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Saturday, October 6, 2012

Strategy "guardrails" - Best practices learned the hard way

Because I make my living as a strategy consultant, I have many opportunities to "talk shop" with others who do strategy. I find it both a great way to learn about some of the interesting things happening in the industry as well as an excellent opportunity to meet new colleagues.

Not long ago one of my colleagues was looking for best practices in strategy management/strategic planning. I realized it was something that might be useful to many of you, so I'm using my response as a blog entry. Here is my response:

In my practice I have found success as I observe the following as “guardrails”. I have two assumptions in my answer:

     1)  There are two parts to strategy, the development phase and the implementation
          (which includes management) phase.

     2)  Between the two phases there is an implementation dip - a term from Kotter,
          among others. (This is a great topic for another blog post).

These are the “guardrails” as I facilitate strategy development in an organization. I consider these to be "Best Practices". They're important because they were all learned (or in some cases reinforced)  the hard way.

• Strategy development is best done through facilitation. I am fortunate to work with a team who are all experienced facilitators, knowledgeable about group dynamics, adept at managing them  and familiar with stages of team development.

• The development phase sets the stage for implementation and management. In this stage it is critical to keep the strategic communicators informed (vs. involved) so that they can begin identifying stakeholders and crafting key messages. It is important that facilitators work hand in glove with strategic communicators during this phase, back briefing them regularly.

• Development is best done by those closest to the work (usually mid-management) and validated through input from the senior leadership. There is a “science” to choosing the development team, and wisdom in selecting participants in this can go a long way toward winning over Late Adopters (See Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovation) in the Implementation Phase.

• The implementation phase must include (at a minimum) both a strategic communications plan and a change management plan based on the completed strategy.

• The Strategic Management Meeting (SMM) is vital to the implementation phase of the strategy. Strategic Management Meetings need to take place at a minimum of quarterly and progress against the strategy is the sole focus of this meeting. I use a dashboard (an Excel based visibility tool) to assist clients in setting the strategic agenda for this meeting. The agenda is composed of no more than 4 items (1) under-performing elements of the strategy and (2) initiatives related to the strategy. Initiatives are usually processes (internal) identified during the development phase that do not currently exist.

• Performance Metrics for the strategy are key to objective, fact based decision making for senior leaders. These are what is displayed on the strategy dashboard, a key tool for senior leadership to manage the strategy.

I’ll make the same offer to you that I made to my colleague: I am free (I’ll even buy coffee if you're in the vicinity of the nation's capital!) to talk with you at length if you’d like more information about this development framework, performance metrics or guiding senior leaders as they select the development team and manage the strategy. The value for you is that strategy developed in this way provides a virtual “map” of your organization's white space. The value for me is I get to "talk shop", which for a certified strategy geek like me is all the incentive I need.

Monday, September 24, 2012

Resources for Working with Boards

Consulting on strategy is not a “one size fits all” event. It is not even “one size fits most”. Each organization is different, with unique sets of customers, stakeholders, issues and players. That said, there are three different levels in an organization I have helped with strategy. They are:
(1)  Senior leadership. In some organizations they are called the “C-Suite”. Elsewhere I have seen them called “The Board”. Regardless of nomenclature, they are responsible for the strategic level of the organization.
(2)  “Middle management”. This also has different names in different organizations. They may be called managers or directors. They are responsible for the day-to-day execution of initiatives – the operational level of the organization.
(3)  “Front line workers”. They are responsible for the tactical activities of the organization.

This is an annotated list of books that have been valuable resources as I work with boards of NGOs and ministries. It is a group that is considered “Senior Leadership” in the above list. I include my recommendation of where each book would be most helpful.

Boardroom Confidence by Bobb Biehl and Ted Engstrom (available at his web site bobbbiehl.com)
I have used Bobb Biehl's Boardroom Confidence - worn out several copies actually – since I first read it nearly 25 years ago. It is in its 8th printing and full of adaptable examples. It is familiar to me and reinforces key principles that I emphasize.
Use it when... you want to train the board.

