Archive for the ‘In 100 Words’ Category
Friday, June 16th, 2023 by AdvisorCatalyst
Every organization has between one and three technical
crafts which spin its economic engine. Leaders
should ensure their organizations honor the craft and their craft workers. How?
- Spotlight excellence in the craft at an
individual and collective level.
- Help improve the tools of the craft to increase worker
safety and efficiency.
- Invest in the craft more broadly through associations
or standards setting organizations.
- Be a spokesperson for the craft throughout and
outside your organization.
Your organization benefits as craft workers sharpen
their skills and bring new perspectives, tools, and processes into your
organization.
This helps guard your organization’s economic engine.
“We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes
a master.” Ernest
Hemingway
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Tags: Leadership, management, Troy Schrock
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Monday, May 1st, 2023 by AdvisorCatalyst
There seems to be
confusion around what is micro-managing.
Everyone’s definition is unique to them.
I hear many
people complain about being micro-managed when their manager is simply bringing
accountability to expected behaviors, attitudes, actions, or outcomes of a given
project or job. People don’t always appreciate
accountability.
On the flip side,
I hear managers say they “don’t want to micro-manage” as a reason for why they
don’t check in on the work of their reports.
Or, as a reason for not being more directive.
Employees need
direction. Managers should be directive. Providing guidance and accountability is managing,
not micro-managing.
“Management must
manage!” Harold Geneen
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Tags: management, Micro-managing, Troy Schrock
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Wednesday, March 15th, 2023 by AdvisorCatalyst
Your team’s pulse is the frequency of your team’s
meetings. There are two situations where
leaders need to quicken their team’s pulse.
One is defensive – for fast, critical decision-making
in dynamic or fluid environments. Think
crisis management.
The other is offensive – for accelerating
important initiatives. This will instill
urgency around the few priorities which will best advance your organization.
It’s okay if the meetings are shorter. The most important thing is connecting. What happened since we last met? What needs to be accomplished next? What resources or decisions are required to
move forward? Go ahead, quicken your team’s
pulse rate.
“Leadership is all about people. It
is not about organizations. It is not about plans. It is not about strategies.
It is all about people–motivating people to get the job done. You have to be
people centered.” Colin
Powell
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Tags: Leadership Team, Meetings, strategy execution, Troy Schrock
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Wednesday, February 1st, 2023 by AdvisorCatalyst
Is your staff younger than ever? Are more than 25% of your staff new in the
last 30 months? Are you seeing an
increase in mistakes in service delivery or quality?
If so, you have hit the “inexperience tipping point.” Your organization isn’t alone. Many industries have seen greater than 50% of
the workforce leave the industry. Leaders
are grappling with the results – a far younger, less experienced workforce.
Leaders can create a reverse tipping point and change
the momentum. How? Slow down and train new staff. Reinforce the basic why, what, and how of
value delivery for your organization.
“Look at the world around you. It may seem like an immovable, implacable place. It is not, With the slightest push — in just the right place — it can be tipped.” Malcolm Gladwell
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Tags: Leadership, management, Tipping Point, Troy Schrock, Young Employees
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Thursday, December 15th, 2022 by AdvisorCatalyst
The
challenging last few years are taking their cumulative toll on senior leaders –
they are fatigued. It’s
understandable. The market dynamics have
been spectacular. High market demand coupled
with increasing employee turn-over. Inflation
combined with supply chain issues.
I
see leaders counteracting these pressures by:
- Re-prioritizing
resources to only their current, best customers and vendors.
- Resetting delivery
timelines.
- Slowing growth down
to train new staff.
- Guarding personal
time for themselves and key leaders – for rejuvenation and whitespace thinking.
- Increasing intake
of inspiring, positive information.
- Most importantly,…
showing others kindness, patience, and understanding.
It’s
important leaders remain refreshed and hopeful.
