Leveraging Executive Transition with Pre-Boarding

A Cook Associates Trend by Mary Kier, Vice Chairman

In the fast-paced C-suite world of high rises and corner offices, executives entering into new leadership positions need to hit the ground running. Unfortunately, no matter how talented new executives may be, they need help transitioning into their new environment. As more executives express dissatisfaction with current On-Boarding practices, a new process known as Pre-Boarding is being recommended by Cook Associates Executive Search as a complementary method.

According to Mary Kier, Vice Chairman for Cook Associates Inc., “The likelihood of success when transitioning to a new work environment is enhanced when an executive makes use of what we call Pre-Boarding. This is the time from the interview stage – when a candidate is really under serious consideration – until the day they officially begin. During this time they should proactively build relationships, before the first day in the office, as it greatly increases chances of success in their new role.”

Kier goes on to say, “According to The Right Leader by Nat Stoddard, nearly 40 percent of all new leaders fail in their first 18 months. That failure is a result of critical mistakes made even before the person enters the job.”

For executives seeking a smooth transition into a new role, Cook Associates has created a guide to the secrets of Pre-Boarding success.

THE INTERVIEW
Make a Powerful First Impression
Early momentum is critical to success and the demeanor of the potential new executive during each round of interviews is crucial. Overall, determine what goals are to be met, and communicate how you can add value to that initiative.

“It is true, and I have seen it, that better people have more preparation in their search efforts,” says Maureen Ausura, the Senior Vice President of Human Resources for Lowe’s Companies, Inc. “It’s a good thing to read the proxy and the analyst reports. And I firmly agree that through the interview process a candidate should have numerous conversations and pro-actively reach out to those on their team. It affords a much easier transition into the new role. The most successful people help themselves be On-Boarded.”

THE FIT
Gauge Corporate Culture
Understand the implicit – and often unspoken – rules and beliefs held by people in the organization that influence how things really are accomplished. Failing to understand and adapt to the culture can cause derailing at any point during the integration process. Through due diligence, you must make sure the position, culture, new boss, and team fit your strengths and even your weaknesses. Moreover, be certain to understand your role, its relationship to others in the organization, and how success is measured.

Carey Cuddeback, Senior Vice President of Product Development at Wal-Mart International says, “I think people overlook the importance of ‘self-onboarding’. No matter what else you do, at the very least get on the phone with all your direct reports and also grab as much time as you can with your direct boss before you start. When you are told – ‘it is a strong culture here’- that statement should be explored. Ask questions. It all comes down to having the tools in your toolbox that are appropriate to the culture of the company to really effect change.”

THE WAIT
Turn Key Stakeholders Into Allies
While going through the waiting process identify key stakeholders, often peers, or those who indirectly affect your position. Take the initiative and concept of Pre-Boarding to task and meet with these people, as it is critical to success in the role. Suggest meeting key stakeholders if they are not part of the formal interview process. If they are part of your interview team, ask permission to follow-up with a telephone call to pose any questions after the interview. This leaves the door open to schedule an appointment for an additional meeting over breakfast, coffee, or lunch.

Jeff Lombardo, Group Vice President of Food Service Sales for Heinz weighed in as well on how to make the most of the Pre-Boarding process, “Find out what the core issues are, what the challenges are going forward, and together construct your 30/60/90 day plan. You will have a more robust first ninety days.”

THE OFFER
Build Loyalty & Trust With Early Wins
Before your first day in the office, research backgrounds of peers and learn as much about them as you are able. When you meet them, probe about their goals and aspirations at the company. They will appreciate your interest and jumpstarting the relationship will be vital to success. You can prepare yourself for potential pitfalls and issues ahead of time with this type of due diligence.

AFTER ACCEPTANCE
Jumpstart The Relationship
Congratulations! You have a brand new position and your start date is two or more weeks away. Call your new Executive Assistant and schedule a lunch. Find out special details and determine how you can best work together. Probe to find out if there are key employees or peers you met during the interview process with whom you should socialize. If you knit yourself into the fabric of their lives ahead of time it will send a powerful signal – that you care about being proactive, engaged, and are willing to learn from them. By engaging in Pre-Boarding practices, you will become a trusted friend and colleague by day one.

