Archive for August, 2009
Posted on August 1, 2009 - by Vic Desotelle
“Be The Change!” – 7 Steps To Manifestation
“Be the change you want to see in the world.”
Join “Be The Change!” Twibes Twitter Group /// Participate in the “Be The Change!” Dialogue Project
Join One Of Our Discovery Communities At The Bottom Of This Page
Mohandas Gandhi’s quote above is powerful, isn’t it?
Being the change requires that we embody change itself. To do this, each of us must surround ourselves with a community of others that can provide us with encouragement and supportive feedback.
Seven Steps To Becoming The Change:
- Know WHY you want change and be able to articulate it.
- Understand WHAT it means for that change to happen.
- Time WHEN the change can best occur.
- Find WHO you want to ally with.
- Consider WHERE the change can best serve.
- Practice HOW the change needs to emerge.
- And always always always be aware of the influence of your change on others – Our greatest risk is that we become blinded by your own righteousness about our own need for change. This is why a community is necessary to keep each of us highly motivated and always in check.
.
Become a ‘Fuel-Molecule’ within the Solution of Change
.
Because ‘WE’ being change is far more powerful than just ‘ME’ being change.
.
JOIN US!
Click on the community image below that works for you.
TO SEE CHANGE, ONE MUST BECOME CHANGE !
Join the ‘Be The Change!‘ Twibes Twitter Conversation Group
Wear a “Be The Change!” T-shirt and Talk your Walk.
Posted on August 5, 2009 - by Vic Desotelle
Kim Larkins asked:
Project management techniques and methodologies are important to ensure clarity and focus to establishing your project, but the how well the people at the centre of the project work together can dramatically impact on the success of the project. Here are ten tips that will help you improve the effectiveness of the project team you are responsible for establishing and managing:
Establish a balanced team: by identifying project team members with both the right technical expertise as well as a broad spectrum of communication and thinking styles. This balance can be identified through past questionnaires that potential project team members may have taken, e.g. Belbin’s Team Roles or M.B.T.I. Myers Briggs Type Indicator or your own observations.
Ensure clarity and “buy in” to the project objectives. Regardless of the seniority or experience level of the project team members, each person needs to be totally clear and committed to achieving the project objectives. Providing the team with an opportunity to raise concerns or issues early on in the project either publicly or in private with you should avoid any negative effects associated with lack of commitment. Any “vibes” or negative behaviours should be explored immediately to ensure the issue can be resolved. Getting your team involved at the early stages of the project planning will assist greatly.
Ensure line management support. When selecting project team members from different departments it is critical to gain their line managers support and commitment to the project and the time the project member will need to allocate to project meetings, research and agreed actions. Identify with the line manager any potential areas or times of conflict with the team member’s job or personal commitment.
Establish a team code. At the first project team meeting draw on the group to identify the behaviours that will help the project team. This can be done simply by capturing ‘expectations of the project leader’ and ‘expectations of each team member’ onto flipchart paper. These can then be typed up and circulated to the team and used as a reminder at the start of each meeting. Any variances of these behaviours can then be constructively challenged referring back to the team code.
Recognise the stages of team development. Research shows that all teams go through different stages of development to reach peak performance, and however skilled and experienced each team member is, the group dynamics will vary for each new team. You will need to adapt your leadership style (from a directive to consultative approach) to each of these stages to ensure you get the team quickly and effectively through the first three stages (forming, storming and norming) to ensure they are at maximum performance in the quickest possible time.
Use a facilitator for critical meetings.A neutral facilitator to help the project team get under way or progress at a critical stage such as idea generation or decision-making can help the project team immensely. Alternatively, develop your own skills at facilitating groups, to ensure you are getting the best from the project team.
Use all internal and external networks. With the project team, establish early on in the project who else could help you with your project objectives e.g. to conduct research, view best practice, seek opinions and learn from past experiences. Look across the whole of the organisation before looking outside, as there may be others who have faced similar issues or want to join forces, as they would like to address the project objective. Suddenly your resources may have increased!
Communicate with key stakeholders. At the same time as you identify who can help you, consider who are your key influencers for this project i.e. project sponsor, project owner, key stakeholders, and plan your communication strategy to ensure you have their full commitment and support throughout the project.
Plan how to celebrate the project team success. Helping the team visualise success at the offset of the project whilst the objectives are still being defined, clarified or conveyed, will increase your success rate and make the project team members feel valued from the beginning and therefore more likely to respond well to future challenges that may lay ahead. Consider how you will celebrate the project success at the the end of the project involving all key contributors as well as ensuring the project sponsor is present to thank the team personally.
Review the team learning on a regular basis. Timely, regular reviews scheduled into your project plan will ensure that the project team work in the most effective manner and will help develop the team spirit and ultimately their commitment to the project. Selecting some of the simple questions below as part of the learning review could help you and the project team: What success have we achieved so far? How well have we worked together so far? How could we work more effectively during the rest of the project? How could we improve our team working during the rest of the project? What further support is needed to ensure this project is successful? What contributions have particularly helped/hindered the project move forward successfully?
Caffeinated Content – Members-Only Content for WordPress
Project management techniques and methodologies are important to ensure clarity and focus to establishing your project, but the how well the people at the centre of the project work together can dramatically impact on the success of the project. Here are ten tips that will help you improve the effectiveness of the project team you are responsible for establishing and managing:
Establish a balanced team: by identifying project team members with both the right technical expertise as well as a broad spectrum of communication and thinking styles. This balance can be identified through past questionnaires that potential project team members may have taken, e.g. Belbin’s Team Roles or M.B.T.I. Myers Briggs Type Indicator or your own observations.
