Challenges & Situations
Executives, directors, and business owners call us for advice and support when they are struggling with a wide range of challenges. Their challenges may be problems they’re encountering, transitions they’re contemplating, or opportunities they can't make the most of. They may be individual in nature, organization-wide, or as is most often the case, a combination of both. These are the kinds of events and situations that are the most frequent reasons for a call to New Actions.
Individual Issues
- Declining performance, productivity, and effectiveness
- Reduced satisfaction, resilience, and ability to handle stress
- Transitions
- Communicating with others
- Relating to and working with others
- Leadership and management development
Organization-wide Issues
- Conflict, dissension, and infighting
- Creating and implementing plans
- Indicators of organization-wide problems
- Teamwork and collaboration
- Leadership development
- Meetings and retreats
INDIVIDUAL ISSUES
Declining performance, productivity, and effectiveness
Maintaining high levels of personal performance is difficult in a world of constant interruptions and conflicting demands. The key to boosting individual productivity and effectiveness is to work smarter not harder. Great returns come from learning how to prioritize, get and stay organized, selectively multitask, and delegate.
Reduced satisfaction, resilience, and ability to handle stress
Stress and dissatisfaction in the workplace may be ubiquitous, but that doesn’t mean they should be ignored or passively accepted as part of the way things are. Creating a personal strategy for dealing with stress – and implementing it before stress becomes chronic – can lead to better health, greater resilience and higher levels of productivity and happiness.
Transitions
Promotions, relocations, and assignments to a new business unit can be tremendously challenging, even when they represent a step up the proverbial ladder. Adjusting to new organizations, cultures, and people can be time consuming and difficult. Quickly finding the right set of new management and leadership skills can make all the difference.
Communicating with others
Without clear communication, high quality performance and collaboration are virtually impossible. Productivity and efficiency soar when individuals learn how to expertly listen, frame, inquire, and advocate.
Relating to and working with others
Poor working relationships can be a huge obstacle to career advancement and success. Whether it’s managing up, collaborating with peers, or leading reports, high levels of emotional intelligence are indispensable. These “people smarts” and “people skills” are also necessary when mastering the critical skills of persuasion, consensus building, and conflict competence.
Leadership and management development
In a world of global markets, diverse workforces, and constant technological innovation, the old adage “what got you here won’t get you there” has never been more relevant. Leaders and managers not only need a broad repertoire of skills, but also the wisdom to know when and with whom to use the appropriate one.
ORGANIZATION-WIDE ISSUES
Conflict, dissension, and infighting
Rivalries and infighting can sabotage even the best-designed strategy. When people put their individual and local interests ahead of an organization’s overall goals, results and morale inevitably suffer. Understanding the sources of conflict, managing them proactively, and rebuilding alignment are critical to sustained growth and profitability.
Creating and implementing plans
The worst time to try to create, revise, or implement a plan is in the midst of a crisis. Even in good times, most strategic initiatives fail – by some estimates more than 80%of the time! One of the main culprits is a lack of appreciation for the human dimension of strategy. The most elegant plans are useless when they can’t or won’t be implemented by those responsible for doing so. For plans to succeed, an organization’s culture cannot be ignored. This is especially true when it comes to leadership development and succession plans.
Indicators of organization-wide problems
Recurring problems and chronic underperformance are often manifestations of larger issues with the way employees are communicating and collaborating. High turnover and low morale are also strong indicators of larger problems. When accountability, trust, and follow through are absent, organization-wide performance and results deteriorate.
Teamwork and collaboration
Productive teams are the engines of organizational performance. When teams are ineffective, dysfunctional, or paralyzed, the impact on the bottom line is often disastrous. Creating and leading dynamic teams is the foundation for healthy collaboration across departments and divisions.
Leadership development
Organizations benefit by having a coherent plan for developing their leaders and managers. Evaluations, promotions, and succession planning become less troublesome and contentious. Leadership and management styles that support a company’s strategy and values are encouraged. When well crafted, these plans get everyone on the same page without being forced in the same mold.
Meetings and retreats
Boring, meandering meetings are a drag on productivity and morale. Skillful preparation and facilitation can turn them into an excellent vehicle for solving problems, improving collaboration, and driving results. Retreats too are often a missed opportunity. When they are well designed and led, they provide an ideal, distraction-free environment for robust conversations about important long-term issues.
