Search

A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future by Daniel Pink is a book that describes the specific competencies (he refers to them as “senses”) that the author claims workers in the United States will need in the “Conceptual Age”. In his definition, “Conceptual Age” is the timeframe starting now and will continue for the foreseeable future. These competencies, or senses, are in essence the characteristics that businesses will need to ensure are present in their workers, their organizational cultures and their products and services. Pink describes each of these senses in detail, each in a separate chapter of the book: Artistic/design sense – will be needed to move beyond the function of a product in order to fully engage the senses of the consumer Empathy – will be needed to move beyond simple logic and instead draw on intuition and feelings when developing and/or marketing products to consumers Ability to create a narrative or tell a story – will be needed to move beyond making an argument in favor of product or service to creating a story in which the consumer can feel involved Ability to synthesize – will be needed to move beyond the details and fully understand product or services fits within the “big picture” Ability to derive meaning – will be needed to communicate the purpose and meaning of product or service Playfulness – will be needed to bring humor and fun to products and services. In addition to describing the above senses that will be needed in the Conceptual age, Pink reiterates and expands on points made by Thomas Friedman and others concerning technical jobs moving to Asia, automation of work and the increasing abundance of consumer choices. He claims that these changes are the key indicator that the Conceptual Age is beginning now. In this book he was able to explain clearly and support what “thinking differently” may mean for Americans going forward. In addition, he provides a useful list of resources and advice to hone your skills in each of the Conceptual Age “senses.” We recommend this book because we believe it was well-written and logical, and it challenged us to think about our own opportunities to develop in these areas. We have analytical personalities, which are not known for having excessive amounts of the particular attributes that may be more important in the future – artistic/design sense, empathy, ability to create a narrative/story-telling, synthesis/big picture thinking, ability to derive meaning/purpose and playfulness. We will continue to discuss how we might further develop in these areas. Click here to see more recommended books. About the author: Paul Gillard, PhD Paul fancies himself as an author but has never quite found the time and focus to write the book he knows is within. Instead, he periodically creates short Organizational Realities Blog postings about the things that strike his interest. He hopes that you find the ideas, concepts, and options he shares both insightful and helpful.

In our post What Does It Really Mean To Hold People Accountable, we spent some time explaining the essential elements of accountability: Goals, Authority, Consequences, and Measurement. These are focused mainly on managing the behavior of direct reports by encouraging managers to think through the underlying motivational principles that either promote or inhibit accountability. This article focuses more on the process of holding people accountable, providing an almost color-by-number toolset for managers to manage and track accountability on their teams. Two simple tools we highlight, Accountability Matrix, and RAIL are used successfully by our team and our clients to drive accountability on projects. We hope they can help you as well. Communicate Who is Doing What: Accountability Matrix The Accountability Matrix (or “DRCI”: Driver-Responsible-Consulted-Informed) is a simple tool that a team or manager can use to provide a picture of who is on the hook for which tasks or deliverables. In our introductory project manager training, we present this matrix where tasks (e.g., project tasks, to-do list, decisions) are listed in rows and the various roles (can be team member names, roles, titles, etc.) are listed as column headings. Each person’s expected contribution to each task is noted in each cell. For example, for a basic process improvement project, you might prepare a diagram like the one below. Keep in mind that how the assignments are made is debatable and depends on the project, but the key value of this tool is in communicating with the team and gaining commitment to act. Here, the Sponsor is the driver for setting the high-level goals of the project, the Project Manager is Responsible for most project planning and reporting tasks, while the other roles are either performing other portions of the work, giving input (Consulted) or finding out about it after the fact (Informed). The roles are defined as: Driver (D): The party who compels the action to be taken by establishing the goal, authority, and consequences for the action. He/she has the power of veto. Only one entity can be Driver for any task, activity or decision. Ideally, this is a single person, but can also be a committee, team or other entity with shared decision making authority. Responsible (R): The individual(s) who ensures that the task is completed. If there are components of a task that are delegated to other people, the task should be broken into sub-tasks and assigned appropriately. The fewer R’s for a task, the better. A person who is responsible may also be a Driver. Consulted (C): The individual(s) who need to be consulted prior to a final decision or action being taken. This is TWO-WAY communication. Consulted parties may not have a direct part in the task but are affected by its completion, and their input may be necessary. Informed (I): The individual(s) who need to be kept up-to-date on progress, or informed after a decision or action is taken. This is ONE-WAY communication. Input from the informed party is not necessary. Click below