HTG peer groups have been focused on best practice sharing since the first group was founded back in 2000. Those learning’s have helped numerous companies grow and become more successful in their markets. But over time we noticed that the value of best practice sharing seemed to diminish. Why? Ron Ashkenas wrote a great post on “Why Best Practices Are Hard to Practice” on Harvard Business Review online that explains some of the issues we found. Here are some excerpts from his excellent article:
“It would be easy to say that processes and tools cannot be picked up and moved from one organization to another. After all, each organization is unique — with different markets, commercial forces, structures, histories, leadership, and cultures. But if there weren't any universals, the sharing and transferring of best practices would be a waste of time, and there would be little learning across companies (or even within companies). But in truth some firms are exceptionally good at "stealing shamelessly." (In HTG we call it SWIPE – steal with integrity and pride every day). For example, think of all the companies that have benefited from Toyota's production model.
So why do some organizations succeed at utilizing processes and tools developed elsewhere while others fail? Here are two common pitfalls of applying best practices, and how to avoid them:
Lack of adaptation: The first pitfall is the temptation to take on a process or tool without tailoring it to the new environment. Because companies are so different, it is rare that a practice developed in one place can be applied elsewhere without significant customization. This not only requires learning the tool or process, but truly understanding the principles behind it. Practice comprehension calls for hard work — far beyond making road trips or sending a few people for training.
Lack of adoption: The second pitfall is to utilize a borrowed process or tool without full leadership support and commitment, as though just having the tool itself will generate the desired results. A former client at GE called this "the difference between doing it and really doing it." Often the wrong people are tasked with driving the process.
One of the characteristics of great companies is that they actively learn from others. But to be successful at doing this requires more than just identifying and borrowing best practices; it also requires adaptation to your culture and full adoption by your leadership. Without paying attention to these two steps, it is unlikely that best practices will actually be put into practice.”
To make best practice sharing valuable – HTG members have to learn how to adapt them to their situation. Seldom do you receive a best practice from a company exactly like yours. There are differences in your market, staff, skills, strategy, focus, management and on it goes. You have to take it and make it your own.
You also have to adopt it wholeheartedly. A best practice that is dumped on your staff to execute will become a failed practice. Ownership and executive management must drive best practice adoption by leading that charge. You can’t throw it over the fence and expect the right results. If you want it to work in your company, then you must own it until it does.
There is still much value to the learning’s we can glean from sharing best practices with each other. But the reality is that unless we adapt and adopt – there is no impact at all. And that makes it a matter of hallucination!
Showing posts with label execution. Show all posts
Showing posts with label execution. Show all posts
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Sunday, January 3, 2010
A Powerful Quote for 2010
Colin Powell said this: "When we are debating an issue, loyalty means giving me your honest opinion, whether you think I'll like it or not. Disagreement, at this stage, stimulates me. But once a decision has been made, the debate ends. From that point on, loyalty means executing the decision as if it were your own". I love these words. It captures the way people should live life. Debate the issues while the decision is under consideration, but once made, it all comes down to execution.
That fits in with my favorite all time quote from Thomas Edision: "Vision without execution is hallucination". At the end of the day - it is about getting things done not thinking about what could be or debating what should be. The world is run by people who show up and do something. I see lots of people trip up around these two areas - loyalty and execution. So many want to challenge what leadership has determined is the course of action, and even if they buy in, it is lip service with little or no action.
I see it in churches, civic groups, community service organizations - pretty much wherever people are involved. Everyone wants it their way. And if it isn't - well they just take their toys and pocketbooks and leave to go play somewhere else. That is not what life should look like. No one will get their way all the time, and if you choose to be part of an organization, then you need to be willing to be loyal to the direction of that organization or get out. Staying involved by whining about the decisions that have been made or undermining the group is about as pathetic as it gets. Yet it happens all the time and non profits/churches seem to really attract that kind of attitude.
Have you experienced the discussions about the color of the carpet, the look of the communication, the time of the meetings, the haircut of the leader's wife? We all agree (don't we) that petty little things like that have no place in organization life. But equally as frustrating can be the undercurrent when decisions are reached. Boards and leaders are in place for only one reason - to set direction and make decisions. That is their purpose. They are not there to please people and do what any one individual wants. Their responsibility is to evaluate the best for all involved and lead the organization down that road.
At some level this applies to our businesses too. We pay people to do things our way if we are owners, but at the end of the day, it really still boils down to loyalty and execution. If we have the right people on the bus they will line up and follow our direction. They should be providing input along the way as the decisions are reached, but once a course is set, they need to get on the bus and make things happen. If not, time to find a new job. That is the perogative of an company - to take those off the bus that don't discover what it means to be loyal.
