I heard a great strategy plan the other day for mid-progress development for project management and effective execution. It's a simple three step process of reassess, recalculate, and reinforce.
Reassess requires us to evaluate our teams, resources, effectiveness, and movement toward goal. It's painful, but good for development. This requires us to draw in other perspectives and carefully address progress.
Recalculation requires that we take our lessons learned and, as a team, work to develop tweaks and refinements to our strategies. Rarely are strategies perfect from the onset, great success hinges on the ability to flex mid-stream.
Reinforce requires that we take these previous two lessons and carefully allocate proper resources for continued effectiveness and success.
These three simple steps can help guide us through quick evaluation of progress management and milestone evaluation.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Friday, February 20, 2009
Thread of Experience
Several weeks back we discussed the idea on an Intentional Pathway. I believe IP is one of the most effective ways to understand where you are taking a group and determining what you trying to achieve.
Allow me to stretch that exercise with another term that may help better understand that tool. It's the idea of "thread of experience".
As you develop an IP for any product/program it's extremely important to keep in mind what the common theme is throughout that initiative. Remember, this is someone journeying through life who is going to interact/collide with something you have to offer - you need to be consistent in how you deliver.
Thread of Experience is simply the common core essence of what you're trying to communicate. It's the essential meaning. But, it must be defined and acknowledged.
Use these two tools (Intentional Pathway and Thread of Experience) to effectively build the experience you desire for your clientele to walk. Remember that you have the responsibility to steward their experience well. Why not use the right tools to help you better respect people?
Allow me to stretch that exercise with another term that may help better understand that tool. It's the idea of "thread of experience".
As you develop an IP for any product/program it's extremely important to keep in mind what the common theme is throughout that initiative. Remember, this is someone journeying through life who is going to interact/collide with something you have to offer - you need to be consistent in how you deliver.
Thread of Experience is simply the common core essence of what you're trying to communicate. It's the essential meaning. But, it must be defined and acknowledged.
Use these two tools (Intentional Pathway and Thread of Experience) to effectively build the experience you desire for your clientele to walk. Remember that you have the responsibility to steward their experience well. Why not use the right tools to help you better respect people?
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Stewardship of People
I love the concept of stewardship. It leaves us to consider life as a protector and as a guardian for what's right and what's worthy. Many times we only think of stewardship in context on finances, but it often seems to end there.
Stewardship is certainly much larger than just financial responsibility. I would propose that the greatest stewardship responsibility we all carry is the honor and respect of people. I would also propose that there is no greater joy in the workplace than in treating people with the respect due them as people.
Now, I don't propose that's interpreted that we're easy on people. Quite the opposite. Stewardship relationship and people is difficult and it demands clear communication, set expectations, honoring of character, and connection to heart needs.
The point is this. If you interact with people then you've been given the responsibility to steward everyone of those relationships and interactions as best as possible. Each is an opportunity to honor well. And each opportunity to honor is a blessed to us each.
Stewardship is certainly much larger than just financial responsibility. I would propose that the greatest stewardship responsibility we all carry is the honor and respect of people. I would also propose that there is no greater joy in the workplace than in treating people with the respect due them as people.
Now, I don't propose that's interpreted that we're easy on people. Quite the opposite. Stewardship relationship and people is difficult and it demands clear communication, set expectations, honoring of character, and connection to heart needs.
The point is this. If you interact with people then you've been given the responsibility to steward everyone of those relationships and interactions as best as possible. Each is an opportunity to honor well. And each opportunity to honor is a blessed to us each.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Lone Genius
There's a phrase given in innovations that says, "collective input is always better than the lone genius". It's a true statement, but I don't believe we've done justice to why this has so much purpose and potential.
First glance of this would lead you to catch the idea that a group of people has a better ability to solve a problem, develop a product, or achieve an objective... all better than one person, no matter how smart that one person might be. Yes, it's true. For the most part a team will always be better to deliver a higher quality product due to variety of giftings, insights, strengths, and perspectives.
