Capital Consulting Group

2011-10-30T08:48:00.001-07:00

Join us November 8th, 5:30pm at the HVCC TEC-SMART center for a facilitated workshop where you will have an opportunity to seriously think about the future of your business within the context of the changing economic environment. More details at: http://maltabpa.com/mbpa_events?eventId=391433&EventViewMode=EventDetails

The Serving Leader

2011-06-19T17:19:00.000-07:00

The following article was published in the Ballston Journal:

I attended the Aviation & Aerospace Manufacturing Conference where the author and leadership consultant Ken Jennings presented some of his work based on “The Serving Leader”, which is also the title of a powerful book he and John Stahl-Wert have written. I had several conversations with Ken during the conference and I received a copy of the book.

It is one of those books that you have trouble putting down. It draws you into the story and it unfolds as a great parable. While I cannot do justice to the entire book in this brief article, I would like to share the highlights of the book. If you are in any form of leadership or management position (and we all are in some form), I highly recommend that you get this book and read it.

In order to be a serving leader, one of the first things you need to do is challenge all that you think you know already and be open to discovering new insights. The first challenge is to look at what you think is the “organizational chart” or structure of your organization. If it looks like the traditional hierarchical organization, you know, the “top down pyramid” looking structure, try thinking about what it would be if you turn it upside down! That’s right, turn it 180 degrees and put yourself on the bottom, supporting, nurturing, coaching, and mentoring those who are on the next level up in the organization. And here is another clue, you need to get those you support to see themselves the same way you do, supporting, nurturing, coaching, and mentoring those above them in this new view. This is what Ken calls “Upend the Pyramid.” This is not a trivial step and not one to be approached half-heartedly. It takes real commitment and soul searching to be committed to this type of leadership, but it does yield measureable positive results.

As you upend the pyramid, the next revelation you come to is about how you support, nurture, coach, and mentor those “above” you. Some think this type of organization is one that carries everyone, and that can be a trap or hole you can get caught in. However the second action of the serving leader is to “Raise the Bar.” This is about providing expectations of performance and behavior that is consistent with the culture of the organization you are developing. People rise to expectations. It is part of our nature. If there are low expectations, people sense that and respond accordingly. If there are high expectations, people sense that and also respond accordingly. Just think of the challenging times that you and others have faced in the past. When things are really tough, people come through with extraordinary ideas and effort and accomplish great things. Raise the bar, let people know the expectations and they will respond or decide that they may not be a fit for the culture of “the Serving Leader organization.”

As a serving leader who truly serves the organization, with rising (and appropriate) expectations, the next action is to “Blaze the Trail” for those whom you are serving, and they likewise. Blazing the trail in this context means clearing the obstacles that are in the way of progress. It means taking a serious look at the processes, procedures, and methods that could possibly keep those you serve from being at their absolute best. It means looking at anything that could possibly assist those you serve to meet the raising expectations and doing all you can to ensure they have what they need. This is like clearing the rocks and boulders out of the path in front of people. Identifying what is blocking or hindering their success and removing as much of that as possible is Blazing the Trail!

To be a serving leader, you have to really know your people. You need to know their every strength, even those they do not use on a day-to-day basis in their current job. Focus on building on strengths to the point that weaknesses tend to become irrelevant. When you build on strengths, you will find that most weaknesses get addressed naturally, and more often, other people have strengths to offset weaknesses in other ways.

There is one last critical element to being a Serving Leader. Look for my next article to cover that. In the mean time think and work on these ideas and concepts within yourself and your organization!

Important Questions for Malta and the Capital Region

2011-04-23T13:23:00.000-07:00

Events vitally important for our area were set in motion some time ago. The idea was to bring a new era of prosperity to our community through economic development. Now it is coming to our town, our county, and our region, and it is coming in a rush. It is like a series of trains, very big trains, already moving fast and picking up more and more speed every day. For local business leaders and entrepreneurs it is important to recognize the impact those trains will have, and to ask the right questions so we may make the most of the value they carry.

The “construction train” which brought GLOBALFOUNDRIES to Luther Forest was just the first one. It is now being followed by the first “passenger train” bringing both local labor and transplant labor for the plant--approximately 1,400 people. After that comes the expanded administrative facilities train bringing maybe another 1,500 people. Then comes the “related businesses” train carrying--hopefully--some 100-plus businesses and potentially another 4,000 to 6,000 more people, maybe even more--and those are just the workers. Those figures do not include the family members. If multiply all that by about 2.5 we get over 30,000 people.

They (and we) will be looking for more services: more restaurants, more dry cleaners, more service businesses of all types and sizes. That means increased demand, which translates to more jobs, more opportunities, and a more vibrant economic base to build our communities on.

With all this growth comes questions. Questions for every sector of our community, our town, our county, our region. Questions that demand leadership at every level.

On a town and community level, political leaders need to be asking equally daunting and probing questions. “Are our processes supporting the economic growth opportunities that we are blessed with?” “Do we have a view of the future in mind that is guiding our planning, or our we committed to living in „yesterday‟?" “What are the innovative and viable alternatives to the way we‟ve always done business?”On a citizen level we also need to be asking a series of questions: “Are our political leaders asking the right kind of questions for our future?” “What is my role in voicing my desires for the future, and the future of our children and grandchildren?” “How can I be involved and make sure we have a solid foundation for the economic viability of future generations?” “How can I best take part in enhancing our town, county, and region, in ways that create a positive living legacy?”

And on a business level, every business owner and operator must be asking and finding the answers to questions like: “What are my opportunities with this coming growth?” “What kind of growth can I expect?” “What kind of growth am I equipped to make to support the local and regional growth?” “What new services or products can I add to my business?” “What do I want my business to look like in 3-5 years?” “Do I have what it takes to be a player in this new and growing economy?” And the list goes on.

All of these are serious questions we should be asking ourselves on a daily basis. Some things are already done deals; the “trains” are coming, at our invitation, and soon. The questions we ask and the answers we give will determine the resulting actions we take and the ultimate impact they will have on our community. For businesspeople this is an opportunity to step up and demonstrate leadership both in and beyond our own self-interest. It is a choice, a choice that we either will make, or one that will be made for us.

We in business tend to shy away from participating in discussions like these. We are far more likely to simply accept conditions--or complain about them--and try to find a way to work with them than take a hand in shaping them. But it is part of the job of the entrepreneur and business leader to create the conditions for prosperity. It would be a mistake to think of those conditions only in terms of what happens within our businesses. And it would be a mistake to let the train roar by to stop at another station.

