Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed? You just have too much to do and cannot really cope at that moment?
I recently reread a book and three articles on totally different subjects when it struck me how related they were.
All had a single message: Keep it simple. read more »
A client brought an article about extraordinary service to my attention. The example in the article comes from the hospitality industry. However, the seven recommended steps are applicable to any company.
Any company with clients should provide extraordinary service. What is your experience? Would you agree that most provide a dead-average service not worth a positive mention? read more »
Running a business can be taxing. Setting new strategies to cope with new external trends and forces means change. The economic situation adds new demands.
A very interesting article Leadership in a (Permanent) Crisis by Ronald Heifetz Alexander Grashow, and Marty Linsky appeared in the Harvard Business Review of July/August 2009. It’s as relevant now as when it appeared. I thought the final few paragraphs were especially applicable to a number of my clients.
Country economies are still adapting to new global economic conditions. Uncertainty will remain the norm. The authors cautioned that the “work of leadership demands that you manage not only the critical adaptive responses within and surrounding your business but also you own thinking and emotions. This will test your limits. Taking care of yourself both physically and emotionally will be crucial to your success.” read more »
Any MD or leader senses that a change in strategy means a change in execution and in behaviour. I have clients who are by now well-versed in leading change and who really relish the execution process especially as they are experiencing success on various levels.
Others who have sailed through usually invigorating strategic planning sessions are still struggling in getting an execution process in place. To them the new processes and new systems which need to be mastered are daunting. They fail to committ themselves step by step.
Every MD knows that execution and changing the behaviour of those you lead are the difficult parts. Google glibly shows that about 15 million articles have been written about the “execution of strategy” and 6.6 million on “leading change”. Save yourself some reading by reading only one checklist on leading change, developed by John P. Kotter, formerly from Harvard University, the preeminent change guru.*1 I abbreviated the content of his eight points to make it even easier.