Mary Kier is Vice Chairman of Cook Associates, Inc. and a senior consultant within the executive search division. With 25 years of experience delivering exceptional search services in consumer related markets, Mary is well-positioned to comment on industry trends. She can be reached at 312.755.5614 or via email at mkier@cookassociates.com.

Cook Associates, Inc., is a retained Executive Search and M&A Advisory Services firm.

Rising Franchises in a Down Economy

By Brian Hutchinson 
Principal, GC Franchise Consulting

As a former McDonald’s franchisee, I know the value of a good franchise.   It sets you up for success and enables you to build personal wealth with greater independence.  Today, I am a franchise broker, helping others to navigate the thousands of franchise opportunities to find the right fit for them.
 

You might be asking yourself, “Who would want to start a business in this type of economic environment?”  And the answer I would give:  “Lots of smart people who pick the right business.”  Think about it.  The fewer people starting their own business, the less competition there is.  Also, if a business can help you do things ‘faster, cheaper, better’…..well, Walmart, and Costco seem to be doing just fine right now.
 

So, what are the franchise opportunities that stand out in today’s economic environment?  Here is a sampling of what is catching people’s attention and why:
 

Home Repair / Home Improvement
With fewer home sales and less relocations, people are staying longer in their homes.  As a result, normal wear and tear is increasing the demand for cost-effective home repairs.  In fact, over $150 billion is being spent on home repair and improvements. The alternative to expensive contractors is the return of the Handyman/Handywoman  (www.Mr.Handyman.com and www.HandyManMatters.com) who have far less overhead and can address projects that range from home improvement to home repair in a fast, cost-effective way.
 

Helping Small Businesses Thrive
The recent U.S. Stimulus plan missed the most robust job creation segment of the economy:  small business. A Small Business Administration (SBA) economist estimates that in 2008 alone there were 1.7 million new non-employee (i.e., single-person) businesses created.  And when they need services to help build their own business, they purchase them. 
 

Three interesting value-added small business services are: 1) Turnkey Internet services (www.wsicorporate.com); 2) Short-term working capital loans to bridge the gap that banks’ new lending policies are creating (www.interfacefinancial.com); and 3) Freeing up working capital with the purchase/factoring of receivables (www.liquidcapital.com).
 

Senior Care
How many of you, or one of your close friends, have an aging parent that needs help at home?  And whether we like it or not, the Baby Boomer generation will be no exception:  the ability to stay in your own home as you grow older is a very powerful force.  Senior home care delivers that ability with a wide variety of services ranging from cooking and cleaning to medical care (www.comfortkeepersfranchise.com & www.seniorhelpers.com).   If there is one trend you can count on, it’s getting older and wanting to live in our own homes. 
 

With a plan, passion, and your previous career knowledge, you could be on the way to owning and operating your own business.  For a free exploration of a franchise opportunity that is right for you, visit us at www.gcfranchisingconsulting.com.

Trend Surfing as a Business Model

By Mark Karnes
                                     Global Sales & Marketing Executive

A few years ago I was walking down the beach in California when I came upon the local high school surfing team doing their “training.” While I watched, I became curious as to why the surfers did not stay with the wave until it reached the beach.  I eventually spotted the Surf Coach and asked him why this was so.  The answer he gave me was so Zen-like it has stuck with me to this day:

 “I teach the surfers that if you ride the wave until it reaches the beach and ends, you will wear yourself out and waste tournament time constantly swimming all the way back out and not score as many points.  The goal is to only ride the wave until it peaks and then move to catch another as fast as possible.  In that way your effort is always dedicated to being on top of the wave.” 

Wow, I thought to myself, this is the secret to driving a successful business or marketing campaign.  How ironic that of all the business seminars I have participated in the most insightful advice came from a High School Surfing coach!

How to apply this in real life?  Let’s start with the two main factors—Waves and Surfers—or applied to a business, trends and products/solutions.  If you consider yourself a wave maker, you are either delusional or you are Steve Jobs or Bill Gates, so most likely you are a surfer or hope to be a surfer.  The trick is to ride the wave (or trend) just long enough to maximize profits and know when to move onto the next good looking wave and avoid being ‘beached.’ 

