Five tips on how to “Keep your eye on the Plan!”

We all know that creating the strategic plan is only the beginning. You have to implement the plan and you are convinced it will be no easy task. How can you keep yourself and the team focused on the goals you agreed will make the difference? How can you make sure the routines and crises of your regular business don’t wash away your resolve to move ahead? This is an ever-present challenge for every team leader, so we have been observing the behavior of one of our clients – a team which, in their second year of a Best Year Yet plan, has exhibited a higher-than-usual level of focus and therefore success with their plan. What exactly is their leader doing to make sure they all “keep their eye on the plan?”

Make sure the plan represents the team’s true priorities.
Too often, an annual plan is treated as “a list of the things we want to do if we get a chance when the regular work is done.” Such a plan is doomed to end up on the shelf. To avoid this fate, our client made it clear to his team that this is the only plan they will be working, so the true priorities had better be on it. This understanding didn’t come quickly or easily, and the plan was revised several times in the first year, as the team’s understanding grew.

Make the plan a living, working document, always in sight and always being discussed.
The annual plan was hand-written on a laminated poster and hung on the wall for all to see. When the goals changed, so did the poster. The team leader made the plan the only agenda for his weekly team meetings: what progress has been made this week? What are the obstacles? How are you handling them? What will you do next week?

Choose carefully the milestones to be tracked and measured.
“What gets measured is what gets done.” The team examined the measurements they were already tracking and discontinued those that were not related to the plan. They added measurement tools to track the progress toward their goals – closed sales, customer service issues, revenue targets, product upgrades, new installations – and posted them in plain sight throughout the offices.

Meet monthly, no matter what, and hold team members accountable for specific progress.
The team leader sends a clear message when the monthly plan review meetings are mandatory and take precedence over everything else on the schedule. Client appointments, sales calls, doctor visits, even vacation days are scheduled around the team’s monthly meetings. During the meetings, team members celebrate each other’s successes and strategize together about ways to overcome obstacles, but no one is allowed to be vague about where things stand.

Set the example through your own talk and actions.
The team leader disciplines himself to stay focused on his own accountabilities in the plan and to talk about his own struggles to continually prioritize his work. He is fully present at every meeting and reports honestly when he has not done what he committed to.

There are many ways a team leader can unintentionally send the message to his/her team that “moving forward on this plan is less important than…” whatever the crisis of the day is. Is it easy to avoid that pitfall? Of course not! But by sticking to the steps listed above, our client and his team have shifted significantly the culture of the company and have achieved dramatic revenue targets that seemed beyond reach one year ago.


BEST YEAR YET will help you close the gap between planning and performance! You can be focused, aligned, and producing results, year after year! For information on personal, team and organizational Best Year Yet Programs, email Donna.King@bestyearyet.com

The 3rd Dysfunction of a Team: Lack of Commitment. In the context of a team, commitment is a function of two things: clarity and buy-in. ~Patrick Lencioni

As I prepare for our next "Best Year Yet" Planning session, I came across some reading and have highlighted some points worth sharing. Commitment in a team is about making definite decisions regarding a specific course of action and obtaining the complete buy in of all members to move forward. In other words, gaining the team members’ “commitment” to move forward. This isn’t as easy as it sounds.

In the book, the Five Dysfunctions of a Team, lack of commitment is the third dysfunction. According to author, Patrick Lencioni, “the two greatest causes of the lack of commitment are the desire for consensus and the need for certainty.”

Consensus
Great teams understand the importance of letting everyone on the team voice their opinions. When someone harbors doubts about a decision and doesn’t have a chance to voice his or her concerns, it may seem as though the team has reached agreement, but in reality, those who have not been heard may be unwilling to support the decision made. It’s important to understand that reasonable human beings do not need to get their own way in order to support a decision, but their opinions must be heard and considered. Only then can you ask everyone to align with and commit to a course of action.

Certainty
You’ve heard of the old saying, paralysis by analysis? Dysfunctional teams may try to hedge their bets, waiting until they have enough information to feel certain they are making the right decision. Teams that over analyze may feel they are working hard at the problem, but if a course of action isn’t decided upon, the team is not going to reach a level of commitment to solve the problem.

Ironically, in most cases, all the information a team needs to make a decision is in the hearts and minds of its members. It is only through constructive, open debate where all team members are encouraged to offer their opinions and perspectives that the team can commit to a decision – knowing they have tapped into the wisdom of the entire group.

Tools To Promote Commitment
1. Let it be known that any decision is better than no decision. If a selected course of action proves to be in error, a good leader quickly cuts his or her losses and corrects the course of action without pointing fingers or placing blame. In this way, the team builds a level of trust and confidence in their decision making and commits to take action far more quickly than those teams who are fearful of the repercussions of making the wrong decision.

2. Spend the last few minutes of a team meeting reviewing the decisions made and agreeing on what needs to be communicated to others in the organization. During this exercise team members often find they aren’t on the same page about what they have agreed upon. It’s worth the extra time to clarify specific outcomes before moving ahead.

3. Agree upon a deadline by which decisions must be made. Deadlines for intermediate decisions and milestones are just as important as final deadlines because they allow the team to identify and address any misalignments before it’s too late.

4. Play worst-case scenario. Discussing contingencies and spelling out the worst-case scenario can reduce the fear associated with making an important decision.

A team that establishes a high level of trust, a willingness to constructively and sensitively address conflict, and seeks to reach commitment, is well on its way to eliminating dysfunction.

For more information on team-building and Best Year Yet programs, email donna.king@bestyearyet.com

The power of a "Thank You"

“Thank yous” are under-rated! – “Thank yous” are simple, powerful and rewarding. If you are like me, someone who strives to help others succeed, it is especially meaningful when you are the one receiving the praise. As a business coach and program facilitator for the Best Year Yet success system, I teach people how important appreciating successes and accomplishments are to the cycle of productivity. Some of us are idea people; some are great at executing and making things happen while others just want to get over that finish line. The truth is that we all benefit from celebrating successes. It is restorative, motivating and energizing. I was reminded of this today when I was given a warm and authentic THANKS from a group of peers at the Heartland Coaches Association monthly meeting. Having creative marketing expertise, I volunteered my services to become the HCA web site manager and was able to make progress and improvements to get the site to the next level for our members. I was not only honored to be able to make the contribution to such a beneficial professional association, but I was equally pleased to be recognized for doing something I enjoy. The time investment and the value given were well worth it. I thank the Heartland Coaches Association for recognizing that even Coaches need a THANK YOU! So, never underestimate the power of a “Thank you”. Go ahead; pay forward by acknowledging someone you appreciate!

Thank YOU,
Donna Wood King
Business Coach & Creative Marketing Consultant