15 minutes could save your … strategic plan

W.I.G.We’ve all experienced it, or heard about it.  A team spends weeks or months developing a strategic plan, and nothing happens with it after the glossy document gets printed.  Why does this great new plan just sit on the shelf gathering dust?  Business scholars over the past two decades have been researching why plans fail to be implemented  1. The overarching theme of their conclusions: people resist change.  How do we address this challenge? Through a structured plan for execution.  Your team needs to commit to the plan, yet they are busy with their daily duties (the “whirlwind”) and they don’t take time to focus on the strategic plan.  An effective execution plan starts with committing to a series of 15-minute segments on planning and implementing the strategic plan.

Franklin Covey’s 4 Disciplines of Execution (4DX)2 is one formula to follow. The four disciplines are:

Program Manager of The Ohio State University's Alber Enterprise Center

Program Director of The Ohio State University’s Alber Enterprise Center

1.   Select one or two “wildly important goals” (WIG) that drive your strategic plan and can be measured and tracked.
2.  Identify the activities that lead to achieving the WIG(s), ones that your team can influence.
3.  Create a compelling scoreboard: simple, visible to the team, shows the lead and lag measures, and tells immediately if you are winning.
4.  Establish a weekly cadence of accountability in which each team member commits to working on one or two of the lead activities as well as reports on the efforts toward the WIG.

This 4DX plan is easy to implement by committing to 15-minute segments for each discipline:

  1. 15 minutes to identify and establish your WIG from your strategic plan. If you need two WIGs, spend another 15 minutes on the second one.
  2. 15 minutes per WIG to list all of the leading activities required to meet your WIG.
  3. 15 minutes to determine how you will show (scoreboard) the team’s progress toward leading activities and WIG and where it will be displayed.
  4. 15 minutes per week – the same day/time each week – for the accountability meeting.

We facilitated a strategic plan for one of our clients a year ago. After following up with them to see their progress, they reported that the leadership team implemented a few goals but felt they needed our help to really drive the plan throughout their organization with all employees. They embraced 4DX and are starting to see results.

This works! Try it, and let me know how it works for you.

If you need help in setting up your 4DX plan, the Alber Enterprise Center can show you how. Call 740-725-6325.

Citations:

1:  Govindarajan, V., & Trimble, C. (2010). The other side of innovation: solving the execution challenge. Boston: Harvard Business School Publishing.
Gudmundsson, H., Ericsson, E., Tight, M., Lawler, M., Envall, P., Figueroa, M., et al. (2012). The role of decision support in the implementation of “sustainable transport” plans. European Planning Studies, 20(2), 171-191.
Hahn, W., & Powers, T. (2010). Strategic plan quality, implementation capability, and firm performance. Academy of Strategic Management Journal, 9(1), 63-81.
Kotter, J. (1996). Leading change. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
Larian, L., Day, M., Backhurst, M., Berke, P., Ericksen, N., Crawford, J., et al. (2004). What drives plan implementation? Plans, planning agencies and developers. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 47(4), 555-577.
2:  McChesney, C., Covey, S., & Huling, J. (2012). The 4 disciplines of execution: achieving your wildly important goals. New York: Free Press.

Alber Enterprise Center honors organizations for outstanding leadership

(from left) Anne Johnson, Program Manager, Kathryn Brod, President & CEO of LeadingAge Ohio (award recipient), Myra Wilson, Program Director of Alber Enterprise Center (AEC) presented Brod with the Outstanding Achievement and Excellence Award for Collaboration in Framing the Future of Long-Term Care Services. Brod accepted the award for her leadership and continued efforts in assisting AEC and the LTSS consortium with an in-depth look in implementing solutions for the long-term care industry.

Four Ohio organizations and a Michigan consultant were recently honored for their outstanding impact in leadership by The Ohio State University’s Alber Enterprise Center.

The honorees were:  LeadingAge Ohio of Columbus, National Church Residences of Columbus, Uni-Grip, Inc, of Upper Sandusky, Cowen Truck Line, Inc. of Perrysville, and Performance Innovation, LLC of Novi, MI.

Each organization has partnered with the Alber Enterprise Center (AEC) to examine organizational challenges in their respective industries, streamline processes to enhance work flow, and/or receive executive training customized to suit their company needs.

LeadingAge Ohio, Columbus, received the Outstanding Achievement and Excellence Award for Collaboration in Framing the Future of Long-Term Care Services.  LeadingAge Ohio’s outstanding leadership over the course of the past year helped AEC make significant in-roads in identifying organizational challenges in long term services and support.  President & CEO of LeadingAge Ohio, Columbus, Kathryn Brod accepted the award.  Kathryn actively participated in AEC’s Long-Term Services & Supports (LTSS) Consortium and subsequently brought the activities of the consortium under the wing of the HR committee of the LeadingAge Ohio Board of Directors.  These continued efforts will assist AEC and the consortium to take an in-depth look in developing solutions that will make an impact for years to come.  In addition, Brod is a champion in maintaining the partnership between both organizations in moving forward and making an impact on front-line supervisors through their Leadership Challenge® workshops.

