Consulting Tips and Tools

Alex, Eric, and Brenna blow glass on cruise ships that sail the Mediterranean and Caribbean.  On behalf of the Corning Museum of Glass, they present 2-hour demonstrations, creating multi-colored containers and sculpture that capture the essence of sea and light in a molten moment.

Their audience is enchanted as lumps of glowing dough transform into luminous containers and figures.  Blowing glass well, the artists tell us, requires a bone-deep familiarity with temperature, gravity, and the nature of the material.  An object must pass through a range of temperatures on its way to final form.  If a handle or the neck of a vase heats or cools more rapidly than the body, stress may shatter the glass.

Each of the three glassblowers is an expert, and they make the magic look easy.  Each has a different style.  Eric develops “large vessels with detailed components” (imagine a flat-sided gold and terra-cotta amphora with arched handles as striking as a cobra’s hiss).  Brenna specializes in playful underwater images reminiscent of Murano (picture an octopus clutching a delicate vase or a zebra-striped fish with big lips that looks like Elvis).  Alex creates a kaleidoscope of vases that re-interpret classic Greek form.

None of them works alone.  During a two-hour demonstration, each will create one object, act as narrator, or assist the lead artist by adding molten glass and turning, shaping, or reheating various parts of the piece.

Today, Alex is inventing a Greek vase based on one he saw at the New Acropolis Museum.  He has sketched a blueprint in chalk on the door of the curing oven. The outline shows a complex piece with bulbous body, flaring neck and handles joined to the main form in three places.  Foot, handles, and lip will be black, contrasting with the characteristic deep red body.  Among the many challenges:  To keep color consistent, the body and neck must be blown together and then cut apart for separate shaping before being rejoined;  the handles must remain symmetric as they are attached firmly to body and neck at six points; and the neck must be flared and turned back to strengthen the lip and reveal contrasting color.  Every step must take place at the proper temperature, with the object spinning at a rate to keep the form true.

Brenna is assisting Alex, anticipating and responding to his thought as fluidly as the liquid glass he shapes.  I am amazed at her intuition and skill; surrendering hand and mind to serve the intent of another requires its own expertise.  Eric narrates each step of the process, watching Alex with bemused delight.  It is as surprising and enjoyable as hearing great jazz musicians play off of each other’s riffs.

As the piece takes shape, I think of my own work as co-facilitator during team planning events.  Much of what we do lies in discovering and voicing the group’s shared purpose to anchor the results the team must produce.  When each individual’s heartfelt commitment is firmly linked to that purpose, the whole becomes more than its parts.  Assigned responsibilities blend in a spontaneous choreography of shifting leadership roles as team members respond to the surprising needs of their project and the moment.  Possibility expands, and that old adage about teams, “Together Each Achieves More” regains its truth.

“So what do you do on your own?” asks a member of the audience. “It takes three of you to do this demonstration, but when you are in your own studios, what do you make by yourself?”

“Three people is a minimum in this work, Eric replies.  “It can take up to ten people working together to create a more complex piece.”

His answer echoes in the silence that follows.

Most of the audience is American, raised to admire Lone Ranger leaders.  Ten people to produce a single piece of glass!  Who will sign the piece?   Who do we hold up as a model?  Who gets the credit and talks to Oprah?

I leave the demonstration with vibrant images of team art etched in memory.  And several lingering questions for the Lone Ranger:  Where would you be without Tonto?  And how much do you limit your power when you depict leadership as a solo act?

Susan

© Aligned for Results, LLC

For more on our team facilitation services, see http://www.aligned4results.com .  For more on the Hot Glass Show at Sea, visit http://www.cmog.org/dynamic.aspx?id=148 .

November finds us in the European and Mediterranean region, guiding a series of multi-agency planning meetings and workshops on how to mentor individuals.

Along the way, we have had the opportunity to visit the sites of several ancient cities and monuments.

Some of these sites contained an area reserved for healing, the Aesclepion.  Here, those who sought healing found sanctuary.   They spent the night in a cave sacred to the God of Healing.  It was said that the God would come to them in a dream, and the dream would offer clues to their healing.

