The Leader - May/June 2008 - (Page 80)

eFFective leaDersHip by ann atkinson, ed.d. Making the Quantum leap through strategic results eFFective leaDers are Masters oF siMplicitY Strategic results always have a framework, and organizations, including CoreNet Global, typically rely on a strategic framework that leads organizations through a process to achieve desired results. Much research reveals a wide gap between the aspirations of executives to innovate and their ability to execute. Chip Heath, professor of organizational behavior in Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business says it well: effective leaders are masters of simplicity. From my perspective we have a choice of frameworks. Framework T is the knowledge framework into which we were born. This is the framework most organizations and consultants use when they develop strategic plans as it is the traditional model. It takes you to the achievement of incremental goals over the previous year. For example, an example might be “to increase sales by 8 percent from last year.” If you look at the way most people conceptualize the future, you can understand why planning has a bad reputation in some offices. Whether the task is drafting a small, personal project or charting a corporation’s next five years, the planning process is basically the same. Typically, it involves examining the current situation, evaluating past trends and available resources, setting goals and making decisions based on what seems to be most practical and realistic. This is planning from: from today’s resources from the track record, from historical data, and from today’s limitations and problems. The upshot is a restricted view of the future. Planning from restricts us. It dampens creativity and discourages innovation. Framework M, the one I prefer, is a transformation framework that enables us to challenge established assumptions, purposes and methodologies. I call it the “M” model because it allows organizations to create results that are ‘magical’. This is also called planning toward. Familiar to everyone, although most of us have not recognized it as a planning process, planning toward is a relatively simple procedure. Planting a garden, writing a personal budget, organizing a company – each involves planning toward in varying degree. These activities require one to be clear and explicit about what we want to accomplish, to evaluate the present state of the desired result, and to “plan backasswards” from the end results to the present. There are distinct and discernible traps and snares, pitfalls if you will, that can prevent us from operating in a resultsoriented mode (or M Model). These are often generated by cultural assumptions, common beliefs and even education. Awareness of these pitfalls will expedite negotiating a more direct, freer path toward the vision we have of our future. Breaking Results Down. Many people and many organizations set out beautiful, global expectations for themselves and then expect them to materialize. How many organizational mission statements have you read where you see a discrepancy between what is on paper and what how you see people behaving? Significant accomplishments are made by breaking results down into their smallest components and backplanning and monitoring each. Depersonalize Situations. Preoccupation with one’s personal success, or refuting a direction because it is not ‘realistic,’ or a purpose of avoiding failure, can dilute the most concentrated focus and commitment. We have to learn how to depersonalize situations. For example, not, what is it that I want to see happening, but what would be happening if the outcomes were ideal? Preoccupation with success is a sure road to limiting the framework within which one operates. Ask Questions. Another pitfall is the temptation to work within a limited perspective or framework and the failure to ask the question, “to what end?” The person engaged in organizing needs to ask, “Organizing to what end?” Someone who is immersed in activity needs to ask, “Activity to what end?” Alternative Strategies Abound. “I have found the best way to do it!” There’s no other belief that will as surely as this one reduce one’s ability to be creative and innovative and to try different approaches. tH e le aDe r 80 MaY / j u n e 2008

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of The Leader - May/June 2008

The Leader - May/June 2008 Leadership Contents Message from the CEO Real Estate in the News Green Real Estate Work Without Boundries Building Flexibility Into the Business Strategy Multi-Generational Work-Force Design Work Force Longevity Analysis Wells Fargo's David Nelson Pennsylvania's Michael Rossman Globalization 2.0 Site Selection Consultant Directory The New York Report: A Core of Traditional and State-of-the-Art Opportunities Discovery Forum Findings Industry Tracker Young Leader Career Development Effective Leadership Economic Development in the News A Look Ahead In Our Next Issue Calendar of Seminars Index of Advertisers Executive Development Spotlight

The Leader - May/June 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.