Not everyone who starts a small business is an entrepreneur, nor should they be. Figuring out whether you’re an innovator, an entrepreneur or a manager can save you headaches down the road. Continue reading “Are you an Innovator, an Entrepreneur, or a Manager?”
This blog was written by guest writer Jan Cohen.
When most nonprofit staff and Boards think about earned income, they typically think about doing “something new”. The Risk Chart helps organizations to clearly see how risk increases as they go from “things and people they know” to those they have no experience with.
The Need: Training for Change ~
Marsh & McLennan Companies put out a white paper on Strategic Organization Design: An Integrated Approach
In the paper it states “every industry and business sector, competition continues to intensify. New players are suddenly changing the basic rules of the game with new products, technologies, distribution patterns, and business models. To succeed, leaders must understand the concepts and learn the skills involved in designing their organizations in ways that will unleash and maximize these core capabilities.”
Senior organizational leaders are constantly facing the need to restructure their organizations. That means changes. Changes in leadership, shifts in strategy, or other needed within an organization, creating the need for reorganizing. While organization design is one senior managers’ most powerful tools for changing the direction of their organizations, it can’t work without everyone being on board. Only then can it be a key in directing attention and energy to certain critical activities in an organization.
Organizational leaders, however, often lack the totally objective ability to go about it. It seems they know how to structure their organizations, but it’s not a one -person job. According to the Marsh and McLennan white paper:
“Efforts at restructuring are often uneven and unsystematic. Decisions to reorganize are often made with insufficient information and without a clear process to guide the effort. The result is that reorganizations often fail to produce the desired effects, leading instead to further confusion or problems within the organization.”
How does training fit into all this? Changes big and small must be made for a restructuring or reorganization to work. Ultimately no one can be left out. People need to accept change wholeheartedly for it to work. It is the disgruntled, misinformed employees especially among key staff, giving lip service to your ideas, that will bring it down or make it ineffective.
I have seen reorganization that involved only senior staff and the result was a long-term disaster, leaving not only organizational staff confused but also key partners and stakeholders. Clients were frustrated. Keeping as few key personnel as possible in the initial process is not such a bad idea, but there is one key I would not leave out. The training director, who will be invaluable when it comes to moving the entire organization to the implementation process with minimal difficulty and buy-in.
Granted there will always be issues when change comes into play, but leave that to those who can soft-pedal notion of change because that is what’s really bothering them–not the re-organization itself.
Change is more than just about immediate concrete changes. Let someone qualified in change to keep an eye on the personnel needs to deal with change; the training director should have a key role in analyzing those needs going into the process. Assuming the training director has a fair degree of autonomy within the company, he or she should understand how the company operates–if not the training director’s job just got more complicated. The same goes for public relations, public information, employee relations, and corporate communication.
Strategic Organization Design is a four-phase participative process intended to provide senior leaders with a systematic, step-by-step method for examining the structure of their organizations. The four-phases are as follows:
The preliminary analysis involves the collection of information necessary for making design decisions. Once you have accomplished the preliminary analysis. I am assuming it involves a participatory process providing for a systematic, step-by-step method for examining the structure of the organization.
The process should involve facilitation as a means of including participative training and gaining buy-in. Facilitated interviews are conducted focusing on the strategy of the organization, the key tasks being performed and current strengths and weaknesses of the organization. Some like to use the term, “structured” interviews, but I think that leaves opportunities for others to say just what you want them to say. With objective facilitation, more of the truth comes out. Not that your people are trying to deceive you, they are trying to be team players. That, of course, doesn’t help at this stage of the game when you are looking for flaws in current organizational design. Operational design involves the structuring of supervisory roles, information flows, and jobs within the context of the strategic design decisions. Implementation involves managing the transition from the current design to a new design.
Training or informing of those changes is a critical role the trainer can simplify. It most likely will involve key staff, including the CEO. If everything comes down from the top, it will be disputed–especially if the employees feel they weren’t consulted along the way; again, that’s the job of training, public information even an employee representative.