What is the link between Aesclepius, strategic planning, and your power to assist someone else in achieving their potential?

All three require the time, space, and support to dream a new dream, and all three benefit from an external witness (whether healer, facilitator, or mentor).

And all three bless the witness, as well as the participants, with new energy and resolve to make our dreams come true.

Susan and Randy

© Aligned for Results, LLC

Randy and I are back on-line after an intense series of consulting and training projects.  Several of these initiatives replicated previous work, and several involved new sponsors, situations, and solutions.

As we assess the results, I find that the value of creating new models and materials is much different than the value of providing well-tested approaches.  Each has its own risks and rewards.

The potential for learning is high with new services. So is the reward of partnering with sponsors on innovative means to address evolving issues, needs, and priorities.  The risks of new services include the challenge of predicting time and cost requirements for first-time activities, or responding to unanticipated customer reactions and requests.

With well-tested methods and familiar situations, these issues subside.  Yet others arise:  When sponsors request services they have used successfully before, it is important to check whether the method still responds to what is required.  A fresh touch can be needed to ensure you, audience, and partners observe and participate with fresh eyes and ears.

Our customers and their needs do not stand still.  As consultants, each of us must continue to develop new approaches and ways of drawing on and expanding our expertise to meet these needs  For a healthy practice, innovation must be balanced with a stable foundation of reliable methods and services.

How can you achieve this balance with your consulting work?

Susan and Randy

© Aligned for Results, LLC

Consulting is a profession that can lead to exotic places.  We spent April in Japan, conducting several team planning events and learning about a rich and intriguing culture that is much different than ours.

As in all travel, the difference is revealed in the detail.  Case in point:  At lunchtime on a day-off excursion, we saw curtains waving over a small sliding door.  Even though this is the Japanese signal for a restaurant that is open, the place was deserted when we walked in.  Within moments the mom-and-pop Sushi team arrived, and our culinary adventure began.

How is great sushi like great consulting?

1.  II’s custom-made: Our chef listened to us, even though we spoke a different language.  He gave us photos of sushi and invited us to point out what we wanted.  He suggested options.   And when we reached agreement, he set out to satisfy our desires.   Innovation and delight begins with clear outcomes.

2.  It’s fresh: Whether the contents include cucumber, plum sauce, tuna or eel, great sushi combines only the freshest of ingredients.  The result is an extraordinary burst of flavor that satisfies far beyond its size.   How can you create this response as a consultant?  How can you discover and combine ingredients to fulfill the appetite of your customers?

3. Demonstrate the process: Have you ever watched the transition from a freshly caught fish into sushi?  Our chef worked under our noses, using the sharpest knife we had ever seen to assemble rice, nori (seaweed sheets) cucumber, wasabi, plum sauce and fish into sushi.  He was delighted to demonstrate his craft, and to instruct his diners.  In our team planning sessions, we weave instructional elements on team performance, collaboration and results management into the brew.  The result:  Participants leave with a memorable experience and expanded abilities as well as with a product that they can use immediately.

4. Surprise and delight: Our sushi session ended with photos all around.  We took pictures of our hosts and they took pictures of us.  Lunch had somehow become an international learning exchange that yielded much happiness for all involved.

How can your consulting be like great sushi??

Susan and Randy

© Aligned for Results, LLC

Teams, like individuals, gain confidence and velocity when they have a clear sense of purpose, support from sponsors, and a shared framework for action. Achieving this is particularly important (and particularly challenging) during start-up of a cross-boundary team.

In many organizations, cross-boundary teams are convened when a leader identifies desired results that require the inputs, perspectives, and capabilities of staff from a range of units.  (Typical cross-boundary team projects include process improvement initiatives, strategic planning, or  new product development.)  The initiating sponsor may or may not take on direct  leadership of the team’s work.  As the team forms, therefore, it is essential to clarify and translate the sponsor’s mandate into terms that make sense to team members.

The team’s Charter can be a valuable tool for doing this.   Savvy leaders can also use the process of Charter development as a way to orient team members, develop a sense of Team identity, clarify goals, and build the buy-in that is essential to team performance.

What Does an Effective Charter Contain?

