Podcasts from a Caribbean Cubicle: Recent Episodes
Francis Wade
In today's dynamic work climate, a directive-driven leadership approach is a thing of past. The modern workforce is more knowledge-driven and expects not just orders, but understanding. The challenge now lies in crafting a leadership style that inspires and engages employees. This is where the subject of our podcast, 'presencing' plays a crucial role.
To put it simplistically, presencing is about influencing what's 'present' in the mental space of your employees, shaping their actions and decisions in line with the strategic vision of the organization.
In this episode, we explore various aspects of presencing and how it can be practically imbibed to transform your workplace. Topics we touch upon include comparing past and present strategies, the role of rituals in a shared identity, and techniques to establish the presence of your vision and strategic plans in your employees' daily actions.
Importantly, presencing is not about aping other organizations but finding what works for your own. It points towards introducing regular touch points, keeping the organization's vision alive, and driving alignment across the company to foster engagement and catalyze growth with strategic plans.
Join us in this enriching discussion that aims to redefine leadership and transform your organization into a cohesive and aligned workforce. Don't forget to check the blog section on our website for more insights and advice on improving your Caribbean company's strategy, productivity, and engagement.
As a leader, you navigate a relentless sea of deadlines and short-term goals. The pressure to be agile and decisive is immense. Yet, amidst the daily chaos, a powerful tool often gets neglected – the long-term vision. You might believe it’s a luxurious indulgence, a distant dream with little bearing on the here and now. But what if I told you that fostering a vision for a faraway future can have a profound impact on your company’s immediate performance?
Welcome to the latest episode of Chronicles from a Caribbean Cubicle Podcast. In this episode, our host Francis Wade shares insight on transforming the hypersensitivity found in employees into an urge for purposeful contributions. The discussion digs deeper into the significance of understanding the root cause of hypersensitivity in workplaces rather than addressing the surface-level symptoms.
This enlightening piece reveals three strategic perspectives that can shape more profound senses of purpose and inspiration among office staff. The concept of Hurricane Heroics is introduced and explores how exceptional potential can be unlocked even without a catastrophic event. It highlights the idea that the anticipation of a significant future can alter human behavior and influence extraordinary output from employees.
The discussion proceeds to explore the concept of an Urgent Inspiring Future as a tool for harnessing the power of purpose. By anticipating a return to normalcy, people are empowered to bounce back quickly after a hurricane. Similarly, crafting a joint future that deviates from the usual could offer employees a compelling 'why' and consequently foster higher productivity levels.
Wade further discusses the value of 'Your Company's Peculiar Destination', advising managers not to shy away from asking for more output from employees. Through this, he encourages managers to challenge their staff with a potential meaning for them to fulfill, thus unleashing their gut desire for a sense of accomplishment and more value in their roles.
This episode ends with a crucial advocacy for purpose over comfort. Vouching for this strategy, Wade confirms that by creating a shared future vision that transcends the mundane, managers can tap into their employees' inherent desire for meaning. This strategy ultimately leads to a more passionate and determined team that willingly surpasses its perceived limitations.
Wade concludes the episode with an invitation to Caribbean companies facing unsolved problems related to strategy, productivity, engagement, or business process improvement to explore a fresh line of thinking through his previous articles. To learn more, visit blog.fwconsulting.com or see the show notes.
You are a leader, and are well aware that both private and public sector organizations must prioritize long-term thinking. As a result, you can immediately enumerate some of the main reasons.
However, there are persistent corporate issues that appear unrelated to long-term planning. Therefore, their sudden presence catches leaders off-guard. Failing to complete a long-term strategic plan can lead to three anticipated but uncommon issues.
You are someone who is already a long-term thinker, working in a for-profit company. Unlike many, you don’t need to be convinced about the importance of long-term thinking. Somewhere early in the past - childhood, early career - you embedded the idea in your thinking. Now balancing short and long term thinking is a part of your character.
But this may be why you are confused. Others around you don’t share this trait. In fact, you feel like a fish out of water - always harping on the need for long-term thinking, sometimes asking inconvenient questions.
You can’t understand why others don’t share your concern. And it’s not that you are particularly ESG, sustainable or anything like. Nor do you come from an old-school. You sense that the company would make better decisions if it had more than the usual 3-5 year plan.
But how do you convince others in the C-Suite, and the board, to think with an additional lens?
Tune into this episode as I tackle this wicked problem.
For the full episode reserved for paid subscribers, visit this episode of the JumpLeap Long-TermStrategy Podcast https://strategyconf.fwconsulting.com/episode-13-convince-long-term-vision.
Similar to most companies, your firm also has a vision or purpose statement.
The initial idea was meant to ignite inspiration, but lately, it seems to have lost its allure.
What interventions can you implement to foster a collaborative environment and encourage your staff to go above and beyond? And how does this statement support the goals outlined in your corporate strategy?
Read this and other articles at https://blog.fwconsulting.com
Navigating professional challenges can feel daunting when your usual methods of coping fail. Friction with colleagues, performance setbacks, economic pressures - these issues can linger and even permeate teams. In times of turbulence, a fresh perspective is needed to build resilience. But where can you start?
