Understanding the Customer Experience

Customer eXperience (CX) is more than customer service centers or doing a customer satisfaction survey. Having the best price or product is great, but lots of other companies can claim the same.  It is a strategy to become more successful by making business about every interaction the customer has with your product, service, brand, and company.  The goal is to make every interaction pleasant for the customer so they feel good and return to buy more.  

• "61% of consumers say their priorities keep changing as a result of everything going on in the world. As a result, the way they interact with brands is evolving, and so too is the idea of customer experience.." from Accenture Insights and Research 

The customer experience starts with marketing materials that attract their attention.  Marketing can be digital or print.  The old marketing rule of seeing your brand at least three times before they buy my still ring true, but the methods for getting that attention have changed.  Businesses can not rely on only one marketing effort that has worked I the past, they must use multiple channels to not only communicate with current customers but to reach potential new customers.

• On the Adobe for Business blog post explaining customer experience management, they explain "For today’s customers, their experience matters as much as your offerings. In fact, 86% of consumers say they’re willing to pay more to receive a superior customer experience. And 64% are more likely to recommend your brand if they have a great experience, leading to increased referral business and higher return on investment." 

The customer experience means more than getting them into a physical store, to attend a sales meeting, or buy from a website.  It consistently delivering a brand experience that makes customers want to come back.  Loyal customers continue to drive business revenue only as long as they feel they are getting more than just a regular product or one-time service for their money.  Remember they can always go elsewhere for a similar product or service if they are not getting a satisfactory experience with a company and brand,

• "80% of customers value their experience with a company as much as its products or services." is just one of the many statistics presented in the Customer Onboarding blog by OnRamp.

Communication is important to any customer who has a problem anywhere during the sales cycle or after delivery.  If the customer reports a problem, they must be kept in the loop on how it is being solved.  The quickest way to loose a customer is for them to have a bad experience and believe no one is listening to their complaints.  When considering word-of-mouth, a really great or a slightly bad experience is often communicated faster than a good one - especially with social media making it easier to complain.  Communication with the customer is also important when considering improving a process that involves them or developing a new product that replaces a popular version.  So consider asking for feedback from those that order often to make sure the proposed updtes still offers them the value they expect.

• According to Hubspot blog, a provider or customer satisfacton surveys and map templates to plan the customer journey "Excellent customer experience leads to loyal customers, who are likely to sing your praises via word-of-mouth marketing, which 92% of people trust more than advertising." 

If the goal of great customer experiences is met. It may lead to customers giving great reviews and encouraging others to buy from the company as well. Word-of-mouth marketing then expands from social networking through company resources to trusted individuals sharing their experience with others who might be interested in what you offer.  Sales go up, profits go up, and companies stay successful.  Customers should always be treated like they are kings and queens, because without them there are no sales nor profits. 

Who Controls American Business, Media, or Government?

Do you ever wonder who really controls American business, media, or government?  For business: you might say it is American entrepreneurs starting new enterprises, or you may think of those running franchise opportunities in America and abroad, or you may say the rich citizens who already own big successful companies.  You may even look at Wall Street to see what is currently on-top or research billionaires to determine what they are into.  For media: you might think along the technology lines of social media (aka Big Tech), or entertainment media (aka Hollywood), or you might consider journalistic pursuits (aka Main Stream Media).  For government, you may believe in "we the people" democracy as the major stakeholder or the republic and who laws are created to protect.

For every example, you are most likely thinking it is United States citizens who have achieved the American dream.  Some may even consider international and global reach as the people in control.  Then there are those that worry Communist China is really the one gaining control of American business, media, and government.  Is the USA hurling towards crisis inspired by a new type of economy based on marketing propaganda instead of quality products and preformance-based service? If it is USA citizens (native-born or legally naturalized) controlling corporate strategy, the American dream will continue to grow.   If it is not, then either environmental and growth restrictions of globalization or communist government-owns everything will be the future resulting in the crushing death of the American dream.  

Who do you think controls American business, media, or government?  Is de-globalization the answer to save USA or European businesses?  Share your thought in comments on this blog post.

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Are Social Media Outlets Hiding Information From Users?

