_________________________________________________________________________

ClearRock Insights - Fall 2016 Newsletter

_________________________________________________________________________

In This Issue:
 
 

 

 
 
Help Accelerate Your Results!
Q.  Our company culture is very "nice." 
We are typically conflict averse and not great ab out giving feedback, particularly if it's negative. In this culture it's hard for people to grow/learn if they aren't getting this information. How do we begin to change the culture? 
     
A.  The first step to changing the culture is recognizing that what you are doing is not producing the results you want. It requires being willing to take risks and try something new. If you say "I am going to try this and not worry about being perfect," you can begin to have honest, candid conversations. Companies and people stumble, procrastinate, and avoid difficult conversations that are pivotal to enhancing the effectiveness of their leaders and employees. If we can begin to appreciate that giving feedback is fundamental to driving business success and creating a truthful, reliable, and respectful environment, maybe we would better understand how vital it is and learn how to build it into our interactions. For specific guidelines on giving feedback, please refer to ClearRock's article on Feedback: "An organizational and individual perspective."
LifePlanningLife Planning
By Russ Jones, President, First Transitions

Perhaps author and businessman Harvey Mackay said it best, "A dream is just a dream - a goal is a dream with a plan and a deadline." How often have we thought about various aspects of our lives and wished that somehow those attributes of our lives were different? Or even today, perhaps we thought about the day that we would retire and leave the chaos called work and leave this rat race to those who wish to remain in the craziness. Well, some people are just lucky and all aspects of their lives appear to be on track and life is great; retirement appears to be imminent and bound for success. 

First Transitions is a ClearRock Partner, and member of  Global Outplacement Alliance .
At a recent leadership forum, ClearRock, Inc. ,  welcomed Shane Cragun,  co-author of the book  Reinvention: Accelerating Results in the Age of Disruption .  At the forum, co-sponsored by M2 Partners, Cragun shared extensive research on how to navigate 21 st  century turbulence with a simple model and process for making major change and renewal sustainable.

While the book is full of information, the audience left with three key takeaways to push their leadership thinking and actions forward. 

Here's a brief summary to help identify leaders who can successfully manage rapidly changing companies and industries:

 

The ability to pivot quickly, profoundly, and effectively might be the most important core competency individuals and organizations must attain to prosper in the new economy.

 

The questions we should ask ourselves when hiring leaders: Will this person pump life into people and process? If not, why are we even considering hiring them?

 

There are six self-imposed blindfolds that leaders and organizations must be aware of:
  • Arrogance
  • Not acknowledging negative feedback
  • Dismissing competitors' successes
  • Thinking we know what is best for the customer
  • Believing problems don't exist
  • Avoiding the unavoidable
By taking the time to ask the right questions when hiring or promoting a leader, organizations can save a great deal of time, energy, and money in the long run. It is far better to take the time upfront, even if it takes longer than desired, to hire or move the right leader, as rushing to do so could have disastrous consequences for a business.
 

Why is it that so many companies struggle with fostering and providing ongoing feedback? Three experienced coaches from  ClearRock, Inc. continue to see clear evidence that organizations lack the ability, knowledge, or courage, to provide people with direct, high-quality, and actionable feedback. These experts offer some helpful ideas based on years of work with hundreds of organizations in different industries, different levels of leadership, and different organizational cultures.
 
Companies demonstrate tremendous focus on feedback from customers. Yet, why is there less focus on getting or giving feedback that will help with internal performance levels? There's something to be said about asking people directly what they think or telling them directly what they could work on to be better. It seems we have taken for granted the importance of daily interactions and speaking frankly.  If companies could create a culture that lives and breathes feedback for all stakeholders, then they might be able to address this age-old problem. 
In addition to our Executive and Individual Outplacement/Career Transition programs, ClearRock offers Career Transition Workshops on a monthly basis for released employees who may not be offered an individual program. The workshop   integrates skills/strengths clarification, resume writing, self-marketing strategies, interviewing/negotiating skills, and an overview of the current competitive job market. Employees ranging from administrative to mid-level professionals benefit from the knowledge, skills, and practice session offered in these two days. An interactive design with a maximum of 12 people allows each participant to focus on their needs and interests, while an expert career transition consultant provides feedback and support. Upcoming Workshops are scheduled on:

December 7 & 8, 2016             January 11 & 13, 2017             February 8 & 10, 2017

"... excellent facilitator, and the Workshop content exceptional, concise, and relevant.  In short, the best career transition services which I've been exposed to..."
~ HR Executive
_______________________________________________________________________________