Join in on the conversations or start some of your own at: http://www.izoca.com/groups/malta-ny/discussions

This article is a reprint by permission of The Boardroom Ballston Journal (http://www.theballstonjournal.com/news/local_business/) article, April 14th edition.

2011-04-01T19:48:00.001-07:00

I just landed in another edition of RainToday! Check it out at:http://www.raintoday.com/pages/6287_patterson_raymond_r_.cfm

2011-01-31T11:13:00.001-08:00

Check out iZoca Malta NY community (http://www.izoca.com/communities/malta-ny/) and join the group and discussions of interest in Malta NY

2010-12-22T05:13:00.001-08:00

Leadership In Action & Inaction - Boardroom article published in the Ballston Journal (http://www.theballstonjournal.com/), check it out there or in my blog at: http://capconsult.blogspot.com

Leadership In Action & Leadership Inaction

2010-12-22T04:56:00.000-08:00

Over the course of the last month, I have been personal witness to the affects and effects of Leadership In Action and also Leadership Inaction. It reminded me of the truism that everything has consequences, some intended and some unintended, but nonetheless consequences. As leaders in any capacity, we have to think through the full range of consequences of our action as well as our inaction.

This also reminds me of the appreciative leadership strategy of acting and leading with full Integrity. Integrity is defined as “Putting the values and interests of the whole organization first.” Integrity is about the leaders, as well as the members of the group, making decisions and acting in ways that are both truly aligned with the values of the group and focused on what is best for the whole. This is about personal integrity, but also about group integrity. You know it: you have seen it and you have felt it when people put the interests of the whole ahead of their own interests. Appreciative Leadership is truly about integrity.

In more than one instance in the past couple of weeks, I have witnessed first hand the affects and effects of leaders who did not act or lead from a position of full integrity. That is not to say they were dishonest or intentionally harmful for their organization. They are good and honest people, they care about their employees and organizations, yet they appear to have taken some short-term views and avoided taking actions that were in the overall best interest of their organizations. In each of these cases, the leader’s inaction has lead to similar outcomes. Each organization has lost good people through the inaction of their leaders. One organization in now dealing with laying people off, and at the same time, reorganizing their remaining people and processes to recuperate from high debt load caused by the inaction of the most senior leader over a number of years. In this case, as in so many, the effects of inaction are revealed most clearly after a change of leadership. Another organization is seeing a constant turnover of key staff at the mid-level. The departing stories of a majority of key mid-level individuals clearly indicate senior leadership inaction and their not leading with full integrity.

I am not suggesting that there is a general lack of integrity in business and government these days. Leadership with full integrity is demanding and also very rewarding. It comes with responsibility to balance both long and short-term context and make decisions that are truly in line with putting the values and interests of the whole before the interest of individuals.

A recent example of real Leadership In Action, real leadership integrity, was broadcast in the recent episode of Undercover Boss. If you happened to see the program on Sunday, November 21^st, which featured Subway Chief Development Office, Don Fertman, you saw an example of Leadership In Action. . In this particular show, Don, the boss, went “undercover” to find out what is really going on in his organization. He focused on first understanding the customer contact side of the organization and learning the stories of the people who are working in that capacity. It demonstrated the power of listening and being open to discover what is working and what can be done to be even more effective. It also demonstrated the power and benefit of making decisions that are good for the whole. Good for the people who are being served by the organization. Good for the people who work in the organization. Good for the stakeholders and stockholders of the organization. And yes, also good for the leadership, but that is their real job!

The key differences of Leadership In Action involve taking the “long view” and balancing that with the short term decisions and actions that enable the long view to become the near and short term reality of next years and the next decades. Leadership In Action involves truly getting to know people and discovering their strengths, then working with them and their strengths to achieve the full purpose (mission) and vision of the organization. Perhaps the most profound difference is that leaders who are In Action have spent real time IN the Action!

About the Author: Ray Patterson is a founding Principal and the President of Capital Consulting Group, LLC located near Saratoga Springs, NY. He is a seasoned management consultant, business advisor, educator, and entrepreneurial catalyst for companies, organizations, communities and individuals who want to thrive during today’s rapidly changing, customer-driven marketplace. Areas of expertise include strategic thinking, planning, team building, training and the facilitation of organizational agility which is “the ability to thrive in an environment of continuous unanticipated change." Ray is a certified trainer/facilitator for the Corporation for Positive Change - Appreciative Leadership Development Program^©.

Tech Valley Guide - Capital Consulting Group

2010-12-22T04:55:00.000-08:00

Capital Consulting Group has joined the Tech Valley Guide - Capital Consulting Group

Check out our listing there and consider listing your business on this regional guide for services.

2010-10-14T07:08:00.001-07:00

Appreciative Leadership - Five Core Strategies - check out the new blog post at: http://capconsult.blogspot.com

Appreciative Leadership - Five Core Strategies

2010-10-14T06:57:00.002-07:00

I recently attended an intensive four-day Appreciative Leadership Development Program©, which is one of many programs/workshops developed and delivered by the Corporation for Positive Change (http://www.positivechange.org/). This program provided many insights and perspectives on leadership. It truly challenges some of the “conventional” or “historical” leadership models and offers a new paradigm for leadership as our work structures and demographics change. Appreciative Leadership is directly linked to a growing and maturing body of work known as Appreciative Inquiry, which David Cooperrider, Diana Whitney, and countless others have been working on for over twenty years.

There is no way for me to describe all the facets of Appreciative Leadership in this short article; however, I would like to describe five key strategies which are referred to as the Five “I’s” of Appreciative Leadership*. As I describe them, I hope you begin to get a flavor of how this approach to leadership is both different and perhaps similar to strategies that you may have been employing in your own leadership situation.

Inquiry – Asking positively powerful questions. The very way we ask questions tells our audience something about what we are expecting. Appreciative Leaders ask intentionally positive and powerful open-ended questions. These questions set a tone, and invite thought and dialogue. If we ask positive questions, we tend to get positive answers and ideas. When we ask negative questions…. you can finish this sentence. Some simple examples of positive questions might be: “What might we do to increase our revenue by 20% over the next year?” or “How could we improve our processes to reduce cost and increase customer service at the same time?” Note these questions are focused on increasing and improvement, not on “what’s wrong with how things are done now.”

Illumination – Bringing out the best of people and situations. Illumination is about getting people to share stories from their past experiences when they were “at their best.” It literally does not matter what the situation was; just get people to share their stories and then listen intently to discover what it was that enabled them to be their best. As they share their stories, ask clarifying questions to draw out more details and you will discover the strengths of individuals. Share the identified strengths to the individuals telling their stories and you both will see the storyteller’s positive core emerge.

