NEWS

News
6-Aug-2018

   What Else Can You Do?

The credit card division of a large bank held an (The Oz Principle Accountability Training) workshop in an effort to create greater accountability and ownership in its call center where turnover was high, “handle time” was long, and software solutions were inadequate. Reposted from Article | Accountability Insights by Partners In Leadership | Aug 17, 2011
The credit card division of a large bank held an (The Oz Principle Accountability Training) workshop in an effort to create greater accountability and ownership in its call center where turnover was high, “handle time” was long, and software solutions were inadequate. Bold targets for improvement were established during the workshop and, to management’s surprise, everyone got on board. 
After the workshop, however, when it came to bringing about real change, the going got tough as numerous unexpected issues and problems arose. Undaunted, everyone in the organization began looking for ways to improve performance by constantly asking “What Else Can I Do?“. Ideas poured in from everywhere as everyone from senior management to telephone operators took accountability for reducing the time needed to handle a call. They changed the way they hired people; they implemented new software solutions; they began measuring and reporting performance on a daily basis; they implemented a balanced scorecard; and they focused their training on high priority skills and behavior. A Solve It mentality flourished, leading to a new set of Solve It skills. The result was a whopping increase of $143 million a year to the company’s bottom line.Over the years, we have helped clients translate their understanding and ownership into problem-solving action with the following set of key Solve It skills: 
  1. 1. Stay Engaged. Don’t focus on what can’t be done, continue looking for and thinking about creative alternatives.
  2. 2. Persist. You can never ever stop asking the Solve It question: What else can I do?
  3. 3. Think Differently. Remember, the same thinking that got you into a problem won’t get you out of it.
  4. 4. Create New Linkages. New approaches usually involve forging new relationships.
  5. 5. Take the Initiative. Who do you want to be? Someone who makes things happen; someone who watches things happen; someone who wonders what happened; or someone who never knew anything happened?
  6. 6. Stay Conscious. Challenge current assumptions and beliefs to break through to new levels of thinking that will most likely take you out of your comfort zone.
To find out more about creating greater ownership, call us or join us in our South-East Asian timezone webinars at 
www.glidespartners.com/events/webinar.Simply acknowledging reality and owning circumstances will accomplish little if you fail to solve problems and remove obstacles on your road to results. Once you See It and Own It, you must Solve It by constantly asking “What else can I do to achieve the desired results?” Only then can you consistently Do It! All registered trademarks and trademarks used herein are the property of their respective owners.

News
10-Jul-2018

5 Ways You Might Be Sabotaging Your Culture


From day one, people show up asking the question, “How do things work around here?”They seek answers from their leaders and co-workers on how to be successful.The answers they get, either directly or from non-verbal cues, quickly condition them on how to think and act...Yet, despite its importance and prevalence, too often I have seen leaders give lip-service to culture while inadvertently causing tremendous damage. Here are five of the most common ways leaders accidentally sabotage their own culture: 1. Talk the talk, but don’t walk the walk. When leaders ask their employees to do something but aren’t willing to do it themselves, it undermines their credibility. Leaders lead by example, whether they realize it or not. When they say one thing and do another, they set a dangerous precedent for those around them to do as they do, not as they say. 2. Have an unclear direction. A ship with no rudder would never leave the harbor, yet many organizations lack a clear direction of where they are headed. Leaders may have resources available and talent on board, but without a strong vision, clear results and a sense of purpose, their organization will flounder. Confusion is the great defender of the status quo, while clarity breeds confidence, purpose, and growth.
“A company’s culture and a company’s brand are really just two sides of the same coin.  What goes around the office comes around to the customer. We wanted employees that really believed in our long term vision and really felt like this was the right culture for them. It encourages people to go home, talk to their friends and family and ask themselves, “Is this a company I really believe in? Is this a culture I really want to be a part of and contribute to?” Tony Hsieh