Nonprofit Board Answer Book by Robert Andringa and Ted W. Engstrom.
Andringa has done a lot of VERY good work in this area. He wrote an article in “Christian Management Review” several years ago and I adapted it for use in consulting with churches and NGOs. That made me search out other things he authored and this book is exceptional. It is “FAQs” on all aspects of a board. I found it useful in thinking through the roles and responsibilities in a conflicted board. The questions helped me clarify the issues.
Use it when… you want to diagnose issues a board is wrestling with regularly.

Boards That Make a Difference: A New Design for Leadership in Nonprofit and Public Organizations by John Carver.
This is a Jossey-Bass publication and has a little more “academic” flavor but definitely a worthwhile read. If you have a large organization with a mature board model, this is the one I would recommend.
Use it when… you want to move the board to the next level.

Governance as Leadership: Reframing the Work of Nonprofit Boards by Richard P. Chalt, William P. Ryan and Barbara E. Taylor.
Use it when… your board is prone to micromanagement.

Called to Serve: Creating and Nurturing the Effective Volunteer Board by Max DePree.
I have to admit to a Max DePree bias. I was hooked after reading his first book, Leadership Is an Art.
Use it when… your board is all-volunteer.

If you cannot find the Andringa article email me (pastordude49@hotmail.com) and I will send you a copy of the "Board Best Practices Checklist" I adapted from the Andringa article. It is a great place to start the discussion. Every time I consult with a board, I am grateful for the practicality of his work.

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Metrics for something squishy

Measuring things is inherently a "squishy" task. If you've ever done a woodworking or craft project you know this. Do you allow for the thickness of the pencil line? Where do you actually cut - the left side of the line, the right side of the line or right in the center? Nowhere is this "squishiness" more apparent than when it comes to metrics for churches. I have even been accused of "trying to measure God". That's kind of fruitless according Romans 11:33 but I decide it is best not to argue with these people. It is the same as teaching a pig to sing, as they say.

The maxim I use when it comes to church metrics is “Not everything that can be counted counts”. Meaningful metrics for a church depend on what you believe the mission of the church to be. That said, there are some “rule of thumb” metrics that are helpful in assessing church health. “Metric” as I use it here is a term of art, being composed of a measure (what are we counting?) and a target (What are we saying is good?). The metrics following are adapted from metrics proposed by Reggie McNeal in Leadership Journal, Winter 1999. I consider them to be very good general metrics. By general, I mean these are not connected to a specific strategy.

Measure: % of pre-Christians in worship services.
Target: 15% of attendees

Measure:  % of pre-Christians at outreach events.
Target: 15% of attendees

Measure: % of annual outreach events.
Target: 8

Measure: % of church members trained in sharing their faith.
Target: 25%

Measure: # of first-time guests in worship.
Target: 20%

Measure: % of small groups.
Target: 1 for every 12-15 adults in worship attendance

Measure: % of regular worship attenders who are a part of a small group.
Target: 60-70%

Measure: % of small groups formed within the last two years.
Target: 20% minimum

Measure: % of leaders who are newcomers in the past 2 years.
Target: 20%

Measure: % of intentional vision-casting efforts per year—through sermons, newsletters, classes, etc.
Target: 20%

Measure: % of hours each week pastors and staff members are engaged in intentional development of the leadership team—through classes, staff and committee  meetings, lunch with program heads, etc.
Target: 20% minimum

Measure: % of church members engaged in specific ministry efforts either in the church or community.
Target: 50%

Measure: % of church members who have identified their spiritual gifts and ministry passions.
Target: 60%

I do metrics and develop strategy for a living for a large consulting firm. Four times a year I facilitate development of a strategy for ministries and churches at cost. When I work with a church or ministry, we measure each element of the strategy to gauge progress. If you are looking for metrics developed specifically for your church or ministry, I can be contacted at the email associated with my LinkedIn profile.

If you would like to teach your leaders about healthy numbers for your church, contact me for a free resource, “Visitors by the Numbers”. This has additional metrics you might consider to assess the health of your church - and not all of them are "squishy".

Monday, September 10, 2012

A strategy for work-life balance

Having spent the last month "tethered" to my email because of this project or that deadline, I needed this reminder from Matt Heinz about the importance of work-life balance. These are simple, easy to implement and they work - the best elements of a strategy that works.