It isn't so easy in volunteer organizations where people are a very necessary and important part of the mission. But even here, one bad apple can really spoil a big bunch of the barrel. We have to be careful not to ignore the impact of someone who doesn't get behind the vision, mission, values and direction of the organization.
As we begin 2010 and a new decade, I challenge you to consider all the things you are involved in and live the way Colin Powell describes above. If you have input, give it clearly and concisely during the discussion process. But once the decision is made, execute at the 110% level and stop the whining. Seldom is direction changed by that method, and it is a big red flag about the loyalty one has to the organization they are part of. The better approach would be to move on if you can't be loyal and execute. The world would be a very different place all across the good old USA if we lived this way. Churches wouldn't know what to do with all the extra manpower and time they would have to do productive and meaningful things.
Make the decisions of any organization you are part of your own, and then execute with a passion and effort that is second to none. That is how we make a difference around us. It isn't by continuing to try and make things our way. It is by getting aligned with the direction and decisions and working tirelessly to execute. That is what prevents vision from being hallucination!
That fits in with my favorite all time quote from Thomas Edision: "Vision without execution is hallucination". At the end of the day - it is about getting things done not thinking about what could be or debating what should be. The world is run by people who show up and do something. I see lots of people trip up around these two areas - loyalty and execution. So many want to challenge what leadership has determined is the course of action, and even if they buy in, it is lip service with little or no action.
I see it in churches, civic groups, community service organizations - pretty much wherever people are involved. Everyone wants it their way. And if it isn't - well they just take their toys and pocketbooks and leave to go play somewhere else. That is not what life should look like. No one will get their way all the time, and if you choose to be part of an organization, then you need to be willing to be loyal to the direction of that organization or get out. Staying involved by whining about the decisions that have been made or undermining the group is about as pathetic as it gets. Yet it happens all the time and non profits/churches seem to really attract that kind of attitude.
Have you experienced the discussions about the color of the carpet, the look of the communication, the time of the meetings, the haircut of the leader's wife? We all agree (don't we) that petty little things like that have no place in organization life. But equally as frustrating can be the undercurrent when decisions are reached. Boards and leaders are in place for only one reason - to set direction and make decisions. That is their purpose. They are not there to please people and do what any one individual wants. Their responsibility is to evaluate the best for all involved and lead the organization down that road.
At some level this applies to our businesses too. We pay people to do things our way if we are owners, but at the end of the day, it really still boils down to loyalty and execution. If we have the right people on the bus they will line up and follow our direction. They should be providing input along the way as the decisions are reached, but once a course is set, they need to get on the bus and make things happen. If not, time to find a new job. That is the perogative of an company - to take those off the bus that don't discover what it means to be loyal.
It isn't so easy in volunteer organizations where people are a very necessary and important part of the mission. But even here, one bad apple can really spoil a big bunch of the barrel. We have to be careful not to ignore the impact of someone who doesn't get behind the vision, mission, values and direction of the organization.
As we begin 2010 and a new decade, I challenge you to consider all the things you are involved in and live the way Colin Powell describes above. If you have input, give it clearly and concisely during the discussion process. But once the decision is made, execute at the 110% level and stop the whining. Seldom is direction changed by that method, and it is a big red flag about the loyalty one has to the organization they are part of. The better approach would be to move on if you can't be loyal and execute. The world would be a very different place all across the good old USA if we lived this way. Churches wouldn't know what to do with all the extra manpower and time they would have to do productive and meaningful things.
Make the decisions of any organization you are part of your own, and then execute with a passion and effort that is second to none. That is how we make a difference around us. It isn't by continuing to try and make things our way. It is by getting aligned with the direction and decisions and working tirelessly to execute. That is what prevents vision from being hallucination!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
The End of a Decade
Another year is ending but this is a rather important end of the year as it also is the end of a decade. Hard to believe we are already finishing the first ten years of the 21st century. It seems like Y2K days were only a short time ago, but here we are ready to enter the next decade. But before we go, it is time to stop and take advantage of the two opportunities that transition brings.
First we need to review the past year and evaluate our performance. I would also say we should take a little extra time and review the past decade. That will be challenging if you are anything like me and can hardly remember what you did last hour let alone over the course of the last 10 years. But looking back gives us so much perspective from which we can then look forward. We can learn much from that exercise. It can be a significant help in putting together a course of change, an opportunity to tweak things just a bit, or a validation that we should continue doing what we did this year into next year.
Here are some potential questions to ask:
Consider these questions about the coming year:
Do you want to have more time?
Do you want to go places? With who? In what fashion?
Do you want to read more?
Do you want to learn new skills?
Do you want to spend more time with certain people?
Do you want to run a race? Climb a mountain? Learn a new language?
