Thinking Correctly Under Pressure (TCUP)

I learned this exercise in London. It was quite revealing to me. Its about preparing your team for situations that may come up where they will feel under extreme pressure. By practicing it, they will be better prepared to handle pressurized situations that may arise.


How To Do It

1. Need a room with a white board and a group of your team.
2. Write out a scenario on the board.
3. Write out the list of the resources the person will have to work with.
4. Set a timer to a short amount of time (2 minutes or less usually works out well).
5. Present the situation to one person and have them solve the situation, with no work allowed after timer sounds.
6. Have the person explain what they did and why.
7. Ask the rest of the group what is right and wrong with it, then define what the ideal solution would have been.

This is a simple process, but can be used in most situation. How can you help prepare your team for success in pressure filled situations?

Scorecards - Daily Feedback on Performance

It should be normal for people to end their workday knowing how they performed. It gives them the consistent feedback that reinforces the right activity, while giving the supervisor the ability to have objective performance discussions.

I am in pursuit of having every position in our company be able to have this daily feedback. We have recently adopted it with a certain role within the company, and within the first two weeks, we have made significant changes.

I will share an example of the sales since it is the easiest to explain in a blog post. Our sales team is measured based on revenue, number of clients invoiced, and types of services sold. We measure these three things because they are critical to our company's health and growth.

Quick Notes

1. Revenue by itself can be deceiving. If we only see that number, we may miss the risk associated with it if we do not know the number of clients that comprise that revenue (if it is one big client, rather than multiple smaller ones there may be a higher level of risk of those revenues).
2. Number of clients ensures that the revenue is spread amongst multiple treasuries as well as creating more opportunities for growth. If we can continue to add new clients each month, while improving relationships with existing accounts, our company will grow.
3. Types of items sold shows us opportunities to sell clients other services, creating opportunities for growth. It also shows us a level of risk with a client. If they are only buying one type of service, then decide to suspend all spending for that type of item, our revenues are more at risk. This provides insight to both growth and protection goals of the company.

How We Share It

• Everything is goal versus actual. This provides feedback without subjectivity.
• It is reported on daily, with weekly, monthly, and quarterly recaps. Providing the information in a timely fashion.
• They are reported side by side, so that management can show correlation of all numbers.
• The question asked when the numbers are missed is "How can I help you achieve your goals". This is a much different discussion than discussing the fact that the numbers were missed - that is easy to see and does not require a discussion. That already happened. The only thing relevant to that is to learn how we were derailed and how can we get back on track. Autopsy without blame.

This type of approach can help your management team can manage without emotion.

Emerging Leaders Program Overview

Emerging Business Leaders is a program that we built that brings together young, insightful, talented members of a team to develop their leadership skills. This program serves as a platform for educating members on each discipline of business structure, innovation, improvement initiative development, while developing and acting upon Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats (SWOT) analysis.

The team takes on a 360 degree view of each department of the company and assesses their current culture, capacity, and internal/external interactions. They produce recommendations and options that will assist the company's growth and stability goals.

Promoting global business growth while maintaining a healthy organization is a significant challenge. Members meet weekly to brainstorm, research, and learn from one another and create a list of action items. The team members are kept accountable for both their personal and group achievements.

Keys To Success

• Executive Sponsorship. It is critical that their is a key person in the company pushing this forward and managing the feelings that each department head may have with a team assessing its condition.
• Member Buy-In. The team must meet their commitments.
• Celebrate Success. Each meeting needs to have some accomplishments made between meetings. It builds momentum that cannot be overstated.
• Accountability. The team must hold eachother accountable. This is one of the most important lessons of leadership, therefore must be reinforced every meeting. 
• Diversity in Group. It is important that the group is well rounded, much like an executive team. The team needs to be made up of people from different areas of expertise with different personality types represented. This helps the group develop better options and allows strengths to shine through.

I hope this overview shows the opportunities that are possible in helping people dream bigger and giving them the opportunity to evoke change. It is game changing.