The following seven sections group key questions for the team to consider as it defines its purpose, expected results, and method of operations.  Answering these can assist rapid generation of content for the draft Charter.

Purpose and Context or Rationale

Why does the team exist?  Who and what does the team serve in the larger organizational context?  What is the overarching outcome it is expected to produce, and what are the anticipated benefits of its work?  Clarity at this level will help team members understand the team’s mission, and why their contribution is vital.

Scope of Work, Results to Be Produced, and Accountability

Within the framework of the team’s purpose, what are the specific results it must produce?  Stating these results in measurable terms (with owners and due dates) can describe both the scope of team responsibility and standards for its success.  Who is the team’s sponsor, and to whom is the team accountable?

Team Composition, Roles, and Responsibilities

Who’s on the team?  Listing team members, along with their role and responsibilities, both explains expectations and publicly acknowledges contributions.  Be sure to clarify how team members are expected to interact or communicate with members of their “home” unit regarding the team’s work.  And be sure to describe the team leader’s responsibilities for communication between the team and its sponsor(s).

Team Authority, Boundaries, and Resources

What is the Team authorized to do in accomplishing its assigned results?  What are the limits of its authority, what actions require prior approval, and who can provide this approval?  What resources (time, budget, access to staff support and equipment or facilities) are available to support its work?  What resources are available if members face competing priorities and must modify current responsibilities to accomplish expected team results.

Team Operations

How will team decisions be made, documented, tracked and communicated?  Within this section, the team can outline internal communication lines, as well as how it will involve and inform its sponsor and other major stakeholders inside and outside the organization.

When will meetings take place, and what is their anticipated frequency and length? What are the “rules” for sending informed and empowered substitutes if a Team member cannot attend?

How will the team track, monitor, and communicate progress? How will it negotiate change in the Team’s Charter,  member role and responsibilities, or plans should this be needed?

Evaluation of Success

What are the criteria for evaluating the team’s performance? (In addition to achieving anticipated results, criteria could include increase in effective cross-boundary collaboration, higher organizational morale, identification of opportunities for additional organization-wide resource sharing, etc.)

How will individual and team success be acknowledged, celebrated, and/or rewarded?

How will final results of the Team’s work be communicated throughout the organization, and to other stakeholders?

Sunset, and/or Renewal

What is the anticipated date when the Team is expected to complete its work, and will either sunset or be renewed?  How will this decision be made?

Using the Charter to Boost Team Buy-In

Clarifying the Team Charter can establish a shared framework for collaborative action. The process for developing the Charter plays an important role in encouraging buy-in and commitment.  Consider the following two methods:

1.  Team Leader and Sponsor draft key sections of the Charter for Team review & dialog.

2.  Team members discuss the questions and draft their answers for review with the Sponsor.

Which would work best for your team?  Either approach can be effective, because both promote dialog and shared expectations regarding the Team’s mandate.  Because of the number of people involved, Method #2 will likely take more time.  This method may be worth the time it takes, however, if you want to develop clarity among all members regarding the team’s mandate, expected results, and member responsibilities.

Susan and Randy

© Aligned for Results, LLC

As an individual, and in a consulting role, I have noticed the importance of keeping my focus on desired results to travel the most productive and pleasant path to success.  When challenges arise, I want to access the widest range of ideas, perspectives, and resources available to me.

When faced with a meaningful challenge to something we have planned or already invested in, it can be all too easy to slip into extended focus on avoiding what is not wanted.  Depending on the potential consequences of the challenge, deeper concerns or fears may be triggered, with their associated emotions.  This is a relatively unresourceful starting point for thinking and action.

How can you stay resourceful in these situations?   Drawing on Neuro-Linguistic Programming modeling tools, Susan and I have identified one “how-to” strategy.  I outline it below both to share it with you and to stimulate comments on strategies that work best for others.

When a challenge or an unexpected event that could throw us off track must be addressed, or when I notice some degree of tension or lack of creativity when considering how to proceed, I have used the following sequence with success:

(1) Imagine as vividly as possible in minds-eye what is wanted, the Read the rest of this entry »

For many of us, early January is a time of reflection and renewal, accompanied by the resolve to realize more of our potential and dreams in the coming year.  What keeps resolutions alive as we return to desks, drawing boards, and existing commitments?

