Several years ago the consulting firm I worked for did a study that included interviewing eight of the most successful CEOs in the country that were within a year of retirement. The requirement to be within one year of retirement on either side was to insure that none of them would pull any punches regarding being totally open with their answers to our questions. This was quite an enlightening experience and in fact I believe you can still purchase DVD’s of these interview from NAW (National Association of Wholesalers)
Each one of these leaders had a different leadership model. Of course there was some commonalities but for the most part each one had a clearly defined personal leadership model. However, a personal character trait that really stood out to me in these interviews was the fact that every one of these CEOs had an incredible sense of curiosity. They were all passionate about it and each one had a new innovative project going on every year.
My personal assessment after spending hours listening to these interviews numerous times is that they came by this curiosity naturally. It’s like they had this “need to know” their entire lives. I have personally known CEOs that have that same sense of curiosity that have told me at times that need can seem so overpowering that they consider it a curse instead of a blessing. But, curiosity leads to new ideas, creativity and innovative thoughts.
Keep this point in mind ------ Most new ideas are simply a combination or rearrangement of old ideas and facts. What that tells us is simply the more we study a topic or situation and the more knowledge we gain about anything specific, the more likely it becomes that we come up with new ideas. Your ability and willingness to explore, study and learn is directly related to your level of curiosity.
If you don’t feel that instinctive curiosity then you need to take deliberate action everyday to improve your knowledge foundation. One very quick and easy way to accomplish this is to read. Read at every opportunity; on the airplane, at home at night, in the doctor’s office. Take every opportunity to read every chance you get. Reading someone else’s version or opinion on something will prompt your thought process and give you your own ideas and versions of the subject at hand. Replace at least one hour a night of television with one hour a night of reading.
Have the curiosity of a cat and ---- it could change your entire life.
www.ceostrategist.com – Sign up to receive “The Howl” a free monthly newsletter that addresses real world industry issues. – Straight talk about today’s issues. Rick Johnson, expert speaker, wholesale distribution’s “Leadership Strategist”, founder of CEO Strategist, LLC a firm that helps clients create and maintain competitive advantage. Need a speaker for your next event, E-mail rick@ceostrategist.com
Strategic Leadership in Wholesale Distribution
CEO Strategist LLC
rick@ceostrategist.com
tel: 352-750-0868
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Lead Wolf Leadership Tips
Success in any organization often depends on leadership ability to adjust quickly to a changing environment both internally and externally. Trends, regulations, competition and yes the economy may force organizational change. This change has a direct impact on employees often creating a decrease in morale which can lead to complacency and apathy. To circumvent these consequences leaders must justify, communicate and explain the long term benefits to the company and the employees. Sometimes it may simply mean survival. But, even survival can be positive when it relates to maintain security for the employee.
Timing is a critical component that the leader must recognize. Reacting too late on any situational change can lead to panic and fear. Both of these traits can paralyze the leader’s ability to solve problems and create solutions. Stuff happens but effective leaders --- Lead Wolf Leaders react quickly and appropriately. Follow these Lead Wolf Tips and improve your chance for success even in the most difficult circumstances.
1. Plan Carefully --- Planning saves time and money. It also prevents knee jerk decisions that are often wrong. Shooting from the hip may work in normal times but in times of crisis any risk should be calculated, thought through and executed diligently. Always consider down side consequences and create a detailed time table for execution.
2. Anticipate Resistance --- Consider motivation regarding any anticipated resistance to change. Resistance is often a result of fear – fear of losing status, power or security. Communicate with individual employees. Discuss their position and contribution honestly. Talk about their continued career paths or new career paths. Define and discuss the reasons and justifications for the change. Express appreciation for past and continued performance.
3. Communicate Openly & Honestly ---- Don’t make false promises. Honest communication is a must. Most resistance to any change is due to the lack of information. As a result employees make things up in their own minds that are predominantly extremely worse than the real situation. Put on your sales person hat because change, new ideas or any type of organizational change requires you to sell the idea.
4. Employee Buy-in ---- Getting employees involved in the early stages of change has several advantages. First and foremost, it is often amazing what employees can do if you just let them. It is often amazing what ideas employees can come up with if you just listen to them. Most of the time we overlook the incredible knowledge and talent that is at our finger tips. Getting employees involved creates ownership, minimizes mistakes and expensive consequences. People that are being effected directly by change often have the best insights on how to manage that change.
5. Trust and Respect Your Employees ----- I often repeat the phrase – “Employees won’t start trusting you until you starting trusting them.” “Employees won’t start respecting you until you start respecting them.” Credibility based on your past relationships with your employees will play a key role in creating success.
6. Execution --- The golden grail ---- nothing happens unless you execute. Create a D-Day kickoff and set up specific, timely accountability sessions to insure that everyone stays on point. Individual initiative related scorecards are a great tool to support execution. The more painful the change or challenge the more it necessitates quick action. Postponement only adds further complications.
