Category Archives: Strategic

Tired of cleaning up after consultants? So are we!

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It isn’t unusual to hear that business people don’t like consultants. In fact, many of us here at Humanergy can recount consultant horror stories of our own. From the strategic planning consultant who seemed to want to sway everyone’s opinion, to the overpriced fund-raising consultant whose contribution to the bottom line was distinctly negative, what often resounds are the negative experiences. Perhaps it’s no coincidence that we don’t often refer to ourselves as consultants.

In spite of the well-earned criticism heaped upon consultants, there are times when you need an external expert to infuse new energy, knowledge and understanding. What should you be looking for when you need a consultant?

Honesty. Your first clue that a consultant may be less than truthful is when she exaggerates the abilities of her firm. Be wary of overblown descriptions of capability, capacity and experience. If a consultant does not acknowledge his own limits, how can you expect him to be truthful in all other dealings with you?

You matter most. Your consultant must have an authentic, passionate commitment to your organization and to the greater good. Self-serving consultants might talk a good game, but often they are really in it for themselves first (think sales quotas) and you a close second. This self-centered motivation may not be apparent at first, but over time, it will become a roadblock to your success. One sign of a competing priority is your consultant being afraid to lose your business, so he doesn’t give you a kick in the pants when you need it.

Service integrity. Is the senior consultant who sells you the work the same one who delivers? Often, it’s not, and those junior consultants have limited experience and have to learn as they go. They don’t have fluency in their thinking or use of tools and often are limited to standardized practices that might not fit your needs. The bottom line is that you don’t get what you were promised, such that achieving your goals is more difficult and sometimes impossible.

No template solutions. The best consultants start with gaining a deep understanding of your reality, then develop key principles that apply and work toward applications and solutions that fit for you. Tools are customized and client-centered, and result in sustainable change. Other not-so-great consultants start with their own tools or templates and apply them to create a solution. This one-size-fits-all approach happens most often when you have a junior consultant delivering what a senior person promised. While they may want to be more customer-centric, they don’t have the capabilities.

Strengthen, not supplant, the organizational leadership. A high-powered, forceful consultant might step in to lead and bring short-term results; However, in the mid- and long-range, this may deeply damage the organization’s leadership capability. A good consultant doesn’t replace or undermine the organization’s leaders. She builds upon the strengths that are inherent in the leadership and helps them make step-change in their performance, results and impact.

Sensitivity to privileged access. Consultants have the ear of senior leaders and frequently have more access to them than many others within the organization. A good consultant is extremely sensitive to this perception and the reality that he can be highly influential. The great consultant always puts the needs of the organization first and manages his communication accordingly; she does not engage in gossip, share information that is confidential or in other ways undermine the greater good.

The mere mention of a “consultant” can often cause leaders to shudder. That should be fair warning to all of us who work in partnership with leaders. Humanergy is extremely thankful for the trust and confidence our clients have in us. Or maybe they just like us for another reason. “Consultants have credibility because they are not dumb enough to work at your company” (Scott Adams, cartoonist). We don’t really agree with Mr. Adams’ perspective. Your company has plenty of smart people who sometimes need the support of a consultant who can not only sell you services but provide an amazing return on your investment.

Want more information on this or other topics? Contact Humanergy to find out more.

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Most rules are unnecessary and some are really dumb

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Let’s just clear this up, for those of you who are rule followers: Yes, there are a few rules that organizations need in order to comply with the law and create necessary structure and standards. Other than a scant supply of dictates, what more do you really need? (Even Moses came back down the mountain with only 10 commandments!)

The whole question of rules was reinforced by a blog called “What Every Manager Should Know About Managing Gen Y.” It advised leaders to create ‘Gen Y-friendly rules.” In fact, the authors recommend that you review all rules that people seem to try to work around.

Better yet, put all rules on the chopping block. Start with these:

Rules you can’t or won’t enforce. If people are breaking a rule right and left, ditch it. Either it’s impossible to enforce or the organizational will isn’t there. Lack of enforcement promotes cynicism and apathy about rules in general, even the ones you really need.

