Focus & Alignment Workshop
It's difficult to lead if you don't know where you're going.
The book Built to Last contrasts companies which have become and remained great with those that have not. In the course of the discussion, the authors identify a fundamental difference—those companies that are great companies have a well-defined and understood purpose, values, vision, mission, goals and objectives. These companies have a common characteristic—they have determined why they exist as a company and what is important to them. They have visualized their future as they want it to be and developed goal statements that will lead to achieving that future state. Finally, they have ensured that everyone in their organization knows and understands why the company exists, what it stands for (and won't stand for), its desired future state, and what each business unit and the people within them must achieve to reach the company's goals and attain that future state.
In order to be committed to the organization and contribute to organizational success, people need focus—a statement of purpose to believe in, direction that they are willing to move toward, and a belief that their activities will lead to achieving something meaningful. Unless there are unifying mechanisms - a common focus and alignment—the organization will remain mediocre at best.
The company's executive management must provide this focus and ensure alignment. They provide focus by clearly articulating the company's purpose, values and vision. They provide alignment by ensuring consistency of goals at all levels with the company's purpose, vision, values, and mission. Finally, the executive team must ensure that the company's purpose, vision, values, mission, and goals are shared at all levels and that everyone knows how their actions contribute to achieving them.
The Focus and Alignment Workshop points you in the right direction.
Many companies have developed some sort of mission statement, and perhaps even tied this mission to a vision of the future. The Focus and Alignment Workshop presented by Academy Leadership is a total immersion of the executive team in the process for two days. The result is a clarification of the critical components of a successful company, as well as a stronger team. This combination of strategic direction and the renewed enthusiasm and commitment of team members leads to enhanced organizational effectiveness and more productive outcomes.
During the course of the workshop, participants will:
What are the results?
After completing the workshop, participants will feel a sense of enhanced teamwork and accomplishment. They will realize that they have gone far in building the foundation for future strategic planning and team performance. Specifically, they will be able to make the following statements with a high degree of confidence:
Why is it critical?
In the past, this process was a luxury for the handful of companies that did it. Now, decentralization, mergers and acquisitions, technological change, hybrid workplaces and leadership turnovers demand that companies do this to be successful.
Focus and alignment gives leaders the ability to maintain direction and consistency while decentralizing execution to what are often geographically far-flung subordinates and allow them the freedom to use initiative. In times of mergers and acquisitions, leaders inexperienced in the culture of a new organization may have to make rapid decisions—decisions that are best based in purpose, values, and vision. These factors ensure that new endeavors stay on track.
The staggering pace of change is potentially disastrous for companies that do not have a clear purpose, values and vision. The speed of information flow coupled with increased uncertainties puts pressure on leaders to react quickly. Knowing the company's values and direction helps ensure that decisions will lead to a consistent, coherent execution strategy.
Finally, leadership transition at all levels is much smoother when new leaders understand these factors. While they may bring new execution strategies with them, they should not bring new values or purpose. Understanding values and purpose increases the probability that the right successors will be selected from inside the organization as well.
Contact Jay for a free Initial Consultation to hear more about how Focus & Alignment can help your senior leaders get and stay focused and unified.
The book Built to Last contrasts companies which have become and remained great with those that have not. In the course of the discussion, the authors identify a fundamental difference—those companies that are great companies have a well-defined and understood purpose, values, vision, mission, goals and objectives. These companies have a common characteristic—they have determined why they exist as a company and what is important to them. They have visualized their future as they want it to be and developed goal statements that will lead to achieving that future state. Finally, they have ensured that everyone in their organization knows and understands why the company exists, what it stands for (and won't stand for), its desired future state, and what each business unit and the people within them must achieve to reach the company's goals and attain that future state.
In order to be committed to the organization and contribute to organizational success, people need focus—a statement of purpose to believe in, direction that they are willing to move toward, and a belief that their activities will lead to achieving something meaningful. Unless there are unifying mechanisms - a common focus and alignment—the organization will remain mediocre at best.
The company's executive management must provide this focus and ensure alignment. They provide focus by clearly articulating the company's purpose, values and vision. They provide alignment by ensuring consistency of goals at all levels with the company's purpose, vision, values, and mission. Finally, the executive team must ensure that the company's purpose, vision, values, mission, and goals are shared at all levels and that everyone knows how their actions contribute to achieving them.