Ensure clarity and “buy in” to the project objectives. Regardless of the seniority or experience level of the project team members, each person needs to be totally clear and committed to achieving the project objectives. Providing the team with an opportunity to raise concerns or issues early on in the project either publicly or in private with you should avoid any negative effects associated with lack of commitment. Any “vibes” or negative behaviours should be explored immediately to ensure the issue can be resolved. Getting your team involved at the early stages of the project planning will assist greatly.
Ensure line management support. When selecting project team members from different departments it is critical to gain their line managers support and commitment to the project and the time the project member will need to allocate to project meetings, research and agreed actions. Identify with the line manager any potential areas or times of conflict with the team member’s job or personal commitment.
Establish a team code. At the first project team meeting draw on the group to identify the behaviours that will help the project team. This can be done simply by capturing ‘expectations of the project leader’ and ‘expectations of each team member’ onto flipchart paper. These can then be typed up and circulated to the team and used as a reminder at the start of each meeting. Any variances of these behaviours can then be constructively challenged referring back to the team code.
Recognise the stages of team development. Research shows that all teams go through different stages of development to reach peak performance, and however skilled and experienced each team member is, the group dynamics will vary for each new team. You will need to adapt your leadership style (from a directive to consultative approach) to each of these stages to ensure you get the team quickly and effectively through the first three stages (forming, storming and norming) to ensure they are at maximum performance in the quickest possible time.
Use a facilitator for critical meetings.A neutral facilitator to help the project team get under way or progress at a critical stage such as idea generation or decision-making can help the project team immensely. Alternatively, develop your own skills at facilitating groups, to ensure you are getting the best from the project team.
Use all internal and external networks. With the project team, establish early on in the project who else could help you with your project objectives e.g. to conduct research, view best practice, seek opinions and learn from past experiences. Look across the whole of the organisation before looking outside, as there may be others who have faced similar issues or want to join forces, as they would like to address the project objective. Suddenly your resources may have increased!
Communicate with key stakeholders. At the same time as you identify who can help you, consider who are your key influencers for this project i.e. project sponsor, project owner, key stakeholders, and plan your communication strategy to ensure you have their full commitment and support throughout the project.
Plan how to celebrate the project team success. Helping the team visualise success at the offset of the project whilst the objectives are still being defined, clarified or conveyed, will increase your success rate and make the project team members feel valued from the beginning and therefore more likely to respond well to future challenges that may lay ahead. Consider how you will celebrate the project success at the the end of the project involving all key contributors as well as ensuring the project sponsor is present to thank the team personally.
Review the team learning on a regular basis. Timely, regular reviews scheduled into your project plan will ensure that the project team work in the most effective manner and will help develop the team spirit and ultimately their commitment to the project. Selecting some of the simple questions below as part of the learning review could help you and the project team: What success have we achieved so far? How well have we worked together so far? How could we work more effectively during the rest of the project? How could we improve our team working during the rest of the project? What further support is needed to ensure this project is successful? What contributions have particularly helped/hindered the project move forward successfully?
Caffeinated Content – Members-Only Content for WordPress
Posted on August 6, 2009 - by Vic Desotelle
The Paradox in ‘Sustainable’ Innovations
sustainable innovation paradox
The Paradox in ‘Sustainable’ Innovations
I want you to click on the picture of the ‘invention machine’ at the left and watch the video. As your watching the video, make a list of the things that (in your mind) make up ’sustainable’ innovation, based on how they describe it to be.
Then, look at your list and consider how they are using the definition of sustainability. In some parts, they show energy efficient light bulbs, etc, suggesting that sustainability truly is influencing our thinking and methods of innovation. Hooray !
But wait a minute.
There’s something missing here. Look at the image above. Notice the direction of product coming out of the machine. Where are these products going? Isn’t a part of sustainability mean that everything becomes food for another system and another and another. Including possibly the system that made it in the first place? Yes. The full meaning of ’sustainable innovation’ means that everything is defined in closed loops, not assembly lines that have no return.
Unfortunately, the way most folks are using the term ’sustainable innovation’ is limited to defining processes that allow the continued production of stuff without considering its RE-production at the end of the product’s usable life cycle.
Click on pic to access enlarged version
We are now entering a new age of innovation, and the principles sustainability are directly affecting how innovation is designed, manufactured, used, … and regenerated. The missing link in the video above is REGENERATION. All products, which are an outcome of innovation, must be designed into closed loop systems that do not allow for even the idea of waste to enter the equation.
Either we evolve the meaning of ’sustainable innovation’ or we are merely making green stuff that is more efficient but still unclaimed at the end of an open cycle. This is not sustainable. Closed loop systems that are incorporated at the beginning of the product design process is the answer.
Posted on August 8, 2009 - by Vic Desotelle
Pam Kennett asked:
Copyright (c) 2008 Chiswick Consulting Limited
Any business consultant worth their fee, should know how to run a strategy clarification workshop. This strategy informs all major decisions about what to focus and spend money on, and even how to organise internal resources.
1. Opportunities, Threats and Risks
As a starting point, focus on the external factors facing the business or part of the business you are working with ‘ that is, what are the opportunities, threats and risks to the business. An example might be a change in mortgage lending which presents an opportunity for your business as a property developer. Or it could be a major home builder moving into your geography which directly threatens your business. This should be done as a brainstorm exercise to generate as much contribution and engagement as possible.
After this, prioritise each issue using a 2 x 2 matrix with “What is potential likelihood” on the vertical axis (low to high) and “How relevant is it?” (low to high) on the horizontal axis.
Once the highly relevant issues which have a high potential of occurring (that is, the top right hand corner of the matrix) have been prioritized by the group, discuss each in terms of:
What is it?
How relevant is it? Why is it relevant?
What is the potential likelihood?
2. Strengths, Weaknesses and Gaps
Now move to the internal factors impacting the business. Brainstorm the significant internal factors facing the business or part of the business. An internal strength might be the technical skills of your team or your well established sales processes.