to download our basic Rail template. Holding Accountable Involves Keeping Track: RAIL The RAIL (Rolling Action Item List) is similar to a project plan but is a less structured, simple tool to keep track of tasks, decisions and miscellaneous to-dos that are not part of any organized project or initiative. The main point of a RAIL or any task list is to keep track of “who is doing what and when”. Typically a RAIL includes the following elements: What needs to be done (action/task/decision) How important is the task (priority rating) Who has asked for this task to be done (driver) Who is doing the work (responsible) When is the task due? What is the status (e.g., Not Started, In Progress, On Hold, Completed, Cancelled)? Additional note/comment. A RAIL can be as simple or as complicated as you want to make it. You can build it on paper, an Excel spreadsheet, Outlook task list, an online system, or a mobile phone app. In our experience, the most important thing is that it is actually used – only the tools that are simple to learn and quick to update are used consistently over time. Click here to download the template. A More Structured Approach Many common project management tools provide a structure for holding people accountable. Some of the more common tools include Microsoft Project and Monday.com, Basecamp, and Jira. In our office, we use an online project and meeting management tool that we developed in-house to manage our projects, meeting follow-ups and task lists, etc. We developed this tool because at one point when our project load grew beyond what we could keep track of informally. We realized we needed to better organize, standardize and automate our projects and office tasks. We tried a variety of project management software applications, but within a few months, we would be less inclined to go to the trouble of keeping the tool updated, and soon were back where we started (i.e., everyone managing tasks in their own ways). We found that at the heart of the problem was the extra time it took to set up and manage the tool itself and that for the laundry list of office to-dos and our smaller projects, only a few key functions of each tool were ever used anyway. In looking at the “homegrown” methods we were using – most of which were Excel-based lists – we found one of our developers had built a web-based project tracking tool to manage his own projects. When the rest of the team tried it, it was adopted immediately. The fact that it was web-based made it accessible anywhere, and it naturally included only the functions that we used in the majority of our projects (for large-scale projects we still default to Microsoft Project) and have dabbled with Monday.com. That marked the birth of internal preciseTRACKER™. After using it internally for a while, we added the ability to invite clients and share project progress and communications with them, schedule meetings, document decisions, and review accountability through the system. Over the years we have added to the functionality, and use it where appropriate to manage our projects. These are the tools that we use to support accountability in our office. Click on the link below for a more detailed review of commercially available project management tools that might suit your needs. We hope they will be useful to managers in tracking accountability on their own teams. 42 Best Project Management Software and Tools Please contact us if you would like to learn more about the services we offer to help you handle the challenges you face. About the authors: Paul Gillard, PhD and Rachel Radwinsky, PhD Paul and Rachel combine their strengths (or perhaps multiply their weaknesses) to occasionally produce joint blog posts. Because these typically take weeks of mind-numbing debate to produce, they are relatively rare.

PURPOSE CHALLENGES Lack of vision, poor strategy and a weak culture are the hallmarks of organizations struggling with purpose challenges. Managers typically report alignment, accountability, and employee engagement as critical issues. Employees often cite poor leadership, ambiguous goals, and the inexplicable changing of priorities as significant concerns. Both perspectives are correct, to some degree. Regardless of role, the"constant spinning of wheels" is a frequent refrain across the enterprise. When employees don't know where they are going, confusion, frustration, and disillusionment predominate. ​ Executives engage Transformation Associates to help sort things out. We objectively assess the challenges reported and craft a tailored roadmap outlining the specific actions required to course correct. Ultimately, we navigate the multitude of "organizational realities" en route to creating a clear, unambiguous, and meaningful path forward for all. ​ Which of the following observations resonate most with you and your situation? Schedule and an introductory call with a Transformation Advisor to learn more. Schedule An Introductory Call Hallmarks of Organizations With Purpose Issues Lack Of Vision Companies lacking vision are akin to rudderless ships set adrift and at the mercy of the seas and the tides. While sometimes incorrectly viewed as a "nice-to-have," a compelling vision is critical to engaging, energizing, and focusing the efforts of managers and employees alike. Experienced executives recognize the importance of and take ownership for the development and communication of an aspirational vision that clearly and concisely describes the company's long term goals and values to employees, customers and investors. ​ Learn More... Poor Strategy The absence of a clear strategy for achieving organizational goals is a recipe for disaster. A good strategic plan enables an organization to focus its limited resources on the things most likely to achieve both short and long-term goals. While never perfect, these calculated bets should clearly outline organizational priorities and allow functional leaders to define their respective operational plans. ​ ​ Learn More... Weak Culture Executives who ignore culture