As a high achiever, you likely gauge success by the scope of your accomplishments. Your career advancement, financial security, family growth or other goals are realized through diligent work and conscious effort. When you attain those tangible targets after years of strain and sacrifice, it validates your talents and grit.
Or so it seems initially. But in time, you may come to a sobering realization – hitting each milestone does not equate to an enduring sense of happiness or contentment.
As a Founder/CEO, maximizing stakeholder engagement is crucial for your company’s success. Some stakeholders enthusiastically support the organization, yet you occasionally notice significant discrepancies among motivated individuals.
Why? Their departments may inadvertently work against each other due to differing managerial perspectives regarding the future.
Have you ever left a strategic planning retreat feeling invigorated, only to find that the excitement fizzles out? Despite the initial enthusiasm and belief in the positive change that was about to ensue, weeks later, the essence of those profound discussions becomes a distant memory.
The baffling reality is this: a gathering of bright, dedicated individuals, all ardently striving to make a meaningful difference, encountered an unexpected descent post-retreat. The perplexity of this decline seemed insurmountable, leaving one pondering what went awry.
The transition from manager to CEO often proves to be an intricate journey, one that presents unique challenges to those stepping into this elevated role. Managers, typically adept at producing short-term results, find their focus honed on meeting quarterly or yearly targets.
However, a distinct realization dawns upon some top-tier executives – a profound responsibility transcending immediate successes. This newfound responsibility calls for the articulation of a vision. But it can’t be a hollow ‘vision statement.’ Instead, it must be a transformative, long-term destination capable of captivating and engaging stakeholders on a deeper level.
Ensuring your plan possesses a genuine strategy is crucial, yet sometimes, strategic plans lack strategic essence. Here’s why this happens and how to prevent it.
Imagine joining a new management team and attempting to grasp the existing strategic plan. You ask for documentation due to the confusing explanations from your new colleagues. However, reviewing the outputs from the last planning project doesn’t provide the clarity you seek. Instead, it overwhelms with numerous words and diagrams, leaving you feeling lost. The strategy fails to emerge from the pages.
In every organisation, there are employees whose primary motivation is simply trading their time for a paycheck. Unfortunately, these individuals contribute to creating a negative and toxic work environment that is detrimental to the leadership team. Negativity takes over the corporate culture.
Is there a way to tap into greater motivation among your staff? As a C-Suite executive or board member, can you do more to provide your employees with a chance to discover meaning in their work?
This article was inspired by a prior column in the Jamaica Gleaner.
You are someone who is aware of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) announced in 2015 by the United Nations. Their value is not in question - they are objectives the entire world hopes to realize.
But recently, Secretary General Antonio Guterres declared that the SDGs are on the path to failure.
Launching a special edition of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) progress report, he warned that their collective promise made in 2015 of a more green, just and equitable global future, is in peril.
“Unless we act now, the 2030 Agenda will become an epitaph for a world that might have been,” he said.
Like others, he offered a number of prescriptions. However, they aren’t likely to move the needle on disappointment looming on December 31st, 2030, the date on which they are supposed to be achieved.
Those of us who know about long-term strategic planning are horrified by the lack of progress, similar to everyone else. But for us, there’s more. This failure was inevitable due to fatal design flaws. By violating the fundamental principles of our narrow discipline, the UN cannot avoid the unfortunate situation it finds itself in.
Despite the tireless work by thousands of well-meaning people, a slow-moving disaster is taking place in real time.
However, with six years to go between 2023 and 2030, there is a vanishing opportunity to declare victory at the end of the decade. How? Continue reading to understand why a “hard reset” could save the world from disillusionment.
Read the full complimentary article at this link. https://open.substack.com/pub/longtermstrategy/p/the-problem-with-the-sustainable?r=1m184&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Many companies lack a formal product development unit. Instead, ideas are casually pitched to the CEO, and the next steps depend on their mood at the moment. This approach often falls short in delivering consistent innovation, resulting in products and services that closely resemble competitors’ offerings.
If you’re a monopoly, your products might become stale over time. To stand out, you need innovative ideas that provide real value to your customers.
The challenge? You may not have the resources to hire a full-time R&D team, and even if you could, you might not trust newcomers to handle the job effectively. So, how can you consistently set your offerings apart from the rest?
As a dedicated board member, you actively contribute to meetings and aim to make a meaningful impact. However, there are moments when you find yourself quietly frustrated, wondering if the discussion has veered into the minutiae, and then even further into micro-details. Why does this happen?
In the past, the business world held a strong emphasis on keeping promises. Unfortunately, today, it seems that commitments are easily broken at the slightest inconvenience.
Many of us have witnessed this trend, even though there are occasional benefits when someone lets us off the hook. However, there’s a valid reason for concern. A corporate culture where trust in one’s word is waning can spell doom for the bottom line.
In the past, the business world held a strong emphasis on keeping promises. Unfortunately, today, it seems that commitments are easily broken at the slightest inconvenience.
Many of us have witnessed this trend, even though there are occasional benefits when someone lets us off the hook. However, there’s a valid reason for concern. A corporate culture where trust in one’s word is waning can spell doom for the bottom line.
