Archive for the ‘Strategy’ Category
April 10, 2012
The power of virtual teams to respond quickly to corporate challenges, pooling both broad and deep expertise, has become an important key to corporate success. However, to get the most from the vast experience, knowledge and perspective of dispersed team members, you need to use the strength of a vision to bring the team together, leveraging the opportunity to ensure that every person fully understands and embraces their purpose and the role they (as well as those of their team mates) play in organizational success.
In an environment where team members do not have the luxury of interacting face to face, creating a living, breathing shared vision is the solid foundation on which to build a sound structure. A “virtual” vision serves several purposes: 1) It forces the team to collaborate to evaluate its fundamental attributes and characteristics as a dispersed unit 2) It establishes boundaries that guide strategy and 3) the vision establishes implicit expectations and standards of performance.
A vision for dispersed teams will also:
- Provide focus and energy for overcoming traditional corporate cultures that promote a “HQ is best” mentality
- Encourage people to shift from a nationalistic or functional culture to a global perspective
- Compel new ways of thinking and acting… as a global entity
- Provide a roadmap to keep the virtual team on course when tempted to regress toward old habits
- Create a powerful commitment to inspire team members to commit to accomplishing things that matter deeply to them – the vision becomes personal and creates a “third” culture.
- Facilitate change, promoting the acceptance of collaborative thinking.
When creating a vision for a virtual team, consider some key factors:
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Posted in Cross-cultural, Global Leadership, Strategy, Value Creation, Virtual Teams, Vision | Tagged alignment, Global Leadership, shared vision, Strategy, Virtual Team | 1 Comment »
March 21, 2012
Today, in many organizations, a significant amount of work is done virtually. Even in the most provincial and domestic firms, it is rare to find all team members in a single location. Companies frequently choose people from across various global locations to work virtually in an effort to save both time and money.
The business justification for you to create virtual teams is strong: they leverage expertise and vertical integration across the organization to make resources readily available, as well as increase the overall speed and agility of the organization. In addition, virtual teams draw talent quickly from various functions, locations and cultures. They reduce the disruption to people’s lives because travel becomes less of a necessity and team members can both broaden and deepen their perspectives (and their careers) by working across boundaries and borders on a variety of projects and tasks.
As a leader of virtual teams, your main goal should be to leverage your human capital to its utmost – as quickly as possible. Beware: How you choose to manage this process may be the difference between success and failure.
Despite the potential advantages of creating virtual teams, a dispersed environment will fundamentally change how your teams operate and adds to the overall complexity of the environment. Virtual teams are more complex than traditional teams for two key reasons:
- They cross boundaries related to time, distance (geography), culture and/or function
- They communicate and collaborate using technology
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Posted in Communication, Cross-cultural, Global Leadership, Multicultural Teams, Strategy, Virtual Teams | Tagged collaboration, communication, competitive advantage, Global Leadership, intercultural teams, Strategic Planning | Leave a Comment »
March 5, 2012
Companies spend a lot of money to define and package the goods and services they want to sell. Superficial or not, people make judgments based, in part, on appearances. As most us have been told – You never have a second chance to make a first impression. Your “packaging” has to attract, inform, and persuade … However, the packaging of Brand YOU consists of much more than what is explicitly visible.
So then, what makes your brand not only attractive as a first impression, but memorable for the value and content you bring to the wider landscape? The marketplace is crowded and more competitive than ever. To establish yourself and rise above the noise, you need to have a clear idea what you are about, what you have to offer and to whom.
Here are some ideas of things you may want to consider when developing your Brand portfolio:
Appearance: Obviously, you need to make sure you are representing on the outside the value that you want people to perceive on the inside. Do you look and behave in a way consistent with how you would like others to perceive you?
Content:
It’s critical to give your audience something that interests them and leaves them wanting more. The idea is to create content that makes people want to become what Seth Godin calls raving fans… of you. If you’re passionate about your brand, your enthusiasm will come across in everything you do – and that’s the most important thing you can communicate to anyone.
