Action Speaks

Your action could be the inspiration for someone! Be wise and inspire 😊

 #inspiration #actionspeaks

Nepotism & Groupism (Truth and Solutions)

लहरों से डर कर नौका पार नहीं होती

कोशिश करने वालों की हार नहीं होती

नन्हीं चींटी जब दाना लेकर चलती है

चढ़ती दीवारों पर, सौ बार फिसलती है

मन का विश्वास रगों में साहस भरता है

चढ़कर गिरना, गिरकर चढ़ना न अखरता है

आख़िर उसकी मेहनत बेकार नहीं होती

कोशिश करने वालों की हार नहीं होती

These are some lines of the poem written by Mr. Sohamlal Drivedi. Whenever I read or hear, it gives me Goosebumps.  This always enlightens to introspect me, How far can I go? And I am always working on the same. 

Nowadays, what I am witnessing that in this 4G world, everyone is expecting their lives to be as easy and magical as smartphones, one click and you got it! Because of these high expectations, they are taking some inevitable steps like Suicide. I had read somewhere that "suicide is a permanent solution to temporary problems". Before 1 month, one of the talented actors did the same. I am not in the discussion that whether it was murdered or suicide or someone forces him to do the same.  I don't know what it was. But I know there are many people who are doing the same. Reasons may be different like, some boy/girl rejected the proposal, unsatisfactory promotions, trivial issues between husband and wife, public pressure or family pressure, etc. In today's newspaper, I had just read that brother denying a TV remote, and his sister attempt suicide. I don't know what the cost of our life is. Is it a failure? 

Failure is a part of our life. That we have to accept it. Passion and Patience both are required. We have to deal with it. Let's see some examples. If I ask who is the star of the millennium? The answer is the one and only Mr. Abhishek Bachchan. Unfortunately, he didn't get success like his father, mother, and wife. But still, he is giving his best. unfortunately, he is the talk of the town on social media for his failures or low box office collections. Despite this he manages to have a calm composed mind to give them a befitting reply. Recently, his appearance in one web series "Breathe", has received immense applause and promising success. This year his other movie is also coming. He never loses his confidence.  There are many instances like this where parents are victorious and their children are not. 

As I mentioned earlier that everyone has to face a struggle. We have to maintain our patience also. When Yash Johar came into the film industry he struggled a lot. And because of that Karan Johar is ruling the industry. On the contrary, Yash Chopra was successful, Uday Chopra is not, in the same way, Fardeen khan, Tushar Kapoor, and Randhir Kapoor, and many more are there where their father tastes the victory and their children are still waiting.  

We have to take immediate control of our mental, emotional, physical destiny. Let's see some steps:

Motivate yourself 

1.      Tape a 3 X 5 card with I AM NUMBER ONE printed on it to your bathroom mirror, where you can see it first thing every morning. Read it and smile.

2.      Keep a similar card in your office or desk or soft copy on your mobile and PC’s desktop.

3.      Repeat this statement 10 times every night before going to bed. I AM THE NUMBER ONE PERSON IN MY LIFE.

4.      Put negative thoughts – envy, jealousy, greed, hate – out of your life.

5.      Give yourself a pat on the back at least once every day.

6.      In your friend circle, you need to keep one Jambvan. Jambvan is one of the characters present in Ramayan who inspired Shree Hanuman to fly.  And the rest is history. In the same way, we also require one Jambvan in our life who will light the fire of faith in ourselves when it gets dimmed. The bottom of the line is to have faith in yourself, and believe that you are the greatest and you are the champion. This practice will give you a self-kick and live life to complete our dream.

I want to ask you one question, who is the hero? A person whose statue we can see in our city. We are very well aware that generally, birds are using those statues. Or a hero means a person whose photos are printed in newspapers and magazines. We are also aware that the next day that newspaper we found at Shop for packing material. Who is the hero?It has been said that after our death god will ask, what did you do in your entire life? Did you enjoy your life? Or you just came as you were!  You can’t say like, yes I enjoyed it because I did one murder, 1 robbery, but on 2nd attempt, I didn’t get success and so I am here. The reason being the next question goes this way, ”did anybody experience happiness because of you?”  

Our last performance is important instead of past performance. Forget about what you did. Remember only one thing what you are doing and what you will do. People who always remember his past will ultimately walk in the footsteps of Rajesh Khanna and one who is focused on his last performance eventually becomes the hero forever-Mr. Amitabh Bachchan. If you were lucky enough to spend your teenage in the late ’80s and 90’s you will be aware of how the grand arrival of Big B tossed the stardom and fame of the first-ever superstar Rajesh Khanna. Even today whether it be miss universe or very own son of big B, Amitabh Bachchan still has an upper hand over films, acting, and many more.  

Just remember one thing:

A psychological Adult is a Choice Maker

A psychological Child is a Consequence Receiver

A Choice Maker is like a TIGER in the Jungle

A Consequence Receiver is like a TIGER in the Zoo

Now it's your choice what you want to become Tiger in the Jungle or Tiger in the Zoo?

