665363577261?sk=app_112078882147346" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br/><br/>________________________________________________________________________________<br/><br/><strong>*All Rights Reserved. Reproduction, publication, and all other use of any and all of this content is prohibited without authorized consent of Tolero Solutions and the author.</strong>Tolero Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12437818590603660092noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964298570253871762.post-29483168729820071652012-09-27T12:15:00.000-04:002012-12-03T13:02:20.176-05:00Do I Really Want to Work Here: What Are Your Diversity Practices
Telling Me?<img class="alignleft wp-image-1684" src="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/solution5.jpg" alt="" width="203" height="205" />Have you ever walked into an organization and just got that <em>“Uh, why does everyone look the same”</em> feeling… I know I have. You may have heard the expression, people are like snowflakes, and no two are the same – that's diversity folks. In today’s ever diverse business environment, for <a href="http://www.tolerosolutions.com/diversity-matters-to-your-bottom-line" target="_blank">organizations to excel</a>, they must pay attention to - and show they value - the diversity of employees and customers.<br/><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #4aa7d3;"><strong><em>Infinite diversity in infinite combinations – Vulcan proverb</em></strong></span></p><br/> <br/><br/>Many of us know from the first time we enter into an organization, whether as an employee or a consultant, that what they say is not what we see – or feel. So, what are some things that may trigger your “where is the diversity…” feeling?<br/><br/>If you want <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/category/engagement/">high engagement</a>, people need to feel as though they can <strong><em>“bring their full selves” </em></strong>to work! We realize it can occur because of many different factors – however - we are intrigued by organizations that don’t pay attention to diversity. Perhaps they just don’t notice what a negative impact lack of diversity appreciation can have?<br/><br/>Regardless, building a successful business requires more than just saying you value diversity. It requires creating and espousing the traits of an organization that embraces <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/category/diversity/">diversity</a>, so employees, vendors, and stakeholders can feel safe and comfortable and “bring their full selves” to work –an organization that is respectful, appreciative, trusting, understanding and engaging.<br/><br/>So what won’t trigger that <em>“where is the diversity” </em>feeling and show those interacting with your organization that the organization does in fact value diversity?<br/><br/><span style="color: #429a28;"><strong>High level </strong></span>– we’ll offer a few qualities that may trigger that <em>“where is the diversity”</em> feeling and a few that help create cultures that embrace diversity.<br/><table border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><br/><tbody><br/><tr><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><p align="center"><strong>Doesn’t Embrace Diversity</strong></p><br/></td><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><p align="center"><strong>Embraces Diversity</strong></p><br/></td><br/></tr><br/><tr><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>People don’t “bring their full selves” to work</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>People “bring their full selves” to work</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/></tr><br/><tr><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Pay and promotion of one group over another</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Equal pay and promotion based on performance</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/></tr><br/><tr><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>No visible diversity at all levels</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Visible diversity at all levels</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/></tr><br/><tr><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>No diverse recruitment strategies</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Diverse recruitment strategies</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/></tr><br/><tr><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Homogeneous mentoring and coaching</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Cross cultural mentoring and coaching</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/></tr><br/><tr><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>No supplier diversity programs</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Dedicated supplier diversity programs</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/></tr><br/><tr><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>All people don’t feel equal and valued</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>All people feel equal and valued</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/></tr><br/><tr><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Practices Oppression</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Values Equality</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/></tr><br/><tr><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Poor Engagement</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>High Engagement</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/></tr><br/><tr><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Exclusive</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Inclusive</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/></tr><br/></tbody><br/></table><br/> <br/><p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: #429a28;"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-1688" src="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/pic_brushes.jpg" alt="" width="164" height="199" /></span></strong></p><br/><strong><span style="color: #429a28;">So how do you create an organization that values and embraces diversity?</span></strong><br/><br/>...for starters, begin with diversity in recruitment, we often use and customize, our <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Tolero-Solutions_Retention_Engagement_Fact-Sheet.pdf"><em>Recruitment and Retention Lifecycle™</em></a><em> </em>with our client’s.<em> </em><br/><br/>Short answer – use the 3 steps below to develop and excel in the “embraces diversity” qualities listed above.<br/><br/><span style="color: #429a28;"><strong>Policies and Initiatives:</strong></span> The first step in creating an organization that embraces diversity is for leaders and employees to create diversity policies Leaders and managers within organizations must incorporate diversity policies into every aspect of the organization’s functions and purpose and create specific diversity strategies’ and initiatives. Diversity needs to be defined broadly and should encompass a wide range of policies and initiatives that meet the diverse and changing needs of employees and customers – ranging from recruitment to engagement and retention. Leaders and employees should take active roles in defining and implementing these diversity policies and processes which, in order to succeed, should be fully aligned with the organizations strategies’ and objectives. In order to develop and maintain effective diversity policies, leaders should view employee participation as a necessary part of any diversity initiative. Diversity policies must support employees in learning how to effectively interact with and manage people in a diverse workplace. Policies should recognize and encourage employees to continue to learn new skills in dealing with and managing people. They should also recognize the impact that diverse clients will have upon the success or failure of the organization. Diversity policies should promote learning and education, equality, and appreciation.<br/><br/><span style="color: #429a28;"><strong>Leadership Commitment:</strong></span> The next step to creating an organization that embraces diversity is to obtain leadership commitment. Accountability for achieving diversity goals and objectives needs to be directly tied to incentives and pay increases. The degree to your diversity initiatives will be successful relies on the involvement and commitment of leaders. Organizations which have leaders who are actively involved in implementing diversity initiatives create cultures that embrace diversity by inspiring their employees. <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/category/leadership/">Committed leaders</a> champion diversity by infusing it into all organizational processes and ensuring that diversity is integrated into the core values of the organization. They recognize diversity as an important goal, and position the responsibility for meeting diversity goals not merely with human resources departments or diversity offices, but with top-level and senior executives – and themselves. Leaders that are committed to diversity provide the visibility and time and resources to make diversity happen. These leaders view diversity as both a top priority and a personal responsibility.<br/><br/><span style="color: #429a28;"><strong>Engagement:</strong></span> The third step in achieving creating an organization that embraces diversity is - always focus on the people. We’ve said this before, and we think it so important we’ll say it again, organizations can’t exist without people. People make the difference in every business. Once you have diversity strategies and initiatives in place, and accountable and committed leadership, you need to engage employees in your diversity practices – and get them to engage with one another. Design ongoing communication systems to create and reinforce the workplace diversity commitment and practices to all employees with an emphasis on why it is important and what it means to the organization. These communication systems should encourage peer to peer learning and knowledge sharing increasing diversity awareness amongst employees. Additionally, training and empowerment initiatives provide a foundation, for all levels of the organization, to foster the accomplishment of diversity goals. These can include cross cultural mentoring and coaching and employee led learning events. Another way to engage employees in sharing and embracing diversity is via affinity groups or <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/glennllopis/2012/06/18/7-ways-to-enable-your-employee-resource-groups-into-a-powerful-advancement-platform/">employee resource groups (ERGs)</a>. These groups can be groups of people with common interests, identities, and issues like African American, Women, LGBT or even more defined in scope as aligned to your specific organizations products and functions - such as Women in healthcare, Young IT workers etc. It is also helpful to keep the workforce engaged in diversity initiatives by developing organization-wide assessment and evaluation systems to monitor diversity progress throughout the organization.<br/><p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: #4aa7d3;"><em>Diversity: the art of thinking independently together. - Malcolm Forbes </em></span></strong></p><br/>Here’s hoping that most of you desire to be part of an organization that embraces diversity –and strive to create and maintain an organization where people really want to work! What triggers your diversity “gut check?” What do you think are the impacts, if any, of not valuing diversity?<br/><br/>Stay tuned for more articles in our “<em>Do I Really Want to Work Here…?” series</em>!<br/><br/><em><strong>About</strong></em><em> Scott Span, MSOD: is President of </em><a href="http://www.tolerosolutions.com/"><em>Tolero Solutions</em></a><em> Organizational Development & Change Management firm. He helps clients to facilitate sustainable growth by developing people and organizations to be more responsive, focused, productive and profitable.</em><br/><br/><a title="Email Scott Span" href="mailto:scott.span@tolerosolutions.com">Email</a> | <a title="Tolero Solutions" href="http://www.tolerosolutions.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a title="Scott Span on LinkedIn" href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/scottspan" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a> | <a title="Scott Span on Twitter" href="http://www.twitter.com/SSpanTolero" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a title="The Tolero Think Tank Blog" href="http://tolerosolutions.com/thetolerothinktank" target="_blank">Blog</a> | <a title="Tolero Solutions Facebook" href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tolero-Solutions/131665363577261?sk=app_112078882147346" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br/><br/>________________________________________________________________________________<br/><br/><strong>*All Rights Reserved. Reproduction, publication, and all other use of any and all of this content is prohibited without authorized consent of Tolero Solutions and the author.</strong><br/><br/> Tolero Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12437818590603660092noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964298570253871762.post-10139642759042488302012-09-19T13:26:00.000-04:002012-12-03T13:02:20.168-05:00Do I Really Want to Work Here: What’s Your Culture Telling Me?<img class="alignleft wp-image-1647" title="arrowlead" src="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/arrowlead.jpg" alt="" width="162" height="121" />Have you ever walked into an organization and just got that <em>“hum something just doesn’t feel right feeling”</em>… I know I have (more times than I’d like to count). Many of us know from the first time we enter into an organization, whether as an employee or a consultant, that what they say is not what we see – or feel. The ever so important “gut check” we shouldn’t ignore.<br/><br/><span style="color: #4aa7d3;"><em><strong>“Corporate Culture can have a significant impact on a firm’s long-term economic performance.” – John Kotter</strong></em></span><br/><br/>So, what are some things that trigger your culture gut check?<br/><ul><br/> <li>We realize it is probably because of many different factors – however - we were intrigued that more people are not interested in how to create a high performance culture. Perhaps they just don’t notice what a negative impact poor culture can have? Regardless, building a successful business requires more than just saying you have a good culture, it requires creating and espousing the traits of a high performance culture so employees, vendors, and stakeholders can see you <em>“mean what you say”</em> –a culture that is open, honest, trusting, transparent and engaging.</li><br/></ul><br/><strong><span style="color: #429a28;">So what makes a high performing culture?</span></strong><br/><br/>High level – we’ll offer a few qualities that may trigger your “gut check” and a few that make for a high performing culture.<br/><table border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><br/><tbody><br/><tr><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><strong>Poor Performing Culture</strong></p><br/></td><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><p align="center"><strong>High Performing Culture</strong></p><br/></td><br/></tr><br/><tr><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Poor Communication</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Open Communication</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/></tr><br/><tr><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Secrecy</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Transparency</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/></tr><br/><tr><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Mistrust</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Trust</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/></tr><br/><tr><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Abuse of Power</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Socialized Power</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/></tr><br/><tr><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Inflexible Structures</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Flexible Structures</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/></tr><br/><tr><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Uninventive</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Innovative</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/></tr><br/><tr><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Unclear Strategy</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Defined Strategy</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/></tr><br/><tr><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Practices Oppression</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Values Equality</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/></tr><br/><tr><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Poor Engagement</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>High Engagement</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/></tr><br/><tr><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Rigid Processes</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Flexible Processes</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/></tr><br/></tbody><br/></table><br/> <br/><p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: #429a28;"><img class="wp-image-1659 aligncenter" title="cs" src="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/change-same.jpg" alt="" width="174" height="189" /></span></strong></p><br/><p style="text-align: left;"><strong><span style="color: #429a28;">So how do you create a positive and high performing culture?</span></strong></p><br/><p style="text-align: left;">...for starters, check out our whitepaper on the topic titled: <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/High-Performance-Culture-Whitepaper-12-17-11_FINAL.pdf"><em>What is a High Performance Culture? Creating a culture that supports long term growth and sustainability</em></a><em>.</em></p><br/><p style="text-align: left;">Short answer – develop and excel in the “high performing culture” qualities listed above – you can get started in 3 steps.</p><br/><p style="text-align: left;"><strong><span style="color: #429a28;">Direction:</span></strong> The first step in creating a high performing culture is defining your direction. An organization cannot achieve a high performing culture without having a clearly defined direction - a detailed <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Tolero-Solutions-Strategic-Planning_Fact-Sheet_5-12.pdf">strategy</a>, including a clear mission and a defined vision statement. The strategy should help determine who you want to be, where you want to go, and how to chart the course to help you get there. The strategy should answer several imperatives, including but not limited to: what can we do best? Do we have flexible processes and structures in place to support execution of our mission? What motivates our people the most and how do we provide that to them? What is essential for our financial stability? And how do we exceed customer expectations and define and measure success?</p><br/><strong><span style="color: #429a28;">Communication:</span></strong> The next step to achieve a high performing culture is communication; frequent, transparent, and authentic communication amongst leadership, employees, stakeholders, and customers is a necessity. To keep audiences engaged in your products and services, and committed to the organizations’ strategy, mission and vision, they need to know what is going on and why (within reason). If you want to create a high performing culture, it is not enough simply to communicate; methods for receiving and acting on feedback received from target audiences must also be developed. Develop communication plans and processes to ensure that all audiences (internal and external) are reached with the content vehicles and frequencies appropriate for them to remain interested and engaged.<br/><br/><strong><span style="color: #429a28;">Engagement:</span> </strong>The third step in achieving a high performing culture - always focus on the people. We’ve said this before, and we think it so important we’ll say it again, organizations can’t exist without people. People make the difference in every business. To achieve a high performing culture, you must recruit, engage, and retain the right people for your culture. <strong>Many things bring employees through the front door, but bad work environments drive them out.</strong> To not drive them out you need to build a highly engaged and committed workforce. <em>Let employees know they and their ideas are valued and that they work in a culture where their voices can be heard.</em> Creating this type of environment increases employee motivation and retention and reduces employee turnover. This type of positive environment helps people reach higher levels of productivity. Success depends on knowing and understanding your workforce and valuing each employee's satisfaction, motivation, well-being, and development. <em>People are the company.</em> High performing organizations recognize and embrace this fact.<br/><br/><strong><em><span style="color: #4aa7d3;">"Whosoever desires constant success must change his conduct with the times." </span></em></strong><br/><br/><strong><em><span style="color: #4aa7d3;"> -Niccolo Machiavelli</span></em></strong><br/><br/>Here’s hoping that most of you desire to be part of a high performing culture –and strive to create and maintain an organization where people really want to work! What triggers your “gut check?” What qualities or strategies do you think make the difference between a poor culture, and a high performing culture?<br/><br/>Stay tuned for more articles in our “<em>Do I Really Want to Work Here…?” </em>series!<br/><br/><em><strong>About</strong></em><em> Scott Span, MSOD: is President of </em><a href="http://www.tolerosolutions.com/"><em>Tolero Solutions</em></a><em> Organizational Development & Change Management firm. He helps clients to facilitate sustainable growth by developing people and organizations to be more responsive, focused, productive and profitable.</em><br/><br/><a title="Email Scott Span" href="mailto:scott.span@tolerosolutions.com">Email</a> | <a title="Tolero Solutions" href="http://www.tolerosolutions.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a title="Scott Span on LinkedIn" href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/scottspan" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a> | <a title="Scott Span on Twitter" href="http://www.twitter.com/SSpanTolero" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a title="The Tolero Think Tank Blog" href="http://tolerosolutions.com/thetolerothinktank" target="_blank">Blog</a> | <a title="Tolero Solutions Facebook" href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tolero-Solutions/131665363577261?sk=app_112078882147346" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br/><br/>________________________________________________________________________________<br/><br/><strong>*All Rights Reserved. Reproduction, publication, and all other use of any and all of this content is prohibited without authorized consent of Tolero Solutions and the author.