7. Understand Contingency Planning ---- Regardless of circumstance, all Lead Wolf Leaders understand and prepare for contingencies. When times are really good we often call it scenario planning. This is nothing more than “What if Brainstorming Sessions”. However, during tough economic times it is imperative to actually create a contingency plan that outlines specific actions that may become necessary based on circumstance.
Check out Rick’s new CD and workbook Real World Leadership Kit --- “Learning to Lead So Others Will Follow”http://www.ceostrategist.com/resources-store/real-world-leadership.html
www.ceostrategist.com – Sign up to receive “The Howl” a free monthly newsletter that addresses real world industry issues. – Straight talk about today’s issues. Rick Johnson, expert speaker, wholesale distribution’s “Leadership Strategist”, founder of CEO Strategist, LLC a firm that helps clients create and maintain competitive advantage. Need a speaker for your next event, E-mail rick@ceostrategist.com
Timing is a critical component that the leader must recognize. Reacting too late on any situational change can lead to panic and fear. Both of these traits can paralyze the leader’s ability to solve problems and create solutions. Stuff happens but effective leaders --- Lead Wolf Leaders react quickly and appropriately. Follow these Lead Wolf Tips and improve your chance for success even in the most difficult circumstances.
1. Plan Carefully --- Planning saves time and money. It also prevents knee jerk decisions that are often wrong. Shooting from the hip may work in normal times but in times of crisis any risk should be calculated, thought through and executed diligently. Always consider down side consequences and create a detailed time table for execution.
2. Anticipate Resistance --- Consider motivation regarding any anticipated resistance to change. Resistance is often a result of fear – fear of losing status, power or security. Communicate with individual employees. Discuss their position and contribution honestly. Talk about their continued career paths or new career paths. Define and discuss the reasons and justifications for the change. Express appreciation for past and continued performance.
3. Communicate Openly & Honestly ---- Don’t make false promises. Honest communication is a must. Most resistance to any change is due to the lack of information. As a result employees make things up in their own minds that are predominantly extremely worse than the real situation. Put on your sales person hat because change, new ideas or any type of organizational change requires you to sell the idea.
4. Employee Buy-in ---- Getting employees involved in the early stages of change has several advantages. First and foremost, it is often amazing what employees can do if you just let them. It is often amazing what ideas employees can come up with if you just listen to them. Most of the time we overlook the incredible knowledge and talent that is at our finger tips. Getting employees involved creates ownership, minimizes mistakes and expensive consequences. People that are being effected directly by change often have the best insights on how to manage that change.
5. Trust and Respect Your Employees ----- I often repeat the phrase – “Employees won’t start trusting you until you starting trusting them.” “Employees won’t start respecting you until you start respecting them.” Credibility based on your past relationships with your employees will play a key role in creating success.
6. Execution --- The golden grail ---- nothing happens unless you execute. Create a D-Day kickoff and set up specific, timely accountability sessions to insure that everyone stays on point. Individual initiative related scorecards are a great tool to support execution. The more painful the change or challenge the more it necessitates quick action. Postponement only adds further complications.
7. Understand Contingency Planning ---- Regardless of circumstance, all Lead Wolf Leaders understand and prepare for contingencies. When times are really good we often call it scenario planning. This is nothing more than “What if Brainstorming Sessions”. However, during tough economic times it is imperative to actually create a contingency plan that outlines specific actions that may become necessary based on circumstance.
Check out Rick’s new CD and workbook Real World Leadership Kit --- “Learning to Lead So Others Will Follow”http://www.ceostrategist.com/resources-store/real-world-leadership.html
www.ceostrategist.com – Sign up to receive “The Howl” a free monthly newsletter that addresses real world industry issues. – Straight talk about today’s issues. Rick Johnson, expert speaker, wholesale distribution’s “Leadership Strategist”, founder of CEO Strategist, LLC a firm that helps clients create and maintain competitive advantage. Need a speaker for your next event, E-mail rick@ceostrategist.com
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Ten Tips to Avoid Micro Management
Micro managing may make you feel in control but in reality you are only hurting yourself and the company. It only limits an employee’s ability to be innovative and creative. This can cost the company thousands of dollars because it is the creativity and innovation of your employees that maximize the profitability of your company. Micro Management is often just a symptom of ineffective planning, too much compassion and the inability to judge performance and develop bench strength.
Developing a strategic plan for your company is a very effective way to address any or all of these challenges. I often tell my clients that the most valuable part of a strategic plan is the development process itself. Running a company with a shoot from the hip mentality often encourages micro management and does not allow employees to develop their skills and maximize their potential. One of the many warning signs is a high turnover rate. The reason is simple; good employees just won’t tolerate micro management and they will leave to find employment that will challenge them and help them grow.