If you do nothing else, enlist the aid of training to start a campaign of adapting to change; that, at least, will tell people change is coming and how to cope with it. Knowledge of the some of the options won’t hurt a thing and might help. You might have a genius out there who sees what you and your senior staff do not–maybe a process so simple it elicits a, “Gee, why didn’t I think of that.” Yet, another good reason to them involved.
While an employee representative sounds perfect, be careful. You most definitely need information on the employee impact of the union to your plan, but you also want to work out solutions beneficial to management and employees before implementation. Training and public relations can help since it is their jobs to communicate the right message.
To get people thinking about change, hold a good idea contest, with the winner getting some time off or a bonus, for the most innovative idea for moving forward with the reorganization. Now you’ve stimulated the employees, maybe even excited them with the prospect of change. If your changes involve letting personnel go, a box as for suggestions on dealing with that issue might be useful to generate ideas while letting everyone know that is not the primary goal of the reorganization.
Marsh and McLennan Companies also have white paper on Using Organizational Assessment to Lead Change.
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For more resources about training, see the Training library.
For more information on training development or delivery, presentation development or presenting, speech development or speaking, check out my website. Please feel free to comment. I’m open to all views. My own views of training are influenced by a background in psychology and communication as much as my experience as a national training developer and trainer. My views are my own and I hope that I stimulate ideas in the course of presenting them. For a look at the human side of training from my Cave Man perspective, please check out my book, The Cave Man Guide to Training and Development. Happy training. I look forward to hearing from you.
This week’s post is by guest writers John Watkins and his partner Caren Hamilton. They will share their diagram of Leadership Grace in next week’s post as Part 2.
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Integration
These days we need all our resources working together to thrive. Our approach to thriving comes from being dazzled by the grace of discovering that our discipline and devotion to yoga combines with the gentleness and rigor of 12-step work to support our deepest desire to be of service.
Yoga means to weave or yoke. It’s about connection and unity, within our self, with the god of our understanding, and with our communities. More than just poses, yoga includes the philosophy that all things are an expression of the divine, and that it is our divine nature fully to express ourselves knowledgably, skillfully, beautifully, and joyfully in the world.
12-step traditions help us recognize that we want to change, and teach us to live a spiritual way of life. 12-step work offers tools for reflection on our participation in life, and healing, so we can practice unity, service, and recovery. 12-step work helps people bring greater balance to their inner and outer worlds. Both traditions recognize the value of the support of others who share the same passion for living where our whole being is balanced and healthy. We interweave these traditions to create a powerful foundation for our work, Leadership Grace.
An Unhealthy Unbalanced Life
Our social, institutional, and even family lives are seriously out of balance and unhealthy. We can feel it even if we cannot name the conditions and reasons. Some habits we fall into to address this dis-ease are personal, including addictions and obsessions; others are institutional. A few symptoms of this dis-ease are dysfunction, dissatisfaction, fragmentation, isolation, alienation, victimization, disconnection, destructive actions to self and others, apathy, willfulness, stress and hopelessness. Many of us are conditioned to try to figure it out, fix it, force it, fight it, or f*#k it, throw up our hands, walk away.
When we are too self-centered, taking too much responsibility for circumstances that are beyond our control, we end up living a grey life. But in our hearts we know that we are meant to be fully alive, bright, and free. We’ve simply lost our way.
Pausing to Reflect; Finding the “No!” and the “Yes!”
When we find ourselves stuck, though everything in our ego and agitation urges us willfully to act, this is the time to pause. We ask the god of our understanding to “grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” This awareness is the first act of healthy autonomy, inviting a gap for grace to enter.