In the ever-evolving landscape of business, some voices argue that the concept of strategy is becoming obsolete, overshadowed by the rapid pace of change. Yet, beneath this assertion lies a reluctance to engage in deep, thoughtful planning—a sentiment that betrays a certain intellectual inertia. How can we reshape this perspective, sparking a transformation in those who seem trapped within it?
You are a Caribbean HR Professional who has noticed the respect finance professionals receive in the C-Suite. What they say seems to matter.
As a result, your colleagues in the finance department can see a clear path for themselves to the C-Suite. From accounting analyst, to manager, to director, to CFO, to CEO/MD.
But the same isn’t true for you. In fact, the total number of HR managers to gain a promotion to the CEO level in anything other than a small company is negligible.
(see blog.fwconsulting.com for the full transcript)
You have heard of CSRD (the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive), at least in passing. As a new reporting requirement, it calls for your company to submit annual non-financial information, starting in just a few years’ time.
As someone who cares about long-term environmental and social impacts, you like where this is going.
But you are concerned that it will turn into a bureaucratic slog, in which laudable goals are lost in a tsunami of reporting requirements. Far from inspiring staff to do the right thing, you imagine it becoming a war of attrition between staff and some faceless regulators.
The world is changing fast, and “winning” in business may already be a fool's errand.
You are a company leader who has risen through the ranks. You enjoy the competitive side of running an organization. Why? There are obvious winners and losers defined by a P&L scorecard. Plus, you have tactics and strategies to choose from. And finally, you can see a clear correlation between your efforts and results.
But what if the changes taking place in the world are making a mockery of the race you are mentally contesting? Keep reading if you want to stay ahead.
You have heard of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive or its acronym, CSRD. You know that it has something to do with the EU which means that you haven’t paid it much attention. It’s far away.
However, this could be a mistake. This new standard for disclosure reaches into some unlikely places for all companies who do business with the continent. In this article, we’ll look at the impact on your corporate strategy.
You can find prior articles at https://blog.fwconsulting.com
Your business offers a product or service. Regardless of how well your offer sells, you wonder whether or not you are leaving money on the table. In other words, are you charging the best price possible?
This question is often left to opinions, chance, or comparisons with competitors. These choices unfortunately indicate the lack of a defined philosophy.
Alex Hormozi’s book, $100m Offers, provides a simple way to think about the challenge of setting prices. If you have a sense that your company should reconsider its thinking, keep reading.
Your company has once again begun to look to the future. It’s shaken off the post-COVID blues and must now position itself in its industry with a fresh strategy. But all of your executives are not convinced that hard choices must be made. How can you persuade them?
As a leader, you need to provide your organisation with a clear path for the future. But you also hate changing direction in mid-stream. Some say you shouldn’t bother to make any long-term plans in the first place, but is that the best solution?
It pains you to think of spending a lot of time and money to create extended plans which require updates when there is a disruption. Why? You know staff can feel disempowered when a rethink is needed.
Your company is dealing with a significant challenge. Due to the complexity of the issue, it's hard to determine the right path forward. This is an intellectual puzzle that needs the attention of analytic minds.
But is finding the optimal answer your only concern? After all, the management team has had implementation problems in the past. As such, you sense that the "soft side" warrants some consideration to succeed by the end.
“Francis”, clients sometimes ask, “Why do you recommend a two-day strategy retreat?” Usually, they want to get the most from their workshop, but also don’t wish to waste a moment. After all, top executive time is quite expensive.
Assuming that your company has agreed to such a workshop, what’s the difference between one, two, or more days?
Catch up on all past columns at https://blog.fwconsulting.com
You don’t normally think for long about the lasting impact your actions have on unknown business colleagues. This is particularly true if they haven’t even been born. But is there a reason to consider far-future generations of leadership in your company?
See past columns at https://blog.fwconsulting.com
You finally have time to look back at outputs from prior strategic planning retreats. A quick glance reveals an approach they used which includes “pillars”. If so, be aware: there are some drawbacks to this technique that could lead to a weak plan.
Check out past columns at https://blog.fwconsulting.com
You agree with the general concept of having new products and services to offer your customers. After all, a company that relies on stale stuff is likely to fail. But how do you put together an effective R&D plan when budgets are limited?
For past columns see https://blog.fwconsulting.com
Have some people in your company become reaction-machines? In other words, do they run around all day responding to the latest crisis? Deep down, you know they are inefficient, but what can you do to shift to a culture in which the future is created rather than feared?
For past columns, see blog.fwconsulting.com
We all know what it’s like to be inspired by a vision of the future. It feels good, as if we are responding to a higher purpose. But why do corporate visions fall often flat?
For other articles see https://blog.fwconsulting.com
You have a serious concern for your personal productivity. It’s annoying to realise moments where you could have done things more efficiently. Why? You are someone who hates to see time being wasted. But when you reach out for help, all you receive is “foreign” advice, far removed from your experience.