The RACI Matrix: Your Blueprint for Project Success

Delegation is an essential part of a project manager's role, so identifying roles and responsibilities early in a project is important. Applying the RACI model can help. As the project manager, it is important that you set the expectations of people involved in your project from the outset.

Projects require many people's involvement, but how do you avoid a situation where people are struggling against one another to do a task. Equally difficult is dealing with a situation where nobody will take ownership and make a decision. How do people know their level of responsibility; when they should involve you their project manager, or when they should exercise their personal judgment?

The RACI model is a straightforward tool used for identifying roles and responsibilities and avoiding confusion over those roles and responsibilities during a project. The acronym RACI stands for:

• Responsible: The person who does the work to achieve the task. They have the responsibility for getting the work done or decision made. As a rule, this is one person; examples might be a business analyst, application developer, or technical architect.

• Accountable: The person who is accountable for the correct and thorough completion of the task. This must be one person and is often the project executive or project sponsor. This is the role that responsible is accountable to and approves their work.

• Consulted: The people who provide information for the project and with whom there is two-way communication. This is usually several people, often subject matter experts.

• Informed: The people kept informed of progress and with whom there is one-way communication. These are people that are affected by the outcome of the tasks, so need to be kept up-to-date.

Without clearly defined roles and responsibilities, it is easy for projects to run into trouble. When people know what management expects of them, it is easier for them to complete their work on time, within budget, and to the right level of quality.

A RACI matrix supports the model and is used to discuss, agree, and communicate roles and responsibilities.

Creating a RACI Matrix (step-by-step)

1. Identify all the tasks involved in delivering the project and list them on the left-hand side of the chart      in completion order.

2. Identify all the project roles and list them along the top of the chart.

3. Complete the cells of the chart identifying who has the responsibility, the accountability and who            will be consulted and informed for each task.

4. Ensure every task has a role responsible and a role accountable for it.

5. No tasks should have more than one role accountable. Resolve any conflicts where there is more than one for a particular task.

6. Share, discuss, and agree on the RACI Matrix with your stakeholders before your project starts.

 

 A variation of RACI used by the Project Management Institute (PMI) is RSI, responsible, sponsor, and informed.

IS THERE A COW IN YOUR LIFE?

"Once upon a time in a faraway land, there lived a Chinese wise man and his disciple. One day in their travels, they saw a hut in the distance. As they approached they realized that it was occupied in spite of its extremely poor appearance.

In that desolate place where there were no crops and no trees, a man lived with his wife, three young children and a thin, tired cow. Since they were hungry and thirsty, the wise man and his disciple stopped for a few hours and were well received.

At one point, the wise man asked:

“This is a very poor place, far away from anything. How do you survive?”

“You see that cow? That’s what keeps us going,” said the head of the family. “She gives us milk, some of it we drink and some were make into cheese. When there is extra, we go into the city and exchange the milk and cheese for other types of food. That’s how we survive.”

The wise man thanked them for their hospitality and left. When he reached the first bend in the road, he said to his disciple:

“Go back, get the cow, take her to the cliff in front of us, and push her off.”

The disciple could not believe what he was hearing.

“I cannot do that, master! How can you be so ungrateful? The cow is all they have. If I throw it on the cliff, they’ll have no way to survive. Without the cow, they’ll all die!”

The wise man, an elderly Chinese man, took a deep breath and repeated the order: “Go ahead. Push the cow off the cliff.”

Though outraged at what he was being asked to do, the student was resigned to obey his master.

He returned to the hut and quietly led the animal to the edge of the cliff and pushed. The cow fell down the cliff and died.

As the years passed by, remorse for what he had done never left the disciple. One spring day, the guilt became too much to bear and he left the wise man and returned to that little shack. He wanted to find out what had happened to that family, to help them out, apologize, or somehow make amends.

Upon rounding a turn in the road, he could not believe what his eyes were showing him. In place of the poor shack there was a beautiful house with trees all around, a swimming pool, several cars in the garage, a satellite dish, and on and on.

Three good-looking teenagers and their parents were celebrating their first million dollars.

The heart of the disciple froze. What could have happened to the family? Without a doubt, they must have been starving to death and forced to sell their land and leave. At that moment, the student thought they must all be begging on the street corners of some city. He approached the house and asked a man that was passing by about the whereabouts of the family that had lived there several years before.

“You’re looking at it,” said the man, pointing to the people gathered around the barbecue.

Unable to believe what he was hearing, the disciple walked through the gate and took a few steps closer to the pool where he recognized the man from several years before, only now he was strong and confident, the woman was happy, and the children were now nice-looking teenagers.

He was dumbfounded, and went over to the man and asked:

“What happened? I was here with my teacher a few years ago and this was a miserable place. There was nothing. What did you do to improve your lives in such a short time?”

The man looked at the disciple, and replied with a smile:

“We had a cow that kept us alive. She was all we had. But one day she fell down the cliff and died. To survive, we had to start doing other things, develop skills we didn’t even know we had.

And so, because we were forced to come up with new ways of doing things, we are now much better off than before.”