3. Lack consistency.

One day the leader shows up and they are maniacally focused on driving sales at all costs; the next day, the leader shows up and says, “We need to focus on operational efficiency, no matter the expense;” and the next, day turnover is too high. When leaders become too reactionary and inconsistent in word and action, it creates a culture of uncertainty; a culture where no one wants to do anything because they aren’t sure what mood or focus the leader will have that day. 4. Place blame, rather than seek solutions.
When leaders try to place blame for problems, rather than seeking solutions, the culture quickly becomes a toxic “no-accountability” zone where everyone is constantly gearing up for missed results and deadlines, rather than innovatively driving toward achieved results and earned success. 5. Hire, fire & promote the wrong people. All team members you bring on board–with their unique backgrounds, personalities, strengths, and weaknesses–have a profound impact on your culture.  Make sure you are selecting the right people, getting rid of those who don’t reinforce your organizational values, and shining a spotlight on those who do.
“The only competitive advantage we have is the culture and values of the company. Anyone can open up a coffee store. We have no technology, we have no patent. All we have is the relationship around the values of the company and what we bring to the customer every day. And we all have to own it.” Howard Schultz,

CEO, Starbucks

As leaders, we can avoid these pitfalls by fully embracing our role in establishing our organization’s culture. We begin to shape the right environment when we lead by example, communicate a clear direction, maintain consistency, seek solutions not blame, and make sure we have the right team in place. A great culture requires more than lip-service. It takes ongoing work and mindful action. Remember, either you will manage your culture, or your culture will manage you!
“Corporate culture is the only sustainable competitive advantage that is completely within the control of the leaders.” David Cummings

Co-Founder, Pardot


News
6-Jul-2018

Key Expectations - Clear and Aligned?

When it comes to Key Expectations that absolutely must be met (i.e., no excuse  deliverables), nothing but “crystal clear and aligned” will do. Reposted with permission from Partners In Leadership | June 12, 2015
For some people, forming “crystal clear and aligned” expectations may be easy, but for most of us, it’s not. Generally, we do an “okay” job of letting people know what we expect of them. When it’s really important, we often do a “better” job by working harder to make sure people know what we expect. However, doing “better” than “okay” is usually not enough to deliver the results we want. The work of forming “crystal clear and aligned” expectations begins with becoming much more conscious and deliberate about the process. First and foremost, the expectation must be formed in a way that makes the deliverable clearly understood by all involved. Managers and leaders can always form expectations on their own, but “crystal clear and aligned” expectations are always formed through collaboration with those involved in making it happen. Only mutually understood and agreed upon expectations can get people fully committed to getting the job done. So, how are you doing when it comes to forming “crystal clear and aligned” expectations? Answer “Yes” or “No” to the following questions to find out.
  • Do you wonder why the people you depend on just don’t seem to get it?
  • Are you often disappointed with the results people deliver and routinely ask the question, “How did that happen?”
  • Do your people sometimes feel that they waste time working on things you ask them to do because your priorities keep changing?
  • Are the people you work closest with unable to articulate what is most important to you with any degree of clarity or certainty?
  • Do you tend to understate what you are really asking people to do because you don’t want to strain relationships?
  • Do you assume your people already have the vision of what needs to be done and, as a result, you don’t take the needed time to form specific expectations?
  • Are you frequently re-explaining or further clarifying what it is you really want?
If you replied “Yes” to one or more of the above statements, there is room for improvement. Sign up for one of our upcoming webinars to learn more about forming crystal clear and aligned Key Expectations. Key Expectations is a registered trademark of Partners In Leadership, Inc. All other registered trademarks and trademarks used herein are the property of their respective owners.