One answer lies in identifying how you will measure and track progress toward the results you want.  When developing New Year’s resolutions (or any other type of planning targets), many people skip this step.  Why bother?  Here are three convincing reasons to use the magic of measures:

** Measures make you pay attention, on a regular basis, to what you want.

Expressing what you want in specific, positive, and measurable terms with a definite due date focuses attention and action toward desired results.  For example, we have created a set of desired customer results, with associated success measures.  These measures include the total number of organizations and individuals served in 2009, repeat business (the percentage of all purchases or contracts in 2009 that come from customers who purchased during the previous three years), and the percentage of customers offering referrals, testimonials, or sponsorship for new opportunities.  Each of these success measures has a target for 2009 and a baseline established using corresponding 2008 results.  Regular review of these results reminds us of what we want to create this year.

** Measures reveal movement toward or away from target results.

This gives you (or your project team) early warning if a change is needed in the action plan you have established. As you monitor progress, you will learn which of your planned activities “grow corn.”  If planned activities are not contributing as expected, tweak the plan and invest associated resources in more promising pursuits.

** Measures can be motivating.

When you are working on long-term projects, recognizing milestones or increments of progress can be especially helpful.  Don’t wait for a quarterly review to enjoy and communicate evidence of success.  Celebrate each customer referral or new contract, and let your attention to success build the forward momentum.

It’s No Mystery:  How to Choose Measures That Promote Success

1.  Measure what matters to you:  You may wish to establish measurable results for health and well-being, family and relationships, investment and growth, or giving back, as well as for your business success.

2.  Decide what evidence will tell you that you are on track to success.  Make sure that you can collect the data you need easily and at the accuracy and frequency that enables you to monitor progress.

3.  Establish targets for your measures.  The success measure can be as simple as a “yes” or “no” indicating that the result exists, or you can specify an expected level of achievement on a 0 to 10 scale, or the target can be a percentage or number.

4.  Set a baseline or benchmark that describes where you are now.

5.  Establish responsibilities for collecting and recording data, and a calendar for review of results to-date.

Measurement systems are now “Go!” for your success.  Happy New Year!

Randy and Susan

© Aligned for Results, LLC

Interest in SMART job objectives to guide staff performance is growing in both public and private sector organizations.  Over the past two years, Randy and I have provided training to more than 1,500 people who have moved into pay-for-performance systems.  This experience has convinced us that the organization’s Strategic Plan can be critical to the successful development, use, and impact of SMART job objectives in performance management.

Here are three points to consider if you are asked to assist the development of a SMART performance management system:

1.  SMART job objectives can be a great tool for communicating results that individuals are expected to produce, and for making sure that supervisor and staff member share common expectations about how these results are to be measured.  When individual objectives are clearly linked to the team or division mission, and when this mission is directly tied to achievement of the company’s strategic goals, people can see how their contribution enables success for the company.  This can be motivating for individual employees, and can provide a rational basis for rating and rewards.

2.  Clear and well-communicated strategic goals at the company level are the foundation for success with SMART job objectives.  Having these strategic goals enables leaders of divisions or work teams to define operational results expected from their group over a given time period.  Knowing these operational targets enables individual employees to  develop or understand their own job specific objectives.  If employees cannot link their job priorities to team mission and company goals, it’s tough to develop SMART objectives.  Therefore, it can be a good move to define measurable strategic goals and operational targets at the company and team levels BEFORE asking individuals to write their own objectives.  This can be done through facilitated planning meetings with leadership.

3.  The “M” in SMART stands for measurement, and the ability to measure achievement of objectives is key to the success of this performance management method.  If an objective is not measurable, there is no way to gauge progress or verify achievement.  Choosing meaningful performance indicators based on accessible data is essential.  This can require developing or modifying data collection and storage systems within the organization.

So… the first step in establishing an effective performance management system may be to clarify and communicate the company’s strategic goals and/or work unit operational targets for the coming year.  When Randy and I facilitate strategic planning meetings, we often include a component that explains results management in practical terms, so that planning teams can develop SMART targets.  When these SMART targets are in place, training for employees and supervisors on SMART job objectives is much more productive.

