It was two decades ago, but I remember the day like it was yesterday. I had been on airplanes for 17 hours. The reason? We had one rightfully testy customer who was threatening to remove us from the supply chain. The room was full of functional specialists and client “liaisons.” Everyone had the classic nonverbals […]
I was speaking with a strategy VP in an international firm who was getting ready to deliver a presentation for the executive team that showed a surprising under performance of projects to the business case benchmarks they had set. Just for the record, this is a high-quality team with sound leadership, strong values and a […]
Rolling up our sleeves only goes so far. There has been an inflection point in the discussion where leaders realize that they simply cannot do it all. Virtual work has pushed us into a corner in two ways: first collaborative work is less efficient. Secondly, more time in the home office has led to more […]
I’ve had a number of recent calls with strategic and operational leaders from larger firms with matrixed organizations. They are primarily in manufacturing industries ranging from food to water treatment. Each has had their own journey meeting their customers and clients’ rapidly changing demands during the pandemic. They are similar in one regard: COVID has […]
Golf is a very challenging sport. The physics of hitting a golf ball hundreds of yards amplifies every twitch you put into the driver: a small tick in the motion equals a big miss off the tee. Picture this scenario: you have been working with a skilled swing coach, and he’s fixed your hook. You’ve […]
It can be really, really frustrating. You are known for setting goals and meeting them. You have a very clear picture of where you want to take your team, yet when you step on the throttle to make the changes, the resistance rises to meet the effort you put in. You have worked hard to […]
30 percent…and I think that’s generous. That’s the success rate for digital transformation noted in a recent BCG study. Using that as a benchmark, let’s talk about a tip that can help you improve those odds, and in fact, the odds of completing any significant organizational improvement work. Before we get into the specific coaching, […]
You see it on the calendar and the theme from the classic shark movie “Jaws” starts playing in the background of your mind. It’s painful, it’s not optional and it’s not any better in virtual space. When I describe a group’s strategic programs update meeting in this way, I always get a smile, then a […]
I’ve noticed a fresh challenge for teams charged with problem solving and strategy implementation work that’s been coming up consistently. The scenario sets up something like this: a significant issue with a product or service arises. Mirroring pre-COVID protocols, the account manager calls a session and tags everyone who might have a hand in the […]
Right now, running a business is anything but typical – we’ve had a decade’s worth of shifts in a year. So, if you give teams the usual high-altitude operating plan for 2021, you risk not getting the outcomes your stakeholders are expecting. Every larger firm I work with has some outlook tool for budgeting and […]