1. Try to understand your lack of delegating skills. If you keep things too close to the vest because you fear losing control, you may need personal coaching to help you understand that empowerment and delegation will actually increase your control as it provides you with more time to plan and work on strategic issues.
2. If you lack trust in your employees remember the statement --- “Employees won’t start trusting you until you start trusting them”. If you absolutely can not let go; ask yourself why you hired the employee. In the end if you can’t trust them you need to replace them. If you find you can’t trust any of your employees than you need help in developing your leadership skills.
3. Create a skills assessment inventory for every key employee. Supplement that exercise by creating a training and development matrix to improve the overall competency of the organization. Include yourself in the assessment. Communicate the purpose in a positive fashion to the employees.
4. Consider doing a 360 review that includes you as a leader or create an anonymous survey for employees to rate the entire management team, including you, and the company culture itself.
5. Utilize your skills assessment to make sure you have the right people in the right seats and identify future potential leadership.
6. Stop answering questions and start asking them. When an employee asks you what they should do, ask them what they think they should do.
7. Search for projects, issues or challenges that you would normally tackle and create a project team or empower an individual to solve the problem. Do this even if you think you have the answer.
8. Let your employees fail. The hardest thing to do is to watch an employee make a mistake. But, unless the mistake is life threatening or is going to cost the company thousands of dollars, it is a better learning process if the employee learns from his own mistake.
9. Provide more than just skill training and product training. Create an employee development program for those employees that show potential for future stardom. This development program must be based on empowering these employees to make tough decisions. Intern programs are also effective as a platform for development.
10. Results happen in various ways. Remember, you may have a specific way of doing things but it may not be the only way. As long as the employee is getting the results expected, give them praise. Your way may not be the best or only way.
Developing a strategic plan for your company is a very effective way to address any or all of these challenges. I often tell my clients that the most valuable part of a strategic plan is the development process itself. Running a company with a shoot from the hip mentality often encourages micro management and does not allow employees to develop their skills and maximize their potential. One of the many warning signs is a high turnover rate. The reason is simple; good employees just won’t tolerate micro management and they will leave to find employment that will challenge them and help them grow.
1. Try to understand your lack of delegating skills. If you keep things too close to the vest because you fear losing control, you may need personal coaching to help you understand that empowerment and delegation will actually increase your control as it provides you with more time to plan and work on strategic issues.
2. If you lack trust in your employees remember the statement --- “Employees won’t start trusting you until you start trusting them”. If you absolutely can not let go; ask yourself why you hired the employee. In the end if you can’t trust them you need to replace them. If you find you can’t trust any of your employees than you need help in developing your leadership skills.
3. Create a skills assessment inventory for every key employee. Supplement that exercise by creating a training and development matrix to improve the overall competency of the organization. Include yourself in the assessment. Communicate the purpose in a positive fashion to the employees.
4. Consider doing a 360 review that includes you as a leader or create an anonymous survey for employees to rate the entire management team, including you, and the company culture itself.
5. Utilize your skills assessment to make sure you have the right people in the right seats and identify future potential leadership.
6. Stop answering questions and start asking them. When an employee asks you what they should do, ask them what they think they should do.
7. Search for projects, issues or challenges that you would normally tackle and create a project team or empower an individual to solve the problem. Do this even if you think you have the answer.
8. Let your employees fail. The hardest thing to do is to watch an employee make a mistake. But, unless the mistake is life threatening or is going to cost the company thousands of dollars, it is a better learning process if the employee learns from his own mistake.
9. Provide more than just skill training and product training. Create an employee development program for those employees that show potential for future stardom. This development program must be based on empowering these employees to make tough decisions. Intern programs are also effective as a platform for development.
10. Results happen in various ways. Remember, you may have a specific way of doing things but it may not be the only way. As long as the employee is getting the results expected, give them praise. Your way may not be the best or only way.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
The Ghost of Griswold
On the Lighter Side ……………………… “The Ghost of Griswold
I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. Tracy and I made our annual trip to Ohio to see the kids, grandkids and some friends. We always celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas and my son’s birthday during our seven day stay. This year was no different. It’s amazing how Tracy can shop for four kids, their spouses and eight grandkids and get everything done in one day. What’s amazing about it is that she actually finds gifts that people want. Of course she does give out gift cards to the four grandkids that are teenagers.
My special gift this year turned out to be a “Bobble Head” made in my exact likeness. It was given to me by my son Rhett. So, it’s only appropriate that he be the main character in this month’s Lighter Side opening to The Howl. Everyone seemed to think the bobble head looked exactly like me. It was actually pretty funny. I have it on my desk in my office to remind myself not to take me too seriously.