</strong><br/><br/> Tolero Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12437818590603660092noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964298570253871762.post-67764384163134487972012-09-04T17:30:00.000-04:002012-12-03T13:02:20.194-05:00The Domino Effect – Don't Play Games With Your Organizational Success<p style="text-align: left;" align="center"><img class="alignleft wp-image-1633" title="dominos" src="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/dominos.jpg" alt="" width="177" height="224" />Have you ever played dominos? If so – you know how long it takes to set up the pieces in whatever pattern you choose. Yet regardless of how long it took you to set up the pieces – once you push that first piece over – it takes seconds to cause a change reaction that brings everything to the ground.</p><br/><p style="text-align: left;"> (Today’s <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/category/generations/">Millennial’s</a> probably have an app that does it digitally for them…)</p><br/><p style="text-align: left;">Dominos are actually a learning lesson when it comes to business. An organization will spend months, if not years, setting up the pieces together in a pattern that yields growth. Then at one point – someone adjusts or replaces one of those pieces and that change inadvertently knocks over the other pieces – and it causes a chain reaction - <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domino_effect">the domino effect</a>. This occurs when a small change causes another similar change nearby, which then will cause another similar change, and so on in linear sequence. It typically refers to a connected sequence of events or linkages within systems.</p><br/><p style="text-align: left;">Organizationally, the domino effect can be caused by the <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Tolero-Solutions-Whitepaper-Integrating-People-and-Technology.pdf">replacement or addition of new technology</a>; it could be an acquisition, or downsizing of the organization. Regardless - the catalyst that sets the dominos in motion is some type of change – businesses need to navigate these changes carefully and be sure the changes, or the people making the changes, aren't like a bull in a china shop.</p><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #4aa7d3;"><strong><em>"Everything affects everything else in one way or another. Whether you are aware of that or not does not change the fact that this is what is happening. That's why I say a business is a system. This systems perspective reminds us that this is what is going on. And when you see it this way, you can manage your business better. You appreciate, for example, that any action will reverberate throughout the entire company. This causes you to pay more attention to what you do, and learn the right lessons from your experience." - John Woods</em></strong></span></p><br/><p style="text-align: left;">Unfortunately that’s not how most businesses approach changes – with a systemic focus - most actually don’t take into consideration all the <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Tolero-Solutions_-Change-Management_Fact-Sheet_5-12.pdf">interconnected parts of the organization</a> that could set the domino effect into motion, impacting the success of the change, productivity and profitability.</p><br/><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #429a28;"><strong>Want to make sure your company doesn’t go through the domino effect? </strong></span></p><br/><p style="text-align: left;"><strong> Follow these simple steps:</strong></p><br/><br/><ul><br/> <li><strong><span style="color: #4aa7d3;">Plan for Change</span></strong>: Don’t forget organizations are interconnected systems. Change in one area has a direct impact on other areas. Learn how to successfully <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/what-is-change-management-why-is-it-important-to-your-organization/">plan for change</a>, implement, communicate, and create employee involvement and commitment, and measurement systems during change. Remain flexible and open to adapting the structures and processes as needed.</li><br/></ul><br/><ul><br/> <li><strong><span style="color: #4aa7d3;">Develop a Strategy:</span></strong> Have a developed and detailed change strategy, including a clear mission and a defined vision statement. The change <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Tolero-Solutions-Strategic-Planning_Fact-Sheet_5-12.pdf">strategy</a> should help determine why you are taking on the change, where you want to go, and how to chart the course to help you get there. Does it answer organizational imperatives? Can leadership clearly communicate the strategy? Do employees understand why the changes are happening and how and where they fit into making them successful?</li><br/></ul><br/><ul><br/> <li><strong><span style="color: #4aa7d3;">Engage your People:</span> </strong>Organizations can’t exist without people. People make the difference in every business. To achieve a <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/High-Performance-Culture-Whitepaper-12-17-11_FINAL.pdf">high performing culture</a>, you must recruit, engage and retain the right people for your culture. Build a highly engaged and committed workforce. It is people who measure the organization’s progress and steer its direction. It is the people and their capabilities, individually and collectively, that ultimately determine if changes are successful. Always put your people first – both daily and during times of change. Challenge them, engage them, and support them. Provide for your people and they will provide for you.</li><br/></ul><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #4aa7d3;"><strong><em>"General Systems Theory … says that each variable in any system interacts with the other variables so thoroughly that cause and effect cannot be separated. A simple variable can be both cause and effect. Reality will not be still. And it cannot be taken apart! You cannot understand a cell, a rat, a brain structure, a family, a culture if you isolate it from its context. Relationship is everything." </em><em>- Marilyn Ferguson</em></strong></span></p><br/><p style="text-align: left;">So, organizations are interconnected systems. Changes in on area have a direct impact on changes in other areas. Even though the pieces to your business aren’t actually dominoes – you should treat them as such.</p><br/><p style="text-align: left;"> Because once the dominoes start to fall – it takes a long time to set them back up.</p><br/><p style="text-align: left;"><em><strong>About:</strong></em><em> Scott Span, MSOD is President of </em><a href="http://www.tolerosolutions.com/"><em>Tolero Solutions</em></a><em> - an Organizational Improvement & Strategy firm. He helps clients to facilitate sustainable growth by developing people and organizations to be more effective, productive, and profitable.</em></p><br/><p style="text-align: left;"><a title="Email Scott Span" href="mailto:scott.span@tolerosolutions.com">Email</a> | <a title="Tolero Solutions" href="http://www.tolerosolutions.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a title="Scott Span on LinkedIn" href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/scottspan" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a> | <a title="Scott Span on Twitter" href="http://www.twitter.com/SSpanTolero" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a title="The Tolero Think Tank Blog" href="http://tolerosolutions.com/thetolerothinktank" target="_blank">Blog</a> | <a title="Tolero Solutions Facebook" href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tolero-Solutions/131665363577261?sk=app_112078882147346" target="_blank">Facebook</a></p><br/>________________________________________________________________________________<br/><br/><strong>*All Rights Reserved. Reproduction, publication, and all other use of any and all of this content is prohibited without authorized consent of Tolero Solutions and the author.</strong><br/><br/> <br/><br/> Tolero Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12437818590603660092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964298570253871762.post-89647238881362802762012-08-20T17:33:00.000-04:002012-12-03T13:02:20.203-05:00How to be a Boss: Are You a Good Boss or a Bad Boss?<img class="alignleft wp-image-1602" title="best boss" src="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/best-boss.jpg" alt="" width="144" height="144" />Sounds a little bit like the Wizard of Oz, we know. Similar to that classic story - what <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444772404577589302193682244.html?mod=e2fb">type of boss</a> you are can determine if your people respond to you more like Munchkins or Monkey Soldiers. While we were writing this blog with our marketing partner, <a href="http://www.preactivemarketing.com/">Preactive Marketing</a>, we found something interesting while we researched this topic, and it made us raise an eyebrow. <em>How to be a boss </em>generates roughly 20 million monthly global hits – yet <em>how to be a good boss</em> generates only 33,000 monthly global hits.<br/><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #4aa7d3;"><strong><em>A good boss makes his men realize they have more ability than they think they have so that they consistently do better work than they thought they could. </em></strong></span></p><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #4aa7d3;"><strong><em>- Charles Erwin Wilson</em></strong></span></p><br/>So why is that?<br/><ul><br/> <li>We realize it is probably because of many different factors – however we were intrigued that people are not more interested in how to be a good or even great boss. Is mediocrity taking over? Perhaps the reason is people are more focused on searching for the topic based more on the particular role than they are from the perspective of how to excel in that given role. Or maybe it’s because of the uptick in entrepreneurship. Regardless, building a successful business requires more than being a boss, it requires being a good boss – one who can create followership, build trust and maintain engagement.</li><br/></ul><br/><strong>So what makes a good boss or a <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/bullies-on-the-bus-bullies-in-the-boardroom/">bad boss</a>?</strong><br/><br/>High level - we’ll offer a few qualities that make a good boss and a bad boss.<br/><table border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><br/><tbody><br/><tr><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><h1 style="text-align: left;" align="center"><strong>Good Boss</strong></h1><br/></td><br/><td style="text-align: left;" valign="top" width="319"><br/><h1 align="center"><strong>Bad Boss</strong></h1><br/></td><br/></tr><br/><tr><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Vision</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Tunnel vision</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/></tr><br/><tr><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Transparency</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Secrecy</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/></tr><br/><tr><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Inspiration</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Pessimism</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/></tr><br/><tr><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Authenticity</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Disingenuous</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/></tr><br/><tr><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Honesty</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Dishonesty</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/></tr><br/><tr><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Trust</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Mistrust</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/></tr><br/><tr><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Socialized power</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Personalized power</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/></tr><br/><tr><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Values equality</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Practices oppression</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/></tr><br/><tr><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Recognition for a job well done</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/><td valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Ignoring a job well done</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/></tr><br/><tr><br/><td style="text-align: left;" valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Helps other succeed</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/><td style="text-align: left;" valign="top" width="319"><br/><ul><br/> <li>Only helps themselves succeed</li><br/></ul><br/></td><br/></tr><br/></tbody><br/></table><br/> <br/><br/><strong><img class="alignleft wp-image-1605" title="boss good bad" src="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/boss-good-bad.png" alt="" width="144" height="162" />So how do you become a good boss?</strong><br/><br/>Short answer – develop and excel in the “good boss” qualities listed above – you can get started in 3 steps.<br/><br/><span style="color: #429a28;"><strong>Feedback:</strong> </span>The first step in being a good boss is feedback – soliciting input from those you lead regarding your actions and behaviors and how those behaviors positively and negatively impact them.<br/><br/><span style="color: #429a28;"><strong>Awareness:</strong></span> The next step in being a good boss is having self awareness – taking the feedback on those actions and behaviors that may negatively impact those you lead and making a conscious effort to be aware of when they are occurring and why.<br/><br/><span style="color: #429a28;"><strong>Action:</strong></span> The third step in being a good boss is action – take action to increase your positive behaviors and decrease those with a potential negative impact. Training, coaching, and mentoring are all great ways to increase and develop new skills that can have a positive impact on those you lead.<br/><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #4aa7d3;"><strong><em>When the best leader's work is done the people say, "We did it ourselves." - Lao Tzu</em></strong></span></p><br/>Here’s hoping that most of you desire to be good – even great – bosses! So what qualities or strategies do you think make the difference between a boss, and a good boss?<br/><br/><em><strong>About</strong></em><em> Scott Span, MSOD: is President of </em><a href="http://www.tolerosolutions.com/"><em>Tolero Solutions</em></a><em> - an Organizational Improvement & Strategy firm. He helps clients to facilitate sustainable growth by developing people and organizations to be more effective, productive, and profitable.</em><br/><br/><a title="Email Scott Span" href="mailto:scott.span@tolerosolutions.com">Email</a> | <a title="Tolero Solutions" href="http://www.tolerosolutions.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a title="Scott Span on LinkedIn" href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/scottspan" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a> | <a title="Scott Span on Twitter" href="http://www.twitter.com/SSpanTolero" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a title="The Tolero Think Tank Blog" href="http://tolerosolutions.com/thetolerothinktank" target="_blank">Blog</a> | <a title="Tolero Solutions Facebook" href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tolero-Solutions/131665363577261?sk=app_112078882147346" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br/><br/>________________________________________________________________________________<br/><br/><strong>*All Rights Reserved. Reproduction, publication, and all other use of any and all of this content is prohibited without authorized consent of Tolero Solutions and the author.</strong><br/><br/> Tolero Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12437818590603660092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964298570253871762.post-52299357918042630292012-08-03T17:48:00.000-04:002012-12-03T13:02:20.186-05:00You're Fired…But Help Us Anyway! GSK Acquisition Sends Executive Team
Packing<a href="http://www.gsk.com/"><img class="alignleft wp-image-1565" title="buy sell" src="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/buy-sell.jpg" alt="" width="187" height="173" />GlaxoSmithKline, (GSK)</a> a British drug maker, recently purchased the <a href="http://www.hgsi.com/">Human Genome Sciences (HGS)</a> based in Rockville, MD.<br/><br/>Their first order of business - <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-business/post/glaxosmithkline-ejects-executives-from-recently-acquired-human-genome-sciences/2012/07/30/gJQADx5eKX_blog.html?wpisrc=al_bizlocal_b">fire the executive team and most of the board of directors</a> - seems they chose the often too typical and sometimes detrimental approach - we bought them so let’s get rid of their people and processes and do it our way. Why wouldn’t GSK take - what I think to be - the smart approach to an acquisition – let’s try and retain the intellectual capital <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Tolero-Solutions-Checklist-Employee-Retention-FINAL.pdf">(you know, the people who know stuff)</a> of the company we purchased and explore how to best transition knowledge and merge our cultures and strategy?<br/><br/>Now to be fair, it’s not uncommon in M&A situations for the acquiring company to oust some high level executives and to begin consolidation of certain functions – though there is a way to approach it which can yield a higher rate of long term success.<br/><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #4aa7d3;"><em><strong>“Leadership that's reliant on mergers and acquisitions is dangerous leadership.” - John Varley</strong></em></span></p><br/>For one thing, if you’re the acquiring company, don’t replace the entire executive team with your own people – this not only sends the wrong message to employees (which can have a direct negative impact on engagement and retention and thus performance), but you also risk losing leadership with a deep understanding of the culture and politics of the organization. For GSK to purchase HGS - I am sure there had to have been a lot of great work being accomplished by the staff employed by HGS. These are folks who helped to shape the organizations success, which contributed to why GSK acquired the organization to begin with.<br/><br/>This type of action usually contributes to employee concern - most of the staff is probably hanging by the water cooler gossiping about what took place, updating their resume, or looking at new jobs fearing they'll be next.<br/><br/>It's a common result from something that could have been solved by a little thing called <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Tolero-Solutions_-Change-Management_Fact-Sheet_5-12.pdf">"communication and transition management."</a><br/><br/><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-1566" title="GSK" src="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/GSK.jpg" alt="" width="120" height="137" />The investment made by GSK (3.6 billion is no chump change) could very well endure months, if not years of work to recoup their investment. Those executives who were fired couldn't possibly share all of the insider knowledge they possess in 1 month. When September begins - there will be people, process, and strategy issues to deal with – some that could have been lessened or prevented.<br/><br/><span style="color: #429a28;"><strong>Here is how you can avoid losing money in your acquisition and get the most out of your investment:</strong></span><br/><ul><br/> <li><strong>Leadership</strong>…leadership of the acquiring organization needs to take time to build relationships with the <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/category/leadership/">leadership</a> of the organization they’re purchasing. Those leaders know the culture, the politics, the unspoken rules and processes to get things done. They have built important trusted relationships with employees and stakeholders. Acquiring this knowledge takes more than a 30 day “stay on board and help” plan. If the new organization just swoops in and fires them all then they lose this important knowledge and those relationships. Lack of knowledge transfer and relationship building can have a negative impact on the ease of transition and the overall success of the acquisition</li><br/></ul><br/><ul><br/> <li><strong>Communication</strong>…<a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/category/communication/">communication</a> is imperative for a successful acquisition. Clear communication strategies must be implemented inclusive of audience specific messaging. Content, vehicles, and frequencies must be identified for disseminating the right info to the right people at the right time. Leaders, employees, stakeholders and even vendors need to be made aware of what the acquisition means to them and how it impacts their jobs and roles and responsibilities. Once people start assuming the worst and making up their own versions of what is happening, it becomes very hard to reverse the trend. Without clear and targeted communication the rumor mill begins, and this impacts performance and profitability.</li><br/></ul><br/><ul><br/> <li><strong>Change and Transition</strong>…change is an inevitable part of a merger or acquisition – so is transition. You must have a plan – an actionable plan – in place to address both. Change is never easy. Change is a bumpy process. But why is <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/serviceofferings/consulting-services-2/transformational-change-solutions">change</a> so hard? Change is hard because it is an emotional experience for most. An emotional experience, particularly an experience one often has little choice in being part of, creates resistance. Resistance is a natural emotion, though an emotion that can make change even harder. However, resistance must be managed to harness that energy for positive change. Managing resistance requires focusing on <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/change-transition-no-they-are-not-the-same-thing/">not just change, but also transition</a>. People go through the phases of transition at their own pace, not necessarily at the pace of others or the pace of an organization. People need to be supported in each phase. To ease the difficulties of the <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/serviceofferings/consulting-services-2/strategic-organizational">change process</a> a focus on transition must run in parallel to a focus on change.</li><br/></ul><br/>For an acquisition to be successful the organizations must truly merge and become <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/High-Performance-Culture-Whitepaper-12-17-11_FINAL.pdf">high performing</a> and enable meaningful change to improve their programs, services, products, and processes, to create new value for the organization's stakeholders.<br/><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #4aa7d3;"><em><strong>"Plans are nothing; planning is everything."