To read prior columns, see blog.fwconsulting.com
We all know what it’s like to be inspired by a vision of the future. It feels good, as if we are responding to a higher purpose. But why do corporate visions fall often flat?
You are about to begin a fresh round of strategic planning. The team is eager, but before the retreat starts, you have a tricky decision. What length of time should your organization create a plan for?
Visit our archives for past columns - https://blog.fwconsulting.com
You have heard the saying that “Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast”. It has a ring of truth to it, but you don’t want to believe that strategic planning is futile - a victim of large, negative forces which cannot be overcome. But if it’s neither entirely right nor wrong, can we still use it?
To access my archive of past columns, see https://blog.fwconsulting.com
Your company is thinking about creating a new role: strategy specialist. This person should support the entire strategy creation cycle and help produce a strategic plan with impact. But what exactly should be that person’s responsibilities? What uncommon value should they add?
For other past articles, see https://blog.fwconsulting.com
You want to engage your staff around a bright, hopeful future. At some point in the past, a two-paragraph vision statement did the trick. But lately, it’s gone stagnant. What should you do to restore the inspiration it once provided? Should you change the words, or try something different?
To read prior columns visit https://blog.fwconsulting.com
In your company’s strategic planning activities, you hope to make more than incremental improvements. Instead, your team dreams of brilliant decisions and breakthrough results. But are these a matter of luck? While fortune plays a role, Digicel’s introduction to the mobile telephony market is an example of a new competency: “category design.”
Christopher Lochhead would be proud of Digicel. He belongs to a cohort of content creators who call themselves the “Category Pirates.”
For past columns, visit https://blog.fwconsulting.com
Your company is aware of people analytics. It wants to use these techniques to increase productivity. But it’s not clear who should champion this transformation: HR or another unit?
In companies across the world, COVID has accelerated the call for data-driven innovation. Consequently, managers in your organization are concerned. Productivity has fallen due to work-from-home arrangements, but are they thinking about improving it in the best way?
To access other articles see https://blog.fwconsulting.com
You know your company should be crafting long-term, post-COVID plans. Why? The pandemic has created once-in-a-lifetime opportunities waiting to be exploited. But you have been so busy just keeping the organization alive that you either have half-a-plan, or none at all. Should you make the investment in strategic planning now even though the times remain turbulent?
To read my columns, visit https://blog.fwconsulting.com
Your company is considering its next strategic planning retreat. But the last real one, held just before COVID, didn’t anticipate a pandemic. So, the plan had to be shelved. Now, attendees are reluctant to schedule a new session. Do you give up on the idea?
Check out my past column on strategy and productivity at https://blog.fwconsulting.com
You’re a corporate leader who wants to inspire your organization. But you aren’t naturally charismatic, nor are you famous. Is there a way to energize and motivate stakeholders who must play a part in the transformation you envision?
A startling number of CEOs forget what it was like to be inspired in a manner that leads to hard work. They think of themselves as unicorns, born to lead. It’s a mystery to them why everyone doesn’t wake up with the energy they have, excited about the chance to accomplish great things.
Some give up. Their secret sauce cannot be replicated, so they don’t try. The best they can do is threaten, trick, or bribe staff into compliance. That’s “the only way to treat these people”, they convince themselves. More
Find more articles on this topic at https://blog.fwconsulting.com
You’re a corporate leader who wants to inspire your organization. But you aren’t naturally charismatic, nor are you famous. Is there a way to energize and motivate stakeholders who must play a part in the transformation you envision?
A startling number of CEOs forget what it was like to be inspired in a manner that leads to hard work. They think of themselves as unicorns, born to lead. It’s a mystery to them why everyone doesn’t wake up with the energy they have, excited about the chance to accomplish great things.
Some give up. Their secret sauce cannot be replicated, so they don’t try. The best they can do is threaten, trick, or bribe staff into compliance. That’s “the only way to treat these people”, they convince themselves. More
Find more articles on this topic at https://blog.fwconsulting.com
You are forced to deal with email every single day, most of it arriving at odd moments. At the same time, you need to be effective, but it seems that there’s invariably a slew of messages getting in the way. You want the problem to go away so that you can just focus on doing your job. This is a common sentiment, but is this frame of mind a help or hindrance?
To see other articles and columns, see https://blog.fwconsulting.com
You are forced to deal with email every single day, most of it arriving at odd moments. At the same time, you need to be effective, but it seems that there’s invariably a slew of messages getting in the way. You want the problem to go away so that you can just focus on doing your job. This is a common sentiment, but is this frame of mind a help or hindrance?
To see other articles and columns, see https://blog.fwconsulting.com
Each day you go into the office, you want to be inspired by your work. Elevated by what your organization can accomplish. But if that’s not your daily experience, does the quality of strategic leadership have something to do with it?
Check out my prior columns at https://blog.fwconsulting.com
As the top leader, it’s your responsibility to create sound succession plans. But how do you ensure that there is a pipeline of leadership talent available at all levels, such as the board and executive suite?
Check out my other columns at https://blog.fwconsulting.com
Have you ever played a part in crafting a useless strategic plan? You thought it was a good product, but it ended up languishing on the shelf or in unread email. However, you believed in the process followed, but something was missing… maybe from the final step which condemned the entire plan to the scrap heap.