Using my personal experience, a few years ago I was hired by Shure, a professional audio company, to start up a new business division.  They had created a wireless personal monitor system for stage performers that allowed the artist to hear his music mix at a reasonable level without having to be directly in front of a floor monitor.  You will notice today that almost all performers have earphones stuck in their ears as they deliver their art.  These are sound isolating earphones and are the perfect combination to the portable music player.   The product management team saw sales of the earphone of this system zooming well beyond the sales of the wireless pack and asked the customer, ‘Why?’ 

What they found out was that the performers were using the earphones with their portable DVD players and the new Apple iPods.    When I came to Shure they had already spotted the wave (Apple’s iPod) and needed help in building their business applications to ride this specialized product innovation.  My job was to enable Shure to be a great surfer riding Apple’s innovation wave.

By closely aligning with the Apple iPod, Shure went on to double sales of the earphones for 4 straight years.  Shure is now one of the most respected headphone companies in the world because of a simple business model called the “Attachment Strategy”.  The “Attachment Strategy” had one main principle:  Apple makes the waves, Shure surfs those waves.

Wherever iPods were sold, Shure profitably surfed that trend with its new earphone products.  And when Apple signaled its next big wave, the iPhone, Shure was first to add microphones to its earphones.  As a result, we got a first-mover advantage and quickly picked up market share.

 What about the iPod earphone sales?  The ‘business surfer’ in me realized that the iPod was the ‘old wave’; sales have declined, the market has matured, with commodity earphone replacements taking over.  On the other hand, Apple’s new 3G iPhone is selling millions a week and consumers are looking for attachments that enhance their experience. Even though there is still a lucrative earphone business for the iPod, Apple is making much bigger waves with the iPhone.

So, there is a very lucrative and sustainable business model for those who can identify trends and successfully surf them.  And most importantly, once a trend, or wave, has reached its full potential, quickly reposition your business for the next wave to maintain your momentum, market competitiveness, and profitability.  Surfs up!

The R|L Summer Party: “Jazz in the Garden”

On August 6, 2009, R|L hosted it’s Summer party at Clyde and Carolyn Lowstuter’s Lake Forest home.  The weather was perfect, the food was sumptuous, and the jazz was live.  It was a celebration and thank you to those who have referred business to us and who have partnered with us to make our business possible.  As a signature event, it recognized our milestone of 28 years of “Creating Uncommon Results!”®

The event started at the front door with our valet service.  If there’s one thing we’ve learned over the years, it’s make it easy to park! 

The Jazz in the Garden theme was smoothly delivered by Tony Rankin and his group, ‘Rankinfyle,’ a well-known jazz ensemble.  From popular to classic music, Rankinfyle delivered throughout the night.  As you can see below, they were literally in the garden next to the pool.  Also included is a picture of Clyde with Tony himself.

                                                 

What would a party be without a free drawing for a prize?  The lucky winner for the Apple iTouch was Ms. Mary Kay McMahon of Wolters Kluwer.  Congratulations, Mary Kay! 

Whether it was hors d’oeuvres delivered to you, you visiting the buffet, or indulging your sweet tooth at our dessert bar, there was something for everyone. 

 

 

 

 

 

 
For those of you who were able to attend, “Thank You” from the entire R|L team, for making this a fun, wonderful evening. 

   

 

   

 

 

  

For those of you who were unable to join us, we are sorry you were not able to make it; we look forward to working with you and hope to see you next year!

All the best,

Clyde & Carolyn Lowstuter and the entire R|L Team

How To Integrate an Acquisition…Successfully!

Karen Blair
Principal
Blair Consulting Group
        

Growth through acquisition is commonplace in today’s global economy. There have been a plethora of articles written about the business development aspects of acquisition including strategy, due diligence, deal negotiations, financing, etc. However, despite all that we know about acquisitions, 50% of these fail or fall considerably short of expectations. Why? The focus has been on the excitement around the deal leading up to the announcement and not enough on the work ensuring a successful integration.

A successful integration begins with an acquisition that is strategically sound. It must be clear why the acquisition is taking place and the business case must support the acquisition. Further, both organizations (the acquiring company and the acquisition) must be aligned with “the vision” and have a clear understanding as to how the acquisition will be successful. The management of both companies should embrace and communicate this shared vision to their organizations, generating buy-in and excitement.

