Impact Reporting

I've started working with organizations on the idea of Impact Reporting. It's really quite simple but its another means to measure success. The more I see the more I realize that we are terrible at measuring success or at least measuring the movement toward a goal. Truth is... it's difficult. Plus, it isn't required of many people.

The goal in all our efforts has to be to build a baseline and measure off that baseline. An Impact Report is simply a tool to accumulate those measures and progress toward them. Declination North has created a generalized tool with various options for what could populate an Impact Report and we're using that to help organizations reach their goals.

The reports are simple and often called dashboards for organizations. It might look like a health report or a stock review but however the report is compiled and designed it must function to track plan to actual.

If you take the time to do this your efforts will be more fruitful, your leadership will be more impressed, you'll have the tools to move forward with accuracy of impact, and you'll find your role more fulfilling.

Challenge: Take the time before a project to note what you intend on reporting and then consider how to measure that project's goal.

Chaos & Order

A good friend of mine, Dr. Chris Leland, spoke to our group this morning on the ideas of chaos and order. His lesson was full of wisdom and insight that had multiple practicality and application.

I've been pondering the thoughts and couldn't help but think how these two terms that seem a dichotomy are often good harmony items for us to keep in mind and quite honestly, for us to pursue.

The idea of chaos. It leaves many people concerned and freaked out. Many times that's well founded. But there are also others of us that greatly enjoy chaos and the challenge that allows us to tackle. Chaos is brought about by intention at times but more than likely, by incident. But one thing is true, all of us will handle chaos in life.

Order seems like the safe place for many. It's the calm after the storm or maybe its the result of good planning. Often order is seen as the goal for us to achieve if we are in some form of chaos.

What needs to be appreciated is that both are good and both have benefit for us personally and the growth of our organization. Chaos produces perseverance, patience, and provides opportunity for us to learn. Order allows time for rest, reflection, and planning.

So, is there a perfect world? I believe we should strive to have a good balance of both. It's important to stay sharp but also important to have rest.

Challenge: Embrace the chaos, work toward order, keep learning through it all.

Personal Base-Lining

As a new year begins many people will sit and write their New Year resolutions and try their best to keep them. Sadly I’ve heard that most New Year’s resolutions are broken within the first week. I was having a discussion with a colleague where we were discussion how we might approach resolutions better.

This was when we discussed the idea of base-lining our goals. Now, I based mine more off “blue sky” life goals rather than specific resolutions as I try and keep my goals life-long and consistent in nature. But this tool could work for either.

The simple approach is to (1) make a list of personal goals, however many and however defined. Then (2) take those goals and give them a simple value between 1-5 as to where you hope to be in “x” weeks/months. Also note (3) where you feel like you are currently. Sure, this is completely subjective, but it’s just you and your reasoning should remain mostly consistent.

Here is what you can achieve. You have (1) written your goals, (2) noted where you currently feel you are on those goals, and (3) set a means to measure where you will be several weeks/months down the road.

Allow me to share an example. One goal for me is to help guide organizations to effective change and success. I have a good idea what that looks like for me and I know where I am currently. I gave myself a “2” for current as I’ve been doing more maintenance items recently and not able to work on bigger picture goals and vision enhancement. I also gave myself a “4” for a goal in that area with hopes the next three months will allow me to engage more in that area of ability and desire. That’s it; I just assign those two values and sit the paper aside.

Now, I’ll come back in three months and give myself a value for where I am then. At that point I’ll be able to see growth or areas in need of improvement. I know that I just can’t sit down a few months from now and say, “how do I feel about things?”; now I can gauge that against something more measurable.

Big picture is to discipline yourself to be objective in your assessment and quantifiable in measurement.

Challenge: Take a moment to map out your goals and blue sky ideas

To You, With You

This is a philosophy that's very dear to me in working with others, regardless of the situation. It's the idea of our efforts being projected as us doing something "to" our client or "with" out client.

Why is this important? I believe it's important because great leadership always seeks to give ownership to people and not take ownership from people. Anyone can do something to someone, but it takes wisdom, prudence, and insight to be able to do something with someone and for someone.

I believe this principle applies in business, relationships, parenting, and various other forums. The key here is perspective... the perspective of working together for a cause greater than ourselves. That's when we'll begin to gain the greater joy of work.

The danger in doing something "to" someone is that they won't receive it well, it won't be owned, and it's not respected. If you truly believe in the contribution you bring to the table then why would you undermine your own contribution by the attitude or delivery of your contribution?