Getting clear about the “No” is the threshold for identifying the “Yes!” accepting that I didn’t cause it, I can’t cure it, and I can’t control it, but I can contribute to making it worse! The “No” sets a clear boundary, allowing us to “let go and let god.” In yoga, we use the term, Swaha, an equanimical, easeful response to the Universe. When we are able to let go, to surrender, to open to grace, we end up more powerful, more free. Then the challenge is to cultivate the “Yes.”
The Pathway to Grace
At first, opening to grace invites a softening and a listening to what is present. Grace is like coming home, being at ease in oneself and in the world, remembering our innate goodness, our divine nature, our ultimate intimate connection to ourselves, to each other, and to god. Grace asks for acceptance and gratitude, willingness, devotion, dedication, courage, discipline, persistent practice, and self-love. It takes the development and use of all our skills and tools. It is a high calling, but requires complete humility. Opening to grace asks us to become honest, open-minded, and willing. We acknowledge that we are beginners, and our self-love is the commitment to develop the skill and discipline to engage, to create the space for the “yes” to enter our hearts and drive our actions. A person is motivated to change and open to grace when they don’t want to hurt anymore, when they want to be happy, joyous, and free. Living with grace invites us to live in the world fully, with authenticity, integrity, beauty, and creativity. When we open to grace, we integrate the head, heart, and hands, without dogma or script, and we become united within ourselves and our communities.
Leadership Grace
The most powerful leaders are attractive agents for change, more like magnets than cannons, because they start with themselves, saying, “let it begin with me.” They show us how to “live and let live” and encourage us to align with grace. They hold high standards yet let us be human as we learn and grow. They constantly seek to affirm the positive, while holding us gently in the fire of transformation.
Leadership Grace balances clarity of vision, with focus on knowing what we value and is deeply meaningful, and easeful alignment of action. It comes from a deep connection to our core/divine Self, to provide strength, courage, and steadfastness, yet is dynamic, soft, and easeful on the outside. It is neither willful nor controlling.
(c) 2011 – John Watkins and Caren Hamilton
(Part 2 next week: The Power of Leadership Grace, and The Inner and Outer Practices of Leadership Grace)
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For more resources, see our Library topic Spirituality in the Workplace.
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John Watkins has for the past 25 years consulted and coached in organizational change and leadership development. 24 years ago he began his recovery from a family deeply scarred by alcohol and abuse. He has continued his healing as an avid Anusara yoga practitioner for the past six years. He lives in the SF Bay Area.
Caren Hamilton has worked with a variety of business and organizations for the last 17 years to align their business practices with nature. 12 years ago she began her healing process and has just celebrated 7 years of recovery in a 12-step program. She is a beginning Anusara yoga student and lives in the Sierra Nevada foothills.
John and Caren are currently building a new life and business together as beloveds and business partners. Their business is Leadership Grace. They coach, consult, and do workshops for people who want to remember their divine nature and lead a life of service from that place of grace.
John Watkins & Caren Hamilton- Johnw536@mac.com http://johnmw.com
The emergence of the team idea can be traced back to the late 1920s and early 1930s with the now classic Hawthorne Studies.
These involved a series of research activities designed to examine in-depth what happened to a group of workers under various conditions. After much analysis, the researchers agreed that the most significant factor was the building of a sense of group identity, a feeling of social support and cohesion that came with increased worker interaction.
Elton Mayo(1933), one of the original researchers, pointed out certain critical conditions which were:
These research findings spurred companies to seriously consider the idea of grouping their employees into effective work teams and to this day they are still important considerations for human resource developers.
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For more resources, see our Library topic Team Building.
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This blog is written by Fresh Tracks: Experts in running team building and team development programmes and conference organising.
Website: www.freshtracks.co.uk
My favorite part of summer is watching my kids play baseball. My oldest son has played with the same coach for three years. For the first two years, the team was mostly the same players and the team worked well together on and off the field. But this year is a little different. This the first year, the coaches picked players from a draft (no parent requests for a coach) and it is also the first year that some of our players were eligible to participate in a travel team. So the team has only four of the original players. It’s an entirely new dynamic.
