Kubica LaForest Consulting

Archive for November, 2011

The Five Essentials for Business and Personal Advancement: Differentiating Yourself Among the Crowd of Good Performers

Monday, November 28th, 2011

“What do I need to do to get promoted around here? I am constantly being passed over…” We hear this a lot in our work. Sometimes it’s peppered with colorful metaphors; sometimes with unflattering similes; sometimes with a note of sadness and frustration.

It’s then followed by a litany of self-supporting comments usually using such words as: but I work hard – I work harder than anyone else around here; I get my work done on time; the quality of my work is good, no one tells me anything different.

Well, we have just one question: Other than you, who else knows this?

If you want to advance – in business or in your personal life – there are five essential steps you must take:

The obvious–You must perform
You must be accountable for your work and the results, meaning you own and live with the consequences
You must create a positive reputation
You must be visible within your organization
You must become influential with those around you, whether subordinates, peers or senior staff above you.

The price of admission, what gets you in the door, what puts you in the game, is your performance. You must perform well. There are no exceptions. Poor performance does not get rewarded.

And it’s your performance that first gets you recognized and that starts you on the advancement track. Then something happens, you enter a place in the organization where others also perform well. So performance is no longer the differentiator.

What management starts looking for is whether or not you take responsibility for your work and the outcome. That is – do you hold yourself accountable? It’s easy to be accountable when the work goes well and has a positive outcome. How about when it doesn’t? How about when you make a decision and it doesn’t work out as intended? Do you hold yourself accountable for the outcome based on your decision or do you look for others to blame. If you’re one of those people who blame everyone other than you – so as to look good, we have news for you – you don’t look so good.

If you are a good performer, if you are accountable for your results, you are primed to grow in the organization, but only if you work to and enjoy a positive reputation, are visible so the decision makers know you exist, and you learn how to use positive influence so you can achieve more without necessarily having the positional authority to make it happen.

To help you better understand each of the three skills beyond performance and your accountability for it, we’ll be addressing uniquely reputation, visibility and influence as part of this blog series.

For additional information on key issues and topics on Leadership and Professional Development see our blogs, free articles, white papers and videos at: www.kubicalaforestconsulting.com

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Posted in Leadership, Professional Growth & Development | No Comments »

The Language of Business

Friday, November 25th, 2011

You can find a wealth of information about how a business runs and how well it does with it’s employees and customers simply by listening to the words the leaders use.

Words create perception; perception creates a perceived reality; a perceived reality drives behavior. And – behavior has consequences, by either reinforcing or deteriorating relationships. [Tip: One of our current favorite business books explores this principle in great detail - Tribal Leadership, Leveraging Natural Groups to Build a Thriving Organization (2011), by Dave Logan, John King & Halee Fischer-Wright.]

Listen to the words used in your organization. Do you hear phrases such as:

Our CEO is incompetent
This place sucks – we have no chance to do what we want
The customer has no idea what he wants
People around here just aren’t making the grade, no wonder we’re behind our competition
The problem with some of our people is their not ready for prime time
The only person you can trust is yourself – everyone’s out for their own back

Or, do you hear phases like:

Our customers are amazing and remarkably loyal
If it wasn’t for this team there would be no way we could have finished this project
We have so many good people no wonder we are doing so well
Our problem is that we are growing fast, which is a good problem to have
Our CEO actually gave his cell phone number out and we are all welcome to call him if we have a concern
This is such a great place to work, staff love it here and so do our customers

Look at the words used – customer, employee, CEO, description of the employees, how employees are referred to – similar words; very different meaning. And how they are used and how regularly will largely influence your culture – thereby your employees’ experience, customers experience and ultimately, your profitability!

As the leader, CEO, President, business owner, you have a responsibility to set the example, to shape the culture of the organization – and one key way you do this is through your use of language.

And if you happen to think that how you use language is not all that important, you can be sure of one thing – your past employees and your past customers got it. What would they say, you said?

For additional information on key issues and topics on Leadership see our blogs, free articles, white papers and videos at: www.kubicalaforestconsulting.com

If you enjoyed this piece, please consider sharing it!

Posted in Business Growth & Entrepreneurial Strategy, Culture Building: Creating a Talent Gravity Organization, Leadership | No Comments »

Business Growth Strategies Part 2: Executive Responsibilities

Monday, November 21st, 2011

In summary of part one: Talented executives with a talented team of employees are a disruptive force in the marketplace. Executives bring the strategic vision, the employee’s create innovative ways to execute the strategy and implement it.

http://www.kubicalaforestconsulting.com/blog/2011/11/business-growth-strategies-how-it-all-comes-together-part-1/

And as the executive, the part that you are responsible for – is:

Ensuring your executive team provides a clear and concise strategic vision or direction for the company
Ensuring alignment between members of the executive team in developing the strategy and in leading it
Ensuring performance accountability in each executive member (and their ability to build and work with a strong team if they have employees/departments)
Ensuring interpretation (communication) of the strategy and key priorities cascade from the executives through the middle managers to the staff.
Providing strategy implementation guidance and support.
Ensuring the executive team puts in place customer-centric growth and retention strategies using employee feedback and ideas.
Ensuring that you have a succession plan for all critical positions/levels of your business. This is a inter-related element for business growth and talent management.

