In this context we believe many companies could well learn from the experience of the leading professional service firms.Determining the Role of Leadership

As the nature of the corporation evolves, and the supply of top talent inevitably becomes more constrained, the great companies will be distinguished from the good companies by their ability to attract, retain and develop key people. In light of this challenge it will be the companies that are able to articulate a compelling value proposition, tailored to the specific needs of top talent, and create an exciting and challenging work environment for developing and leveraging that talent, that will win out.

· How can corporate leaders create value far in excess of their cost, strengthening and energizing business units so the whole is greater than the sum of the parts?

· What role best fits your strategic vision?

· Which structural elements of organizational design best address your current needs and long-term objectives?

On-going Critical Assessment

Also known as benchmarking, is the process of determining what your company standard is and how to raise the bar within your organization. Ongoing assessment allows you to measure yourself against your competitors, stay focused on your plan and make quick changes when needed.

· Do you know how your staff REALLY feels about you and their job?

· Have you reduced your management ranks as dramatically as your work force?

· Could you eliminate 15-30 percent of management costs while cutting decision-making time in half?

Creating Cultures -

Finding the best possible people who can fit within your culture and contribute within your organization is a challenge and an opportunity. Keeping the best people, once you find them, is easy if you do the right things right.

· What if you could identify key players on both sides of a pre-merger discussion?

· What if you could better understand how your people networks work or don’t work?

· Are there ways to foster innovation internally?

· To promote your brand externally?

Focusing Accountabilities with Strategy

Is the single biggest obstacle to success, accountability provides business accountability systems for measuring, monitoring, and analyzing performance, improving training, and team-based functioning.. The benefit is cost effectiveness while maintaining quality products, services, and outcomes.

· Does your organization have a culture of appropriate accountability?

· Does senior management know how the company’s strategic goals are ultimately connected to individual accountabilities? Do subordinates feel committed, engaged, empowered, enabled to take initiative and achieve results?

Managing Change to Achieve Results
Change management challenges organizations to succeed during times of great change. Learn how to successfully plan, implement, communicate, create employee involvement and commitment, and measurement systems during change.

· Do you understand what resources are necessary to accomplish the changes you want to make and what constraints stand in the way?

· What feedback loops can be put in place to reward and applaud change and give you the kind of momentum you need to overcome the inevitable roadblocks and loss of energy that occur?

· Do you need to change perception as well as reality, to change twice?

TOOLS

Behavior Profiles

Behavior Profiling utilizing the DISC Behavioral Assessment Program is a tool used by many successful organizations in evaluating prospective as well as current employees, and as a tool to increase levels of communication, resulting in increased productivity.

Businesses today cannot afford to recruit, manage, or motivate the old way. The need to find and employ the best people is a critical necessity. Bad hiring decisions can result in staggering financial losses.

According to a Michigan State University Study:

· 90% of all hiring decisions are the result of an interview.

· 86% of all such hires do not succeed on the job.

· Replacing a “bad hire” (manager or salesperson) can cost a company three times that person’s annual salary.

Often, an employer’s decision is based on subjective personal impressions, resulting in hiring someone very similar to themselves, which may not complement the requirements of the job. Often too, the employer isn’t quite sure of what those requirements are. Without “benchmarking” a position, or establishing the behavioral standards most appropriate for a position, it is impossible to accurately search for a candidate.

DISC behavior analysis provides an accurate, objective means with which to define a position’s requirements, and an unbelievably precise prospect evaluation.

Areas in which it is used:

• Team Building
• Leadership Development
• Sales Training
• Employee Retention
• Time Management
• Management Selection & Training
• Conflict Resolution
• Career Transition
• Job Change