Click here to read my past articles from the Gleaner newspaper: https://blog.fwconsulting.com
Each year, managers in your company sit down to devise budgets for the next twelve months. As a participant in the process, you see that each department’s spending reflects certain priorities. Where do these come from? Are some correct in calling them “strategic”? Should they be reconciled in some way?
Click below to read all my past articles.
https://blog.fwconsulting.com
In general, you want to be responsive to those who wish to reach you. Consequently, each morning, before doing anything else, you scan your email inbox for new messages. However, if you have ever questioned the wisdom of this habit, your concerns are justified. The most effective professionals refuse to process email first. Instead, they start the day differently: they plan the time in their calendars.
For years, HR Professionals have lobbied: they must have a seat at the strategic planning table. Now, many companies agree. However, HR’s impact in retreats has not matched those of other functions. What can your company do to ensure talent management isn’t an after-thought?
Your industry may be the same as it was 50 years ago. Change comes slowly, if at all, so your future appears to be secure. But you’re worried, anyway. As you look around the world you see entire sectors in upheaval. New technology has led to companies being “Netflixed” - completely destroyed with sudden speed by outside innovations.
You’re the member of an executive suite who has battled the COVID-19 pandemic alongside your colleagues. As the world adjusts to accommodate the virus, it’s high time to look beyond the mere survival of your company. But…surprise! Not everyone on the senior team or board agrees this is urgent. Do you garner full support first or power ahead, hoping laggards will catch up later?
Your company is one which builds its strategic plan around an individual’s ideas. But even if the “Big Man” is a brilliant entrepreneur-founder, is it a good idea to include a host of other stakeholders in the process? If the current method isn’t obviously broken, why fix it?
You can read more of my articles at https://blog.fwconsulting.com
Almost all corporate plans cover the next five years. However, many companies go not a single month further. In other words, they survive on one five-year plan after another. If you have ever questioned the wisdom of this practice, keep listening.
To read my past articles for the Jamaica Gleaner, click here.
As a manager, you may be in trouble. In the past two years, new ways of remote working have come out of nowhere and the debate is on: should you resume face-to-face working? Part of you wants work to be efficient, but another part hopes that everyone will come back to the office. Is this an unreasonable ask?
Check out my past columns at https://blog.fwconsulting.com
What advice would a strategy expert like Dr. Robert Kaplan give to Caribbean companies? He's been to the region several times, but his exact words haven't been captured.
Until this interview at the HRMATT Conference of 2015.
As a fellow speaker, I had the opportunity to sit down with the creator of the strategy map and balanced scorecard during one of the breaks. It wasn't our first conversation, but it was the first that went into serious depth.
As a manager, you may find it hard to engage in fruitful discussions about the future. You are able to speculate informally over lunch, but be unable to plan strategically in a formal session. You sense that this needs to change, but how? Where will this new skill-set come from?
To see a catalog of all my past columns, visit blog.fwconsulting.com
Do your managers complain about key strategies their predecessors failed to craft? It seems as if they have all the answers, but you suspect that they may be kidding themselves. The truth is, they may not be very different. If so, how should you intervene so they don’t handicap future generations with more poor decisions?
To see a catalog of all my past columns, visit blog.fwconsulting.com
Have you ever wondered whether there is a real difference between the performance ethic of men and women? You don’t want to be biased, but if all things are not equal, it would be silly to pretend as if they are. Here is my experience - not a law or rule by any means, but some more data for you to consider.
Is there at least one staff member in your office whose lack of productivity has been exposed by COVID? Before the pandemic, you had a favorable opinion, in general, of the person’s performance. But once they began to work from home, their output plummeted. How should you intervene? Is it worth the time and effort?
Can someone from outside your company create your organization’s strategic plan? After all, if your future depends on the quality of this document, shouldn’t you hire an expert to do the job? At first glance, this makes sense, but as you contract with an outsider to execute the task, you may have misgivings.
To see a catalog of all my past columns, visit blog.fwconsulting.com
Have you ever been stuck in a strategic planning session, complaining to yourself: “This is nothing more than a continuation of old, tired thoughts?” You need to intervene and somehow shift the level of thinking. But you don’t know what to say, and you certainly don’t want to make things worse. Do you suffer in silence? Or attempt to provide some leadership?
For past issues from 2010, visit https://blog.fwconsulting.com
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As a leader of your company, you may notice managers and board members struggling to be strategic. Trapped in low-level thinking, they habitually think micro when macro is needed. How do you help them craft inspiring visions that shift the way your organization operates?
In today’s COVID era, local companies have seen a dramatic rise in the use of WhatsApp groups among staff. It’s been a love/hate relationship for most, but online groups have become a critical channel of communication. Is your organization boosting employee engagement via these groups, or sitting by hoping the fad will die off?
Like most people, do you share the challenge of keeping track of your to-dos, especially during the holiday season? You may think it has something to do with your personality, but…surprise: it doesn’t. Here’s why.