National Church Residences, Columbus, received Outstanding Achievement and Excellence Award for Collaboration in Framing the Future of Long-Term Care Services.  National Church Residences’ participation in AEC’s LTSS consortium and their efforts in implementing solutions to revitalize the long-term services and supports for elder care will impact this industry over the course of time.  Moreover, some of the staff’s involvement in AEC’s The BRIDGE facilitator training refined their facilitation process.

Uni-Grip, Inc., Upper Sandusky, received the Investment in Quality Management Systems award.  Uni-Grip’s financial investment in their quality systems and action steps to track measurements of key performance indicators led to their growth.  Within eight months of intense focus on change, a few of Uni-Grip’s impacts were:  reduction in weekly scrap, increase in yearly sales, reduction of past due orders and improvements in staff’s knowledge and awareness in all of these areas.

Cowen Truck Line, Inc., Perrysville, received Outstanding Achievement and Excellence Award for Positive Impact on Business from The BRIDGE: Issue Management Process.  Cowen’s successful utilization of AEC’s BRIDGE Process created the foundation that resulted in crafting a plan to take their organization into the next 40 years to serve their customers. A few areas that have been impacted include: hired new drivers, increased sales in 2015, and enhanced communication with drivers.

Performance Innovation, LLC, Novi, MI received the Outstanding Educational Partner Award for Excellence in Service to the Voice of the Customer.  The outstanding leadership and customer service Performance Innovation, LLC displayed over time helped AEC make an impact with their clientele.  President of Performance Innovation, LLC, Norma Simons accepted the award.  As one of AEC’s most valued educational partners, Simons exhibits great comprehension of Lean Six Sigma and skillfully communicates its complexity in a manner that is clearly understood by her class participants. In addition, Simons’ responsiveness to clients’ needs and flexibility in how her services are delivered whether it is online, face-to-face or a blended approach has shown proven results.

AEC’s Client Advisory Council half-day meeting concluded with the Awards Luncheon. The meeting objectives for council members were to provide feedback on AEC’s past services, input on how the Center can support the business priorities of clients, offer suggestions about new services AEC could provide and ideas for strategic direction.

The Alber Enterprise Center applies the resources of The Ohio State University, OSU Extension, along with a team of organization development consultants to enable Ohio businesses to positively impact economic growth.  For more information, call 740-725-6325 or visit alber.osu.edu.

7 Ways to Align Strategies Within your Organization

vision_and_alignment-325090-editedDo you run your company, or business unit, like items on a checklist?

This could mean that the organization is not aligned and that you are generating waste.

“Great Performance is 1% Vision 99% Alignment” Jim Collins, author of Good to Great

Every organization or institution, for profit or non-profit, is required to achieve results.  The method of getting those results can be structured, or unstructured.

In most cases organizations may have a vision, yet manage by using a strong silo structure.  Every department has its goals and do the best to achieve the stated objective but activities may conflict with the work of other departments.

There is a certain level of waste as groups within organizations work against each other.

Norma Simons, President of Performance Innovation LLC and AEC Solution Partner

Norma Simons, President of Performance Innovation LLC and AEC Solution Partner

Can you achieve results?  Most definitely!!  Most companies and institutions achieve success for years with this model.

However, the problem becomes difficult when changes have to be made over a short period of time.  Such changes may include:

  • Radical changes in the economy
  • Mergers and acquisitions
  • Quick changes in existing customer requirements
  • New markets with new demands
  • The company hires new employees
  • Radical changes in the use of technology, etc.

Question: So how can you ensure that you change and still achieve organizational alignment?

Answer: Develop a Structured Business Operating System.

How can this be achieved?

  1. Vision Mission Values–Begin with a clear understanding of the vision, mission and values.  If they do not exist, then the management team should spend time to document them in a way that is clear and concise.
  2. Strategic Objectives–Document the strategic objectives of the organization as a whole.  Once this is done then this should be in a strategy map (a one page document summarizing the strategic objectives) so that it can be clearly communicated throughout the organization.
  3. Performance Measures (KPIs)– Based on the vision and strategic objectives top management should identify the top 10 key performance indicators (KPIs) that should be used to track performance.
  4. Standard Documentation–Each measurement should be placed on a run chart that shows performance over time.  A Pareto chart can be used to document the top areas that impact performance.  Problem solving teams should then identify the root cause of the performance and solutions that need to be in place for improvement.
  5. Deployment–The key performance measures identified by top management must be deployed in all areas of the organization.  This allows all employees to keep track of activities in each area and to be a part of problem solving activities.
  6. Review–The entire organization needs to have a systematic review process that focuses on key performance measures created in each area.  During the review process, teams evaluate the performance metric and the results of problem solving activity.
  7. Visual Management–The visual management system contains information on the key performance drivers in each area, and results of problem solving activity.  The system serves to communicate the progress of the company as it relates to key areas.

