MOST Analysis

Mission Statement

Our Program Mission is to:

1) Empower Leaders to build organizations that perform at extraordinary levels by generating trust, enabling teamwork, stimulating innovation, creating new sources of value, aligning functions, constructing internal and external alliances, and managing complexity.

2) Build Leadership Capability that can create spirited and energized organizational cultures, work productively in teams, integrate across the boundaries of specializations, respond rapidly to change, use differentials in thinking and diversity of cultures to spur joint innovation and problem solving.

3) Provide Leaders and Managers with the design systems thinking, core principles and processes, best practices, and tools to perform collaboratively in situations requiring interaction, joint effort, and high complexity.

4) Use Collaborative Excellence methods and processes to avoid the pitfalls of polarization, unproductive conflict, withdrawal, disengagement, and divisiveness.

5) Increase the ability to Engage Employees in finding meaning and purpose in their work

6) Provide a series of frameworks and methodologies to improve day-to-day operational communications and teamwork, while substantially reducing the amount of non-value added work.

7) Reduce the risks of running an organization by enabling more work, problem solving, and decision-making to be done at lower levels.

8) Provide a structure for assessing performance blockages, areas of impeding breakdowns, and root-cause understanding of human behavior meltdowns.

9) Reduce turnover among millennials by giving them more meaning and purpose in their lives, along with a sense of family/community they can trust.

10) For those who attended technical or professional schools, provide the strategies and methods they did not receive in their formal education enabling them to increase their personal and teamwork capabilities significantly.

Ultimately, the Mission of the Collaborative Excellence Program is to increase significantly a company’s Competitive Advantage through Collaborative Systems Design Architectures, Strategies, Methods, Principles, Processes, Metrics, and Rewards.

Bottom Line:

In most organizations, the Collaborative Excellence Program aims to create sustainable 25% improvements in Competitive Advantage including Profit, Productivity & Innovation Gains by aligning and integrating people, functions, and value chain partners.

The System Design Architecture makes this achievement replicable year after year, no matter what the changing circumstances.

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Objectives

1. Clear Definition of “Success”

Reasoning: Clients must know what they want, otherwise “any road will get them there.” If outcomes and expectations are specific at the outset, the chances of success are dramatically increased.

2. Commitment of Senior Executives

Reasoning: A united Senior Leadership Team in supporting the Program and the effort to instill collaboration at all levels reinforces the results and methods we teach. With senior executive sponsorship, not only is there a champion in the C-Suite to inspire and align senior management, but, as importantly, every employee who signs up for the program knows it is career enhancing.

3. Compelling Rationale

Reasoning: Without a Compelling Rationale, there is no reason for the Program. This establishes a clear connection answer to the question “WHY?”

4. Belief that Collaborative Leadership Produces Results

Reasoning: Both the Stakeholders that promote the Program, and those Practitioners who engage in the Program must be unequivocal that collaboration is effective and essential. Executives who harbor strong hidden doubts or have major uncertainties can potentially undermine the Program. While skeptics often become the greatest advocates after engaging in the Collaborative Excellence Program, it is not wise to try to “convince” cynics who will, by their nature, refuse to be convinced. If Senior Execs hold fundamental beliefs that are contrary to our approach, we will not be likely to succeed.

5. Establishment of a Steering Committee/Team

Reasoning: This group of insiders will work with the Appleton Greene Learning Provider to Design, Develop, Delivery and Review the Program. This team is shares responsibility to bring the Collaborative Excellence Program into their organization and help the Learning Provider make adjustments to strategies, content, processes, and delivery methodology to achieve the metrics of success and exceed expectations. This process will not be serial or linear, it will be interactive; together we will be implementing and delivering portions of the program, while at the same time developing future activities, learning and refining and customizing as we go through the four year cycle. At least one senior executive sponsor should be a member of this team to link senior C-Suite issues, objectives, and concerns to the Program’s evolution.

6. Clarity about the Architecture of Collaboration

Reasoning: One of the most powerful elements of this program is that it integrates a holistic “systems design architecture” to key factors and principles for success, best process road maps, best practices in implementation, and key metrics for diagnostics and evaluation. Simplicity and precision about what collaboration means is one of the hallmarks of this program. Participants will also be able to distinguish very rapidly how collaboration differs from other congenial, transactional, and adversarial systems of performance.

7. Commitment to Trust Principles

Reasoning: Collaboration only functions in a trusting culture that is based on core principles of human interaction. Leaders and managers who are not held to the highest standards of trust will undermine and corrode Collaborative Excellence. In the Program we will outline the standards of trust and what to do when trust is eroding.