No business is perfect. Growth is complicated and stressful. But providing strategic leadership and direction by setting and messaging a clear strategy; understanding, making and keeping promises to your customers and your employees, and letting your employees contribute their best is what will grow and distinguish you.

For additional information on our unique model for business growth, see our blogs, free articles, white papers and videos at: www.kubicalaforestconsulting.com

If you enjoyed this piece, please consider sharing it!

Posted in Business Growth & Entrepreneurial Strategy, Leadership, Professional Growth & Development, Talent Management: Selection & Development | No Comments »

Business Growth Strategies: How It All Comes Together Part 1

Thursday, November 17th, 2011

We’ve recently been writing about becoming a Talent Gravity Organization, and what’s required to achieve it. What you can’t do is grow your business without talented people. And the whole purpose of becoming a Talent Gravity Organization is to attract and retain high potential employees that help you grow your business.

So, what keeps talented people interested, productive, and creative that we haven’t yet addressed through an attractive brand, engaging culture, and growth environment? Strategy: A clear and embraced picture (or some prefer to call it a vision or direction) presenting a worthwhile challenge. Employees, too, want to win; they want to be the best; they want bragging rights with their family and friends.

You have a choice as the leader. You can emulate Reed Hastings of Netflix and grasp defeat out of the jaws of victory by coming up with a “customer doesn’t matter all that much” strategy, or you can emulate Jeff Bezos of Amazon who continues to build his business and garner strong customer loyalty through the Amazon Prime program.

Vision counts; arrogance is out. Poor growth strategy or lack of it (including employees not knowing it even if executives do—is reckless and totally avoidable.

Talented executives with a talented team of employees are a disruptive force in the marketplace. Executives bring the strategic vision, the employees fill in the details, create innovative ways to execute the strategy, and then implement. It’s truly a synergistic relationship. In our part two of Business Growth Strategy, we will provide you with the executive responsibilities and tips for building a strong business growth strategy for your company.

For additional information on our unique model for business growth, see our blogs, free articles, white papers, and videos at: www.kubicalaforestconsulting.com

If you enjoyed this piece, please consider sharing it!

Posted in Business Growth & Entrepreneurial Strategy, Leadership, Professional Growth & Development | No Comments »

Management and Supervision: Relationship Counts Most – Part 2

Monday, November 14th, 2011

Knowing that the number one reason people leave their job is because of their boss, on Thursday we presented that the successful manager/managed relationship is bi-directional. (http://www.kubicalaforestconsulting.com/blog/2011/11/management-and-supervision-relationship-counts-most-2/). We provided seven essential tactics to help the boss do their best in building a strong relationship with their employees.

Today, we offer the second half of the formula – for the managed. There are also seven critical actions for the employee in establishing a strong relationship with your boss:

Understand your bosses preferred working style and conform to it or negotiate something that can work for both of you. This may mean you need to reach out and solicit this conversation if it is not offered to you by the boss, as this is a fundamental building block of the positive boss:employee relationship;
Communicate as agreed to with regard to frequency, media and level of detail (this means be accountable to communicate and in your communications);
Be consistent;
Be supportive both in meetings and in conversations with colleagues and underlings/subordinates/juniors;
Work hard to de-personalize feedback. Be open, objective and unemotional – ask for clarification and ideas on how your performance can be improved;
Provide honest feedback to your boss when asked and if not asked for – do your best to create a conversation to share your key ideas and concerns. For example, saying something like, “ boss (insert name)- I’ve got a few important (or sensitive) items I’d really like to discuss with you, can we arrange a time to talk?”;
Demonstrate leadership.

It’s not enough to expect the relationship between you and your boss will evolve naturally. Sure evolution works, but as we see in nature it takes millions of years – time we just don’t have. So a nudge, an intervention, proactive behavior is required. All relationships require work; all good relationships are bi-directional. Our point today is to urge you to do your part.

For additional information on talent management and our unique model for business growth, see our blogs, free articles, white papers and videos at: www.kubicalaforestconsulting.com

If you enjoyed this piece, please consider sharing it!

Posted in Culture Building: Creating a Talent Gravity Organization, Leadership, Management & Management Transitions, Talent Management: Selection & Development | No Comments »

Management and Supervision: Relationship Counts Most – Part 1

Thursday, November 10th, 2011

In our series on the Talent Gravity Organization, we address branding, culture and talent management: bringing the candidate in, showing a strong organizational face, and on-boarding and growing the employee. And if you do a good job at these, you actually may be able to retain your great employees.