Inclusion – Engaging everyone. When you combine the strengths of individuals, you find the collective strengths of an organization and you begin to get collective ideas about what the future can be! Engage with others to coauthor – to “co-create” the future that you all collectively want. You can imagine how this might be done in an organization, department, or work team. It is also possible to use these first three strategies to bring people together around a new venture, or even to assist you in defining your personal dreams and goals that other people might be involved in.

Inspiration – Awakening the creative spirit within individuals, and also within groups/teams. You inspire people when you ask positively powerful questions, and you bring out the best in people by getting them to tell their stories. When you include people in coauthoring the future that is desired, you inspire people (and they inspire themselves) to new levels of commitment and achievement that could not be otherwise achieved. Real inspiration comes when you “ignite the fire within,” not when you “light a fire underneath.” Inspiration is about looking at a given situation and making a choice to see the positive and create hope.

Integrity – Putting the values and interests of the whole organization first. Integrity is about the leaders, as well as the members of the group, making decisions and acting in ways that are both truly aligned with the values of the group and focused on what is best for the whole. This is about personal integrity, but also group integrity. You know it: you have seen it, you have felt it, when people put the interests of the whole ahead of their own interests . Appreciative Leadership is truly about integrity.

There is so much more to Appreciative Leadership, and I do hope that I have sparked your interest. Learn more about this approach to be better equipped to lead positive change in your life and the world.

I recently attended an intensive four-day Appreciative Leadership Development Program©, which is one of many programs/workshops developed and delivered by the Corporation for Positive Change (http://www.positivechange.org/). This program provided many insights and perspectives on leadership. It truly challenges some of the “conventional” or “historical” leadership models and offers a new paradigm for leadership as our work structures and demographics change. Appreciative Leadership is directly linked to a growing and maturing body of work known as Appreciative Inquiry, which David Cooperrider, Diana Whitney, and countless others have been working on for over twenty years.

There is no way for me to describe all the facets of Appreciative Leadership in this short article; however, I would like to describe five key strategies which are referred to as the Five “I’s” of Appreciative Leadership . As I describe them, I hope you begin to get a flavor of how this approach to leadership is both different and perhaps similar to strategies that you may have been employing in your own leadership situation.

Inquiry – Asking positively powerful questions. The very way we ask questions tells our audience something about what we are expecting. Appreciative Leaders ask intentionally positive and powerful open-ended questions. These questions set a tone, and invite thought and dialogue. If we ask positive questions, we tend to get positive answers and ideas. When we ask negative questions…. you can finish this sentence. Some simple examples of positive questions might be: “What might we do to increase our revenue by 20% over the next year?” or “How could we improve our processes to reduce cost and increase customer service at the same time?” Note these questions are focused on increasing and improvement, not on “what’s wrong with how things are done now.”

Illumination – Bringing out the best of people and situations. Illumination is about getting people to share stories from their past experiences when they were “at their best.” It literally does not matter what the situation was; just get people to share their stories and then listen intently to discover what it was that enabled them to be their best. As they share their stories, ask clarifying questions to draw out more details and you will discover the strengths of individuals. Share the identified strengths to the individuals telling their stories and you both will see the storyteller’s positive core emerge.

Inclusion – Engaging everyone. When you combine the strengths of individuals, you find the collective strengths of an organization and you begin to get collective ideas about what the future can be! Engage with others to coauthor – to “co-create” the future that you all collectively want. You can imagine how this might be done in an organization, department, or work team. It is also possible to use these first three strategies to bring people together around a new venture, or even to assist you in defining your personal dreams and goals that other people might be involved in.

Inspiration – Awakening the creative spirit within individuals, and also within groups/teams. You inspire people when you ask positively powerful questions, and you bring out the best in people by getting them to tell their stories. When you include people in coauthoring the future that is desired, you inspire people (and they inspire themselves) to new levels of commitment and achievement that could not be otherwise achieved. Real inspiration comes when you “ignite the fire within,” not when you “light a fire underneath.” Inspiration is about looking at a given situation and making a choice to see the positive and create hope.

Integrity – Putting the values and interests of the whole organization first. Integrity is about the leaders, as well as the members of the group, making decisions and acting in ways that are both truly aligned with the values of the group and focused on what is best for the whole. This is about personal integrity, but also group integrity. You know it: you have seen it, you have felt it, when people put the interests of the whole ahead of their own interests . Appreciative Leadership is truly about integrity.

There is so much more to Appreciative Leadership, and I do hope that I have sparked your interest. Learn more about this approach to be better equipped to lead positive change in your life and the world.

* Whitney, Diana, and Amanda Trosten-Bloom, Kae Rader. Appreciative Leadership: Focus on What Works to Drive Winning Performance and Build a Thriving Organization. New York: McGraw Hill, 2010. Print. http://www.appreciativeleadershipnow.com/

2010-10-07T05:37:00.001-07:00

Just put the finishing touches on an article for The Ballston Journal (http://www.theballstonjournal.com/) The Boardroom. Look for it in next weeks issue (Oct 14th).

Leadership - Importance of Perspectives

2010-09-16T14:57:00.000-07:00

Over the last couple of weeks I have been “re-awakened” to the power and importance of perspectives. We all have known and witnessed the ah-ha that happens when we see something or someone in a way that we haven’t seen them before. Or when we learn something about someone or ourselves that we just never realized. We see a new or more complete “picture” and we can appreciate a person or situation in more detail.

I say this is a “re-awakening” because we all know that it is important to look at situations and people from different perspectives or angles to get a better understanding. We often get so caught up in the day-to-day activities that we forget to take the time to look from different perspectives. We explore any given situation from our “standard viewpoint”. In an odd sort of way I was reminded how simple yet important changing perspective is while I was looking at our garden one morning for ripe tomatoes. I walked into the garden looking intently for bright red flashes among the full leafy vines and green tomatoes. Of course I spotted a few and picked them. I actually thought that I had done a fairly good job of getting all the ripe ones. It wasn’t until I changed perspective, walked all around the plants and looked at them from several angles, that I spotted more ripe ones than I had already picked. I literally started to laugh at myself, thinking wow, this is just like many organizations! How often do we as leaders look at our organizations and think, we know our people, we know what their strengths are and what they are doing, yet we don’t really know them or what they want to contribute until we change perspective and look with “new eyes” or new perspectives. How often do see our customers and think “I know what they want” without really listening, or hearing them to understand what they are really want?

Our recent work with two different groups heightened my awareness of the importance of perspectives.