Next, prioritise each factor again using a 2 x 2 matrix with the “How strong or weak” (low to high) on the vertical axis and “How important is it?” (low to high) on the horizontal axis.
Once the important, ’strong’ factors have been identified discuss each in terms of:
What is it?
Why is it relevant?
What is its’ potential impact?
The first two steps are very like a SWOT analysis except that each factor is prioritized and each of the top priority factors discussed. This discussion enables the team to share their concerns and expectations for the future, something which gets missed if you merely brainstorm.
3. Critical Success Factors
After the prioritized SWOT focus on the critical success factors, that is, what must we as a business get right over the next 2 to 3 years to be successful. At this stage, to ensure that the focus is still a strategic one, it is important to address the external threats and opportunities (that is, step 1) when thinking about the CSFs.
After brainstorming, discuss each CSF ‘ why people see it as important and the implications to the business of each. After the discussion undertake some prioritization exercise such as nominal group technique (NGT). NGT usually consists of allocating 3 votes to each individual and they are free to allocate those votes as they see fit. They can allocate 3 to one factor or distribute one vote for to each of three factors.
4. Values
A critical component of a strategy workshop must also address ‘how’ people will work together, not just what they will work on. Where the CSF’s are aligned to the external factors, the Values tend to be aligned to the internal factors (no. 2). These values are what will unite a group and keep them intact during difficult or stressful times.
To do this, brainstorm the following: “in your opinion, what must we value (believe in) as a business to achieve this success?”
Discuss each value:
What does this mean?
Why is it important?
What does it look like? ‘ how would you role model this to others
Agree and prioritise the top half dozen or so values using a prioritization technique such as NGT.
Ask the group, how do these values match current values? What do we need to do differently to achieve these values?
5. Key Organisation Design Criteria
As part of a strategy workshop it is important to think through how resources should be organized to exploit opportunities, fight off threats from competitors and make best use of our strengths. Although designing an organization usually requires technical expertise in job design, the responsibility for defining what type of organization we want to create and work within belongs with the top team.
Brainstorm the following question: “in your opinion, what are critical organization design issues re structure, processes, roles, performance management, reporting etc?”
At this stage it is important to think about the ideal future organization and not the existing organisation. Think about the major work processs and how work might be arranged eg if we have identified that we need to be more customer focused, we may need to organise our customer service teams around type of customer or industry of customer.
Discuss each criterion:
Why?
Implications?
Prioritise as necessary, finding the show stoppers or key enablers.
6. Key Strategic Drivers
As a summary, ask the following question: “What are the 2 to 4 key strategic drivers for the organization over the next 2 to 3 years?”
This is best done in silence as it gives individuals a chance to reflect over what has been before ‘ the SWOT, the CSFs, the Values, the Organisation Design criteria.
List everyone’s first driver, then discuss implications
List everyone’s second driver, then discuss.
Generate a summary statement: shared view of objectives (goals) over next 2 to 3 years by the individual or as a group.
Create a video blog
Copyright (c) 2008 Chiswick Consulting Limited
Any business consultant worth their fee, should know how to run a strategy clarification workshop. This strategy informs all major decisions about what to focus and spend money on, and even how to organise internal resources.
1. Opportunities, Threats and Risks
As a starting point, focus on the external factors facing the business or part of the business you are working with ‘ that is, what are the opportunities, threats and risks to the business. An example might be a change in mortgage lending which presents an opportunity for your business as a property developer. Or it could be a major home builder moving into your geography which directly threatens your business. This should be done as a brainstorm exercise to generate as much contribution and engagement as possible.
After this, prioritise each issue using a 2 x 2 matrix with “What is potential likelihood” on the vertical axis (low to high) and “How relevant is it?” (low to high) on the horizontal axis.
Once the highly relevant issues which have a high potential of occurring (that is, the top right hand corner of the matrix) have been prioritized by the group, discuss each in terms of:
What is it?
How relevant is it? Why is it relevant?
What is the potential likelihood?
2. Strengths, Weaknesses and Gaps
Now move to the internal factors impacting the business. Brainstorm the significant internal factors facing the business or part of the business. An internal strength might be the technical skills of your team or your well established sales processes.
Next, prioritise each factor again using a 2 x 2 matrix with the “How strong or weak” (low to high) on the vertical axis and “How important is it?” (low to high) on the horizontal axis.
Once the important, ’strong’ factors have been identified discuss each in terms of:
What is it?
Why is it relevant?
What is its’ potential impact?
The first two steps are very like a SWOT analysis except that each factor is prioritized and each of the top priority factors discussed. This discussion enables the team to share their concerns and expectations for the future, something which gets missed if you merely brainstorm.
3. Critical Success Factors
After the prioritized SWOT focus on the critical success factors, that is, what must we as a business get right over the next 2 to 3 years to be successful. At this stage, to ensure that the focus is still a strategic one, it is important to address the external threats and opportunities (that is, step 1) when thinking about the CSFs.
After brainstorming, discuss each CSF ‘ why people see it as important and the implications to the business of each. After the discussion undertake some prioritization exercise such as nominal group technique (NGT). NGT usually consists of allocating 3 votes to each individual and they are free to allocate those votes as they see fit. They can allocate 3 to one factor or distribute one vote for to each of three factors.
4. Values
A critical component of a strategy workshop must also address ‘how’ people will work together, not just what they will work on. Where the CSF’s are aligned to the external factors, the Values tend to be aligned to the internal factors (no. 2). These values are what will unite a group and keep them intact during difficult or stressful times.
To do this, brainstorm the following: “in your opinion, what must we value (believe in) as a business to achieve this success?”
Discuss each value:
What does this mean?
Why is it important?
What does it look like? ‘ how would you role model this to others
Agree and prioritise the top half dozen or so values using a prioritization technique such as NGT.