Lesson:

Sometimes our dependency on something small and limited is the biggest obstacle to our growth. Perhaps the best thing that could happen to you is to push your “cow” down the cliff. Once you free yourself of the thought “it’s little but it’s certain,” — then your life will really change.

Is there a cow (a person, idea, mental block or mindset) in your life that is not allowing you realise your potential and keeping you miserable?

Throw it off the cliff!

Live With Passion !

Manage Your Smartest People

The people in your organization who have the largest capacity to add value are not necessarily those who have the best titles or the most impressive education. Also, they may not be the easiest  people to manage. Here are three do's and don'ts for leading the smartest people in the room:

Do explain things and persuade them.

Don't flex your power. Smart people don't take a leader's word at face value they need to understand why you're asking them to do something.

Do use your expertise. Don't use your hierarchy. Smart people aren't impressed with titles.

Do tell them what to do. Don't tell them how to do it. Smart people enjoy fingering out how to do things and will almost always rise to the challenge.

Source: Management Tips Harvard Business Review 

Tips to Retain & Grow Customers in an Economic Crisis

Friends, I think as entrepreneurs the biggest question right now is how to retain and add more customers when nobody is allowed to move out of their homes

Don’t despair, there are some very interesting ways to retain and increase your customer base even in the worst of situations. Let’s take a look at some of these ideas now.

Re-visit your best customers again

Go through your entire customer list and check for your best customers. Call them and offer them discounts and special offers during this time and tell them that they are your best customers.

If there is a way you can offer them freebies, now is the time to do it. They will remain loyal to you even after this crisis. Plus they will be placing orders right now to take advantage of your offers, so this will add to your immediate bank balance.

Focus on cash sales

Offer good discounts for cash transactions and reduce discounts on credit sales. This will encourage more customers to buy on cash basis.

Annual packages or subscriptions

Offer annual subscriptions where people can buy an entire year’s supply at a discount. If you have perishable products, offer to deliver these products monthly on time, but take the entire annual payment now by offering irresistible discounts or freebies.

Conduct customer reviews

This is the best time to conduct customer reviews. With everyone at home, they have more time to respond to your surveys.

Plus customer requirements might be changing and it is good to learn about this first. Learn how you can better serve them from these surveys.

Take care of dissatisfied customers

If there is a list of dissatisfied customers, call them up and see if you can convert them to happy customers. They might be the key to increasing your customers in these difficult times.

Understand their fears and grievances, and it will help you improve your product and sales.

Prep the sales team

Identify one or two deals each sales team member can close by offering deeper discounts than usual. If each of them can close two or three deals which were not possible before, maybe you can lower the bar and close the deals now.

Re-evaluate how much stock you need in the new scenario

Stop holding huge stock and try to clear stocks quickly so that the cost of holding it comes down. Concentrate on lowering your stock in hand.

Offer more credit for critical customers

There may be customers who cannot pay now. If these are reliable customers, you can close the deal and offer a longer credit period, because your money is safe, but don’t lose the customer at any cost.

Thank you for reading this article & watching the video. Until next stay safe, stay positive!

Source: https://www.agnelorajesh.com/2020/04/14/tips-to-retain-grow-customers-in-an-economic-crisis/?fbclid=IwAR3mqg_hrlrZGhM2kfqqwbvOiFcb-2Nb1LeIaL1r_APW2mtpQL9OBobvLr8

4 Tips How to elevate your presence in virtual meetings

Make an Impact in  online meetings ! 

A video conference is  an entirely new experience and requires us to ADAPT  our *perspectives, habits, and tactics*. 

Here are a few ways to adjust to this NEW  norm. 

(1) In a video conference, *eye contact means looking at the CAMERA* , NOT  your colleague’s faces on the screen ! 

Difficult , especially while others are talking — but the more you practice,  the more comfortable you’ll become.

(2)  Next, use a *slightly louder-than-usual voice* . Some  net connections may be weaker . 

(3)  Be mindful of *your background* as well. Cluttered rooms make you seem disorganized, so find a spot where the background is simple and professional. 

(4) And *pay attention*. Your professional reputation can suffer if it looks like you’re distracted. 

Ask for clarification or to repeat, if the other side voice is not audible, louder or clear . 

*Courtesy : HBR*

Manage with Minimum Time

Do you strive to be a good manager or mentor, but feel you do not have the time to do it well? Don't get trapped into thinking that leadership is an extra commitment on top of your day job. How you lead, not how much, is what counts. Here are three ways to maximize your management in minimum time:

• Turn dead time into development time.

Look for every small stretch in your day when you could be talking to someone and convert each into a coaching opportunity.

Walking out of a meeting? Use those two minutes to give your direct report feedback on the presentation.

Show up in people's work spaces. Once per day, get up and walk over to the desk of someone you haven't spoken to recently.

Take two minutes to ask her what she's working on.

Make two contacts per day. Every day, email two people you met with that day and offer "feedforward." Employees who know that you're trying to develop their skills will stay engaged.

