Posts Tagged ‘management’

In 100 Words: The Inexperience Tipping Point

Wednesday, February 1st, 2023 by AdvisorCatalyst

Is your staff younger than ever?  Are more than 25% of your staff new in the last 30 months?  Are you seeing an increase in mistakes in service delivery or quality?

If so, you have hit the “inexperience tipping point.”  Your organization isn’t alone.  Many industries have seen greater than 50% of the workforce leave the industry.  Leaders are grappling with the results – a far younger, less experienced workforce.

Leaders can create a reverse tipping point and change the momentum.  How?  Slow down and train new staff.  Reinforce the basic why, what, and how of value delivery for your organization.

“Look at the world around you. It may seem like an immovable, implacable place. It is not, With the slightest push — in just the right place — it can be tipped.”   Malcolm Gladwell

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In 100 Words: The Great Fatigue

Thursday, December 15th, 2022 by AdvisorCatalyst

The challenging last few years are taking their cumulative toll on senior leaders – they are fatigued.  It’s understandable.  The market dynamics have been spectacular.  High market demand coupled with increasing employee turn-over.  Inflation combined with supply chain issues.

I see leaders counteracting these pressures by:

  • Re-prioritizing resources to only their current, best customers and vendors.
  • Resetting delivery timelines.
  • Slowing growth down to train new staff.
  • Guarding personal time for themselves and key leaders – for rejuvenation and whitespace thinking.
  • Increasing intake of inspiring, positive information.
  • Most importantly,… showing others kindness, patience, and understanding.

It’s important leaders remain refreshed and hopeful.

“Return to kindness.  Let it become your most important accomplishment.”  Bob Goff

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In 100 Words: We Can Talk Ourselves into Doom and Gloom

Tuesday, November 1st, 2022 by AdvisorCatalyst

Unfortunately, the human psyche can tend toward the negative.  We struggle to keep equilibrium around the good and positive, our progress and blessings.  Depending on your information inputs, the tendency can be amplified or balanced. 

Here are three simple actions leaders can take with their teams to shift their information inputs:

  • Begin meetings with each person sharing a bright spot from both their professional and personal lives.
  • Write an encouraging note (or email or text message) to several people each week.
  • Take time to celebrate monthly, quarterly, and yearly successes as a team.

I’m sure you have some additional ideas.

“If you see ten troubles coming down the road, you can be sure that nine will run into the ditch before they reach you.”   Calvin Coolidge

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In 100 Words: Sharpen Your Resilience Thinking – The Why

Monday, August 1st, 2022 by AdvisorCatalyst

Leaders have had a two-year crash course on a resilience mindset vs a mindset of maximizing efficiencies.  The global system which allowed for decades of squeezing ever greater profits out of systems, networks and supply chains has unraveled.  The pandemic and Ukraine war are simply two recent accelerators of a decade plus trend away from global inter-connectedness and toward nationalism (e.g., China policies, U.K. Brexit, and U.S. populist movement).

While change was always a norm, greater change will be the new norm so continue building the resilience mindset.  Think flexible systems.  Build sufficient financial and talent resources to weather turbulence.

Resilience is “The capacity of a system to absorb disturbance and still retain its basic function and structure.”  Brian Walker and David Salt in Resilience Thinking

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In 100 Words: The Accountability Weakness

Wednesday, June 15th, 2022 by AdvisorCatalyst

Pat Lencioni calls accountability “the universal challenge” of teams.  In The Advantage he notes global data from their Five Dysfunctions of a Team Assessment show 65% of assessments are “red” for accountability (vs. green or yellow).

Surprising?  Maybe.  Consider how much accountability stings.  Do I want my attitude, behavior, or work to be scrutinized more closely?  Not likely.  Yet calling out others invites others to call me out.

Are you willing to lead by example?  If so, accountability can become a strength.  While there will be times you require help or forgiveness, you will also experience delivering on more commitments.

“Courage is the main quality of leadership, in my opinion, no matter where it is exercised.”  Walt Disney

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In 100 Words: Pausing Along the Path

Wednesday, December 15th, 2021 by AdvisorCatalyst

Now is a perfect time to reflect on what you and your team have accomplished throughout the year. Leaders naturally look ahead to the future – it’s their job. However, a common refrain is “we don’t take enough time to acknowledge and appreciate what has been accomplished or learned.”

Summarizing the annual highlights won’t take much time and pausing typically leads to a sense of both satisfaction and gratitude. Note the significant accomplishments. Be real about unplanned events which factored into the outcome. Consider top lessons learned. Who was involved in the achievement? How do I thank them?

Enjoy the pause!

“Reflect upon your present blessings of which every man has many – not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.” Charles Dickens

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In 100 Words: Certainty is a Mirage

Monday, November 1st, 2021 by AdvisorCatalyst

Leaders should become comfortable making decisions with probability-based thinking. The future is uncertain and the environments in which we operate are fluid.

Some leaders get stuck waiting for more information, a better view. It appears certainty is just ahead… one last question, one final piece of information. But, certainty is a mirage. As soon as you receive the information “certainty” evaporates like the proverbial desert oasis shimmering in front of you.

Two dangers of certainty-thinking:
• Decisions bog down and progress slows
• Absolute-outcome thinking closes off to options for alternatives.

There comes a time decisions must be made and actions taken.

“…logical method and form flatter that longing for certainty and for repose which is in every human mind. But certainty generally is illusion, and repose is not the destiny of man.” Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

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In 100 Words: Double Dips are Hard

Wednesday, September 15th, 2021 by AdvisorCatalyst

Double dip: a second recurrence of some bad event or trial outside our control in short succession to the first – e.g., economic recession, market downturn, disease, or viral pandemic. These situations are hard on people physically and psychologically so people can become discouraged. They recently experienced the excitement of getting through the difficulty, then WHAM, the double dip – they are right back in hard times.

Leaders should acknowledge the difficulty of reverting to tighter restrictions and more limited resources. More importantly, leaders should keep people encouraged – acknowledge their efforts, share in the extra work, and provide hope for the future.

“Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more;” William Shakespeare in King Henry V
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In 100 Words: Benefits of Pruning

Friday, July 30th, 2021 by AdvisorCatalyst

Plants perform better with pruning. Proper pruning:

• Improves health and vigor.
• Maintains good shape and structure.
• Focuses the plant’s resources on its best aspects.

Similarly, proper “pruning” in organizations strengthens the whole. Don’t continue adding new and more without figuring out what should be eliminated and reduced. This is how organizations become over-grown.

Consider what activities and costs are no longer producing the desired value. Use segmentation analysis to determine which products, services or customers are no longer a value-fit. Thin down your list of opportunities and potential investments to those which require the organization’s best, limited resources to flourish.

“There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all.” Peter F. Drucker

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In 100 Words: Capability Multipliers

Tuesday, June 15th, 2021 by AdvisorCatalyst

Five capability multipliers are listed below. Each factor will expand a person’s contribution regardless of the individual’s base level of talent, skill or knowledge.

1. Attitude – positive and pleasant with a desire to openly engage and serve people.

2. Energy – a result of physical and mental conditioning through diet, rest and exercise.

3. Focus – concentrated attention and effort toward the task or situation at hand.

4. Strengths – leverage unique strengths within the particular work.

5. Teachability – willing to absorb and apply both new knowledge and instructive feedback.

Managing these five well amplifies existing capabilities. How do these resonate with you?

“When you can do the common things of life in an uncommon way, you will command the attention of the world.” George Washington Carver

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