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The Collaborative Action Blog has moved!

Dear readers! The posts you see here, as well as more recent posts, can now be found at https://lorimicheleleavitt.com/blog.

If you are already subscribed, you do not need to re-subscribe.

If you are not yet subscribed, you can still do so on this page (at the right) or go to the link above and see “Join Collaborative Action” in the left navigation bar.

After joining the blog, you’ll receive a post summary, usually once per week, on Wednesday 6am PST.

If you want to guest post, interview or quote me, or talk about this blog, just send an email to: lori[at]collaborative-action[dot]com.

I look forward to sharing with you!

Collaborative Action has moved! Find and join the Collaborative Action Blog at https://lorimicheleleavitt.com/blog/
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Are You Ready for Performance Breakthroughs? Track these 6 Key Indicators

Aligned Momentum Key Indicators
Measure Readiness for Extraordinary Momentum and Performance Breakthroughs

Executing a plan requires alignment. Executing on time requires momentum. Executing brilliantly, including shifting quickly when the facts change while staying on track with strategic objectives, requires Aligned Momentum.

Aligned Momentum Key Indicators help you track progress in your Pivot from an incremental, traditional and/or rigid business culture to a culture with Aligned Momentum. Aligned Momentum leads to brilliant execution of strategy.

Aligned Momentum Key Indicators

To support brilliant execution of strategy

  • 1) Clarity: Getting clear, being clear.
  • 2) Mastery Mindset: Open, growing mind.
  • 3) Nimble Decision-making: Best next step.

To prepare you for a better future

  • 4) Strategic Thinking: Play the movie.
  • 5) Talent Adaptability: Roles fit strategy.
  • 6) Coaching: Manager as coach.

Continue reading “Are You Ready for Performance Breakthroughs? Track these 6 Key Indicators”

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Want to reach your desired destination? Be focused & nimble

To keep momentum and reach your desired destination… be focused & nimble.

Focus is important. “You get what you focus on,” which in a business is typically what you measure. Keeping track of progress and outcomes helps with focus.

But you also must stay nimble – open, aware, and adaptable – to move around obstacles or to adjust a course. Sometimes what is being measured is not leading toward longer term strategic objectives. And sometimes strategy needs to change.

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Take Your Best Next Steps

Best Next Steps
Best Next Steps for Extraordinary Momentum

This first post in the Extraordinary Momentum Series offers 5 key ideas to help you get clear about best next steps, and how you can help others get clear about their best next steps.

When you are nimble, you are aware and open. You rarely get blocked or stuck. If you do – if someone, something, or even your own mindset or limiting beliefs – get in your way, you have what it takes to move around, over, under, through.

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Leaders nurture and invest

Recently I shared a “People Measurement’ and leadership conversation with Carlos Santayana, Owner and Principal at Santayana Group, and a prior Training and Leadership VP at Citi Group. I felt power and wisdom in his words and wanted to share them with you. With his approval I am publishing parts of our conversation below.

The selection and promotion of managers who invest in their teams and nurture excellence is a key transformative strategy.

• Leadership can create an atmosphere where subordinates are treated as valued partners and encouraged to think deeply and contribute ideas that increase profit, stakeholder well being and long term sustainability. Continue reading “Leaders nurture and invest”

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Transform data into information, and information into knowledge…for and through people!

A goal of the Collaborative-Action blog is to bring practical, do-able steps that will lead to performance management that works. Following is the first in a series of interviews to meet that goal.

Last week I had the pleasure of interviewing Professor Andy Neely, of University of Cambridge, Cranfield School of Management. You will find us both quite excited about the opportunity to add value, as we focus on translating data into information and information into knowledge. Or as Professor Neely shows in the diagram below, “From Hindsight to Insight.”

Click to play

This brief interview was entirely unscripted; it is a conversation chock full of immediate take-aways for CEOs, and all executive, division and department heads including Human Resources and Organizational Development. I look forward to your comments about this interview and any questions you may have that can be answered in future posts, interviews. You can also email me.
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A scorecard for your Wellness initiative

Until recently, employee benefits costs – healthcare, in particular – have been considered a necessary cost of doing business, external to a company’s core products or services. An emerging school of thought, however, suggests that employee wellness affects much more than a company’s bottom line as a human resource expense. Wellness also affects absenteeism, productivity and efficiency. In other words, healthy employees are more likely to successfully contribute to a company’s core business than sick or injured employees who are unable to perform at optimal levels.

In this way, wellness does, indeed, contribute to every company’s bottom line and, as a result, needs to be stated as a measurable goal of every company. But how can wellness be quantified? Continue reading “A scorecard for your Wellness initiative”

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Are performance management, business intelligence and balanced scorecard systems failing?

Are performance management systems – CPM, EPM, BI, BPM, Balanced Scorecard, Dashboards, etc. – failing?

I’ve been saying this for quite some time, and I’m now hearing it from others as well. It feels ok to be somewhat vindicated in my opinion. I’d much rather have organizations grow stronger and build value again.

I recently wrote: You are not getting answers…yet…

Did you know that your transactions-focused business intelligence and performance management systems are likely doomed to fail you? That’s right: as sophisticated as they might be, an inherent gap in your own systems is putting your business at risk.

Continue reading “Are performance management, business intelligence and balanced scorecard systems failing?”