</strong> -<strong>Dwight D. Eisenhower</strong></em></span></p><br/>Moral of the story – when an acquisition is taking place – don’t take a “my way or the highway” a “we’re bigger and better” or “thanks now get lost” approach. Take the time needed for leadership (old and new) to build relationships and understanding and create a smooth transition strategy for all involved. This helps alleviate anxiety – allowing the staff to focus on what they do best and helping to create a new combined success.<br/><br/><strong><em>About</em></strong><em> <strong>Scott Span, MSOD:</strong> is President of </em><a href="http://www.tolerosolutions.com/"><em>Tolero Solutions</em></a><em> Organizational Development & Change Management firm. He helps clients to facilitate sustainable growth by developing people and organizations to be more responsive, focused, productive and profitable.</em><br/><br/><a title="Email Scott Span" href="mailto:scott.span@tolerosolutions.com">Email</a> | <a title="Tolero Solutions" href="http://www.tolerosolutions.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a title="Scott Span on LinkedIn" href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/scottspan" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a> | <a title="Scott Span on Twitter" href="http://www.twitter.com/SSpanTolero" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a title="The Tolero Think Tank Blog" href="http://tolerosolutions.com/thetolerothinktank" target="_blank">Blog</a> | <a title="Tolero Solutions Facebook" href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tolero-Solutions/131665363577261?sk=app_112078882147346" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br/><br/>________________________________________________________________________________<br/><br/><strong>*All Rights Reserved. Reproduction, publication, and all other use of any and all of this content is prohibited without authorized consent of Tolero Solutions and the author.</strong><br/><br/> Tolero Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12437818590603660092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964298570253871762.post-47172322865895679432012-07-27T10:26:00.000-04:002012-12-03T13:02:20.185-05:00Culture is...<img class="alignleft wp-image-1541" title="culture arrow" src="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/culture-arrow.jpg" alt="" width="188" height="131" /><br/><br/><strong>Part Three in a Summer Series on Creating a High Performing Organization: </strong><br/><br/>According to our marketing partner –<a href="http://www.preactivemarketing.com/">Preactive Marketing</a> – the phrase “culture is…” generates roughly 20 million global hits. This indicates it is quite a popular topic and that people are interested in what culture is - and why having a high performance one is important.<br/><br/><strong>We’ll share our thoughts, though we also prefer to hear from you, </strong><a title="Share your opinion " href="http://www.facebook.com/ToleroSolutions" target="_blank"><strong>so share your opinion</strong></a><strong>!</strong><br/><br/>Culture has different meanings to different people – so how would you finish the sentence –<strong> </strong><em><strong>Culture is…</strong></em><br/><br/>I would finish it something like this:<br/><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #4aa7d3;"><strong><em>The shared assumptions, values and beliefs of a group of people. The way in which a group of people solves problems. - Geert Hofstede</em></strong></span></p><br/><em></em>Wise words from good ol Geert. The term <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture">culture</a> has many meanings. Whether written as a mission statement, spoken, or just understood, organizational culture describes and governs the ways a company’s leaders, employees, customers and stakeholders think, feel and act. Culture may be based on beliefs or spelled out in your mission statement.<br/><br/>Simply put - culture can be defined as, “<em>the way work gets done around here. </em>Organizations can’t excel for the long term if they don’t have a high performance culture – for more on the aspects of creating and maintaining a high performing culture - check out our whitepaper -<em><strong> <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/High-Performance-Culture-Whitepaper-12-17-11_FINAL.pdf">What is a High Performance Culture? Creating a culture that supports long term growth and sustainability.</a></strong></em><br/><br/><strong>So…</strong><br/><br/><em>Why is your organizational culture so important?</em><br/><ul><br/> <li>Culture has a direct impact on employee performance, engagement and retention, and thus also a direct impact on innovation, customer satisfaction, and bottom line revenue. For example, a culture of poor communication, lack of transparent and authentic leadership, abuse of power, and inflexible structures and processes is most likely a culture that would not be categorized as high performance or sustainable for the long term ; As this type of environment wouldn't make employees want to give their best and thus negatively impact the bottom line.<strong> </strong></li><br/></ul><br/><ul><br/> <li>On the flip side, however, a positive culture can drive high performance and to create an environment of innovation and sustainability. Organizations that have flexible processes and structures which help facilitate cross communication; encouraging people to share ideas and concerns with leadership usually excel. If people enjoy working for your organization then in most cases they give 100% engagement toward helping the company succeed.</li><br/></ul><br/><ul><br/> <li>Culture is the identity of a company, and because of that, in some ways it becomes an identity of those who work there, as well. The people end up affecting the culture as much as the culture is affecting them. So while there are many definitions of organizational culture, all of them focus on the same points: collective experience, structures, beliefs, values, norms, and systems. These are learned and re-learned, passed on to new employees, and continues on as part of a company’s core identity.</li><br/></ul><br/>A company’s culture says a lot about an organization and the direction they are headed - success or failure can hinge on culture. In the words of another organizational culture guru:<br/><p style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="color: #4aa7d3;">“</span><span style="color: #4aa7d3;"><strong><span style="color: #4aa7d3;">The</span> only thing of real importance that leaders do is to create and manage culture. If you do not manage culture, it manages you, and you may not even be aware of the extent to which this is happening.” - Edgar Schein</strong></span></em></p><br/><p style="text-align: left;">So – culture is how<strong> </strong><strong>“work gets done around here.”</strong> To get work done well a positive culture is needed for organizational, employee, and customer satisfaction and success. And who doesn't want to be success!</p><br/><em><strong>About</strong></em><em> </em><strong><em>Scott Span, MSOD:</em></strong><em> is President of </em><a href="http://www.tolerosolutions.com/"><em>Tolero Solutions</em></a><em> Organizational Development & Change Management firm. He helps clients to facilitate sustainable growth by developing people and organizations to be more responsive, focused, productive and profitable.</em><br/><br/><a title="Email Scott Span" href="mailto:scott.span@tolerosolutions.com">Email</a> | <a title="Tolero Solutions" href="http://www.tolerosolutions.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a title="Scott Span on LinkedIn" href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/scottspan" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a> | <a title="Scott Span on Twitter" href="http://www.twitter.com/SSpanTolero" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a title="The Tolero Think Tank Blog" href="http://tolerosolutions.com/thetolerothinktank" target="_blank">Blog</a> | <a title="Tolero Solutions Facebook" href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tolero-Solutions/131665363577261?sk=app_112078882147346" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br/><br/>________________________________________________________________________________<br/><br/><strong>*All Rights Reserved. Reproduction, publication, and all other use of any and all of this content is prohibited without authorized consent of Tolero Solutions and the author.</strong>Tolero Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12437818590603660092noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964298570253871762.post-60342572837800630142012-07-12T18:56:00.000-04:002012-12-03T13:02:20.189-05:00Strategy is...<strong><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-1483" title="Strat arrow" src="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Strat-arrow.jpg" alt="" width="276" height="183" /></strong><br/><br/><strong>Part Two in a Summer Series on Creating a High Performing Organization: </strong><br/><br/>According to our marketing partner – <a href="http://www.preactivemarketing.com/">Preactive Marketing</a> – the phrase “strategy is…” generates roughly 13.6 million global hits. This indicates it is quite a popular topic and that people are interested in what a <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Tolero-Solutions-Strategic-Planning_Fact-Sheet_5-12.pdf">strategy should contain</a> and why having one is important.<br/><br/><strong>We’ll share our thoughts, though we also prefer to hear from you, <a title="Share your opinion " href="http://www.facebook.com/ToleroSolutions" target="_blank">so share your opinion</a></strong><strong>!</strong><br/><br/>Strategy has different meanings to different people – so how would you finish the sentence –<strong> <em>Strategy is…</em></strong><br/><br/>I would finish it something like this:<br/><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #4aa7d3;"><em><strong>A strategy delineates a territory in which a company seeks to be unique.- Michael Porter</strong></em></span></p><br/>Wise words from Mr. Porter. Based on how most define strategy, the main reason for the existence of strategy is to achieve end goals. Organizations can’t succeed at getting where they want to go if they don’t have a plan of how to get there.<br/><br/><strong><span style="color: #429a28;">So…</span></strong><br/><br/>Why is having a strategy important – why conduct strategic planning?<br/><ul><br/> <li>A solid strategy is the cement and mortar in the foundation of any successful organization (that’s just one reason we offer our clients <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/serviceofferings/">consulting services</a> and <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/serviceofferings/workshops-training/">training</a> on this topic). You’ve got to have a plan – actionable processes.</li><br/></ul><br/>A plan and process for how to:<br/><ul><br/> <li>Handle change</li><br/> <li>Manage for results</li><br/> <li>Provide customer support</li><br/> <li>Increase adaptability</li><br/> <li>Promote communication</li><br/> <li>Guide management decisions</li><br/> <li>Remain future-oriented</li><br/></ul><br/>The <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/category/strategy/">strategy is</a> a supporting document that should contain actionable processes to help you answer important questions and achieve success – it should also outline what success looks like for your organization and how you measure that success. The strategy should assist in defining target markets, processes, structures, roles and responsibilities, and key customers and stakeholders.<br/><ul><br/> <li>How does an organization develop a strategy?</li><br/></ul><br/>Carefully – this shouldn’t be a rush job. The strategy is like the compass for your organization, it provides direction. Developing a strategy should include several components. A solid strategy should include a focus and analysis on both internal (history, politics, culture, structure) and external factors (competitors, customers, environment, laws and policy). The organization should also include the development of the mission and vision of developing a strategy as well as targets, goals and initiatives, and measures of success.<br/><br/>So, in short, the strategic planning process should ask and answer the following questions <span style="color: #429a28;"><strong>(here is your cheat sheet!)</strong>:</span><br/><br/><strong>Where are we now?</strong><br/><ul><br/> <li>Internal/external environmental assessment</li><br/> <li>Customer and stakeholder identification</li><br/></ul><br/><strong>Where do we want to be?</strong><br/><ul><br/> <li>Mission</li><br/> <li>Vision</li><br/> <li>Targets</li><br/> <li>Initiatives</li><br/> <li>Objectives</li><br/></ul><br/><strong>How do we measure our progress?</strong><br/><ul><br/> <li>Performance measures and KPIs</li><br/></ul><br/><strong>How do we get there?</strong><br/><ul><br/> <li>Supporting strategies and initiatives</li><br/> <li>Action plans</li><br/> <li>Tracking system</li><br/></ul><br/>You see…<em>strategy is</em> a facet of business that is imperative to succeeding.<br/><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #4aa7d3;"><em><strong>“He who fails to plan is planning to fail.” -Winston Churchill </strong></em></span></p><br/><span style="color: #429a28;"><strong>If you don’t know where you are going - how will you ever get there!</strong></span><br/><div><br/><br/><em><strong>About</strong></em><em> </em><strong><em>Scott Span, MSOD:</em></strong><em> is President of </em><a href="http://www.tolerosolutions.com/"><em>Tolero Solutions</em></a><em> Organizational Development & Change Management firm. He helps clients to facilitate sustainable growth by developing people and organizations to be more responsive, focused, productive and profitable.</em><br/><br/><a title="Email Scott Span" href="mailto:scott.span@tolerosolutions.com">Email</a> | <a title="Tolero Solutions" href="http://www.tolerosolutions.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a title="Scott Span on LinkedIn" href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/scottspan" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a> | <a title="Scott Span on Twitter" href="http://www.twitter.com/SSpanTolero" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a title="The Tolero Think Tank Blog" href="http://tolerosolutions.com/thetolerothinktank" target="_blank">Blog</a> | <a title="Tolero Solutions Facebook" href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tolero-Solutions/131665363577261?sk=app_112078882147346" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br/><br/>________________________________________________________________________________<br/><br/><strong>*All Rights Reserved. Reproduction, publication, and all other use of any and all of this content is prohibited without authorized consent of Tolero Solutions and the author.</strong><br/><br/></div>Tolero Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12437818590603660092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964298570253871762.post-40700212017138053992012-06-29T16:04:00.000-04:002012-12-03T13:02:20.180-05:00Bullies on the Bus – Bullies in the Boardroom!<p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1442" title="bus bully" src="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/bus-bully.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="168" /></p><br/><p style="text-align: left;" align="center">I’m sure you’ve seen it in the news, or at least heard about it - the bullied bus monitor. A bus monitor, 68 year old Karen Klein, was bombarded with a stream of profanity, insults, jeers and physical ridicule by multiple middle school kids as she rode the bus. I’ll spare the specifics as to the obscenely rude and hurtful remarks uttered by these kids – one, because it really angers me personally and professionally, and two, because you can find what they said in the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E12R9fMMtos">cell phone video</a> and <a href="https://www.google.com/search?aq=0&oq=bullied+bus&sugexp=chrome,mod=3&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=bullied+bus+monitor">in various news stories.</a></p><br/>Though as an organization development practitioner and trained behavioral scientist, and someone who works with organizations and the people in them – this story did get me thinking, both about today’s youth and tomorrow’s leaders. You see they are one in the same - and that’s a bit concerning to me. Bullies on the bus can become bullies in the boardroom.<br/><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #4aa7d3;"><em><strong>"The serial bully, who in my estimation accounts for about one person in thirty in society, is the single most important threat to the effectiveness of organisations, the profitability of industry, the performance of the economy, and the prosperity of society."</strong></em></span></p><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #4aa7d3;"><em><strong> - Tim Field</strong></em></span></p><br/>Now, I’m not saying all kids are bullies, and I’m not saying all kids will grow up to be leaders (sorry to all those parents out there giving gold stars for every little thing, but c’mon, seriously). However, I am saying that as these bully kids grow up, and begin to enter into our larger and diversified global business world, they’re going to have to learn some tolerance, respect, and understanding for others– not to mention some self awareness - particularly those who want to become <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/category/leadership/">quality leaders</a>!<br/><br/><strong><span style="color: #429a28;">So a bit of advice on why not to be a bully leader:</span></strong><br/><ul><br/> <li>People may do what you want if you bully them, they may be intimidated by you, though they will most likely <strong>never respect you</strong>. Without mutual respect, you usually <strong>can’t have an honest</strong> and trusting relationship – the type that is really productive both personally and professionally.</li><br/></ul><br/><ul><br/> <li><strong>Bullied people are usually not happy people.</strong> Unhappy people are usually not engaged people. Lower employee morale and lower employee engagement contribute to lower customer satisfaction and lower customer satisfaction contributes to decline in profits.</li><br/></ul><br/><ul><br/> <li><strong>Reputation is important for a quality leader.</strong> If you have a reputation for being a hardnosed, detailed orientated, assertive go-getter who still listens to others ideas and values and recognizes a job well done, that’s not necessarily a bad reputation. Actually, some people thrive under that type of leadership. However, if you have a reputation for being a self serving, obnoxious, intolerant, tyrannical leader then most likely your bad reputation will precede you. If you have a bad reputation, good luck attracting the best and brightest talent to want to follow you and help you succeed.</li><br/></ul><br/>Now, we all know bullies exist in the workplace, some may have been bullies on the bus and some may have become bullies as they escalated in their careers. Regardless, I’m sure you’ve most likely encountered one or more in your professional career.<br/><br/><img class="alignleft wp-image-1443" title="bossbull" src="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/bully-boss.jpg" alt="" width="230" height="140" /><strong><span style="color: #429a28;">So how do you deal with a workplace bully?</span></strong><br/><br/>You deal with a workplace bully in much the same way you deal with anyone else who pushes your hot buttons – and for those details, I’ll direct you to our previous article: <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/are-your-buttons-getting-pushed-3-tips-on-what-you-can-do/">Are Your Buttons Getting Pushed? 3 Tips On What You Can Do.</a><br/><br/> <br/><br/><strong>Though in a nutshell:</strong><br/><ul><br/> <li><strong>Breathe:</strong> Yes, I know we all do that anyway, but I mean really breathe. Just stop and take a few of those yoga style deep breathes.</li><br/></ul><br/><ul><br/> <li><strong>Communication:</strong> I know you’re probably thinking – well of course I communicate. Yes, we all do, both verbally and non- verbally. We also all have distinctive <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/category/communication/">communication</a> styles and preferences. In short, if you feel your buttons getting pushed as someone is communicating with you, tell them.</li><br/></ul><br/><ul><br/> <li><strong>Feedback:</strong> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/What-Did-You-Say-Receiving/dp/0965043002">Giving and receiving feedback</a> is imperative to making sure your hot buttons don’t get pushed, and is imperative to helping to not push others – it’s a cycle. And per these kids who think bullying others is cool – they won’t think it’s so cool when it’s the ones they’re bullying who grow up to be the quality leaders they report to in the workplace!</li><br/></ul><br/><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #4aa7d3;"><em><strong>“The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humor, but without folly.”</strong></em></span></div><br/><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #4aa7d3;"><em><strong> ~ Jim Rohn</strong></em></span></div><br/>And per Ms. Karen Klein – I certainly hope she uses some of that money everyone’s been sending her to start an anti-bullying non-profit organization – after all she is now in position to help shape some of the future quality leaders of tomorrow, and we can never have to many of those!<br/><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>*</strong> <strong>As an update: </strong>It seems that the kids involved <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/29/us/new-york-bus-monitor-suspensions/index.html?c=homepage-t" target="_blank">have in fact received punishment.</a> As of June 30th, they received one-year suspensions from school and regular bus transportation, they will be transferred to the district Reengagement Center, and will also be required to complete 50 hours of community service with senior citizens and must take part in a formal bullying prevention program.</p><br/><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>* As another update:</strong> <a href="Harassed bus monitor starts anti-bullying foundation http://m.cnn.com/primary/wk_article?articleId=urn:newsml:CNN.com:20120823:new-york-bus-monitor:1&branding=&category=cnnd_us&pagesize=10 " target="_blank">Harassed bus monitor starts anti-bullying foundation</a><br/><br/></p><br/><strong><em>About</em></strong><em> Scott Span, MSOD: is President of </em><a href="http://www.tolerosolutions.com/"><em>Tolero Solutions</em></a><em> Organizational Development & Change Management firm. He helps clients to facilitate sustainable growth by developing people and organizations to be more responsive, focused, productive and profitable.</em><br/><br/><a title="Email Scott Span" href="mailto:scott.span@tolerosolutions.com">Email</a> | <a title="Tolero Solutions" href="http://www.tolerosolutions.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a title="Scott Span on LinkedIn" href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/scottspan" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a> | <a title="Scott Span on Twitter" href="http://www.twitter.com/SSpanTolero" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a title="The Tolero Think Tank Blog" href="http://tolerosolutions.com/thetolerothinktank" target="_blank">Blog</a> | <a title="Tolero Solutions Facebook" href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tolero-Solutions/131665363577261?sk=app_112078882147346" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br/><br/>________________________________________________________________________________<br/><br/><strong>*All Rights Reserved. Reproduction, publication, and all other use of any and all of this content is prohibited without authorized consent of Tolero Solutions and the author.