You can find more information on our training related to SMART Job Objectives by clicking here.

Susan

© Aligned for Results, LLC

Strategic planning has become an annual ritual for many organizations.  The value of this effort seems obvious:

In a quickly changing global environment, organizations need a systematic check on environmental conditions and trends, customer needs, and their own ability to meet those needs.  Based on assessment of past results, current trends, and future opportunities, leaders can affirm or re-define top-level outcomes and goals, and re-align resources to achieve desired results.   Strategic plans form the framework for operational and business plans that set target objectives for a given period of time, and describe how the organization intends to achieve these objectives.

So what’s wrong with this picture?  In the words of an anonymous military leader:
“Strategy is like rain in the desert:  It evaporates before it hits the ground.”

Despite significant investment of leadership time, staff energy, and organizational resources, a high percent of strategic plans will sit on the shelf after development.  Execution of the plan is the critical issue.

What characterizes plans that work (those that support effective execution and guide on-the-ground action toward strategic outcomes)?  In the process of facilitating a wide variety of strategic planning sessions with government, non-profit and business organizations, we have found that five elements must be present:

(1) Customer Outlook and Alignment

The strategic plan must clearly define and align organizational strategy with customer needs and priorities. As companies evaluate their vision. mission, and goals in light of current realities, the customer’s voice is an reliable guide.  Organizations that tether top-level priorities to what their customers want build relevant plans that are more likely to produce effective action.

(2) Organizational Insight and Alignment

Assessing organizational capability and re-aligning resources to  achieve strategic outcomes is key to success.  A well-structured planning process enables participants to develop internal business and operational plans that support and enable execution of overall strategy.  This process includes specification of SMART objectives as targets for operational plans.  Target objectives that are Specific, Measurable, Aligned, Resourced, and Time-bound are the cornerstone for:

(3) An Effective Feedback System

Without feedback, a complex system can quickly get off track.  Building metrics, tracking tools, and a check-in system into strategic and operational plans enables progress reviews and greater flexibility in identifying and meeting challenges during implementation.  This keeps all contributors focused on how to best achieve operational targets and strategic goals.

(4) People Power

The people who will carry out the plan must be committed to its success.  People Power is the energy that puts plans into action.  Engaging stakeholders from all levels of the organization in plan development can build investment in implementation.  Additional benefits of participatory planning include front-line perspectives on customer priorities, organizational procedures, and resource needs.

(5) Continued Leadership Commitment and Focus

If the organization is to harvest the full pay-off of strategic planning, leaders must maintain their commitment and focus during execution.  When new priorities or requirements surface, it is critical to weigh investments and anticipated reward of on-going Plan initiatives against the benefit of change.   In many instances, new operational priorities can be aligned or coordinated with the efforts already underway.

Want to learn more about how to develop a plan that guides action and gets results?  Go to http://www.aligned4results.com and select “Facilitate Plans and Team Achievement” for information on how we link team development to a systematic, results-based strategic planning and implementation process.

Susan and Randy

© Aligned for Results, LLC

In consulting, as in Chinese calligraphy, “change” can represent both crisis and opportunity.  Imagine this:  After you have worked with your consulting customer to establish a well-constructed outcome and target results for your work, your client’s needs change.   Are you required to change your approach or services to match new needs?

The specter of “scope creep”  haunts many consultants when they find that initially proposed services may no longer be relevant.   Scope creep refers to the addition of new consulting services that were not specified in your original contract.

Of course, when the proposed change is a high priority for your client, and significant extra time will be required, it will be prudent to discuss and agree with your consulting customer on specific changes in your deliverables or cost.

From another perspective, change gives you the opportunity to add value by customizing service to meet the client’s new situation or by including that extra option or parameter into what you are creating for them.

Because each of us exists in business, home, or community settings that continually evolve, you can be certain that your client’s needs will shift.  Agree at the outset of your engagement on how you will communicate and handle changing requirements.  This will prevent scope creep, and give you a framework for periodic check-ins to insure that your services are still on target to deliver high value.

Randy and Susan

© Aligned for Results, LLC