Every organization performs all these and more – so this is not new.  However it is the use of a structured process that will ensure that the organization can achieved expected results in a short time as well as promoting employee engagement.

At a recent luncheon for The Ohio State University Alber Enterprise Center (AEC), I was asked to deliver the following presentation.  Flip through the SlideShare “Aligning Strategies with Operations” to get a few ideas on how to achieve alignment.  

For more information about aligning your processes, contact us at 740-725-6325. 

Norma Simons is Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, president of Performance Innovation LLC, and an AEC Solution Partner.  Norma heads a team of qualified professionals in the areas of Lean and Six Sigma. Her success is attributed to her unique integration of performance improvement systems such as Lean, Six Sigma, Design for Six Sigma, quality management systems, business operating systems, and balanced scorecards that have enabled the effective execution of organizational strategy and, ultimately, bottom-line results.

The desire to become an exemplary leader

caregiver-qualifications

Leadership is everywhere.  Whether it’s a president leading a country, a coach leading players to a national championship, parents leading a family or a doctor leading a patient through a journey of an illness, we all lead at some point in our lives and at other times…we follow.  The question is, “What type of leader do you want to be?”  There are many models to choose from – transactional, transformational, classic leadership theory and ethical and critical leadership (to name a few)! However, my recommendations are two specific models that reflect the “best practices” in the way one chooses to lead.  One model is outlined in the The Leadership Challenge by James Kouzes and Barry Posner (1995) and the other is Robert K. Greenleaf’s servant leadership model.

Anne Johnson, Program Manager for Alber Enterprise Center

Anne Johnson, MS, Program Manager for Alber Enterprise Center

The Leadership Challenge is a clear, evidence-based path to achieving the extraordinary—for individuals, teams, organizations, and communities.  It turns the abstract concept of leadership into easy-to-grasp practices and behaviors that can be taught and learned by anyone willing to step up and accept the challenge to lead.

Kouzes and Posner’s model reflects the beliefs and teachings of Greenleaf’s servant leadership model. The basis for any model is the desire to lead, which needs to be rooted in a strong desire to serve.

According to the Greenleaf Institute on Servant Leadership, “servant leadership is a philosophy and set of practices that enriches the lives of individuals, builds better organizations and ultimately creates a more just and caring world.”  In Greenleaf’s The Servant as Leader essay, published in 1970, “The servant-leader is servant first…It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first.  Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. That person is sharply different from one who is leader first, perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual power drive or to acquire material possessions…The leader-first and the servant-first are two extreme types. Between them there are shadings and blends that are part of the infinite variety of human nature.”

Kouzes and Posner give similar, but more contemporary ways to become an exemplary leader by outlining the five practices of exemplary leadership, which are:

In today’s world, there is a great need for ethical and compassionate leaders.  This type of leadership calls each of us to a higher purpose, moving beyond “me” or “us” and into the realm of serving for the greater good.  There are many ways one can serve others as a leader.  We can each model the way for those we are leading or mentoring.  We can inspire a shared vision by communicating in a collaborative and meaningful way how we, as a team, are going to achieve our goals.

Creating an environment where everyone checks their titles at the door, where open, honest dialogue can take place among leaders and followers without fear of retribution or retaliation, is a way to challenge the process.  Providing staff with the tools and resources needed to be successful enables them to act, perform, and do their jobs to the best of their abilities and beyond.  In addition, who among us doesn’t want someone to encourage us, lift us up, and help us to be the best version of ourselves?  Most individuals long for that, both personally and professionally. Leaders have the ability to make that impact in someone’s life and to serve them in a way that makes a difference.

Lao-tzu, philosopher and poet of ancient China, said it best:

“To lead people, walk beside them… As for the best leaders, the people do not notice their existence. The next best, the people honor and praise. The next, the people fear; and the next, the people hate… When the best leader’s work is done the people say, ‘We did it ourselves!’”

For more information about our Leadership development training/services or the Leadership Challenge, contact us at 740-725-6325.

Anne Johnson is a Program Manager for the Alber Enterprise Center, which is part of Ohio State University Extension and Ohio State at Marion campus, serving businesses throughout Ohio.  Her focus is on the long term support services and healthcare sectors.  In addition, Anne is a trained facilitator for The Leadership Challenge® (Kouzes and Posner).