Human Resource departments are facing an unprecedented demand to become analytic and data-driven. But few are answering the call. What should HR practitioners and consultants do to respond?
In the past few years, what opportunities has the shift to online business created for local companies? Your firm may be automating its processes, but is it also converting the data being collected into competitive advantage?
If you have been asked to create a multi-day, online event, you may want it to be everything a live event should be. But you could also be wondering: should it try to mimic a face-to-face experience? And what does success even look like in this environment?
As a company leader, you are probably interested in employees doing their best work. But most new staff members quickly lose the inspiration they had on their first day. How can you intervene so that precious employee motivation doesn’t get lost so soon?
An engaged staff full of bright ideas? This is clearly an aspiration for most leaders. But what happens when employees, armed with a dose of courage, create more noise than anything else? What should organizations do when people pick up the habit of simply speaking what’s on their mind, with little commitment behind their words?
Where should good ideas for new products and services come from? Does the customer know best or not? Answer these questions correctly and your company could launch a series of winning offerings.
As an up-and-coming leader in your company, do you need an administrative assistant? If you are adamant that you don’t, consider that it’s only a matter of time before your mind changes. The question is, do you know why this will take place?
What can you do in short periods which demand that you get a lot done, sometimes with overlapping deadlines? They are especially bothersome if your calendar is full and you feel as if you are already giving 100%. In those moments, you can’t defy time: you must ramp up your productivity.
What can you do in short periods which demand that you get a lot done, sometimes with overlapping deadlines? They are especially bothersome if your calendar is full and you feel as if you are already giving 100%. In those moments, you can’t defy time: you must ramp up your productivity.
As a Jamaican manager, January and September are probably a couple of your busiest months. Why? Both represent traditional returns from days spent away from the office. Projects which have been paused need to be resumed with gusto, energized by your downtime.
How do you design an inspiring day’s work? Is it a matter of luck, or chance? Or can it be engineered and turned on like a switch?
Too many executives are unaware of game-changing ways their markets are shifting. Their post-COVID audience of prospects and customers now expects more than message blasts. Instead, they require your company to become better attuned to their unmet needs. Fail to do this and they switch to competitors.
In times past it was fashionable for corporate leaders to craft vision statements with commitments to be “number one” and “world class”. Lately, these have become less popular, with good reason. They are a sign of lackluster thinking which signals a lack of detailed planning.
What’s happening in the workplace to young employees? They seem to operate by a different set of values, showing little interest in company events.
Yet, they willingly give time and energy to off-the-job pursuits. How can executives create an environment in which they direct some of that discretionary effort towards their work?
How do you craft a strategic plan for a group of companies? Why do so many efforts end up with nothing more than “last-year’s-plan-plus-5%?” Discard this path of least resistance if you hope to capitalize on COVID opportunities.
Employee Productivity - Are you searching for psychological solutions to practical problems?
As an executive, have you fallen into the trap of looking for psycho-emotional solutions to issues of employee productivity? If so, you may need a fresh lens.
“I just don’t understand these people!”
Is your company preparing to conduct it’s customary annual retreat? You may want to scrap it and instead create a breakthrough event.
In the best of times, companies fall into a strategic planning rut. They follow the same routine each year, lulled into complacency by their accomplishments. The company’s leaders go through the motions, staying well within their comfort zones. Maybe this approach has worked for your company until now.
If you’re the leader of an organization, what should you do when you develop an exciting, fresh strategic direction for your company? Before you rush in, take caution - you could do more bad than good if you don’t proceed carefully.
Much of the MBA-level teaching around strategy focuses on beating the competition. Has that line of thinking been rendered obsolete by the pandemic, to be replaced by a fresh focus elsewhere?
Harvard’s Michael E. Porter is well-known for his thought leadership on competitive strategy - finding ways to beat your company’s rivals. Lately, however, his theories deserve a rethink, especially now that the end of COVID’s rampage is in sight. Has his main thrust of focusing on your competitors become obsolete?
If your company is using an outside strategy consulting firm like McKinsey, what is the best step to take after they leave? If their expensive advice is so useful, why might you still require another planning meeting?
Is there a way to turn down requests from other people and thereby increase your productivity? In the changing world we live in, you may have to say more No’s.
How can you manage your tasks in a way that allows you to escape overwhelm? There are certain invisible principles you need to use to stay on top of an expanding workload. When known, they dramatically change your career for the better.
However, no-one teaches us the importance of managing our tasks skillfully. It’s usually discovered in the breach: when life isn’t working the way we want and we scramble for answers. Instead, most live on auto-pilot, never questioning why they do things the way they do. Let’s make some of these secrets conscious.
As a leader, has the advent of “working from home” distanced you from your employees? As a result, have you witnessed unwanted behaviors? Perhaps you have even realized the unexpected: workers who are actually worse off.
In some companies, we have noticed a surprising phenomenon: Employees who had a good relationship with the organization’s leaders before COVID are now becoming fearful of the same executives. In other words, a certain anxiety has arisen.
While no-one thinks that business-as-usual will take you through these tumultuous times, how can you tell if your organization is transforming quickly enough to earn a place among the survivors? Are you watching for signs that reveal the truth about the pace of your digital transformation?