One of the first steps in the formal integration process is to appoint an integration leader. Ideally, this should be done prior to the acquisition announcement. To be successful, an integration leader should be a senior leader within the acquiring company who can “make things happen” and “hold people accountable.” To support the integration leader in their efforts, a steering committee is formed to gain access to senior management. The integration leader can then work with cross-functional leadership across both companies to assemble an integration team. It is important that each team member can commit a significant part of their time and be dedicated to completing the integration successfully and meeting its goals.

From a personal vantage point, often I would arrive at the company being acquired thinking that I was going to have a pretty light schedule. Within 20 minutes of walking through the door, my schedule was full! Being empathetic will also enhance the leader’s success. I have joked that the best training for this role is being a mother. You need to be able to resolve issues fairly, i.e., break up fights, and remind people to respect one another. In other words, play nice. Last but not least, the individual taking this role needs to be willing to take a career risk. The integration leader will be asked to step out of their current role to lead the integration. While there is risk that there will not be the right role available when the formal integration is completed, it is a rare and tremendously rewarding experience for the right individual.

The formal integration process should generally be completed within 6 to 12 months. Early in the process, non-negotiable items should be addressed upfront. The non-negotiable items will likely vary by situation (e.g., employee benefit plans, regulatory requirements, etc.). The integration leader should establish goals for the overall integration and determine the degree of integration for specific functions. While some functions need to be integrated into corporate, other functions might need to stay with the acquired business. From this point on, the functional team members can establish the integration goals by function, and then specific task, time-based workplans can be completed in support of the integration goals.

Communication is critical across all integration team members and both organizations. It should be frequent and regular to assure everyone of your progress and to dispel any rumors. Weekly meetings discuss progress on workplans and timelines, and raise any issues that may delay the integration or require senior management involvement. In addition to weekly team communication, monthly steering committee meetings keep senior managers apprised of your efforts.

One critical aspect of communication that has surprised me is the importance of visibility to flush out and resolve issues. This can only be done by communicating frequently and informally with the many stakeholders in the integration process, also known as “Management by Walking Around.” As commitments are met and integration goals are achieved, the formal process of integration will draw to a close.

Once the formal integration has been completed, the process is far from over. In the normal course of ongoing business, the senior leadership will need to assess business and organizational roadblocks. The question should be asked, “Would further integration enable the business to be more successful?” If the answer is yes, then further integration should take place.

And that brings up my last point: Speed. If I were to value one key success factor above all else for a successful integration, it would be this element. Speed reduces the uncertainty and anxiety across both companies. Speed ensures that decision-making is timely and operational issues are quickly resolved. When customers experience a change in their service immediately after an acquisition, they can be quite forgiving. If they can’t make a logical time connection as to why their service has changed, many customers switch to a competitor, diminishing the value of the acquisition. In essence, speed in the integration process benefits employees and customers of both organizations.

Take Control of Your Online Brand

By:    Stephen Axel
SVP, Robertson Lowstuter

                                    
When was the last time you Googled yourself?  And when you did, were the results positive? Negative? Or maybe you didn’t find anything about yourself.  In all of these situations, you can make it better but first let’s discuss ‘why’ it matters.

Whether you like it or not, your personal brand exists both offline and online.  In the real world, your interaction and encounters with others builds your ‘offline’ brand, literally one person at a time.  For the most part you get to choose who you build that relationship with and how.  However, in the online world, it is a totally different story.

Search engines and their technology ‘spider’ assistants are very indiscriminate.  They track and index everything that is posted on the World Wide Web to make vast amounts of information usable. Once your name is typed into that search box by a prospective employer or an executive search firm, the search engine will display anything it can find related to your name.  It doesn’t matter if the article is 5-years old and completely inaccurate, your personal brand gets immediately tarnished.  So, how do you know what your online brand identity is?
  
Start Here
First of all, establish a baseline.  Google and Yahoo yourself and see what you find.  (These two search engines delivered 89% of all web searches through March, 2009).  Click all the links that reference you and find out it if they are accurate.  If the information is out-of-date and you posted it, fix it.  If you find something blatantly false, contact that site and tell them you need to correct their record(s).  Remember, what you found, others will find, too.
  

