One of the characteristics of a high performance team is that they are continuously looking for means to improve their performance.   Does your team do this?  Most leaders feel they have good teamwork but that is not always true.  There is a simple way to determine just how strong your team is.  Attached is a survey that can be used and how the survey is used is very important.  First of all the questions can be changed if you determine that to be appropriate.  Who administers the survey is critical.  The leader could just send the survey to his team and ask them to provide their assessment and return it because the truth will not always be expressed.  The administrator should be someone that the team would trust.  Frequently this is an outside resource such as a consultant.  All members of the team should be told that responses from specific individuals will not be shared.  The administrator will simply summarize the feedback and share the results with the team that took the survey. 

When the survey summary is presented to the team the information should be sorted with the areas in the most need for improvement at the top and the least at the bottom.  Then the group should discuss the items at the top and develop a plan for changes they should make to improve their teamwork.  This discussion would best be conducted by an administrator, facilitator or consultant.  A plan would be developed that identified actions needed along with who will lead those efforts and by when they should be completed.  Follow up sessions are needed to ensure follow through.  Additional actions can be added as the group determines it to be appropriate.  At some point in time the survey, or portions of it, should be taken again to monitor the effectiveness of the plan.

Are you brave enough to find out just how effectively your leadership group functions as a team?

Teamwork is NOT an easier way to manage.  For example it is a lot easier to just tell someone what to do rather than taking the time to listen to their viewpoint (which could be a better way) or to get buy in to your decision.

Then why do it?  You should consider doing it because it provides much better results along with improved employee satisfaction and commitment to the organization.  It could be an edge that you would have over your competition.

Lots of organizations post teamwork posters on the wall and say they have teamwork.  However, very few organizations really understand teamwork in a business environment thus very few practice high performance teamwork.

Possibly a basketball team example could assist with understanding teamwork.  Five good players could be put on the court and be called a team.  However, if each player’s highest priority was how many points and boards they could get as an individual, would you expect to have good team results?  Thus good teamwork along with good skills is required for good results.  This is not only true for a sports team but it is also true for organizations.

Where would you start to consider changing your culture to one of teamwork?  Top leadership must learn to better understand it and see its potential value. 

The first step could be to find the right professional.  I believe that using a professional is required for effectively implementing teamwork.  There are thousands of professionals out there that say they are experts but the key is finding someone that has transformed a culture and thus can prove their abilities.  They should be able to help with understanding teamwork and what is required.

The next step could be to establish a pilot team for evaluating the process.  It could be a group anywhere in the organization where it seemed that the environment was appropriate.  The other option would be to start with the top leadership team so they could learn by experience and lead by example.

Thousands of books have been written on the subject so teamwork must have value.  Can you afford not to properly evaluate it as a possibility to make a real difference with the effectiveness of your organization?

Contact me for a free consultation if you would like to discuss any aspect of teamwork.

The first step in manifesting dreams of the future is to be sure that the right leadership group is in place and functioning as a “team”.  Having this will greatly increase the likelihood of realizing those dreams.  Accomplishing this is in my opinion is the most important responsibility of the organization’s leader.  The following are some thoughts to consider should you decide to do a review of your leadership team.

Size: The size of the group is important.  Studies have shown that 6-7 is an ideal size group of people working together to accomplish an objective.  Less than this and you might not have enough different viewpoints to make the best decisions. When the group is larger than 6-7, having an effective working relationship and making the best decisions becomes more difficult.  Studies have been conducted have determined that when a group becomes larger than 12 the probability of working together effectively becomes extremely difficult.  You might need to have more than 6-7 to ensure that the appropriate groups are represented but remember that the larger the group the more difficult it is to function effectively.  One thought to consider, if you feel a need for a larger leadership team, is you could have some members of the team represent multiple groups which would reduce the size.  However, doing this means that they must truly represent all of their groups. 

Who: Having the right people is very important. I feel there are advantages to having representation from different age groups, both sexes, multiple races and probably other nationalities.  The characteristics of the individuals are also important.  I would question if it is appropriate to have people that are not respected by their peers or people that report to them.  I would recommend not having individuals that would have difficulty working in a teamwork environment.