One group of people we were working with was an in-tact team that works together on a daily basis. We were doing some teambuilding work with this group which included having each of them fill out their Myers-Briggs type indicator. We discussed the individual results with the team and enabled them to appreciate the differences in their personality types. This helped them understand how their differences contributed to, or detracted from, the total team accomplishment. What the team learned was truly amazing. Their understanding of each other deepened to a point that they can now leverage their differences to be much more effective and efficient! They also had an ah-ha moment when they realized how their strengths could be aligned so that everyone might be working where they were using their strengths to compliment each other. They also learned how to present ideas to people who looked at situations entirely differently than they did.

Similar experiences occurred in the second group, executives in an educational setting. They were not an in-tact team, but rather executives from different organizations who are in an executive education program. They are divided into three study groups and they have been working together as study groups every other weekend since January. They are half way through their program at this point. Over the three day intensive leadership development program, these executives were exposed to a variety of perspective experiences. They were given an opportunity to know themselves in ways they had not experienced before, how they work in teams, how they deal with conflict, and what is to be their legacy of leadership. After each module, they were asked to share what they appreciated about the experiences and their colleagues. They were given time to reflect and look at each other and the situations they were thrust into, from a variety of perspectives. They shared their perspectives with each other. Often times they did this with their ears open and their eyes closed, just to enhance the perspectives and the learning. In some cases they were asked to listen and intentionally not respond, just listen and reflect on what they heard. For them, this was a new perspective – to listen and absorb, but not respond. What they shared later was how much they learned by not responding right away. They reported that they actually listened and gained new insights, new perspectives, by the “required reflection”. How refreshing, yet how difficult in our fast paced, we want everything immediately world.

How would your organization benefit by your taking some time to reflect, to “listen with new ears”, to “see with new eyes”, to “look from new perspectives”? How would your organization or your relationships be enhanced by opening up perspectives? How could you use perspectives to see a more complete picture? As a leader, how might you help your organization expand its perspectives to enhance and grow your business? How might you as a leader, challenge your perspectives and open up to see the full potential within yourself and your people?

Until next time, enjoy the bounty and beauty that comes with changing perspectives!

2010-06-28T10:17:00.001-07:00

Check out the June 3rd "The Boardroom" article on Leadership - Personal, Public, Organizational on the CCG Blog (www.capconsult.blogspot.com).

The Ballston Journal (http://www.theballstonjournal.com/) - Thanks for the opportunity Angela!

leadership - Personal, Public, Organizational

2010-06-28T10:09:00.000-07:00

The following article appeared in the June 3rd issue of The Ballston Journal.

Leadership – Personal, Public, Organizational

In previous articles I have focused on a variety of issues that leaders and managers face in dealing with the present and the future. Lately I have been drawn more and more to considering the fundamental traits and characteristics of Leadership, and differentiating Leadership and Leaders from positions, power, or authority.
I believe that at some basic level, we all have the need and opportunity to develop and exhibit leadership characteristics at three levels: personal, public, and organizational.

What are the characteristics of leadership? From my life’s work, research, observations, and application, I would suggest that first and foremost, leadership is about the future: not just tomorrow or next month, but next year, the next decade, and beyond. Leadership is about dealing with uncertainty, ambiguity, and possibilities. Leadership is about creating and inspiring. A colleague of mine from Atlanta works with organizational leaders to measure leadership to implement change; he describes leadership as “aligning, barrier removing, alliance building, and motivating.” This colleague differentiates leadership from management, where the activities are “planning, organizing, directing, and controlling.”

From a personal perspective, each of us are faced with challenges and opportunities. Literally all of us pause and consider our careers and goals at various stages throughout our lives. We consider where we are today, but more importantly, where we want to be five or ten years from now. Personal leadership is creating your own inspiring vision and sharing that with others. Personal management is taking that inspiring vision and developing your action plan, organizing the tasks and controlling your actions to ensure that you execute your plan and achieve your vision. You may not have thought of it in this way, but leadership and management are both required to achieve your vision and dreams. You may excel at developing an inspiring, compelling vision, or you may excel at defining and executing a plan, or you may be good at both. I encourage you to find mentors, coaches, or facilitators who can help you focus on the area where you most need support.

In considering public leadership it seems we do not have to look very hard to see examples of the lack of future-focused leadership. Perhaps this is the result of the political systems and parties we have created which tend to be focused on short-term wins and the next election cycle. Political leaders with one- or two-year terms are often driven to short-term thinking and actions, and many of them spend the majority of their time and effort attempting to micro-manage activities and focus on particular special interests rather than focusing on their leadership role for their entire constituencies. In this regard, we all have an opportunity to demonstrate public leadership by getting involved in our communities by assisting the elected officials in determining what we truly want for our local and regional areas. If we do choose to get involved, we then demonstrate our individual leadership by the time horizon and breadth of our input and actions. If we remain focused on the long term affects of the issues and input, and the resulting decisions, then we are exhibiting leadership for sustainability.

When you think about organization leadership, think about people you know or have heard of that are recognized as truly great leaders. These leaders inspired their organizations to provide outstanding products and services to their customers while taking care of their employees and other stakeholders. (In this context, stakeholders includes everyone who has an interest in the long term success of the organization.) What are the traits that these leaders possessed, cultivated, and exhibited?

Through my personal experience in working for several such organizational leaders in a variety of capacities, I have discovered the following common traits:
• They always think far beyond themselves and the present day when establishing a long- term vision (10 years or more into the future) and formulating strategic level objectives.
• They always include a cross section of the entire organization when formulating the vision and implementation action plan.
• They always ensure that their team includes people who were very different from themselves in personality, thinking types/styles, and skills.
• They create diverse yet balanced teams to leverage every ones strengths.
• They foster collaboration and contribution from everyone and include them in all aspects of defining and implementing the short term action plan to achieve the long term vision.
• They focus on the “What” is desired and best for the organization, more so than the “How” do we get there.
• They inspire and support everyone in the organization to figure out the “How” of achieving the vision.

The traits outlined above equally apply to leaders of small and medium size organizations. Great leaders in every organization develop a very keen sense and ability to clearly differentiate and move between their leadership role and the appropriate focus on management tasks of organizing and controlling day to day activities.

It seems that lately, leadership is often viewed only from the perspective of authority and power. I would like to offer a bit different view. I will grant that there are positions of authority in personal relationships, public service, and organizations. However, simply because someone is in a position of authority does not mean they are really leaders and exhibiting leadership qualities. Likewise, there are many leaders who are not in top positions or positions of authority within organizations or public service. As for power, I believe the same is true. My experience is that real leaders do not hold power. They develop and release power throughout the organization by their inclusive collaborations, vision development, and resulting action plans which inspire and motivate (thus empower) stakeholders.

