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In order to determine if they are critical, ask
question, "If this function or task is not done well will there be a major negative impact on our business result or functions supporting our business?" If answer is 'Yes,' then this should be considered a Critical Success Factor.
Always complete a month-by-month twelve to eighteen month forward projection of both cashflow and profits. Without it you will not know how much time you have to effect change.
Additionally these tools provide an effective way to monitor your progress as you implement plans.
2.LEADERSHIP EVALUATION - Because many of problems currently facing organization are rooted in poor or ineffective leadership I have found it beneficial for those in key positions to complete a Leadership Self-evaluation questionnaire and be part of a 360-degree feedback evaluation process.
In my experience, and in order to get an organization on to a new growth cycle changes in leadership or leadership performance may be required. These changes are also included in implementation Action Plans.
3.ACTION PLANS - In each area of focus, outline detailed Action Plans to resolve shortcomings. Responsibility for accomplishing task; timeline for attainment; players needed to produce result; and anticipated result are always contained in Greenfields Action Plans.
If Action Items require a team approach to their implementation, then composition of team must be identified and put in place, but remember, responsibility for achieving result can only be delegated to one person. 4.MUTUAL TRUST - Building trust and respect around need for change is an imperative because without it, desired changes simply will not occur. Undertake widespread education on need for change, and depending on amount of time you have (i.e., how fast your business or cashflow is slipping), this education should continue over several months.
This will not be case for those organizations in crisis, and after two or three briefings on situation or crisis (within a few days) there should be Implementation Updates on a regular basis. In latter case trust will occur through a combination of initial briefings and Implementation Updates.
A willingness to trust may have been initially withheld, but once those working with you see urgency of actions, results and your willingness to share information, then they will start to develop trust and respect.
5.CONFLICT RESOLUTION - Wherever there is change, poor communication, uncertainty, or poor results, there will be conflict.
Poor results require successful organizations to get beyond 'blame game' and where there is significant change, organization must, through this Greenfields Approach, provide support in conflict resolution.
Conflict is healthy when it is channeled towards producing desired result towards a common goal. That result must be beneficial to organization and those associated with it, rather than being rooted in self-interest of just one person.
Another frequent cause of conflict relates to personality or leadership style differences.
Regardless of personality differences or leadership styles it is not just a question of resolving conflict, but how it is resolved that becomes important.
Wherever possible during conflict resolution mutual respect should be retained, or if this is not possible, work team reassignment may provide only alternative to retaining an effective implementation program.
6.IMPLEMENTATION COMMITMENT - You have now completed Greenfields Planning Process without constraint, but as you know all organizations operate with some form of constraint, whether it be cashflow, not having right personnel, or even time-to-market product issues.
Implementation plans are now evaluated in context of "Given our specific constraints"
What is realistic? What is possible and practical?
Action Items are adopted and prioritized according to answers to these questions.
In my experience, over 90% of all plan failures relate to a lack of sustained commitment to implementation, with only 10% of failures arising from poor strategies contained in plan.
The Greenfields approach will deliver Action Plans to facilitate rapid turnaround of your organization and provides you with an effective interim plan. Short-term successes give validity to your overall plan and provide time required for more sustained implementation through a cultural shift.
Implementation Plans must be managed and require not just weight of key leaders behind them, but their active commitment and participation.
Without continued open communication and sustained commitment of your senior management group then desired results simply will not occur.
After several months of effective implementation, you will be in a position to add dimension of more long-term thinking to your planning process.
If you want to do something better, then under Greenfields approach you had better do something different.
If you want to do something different then you had better change your behavior.
Have you: i.Created a sense of Urgency? ii.Created and over communicated your organization's future vision? iii.Built a guiding coalition around that Vision? iv.Provided opportunity for short-term wins? v.Provided a process to anchor changes in a new corporate culture?
By adopting and implementing Greenfields Planning method, and by changing your leadership style and performance, you have now set course for a profitable sustainable long-term business result.
Remember, while you are implementing change economy will shift further, market will move, but most of all your people will need strong centrally directed leadership (not autocratic management) to keep focus and achieve result.
Based upon today's economy and prognosis until mid-2002 isn't it time for you to act?
Denis Orme Is CEO of the Leadership Success Institute, Inc. He has consulted to more than 200 international organizations - from startups to Fortune 500 companies and Government entities.
www.leader-success.com
He is author of the new book Lessons From Leadership Failures: The Greenfields Approach.