</strong>Tolero Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12437818590603660092noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964298570253871762.post-75342576167876348282012-06-26T11:37:00.000-04:002012-12-03T13:02:20.198-05:00Leadership is…<span style="color: #429a28;"><strong><img class="alignleft wp-image-1426" title="leader text" src="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/leader-text.jpg" alt="" width="223" height="144" /></strong></span><br/><br/><strong>Part One in a Summer Series on Creating a High Performing Organization: </strong><br/><br/><span style="color: #429a28;"><strong>We’ll share our thoughts, though we also prefer to hear from you, so <a href="http://www.facebook.com/ToleroSolutions" target="_blank">share your opinion</a></strong><a href="http://www.facebook.com/ToleroSolutions"> <strong>!</strong></a></span><br/><br/>According to our marketing partner, <a href="http://www.preactivemarketing.com/" target="_blank">Preactive Marketing</a>, the phrase “leadership is” has over 6 million global monthly searches. This indicates there is a growing interest in the topic and in learning to become a better leader.<br/><br/>So, how would you finish the phrase <strong><span><em>leadership is</em>…</span></strong><br/><br/>I would finish it something like this:<br/><p align="center"><strong><em><span style="color: #4aa7d3;">“Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it."</span></em></strong></p><br/><p align="center"><strong><em><span style="color: #4aa7d3;">- Dwight Eisenhower</span></em></strong></p><br/>Thanks for the words of wisdom Ike. Leaders can’t lead without followers - or as I like to call them - implementers and doers. So, how does a leader get someone to do something because he/she wants it done?<br/><ul><br/> <li><span style="color: #429a28;"><strong>Transparency</strong> –</span> Be transparent. People can usually tell when “something is up.” So before the rumors begin flying and productivity is impacted, <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/category/communication/">communicate</a>with your employees. When making strategic decisions, determining organizational changes, or facing issues that impact employees, successful leaders need to be transparent with their workforce about how these matters arose, their thought process for dealing with them, and how their solutions may directly impact those they lead.</li><br/></ul><br/><ul><br/> <li><span style="color: #429a28;"><strong>Trust</strong> –</span> Create a safe and trusting environment. <a href="http://thetolerothinktank.blogspot.com/2010/02/what-is-business-case-for-trust.html" target="_blank">Trust</a> is a fundamental behavior for any relationship, both personal and professional. According to a study by the <a href="http://www.haygroup.com/" target="_blank">Hay Group</a>, a global management consultancy, there are 75 key components of employee satisfaction <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Applied-Public-Relations-Stakeholder-Communication/dp/0415999162/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1274894087&sr=8-1">(Lamb & McKee, 2009)</a>. They found that: Trust and confidence in top leadership was the single most reliable predictor of employee satisfaction in an organization. Trust must be earned. Leaders can earn employee trust by helping employees understand the company’s overall business strategy, informing them how they contribute to achieving key <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/goal-setting-why-bother-are-you-setting-your-2012-goals-3/">business goals,</a> and sharing information with employees on both how the company is doing and how an employee’s own performance is relative to organizational objectives. <em>It is much easier for employees to trust a leader that shows an interest in them.</em></li><br/></ul><br/><ul><br/> <li><span style="color: #429a28;"><strong>Self Awareness</strong> –</span> Be self aware. Successful leaders have a heightened level of self-awareness, they have an understanding of themselves, their behaviors and actions, and how those behaviors and actions are interpreted by, and directly impact, employees. A good example of leadership self-awareness is exhibited in the <a href="http://www.army.mil/professionalwriting/volumes/volume2/march_2004/3_04_4_pf.html">U.S. Army’s leadership philosophy</a> of “be, know, do.” Be proficient and competent, know yourself and your strengths and weaknesses, and do take responsibility and lead by example. Always be open to further growth and learning. Professional <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Tolero-Solutions-Retention_Engagement_Fact-Sheet_5-21.pdf" target="_blank">coaching</a> is also a great well to help further develop leader self-awareness.</li><br/></ul><br/>You see…leadership is a facet of business that is imperative to succeeding.<br/><p align="center"><em><strong><span style="color: #4aa7d3;">"The quality of leadership, more than any other single factor, determines the success or failure of an organization."</span></strong></em><br/><em><strong><span style="color: #4aa7d3;"> - Fred Fiedler & Martin Chemers</span></strong></em></p><br/><strong>So be a quality leader – one who people trust, respect, and want to follow!</strong><br/><br/>If you’re looking for leadership training for yourself or for your organization – <a href="mailto:info@tolerosolutions.com?subject=Leadership%20Blog%20-%20Discount" target="_blank">contact us by Friday, June 29<sup>th</sup></a> and mention this blog - we’ll take <strong><span style="color: #429a28;">15% off</span></strong> the offering that best fits your needs.<br/><br/><em><strong>About</strong></em><em> </em><strong><em>Scott Span, MSOD:</em></strong><em> is President of </em><a href="http://www.tolerosolutions.com/"><em>Tolero Solutions</em></a><em> Organizational Development & Change Management firm. He helps clients to facilitate sustainable growth by developing people and organizations to be more responsive, focused, productive and profitable.</em><br/><br/><a title="Email Scott Span" href="mailto:scott.span@tolerosolutions.com">Email</a> | <a title="Tolero Solutions" href="http://www.tolerosolutions.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a title="Scott Span on LinkedIn" href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/scottspan" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a> | <a title="Scott Span on Twitter" href="http://www.twitter.com/SSpanTolero" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a title="The Tolero Think Tank Blog" href="http://tolerosolutions.com/thetolerothinktank" target="_blank">Blog</a> | <a title="Tolero Solutions Facebook" href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tolero-Solutions/131665363577261?sk=app_112078882147346" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br/><div><br/><br/>________________________________________________________________________________<br/><br/><strong>*All Rights Reserved. Reproduction, publication, and all other use of any and all of this content is prohibited without authorized consent of Tolero Solutions and the author.</strong><br/><br/></div>Tolero Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12437818590603660092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964298570253871762.post-4029406720440595142012-06-22T12:51:00.000-04:002012-12-03T13:02:20.179-05:00Raise Your Hand if Your Organization Can Improve Employee Development &
Recognition!<p style="text-align: left;"><img class="alignleft wp-image-1361" title="ROI" src="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/ROI.jpg" alt="" width="161" height="201" /><strong>Part One in a Summer Series on How to Improve your Performance: </strong></p><br/><p style="text-align: left;"><strong></strong>So how many of you raised your hand? It’s ok, we can’t see you – go ahead, be honest. If we were to ask your employees if they feel your organization can improve employee development and learning and <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/a-pat-on-the-back-please-are-your-employees-recognized-for-their-performance/">increase recognition</a>– how many would raise their hand?</p><br/><p style="text-align: left;">One of the most overlooked yet important assets a company has is <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/an-improving-economy-could-mean-loss-of-employees-will-they-stay-or-will-they-go-thats-up-to-you/">their people</a>. If you don’t take care of the people – your long term goals are unlikely to be met – and you may never see how far you can really go with your business.</p><br/><p style="text-align: left;"><strong style="color: #429a28;">Reasons to improve employee development and learning:</strong></p><br/><br/><ul style="text-align: left;"><br/> <li><strong>Most people want to learn</strong>. They want to be challenged. The more you can provide opportunities for them to do so, the more likely they are to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Employee_engagement">remain engaged</a>. The more engaged the workforce, the higher performing they are, the higher performing they are the more innovation and revenue are likely to increase.</li><br/></ul><br/><ul style="text-align: left;"><br/> <li><strong>When people acquire new knowledge they find of value, they usually have a desire to apply that knowledge</strong>, and to share it with others. Not only does this increase organizational learning, it also helps increase team performance, via knowledge sharing and communication.</li><br/></ul><br/><ul style="text-align: left;"><br/> <li>When your people feel they can <strong>learn and grow with your organization</strong>, and they feel their knowledge and contributions are valued, then they are <strong>less likely to </strong><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turnover_(employment)">look for a job elsewhere</a>.</li><br/></ul><br/><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #4aa7d3;"><strong><em>“An organization’s ability to learn, and translate that learning into action rapidly,</em></strong></span></div><br/><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #4aa7d3;"><strong><em> is the ultimate competitive advantage.” </em></strong></span></div><br/><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #4aa7d3;"><strong><em>– Jack Welch</em></strong></span></div><br/> <br/><div style="text-align: left;"></div><br/><p style="text-align: left;"><em>Ok – so this is great, you say. But how do I focus more on my people?</em></p><br/><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #429a28;"><strong><img class="wp-image-1362 aligncenter" title="skills" src="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/skills.jpg" alt="" width="207" height="155" /></strong></span></p><br/><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #429a28;"><strong>3 quick ways to improve employee development and learning:</strong></span></p><br/><br/><ul style="text-align: left;"><br/> <li><strong>Ask your employees what they want.</strong> What types of knowledge and learning opportunities can help them better perform their jobs? What types of knowledge and learning opportunities make them feel challenged as individuals? Collect the data and act on it. Offer options based on employee input. One of the quickest ways to increase performance is to increase engagement.</li><br/></ul><br/><ul style="text-align: left;"><br/> <li><strong>Provide for peer to peer learning.</strong> Brown bag lunch and learns, webinars – take advantage of various formats available for employees to share knowledge and interests with others who may benefit. Providing employees the opportunity to transfer knowledge increases an employee’s communication skills, and is an easy way to provide recognition and make them feel valued.</li><br/></ul><br/><ul style="text-align: left;"><br/> <li><strong>Understand your needs and admit you don’t know what you don’t know.</strong> If specific learning and development is requested by employees, and is of value to the organization, and you don’t have the capability in house to deliver, then look outside. Partner with other organizations on learning and development offerings or bring in an outside resource. (Not to toot our horn, though c’mon it is our blog, Tolero Solutions can help with designing learning and development programs and delivering employee recognition strategies – <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/contact/" target="_blank">contact us for a free evaluation</a>)</li><br/></ul><br/><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #4aa7d3;"><em><strong>“Learning is not compulsory… neither is survival.” – W. Edwards Deming</strong></em></span></div><br/> <br/><div style="text-align: center;"></div><br/><div style="text-align: left;"></div><br/><div style="text-align: left;">Ok – so we know your attention span is short this time of year, particularly if you have a pool or beach nearby, so we’ll keep this short. We just covered one area to look at that will help improve your performance - employee development and recognition. Our next installment will be about <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Tolero-Solutions-Retention_Engagement_Fact-Sheet_5-21.pdf">retention and engagement</a>.</div><br/> <br/><p style="text-align: left;">Need help implementing improvement strategies? Have questions or comments? <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/contact/" target="_blank">Contact us today</a> to learn how Tolero Solutions can help you become a high performing organization!</p><br/><p style="text-align: left;"><strong><em>About</em></strong><em> <strong>Scott Span, MSOD:</strong> is President of </em><a href="http://www.tolerosolutions.com/"><em>Tolero Solutions</em></a><em> Organizational Development & Change Management firm. He helps clients to facilitate sustainable growth by developing people and organizations to be more responsive, focused, productive and profitable.</em></p><br/><p style="text-align: left;"><a title="Email Scott Span" href="mailto:scott.span@tolerosolutions.com">Email</a> | <a title="Tolero Solutions" href="http://www.tolerosolutions.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a title="Scott Span on LinkedIn" href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/scottspan" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a> | <a title="Scott Span on Twitter" href="http://www.twitter.com/SSpanTolero" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a title="The Tolero Think Tank Blog" href="http://tolerosolutions.com/thetolerothinktank" target="_blank">Blog</a> | <a title="Tolero Solutions Facebook" href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tolero-Solutions/131665363577261?sk=app_112078882147346" target="_blank">Facebook</a></p><br/><p style="text-align: left;">________________________________________________________________________________</p><br/><p style="text-align: left;"><strong>*All Rights Reserved. Reproduction, publication, and all other use of any and all of this content is prohibited without authorized consent of Tolero Solutions and the author.</strong></p>Tolero Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12437818590603660092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964298570253871762.post-29214112775946870792012-06-01T16:09:00.000-04:002012-12-03T13:02:20.174-05:00How to Create and Honor a Culture of Employee Development<p style="text-align: left;" align="center"><img class="alignleft wp-image-1296" title="Medal" src="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Medal.bmp" alt="" width="227" height="165" />Earlier this week I attended a not so typical awards ceremony - The Apollo Awards, hosted by <a href="http://www.helioshr.com/helios-hr-events/apollo-awards">Helios HR</a> and <a href="http://www.smartceo.com/">Smart CEO</a>. As I think the concept of the awards is of value, and the vibe of the event was energizing – particularly for being held before 8am – here is a little free positive PR from someone who also works to help organizations develop, engage and retain employees.</p><br/>The Helios Apollo Awards recognize <a href="http://www.helioshr.com/helios-hr-events/apollo-awards">Washington-area organizations</a> that promote employee growth and development as an integral part of their organizational culture. Participating organizations recognize these programs are not only necessary in providing them a competitive advantage, but that they contribute to employee retention by developing strong managers and providing meaningful projects, credibility through enhanced certifications, and succession planning through promotional opportunities. Their efforts not only benefit the end client, but the individual and the community as well.<br/><br/>As a small business owner, and Organizational Development practitioner, I value the importance of positive organizational cultures. Many organizations find employee growth and development a daunting task, and are not sure where to begin in designing processes and programs that contribute to employee growth and development, and thus increase engagement and performance. When <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/">Tolero Solutions</a> works with clients, we often help them with <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Tolero-Solutions-Retention_Engagement_Fact-Sheet_5-21.pdf">retention and engagement</a> issues and stress the huge difference employee development can make in creating a productive, profitable and <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/High-Performance-Culture-Whitepaper-12-17-11_FINAL.pdf">high performing organization</a>.<br/><br/><span style="color: #429a28;"><strong><em>“The Five Commandments of Effective Employee Development:</em></strong></span><br/><br/><em>1. THOU SHALT BE A VISIBLE LEARNER</em><br/><br/><em>2. THOU SHALT TREAT ALL INDIVIDUALS INDIVIDUALLY</em><br/><br/><em>3. THOU SHALT FIND YOUR OWN VOICE</em><br/><br/><em>4. THOU SHALT SEE THINGS AS THEY OUGHT TO BE</em><br/><br/><em>5. THOU SHALT MODEL THE MODEL”</em><br/><br/><em>- (unknown author)</em><br/><br/>According to a study by the <a href="http://www.executiveboard.com/insights/index.html">Corporate Executive Board</a>:<br/><ul><br/> <li>Employees of managers who are very effective at development can outperform their peers by up to <strong><span style="color: #4aa7d3;">25%</span></strong></li><br/> <li>Organizations that focus on employee development have employees who are <strong><span style="color: #4aa7d3;">40%</span></strong> more likely to stay with the organization</li><br/> <li>Managers who focus on employee development have employees that are <strong><span style="color: #4aa7d3;">8%</span></strong> better at responding to change than those who don’t place the same focus</li><br/></ul><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-1297" title="Awards" src="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Awards.bmp" alt="" width="142" height="174" /></p><br/>Focusing on employee development does have a direct impact on organizational performance. A few simple things you can do to help develop, engage and retain your employees:<br/><ul><br/> <li>ASK your employees about their learning and development needs – and take action</li><br/> <li>Reevaluate and ramp up organizational communications</li><br/> <li>Implement peer learning options</li><br/> <li>Diversify and customize employee training and learning opportunities</li><br/> <li>Have realistic performance goals tied to growth and development</li><br/> <li>Recognize, recognize, recognize!</li><br/></ul><br/>Seeing so many businesses of various sizes and industries succeed as models in developing and engaging their employees was, well, quite inspirational. I look forward to the event next year. My congratulations goes out to all the finalists and award winners. I thank them for partly reminding me why I do the work I do by serving as a positive example of what can be achieved by focusing on an organizations number one asset – <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/category/retention/">and I’ve said this before</a> – <span style="color: #429a28;"><strong><em>people!</em></strong></span><br/><br/><em><strong>About</strong></em><em> </em><strong><em>Scott Span, MSOD:</em></strong><em> is President of </em><a href="http://www.tolerosolutions.com/"><em>Tolero Solutions</em></a><em> Organizational Development & Change Management firm. He helps clients to facilitate sustainable growth by developing people and organizations to be more responsive, focused, productive and profitable.</em><br/><br/><a title="Email Scott Span" href="mailto:scott.span@tolerosolutions.com">Email</a> | <a title="Tolero Solutions" href="http://www.tolerosolutions.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a title="Scott Span on LinkedIn" href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/scottspan" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a> | <a title="Scott Span on Twitter" href="http://www.twitter.com/SSpanTolero" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a title="The Tolero Think Tank Blog" href="http://tolerosolutions.com/thetolerothinktank" target="_blank">Blog</a> | <a title="Tolero Solutions Facebook" href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tolero-Solutions/131665363577261?sk=app_112078882147346" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br/><br/>________________________________________________________________________________<br/><br/><strong>*All Rights Reserved. Reproduction, publication, and all other use of any and all of this content is prohibited without authorized consent of Tolero Solutions and the author.</strong><br/><br/><strong><em><br/></em></strong>Tolero Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12437818590603660092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964298570253871762.post-76226838852602462372012-05-23T11:23:00.000-04:002012-12-03T13:02:20.199-05:00J.C. Penney – During Times of Change – Funny Commercials Aren’t Good