The difference isn’t in the talent of the individual players. We lost some talented players, but we gained some talented players. Overall the individual talent has stayed about the same or maybe has improved a little bit. The big difference is the cohesiveness of the team. (Granted due to the record rainfall this spring, the team got very little practice time prior to opening day.) They are unruly on the bench, they fail to support one another during game play, and are quick to comment (sometimes loudly) when a teammate misses the play or makes an error.
The story is a classic, right. A team that needs a little teambuilding and coaching. But as a parent, I am not the coach. However, since I have built a relationship of trust with the coach, I know where I can help and I trust in him that will take the lead on the other stuff.
That’s the kind of relationship that HR needs in the workplace with the leaders. You are responsible to build relationships with the organization’s coaches so that you can support them in their job to build a productive cohesive team.
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For more resources, See the Human Resources library.
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Sheri Mazurek is a training and human resource professional with over 16 years of management experience, and is skilled in all areas of employee management and human resource functions, with a specialty in learning and development. She is available to help you with your Human Resources and Training needs on a contract basis. For more information send an email to smazurek0615@gmail.com or visit www.sherimazurek.com. Follow me on twitter @Sherimaz.
Your top sales manager has been pursuing the largest sale in history of your company. Do you want it?
The company needs the sales. Of course, you will take the business. What a crazy question, you say.
But do you know you have the capacity to make the order? There is nothing more damaging than to leave a customer without product. There will be no sales from them for a very long time, if at all. And think of the word-of-mouth-express.
Do you know your capacity? Do you know what you can make? It’s easy to figure out. Just multiply the production per hour by the number of hours of prodution for any given time period, a week, a month, etc.
It’s best to monitor the daily productivity in operations by product, machine, operator, shift, and other relevant factors. Then the scheduler has good numbers to use for production planning.
Don’t forget to factor in the time for preventive maintenance, as well as a realistic amount of time for breakdowns, interruptions, breaks, etc.
Being realistic is a watchword for production planning.
Of course, once the capacity of the business is clear, then it is possible to determine whether the firm can deliver on the order.
So, if the firm cannot take the order, do you turn it down?
Not yet. There is another consideration. Customers usually do not need all the product right away. It takes them some time to sell it. So, perhaps some product can be delivered by the initial date, with additional shipments at later specified dates. If the company takes this approach, don’t forget to factor in addition set up costs, if any, when trying to understand the profitability of the order.
There are other options, too, such as subcontracting some of the work to other suppliers, usually competitors, which can raise some complications. Or, the customer can split the job between a number of suppliers, though you may not want to let a competitor in.
If your firm has a competitive amount of capacity and is pursuing target business, it rarely comes down to turning an order down due to capacity. However, it is definitely a critical consideration for a large order as it moves through the selling cycle to a sale. Train the sales force on capacity issues, so they know about potential issues so they can ensure it is handled appropriately upfront. A well organized large order leads to much happier customers and repeat sales.
For more resources, see the Library topic Business Development.
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Tove Rasmussen, of Partners Creating Wealth, offers business expertise worldwide to help organizations grow, and disadvantaged regions thrive.
Clearly, if the person can do the job and just isn’t goofing off, you want to put some energy into coaching that individual to improve his or her performance. Others think it’s their job, as supervisor, to try to “save” everyone – hoping that they will become better performers. But is that wise?
Not according to a successful CEO of a health care company. “The top commodity a manager has is his or her time. And if you waste too much of it on a lost cause, you’re turning yourself into overhead – costing the company money rather than a profit center – contributing to the profitability of the organization.”
He suggests dividing your employees into three categories and then look at where you spend the majority of your time and resources. Is it with the:
Nine out of 10 managers will say the lion’s share goes to the turkeys – and that’s not good! The better approach is to spend most of your time encouraging the eagles to keep soaring and developing the robins to become eagles. If you have a turkey on your team, then quickly decide whether it’s worth your time to salvage that person. Remember, your time is your most valuable resource. Don’t squander it. Manage it well!
