- A three-step process for achieving marked performance improvement
- Like climbing a mountain – preparation, training, planning, engaging, execution
Introduction
Change…It’s upon us relentlessly. For years I thought that providing consulting services on how best to manage it was the ticket. While I did have modest results, a business owner stopped me cold when he asked, “Look, all this change stuff is great, but what I want to know is how will it move the needle?”
This simple question has driven my efforts ever since. My work over the last 30 years has been dedicated to finding the best way for organizations to budge that needle. With the help of some incisive business partners, we have developed a process for achieving that movement that any organization can implement. Simple, not easy, it requires courage and commitment from the leadership, a willingness to look closely at all aspects of their operation and use that introspection to further the aims of the enterprise. While it is a journey more than a destination, it yields benefits along the way not only to the organization, but to all those affected by it in a host of ways. First and foremost, the organization and its members experience a level of change and growth spurring them to perform in a way that leads to measurable improvement in the traditional outcomes of profitability, retention, satisfaction, and innovation. In turn, its stakeholders, customers and their communities obtain benefits from the enterprise’s activities.
The process we have developed is akin to mounting a major climbing expedition. The team decides which peak they wish to reach. They must gather information and supplies, create a plan, engage in the necessary training, energize those around them that the effort is worthwhile and then make the trek to the summit. My business partners and I act as sherpas, providing guidance and encouragement along the way. It is a worthwhile endeavor, and the view when they reach the summit is always breathtaking.
There are three major components in this process: The first part is The Compelling Journey™. This experience lays the foundation for the work that must be done by the team to fulfill its purpose. What follows from this effort is the development of a PlayBook. This portion of the process develops the needed clarity in the strategic and annual planning cycles that organizations typically undertake. Lastly, the team must execute on all the planning and make the climb.
Unlike the mountain expedition, done properly, this process creates short-term success that is tangible and encourages the team on its journey to the longer-term rewards that are also meaningful. In coming sections, we will discuss:
- The Compelling Journey™ – A description of each step and its importance
- The PlayBook™ – Strategic and Annual components
- The Execution – What is needed to establish an effective cadence for implementation
My thanks to my business colleagues and those among you who have taken the time to share your thinking in this most important area: delivering on a product’s true promise through the people responsible its execution. I look forward to your comments on the process as we explore it in coming posts.
Ready, Mindset, Grow!: Nuggets Mined from the Leadership Journeys
Business leadership books abound today. What makes this one worth the read? Actionable insights! Ready, Mindset, Grow, delivers to today’s leaders entertaining stories of the transformative power of culture. Backed by solid research, these brief tales, and the lessons they convey, can be put into practice for short-term wins and long-term growth. Entertaining and insightful, the author has filled the pages with cultural nuggets and jewels from his 30+ years of experience in leadership coaching and consulting. Smart leaders will appreciate the candor, catch glimpses into their own circumstances and gain the conviction needed to accomplish positive cultural change.