It’s often said that a good disaster shouldn’t be squandered. If you were to follow this maxim for 2021, how could you make the most of last year’s twin evils: a recession and a worldwide pandemic?
The original article can be found here: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/business/20210110/francis-wadedont-waste-pandemic
Years ago, I mistakenly worked for someone I shouldn’t have. Since then, I have wondered: could I have foreseen what transpired? Were there early warning signs I overlooked?
To many, LinkedIn is just another social network like Facebook and Twitter, with a bit more business emphasis. This view understates its importance. COVID-19 has helped make the very opposite true today: as a professional you cannot afford to either be outdated on, or missing from, the platform.
Do you ever read my column and disagree with what I have to say? This could be a good sign: you may be ready to take your place as a business thought leader.
Do you have the challenge of persuading an audience in either a speech or the written word? Here’s a useful outline I have adapted for use in the background of my talks and articles, including this one.
Are you concerned that your church or Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) may not survive the combined punches of a pandemic and a recession? You should be. But there’s much you can do to intervene and turn things around.
Are you someone who leads by sharing your best ideas with a defined audience? As a “thought leader” you may have noticed that technology has made certain tasks easier, but the overall challenge has become formidable.
Is your organization accustomed to holding real-life gatherings for scores or hundreds of its followers, shareholders, customers or members? If so, what should it do in these pandemic times? Are large-scale, virtual events as simple as they seem?
The task of negotiating with other people is part and parcel of business-life. However, many hate having to do so, and a large percentage do so ineffectively. One cause is that most focus on the quality of their speaking, fixating on what they need to say. By contrast, masterful negotiators take a different approach: deep listening.
What’s an easy step to begin your company’s digital transformation? This may sound simplistic: Start by collecting your customers’ contact information.
Why is this a powerful place to begin?
To search prior columns on productivity, strategy, engagement and business processes, send email to columns@fwconsulting.com
There are a few moments in your employees’ careers when they go into a shock. However, it’s not because too much is demanded of them...in fact, it’s the very opposite.
Have you ever been part of a project or organization in which a colleague is giving only a minimal effort? This behaviour, which some call “mailing it in”, may be killing your team’s success.
What makes email the number one hated activity in corporate life? It may have little to do with the nuisance it has become, and everything to do with incomplete decisions we need to make daily.
There’s a whole school of thought which states that boards should leave strategic thinking to executives. Instead, board members should only provide oversight. Does this point of view have merit? The COVID pandemic has thrown companies’ strategies in disarray, whether they are NGO’s, public or private sector organizations. Suddenly, reliable bedrock beliefs have been suspended as evidence pours in that a new normal is being born. To search for other unique points of view on matters related to strategy, engagement, productivity and process management, see Chronicles from a Caribbean Cubicle.
Is your company being undermined by obsolete assumptions held by some of your leaders? To move forward, they must be challenged. In our work to develop clients’ breakthrough strategies, we try to highlight such hidden assumptions. These are often unspoken, clashing ideas which undermine the corporate strategy. When the plan needs revision, the team should uncover and sort out these differences to act as one.
Why are top executives getting frustrated at their teams during COVID-19? One reason: it’s obvious to them that the company needs to become a digital operation. They may also be very demanding but don’t blame them: they alone can see a joined-up world beyond the pandemic that most subordinates can’t. For a searchable listing of all my prior articles,visit blog.fwconsulting.com
While your company awaits a return to business as usual, should your leadership be thinking about revisiting its strategy? Does the current pandemic mean that you should start the process all over again?
If you own a company, should you encourage your children to one day take an ownership position? Or should they pursue a more lucrative career overseas? We Jamaicans need to challenge our habit of exporting the next generation.
If, like most leaders, you are struggling with the rude COVID-19 surprise, consider that this is just the beginning of a new normal. Some say there are other massive disruptions on the horizon. Perhaps one way to cope is to redefine what it means to be a learning organization.
“All I have is my word.” Back in the day, this was a common saying among working professionals. For them, keeping one’s word was the only honorable, accepted thing to do. But times have changed: Is there a place for that sentiment in today’s Jamaica?
Have you ever wondered why a few high-performers insist on scheduling (i.e. time blocking) their entire day? It’s not because they are indulging in an idle pastime. Instead, they are resorting to this little-known technique because they have no other choice.
Why is it that some fast-rising corporate professionals get stalled on their path to the top position? Or, why do they fail to fulfill their potential when they assume the top role? The answer: sometimes, they neglect to revoke unproductive ways of being that operate behind the scenes. There’s an invisible transition that should occur during an executive’s ascent to their ultimate destination: the big corner office. They work hard - that’s not in question. However, by mistake, they rely on two weak “skills” for too long
There are many reasons being given for our lack of economic growth and corporate profitability. I suggest a different one, aptly named by columnist and friend Dennis Chung: “The Hole in the Fence Theory.”
We Jamaicans love a business rebel; the person who finds a hole in the fence to a concert then sneaks in as many friends as possible before discovery. With good reason. Our ancestors used short-term opportunism to survive and thwart the profit-makers who enslaved them.