Ask the group, how do these values match current values? What do we need to do differently to achieve these values?
5. Key Organisation Design Criteria
As part of a strategy workshop it is important to think through how resources should be organized to exploit opportunities, fight off threats from competitors and make best use of our strengths. Although designing an organization usually requires technical expertise in job design, the responsibility for defining what type of organization we want to create and work within belongs with the top team.
Brainstorm the following question: “in your opinion, what are critical organization design issues re structure, processes, roles, performance management, reporting etc?”
At this stage it is important to think about the ideal future organization and not the existing organisation. Think about the major work processs and how work might be arranged eg if we have identified that we need to be more customer focused, we may need to organise our customer service teams around type of customer or industry of customer.
Discuss each criterion:
Why?
Implications?
Prioritise as necessary, finding the show stoppers or key enablers.
6. Key Strategic Drivers
As a summary, ask the following question: “What are the 2 to 4 key strategic drivers for the organization over the next 2 to 3 years?”
This is best done in silence as it gives individuals a chance to reflect over what has been before ‘ the SWOT, the CSFs, the Values, the Organisation Design criteria.
List everyone’s first driver, then discuss implications
List everyone’s second driver, then discuss.
Generate a summary statement: shared view of objectives (goals) over next 2 to 3 years by the individual or as a group.
Create a video blog
Posted on August 8, 2009 - by Vic Desotelle
Abe Cherian asked:
You may publish this article in your ezine, newsletter on
your web site as long as the byline is included and the
article is included in it’s entirety. I also ask that you
activate any html links found in the article and in the
byline. Please send a courtesy link or email where you
publish to: support@multiplestreammktg.com
How to Optimize your Online Business Collaborations
Copyright ? 2006
As a manufacturer, importer or distributor, you are facing
today’s difficult business challenge in how to compete and
succeed in the Internet economy. Your traditional channels
of sales and distribution are being or should be recast to
take advantage of the Internet and this implies new ways of
utilizing your reseller or channel assets.
While you and many other companies feel the pressure to
sidestep competitors with a first-to-market advantage,
there is little benefit in aimlessly building and
implementing e-commerce systems. Many companies are taking
a haphazard approach to the Internet, trying to shoehorn
existing business practices into simplistic e-commerce
capabilities or worse, drastically changing current
effective business practices.
A more sensible approach is to determine how to use the
Internet to optimize and extend your company’s established
sales methods and align your e-commerce strategy with your
company’s overall goals. The question is not whether you
should utilize Internet sales channels, but how can you do
so in a profitable way without alienating your existing
distributors, resellers, dealers and clients.
But where do you start and what are the essential elements
of a collaborative commerce solution? Before embarking on
an e-commerce strategy you need to ask yourself a few
important questions on how you will relate your business
needs with those of your reseller partners.
The Gartner Group estimates that over 90% of manufacturers,
importers or distributors do not sell their primary
branded products online. Why? The primary reason is channel
conflict; fear of the consequences of going into business
against your own selling partners.
Therefore, typically many manufacturers or primary
distributors establish a website that simply helps
customers gather product information and build a shopping
list, which they can then take to the nearest physical
store. Ultimately, your website does not close the sale and
has no visibility into whether these customers actually
purchased your products from your reseller.
Not only do you give up the rights to a new revenue stream,
but you also lose control over, and insight into, the
commerce activities within your own customer base.
But, what if you could provide customers with a unified and
guided selling experience across your sales channels by
presenting a seamless selling experience to your customers
and site visitors while integrating the value-add of your
reseller network? Your customers could access real-time
product information including pricing and availability
through resellers directly from your web site and their
respective web sites.
And what if your e-commerce system could ensure that
products were properly configured and orders routed to the
appropriate sales partner? This way you would remain
intimately involved in the e-commerce activities of your
resellers, while maintaining influence over the sales
process and customer experience.
You must determine which of your sales channels to take to
the web. You may presently utilize multiple channels to
respond effectively to your customers’ needs such as your
direct sales teams plus a mix of resellers, retailers,
OEMs, and dealers who deliver value to your customers and
strategic value to you by providing you with global and
vertical reach, logistics and additional value-added
services.
It will be necessary to formulate an integrated strategy
that provides a common infrastructure for all of these
sales channels that you take to the web and then provide an
e-commerce infrastructure that integrates all of them
within a single cohesive system.
This online collaboration will allow your active
participation in all aspects of your customer’s sales and
marketing experience, from shopping and product
configuration to fulfillment and feedback. Short-term
rewards include reduced costs through process automation
and efficiencies. Long-term rewards include increased
revenue, greater customer and partner loyalty, and the
ability to create strong sell-side partnerships that help
differentiate products.
Your resellers want to work with you, yet an Internet
business strategy that does not consider all your relevant
sales channels, including their sales and distribution
models and related business processes is a recipe for
failure.
Kansieo.com
You may publish this article in your ezine, newsletter on
your web site as long as the byline is included and the
article is included in it’s entirety. I also ask that you
activate any html links found in the article and in the
byline. Please send a courtesy link or email where you
publish to: support@multiplestreammktg.com
How to Optimize your Online Business Collaborations
Copyright ? 2006
As a manufacturer, importer or distributor, you are facing
today’s difficult business challenge in how to compete and
succeed in the Internet economy. Your traditional channels
of sales and distribution are being or should be recast to
take advantage of the Internet and this implies new ways of
utilizing your reseller or channel assets.
While you and many other companies feel the pressure to
sidestep competitors with a first-to-market advantage,
there is little benefit in aimlessly building and
implementing e-commerce systems. Many companies are taking
a haphazard approach to the Internet, trying to shoehorn
existing business practices into simplistic e-commerce
capabilities or worse, drastically changing current
effective business practices.