Emerging Leaders Program Basics

It should be normal that innovative solutions get developed and implemented into a company. We reached a size where this was no longer happening. These solutions were important, but not important enough for the executives of the company to focus on them. We were suffering because of this. It was not acceptable. Because of this, we built an Emerging Leaders Program. Here are the basics of the program.

Qualifications Needed

1. Desire to be a future leader
2. Ability to commit the time required
3. Love for the company
4. Executive sponsorship

 Program Commitments

• 12 month commitment required
• Meet weekly for project reviews
• Outside of workday researching and learning
• Attendance at Quarterly Training Days

Program Components

• Quarterly Training
• Project Initiatives
• Sales and Marketing
• Finance
• Strategy
• Operations
• Assigned Reading
• Full Integration into Company

This program serves as a platform for innovation. 

Relationships and Success

The path to success includes many pivotal decisions. These decisions shape our future. I want to share my experience and the price I paid with my relationships as I pursued my dreams.

In the beginning, I had my friends and family, and they were people I could count on. Life was easy and predictable. My life was a routine that my friends and family could relate to. As I started to have some success and dream bigger, my confidence built. I realized that my life could change dramatically if I could reset my course. I had never experienced financial success - I was always between poor and lower middle class, and although it was not what I wanted, I had been comfortable in that range.

The first step for me was to become more self aware. Diving deep to learn about myself was not fun. I was open minded about it, but I realized that I was the person holding me back, and it was hard to accept. I had been comfortable in pointing out what other people's faults were and pointing blame towards them. Now I realized that even if it was someone else's fault, if it made an impact on my life, it was my responsibility to make it right. I did not have the luxury of putting an explanation next to my status. This is when I stopped blaming other people and adopted the mindset that everything is my responsibility (it does not make my situation better knowing that I did not achieve what I wanted to achieve because of myself or others - either way, I am in the same spot).

Many changes were happening in the way I dealt with things - with my wife, family, co-workers, friends, everybody. This is where my relationships began to suffer. I was a different person and the people around me were not ready for it. I took responsibility for my environment and stopped doing and thinking in ways that were destructive to my desired outcome. The effect this has on others was something I completely missed. My approach made people feel guilty about things, triggering some anger towards me. From my perspective, I made myself vulnerable, accountable, and pushed myself to be the best I could be. Others, though, had a different view. Theirs was that I was self-righteous, arrogant, and not the person I used to be. They developed all kinds of reasons for it - "He only cares about money; He forgets who he is; He is all business all the time;" amongst other things not fit for print.

Most every one of my relationships suffered. There was a loneliness, a feeling of being misunderstood, that came with it. I found myself with very few relationships that I really cherished. I had been let down or betrayed by people that were close to me, and it hurt. I never knew that trying to become better and pursuing my dreams would leave so many relationships damaged or ruined. It was a high price to pay.

Back to accepting responsibility for outcomes, if I could do it all over again, I would do things a little different. I would spend a lot more time sharing with other people how I felt, how scared I was, and ask them to help me accomplish what I was trying to do. I would give them the opportunity to support me in my quest, rather than going at it alone. My rationale of going at it alone because they were my issues does not withstand scrutiny. It should be normal for people to be able to count on the people that care about them to help them accomplish their dreams. It would have been easier, and better, had I brought people close to me more into it.

I shared my experience in hope of helping you save some great relationships. Good luck!

Hiring Basics

There were a couple of steps we established to hire the right people, once we knew what we
wanted. We use this process to help prepare our team for success.

1. Recruitment
1. Establish a scorecard to rate each resume, with the intention of removing 70% of applicants, giving us the ability to spend more time with the most likely fits
2. Building a job profile, with KPI’s for each role
3. Reach out for referrals within our network
2. Interview
1. Phone screen (30 minutes)
2. Face to face discussion (1 hour)
3. Full day interview (6 hours)
4. Hiring - Job Offer or letter within 48 hours
5. On-Boarding
1. Minimum two days of on-boarding (most roles require one week or more)
2. Training for tasks that the employee will be responsible for
1. Written materials provided
2. Instructor
3. Shadowing instructor
4. Instructor shadowing trainee
5. Testing

By having a consistent process, we are able to tweak it and trust it.