Rules that upper management folks break. If rules apply to some and not to others, get rid of them. Selective enforcement of the rules contributes to a toxic work environment.

Rules that don’t help you achieve your goals. We could insist that all of our staff maintain X hours of office time. We don’t because we realize that time in the office has little, if any, relationship to our goal – delighted clients. Keep your eyes on the prize and only create rules that are necessary for achieving it.

Rules that are micromanagement in disguise. Rules that tell people what to do and how to do it should raise alarm bells. Instead of dictating the “whats” and “hows,” only require that people orient towards the right goals and adhere to your ethical standards. Then let them exercise judgment and creativity in their work.

There are some pretty outrageous rules out there, if online postings are to be believed. Even if your policies don’t include a requirement that you give 2-weeks’ notice before dying, you may want to review your list. There may be some oppressive or just unnecessary rules that are doing your organization more harm than good.

Lots of rules may be an indicator that you’re spending way too much time on the activity of work – what you will DO. When your focus in on what you will ACHIEVE, you need fewer rules. Organizations can’t dictate their way into success – that requires an unrelenting focus on where you’re going and the crucial few non-negotiable rules that will help you get there.

Have a question about this topic or want some input from Humanergy? Contact us!

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Why superheroes can’t be strategic

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Think you’re not focusing on strategy because you don’t have enough time? Maybe it’s because you’re afraid to fail. You want – or even need – guaranteed success at every step.

Being too successful can actually work against you.  If you are accustomed to being invincible and have little experience with failure, you may find it difficult to contemplate the future with a truly open mind. While you’ll prefer to keep doing the “important” things you do that are familiar and that have won you accolades. You’ll be the hero to some, you won’t achieve your true potential. You won’t do what strategic action requires – fast forwarding the organization into a new, unexplored future that will keep it vital and relevant.

What can you do if you’re now sheltered and comfy in the trenches but want to be stretching yourself into strategic thinking and action?

Recognize your emotional comfort zone. Intellectually, you can tell yourself that you’re okay with risk. You might make excuses, like, It’s just this workload that keeps me from focusing on where our organization should go. The reality is that if you’re saying this year after year, there is something driving you to stay where you are. There is some competing commitment that keeps you fighting fires day after day. Could that competing commitment be a need to be seen as successful 100% of the time?

Amp up your motivation by visualizing new results. Take time to explore the results you’re getting now, with your current thinking. Then contemplate the new results you will need to achieve in order for the organization to thrive in the future. What new thinking is required to attain those results? (Hint: One part of this new thinking is, Sometimes I will fail AND I will learn from it.)

Identify how to be more strategic. Being strategic isn’t just about thinking great and expansive thoughts. When it comes right down to it, a spectacular strategy will fail if it cannot be properly executed. Therefore, strategic thinking really should be conceived of as strategic execution, where strategy informs execution and execution informs strategy. Step one of this process is to fast forward yourself into the future. What new realities face you? What new opportunities? What is your new vision of success? Step two involves looking back from your future perspective to create a plan for execution. As you implement this plan, allow lessons learned from execution to enlighten the strategies you’ve put in place.

Alan Lakein said that “Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now.” Don’t waste your opportunity to strategically execute just because you need a perfect win-loss record. The biggest win is yet to come.

Have a question about this topic or want some input from Humanergy? Contact us!

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Be strategic, even after a punch in the face

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David Wheatley, one of Humanergy’s founders, was working with a group of senior leaders last week when the topic turned to the need to be more strategic. These leaders recognized that as they moved up in the organization, the balance of time spent on strategy versus time spent on tactics needed to adjust. The problem was that while they knew this in theory, they simply weren’t putting it into practice. Daily life made it all too easy to focus on fighting fires, making operational adjustments and completing a never-ending list of to-dos.