In the past few years, we have learned that most social media providers are not about their users or about promoting free speech as was designated as their original purpose for existing.  No, they are a business with customers who are not necessarily the same as their users.  Most social media outlets are about profit through advertising dollars and promoting the beliefs/values of the outlet's owners.  Social media  platforms keep changing who they allow to voice opinions on their networks and what they will allow the remaining network audience to see.   A few of these actions may be directed at preventing "misinformation" or encouraging  "disinformation" to appease the government or other powers, but more are about controlling what facts social media users see. Whether hiding select information is done at the direction of owners, advertisers, or politicians is not shared with their users.  

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Well-known social media platforms continue hiding information from users by constantly changing how the information is displayed.  When hiding started in 2020, Facebook users were encouraged to either view a "fact check" or "alternative view" article first before clicking through to what they wanted to view.  Twitter did something similar with a friendly warning pop-up when users wanted to share "questionable" items and forcing user to choose to continue by clicking option in pop-up or outside of it to cancel communication.  Now, the user sometimes also may click an additional option on the post to see one-time view of the article image link or video link.  To prevent the complaints, users are allowed to go to a "security" option to turn-off the platform's latest change or opt-out of tracking history. 

     Example of Twitter Popup when Retweeting Website/Articles 

     Example of Twitter Text on select Website/Video as of 3-4-2022 

     Example of Twitter Text on Blocked Video Sites as of 6-1-2022

     Example of Twitter to Change View Settings (from above) to Prevent Blocking 

     Example of Twitter Terms to End Accounts for ANY/NO reason effective 6-10-22

Are these new changes letting users control more of what they see or is it still about the social media outlet keeping control of that?  Will users take the 2nd or 3rd click/step required to see the hidden information from selected sites?  Will other platforms choose to change "sensitive" view options that make it sound like users will see pornography instead of platform-deemed "questionable" information.  Are social media owners hoping users will not exercise their personal choice by making the extra effort to click again?  Is the reason platforms are requiring the extra clicks so they can track user choices better or find out what is most popular topics?  Will any of it make a difference to owner's profits, advertiser's bottom-line, or to the user's free speech?  Do social media users still have the option to gather their own facts and form their own opinions? 

Articles and videos continue to get blocked, not because they have been individually "fact checked," but due to the main URL of the .com/.net/.org being targeted for reasons known only to the social media provider.  Or in the case of a video, it might it be a particular YouTube (and competitors), TV, or cable channel suppression.  So where do users go to find truth/facts or lies/fiction now?   

Yes   that's a lot of embedded questions above that are definitely NOT hidden from view!  Why?  Because  questions make you think.  If you think, then you can form your own opinions.  Sharing opinions in an acceptable and respectful way is allowed freedom of speech. The user should have the opportunity to decide, not the social network outlet.  History will tell us if the user's decision is important to the platforms they use.

NOTE:  Twitter changed ownership in 4th quarter 2022, now transparency of past and current processes is ongoing under the new management that is promoting "freedom of speech" but not necessarily freedom of reach?  See December 2022 deletions and solutions articles plus January 2023 infographic, regarding #TwitterFiles compiled data of free speech suppression and hidden truths for political reasons currently being ignored by mainstream media news that proves partisan censorship. 

ADDED NOTE: What about Facebook/Meta Media Mix? FB uses a little italicized i to make it look like users can get more related topic information, but often it tricks people by showing a list of prejudiced articles that express the social media owner's views. Although, upon occasion, it will share if a link site has/hasn't an FB page or other recent videos from that site only if it is "news" site.  But they still limit or outright  block free speech of most vocal conservatives, medical experts, Christians (formerly religious freedom to Bible), and politicians that do not buy into Zuckerberg's obvious malarkey meant only to get FB owner more money - not actually help people. In 2021, Facebook Admits in Court That ‘Fact Checks’ Are Just Opinion - in other words, what the boss wants communicated or NOT.  Then the following year, at Congressional hearing, Facebook CEO blames the government for selected censorship.

Google is no longer in the social media game, but are they a "Big Tech" who is still censoring topics in searches and pushing political ads as actual news? What about those MSN searches, will their AI bots censor even more?

UPDATES: Did DNC government try to crush USA citizens' FREE SPEECH?  Will it ever be fully restored on social media platforms? Will the government and "Big Tech" try to do it again?