What kind of person do you want to be?
Who do you want to meet?
How much money do you want to be able to give away?
What would you like to be your biggest triumph?
What advice would you like to give yourself?
What is the major effort you are planning to improve your financial results?
What would you be most happy about completing?
What major indulgence are you willing to experience?
What would you most like to change about yourself?
What are you looking forward to learning?
What do you think your biggest risk will be?
What is one as yet undeveloped talent you are willing to explore?
What brings you the most joy and how are you going to do or have more of that?
Who or what, other than yourself, are you most committed to loving and serving?
What one word would you like to have as your theme?
The key is to stop long enough to do some meaningful reflection and review of how the year really was in 2009. Did you achieve your goals? Did you accomplish all you had intended? If not, what were the blockers? Put down on paper your evaluation - you won't remember it if you don't. And put down on paper your plan for next year. Share it with your spouse, your employees and others that need to be part of holding you accountable. It likely won't be accomplished if you don't share it broadly for accountabilty.
One of the most valuable things we can get from the past is lessons we learn, often the hard way. But if we don't record them we often have to learn them over and over and there is no sense in that. Once should be enough for any of us to learn hard lessons. So create a place to store those year end evaluations and reflections and review the learnings often. If you had a business plan for the year - that is the place to start. Which things were you successful with and which came up a bit short. That is important as you chart the course for the new year. If you had a leadership or life plan, you need to do the same with those. Make sure you evaluate how you did in comparison to the goals you set and note what you learned. Have the blockers been removed yet or do you need to find a way around them? There is so much you can learn by just stopping and evaluating.
And ultimately the question is how did last year impact my legacy plan? Was I intentional in what I did? Did I make any progress toward that what I want to leave behind? Legacy happens whether we plan it and work toward a plan or not. The question really is - do you want to control what your legacy looks like or are you content to just let it happen and not care the result? I believe we need to do a lot better job of being intentional about legacy and what we will leave behind for those that will follow.
You have an opportunity to chart a new year ahead. But before you do, make sure you stop and learn all you can from the past. We should never dwell on where we have been. But we certainly should not ignore the value of what we can learn from that either. I wish you blessing and success in 2010! Much of that happens is based on how well you prepare and plan. Then it comes down to EXECUTION!
First we need to review the past year and evaluate our performance. I would also say we should take a little extra time and review the past decade. That will be challenging if you are anything like me and can hardly remember what you did last hour let alone over the course of the last 10 years. But looking back gives us so much perspective from which we can then look forward. We can learn much from that exercise. It can be a significant help in putting together a course of change, an opportunity to tweak things just a bit, or a validation that we should continue doing what we did this year into next year.
Here are some potential questions to ask:
What big things happened? Did they happen because you made a knowing, concerted effort to make them happen? Or... did they just happen?
What good things happened?
What bad things happened?
What was your biggest triumph?
What was the smartest decision you made?
What one word best sums up and describes your experience?
What was the greatest lesson you learned?
What was the most powerful service you performed?
What is your biggest piece of unfinished business?
What are you most happy about completing?
Who were the three people that had the greatest impact on your life?
What was the biggest risk you took?
What was the biggest surprise?
What important relationship improved the most?
What else do you need to do or say to be complete?
What lessons did you learn from these things?
Consider these questions about the coming year:
Do you want to have more time?
Do you want to go places? With who? In what fashion?
Do you want to read more?
Do you want to learn new skills?
Do you want to spend more time with certain people?
Do you want to run a race? Climb a mountain? Learn a new language?
What kind of person do you want to be?
Who do you want to meet?
How much money do you want to be able to give away?
What would you like to be your biggest triumph?
What advice would you like to give yourself?
What is the major effort you are planning to improve your financial results?
What would you be most happy about completing?
What major indulgence are you willing to experience?
What would you most like to change about yourself?
What are you looking forward to learning?
What do you think your biggest risk will be?
What is one as yet undeveloped talent you are willing to explore?
What brings you the most joy and how are you going to do or have more of that?
Who or what, other than yourself, are you most committed to loving and serving?
What one word would you like to have as your theme?
The key is to stop long enough to do some meaningful reflection and review of how the year really was in 2009. Did you achieve your goals? Did you accomplish all you had intended? If not, what were the blockers? Put down on paper your evaluation - you won't remember it if you don't. And put down on paper your plan for next year. Share it with your spouse, your employees and others that need to be part of holding you accountable. It likely won't be accomplished if you don't share it broadly for accountabilty.