My Process to Develop Organizational Clarity

I believe organizational clarity is necessary for a company to enjoy long term success. Early on, I
handled many of the responsibilities of my company, so clarity was not an issue. As my company
grew, I found myself frustrated with decisions that were being made, because they did not align
with our goals, and this compelled me to believe I needed to have my hands in everything.
Unfortunately, this approach does not scale. Realizing the challenges I faced were because of my
own actions, I started working on developing an approach to my business where I would not have
frustrations due to lack of clarity. Here is my blueprint for success.

Laying the Foundation
The purpose of the first phase of building my company was to set the right foundation to build on.
The steps included:

1. Defining the purpose of why we were in business
2. Establishing our core values
3. Determining out current mission/goals
4. Building a strategy to meet these goals

This helped articulate who we are and where we wanted to go. This self examination helped us
become self aware, a critical component to establishing clarity.

Building the Structure
Once the base was set, I needed to establish a structure that would meet the items established in
the foundation.

1. Building the organizational chart
2. Establishing key performance indicators “KPI’s”
3. Establishing business processes

This is the “how” of our company. This is our structure that keeps us clearly focused on where we
are trying to go, with consistency and order.

Adding the Reinforcements
The right base and structure created the framework. These reinforcements intertwined with the
foundation and structure, strengthened the company.

1. Policy
2. Meeting Structure
3. Internal Communications
4. External Communications
5. Hiring
6. Training
7. Improvement Initiatives
8. Performance Reviews

These items strengthen the company. Hiring is an example of this. Once we knew what our
foundation and structure were, we were able to establish the traits and skills required to help us
achieve our goals.

How Can I Build A Creative Thinker Role in My Company?

Here are the first steps to bringing this structure into your company:

• Identify the traits and skill set needed for this role
• Create the initial project list for this role by identifying opportunities and dangers the company would like to research.
• Review your current personnel to see if anyone can fill the role. If nobody is capable, look to hire someone for the role.
• Once hired, include this person on your executive team so they can be up to speed on everything within the company, giving them insight on things that will help them be more effective in their responsibilities.
• Ensure this person lives and breathes your values, mission, and purpose.

This structure will prove to be a key in developing a world class organization. It reinforces organizational clarity, helping keep the company on its desired course.

How Can I Clarify My Organizational Chart?

Creating the Leadership Team on the organizational chart is important in building organizational clarity. Here are specific basic disciplines of business:

• Sales/Marketing
• HR
• Operations
• Technology
• Finance/Admin

Businesses may have some of these broken out separately, or combine others as their business size and needs dictate. These roles are typically filled by people with strong organizational skills, as they are responsible for reporting verified information to the CEO. These are present in most every organization, even companies with under 5 employees.

What's Missing?
Most companies, however, miss the role that I call the “Creative Thinker”. This is a responsibility that goes to someone that is curious and can ponder and think outside of ordinary thought lines. They are usually the person or team that the CEO delegates R&D projects to. Here is a sample of what this role would play in a company:

• The company wants to expand its offerings by exploring different opportunities. The Creative Thinker researches the market, assesses the opportunity and provides a report to the executive team on their findings.
• The company wants to improve one of its processes. The CreativeThinker can research the dangers of keeping things as is, assess the opportunities for improvement, and provide a report to the executive team on their findings, without the bias of having to execute the changes.
• The sales team wants to present its offerings to a potential client.The Creative Thinker can demonstrate expertise in an area of focus without pushing the services offered. This unbiased expertise presented strengthens the presentation.

This role has the ability to provide a true differentiation in the marketplace. 

How Can I Clarify My Internal Communications?