Uncovering Key Business Management Issues

The economy is down and inflation is rising!  The pandemic is not coming to an end yet and schools move to and fro with web-based classrooms - continuing to effect the workability and challenge flexibility of employees.  There are so many issues facing business this year, it is no wonder managers are trying to find what they should be doing to keep their business thriving.  Many are turning to their Human Resource departments to do research or they are doing their own research on the internet or by reading  multiple business-related publications.

There are so many articles and surveys trying to give leaders some sort of idea where to concentrate their efforts.  However, they need to be read carefully for who the article is meant to help.  Is it meant to help most corporations stay in-the-black, or to keep small businesses afloat in uncertain times, or is the article really meant to generate a business need that will actually profit the article writer more than those who read the article or post?

Two surveys that you may want to review include:

• Gartner HR Survey Reveals #1 Priority in 2022 will be Skills and Competencies
• Bloomberg Survey Shows Top 3 Concerns of CEOs in 2022

Is technology a big issue for business in 2022?  Security companies are telling business mangers that cyber security should be their main concern to prevent business interruptions.  However, only 57% of managers they surveyed agreed with that.  At the same time, companies that offer telecommunications are still saying it is important to increase virtual meeting capability and phone app usage as the pandemic has taken various twists and turns.  Are they right and are telecommunication companies ready to meet performance requirements?  Does your company need new technology, better technology, or updates to telecommuting processes and policies?

Are social issues and/or DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) a current  issue for business?  Although consultants will tell you these are major concerns, do they really affect the bottom line?  Yes, if you choose the wrong ones!  Social awareness is supposed to be key to the newer generation of employees but following what maybe advertised as politically correct has cost many companies in loss of valuable customers due to boycotts the past few years.  DEI was low on the Gartner survey as it does impact Human Resources,  Not only as a training program, employees have left companies for bringing in propaganda disguised as "diversity training" that was insulting to their personal morals, values, ethics, and intelligence.  These same employees took customers when they reported the that information on social media, which created a PR nightmare and devastated the image of those companies.  Traditional versions of DEI and EEO to build trust and understanding. as well as prevent racial issues has been effective for decades.  But some of the new "improved" versions may not be what they claim, instead they can build distrust and division.  Employees working against each other can not be good for business.  Management and HR must research heavily and attend the training themselves before they bring in anything that is not skills related to verify it meets their needs to include others not divide people.  Consultants and training material providers want to make sales, just like you do - so verify the facts instead of believing the pitch.  Make sure what you buy truly matches corporate culture and  beliefs.

Is supply chain still a key issue for businesses to be concerned about? This concern did make the bloomberg survey as the continued pandemic has and will affect it.  Whether your business is a supplier or uses supplies, you should be adapting your processes sustainable and resilient.  Organizations will need to become streamline and agile.  Products quality also needs to be maintained to ensure repeat customers. who are moving from a just-in-time ordering process to a storing for future purposes.

Seems like business managers may be better focused on the needs of their particular business than listening to the trends.  Read the surveys to learn what others think, but keep in mind that is their impression based on their experience not yours.  Focus on your compnay leadership, your customer service, and your process improvement.  Yes, you can research "what's new" just be sure to check it through your professional lens to determine if it meets you needs or just send your dollars down the drain into another's profits.  Jumping on a new bandwagon without really looking, means you are likely to totally miss your target!

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Committing to Corporate Citizenship

Investopedia defines corporate citizenship as "the social responsibility of businesses and the extent to which they meet legal, ethical, and economic responsibilities, as established by shareholders."  So how does citizenship impact profit, after all profit is the reason most businesses exist.  However, putting profit over people can eventually cause a company to loose some customers, which does impact the bottom line.

Most organizations understand meeting legal requirements and how the economy affects them, in order to stay on business but do they understand social responsibility?  For decades companies have been training employees and leadership in business ethics  and corporate values.  The clearest way to understand social responsibility is it is taking corporate ethics and values outside the company and into the community.  This can be done via charitable activities and contributions, which may be done corporately or by sponsoring the actions of specific employees.  

There are five stages to developing corporate citizenship: Elementary, Engaged, Innovative, Integrated, and Transforming (similar to the stages of team-building).  In between each the five stages, companies develop the four C's: Credibility, Capacity, Coherence, and Commitment. 