Enough!<img class="alignleft wp-image-1274" title="JCP" src="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/12.05.16-JCP.jpg" alt="" width="518" height="190" />After a full on rebranding, new strategic direction, and massive organizational changes <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/26/business/jc-penneys-chief-ron-johnson-announces-plans-to-revamp-stores.html">designed to reinvent the retailer</a> and improve profits - J.C. Penney suffered a dismal 1<sup>st</sup> quarter. A lot exists for shareholders and stakeholders to be frustrated about – and much of it relates to organizational development and leadership (or poor leadership).<br/><br/>CEO Ron Johnson did have a vision - to get rid of the nonstop product promotions at the store and move to three kinds of prices (everyday, monthly specials, and clearance). He announced new designer partnerships and a new spokeswoman and advertising star, Ellen DeGeneres. He also introduced a new logo, and new color-saturated advertisements that barely mention price. Within four years, he said, the stores would be completely redone, each divided into about 100 small boutiques with a service center that he called “town square.” Ron has vision - but what he lacks is thoughtful and holistic <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Tolero-Solutions-Strategic-Planning_Fact-Sheet_5-12.pdf">understanding and execution.</a><br/><br/>*Update: As of June 18th, 2012 J. C. Penney Company, Inc. <a href="http://www.brandchannel.com/home/post/2012/06/18/JCPenney-Fires-President-061812.aspx">ousted its JCPenney brand president</a>, Michael Francis, who oversaw the retailer's merchandising and marketing operations, with a terse <a href="http://t.co/ZxeAgn96" target="_blank">statement</a> that "We thank Michael for his hard work at jcpenney and wish him the best in his future endeavors."<br/><br/>Before leaders begin making organizational changes, no matter what successful past experience at other organizations may lead them to believe - it is necessary to collect current organizational data – data from stakeholders, data from employees, and most importantly, data from customers. Change can’t be rushed. It is said by some that <a href="http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/transformational-change.html">a transformational change</a> such as the one Penney’s is undertaking can take an average of 7 years – yup, you heard that correctly. Change isn’t easy folks, and doing it right takes time – <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/id/47512145">just look at Pier 1</a>.<br/><p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-1275" title="chart_ws_stock_jcpenneycompanyinc_2012515171757.top" src="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/chart_ws_stock_jcpenneycompanyinc_2012515171757.top_.png" alt="" width="304" height="179" /></p><br/>So – just a few things (I have quite a list but I’ll spare all the details for now as I wouldn’t want to sound like a preachy CEO) Mr. Johnson should have done prior to jumping on the “turnaround CEO” bandwagon:<br/><ul><br/> <li><strong>Data:</strong> It’s extremely difficult to turn around an organization for the better if you don’t have a recent understanding of what “better” means. Now I’m not talking about just financial numbers, web traffic, etc. as I’m sure plenty of that was collected and analyzed. I’m talking about direct from the consumer’s mouth data. Before revising pricing methods and slashing merchandise promotions, ask customers how they would feel if prices were lowered all the time across the board. It doesn’t necessarily matter if customers “get” your pricing as long as they’re happy with the price, product, and service. Perhaps some customers prefer the feeling of getting a bargain, maybe they enjoy coupons (as evidenced recently in this case), perhaps they don’t like receiving a large number of promotional e-mails and ads but a few specifically targeted to their personal buying habits…point here is <em><a href="http://preactivemarketing.com/2011/06/want-to-know-what-your-customers-really-want-ask-them-2/">you don’t know what the customer wants unless you ask them</a></em> – so take the time to collect data on your customers needs, wants and desires and don’t just assume you (cough: the leader) knows best!</li><br/></ul><br/><ul><br/> <li><strong>People:</strong> It’s imperative your employees have a solid understanding of why changes are taking place and how the changes impact them. Communicate with the workforce. Not just so they have an understanding of how the change impacts them, but also so you can build their commitment to the process. Employee commitment is imperative to maintain high performance and customer satisfaction during times of <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Tolero-Solutions_-Change-Management_Fact-Sheet_5-12.pdf">change</a>. Penney’s employees, particularly the sales associates, were accustomed to a certain way of doing their jobs – selling and dealing with merchandise price cuts and promotions and customer service – in certain ways. They learned <a href="http://finance.fortune.cnn.com/2012/05/16/jcpenney-earnings/?utm_source=pulsenews&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+fortunefinance+%28Fortune+Finance%3A+Hedge+Funds%2C+Markets%2C+Mergers+%26+Acquisitions%2C+Private+Equity%2C+Venture+Capital%2C+Wall+">how to make a commission</a>, when to push items, and when not to.</li><br/></ul><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: #4aa7d3;"><em>"Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it."</em></span></strong><br/><strong><span style="color: #4aa7d3;"><em> - Dwight Eisenhower</em></span></strong></p><br/><em>Personal example</em> – I bought a massage power recliner from J.C. Penney. When I first saw it listed online it was one price, when I went into the store to actually see it in person it was a different price. When I didn’t commit that day the sales associate gave me his card. I called him back a week or so later and the chair was miraculously over $150 cheaper with free shipping – if I came in to purchase that week. The sales associate knew the pricing system, he knew the price would be lowered, and he knew he could offer me free shipping as the price would probably be lowered yet again in a few more days. I felt like I got a good deal, I got my chair same day, and he made his commission of a higher amount. I was a happy customer and he was a satisfied sales associate.<br/><br/>If changes in process and procedures are going to occur that impact the day to day of how employees perform their jobs, then not only do you want to communicate those changes and ask for feedback – you also want to make sure you provide any needed training so they can succeed. Otherwise performance suffers, retention suffers, customer service declines, and shareholders don’t end up happy.<br/><ul><br/> <li><strong>Accountability:</strong> Mr. Johnson seems to be coming off like a stereotypical ivory tower CEO. Not an in touch and <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/category/leadership/">transparent leader</a>. From what I’ve seen, his attitude regarding the current earnings announcement was a bit disingenuous. In typical financial fashion, <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2012/05/16/markets/jc-penney-stock/index.htm">the numbers</a> were manipulated to try and sound somewhat positive. Oh Ron, just own it! Be a grown up, be an honest, transparent, accountable, and authentic leader. Acknowledge that things aren’t going exactly as planned – and don’t whine and make excuses - but let us know you see it too, and tell us the steps you plan to take to reevaluate and improve. That’s what builds trust in a leader - and in my experience trust in leadership can usually be correlated to high performing organization with committed employees, loyal customers, and increased performance (I really should do a study on that, if anyone knows of one please share!)</li><br/></ul><br/><img class="alignleft wp-image-1276" title="JCPel" src="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/JCPEL.png" alt="" width="183" height="127" />I do enjoy the new J.C. Penney commercials, but I’d enjoy shopping there a lot more if I knew the retailer had honest, transparent, committed, accountable leadership who elicited and acted on customer, stakeholder and employee feedback – but hey, that’s just me.<br/><p style="text-align: right;"><strong><em><span style="color: #4aa7d3;">"Lead and inspire people. Don't try to manage and manipulate people. Inventories can be managed but people must be led."</span></em></strong><br/><strong><em><span style="color: #4aa7d3;"> - Ross Perot </span></em></strong></p><br/><em><strong>About</strong></em><em> </em><strong><em>Scott Span, MSOD:</em></strong><em> is President of </em><a href="http://www.tolerosolutions.com/"><em>Tolero Solutions</em></a><em> Organizational Development & Change Management firm. He helps clients to facilitate sustainable growth by developing people and organizations to be more responsive, focused, productive and profitable.</em><br/><br/><a title="Email Scott Span" href="mailto:scott.span@tolerosolutions.com">Email</a> | <a title="Tolero Solutions" href="http://www.tolerosolutions.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a title="Scott Span on LinkedIn" href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/scottspan" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a> | <a title="Scott Span on Twitter" href="http://www.twitter.com/SSpanTolero" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a title="The Tolero Think Tank Blog" href="http://tolerosolutions.com/thetolerothinktank" target="_blank">Blog</a> | <a title="Tolero Solutions Facebook" href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tolero-Solutions/131665363577261?sk=app_112078882147346" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br/><br/>________________________________________________________________________________<br/><br/><strong>*All Rights Reserved. Reproduction, publication, and all other use of any and all of this content is prohibited without authorized consent of Tolero Solutions and the author.</strong><br/><br/><strong><em><br/></em></strong>Tolero Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12437818590603660092noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964298570253871762.post-42130406051742922102012-04-26T15:33:00.000-04:002012-12-03T13:02:20.182-05:00Dear GSA: 7 Steps on How to Conduct Teambuilding for Under $823,000!<p style="text-align: left;" align="center">Anyone who has ever been part of a team can most likely tell you it’s not always easy forming the team and working together effectively. Structure, process, culture, politics, personality…teams are complicated. And if you’ve ever tried to better the working relationships of team members you probably know, that although not an easy task, that it doesn’t take $823,000 to establish functional high performance. <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/gsa-scandal-drop-buffett-picturing-scale-spending/story?id=16167165#.T5lZQqtDwW0">I mean seriously, GSA, seriously!</a> I’ve been to Vegas, for business and for fun, and trust me, both can be done enjoyably and efficiently on a reasonable budget. So, here are <a href="http://www.grove.com/site/ourwk_gm_tp.html">7 stages</a> to how to increasing team performance - for under $823,000:</p><br/><p style="text-align: left;" align="center"><img class="aligncenter" src="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSu7EwYDvCw0hE6HJX2a1xw3dJs7fFIB-Bw734hYWbbgkYB747kdg" alt="" width="287" height="176" /></p><br/><br/><ul style="text-align: left;"><br/> <li><strong>Orientation:</strong> When teams are forming – members usually wonder – why am I here? Where do I fit? What is my role? Will others accept me? They require some kind of answers before continuing. Before proceeding with the work of the team, it’s necessary to define purpose and team identity. If these things go unresolved then the team can often begin with disorientation, fear, and uncertainty.</li><br/></ul><br/><ul style="text-align: left;"><br/> <li><strong>Trust Building:</strong> People want to know about one another – who are you? Team members want to know who they will work with, and what their expectations, agendas and competencies are, as well as communication styles, personalities, and work preferences. This occurs through sharing – sharing and a free exchange of feelings and ideas among team members lead to <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/?s=trust&submit=Search">building trust.</a> Trust is the foundation of any successful relationship. If trust is not established then honesty, accountability, and respect don’t exist.</li><br/></ul><br/><ul style="text-align: left;"><br/> <li><strong>Goal Clarification:</strong> As work begins to get done - team members need to know – what are we doing? This starts with clarity about team <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/goal-setting-why-bother-are-you-setting-your-2012-goals-3/">goals</a> and assumptions, what are the tasks and priorities to be accomplished, and includes the development of a team charter or vision. If goal clarification doesn’t occur, shared vision isn’t formed and skepticism and apathy can occur.</li><br/></ul><br/><ul style="text-align: left;"><br/> <li><img class="alignright wp-image-1208" src="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Workshops.bmp" alt="" width="234" height="203" /><strong>Commitment:</strong> As the work of the team progresses - team members often wonder – how will we do it? At some point, discussions need to end, and decisions must be made on how the work is going to be achieved. How will risks and issues be managed? What resources are required for success, and how will resources, time and staff be managed? Without commitment, assigned roles and responsibilities, a clear decision making process, and proper resource allocation, high performance can be difficult to achieve.</li><br/></ul><br/><ul style="text-align: left;"><br/> <li><strong>Implementation: </strong>Eventually teams will turn a corner as they begin to sequence work and complete tasks and deliverables. Teams will have determined – who does what, when and where? This is a time of scheduling and a time of action. Clear processes have been defined, alignment is in place, and disciplined task execution is underway. The team has now begun to move from creating to sustaining.</li><br/></ul><br/><ul style="text-align: left;"><br/> <li><strong>High Performance:</strong> When the above methods and processes are mastered, the team has begun to achieve flexibility. The team can now begin to adapt goals and tasks as needed for success, and can agilely respond to the environment and internal and external factors. The team members have prevented overload, disharmony and dysfunction, and have developed a synergy and achieved a successful working relationship. At this stage the team can pat themselves on back and proudly begin to surpass expectations on the way to <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/High-Performance-Culture-Whitepaper-12-17-11_FINAL.pdf">high performance.</a></li><br/></ul><br/><ul style="text-align: left;"><br/> <li><strong><span style="text-align: left;">Renewal: </span></strong><span style="text-align: left;">Teams are complex and dynamic. Teams consist of people, and people can get tired or burnt out. Sometimes team member</span><span style="text-align: left;">s can wonder – why continue? To prevent burn out and boredom, it’s necessary at this stage for</span><a style="text-align: left;" href="http://tolerosolutions.com/a-pat-on-the-back-please-are-your-employees-recognized-for-their-performance/"> recognition</a><span style="text-align: left;"> and celebration of success. And it’s time to make any changes in skills mastery and roles and responsibilities, reflect on best practices, and harvest lessons learned in preparation for the next cycle of action.</span></li><br/></ul><br/><div style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="color: #4aa7d3;"><strong>“To promote cooperation and team work, remember, people tend to resist that which is forced upon them. People tend to support that which they helped create.” - </strong></span></em><em><span style="color: #4aa7d3;"><strong>Vince Pfaff</strong></span></em></div><br/><div style="text-align: center;"></div><br/> <br/><div style="text-align: left;"><span>So while reflecting on your own team, rest assured you don’t need a budget of $823,000 to become high performing. Though some investment in </span><a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/serviceofferings/consulting-services-2/collaboration-team-solutions/">team building</a><span> is necessary to ensure your goals are being met. Have you ever been part of dysfunctional team? Have you ever been part of high performing team? What made the difference? </span><span>Need help on where to start or with increasing your team performance? </span><a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/contact/">Contact us</a><span> to learn more about how we can help.</span></div><br/> <br/><p style="text-align: left;"><em><span style="color: #429a28;"><strong>*Based on the Drexler/<a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=David+Sibbet"><span style="color: #429a28;">Sibbet</span></a> Team Performance Model methodology</strong></span>. </em></p><br/><em><strong>About</strong></em><em> </em><strong><em>Scott Span, MSOD:</em></strong><em> is President of </em><a href="http://www.tolerosolutions.com/"><em>Tolero Solutions</em></a><em> Organizational Development & Change Management firm. He helps clients to facilitate sustainable growth by developing people and organizations to be more responsive, focused, productive and profitable.</em><br/><br/><a title="Email Scott Span" href="mailto:scott.span@tolerosolutions.com">Email</a> | <a title="Tolero Solutions" href="http://www.tolerosolutions.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a title="Scott Span on LinkedIn" href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/scottspan" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a> | <a title="Scott Span on Twitter" href="http://www.twitter.com/SSpanTolero" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a title="The Tolero Think Tank Blog" href="http://tolerosolutions.com/thetolerothinktank" target="_blank">Blog</a> | <a title="Tolero Solutions Facebook" href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tolero-Solutions/131665363577261?sk=app_112078882147346" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br/><br/>________________________________________________________________________________<br/><br/><strong>*All Rights Reserved. Reproduction, publication, and all other use of any and all of this content is prohibited without authorized consent of Tolero Solutions and the author.</strong><br/><p style="text-align: left;"><strong><em><br/></em></strong></p>Tolero Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12437818590603660092noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964298570253871762.post-77125029402671930932012-04-18T11:08:00.000-04:002012-12-03T13:02:20.200-05:00Are Your Buttons Getting Pushed? 3 Tips On What You Can Do.<div></div><br/><div><img class="size-full wp-image-1173 alignleft" title="hot button" src="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/hot-button2.jpg" alt="" width="219" height="230" /></div><br/><div></div><br/><div>We all have <ins cite="mailto:Scott%20Span" datetime="2012-04-18T10:28"><a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hot%20button">hot buttons</a></ins> and<ins cite="mailto:Scott%20Span" datetime="2012-04-18T10:26"> </ins>triggers - those little things (or sometimes big things) that just get us so upset they make our blood boil. They can often cause us to flip our lid – and they happen in both our personal lives and our professional lives. You may yell at your children, you may yell at spouse or your partner (please, we all do it), but rarely can you yell at your boss or your co-workers. I just got a flashback to the 80’s movie <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080319/">Nine to Five</a>, but I digress. So, regardless of what your hot buttons may be (and trust me, figuring out what they are and why is never easy), there are some ways you can respond if they do get pushed.</div><br/><div></div><br/><img class=" wp-image-1160 alignright" title="breathe" src="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/breathe1.jpg" alt="" width="158" height="158" /><br/><ul style="text-align: left;"><br/><ul style="text-align: left;"><br/> <li style="text-align: left;"><strong>Breathe:</strong> Yes, I know we all do that anyway, but I mean really breathe. Just stop and take a few of those yoga style deep breathes. Long breaths in through the nose - hold it - out through the mouth. This is a first step in calming yourself down…really it works...even for folks as high strung as my father (it’s ok; his hot buttons won’t get pushed. He doesn’t read my online “articles”). Now I know, it’s not always possible to just stop in the middle of a conversation or conflict and close your eyes and take deep breathes, so if you need to wait until the interaction ends first, that’s fine. Just make sure before you start stewing over what just transpired that you take a moment to do this – and if you can go for a walk even better.</li><br/></ul><br/></ul><br/> <br/><ul style="text-align: left;"><br/><ul style="text-align: left;"><br/> <li><strong><a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/2-way-comm.jpg"><img class="alignleft wp-image-1162" title=" comm" src="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/2-way-comm.jpg" alt="" width="167" height="148" /></a>Communication: </strong>I know you’re probably thinking – well of course I communicate. Yes, we all do, both verbally and non- verbally. We also all have distinctive <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/category/communication/">communication</a> styles and preferences. Our signals and queues can be interpreted differently than we intend, and we can interpret them differently from others than they may intend. That means that often our impact and our intent when communicating with one another can be a bit misaligned. One way to try and prevent that misalignment and thus your hot buttons being pushed, deal with issues when they occur. Stop the interaction, mention the hot buttons and concerns, provide feedback and ask for clarification. In short, if you feel your buttons getting pushed as someone is communicating with you, tell them. You could calmly say for example <em>“…Excuse me (name), I’m feeling myself getting a bit upset with what you’re saying to me…”</em> You can also raise an observation <em>“…you know (name) I noticed that you kept rolling your eyes when I was speaking and muttering, were you aware of that? Is there something you want to chat about?”</em> In addition, share your communications styles and preferences with others and ask them about theirs. For example, do you prefer short and sweet? Do you prefer email to phone? Do you like lots of facts or little details? I know what you may be thinking, and yes, be prepared that in some cases the other party may simply not acknowledge you at all or tell you no or they don’t care…but you’ll never know unless you try.</li><br/></ul><br/></ul><br/> <br/><ul style="text-align: left;"><br/> <li><strong>Feedback:</strong> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/What-Did-You-Say-Receiving/dp/0965043002">Giving and receiving feedback</a> is imperative to making sure your hot buttons don’t get pushed, and is imperative to helping to not push others – it’s a cycle. If you want someone to know that their behaviors and actions are upsetting to you, then you need to let them know. You also need to let them know why you're upset and how that makes you feel. Sometimes it’s as simple as saying <em>“…I think what I hear you saying is abc, is that correct…?”</em> or <em>“…you know (name) when you say things like that it really makes me feel frustrated.” Or “…When I hear/see you do/say _______ it makes me feel _______ because ________.”</em></li><br/></ul><br/> <br/><p style="text-align: center;"><img class="size-full wp-image-1163 aligncenter" title="sammy" src="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/sammy.jpg" alt="" width="131" height="150" /></p><br/><p style="text-align: left;"><strong><span style="color: #429a28;">A few other tips to prevent your head from exploding off your shoulders…</span></strong></p><br/><br/><ul style="text-align: left;"><br/> <li>Clarity</li><br/> <li><a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/?s=transparency&submit=Search">Transparency</a></li><br/> <li>Honesty</li><br/></ul><br/><p style="text-align: left;">Now, this is not to say that your hot buttons are never going to be pushed – of course they are - it’s a part of life. Hopefully with a bit more awareness around how to manage yourself in situations when they do get pushed, life may just seem a bit easier. Who knows, your relationships may even improve and your blood pressure may even drop.</p><br/><em><strong>About</strong></em><em> </em><strong><em>Scott Span, MSOD:</em></strong><em> is President of </em><a href="http://www.tolerosolutions.com/"><em>Tolero Solutions</em></a><em> Organizational Development & Change Management firm. He helps clients to facilitate sustainable growth by developing people and organizations to be more responsive, focused, productive and profitable.</em><br/><br/><a title="Email Scott Span" href="mailto:scott.span@tolerosolutions.com">Email</a> | <a title="Tolero Solutions" href="http://www.tolerosolutions.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a title="Scott Span on LinkedIn" href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/scottspan" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a> | <a title="Scott Span on Twitter" href="http://www.twitter.com/SSpanTolero" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a title="The Tolero Think Tank Blog" href="http://tolerosolutions.com/thetolerothinktank" target="_blank">Blog</a> | <a title="Tolero Solutions Facebook" href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tolero-Solutions/131665363577261?sk=app_112078882147346" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br/><br/>________________________________________________________________________________<br/><br/><strong>*All Rights Reserved. Reproduction, publication, and all other use of any and all of this content is prohibited without authorized consent of Tolero Solutions and the author.</strong><br/><p style="text-align: left;"><strong><em><br/></em></strong></p>Tolero Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12437818590603660092noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964298570253871762.post-11005543340936842222012-04-05T12:52:00.000-04:002012-12-03T13:02:20.170-05:00Attention: Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) & SVP HR: 5 Ways