One of the most valuable things we can get from the past is lessons we learn, often the hard way. But if we don't record them we often have to learn them over and over and there is no sense in that. Once should be enough for any of us to learn hard lessons. So create a place to store those year end evaluations and reflections and review the learnings often. If you had a business plan for the year - that is the place to start. Which things were you successful with and which came up a bit short. That is important as you chart the course for the new year. If you had a leadership or life plan, you need to do the same with those. Make sure you evaluate how you did in comparison to the goals you set and note what you learned. Have the blockers been removed yet or do you need to find a way around them? There is so much you can learn by just stopping and evaluating.
And ultimately the question is how did last year impact my legacy plan? Was I intentional in what I did? Did I make any progress toward that what I want to leave behind? Legacy happens whether we plan it and work toward a plan or not. The question really is - do you want to control what your legacy looks like or are you content to just let it happen and not care the result? I believe we need to do a lot better job of being intentional about legacy and what we will leave behind for those that will follow.
You have an opportunity to chart a new year ahead. But before you do, make sure you stop and learn all you can from the past. We should never dwell on where we have been. But we certainly should not ignore the value of what we can learn from that either. I wish you blessing and success in 2010! Much of that happens is based on how well you prepare and plan. Then it comes down to EXECUTION!
Monday, November 9, 2009
What a Week in Orlando
This past week HTG members and ConnectWise partners descended on Orlando for the HTG Q4 meetings and the ConnectWise Partner Summit. Both events were packed and very well executed (except for a little AV fiasco you had to be there to appreciate). HTG members spent two days working to drive business and personal growth by holding each other accountable. We have moved to using a standardized quarterly board review template that members use to prepare and present their quarterly performance. From that background information, the other 11 members provide feedback and direction for the future. Feedback on the change was very strong. We are shifting from being backward looking at historical data – to forward looking with strategy and the future in mind. This is a big change for most of us in the channel. Our default thinking is to be focused on the past and present – looking at execution and tactical items – rather than peaking forward at what is to come.
During the ConnectWise Summit, Verne Harnish – the growth guy – challenged all of us to change how we think. We need to become CEO’s if we want to truly lead our company. That means forward looking, future focused, strategy based leadership. It is a shift for many. But driving while always looking in the rear view mirror is a good way to assure you will go in the ditch. So the change is necessary and important. HTG has been focused on that transition for some time, and we are midway through the process using our tools – Service Leadership benchmarking, quarterly board reviews, ConnectWise PSA and a few others. It is a slow and tedious mindshift, but this quarter it seemed that lightbulbs were going on and members were starting to understand the need for the change.
Christy Sacco, Ken Shetler, and Scott Scrogin did an amazing job with our HTG event. Three packed days of content and learning with hardly a bump. The HTG team is top notch and dedicated to making things happen. Our new special interest groups on Wednesday were highly successful and received much praise. Partners want to get together and learn. That is the bottom line. People who are part of peer groups understand the impact and value, and can never get enough. And they know that being a Go-Giver is the key to making that success flow to everyone involved.
I will be writing about the breakout sessions, announcements and other important topics that were discussed in Orlando over the next weeks. For now, as always, execution is the focus. Take that one thing and get to work making it reality for your organization!
During the ConnectWise Summit, Verne Harnish – the growth guy – challenged all of us to change how we think. We need to become CEO’s if we want to truly lead our company. That means forward looking, future focused, strategy based leadership. It is a shift for many. But driving while always looking in the rear view mirror is a good way to assure you will go in the ditch. So the change is necessary and important. HTG has been focused on that transition for some time, and we are midway through the process using our tools – Service Leadership benchmarking, quarterly board reviews, ConnectWise PSA and a few others. It is a slow and tedious mindshift, but this quarter it seemed that lightbulbs were going on and members were starting to understand the need for the change.
Christy Sacco, Ken Shetler, and Scott Scrogin did an amazing job with our HTG event. Three packed days of content and learning with hardly a bump. The HTG team is top notch and dedicated to making things happen. Our new special interest groups on Wednesday were highly successful and received much praise. Partners want to get together and learn. That is the bottom line. People who are part of peer groups understand the impact and value, and can never get enough. And they know that being a Go-Giver is the key to making that success flow to everyone involved.
I will be writing about the breakout sessions, announcements and other important topics that were discussed in Orlando over the next weeks. For now, as always, execution is the focus. Take that one thing and get to work making it reality for your organization!
Saturday, September 19, 2009
The Power of Peers
This is the final post based on the keynote I delivered at the Ingram SMBA in Charlotte in late August. The topic covers the impact of being involved with peers in growing your business and driving growth and success.
We engage other companies in the channel
The first step in getting value out of peer groups is to start. So often I hear interest, but am always amazed at how few actually do something with that interest, even as simple as going to the website to fill out the short application for HTG. http://www.htgpeergroups.com/ That seems to be the norm with many partners in the IT channel. I hear it often when speaking to vendors. Hundreds drop by their booth and talk about getting started in a relationship only to never hear from them again. The world is run by people who actually show up and do something with their ideas. Those are the successful business owners. That is one of the key values of peers - you get engaged and are continually pushed to not only continue but raise the level of engagement.