Source: Harvard Business Review 

Managing Your Energy

As organizations demand more and more from their people, time-pressed employees have to scramble to keep up. You may not be able to make the day any longer, but you can replenish your energy. Use these four simple ways to help you work smarter and prevent burnout:

Take brief but regular breaks. Step away from your desk every 90 to 120 minutes.

Take a walk, get a drink, or just stretch your legs.

Say thank you. Being positive boosts your energy level. Regularly express appreciation to others.

Reduce interruptions. Perform tasks that need concentration away from phones and e-mail. Instead, designate specific times in your day to respond to messages.

Do what you love. Understand where your strengths lie and what you enjoy doing.

Find ways to do more of those things and less of what tires you out.

Source: Harvard Business  Review 

Why You Should Create a “Shadow Board” of Younger Employees?

A lot of companies struggle with two apparently unrelated problems: disengaged younger workers and a weak response to changing market conditions. A few companies have tackled both problems at the same time by creating a “shadow board” — a group of non-executive employees that works with senior executives on strategic initiatives. The purpose? To leverage the younger groups’ insights and to diversify the perspectives that executives are exposed to.

They seem to work. Consider Prada and Gucci, two fashion companies with a good track record of keeping up with — or shaping — consumer tastes. Until recently, Prada enjoyed high margins, a legendary creative director, and good growth opportunities. But since 2014, it has witnessed declining sales. In 2017, the company finally admitted that it had been “slow in realizing the importance of digital channels and the blogging online ‘influencers’ which are disrupting the industry.” Co-CEO Patrizio Bertelli said, “We made a mistake.”

Over the same period, under the direction of CEO Mario Bizzarri, Gucci underwent a comprehensive transformation that made the company more relevant to today’s marketplace. Gucci created a shadow board composed of Millennials who, since 2015, have met regularly with the senior team. According to Bizzarri, the shadow board includes people drawn from different functions; they’re “the most talented people in the organization — many of them very young.” They talk through the issues that the executive committee is focused on and their insights have “served as a wakeup call for the executives.” Gucci’s sales have since grown 136% — from 3,497 million Euro (FY2014) to 8,285 million Euro (FY2018) — a growth driven largely by the success of both its internet and digital strategies. In the same period, Prada’s sales have dropped by 11.5%, from 3,551 million Euro (FY2014) to 3,142 million Euro (FY2018).

We researched companies that use shadow boards, trying to understand what they really contribute to the organization and what best practices look like. We focus here on three companies’ experiences.

Business model reinvention. Facing increasing pressure from Airbnb, French AccorHotels needed a new business model. Top management asked marketing to develop a brand for Millennials. However, after two years marketing came up empty. Arantxa Balson, chief talent and culture officer, decided to turn the project over to a shadow board. In 2018, the Jo&Joe brand was born. Considered “an urban shelter for Millennials,” the brand communicates creativity, flexibility, and a strong sense of community. According to Balson, the shadow board succeeded in part because they focused on their vision and developed their point of view “regardless of all internal and cost constraints.” The shadow board then gave birth to another innovation, the Accor Pass, a hotel subscription that provided people under 25 with a place to stay while they hunted for a permanent residence.

Process redesign. Stora Enso, a Finnish paper and packaging company, used their shadow board (which they call Pathfinders and Pathbuilders) to revise how the executive committee assigned work. Until this shift, work was assigned to groups that the executives considered experts and therefore best suited to the assignment. The shadow board convinced them to assign certain tasks to non-experts, arguing that an unbiased view would increase the chance of breakthroughs. One project, aimed at reducing supply-chain lead time, had stumped a supposedly expert team. The new team came up with a workable plan within six months. No team members came from the business unit in question, nor had they any prior supply chain experience.

Organizational transformation. CVL Srinivas, the CEO of GroupM India, needed to implement a three-year digital and cultural transformation. With that end in mind, he created the YCO (Youth Committee). Since its inception in 2013, the YCO has led GroupM’s Vision 3.0, making digital the centerpiece for driving future growth. Working across departments, the shadow board also led a scoping initiative focused on the digitalization of contracts. It strengthened GroupM’s ecosystem by increasing the number and improving the nature of partnerships with media owners, data providers, consultants, auditors, and start-ups. Additionally, the group noticed that there wasn’t much cross-agency interaction. To promote meaningful conversations, the YCO developed a social media platform (Yammer) that facilitated conversations between management and lower-level employees across agencies.

Increased visibility for Millennials. Research suggests that Millennials crave more visibility and access, which shadow boards deliver. This visibility often results in significant career progression for shadow board members. At Stora Enso, a female shadow board member was a group-level financial controller when she began the program. As a result of her impressive work on a project involving one of their legacy businesses (paper), she was promoted to be the sales director of the largest paper segment a few months after the program’s end. As HR director Lars Haggstrom stated, “This [promotion] would never have happened had it not been for the shadow board program.”

What are the best practices for implementing a shadow board?