One participant (we’ll call him Sam) quoted Mike Tyson, who said, “Everybody’s got plans…until they get hit.” Of course, David wasn’t going to let anyone off the hook; here’s the blow-by-blow:

David: “So, does a boxer have a plan when he goes into the ring?

Sam: “Sure, he has a strategy for winning the fight. But that all changes when the other guy lands the first punch.”

David: “How long do they fight (focus on tactical) before they take time to realign and be strategic?”

Sam: “A round lasts three minutes.”

David: “And the break between rounds lasts….?”

Sam: “A minute.”

David: “So, their ratio of tactical to strategic is 3 to 1. One-quarter of their time is on strategic work. Even after taking that horrible punch, the boxer spends 25% of his work day taking time out to refocus, consult with others and develop a new strategy.”

What two lessons can leaders learn from boxing when it comes to prioritizing strategic thinking and action?

Lesson 1: Get a trainer. A boxer has the advantage of a trainer – someone who manages that one-minute strategy session, reminding the fighter of what they’d agreed to and helping him adjust to changing conditions. The person in your corner may be your boss, a trusted colleague or a professional coach. Make sure that this person is someone who knows your reality and its challenges. The most important quality is brutal honesty. No namby-pamby,  feel-good advice when what you need is a kick in the pants.

Lesson 2: Be strategic, as if your life depends upon it. Schedule time to be strategic and keep that appointment as if it were a matter of life or death. Look at your scheduled meetings and other events right now. Categorize them as “strategic” or “tactical.” Do at least one strategically important piece of work before you do anything else. Like a boxer, discipline yourself and use 25% of your time to focus on anticipating opportunities and threats. Failure to think long-term will put your organization “down for the count.”

Leaders cannot rest on the strength of their operations to overcome a lack of strategic alignment. Working harder or smarter won’t be enough to overcome the fact that you haven’t adjusted to the changing conditions. Your opponents work just as hard, and they are ready to win by a unanimous decision. Are you?

Have a question or want some input from Humanergy about this topic? Contact us and we’ll get right back to you!


Interdependence: It’s real, and what you need to do about it now

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People in organizations like to talk about how “we’re all in this together.” But when it comes to acting like what happens in IT matters to Customer Service, for example, interdependence is like the tooth fairy. You’re ten years old and long ago figured out Dad’s slipping the dollar under the pillow. You go along with it, because it’s rewarded, and then you don’t give it a lot of thought. Likewise, you talk a good game about cross-functional communication, but you certainly don’t spend much time worrying about those other folks. After all, you’re up to your eyeballs in alligators with what you’ve been charged to do in your own department. Spending too much time worrying about other areas of the organization would be detrimental to your success.

That silo mentality only really works if you’re in business solo. For the rest of us working in organizations of any size, the reality is that we’re linked in a complex web of interconnections. If we recognize and make the most of interdependence within the organization, we will harness an untapped, potent force that produces results.

Stop slipping the dollars under the pillow. If you reward silo thinking and action, you’ll get more of it. If the only way for people to be seen as go-getters is to show independence and excellence in their functional area, you have some work to do. Help people understand that organizational success requires silo-free thinking and action. Give them a stake in it as well by aligning accountability with the interdependent reality.

Debunk the myth that cross-functional work is only good for innovation. Yes, groups of people coming together will birth great new ideas. They also are a necessary part of any organization doing its normal stuff.

Talk more, and do more too. The interdependent reality requires not only more communication, but more cross-functional, coordinated action as well. It isn’t enough that you copy the Sales department on Operations emails. Recognize the ways in which Sales and Operations impact each other, and most importantly, how they must integrate their work to benefit the total organization.

Work differently, not more. You can continue working like dogs within your silos, and you won’t solve the fundamental problems. In fact, you’ll just create more and different problems. To escape the cycle, rethink your goals and priorities. Ask: What are the things we must accomplish in order to not only meet, but exceed, the needs of our customers? What parts of the organization intersect with creating this value? This analysis will produce a set of interdependent goals that lead to sustainable success. This means you will need to stop doing some things. Ask: What am I (and my team) doing that does not contribute to this value? No matter how ingrained in the fabric of your organization, give up low value tasks so you can get the vital work done.

