Posts

, ,

STRATEGIC FOCUS AND PLANNING

For our businesses to continue to thrive, we must constantly evolve and adapt to changing needs of the market and our clients. Transformation only happens when we focus on it, and at the beginning of every quarter, it is time to take stock of our areas of focus and determine if we need to change or pivot our direction. Be strategic. Consider the impact of technology, talent, and operational changes to help you continue to grow and remain competitive.

Q1 REVIEW

Strategic focus sustains and builds on an organization’s high performance and effectiveness. Set aside time to conduct a Q1 review:

Step 1: List your three biggest wins and accomplishments from Q1.
Step 2: How far did you get on your Q1 goals?
Step 3: In Q1, list what worked and what didn’t that you can learn from.
Step 4: Define what you will keep doing, improve upon, stop doing and start doing due to this review.
Step 4: List your goals for Q2 and who will be accountable for the results by when.

STRATEGIC FOCUS TIMING

Remember it takes time to define your focus, implement and execute the action.

    • 20% planning
    • 40% implementation and change installation effort
    • 40% sustaining high-performance effort on the direction and plan over the long term

NO STRATEGIC PLAN?

If you don’t have a strategic plan, it is time to work on one. There are three core phases to follow:

Phase One – Assess and Organize

    • Environmental scan and organization assessment

Phase two – Strategic Design and Plan

    • Define company positioning
    • Articulate customer focus
    • Clarify competitive strategies and critical success factors

Phase three – Operational Design

    • Plan priorities
    • Strategic budgets
    • Performance management systems
    • HR management strategies

COMPONENTS OF A WRITTEN STRATEGIC PLAN

There are core components of a strategic plan. The points below can be used as a checklist for you in the design of your plan:

    • Introduction – opening defining your ‘why.’ Include your company vision, mission and values
    • Current State Assessment (SWOT: Strengths – to build on, Weaknesses – to eliminate, opportunities and threats))
    • Environmental Scan
    • Marketplace (segments and characteristics) Analysis: key customers, main products and services, the value of segment, market share percentage, industry competitors, the life cycle of product or service
    • Organizational Goals
    • Key Success Factors (KSF) and Action Plan (Areas of concentration, actions to develop target measures and baseline data, who is responsible and due date)
    • Core Strategies and Actions for Each Strategy
    • Major Change Summary (summary of significant changes desired over the life of the strategic plan) and Change Management Structure
    • Priority Actions (key must-do actions in addition to the day-to-day operations and other stats that you can complete in addition)and Implementation Game Plan
    • Annual Plan Format – break this down into a yearly roadmap

TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL STRATEGIC PLANNING

    1. Have the process facilitated
    2. Take an organization-wide approach and integrate all level planning
    3. Define quantifiable measures of success
    4. Include short and long-term forecasting
    5. Use transparent and straightforward terminology and language
    6. Clarify and benchmark against the competition
    7. Define strategic business units
    8. Make informed budget decisions
    9. Make tough decisions when necessary
    10. Be open to pivoting from the initial direction
    11. Implement an effective process to roll out new initiatives
    12. Empower and support staff to take action on strategic initiatives

Acknowledge that the process does not end once a document is produced. It needs to be executed on, implemented, evaluated and measured. Your strategic plan has to be a living document, one that is continually reviewed.

HOW WELL ARE YOU DOING?

On a scale of 1-5 rank (1 being the lowest and 5 the highest), your organization on the following:

    1. A culture of excellence
    2. Accountability of resource
    3. Effective and efficient business processes
    4. Collaboration and teamwork
    5. Communicated long term vision and direction
    6. Constructive problem solving
    7. Continuous process improvements
    8. Data based decisions
    9. Employee empowerment
    10. Equality of opportunities
    11. Facilities and equipment
    12. High staff productivity and performance
    13. Innovation and creativity
    14. Job design and descriptions
    15. Marketplace competitiveness
    16. Performance appraisals
    17. Profitability consciousness
    18. Quality production of products/delivery of services
    19. Resilience level to adaption to change
    20. Resources (monetary and other)
    21. Reward systems
    22. Staffing levels
    23. Team development
    24. Technology
    25. Visionary leadership

STEP ONE: Highlight any score below three
STEP TWO: Brainstorm action that could be implemented on low scoring areas to raise your rank
STEP THREE: Attain buy-in on identified actions, implement and execute

 

Plans are of little importance, but planning is essential.