Look beyond the “high-potential” group. Many companies staff shadow boards exclusively through executive-committee nominations or with already identified high potentials. Millennial participants tend to prefer a more open process. Stora Enso’s Haggstrom pushed for an open-application process — allowing anyone who fit certain criteria to apply. Doing so not only created a more diverse cohort; it also allowed the company to discover some hidden gems who would not otherwise have been on the radar. Interestingly, they tested the performance of the company’s top forty high potentials (who were clear shoo-ins for the program) against the employees chosen via open enrollment. On abilities such as data analytic skills, sense-making, and teamwork, the open-enrollment members outperformed the high-potentials.

Make it a CEO-sponsored program. In order for the program to have maximum impact, support needs to come from the top of the organization (though most are coordinated on a procedural level by HR). For example, AccorHotels’ shadow board program succeeds because CEO Sebastian Bazin plays an active role by interviewing potential members and regularly interacting with existing members. At Stora Enso, members reported directly to the CEO on issues related to the Pathfinders and Pathbuilders work.

Keep evaluating and iterating. All of the companies we profiled adjusted the programs as they learned what worked (and what didn’t). For example, Stora Enso’s leaders reviewed the program annually and as a result added resources to better capitalize on diversity within the shadow board and interactions between the shadow board and executive committee. And while GroupM’s YCO program originated as a 12-month program, the organization extended it by one year in order for the YCO to maximize potential contributions.

Source : Harvard Business Review 

Give Yourself a Leadership Workup

Many of us wait until we're sick to see a doctor.

However, preventive medical assessments or regular exercise have been shown to improve health, save lives, and reduce medical costs. Prevention can be beneficial to leadership assessments too. Often people are asked to see a coach or participate in a 360-degree assessment when troubles surface. Yet, time and money (not to mention headaches) could be saved if leaders underwent thorough assessments before problems arose. 

Ask the people around you for feedback about what's working and what's not. Be sure you understand their expectations and where you may not be meeting them, or are unnecessarily exceeding them. Having a complete understanding of where you are as a leader gives you a greater sense of control and power to shape your future.

Source: Harvard Business Review 

Increase Your Desire to Learn

Don't let your ego get in the way of your desire to learn. Successful leaders keep their minds open to new things because they know that no matter how high their level of mastery, there is always more to discover. If you've become an expert in one field, seek out other fields where you can transfer and apply your expertise. When facing challenges, even ones you've faced many times before, adopt a learner's approach-ask questions or find new ways to solve the problem.

Take Responsibility for Your Growth

Responsibility for your professional development lies squarely on your shoulders. No matter your situation, use these tips to keep sharp:

Meet with two former coworkers each month. Talk about your industry and where it is headed. This will keep you tapped into the community.

Have one major learning experience each quarter. If your work isn't giving you the necessary challenges, seek out other oppor tunities. Volunteer for a nonprofit, attend a conference, or take a class.

Give yourself a performance review. Reflect on your growth and performance, whether through a formal process or not. Be honest with yourself about your strengths and weaknesses and what you should focus on in the coming year.

Source: book management tips Harvard Business Review 

Blue Ocean Leadership Summary

The best and most empirically supported strategy book I have ever read is Blue Ocean Strategy and the authors of the 2005 book, W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne, just published a great article on the Harvard Business Review, “Blue Ocean Leadership.” The need for blue ocean leadership is highlighted by the statistics that only 30 percent of employees are actively committed to doing a good job, 50 percent just put their time in while 20 percent act out their discontent by negatively influencing co-workers, missing days on the job and driving customers away through poor service. Just step back and re-read that last sentence: 20 percent of all employees in the US act in counterproductive ways.

Poor leadership is the cause of this widespread employee disengagement, according to US polling agency Gallup. People do not intend to be poor leaders but they lack a clear understanding of what changes it would take to bring out the best in everyone and achieve high impact. The authors extend their research and theory from Blue Ocean Strategy, which essentially is a framework for turning non-customers into customers, and applies concepts and analytic underpinnings to help leaders release the blue ocean of unexploited talent and energy in the organization.

The key insight is that leadership should be considered a service that employees “buy” or “don’t buy.” Every leader has customers, the bosses the leader must deliver performance and the followers who need the leader’s guidance and support to achieve. When people value your leadership, they are effectively buying your leadership. They are inspired to excel. Conversely, when they do not buy your leadership, they disengage, becoming non-customers.

How Blue Ocean Leadership is different

Blue Ocean Leadership rapidly brings a step change in leadership strength. There are three overarching ways that is differs from traditional leadership:

Focus on acts and activities. Blue Ocean Leadership focuses on what acts and activities leaders need to undertake to boost their teams’ motivation and business results, not on who leaders need to be. It is much easier to change people’s acts and activities than their values, qualities or behavioral traits. Activities are something that any individual can change, given the right feedback and guidance.

Connect closely to market realities. Under Blue Ocean Leadership, the people who face market realities are asked for their direct input on how their leaders hold them back and what those leaders could do to help them best serve customers and key stakeholders. When people are engaged in defining the leadership practices that will enable them to thrive, those practices are connected to the market realities against which they need to perform, and they are then highly motivated to create the best possible profile for leaders and to make new solutions work. Their willing cooperation maximizes the acceptance of new profiles for leadership while minimizing implementation costs. Traditional leadership development programs tend to be quite generic and are often detached from what companies stand for in the eyes of customers and from the market results people are expected to achieve.

