The rate of change in today’s world is phenomenal and each of your divisions and departments are trying to figure out how to keep up, while reducing cost and responding to requests for more information. We Do That.
When you ask an executive to describe what they would consider innovation, you’ll get answers that are all over the map; from standardization of support service processes, implementing best in class processes, to implementing leading edge processes that differentiate them with customers.
Given this range of answers how does one not only define innovation but also realize when they have achieved it?
A number of outsourcing contracts I’ve worked on have defined innovation as:
“XX% savings in contract cost every year after “steady state” is reached.”
But is that really innovation or just cost reduction?
The bottom line is innovation means different things to each person and is heavily dependent upon your starting point.
Ideally, contracts should be structured to assure both parties consider innovation and discuss and adjust on a regular basis.
Your view of innovation will change and evolve over time as you implement improvement. Therefore it is essential that innovation be clearly defined as part of a contract such as adding gain sharing to incent both parties to develop and implement innovative solutions.
This post is a response to today's WSJ Article Employers Hold Off on Hiring - Doing More with Less - http://bit.ly/2A3Sbl
In many ways, the negatives of an economic down turn and the slow recovery from an employment and jobs perspective, dominate the debate. Economists seem to agree that even with a fair wind, getting unemployment back to 5% will take 8 or so years. As operating costs are cut, hiring freezes put in place, budgets trimmed, productivity requirements inevitably focus on doing more with less. The threat of unemployment makes workers more amenable to working fewer hours while still delivering; process efficiencies and changes in work flow add to the productivity gains. But so much is borne of fear.
There is a point however, that seems to be consistently missed. Business process efficiencies, people working harder, intelligent application of technology are all important, but what about employees raising their game based on the positive perspective of developing an individual and collective sense of high performance and mutual support, regardless of the prevailing economic environment?
Most people want to be part of a winning team. Very few wake in the morning thinking, “I want to sub-optimize my contribution today.” Yet it happens all the time. The solution is not a theoretical, “let’s all bond” but a measured and planned effort to leverage the fundamental human need to achieve and be successful. In so many cases it is at the team level where this can occur.
Internal business and work relationships in corporate America are typically superficial and polite. Stereotypes are formed (often quite wrong), and there is a prevailing attitude of leave decisions on how to improve things to the boss, or he and she will not want to delegate (or in their mind, abdicate) responsibility.
It doesn’t have to be like that. If companies organized to ride the wave of human creativity and people’s need to succeed, and thus created focused support networks, the term empowerment is taken to a different level. This economic climate may be the vehicle for this. Not just doing more with less, or even achieving more with less, but creating a work place of support, positive reinforcement and folks really playing to their strengths. Becoming the true winning team.
In the end, winning a Super Bowl is not about, for example, whether the Quarterback and the Wide Receivers like each other; it is about each player knowing their strengths and limitations, finding ways to work together for maximum impact and celebrating the fact that their individual and collective goals are clear and are given the space and encouragement to achieve them. In this scenario, performance is everyone’s responsibility. If a co-worker is not playing to their strengths, shouldn’t this be of concern to the rest of the team? In so many occasions, it is never really addressed – it is apparently safer not to.
Listen to Steve live via the CandidAdvisors webinar series: REGISTER
The invites are on the way, all 100k of them, and the Wave is about to roll, but what does it all mean?
I signed up about six-months ago, and am hoping to get my invite soon, so hope to update with live data asap. What is Google Wave?
Google Wave is a real-time communication platform. Google Wave is an online tool for real-time communication and collaboration. A wave can be both a conversation and a document where people can discuss and work together using richly formatted text, photos, videos, maps, and more.
What is a wave?
A wave is equal parts conversation and document. People can communicate and work together with richly formatted text, photos, videos, maps, and more.
A wave is shared. Any participant can reply anywhere in the message, edit the content and add participants at any point in the process. Then playback lets anyone rewind the wave to see who said what and when.
A wave is live. With live transmission as you type, participants on a wave can have faster conversations, see edits and interact with extensions in real-time.
From my perspective, I'm looking for something more robust than Twitter and FriendFeed, less distracting that Facebook, and something that allows me to expand my business network, manage project resources, build new business relationships, share important ideas, collaborate, and communicate with customers both internal and external in a meaningful way. Oh, and keep it all efficient and organized. Not too much to ask, eh?
