Services we offer
Organization assessment
Do you know what’s really going on in your organization? Are
people telling you what they think you want to hear? Do you want a
sense of how things are really going? We work with clients to
explore the reason for gathering the information, then we customize
an approach to ensure that the data can be used as a foundation for
improved organizational health.
Some examples of our work in this area are listed below:
- The senior leadership team knew that they had issues related to
culture in their organization but weren’t quite sure what those
issues were. They needed candid feedback and an action plan.
- A CEO wanted to conduct an employee survey but didn’t want an
off-the-shelf product. He wanted to get information about issues
relevant to his business, his leadership team, his personal track
record. He also wanted suggestions from his employees about what
improvements they thought could be made.
- One technology firm purchased another. In anticipation of
potential conflicts, they asked that an assessment be done to
explore the differences in culture and expectations of the employees
of both companies.
Strategic planning
Clients appreciate the fact that we do not take a cookie cutter
approach to strategic planning or use an off-the-shelf product.
Instead, we help our clients design a process that fits their
specific needs and culture.
Some examples of our work in this area are listed below:
- A start up company was experiencing exponential growth... they
had the technical expertise but were not completely prepared for
the speed at which they were growing — they needed a plan.
- An organization merged with another of almost equal size. The
two presidents wanted a process by which they could capitalize
on the strengths of each organization, capture synergies and
blend cultures.
- The company had an overall strategic plan, but the group was
struggling with taking it down to the next level and getting it
successfully implemented.
Teambuilding
Establishing a team is easy—making it work sometimes isn't. Some
teams get off to a great start then fizzle, some can’t get out of
the starting gate, some are battlegrounds. There are a thousand
things that can get in the way of a team being successful.
Some examples of our work in this area are listed below:
- A new director of quality had been hired to take over an
organization in transition. He knew he had a tough group and
wanted to both ease and accelerate his on-boarding process. He
wanted to get issues on the table early and begin building what
had to be a high performing team if he was going to be
successful.
- A newly hired CEO of a rapidly growing early stage company was
given a free hand to decide which members of the team he
inherited he wanted to keep and which ones he would replace. He
wanted some objective outside help in making those decisions and
pulling his team together.
- A team had just been named to work on the company’s
highest visibility product introduction. The team leader had
been selected and he said "ok, now what do I do?"
- A new product development team was falling apart—meetings were
ineffective, communication lines had been down for some time,
deadlines were not going to be met and the team leader had
thrown up his hands...
Organization development
Key to an organization’s success is the ability to link the internal
people systems with organization strategy. This includes succession
planning, leadership review, performance management, organization
and functional competencies.
Some examples of our work in this area are listed below.
- The Board Chair was concerned that there was not a clear
succession plan for the CEO and key members of the
organization’s top management. He wanted a comprehensive
succession plan that would address who and what would be needed
for the future leadership of the organization.
- The VP of Operations was tired of buying talent from the
outside. He wanted to build internal bench strength for Plant
Manager positions. His dream was to have a program where he
could recruit from top universities, conduct a comprehensive
rotational program and provide key management training for a new
group of high potential candidates every year.
- The organization’s new strategic plan presented a significant
departure from their prior direction and required some changes
to the way the company was organized.
Meeting facilitation
This is an area where many groups struggle—planning and conducting a
successful meeting. Often it is necessary to allow participants to
focus on content and bring in someone with strong facilitation
skills. We help clients build a meaningful agenda and we facilitate
the process for maximum effectiveness.
Some examples of our work in this area are listed below:
- A senior leadership team found themselves faced with a change
in their largest market. They knew they needed to refocus their
strategy, do some teambuilding and go offsite to work on these
things. They wanted someone who could facilitate this energetic,
sometimes combative group.
- A Division president wanted to conduct a two-day off-site
meeting with his entire organization to communicate a major
change. He wanted to make sure he got input from all employees
and a clear go-forward plan by the end of the second day.
- A member of the senior leadership team knew that if he didn't
bring in a facilitator, tempers would flare, agendas would be
railroaded through, there wouldn't be balanced participation and
ultimately the meeting would be a waste of time for everyone.
Executive development
We've provided executive counsel to leaders at all levels—this is
the process of working with the individual to develop and enhance
personal effectiveness. In some cases we coach for specific issues
relating to style and approach, and in other cases we are simply
advisors, sounding boards and an unbiased external counsel.
Some examples of our work in this area are listed below:
- The Board of Directors was uncertain as to whether the
existing CEO of the organization was the right person for the
job. Before making a decision, time was given for him to develop
a new strategic plan, get individual leadership coaching, and
engage his executive team more fully.
- A CEO asked that a comprehensive executive assessment be
completed for him using information from his board of directors,
executive staff and other key constituents.
- The Director of Marketing for a large division had
identified his successor, a manager on one of his Product Teams.
She was smart, had everything it would take to be successful in
the role, but she was doing some things that would derail her
career path if she didn’t change her behavior. She needed some
feedback and some performance coaching.
- A large organization wanted to design an internal executive
development program for its high potential managers and
directors and needed expertise in program design and delivery.
Counsel to boards of directors
- A not-for-profit organization had grown to the point
where the old approach to Board governance wasn’t working. They
needed a new structure, a new set of operating procedures and
some guidance on the most effective way to reach their new
goals.
- The Executive Director was having difficulty communicating
with his board of directors. With a combination of executive
coaching and process facilitation with the ED and the Board,
their meetings and communications became much more substantive
and relationships improved.
- A new Board Chair was named. He was committed to doing the
right thing for the organization and the Board but wanted
counsel on how to deal with a very political Executive Committee
and a dysfunctional group of well-meaning Board members.
- The “founding father” of the organization had reached the
point where his skills and interests no longer met the needs of
a growing company. The Board faced an uncomfortable task…
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