A more sensible approach is to determine how to use the
Internet to optimize and extend your company’s established
sales methods and align your e-commerce strategy with your
company’s overall goals. The question is not whether you
should utilize Internet sales channels, but how can you do
so in a profitable way without alienating your existing
distributors, resellers, dealers and clients.
But where do you start and what are the essential elements
of a collaborative commerce solution? Before embarking on
an e-commerce strategy you need to ask yourself a few
important questions on how you will relate your business
needs with those of your reseller partners.
The Gartner Group estimates that over 90% of manufacturers,
importers or distributors do not sell their primary
branded products online. Why? The primary reason is channel
conflict; fear of the consequences of going into business
against your own selling partners.
Therefore, typically many manufacturers or primary
distributors establish a website that simply helps
customers gather product information and build a shopping
list, which they can then take to the nearest physical
store. Ultimately, your website does not close the sale and
has no visibility into whether these customers actually
purchased your products from your reseller.
Not only do you give up the rights to a new revenue stream,
but you also lose control over, and insight into, the
commerce activities within your own customer base.
But, what if you could provide customers with a unified and
guided selling experience across your sales channels by
presenting a seamless selling experience to your customers
and site visitors while integrating the value-add of your
reseller network? Your customers could access real-time
product information including pricing and availability
through resellers directly from your web site and their
respective web sites.
And what if your e-commerce system could ensure that
products were properly configured and orders routed to the
appropriate sales partner? This way you would remain
intimately involved in the e-commerce activities of your
resellers, while maintaining influence over the sales
process and customer experience.
You must determine which of your sales channels to take to
the web. You may presently utilize multiple channels to
respond effectively to your customers’ needs such as your
direct sales teams plus a mix of resellers, retailers,
OEMs, and dealers who deliver value to your customers and
strategic value to you by providing you with global and
vertical reach, logistics and additional value-added
services.
It will be necessary to formulate an integrated strategy
that provides a common infrastructure for all of these
sales channels that you take to the web and then provide an
e-commerce infrastructure that integrates all of them
within a single cohesive system.
This online collaboration will allow your active
participation in all aspects of your customer’s sales and
marketing experience, from shopping and product
configuration to fulfillment and feedback. Short-term
rewards include reduced costs through process automation
and efficiencies. Long-term rewards include increased
revenue, greater customer and partner loyalty, and the
ability to create strong sell-side partnerships that help
differentiate products.
Your resellers want to work with you, yet an Internet
business strategy that does not consider all your relevant
sales channels, including their sales and distribution
models and related business processes is a recipe for
failure.
Kansieo.com
Posted on August 10, 2009 - by Vic Desotelle
Glenn Brome asked:
So, facilitative leadership: is leading by committee … not!
It is not about getting everyone together and asking, “what do you and you think?” Everything cannot be decided via committee! Especially if your work involves things like law enforcement or the military. The front lines are not the place to take a ’straw poll’. Even as I say this, and even in those aforementioned operations, there are times when a leader can, and should get people together to talk about how to improve the operation; by genuinely asking for input from all levels. That is what facilitative leadership is about.
For this process to work, the leader must be successful at creating an atmosphere where people not only feel comfortable contributing ideas and suggestions, but where the leader actually acts on that input.
Acting on input does not mean doing everything the group tells you to do. It does mean making it clear to the group that their input is valued by defining how that input will be used. Many times a leader will give the impression that if the team members give honest input, they will be given their ‘marching orders’. This is why the leader must clarify prior to asking for input how that input will be used. For instance, let the group know if you are:
1- Just asking for ideas and you (the leader) will make the final decision
2- Asking for ideas and you (the leader) will discuss options with the group again prior to making the final decision.
3- Requesting input so final decision will be made together as a team
4- Requiring input and the team will make the final decision after reviewing it with you.
5- Giving input to the team and the team will tell you what the final decision is.
These are just examples of how to explain your intentions when involving direct reports in the decision-making process. The added advantage of this clarity is that it is another critical step in building respect, trust and rapport.
This model is the strategic outgrowth of the changing role of leadership.
Back in the day, and hopefully this does not mean last week for you … the leader stood in the middle of everything and directed the team with one-way communication. Essentially that leader would say, “jump” and the followers would need to know how high.
As this leader progresses she/he allows for two-way communication, but the leader is still in the middle directing the activities of the group.
Continuing this progression, the leader steps out of the middle – and becomes a part of the team. This also allows for better communication – actually between team members. The leader is still responsible but does not ‘push’ her/his people, they tend to ‘pull’, to get people to follow them – not to push and micro-manage them.
As the leader progresses even further, they can actually step away from the day-to-day aspects of the area. This affords even more communication between the members of the team. Again, you cannot do this until you have helped the team members interact with each other on a ‘level playing field’. This is why you should be familiar with the elements in this book that can help you build those essential skills for your subordinates – so you can be free to work on the more strategic elements of your job, instead of the tactical.
The skill required for this process is critical because the typical leader’s area of span and control is not retracting, it’s expanding! So you will be required to ‘run’ multiple departments, and that cannot be done effectively if you are ’stuck’ in the middle of one trying to direct everything.
Now, keep in mind, when you step away do not disengage! Because you ‘cannot expect what you don’t inspect’. So, as you have allowed for the skills of your teams to be sufficient enough for you to ’step away’ – you must be accessible and continue to coach and hold everyone accountable.