2010-04-19T18:10:00.001-07:00

Building on the momentum of the Personal Life Planning workshop, now fully into the front end of another great week of business development and new client engagement! Continuing to build on the "YES AND" - Thanks Kat!!

2010-04-16T18:42:00.001-07:00

Had a GREAT first day in the Personal Life Planning Workshop! What a great group all getting clear on their personal vision for their future! I am blessed to be in their company!

2010-04-14T14:19:00.001-07:00

Making the final arrangements for a Dynamic and Inspiring Personal Life Planning Workshop this Friday and Saturday! We have a great group of people coming together for this!

2010-03-27T06:10:00.001-07:00

Another great action packed week. And another published article in The Ballston Journal - check it out at www.CapConsult.blogspot.com or http://www.theballstonjournal.com/

Leadership - Appreciating the Difficult

2010-03-27T05:56:00.000-07:00

The following was published in The Ballston Journal, March 25th.

In my February 4th article, “Business – It’s Complicated (and Personal)”, I wrote about appreciation and personal relationships both inside and outside your business.

Writing and reflecting on that article started me thinking about the difficult situations we encounter in business and in life. Can we really appreciate the difficult? And if we can, how do we do it?

It may be helpful to look at some examples – in this case, all business-related. Let's start by first looking at the difficult employee.

The first step in appreciating the difficult employee is to separate yourself from the emotion of the moment and take the existing moment in context with other prior moments. Evaluate how these moments connect and what they have in common. You may see a pattern emerging that really indicates the employee is having difficulty grasping the task at hand or the process or procedure for performing what is expected. This gives a good indication the employee may need additional training or additional skill sets. In this way, you're truly appreciating the employee's perspective and difficulty that they have in performing the particular duties or tasks, which you expect.

On the other hand, if connecting those moments yields the feeling that the employee just doesn't care or isn't trying or doesn't want to make the effort, then you have a different situation. In this case, to appreciate the difficult employee, you have to help the employee see that you are not doing anything to them; rather, they are doing it to themselves. Their actions and behaviors are not yielding the desired performance or results; instead, their actions and behaviors say they are working to give their job back to you. As a conscientious and fair manager or leader, you have an obligation to take that job back and give it to someone who wants it.

I realize this sounds a bit simpler than it really is. Human relationships are complicated, and to truly appreciate the difficult as well as the non-difficult, you really do have to appreciate people for who they really are. And of course, you cannot change people, particularly if they do not want to change themselves. In appreciating the difficult employee, it is always best to start by focusing on the positive aspects they bring to the workplace. From that perspective, you can then evaluate and appreciate what you find difficult about their actions and interactions. Also make sure you have built a positive workplace, by making sure that employees are supported and appreciated, provided with training and education, and supported by processes and procedures. Knowing that, even in the most positive workplace, you may still have difficult employees..

In the book First Break All the Rules by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman, the authors describe the catalyst role for managers as what great managers do, not how they do it. They detail four steps or core activities of a catalyst role:
• When selecting employees, select for talent - not simply experience, intelligence, or determination.
• When setting expectations, define the right outcomes - not the right steps.
• When motivating, focus on strengths - not on weaknesses.
• When developing someone, find the right fit - not simply the next rung on the ladder.

The authors also point out that great managers and great leaders treat employees fairly, but not necessarily equally. I believe this point supports truly appreciating employees, both the great and the difficult. Take an appreciative approach, and realize as managers and leaders our primary role is to support and enable employees to get just what they're working for. If they're working to excel, you need to do everything you can to help them excel as fast as possible. If they are working to give their jobs back to you, you don't have a choice; you have an obligation as a leader/manager to take it and give it to someone who wants it.

A similar perspective can be applied to the difficult customer. How do you appreciate the difficult customer? If you focus first on the positive aspects of what the difficult customer brings to your business, you may find they are bringing us rich and valuable information about your business. Perhaps you are not serving them well. Perhaps you are not providing them a great product or a great service. By appreciating their real message, you can find some keys to improving your products and service, and thus your business. Your difficult customers may in fact to be the key to taking you from good to great for all of your customers. If you truly appreciate your difficult customers, and realize, just like you might with your employees, that they are working to move their business elsewhere, then you can also help them achieve what they are working for. Said another way, the best approach in this situation is to help the difficult customer find someone else or some other company that can serve their needs better than you can. In many cases, this just might be the best way to manage these “moments of truth or difficulty” with your difficult customers.

So, the question remains. Can we truly appreciate the difficult? I believe we can. I believe you can, and it starts by truly appreciating the perspective and the situation that the employee or customer is presenting to you and your business. Appreciation starts from a position of attitude. In order to truly appreciate both the positive as well as the difficult, you need to be in a position of positive attitude and looking for the best possible outcome. From that position and perspective you can help everyone achieve exactly what they're working for.

2010-03-12T04:48:00.001-08:00

Wow, this week flew by! But it was packed full of good meetings and opportunities. It will be capped off by a great Consulting Alliance Luncheon today.

2010-02-18T05:19:00.001-08:00

What a great week, short, but great! Working with SUNY Delhi class with Robert Braathe, sharing concepts of business sustainability to the Small Business Strategic Alliance, developing proposals and management training, BRNG Luncheon, working on a book project with Melange Press, and facilitating personal life planning. Great week!

2010-02-11T06:53:00.001-08:00

Having a busy week with many meetings and networking events. MBPA, Stakeholders CSI, Morrissey Group, Consulting Alliance, RPI EMBA, GREAT WEEK!

2010-02-05T06:58:00.001-08:00

I'm having a great day - it's MBD and I'm Having a Party - all day long! Check out the Business Boardroom article in the Ballston Journal (or www.CapConsult.blogspot.com)

Business – It’s Complicated (and personal)

2010-02-05T06:39:00.000-08:00

The following was published in the Ballston Journal - Business Boardroom:

Business is complicated. That is not news or a surprise to any of us who have been in business for any length of time. It really does not matter what size business you are in, or what your industry is, it is complicated. For those of us who are small business owners, we have to do all the “jobs” in the business, or we need to manage the outsourcing of those tasks we do not like to do, or we are not equipped to do. For those of us who are in organizations of any size, we also know that it is complicated, primarily due to the very thing that was highlighted in the movie “It’s Complicated” with Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin, and Steve Martin. Unfortunately, small business complications are not a popular comedy, but a stark reality.

Business is complicated by nature, because it is about personal relationships and people are complicated. Even for small business owners, there is the mix of your own personality and relationships with those of your customers, suppliers, and the interrelationships with your own personality. For larger organizations, add the dynamic of employees with those of customers and suppliers.