Entrepreneur says the initial cost of becoming socially responsible in stage one will negatively affect profits, which is why many companies move no further than elementary stage.  However their article uses the case that consistent  citizenship can build a good corporate reputation that may eventually lead to profits in a socially conscience environment.  To ensure that corporate citizenship happens within the company, it is important to include it in long-term strategy planning and goal setting.  However, be careful in how you use your citizenship actions and contributions in marketing on social media and corporate websites.  Aligning unwisely to the wrong types of non-profit organizations or causes can result in looking unpatriotic or overly political, which may result in possible boycotts and lost business.  

Want more information on how to create corporate social responsibility (CSR), watch the 1 hour video Corporate Citizen: Risk & Internal Controls by Strategic Business Leadership (SBL). 

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Two Key Parts of Strategic Planning: SWOT and SMART

At the beginning of each year, business leaders will take time to review their achievements of the past year and plan for their growth in coming year and future.    Planning will include reviewing the company vision, mission, values, as well as setting goals and creating new projects.  Leaders will look for new products, acquisitions, services, process improvement, marketing, cost cutting, and other ways to improve the profits and placement for the company,  Human, technology, and other resources will be reviewed and future requirements considered to support meeting their new goals and strategic initiatives.  Two items hat can be very key parts of strategic planning include SWOT analysis and SMART goals.  

Knowing how to do all this requires brainstorming and mapping of ideas.   The SWOT process  (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) can help with looking at what was, what is, and what might be.  Doing a SWOT helps to align action with planing for growth and profit.  It creates an awareness of many issues and how to overcome them or build upon them.   This process may be done by the company leaders or a team they have give the task to.  Potential team members could be valued employees, technical experts, current clients, and interested stockholders.

Setting the annual strategy should be yearly process to develop SMART goals and create a plan for success.  Goals must be measured and reviewed during the year to make sure the path is still the direction that the company should be going and if it is, that the target is still achievable.  Celebration for reaching goals and recognizing those that contributed to the company;s success should also be part of the plan  

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Six Success Zones for 21st Century Leaders

The Leadership Zone Model
from AchieveGlobal

In a 4-page report by Craig Perrin, he studied 42 leadership practices to come with 6 zones to create a new model for effective leadership.  His conclusions from the study resulted in these six (6) Leadership Zones:

1.    Reflection = Assess motives, beliefs, attitudes, and actions.

2.    Society = Apply principles to balance individual and group well-being.

3.    Diversity = Respect and leverage differences.

4.    Ingenuity = Offer and execute practical ideas to create a climate in which innovation can thrive.

5.    People = Connect with others on the human level

6.    Business = Develop strategies and guide effort toward predicted results.

To be successful leaders must navigate the 6 zones because according to Perrin, success today involves the following five Business Challenges:

-    “More complex problems demand greater reflection.

-    Sustainable long-term strategy must have a positive impact on society.

-    Large-scale efforts need to leverage diversity in all its forms.

-   Ingenuity drives innovation, which sharpens a competitive edge.

-   Motivating people must involve their emotions as well as their minds.”

Read the full “Leader vs. Manager: What’s the Distinction?” report to review the success steps necessary for each zone.

Strategic Thinking to Win: Process

In my previous post on the book Think to Win (on Amazon #ad), the principles of the book were provided.  This time I would like to outline their suggested process with 8 questions and some of the accompanying strategy tools or results per step.  The process helps managers connect the dots to prevent a scattered approach to necessary changes.  SWOT is used throughout the process, but is listed below only when it is introduced.

Think to Win – Eight Question Process

Present

1.  What do we know?

     -  Data Analysis

     -  Umbrella (Problem) Statement using CFC = Clear, Focused, Compelling

2.  What is most important?

     -  7 C’s Framework = Company, Colleagues, Category, 
        Customers/Consumers, Competitors, Community