8. Metrics of Success & Diagnostics of Health

Reasoning: Excellence in virtually everything is dependent upon quality metrics. Without identifiable measures, management is like sifting fog, and there will be no unanimity of vision, value, methodologies, and results.

– Alongside Metrics must be Diagnostics which can be used to ensure the organization is functioning well and any emerging difficulties can be addressed before they create a crisis. The Program addresses these core Metrics Diagnostics of Health, which can be adapted to any organization’s unique culture and industry. Any annual review should include both these elements.

9. Four-Dimensional Leadership Alignment

Reasoning: This is one of the fundamental tenets of great collaborative leadership which prescribes that there are four alignments organizations must engage in to support Collaborative Excellence: 1) strategically, 2) culturally, 3) operationally, and 4) dynamically in time. These four alignments ensure the organizational “system” shifts to a new order of beliefs, attitudes, actions, and metrics in a unified and holistic manner, otherwise the shift won’t “stick.” This also involves alignment of values, operational processes, and rewards systems to ensure congruence and synergy. If the organization does not adapt to the changes forthcoming from the Program, the corporate culture’s “immunal rejection response” will see collaboration as a “foreign entity.”

10. Quality and Alignment of Coaching

Reasoning: Whether the Client company uses their own internal coach or an Appleton Greene Consulting Coach, it is essential that the coaches all use the common architecture and language of leadership frameworks, operational engagement, and methodology contained in Collaborative Excellence for producing results. While the Coach/Consultants are encouraged to use their vast experience and knowledge, they must use caution to begin to mix models from other sources because it carries some risks of confusion and misalignment. One of the important advantages of the Collaborative Excellence Program is that we’ve already spent years integrating models and frameworks which enables a more “universal architecture” that can understood across the boundaries of professions, cultures, specializations, and technologies.

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Strategies

1. Clear Definition of “Success”

1.1 Reasoning: Clients must know what they want, otherwise “any road will get them there.” If outcomes and expectations are specific at the outset, the chances of success are dramatically increased.

1.2 Strategy: Engage Key Stakeholders and Learning Provider in mutual formulation of Success Criteria, Key Factors for Success, and Performance Metrics early on in the Design and Development stages. These do not have to be set in concrete at this point, but must be clarified to the best of the Client’s ability to enable the Learning Provider to Deliver in alignment with what the Client expects. Knowing what you “want” for outcomes essentially defines what “winning” means in the alliance between Client and Learning Provider. Unclear or unstated expectations at this stage are like “time bombs” which will explode later, usually in the middle of a Program, often with unsatisfactory results. Any unrealistic expectations should be addressed at this point.

2. Commitment of Senior Executives

2.1 Reasoning: A united Senior Leadership Team in supporting the Program and the effort to instill collaboration at all levels reinforces the results and methods we teach. With senior executive sponsorship, not only is there a champion in the C-Suite to inspire and align senior management, but, as importantly, every employee who signs up for the program knows it is career enhancing.

2.2 Strategy: A Senior Corporate Sponsor should be identified before the recruitment of participants and subsequent delivery of the first workshop. An internal strategy must be formulated for the Program. Key considerations involve: “What levels of the organization will be part of the capability building?” (notice we do not use the word “training” when it involves senior executives).”What departments, branches, or business units will pilot the first rounds?” “Do we use a ‘top down’ or combination of ‘top down, bottoms up” rollout?” “How do we message the program?” “What are the biggest concerns of the participants?” “What will be the biggest objections and resistance?” and a myriad of other practical issues that should be anticipated and dealt with before the first session. Getting out in front of these questions is essential so we don’t become reactive at the outset.

The Collaborative Excellence Program will impact the essence of the corporate culture and the way people interact. For some senior executives, this program may not feel appropriate because it runs contrary to their fundamental beliefs about more hierarchical, command and control approaches to leadership; this program is not for them, for they will be seen as dinosaurs in the organization. In other words, Collaborative Excellence is not a panacea nor for everyone.

3. Compelling Rationale

3.1 Reasoning: A strong reason for the effort (raison d’etre), either a real or impending crisis or a powerful vision of the future provides this rationale. People want to know the reason “Why?” they should make the Collaborative Excellence Program a major priority, devoting the time, focus, and commitment necessary to succeed.

3.2 Strategy: The Collaborative Excellence Program should have a direct STRATEGIC impact on the company’s future. All too often internal advocates push a program because it’s their personal preference, or they have a score to settle, or it’s the “flavor of the month;” these are all recipes for failure. The best approach is to tie the Program directly to the company’s mission, purpose, value proposition, and organizational values.