Distribute leadership across all management levels. Blue Ocean Leadership is designed to be applied across the three leadership levels: top, middle and frontline. It calls for profiles for leaders that are tailored to the very different tasks, degrees of power and environments that you find at each level. Extending leadership capabilities deep into the front line unleashes the latent talent and drive of a critical mass of employees, and creating strong distributed leadership significantly enhances performance across the organization. Conversely, most traditional leadership programs focus on executives and their potential for impact now and in the future.

Four steps of Blue Ocean Leadership

Kim and Mauborgne lay out four steps to Blue Ocean Leadership as follows:

1. See your leadership reality

Without a common understanding of where leadership stands and is falling short, you cannot make a forceful case for change. Many businesses discuss changes in leadership before resolving differences of opinion and perception over what leaders are actually doing.

The first step is to gain this understanding. To achieve this goal, the authors created an as-is Leadership Canvas, analytic visuals that show just how managers at each level invest their time and effort, as perceived by customers of their leadership. An organization begins the process by creating a canvas for each of its three management levels (top, middle and frontline).

You should select a team of 12–15 senior managers for this project. Choose leaders who cut across functions and are recognized internally as good leaders so that the team has credibility. Then break the team into three sub-teams, each focused on one level and charged with interviewing its relevant leadership customers—bosses and subordinates—while ensuring a representative number of each are included.

The goal is to uncover how people experience current leadership and to begin a company-wide conversation about what leaders do and should do at each level. The leaders’ customers are asked what activities, either good or bad, spend most of their time on and which are key to motivation and performance but are currently neglected. Crucial to the success of this phase is learning the specifics; the as-is Leadership Canvas needs to be grounded in acts and activities that reflect each level’s specific market reality and performance goals.

Kim and Mauborgne comment that the results of as-is Leadership Canvas are often eye-opening. In their research, they often find 20-40 percent of the acts and activities of leaders at all three levels provide only questionable value to those above and below them. They also found that it is common leaders to be underinvesting in acts and activities that 20-40 percent cite as important.

2. Develop alternative Leadership Profiles

The second step is to explore what effective leadership profiles look like at each level. The sub-teams then go back to their interviewees with two sets of questions.

The first set of questions the sub-teams ask try to pinpoint the extent each act and activity on the canvas is either a cold spot (absorbing leaders’ time but adding little/no value) or a hot spot (energizing employees and inspiring them to apply their talents, but currently underinvested or not addressed at all).

The second set of questions prompts interviewees to think beyond the bounds of the company and focus on effective leadership acts that they have observed outside of the organizations, particularly those they believe would have a strong impact if implemented in your organization. This is the phase where new ideas emerge about what leaders can be doing but are not. The ideas may come from a teacher, coach, grandparent, scout master, former boss, general, etc. During this step, you must get interviewees to detail the acts and activities that would add real value to them if undertaken by their current leaders.

The authors have developed a grid, similar to the one they built for Blue Ocean strategy, to process these finding:

Start with the cold-spot activities and acts, which go into the Eliminate or Reduce quadrants depending on how negatively interviewees judge them. You will immediately see the benefits of stopping leaders from doing things that add little or no value. Cutting back on these activities also gives leaders the bandwidth to add activities that improve their performance.

From the cold-spots then move to hot spots, which go into the Raise quadrant if they involve current acts and activities or Create for those not currently done by leaders.

Based on this input, the sub-teams should draft 2-4 “to-be” Leadership Canvases (as opposed to as-is canvases). These analytic visuals illustrate Leadership Profiles that can lift individual and organizational performance and provide a powerful contrast to the as-is canvases. The sub-teams crate a range of leadership models, not just one, to thoroughly explore new leadership space.

3. Select to-be Leadership Profiles

Once the sub-teams are comfortable with the to-be Leadership Canvases, they are presented to the entire management team (from board members to front line managers). This event (when the canvases are presented) starts with members of the original senior team presenting the three as-is canvases (one for each level of management). Using these canvases, the teams shows why change is needed, confirms that comments from all levels were considered and sets the context against which the to-be Leadership Profile can be understood and appreciated. Only discuss the profiles at the aggregate level so individual leaders remain open to change and feel everyone is in a similar situation.

Once the current situation is assessed, sub-teams then present the to-be profiles. Attendees then vote on the canvas they find most compelling. Senior leaders then discuss with everyone why they voted as they did. The top managers then meet privately — with the information on the current state, preferred to-be state and comments — and decide which to-be Leadership Profile to move forward on each level. They then return and explain their decisions to the team.

4. Institutionalize new leadership practices

The fourth and final step is to put the new to-be Leadership Profiles into practice. First, original sub-team members communicate the results to the people that they interviewed. Second, the company then distributes the agreed-on to-be profiles to the leaders at each level. Third, the sub-team members hold meetings with leaders to walk them through their canvases, explaining what should be eliminated, reduced, raised and created. Since every leaders is the buyer of another level of leadership, all managers will be working to change, knowing their bosses are doing the same thing on the basis of input they provided.