How do you get groups of people to take non-sales related actions? Is it a matter of using a catchy graphic or video to tell them what to do? Or interrupting them while they are doing something else? Or applying pressure with multiple reminders?
Could you make a mistake and offer the wrong gift to employees during the holiday season? What if it’s based on outdated assumptions that do more harm than good? Here are some findings from recent research to ensure your organization makes the most of the occasion.
Innovation is hard. What is the hit-rate like for new products and services in your organization? If the track record is poor, then you may need to delve into the hidden drivers of behaviors in your target market.
Most innovation in Jamaica follows the same process. First, someone high enough in the company has a bright idea - a flash of insight. Their intuition tells them that there’s revenue to be made from customers who will willingly pay for a new offering.
Have you ever been presented with a strategy document that appears to be nothing more than a list of projects? If so, the good news is that you aren’t crazy if you thought that something was missing. A sound plan is more than a grab bag - it should bring an intangible hypothesis to life in words and images that staff members can use in their daily activities.
Is it possible to simultaneously cut the total time people spend in meetings while improving their quality? Not only is it possible, but there is a natural link between the two results that your company could exploit to increase its overall productivity.
Most people consider the phenomenon of “being in communication” to be a simple matter: it’s the state which follows a discussion between two or more persons. But is this standard high enough to get your organization through challenging times?
There are some good reasons to get better at writing emails - an absolutely necessary skill for today's leaders of organizations.
And no...email can't be "outsourced" to an administrative assistant or corporate communications department.
There are ways in which technology is supposed to help, but makes things worse. What should leaders do?
There's a key difference between these three essential elements of organizational life.
There's a cool way to use the Jobs To Be Done framework for new product creation. Here is my take on this possibility.
Don't just produce a strategic plan that ends up on the shelf. Instead, launch a process to become strategic.
It takes hard, emotional work, to b great at customer service. Most companies pretend it ain't so.
Are your employees taking their training into their own hands? If so, how can you stop the motivated learner from abandoning your good training for a five-minute YouTube video? Attend this session to discover ways to engage your learners in self-training experiences filled with expert content gleaned from your company or industry. Use it to win learners' deep attention, defeating the appeal of superficial tips and tricks.
This is a live presentation made at the Association for Talent Development Conference 2019 held in Washington DC. The accompanying slides and online game from the session can be accessed here - http://2time-sys.com/atd
Here's a new way to find improvement opportunities in your company. Start looking for defects using Japanese-style methods.
The Caribbean employee is often left in the dark, unable to develop the basic skills needed to be effective. In this article, I try to address the issue by pointing out foundation skills that only require effort and focus to develop.
If you are extremely busy person the average advice on scheduling your time won't work for you. Here's why.
Why do some leaders resist the idea of making long-term plans. Reason? They hate to be disappointed (again). But that shouldn't stop them.
Is there such a thing as email prowess? And is it important enough to be one of the core criteria for promotion? Many would disagree, but there’s evidence which suggests that electronic messaging is no longer a diversion from your work, but an essential component.
Can you use your strategic planning retreat as an executive team-building session? Given the nature of the activity and the people who are likely to be attending, here's a way to combine them both for greater benefit.
Change agents can become leaders but hey must embrace the fear that goes with the role and look for key moments to lead.
Pardon the headline - this article is about online communities and why companies need to develop them in support of their brands. Not if, but when.
The transcript can be found here.
What happens when there is a mismatch between your current practices and the standards around you? In this recording of my Jamaica Gleaner column, I suggest some positive ways to respond.
Most companies rely on completing transactions, without an idea of how they provide transformational value to their customers. This column describes a different approach that alters the buyer-seller relationship.
The original article can be found here.
This is quite a different take on the topic of employee engagement. If each corporate culture is different, how does one learn from the example of other firms which have empowering cultures? In this article, I answer that question.
On November 29, 2018 I spoke at the CTO HR Conference in Cayman. This recording of my interactive session is accompanied by the slides which were presented at the conference. They are available at the following link: http://goo.gl/RRQoqt
P.S. I just read an interesting article written by a hotel manager on the topic of employee engagement and Millennials: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/least-engaged-generation-jeremy-mccarthy/
In our work we have discovered that managers have a challenge learning strategic planning skills. Here are the ones they need to focus on learning as early as possible - long before they are promoted.
How to Avoid the Exorbitant Cost of Low Turnover
In most Jamaican companies, there’s an unquestioned assumption that long staff tenure is an indicator of strong company loyalty. Maybe it’s not. I suggest that as the economy grows it may reveal a deeper truth: these benefits occur with a high price tag.
Tune in as I discuss my column in the Jamaica Gleaner dated November 3, 2018. It's one which flies in the face of many popular assumptions.
Want to leave me a comment? Use Twitter for public comments and this link for private feedback.
Show Notes
https://www.businessinsider.com/management-advice-employees-job-offers-2018-10
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/business/20181104/francis-wade-avoid-exorbitant-cost-low-turnover
What can be done to improve the way strategy suffers because of a lack of time? Try Meetingless Meetings.