Challenge: Be mindful of how you work with others and seek ways to respect them as you work "with" them.

Respond: Share a story of how you've seen working "with" someone inspire and create ownership.

Is, Is Not

Definition is often a bother to me in the productivity and working relationships of people. We get frustrated when things aren't done, when they aren't done the way we expected, or when people just don't seem to understand us. In some ways it seems like an unconquerable mountain when it comes to communication and overcoming obstacles. But in reality there are many simple things we can do to help make our work environments operate with efficiency and respect.

The simplest of one's is what's called, "IS, IS NOT". You simply task yourself to not only define what it is that you expect but also what you don't expect. Set the fences and explain the turf in the middle. This works not only for roles and responsibility but all the way to corporate vision and mission.

I will usually take clients through this exercise so that we can define what's on the other side of the fence just as we have defined what's in the middle. This enables people to take ownership, understand the bigger picture, and most importantly it gives everyone a framework for corporate accountability.

Definition can bring great clarity to a team and great strength to them as they move forward. Even as you delegate consider what you can define and the is and is nots. Ask yourself what are you main objectives and then what falls outside of that. Ask yourself what you expect for someone to do in their position or a project... and then what falls outside of that.

Building this as part of your corporate culture will be of benefit to your people, your business, and yourself.

Challenge: Seek to bring greater definition to your team by defining what IS and IS NOT

Respond: What other ways could you bring definition to your team?

Fail Often to Succeed Quickly

There's been a phrase in business for years that reads, "fail often to succeed quickly". If you think about it, it's quite the revolutionary statement when most of our environments work to keep things "safe".

What does a working environment that encourages change, mistakes, trials, and testing look like?

How can we foster an environment that encourages employee engagement to facilitate these practices?

First, I believe the leaders must model the way and set the example for what is meant by failing often to succeed quickly. Leaders must be willing to make calculated risks for the forward movement of their team. But leaders must also be transparent to show where they've failed and where they've succeeded. Leaders must also take responsibility for their mistakes but then be willing to share the victory of a success with their team.

Second, the environment must be set for a team to seek creativity. This comes in various forms, and again, typically encouraged by the leader. Great environments for creativity are rare but they are worth their weight in gold. These environments allow teams to explore and test; a place to build prototypes and work through problems.

Third, there must be a defined "win" or determined goal for what you've set out to achieve in the first place. If you don't have a defined goal then you'll never know if you've achieved the mark. Now that you've created and prototyped a design for something, test it, and make certain it meet the need of your original intent.

Environments and leadership that guide to these types of atmosphere's in the work place will inevitably succeed in the long run. This is what brings out team creativity and team ownership in the project.

Challenge: Evaluate your work environment and seek to build an atmosphere in location and morale that is open to Failing Often to Succeed Quickly.

Respond: How have you seen environments achieve this goal? What would an ideal environment look like for you?

Commitment, Not Consensus

Ever had a frustration as a leader in trying to bring a group to consensus on something? Ever tried to bring a group to complete agreement on a decision, plan, or agenda?

It's quite common for most of us to have stories to share here. Truth is, it's difficult to bring a group to any agreement most of the time.

So, what's the solution? Well, most of the solutions are in the leader's capacity to guide a group through to a solution. There are various methodologies to bring a group to a solution. I will not be addressing those methodologies here.

What I would like to discuss is the principle behind this... the principle that it's always more about commitment than consensus.

How often are we more concerned about consensus as we lead a group through something? How much more effective would we be if commitment were our driving principle in guiding to a solution?

Our goal as leaders and our goal team members is to reach toward the objective set before us. That objective will inevitably have personal perspectives and nuances that influence us all to a different level. We, as leaders, have the responsibility to set those presuppositions and emotions aside and work toward a solution that best for the goal, team, and those influenced.

Once our objective is in place then our ability to reach that goal are more easily attainable.

So, what's so different about commitment over consensus? Consensus will leave you paralyzed, inconsistent, and ineffective. Commitment is tangible and moves you toward goals quicker.

This is simple to use. Start by setting the right expectations with your group(s) then move forward by setting in your mind what commitment looks like. Form in your mind what commitment looks like and guide the group to that goal, and not consensus.

Challenge: Try using this principle in solution finding and see how much more effective you before in leading people.

Respond: Have you ever had an experience that was stifled by consensus? Have you ever seen commitment work as a strategy? Tell us about it...