Organizational Development Can Help To Achieve Your Goals<p style="text-align: left;" align="center"><img class="alignleft wp-image-1123" title="HR bulb" src="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Hr-bulb.jpg" alt="" width="105" height="123" />The chief human resources officer (CHRO), also commonly referred to as the SVP HR, is a coveted role for many HR professionals and whose primary work involves strategic management and departmental decision-making that affects the organization’s people and viability as a profitable enterprise. If you’re serving in this function – congratulations on all your hard work!</p><br/>The role of the CHRO has shifted over the years from responding to employee needs, compliance and setting policies - to the more strategic objectives of helping organizations build capabilities and capacity, via a focus on <strong>people</strong>. In this capacity, you may be responsible for a <em>strategic human capital</em> plan; <em>professional development</em>, <em>talent management and recruitment</em>, <em>retention and engagement</em>, and <em>culture</em> – not to mention making sure all initiatives are aligned with the company's strategic objectives and goals. Not easy tasks – and not tasks that can always be tackled alone. Good news Organization Development (OD) can help.<br/><h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #429a28;"><strong><em>5 tips on how working collaboratively with OD colleagues can help you achieve your goals…</em></strong></span></h1><br/><strong>1) Strategic Planning:</strong> Sometimes <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/how-do-we-get-there-is-your-organization%E2%80%99s-strategy-working-for-you/">strategic planning</a> can be a daunting task and can make one feel quite overwhelmed. What goes into a human capital strategic plan? How does the human capital strategic plan sync up to the overarching company strategic plan? What HR and people focused goals, objectives and targets should be included? Who is accountable for achieving these and how is accountability determined? What is the structured process for strategic planning? How should the plan be communicated and implemented? By training and practice most OD professionals have a holistic or whole systems view.<br/><ul><br/> <li>An OD professional experienced with strategic planning can help you with the process; they can assist with the design, development, integration, and deployment of a human capital strategy and associated processes and procedures – with a keen focus on any impacts to the people.</li><br/></ul><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><img class="wp-image-1120 aligncenter" title="Help wanted" src="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Help-wanted1.jpg" alt="" width="179" height="134" /></p><br/><p style="text-align: left;"><strong>2) Recruitment:</strong> Recruiting today seems to be a rush job or a one size fits all approach. This HR function is often one of the first to be outsourced. Recruiters get a position description and scour the internet for a match. Recruiters find a CV that matches the position description and send an often canned, cold and generic email. <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/gen-y-recruiting-tips-the-candidate-perspective/">Recruiting</a> has become less and less personalized. Many companies do not embrace a diverse recruiting strategy that mirrors the current diverse pool of applicants. Not always the best approach.</p><br/><br/><ul><br/> <li style="text-align: left;">An OD professional can assist you in defining your organizational employee value proposition. What is it you can offer to employees, what’s in it for them to work for your organization? Being on the same page up front will help to reduce retention issues later. Yes, this is a two way street. Once your employee value proposition is defined you need to determine what types of candidates have, not just the skills needed to fill a role, but also have the values and beliefs that align with your organizational culture and value proposition. OD professionals can assist you with candidate prescreening, assessment and selection. Many OD professionals also practice in the areas of diversity and inclusion, and thus can assist you with designing and developing targeted diversity recruitment strategies.</li><br/></ul><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><img class="wp-image-1122 aligncenter" title="career ladder" src="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/career-ladder1.jpg" alt="" width="207" height="155" /></p><br/><p style="text-align: left;"><strong>3)</strong> <strong>Professional Development: </strong>Professional development is a key component of successful talent management. For employees to remain engaged and committed, they need to feel that they have opportunities to learn and grow and know that new challenges and opportunities are available to them within the organization. Professional development and training needs to focus on various areas. The most successful professional development programs are those that consist of a combination of technical, functional and people skills training. Organizations also tend to have lower turnover when they have coaching and mentoring programs in place. How do you know what your employees want in professional development? How do you determine your skill gaps and areas of improvement? What are the best methods and technologies for implementing professional development in your organization? How do you deliver coaching and mentoring? How do you measure success?</p><br/><br/><ul><br/> <li>An OD professional can assist you <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/exclusive_features_tolero.pdf">in up-front data collection</a> and analysis. OD professionals can help you determine your skill gaps, further define the challenges your employees face and define and deliver learning opportunities to help meet those challenges – inclusive or measures of success. Many OD professionals are also skilled coaches and can help coach your employees (and leadership) to improve in specific areas to which other training may not address.</li><br/></ul><br/><strong>4) Retention and Engagement: </strong>Consistent employee engagement is an imperative human resources goal. Creating a work environment where employees are enthusiastic and engaged is a top priority. Many human resources leaders describe their greatest challenge, as <em>“keeping employees happy and retaining top talent.”</em> HR can measure this quantitatively with respect to turnover and retention. Human resources goals concerning turnover and retention are marked, respectively, by the words “reduce” and “increase.” Attracting qualified applicants, motivating and engaging the existing workforce and inspiring long-term commitment are often goals regarding turnover and retention.<br/><ul><br/> <li>An OD professional can assist with <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Tolero-Solutions-Checklist-Employee-Retention-FINAL.pdf">retention and engagement.</a> Beyond data collection and analysis, as trained behavioral scientists, OD professionals have an understanding of fundamental human needs. Having an understanding of what makes employees feel valued, heard, appreciated, and significant is imperative to designing and developing retention and engagement strategies. OD professionals also have experience in understanding motivational factors, and many are certified in <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/exclusive_features_tolero.pdf">tools and technologies</a> to help further identify areas of improvement. OD professionals understand and practice in the areas of diversity and inclusion which is also of great benefit in designing and developing targeted diversity retention and engagement strategies.</li><br/></ul><br/><strong>5) Culture: </strong>HR is becoming more and more responsible for employer branding – defining the image and culture. Creating an employer of choice is a goal that often falls within HR. An employer of choice is the company employees are happy to be a part of, a company for which others want to work, and a company customers want to do business with. These things are all part of<a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/category/culture/"> culture -</a> the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution, organization, or group. Simply put, “the way work gets done around here.” A company’s culture says a lot about an organization and the direction they are headed.<br/><ul><br/> <li>One thing OD professionals know a lot about – creating a high performing culture. OD professionals can help you define the type of culture you want, often beginning with spelling it out in your mission statement – which should be created as part of the strategy. OD professionals can then assist you in creating and maintaining a <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/High-Performance-Culture-Whitepaper-12-17-11_FINAL.pdf">culture of high performance</a>. Culture is the identity of a company, and because of that, in some ways it becomes an identity of those who work there. The people end up affecting the culture as much as the culture is affecting them. OD professionals can help HR maintain a positive and high performing culture via assisting with recruitment strategies, retention and engagement, and professional development.</li><br/></ul><br/><span style="color: #429a28;"><em><strong>Strategic planning…recruitment…culture…professional development…retention and engagement – that’s a lot responsibilities; which are your priorities? Which areas do you find to be the most challenging? Could you and your organization benefit from consulting external OD support? If so feel free to <a title="Contact Tolero Solutions" href="http://tolerosolutions.com/contact/" target="_blank">contact us </a>with specific questions - we’re happy to discuss how we can help you and your organization to achieve your goal.</strong></em></span><br/><br/><em><strong>About</strong></em><em> </em><strong><em>Scott Span, MSOD:</em></strong><em> is President of </em><a href="http://www.tolerosolutions.com/"><em>Tolero Solutions</em></a><em> Organizational Development & Change Management firm. He helps clients to facilitate sustainable growth by developing people and organizations to be more responsive, focused, productive and profitable.</em><br/><br/><a title="Email Scott Span" href="mailto:scott.span@tolerosolutions.com">Email</a> | <a title="Tolero Solutions" href="http://www.tolerosolutions.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a title="Scott Span on LinkedIn" href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/scottspan" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a> | <a title="Scott Span on Twitter" href="http://www.twitter.com/SSpanTolero" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a title="The Tolero Think Tank Blog" href="http://tolerosolutions.com/thetolerothinktank" target="_blank">Blog</a> | <a title="Tolero Solutions Facebook" href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tolero-Solutions/131665363577261?sk=app_112078882147346" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br/><br/>________________________________________________________________________________<br/><br/><strong>*All Rights Reserved. Reproduction, publication, and all other use of any and all of this content is prohibited without authorized consent of Tolero Solutions and the author.</strong><br/><br/><strong><em><br/></em></strong>Tolero Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12437818590603660092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964298570253871762.post-44882794523316252812012-03-29T15:30:00.000-04:002012-12-03T13:02:20.183-05:00Strategy vs. Culture – Can We Call A Truce?<img class="alignleft wp-image-1087" title="Paint People" src="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Paint-People.jpg" alt="" width="160" height="136" />Much discussion has transpired lately regarding <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/category/strategy/">strategy</a> and <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/category/culture/">culture</a> – though, more so the battle between which is more important and why. Although I find the various points of view to both be of value and interest, I find the entire discussion to be quit absurd. <strong>Can we call a truce?</strong><br/><br/>I imagine that if “Sally Strategy” and “Calvin Culture” were having a debate it would go something like this…<br/><br/><em>Sally Strategy</em>: Calvin, I find that you sometimes make it very difficult for me to do my job! It’s hard to keep us on track when I feel you and I aren’t on the same page.<br/><br/><em>Calvin Culture</em>: Well Sally, I sometimes feel the same way. Your job doesn’t always fit in with my work, sometimes you can be an impediment to what I’m trying to achieve.<br/><br/><em>Sally Strategy</em>: Oh really, how’s that Calvin? What exactly is it you’re trying to achieve?<br/><br/><em>Calvin Culture</em>: Well Sally, I’m trying to achieve building a <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/High-Performance-Culture-Whitepaper-12-17-11_FINAL.pdf">positive environment</a> for our people, an environment with a clear set of values and norms that engages and aligns our people, unifying them in delivering high performance and value to our customers. I just feel that the direction you’ve set can be a bit ridged and can be prohibitive to my work.<br/><br/><em>Sally Strategy</em>: Interesting point, Calvin. You realize when I first started my work my intent was not just to help us formulate a clear direction and define who we wanted to be - but also to help us get there. It’s my job to execute, to get things done. Though we have come a long way since I first started my work and it may be time to revisit a few things. After all, I can’t get things done if I’m in the way.<br/><br/><em>Calvin Culture</em>: Don’t get me wrong, Sally, I couldn’t do my job without you, and I value the direction and execution you bring to our work, as we both play a huge part in the happiness of employees and customers and in overall success, perhaps we could collaborate together more closely moving forward?<br/><br/><em>(*Aside - See the way that was phrased? Calvin acknowledged what Sally brings to the table and made her feel valuable and important to the process. Speaking to and providing feedback to your employees in this style can be beneficial to engagement and performance…but more on that in another article.)</em><br/><br/><em>Sally Strategy</em>: That sounds like a fantastic idea. I’m glad we got a chance to connect. Thanks for taking the time to chat with me today, Calvin. Let's stay in communication.<br/><br/>In reality, <a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/1810674/culture-eats-strategy-for-lunch">culture</a> and <a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/1817137/culture-vs-strategy-is-a-false-choice">strategy</a> are often viewed independently – they are both parts of the system and need to be viewed together.<br/><br/> <br/><p style="text-align: center;"><strong><img class="wp-image-1088 aligncenter" title="Strat pin" src="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Strategy-pin.jpg" alt="" width="203" height="202" /></strong></p><br/><p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Strategy</strong> can be defined in various ways…</p><br/><br/><ul><br/> <li>According to Henry Mintzberg’s book, <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rise-Strategic-Planning-Henry-Mintzberg/dp/0029216052">The Rise and Fall of Strategic Planning</a></em>:</li><br/><ul><br/> <li>Strategy is a plan, a "how," a means of getting from here to there.</li><br/> <li>Strategy is a pattern in actions over time; for example, a company that regularly markets very expensive products is using a "high end" strategy.</li><br/> <li>Strategy is position; that is, it reflects decisions to offer particular products or services in particular markets.</li><br/> <li>Strategy is perspective, that is, vision and direction.</li><br/></ul><br/></ul><br/><ul><br/> <li>According to Kenneth Andrews’s book, <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Concept-Corporate-Strategy-Kenneth-Andrews/dp/0870949837/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1333045785&sr=1-1">The Concept of Corporate Strategy</a></em>:<br/><ul><br/> <li>"Corporate strategy is the pattern of decisions in a company that determines and reveals its objectives, purposes, or goals, produces the principal policies and plans for achieving those goals, and defines the range of business the company is to pursue..."</li><br/></ul><br/></li><br/></ul><br/><ul><br/> <li>According to Michael Porter in his <a href="http://hbr.org/1996/11/what-is-strategy/ar/1">Harvard Business Review article</a> and books:<br/><ul><br/> <li> Strategy is "…about being different…It means deliberately choosing a different set of activities to deliver a unique mix of value." "…It is a combination of the ends (goals) for which the firm is striving and the means (policies) by which it is seeking to get there."</li><br/></ul><br/></li><br/></ul><br/><p align="center"><span style="color: #4aa7d3;"><strong><em>A strategy delineates a territory in which a company seeks to be unique.- Michael Porter</em></strong></span></p><br/>Based on how most define strategy, the main reason for the existence of strategy is to achieve end goals. Culture is the environment in which strategy achieves those end goals. It is a general framework that provides guidance for actions to be taken, and, at the same time, is shaped by the actions taken…this shaping in part occurs due to the culture.<br/><p align="center"><strong><span style="color: #4aa7d3;"><em>No culture can live if it attempts to be exclusive - Mahatma Gandhi</em></span></strong></p><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><strong><img class="wp-image-1089 aligncenter" title="c" src="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Company-Culture-Elements.jpg" alt="" width="269" height="190" /></strong></p><br/><p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Culture</strong> can be defined in various ways…</p><br/><br/><ul><br/> <li>According to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_Schein">Edgar Schein</a>:<br/><ul><br/> <li>Organizational culture is “A pattern of shared basic assumptions invented, discovered, or developed by a given group as it learns to cope with its problems of external adaptation and internal integration that have worked well enough to be considered valid and therefore, to be taught to new members as the correct way to perceive, think and feel in relation to those problems.”</li><br/></ul><br/></li><br/></ul><br/><ul><br/> <li>According to Charles W. L. Hill, and Gareth R. Jones book <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Strategic-Management-Theory-Integrated-Approach/dp/0395857783">Strategic Management</a>:</em><br/><ul><br/> <li>Culture is "the specific collection of values and norms that are shared by people and groups in an organization and that control the way they interact with each other and with stakeholders outside the organization."</li><br/></ul><br/></li><br/></ul><br/><ul><br/> <li>According to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geert_Hofstede">Geert Hofstede</a>:<br/><ul><br/> <li>“Culture is the collective programming of the human mind that distinguishes the members of one human group from those of another. Culture in this sense is a system of collectively held values.”</li><br/></ul><br/></li><br/></ul><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #4aa7d3;"><strong><em>"We tend to think we can separate strategy from culture, but we fail to notice that in most organizations strategic thinking is deeply colored by tacit assumptions about who they are and what their mission is." </em></strong></span><strong style="color: #4aa7d3;"><em>– Edgar Schein</em></strong></p><br/>Whether written as a mission statement, spoken or just understood, organizational culture describes and governs the ways a company's leaders, employees, customers and stakeholders think, feel and act. Culture may be based on beliefs or spelled out in your mission statement – which should be created as part of the strategy. Beliefs and values are words that will pop up frequently when defining culture. Culture is the identity of a company, and because of that, in some ways it becomes an identity of those who work there, as well. The people end up affecting the culture as much as the culture is affecting them. So while there are many definitions of organizational culture, all of them focus on the same points: collective experience, structures, beliefs, values, norms, and systems. These are learned and re-learned, passed on to new employees, and continues on as part of a company's core identity.<br/><br/>So – culture is how<strong><span style="color: #429a28;"> “work gets done around here”</span></strong> and strategy determines <strong><span style="color: #429a28;">“what work gets done around here.”