“Return to kindness. Let it become your most important
accomplishment.” Bob Goff
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Tags: Leadership, management, Troy Schrock
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Tuesday, November 1st, 2022 by AdvisorCatalyst
Unfortunately, the human psyche can tend toward the
negative. We struggle to keep equilibrium
around the good and positive, our progress and blessings. Depending on your information inputs, the tendency
can be amplified or balanced.
Here are three simple actions leaders can take with their
teams to shift their information inputs:
- Begin meetings with each person sharing a bright spot from both their professional and personal lives.
- Write an encouraging note (or email or text message) to several people each week.
- Take time to celebrate monthly, quarterly, and yearly successes as a team.
I’m sure you have some additional ideas.
“If you see ten troubles coming down the road, you can be
sure that nine will run into the ditch before they reach you.” Calvin Coolidge
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Tags: Leadership, management, Troy Schrock
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Thursday, September 15th, 2022 by AdvisorCatalyst
What
vulnerabilities have been revealed in your organization with the significant market
changes the last few years? You should consider
internal – thought processes and operating patterns – along with external factors.
In
addressing key vulnerabilities through resilience thinking, the following carry
greater weight in decisions:
- People ahead of processes.
- Balance Sheet strength.
- Non-cost factors – availability, speed, and more limited offerings.
- Contingencies and alternatives.
- More frequent leadership team connection and outward communication.
Though
decisions favoring resiliency result in natural redundancy (extra cost), when delivery
and availability are at stake, leaders yield margin to fulfil already sold
commitments or keep sales engines running.
“The greatest danger in times of turbulence is not the
turbulence – it is to act with yesterday’s logic.” Peter Drucker
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Tags: In 100 Words, Leadership, strategic planning, Troy Schrock
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Monday, August 1st, 2022 by AdvisorCatalyst
Leaders
have had a two-year crash course on a resilience mindset vs a mindset of maximizing
efficiencies. The global system which
allowed for decades of squeezing ever greater profits out of systems, networks
and supply chains has unraveled. The
pandemic and Ukraine war are simply two recent accelerators of a decade plus
trend away from global inter-connectedness and toward nationalism (e.g., China
policies, U.K. Brexit, and U.S. populist movement).
While
change was always a norm, greater change will be the new norm so continue building
the resilience mindset. Think flexible
systems. Build sufficient financial and talent
resources to weather turbulence.
Resilience is “The capacity of a system to absorb disturbance
and still retain its basic function and structure.” Brian Walker and David Salt in Resilience
Thinking
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Tags: In 100 Words, Leadership, management, strategic planning, Troy Schrock
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Wednesday, June 15th, 2022 by AdvisorCatalyst
Pat
Lencioni calls accountability “the universal challenge” of teams. In The Advantage he notes global data
from their Five Dysfunctions of a Team Assessment show 65% of assessments are
“red” for accountability (vs. green or yellow).
Surprising? Maybe.
Consider how much accountability stings.
Do I want my attitude, behavior, or work to be scrutinized more closely? Not likely.
Yet calling out others invites others to call me out.
Are
you willing to lead by example? If so,
accountability can become a strength.
While there will be times you require help or forgiveness, you will also
experience delivering on more commitments.
“Courage is the main quality of leadership, in my opinion,
no matter where it is exercised.” Walt Disney
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Tags: Accountability, Leadership, management, Troy Schrock
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Tuesday, March 15th, 2022 by AdvisorCatalyst
Inertia
– resistance to change in speed or direction – is a powerful force. Significant energy is required to break
inertia which can be good or bad for leaders.
Inertia works in a leader’s favor when it is built around valuable routines,
habits, and attitudes. The more momentum
you build in the right direction the easier it is to maintain.
Conversely,
inertia works against you when built around negative routines, habits, and
attitudes. It takes committed effort to break
the cycle and restart momentum in a positive direction.
How
can you spin your positive inertia flywheels?
Where should you break negative inertia?
“Leaders must wake people out of inertia. They must get people excited about something
they’ve never seen before, something that does not yet exist.” Rosabeth Moss Kanter
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Tags: Leadership, Troy Schrock
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