But here is where the real value is.. in team, not solution. I believe that if you have a team that is completely sold on an idea that they feel complete ownership of, that idea or product might even be less quality than some other product, but since it was developed, owners, and birthed by this team it will have a greater chance of success.
Sure, at the end of the day we have to create products that are beneficial, creative, innovative, profitable, functional, and most certainly meeting the needs of people. But there's a higher ethic and concern here for team development. I believe in the long run it's good team development that will always succeed in the product that exists in the market place.
People are always our greatest treasure, this is why its imperative to have the right team. The right team can accomplish anything.
First glance of this would lead you to catch the idea that a group of people has a better ability to solve a problem, develop a product, or achieve an objective... all better than one person, no matter how smart that one person might be. Yes, it's true. For the most part a team will always be better to deliver a higher quality product due to variety of giftings, insights, strengths, and perspectives.
But here is where the real value is.. in team, not solution. I believe that if you have a team that is completely sold on an idea that they feel complete ownership of, that idea or product might even be less quality than some other product, but since it was developed, owners, and birthed by this team it will have a greater chance of success.
Sure, at the end of the day we have to create products that are beneficial, creative, innovative, profitable, functional, and most certainly meeting the needs of people. But there's a higher ethic and concern here for team development. I believe in the long run it's good team development that will always succeed in the product that exists in the market place.
People are always our greatest treasure, this is why its imperative to have the right team. The right team can accomplish anything.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Measuring Outcome vs. Activity
How many of us have seen people who work all the time and seem to accomplish next to nothing. Even worse, they are commended for their hard work.
There's a simple principle of measuring outcome vs. activity.
If we're measuring outcome then we've created some definition or baseline for what success looks like. We've given success body and we've given it meaning. Activity, though good for looks, is mostly empty air. It rarely reaps benefit.
There are two angles we should all take on this. The first is to analyze what we do on a daily basis and evaluate if it's for outcome or activity. Second, we should couch those who work on our teams the difference and instill value in our teams for outcome, and not activity.
This is an easy thing to fall into as most people hold 8-5 jobs. The 8-5 structure can dampen a work ethic as it seems you need to fill time more than you need to fill work needs. None the less, our responsibility is still to be productive in producing outcome. Don't let the 8-5 trap build complacency.
There's a simple principle of measuring outcome vs. activity.
If we're measuring outcome then we've created some definition or baseline for what success looks like. We've given success body and we've given it meaning. Activity, though good for looks, is mostly empty air. It rarely reaps benefit.
There are two angles we should all take on this. The first is to analyze what we do on a daily basis and evaluate if it's for outcome or activity. Second, we should couch those who work on our teams the difference and instill value in our teams for outcome, and not activity.
This is an easy thing to fall into as most people hold 8-5 jobs. The 8-5 structure can dampen a work ethic as it seems you need to fill time more than you need to fill work needs. None the less, our responsibility is still to be productive in producing outcome. Don't let the 8-5 trap build complacency.
Monday, February 9, 2009
One Page
How many papers, documents, surveys, resumes, memo, and any other form of business documentation come across our desk on a daily basis? Beyond the point of frustration with paper there's a terribly unrealistic ability to consume and make any of this information practical for our daily function.
May I suggest a very simple solution - try consolidating everything to one page. At least the core point of each major point you are trying to make - communicate that on one page. One page is concise and beneficial. Anything longer becomes redundant and almost bureaucratic.
Now, I don't believe a presentation must be consolidated to one page - but maybe a sequence of one-page documents.
Give it a shot and see how much easier it is for you to communicate your goals.
May I suggest a very simple solution - try consolidating everything to one page. At least the core point of each major point you are trying to make - communicate that on one page. One page is concise and beneficial. Anything longer becomes redundant and almost bureaucratic.
Now, I don't believe a presentation must be consolidated to one page - but maybe a sequence of one-page documents.
Give it a shot and see how much easier it is for you to communicate your goals.
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