 |
The giraffe sticks its neck out
to take informed risks...
|
WHY CONTRACT US?
You know how to work with people. You've done it all your life. Yet in times of rapid change and hot competition, you may not be giving people what they need to perform at their best. What value could we add?
|
WHY BOTHER?
Collaborative work takes more time and energy up front. Research says, "It's worth it."
Paul Nutt, from Ohio State U., in an Oct. 1997 article in "Fast Company", showed that when strategic plans were imposed they failed 58% of the time. However, when consensus was built first, strategic plans were implemented 96% of the time.
"Managers assumed that restructuring alone would change people’s mind-sets and behaviour... Only those who worked to change the culture as well improved cycle times, with cycle times improving by up to 7.4 times. Those who relied solely on restructuring had 3.5 times longer cycle times."
Ann Majchrzak, Qianwei Wang (Harvard Business Review Sept 1996)
"The minimum cost of replacing a technical or professional person is his or her direct salary for a year."
---Dr. Lyle M. Spencer, (Calculating the ROI on Competence, 1986)
"Superior teams — those one standard deviation above the mean in production — outperformed average teams by 30 percent. Salary costs for these workers at $13 per hour were $270,400. The actual economic value added was...$9.8 million."
---Dr. Lyle M. Spencer, (The Emotionally Intelligent Workplace, 2002)
|
BENEFITS YOU CAN EXPECT:
We help you unleash the power of your people in order to develop:
~ An organization that performs well in any climate, and continues to learn.
~ Plans that people actually implement.
~ Satisfied customers.
~ Shared agreements that are reached without conflict.
~ Reduced time for your technology upgrades to pay off.
~ The ability to attract and retain talent.
~ Employees that work on the right thing at the right time in the best way.
~ Work environments with reduced stress and absenteeism.
~ The enhanced capacity for personal and organizational change and creativity.
~ Leaders throughout the organization.
~ Effective work relationships that get things done and withstand adversity.
~ Workshops and meetings that people want to attend.
|
WORDS AS INDICATORS:
These humorous quotes can give insights into what happens in organizations...
"I went down the street to the 24-hour grocery. When I got there, the guy was locking the front door. I said, "Hey, the sign says you're open 24 hours." He said, "Yes, but not in a row."
---Steven Wright
"I do not care to belong to a club that accepts people like me as members."
---Groucho Marx
"When I want your opinion, I'll give it to you."
---Samuel Goldwyn
"We're going to move left and right at the same time."
---Jerry Brown, ex-governor
"Our first move will be to decide what our first move will be."
---Wellington Mara
"Hey Yogi I think we're lost." "Ya Phil, but we're making great time!"
---Yogi Berra
"If all you have is a hammer, you try to make everything look like a nail."
---Anonymous
"A committee is a group of people who individually can do nothing, but as a group decide that nothing can be done."
---Anonymous
"For every action, there is an equal and opposite criticism."
---Stephen Wright
"If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything."
---Mark Twain
|
"WAKE UP" SIGNALS:
"These are all the warning signs of a workforce in trouble...demoralized and disillusioned." Linda Duxbury, Chris Higgins (U. of Western Ontario)
* Customers are leaving or becoming more dissatisfied.
* New recruits are choosing to work elsewhere.
* Employees are leaving, under-performing, and in grumpy dispositions.
* Employees are taking more leave time, spending more in medical benefits, and launching more grievances.
* Something needs to happen but the organization is unclear about what to do or how to do it.
* A change has already happened but the people affected are unable to perform well in the new situation.
* People are busier but not achieving the desired outcomes.
* A problem keeps recurring and impeding performance.
* People are less effective when working in teams, alliances and other business relationships than when they work alone.
* People are blaming each other and not taking responsibility for their own behavior.
* People are providing inaccurate data and unhelpful feedback because they fear the repercussions of being honest and frank.
|
FINDING THE "HIGH LEVERAGE"
POINTS TO ACT ON
Change means gains for some and losses for others. Loss causes grief. This does not mean that people are "resistant" or "negative" or "need fixing." Blaming each other won't help. Listening and involving people in meaningful ways will.
To address the current symptoms, you need to know what has happened in the past and what is wanted for the future. This defines the shift you are trying to effect by your intervention.
1. Find out:
~ The change events, or series of events in recent years.
2. Discover the shifts these events have caused in:
~ Identity - how people see themselves and are seen by others.
~ Personal and organizational values.
~ How work gets done.
~ How power is used by the key leaders.
~ Role clarity.
~ What gets measured and rewarded.
3. And find out:
"What is compelling people to act on this situation now?"
|
|
|
|