So, what then separates the “great” from the “good” from the “just making it”? If business is complicated for all businesses, regardless of size, what really can be the discriminating factors in success? What can you do as a business leader to ensure that you and your organization are achieving the level of success that you really want?

To find the answers, I believe the first place to look is inside. Inside yourself that is. We have all heard it said that “Attitude determines Altitude,” “You get what you are looking for,” etc. I believe these are more than just trite statements or phrases. There is real truth in them, yet for many of us, we lose sight of these simple truths. If we think of the world as abundant, then we will look and act as though there is plenty to go around and we will share that with others. If we look at the world as scarce, then we will tend to hoard and not share.

So what does this have to do with the way we run our businesses and organizations? Answer the following questions truthfully to get closer to your inner self:
• Do we try to hoard information and only let out small bits just to get other things we can hoard? Or do we share information and let people see all the details they need to be fully successful themselves and at the same time make us more successful?
• Is our attitude one of real appreciation for others and what their role is in our business?
• Do we share that appreciation with them in ways that are really meaningful to them?
Psst: The only way we will know that is to be really observant and listen to them with open ears and minds.

I believe that is one of the many messages in the movie “It’s Complicated.” It appears that in their marriage, Jane and Jake didn’t have a common vision and set of objectives for themselves as individuals or as a family. As the movie unfolds, each had come to realize more about what they wanted for themselves, and thus could examine what they really appreciated in each other. I won’t say more about the movie, as I don’t want to give it away. The point is that appreciation is directly linked to attitude, and we do tend to find what we are looking for. If we look with appreciation, we see more positively. If we are more appreciative with our view of customers, employees, and suppliers, we tend to get more abundant results. If we share information to enable each to have a richer experience in their respective roles, we tend to get better results. An appreciative approach strengthens the bond of a relationship.

Think for a minute or two about some of your experiences. In those experiences where you felt really appreciated, where people really took the time to get to know you, or explain how you were an important part of their business, most likely you felt very good about being part of their business. I expect you told others and may have even gone out of your way to contribute to the success of the organization/business even more.

On the other hand, think about a different experience where you were “just a number” or “just a part of the process.” In this case, I expect you felt neutral or negative about the experience and did not go out of your way to do any extra to contribute to the organization’s/business’s success.

I have many experiences and stories to relate from both perspectives, and as a business leader, I like to share the positive stories of how people and organizations grow through appreciation. My colleagues and I, along with a number of others, call that Appreciative Leadership, and it comes from looking at all aspects of business with a view and focus of appreciating what everyone does.

A very successful businessman and friend of mine was a veterinarian. When we first met, he was a self proclaimed “Seagull Manager.” He would fly into the office making all kinds of noise and activity, then crap on everyone and fly out. You can imagine what that office looked like. Then he realized the impact that an Appreciative Leadership approach could make. He took the time to work with each of his employees so they understood the very important and even critical role they played in the total business success. He was able to link their individual success to the business success and show the reciprocal affect on their individual success. He made a fundamental shift in his practice and it was definitely reflected in the positive impact on the top and bottom lines of his business. It was all about personal relationships and truly appreciating everyone and what they could contribute.

By taking the time to understand the relationships and appreciating and reinforcing the positive, the real art of business becomes just a little less complicated and certainly more enjoyable for everyone involved. In the end, business may still be complicated, but with appreciation and understanding by all, it will be more understood, easier to manage, and certainly more fulfilling.

2010-01-26T12:26:00.001-08:00

First Session of Webinar "Launching Your Consulting Career" went rather well. Some audio difficulties, but we have solved those. It is not to late to join us for the evening session! Register at: http://consultingalliance.org , then when you get your confirmation email from the Consulting Alliance, be sure to make the final registration with GoToWebinar by clicking the link near the bottom of the confirmation email. That will get you registered within GoToWebinar. Join us at 8pm!

Sustainability - Personal Application of a Very Large Concept

2009-12-18T12:57:00.001-08:00

Sustainability is a word we often hear these days and yet, I suspect that you, like me, may easily dismiss whatever comes after that word because we do not know how to personalize the meaning. I certainly did not know how to get my head around the term until very recently. Now I see the meaning and application in almost every conversation, almost every situation, almost every day, much like you notice all the red vehicles after you buy one, when you did not notice them before.

As I continue to ponder and reflect on what sustainability truly is for me, one of the first realizations that I come to is that true sustainability requires thinking way beyond ourselves. Three recent yet seemingly unrelated events shape my thoughts in this regard. First was the passing of my father and my brother this year. Second was the opportunity to sit quietly on the family farm, some 15 feet up in a tree stand, for two days and look over the farm that my parents bought in 1950. The third event was this past Friday: we received a call that my mother-in-law was hospitalized in New Jersey and spent the weekend traveling and sitting with her. It was from the hospital that I wrote this article in quiet contemplation. As I reflected, it became clear to me that in order to even begin to think and act in ways that are sustainable, we must first think beyond ourselves and our current situation, then act in the present, in ways that support that much longer term thinking.

My parents did that as they bought and worked the farm. As they thought beyond themselves, they created a family farm trust that ensured the farm could remain in the family for generations to come. They thought beyond the current season, and each year they made long term decisions coupled with short term action to build up the nutrients in the fields to support the various crops we grew. I became acutely aware of their prior actions as I sat in the tree stand and looked over what they worked hard for and what they provided to their children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.

As we traveled to New Jersey, I seemed to be more aware of not only the physical environment, but the activities of so many people who were both contributing to and detracting from true sustainability for future generations. I was reminded again of two organizations whose collaboration embodies sustainability: The Natural Step and Comparison International.

The Natural Step (www.naturalstep.org) is a non-profit organization with the vision of creating a sustainable society. It was founded in 1989 by Dr. Karl-Henrik Robèrt in Sweden, The Natural Step has offices in 11 countries and a list of partners that includes some of the world’s leading brands. They have developed a lexicon and framework for understanding the basic principles of sustainability.

Comparison International (comparisoninternational.com) is a benchmarking consultancy based in the UK. With offices in the United States and Australia, Comparison's benchmarking tools are used globally in industries across the board. Their PROBE (PROmoting Business Excellence) methodology for benchmarking supports business development and growth by improving performance through the transfer of "Best Practices." PROBE tools are utilized by governments, industry specific organizations, research collaborations, individual firms and global institutions. Over the last 5 years the company has become one of the leading suppliers of "Best Practice" benchmarking in the world.

These two organizations are collaborating to provide education, training, and perhaps most importantly, assessment and action planning tools to help individuals, companies, organizations, and governments understand the underlying principles of sustainability and build implementation action plans to implement practical sustainability practices.