So, now that you know what is out there (or not) about you, here is a list of strategies to take greater control of our online brand identity:
   

Business Networking Sites
From LinkedIn to Plaxo, these business-focused networking sites are extremely well tracked by the search engines due to the richness of information that is aligned with a name.  LinkedIn is the defacto standard in business networking with 35 million+ members and Plaxo is associated with Simply Hired, a job aggregating web site.  You owe it to yourself to have your profile listed at one (or more) of the professional networking and have ALL of the information up-to-date. Talk about control…you can tell your story exactly how you want it told and even put your best picture with it, to boot!  (Yes, I think having your picture is very important as it immediately differentiates you from someone else’s page of pure text.)  In regards to LinkedIn, definitely create your own unique URL using your name (linkedin.com/in/yourfullname or if that is taken, add a descriptor in it like ‘johnsmithCFO’).  This will help the search engines find your profile, as well.
    

Social Networking Sites 
It’s fine to have a Facebook or MySpace page, but just remember EVERYONE gets to see it.  This isn’t ‘what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas’, it is more like ‘what happens in Vegas ends up on Facebook,’  and that can be a scary thought.  In researching this article, I decided to search for my picture using Google Images (http://images.google.com).  To my surprise, my Facebook picture came up 1st out of 556,000 hits!  What didn’t surprise me was it was my coat and tie picture.  Similarly, don’t get caught by surprise on what you have posted on these social networking sites and make sure everything is ready for prime time viewing.
   

ZoomInfo.com
This web site is a cross between a LinkedIn and a search engine that recruiters love to use.  Knowing that search firms like to use this search engine gives you an advantage.  Why not populate this search engine with your own information and picture?  This way you at least have relevant, up-to-date material in case search firms are trying to find out information about you.  No charge, it’s free.
   

Write an Amazon Book Review
If you like to read, this is an easy one.  Once you finish a book (and I suggest it be one that you want people to know you read), take a look at the existing book reviews.  What are they missing or is there a more interesting way to say it?  Click on ‘Write a Review’ and set up your personal profile along with your picture.  Make sure to add ‘key words’ or tags to your review to enable easier search engine notice.  Once again, you are taking control over what the search engines can find out about you.  In fact, Google has a very tight relationship with Amazon so there is an increased chance that your name/book review will be picked up when people are searching on your name. 

Contributing to a Blog
A blog is an article, or a series of articles, related to any topic.  Interestingly, people who actively contribute to blogs can find themselves being interviewed by the press and journalists given their topic of expertise.  Why?  1)  Blogs are text intense and search engines love to track and index their content; and 2) When journalists are writing new stories/looking for a new story angles, they will search blogs to see who-knows-what.  When Robertson Lowstuter decided to do its own Executive Blog, we decided to use the standard blogging site WordPress.com.  Why WordPress?  They are owned by Google.  To prove the point:  If you search on Google for  ‘Bill Colaianni blog’, the top 3 out of 4 links are Bill’s R|L blog.  
   

Given the rapidly expanding digital world we live in—YouTube, Twitter, Flickr, etc—be constantly vigilant about your online brand identity.  Practice Googling/Yahooing yourself on a routine basis and proactively managing your online brand identity.  It’s yours to control.

 

Speeding up the Cash Cycle

 

By Bob Sherlock
Marketwerks, Inc.

“If cash is King, then internally-generated cash flow is Queen.”  -An Ancient Philosopher
                                  
With uncertainty about how deep and long the recession will be, and a tighter lending environment, business leaders are paying increased attention to cash on hand and cash flow.

Just as their need to generate cash flow is greater, the environment has made it more difficult. Volume for most companies is down. Pricing is under greater pressure. Customers are becoming even more demanding of their suppliers as they seek to lower their cost of doing business. For companies selling on credit, Receivable Days Sales Outstanding are often increasing, and the credit crunch makes financing working capital more difficult and more expensive.