The leaders then pass the message to their direct reports and explain how the new Leadership Profiles will allow them to be more effective. To keep the new profiles top of mind, the to-be canvases should be posted in the offices of both leaders and their reports. Leaders also need to hold regular, at least monthly, meetings where they meet with their direct reports and elicit honest feedback on how they are making the transition to the new profiles.

Execution

One of the key strengths of the Blue Ocean Leadership plan is that it builds execution into all four steps. Realistically, any change initiative will be met with much skepticism, “here we go again,” either publicly or behind the scenes. Blue Ocean Leadership is different as its four steps are founded on the principles of fair process: engagement, explanation and expectation clarity. The application of fair process generates buy-in and ownership of the to-be Leadership Profiles and builds trust, setting the foundation for implementation. The most important practices in implementing a fair process are:

Respected senior managers spearhead the process. Senior managers need to conduct interviews and draw up the canvases, not just be on the list of those involved. This involvement strongly signals the importance of the initiative, which makes people at all levels feel respected and gives senior managers a visceral sense of what actions are needed to created a significant change in leadership performance.

People are engaged in defining what leaders should do. With employees input shaping the to-be profiles, people have confidence in the changes made. The process also helps connect them with their leaders, as they have greater ownership of what their leaders are doing.

People at all levels have a say in the final decision. Though the top leaders have final say on the to-be profiles, a slice of the organization across all three management levels gets to vote in selecting the new Leadership Profiles.

It is easy to assess whether expectations are being met. Clarity about what needs to change to move from the as-is to the to-be Leadership Profiles makes it easy to monitor progress. The monthly review meetings help the company check whether it is making headway.

As the authors point out, “the gift that fair process confers is trust and, hence, voluntary cooperation, a quality vital to the leader-follower relationship.”

Using Blue Ocean Leadership to be great

For those who are students and fans of Blue Ocean Strategy, as I am, the concept and process that Kim and Maubergne lay out for Blue Ocean Leadership is incredibly compelling. What is beautiful is the process is very detailed and thus easy to implement. Moreover, the underlying logic is clear and it is easy to see how following Blue Ocean Leadership can help you and your company be much more effective.

Key takeaways

Leadership is broken.Currently, only 30 percent (less than 1/3) of employees are committed to doing a good job. Although sobering, this statistic shows a huge opportunity for improvement.

Replicate the Blue Ocean grid. The best way to improve leadership is to extend the Eliminate-Reduce-Raise-Create grid that has proven successful in creating strategy to improving your company’s leadership.

Blue Ocean Leadership incorporates a fair process, necessary for success. The steps for Blue Ocean Leadership ensure a fair process (one that includes engagement, explanation and expectation clarity) that leads to buy-in and ownership throughout your organization.

Businessess Strategy by Brian Tracy

The “Principles of Effective Strategy”

To succeed, put these seven principles to work:

1. “The principle of the objective” – Success requires having a firmly established goal. You must know how you will accomplish it, and your employees must know what they are supposed to do. Alexander’s goal was to become ruler of the world. That required defeating the Persians and getting rid of Darius. Alexander communicated his battle plan and strategy to his generals, so everyone would know what actions to take.
2. “The principle of the offensive” – Napoléon Bonaparte said, “No great battles are ever won on the defense.” To succeed, go on the offensive with “new products, new services, new processes and new ways of doing business.” Alexander knew the only way to defeat the Persians was to take the fight directly to them. To beat your competitors, do the same to them.
3. “The principle of the mass” – Generals defeat enemy armies by massing their forces “at a critical point at a critical time.” Alexander beat the Persians by creating a breach in their lines that he could exploit. In business, take advantage of this principle by delivering the best products or services in your niche. Don’t expand into other product or service areas until you lead your niche market. According to Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, the most important element in business is focus. Always focus on the products and services that your company does best.
4. “The principle of maneuver” – Generals who prevail outmaneuver their foes, just as Alexander outmaneuvered the Persians. Expert strategists remain flexible; they consider “what might happen” and plan accordingly. Be ready to “move forward, backward and sideways in the market, if necessary.”
5. “The principle of concerted action”– Teamwork is paramount. Alexander knew he could count on his troops because he trained them to be the world’s most disciplined soldiers. Promote a culture of teamwork where employees always speak of “us, we and our” and see the company as a “logical extension of themselves.”
6. “The principle of surprise” – Alexander surprised the Persians and kept them off-balance. Do the same to your business rivals by introducing innovative products and services and by using novel strategies and processes.
7. “The principle of exploitation” – Once you achieve your goals, don’t stop. Keep moving ahead to exploit your advantage. Your competitors will do everything they can to make up lost ground. Stay on the offensive.