We share and give openly
Peer groups are based on the Go-Giver model. It is not about me, but about the others in my group and sharing what I have with them. The more I invest in and share with others - the more I will recieve as part of the experience. In HTG we use the SWIPE model - Share With Intent and Purpose Everyday! It is not about what you can take, it is about what you can give. He who gives the most will ultimately win.
We ask for help when we need it
There is a very common misconception among many business owners - that asking for help is a sign of weakness and should never be done. Nothing could be further from the truth. The more mature a business becomes, the more that leadership team realizes that they don't have all the answers and it is much faster to learn from someone who has figured it out or been there and done that than have to make each mistake or learning on their own. Asking for help and learning from peers is a sign of maturity rather than weakness. So often business owners get into the "can't see the forest for the trees" situation. They are so close to the problem and have experienced it for so long they can't see it clearly and determine a new course of action. Bringing in some fresh eyes with different perspective can often take a problem that has plagued a business for many years and provide a solution very quickly. In HTG we use the SWOT process and take a team of peers onsite to help business owners identify and resolve business problems. But the key - you have to ask.
We share our financials openly
My how this seems to get some excited. There are a variety of thoughts around the sharing of financials and open book accounting - but for peers to make a difference they have to have transparency and access to the real information. That means opening the kimono and letting them see how things really are. The numbers are the numbers. If they are good, they are something to be learned from. If they are bad, they provide important information that can help turn things around. But without them, little can be done to really effectively make a difference in a company. In HTG we use Service Leadership's benchmarking tools to help us report and evaluate our financials. It is a critical tool in our program to help us evaluate our status.
We plan together around business and life
I have written much around this topic, and it is definitely core to the value of peers. Part of the process of planning needs to include having others review and comment on the roadmap you have laid out. In HTG we focus on four plans - business, leadership, life and legacy - and you can read about them in older posts on this blog. But the key is to use peers to evaluate the direction and destination you are heading and make sure it aligns with your stated objectives. You also want feedback on whether the steps you have identified as your action plan and strategies will actually get you there. Without solid planning - you can end up somewhere other than where you intended to go.
We execute together
Execution is the achilles heal for most of us that own a small business. It is not that we don't know what to do, we simply choose not to do it. Having a set of peers that will help drive you toward execution is critical. HTG has a goal of driving business and personal growth through execution. We know that by helping our members execute - we will help them move toward success.
We are accountable
Accountability is one of the misunderstood concepts in business today. It is not a matter of sitting back and waiting for someone to fail to achieve their goals so you can whack them upside the head and tell them to try harder. True accountability is when peers take each others goals on as their own, and when there is a struggle, they come alongside and help make sure each achieves the goals that have been set forth. That is the reality of what true accountabilty is. I am vested in and committed to helping others achieve success. When we do that - everyone wins.
There is no question that there is significant power in peers. It requires a deep commitment and a focus on others rather than self, but once that step is made and a person begins to invest in someone else, the good things begin and continue to make an impact for many years to come. HTG is looking for a few good partners who truly understand the value of peers. If you are looking to be involved in a life changing program, fill out the application and get involved today. Just remember that nothing changes until you actually do something. Thinking about it doesn't cut it!
We engage other companies in the channel
The first step in getting value out of peer groups is to start. So often I hear interest, but am always amazed at how few actually do something with that interest, even as simple as going to the website to fill out the short application for HTG. http://www.htgpeergroups.com/ That seems to be the norm with many partners in the IT channel. I hear it often when speaking to vendors. Hundreds drop by their booth and talk about getting started in a relationship only to never hear from them again. The world is run by people who actually show up and do something with their ideas. Those are the successful business owners. That is one of the key values of peers - you get engaged and are continually pushed to not only continue but raise the level of engagement.
We share and give openly
Peer groups are based on the Go-Giver model. It is not about me, but about the others in my group and sharing what I have with them. The more I invest in and share with others - the more I will recieve as part of the experience. In HTG we use the SWIPE model - Share With Intent and Purpose Everyday! It is not about what you can take, it is about what you can give. He who gives the most will ultimately win.
