Innovation and Creativity

I recently heard  Glenn Karwoski speak.  He is managing director of Karwoski and Courage and teaches innovation and creativity to corporations.  He knows how to help organizations make creativity and innovation actionable.  

To see and think differently is simple and not easy.  Glenn suggests creating an innovation team.  In order to do that, ask and answer the question, to whom did I write my 10 biggest checks.  Make those individuals a part of the team.  Include vendors and partners that will help with the business.  Manage the process as follows:

1. Clarify why the team is working together.
2. Make operating guidelines explicit.
3. Create an agenda and send ahead of time. 
4. Depersonalize conflict by creating norms and uderstanding the differences of team members.  

For the innovation and creativity process to be successful try the following:

• Encourage wild ideas.
• Go for quantity
• Build on ideas.
• Allow one idea at a time.
• Hold one conversation at a time.
• Avoid judgement.  

Innovation is necessary for sustained success.  What is your organization doing to promote innovation and creativity?

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

Drive safe and enjoy the weekend!

Organizational Sustainability

This week I had the opportunity to hear Alan Atkisson speak of the Atkisson Group.  Alan has been a subject matter expert in the area of sustainability for over 24 years.  Currently based in Sweden, his client list includes Nike, Puma, Toyota, Levi Strauss, Ernst and Young and many more.

Alan had three key messages for the audience.  They are as follows:

1. Sustainability has become profoundly mainstream in the last 10 years. 
2. Sustainability has gotten SERIOUS.  The stakes are higher than ever.
3. Sustainability is transformational.  It is becoming more embedded in the formal thinking and design of an organization.  Resources are now allocated and positions created that focus on this topic.

China and Korea are leading the way.  The United States lags behind in this area and has not been an early adopter.  In part, our principle of the entrepeneurial spirit provides a contrast to compromise and rules which guide sustainability efforts.

 Sustainability is a critical issue for the 21st Century.  For more information contact robertaf@atkisson.com. 

What is your organization doing to become more sustainable?

Trust the Process

This week I had the opportunity to facilitate the first of two planning sessions for a client. Diverse individuals came together to discuss where they were going as an organization. The conversation was rich and resulted in a clear direction. Guided by their values, vision and mission, it was amazing to observe the process.

One of the things I have learned in my over 20 years of coaching and consulting, is to trust the process. This intention will make the difference between a successful and unsuccessful outcome(s). The following suggestions will also help:

1. Set an intention to trust the process.

2. See yourself in partnership with the client. The process is a collaboration.

3. Establish operating principles for the group process. I utilize four adapted from the book The Fourfold Way by Angeles Arrien. They are show up, speak the truth, listen to what has heart and meaning and be open to outcome.

4. Determine what pre-work, if any needs, to be completed prior to the session. This optimizes the time spent with the group.

5. Complete each session with a temperature check (how do you feel about the process) and one take-away.

6. As the facilitator, keep the ego and any personal agendas out of the process.

Trust the process may be a cliche. However when it comes to working with groups, it is critical to a successful outcome. How well do you trust the process in your organization?

The Value of 360 Feedback

Assessment is a critical piece to beginning an executive coaching assignment. One form of assessment is a 360 feedback instrument that gathers data from boss, peers, direct reports and self. The data is compiled into a report and presented to the individual being coached. I have been using a 360 feedback tool for over 15 years.

There has been much written about the value of this instrument. I believe this tool provides great value if positioned well. It is instrumental in helping the executive grow and develop as a leader. Let me offer some suggestions when utilizing this tool:

1. Clearly explain the purpose of the 360 feedback tool.
2. Educate the appropriate parties on the benefit of the instrument.
3. Stress the importance of the feedback for continued growth and development.
4. Provide a sample report.
5. Provide a sample letter that can be sent to all respondents explaining the purpose and the value to the individual.
6. Stress the confidentiality of individual responses (with the exception of boss).
7. Allow a minimum of 60 minutes (usually 90) to review the results with the coachee.
8. Ask open-ended questions to allow her/him to interpret the results.
9. Provide additional feedback, when necessary.
10. Use the information to determine additional goals to be addressed through the coaching process.

As for sharing the results with the coachee's supervisor, I believe it is really the responsibility of the individual, not the coach, to provide the information. However, the coach may be present to support the individual in sharing the results.

At times, we all need feedback. The 360 feedback instrument is one way to provide that feedback, particularly in a coaching situation.

How has a 360 feedback tool been utilized in your organization?

Designing a Dispute Resolution System

According to the Mediation Training Institute (MTI), exit interviews revealed that chronic, unresolved conflict is a decisive factor in 50% of all employee departures. Additionally, a study of practicing managers showed that 42% of their time was spent reaching agreement with others when conflict occurred (Watson and Hoffman). These two statistics alone reveal the cost of conflict to organizations in loss of personnel, productivity, and overall effectiveness.

How do organizations begin to address these costs? The answer can be found in designing a dispute resolution system. A well-designed system prevents, identifies and resolves conflict. It is comprehensive and provides earlier resolution of issues. It provides employees with multiple options and access points for conflict resolution.

There are seven steps to the design process as outlined by Mares-Dixon & Associates as follows:

Step I: Provide a proposal that defines the scope of work.
Step II: Form the design team and develop the plan.
Step III: Conduct a situational analysis and develop a diagnosis.
Step IV: Redesign an existing system or design a new system.
Step V: Develop support for the new system.
Step VI: Implement the new system.
Step VII: Operate and Evaluate the new system.

Although designing a dispute resolution system requires a commitment of time, energy and money it is well worth the long term benefits. The system empowers employees to resolve conflict on their own, and provides additional support and alternatives when they cannot.

Dr. Tony Picchioni, the Director of the Dispute Resolution Program at SMU once said, "Peace is not the absence of conflict. It is managed conflict. How well is your organization managing its conflict right now?

What Do You Value???

This week I had the opportunity to work with a client on developing the organizational values. It was an amazing experience to facilitate and watch a diverse group of individuals come together, and in a very short time identify and define their top values.

In the book by James Collins and Jerry I. Porras, Built to Last; Successful Habits of Visionary Companies , the authors stress the importance of developing three to six core values. Core values are defined as "the organization's essential and enduring tenets-a small set of general guiding principles; not to be confused with specific cultural or operating practices; not to be compromised for financial gain or short-term expediency (Collins and Porras)".

Research has revealed when a congruence exists between individual and organizational values there is a significant payoff for leaders as follows (Kouzes and Posner):
-Their revenue grew more than four times faster.
-Their rate of job creation was seven times higher.
-Their stock prices grew twelve times faster
-Their profit performance was 750% higher.

It is evident that clearly articulating values is critical to an organization's success. However, there is more to identifying and defining values. The organization must also communicate and live those values on a consistent and ongoing basis. Ultimately, every decision is measured against those very values.

In closing, Visionary Company's do not ask, "What should we value?" But instead, "What do we actually value deep down to our toes (Collins and Porras)?"

What does your organization value deep down to its toes?