Teamwork: Next, it is important that this group truly functions as a team.  Examples would include: conducting highly effective meetings, reaching a consensus on most major decisions, participating in a way that is looking for what is best for the overall organization versus some individuals pushing what is best for them personally.  There are many other examples but I will be discussing teamwork in more detail in future postings.  If the leadership group is not functioning as a strong team this problem should be a top priority.  Consider finding and using a consultant with proven experience that can fulfill this need with a combination of training and facilitation.

Have you been procrastinating on making changes to your leadership team that you know are needed?  Is postponing making that decision in your organization’s best interest?  How would a good consultant rate your team’s effectiveness?

Above is a visual of a model that I have developed and can be used for managing change.  My clients have decided to refer to this model with several different names including:  Manifesting Dreams of the Future, Managing Change, Continuous Improvement, Building the High Performance Organization, Roadmap to Success, Strategic Planning and others.  These are all appropriate because in my opinion it does them all.  Since the majority of my clients prefer Strategic Planning, that is the term I will use in these articles..  The purpose of this article will be to provide a high level overview of the steps in the model.  Then I will provide a series of articles with one devoted to each step. More details will be provided should you want to do some or all of the steps.

Vision: What is the organization striving to achieve.  I recommend three documents that collectively describe the Dreams of the Future

Strategies: High level guides that will lead the organization on its journey to its Vision

Measurement: A means for measuring progress on the journey

Initiatives: Identification of a small number of the most important changes to focus efforts on at this time

Implementation: A methodology that significantly increases the likelihood that each Initiative will be successfully implemented

Monitoring: Guidelines for the leadership team to meet on what is usually a monthly basis to ensure that the process is working and the Vision is achieved

Arrows at the Bottom: The dotted line going back to the Vision and Strategies represents that these documents are only updated periodically.  This is typically an annual process or when something significant occurs that would indicate that they should be revisited.  The  solid line going back to the last four steps in the process indicates that those documents should be reviewed and updated at each meeting.

Do you have an effective model for driving change?  Are there things identified above that might be useful to your organization?  If so please watch for future blog articles.

Vision is the first step in my model, is a combination of documents that describe what an organization is striving to achieve.  I frequently hear the question asked “is the high level vision or the tactical aspect of a Strategic Plan more important”.  My opinion is that both are critical.  My process starts with developing the appropriate Vision documents. 

There are multiple documents that could be developed and there are no standard definitions for the various terms used to describe them.  What one group might call a mission; another might call the same thing a purpose.  I recommend developing three documents that will collectively comprise the Vision.  The following are the terms along with their definitions that I have been using with clients for fifteen years and clients are pleased with this approach. 

Mission: Why the organization exists.  It is usually one or two sentences.  Examples from other companies can be found in books and on the Internet to serve as guides.  Knowing how documents will be used is important in their design.  My recommendation is that the Mission is a document that will be used both internally and outside the organization with both current and potential clients.

Values: Guides for how business is to be conducted.  They include things like teamwork, innovation, integrity, etc.  Again, examples can be found in books and on the Internet.  I recommend identifying multiple possibilities but ultimately deciding which are the 6-7 most important.  Do not include ones that just “sound good”.  It is critical that once identified they are followed.  They are descriptors of the culture you either have or are striving to achieve.  These rarely change.  The primary use for this document is internally within the organization.

Vivid Image:  This document is rarely used but I have found it to be extremely valuable.  The document describes what the leaders want the organization to look like in 3-5 years.  It is to be written in the present tense as though it has already happened.  It is what reporters would see if they visited and conducted interviews with employees, customers and people in the communities where business is conducted.  This document should be used within the business.

The process for developing all of these documents is critical.  The design should be driven by leadership team but should include input from others.  The leadership team should eventually reach a consensus on these documents.

Once the documents have been finalized they need to be shared.  Methods of sharing can include: Internet Web Sites, business cards, posted throughout the organization, brochures, etc.

Is your organizations Vision clear and is your leadership team, along with the entire organization, committed to it?