News
6-Jul-2018

Changing a Culture that is Deeply Entrenched


Recently, this question was asked of us. “In an organization with negative culture deeply entrenched, management finds it hard to trust and empower. It is a vicious cycle and how do you change things in this case?” I’d like to dissect this question into three parts that requires addressing (1) “Organizations with negative culture deeply entrenched” (2) “Management finds it hard to trust and empower” and (3) Changing a vicious cycle.  1. Changing an organizational culture to a desired one (Addressing a negative culture that is deeply entrenched) Take an organization with negative culture deeply entrenched. An organization with a culture deeply entrenched drives the behaviors and actions of employees and leaders.  Culture is the most effective way to set the employees towards a single direction.  It is the individual leaders, managers and employees who create the culture of organization.  An individual who has influential power over others creates an experience that affects how other individuals and teams respond.  When this experience is repeated, it changes the way people think and act, which forms the informal culture of that group.  So, when we have culture that is negative, we can change it by reversing the process.  It is hard to change an entrenched culture as we need to repeat the experiences and consistently do it over a sustained period of time to remove the belief bias of individuals and team.  Changing negative or undesired culture is as difficult as creating a new culture.  The process to change are in 3 steps: Step 1: Identify the undesired current culture (C1).  Identify the actions and beliefs Step 2: Identify the desired culture (C2) Step 3. Create the new experience, new actions and new beliefs required to shift from C1 to C2. Change the Culture, Change the Game: the Breakthrough Strategy for Results, co-authored by Roger Connors, is a book for leaders looking to transform their organizational culture. 2. Building a culture where management trusts and empowers their people (Trusting and Empowering your People) Through the process of identifying the desired culture (C2), clearly defined cultural beliefs statements to shift the culture will emerge. It then becomes easier for the management team to address the behaviors in the current culture (C1). For example, two clearly defined cultural beliefs in the desired culture (C2) may be “Trust Team” and “Empower Others”. Guided by clearly defined cultural beliefs statements like these 2 examples on trust and empowerment, the organization now has a clear direction to change their behaviors and beliefs.  Previously, managers could have been holding a personal belief (their own culture) resulting in them acting and showing trust in a manner that is perceived as the exact opposite.  A manager micro-managing a team could be interpreted as “not trusting team” while that manager had a genuine intention of helping the team succeed by ‘lending a helping hand’.  However, when the team defines “Empower Others” with specific list of desired actions (A2) actions for this C2 culture, then the behaviors are more explicit and misalignment to the C2 culture will be avoided. 3. Breaking a vicious cycle of a negative culture leading to lack of trust and empowerment by management The vicious cycle seems like a helpless situation.  The good news is, it can be broken.  This requires an open feedback culture within the leadership team.  When we create a process that constantly inspects any current culture (C1) manifested by corresponding actions (A1), then intercept and address the actions immediately (we call it intervention), we can break the vicious cycle.  The first few A1 and C1 may be more difficult to call out.  It requires courage for individuals.  Leaders need courage to admit and see the reality in order to start the change.  Leaders also need feedback to open their blind-spots.  Some of you may say, “Without an environment of trust, how can leaders accept feedback openly?” Well, fortunately, feedback can be implemented as a formal process.  At first, the organizational leaders (in a less trusting environment) may feel uncomfortable to ask for and give feedback.  But with training and some change agents, such as champions and role models, we can start this cycle of open feedback.  Once the feedback tools and practice becomes more prevalent, the management and employees will start to be more open to the new culture. That’s when you see acceleration in this transformation.  Creating more momentum and traction will accelerate the transformation.  I have work with organizations that could take 12 months before seeing the acceleration due to a deeply entrenched legacy culture.  At the same time, I have recently worked with an organization who was able to create immediate momentum to see this acceleration within 1 month after embarking on this transformation exercise.  The key is the top leader (CEO) needs to be the champion of the change to speed it up. Plus there are change agents at 3 levels down from the CEO who are agents that keep that wheel turning. Manage your culture, or your culture will manage you.  Good luck! To find out more about our Accountability Training and Culture Change Services, sign up for our complimentary webinars at http://glidespartners.com/events/webinar/ or contact us at info@glidespartners.com. Read more in this article, Managing Culture Change. All trademarks are owned by Partners in Leadership and their respective owners. Glides Consulting Partners is the Exclusive, Authorized Representative for Partners in Leadership in Singapore, and partner of DOOR International.