     -  SWOT = Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, Threats

3.  What differentiate us?

     -  SCA = Strategic Completive Advantage

4.  Insights, so what?

     -  Key Issues and Implications

Future

5.  What is our purpose and position?

     -  Vision, Purpose/Governing Statement

6.  What should we aim to achieve?

     -  Balanced Goals

     -  3M’s = Measures, Metrics, Milestones

7.  What choices do we make?

     -  Brainstorming

     -  3 Strategies: Core, Alternative, Contingent

8.  Did we win?

     -  Initiative Teams for Core Strategies

     -  Action Plan/Roadmap

     -  Communication:
        --  Key Messages include Situation, Action, Impact
        --  Plan-on-a-Page
        --  Meetings

Strategic Thinking to Win: Principles

The book Think to Win (on Amazon #ad) by: Butler. Manfredi, and Klein return the business leader to the critical thinking of plan and check before execution concepts taught in quality improvement using a slightly newer and more strategic framework.  In the book, the authors go beyond creative thinking to a method of thinking that propels a business forward in more than innovation.  The Think to Win (TTW) process revolves around five guiding principles as the framework. 

Think to Win - Guiding Principles

1. Challenge assumptions.  Keep an open mind.  Do so by asking lots of questions and be ready to accept the need to change.
2. Scope the issue.  It is essential to identify what you are undertaking and the framework you will be working under to get everyone working together in the same direction.
3. Rely on facts and data because facts inform outcomes.  In other words, good decisions need to be based on analysis of data rather than emotions and unproved beliefs. 
4. Focus on the vital few.   Do not try to fix everything at once, determine what changes can make the most impact on the bottom-line by reducing costs or increasing profits.  Consider flipping Pareto’s 80/20 rule into TTW’s 90/10 results/actions.
5. Connect the dots.  Before jumping into solutions, check where there are linkages into other processes, departments, etc. so nothing gets overlocked or a new problem created.  

Guiding principles are important objectives in business and leadership.  Get the book above to see their recommended questions to ask yourself and your team when looking at new ways to improve your business.

In reading Think to Win, I was glad to see other management book authors besides me go back to defining principles that support their recommended process. Check back in a few weeks to see an outline of the TTW process.

Leadership Development – Report Confirms Top Three Needs

I reviewed the 2014 Trends in Executive Development survey by Executive Development Associates and various summaries of it and passed reports.  This report is conducted every 2 years, so the one in the link above is the latest version at the time of this post.  I thought I would share their results that may show the top 3 needs in developing leaders. I have also included links to posts and articles that may help define what some of these mean if you are not already familiar with the terms. 

#1 A leader needs the ability to create and communicate VISION (formerly #2 under Leadership).  A quote from the report says:

“Vision without strategy will not get far.

And neither will move forward without engagement.”

So we need to include:

• Strategy Execution (formerly separate as #3)
• Engaging Others (formerly part of #2)

Where can you get help with all three components of #1?  Check out The Work of Leaders in Vision, Alignment, and Execution.

#2 A leader needs CRITICAL THINKING (formerly #1 and also ties very much ties to all parts of new #1)

• Creative thinking
• Problem solving
• Strategic thinking
• Decision making
• Attentional control
• Intuition
• Cognitive readiness
• Sense making
• Adaptability
• Metacognition

#3 A leader need to increase COLLABORATION (formerly one of the components of #5) 

Short URL for this post = https://tinyurl.com/2bnssp8t See also post on Report Indicates Top 4 Needs.

Creating a Business Plan for Your Start-up Company

Why do you need a business plan and what  are the main components are.  Components are noted below.  I have included links to U.S. planning templates for your convenience.  You may want to review YouTube videos on business plans and the book post Rules for Bootstrapping a Startup Business as well.

Six Parts of a Business Plan
1. Executive Summary (do last)
2. Business Details
3. Marketing and Sales Strategy
4. Management Team and Personnel
S. Set-up
6. Financial Plan and Projections

Downloadable Business Forms (including plan templates) from Entrepreneur Magazine

Downloadable PDF Template or On-line Option from U.S. Small Business Administration

If you have a start-up in Africa, you might want to check out UBuntu blog post.

Talent Development Is a Key Element in Talent Management

We hear the terms “talent development” and “talent management” more and more in Human Resource (HR formerly personnel) circles.  Some think they are the same thing while others may believe they are separate or somehow connected.  Are these just new buzzwords that take the place of old HR terms or are they a new form of employee empowerment?  Will these terms disappear in a few years like so many other business buzzwords have? 