Establishing Strategies is the second step in my Strategic Planning Process model.  I define strategies as high level guides that will lead the organization on its journey to its Vision.  There are several areas where organizations should consider developing or updating their Strategies.  Below is a list of areas to consider along with some comments to assist with understanding the concept.  All areas will not all apply to any one organization but all should be considered.

Value: This is a very important strategy but hard too hard to fully explain here. It is how do people choose who will get their business.  Is it the low price (like Wal-Mart), superior product/service provided (like Microsoft) or customer intimacy (like Nordstrom)?  You need to be superior in one of the areas and good in the other two.  You should be perceived by your customers or future customers as poor in any of the three areas.  This concept is explained in the book “Discipline of Market Leaders” by Treacy & Wiersema.  It will be worth your time to read this book and apply the concept.

Products/Services: A list of what you provide today and what the list will be in the future

Geographic Markets: Where do you cover today and what will it be in the future

Marketing: A high level approach; areas of focus; what % of income to invest here

Margins: Today and in the future

Facilities: A general description of what you need; quality standards; rent versus buy;

Suppliers: Partners or go for the lowest bid

R&D: Guidelines if important; % of income to invest here

Economic: An approach for continuously driving costs down (high volume, efficiency, etc.)

Profitability: High level guidelines

Outsourcing: What services are better provided by outsourcing

Alliances: Organizations where it is important to have good informal working relationships

Partnerships: Are there organizations where you should strive for formal relationships

Acquisitions: If important what are guidelines for finding candidates

Inventories: High level guidelines for levels

Operational: Guidelines like structure, creativity, efficiency, teamwork

Quality: Guidelines; importance; process control

Organizational: Descriptors of the type of organization you would like to have

Cultural: Descriptions of the culture you are striving to achieve

Leadership: General guidelines for leadership styles and expectations

Personnel: Guidelines for using temporaries; empowerment and accountability importance

Development: How important is development; guidelines for how much is appropriate

Communications: Means for having good ongoing communications

Other:

It is important that the leadership team reach a consensus of all Strategies.  Once the Strategies are established you need to be striving to always follow.  Should you have questions regarding this topic, I am only a click or phone call away.

Are the Strategies for your organization identified and appropriate?  How long has it been since they have been reviewed?

The Measurement step in my model represents how progress toward achieving the Vision could be measured.  All organizations have things that they measure.  However, are you measuring and monitoring the most important ones?  Many organizations are trying to monitor too many numbers.  I believe it is best for an organization to identify and monitor the 4-6 most critical indicators and these need to cover all important areas.  I will refer to these critical few as KPIs (Key Performance Indicators).  A KPI is something you can measure, plot on a graph, establish goals both short and long range.  The following areas should be considered when selecting KPIs along with examples of what the KPIs could be to assist with understanding.  It is important to select the critical areas first and then decide what is best to measure.

Finances: ROI, RONA, margin, inventories

Customers: Complaints, repeat business, revenue

Employees: Turnover, training hours

Processes: Turnaround time; set up times

Quality: Returns, reject rates

Safety: Serious injury frequency

Environmental: Violations, emissions

Markets: % market share

Other:

The KPIs I have been referring to are for the overall organization.  Department or divisions in larger businesses can have their own KPIs which in some cases are the same as the overall and in some cases are unique to that group.

Narrowing the list of possibilities to the critical 4-6 is not an easy task but I feel that the value is worth the effort. 

Click here for an example of a graph template in Excel format that can be used

Are you satisfied that the “critical few” things that your organization measures and monitors are appropriate?  If not please contact me for a free consultation.

An Initiative is an important specific change that an organization needs to make in order to achieve their Vision.  Most organizations have a very long list of changes they want to make and often attempt to work on too many,  This often results in not successfully implementing some really important ones.  One key for successfully managing change is to always focus on the critical few.  These become the A priorities.  Here you take the time to cross the T’s and dot the I’s to ensure that the A’s happen and in a quality and a timely manner.  I will be discussing how to radically increase the likelihood this can happen in my next article.

Selecting the Initiatives is a responsibility of the leadership team.  The process for selecting is as follows.