The news is not all bleak, however! Most companies have more power to improve results than they may think. Analytically-driven pricing and commercial process improvements can set up better outcomes:

• Get paid more (fewer deductions/denials, better price yields)
• Get paid faster (billing/receivable cycle)
• Increase customer satisfaction and productivity

Getting Paid On Time and In Full

Let’s examine the root causes of delayed and incomplete receipt of payment, so we can address those factors that are within the company’s control or ability to influence. True, payment delays and denials are sometimes due to customers’ lack of cash or calculated decisions to pay slowly. But our focus here is on what you can most readily affect.

These root causes cross-functional boundaries. A few common causes:

1. Internal processes cause invoices and statements to go out later than they might.
2. Product/service performance gives customers plausible excuses or good reason to delay, deduct or deny.
3. Incomplete understanding of and compliance with customer’s procurement formalities.

It’s beyond the scope of this brief article to provide a detailed “how-to” for tackling all these root causes, but let’s look at each of those in a little more detail and understand how we might improve things.

1. Internal Delays. It’s not unusual that little delays creep into our business processes, and we bill later than we could. The customer is probably not going to make up for our lost time!

Have you studied and mapped out everything that has to happen for your invoices or statements to be presented on time to the customer? In professional services businesses, for example, it isn’t unusual for delays in submission of timesheets and out-of-pocket expenses to delay billing.

We recommend carefully reviewing your process; setting up a tighter, more disciplined routine; communicating the importance of every team member playing his or her part; and aligning the recognition and reward system with the crucial objective of timely and complete execution of all steps in the billing process.

2. Product/Service Performance. Any glitch, even in a little detail, can result in delays, deductions, and denials. In many industries, there are many places where things can go wrong:

• Products and services are often configured, customized, or assorted for each order.
• Pricing often varies by geography, by customer, and by order, and may have adjustments to cover the cost of materials, energy, and freight. There’s ample opportunity for pricing errors and discrepancies.
• Many people inside and outside the company are involved with quoting, selling, fulfilling orders, billing and collecting.
• The scope of services and products isn’t defined specifically enough, so there’s room for misaligned expectations and misunderstandings.

You can begin improvement efforts with reviewing invoices and statements where customers delayed, deducted, or denied payment, and digging into the reasons. The required process improvement steps often become quite apparent!

3. Mirroring the Customer. Do you thoroughly understand each major customer’s internal processes for making purchase and payment decisions? For new accounts, have you already worked through all steps in getting set up as a product or services supplier?

Delays and denials happen often when transactional matching and documentation aren’t right. Are your processes set up to accommodate the needs and requirements of each customer?

Does your customer understand how important it is for your company to be paid on time? It can be beneficial to remind them why it’s important to you, and reinforce timely payments with appreciation.

In general, the more complex the transactional environment, the more room there is for improvement. Yet even simple businesses can find ways to address root causes and do better.

Addressing the root causes when your company isn’t paid on time and in-full can pay off in multiple ways. Your company can experience faster cash flow; happier customers who will give you more business and be less price-sensitive; and better internal productivity as you eliminate labor-intensive after-the-fact corrective work.

Par Golf, Anyone?

                                      

Clyde C. Lowstuter
CEO  Robertson Lowstuter, Inc.
Master Certified Coach (MCC)

                          

I can teach you how to play par golf in minutes.

Actually, shooting par is pretty straightforward.  On a par-4 hole, you get on the green in two and putt out in two.  On a par-5 hole, you get on in three and have a two-putt. Simply put, if you continue this process for all 18 holes, you will – I guarantee – shoot par.  Playing par golf is simple; it’s just not easy.  Therein, lies the rub.  While I shared with you the what of shooting par, I did not help you with how you are going to accomplish such a daunting task.

Myth and Reality – A True Tale

We run into this phenomenon all the time; dealing with the delta between the what and the how of enlightened leadership.

We were engaged by Joan* to provide Executive Coaching to Sam*, a rising star on her executive team.  Joan was lamenting that Sam, a bright, highly assertive young executive was not performing to his potential and past track record.  Additionally, it was increasingly apparent that Sam’s lack of interpersonal savvy was becoming disruptive in the organization.  Despite protests to the contrary, Joan assured us that she clearly told Sam what to do and he didn’t change.