</span></strong> A positive culture and a clear strategy are both needed for organizational, employee and customer satisfaction and success. After all...<br/><p align="center"><strong><span style="color: #4aa7d3;"><em>A satisfied customer is the best business strategy of all. - Michael LeBoeuf</em></span></strong></p><br/>We need to <strong>call a truce</strong> and work more collaboratively, both between and with culture and strategy, to truly create high performing organizations. Based on the definitions, and based on my experiences, the relationship between culture and strategy is – or at least should be- a symbiotic relationship.<br/><br/><span style="color: #429a28;">What do you think…Is a battle between culture and strategy occurring in your organization? Do you think one is more important than another? If so why or why not?</span><br/><br/><em>*In this article, culture refers specifically to corporate and organizational culture and strategy to organization and business strategy</em><br/><br/><em><strong>About</strong></em><em> </em><strong><em>Scott Span, MSOD:</em></strong><em> is President of </em><a href="http://www.tolerosolutions.com/"><em>Tolero Solutions</em></a><em> Organizational Development & Change Management firm. He helps clients to facilitate sustainable growth by developing people and organizations to be more responsive, focused, productive and profitable.</em><br/><br/><a title="Email Scott Span" href="mailto:scott.span@tolerosolutions.com">Email</a> | <a title="Tolero Solutions" href="http://www.tolerosolutions.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a title="Scott Span on LinkedIn" href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/scottspan" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a> | <a title="Scott Span on Twitter" href="http://www.twitter.com/SSpanTolero" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a title="The Tolero Think Tank Blog" href="http://tolerosolutions.com/thetolerothinktank" target="_blank">Blog</a> | <a title="Tolero Solutions Facebook" href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tolero-Solutions/131665363577261?sk=app_112078882147346" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br/><br/>________________________________________________________________________________<br/><br/><strong>*All Rights Reserved. Reproduction, publication, and all other use of any and all of this content is prohibited without authorized consent of Tolero Solutions and the author.</strong><br/><br/><strong><em>About</em></strong><em> <strong>Scott Span, MSOD:</strong> is President of </em><a href="http://www.tolerosolutions.com/"><em>Tolero Solutions</em></a><em> Organizational Development & Change Management firm. He helps clients be responsive, focused and effective to facilitate sustainable growth.</em><br/><br/><a title="Email Scott Span" href="mailto:scott.span@tolerosolutions.com">Email</a> | <a title="Tolero Solutions" href="http://www.tolerosolutions.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a title="Scott Span on LinkedIn" href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/scottspan" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a> | <a title="Scott Span on Twitter" href="http://www.twitter.com/SSpanTolero" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a title="The Tolero Think Tank Blog" href="http://tolerosolutions.com/thetolerothinktank" target="_blank">Blog</a> | <a title="Tolero Solutions Facebook" href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tolero-Solutions/131665363577261?sk=app_112078882147346" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br/><br/> Tolero Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12437818590603660092noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964298570253871762.post-12890079470619834562012-03-20T10:28:00.000-04:002012-12-03T13:02:20.171-05:00In Goldman Sachs We Trust…Or Do We?<img class="alignleft" src="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ38BMT7B3eofHRlyEOGnIErKehPAol9JEmwB70N0b25GTDinB2" alt="" width="181" height="136" />By now you probably have heard the news about the latest <a href="http://www.goldmansachs.com/?cid=PS_01_05_06_99_01_04">Goldman Sachs</a> incident. Former London-based employee Greg Smith made some serious accusations in a New York Times op-ed piece….and as of late he’s <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/another-ex-goldman-employee-decries-the-commercial-animalsjerks-of-wall-street/2012/03/19/gIQAQ9qnNS_blog.html?tid=wp_ipad">not the only one</a>. His accusations focused around leadership and management practices and the “toxic” culture at Goldman Sachs Group.<br/><br/>This very public vent session by an employee assailing CEO Lloyd C. Blankfein’s management and leadership, and the firm’s treatment of clients, went viral and led to Goldman Sachs losing $2.15 billion of its market value with the stock price dropping 3.4% as of late last week.<br/><br/><strong>A pretty huge public backlash!</strong><br/><br/>Though Goldman Sachs issued a <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-03-14/goldman-sachs-response-to-greg-smiths-op-ed">public response</a> (seriously, how could they not) it was too little to late – the damage has been done. Much has been in the media regarding the incident, the supposed reasons for Greg Smith’s article, and the type of environment and culture at Goldman Sachs. Though I’ve experienced my fair share of “toxic” cultures – and I am a firm believer that <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/category/culture/">culture</a> plays a huge part in business success – I attribute the negative perceptions, outcomes and public relations damage at Goldman Sachs to one thing more than others– <strong>TRUST!</strong><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><span><span style="color: #4aa7d3;">"Me, I'm dishonest, and you can always trust a dishonest man to be dishonest. Honestly, it's the honest ones you have to watch out for." - </span><span style="color: #4aa7d3;">Captain Jack Sparrow</span></span></strong></em></p><br/>Trust is the foundation of any successful relationship both personal and professional, and when it is broken, it is extremely hard to repair. Even though all specifics weren’t shared with the general public, for the most part, the general public has now lost trust in Goldman Sachs leadership and thus the firm overall.<br/><br/>I am repeatedly asked to make the business case for trust. Other than the usual statements about trust reducing transaction costs, increasing employee and customer loyalty, and shortening the sales cycle, hard evidence seems difficult to find. Well, Goldman Sachs is a real life example.<br/><br/>I would like to offer a cause and affect view on this breach of trust at Goldman Sachs: without trust within your company and between your company and your customers, employee engagement and morale will suffer. If engagement and morale suffer, customer satisfaction declines. If customer satisfaction declines, revenue declines. If revenue declines too much, business stops.<br/><br/>Trust is one of those in-tangibles, which means that showing a value add and making the business case for trust can sometimes prove difficult – until trust is lost and broken. At Goldman Sachs, due to the alleged unethical business practices of the leaders, managers and employees, a “…decline in the firm’s moral fiber” permeated contributing to a “toxic” culture that became an acceptable way to do business.<br/><p style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="color: #4aa7d3;"><strong>"When a man assumes a public trust he should consider himself a public property." - Thomas Jefferson</strong></span></em></p><br/>Once this information was made public, by someone with an insider view, Goldman Sachs clients, vendors, and the general public were forced to reevaluate if they wanted to continue to be associated with a company that operated in such a way. A company that they feel betrayed them (and in many cases the actions went against their own values), with actions that have fundamentally breached their trust. Based on the ongoing negative financial impacts Goldman Sachs is experiencing, the overwhelming response seems to be – many don’t want to continue to be associated with a company that fundamentally breached their trust.<br/><br/>Now of course many of Goldman Sachs clients and vendors <a href="http://cnnmoney.mobi/wk_snarticle?articleId=urn:newsml:CNNMoney.com:20120417:goldman-sachs-earnings:1&category=cnnm_business">aren’t bothered by this or choose to ignore it</a>, and the firm will most likely recover. However, it will be a slow process to regain public trust, and we may continue to see the negative impacts for some time. This example serves as a simple and tangible business case for trust, one that highlights the importance of increasing trust in the workplace. Noticing the negative impacts that lack of trust and transparency have had on Goldman Sachs, and using this as a real example to facilitate positive culture change and environments of increased trust, seems like a good lesson to me!<br/><br/>Do you feel Goldman Sachs violated the trust of clients? Is trust in a company you do business with important to you? Do you think "toxic" cultures are detrimental?<br/><br/><em><strong>About</strong></em><em> </em><strong><em>Scott Span, MSOD:</em></strong><em> is President of </em><a href="http://www.tolerosolutions.com/"><em>Tolero Solutions</em></a><em> Organizational Development & Change Management firm. He helps clients to facilitate sustainable growth by developing people and organizations to be more responsive, focused, productive and profitable.</em><br/><br/><a title="Email Scott Span" href="mailto:scott.span@tolerosolutions.com">Email</a> | <a title="Tolero Solutions" href="http://www.tolerosolutions.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a title="Scott Span on LinkedIn" href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/scottspan" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a> | <a title="Scott Span on Twitter" href="http://www.twitter.com/SSpanTolero" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a title="The Tolero Think Tank Blog" href="http://tolerosolutions.com/thetolerothinktank" target="_blank">Blog</a> | <a title="Tolero Solutions Facebook" href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tolero-Solutions/131665363577261?sk=app_112078882147346" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br/><br/>________________________________________________________________________________<br/><br/><strong>*All Rights Reserved. Reproduction, publication, and all other use of any and all of this content is prohibited without authorized consent of Tolero Solutions and the author.</strong><br/><br/><strong><em><br/></em></strong>Tolero Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12437818590603660092noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964298570253871762.post-637361635648582202012-03-16T14:05:00.000-04:002012-12-03T13:02:20.191-05:00What Is Change Management & Why Is It Important to Your Organization?<p style="text-align: left;"><em></em><em></em><em></em><em><img class="alignleft" title="cm" src="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/1.jpg" alt="" width="208" height="133" /></em>As an Organizational Development (OD) and Change Management practitioner I often get <em></em>asked by leaders <em></em><em></em>– so what does that mean? Why are these things important to my business? And how can they help me create a high performing organization?</p><br/><em></em>Well…let me explain the executive summary (OK well the sort of executive summary)…<br/><br/><strong>What is change management? </strong><br/><br/><span style="color: #4aa7d3;"><em>"If you want to truly understand something, try to change it.</em><em>" – Kurt Lewin</em></span><br/><ul><br/> <li>The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Change_management">definition</a> of change management varies. Many exist, some simple, some complex. I’ll refrain from getting overly scholarly (you’re welcome). To synopsize<strong> for the busy executive</strong>, change management can be defined as a structured approach to transitioning individuals, teams, and organizations from a current state to a desired future state. It can be applied to situations such as downsizing, growing organizations, or even adding new technology. It is an organizational process aimed at helping employees to understand, commit to, and accept and embrace changes in their current business environment. A part of change management is also managing transition – and though related, <a href="../../../../../change-transition-no-they-are-not-the-same-thing/">change and transition</a> is not the same thing. Some definitions go even further to define differences between change management and <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/johnkotter/2011/07/12/change-management-vs-change-leadership-whats-the-difference/">change leadership</a> (in my experience I see them very interrelated – one referring to the tools and technologies and the other referring to those individuals utilizing such tools, technologies and frameworks to lead change efforts.)</li><br/></ul><br/><strong>Why is change management important – how can it help? </strong><br/><ul><br/> <li>If changes are occurring in your organization – strategic changes, tactical changes, leadership changes, <a title="People and Technology" href="http://tolerosolutions.com/the-people-side-of-change-in-technology-implementations/" target="_blank">technology changes </a>– then those changes are going to have impacts and effects on your people and processes (among other areas). To help minimize those impacts and effects, from having unintended negative outcomes, it is necessary to have “change management” methodologies in place with skilled resources delivering and executing on those methodologies, principles and processes. This helps to minimize possible negative outcomes and increase positive results. Change itself is a process – managing it, leading it, achieving it is also a process and one that should <em>not </em>be viewed and managed with a one size fits all approach. Approaches and actions should be customized to fit your organizational circumstances.</li><br/></ul><br/>My take - as an organizational development practitioner, I view <a href="../../../../../serviceofferings/consulting-services-2/transformational-change-solutions/">change management</a> methods as just one of many tools in your toolkit used to help achieve positive organizational improvements.<br/><br/>Feel free to learn more on the <a href="../../../../../thetolerothinktank/">Tolero Think Tank</a>.<br/><p style="text-align: center;"> <img class="wp-image-1042 aligncenter" title="Lead" src="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Lead.jpg" alt="" width="193" height="128" /></p><br/><strong>What is organizational development (OD)? </strong><br/><ul><br/> <li>The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organization_development">definition</a> of Organizational Development (OD) varies even more than that of Change Management. Again, many exist, some simple, some complex. And again, I’ll refrain from getting overly scholarly (you’re welcome). <strong>To the busy executive</strong>, OD is basically the application of tools, methods, frameworks and technologies and processes to make your entire organization (yes, that includes people) more productive, profitable, and innovative. OD is an ongoing, systematic process of implementing positive and effective organizational change. Organizational development is known as both a field of applied behavioral science and as a field of scientific study and inquiry. It is interdisciplinary in nature and draws on many other disciplines such as sociology, psychology, communication, cultural anthropology organizational behavior, economics, political science, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuroleadership">neuroleadership</a> and theories of motivation, learning, and personality. <strong></strong></li><br/></ul><br/><strong>Why should you consider OD initiatives to support your organization in achieving desired outcomes?<br/></strong><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #4aa7d3;"><em>“…Think of an organization as all the clothes hanging on a clothes line. All parts are connected. If you pull on the socks the towels move…”</em></span></p><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #4aa7d3;"><em> - Arthur Friedman</em></span></p><br/><br/><ul><br/> <li>One of the distinguishing characteristics of OD is that it is based on collaboration and a “helping relationship.” OD takes a total system view — the organization as a whole, including its relevant subsystems in the context of the total system. Thus, OD interventions and improvement strategies can focus on the whole system or on multiple levels of the system such as groups, teams, and individuals. OD interventions should be clearly tied to <a href="../../../../../category/strategy/">strategic goals</a> and objectives. Parts of systems are not considered in isolation; the principle of interdependency, that is, that changes in one part of a system affects the other parts, is fully recognized. These interventions and improvement strategies can focus on various initiatives within the organization such as change, communications, strategy, culture and process.</li><br/></ul><br/><strong>So, why should you care about these things?</strong><br/><ul><br/> <li>Well <span style="color: #429a28;"><em>you want to be successful, don’t you</em>?</span> Isn’t that why you took on organizational improvement efforts to begin with – to innovate, to reinvigorate, to become ever better. To prevent your organization from potentially failing before you even start – understanding and skillfully executing various principles of change management and OD are a necessity to success!</li><br/></ul><br/><strong><em>About</em></strong><em> <strong>Scott Span, MSOD:</strong> is President of </em><a href="http://www.tolerosolutions.com/"><em>Tolero Solutions</em></a><em> Organizational Development & Change Management firm. He helps clients be responsive, focused and effective to facilitate sustainable growth.</em><br/><br/><a title="Email Scott Span" href="mailto:scott.span@tolerosolutions.com">Email</a> | <a title="Tolero Solutions" href="http://www.tolerosolutions.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a title="Scott Span on LinkedIn" href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/scottspan" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a> | <a title="Scott Span on Twitter" href="http://www.twitter.com/SSpanTolero" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a title="The Tolero Think Tank Blog" href="../../../../../thetolerothinktank" target="_blank">Blog</a> | <a title="Tolero Solutions Facebook" href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tolero-Solutions/131665363577261?sk=app_112078882147346" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br/><br/>________________________________________________________________________________<br/><br/><strong>*All Rights Reserved. Reproduction, publication, and all other use of any and all of this content is prohibited without authorized consent of Tolero Solutions and the author.</strong>Tolero Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12437818590603660092noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964298570253871762.post-74589766237097783132012-03-07T18:11:00.000-05:002012-12-03T13:02:20.196-05:00Why is no one talking about the 'pink elephant' in the room? Or are
they?<img class="alignleft wp-image-999" src="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/images.jpg" alt="" width="122" height="163" />So your organization is going through some type of change. How can lack of communication during times of change affect your productivity and profitability? More than likely your employees know what’s going on earlier than you may think. Actually, if your organization is currently going through a <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/category/organizational-change/">change,</a> employees and customers are probably talking about it as you read this. So it would best if you addressed that <strong>*</strong><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephant_in_the_room">‘pink elephant’</a> in the room and nip that ‘water cooler’ talk in the bud soon as possible!<br/><br/>Whether it is downsizing, merger or acquisition, implementation of <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Tolero-Solutions-Whitepaper-Integrating-People-and-Technology.pdf">new technology</a>, or change in <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/category/strategy/">strategy,</a> regardless of the situation, honest, transparent, and timely <strong>COMMUNICATION</strong> with employees and stakeholders is imperative to success. Without information, assumptions form. Assumptions lead to rumors. And rumors can impact performance and can sabotage positive change.<br/><br/>As your employees are spending time talking about whatever it is that is going on in your organization and worrying about how it impacts them and what it means to their jobs, they aren’t getting their jobs done – they aren’t fully engaged and <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/High-Performance-Culture-Whitepaper-12-17-11_FINAL.pdf">high performing. </a> They are likely unmotivated and less likely to bring forth new, innovative ideas – ideas that could be helpful on how to improve productivity, profitability, procedures, and processes and positively assist with the changes in your organization.<br/><br/><span style="color: #4aa7d3;"><strong><em>“In most organizational change efforts, it is much easier to draw on the strengths of the culture than to overcome the constraints by changing the culture.” - Edgar Schein</em></strong></span><br/><br/>Your employees are one of your organizations greatest strengths - draw on them, respect them, communicate with them and keep them engaged!<br/><p style="text-align: center;"><strong><img class="size-full wp-image-1001 aligncenter" title="Solutions" src="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Solutions.jpg" alt="" width="190" height="146" /></strong></p><br/> <br/><br/><strong>So what should you do about this…</strong><br/><br/>How do you halt the rumor mill and keep engagement stable during change?<br/><ul><br/> <li>The short answer (in case you didn’t notice my not so subtle attempt to call it out above) is to <em>communicate, communicate, communicate</em>. A detailed <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/category/communication/">communications</a> strategy developed specifically for the change effort is also helpful. A change management framework and plan of execution are also necessary for success. After all, you can’t just stay quiet, snap your fingers and expect everything to turn out as you want (if you master that, please let me know!).</li><br/></ul><br/>What if you can’t divulge all the details? How do you address that with employees and stakeholders?<br/><ul><br/> <li>Let’s face it, you can always divulge something. No one enjoys lack of information; however, few enjoy information overload either. It’s about balance. Communicate in small bites. Start with communicating information that has been agreed to by leadership, is timely, and has a direct impact on employees and stakeholders. Be transparent that certain details are not yet worked out and some information may be at a very high level – however, what is ready to be shared is being shared with the appropriate audiences and more information will follow.