Monthly Archive for March, 2010

Succession Management Vancouver – Workshop

Added on March 26, 2010 at 6:06 am

On May 04, 2010, I will be teaching a workshop on succession management fundamentals to the Association of Professional Engineers and Geo-Scientists of BC.  Here is the link to register:  http://www.apeg.bc.ca/prodev/events/succession_mgmt.html

Learning Objectives

In this program, we will provide you with an overall framework for developing a succession program.  Specifically, you will learn:

  • Why succession management is a risk management process and how to identify the succession risks in your organization
  • The different phases of a succession management project and typical activities in each phase.
  • How to identify and assess future successors both inside and outside of your organization
  • What to do if you do not have enough successors in house
  • How to create leadership development plans that accelerate leadership potential so that you can bridge the gap between your senior leaders and the next level as fast as possible

Workshop Details

  • This is a hands-on one day workshop.
  • Participants walk away with a framework for building a succession process in their organization and a toolkit they can apply.
  • We utilize real world case studies
  • We also provide them with practical stories from years of consulting in this area.

Executive Coaching to Develop Future Leaders

Added on March 26, 2010 at 6:02 am

Succession planning has become a key initiative listed in many organizations strategic planning process.  Organizations are asking themselves: How do we develop the next generation of leaders?  How do we make sure they are ready to take over when the current leaders retire, or leave?  Which roles should we focus on first?  Who are the key people that we believe have the potential to run our business in the future?

In order to develop future leaders, there are a number of tactics an organization can use.  The most important one is making sure that leaders have an opportunity to develop their skills managing people, they get exposure to strategic decision making, and they get an opportunity to build their network with highly influential people on the current executive team.  Once you can check these items on the list, coaching is another best practice which can help them to refine their leadership style and build the core capabilities necessary for success.

Many successful companies recognize that leaders need one on one attention to refine their leadership style and improve their capabilities, especially in those areas which have been empirically shown to improve leadership effectiveness.  Personalized attention can help leaders to inspire a common purpose, build a high performing team, hold steady during conflict, and navigate corporate politics.  Although many leaders know what they need to do, they find it difficult to implement these practices on a day to day bases.  Having a coach can significantly help them, especially when the coach has business experience and an understanding of organizational dynamics.  A coach with these skills can be a “thinking partner” to the leader, helping them to determine the best way to approach challenging day to day situations.

If a coaching engagement is structured properly and there are clear goals and objectives, companies are realizing there is a strong ROI which surpasses that of workshops.  Although workshops can be great for inspiring new ideas, it seems that most leaders take them and build their knowledge, but they don’t actually apply the concepts unless the course includes follow up coaching to ensure that new behaviours and information are actually implemented.

If you are considering using an executive coach, a key to success is knowing what you want to accomplish.  I have found that when the coaching involves just “talking” about your daily challenges, it is not as effective as a coaching engagement where you are trying to solve a certain business challenge or develop a specific leadership behaviour.  The best executive coaching engagements also include feedback from your direct manager and peers, and typically help you to be more effective in your current organizational context.  ROI for a coaching engagement is usually determined by using some kind of scorecard and ensuring tangible business and behavioural outcomes are defined up front and measured at the end of the engagement.

Did you just get promoted? You better read this.

Added on March 12, 2010 at 8:46 pm

I know this should be a joyous occasion for you and I don’t want to scare you, but if you just got a new promotion, you need to manage the transition strategically. According to a recent study by global leadership development firm DDI, 37% of all newly promoted leaders fail.  Failure means that these leaders left their positions or failed to meet their objectives.  According to the study, there was not a significant difference between internal and external candidates, nor did it vary significantly by job level.  This tells me that if you just got a promotion, you need to be strategic about how you handle it, so you don’t become one of these statistics.

So, what can you do to up the odds of your success?  Here are a few recommendations which are practical and really work.

1)      Get clear on what you need to accomplish – I know this sounds obvious, but one of the most important things for you to do is to ask your direct manager what you need to accomplish in the first 90 days.  Then, go one step beyond this and ask how different stakeholder groups define success in your role.  For example, if you ask the question:  “What does the CEO want from this role in the first 90 days?” it prompts a deeper level of thinking and elevates the discussion.  Other stakeholder groups may be the Board of Directors, Finance, Sales, Customers, or in some cases, the Union.

2)      Create a Relationship Map – A relationship map is simply a visual diagram of the key people that you need to proactively develop relationships with.  I recommend spending some time understanding who the “Core Group” is at work.  These are the people who are the key influencers.  They make things happen, and people work hard to serve their interests.  At the same time, you want to know who the key stakeholders are that directly interact with your role and what kind of relationship they had with your predecessor.

3)      Know your Risks – Every time a leader is hired, the hiring team carefully weighs the strengths and weaknesses of the candidate.  Although it isn’t pleasant to think about, there are a handful of people in the organization who have picked apart your experience, leadership traits, and weaknesses and who are acutely aware of what you bring (and don’t bring) to the table.  Of course, you did not get any of this feedback when you were offered the job, but it can be useful to ask for this information now.  Ask your manager two questions: 1) “What did you see as my major weaknesses when you hired me” And, 2) “How can we ensure these weaknesses don’t block my success?” With these answers, you have basically created a risk mitigation plan for yourself.  You have also put key issues on the table, which often go unspoken until they become derailers.