The Natural Step has approached sustainability from a perspective of science and systems thinking. They have developed a framework and four system conditions for understanding sustainability. In a sustainable society, nature is not subject to systematically increasing:

1. concentrations of substances extracted from the earth's crust;
2. concentrations of substances produced by society;
3. degradation by physical means;
4. and, in that society, people are not subject to conditions that systemically undermine their capacity to meet their needs.

Comparison International, in its collaboration with The Natural Step, has developed practical assessment tools which any organization can apply to determine the current level of sustainable practices, processes, and performance. These tools are comprehensive as they examine the four critical best practices aspects any organization must consistently evaluate if it is to survive in the long term:

1. Mission, Vision & Context;
2. Leadership & Mobilization;
3. Products, Services, & Business Processes;
4. Business Continuity.

These tools enable the forward thinking and action planning today that truly support sustainability for the organizations for generations to come.

The combination and collaboration of these two organizations provides an extremely scalable thinking process that we can apply to our personal and business life by thinking of the four system conditions and the overarching aspects. This model gives us a practical way to routinely assess and adjust our business actions and performance in support of business, community, and global sustainability for generations beyond ourselves. Just as my parents did for us, and generations before them, so we can do for generations that follow us, but only if we think and act with that view in mind.

To learn more or have Ray speak to your group or organization, please email or call him at (518)227-0224.

Collaboration Tools

2009-11-03T09:20:00.000-08:00

Over the years (the last 10 or so), I've been very interested and active in searching out a number of web based collaboration tools to support and facilitate working together across distance and time.

My initial venture in this space was with an early tool called RoundTable which was actually the outgrowth of a DARPA funded project. I and my collaboration partners across the U.S. used this and other tools to share documents and work on projects. As time and products evolved, we have migrated to different tools. Each has their particular niche, strengths and focal areas of utility.

At the present time, I am using a product which I have explored and used both for collaboration with business partners and also to deliver services directly for and with clients. In fact, I know that I have won contracts because I could offer implementation management and collaboration tools when my competitors did not.

While I continue to use a variety of different tools, depending on the particular situation and end goal, the tool that I highly recommend for your business collaboration and project management needs is BaseCampHQ by 37 Signals. You can find out more about them and sign up for a trial subscription at:

I will highlight other tools along the way, but for today - it's Basecamp that gets my recommendation for the bulk of your collaboration needs.

Contact me to share your stories or find out what other exciting tools I am exploring.

Ray

Personal Life Planning Workshop Announced

2009-10-02T10:10:00.000-07:00

ARE YOU...

• Thinking about a career change?

• Wanting to move forward in your current career?

• Planning to start your own business?

• Looking forward to moving into the next stage of your life?

This two day workshop designed specifically to assist you to defining what you really want in life and career. Through your participation in this workshop, you will develop your personal Vision for what you want in the future along with an action plan that will identify exactly what you need to do in the short term to begin to get you there!

You will go through a well defined process that is a catalyst for Achieving Your Dreams. This is a structured process that you will learn how to use throughout the rest of your life, and you will be provided access to software to assist you through the process after the workshop is complete.

The workshop will be held at the Hyatt Place hotel at Exit 12 of the Northway (I-87) in Malta. Food and beverages will be provided during the two days.

Three exceptional coach facilitators have collaborated to create this workshop.

For more information and to register for this workshop click on the following link http://www.capconsult.net/pdf/PLP1.pdf (or copy and paste into your web browser)

Contact me with any questions you may have regarding this workshop. Space is limited to 20 participants and there is a $149.00 discount with registration coupon code "EAS-PLP"

Take the first step in creating the life you want! Join us in this exciting workshop.

2009-09-04T10:07:00.001-07:00

Organizational Vision - check out the article at:
http://www.capconsult.net/pdf/Ballston_Journal_article_-_Organizational_Vision_-_20090903.pdf
The latest installment of articles for Leadership

2009-09-03T18:58:00.001-07:00

Glad the presentation to National Byways Conf. is up and available - check it out. http://vimeo.com/groups/22537/videos/6417047

Stop Lights to Roundabouts - Ballston Journal Article

2009-07-27T09:44:00.000-07:00

In case you missed it the linked article appeard in the July 23rd edition of the Ballston Journal. In the event you saw the article there, Thank You for coming here to engage in the "conversation".

I am interested in your perspective on the article and particularly the implications for Leadership and Management. What are your experiences that relate to this article?

Thanks again for visiting and sharing. I believe that it is through this type of dialogue that we can learn and grow ourselves and our organizations to better serve our customers/clients.

Ray

Link to the article is: http://www.capconsult.net/pdf/Stoplights_to_roundabouts_-_Analogy_for_Leadership_rrp_20081121.pdf

A Tribute and View of My Father's Legacy

2009-03-09T06:21:00.000-07:00

What follows is the text of my remarks at the Celebration of My Father's Life (March 2nd, 2009)

Deuteronomy 11: 19 & 21 – Teaching your children God’s Word.
19 “And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and then thou risest up.”
21 “That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth.”

Dad had a particular way of teaching, and that was by example. In my view his teaching was very much like the teaching of Jesus. One focus of his teaching was Love. He would counsel that “You Love your spouse, your children, your grandchildren, your great grandchildren (people), and you LIKE everything else.” And he taught this by example.

Another focus of his teaching was about thinking. Here he focused on learning and teaching how to think, not what to think. He believed that if you knew how to think, and did, in-fact spend time thinking, you would come to the right conclusion for the situation. He provided us with the opportunity to make choices, and he loved us regardless of the choices we made because he knew they were our choices, and he trusted that we had thought through them.

Another focus of his teaching was honesty, integrity, truthfulness, honest work, and giving. He taught these values, and he was a living example of them. He taught us these values were of upmost importance in everything we do. He taught us that admitting mistakes and taking responsibility for our actions, while sometimes hard to do, was a way of demonstrating these values.

He also taught us about humor, fun, and enjoying life. During this past year, when asked over and over, “When is your birthday?” He once replied “Same day as it was yesterday!” and another time he replied “May 14th” and when further questioned “What year?” he smiled and replied “Every year”.

Dad and Mom taught us, about Love, Thinking, Honesty, Integrity, Truthfulness, Humor, and Life. In this way his days are truly multiplied beyond his years.