The Ghost of Griswold
Most of you probably remember the Christmas movies done by Chevy Chase. Well my intelligent son Rhett actually enacted a scene that could have been right out of that movie. What happened started off as an innocent simple Christmas task of getting his decorations down from the attic. Since Thanksgiving was over, his wife Brea decided it was now time to put up the Christmas decorations. Up in the attic my son Rhett climbed with all the confidence of a climber that had just conquered Mt Everest.
His attic space is more like a crawl space and it’s pretty crowed up there. He had done it many times before but this time while he was walking from cross beam to cross beam (his attic doesn’t have an actual floor) he noticed that the beam he was about to step on looked like it had a crack in it. In all his wisdom he concluded that stepping on a cracked beam was a bad idea. Thinking he was still in the same athletic shape that he was when he was twenty (he’s 32 now) he took a long stride to skip two beams and put his right foot on the third beam over. As he lunged to make that long stride he bounced up a little and his head scrapped a nail sticking down from the roof. That’s when the “Ghost of Griswold” took over. Imagine the following sequence of events in slow motion since it all happened so fast.
Rhett let out a blood curdling scream as the nail ripped his scalp and blood started running down his cheek. His right foot landed on that third beam but his left that followed missed since he was grimacing in pain. His left foot came down hard on the drywall that was actually the kitchen ceiling. It plunged through the ceiling like it was paper thin ice followed by his right leg and all 170 lbs of his entire body. He managed to catch himself with his upper body so he was only exposed from just above his waist to his wife and their two sons (Dillon and Riley) who had just sat down at the kitchen table to eat.
All three of them screamed as they looked up at the ceiling only to see this pair of legs kicking in every direction like they were riding a bike or climbing an invisible staircase. They could hear their Dad’s muffled cry --- “Help me – Help Me”. Riley the older of the two boys (4 years old) went running to his room and came back with his toy telephone. He was calling 911 on it and telling the operator that his Daddy had fallen through the ceiling. All the while insulation was floating through the air and the kitchen table was covered with dry wall dust. The kid’s food was covered with it.
“Help me! --- Help me! Damit” – Rhett kept yelling while his wife Brea ran around the kitchen having no idea what to do. Finally she climbed up on a chair ---- Picture this ---- She grabbed his left foot with her left hand --- his right foot with her right hand and tried to push a 170# grown man up and out of the hole in the ceiling. I wasn’t there but I crack up just imagining what it must have looked like.
She struggled and pushed. Rhett grunted and pulled – she struggled and pushed (sounds like giving birth) he grunted and pulled until he finally managed to get one leg back up into the attic so he could pull himself the rest of the way up. Brea said that when he finally came down the right way --- he looked like a victim in a Freddie Krueger movie. The side of his face was covered with blood from the nail hole in his head, both forearms were scratched and bruised and he had pink insulation all over his upper body. Both boys started crying until Rhett assured them that Daddy was okay. Once Brea was sure he was okay she couldn’t help herself and she burst out laughing. That only lasted a few minutes until she looked up at the gigantic hole in her kitchen ceiling and realized what it might cost to get it fixed.
We had the privilege of seeing the hole covered with a plywood patch about 48” by 48” before we left Ohio. It was hilarious listening to Rhett’s sister Heather tell the story to everyone. I think the family decided to give Rhett a new nickname. From this point on we are going to call him Griswold.
Finding Our Way
I admit that both Tracy and I are a little bit challenged when it comes to directions. That is why we both have a GPS system in our cars. You would think however that going home to a place you spent most of your life in would not require following someone to your destination. On Thanksgiving Day we were on our way to my kids Mother’s house as we have done every year of the eight years Tracy and I have been married. Judy, the kids Mother does a fantastic job fixing dinner for over 30 people which includes both sides of the family. I was following my Son in Law - Frank to Judy’s house and decided that he was going the long way. So….. I turned off to get on the interstate. Little did I know that the entrance ramps were all closed down due to construction. Anyway, 45 minutes later after getting lost and taking several detours we finally made it to Judy’s house. Of course during our adventure Tracy made several comments that questioned my intelligence but I know she loves me in spite of my being direction challenged. Once we arrived everyone else had some observation to make about me getting lost in my own home town.
Consequently, Tracy decided she would drive home after dinner. I wasn’t paying much attention during the drive home since she was following my daughter. She made a comment about Heather driving really fast in a residential area. I looked up from a book I was browsing and realized were doing about 65 mph. Just then my cell phone rang. Heather was on the line wanting to know where the heck we were. Tracy kept yelling; “Ask her why she is driving so fast.” Heather heard her and commented. “I’m only doing 35 mph. Where are you? I don’t see you behind me.”
I looked at the car in front of us and burst out laughing. We weren’t following the black Jeep Cherokee that my daughter drives, we were behind a black Chevy Suburban. Tracy didn’t think it was funny and she became even more annoyed when I told her we must have driven about 10 miles in the wrong direction. She didn’t trust my instincts and called Heather back to get directions on how to find our way home since we weren’t behind her. Everyone had a laugh over that one.