From first peeks at the Wave however, my concern is that it may appear complex by many and have a high abandon rate. I believe those who abandon will come back after popularity and proof of usefulness becomes more widely known, but the learning curve for that group will be steeper as more development ensues.
Salesforce.com is getting in front of the Wave. Here's a great video describing it:
Gravity is a prototype developed by SAP Research in Brisbane, Australia and SAP NetWeaver Development. It provides real-time, cloud-based, collaborative business process modelling within Google Wave.
Mashable has some great articles related to the Wave here, and the intro video we posted a couple of months ago is below. Will you try it?
CandidAdvisorsis pleased to partner with and offer the Belbin Team Roles Workshop
Whether you are building a new team, want to refresh an existing team, or are looking to create a common focus between two groups that desire to collaborate more effectively, CandidAdvisors can help. Using a unique and behaviorally anchored approach, CandidAdvisors offers a one to two day workshop, depending on the size of the team. The key elements are:
• Defining high performance in terms of outcomes and behavior • Using the Belbin Self Perception Inventory, completed on line, with individual feedback and a collective assessment and aggregated team profile • Showing the relationship between team work and heightened group creativity • Understanding the need for a sound team process as well as agreeing what roles individual team members can play • Exploring the options for individual team member contributions • Having a framework to discuss and measure what total team effectiveness means
This is a facilitated process where the team itself sets its standards in the context of what the team is mandated to deliver, its measures and agrees the means for self correction moving forward. Part of the process includes insight into what each team member potentially brings to the working of the team and what each team member can reasonably expect from other members, including ongoing feedback and support.
Please contact info@candidadvisors.com for information on how you can bring the Belbin Self Perception Inventory and Belbin Team Roles Workshop into your organization, and read more about our Partners Here.
"The upheavals occurring in the arts and humanities were mirrored by a dynamic period of change in the sciences. Some have seen this flurry of activity as a "scientific revolution", heralding the beginning of the modern age. Others have seen it merely as an acceleration of a continuous process stretching from the ancient world to the present day." Renaissance of the 14th–17th centuries, Shapin, Steven. The Scientific Revolution, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996Forbes' Investopedia.com recently highlighted that the recession may negatively impact the quality of goods and services and will result in reduced consumer access to companies.
Adweek cites; “New research from Interpublic Group's Initiative concludes that the recession is having a far greater impact on consumer spending habits than previous downturns, and that some behavior patterns, as well as brand perceptions, will be permanently changed.”
Forrester Research views this recession as a “…gateway or portal connecting two very different eras.
“When the economic clouds clear, many prevailing elites will have been swept away, organizational structures will have fallen, and many who were formerly in control will have lost power. Those who can speak digital will thrive, and those who cannot will finally get the message and retire.”
Saying that the business world will radically change - that old-line companies will be gone and new socially aware companies will survive to take their place is grossly overstating what may happen.This will not be an overnight change where the "old" ways disappear and the "new" world exists.
There are two primary reasons;
* One, the "old" companies are still powerful from an infrastructure, capital, and customer base perspective. Some of them are willing to change to the "new" world, e.g., Comcast, and some will resist change.
* Second, and probably more significant is that there is a huge group of baby-boomers who are still a force in the marketplace. The baby-boomers represent a group with a significant amount of capital to spend, and many may be uncomfortable with the change needed to work in the "new" world.
I do agree that the way companies conduct business is changing and will continue to change and evolve; potentially this recession is an inflection point for that change.
However, I think this will be a more gradual transition as new technologies and new ways of doing business are tested and companies experiment with different tools and techniques.
Like any other seed change; we don't know what will be on the other side of the change. There will be many people and companies trying different approaches to achieve the winning solution, but only a few will succeed and yes some of the old line companies will disappear…eventually.
I welcome a dialogue. Leave your comments and let's discuss this.