Monday, September 3, 2012

When Your Strategy Isn't Working

When I help organizations develop a strategy they often are discouraged in the implementation phase. Their complaint is along the lines of “Everything seems the same as it did before the strategy.” That is when I tell them what I learned from my grandfather a long time ago: It will take you as long to walk out of the woods as it did to walk in.

Let me explain. It wasn’t knowledge he came by easily. A life long woodsman, he managed to get lost in the Adirondack Mountains in an area he thought he knew. The state police looked for him all night, until he finally walked to a logging road and out of the woods to safety the following day. Later, he shared this hard earned wisdom with me while we sat together at the kitchen table.

I was all of ten years old so I asked him “Were you scared in the night?” That’s when he shared the best part of the story. It is the corollary to the being lost part: You will hear the cars on the road before you actually get there.

Whatever challenges you are facing right now are probably the long term impact of strategies that are almost right. And if you decided to make a change, stick with your new strategy. The strategy you changed from may have been perfect for a season, but the dynamics of a changing culture have made them less than the perfect solution. The process of planning is dynamic and it is never “complete”. It should be revised to accommodate the continuing differences between the plan and actual results. The vision (finding the way through the woods) will remain the same but the adventure has different stages.

Don’t be discouraged. Long before you can actually see the end of the “woods” you’ll hear and see signs that you’re going the right direction.

Friday, August 31, 2012

A Job Search Strategy that Works

A Simple 12 Step Job Search Process

A friend asked me to help him with a job search strategy. It is simple, easy to execute and…. (wait for it) it works. Within 60 days of implementing this strategy, my friend was fully employed. He passed it to another friend who had similar results. It has been so helpful that I tailored it a bit to share here.

  1. Search. Search the regular job listing sites – the ones that everybody uses. Then find the ones that are specific to the field you are searching in and include them every time you search. Start your day this way. Keep the list simple and systematic. Be intentional about the search. Helter-skelter and willy-nilly are never good strategies. 
  2. Connect with recruiters whenever possible. They are ALWAYS looking for quality people and recruiters talk to each other. Just because they “aren’t looking in my field” doesn’t mean they are limited to those fields.
  1. Measure. Set a simple goal of the number of conversations/contacts you will make every day in which you communicate “This is who I am and this is what I can do for you.” I made it a goal to have two of these every day, so my “target” was 10/week. Find the target that works for you, and try a stretch goal as well. 
  2. Document. Keep a list of ALL of your contacts throughout the week. I initially used my Outlook calendar reminder, then moved to Excel so I could track and make notes on conversations, including when I would follow up.This will be your “Call list” as you market your availability. The headings on my Excel columns looked like this:       
            DATE SUBMITTED
           
    POSITION
           
    REQUIREMENTS (This might include degrees, certifications,
            clearances, 
    physical requirements or percent of travel required)       
            HIRING MANAGER
           
    RECRUITER       
            LOCATION
           
    PLAN FOR FOLLOW UP.  This should include dates – a hand written
            thank you within a day of the conversation and then a date for a
            follow up phone call at a minimum.
  1. Volunteer for activities related to the work you want to do. Sometimes it will give you opportunity to “write yourself in” to upcoming work. It will also give you more networking contacts. 
  2. Network. If you are still employed but eyeing a transition, network internally at your present company. There may be an opening you don’t know about within your present company. A word of caution – if you are still employed, keep your outside search to yourself at this point. I organized happy hours for others in my network and used it as an opportunity to expand my contacts. I also had coffee (each of these counted toward my target number of contacts per week) with a number of people in my network.
  1. Socialize. Utilize social media. Use things like LinkedIn and (yes) even Facebook. Use social media to let people know you are available. If you blog, use the time to write posts to “brand” your expertise. Keep your LinkedIn profile up to date.

  1. Follow up
    . If you can identify their contact information, call the recruiter and the hiring manager for any positions you have responded to. Follow up your networking with a Thank you for the time e-mail. One of my friends gave me a useful template for following up with a “prospecting” e-mail:
Stefan,

How are things going since we talked last? Hope you are continuing to make progress at (Stefan’s current position).