I hope everyone has a great holiday season. And ….. Remember no matter what, we all have a lot to be thankful for. I know I do.
I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. Tracy and I made our annual trip to Ohio to see the kids, grandkids and some friends. We always celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas and my son’s birthday during our seven day stay. This year was no different. It’s amazing how Tracy can shop for four kids, their spouses and eight grandkids and get everything done in one day. What’s amazing about it is that she actually finds gifts that people want. Of course she does give out gift cards to the four grandkids that are teenagers.
My special gift this year turned out to be a “Bobble Head” made in my exact likeness. It was given to me by my son Rhett. So, it’s only appropriate that he be the main character in this month’s Lighter Side opening to The Howl. Everyone seemed to think the bobble head looked exactly like me. It was actually pretty funny. I have it on my desk in my office to remind myself not to take me too seriously.
The Ghost of Griswold
Most of you probably remember the Christmas movies done by Chevy Chase. Well my intelligent son Rhett actually enacted a scene that could have been right out of that movie. What happened started off as an innocent simple Christmas task of getting his decorations down from the attic. Since Thanksgiving was over, his wife Brea decided it was now time to put up the Christmas decorations. Up in the attic my son Rhett climbed with all the confidence of a climber that had just conquered Mt Everest.
His attic space is more like a crawl space and it’s pretty crowed up there. He had done it many times before but this time while he was walking from cross beam to cross beam (his attic doesn’t have an actual floor) he noticed that the beam he was about to step on looked like it had a crack in it. In all his wisdom he concluded that stepping on a cracked beam was a bad idea. Thinking he was still in the same athletic shape that he was when he was twenty (he’s 32 now) he took a long stride to skip two beams and put his right foot on the third beam over. As he lunged to make that long stride he bounced up a little and his head scrapped a nail sticking down from the roof. That’s when the “Ghost of Griswold” took over. Imagine the following sequence of events in slow motion since it all happened so fast.
Rhett let out a blood curdling scream as the nail ripped his scalp and blood started running down his cheek. His right foot landed on that third beam but his left that followed missed since he was grimacing in pain. His left foot came down hard on the drywall that was actually the kitchen ceiling. It plunged through the ceiling like it was paper thin ice followed by his right leg and all 170 lbs of his entire body. He managed to catch himself with his upper body so he was only exposed from just above his waist to his wife and their two sons (Dillon and Riley) who had just sat down at the kitchen table to eat.
All three of them screamed as they looked up at the ceiling only to see this pair of legs kicking in every direction like they were riding a bike or climbing an invisible staircase. They could hear their Dad’s muffled cry --- “Help me – Help Me”. Riley the older of the two boys (4 years old) went running to his room and came back with his toy telephone. He was calling 911 on it and telling the operator that his Daddy had fallen through the ceiling. All the while insulation was floating through the air and the kitchen table was covered with dry wall dust. The kid’s food was covered with it.
“Help me! --- Help me! Damit” – Rhett kept yelling while his wife Brea ran around the kitchen having no idea what to do. Finally she climbed up on a chair ---- Picture this ---- She grabbed his left foot with her left hand --- his right foot with her right hand and tried to push a 170# grown man up and out of the hole in the ceiling. I wasn’t there but I crack up just imagining what it must have looked like.
She struggled and pushed. Rhett grunted and pulled – she struggled and pushed (sounds like giving birth) he grunted and pulled until he finally managed to get one leg back up into the attic so he could pull himself the rest of the way up. Brea said that when he finally came down the right way --- he looked like a victim in a Freddie Krueger movie. The side of his face was covered with blood from the nail hole in his head, both forearms were scratched and bruised and he had pink insulation all over his upper body. Both boys started crying until Rhett assured them that Daddy was okay. Once Brea was sure he was okay she couldn’t help herself and she burst out laughing. That only lasted a few minutes until she looked up at the gigantic hole in her kitchen ceiling and realized what it might cost to get it fixed.
We had the privilege of seeing the hole covered with a plywood patch about 48” by 48” before we left Ohio. It was hilarious listening to Rhett’s sister Heather tell the story to everyone. I think the family decided to give Rhett a new nickname. From this point on we are going to call him Griswold.
Finding Our Way
I admit that both Tracy and I are a little bit challenged when it comes to directions. That is why we both have a GPS system in our cars. You would think however that going home to a place you spent most of your life in would not require following someone to your destination. On Thanksgiving Day we were on our way to my kids Mother’s house as we have done every year of the eight years Tracy and I have been married. Judy, the kids Mother does a fantastic job fixing dinner for over 30 people which includes both sides of the family. I was following my Son in Law - Frank to Judy’s house and decided that he was going the long way. So….. I turned off to get on the interstate. Little did I know that the entrance ramps were all closed down due to construction. Anyway, 45 minutes later after getting lost and taking several detours we finally made it to Judy’s house. Of course during our adventure Tracy made several comments that questioned my intelligence but I know she loves me in spite of my being direction challenged. Once we arrived everyone else had some observation to make about me getting lost in my own home town.
