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The Best-Half Newsletter

"There is one prerequisite to managing the second half of your life:
You must begin doing so long before you enter it." Peter Drucker

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February 2009
Are your people 'shovel ready'?
 
Sure to be one of those phrases that wins some kind of award for 'used the most this year' shovel ready is an apt prescription for successful organizations or wannabe successful businesses in 2009.  
 
Many organizations are rapidly redefining their short, medium and long term goals into short, shorter and shortest goals and reducing the strategic horizon to a 90 day focus with a one year horizon. Does this signify the end of strategy and the rise of operations?
The February issue of Harvard Business Review has a good article on Leadership, (Stop Overdoing Your Strengths) that discusses the duality of opposing leadership virtues. Strategic Leadership involves planning ahead, pursuing growth and promoting innovation. Operational Leadership focuses on managing the day to day results, maximizing efficiency by conserving costs and reducing expenses and maintaining order through the discipline of using processes and procedures effectively. We see operational and strategic leadership as not exclusive rather as specific to the context of each situation. Being a conscious leader means agility with the current environment and agility for the future.
 
The new paradigm for strategic leadership compresses time and creates a sense of urgency in being able to seek strategic opportunities that require a rapid decision making process followed by a speedy deployment of resources. The one thing we are hearing is that there are tremendous opportunities today because of the shifting priorities and realities of business. If your strategic thinkers are exhibiting that "deer in the headlights" look, they are likely reacting to the uncertainty and increased risk of decision making. They are used to relying on their Fact Finding and Follow Thru strengths while preventing chaos. An influx of Quickstart instinct on to the team might be just the prescription you require. From an Enneagram personality type perspective when you are under stress or so focused on your strengths (i.e. work faster, more attention to detail etc.) your personality can get distorted and this prevents you from being an integrated leader.
 
While it may appear that the roles of strategy and operations are moving closer to a convergence perhaps what is really happening is that strategy has become a much more opportunity focused pursuit, while operations becomes more about organizational readiness.
 
The danger in seeing opportunity is seeing it when it's too late.
 
If you would like a copy of the HBR
article let us know and we will send it to you.


WHO WE ARE, WHAT WE DO and HOW WE DO IT

At the heart of it, we are helpful. Our clients are busy, successful, smart and curious.
We approach any relationship with a sense of gratitude, generosity and respect. We like to have fun. We form strong relationships that lead us to anticipate our client's future needs and create a successful partnership. Our work is about uncovering our client's perspective and creating certainty, expanding and discovering creativity and possibility and above all taking action.
 
We understand and are experts in change from a theoretical and a practical basis. We know the value of engagement, communication and the importance of creating a sense of confidence.
 
It's been said that our style is "organic." We're not about imposing a solution on anyone. The longer we are in business the more certain we are that each of you is unique and magnificent. For us it's all about achieving the best results possible. That means sharing our knowledge, experience and wisdom. Maybe we create new ways of doing things by partnering with other really smart people with like values. We communicate an awful lot. Business is booming.
 
We provide all of the human development side of strategic HR. We help hire the right people. We work with teams including boards of directors so they can become more effective and more efficient. We coach leaders; sometimes with our proprietary process called The Best-Half™. Organizations looking to develop or implement strategic plans have us on speed-dial. Many of our clients have said "we are nice people to work with."

As authentic leaders - we will let you decide.
 




Are you ready to live your legacy?
The Best-Half puts people  in touch with what really matters to them at any stage of their career and shows them how to dream, find purpose, new meaning and engagement in both their life at work and home. - hint: it's all about legacy, possibility  and resiliency! For employers the Best-Half provides a process for dialogue between the employee and the organization allowing for effective medium and long range resource planning and succession throughout the entire spectrum of an individual's career.

Call us if you want to help your people plan for the future so you know who and what talent you can count on. It's going to be here before you know it (the future that is...)