New
News
6-Jul-2018

Dollars & Sense: Merging Cultures Post-M&A

Dollars, sense, synergies, and growth are all terms that are often associated with mergers and acquisitions...

This article was originally published by Hotel Business Review. See link below for full article. 

BMattson Newell | Feb 26, 2016 | Reposted from Partners in Leadership

A super platinum – everything status guest with a certain brand hotel chain walked into one of his favorite properties after this brand recently merged with another chain, looked around and said, “It just isn’t the same. I don’t even recognize them anymore.” He then walked out of the door determined to find a new favorite property he could count on.
Does this sound far-fetched to you? It shouldn’t; it happens all too often, and it should send chills down every leader’s spine. While this anecdote focuses on the guest, you can imagine the impact this would also have on the employees. Mergers and Acquisitions can surely impact the bottom line in the short term, but more importantly, they can also impact guests, team members, and anyone associated with a brand. Unfortunately, these components often get lost in the short-term activity and shuffle. In a world where M&A can happen anytime, to (almost) any company, leaders need be prepared and know how to manage and facilitate the process. Where Are We On the Change Curve? Initially, many in the organization will hold a mind-set of “Anticipation” as the news of the intended M&A unfolds and employees are introduced to the big ideas and the wonderful expected outcomes. Quickly, however, as the newness wears off and daily challenges are faced, many move to a state of “Questioning.” People are looking for answers and for leadership. If the answers are not there, if the leadership fails to lead, or if it’s at all fuzzy or confusing, “Questioning” quickly turns to “Doubting.” If the culture (the way people think and act) isn’t managed well at this point, many will give up, which shows up in so many undesirable ways-including turnover, gossip, poor performance, or simply moving into a “wait and see” disposition. This is a critical time, and if your people “Give Up” then they’re usually falling back into the C1 culture-the one that ignores the reality of the merger or acquisition completely-or worse yet , they will resist and resent it! On the other hand, if leaders actively manage the culture, using proven methods and tools to get people to “Buy-In” and get personally invested, then the adoption of the new C2 culture will be accelerated with a far greater likelihood of being successful.  Read full article at Hotel Business Review  – “Dollars & Sense: Merging Cultures Post-M&A”

EVENTS

Events
9-Sep-2015

Creating Business Value Through People – Strategic HR Roundtables 2015 on at Asian World Summit


Mr Tracy Skousen, President, International Division of Partners in Leadership Inc. spoke at one of the 5 sessions at the Strategic HR Roundtables 2015 in Kuala Lumpur on September 8th and 9th, organized by Asian World Summit. The theme of the Strategic HR Roundtables was on Creating Business Value Through People. [caption id="attachment_2812" align="alignleft" width="225"]At the Strategic HR Roundtables on September 8, 9 by Asian World Summit Mr Tracy Skousen, Partners in Leadership Inc, and Mr Henry Lee, Glides Consulting Partners, at the Strategic HR Roundtables on September 8, 9 by Asian World Summit[/caption] The sessions of panel roundtables were vibrant and transparent, as the panels, comprising notable HR leaders in Malaysia from various sectors and industries, shared their expert experience during the roundtables. The audience asked poignant questions and shared professional observations relating to HR Transformation, Delivering Business Value, Succession Strategies and more. [caption id="attachment_620" align="alignright" width="300"]HR Strategic Roundtable 2015 HR Strategic Roundtables 2015 - Creating Business Value Through People[/caption] Glides Consulting Partners, the Exclusive Authorized Representative in Singapore and Malaysia of Partners in Leadership, was privileged to be the Gold Sponsor of the event. Mr Tracy Skousen spoke on the topic of Accountability, and shared some personal insights based on his 20 years of experience in the leadership development and consulting industry, facilitating executive and management teams with notable organizations in various countries including Singapore and Malaysia.