The answer to the buzzword question is Yes and No.  Yes in a way, talent management is a new term that encompasses many old HR departments into a more integrated and strategic plan for hiring and retaining the best employees.  According to ERE.net (Electronic Recruiting Exchange) talent management is a major breakthrough. It requires an integrated approach from HR (recruitment, benefits/compensation, and training are no longer separate functions working on their different projects) and more involvement from non-HR management.  The purpose being to hire the right people (and when necessary let the wrong people go) and make sure they develop into great representatives of the organization. HR professionals who want to learn more should read The Talent Management Handbook (available on Amazon #ad).

No, talent development is not a new term for employee empowerment. Empowerment is pretty much a given in most successful companies now.   However, this newer term may encompass the different levels of personal and team development that leads to empowerment through OJT or formal learning/training.  According to Forbes, there are 3 barriers and 5 keys to talent development that leaders must understand. Talent development is more about improving performance and providing training opportunities to help employees excel.  If talent development is still a puzzle, check out 5 Talent Development Strategies to Enhance Long-Term Employee Engagement and Commitment to better understand how the old training department fits into the new talent management culture.

Whether or not these new business buzzwords will disappear? Only time can tell for sure.  However, it has been 17 years since the McKinsey & Company research that prompted the talent management term, 13 years since the book The War for Talent (on Amazon #ad) was published, and 10 years since the above ERE article on talent management was written.  Yet, many HR folks are still using the term.  As far as the term talent development goes, let us hope it sticks around because ASTD, the American Society for Training and Development changed their name to include that term (Association for Talent Development - ATD) this year after over 70 years with versions of their old name.

Value-based Leadership verses Ethical Management

Which is better value-based leadership or ethical management?  Or are they one and the same with just different names? 

Business management ethics was a big topic in the last two decades of 20^th century. Then came the 21^st century and everyone began to talk more about value-based leadership although the concept had been around for some years.   

Values and ethics should overlap in company leadership since personal core beliefs are what should influence the decisions that need to be made.  However most think of ethics more along the lines of a business code of conduct that defines what is acceptable behavior for employees or when dealing with customers. Whereas values are more about feelings of what is right or wrong about a situation that should help guide people to make the best move. 

Great values-based leaders will do the following:

• Articulate and clarify the values for the organization
• Explain how these values impact decision making
• Hold employees responsible for keeping these values in their work
• Reward those who show values-based efforts in decisions and service.

Many books have been written on various leadership theories, including the topics of ethics and values.  If you want to check out the top recommended books for values-based leadership, keep reading.  For a brief description of the four principles From Values to Action book (on Amazon #ad), check out Forbes article “The Only True Leadership Is Values-Based Leadership” (2011).  According to Harry M. Jansen Kraemer Jr, the four principles are self-reflection, balance, self-confidence, and humility.  In the book Value Leadership (published 2003 and on Amazon #ad), Peter S. Cohen outlines seven principles:  value human relationships, foster teamwork, experiment frugally, fulfill your commitments, fight complacency, win through multiple means, and give to your community.

Will Your Strategic Planning Event Be the Best Yet?

It may seem as if I am writing this a little late since most organizations already have plans for yearly strategic meetings set before the previous fiscal year-end.  It is never too late to get great tips and advice to make your strategic planning event better. 


According to RARA - A Meeting Wizard's Approach (available on Amazon #ad) there are 5 Common Types of Participative Meetings.  For this time of year, let us concentrate on strategic planning meeintgs.  Why?  As the book notes this type of meeting can bring the following results for a great New Year:  organizational vision, values/beliefs, mission/purpose, goals/objectives, process maps, policies/procedures, new business exploration, and change plans. 

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Below are links to a few good, short reads for improving your strategy meetings:

• Management Excellence Do’s and Don’ts to Optimize the Annual Strategy Offsite  (for planning event)
• Smart Meetings Best Practices for Corporate Retreats (for pre and post event planning)
• Strategic Plan How to Facilitate a Monthly Strategy Review Meeting (for follow-up after the event)

If you are looking for ideas on how to facilitate a strategic or goal-setting meeting as well as add activities that aid the purpose of your meeting, you may want to check out a few of my older newsletters on Values and Vision, SWOT, Purpose or Mission, Change Management, and Goals.  Most of these newsletters will provide “how to” instructions for activities or links to articles with more helpful tips.