Facilitative leaders also have courage. This starts when we are very young …
A six-year old and a four-year old are upstairs in their bedroom. “I think it’s about time we started cussing” the four-year old nods his head in approval. The six-year old continues. “when we go downstairs for breakfast I’m gonna say “hell”, and you say “ass”, “ok!” The four-year old agrees with enthusiasm. Their mother walks into the kitchen and asks the six-year old what he wants for breakfast. “Aw hell, mom, I guess I’ll have some cheerios.” Whack! He flies out of his chair, tumbles across the kitchen floor, gets up, and runs upstairs crying his eyes out, with his mother in hot pursuit, slapping his rear every step. The mom locks him in his room and shouts, “you can just stay there till I let you out!” She then comes back downstairs, looks at the four-year old, and asks with a stern voice, “and what do you want for breakfast young man?” I don’t know,” he blubbers, “but you can bet your *** it won’t be cheerios.” -origin unknown
Courage is exemplified by that leader that has the ability to not fold under pressure. Take this situation; you have been coaching a direct report on leading an important project. ‘fast forward’: the project does not reach its target. Your boss calls you in an asks, “what the h_ _ _ happened?!” Most people in that situation would start to explain about how they have been coaching a member of their team, blah. Blah, blah … wrong answer! A facilitative leader would have the courage to say something like, “I am responsible, and I will make sure, that doesn’t happen again…” now that takes courage. You don’t ‘turn the person in’ to the boss. You are ultimately responsible for your group’s output, so act like it!
Now, you do have some conversations with that direct report about what happened. Clearly there were some miscues during the ‘coaching’ process that need to be revisited. Keep in mind, during these ‘discussions’ that it is and was a two-way street. It is the employee’s responsibility to accomplish the goals and it is your responsibility to be sure your people are on-track.
Another essential ability a facilitative leader possesses is their capacity to ‘take counsel’. They have the ability to listen to multiple points of view, including those who typically do not agree with them. This is a powerful trait because you tend to have more complete input, thus making better decisions. To do this, a leader must be able to capture the key kernels of information. They have to be able to maintain bridges between people and create an atmosphere where people share information with each other – largely because they have earned respect, even from people who usually do not see things the same way.
When one has mastered these skills they are recognized as a facilitative leader.
(c) 2006, Glenn Brome. Reprint rights granted to all publishers so long as the article and by-line are kept intact and all links are made live.
Kansieo.com
So, facilitative leadership: is leading by committee … not!
It is not about getting everyone together and asking, “what do you and you think?” Everything cannot be decided via committee! Especially if your work involves things like law enforcement or the military. The front lines are not the place to take a ’straw poll’. Even as I say this, and even in those aforementioned operations, there are times when a leader can, and should get people together to talk about how to improve the operation; by genuinely asking for input from all levels. That is what facilitative leadership is about.
For this process to work, the leader must be successful at creating an atmosphere where people not only feel comfortable contributing ideas and suggestions, but where the leader actually acts on that input.
Acting on input does not mean doing everything the group tells you to do. It does mean making it clear to the group that their input is valued by defining how that input will be used. Many times a leader will give the impression that if the team members give honest input, they will be given their ‘marching orders’. This is why the leader must clarify prior to asking for input how that input will be used. For instance, let the group know if you are:
1- Just asking for ideas and you (the leader) will make the final decision
2- Asking for ideas and you (the leader) will discuss options with the group again prior to making the final decision.
3- Requesting input so final decision will be made together as a team
4- Requiring input and the team will make the final decision after reviewing it with you.
5- Giving input to the team and the team will tell you what the final decision is.
These are just examples of how to explain your intentions when involving direct reports in the decision-making process. The added advantage of this clarity is that it is another critical step in building respect, trust and rapport.
This model is the strategic outgrowth of the changing role of leadership.
Back in the day, and hopefully this does not mean last week for you … the leader stood in the middle of everything and directed the team with one-way communication. Essentially that leader would say, “jump” and the followers would need to know how high.
As this leader progresses she/he allows for two-way communication, but the leader is still in the middle directing the activities of the group.
Continuing this progression, the leader steps out of the middle – and becomes a part of the team. This also allows for better communication – actually between team members. The leader is still responsible but does not ‘push’ her/his people, they tend to ‘pull’, to get people to follow them – not to push and micro-manage them.
As the leader progresses even further, they can actually step away from the day-to-day aspects of the area. This affords even more communication between the members of the team. Again, you cannot do this until you have helped the team members interact with each other on a ‘level playing field’. This is why you should be familiar with the elements in this book that can help you build those essential skills for your subordinates – so you can be free to work on the more strategic elements of your job, instead of the tactical.
The skill required for this process is critical because the typical leader’s area of span and control is not retracting, it’s expanding! So you will be required to ‘run’ multiple departments, and that cannot be done effectively if you are ’stuck’ in the middle of one trying to direct everything.
Now, keep in mind, when you step away do not disengage! Because you ‘cannot expect what you don’t inspect’. So, as you have allowed for the skills of your teams to be sufficient enough for you to ’step away’ – you must be accessible and continue to coach and hold everyone accountable.
Facilitative leaders also have courage. This starts when we are very young …
A six-year old and a four-year old are upstairs in their bedroom. “I think it’s about time we started cussing” the four-year old nods his head in approval. The six-year old continues. “when we go downstairs for breakfast I’m gonna say “hell”, and you say “ass”, “ok!” The four-year old agrees with enthusiasm. Their mother walks into the kitchen and asks the six-year old what he wants for breakfast. “Aw hell, mom, I guess I’ll have some cheerios.” Whack! He flies out of his chair, tumbles across the kitchen floor, gets up, and runs upstairs crying his eyes out, with his mother in hot pursuit, slapping his rear every step. The mom locks him in his room and shouts, “you can just stay there till I let you out!” She then comes back downstairs, looks at the four-year old, and asks with a stern voice, “and what do you want for breakfast young man?” I don’t know,” he blubbers, “but you can bet your *** it won’t be cheerios.” -origin unknown
Courage is exemplified by that leader that has the ability to not fold under pressure. Take this situation; you have been coaching a direct report on leading an important project. ‘fast forward’: the project does not reach its target. Your boss calls you in an asks, “what the h_ _ _ happened?!” Most people in that situation would start to explain about how they have been coaching a member of their team, blah. Blah, blah … wrong answer! A facilitative leader would have the courage to say something like, “I am responsible, and I will make sure, that doesn’t happen again…” now that takes courage. You don’t ‘turn the person in’ to the boss. You are ultimately responsible for your group’s output, so act like it!
