Performance?
How do we give new life to performance improvement?
Leaders improve results by learning better skills for organizing, planning, staffing, directing, delegating, collaborating, coaching, appraising and providing feedback for growth. In my 40 years, spread between the Army, General Electric Company, American Salesmasters, and my own consulting firm, I have provided both personal development and organization development services. However, I recommend looking at organization improvements first so that only the required personal skills are developed and directly applied to achieving the improved organizational capability.
The challenge:
- Change remains a stressful process until people are ready to trust one another and fully share/exchange their ideas.
- Innovation remains a nebulous concept or a futile process until people are committed to respecting each others’ ideas.
- Productivity has always depended on individuals working toward specific goals; now it also requires innovative teams responding to change by achieving maximum Synergy during their idea exchange, Letting Ideas Compete—Not People, creating new “Third Ideas,” and co-authoring decisions.
So, what are the basic steps in “organization development?”
- Double check organizational structure against the mission
- Assess managerial skills against roles and responsibilities
- Compare team functions to current tactical planning and communication skills
- Determine the appropriateness of current practices in the areas of:
- Setting standards for measuring regular production/sales/service work,
- Writing goals and priorities for “fixing” irregular results,
- Conducting opportunity analysis to chart creative work and collaboration targets,
- Planning, delegation, leading, appraising and rewarding practices,
- Assessing the culture and skills by which people address inevitable conflict and reach, or don’t reach, creative new solutions.
Sadly Overlooked: In our rush to find new solutions to performance improvement, we over look an “old one” with huge potential—delegation skills! With flatter rganizations and vastly expanded “span of control” for all supervisors and managers, chaos can be rampant. To learn and implement precise delegation, assigning responsibility, progress coaching, appraising and accountability can bring improved efficiency to costly human effort.
I help my clients create an Organizational Culture where people say…
- We do enough strategic thinking so I know what to think and dream about
- We do enough tactical planning so I know what needs to be done this month
- Our organizational structure enables me to know my role and responsibilities
- We practice communication/dialogue skills that respects people and invites their participation and ideas
- Our competing ideas collide skillfully and the collision gives birth to new and better “3rd Ideas.”
- Our “3rd Ideas” are not compromises reached by giving in or giving up something valuable, they are better than our original ideas.
- Our self esteem and trust increases because we understand how to benefit from the positive potential of conflict
- Our organization thrives on the new and better ideas that help us be more successful in our rapidly changing world
I want to talk with you about how I can help you accelerate your progress.