Collaborative Excellence, at the highest level, is designed to create COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE. If this linkage is vague or misconstrued, perhaps this is not the right program or the right timing.

4. Belief that Collaborative Leadership Produces Results

4.1 Reasoning: Both the Stakeholders that promote the Program, and those Practitioners who engage in the Program must be unequivocal that collaboration is effective and essential. Executives who harbor strong hidden doubts or have major uncertainties can potentially undermine the Program. While skeptics often become the greatest advocates after engaging in the Collaborative Excellence Program, it is not wise to try to “convince” cynics who will, by their nature, refuse to be convinced. If Senior Execs hold fundamental beliefs that are contrary to our approach, we will not be likely to succeed.

4.2 Strategy: There are three major components to this strategy: 1) examining the evidence of what Collaborative Excellence actually produces for results in other companies, 2) understanding how Collaborative Excellence increases performance, productivity, and profitability, and 3) extrapolating the what and how will impact their own organization. Being aware of possibilities, understanding the design architecture, and being committed to the right actions will help bring the belief systems into alignment. This is so important, it is the reason why it is the first Module in the Learning Program.

5. Establishment of a Steering Committee/Team

5.1 Reasoning: This group of insiders will work with the Appleton Greene Learning Provider to Design, Develop, Delivery and Review the Program. This team is shares responsibility to bring the Collaborative Excellence Program into their organization and help the Learning Provider make adjustments to strategies, content, processes, and delivery methodology to achieve the metrics of success and exceed expectations. This process will not be serial or linear, it will be interactive; together we will be implementing and delivering portions of the program, while at the same time developing future activities, learning and refining and customizing as we go through the four year cycle. At least one senior executive sponsor should be a member of this team to link senior C-Suite issues, objectives, and concerns to the Program’s evolution.

5.2 Strategy: Project Management – The Steering Team is responsible, with the AG Learning Provider, to manage the design, development, delivery, and review of the Collaborative Excellence as a project, with goals, milestones, tasks, interdependencies, and review.

5.3 Strategy: Relationship Management – There are multiple relationships in the roll-out of this initiative. Some of the relationships are strategic, thus they are essential to success. Others are more tactical. Overall, the adage “people support what they help create” prevails. These relationships must establish a joint vision of the outcome, a foundation of trust, performance expectations, and determine what information will be shared, created, exchanged, etc.

5.4 Strategy: Senior Executive Engagement – The Steering Team must have an integral linkage to top management to ensure long-term strategic alignment. Typically this is the role of the Senior Executive Sponsor, who will need to champion the Collaborative Excellence initiative and shepherd its evolution. If baseline diagnostics are needed, the formulation of the analysis and feedback mechanisms must involve the senior sponsor. Often it is advisable for the Board of Directors to be supportive of an initiative like this, which should be handled through the senior sponsor.

5.5 Strategy: Employee Engagement – Ultimately it will be the managers, their direct reports, and employees at every level that will be impacted and will be doing the real work that produces results. Not only should these people know about the Program, but they should be represented on the Steering Team. This is where millennials’ input is important. Additionally, in union-organized companies, finding the right union rep on the team may have very beneficial impacts in the long run.

6. Clarity about the Architecture of Collaboration

6.1 Reasoning: One of the most powerful elements of this program is that it integrates a holistic “systems design architecture” to key factors and principles for success, best process road maps, best practices in implementation, and key metrics for diagnostics and evaluation. Simplicity and precision about what collaboration means is one of the hallmarks of this program. Participants will also be able to distinguish very rapidly how collaboration differs from other congenial, transactional, and adversarial systems of performance.

6.2 Strategy: Ensure People Understand and are talking about the Real Thing. Ever so frequently we hear people say “Oh, we are doing Collaborative Excellence,” or “We already do Strategic Alliances,” or “We know how to Create Trust,” then walk away. 9 times out of 10, they really don’t do well at what they claim to do. In reality few organizations have established either the programs, operational standards, or diagnostics for collaboration. Reading an author’s book about such things is simply not enough. We take the time to outline the architecture, its components, its impact, and provide key readings and videos so that people all have a common frame of reference about what it means to be excellent collaborative leaders and managers. In all too many organizations, people confuse “congeniality” with “collaboration,” and immediately, without knowing it, move into a mode that is muddled and mediocre. This is why this issue is a key element of the first Module in the Learning Program.

7. Commitment to Trust Principles

7.1 Reasoning: Collaboration only functions in a trusting culture that is based on core principles of human interaction. Leaders and managers who are not held to the highest standards of trust will undermine and corrode Collaborative Excellence. In the Program we will outline the standards of trust and what to do when trust is eroding.