do so at their peril and are doomed to experience long-term, negative consequences. Underlying beliefs, values, and behavioral norms are critical elements of an organization's culture. Strong cultures determine why and how things are done. C ultures evolve slowly over time and are highly resistant to change. Successful organizations ensure executives nurture and proactively shape organizational culture. Learn More... Employee Perspective On Purpose Issues Poor Leadership Executives without both good managerial and leadership skills are doomed to the organizational scrap heap. Employees look to those in positions of authority to set goals and provide clear direction. Employees intuitively understand that traditional managers strive to keep things under control and eliminate surprises and that leaders seek to drive change and realize a better tomorrow. Today's executives need to do both and bring employees along with them if they are to excel and achieve organizational goals. ​ ​ Learn More... Ambiguous Goals The absence of clear, realistic and attainable performance goals diffuses efforts and demotivates employees. Employees want clear, realistic and attainable goals. Moreover, contrary to popular opinion, measuring performance against objective and clearly defined goals is welcomed by most employees - particularly high performers. The trick is measuring both actionable leading indicators and outcomes. Good leaders give employees clear goals, the latitude to execute and the tools to gauge their performance. Learn More... Changing Priorities Frequent changing of direction without adequate explanation is a surefire indicator of managerial inexperience. The constant changing of priorities is often cited as necessary by management as they throw around the phrases such as "we need to be nimble and responsive to customers." However, in reality, more often than not, this is due to poor planning and a lack of managerial maturity. Employees want experienced leaders in positions of authority who are empowered to set the direction and priorities for their teams - not vacillate like leaves in the wind. Learn More... Manager Perspective On Purpose Issues Poor Governance Organizations lacking governance and control practices inevitably learn their importance the hard way. Strong governance practices enable effective organizational decision-making, allocation of resources and operational execution. By ensuring transparency, prioritization, and alignment with strategic business priorities, organizations maximize their probability of success. Governance should not be confused with ineffective bureaucracy; rather it must be viewed as a strong business enabler. ​ Learn More... Lack of Engagement Disengaged employees are destructive and can drag down the overall performance of teams. While it is frequently challenging, and often frustrating, managers must continuously motivate and engage employees at all levels - their success and the success of the organization depend on it. However, there are times when managers should cut their losses and release disengaged or destructive employees before things spiral out of control. The wisdom to know when and how to cut losses is what separates an average manager from a great leader. Learn More... Lack of Alignment Employees are largely rational beings and tend to act in a manner that serves their best interests when given a choice. Most successful organizations clearly articulate their values, behavioral norms and performance expectations. In addition, they ensure both functional and cross-functional strategies, objectives and priorities are aligned. All of which are reinforced by carefully designed rewards a recognition systems that ensure individual goals are not pursued at the expense of overarching organizational goals. Learn More... Each organization has its unique strengths and weaknesses - no two are identical. Canned solutions to addressing Purpose related challenges are doomed to failure. We work closely with clients to create a tailored approach that leverages their specific strengths and addresses particular issues and challenges. Are you ready to start your transformation journey? Schedule An Introductory Call

EXECUTIVE COACHING Realizing Career Aspirations We guide executives in navigating personal, professional, and organizational realities en-route to realizing their career aspirations. ​ Our Executive Coaches are typically engaged when business leaders face significant career setbacks, many of which directly challenge their sense of purpose, confidence, and self-esteem. ​ Perhaps the most frequently cited triggers of this self-doubt and uncertainty are the loss of a job, being overlooked for a long-anticipated promotion, and business failure. Paradoxically, starting a new position, securing the long-sought-after promotion, and achieving tremendous business success are also common triggers. Engagements begin with open discussions about skills, successes, challenges, and goals. We explore organizational and other contextual factors to understand the obstacles encountered. Various assessment instruments including the Hogan, Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i 2.0), Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), The Leadership Preferences Inventory (LPI), DiSC Profiles (Workplace, Management, Work Of Leaders), Locus of Control, and 360 Degree Feedback instruments are completed to hone in on strengths and challenges. When appropriate, managers, peers, direct reports, and customers are also interviewed. Ultimately, salient feedback themes, insights gained through the assessments, guided introspection, and extensive dialog are distilled, documented, and analyzed. We work closely with you to craft an Executive Development Plan outlining robust cognitive and behavioral strategies to maximize your overall effectiveness and realize career goals. That's the easy part! Executing the Executive Development Plan is far more complicated and requires discipline and perseverance. We provide the ongoing one-on-one