Here is the full DDI Study.  It is worth an eye-opening read.

http://www.ddiworld.com/thoughtleadership/globalleadershipforecast2008.asp

Is the pace of your executive role too much?

Added on March 12, 2010 at 7:48 am

In the last year, I have noticed a trend in my coaching practice.  I am seeing more and more leaders who feel trapped in their role.  They are finding the pace and demands of being an executive are too much.  In many cases, these clients are women, but they are not all women.  Both men and women seem to be questioning the “total package” that comes with being an executive and whether or not the personal sacrifice is worth it.  They are wondering, “Is there another way?  Can I have the lifestyle I want and maintain my earning potential?  What could I do that would be more fulfilling?”

Each time I come across an executive who is questioning their path, I feel a tingle of excitement.  I want people to be living a life that aligns with their values and to be fulfilled. Every time a bright talented person makes a choice to put their fulfillment before status or prestige, an opportunity and role model is created that shows the world that it is possible.  However, the transition can be a challenging one and from my coaching experience here are three things that commonly derail executives when they try to make the switch.

1)      Thinking too much – I know this sounds funny, but it is true.  The corporate world has a “left brain” dominant culture.  A lot of time it spent flexing the rational part of the brain and less time is spent engaging in creative pursuits.  Although there are many advantages to this, there are also some drawbacks.  Mainly, that when making decisions, the creative resources that come from the right side of the brain, are often ignored or not maximized.  If you are trying to define a fulfilling career path, you need to pay attention to the right side of your brain and define what you want to do by using creative and expansive techniques like using a vision board, drawing an image of what you want etc.  I follow the motto: “Define your path with your heart and figure out how to get there with your head.”

2)      Going through withdrawal: People who try to slow down, tend to go through withdrawal. They may enjoy the first few weeks of quiet time, but then something feels off.  They try to regain the balance by “getting busy” again, but often times they go straight back to their old habits of hyper-busyness instead of finding a manageable amount of work.  I have found that there are two consistent thought patterns which can lead to this behaviour.  They are: “I don’t want to miss out on an opportunity” and “I am worried I will lose my edge.”  If you can relate to this, it’s important to ask yourself: “What is the biggest opportunity I am facing right now?” “How does my edge serve me and how does it distract me?”  I have found that when people ask themselves these questions they often uncover big opportunities like spending time with family or getting their career on a fulfilling track.  Their “edge” is actually a productive behaviour pattern when used appropriately, but it becomes a distraction when it runs their life and is the foundation for decisions.

3)      Being impatient – Creating a fulfilling career and making a positive change takes time.  You don’t need to do it 90 days and in reality, you probably won’t.  Using Jim Collins analogy in “Good to Great,” it is more like a fly wheel.  You make small incremental changes that over time add up. As you take small steps, you start to retrain yourself and convince yourself that there are benefits to create a fulfilling career and standing up for your values.  As you reinforce these thoughts with behaviour, you will realize that you can make money doing what you love, the world will accept you, and you will create a new “edge” that serves your life.  With this new perspective, you may even chose to stay in the corporate world, but if you do, you will likely be a change agent, and find yourself committed to creating an organizational culture that makes it okay to be an executive and have personal boundaries, even it means saying “no” to a few “opportunities.”

Recruitment & Succession management – Vancouver workshop

Added on March 11, 2010 at 6:37 am

Natalie Michael will be teaching an upcoming course through the BC Human Resources Management Association on how to develop a proactive and integrated recruitment strategy.  Whether you are seeking to improve your current recruitment model and strategy, or building a new one from scratch, this learning series is designed to introduce you to a proactive approach and present you with the knowledge and tools for ensuring that your recruitment and succession processes align.

Session One – A Proactive Recruitment Approach

  • Understand the essentials of a proactive recruitment strategy
  • Explore different ways to structure recruitment teams including functional, geographical and executive search models.

Session Two – Integrating Recruitment and Succession

  • Identify the core elements of a proactive recruitment strategy
  • Identify integration points with succession management and other talent systems
  • Identify key opportunities for maximizing quality of hire.

Session Three – Sourcing Strategies for Your Budget

  • Identify current, low-cost sourcing strategies
  • Understand how to use Linked-In, Facebook, and other online low cost tools
  • Learn how to get executive buy-in to proactive methods for building talent pipelines.

To register for this course, please contact the BC Human Resources Management Association at www.bchrma.org

Executive Coaching – A Reality Check

Added on March 10, 2010 at 6:32 am

In January of ’09, Harvard Business Review published a report titled, “The Realities of Executive Coaching.” Authors Carol Kauffman and Diane Coutu surveyed a diverse group of coaches with the majority from the US and UK, gender divided equally 50-50, 61% active in the coaching profession for 10-plus years, and nearly all respondents claimed independent status with only 1% claiming internal corporate coaches.

Whether you’re an internal or external executive coach or a leader curious about best practices in the profession, you should find value in the report particularly the introductory framing of the engagement, key success factors, and the conclusion sections.

Of particular interest was how high 360-degree feedback collection was ranked in terms of valuable tools used in a coaching engagement (77%). The feedback is like holding up a mirror to the leader so they can see if their self-perceptions fit with what other people experience of them.

To review the HBR report, click here.  It is available for free on www.slideshare.com which is a great resource in general.

Thanks for reading!