We ask for help when we need it
There is a very common misconception among many business owners - that asking for help is a sign of weakness and should never be done. Nothing could be further from the truth. The more mature a business becomes, the more that leadership team realizes that they don't have all the answers and it is much faster to learn from someone who has figured it out or been there and done that than have to make each mistake or learning on their own. Asking for help and learning from peers is a sign of maturity rather than weakness. So often business owners get into the "can't see the forest for the trees" situation. They are so close to the problem and have experienced it for so long they can't see it clearly and determine a new course of action. Bringing in some fresh eyes with different perspective can often take a problem that has plagued a business for many years and provide a solution very quickly. In HTG we use the SWOT process and take a team of peers onsite to help business owners identify and resolve business problems. But the key - you have to ask.
We share our financials openly
My how this seems to get some excited. There are a variety of thoughts around the sharing of financials and open book accounting - but for peers to make a difference they have to have transparency and access to the real information. That means opening the kimono and letting them see how things really are. The numbers are the numbers. If they are good, they are something to be learned from. If they are bad, they provide important information that can help turn things around. But without them, little can be done to really effectively make a difference in a company. In HTG we use Service Leadership's benchmarking tools to help us report and evaluate our financials. It is a critical tool in our program to help us evaluate our status.
We plan together around business and life
I have written much around this topic, and it is definitely core to the value of peers. Part of the process of planning needs to include having others review and comment on the roadmap you have laid out. In HTG we focus on four plans - business, leadership, life and legacy - and you can read about them in older posts on this blog. But the key is to use peers to evaluate the direction and destination you are heading and make sure it aligns with your stated objectives. You also want feedback on whether the steps you have identified as your action plan and strategies will actually get you there. Without solid planning - you can end up somewhere other than where you intended to go.
We execute together
Execution is the achilles heal for most of us that own a small business. It is not that we don't know what to do, we simply choose not to do it. Having a set of peers that will help drive you toward execution is critical. HTG has a goal of driving business and personal growth through execution. We know that by helping our members execute - we will help them move toward success.
We are accountable
Accountability is one of the misunderstood concepts in business today. It is not a matter of sitting back and waiting for someone to fail to achieve their goals so you can whack them upside the head and tell them to try harder. True accountability is when peers take each others goals on as their own, and when there is a struggle, they come alongside and help make sure each achieves the goals that have been set forth. That is the reality of what true accountabilty is. I am vested in and committed to helping others achieve success. When we do that - everyone wins.
There is no question that there is significant power in peers. It requires a deep commitment and a focus on others rather than self, but once that step is made and a person begins to invest in someone else, the good things begin and continue to make an impact for many years to come. HTG is looking for a few good partners who truly understand the value of peers. If you are looking to be involved in a life changing program, fill out the application and get involved today. Just remember that nothing changes until you actually do something. Thinking about it doesn't cut it!
Monday, June 29, 2009
HTG Mantra
HTG in a sentence is changing slightly for 2010. I was once told that unless it was possible to define the mission of an organization in a sentence that would fit on a t-shirt, it was too complicated or undefined. For the past few years, our mantra has been “execution driven by accountability”. A very noble statement that has done us well as we have worked to become execution focused. But as we move to the next level with HTG3.0, the story is shifting slightly to become “business and personal growth driven by execution”. One of the things that has become extremely clear to us over the past few years is that execution does not always translate to growth. In fact, we have seen far too often that people can execute on certain goals or objectives and actually go backward in their pursuits.
The reality is that unless growth is a focus, there is no guarantee that execution will have the kind of impact that is desired. There has to be a concerted effort to move toward growth to make sure it will occur. It is part of the fabric of HTG, and while it was always assumed, it now will be very visible for all to see. It has been apparent for some time that the mission of HTG had to move beyond best practices to process development and prescriptive guidance. At our April Summit, we announced the continuing transition to that strategy which was first announced in February 2007 as part of what was called the HTG Business Triangle at that time. Members in more mature and longer running groups were identifying the fact that true change cannot be driven by best practice sharing. It requires a similar approach that any pro athlete takes when trying to refine their game. They don’t bring in a group of people to give them ideas and suggestions to consider. They hire the best coach available, practice all the time, and tweak their game until it is the best it can possibly be. This is where we are in the evolution of HTG.
We are now shifting from best practices being the focus, to peer review and coaching. Peers will still be the magic of HTG, but not in sharing what they do in a vacuum but rather looking deeply at the other members businesses and giving guidance that will lead to growth. We will get prescriptive in offering guidance that directly translates to the business operating platform so specific tweaks can be suggested for immediate implementation. We want to shortcut the time to change from months to weeks or even days. It is critical if HTG is to provide the maximum ROI for the investment our members make to participate.
HTG is committed to being a change agent for our members companies and lives. We are not content to just offer ideas and suggestions, which is what best practices really have been. The future is to drive deeper into offering real change for one another that moves the needle toward growth each quarter by sending members home with actionable goals that can be implemented quickly to drive maximum impact and return. So accountability is not going away – it will continue to be a differentiator in the HTG peer program. And as we hold one another accountable to business and personal growth we will be fulfilling the mission we have of helping each member become more successful and profitable in the marketplace as they achieve goals, plans and dreams.