Spend differently, not more. Typically each department comes up with its own budget, and the battle begins. If you make the most compelling case (use the words crisis and failure a lot in your pitch), your area gets more and consequently, others get less. For long-term, sustainable success, gain a better understanding of the root causes of both your problems and your opportunities. Then assign resources to functions  that drive success and people who can deliver across departmental boundaries.

Slow and steady wins the race. You cannot transform your organization overnight. Create a plan for continuous movement that includes ongoing education at all levels. Take immediate action on stuff that isn’t too difficult to accomplish. Build on that success with more complex steps that are still practical.

Your silos were built over an extended period, and dismantling them will take time. (Sorry, no tooth fairy help here.) Balance urgency with patience, recognizing that this is not the “flavor of the month” initiative, but a prerequisite for survival.

Have a question or want some input from Humanergy about this topic? Contact us and we’ll get right back to you!


Winning hearts and minds

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Although typically thought of as a military strategy, leaders in other organizations must also win the hearts and minds of their people. The reality is that if you lose your people’s hearts and minds, then you will have lost their passionate engagement in the organization. They may still show up, but they will not devote their full emotional and physical energy to the job at hand. How do you win hearts and minds?

Speak directly. Like Voice of America, the U.S. government-funded radio broadcasts during the Cold War, you need a direct way of communicating with the organization’s people. Not all messages need to come directly from the top leaders, however mission-critical communications must. Use email or telecommunication to make it more feasible.

Make your message clear. Think about the one or two take-aways you want people to remember. Then plan carefully to ensure that your message is unmistakable. Use plain language, and keep it brief. If people need to take action, make the next steps unambiguous.

Challenge disinformation. You may not encounter an active counterinsurgency, but rumors and misinformation are probably inevitable. Don’t wait for rumors to die out on their own. Address  inaccuracies and falsehoods that surface, so that people don’t get distracted or confused.

No platitudes. In the end, hearts and minds are won by what you do, not what you say.  Listen. Provide a balance of challenge and support. Share decision-making. Encourage innovation. All of these efforts make a real difference in people’s work lives and build loyalty, engagement and satisfaction.

Don’t rely on charisma. Personal charm is important, but not sufficient. Humility, integrity and honesty are the foundational keys to keeping people on board for the long haul.

You may not be waging a war, but you do need to attend to the hearts and minds of the organization’s people. The payoff? Folks who not only are dedicated to their work, they also have enthusiasm and zeal for the work that is unmatched by your competition. That’s a battle well worth winning.

Have a question or want some input from Humanergy about this topic? Contact us and we’ll get right back to you!


Performance is improving, but not fast enough

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You’re piloting an airplane. You take off from the airport and head west towards the mountains. Your altitude is gradually increasing, but not at a fast enough rate. Without the right maneuvers now, the plane will crash into the side of the mountain.

A nightmare, right? Yes, but it’s also a great analogy for a problem we’re seeing in many organizations. Teams and individuals are working hard and seeing improvements in their performance. However, the business realities require them to get better at their jobs faster. Without a steeper trajectory, individuals and the organization will crash.

As an individual performer, how can you maneuver quickly to amp up the rate of your performance improvement?

Prioritize. What are the highest value things you can  do to improve results and make a big impact? Not the good uses of your time – only the critical few. Make those your priorities. Keep them uppermost in your mind, on your calendar and in your daily activity. When you know where you’re going and what it will take to get there, communicate this widely so that others in the organization also redirect their efforts.

Focus. This can be hard, but something’s got to go. It takes courage to dump projects and readjust activity to align with just a few priorities. The key is to focus relentlessly on the drivers of success. Don’t do the other stuff.  If there is not a direct relationship between the project or initiative and your highest value priorities, stop!

