But is it really such a surprise? Not at all, in my view. Mitsubishi went years ago, Holden has struggled to survive, but Toyota seems to have adapted best. I don’t pretend (to understand all the “goings on” within those companies and that industry, but if we look more broadly at what ALL companies face in Australia, it is the relentless pressure of CHANGE!

Globalization is here to stay – no need to debate that! But talking about “relentless”, so is the technological revolution that affects all industries, none more than Mining and Resources. The technology evolution is more like a tsunami than a wave! And then there’s increasing complexity – of everything! Oh, and the fraying economic / banking / political / retailing systems world-wide, and with it all a sense of general uncertainty.

Now the Gen Zs are about to hit your workplace to add to the Baby-Boomers, Gen Xs and Gen Ys, you are having to manage the most complex workforce in history. How can you adequately, effectively, most competitively ENGAGE all of them?

How can you, as a CEO, owner or senior executive, survive let alone prosper into the future? How can you achieve high performance, sustainability AND a level of satisfaction that makes it all worthwhile?

“You need to engender dynamic, respectful and collegial working environments responsive to changes in technology, the global environment, innovation and whatever else arises – workplaces constructively challenging and brimming with the right people properly ALIGNED to future rather than past strategic imperatives.”

That is an extract from my new Book – “The New CEO In You!” – just now being released (print or eBook) to address just such dilemmas.

There are answers, but they are NOT the same as in the past. As Einstein said:

“A problem cannot be solved with the same level of thinking that created it.”

What do you think? Is the Ford closure due to a failure to adapt to the realities facing its industry over many years? Sometime we need to shift, modify or completely RETHINK our roles, expectations, location or whatever it takes to stay relevant!

What of your own organization – do you require a “RETHINK” before it’s too late?

That’s what the Book is about.

RUSSELL NEWMAN – 0419 156 603 – russell@duetconsulting.com.au

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My own observation is that not much has changed in how people work and how managers lead!

What’s your experience?  What concerns or impresses you, and from what perspective (ie your own role and level)?

I perform a remarkably clear, simple and reliable psychometric “Individual Profiling “ tool wherever I go.  Talk to me if you’re curious.  After some 5,000 of these over 21 years, one of the themes that consistently emerges is that under pressure (sudden shock or sustained), any one of us will tend to revert involuntarily to relatively primal behaviours ingrained into us in early and late childhood.  Wow!

What’s that old adage, “Show me the boy or girl of 7 and I’ll show you the man or woman!” Jung and Freud would approve.  This means that the fighter will fight and the less assertive may prefer to flee   among many other examples.

My point is that unless you know YOURSELF well, particularly being clear about that early and late childhood profile, I have found that it will DRIVE YOU irrespective of what your ROLE and SITUATION demand!

Alternatively, “knowledge is power” and so enhanced self-awareness frees you to modify your tendencies according to the outcome you, as an adult, now seek.

Does that make sense to you?  can you see the link between this simple and proven reality and the outcome of your own leadership – or perhaps your experiences from others?

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Like most things in life, there is a hierarchy. Organizational Purpose and the high order “existential” elements (eg Mission, Vision, Values) guide and inform all else. These must be concise and represent a supreme “test” for all Strategies and operational activities.

There is a tendency in some organizations to blame those who “don’t get it”. A more positive and successful approach will be to work out ways in which to ensure and help everyone to “get it”. This is a central plank of Leadership.

However, it is hard to get peoples’ enthusiasm up when they are not sure what they – individually or collectively – are trying to achieve. The short / medium / long term Objectives (or goals) must be clearly stated and, while owned by the board and senior management, they are ideally derived in part from wide stakeholder input.

It is not enough to just set objectives – there are inevitably “conditions” for achieving success that must be clarified too. This is mostly associated with our Values (eg – we can all think of people whose methods of achieving their objectives were not ok, and never would have been, to the extent to which they were successful yet unacceptable in achieving their quotas, or whatever. These unstated conditions need to be explicit).

What we actually do to achieve the objectives becomes much clearer. If what we do or have (our strategies, products, facilities, services, etc) does not directly contribute to these stated objectives, why do it or possess it at all? This clarity alone sorts out what we take from the past into our future, and what we leave behind. Strategic Planning becomes simpler and most relevant, enabling unprecedented business guidance.

This clarity enables Operational and Budgetary relevance, but also provides the basis for deciding our Structure and the Roles relevant to our future. An objective, unemotional review of the structure and roles, irrespective of incumbents, is only then possible.

It is based on this objectivity and clarity that a review of staff is feasible to ensure we have “the right people in the right job at the right time”. This is the most fundamental tenet of Human Resources theory! It is the key to the relative success or failure of any organization, underpinning all recruitment and selection criteria.

If we then fail to Performance Manage our people – to provide timely, constructive feedback, reward and recognition, motivation, growth and development – we cannot hope to retain the best of them, or ensure high performance remains in focus.

The post How we achieve clarity regarding key business factors appeared first on Duet Consulting.

It is this group that presumably is most marketable and often mobile, open to the call of “head-hunters”, and (to be frank) in the spirit of the “best people having most options”, most questioning about the career impact of being with that Organisation – particularly if it is facing testing times regarding its Board, reputation, profitability and direction.

There are a number of transition points and personal challenges that leaders, throughout their career, need to negotiate to achieve personal success and hence success for their organisation. Transition points include:
• The first 90 days;
• At the 2 year point, and each 2 years thereafter;
• Major leadership changes or concerns at the top;
• Major market changes.

Harvard Business School research indicates that senior outside appointments have just 90 days to prove themselves a success, and that more than 40% fail to achieve desired results. This is attributed to the absence of coaching in how to make transitions. “Promising managers are dumped in the deep end of the pool. The swimmers are deemed to have high potential and the sinkers…sink.” At Duet we provide data and processes that identify and address specific capacities, styles and needs, of equal value for those transitioning in their current organisations or moving to new organisations. Personal challenges might include:
• Career reassessment;
• Work-life balance;
• Mid-life crisis;
• Critical points in their family development (eg school age children).

Our work at Duet Consulting entails providing timely coaching and support to senior and middle managers as they negotiate these transitional points and personal challenges, in the context of their work roles and careers. Our goal is to provide a “safe”, confidential space in which they may smoothly work through their issues, thus also safeguarding the Organisation’s investment in these key staff.

We are particularly clear about the boundaries between Consulting, Coaching, Counselling and Psychological needs and approaches, as per our unique “Four C’s” model, so that when personal, non-work-related issues flow over and threaten their (eg career) well-being, we can refer them discretely to other qualified professionals.

In our experience, we have found that leaders prefer such development work to be provided by external people so that they can be free to tackle their work-life issues without fear of unnecessary exposure.

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A consistent theme throughout most is their lack of adequate strategic planning! I have a very practical approach to this vexed topic. Simple yet not simplistic!

What we do know about most people employed in most types of organizations is that they need to know what they are working towards and what their own role is in that pursuit. Surprised? Of course not!

How can you as CEO or manager ensure that those two needs are met without the CLARITY provided by a Strategic Plan? Of course you can’t!

That why I have over many years refined this process – and it is a process – as part of what I call my Alignment Model. Keeping it simple yet profound. Clarity, clarity, clarity makes a world of difference to you and your organisation’s performance.

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