~ Winston Churchill

 

If you would like more information on strategic planning, and you need someone to keep you accountable through this process, I can be contacted at +1-604-616-1967 or jenny@jennyreilly.com. If you want monthly leadership tips, sign up for my JRC newsletter or check out my social media on Instagram for top leadership advice throughout the year.

/by
,

WHY IS COACHING ESSENTIAL TO GREAT LEADERSHIP?

There are various leadership styles we can exhibit, and one of them is the coaching style. 

Coaching requires patience, instruction, and feedback. In a fast-paced working environment, leaders often find it easier to answer a question or solve an issue rather than coaching, as it takes less time. Ironically, the long-term coaching results override the initial time taken, and it is worth adapting your leadership style to have more of an emphasis on coaching your employees. At its core, coaching will help you work with your employee to become:

  1. More self-aware
  2. Help them move forward, learn, develop and grow so they can take on more, and
  3. Create more satisfaction in their roles as they take on added responsibility in their positions.

Coaching is a positive and powerful tool that you can use to improve performance, results, increase engagement and company culture.

I challenge you; the next time you are about to answer or solve a problem for an employee, think long-term and coach the employee through the process, I appreciate that it will take time, but the outcome will be worth your return on investment. 

 

You cannot teach a man anything. 

You can only help him discover it within himself.

-Galileo Galilei

 

Coaching benefits:

  • Coaching can positively impact performance, culture, and the bottom line.
  • Coaching can help individuals unlock their potential
  • Ongoing coaching dialogue improves clarity and understanding of expectations
  • Coaching allows leaders to delegate, give challenging assignments, and promote an environment of learning and knowledge 
  • More companies are trying annual bonuses to a leader’s development of their direct reports. The reality is that there is an understanding that coaching does positively affect bottom-line results

Listen intently and ask powerful questions

When we listen, we are not distracted by anything else around us. The individual has our full attention, and we are not as prone to jump in and provide an answer, solution, or fill in the gaps. 

Ask powerful, short questions. When formulating a question, I keep in mind two things: 

Why are they telling me this?

What’s the real problem?

I then follow with an open-ended question that starts with ‘What…‘

Try the following questions in your next one-on-one:

  1. What should we focus on (a work project, people issue, or behaviour) discussing that will help you most?
  2. What is the heart of this issue for you? Tell me more… what else…
  3. What is the challenge, and why is this important to you? 
  4. What have you done so far to address the issue?
  5. What is your ideal outcome?
  6. What is the next best step to take?

 

Most people do not listen with the intent to learn and understand. They listen with the intent to reply. They are either speaking or preparing to speak.

-Stephen Covey

 

Don’t be the bottleneck

Leaders and managers need to coach their people. Coaching helps decrease overdependence overwhelm, and this dependency creates bottlenecks and frustration for both leader and staff member. 

Stop being the bottleneck and allow your team members to develop. Coach your team members to help them learn and grow. 

Empower your staff by giving them the responsibility to do their job, coach them through knowledge gaps and then allow them to run with it. Autonomy allows the employee to learn by doing and demonstrates your trust in their ability. Trust that there will be setbacks and debrief on these areas in your regular one-on-one meetings. 

Coaching Tips

  • ask one question at a time 
  • listen with intent for the facts and maintain neutrality
  • ask ‘what’ questions
  • be curious about the details
  • focus on what matters most
  • explore off-hand comments (what is not being said). They will often assist in getting to the heart of a problem
  • ask questions that will help the individual expand the way they are thinking about the problem or issue
  • don’t use rhetorical questions that offer advise
  • Using the 80/20 concept allow the staff member to speak 80% of the time and yourself only 20% 

If you would like more information on leadership and coaching tactics, and you need someone to keep you accountable for your process and execution, I can be contacted at +1-604-616-1967 or jenny@jennyreilly.com. If you want monthly leadership tips, sign up for my JRC newsletter or check out my social media on Instagram for top leadership advice throughout the year.

/by
, ,

2022 VISION – WHERE ARE YOU HEADED?

We are now into our seventh week in Q1, and it is time to refocus your attention on one or more of five key areas, which may require your time and attention:

  1. Your Vision
  2. People
  3. Data
  4. Processes, or
  5. Current Issues

Minor improvements in one or more areas can free up considerable time in your schedule and help you focus on the important rather than wasting time on workarounds. 

