Organizational Development &
Real Improvement
Listed below are areas (strategies) for us to address. This is not necessarily in a particular ‘must’ sequence of importance. The exact approach that we follow will be determined by us together. This learning process is not about ‘bad people or managers’, which often is thought of as the case…. but rather understanding our ‘bad’ practices and behaviors as well as addressing working-relationships between individuals, leaders and departments.
The success of any real endeavor to improve the business’s leadership, environment and culture must be led by the OL. His/her commitment and involvement will be absolutely critical to real change. The style, philosophy, beliefs, communication skills, etc of the one ‘at the top’ strongly influence the organization’s culture and climate. To lead this kind of change in an organization takes a strong, secure leader…open to self-assessment, awareness and personal change!
Establishment of Leadership Competencies
It is critical to ‘really’ achieve sustainable leadership change and organizational culture improvement in leadership, that the traits/qualities for leadership get established. This is recommended to be done with OL and Senior Leadership Team (with some communication with all levels of leadership). We must determine those traits that we want in leaders, and will become part of hiring, mentoring, training, promoting, etc. These same traits and competencies will in turn become part of the makeup of people throughout the organization, all skills and all levels.
The OL’s Executive Leadership-Management Team [ELMT]
The management staff/team ‘should’ demonstrate teamwork that is the model for the rest of the organization. Power, territories and empires at the top often exist and create decisiveness downward affecting all other subordinate team efforts and necessary working-relationships downward. Interestingly, ELMTs tend to exhibit less than satisfactory teamwork for a very understandable and logical reason…consider this: ELMTs are normally filled with aggressive, hard-charging, get-it-done-no-matter-what individuals that have reached those levels for precisely those reasons! Their individual performance and leadership may be effective…but they never developed the skills required to function as a team-member. Egos and individualism must be realized, understood and improved upon for this team to achieve higher levels of success.
Supervisor Team / Frontline Leaders (FLL)Most would agree that FLLs are in the most important leadership roles within the entire organization due to their immediate impact on productivity and culture. Rarely, however do they get any developmental training for the skills that they now need. Once again, we have people in places for ‘what they know’ and experience…the skill-set that is now needed is obviously very different now (leadership skills and techniques). Some of the skills which typically need development are:
OUTCOMES, CONCEPTS, SKILLS and TOOLS (for leaders at all levels!):
- Understanding and realizing LEADERSHIP QUALITIES and TRAITS.
- TRUST…deeper understanding…building…breaking it…. the value of it.
- Understanding the Power of RELATIONSHIP-BUILDING.
- Going from PEER to LEADER.
- TEAM-BUILDING…how to…tearing it down…building it…understanding the need.
- MOTIVATION, ATTITUDE and MORALE.
- HUMAN NATURE and HUMAN BEHAVIOR…. understanding people and culture.
- Interpersonal COMMUNICATION…skills and techniques, barriers, improving.
- COMMUNICATION Systems and Processes within the organization…Chain of Command.
- CONFLICT, DISAGREEMENT and DIFFERENCES…. resolving and managing.
- Handling ideas, suggestions and input.
- PEOPLE. …Understanding, individualism vs team-focus, HOW WE VIEW people.
- EMPOWERMENT, INVOLVEMENT and PARTICIPATION…how to create.
- LISTENING…a most powerful tool.
- BRAINSTORMING and TEAM PROBLEM-SOLVING.
- CREDIT and PRAISE…RECOGNITION and REWARD.
- DISCIPLINE, COACHING and FEEDBACK.
- Handling problems, negativism, COMPLAINTS, and stress.
- Creating an Open and Trusting environment.
- LEADERSHIP ASSESSMENT…. discovering ‘where you stand’…levels of leadership.
- FOLLOWERSHIP, Teamership, Loyalty, Pride…how to get it.
- Group Dynamics, the impact that we have on each other, CONSENSUS and BUY-IN.
- MENTORING, COUNSELING and developing people.
- Presentation and FACILITATION tips/techniques.
- CONTINUOUS LEARNING, IMPROVEMENT and SYSTEMS-thinking.
- Understanding the concept of CHANGE…selling, processing and utilizing.
- DELEGATION …skills and understanding (a great tool or a terrible one).
- CHARACTER, INTEGRITY, RESPECT and ACCOUNTABILITY.
- MAKING a DIFFERENCE…the Power of the LEADER’S ROLE…. using and abusing.
Communication Systems and Processes
Organizational Trust and Relationships
The Leadership Chain of Command
Our Leadership Practices
Organizational (and Individual) History and Culture
Change Management Implementation/Facilitation
Problem Solving, Decision-Making and Handling Ideas
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“Give a man a fish and he eats for today;
....my passion, books, business and life in working with organizations is to TEACH what this quote is all about......not just come in and give answers and fix stuff. It is actually my first book's title!
