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Personal Alignment
Great leaders learn what each direct report likes to do and what s/he is good at doing in order to help each decide to want to do what s/he is good at and likes doing. It is worth the considerable effort and thoughtful analysis required because it increases the odds of executive engagement, happiness, and high-performance . … Continue reading Personal Alignment
Know the definition of strategy to help everyone stay on the same page.
The following are definitions of phrases that use the word strategy. They provide a useful way to think about the term and matters directly related to it: Strategy is what people in an organization plan to do in order to “win” whatever game they are playing. Strategic thinking is how decisions and actions are made … Continue reading Know the definition of strategy to help everyone stay on the same page.
UMass Commonwealth Honors College Awards Presentation Dinner Speaker
UMass Commonwealth Honors College Awards Presentation Whether on campus or in the workplace, effective leadership involves seven disarmingly simple truths, says alumnus Peter F. DiGiammarino ’75. As the Eleanor Bateman Alumni Scholar in Residence for spring 2012, DiGiammarino led two events during which he offered advice on becoming an effective leader. Leaders, he explained, “get loose.” Top … Continue reading UMass Commonwealth Honors College Awards Presentation Dinner Speaker
How to contract and govern for success with each team member.
One of a leader’s most important jobs is to get and stay clear about what it is that s/he is counting on from each team member. Once the leader is clear, the message must be communicated to each team member. Often, leaders fail to engage in a rich communication along these lines, apparently because they assume that … Continue reading How to contract and govern for success with each team member.
University of Massachusetts 2012 Bateman Scholar in Residence Public Lecture
At University of Massachusetts 2012 Bateman Scholar Public Lecture, IntelliVen founder and CEO PeterD presented a 45 minute lecture that summarizes 35 years of insight gleaned from successfully helping dozens of organizations get on track to long-term growth and performance, generally in the role of leader or an adviser to the founder, owner, investor, and/or the CEO of … Continue reading University of Massachusetts 2012 Bateman Scholar in Residence Public Lecture
Five Questions to Outline Organization Strategy
WHAT IS STRATEGY? There are many ways to use the word strategy and it conjures up different things for different people in different contexts. What for example is the difference between strategic thinking and a strategic initiative and strategic planning? (For an answer see this taxonomy of strategic terms.) Leaders who are asked: “What is your strategy?” … Continue reading Five Questions to Outline Organization Strategy
How leaders should think about the importance of determining what is most important to change next.
Over time, organizations perform at some level. After start-up things fall into place leading to a period of rapid growth. The rate of growth eventually slows and then plateaus perhaps due to new technology that spawns competition or maybe due to the organization slowing down in the face of its increased scope, scale, and complexity … Continue reading How leaders should think about the importance of determining what is most important to change next.
How to build a “pizza-making” business.
Chief executive officers, managing directors, executive directors, and chief administrators subscribe to intelliven.com for content, cases, and tools to help organizations they lead perform and grow to their full potential. Leaders of any organization, no matter how large or small, those who aspire to be leaders, and those who help and support leaders all find the site full of … Continue reading How to build a “pizza-making” business.
How to quit a job you love.
It is not easy to quit a job you love. Even with a new dream job in-hand, cutting the cord that connects you to a place you have become part of can be one of the most difficult challenges you ever face in your career. While there is no surefire method, the steps below reflect … Continue reading How to quit a job you love.
Alternatives to a COO
Responsibilities shouldered by the Chief Executive Officer (a.k.a.: CEO, Managing Partner, Managing Director, or Executive Director) of a successful venture increase with growth in scale and complexity. The tension between the need to get things done, get others to do things, bridge the “white space” between organization units, and to represent the organization externally (e.g. … Continue reading Alternatives to a COO
Three Steps to Selling a Work Plan
Follow the three steps below to prepare and present a professional services workplan for a prospective customer. Those who hire service providers should also study the steps to understand how the best providers think through what they propose to do for you. To calculate a price for a body of work, a first prepare a … Continue reading Three Steps to Selling a Work Plan