</li><br/></ul><br/><span style="color: #4aa7d3;"><strong><em>“Good communication does not mean that you have to speak in perfectly formed sentences and paragraphs. </em></strong></span><span style="color: #4aa7d3;"><strong><em>It isn't about slickness. Simple and clear go a long way.” </em></strong></span><strong style="color: #4aa7d3;"><em>– John Kotter</em></strong><br/><br/>What are some other actions you should take to address possible employee issues during times of change?<br/><ul><br/> <li>Aware leaders are quickly recognizing that having a strong and committed workforce is a key success factor for achieving desired goals and objectives during a time of <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/serviceofferings/consulting-services-2/transformational-change-solutions/">organizational change</a> – and for a high performing organization in general. Specific actions help to support and achieve positive outcomes. As mentioned, one easy way to maintain an engaged and committed workforce – and customer base - is with open, honest, and timely communication.</li><br/></ul><br/><strong> So a bit more about that process... </strong><br/><br/>Once the changes are ready to be introduced to the masses, the process must include corresponding communications and change management efforts. These efforts should include specific and detailed plans and actions that run<em> in parallel, not independently</em>. Without a strategic communications plan, it is extremely difficult to determine the who, what, when, where, and how the information should be introduced. A detailed communications plan should outline the content, vehicles, and frequency of communications with the various audiences and include methods to receive feedback. This can help minimize certain employee concerns associated with organizational changes – concerns that if go unaddressed can have a negative impact. Careful communications and change planning and execution are imperatives to minimizing resistance, increasing understanding, obtaining and maintaining engagement and performance, and supporting achieving successful outcomes.<br/><br/><strong>So the moral of the story – let me put it in the words of a manager I worked with on a recent change effort…</strong><br/><br/><em>“…I’m not a child, don’t treat me like one. Communicate with your employees; don’t treat them like they’re your children who don’t know what is really going on. They are more perceptive than you think, and can sense that change is imminent. We all know something is going on, we know changes are happening. Tell me the truth. The sooner I know the truth the sooner I can determine how I can help – or get out of the way.”</em><br/><br/><span style="color: #429a28;"><strong>So – have you ever been an employee in a situation like this? If so, how did you react? What was the environment like at work? How do you think things could have been handled better? What was the outcome of the change? We’d love to hear your story. </strong></span><br/><br/><span style="color: #429a28;"><strong> Oh – and leaders of organizations who had successful change efforts – we’d love to hear your stories as well!</strong></span><br/><br/>Keep an eye out for another article we’ll post shortly which will <a title="Why is change management important?" href="http://tolerosolutions.com/what-is-change-management-why-is-it-important-to-my-organization/">discuss more about change management</a> – what is it and why is it important.<br/><br/><strong>*</strong> The phrase 'white elephant' in the room can also mean the same as 'pink elephant' in the room, and 'pink elephant' can also be referenced regarding alcohol and hallucinations...so the color of the elephant in the room doesn't make much difference and isn't really the point. The color is simply a unique qualifier to further bring the point to the forefront - the point being a huge elephant exists and no one is talking about it!<br/><br/><em><strong>About</strong></em><em> </em><strong><em>Scott Span, MSOD:</em></strong><em> is President of </em><a href="http://www.tolerosolutions.com/"><em>Tolero Solutions</em></a><em> Organizational Development & Change Management firm. He helps clients to facilitate sustainable growth by developing people and organizations to be more responsive, focused, productive and profitable.</em><br/><br/><a title="Email Scott Span" href="mailto:scott.span@tolerosolutions.com">Email</a> | <a title="Tolero Solutions" href="http://www.tolerosolutions.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a title="Scott Span on LinkedIn" href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/scottspan" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a> | <a title="Scott Span on Twitter" href="http://www.twitter.com/SSpanTolero" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a title="The Tolero Think Tank Blog" href="http://tolerosolutions.com/thetolerothinktank" target="_blank">Blog</a> | <a title="Tolero Solutions Facebook" href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tolero-Solutions/131665363577261?sk=app_112078882147346" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br/><br/>________________________________________________________________________________<br/><br/><strong>*All Rights Reserved. Reproduction, publication, and all other use of any and all of this content is prohibited without authorized consent of Tolero Solutions and the author.</strong><br/><br/><strong><em><br/></em></strong>Tolero Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12437818590603660092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964298570253871762.post-339980015045445852012-01-27T15:05:00.000-05:002012-12-03T13:02:20.177-05:00An Improving Economy Could Mean Loss of Employees. Will They Stay or
Will They Go? That’s Up To You.<img class="alignleft" src="http://www.openforum.com/media/4ac8e46a-10f4-40cf-9466-070860b58b4d_detail.jpg" alt="" width="148" height="111" />When accounting for the costs (both real costs, such as time taken to select and recruit a replacement, and also opportunity costs, such as lost productivity), <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turnover_(employment)">the cost of employee turnover</a> to for-profit organizations has been estimated to be up to <strong>150%</strong> of the employees' remuneration package. Can you afford that?<br/><br/>The US economy <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2011/12/02/news/economy/jobs_report_unemployment/index.htm">is improving</a>. This is a good thing for companies and job seekers alike, though it’s also positive news for employees – employees who may have felt over worked and under-appreciated during the downturn.<br/><br/><strong><em>Should you be concerned about </em><a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/a-pat-on-the-back-please-are-your-employees-recognized-for-their-performance/"><em>retention</em></a><em> and loss of employees?</em></strong><br/><br/>Though employee engagement and retention should always be a focus for any high performing organization, additional focus should be placed on retention strategies during an economic uptick. When employees see external environmental factors such as the economy improving, and more opportunities available to them, organizations have to work harder than ever before to retain good talent. Many employees are willing to put up with job dissatisfaction during hard economic times for fear of losing their job and or not being able to find an alternative. Though an economic uptick is not a guaranteed sign that employees will jump ship, it is a contributory factor many consider when making a job change.<br/><br/>Though <a href="http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/tenure.pdf">average employee tenure</a> varies by work type and demographic; however, the days of long term tenure with an organization are not what they used to be. Under stable economic conditions, it’s not uncommon for people to move jobs every few years. Factor in opportunities for new jobs presenting themselves, after years of stagnant wages and often increased workload and minimal recognition, and suddenly employee retention can become a serious issue.<br/><p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: #00ccff;"><em>“We are responsible for our own lives–no other person is or even can be.”</em></span></strong><br/><strong><span style="color: #00ccff;"><em> ~Oprah Winfrey</em></span></strong></p><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter" style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial;" src="http://hrthinktank.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Team-puzzle.jpg" alt="" width="204" height="152" /></p><br/><p style="text-align: left;">It’s not just a poor economy that can lead to dissatisfied employees counting the days until their next opportunity. Many attributes of organizational culture, as well as leadership and management behaviors, contribute to employee dissatisfaction. Many of these attributes often tend to become enhanced and accepted in times of distress. However, as the economy improves, employee tolerance for many of these behaviors declines. As opportunities arise for employees to change jobs; these other non economic attributes that play a part in retention need to be reevaluated or addressed.</p><br/><strong> </strong><strong>Organizational Behaviors Negatively Impacting Employee Retention:</strong><br/><ul><br/> <li>Lack of honest and transparent leadership</li><br/> <li>Poor communication top down, bottom up, and lateral</li><br/> <li>Inflexible and un adaptable strategy</li><br/> <li>Reduction in employee growth opportunities</li><br/> <li>Unachievable performance goals</li><br/> <li>Lack of recognition</li><br/> <li>Reduced or non timely and relevant job training</li><br/> <li>Minimal appreciation for diversity</li><br/> <li>Non merit based pay</li><br/> <li>Culture of distrust</li><br/></ul><br/>I often get told “we can’t afford to keep our employees by offering higher pay and benefits.” Sometimes an increase in salary and benefits is not a feasible solution to employee retention, particularly after several years of tough economic times. Now sure, will you lose some employees strictly due to salary and monetary benefits, of course. That said, you’d be surprised how understanding employees are willing to be if you show them you value them in other ways. That’s not to say money isn't a driver for many people, though it certainly isn't the only one.<br/><br/><em>So when options present themselves for employees to leave, what should you do to ensure you retain them, and the costly institutional knowledge they possess?</em><br/><br/><strong>Organizational Behaviors Positively Impacting Employee Retention:</strong><br/><ul><br/> <li>Increase leadership honesty and transparency</li><br/> <li>Reevaluate and ramp up organizational communications</li><br/> <li>Revisit your strategy and targets</li><br/> <li>Don’t reduce employee growth opportunities</li><br/> <li>Have realistic performance goals</li><br/> <li>Recognize, recognize, recognize!</li><br/> <li>Provide training and learning opportunities</li><br/> <li>Value and respect diversity</li><br/> <li>Have merit based pay systems</li><br/> <li>Create a culture of trust<br/><p align="center">*For further details and actions regarding these behaviors see our</p><br/><p align="center"><strong><a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Tolero-Solutions-Checklist-Employee-Retention-FINAL.pdf">Employee Retention Checklist: Organizational Behaviors That Positively Impact Retention</a></strong></p><br/></li><br/></ul><br/><div>With the economy making a turn for the better, it’s largely up to you whether you make your employees want to stay or go. Do you have employee retention strategies in place? If so, have you revisited your engagement and retention strategies recently? Tolero Solutions can help you <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/serviceofferings/consulting-services-2/strategic-organizational/">increase retention</a> and engagement and design strategies best suited for your organization. With an estimated cost to replace an employee of up to 150% of the employees' remuneration package – can you afford not to focus on retention?</div><br/><div><sup> </sup></div><br/><div></div><br/><div style="text-align: center;"><strong style="color: #00ccff; text-align: center;">“The employer generally gets the employees he deserves.</strong><span style="color: #00ccff; text-align: center;">” </span><strong style="color: #00ccff; text-align: center;">~Walter Gilbey</strong></div><br/><div style="text-align: center;"></div><br/> <br/><br/><em><strong>About</strong></em><em> </em><strong><em>Scott Span, MSOD:</em></strong><em> is President of </em><a href="http://www.tolerosolutions.com/"><em>Tolero Solutions</em></a><em> Organizational Development & Change Management firm. He helps clients to facilitate sustainable growth by developing people and organizations to be more responsive, focused, productive and profitable.</em><br/><br/><a title="Email Scott Span" href="mailto:scott.span@tolerosolutions.com">Email</a> | <a title="Tolero Solutions" href="http://www.tolerosolutions.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a title="Scott Span on LinkedIn" href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/scottspan" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a> | <a title="Scott Span on Twitter" href="http://www.twitter.com/SSpanTolero" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a title="The Tolero Think Tank Blog" href="http://tolerosolutions.com/thetolerothinktank" target="_blank">Blog</a> | <a title="Tolero Solutions Facebook" href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tolero-Solutions/131665363577261?sk=app_112078882147346" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br/><br/>________________________________________________________________________________<br/><br/><strong>*All Rights Reserved. Reproduction, publication, and all other use of any and all of this content is prohibited without authorized consent of Tolero Solutions and the author.</strong><br/><br/><strong><em><br/></em></strong>Tolero Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12437818590603660092noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7964298570253871762.post-65474706332518760622011-12-19T16:44:00.000-05:002012-12-03T13:02:20.192-05:00Goal Setting - Why Bother? Are You Setting Your 2012 Goals?<img class="alignleft wp-image-846" title="goal_setting_activities" src="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/goal_setting_activities.jpg" alt="" width="195" height="115" />2012 is literally around the corner. The topic of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goal#Goal_management_in_organizations">goals and objectives</a> arises frequently this time of year. Many organizations (and individuals) have begun to update their strategies and create new goals for the New Year, have you? Hopefully you have, and if you haven’t, well – you may want to add it to your ‘to do’ list.<br/><br/> <br/><p style="text-align: center;"><strong><em>"Goals allow you to control the direction of change in your favor." - Brian Tracy</em></strong></p><br/> <br/><br/><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">So what are goals and why are they important?</span></strong><br/><br/>A goal represents the “to be” state, not the action of getting to that state. Goals are the most important outcomes that need to be accomplished to achieve and maintain the vision of the organization. Goals are derived from the <a href="http://sbinfocanada.about.com/od/businessplanning/g/visionstatement.htm">vision statement</a> and must be addressed through the objectives of the organization and establish the long-term direction for the work within the organization. In short, goals are the desired end result. As <a href="https://www.stephencovey.com/" target="_blank">Stephen Covey</a> says, it helps to "<em>Begin with the end in mind."</em><br/><br/><img class="alignleft wp-image-847" title="improvement-objectives-300x299" src="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/improvement-objectives-300x299.jpg" alt="" width="108" height="107" />Goals should also decide the results that are wanted/needed and set a time frame for achieving results. Most importantly, goals must build in accountability and consequences for not achieving them. <a href="http://www.ehow.com/about_5162691_definition-performance-measurement.html">Performance measures</a> are the best indicators of success in achieving goals and outcomes; they should be relevant and practical.<br/><br/> <br/><br/> <br/><br/><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">It helps to ask…do the goals</span></strong><strong>:</strong><br/><ul><br/> <li>Address improvements in performance of mission?</li><br/> <li>Address individual improvements in performance?</li><br/> <li>Tie to the strategic objectives?</li><br/> <li>Capture the requirements of external and internal customers?</li><br/> <li>Emphasize the critical aspects of the organization?</li><br/></ul><br/>Most leaders know that an effective <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/how-do-we-get-there-is-your-organization%E2%80%99s-strategy-working-for-you/">strategic plan</a> must contain measurable high level goals and objectives, though goals should not only be high level organizational in nature. I am often asked by leaders who have a developed strategy, <em>“why do my people need their own goals – we already have high level strategic organizational goals they are expected to meet?”</em> My reply, goals tell you as an organization where you want to be and what you want to achieve – they do the same for your people. Employees must have goals and objectives, not only to help support the organization in achieving its <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/category/strategy/">strategy</a>, but also to see how the actions they take in executing their roles and responsibilities directly contribute to the broader organization mission and vision.<br/><br/>In developing organizational and employee goals, it is important to ask, <em>“Are we measuring the right things?”</em> Program, departmental and individual employee goals should align to and support organizational goals and objectives. If the workforce cannot see themselves and their actions in strategic goals, then your organizational goals aren’t as likely to succeed. Personal goals, incentives, and competencies should be aligned with the strategy. Without individual goals tied to specific roles and performance, it is difficult for employees to gauge the impact they are making through their work. It is also more difficult for them to see the <strong>WIIFM </strong>(what’s in it for me) for achieving <a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/a-pat-on-the-back-please-are-your-employees-recognized-for-their-performance/">high performance</a> - without goals, it proves difficult to measure, evaluate and reward individual performance.<br/><br/><strong><em> "My philosophy of life is that if we make up our mind what we are going to make of our lives, then work hard toward that goal, we never lose - somehow we win out." - Ronald Reagan</em></strong><br/><br/><img class="alignleft wp-image-848" title="goal-objective-setting" src="http://tolerosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/goal-objective-setting.jpg" alt="" width="192" height="144" />Clear communication of goals and priorities is necessary for people to see how their goals are contributing to organizational success and why they are being measured and evaluated against them. That creates a win/win for both the employee and the organization. For goals to truly increase accountability, they should include baselines. <a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/baseline">Baselines</a> are time-lagged calculations which provide a basis for making comparisons of past performance to current performance. A baseline may also be forward-looking, such as when you establish a goal and are seeking to determine whether the trends show you're likely to meet that goal. Measuring performance at a specific time establishes a baseline and provides the starting point for setting goals and evaluating future efforts and overall performance.<br/><br/><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Several questions to ask when developing and defining goals: </span></strong><br/><ul><br/> <li>Does the goal support the mission?</li><br/> <li>Does the goal represent a desired result that can be measured?</li><br/> <li>Does the goal reflect a primary activity, a strategic direction, a strategic issue or a gap in service?</li><br/> <li>Is the goal challenging, but still realistic and achievable?</li><br/> <li>Is there at least one key goal for each program/subprogram, but not more than can be reasonably managed?</li><br/> <li>Is the goal important to management?</li><br/> <li>Is the goal important to the employee?</li><br/> <li>Is the goal important to customers and stakeholders?</li><br/></ul><br/><a href="http://tolerosolutions.com/" target="_blank">Tolero Solutions </a>offers various frameworks and methodologies that can provide assistance with strategic planning and goal setting. Just as your final destination is important to your journey, your goals are important to your business and your people. They define your destination and shape what your business will become. So, as you and your organization wind down 2011, give some thought to where you want to be, how are going to get there, and how you’re going to measure success – set goals early and take one step closer to being set for success in the New Year! After all, <strong>“</strong><strong><em>If you don't know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else." - Yogi Berra</em></strong><br/><br/><em><strong>About</strong></em><em> </em><strong><em>Scott Span, MSOD:</em></strong><em> is President of </em><a href="http://www.tolerosolutions.com/"><em>Tolero Solutions</em></a><em> Organizational Development & Change Management firm. He helps clients to facilitate sustainable growth by developing people and organizations to be more responsive, focused, productive and profitable.</em><br/><br/><a title="Email Scott Span" href="mailto:scott.span@tolerosolutions.com">Email</a> | <a title="Tolero Solutions" href="http://www.tolerosolutions.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a title="Scott Span on LinkedIn" href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/scottspan" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a> | <a title="Scott Span on Twitter" href="http://www.twitter.com/SSpanTolero" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a title="The Tolero Think Tank Blog" href="http://tolerosolutions.com/thetolerothinktank" target="_blank">Blog</a> | <a title="Tolero Solutions Facebook" href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tolero-Solutions/131665363577261?sk=app_112078882147346" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br/><br/>________________________________________________________________________________<br/><br/><strong>*All Rights Reserved. Reproduction, publication, and all other use of any and all of this content is prohibited without authorized consent of Tolero Solutions and the author.</strong><br/><br/><strong><em><br/></em></strong>Tolero Solutionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12437818590603660092noreply@blogger.com3