In our Stanford Advanced Project Management program we are always addressing the power of culture in executing strategy through project-based work. This is a neat diagram from Agilitrix that succinctly captures the critical aspects of the Schneider Model. Their site provides other discussions about the model.
Friday, July 20, 2012
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Making Culture Change Stick
From the latest Harvard Business Review, Booz & Co.provides a free PDF here. Worth the read and reinforces the many ways we look at the power of culture in our Stanford Advanced Project Management (SAPM) program. Our next class coming in September at Stanford University in Palo Alto. Register here.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Keeping Gen X Talent Engaged
Don't Dismiss Your Gen X Talent - Sylvia Ann Hewlett - Harvard Business Review
- Develop corporate chameleons. "Once I've learned my job, I like to move on," says one X'er interviewed for the CTI report. "I need something new to keep things fresh." To prevent X'ers from feeling stalled and browning out, companies are rotating promising employees through different functions on a regular schedule. A Sibson Consulting survey (PDF) shows that more than half of Fortune 500 companies say they've begun shuffling potential leaders around to give them broad experience.
- Let them learn. "I really like my company. It's a great fit," says another X'er. "But having said that, if it's the right thing, I'd jump. I won't stop learning or growing just to have a job." That's why even in the middle of a recession, smart companies are maintaining their tuition-reimbursement programs, as well as instituting mentoring and sponsorship programs that pair Boomer managers with Gen X'ers.
- Bring them out of the shadows. Mentoring and sponsorship programs serve another purpose: They match mid-level managers with senior-level executives who can provide opportunities to enrich their career experience. Placing Xers in charge of high-visibility projects is also a way to spotlight their abilities.
- Test their wings. Many X'ers would agree with one of their cohort who declares, "I have an entrepreneurial spirit that won't shut up." With many having been brought up as latchkey kids, Gen X is highly self-reliant; today, 70% of X'ers surveyed by CTI prefer to work independently, and 34% aspire to be an entrepreneur. Why not let them test their wings with a company-sponsored venture than risk having them fly the coop?
- Promote partnerships. It's easy for X'ers to demonize Boomer managers as intransigent dinosaurs and Gen Y subordinates as self-aggrandizing upstarts. Break down the barriers through intergenerational partnerships and teams. Each cohort has its own strengths and gifts; sharing them will enhance everyone's abiliti
Keeping Gen X Talent Engaged
Don't Dismiss Your Gen X Talent - Sylvia Ann Hewlett - Harvard Business Review
- Develop corporate chameleons. "Once I've learned my job, I like to move on," says one X'er interviewed for the CTI report. "I need something new to keep things fresh." To prevent X'ers from feeling stalled and browning out, companies are rotating promising employees through different functions on a regular schedule. A Sibson Consulting survey (PDF) shows that more than half of Fortune 500 companies say they've begun shuffling potential leaders around to give them broad experience.
- Let them learn. "I really like my company. It's a great fit," says another X'er. "But having said that, if it's the right thing, I'd jump. I won't stop learning or growing just to have a job." That's why even in the middle of a recession, smart companies are maintaining their tuition-reimbursement programs, as well as instituting mentoring and sponsorship programs that pair Boomer managers with Gen X'ers.
- Bring them out of the shadows. Mentoring and sponsorship programs serve another purpose: They match mid-level managers with senior-level executives who can provide opportunities to enrich their career experience. Placing Xers in charge of high-visibility projects is also a way to spotlight their abilities.
- Test their wings. Many X'ers would agree with one of their cohort who declares, "I have an entrepreneurial spirit that won't shut up." With many having been brought up as latchkey kids, Gen X is highly self-reliant; today, 70% of X'ers surveyed by CTI prefer to work independently, and 34% aspire to be an entrepreneur. Why not let them test their wings with a company-sponsored venture than risk having them fly the coop?
- Promote partnerships. It's easy for X'ers to demonize Boomer managers as intransigent dinosaurs and Gen Y subordinates as self-aggrandizing upstarts. Break down the barriers through intergenerational partnerships and teams. Each cohort has its own strengths and gifts; sharing them will enhance everyone's abiliti
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
How Many Direct Reports?
Booz&Co. has a nifty tool for assessing C-level Span of Control but I find it is just as useful for leader of large complex programs and projects. Find the tool here and also a free download of the April 2012 HBR article, How Many Direct Reports?, about this---worth thinking about as you design and adjust governance structures for large programs.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Building Effective Teams Isn't Rocket Science, But It's Just as Hard
1. Hire Highly Effective Team Members
2. Focus on Inspiring Trust.
3. Encourage Candor.
4. Be Clear About Expectations
Thursday, March 22, 2012
The Real Leadership Lessons of Steve Jobs
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