Footnotes:
The CounterIntuitive CEO, George F Colony’s Blog, June 23, 2009 The Gateway Recession: What CEOs Will Face Next Forbes Investopedia, The Impact Of Recession On Businesses by Marc Davis Adweek, June 22, 2009 Survey: Recession Impact Permanent by Steve McCellan
Counting the Cost….!! The Myths and Realities of Back Office Business Transformation
Many organizations today are suffering from productivity and revenue declines, lacks of innovation and poor customer service as they try to balance the need to rapidly reduce cost while maintaining viable business operations. Various solutions are being presented and adopted, including Outsourcing, Shared Services, focusing on your core business competencies, etc. But what is the effect of short term decisions about cost containment and efficiency without a clear longer term plan, not just about business survival, but of future growth?
In this unfavorable economic climate the pressure for cost reduction is inexorable and understandable. Yet decisions that potentially compromise corporations’ positive relationships with their customers, vendors and even their own employees are being made on a daily basis. Market share is being put at risk and internal frustrations are growing as non-holistic and non-integrated perspectives are being developed and implemented solely from the cost side of a balance sheet. Imagine a future operating environment where there are 5 to 10 outsourcing service providers, 1 to 3 shared service centers and minimal involvement of the retained organization that must make things work.
The picture is not always bleak. There are successes. But overall over 70% of US companies, who outsource describe the experience as either very or extremely disappointing. After 2 or 3 years organizations are looking for ways to improve the situation.
The 191 Club is pleased to offer four breakfast presentations.
The first on July 22nd, is an overview of the process from the decision to transform and adopt new operating models to establishing a long term and viable adaptive process.
The second on July 29th, focuses on the decision to transform and the transitioning process, with all the attendant issues involved in creating and establishing a new business model and its impact on the retained organization.
On September 10, the third session will be about making it work for the longer term, with the added complexity of leveraging emergent technologies and the need for vigilant governance to have a constant process of alignment to the goals of the business.
The fourth on September 23rd is about measurement, sustainment and what to do when it is apparently not working.
The Founders of CandidAdvisors LLC will be your presenters.
Representing a new breed of advisory services needed in this current and developing environment, CandidAdvisors is completely independent, solution agnostic and focused on the principle of “best advice.” Bringing senior experience and objectivity to a space full of vested interest, the goal is to help companies make the right business decisions and implement change that builds and enhances the capabilities of the business today and tomorrow.
For information on on-site or web-based presentations, or presentations for your group or event, please contactinfo@candidadvisors.com
"Achieving more with less" Creating and sustaining high performance at the team level.
Does your team need a game raiser, or do you know of another team that does? CandidAdvisors has the answer.
• Outstanding Team Work is………… (Introduction) • Relationship between creativity and team work • Why we don’t always need “high” performance • Tools - Belbin, Managerial Grid • Balancing the need for output with the engaged participation • The “typical” team in corporate America • Team process and relationship to productivity • Methods for team review • Challenging Team Member Stereotypes
"Integrating large groups to achieve a common purpose" High Performance Team Series
"Integrating large groups to achieve a common purpose" Employees, consultants, outsourcers; how can disparate groups become a cohesive whole? Let us show you how:
What's Covered:
• Creating common purpose • Barriers to integration • Defining and implementing an appropriate governance model • Defining and measuring cross team integration • Rewards and recognition • Team leader integration activities • Outstanding team work is…….. • Team behavioral model • Sustainment
About your Presenter: STEVE JANDRELL is a Business Transformation & Organizational Change visionary, leading subject-matter expert, and C Suite Advisor offering a wealth of experience across diverse industry verticals including Energy, Utilities, Chemicals, Financial Services, High-tech Manufacturing, Healthcare, Consumer Products, and Retail
Steve has a sterling record of achieving measurable, replicable and sustainable business outcomes, human performance improvement and goal-directed change as a senior member of top domestic and British management consulting firms, and his background includes senior level positions with RWD, TCS, Capgemini (E&Y), and Deloitte & Touche.
His success includes dramatic, multi-dimensional business change via strategy alignment, re-engineering and ERP implementations.
About CandidAdvisors: We bring highly experienced senior people to assess the current situation, and with your team, build a plan for value realization and strategic goal alignment.
CandidAdvisors is a completely independent and solution agnostic consulting firm that advises and coaches senior business decision makers in the area of business transformation and change.
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