Consequently, Tracy decided she would drive home after dinner. I wasn’t paying much attention during the drive home since she was following my daughter. She made a comment about Heather driving really fast in a residential area. I looked up from a book I was browsing and realized were doing about 65 mph. Just then my cell phone rang. Heather was on the line wanting to know where the heck we were. Tracy kept yelling; “Ask her why she is driving so fast.” Heather heard her and commented. “I’m only doing 35 mph. Where are you? I don’t see you behind me.”
I looked at the car in front of us and burst out laughing. We weren’t following the black Jeep Cherokee that my daughter drives, we were behind a black Chevy Suburban. Tracy didn’t think it was funny and she became even more annoyed when I told her we must have driven about 10 miles in the wrong direction. She didn’t trust my instincts and called Heather back to get directions on how to find our way home since we weren’t behind her. Everyone had a laugh over that one.
I hope everyone has a great holiday season. And ….. Remember no matter what, we all have a lot to be thankful for. I know I do.
The Six Strategic Success Drivers
The Six Strategic Success Drivers
How much value can you place on having all six drivers of success operating in an automatic mode? What is it worth to have your team and your company operate at a high energy level even when you are not there?
For that to happen, you need these success drivers:
The full buy-in of your Leadership Team toward a mutually-agreed vision. Make sure your company vision (End Game) is clear enough to inspire a great strategy, otherwise you wont create ownership
Their committed passion to execute a laser-focused strategic planning process
Crystal clear, time-bound goals with assigned ownership and specific deadlines for completion of critical action steps, with desired results identified.
An ownership supported system of accountability – including team-created and team-enforced key performance indicators – that ensures plan implementation.
A roll out process that generates excitement and buy-in throughout the entire organization. Don’t keep your strategy a secret from your employees. They need to have confidence there is a plan and know what their role is.
Make your strategy the driver of all company training so employees can make better decisions, feel more in charge, and know exactly what success looks like.
“Excitement breeds excitement – Success breeds success”
.
Get your employees excited about the strategic end game vision.
How much would you invest to have all that working for you...all day, every day?
Strategic planning is a management tool. It is used to help an organization clarify its future direction – to focus its energy, and to help members of the organization work toward the same goals. The planning process adjusts the organization’s direction in response to a changing environment. Strategic planning is a disciplined effort to support fundamental decisions and actions that shape and guide what an organization is, what it does and why it does it, with a focus on where it wants to go and how it is going to get there.
CEO Strategists Proprietary Strategic Planning Process Helps Strategic Thinking Companies Join the Upper Quartile Of High Achievers! E-mail rick@ceostrategist.com if you would like to discuss your planning needs.
listcode=117693166100002&25
How much value can you place on having all six drivers of success operating in an automatic mode? What is it worth to have your team and your company operate at a high energy level even when you are not there?
For that to happen, you need these success drivers:
The full buy-in of your Leadership Team toward a mutually-agreed vision. Make sure your company vision (End Game) is clear enough to inspire a great strategy, otherwise you wont create ownership
Their committed passion to execute a laser-focused strategic planning process
Crystal clear, time-bound goals with assigned ownership and specific deadlines for completion of critical action steps, with desired results identified.
An ownership supported system of accountability – including team-created and team-enforced key performance indicators – that ensures plan implementation.
A roll out process that generates excitement and buy-in throughout the entire organization. Don’t keep your strategy a secret from your employees. They need to have confidence there is a plan and know what their role is.
Make your strategy the driver of all company training so employees can make better decisions, feel more in charge, and know exactly what success looks like.
“Excitement breeds excitement – Success breeds success”
.
Get your employees excited about the strategic end game vision.
How much would you invest to have all that working for you...all day, every day?
Strategic planning is a management tool. It is used to help an organization clarify its future direction – to focus its energy, and to help members of the organization work toward the same goals. The planning process adjusts the organization’s direction in response to a changing environment. Strategic planning is a disciplined effort to support fundamental decisions and actions that shape and guide what an organization is, what it does and why it does it, with a focus on where it wants to go and how it is going to get there.
CEO Strategists Proprietary Strategic Planning Process Helps Strategic Thinking Companies Join the Upper Quartile Of High Achievers! E-mail rick@ceostrategist.com if you would like to discuss your planning needs.
listcode=117693166100002&25
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Don't Panic - Take a Deep Breath
October has been a month of sensationalizing our economic crisis on the part of the media. The "Rescue Plan" has been initiated but nobody really knows what is going on with the economy. The news media isn't helping by sensationalizing every little thing that is happening on an hour by hour basis.