Here are a few optional links you may want to check out.

• Share Infographic on RARA Meeting Management to remind everyone how to hold better meetings throughout the business year
• Download the Aberdeen Group's Strategic Meetings Management Report sponsored by Cvent
• Get more efficient and effective business meetings from self-paced guide RARA - A Meeting Wizard's Approach with reproducible meeting forms for team leaders and meeting facilitators

Free Business Articles for Organization Newsletters

Looking for free well-written business articles for your organization’s newsletter?  I often get emails from company, association, university, and military representatives asking if they can reprint one of my e-articles in their own newsletter.   I am flattered that they find the information in an article so useful that they want to share it with employees, members, and others.  If you are in charge of a newsletter and looking for something that will strike a chord with your readers, please feel free to check out and use any of the articles on the following topic web pages.  A link to reprint guidelines should be at the top of each page.

·         Communication and Presentations

·         Leadership and Strategy
·         Meeting Management
·         Social Networking and Media
·         Team Building and Project Management
·         Time Management and Organization

Articles that have been published in print magazines will require additional permission from the magazine to reprint any of the text. If you want the right to copy an article in print, you may have to purchase that right from the magazine.  However, you can email out the direct link to a PDF of the article without getting permission.  You can find some of my print articles at http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Shirley_Lee.  These articles are available for reprint - please see guidelines at http://www.ezinearticles.com/terms-of-service.html






Five Components of a Business Strategy

In his 6-minute YouTube video, that may be played below, Ian Heller defines components of good business strategy.

In summary the components are:
1. Current or desired company core competencies
2. How to differentiate business from competitors
3. Industries in which to compete
4. Plan to implement initiatives
5. Financial forecast for 3 - 5 years


 

The Work of Leaders in Vision, Alignment, and Execution

In the book The Work of Leaders (on Amazon #ad), by Wiley folks (Straw, Scullard, Kukkonen, and Davis), an extended model of leadership is introduced around Vision, Alignment, and Execution (VAE).  According to the book most great managers understand the importance of having a vision.  After all, managers should learn how to create vision in the strategic portion of their MBA programs.  However, few managers know how to move into a leadership role that aligns their people around the vision and develops an action plan for executing that vision.  This book serves as a tool for leaders to close the gap in these two areas in order to meet the vision.   Below is a brief outline of some information from the book.

Vision = concept

What is it?
The desired future state of the organization
Why is it important?
1.       Helps you stand out from competition
2.       Provides purpose
3.       Drives the creation of goals
How do you get it?
1.       Explore concepts
   a.       Remain open
   b.      Prioritize the big picture
2.       Encourage bold ideas
  a.       Be adventurous
  b.      Speak out
3.       Test assumptions
  a.       Seek counsel
  b.      Explore implications

Alignment = people

What is it?
Gaining buy-in for the vision
Why is it important?
1.       Conserves time and energy
2.       Provides a forum for questions and concerns
3.       Unites and excites people around the vision
How do you get it?
1.       Communicate clearly
  a.       Explain rationale
  b.      Structure messages
2.       Encourage open dialogues
  a.       Exchange perspectives
  b.      Be receptive
3.       Inspire others
  a.       Be expressive
  b.      Be encouraging

Execution = strategy
What is it?
A plan of action to make the vision a reality
Why is it important?
1.       Tangible sign of the leader’s commitment
2.       Assures the development of concrete strategies
3.       Gives people a sense of accomplishment
How do you get it?
1.       Build momentum
  a.       Be driven
   b.      Initiate action
2.       Give structure
  a.       Provide a plan
  b.      Analyze in-depth
3.       Provide feedback
 a.       Address problems
  b.      Offer praise

You can get The Work of Leaders book to prepare for building these new skills.  If you feel you are having problems in a particular VAE area, you may want to consider taking a Work of Leaders (WOL) profile to identify your weaknesses and get specific suggestions for overcoming them.  Or if you prefer to attend a WOL training session, look for a local or international authorized distributor/partner to arrange this.  I would suggest you look for a training session that can be attended with the full leadership and which allows for time to work together on a vision and group coaching for alignment/communication and execution/implementation.