In what areas do you need to concentrate in Q1?

    • Is your 2022 team and company vision clearly articulated, communicated, and understood? – vision
    • Have you developed your team to enable them to efficiently handle details so you can focus on the big picture and not get stuck in the weeds? – people
    • Do you have a dashboard of data that you can regularly refer to get a complete picture of actual results? – data
    • Do your systems support your processes? – processes
    • Do you have an issues list that requires attention? – current issues

2022 VISION – WHERE ARE YOU HEADED?

Your team vision must be in line with your organizational vision. Do a temperature check with your team, ask two individuals randomly if they know the vision of the team? ‘Are you seeing what I am saying?’ Don’t assume that everyone sees the vision in the same way you do. Communicate clearly and often on the articulation of your vision. This will ensure team members do not become frustrated and confused. A compelling vision enables everyone to see the direction they are headed and how they will get there. Think of your team’s vision like a laser beam highlighting the path to take. Having a clear vision will enable you to plan action items required and help you retain focus strategically.

SURROUND YOURSELF WITH GREAT PEOPLE

It is imperative to have the right people in the right jobs. Look at your team and evaluate each member’s level of effectiveness in their roles. List accountabilities of each position, how core tasks are organized and by whom and if the structure is conducive to the roles and individuals you have in place. Is movement, training, or are additional or less staff required? 

YOUR PROFESSIONAL DASHBOARD

When driving, you often look down at your dashboard and check your speed and petrol level. Driving a vehicle is like leading a team. How can you lead effectively without knowing the details? Effective leadership requires the ability to have a dashboard or scorecard of data that will enable you to have a pulse on the work being done by your team, help you predict what may be needed and identify when areas are falling short of what is required and the action that is necessary to course correct.

Knowing your data will empower you. Understanding your numbers will help you problem solve and make decisions faster. Determine the core elements that should be highlighted on your dashboard or scorecard. Having this information will help you make decisions based on factual information.

ISSUE MANAGEMENT

All teams and organizations have areas that can be improved upon and issues that need to be addressed.

  • How do you track your issues?
  • Do you have an issue management list or a ticketing system?
  • When do you allocate time to solve identified issues?

The challenge is often that issues are identified but not resolved fast enough, which results in time and resource wastage. Allocate staffing time to solve issues, don’t let them mount if they are taking away from productivity, focus or results. Allocate time in your weekly meetings to discuss priority issues that require action and give your team permission to solve problems and clear off issues.

PROCESS MAPPING

The importance of process mapping cannot be underestimated—the need to know what needs to be done, how and in what order is essential for repetitive and scalable processes. A good process enables simplicity of action, increased efficiency, and scalability. Processes must be documented, shared, continually evaluated, and updated for maximum efficiency. 

CONTINUOUS DEVELOPMENT IN EXECUTION

Goals are not attained without discipline. A short runway of actionable steps within a quarter or 90-day period will help keep priorities aligned and provide focus on the essential item to be worked on. Just as 90-day plans are recommended, so too are frequent, preferably weekly meetings to ensure priorities are communicated, there is team alignment, and focus is on the most critical priority. 

KEEP IT SIMPLE

Simplify processes, eradicate rules when not necessary, be clear in what needs to be done, by whom, how it will be assessed, recorded and evaluated. Complexity comes with growth; however, if you can focus on using simplified processes, efficient operational systems, and delegation techniques to move work down to lessen bottlenecks, you will be well on your way to a more efficient organization. 

If you would like more information on leadership tactics and tips as you’re going through your 2022 vision, and you need someone to keep you accountable for your process and execution, I can be contacted at +1-604-616-1967 or jenny@jennyreilly.com. If you want monthly leadership tips, sign up for my JRC newsletter or check out my social media on Instagram for top leadership advice throughout the year.

 

/by
,

TIPS FOR TRANSITIONING INTO A NEW ROLE

Transitions into lead roles are critical, and for those transitioning, this time can be challenging and stressful as you prove yourself to your colleagues and team. Try some of the following tactics over your first 90 days in your new role to alleviate some of this stress.