Be consistent. One of the most maddening dynamics in organizations is when the boss says A, B and C are our only priorities. Then something cool – unrelated to A, B and C – comes along. When opportunity knocks, don’t waffle; figure out if it aligns with your top 1, 2 or 3. If not, just say no. A compelling distraction is still a distraction.

Many of the strategies above work for teams too. Also consider the following:

Assign sufficient resources. As James W. Frick said, “Don’t tell me where your priorities are. Show me where you  spend your money and I’ll tell you what they are.” Clearly articulate a business case for what you’re doing. Then negotiate with your superiors to assign more time or employ new technologies to get the job done.

Feed your people. You’re leading a team that’s failing. Your first impulse might be to point out all the things that are going wrong. Instead, identify what’s working (Feed) and reinforce those behaviors. Then decide what you must achieve (Need) and fill in the gaps with new actions (SEED) that need to happen. Only after Feed, Need and Seed do you eliminate practices that aren’t working (Weed).

Quit bickering. When the going gets rough, back-biting and blame find fertile ground. Model and enforce a climate of open communication and respect. Help people to say what they need to say in a factual manner. After the crisis has passed, there will be plenty of time to dissect what happened and how it might be prevented in the future.

A Chinese proverb states, “A crisis is an opportunity riding the dangerous wind.” Face the reality of your impending collision, so that you can maneuver to make the most of the opportunity.

Have a question or want some input from Humanergy about this topic? Contact us and we’ll get right back to you!


I could stop whenever I want to

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You’re addicted to your smartphone.  So what? Isn’t that a pretty socially acceptable compulsion – one that helps you be more efficient and effective? The term “Crackberry” isn’t considered to be universally negative. If you’re hyper-connected, you’re considered to be technologically advanced and in demand.

Perhaps you question whether you’re really addicted. Maybe you really could stop whenever you want to. So why do you break into a cold sweat if you inadvertently leave the house without it? Why can’t you turn it off or ignore it?

What are the downsides to this habit?

You devalue the people around you. If you interrupt conversations to answer email or take calls, you are giving the message that the current activity is less valuable to you than whatever’s happening on your phone.

You lose valuable “stare out the window” time. Constant connection prevents you from devoting blocks of time to thoughtful reflection.This thinking time is a necessary leadership activity – allowing for deep thinking about the strategic priorities that need your attention.

Email, in particular, is addictive. Psychologists are identifying email addiction as a growing problem. People become obsessive about checking email. Receiving satisfying (funny, informative or whatever you find fulfilling) email happens intermittently. That is the most potent kind of habit-forming reinforcement, and what causes some folks to constantly scan their inboxes.  They even have a name for it – “variable ratio reinforcement!”

You think you’re constantly needed. Perhaps the most insidious of the smartphone addiction symptoms is the underlying message of importance. If you’re connected 24/7, it must be because your input is always essential. Recognize that often the issue is yours (I need to be “in the know”) and not theirs. People will survive without you. They even learn to make decisions and grow as leaders without you standing in the way.

Before you come to the conclusion that your smartphone use isn’t a problem, try turning it off a few hours each day. Take a walk. Think expansively. Then come back, refreshed and ready to tackle the work that really does require your time and talent.

Have a question or want some input from Humanergy about this topic? Contact us and we’ll get right back to you!



Are you a consistent leader?

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Is your leadership consistent, regardless of the setting you are in, the people you’re with or the circumstances you’re facing? Consistency in leadership may sound like a recipe for boring sameness or rigid thinking. On the contrary, being a consistent leader means:

  • What is important today is also important tomorrow
  • You don’t chase the latest fad, project or trend
  • Your bad mood doesn’t cause you to act radically different
  • People know what to expect from you

Being consistent in your leadership means that even under duress, you make the right choices. You steer the ship, make mid-course corrections and align your “crew” around important best practices that will help you reach your destination.

Even the most reliable and unswerving of leaders must be able to adjust to change. Yet, the consistent leader will be grounded, so that unfamiliar and challenging conditions won’t change the quality of interactions, thinking and decision-making.