1. Each member of the leadership team should “independently” identify what they feel are the top three possibilities.  The following are things to consider:

Vision: Review these documents looking for performance gaps

Strategies: Review these documents looking for performance gaps

Measurement KPIs: Where is performance below goals; what could be done to improve

SWOT Analysis: Weaknesses needing improved; opportunities, threats

Customer Needs: What are they and how to better meet

Employee Needs: What are they and how to better meet

System Needs: Do you have any type of system that is currently hampering progress

Assessments: Problems that have been identified with any type of assessment or audit

External Forces: Are there regulations or pending regulations that should be addressed

Other: Anything else

2. A list is compiled of all possible Initiatives

3. The list is edited to remove duplications, etc.

4. The leadership team uses tools techniques and methodologies to reach “consensus” on the top three (good facilitation would be useful)

5. The other Initiatives are placed on a list for possible future Initiatives

6. Once one of the top three Initiatives has been completed another is selected

7. This process should go on forever

How confident are you that your organization is “focused on the top three” initiatives?

Implementation, the fourth step in my model, represents how to go about successfully achieving the objectives of each critical initiative.  One key reason organizations are not successful is attempting to work on more initiatives that the organization has the resources to support.  The solution to this problem is described in my previous article.  So we will start this discussion assuming the organization has identified a small number of important Initiatives.  The following are the steps that can be used for each Initiative to significantly increase the likelihood of success:

1. Charter: A document that is developed by the leadership team.  This document brings great clarity to exactly what is expected, by when and who is to be involved.  This is a chance to get others in the organization, besides the leaders, involved in the change process.  People that do the work in a process that is to be improved should be the ones involved in the redesign.  Their knowledge about the process can be extremely valuable and their involvement will also increase commitment to implementation.  A blank template can be used as a form to fill out.  A definition of terms will assist with understanding how to fill out the form.
2. Initial team meeting: Representatives for the leadership team should meet with the charter team.  They should explain the importance of the Initiative and go over the Charter to ensure that expectations are clear. 
3. Develop plan: The team develops a high level plan for accomplishing the objective of their Initiative.  This plan is documented including what has to be done, who will do them and by when.  A format that I prefer is a Gantt chart and you can click her to see an example.
4. Plan presentation: The proposed plan is presented to leadership for review, modifications if needed and approval.
5. Implement plan: The team implements the plan.  The sponsor is a resource for the team, monitors the team’s progress and provides updates to the leadership team monthly.
6. Closure: Upon completion the team is recognized and then disbanded.  The recognition should not be a gift of significant value.  It is more appropriate to be a token gift and would include a meeting with the leadership team.

Now it is time to select and start another initiative. 

Monitoring, the last step in this model, is the most important step.  It is how you can ensure follow through with the plan enabling you to actually achieve the Vision.  Strategic Planning should not be an annual event that often results in the documents ending up on a shelf and gathering dust until next year when it is dusted off and updated.  Strategic Planning should always be an ongoing process.

There are two aspects of this step in my process.  The first aspect is that it represents an ongoing meeting process for the leadership team and it is typically a monthly meeting.  During this meeting there is a sequence of events that take place starting with the Measurement step:

1. Measurement: the Key Performance Indicator graphs are reviewed for progress against the goals.
2. Initiatives: the group revisits the list of Initiatives to ensure that the three most important have been identified.
3. Implementation: most of the time is spent reviewing and discussing progress with implementation of the Initiatives.  They review their updated plan and see if they are on track for accomplishing their objectives.  If not satisfied with progress then the leadership team is to take action to see that these implementation plans get back on track.

The second aspect of this step in the process is that the leadership team must function as a team. There are many things to do to ensure that this happens and a few examples could be as follows.  The team should develop and follow what I call Team Operating Procedures.  These are guidelines that the team agrees will ensure that they are working effectively to drive this process.  The best way to explain this is by showing an example.  This should be modified to fit the specific needs of each team. Another activity is that the team should participate in teamwork training.  Lastly, the team should use an experienced facilitator to see that they are continuously improving as a team.  Teamwork is very important for a highly effective organization and must start with the leadership team.  Hopefully the consultant being used for the change process can also ensure that the group functions as a team.  I will be talking more about teamwork in general in future Blog articles.

How well has your organization done with following through with Strategic Plans?