coaching support and guidance necessary to do so. Motivated leaders who accept and act upon the objective and constructive guidance provided achieve significant gains in a short period. Are you ready to start your executive coaching engagement? Schedule An Introductory Call Frequently Cited Triggers Of Self Doubt And Uncertainty I Just Lost My Job, Now What... "I can't believe it, after Twenty-five years with the company, I now need to bid on my own job. I am not sure what to do or where to begin" Read More... Low Emotional Intelligence "If I hear I have low EQ one more time, my head is going to explode. I know it is important, but I am not convinced I can change - I need guidance in translating the theory into action that will be recognizable to my peers and executives alike" Poor People Skills "I always thought that my technical skills were what distinguished me from my peers. I was not prepared for the seismic shift when moving into an executive role. Now my leadership and soft skills are more important than my technical skills. I need help in developing my emotional intelligence and related soft skills if I am to be successful in my new role." Restructuring Underway "Another organizational restructuring is underway, and it is unclear how or whether I fit in. For the first time, I realize that I need to make the massive changes in my approach and attitude if I am to keep my job. I can't mess this up." Read More... Passed Over Again! "I have been passed over for promotion again, and I need to understand why. The feedback from my boss has been direct, harsh and in most cases accurate. I have significant professional gaps to address - I don't know where to begin." Read More... No Work Life Balance "Something has to give! I have been completely swallowed up by my job! While fun, exciting and engaging it is incredibly demanding. I can't continue to work 70 hrs a-week. I will be dead or divorced by the end of the year if I do not restore some balance in my life. Where do I sign up." In A Dead-end Job "I hate my job and can't stand going to work each day. Sure it pays the bills, but I need more! I think it is time to move on? I can't make the same mistake again - I need to make the right career move. I need to find a job that offers purpose and meaning. It is no longer just about the money." I Need A Career Change "I thought that getting the long-awaited promotion would finally put me in the role I was born to have. This could not be further from the truth. Rather, the promotion simply highlighted the need for a career change! I hope it is not too late for me to start the career I always wanted." Failed Business Venture "I put my heart and soul into my start-up business and lost everything! My self-confidence shot and at an all-time low. I know I need some help to get back in the saddle, but I am reluctant to ask for help - it is not in my nature." Not Executive Material "After 10 years in management, our CEO told me that I don't have what it takes to be an executive within the company. Apparently, my leadership and people skills are lacking. I wasn't even allowed to apply for the job! Something has to change - I need to do something about my reported deficiencies. My command-and-control style is not valued. I need to adapt!" I Don't Like Who I Have Become "I used to be the life of the party now I am viewed as a curmudgeonly, stick-in-the-mud. My job has taken over and I need to restore some balance. I cannot continue to be defined by my job. I need to get my life back on track." TESTIMONIALS "I was in a dark and lonely place when I first met Dr. Gillard. His guidance and support helped me become more centered, focused, and get my career back on track. I will be forever grateful." Senior Executive, Fortune 100 Pharmaceutical Company - ​ "Dr. Gillard helped me understand and address significant blind spots that had a significant negative effect on my career. The guidance and support were invaluable" Senior Executive, Biotech Company Schedule An Introductory Call

I AM ABOUT TO GET FIRED We all seek to maintain control over our careers. Organizational restructuring efforts, change initiatives, strained manager relationships, and unrealistic performance goals can challenge your sense of control and value. You don't want to be fired, downsized, or let go. As uncertainty in the job increases and stress levels skyrocket, your job security becomes of paramount concern. ​ Your health, well-being, and future career success depends heavily on how you frame, interpret, and navigate these tumultuous periods. Your spouse or partner, while likely supportive and helpful, can't provide objective, actionable advice. They are too close to the situation and don't fully appreciate the complexity of the situation. ​ If you are like most professionals, you are unlikely to share your concerns with work colleagues as you don't want to become the focus of "water cooler" discussions. Your pride may also get in the way of opening up to others. ​ If you are fortunate, you have a handful of close friends with the experience and perspective necessary to provide meaningful input to your predicament. Friends are likely very supportive but do not want to pry or get too involved. If they are involved, they offer very "black and white" interpretations of your situation and non-threatening advice. Rarely do they share input or observations that might put your relationship at risk. Specifically, they are very reluctant to explore your personal contributions to the current predicament. You realize that keeping a lid on things is impossible and that you shouldn't just wait things out. You recognize that hope is not a strategy and that you need to take personal accountability for correcting the situation. You are keenly aware that you need help but do not know where to turn for unbiased, constructive input and guidance — that's where we come in. We provide executive coaching to help professionals navigate personal and organizational factors to regain control over their careers. Schedule An Introductory Call