Liz's Latest Articles
Piloting Change Communication
As you well know, the most brilliant change initiative will fail if it’s not implemented well. A brilliant change initiative will also fail - or at least not go as seamlessly as it could - if there is no intentional communication strategy - before, during, and after the change. With clear communication before, during, and after, the likelihood of team acceptance and implementation improves drastically. Without clear communication, acceptance and implementation is much more difficult.
Leadership Dysfunction - Doing What You’ve Always Done
“This looks good in general, but there are several items that need to be corrected.”
...No response.
“As I’ve asked before, how do you know everyone wants to continue to stay on the team?”
...No response.
“I recommend we tap the brakes on asking the directors to create their promotional videos. Without some upfront coordination, we run the risk of, once again, having incorrect information being conveyed because we acted before we coordinated internally. Let’s first provide the directors with aligned talking points and coordinated calls to action before they get creative on their own.”
...The response to the group was: We’re not tapping the brakes. We’re hitting the accelerator!
“Were you able to validate these numbers beyond Roger’s 16-year-old recollections you shared with me last week?”
...No response to the group but a private message was sent saying, “Let’s not push this further. I’m OK accepting Roger’s word.”
“What are the team’s goals for next year?”
...No response to the group but a private message was sent saying, “We don’t have time for meetings. We have too much to do.”
Buying a Business? Don’t Overlook the Soft-Skills
Because of the ‘shake-out’ that’s occurred with our economy over the past year, there are more companies than ever looking to sell, and therefore, more opportunities to buy. If you’re like a few of my clients, smart acquisitions are part of your strategic plan. However, as you identify criteria your ideal targeted acquisition candidates need to have (i.e., revenues, margins, location, equipment, staff, etc.), consider two 'soft-skills' items that can make or break a successful post-acquisition integration: culture fit and business infrastructure fit.
Think About Impact and Outcomes Before You Plan Your Strategic Planning Retreat
Two prospective strategic planning clients reached out to me this past week. Both organizations have a new CEO, at least two new board members each, at least two new senior staff members each, and both were requesting information on how I might facilitate their plan development during a two-day board retreat. It became quickly apparent, both CEOs were simply approaching their outreach to me as somewhat of a checklist item from their board:
Your Silence Speaks Volumes: Speak and Lead Proactively
How you communicate as a leader is critical. There’s nothing new in that. However, what I’m finding more frequently is that leaders aren’t appreciating how loudly their silence speaks to their teams and what their silence says about their leadership. Whether it’s a company president, director of regional sales, or a team lead, leaders are staying silent too often. Their silence is not motivated by a fear of crossing a line on political correctness. Their silence is instead driven by a fear of unintentionally influencing their team’s thoughts or behaviors, and potentially stifling their team’s ability to take on new challenges. So instead, they say and do nothing.