Do you want to develop your Management Smarts?
At some one point in our career, many of us wanted to tell our employers, “I quit!”. We may even have fantasized going out in a blaze of glory, like former Jet Blue flight attendant Steve Slater.However, there is a right and a wrong way to transition from one job to another within or outside the organization you work for. So, if you’re someone who is seeking a better position or finds that a fantastic opportunity has landed in your lap, here are three steps from a Harvard Business Review blog to do it right.
1. Take the high road.
Be positive. When you give the news to your boss, avoid ranting and raving. You may feel better but it won’t help your career. If you do have constructive feedback, schedule a separate meeting with your boss focusing on how the team can work better going forward.
2. Help find your replacement.
Don’t leave your team or manager in the lurch. Review with your boss the job’s challenges and responsibilities. You can even give suggestions of who might be a good fit. Tie up loose ends and document your work so that there is a smooth transition. Leaving your team in good hands and in good shape will be remembered long after you’re gone.
3. Stay in touch.
Don’t sever all ties with the company even if you had a bad experience. Your former colleagues or managers are a valuable asset to you and not just for the sake of the reference letter or Linkedin recommendation. More importantly, that network may come in handy over the next 10, 20, or even 30 years of your work life.
Don’t burn bridges. Who knows where you’ll end up after this new job? Today’s work world is very mobile. In a future role, you may end up working with or for that former boss or those colleagues or your direct reports. It happens. Don’t you want them to think highly of you today as well as tomorrow? So, do it right. Also, take a look at the post: Changing Jobs: Don’t Have Buyers Remorse.
Do you want to develop Career Smarts?
I received an email some time back that, with my response, suggests a way to think through the question of whether or not to use a prospect research firm.
“I was a participant in your recent workshop on Major Gifts and wanted to thank you for an informative and inspiring session. My organization, The XYZ Trust, is poised to launch a major gifts effort and, while I have numerous questions I would like to ask, I will spare you by limiting it to one.
“I have recently received a solicitation to subscribe to a prospect research service and I’m intrigued by the potential of such a service in the identification of high net worth individuals and their personal and organizational networks.
“Have you ever heard of such a resource? I know you probably won’t explicitly endorse or pan such a commercial service, but is it at least worth exploring? “
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My Response:
If that firm can provide all they “promise,” it sounds like it would be a worthwhile investment depending on the following factors:
1. If you have the volunteers who can tap into any network or establish/expand contact with potential major donors that the process uncovers for you;
2. If those volunteers would be willing to make the contacts and work on the creation/enhancement of the needed relationships (the cultivation);
3. If your volunteers couldn’t make many of the same identifications of individuals and networks on their own;
4. If the price of the service is “reasonable;” and,
5. If you (read: your volunteers) will actually ask major gifts prospects for major gifts – using the definition I provided in a much earlier blog posting.
(See: ”What is A Major Gift”)
If you have a volunteer cadre that would be willing to work at creating and cultivating networks of potential major givers, I’d be pleased (as would other consultants) to be asked to work with/train you/them in that process. In the long term, teaching your leadership “how to fish” – and how to clean and cook the fish, would likely be more cost effective than having someone else do your fishing for you.
And, once the research firm does your fishing for you, do you have that volunteer cadre that knows how and would be willing to do what must come next ??
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Have a comment or a question about starting, evaluating or expanding your fundraising program? With over 30 years of counseling in major gifts, capital campaigns, bequest programs and the planning studies to precede these three, I’ll be pleased to answer your questions. Contact me at AskHank@Major-Capital-Giving.com
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Have you seen The Fundraising Series of ebooks ??
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If you would like to comment/expand on the above, or would just like to offer your thoughts on the subject of this posting, we encourage you to “Leave a Reply” at the bottom of this page, click on the feedback link at the top of the page, or send an email to the author of this posting.