  1. Do your research and prepare yourself – get to know those in your team and whom you report to and understand their expectations and thoughts on what success will look like for you in the role. Your initial interactions form first impressions, so think carefully about the foundations to lay to create positive connections within your team, with peers and stakeholders.
  2. Observe, learn, and ask questions – find out who has and where to find information is half the challenge. To accelerate your transition, be focused and systematic in deciding what you will learn and how to do this efficiently.
  3. Build relationships – observe and be mindful of who is setting the tone, who is processed based, the go-to for answers, the motivator… this will help you strategize more effectively and build on the team dynamics. The easiest way to do this is to have brief ‘getting to know you’ calls to learn as much as possible.
  4. Manage expectations – through regular communication, organized team status meeting and 1:2:1’s. Working virtually requires more intentionality in coordinating and facilitating productive discussions. Highlight areas of focus: execution tactics on goals, what has been accomplished, what is currently being worked on, what is on, and not to schedule, what pivots or areas have been put on hold due to other pressing priorities, what opportunities and challenges you should be aware of in your role.
  5. Demonstrate your leadership capacity and show problem-solving and strategic thinking skills. Whether you are inheriting a team or building a new team, it is vital to evaluate, align and motivate your team members. Sometimes, some tough decisions need to be made; don’t procrastinate. Your ability to have the right people in the correct team positions is imperative for your team’s success.
  6. Don’t take on too much too quickly. You initially need time to understand the landscape, and you do not want to over-extend yourself to prove a point before competently taking care of your regular duties.
  7. Focus on your goals and how you can strategically attain them. Look for low-hanging fruit and quick, easy wins to build your credibility, motivate action and engagement.

What worked in your old team does not necessarily mean it will work in your current team. Rethink how you lead, what you delegate and how you can create a level of influence that will assist you in building and sustaining alliances. Be aware of your leadership presence, how you are being perceived against how you want to be perceived and the type of leadership brand you want to have in your role. Business orientation, stakeholder connection and expectations alignment will significantly assist you in accelerating your transition and overcoming roadblocks over the first 90 days. 

If you would like more information on leadership tactics and tips when transitioning into a role, I can be contacted at +1-604-616-1967 or jenny@jennyreilly.com. If you want monthly leadership tips, sign up to my JRC newsletter for top leadership advice throughout the year. 

 

/by
,

HAPPY 2022! | WHEN IS YOUR WHITE SPACE?

We all need time to think and have uninterrupted time to plan and be innovative in looking at a problem or challenge. For years I prided myself on the ‘busyness’ of my job. There was no white space in my schedule. I went from one meeting or project to another with no unscheduled time in between. Now I pride myself on the opposite, and I ensure there is white space in my schedule, unscheduled time to enable a strategic pause that increases my productivity and focus three-fold.  

I encourage you to look at your schedule for the month of January and into February and make some significant changes to how you are spending your time. If there is a meeting that you do not need to be at, decline. If you do not have an agenda associated with a meeting, reschedule until you do. Introduce white space in your calendar between meetings, block off focused time to work on projects, allow whitespace in your calendar. This pause in your time will allow you to follow up on items and circle back on any special action items that require your attention. 

For every ‘yes’ you make throughout the day on a work item, ensure you have a ‘no’ or delegation of action to another. These simple actions will assist you in beneficial workflow changes, improved communication, and reduced weekly stress. 

Enabling white space in your week provides you with time to think, plan, strategize, implement, execute and reflect – all items that we never otherwise permit time for in our schedules. When you look at your week differently, you will see that you will consciously move low-value tasks from your schedule and spend more time focusing on what is important that will give you increased bottom-line results.

When planning your week, focus on high-value tasks and assess what you can delete from your schedule. If you are a perfectionist, assess the time you require to complete a task and determine what is good enough. Turn your notifications off and allocate time to respond to email queries rather than perpetuate ‘reactive’ mode when notifications are received 24/7. 

Your New Year Professional Development Goal

=

Ensure there is white space in your calendar!

If you want to learn more about, leadership coaching, and how your can prioritize your high-value tasks to maximize your success throughout 2022 for you, your team, and your business, reach out to askme@jennyreilly.com or schedule a convenient time for a complimentary strategy session via Jenny Reilly Consulting Calendly.

Get your leadership strategies and tactics in my monthly newsletter, sign up here to subscribe.

/by