Here are the first steps to bringing this type of internal communication into your
company:

• Review your discipline and reward processes to see if they are consistent with what the company goals and values.
• Mention the components of the strategic plan when rewarding or disciplining an action. This reinforces how important they are and work towards weaving this importance into the culture of the company and its employees.
• Measure the things that line up with the values and mission. For example, if one of your core values is around customer satisfaction, figure out a way to measure it. This will reinforce that this is so important to the company that management tracks it.
• Celebrate when people act in accordance with the values and purpose.
• Make this a part of your management discussion. Ask questions related to the values. For example, when someone does something questionable, ask them “Does that line up with our core values?” or “Does that bring us closer to our goals?”

This approach to internal communication will prove to be key in reinforcing the company strategy and deliver organizational clarity. This will help the company capture opportunities and avoid dangers.

How can internal communications enhance organizational clarity?

Internal communications keep the company’s team current on the happenings within the organization. Typical forms of this communication are newsletters, company updates, and memos from upper management. These play the role of delivering a message. The other, informal forms of communication are the ones that reinforce this message. These are the ones that are powerful. Here are a few examples:

• When the company measures something, it tells employees it is important (customer satisfaction, policy adherence, etc.)
• When the company rewards something, it communicates that the action is in alignment (recognition, awards, commissions, etc.)
• When the company disciplines an action, everyone learns that it conflicts with the company goals (write up, probation, termination, etc.)

It is similar to body language, coupled with words. If they line up, things are clear. When they are not in unison, there is confusion, doubt, and angst.

Why Do I Need to Do This?
The way a company communicates internally needs to be just as effective as the way it communicates or markets itself publicly. There must be organizational clarity for the company to reach its potential. Growth and profits will be limited and there will be more issues arising from the team acting outside of what the company promises.

A company risks its viability and the management risk their sanity when organizational clarity is missing. A small company may be able to endure this because the leader has a pulse on everything going on, however, as the business grows, the company has a higher likelihood of imploding.

How Can I Clarify My Strategy?

Here are the first steps to building and clarifying a strategy for your business:

1. Examine the purpose of the business. Why does the company exist? Ask “Why?” multiple times and when you cannot ask it anymore, you are close to your purpose. This is typically the purpose of the founder of the company. This is not an easy thing to identify. There will need to be a lot of reflection by the founder and revisit the things that helped shape their perspective. The critical junctures in their life helped influence this purpose. Once identified, it will become magnetic to the people you need to attract.
2. Identify your vision - what you are trying to become. Here is an example: Dell computer’s was “To become the IBM of the 21st Century”.
3. Identify your core values. Be careful to not focus on marketing catch phrases. These need to be things that will not change, and that you would be willing to suffer financial losses to hold true to them. You also must be willing to fire someone because of violation of them. They should be a couple of words each. Simple statements of a theme. You can support it with information, but the statement needs to be fast. Examples can include “Keep promises”. Then support that with “We keep promises to each other, to our vendors, and to our clients...”
4. Document it.
5. Preach it, teach it, post it, live it, and reinforce it. The strategy needs to be visible everywhere in the company, in the way it operates, manages, markets, etc.
6. Hire people who have the desired skill set and align with the strategy.

This approach to strategy will give the company a sense of direction and deliver organizational clarity. This will allow the company to look at action and structure and measure it against the strategy, helping keep the company focused on what it is trying to accomplish.

How Can Strategy Enhance Organizational Clarity

A business needs to know its purpose, vision, goals, and core values. The
purpose helps define the reason for being. The vision is what we aspire to be.
The goals are intermediate points that are met during the life of the business.
The core values are the boundaries that underline the behavior of people within
the business, a set of constraints.

When the business manages through its strategy, the team goals are clear, and
management is able to keep the team accountable to them. It is important for
the core values and purpose to come through in the way the business
operates. It can become the thing that energizes employees to excel.
This must be the central piece that unifies the company. This needs to be the
common thread shared by all employees, and all things need to align with it.