The Focus and Alignment Workshop points you in the right direction.
Many companies have developed some sort of mission statement, and perhaps even tied this mission to a vision of the future. The Focus and Alignment Workshop presented by Academy Leadership is a total immersion of the executive team in the process for two days. The result is a clarification of the critical components of a successful company, as well as a stronger team. This combination of strategic direction and the renewed enthusiasm and commitment of team members leads to enhanced organizational effectiveness and more productive outcomes.
During the course of the workshop, participants will:
- Develop a well-defined purpose, a broad statement of the organization's reason to exist. This purpose statement will guide and inspire your executive team and help them to guide and inspire other members of the organization. In addition, the purpose statement serves as the basis for strategic planning and allocation of resources.
- Define the organizational core values that provide the foundation for the organization's desired future. These values also communicate how the organization wants to be perceived by those within and without.
- Describe the company's vision. The vision is a realistic, credible and attractive picture of the organization as it will exist in the future, stated as if it were happening now. It clarifies purpose and direction, inspires enthusiasm and encourages commitment.
- Establish a company mission. The mission is a clear and compelling goal that serves to unify the organization's efforts. It will stretch and challenge the company, yet be achievable.
- Develop goals and objectives. The goals will be results-oriented outcomes that contribute directly to the mission accomplishment. Objectives are specific, measurable results required to achieve the goal.
What are the results?
After completing the workshop, participants will feel a sense of enhanced teamwork and accomplishment. They will realize that they have gone far in building the foundation for future strategic planning and team performance. Specifically, they will be able to make the following statements with a high degree of confidence:
- We have common agreement on where we want our company is to go for the next 10+ years.
- We know the major action steps to get us to this common vision.
- We know who within the Senior Executive Management Team is accountable for each major action step.
Why is it critical?
In the past, this process was a luxury for the handful of companies that did it. Now, decentralization, mergers and acquisitions, technological change, hybrid workplaces and leadership turnovers demand that companies do this to be successful.
Focus and alignment gives leaders the ability to maintain direction and consistency while decentralizing execution to what are often geographically far-flung subordinates and allow them the freedom to use initiative. In times of mergers and acquisitions, leaders inexperienced in the culture of a new organization may have to make rapid decisions—decisions that are best based in purpose, values, and vision. These factors ensure that new endeavors stay on track.
The staggering pace of change is potentially disastrous for companies that do not have a clear purpose, values and vision. The speed of information flow coupled with increased uncertainties puts pressure on leaders to react quickly. Knowing the company's values and direction helps ensure that decisions will lead to a consistent, coherent execution strategy.
Finally, leadership transition at all levels is much smoother when new leaders understand these factors. While they may bring new execution strategies with them, they should not bring new values or purpose. Understanding values and purpose increases the probability that the right successors will be selected from inside the organization as well.
Contact Jay for a free Initial Consultation to hear more about how Focus & Alignment can help your senior leaders get and stay focused and unified.
|
About Your Facilitator - Jay Pullins
Jay Pullins has been leading and developing leaders in a variety of settings for over 30 years. He has a diverse background as a leadership coach, military officer, an appointed state official, and executive leader of Alaska's largest church. Jay has trained over 1,500 leaders in the last five years, from Alaska to Southern California, in various fields from universities to military, construction, product distribution, manufacturing, telecommunications, Alaska native corporations, churches, banks, casinos, and a railroad. A 1989 graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, Jay led U.S. and multi-national teams for the U.S. Air Force, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), NORAD, and the Alaska National Guard. He led combat crews as an Air Battle Manager in Operation DESERT STORM, the conflicts in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo, no-fly zones over Iraq, and counter-drug operations in Central and South America. Jay retired as an Air Force Lieutenant Colonel in 2011. Jay served as Chief of Staff to the Lieutenant Governor, then Special Assistant to the Governor of Alaska. He also served as Executive Leader of ChangePoint church for five years. He has a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science from the US Air Force Academy, and a Master's Degree in Adult & Higher Education from the University of Oklahoma. Jay and his wife, Sonia, live in Anchorage, Alaska, and have two grown sons, a daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren. |
|