Using a football analogy – good teams play the full 60 minutes and know how to score in the red zone (20 yards out from the goal). The quarterback can drive his team down the field brilliantly, but unless he can close it out by scoring, it’s a missed opportunity.

We think about management and supervision as playing in the red zone. It’s at the interface between the manager and the managed that you either engage the employee or the employee leaves. In football parlance you either score or turn the ball over.

Research shows that the number one reason people leave their job is because of their boss. And even in great organizations there are bad bosses. And here’s some help so you are not one of them.

The Principle: A successful manager/managed relationship is bi-directional.

As the supervisor/manager, it is critical for the employee that you:

Explain your management style, your key expectations and how you would like to work with your new employee
Establish a communication protocol: how often, what media, and the level of detail expecte
Be consistent
Be open to their ideas and supportive of their learning(you are responsible to
help your new employee succeed)

Provide ongoing feedback and mini performance appraisals regularly. The best
bosses hold regular meetings with each of their employees and focus on their
development – whereas, the scoreboard of tasks will follow.

Don’t make ridiculous or incongruent statements or behaviors such as: I need
you to work 24/7 on this, I just need 110%

Demonstrate leadership

The manager/managed relationship is a work in progress. And it starts with awareness – the awareness that it’s important and that it’s a two-way relationship that is worth the time it takes to get it right. On Monday we will present the critical elements for the managed (the employee) for building a strong relationship with their boss.

For additional information on talent management and our unique model for business growth, see our blogs, free articles, white papers and videos at: www.kubicalaforestconsulting.com

If you enjoyed this piece, please consider sharing it!

Posted in Culture Building: Creating a Talent Gravity Organization, Leadership, Management & Management Transitions, Talent Management: Selection & Development | No Comments »

Why Talent Management Matters: Food for Growth

Monday, November 7th, 2011

In last Monday’s Blog (http://www.kubicalaforestconsulting.com/blog/2011/10/talent-management-and-the-talent-gravity-organization/), we wrote about the third keystone of a Talent Gravity Organization: Talent Management. And we presented eight components that comprise a strong talent management process.

The best way to look at the eight components is not linear, but as a circle starting with talent selection, with each component building on the previous component. Succession planning is the transition point. The point where one employee transitions out (into a new and bigger role within your organization) and another fills the vacancy. Think about this as an upward spiral for the employee.

Talent Selection: Through a rigorous vetting process (see our White Paper on Talent Recruiting and Integration and our article on Hiring for Fast Growing Companies – links below) the optimal candidate for your organization is selected.

Orientation and On-boarding: It’s important that the candidate gets the basics of employment addressed (signing required forms, benefits sign up and so forth) and also learns the “rules of the road” as they join your organization.

Performance Review System: The operant word is “system”. Employees need feedback, positive and negative so as to understand what they are doing well and what they can be doing better. This is not a once a year event, however. It’s an on-going process throughout the year.

Learning and Growth: Skills need to be developed, updated, and honed. And it can be provided through formal education, seminars, conferences or certification programs.

Incentive, Rewards and Recognition Program: This is a critical and often under-used component of management development. People’s internal motivations trigger differently. Some like accolades; some like rewards, some want something to strive for – a goal. But there is one commonality – no one likes to be taken for granted, or ignored or overlooked.

Management Training and Education: This is training specifically for managers new to management – those rising out of technical, clinical or field roles.

Leadership Development: For the candidate, this includes a developmental assessment of leadership traits and an integrative coaching process to transition and improve the new candidate’s integration into the organization, or to develop leadership style and qualities as a future successor. Leadership development for the entire executive team similarly uses the traits assessment for individual members and the entire group, whereas strengths in performance and potential areas of risk and underperformance are determined, with a collaborative and aligned effort for accelerated performance.

Succession Planning: Growth requires people to fill growth support positions. In this context:

Who replaces the employee that is ready for promotion?
Who fills the new position that is required to introduce a new product or service line?
Who fills your position if you do not show up for work tomorrow – for any reason?

Businesses are “organic organisms”. They live or die based on how they are nourished. And it is your talent that nourishes your organization. So don’t feed it junk or starve it.

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Archive for November, 2011

The Five Essentials for Business and Personal Advancement: Differentiating Yourself Among the Crowd of Good Performers

The Language of Business

Business Growth Strategies Part 2: Executive Responsibilities

Business Growth Strategies: How It All Comes Together Part 1

Management and Supervision: Relationship Counts Most – Part 2

Management and Supervision: Relationship Counts Most – Part 1

Why Talent Management Matters: Food for Growth