We need to "Step Back - Take a Breath - Don't Panic & Spend Wisely" this Holiday season.
Yes --- things are tough. we may very well be heading for a deeper recession. But --- this is America. Market corrections are necessary. We'll get through it. That doesn't mean i condone the mindless actions that border on corruption that we have witnessed on Wall Street. In fact, I hope we can hold some of these CEO's that got financial bailouts and golden parachutes accountable for their actions. Some may need to go to jail.
I also am ready to puke when I think about what Freddie Mac nad Fanny Mae have done to our housing market. Make No Mistake --- It was Reid - Pelosi and Barney Frank who drove the housing market into the ground.
God help us if Obama is elected and the Democrats get a Super Majority in the House & the Senate with a President that is as far left as Obama.
I really believe that wont happen and we voters will rise to the occasion and put McCain and Palin in the Whitehouse.
Then we will have a fighting chance to get this economy rolling again and see recovery start to happen by the 3rd quarter of next year.
Get out and vote!!! And, check out my interview on Fox News about this Holiday Season.
Remember --- when it comes to shopping this Christmas ---- "Step Back -- Take a Deep Breath -- Don't Panic and Spend W#ithin Your Means".
Click on this link to view the interview. http://www.myfoxorlando.com/myfox/MyFox/pages/sidebar_video.jsp?contentId=7664583&version=1&locale=EN-US
We need to "Step Back - Take a Breath - Don't Panic & Spend Wisely" this Holiday season.
Yes --- things are tough. we may very well be heading for a deeper recession. But --- this is America. Market corrections are necessary. We'll get through it. That doesn't mean i condone the mindless actions that border on corruption that we have witnessed on Wall Street. In fact, I hope we can hold some of these CEO's that got financial bailouts and golden parachutes accountable for their actions. Some may need to go to jail.
I also am ready to puke when I think about what Freddie Mac nad Fanny Mae have done to our housing market. Make No Mistake --- It was Reid - Pelosi and Barney Frank who drove the housing market into the ground.
God help us if Obama is elected and the Democrats get a Super Majority in the House & the Senate with a President that is as far left as Obama.
I really believe that wont happen and we voters will rise to the occasion and put McCain and Palin in the Whitehouse.
Then we will have a fighting chance to get this economy rolling again and see recovery start to happen by the 3rd quarter of next year.
Get out and vote!!! And, check out my interview on Fox News about this Holiday Season.
Remember --- when it comes to shopping this Christmas ---- "Step Back -- Take a Deep Breath -- Don't Panic and Spend W#ithin Your Means".
Click on this link to view the interview. http://www.myfoxorlando.com/myfox/MyFox/pages/sidebar_video.jsp?contentId=7664583&version=1&locale=EN-US
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Picking Your Team
I often try to emphasize to executives and managers at all levels that you are only as good as the team you surround yourself with. You can be brilliant, visionary and exceptionally innovative but if you surround yourself with a team that is below average and close to incompetent, you will not be an effective leader. On the other hand, you can be nothing more than average but if the team around you is exceptionally competent, you will get the results of a superstar.
The first question that comes to mind simply stated is; who picked your team? If you inherited the team that surrounds you, your first priority is to figure out both the pluses and the minuses of each individual team member. Additionally it is your responsibility to make sure that every one of your team members clearly understands your expectations.
How Do You Know if You Have the Right Team
If the team you surround yourself with has such a dramatic influence on your performance as a leader, I have to ask you; when was the last time you evaluated your team? If you have never done it formally, do it now. It would be very beneficial to evaluate your team performance and individual team members every three to four months.
A cohesive management team is the most important ingredient to your company’s success. The management team needs to function as a cohesive unit to maximize their accomplishments. Success of your management team can be defined by what they accomplish as a group. A synergy within the team that creates unity, clarity of direction with a common purpose that is in alignment with strategic initiatives.
Here are three simple yet direct questions to use to assess your team:
1. Do you have the right people on your team? High quality people; people who can do a number of tasks; people who support your skills and negate your weaknesses. If you aren’t absolutely certain about every single team member, the chances are you have some team members that need further evaluation or potentially you need to replace them. Individuals do not usually fail because of lack of education, experience, training, or skills. They fail because their personality and behavior is not compatible to the behavioral requirements of their particular position. If employees are not suitable for their position or if they do not achieve their potential, the organization can fail or never achieve its potential. It certainly will never maximize effectiveness.
How can I be sure I have identified those people I must replace? A person may be highly talented but may not be the right fit for your team, your company. It's time to be honest with yourself. If you hired this person and things just don’t click, admit your mistake and move on.