Five Critical Strategic Questions

Strategize to improve your company’s return on investment, secure a new position in the marketplace, exploit opportunities and spearhead new actions. To carry out strategic planning, ask: 1) What’s your current situation? 2) “How did you get to where you are today?” 3) “Where do you want to be in the future?” 4) “How are you going to get there?” and 5) “What do you need?” That is, can you identify the assets, such as “skills, resources or money,” that you require for achieving your goals? Strategizing includes conceptualizing an “ideal future” for your company and working backward to figure out the steps required to achieve that future.

Strategic Planning Principles

Include everyone who will directly implement your strategic plan in the process of formulating it. The senior executive “ultimately responsible” for implementing the strategy should participate in the entire process. Otherwise, this executive will have no investment in the strategy and may prove reluctant to fully support implementation. Corporate strategy concerns “products, services, customers, markets, finances, people, technology and production capability.” Whatever your focus, make sure your goals are clear. Communicate them to everyone in your company and to your shareholders, stakeholders and consumers. Follow four strategic planning principles:

1. “Specialization” – Focus on what you do best. If you expand beyond your core products or services, move only to an “adjacency area” – a new product or service line that expands your core business.
2. “Differentiation” – Separate your firm and its offerings from your competitors.
3. “Segmentation” – Target the ideal customers most likely to buy your goods.
4. “Concentration” – Apply your resources where they will do the most good.

“Formulation and Implementation”

The Kepner-Tregoe consulting firm suggests a five-phase plan for creating and implementing strategy:

1. “Strategic intelligence gathering and analysis” – Use only the best data available.
2. “Strategy formulation” – Include a time frame and an endpoint. As you formulate a plan, catalogue your “current, modified and new products.
3. “Strategy master-project planning” – List and prioritize all your projects. “This pool of projects is your master plan for the strategy.”
4. “Strategic implementation” – Put the proper structure in place. Align your strategy with your organizational structure, and communicate your strategic plan.
5. Monitor your strategy – Update as necessary.

“First…think about and agree on the foundation principles of your business.”

Everyone in your organization must team up to make your strategy work. The business units must integrate their actions. Offer incentives tied to the strategic initiative to motivate employees. Implement the necessary controls to keep everyone on track.

The strategy you choose determines who your rivals will be; their responses will require further strategizing. Make the effort necessary to ensure that your customers view your products or services as their best choice.

“Driving Force”

Consultants Benjamin Tregoe and John Zimmerman stress the importance of identifying your driving force, that is, your primary strategic concept and your “quantitative principle.” This force is the “point of the spear” of business planning. Each of these factors can be a driving force:

• “Product or services” – Align your offerings to fit the scope of your market.
• “Market needs” – Provide what consumers want.
• “Technology-driven driving force” – Structure your business by using the latest technology.
• “Production capability” – Ensure that you possess the capability to keep up with your projected growth. Ikea, for example, constantly creates more and improved furniture for greater numbers of consumers in markets that keep growing.
• “Method of sales” – You could use “retail, wholesale, direct mail, Internet, distributors or manufacturer’s representatives.”
• “Size and growth” – For example, automaker Toyota’s motivating force is to consistently increase its market share. As sales grow, Toyota applies “economies of scale” to lower production costs and increase profits.

“KWINK”

Sometimes, the most important strategic insight to embrace is “knowing what I now know” (KWINK). This means honestly accepting that certain initiatives – no matter how much you want them to do well and no matter how extensive their sunken costs – aren’t working. When you identify dysfunctional or underperforming products or services, ruthlessly discontinue them or divest them.

“The most successful men and women in the world seem to be those whose values are clear to them. They refuse to compromise them for any short-term gain or advantage.”

To move forward, you may have to abandon products or functions that worked in the past. Having to divest should never make you cautious or lead you to think small. Be ready to create an entirely new market if you find a promising niche, product or service. When Netscape introduced its web browser – which reshaped the video rental business, consumer viewing habits, film and television distribution and audience polling – it fearlessly unveiled a “new product for unknown customers.”

The Importance of “Your Corporate Mission”

Strategy should carve out and delineate the path to accomplishing your mission, whatever it may be. Stating a crystal-clear mission requires knowing “your values, your vision…and your purpose.” Use a specific and measurable mission statement to spell out your goals to everyone in your organization.

“Get the facts. Get the real facts. Not the apparent facts, the hoped-for facts, or the obvious facts. Get the real facts based on analysis. Facts don’t lie.” (Harold Geneen, ITT)

You can start with a generic mission statement as a model and insert your company specifics. A generic statement might read: We will provide the finest example of our product to the correct market to create significant improvements in our consumers’ professional and home lives. We will always upgrade the quality and functionality of our offerings and never stop seeking out, finding and selling to new and ever-more loyal consumers. We will increase our market share and profits by at least 20% annually.

“Peter Drucker once said that, even when a business is starting out at a kitchen table, if the business does not dream of world leadership, it will never be a big success.”

Your strategy should reflect your company’s qualitative – never quantitative – values and foundational principles, such as “integrity, quality, customer service, innovation, entrepreneurship and profitability.” Your strategy should also support your vision. The right strategy can make your vision – however ambitious – a reality.