The reality is that unless growth is a focus, there is no guarantee that execution will have the kind of impact that is desired. There has to be a concerted effort to move toward growth to make sure it will occur. It is part of the fabric of HTG, and while it was always assumed, it now will be very visible for all to see. It has been apparent for some time that the mission of HTG had to move beyond best practices to process development and prescriptive guidance. At our April Summit, we announced the continuing transition to that strategy which was first announced in February 2007 as part of what was called the HTG Business Triangle at that time. Members in more mature and longer running groups were identifying the fact that true change cannot be driven by best practice sharing. It requires a similar approach that any pro athlete takes when trying to refine their game. They don’t bring in a group of people to give them ideas and suggestions to consider. They hire the best coach available, practice all the time, and tweak their game until it is the best it can possibly be. This is where we are in the evolution of HTG.
We are now shifting from best practices being the focus, to peer review and coaching. Peers will still be the magic of HTG, but not in sharing what they do in a vacuum but rather looking deeply at the other members businesses and giving guidance that will lead to growth. We will get prescriptive in offering guidance that directly translates to the business operating platform so specific tweaks can be suggested for immediate implementation. We want to shortcut the time to change from months to weeks or even days. It is critical if HTG is to provide the maximum ROI for the investment our members make to participate.
HTG is committed to being a change agent for our members companies and lives. We are not content to just offer ideas and suggestions, which is what best practices really have been. The future is to drive deeper into offering real change for one another that moves the needle toward growth each quarter by sending members home with actionable goals that can be implemented quickly to drive maximum impact and return. So accountability is not going away – it will continue to be a differentiator in the HTG peer program. And as we hold one another accountable to business and personal growth we will be fulfilling the mission we have of helping each member become more successful and profitable in the marketplace as they achieve goals, plans and dreams.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
The HTG Way Part V - Life Plans
Abraham Lincoln said “And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years”. For too many of us in the business community, life takes a back seat to work. There is a struggle we all must work through regarding life/work balance. Without a plan and a focused effort to address this battle, we will default to the world’s answer of work. So it is critical that we all develop a plan that can help keep us accountable and focused on what we say is important so our time is spent appropriately and wisely. Without a plan, we will wake up one day and wonder where life has gone.
The third plan HTG is focused on is a life plan. For many, this is a very new concept. A life plan needs to answer the question of “why I got up this morning” or what my purpose is for my life. Far too often people get to the end of life and become aware that they have spent their entire working time focused on things that really were not the most important to them. But the cruel reality of time is that once it is spent, it can never be used again. Each of us is granted 168 hours each week. A life plan should dictate how those hours are used. Every activity or interaction a person makes should go through the funnel of a life plan to assure each minute is spent on things that align with the real priorities and objectives a person has for their life. Without a plan, each of us will wake up someday and wonder where all our time has gone and how we missed the chance to live focused on the things that really matter. For many, this may be the first time they have addressed these deep philosophical questions personally, and even more often, the first time they have discussed them with their spouse, business partners or other important people in their lives. But what could be more important than identifying how I want my life to count and what I should spend my time on to make sure the things I say are important truly are treated that way.
In many ways, the life plan we use for HTG is very similar to the leadership plan. The focus is different in that the areas are not related to business, but to our own personal goals and objectives. There are three key areas that need to be addressed:
1. Commitments – specific areas that align with life goals and stated objectives you wish to achieve through your life.
2. Execution plan – how you will achieve the commitments you have with specific steps, milestones and dependencies
3. Accountabilities – how you will measure success and to whom you will be accountable.
The third plan HTG is focused on is a life plan. For many, this is a very new concept. A life plan needs to answer the question of “why I got up this morning” or what my purpose is for my life. Far too often people get to the end of life and become aware that they have spent their entire working time focused on things that really were not the most important to them. But the cruel reality of time is that once it is spent, it can never be used again. Each of us is granted 168 hours each week. A life plan should dictate how those hours are used. Every activity or interaction a person makes should go through the funnel of a life plan to assure each minute is spent on things that align with the real priorities and objectives a person has for their life. Without a plan, each of us will wake up someday and wonder where all our time has gone and how we missed the chance to live focused on the things that really matter. For many, this may be the first time they have addressed these deep philosophical questions personally, and even more often, the first time they have discussed them with their spouse, business partners or other important people in their lives. But what could be more important than identifying how I want my life to count and what I should spend my time on to make sure the things I say are important truly are treated that way.