Now, you do have some conversations with that direct report about what happened. Clearly there were some miscues during the ‘coaching’ process that need to be revisited. Keep in mind, during these ‘discussions’ that it is and was a two-way street. It is the employee’s responsibility to accomplish the goals and it is your responsibility to be sure your people are on-track.
Another essential ability a facilitative leader possesses is their capacity to ‘take counsel’. They have the ability to listen to multiple points of view, including those who typically do not agree with them. This is a powerful trait because you tend to have more complete input, thus making better decisions. To do this, a leader must be able to capture the key kernels of information. They have to be able to maintain bridges between people and create an atmosphere where people share information with each other – largely because they have earned respect, even from people who usually do not see things the same way.
When one has mastered these skills they are recognized as a facilitative leader.
(c) 2006, Glenn Brome. Reprint rights granted to all publishers so long as the article and by-line are kept intact and all links are made live.
Kansieo.com
Posted on August 10, 2009 - by Vic Desotelle
Aug 11th Webinar: Sustainable Innovation from the Amazon
Runa: Energy, Sustainability & Innovation from the Amazon
A forefront conservation enterprise, Runa is partnered with native agronomists in the Ecuadorian Amazon to achieve market-driven restoration. The venture will be the first to market read-to-drink Wuayusa tea, a traditional beverage similar to Yerba Mate, that enhances mental clarity and personal energy.
Tyler Gage, Runa CEO, will be holding a WebEx conference to discuss the sustainable model that has won Runa awards from Brown University and the State of Rhode Island.
Date: August 11, 2009
Time: 1:15 pm, Pacific Daylight Time (GMT -07:00, San Francisco)
Please follow these easy steps to join the WebEx meeting:
1) Please note the meeting password: amazanga
2) Click on the link below to join the meeting. ( If prompted for security warning, please select Yes)
https://meetings.webex.com/meetings/j.php?ED=7004492&UID=0&PW=199d41050c4c4a120a5a50
3) Call the teleconference number below if host has selected the teleconference.
When prompted for meeting number enter: 613 050 667
Teleconference: Call-in toll-free number (US/Canada): 866-469-3239
Call-in toll number (US/Canada): 1-650-429-3300
Toll-free dialing restrictions: http://www.webex.com/pdf/tollfree_restrictions.pdf
If you need help joining this meeting, or would like to set up your computer prior to the meeting, click the following link
http://www.webex.com/go/ppusupport .
We look forward to your participation…
Andrew Mount
Development Officer
Runa LLC / Fundacion Runa
www.runa.org (site under construction)
Posted on August 11, 2009 - by Vic Desotelle
Tell Me Why (Why change?) – A Children’s Tribute
Why must we have to remind ourselves of the horror we do to others of our own kind?
Why must we have to remember over and over again ‘why’ we must create change?
Watch Declan – Tell Me Why – a children’s tribute; images of children at war.
Posted on August 13, 2009 - by Vic Desotelle
Martin Mcallister asked:
Have you ever planned a group holiday, only to face unanticipated dilemmas along the way? If so, you’re certainly not alone. In fact, most people fall into a set of common pitfalls when travelling in groups. Simply put, group holidays can be a drag if they’re not planned carefully and with respect to all individuals involved. But is it really possible to please everyone? The answer is yes: by following a few simple steps, you can ensure your group holiday goes smoothly – even if everyone’s idea of a ‘good time’ is a little different.
One of the most common problems encountered on group holidays is that everyone wants to do something different. This can result in a great deal of wasted time, not to mention a few unhappy travellers. But what can you do to ensure your group holiday remains exactly that? It’s wise to start off with a list of potential holiday activities; this will not only give all the travellers in the group an idea of what everyone else wants to do, but it will also help with the process of building an itinerary down the line. Try to brainstorm for ideas which are particularly ‘group friendly’, such as visiting a spa retreat or taking a golf outing.
Moreover, remember that you can always schedule multiple activities to take place at the same time – particularly if the group is big. If on a given day, for example, half the group wants to go shopping and the other half wants to go to the beach, you could hold two separate activities and meet up for lunch later in the afternoon. However, if the group is small and you’d prefer to stick together, build a compromised itinerary inclusive of activities to satisfy everyone.
Another step you can take to minimize wasted time during your holiday is to designate different individuals to take charge of various aspects of the trip, such as making dinner reservations, calling taxis or dealing with accommodation arrangements. Aside from facilitating a smooth-running holiday, this will ensure that all the planning and organization doesn’t fall on one person.
If you’re planning a group holiday, rest assured that there are a number of hotels which can cater specifically to big groups. Whether this includes large-suite accommodation, group rate packages, or activity and tour deals, everyone is guaranteed to have a great time together. And isn’t that just what a group holiday is all about?
Create a video blog…instantly.
Have you ever planned a group holiday, only to face unanticipated dilemmas along the way? If so, you’re certainly not alone. In fact, most people fall into a set of common pitfalls when travelling in groups. Simply put, group holidays can be a drag if they’re not planned carefully and with respect to all individuals involved. But is it really possible to please everyone? The answer is yes: by following a few simple steps, you can ensure your group holiday goes smoothly – even if everyone’s idea of a ‘good time’ is a little different.
One of the most common problems encountered on group holidays is that everyone wants to do something different. This can result in a great deal of wasted time, not to mention a few unhappy travellers. But what can you do to ensure your group holiday remains exactly that? It’s wise to start off with a list of potential holiday activities; this will not only give all the travellers in the group an idea of what everyone else wants to do, but it will also help with the process of building an itinerary down the line. Try to brainstorm for ideas which are particularly ‘group friendly’, such as visiting a spa retreat or taking a golf outing.