How do you stay on course and make consistently positive leadership choices? Start by answering these four questions.

1. What is success? Success is defined first by the impact you want to make – and secondarily by the results you need to achieve to have that impact. Think about who and what will be changed by your efforts. That’s your impact.

2. What is sacred? What are your non-negotiables? Make a list of the things you will not compromise, no matter what. For example, you might list ethical standards that are vital and unchanging.

3. What is important? List a few guiding principles for your life and your leadership. Examples might include:

  • Act with integrity
  • Be a good steward of resources
  • Be humble
  • Have fun

4. What works? Know – and grow – best practices that lead to success, help you hold fast to what is sacred and allow you to focus on what is important. Identify the thinking and actions that are requirements for questions 1, 2 and 3.

Consistent, dependable leadership choices provide a solid foundation for your people – enabling them to weather storms and operate at their peak. You shouldn’t be completely predictable. You don’t have to be perfect, and you’re allowed to have bad days. What you cannot do is permit outside conditions to change you fundamentally – causing you to shift whichever way the wind blows. Be the anchor that your organizational ship requires.

Have a question or want some input from Humanergy about this topic? Contact us and we’ll get right back to you!


Think achieve, then do

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If you don’t know where you’re going, you can never get lost. Herb Cohen

When vacationing, the lack of a defined destination can set the stage for a grand adventure. In our work lives, however, not knowing where you’re going usually spells disaster. How can you best meet your goals and avoid the aimless wandering that wastes everyone’s time and money?

Think achieve, then do. Before you get down to action, focus on what it is you want to achieve. Don’t think about what you want to do, define what you want to accomplish. Ask yourself these questions:

  • Why are we doing this? What is our purpose for doing this work?
  • What result are we trying to achieve? What will change, and how? What will be created or eliminated?
  • When this is done, what will success look like? What impact will it have? On whom and on what?

Think achieve, then do may not come naturally. There are some common barriers to focusing first on what we want to accomplish, including:

Task orientation. You arrive at work and immediately get busy. You check things off your to-do list. It is all too easy to get through an entire work day without thinking about what you are trying to achieve. Don’t take for granted that you know what results and impact you’re striving for. Take some time each day, preferably first thing, to zero in on “think achieve.”

Fuzzy goals. You may think you know what you’re trying to accomplish and why. But do others share the same picture? Talk about it to ensure that you and your teammates have a common vision around what will be achieved -  a shared definition of success. Pretend you’re traveling to the future and that you’ve accomplished your mission. What does the world look like? Who or what has changed? What spin-off effects can you imagine?

I “should.” Think achieve, then do requires focus and a direct connection between what you want to accomplish and what you think and do each day. When you say, “I really should…(exercise daily, call my customers more frequently, take my son to dinner…), do you really have any intention of doing it? If so, do it. If not, “I should” is a distraction from a laser-like focus on what you really want to get done.

Lack of realism. If your picture of success is complex, break it into discrete, manageable chunks that you can accomplish over time.

Lost focus. Use reminders that help you keep your eye on the ball.  Post a list of what you want to achieve in a spot where you’ll see it regularly. Find a meaningful picture that represents what you want to accomplish. Create a theme song. Set up automated reminders on your phone or computer. The key is to put your desired results front and center to keep you on track.

Not doing. It’s one thing to get pumped up about what you want to achieve. It’s another to hunker down and get it done. Resist the urge to do it all yourself. Assemble others with a vested interest and divide duties. Decide how you’ll move forward, monitor progress and hold one another accountable.

Charting a course to a future reality can be exhilarating. It also requires a tolerance for risk, since the journey to your ultimate destination will include some surprises. Mark Twain said to succeed in life you need two things – ignorance and confidence. You may not know exactly what lies ahead, but start your trip today by figuring out what is you really want to achieve. Then get packing and enjoy the ride.

Have a question or want some input from Humanergy about this topic? Contact us and we’ll get right back to you!