Messaging: How do you demonstrate what makes you different? Is Brand YOU a brand of substance? How will you communicate that substance? What do you have to offer that is demonstrably better, faster, or stronger than other brands? Dig deep inside yourself and search for answers to these questions – they are very important and will impact multiple areas of your life. Once you have an idea of what you would like to promote, develop a clear and concise message that promotes how you would like to show your audience what you are all about and how you can be of service.
Once you have put everything together, double check yourself and make sure you are accurately reflecting what you hope to achieve. Contemplate the following aspects of your packaging:
- Your space: Does it reflect who you are?
- Your business card: Does it indicate your expertise or area of specialty?
- Your personal style: Does it align to what you want people to perceive about you?
- Your communication style: Does it really reveal what you want to communicate?
- Your presentation style (including your visuals): Do your presentations represent you well?
- Your (social) media presence: Are you conscientious about how you present your packaging in all forums?
I know this is a lot to think about… and even more to execute on. However, the results of going through this in- depth exercise in self-discovery will pay off BIG – it will become your competitive advantage. Not only will you know yourself infinitely better, but people will see and understand your packaging in exactly the way you would like them to.
Does your packaging say what you want it to?
Please engage the discussion and let us know how your packaging has affected you. Always feel free to contact me at Sheri.Mackey@LuminosityGlobal.com or by visiting our website at www.LuminosityGlobal.com. Check back next week for the next installment of Leadership Across Boundaries and Borders, when we will discuss how to communicate Brand YOU.
Posted in alignment, Communication, Development, Global Leadership, Leadership, Planning, Potential, Sales, Self Development, Strategy, Value Creation | Tagged alignment, competitive advantage, influence, Leadership, Potential, Strategic Planning, winning results | 2 Comments »
February 16, 2012
Corporate entities understand the importance of branding. Surprisingly, most people do not recognize the importance of branding themselves. In today’s competitive environment, it is important to create your own brand. It is a critical component to your success. If done well, it will open doors for you and create lasting impressions on those you come into contact with.
Always remember: If you don’t brand yourself, someone else will brand you… and the outcome might not be what you would like it to be.
You can be sure that not everyone knows who you are or what you do. Worse, it is highly likely that people may have already formed their own perceptions of who you are without your direct input. By developing your own specific brand, you establish that you are unique in your own right, as well as gaining control over alternate perceptions.
Take a lesson from the big brands – Apple, Nike, Starbucks (you get the picture…) – a lesson that’s true and relevant for anyone who is interested in standing above and prospering in today’s ever-evolving business environment: It doesn’t matter how old you are, what your position is, or which business you happen to be in – you need to understand the importance of branding. Without branding, there is nothing to set you apart from the rest – perceptions of mediocrity are likely to infiltrate. Appropriate branding ensures you are perceived as an important asset.
YOU are the product. Everything you do affects your brand. Defining yourself as a valuable asset will add value to your position. It will ensure your business revolves around you – making you irreplaceable. You will be recognized for who you are, but more importantly, what you do.
Through personal branding, you define who you want to be, grow in the direction you want to grow and have the opportunity to improve your overall standings in the rankings. To be successful in business today, your most important job is to be the CMO for the brand called YOU. Are you a brand worthy of comment?
So, what does building your brand look like? This may seem simple, but it is not always easy…
First of all – start thinking differently! You do not belong to any company and your main affiliation is not to any function. You are not defined by your job title or confined by your position description – You are Brand YOU! In order to start thinking of yourself as your own CMO, ask yourself the same question that top brand managers at major corporations ask themselves:
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Posted in Communication, Development, Global Leadership, Innovation, Leadership, Potential, Strategy, Value Creation | Tagged business results, expert, Personal Branding, self promotion, Strategy | 4 Comments »
January 26, 2012
The greatest achievement of the human spirit is to live up to one’s opportunities and make the most of one’s resources.