Moreover, remember that you can always schedule multiple activities to take place at the same time – particularly if the group is big. If on a given day, for example, half the group wants to go shopping and the other half wants to go to the beach, you could hold two separate activities and meet up for lunch later in the afternoon. However, if the group is small and you’d prefer to stick together, build a compromised itinerary inclusive of activities to satisfy everyone.
Another step you can take to minimize wasted time during your holiday is to designate different individuals to take charge of various aspects of the trip, such as making dinner reservations, calling taxis or dealing with accommodation arrangements. Aside from facilitating a smooth-running holiday, this will ensure that all the planning and organization doesn’t fall on one person.
If you’re planning a group holiday, rest assured that there are a number of hotels which can cater specifically to big groups. Whether this includes large-suite accommodation, group rate packages, or activity and tour deals, everyone is guaranteed to have a great time together. And isn’t that just what a group holiday is all about?
Create a video blog…instantly.
Posted on August 13, 2009 - by Vic Desotelle
Chris Smith asked:
GoToMeeting from Citrix Online provides the easiest to master and most secure online meeting solution available. It is ideal if you want to conduct small-group online meetings or training sessions. An investment in this software will provide fast and great returns if you regularly hold meetings with people that are geographically dispersed.
There is also the innovative “All You Can Meet” flat-fee pricing model that allows both businesses and individuals to do affordable online collaboration. You will find that it is easy to meet, give presentations, share information, present product demonstrations and do online training.
Employees across the globe can be reached instantaneously. No more expensive and time-consuming business training trips halfway across the world. The training center is as close as the nearest PC that has broadband Internet access. Online collaboration with remote team members has never been easier. GoToMeeting provides the ultimate in convenience when collaborating on projects in real time.
Cut down on hour-long sales visits that take more than three hours out of your day because of clogged motorways. Discard bulky documents that you lug along for simple product demonstrations. In the 21st century salespeople use software like GoToMeeting to up their productivity.
The software delivers a very user-friendly way to have online meetings. You can collaborate online for a low flat monthly fee or save by subscribing for a longer period. The monthly fee is far less than the cost of one sales trip. Completely eliminate the expenses normally associated with traveling. The flat fee payment plan maximizes the return on investment by encouraging frequent use of the service.
Significantly increase productivity by improving online collaboration and presentation capability. Boost revenue by the enhanced interaction you have with your customers, partners, consultants and other resources.
The restrictions imposed by the physical location of potential customers are lifted. Get unlimited freedom to demonstrate in real time any software running on the desktop. Setup takes only seconds and no training is required to get going. Extensive help and support is nevertheless easily available.
The interface used by your online meeting attendees is equally simple to use and customers or team members are typically able to gain trouble free access.
GoToMeeting is the most secure online meeting product available. It is the only online meeting and collaboration solution that uses industry-standard Secure Socket Layer and United States government standard 128-bit encryption to ensure that your login info and online meetings are secure.
Meeting participants can feel confident presenting and collaborating on any type of data. Information such as sales forecasts, financial data and contracts will not be viewable to anyone other than invited participants.
GoToMeeting has a free trial for their single-user service that allows for online meetings with up to 10 attendees during the trial period. It is from the Citrix Online stable and is backed by the Citrix reputation for high quality products and service.
Caffeinated Content
GoToMeeting from Citrix Online provides the easiest to master and most secure online meeting solution available. It is ideal if you want to conduct small-group online meetings or training sessions. An investment in this software will provide fast and great returns if you regularly hold meetings with people that are geographically dispersed.
There is also the innovative “All You Can Meet” flat-fee pricing model that allows both businesses and individuals to do affordable online collaboration. You will find that it is easy to meet, give presentations, share information, present product demonstrations and do online training.
Employees across the globe can be reached instantaneously. No more expensive and time-consuming business training trips halfway across the world. The training center is as close as the nearest PC that has broadband Internet access. Online collaboration with remote team members has never been easier. GoToMeeting provides the ultimate in convenience when collaborating on projects in real time.
Cut down on hour-long sales visits that take more than three hours out of your day because of clogged motorways. Discard bulky documents that you lug along for simple product demonstrations. In the 21st century salespeople use software like GoToMeeting to up their productivity.
The software delivers a very user-friendly way to have online meetings. You can collaborate online for a low flat monthly fee or save by subscribing for a longer period. The monthly fee is far less than the cost of one sales trip. Completely eliminate the expenses normally associated with traveling. The flat fee payment plan maximizes the return on investment by encouraging frequent use of the service.
Significantly increase productivity by improving online collaboration and presentation capability. Boost revenue by the enhanced interaction you have with your customers, partners, consultants and other resources.
The restrictions imposed by the physical location of potential customers are lifted. Get unlimited freedom to demonstrate in real time any software running on the desktop. Setup takes only seconds and no training is required to get going. Extensive help and support is nevertheless easily available.
The interface used by your online meeting attendees is equally simple to use and customers or team members are typically able to gain trouble free access.
GoToMeeting is the most secure online meeting product available. It is the only online meeting and collaboration solution that uses industry-standard Secure Socket Layer and United States government standard 128-bit encryption to ensure that your login info and online meetings are secure.
Meeting participants can feel confident presenting and collaborating on any type of data. Information such as sales forecasts, financial data and contracts will not be viewable to anyone other than invited participants.
GoToMeeting has a free trial for their single-user service that allows for online meetings with up to 10 attendees during the trial period. It is from the Citrix Online stable and is backed by the Citrix reputation for high quality products and service.
Caffeinated Content
Be The Change !
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Workshops & Blog Postings
Creative Commons License
DiscoveryFuel.com by DiscoveryFuel.com is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at VicDesotelle.com.
