Here are examples of the subjects we offer that can help maintain – or restore – the health of your organization. Many of these offerings can be tailored or directed to specific audiences – executive, management, technical expert, and support – depending on the need in your organization.
Thank your team in a big way with a Community Adventure or Alternate Reality Game defined specifically to honor their accomplishments. "A Little R&R" -- Reward and Recognition -- includes preliminary consultations with you and the hosting organization; site visits and interviews with the staff being recognized; all logistics arrangements for the Adventure or Game in the candidate location you choose; celebratory dinner with appropriately tailored memorabilia.
Super Star or Black Hole? When a Strategic Hire Goes Bad
The plan was to bring in a superstar to fill that strategic niche that none of the rest of the team quite covered. The candidate looked good on paper, and interviewed well. Unfortunately, the story is turning from success to nightmare. The strategic niche is still not covered, and the rest of the workforce is becoming collateral damage. "Super Star or Black Hole" includes consultation with you, the strategic hire, the affected members of the organization; documentation of observations; organizational damage assessment; jointly developing coping strategies and the team and response strategies for management; recommendations and follow-up.
It may be a behavior that’s been reinforced by survival of the fittest – when staff members acknowledge only those at their organizational level and above. They may only "see" others that they believe might be capable of causing them harm. But for the support part of the team – secretaries, clerks, housekeeping - it equates to being invisible. Many of the people suffer from invisibility syndrome are genuinely not aware of their behavior. In some organizations, it is recognized and condoned. If treating others as if they don't matter is not acceptable – or if you’re invisible yourself - in your organization, we can help. Invisibility Syndrome includes consultation with you and others affected, including those who are guilty of the oversight and those who are subject to it; observation and documentation of work place practices; jointly developing strategies for changing behaviors; recommendations and follow-up.
"Wiki" is NOT a four-letter word!
The youngest members of the workforce grew up in a world that is light years away from that of the current crop of CEOs. They often function in groups, not solo. With IM, blogs, role playing games that span the internet, they are ambassadors of globalization, many already having friends from all over the world. Google and Wikipedia are their primary reference sources. They have processed more information by the time they graduate from college than many of the current workforce will see in a lifetime. They want to be fully engaged in their work groups. How can you make them welcome members of your organization without scaring away all the oldsters? Where is there common ground? Are there opportunities for your organization to learn from them? "Wiki" includes consultation with you and others in the organization; observation and analysis of work practices; recommendations on bridge-building from the "Old Guard" to the "Wiki Kids" (to include interpretation services!) and follow-up.
Models of Leadership and Impacts on Organizational Health
Issues in your work group may be caused in part by the way in which you lead, if like most contemporary business managers you follow a hierarchical model of leadership. Intolerance of risk and error; limited creative license in developing new business; high turnover among key performers; paranoia; abuse of trust; difficulty getting cooperation from anyone except your trusted circle; inability to attract or retain the "whiz kids" who expect to be fully engaged in the enterprise. If your organization is broken, and you can't see why, let us help. It may be you. Leadership and Organizational Health includes consultation with you and others in your organization, documenting observations; jointly developing strategies for possible changes in leadership style; recommendations and follow-up.
The Strategic Role of Teamwork in Maintaining Organizational Health
If your work group was formed before your organization learned the "No Asshole Rule" [1] you may find yourself having to cope with people who are abusive, arrogant, bullying, controlling, egotistical, incompetent, manipulative, narcissitic, uncooperative. A healthy, well-tended work group or team can reduce the impact of destructive behaviors by these individuals. Learn how; let us help save your sanity – and your team! Strategic Teamwork includes consultation with members of the team, the "offending parties", and management (if possible and appropriate); documenting observations; jointly developing health strategies with the team; recommendations and follow-up.
The Importance of Personal Legend in Leadership
If you have visibility in your organization, you have legend. Do you know - is it good or bad? Are you Superman to your staff, or Martin Milquetoast? How does the legend within your trusted circle compare to that in the rest of the organization? Is the reputation you acquired early in the organization limiting you now? Does your personal legend extend outside your organization? Recognizing - and shaping – your personal legend can strengthen your standing and set the psychic tone for the entire organization. Leadership legend includes consultation with you, members of your organization, recommendations, coaching and follow-up.
Smart as you are, it’s bound to happen. Challenges in the workplace are only getting more complex, and whether it's an issue with staff, products, or service delivery - not owning up to it can be costly. Learn the importance of acknowledging when it's "your day to be human" and the importance of allowing others to be too. Not standing up to a mistake doesn’t make you any more right, and it costs you credibility and respect of those affected. Handled well, acknowledging mistakes can contribute the health of an organization, as well as provide greater opportunity to set things right. "I Made a Mistake!" includes consultation on and observation of existing policies and practices in your organization for dealing with mistakes; recommendations for encouraging acknowledging mistakes in the organization and tips on how to say "I Made a Mistake!" without losing face; recommendations and follow-up. For the extremely stubborn, one-on-one coaching; think of it as a humanity intervention!