In many ways, the life plan we use for HTG is very similar to the leadership plan. The focus is different in that the areas are not related to business, but to our own personal goals and objectives. There are three key areas that need to be addressed:
1. Commitments – specific areas that align with life goals and stated objectives you wish to achieve through your life.
2. Execution plan – how you will achieve the commitments you have with specific steps, milestones and dependencies
3. Accountabilities – how you will measure success and to whom you will be accountable.
There are a number of areas you may wish to set life goals, but here are a few to consider in order to get things started:
- Relationships, Family and Friends
- Health and Fitness
- Money and Finances
- Recreation and Lifestyle
- Spiritual
- Service and Contribution
- Happiness
- Retirement
You can add or delete areas you wish to define as life commitments, but the key is to make a list and become accountable. This is best done shared with your spouse and family so they can be part of the discussion, decisions and accountability loop. I also recommend you also include a “Bucket List” of activities you wish to achieve before your time on earth ends. This should also be shared, updated and kept top of mind so you can work toward reaching those goals and keep focused on spending your time where it matters most.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
The HTG Way Part IV - Leadership Plans
Zig Ziglar said “It was character that got us out of bed, commitment that moved us into action, and discipline that enabled us to follow through.” Creating a business plan is foundational, but next we move to planning that will assure those who are required to perform in order to achieve the business plan are aligned. This requires personal commitments from those in leadership as well as those who will do the day to day activity required for success of the company plan. We call this personal commitment plan a leadership plan.
Far too often owners and managers create job descriptions and commitments for their staff or team, but seldom have written anything in regard to their involvement in achieving the success of the company business plan. We know from experience that as the owner or manager goes, often so goes the business. If the leadership in a company is not disciplined and dedicated to following a plan, or leading the execution of the company plan, it often falls by the wayside and becomes little more than a piece of paper with some words on it. The leadership plan is the document that allows the owner or manager to put a stake in the ground saying “I am going to do these things to assure we reach our goals”. The leadership plan should clearly define his priorities for how time is used on the job and should provide the team with clarity in what role will be fulfilled. Of course successfully using this plan means a willingness to be evaluated about how well it has been executed. That level of accountability to the team sets a standard and creates an environment that leads to growth and success of people and the organization as a whole.
HTG uses a simple worksheet to capture leadership commitments. These consist of three areas around each topic:
1. Commitments – specific areas of focus that aligns job performance goals and objectives with the company business plan and goals. Answers the question “What areas of my job align directly with the company business plan and goals?”
2. Execution Plan – how you will achieve your commitments. This should include key milestones, priorities and dependencies for success. Answers the question “What will you specifically do?”
3. Accountabilities – define how you will measure success and what metrics you will use to evaluate the realization of your commitments. These will be KPI’s and metrics related to measuring success. Answers the question “How will you know you have achieved success?”
Far too often owners and managers create job descriptions and commitments for their staff or team, but seldom have written anything in regard to their involvement in achieving the success of the company business plan. We know from experience that as the owner or manager goes, often so goes the business. If the leadership in a company is not disciplined and dedicated to following a plan, or leading the execution of the company plan, it often falls by the wayside and becomes little more than a piece of paper with some words on it. The leadership plan is the document that allows the owner or manager to put a stake in the ground saying “I am going to do these things to assure we reach our goals”. The leadership plan should clearly define his priorities for how time is used on the job and should provide the team with clarity in what role will be fulfilled. Of course successfully using this plan means a willingness to be evaluated about how well it has been executed. That level of accountability to the team sets a standard and creates an environment that leads to growth and success of people and the organization as a whole.
HTG uses a simple worksheet to capture leadership commitments. These consist of three areas around each topic:
1. Commitments – specific areas of focus that aligns job performance goals and objectives with the company business plan and goals. Answers the question “What areas of my job align directly with the company business plan and goals?”
2. Execution Plan – how you will achieve your commitments. This should include key milestones, priorities and dependencies for success. Answers the question “What will you specifically do?”
3. Accountabilities – define how you will measure success and what metrics you will use to evaluate the realization of your commitments. These will be KPI’s and metrics related to measuring success. Answers the question “How will you know you have achieved success?”
You can select a number of areas that align directly with the company business plan, but here are a few that may be good to consider:
- Revenue/Financial/Profitability Objectives
- Personal Growth and Training Objectives
- Customer Relationships and Satisfaction/Loyalty Objectives
- Company Culture/Fellow Employee/Process Improvement Objectives
- Business and Career Objectives
There likely will be other areas you can include. This is not the same as a job description, but should include the reality that many items on this personal leadership commitment plan need to align with the job description as well as the company business plan. Just make sure you are able to identify what role you play in achieving company success and then identify the things you need to do to achieve those, and how you can measure and assess your work along that path.
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