Services we
offer
Organization
assessment
Do you know what’s really going on in your
organization? Are people telling you what they think you want to hear?
Do you want a sense of how things are really going? We work with
clients to explore the reason for gathering the information, then we
customize an approach to ensure that the data can be used as a
foundation for improved organizational health.
Some examples of our work in this area are listed
below:
- The senior leadership team knew that they had
issues related to culture in their organization but weren’t quite sure
what those issues were. They needed candid feedback and an action plan.
- A CEO wanted to conduct an employee survey but
didn’t want an off-the-shelf product. He wanted to get information
about issues relevant to his business, his leadership team, his
personal track record. He also wanted suggestions from his employees
about what improvements they thought could be made.
- One technology firm purchased another. In
anticipation of potential conflicts, they asked that an assessment be
done to explore the differences in culture and expectations of the
employees of both companies.
Strategic
planning
Clients appreciate the fact that we do not take a
cookie cutter approach to strategic planning or use an off-the-shelf
product. Instead, we help our clients design a process that fits their
specific needs and culture.
Some examples of our work in this area are listed
below:
- A start up company was experiencing exponential
growth. They had the technical expertise but were not completely
prepared for the speed at which they were growing — they needed a plan.
- An organization merged with another of almost
equal size. The two presidents wanted a process by which they could
capitalize on the strengths of each organization, capture synergies and
blend cultures.
- The company had an overall strategic plan, but
the group was struggling with taking it down to the next level and
getting it successfully implemented.
Teambuilding
Establishing a team is easy—making it work
sometimes isn't. Some teams get off to a great start then fizzle, some
can’t get out of the starting gate, some are battlegrounds. There are a
thousand things that can get in the way of a team being successful.
Some examples of our work in this area are listed
below:
- A new director of quality had been hired to
take over an organization in transition. He knew he had a tough group
and wanted to both ease and accelerate his on-boarding process. He
wanted to get issues on the table early and begin building what had to
be a high performing team if he was going to be successful.
- A newly hired CEO of a rapidly growing early
stage company was given a free hand to decide which members of the team
he inherited he wanted to keep and which ones he would replace. He
wanted some objective outside help in making those decisions and
pulling his team together.
- A team had just been named to work on
the company’s highest visibility product introduction. The team leader
had been selected and he said, "ok, now what do I do?"
- A new product development team was falling
apart—meetings were ineffective, communication lines had been down for
some time, deadlines were not going to be met and the team leader had
thrown up his hands.
Organization
development
Key to an organization’s success is the ability to
link the internal people systems with organization strategy. This
includes succession planning, leadership review, performance
management, organization and functional competencies.
Some examples of our work in this area are listed
below:
- The Board Chair was concerned that there was
not a clear succession plan for the CEO and key members of the
organization’s top management. He wanted a comprehensive succession
plan that would address who and what would be needed for the future
leadership of the organization.
- The VP of Operations was tired of buying talent
from the outside. He wanted to build internal bench strength for Plant
Manager positions. His dream was to have a program where he could
recruit from top universities, conduct a comprehensive rotational
program and provide key management training for a new group of high
potential candidates every year.
- The organization’s new strategic plan presented
a significant departure from their prior direction and required some
changes to the way the company was organized.
Meeting
facilitation
This is an area where many groups
struggle—planning and conducting a successful meeting. Often, it is
necessary to allow participants to focus on content and bring in
someone with strong facilitation skills. We help clients build a
meaningful agenda and we facilitate the process for maximum
effectiveness.
Some examples of our work in this area are listed
below:
- A senior leadership team found themselves faced
with a change in their largest market. They knew they needed to refocus
their strategy, do some teambuilding and go offsite to work on these
things. They wanted someone who could facilitate this energetic,
sometimes combative group.
- A Division president wanted to conduct a
two-day off-site meeting with his entire organization to communicate a
major change. He wanted to make sure he got input from all employees
and a clear go-forward plan by the end of the second day.
- A member of the senior leadership team knew
that if he didn't bring in a facilitator, tempers would flare, agendas
would be railroaded through, there wouldn't be balanced participation
and ultimately the meeting would be a waste of time for everyone.
Executive
development
We've provided executive counsel to leaders at all
levels—this is the process of working with the individual to develop
and enhance personal effectiveness. In some cases we coach for specific
issues relating to style and approach, and in other cases we are simply
advisors, sounding boards and an unbiased external counsel.
Some examples of our work in this area are listed
below:
- The Board of Directors was uncertain as to
whether the existing CEO of the organization was the right person for
the job. Before making a decision, time was given for him to develop a
new strategic plan, get individual leadership coaching, and engage his
executive team more fully.
- A CEO asked that a comprehensive executive
assessment be completed for him using information from his board of
directors, executive staff and other key constituents.
- The Director of Marketing for a large division
had identified his successor, a manager on one of his Product Teams.
She was smart, had everything it would take to be successful in the
role, but she was doing some things that would derail her career path
if she didn’t change her behavior. She needed some feedback and some
performance coaching.
- A large organization wanted to design an
internal executive development program for its high potential managers
and directors and needed expertise in program design and delivery.
Counsel
to boards of directors
- A not-for-profit organization had
grown to the point where the old approach to Board governance wasn’t
working. They needed a new structure, a new set of operating procedures,
and some guidance on the most effective way to reach their new goals.
- The Executive Director was having difficulty
communicating with his board of directors. With a combination of
executive coaching and process facilitation with the ED and the Board,
their meetings and communications became much more substantive and
relationships improved.
- A new Board Chair was named. He was committed
to doing the right thing for the organization and the Board but wanted
counsel on how to deal with a very political Executive Committee and a
dysfunctional group of well-meaning Board members.
- The “founding father” of the organization had
reached the point where his skills and interests no longer met the
needs of a growing company. The Board faced an uncomfortable task.
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