McKenzie's 7 S's Model

Ok. So it seems I'm on a "seven" kick, but it just so happens that is how the authors I'm following right now write. Maybe they need seven chapters for a book. Good research question!

Anyway, this past fall I took the senior leadership team on a retreat. Alex Miller, one of my all-time favorite UTK professors, was our facilitator. We were talking about implementing our strategic plan and he walked us through McKenzie's 7 S's model. I thought I would share it with you.

Strategy - what we are trying to accomplish is affected by many factors:

• Staff - capability, recruitment, motivation, performance evaluation
• Structure - organizational structure and team structure
• Shared values - culture, expectations of customers, brand
• Systems - IT, finance and HR
• Skills - what do our people know how to do? how are they trained?
• Style - how do we conduct ourselves?

What do you think about McKenzie's model and its value to IPS?

Plates Still Spin but Senior Leaders Find Peace of Mind

As we continue our Baldrige journey it is encouraging to read about other organizations and the challenges they have faced using the Criteria to improve performance.

A recent post on the Baldrige Blog showcases Turner Broadcasting Systems' journey.  Paige Lillard, vice president of Business Excellence at Turner, made several interesting observations.

“What the framework does for senior leaders,” Lillard says, “is it takes the myriad issues and things on their minds, on their plates—the plates that they have to constantly keep spinning—customer needs, employee needs, and new technology changes—all of the pressures that without a systems approach are hard to keep straight in your head. The framework gives leaders the peace of mind that with their leadership team they have looked at multiple angles and have a realistic plan to achieve it. Even if a long-term plan is put into place, senior leaders can have the peace of mind that ‘we’re covered.’ [With the framework], we know we have a place to make changes, incorporate smart risk taking, and make situations better. Things have been thought of in a systematic way, and the people who work for them are on board. People know where they’re going. The framework offers senior leaders peace of mind. I certainly wouldn’t want to lead without it.”

Lillard says as a Criteria framework practitioner, she believes that it applies to every organization “because it’s all about humans and

• how humans work:
• how they lead,
• how they process information,
• how they want to have meaningful work,
• how they want to be part of things,
• how they want to see success.”

The Criteria encompass “human conditions no matter the culture,” she added. The Criteria’s focus on continuous improvement helps organizations “consider what’s around the corner . . . not resting on your laurels if you are doing well.”

Is you are interested in reading the entire blog, here is the link:

http://nistbaldrige.blogs.govdelivery.com/2013/01/08/plates-still-spin-but-senior-leaders-find-peace-of-mind/

The Final 7 Secrets

Last week I referenced and article by Carmine Gallo about selling your vision. The first three "secrets" were: demonstrate enthusiasm, articulate a compelling course of action and sell the benefit.  This week I will complete the list.

4. Tell more stories. People relate more to stories than data and numbers. Stories connect with people on an emotional level. We have lots of IPS stories and they are often told when two or more gather. Let's create more stories together.

5. Invite participation. Must bring employees, customers and colleagues into the process. Command and control doesn't work. Solicit input, listen for feedback and actively incorporate what you hear. We certainly demonstrated this technique in our strategic planning process.

6. Reinforce an optimistic outlook. Talk about a better future. Robert Noyce said "optimism is an essential ingredient of innovation." We have to be more optimistic than the average person. Be a beacon of hope. Aren't you encourage by the governor's positive outlook on the state - and the president's positive approach to moving the university forward?

7. Encourage potential. Praise people. Invest in them emotionally. When people receive genuine praise, their doubt diminishes and their spirits soar. Customers will want to do business with you, employees will want to work with you and investors will want to back you. It all starts with mastering the language of motivation.

What are you thoughts about Gallo's seven secrets? Do you have another secret to add to the list? The first IPS employee to respond with a suggestion will receive a gift.