Organizational Development Consultant and Leadership Coach

The Elements of Decision Making

May 8, 2023

“I’d like to think that people make decisions rationally, but it seems more complicated than that.  What do I need to know?”

When I joined Gemini Consulting in 1995 (now Capgemini) I learned tons of tools and strategies to enable transformational change.  One of the many I still use repeatedly is the model of the Rational, Political and Emotional reactions to change and decision making.  Below are two .ppt slides from many years ago* but still pertinent today.

There is often a belief that people react to a situation in a rational manner, i.e., based on the Continue reading

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Back by popular demand: How and when to use Transformation Maps

January 31, 2018

“My leadership team and I have a pretty clear idea of where we want to be in the next 5 years, but don’t know exactly how to get there. There are so many issues and improvements to address. It’s hard to get our heads around them. What suggestions do you have?”

What is a Transformation Map?

A Transformation Map is a one page visual depiction of the plan for implementing a strategy or goal. It describes the major results, actions and milestones required to achieve your strategic goal, along with the expected timing of each of them. It Continue reading

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Back by popular demand: The What, When and How of Project Charters

January 12, 2018

“I’ve been asked to lead a change project within my company, but I’m not really sure what is expected. What should I do?”

What is a Project Charter?

A Project Charter is a one page document that describes the new project’s:

  • Objectives
  • Measures and targets – both financial and non-financial
  • Deliverables
  • Assumptions re: support requirements, risks, inter-dependencies, etc.
  • The Project Sponsor (the leader ultimately accountable for the project’s success) the Project Manager (the person who leads the project on a day-to-day basis), and Team Members (people assigned to the project either full or part time), and the time required for Continue reading
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Fifteen Techniques for Implementing Decisions: #15 Sustainability Analysis

February 22, 2015

“It seems that every time we implement a change, within a few months, people are back to their old ways of working. What can we do to make change stick?”

#15: Sustainability Analysis

What is Sustainability Analysis?

Many changes do not ‘stick’ because no one has taken the time to identify and address the issues that will support or sabotage the change over the long term. Sustainability Analysis is designed to identify and address issues critical to making the change stick.

Examples of issues that can impact sustainability include:

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Fifteen Techniques for Implementing Decisions: #14 Stakeholder Identification and Planning

February 15, 2015

“I know that our strategy is going to make significant changes to the way we work around here. And I know that there will be a lot of resistance. What can I do to ensure that our strategy actually becomes a reality?”

#14: Stakeholder Identification and Planning

What is Stakeholder Identification and Planning?

A stakeholder is anyone who has a stake in the results of your change. In a business situation, stakeholders could include employees, management, unions, customers, suppliers, the board of directors, shareholders, community interest groups and government regulatory authorities.

Shareholder Identification and Planning is the process of Continue reading

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Fifteen Techniques for Implementing Decisions: #13 Roles and Responsibility Charting/RACI

February 7, 2015

“We will need to change some of our existing processes and ways of working with other departments when we implement new technology next month. I’m expecting complete chaos. How can I avoid confusion and bad feelings?”

#13: RACI

What is Roles and Responsibilities Charting/RACI?

RACI is a method to agree and document roles and responsibilities.

RACI stands for:

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Where most other methods document only the person who is accountable for a decision or activity, RACI also documents who will be involved in doing the work, who will be consulted before a decision is taken, and who will be informed after Continue reading

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Fifteen Techniques for Implementing Decisions: #12 Progress Reviews

January 24, 2015

“I was given the responsibility for running a project within my company a few months ago. I’m doing my best, but the project is already running out of steam and so am I. My boss hasn’t asked me about the project even once, so maybe it’s no longer a priority. I’m not really sure. Maybe I should just put the project on the back burner and see what happens. What do you think I should do?

#12: Progress Reviews

What are Progress Reviews?

Progress Reviews are the mechanism for tracking a project’s progress and results. When done on Continue reading

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Fifteen Techniques for Implementing Decisions: #11 Executive Steering Group (ESG)

January 18, 2015

“I got approval for an important change in the way we do business, but now we’re stalled. The people on our project team don’t have the clout to break through the logjams and resolve cross-functional issues. What should I do?

#11: Executive Steering Group (ESG)

What is an Executive Steering Group?

Executive Steering Groups (ESGs) are groups that are called together for purposes of overseeing a specific project or program. Your ESG should represent your major stakeholders, and have the decision making authority to drive the direction of your project. ESGs usually consist of individuals in leadership positions and are Continue reading

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Fifteen Techniques for Implementing Decisions: #10 Project Plans

January 10, 2015

“We seem to have a difficult time moving from large, complex goals into detailed action plans. Is there a technique that can help us better organize our efforts in this type of situation?”

#10: Project Plans

What are Project Plans?

The Project Plans technique helps you effectively prepare a complex action plan. After an organization or group has agreed upon and approved a goal, the next step is to create an action plan for achieving that goal. If the goal is large and complicated, the resulting action plan will have several levels and categories of activity.

A Project Continue reading

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Fifteen Techniques for Implementing Decisions: #9 Project Teams

January 2, 2015

“I’ve just been asked to lead a change project within our company. I know I don’t have all the skills and information to achieve the expected results on my own. It’s going to be especially tricky because a lot of groups are going to be impacted by the change, and I’m sure they are going to resist. What can I do to lower my risk and improve my chances of success?”

#9: Project Teams

What are Project Teams?

Most significant decisions require changes to people, processes or technology when they are implemented. Therefore, they require significant effort to Continue reading

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