~ Marquis de Vauvenargues
Wherever your most desired destination may be, one thing is for sure – if you don’t get on the road, you will never arrive. Once you decide to embark on the less traveled path of pursuing your personal goals, it it important that you set achievable milestones in order to successfully enter the narrow gate of your desired destination. It may feel like a long journey, but with perseverance and dedication to fulfilling your potential, you will arrive…
When you have achieved that goal you have steadily been working toward, ensure you take the time to congratulate yourself and enjoy the satisfaction of having achieved what you set out to do. Absorb the implications of the achievement, and observe the progress that you’ve made towards other goals. At the very least, achieving your milestones will fuel your motivation to propel you toward your next goal – ultimately guiding you to where you want to be. Achieving even small goals (milestones) along the way will give you the self-confidence to pursue new and exciting destinations.
Whether the goal was small or large, STOP and take a little time to enjoy the moment and reward yourself appropriately. Recognize your success for what it is…SUCCESS!
Now, with the positive experience of having achieved a goal, and taking the time to properly acknowledge your accomplishment, review the journey to date and determine:
- Was the goal too easily attained? If so, make sure your remaining goals (or your next goals) stretch your capacity so that you continue to grow and arrive at new and exciting destinations.
- Did the goal take a daunting length of time to achieve? Ensure your next goals are a little more time-bound, and check the distance between your milestones.
- Did you learn something from your journey? If so, leverage your learning and use it to facilitate the journey toward future destinations.
- Did you perceive a deficit in your skills, despite achieving the goal? Think about incorporating some of the more challenging aspects of the journey onto future roadmaps in order to allow you to hone that particular skill for future journeys.
- Have you derived as much pleasure from the journey as you have in arriving at the destination? I hope so – life is all about the journey after all…
Now that you have arrived at your desired destination, it is time for you to reset your navigation system and set that next big, audacious goal that will take you on yet another exciting journey toward the fulfillment of all of your most “desired destinations”…
Where will you go next?
I hope this series has provided some useful guidelines toward helping you to manage your journey toward your ultimate destination. Please engage the discussion and let us know how you will travel toward your next personal goal. Always feel free to contact me atSheri.Mackey@LuminosityGlobal.com or by visiting our website at www.LuminosityGlobal.com. Check back next week for the next installment of Leadership Across Boundaries and Borders.
Posted in Development, Goal Setting, Leadership, Personal Goal Setting, Planning, Potential, Strategy, Value Creation, Winning | Tagged Change Management, Execution, Goal Setting, Leadership, winning results | Leave a Comment »
January 9, 2012
Some men give up their designs when they have almost reached the goal; While others, on the contrary,obtain a victory by exerting, at the last moment, more vigorous efforts than ever before.
~Herodotus
Goal setting sounds simple right? Well it is, but it can go downhill very quickly. You have committed to your personal goal-setting journey, but there are some roadblocks to watch out for. The first rule of the road is, “keep on moving!” Despite honoring this mantra, you may still fail to reach your desired destination because you (consciously or unconsciously) take some critical wrong turns that keep you off course:
1. You just won’t follow the process through because:
- You can’t think of a good reason to set goals: This is your future we are talking about here – goal setting defines your destination and how you will get there, so that one day your dreams becomes reality. Keep this in mind when you are deciding how to proceed…
- You are in control of your own destiny: You are where you are now because of the action [or inaction] you have taken in the past. Where you’ll be in the future is determined by the actions you take today. Is there any better reason to start setting goals and having some control over your future?
- You don’t see how goal setting will help you: Maps help you get where you want to go, right? That’s all goal setting and action planning really are – the roadmap to your future. Of course it will help.
- You haven’t got time: Goal setting is about working smarter, not harder. Yes, it will take some of your time and energy, you may even have to make some sacrifices. However, the end results are truly worth the effort. Surely you can set aside a small amount of time each day to move toward your life’s purpose and take the actions necessary to get there? The sad reality is that many people procrastinate all their life and never achieve what they really want to achieve. Don’t be one of those people. Visualize what life will be like when you arrive at your desired destination and use this vision to give you the motivation and “drive” to get there.