3. How do I help my team maximize their effectiveness and validate that I have them performing the right functions for the company. (To Quote Collins, Good to Great; are they in the right seat on the bus?).
You must match their talents to your company needs and your needs as their leader. When you have the right people in just the right seat they will flourish. Success breeds success.The quality of your team personnel is the single most factor that determines whether you and the company are going to be successful, whether it will realize a satisfactory return on its investment, and whether it will maximize profitability!
“If the wrong person is selected initially to be on your team, no training program or motivational system, no matter how well conceived and designed, is likely to compensate adequately or offset the original error made in hiring such a person!”
William J. Winslow
Don’t be Perplexed
If you're just a bit perplexed on how to evaluate your team, e-mail me, rick@ceostrategist.com and I will put you in touch with the Winslow Institute which provides the best tool for evaluating team members that I have ever come across. The Winslow Employee Development tool will provide valuable insight into why some employees are functioning successfully and why others are performing unsatisfactorily. The Reports this tool generates will enable employees to capitalize on their personality assets and control behaviors that are limiting or preventing success in their positions. They will significantly increase the probability that every employee will be successful and achieve their potential. The best part is that it doesn’t cost a lot and the value provided compared to what turnover costs today is phenomenal. Don’t make the mistake of cutting back on employee development and training because economic conditions are tough. It’s in times like these that it is even more important that we make sure we have the right people in the right seats and we do everything possible to enhance their opportunity to maximize the effectiveness of the organization which, more importantly, will maximize profitability and growth.
Check out CEO Strategists Learning to Lead So Others Will Follow Planning Workbook and CD set.
http://www.ceostrategist.com/resources-store/real-world-leadership.html
The first question that comes to mind simply stated is; who picked your team? If you inherited the team that surrounds you, your first priority is to figure out both the pluses and the minuses of each individual team member. Additionally it is your responsibility to make sure that every one of your team members clearly understands your expectations.
How Do You Know if You Have the Right Team
If the team you surround yourself with has such a dramatic influence on your performance as a leader, I have to ask you; when was the last time you evaluated your team? If you have never done it formally, do it now. It would be very beneficial to evaluate your team performance and individual team members every three to four months.
A cohesive management team is the most important ingredient to your company’s success. The management team needs to function as a cohesive unit to maximize their accomplishments. Success of your management team can be defined by what they accomplish as a group. A synergy within the team that creates unity, clarity of direction with a common purpose that is in alignment with strategic initiatives.
Here are three simple yet direct questions to use to assess your team:
1. Do you have the right people on your team? High quality people; people who can do a number of tasks; people who support your skills and negate your weaknesses. If you aren’t absolutely certain about every single team member, the chances are you have some team members that need further evaluation or potentially you need to replace them. Individuals do not usually fail because of lack of education, experience, training, or skills. They fail because their personality and behavior is not compatible to the behavioral requirements of their particular position. If employees are not suitable for their position or if they do not achieve their potential, the organization can fail or never achieve its potential. It certainly will never maximize effectiveness.
How can I be sure I have identified those people I must replace? A person may be highly talented but may not be the right fit for your team, your company. It's time to be honest with yourself. If you hired this person and things just don’t click, admit your mistake and move on.
3. How do I help my team maximize their effectiveness and validate that I have them performing the right functions for the company. (To Quote Collins, Good to Great; are they in the right seat on the bus?).
You must match their talents to your company needs and your needs as their leader. When you have the right people in just the right seat they will flourish. Success breeds success.The quality of your team personnel is the single most factor that determines whether you and the company are going to be successful, whether it will realize a satisfactory return on its investment, and whether it will maximize profitability!
“If the wrong person is selected initially to be on your team, no training program or motivational system, no matter how well conceived and designed, is likely to compensate adequately or offset the original error made in hiring such a person!”
William J. Winslow
Don’t be Perplexed
If you're just a bit perplexed on how to evaluate your team, e-mail me, rick@ceostrategist.com and I will put you in touch with the Winslow Institute which provides the best tool for evaluating team members that I have ever come across. The Winslow Employee Development tool will provide valuable insight into why some employees are functioning successfully and why others are performing unsatisfactorily. The Reports this tool generates will enable employees to capitalize on their personality assets and control behaviors that are limiting or preventing success in their positions. They will significantly increase the probability that every employee will be successful and achieve their potential. The best part is that it doesn’t cost a lot and the value provided compared to what turnover costs today is phenomenal. Don’t make the mistake of cutting back on employee development and training because economic conditions are tough. It’s in times like these that it is even more important that we make sure we have the right people in the right seats and we do everything possible to enhance their opportunity to maximize the effectiveness of the organization which, more importantly, will maximize profitability and growth.
Check out CEO Strategists Learning to Lead So Others Will Follow Planning Workbook and CD set.
http://www.ceostrategist.com/resources-store/real-world-leadership.html
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