Our experience often reveals a different reality that has the proverbial two sides.  The first dimension is that Joan thought that she was very clear about the issue and its adverse impact – and that Sam fully understood.  The reality involves one of the following possibilities:  (1) Joan might well have been talking in such a convoluted manner that the message was largely lost and not understood.  Or, (2) Joan may have “powered up” so that Sam was feeling hit over the head with a 2X4 and was scrambling to make sense of it.  As such, he couldn’t fully absorb the information if his life depended on it.  (Personally, I’ve been there; experienced that).

The second dimension is that while Joan might have clearly identified that issue – the what – Sam may not have the adaptive coping skills to appropriately change to Joan’s expectations.  That’s the “How.”  Like playing par golf, therein lies the rub.  While the gap between the concepts of what and how might seem like mere logistics to some, to others this delta can be huge.

The reality is that all of us intend to do well.  Indeed, most people know what to do (be interpersonally skilled, for instance); they just don’t know how to be so.  Without solid feedback, Sam became even more dominant and driven to achieve results no matter the cost.  In the absence of objective executive coaching, Sam was employing those skills that accelerated his advancement earlier in his career, but now were accelerating his derailment.

We taught Sam to be more assertive in managing himself, not others, while ratcheting down his power. When he minimized his domineering Command and Control leadership style and shifted to be more Collaborative and Cooperative, Sam began to bridge the gap between what he needed to learn and how to be more authentic and engaging with his team.  In the process of becoming the leader he always wanted to be, Sam discovered that his team was much more talented than he had previously thought.  And through his turnaround, Joan felt the same about Sam.

Anyone up for a round of par golf? 

 *No real names are used to protect our client’s confidentially.

Achieving ‘High Performance’ in Human Resources

By: Bob Garcia, HR Consultant
and Chris Foley, HR Consultant

Companies need to create a ‘high performing’ Human Resources function in order to win the “war for talent”, drive efficiencies and manage cost across all functions. ‘High Performance’ Human Resources: 

• Is aligned with and understands the depth, breadth and dynamic nature of the core business.
• Uses an operating model that delivers efficient HR services as well as differentiated and tailored solutions for effective talent management.
• Operates like a business where service costs and benefits are quantified and reported in a relevant and timely manner.
• Offers business leaders deeper insights on ways in which business results can improve and broader corporate strategies can be executed. 

Human Resources must serve the business and it must report financial results so that business leaders can forecast and manage cost, organize priorities and assess and execute opportunities for improvement. 

HR Strategy 

Human Resources, like many other corporate functions, is traditionally targeted as an area to decrease costs.  While some executives believe that some HR functions provide value, others strategically use Human Resources to acquire, develop and retain talent as a top corporate priority.  Historically, Human Resources has been challenged to become a business partner that the CEO, CFO or Leadership Team can rely upon to drive business value.  We believe that the gap between becoming or not becoming a business partner  may be attributed to the following: 

• HR executives tend to focus on HR operational tasks and/or gatekeeper activities.
• HR executives tend to discuss programs and organizational features rather than financial concepts, which are topics that are more familiar to the CFO and CEO.
• HR costs have been traditionally viewed as relatively fixed cost and hence, have not been reviewed as regularly as other costs. 

Human Resources is used to dealing with programs and polices rather than finance and operations.  However, leaders such as Jack Welch have raised the awareness on the “people” element driving corporate strategy and growth.  In his book Winning, Jack states that the head of Human Resources is the second most important officer in the company, after the CEO. 

If you agree that great companies are composed of great teams of high performers, then the person acquiring and developing people or “talent” is a key player in the organization. 

Today, executives better understand the relationship between their “people” strategy and their corporate growth strategy.  While “trendy” HR offerings proliferate, our consulting experience suggests that executives are challenged with assessing their current operational capabilities and evaluating future options. 

We continue to see a two-pronged agenda directing a company Human Resources strategy: 

1. Executive leadership will demand Human Resources to plan, execute, and sustain a cogent and effective strategy around talent management.  This encompasses the entire “employee life-cycle” to acquire, develop, promote and retain the competent, key top performers.
2. Non-core processes will be outsourced.  And, outsource providers will work hard to “up-sell” value-added services on top of the basic payroll and benefits administration services, which continue to experience significant pricing pressures.

I’ve Heard There’s a Recession…

Clyde C. Lowstuter
CEO, Robertson Lowstuter
Master Certified Coach (MCC)

                            
                               
Fear is crippling the nation . . . and us.