- You believe it is too hard: Goal setting is simple, but not easy. It takes some time and you need to do some soul searching to determine what it is that you really want out of life – but it is not hard. It may seem overwhelming, however by managing the process with relevant mile-markers, you can continually move in the right direction and ultimately achieve everything you want. The other thing to remember is that goal setting is a skill. Like all skills, goal setting takes exposure and time to develop.
- You are afraid of failure: What is fear? False Expectations Appearing Real. You determine what you are capable of, and more than likely you are your biggest constraint. What is the worst case scenario of not achieving your goals? You may achieve some of your goals or, perhaps, a portion of a goal. You will know that you gave it your best effort and as a result achieved something… Now, what is the most likely outcome of not setting any personal goals? Not going anywhere - far worse, by my estimation. Fear of failure is real. It is critically important to come to terms with this, as fear of failure can result in a complete lack of action… resulting in failure to achieve anything meaningful. Learn to grow from failure, rather than fear it.
- You don’t take your goals seriously enough to fully commit: You need to take goal setting seriously if it is going to work for you. You have probably tried New Years resolutions in the past – did you take them seriously? Did you succeed?
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Posted in Personal Goal Setting, Planning, Potential, Strategic Planning, Strategy, Value Creation | Tagged Change Management, Goal Setting, Leadership, Potential, results, Strategic Planning, success, winning results | 2 Comments »
December 19, 2011
Our goals can only be reached through the vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success.
~ Stephen A. Brennan
So, now you have committed to your goals, but how will you ensure continued forward motion toward your desired destination? The sad fact is that in spite of so much information being readily available on personal goal setting, in spite of this skill even being taught in some schools… most people do not – will not – decide exactly what they want out of life… ever! Personal goal setting is one of the most useful and satisfying activities a person can engage in, yet it something most people just will not typically do.
How can you score points if you don’t know where the goal is? Chances are, if you don’t know where you’re going… you end up somewhere you never intended to be. How can you arrive at your desired destination without a reliable road map? Action without planning, is just activity… busyness… an unproductive waste of energy and time. Personal goal setting is like fuel injection for your mind. When SMART goals are properly incorporated within the context of your personal journey, they will produce effective, self-perpetuating action.
In order to have the best chance at successfully achieving your goals, here are some tips that will help you to stay on track and moving in the right direction:
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Posted in Destinations, Development, Goal Setting, Planning, Potential, Strategy, Value Creation | Tagged alignment, Execution, Goal Setting, Strategic Planning, winning results | Leave a Comment »
December 5, 2011
Goals. There’s no telling what you can do when you get inspired by them. There’s no telling what you can do when you believe in them. There’s no telling what will happen when you act upon them.
~ Jim Rohn
Many people, often senior leaders, feel as if they’re adrift in the world – not sure what their ultimate purpose or legacy might be. They work hard, they get the promotions, and advance somewhat successfully through life from day to day, but they don’t seem to get anywhere worthwhile – anywhere that is self-fulfilling. One critical reason this happens is because they typically haven’t spent enough time thinking about what they want from life - and they haven’t set their coordinates for success!
Goal setting is much more than simply saying you want something to happen. Unless you clearly define exactly what you want and understand why you want it the first place, your odds of success are significantly diminished.
Here are some broad guidelines to help you not only to set effective, achievable goals, but also to keep the focus on the why:
- Make each goal a positive statement – Express your goals positively – “Execute this initiative to my highest standards, while remaining on schedule and 10% under budget” is a much better goal than “Don’t fail to execute this initiative.”
- Be precise: Set precise goals, putting in dates, times and amounts so that you can measure achievement. This provides a mechanism to know exactly when the goal is achieved, and you can take complete satisfaction from having achieved it.
- Set clear priorities – When there is more than one goal, give each a priority. This will help you to avoid the feeling of being overwhelmed by having too much to focus on at any one time – while also directing your attention to the most important priorities.