I want to let you know that I am looking for my next assignment. I just completed a successful engagement defining a performance measurement framework for the (most recent client or position) – this is the work I told you about when we met to catch up. It was fascinating work, and I was looking forward to continuing to help them build out their framework. However, they unexpectedly concluded that they were unable to find the funding. So I am available now for an assignment preferably in the area of performance management, strategic planning, transformation or change management.

My latest resume is attached for your reference or forwarding. If you learn of anything that might be a fit, I would appreciate it if you would keep me in mind.

Please pass my greetings to the rest of the team there that know me. I will be sending my “news” to several of them, as well.

Best regards,
(Signed)

  1. Retool. Retool your resume to highlight key words related to the positions you are seeking. I checked mine (printed it out and re-read it) every week, looking for areas I could make stronger. Make sure your LinkedIn profile is also up to date. 
  2. Join. Sign up for professional networking to keep up with opportunities. These will increase your networking contacts
  1. Register. Register and attend (virtually) any webinars or sessions that will enhance your search.
  1. Communicate. Enlist the help of friends and keep them updated. E-mail them regularly.

Saturday, August 18, 2012

A Dog's Dinner

I grew up in the days before PetSmart. Pets were not as pampered or catered to as they are today. Unless you had a purebred dog that competed for ribbons and championships, it just wasn’t high on the list to feed a dog anything other than “table scraps”. The reasoning at the time was that if it was good enough for humans it was good enough for the dog.

“Scraps” was an elastic term. It is difficult for me to like asparagus to this day because the dogs we had all liked asparagus more than I did. This wasn’t hard because asparagus was “good for you” and like most stuff that is “good for you” it didn’t have enough flavor to be really enjoyable. Every dog I remember as a pet was more than happy to help me get rid of the asparagus, a happy symbiotic relationship. I’m not sure it even hit their taste buds because it disappeared so fast. You could lose a digit or two feeding table scraps to some of the dogs that were pets over the years of my growing up.

Asparagus wasn’t the only thing in the diet of our pet dogs. Other family members saved choice pieces of meat or portions of their favorite meal like the mashed potatoes, which was a favorite with the entire family, including the dog. Who knew mac and cheese is a comfort food to both humans and dogs?!  Burgers, hot dogs, cold cuts and all manner of breakfast foods disappeared into these canine garbage disposals.

There were times when we were “in between” dogs. That was not a problem. There were always neighborhood dogs - not only was this before PetSmart, it was also before leash laws. There was always a dog willing to help. Who needed garbage disposals when Spot or Chief or Sparky would be along making their rounds of the neighborhood. Just put it in the dish out back and it would disappear in short order.

This brings me to Blacky. Blacky was a stray of uncertain parentage that found my grandfather and for reasons I still cannot fathom, they bonded. He (Blacky, not my grandfather) was a few pounds short of lean and stringy when he found my grandfather, a condition which soon changed. Whatever his lineage, Blacky almost certainly had “chowhound” in the mix. Blacky loved food. Table scraps were plentiful. Canned dog food was also part of the diet. Blacky had a skill that he plied throughout the neighborhood – he could beg. And his way of begging made him a neighborhood favorite. Blacky began to waddle but he wouldn’t change his ways.

Many people approach life like Blacky approached dinner, accepting things that were nutritious for other people. Their lives are bloated and they “waddle” through life, carrying weight they don’t need to – if only they had their own life plan.

It is ALWAYS easier to take leftovers and call it a life plan or a winning strategy. Some of what they call strategy is rich – hand-picked originally for someone else. A good strategy or life plan is never a “dog’s dinner”. Like the special food from PetSmart it is tailored to the breed and the age and takes several factors into consideration.

Now I’m curious. Have you seen people living out any “dog’s dinner” kind of strategies or life plans?  What was the result of this approach? Remember, Blacky went from agile to waddling just by not controlling his habits. It’s a matter of asking the right questions and making the right strategic choices.

Do you have a life plan or strategy that is tailored for your unique “breed”?