I grant you that we live in very fearful times.  Ambiguity creates stress.  Some stress is good, as it mobilizes us to achieve results.  Extreme stress is fear-driven and can paralyze even the strongest among us.  Fear creates sub-optimization at all levels and in all forms.  Fear often brings out the worst in us.  Operating confidently, boldly, and authentically are foreign concepts when a person is stressed and afraid.  Indeed, it is impossible for the emotional states of being joyful and fearful to equally co-exist. Fear generally wins out.

I’ve heard there’s a recession & I’ve decided not to participate.

In my world, I see many talented executives freeze up in the midst of the daunting challenges, like the ones this economy has spawned. When stressed, executives are seemingly unable to listen, think deeply, or operate in a resourceful manner.  When asked about other options, they are often limited in their thinking; they simply can’t access the meta-view.

COUNTERINTUITIVE STRATEGIES

Over the years, I’ve taught myself to operate differently when stressed.  I have employed the following three counterintuitive strategies for years. I use them when I want to succeed at some seemingly impossible tasks or when I’m in a funk.  I hope that you find them equally helpful.

1.  Shift Your Perspective . . . and Behavior:
I have learned, albeit at times very painfully, that when I am defensive, I’m not very objective or resourceful.  Having a counterintuitive mindset enables me (and you) to shift from an Attitudinal Response of Threat and a Behavioral Response of win-lose Defensiveness to one of Collaboration and Cooperation.  (Choices model graphic). Changing perspectives enables me to be open to opportunities not available previously.  Instead of my being defensive and demonstrating that I have all the answers – when I shift to an Attitudinal Response of Openness, my Behavioral Response is one of Curiosity.  Being insatiably curious immediately enables me to drop my defensiveness.  My need to be right and domineering is replaced with my overwhelming desire to understand another’s point of view.  This enables me to deepen relationships with others versus alienating them, thus creating an environment for growth.

It is not so much what happens to you in life; it is how you respond to the situation that really makes all the difference. Shift your focus and observe the positive changes in your attitudes and  behaviors. 
                                                                            
2.  “Yes, And” – Access Creative Options:
How often do you use the phrase “Yes, But” in conversations when others are exploring options with you?  If you’re like most people, you are probably largely unaware of this habitual modus operandi that you revert to when under stress.  “Yes, But” is defeating, depreciative, and demoralizing.  It keeps you and others stuck, without creative options.  “Yes, And” enables you to dramatically mobilize yourself and tap into your own unique resourcefulness.  Safeguard against your tendency to default to your well-rehearsed, “Yes, But” responses by answering these provocative questions.

“Yes, I’m swamped myself, and how can I help my boss be even more effective and gain greater visibility for myself?  What can I take off her plate?”

“Yes, I am focused on my own issues, and how can I positively affirm others and help them become even more innovative, energized, and confident?”

3.  Take Charge!
Don’t be a powerless victim.  Stand up!  Move around!  There is a direct correlation between physical activity and sense of wellbeing.  Choose to adopt a compelling mindset of positive expectancy and gratitude for the things you do have in your life.  Be thankful for the challenges that face you as your skills and abilities will be strengthened as you overcome them.

Additionally, adopt an assertive, “So what?” persona that is focused on overcoming your travails and emotional rollercoaster.. If you want to avoid being victimized by external forces beyond your control, observe out loud, “I’ve heard there’s a recession… I’ve decided not to participate.”  Then shift into a resourceful mode by asking yourself a series of powerful, action-oriented questions, such as the following:

“So what if these are tough economic times; what are 10 ways I can positively impact the P&L in the next 30 days?”

“Where and how am I holding back from functioning at 100%?  What behavior can I engage in to thrive and contribute even more?”

We live in a world full of possibilities for professional and personal growth. Fear, doubt, and uncertainty do shake things up a bit; however, it’s also a great opportunity to rise above those things that may have undermined your boldness, confidence, and enthusiasm.  Focus on the positive and embrace those empowering beliefs and behaviors that enable you to operate with greater authenticity and personal power.

[I’d love to learn about the strategies you’ve utilized to positively turn around your perspective or shift your behavior.  Click on the comments link below].