- Clear, purposeful steps that are taken along the way will guide you to where you want to be. Your big, scary audacious goal may take a year (or significantly more), however shorter – daily, weekly or monthly – excursions will help you to stay on course and focused in the right direction.
- Keep tactical goals small – Keep the low-level goals that you’re working towards small and achievable. If a goal is too big, it may seem that you are not making adequate progress. Keeping goals incremental, marked as milestones, provides the means to keep you motivated – not to mention more opportunity for reward.
- Set performance goals, not outcome goals – Set goals within your control as often as possible. It can be discouraging to fail for reasons beyond your control. If you base your goals on personal performance, then you maintain control over the achievement of your goals, and draw personal satisfaction from your successes.
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Posted in alignment, Destinations, Development, Goal Setting, Planning, Potential, Strategy, Value Creation | Tagged Goal Setting, inspiration, Potential, Strategic Planning, success, winning results | Leave a Comment »
November 20, 2011
The reason most people never reach their goals is that they don’t define them, or ever seriously consider them as believable or achievable…
~Denis Waitley
Have you ever stopped to think about what you want your life to mean? What it is you really want to accomplish? Have you thought about what you want to be doing in ten years… or even five years’ time? Are you clear about what your main objective is at the moment? How does it contribute to your vision for your life? Do you even know what you want to achieve by the end of today?
Many people lose sight of what is important to them and fail to keep a direct line of sight to the why of what they do. It’s easy to lose sight of. From experience, I would say that most people do a whole lot in a day (a month…a year) that adds very little value to their overall life, however they just get lost in the demands of the moment…
By setting aligned goals that are based upon managed timelines, you can add purpose and direction to your life, while at the same time understanding and focusing on the overall why of what you do from day to day… and year to year.
Here is a basic process:
Setting Lifetime Goals
The first step in setting personal goals is to consider what you want to achieve in your lifetime (or at least, by a significant and distant age in the future). Setting lifetime goals gives you an overall perspective that shapes all other aspects of your life, and hence, your decision-making process.
To provide a multi-lane highway for you to travel through life on, it is important to bring broad, balanced coverage to all-important areas in your life. Establish goals in some of the following categories that may be important to you:
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Posted in alignment, Destinations, Development, Goal Setting, Innovation, Leadership, Milestones, Planning, Potential, Strategy, Value Creation | Tagged alignment, Execution, Goal Setting, Potential, Strategic Planning | Leave a Comment »
October 28, 2011
What is the difference between a dream and a goal? A dream is fanciful and vague, while a goal is concrete and measurable. Despite the differences, if you do not properly prepare for personal goal setting, your goals can easily become just faded dreams.
In order to succeed in establishing a purpose and direction for our lives, we need to do more then simply have vague ideas in our head or scribble down some random ideas on a piece of paper.
Goals need to be complete and focused, much like a dedicated route on a map. In planning for your journey in personal goal setting, there are some important preparations that need to be made in order to help you accurately follow the route, recognize milestones and ultimately, reach the final destination you most sincerely desire.
There are several critical steps you should consider before actually setting your goals that will help you to stay on track and motivated through the entire process of setting and attaining your personal goals:
1. Make sure the goals you establish are what you really want – not just something that sounds good or something someone else wants for you.
When setting goals it is very important to remember that your goals must be consistent with your values. Knowing and explicitly understanding your core values will go a long way in helping you to know what it is you really want from life, as well as realizing your own potential.
2. Understand that goals are not mutually exclusive.
Develop goals in several different areas of your life, but understand you are an integrated person – and as such, you goals should be integrated and aligned as well. Some key areas to consider: Family, Friendship, Financial, Professional, Spiritual, Ethical, Health & Fitness, Leisure and Personal Growth & Development. Setting separate, but aligned, goals in various areas of life will focus you on living a balanced life.
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Posted in alignment, Destinations, Development, Planning, Potential, Preparing For Your Journey, Strategy, Value Creation | Tagged alignment, Goal Setting, Potential, success, winning results | Leave a Comment »