Leading From an Emerging Future: A Process for Creating and Leading

2009-01-27T07:37:00.000-08:00

The future is now, and many companies and organizations struggle with developing strategic plans that can deal with a make-or-break horizon that is getting closer and closer every year. Struggle no more, says Ray Patterson of Capital Consulting Group.
Patterson helps clients construct an organizational vision, set goals and priorities and develop an action plan, seemingly at warp speed as compared to strategic planning methods of the past. How does Patterson do this? He combines his skills as a trained strategic planning facilitator with revolutionary computer software: AMCat, which was developed by Dr. Michael Thorne Kelly of Advanced Management Catalyst Inc.
By understanding the six steps necessary for creating wise decisions and efficient, goal-directed activities and by expertly leading clients through the process, Patterson effects “a high-speed interface between creative thinking and productive action.” The six steps include:
Step One: Creating the Vision
Creating the vision requires participants to gaze into a metaphorical crystal ball. After identifying a future date, they are asked to describe in simple, yet specific detail the aspects of that future they wish to create for themselves. Everyone contributes, and the descriptions are captured in a computer-generated vision document, which is displayed on-screen for all to see. Then each word, sentence and paragraph is revised until all participants are ready, willing and excited to sign their names to the vision and commit a portion of their lives to making it a reality.
In 2007, more than 100 citizens of Wallaceburg, a community of Chatham-Kent in the Province of Ontario, Canada gathered together to create a vision for an area that had experienced hard times and loss of its identity.
Hard times had hit with the loss of more than 3,800 high-wage manufacturing jobs over two decades. Loss of identity resulted when Wallaceburg – a self-sustaining community of more than 10,000 citizens – was amalgamated into a larger Municipality of more than 100,000 residents. To re-focus Wallaceburg residents, a task force was formed to create “a more positive outlook for the future as opposed to the reality of the now,” according to Stuart McFadden, Project Manager of the Wallaceburg Community Task Force.
Capital Consulting Group, LLC, was engaged to guide the strategic planning. The organization led an interactive, community-inclusive, three-day facilitated process. During the process, lead facilitator Ray Patterson helped turn the focus of participants from what they had lost to what remained that they could build upon. The result was the creation of “Wallaceburg Community Vision 2020.”
“We now have people engaged, working towards common goals,” according to McFadden. “Creating the vision gave us something we can focus on. That is, what Wallaceburg can be if residents choose to play roles. If we choose to play roles, we can make tomorrow better.”
Step Two: Brainstorming Options
With the vision completed, participants next brainstorm the ideas and actions they think will assist in making the vision a reality. No idea is considered unimportant. All the brainstormed ideas are captured and documented using the AMCat software, specifically designed to assist the facilitation team. At the conclusion of the brainstorming, participants assess the collected ideas then select specific ones they will work on to transform the vision to reality.
After being hired as the Director of the National Center for Aerospace Leadership, Robert Mansfield realized the need for creating a vision and strategic plan for the newly created organization. According to Mansfield, the standard practice of “taking a few weeks and using butcher paper, sticky notes and flips charts to create a vision and a strategy is so time consuming.” Instead he turned to Capital Consulting Group. “Ray and his colleagues have an automated way of moving through a definitive process so it can be done quickly.”
Twenty-one staff members of the National Center for Aerospace Leadership participated in the strategic planning process over a three-day period. In the brainstorming phase, expectation setting, facilitation and some participant conversation were preludes to idea generation in various topic areas.
“Doing brainstorming using a computer with groupware capability makes it possible to sort ideas in various ways,” Mansfield says. “People can think without being distracted by others talking but can also see what other people are writing, which may trigger additional ideas as well. This also adds to the richness of the conversation.”
Argument in the classical sense and disagreement are parts of the process, according to Mansfield. “The process and facilitation Ray uses drives the team to consensus. No one is forced to agree, but because the team is focused on achieving the outcome – strategy and an action plan – consensus is achieved. At the end, we all felt like we had created something that made sense to us, that we were comfortable with and that we could move forward on. We had a framework in which to operate.”
§ Step Three: Organizing, Identifying and Establishing
In this step, with the assistance of the AMCat software and the lead facilitator, participants organize the brainstormed ideas into logical groupings; identify the outcomes the ideas are meant to achieve and establish that the various groupings of outcomes are distinct from each other.
The Board of Directors and staff of the Economic Development Corporation (EDC) Warren County began their strategic planning process during a retreat facilitated by Capital Consulting Group.
After creating the vision and brainstorming options for a five-year strategic plan, participants continued the process subsequently at Board meetings and via a collaboration Web site set up by Capital Consulting Group. Organizing ideas, identifying outcomes and establishing distinct outcome groupings were key components that delivered an unexpected outcome, according to EDC Warren County Executive Director Len Fosbrook. “It brought us to understand the type of organization we are,” he says. “We are a knowledge organization made up of individuals, and we function better by operating in teams. The team coordinator can be anyone in the organization.”
Developing the strategic plan has been effective for EDC Warren County, according to Fosbrook. “Ray Patterson had the right magic. We’re a more cohesive group; people feel better about being part of a team and feel better about their contributions.”
Step Four: Prioritizing
Once organized into different strategic-level objectives, the ideas are prioritized through use of “forced choice” or “pair-wise comparison” to determine the true priority of the objectives. This step identifies what is holding the organization back at any given moment in time and determines what must be accomplished for the organization to begin to realize its vision.
The Board of Directors of Saratoga P.L.A.N. (Preserving Land and Nature) generated 97 ideas in a brainstorming session facilitated by Capital Consulting Group. Ray Patterson led the Board members through a forced-choice comparison of objectives using the AMCat software that presented the options and allowed members to vote on each option pair through a show of hands.
According to Lisa C. Nagle of Elan Planning & Design, Inc., Vice Chair of Saratoga P.L.A.N.’s Board of Directors and chair of the Planning Committee: “We saw how that dream list of ideas could be organized and prioritized, which provided direction and clarity on the vision and purpose of Saratoga P.L.A.N. and the tasks we can do as an organization. Without Ray’s skilled facilitation and the aid of the software, I don’t think we could have achieved what we did in one day. Ray allowed us to find consensus quickly and efficiently.” As chair, Nagle has brought the planning-oriented ideas to the Planning Committee for refinement.
“Having Ray come into our organization was a welcome opportunity because he’s good at feeding back the information important to us. Using the software makes his process even more powerful,” Nagle says. “We have a strategic vision now that we never had before, and I now see 97 prioritized things that Saratoga P.L.A.N. can do.”
Step Five: Staging Accomplishments
In this step, participants determine where each objective is in its lifecycle from thought or idea, through planning, resourcing, initial implementation, gaining feedback, through reaching independent momentum, through completion.
The Board of Directors of the New York State Capital Region Chapter of the American Payroll Association had elected new officers. “We had a lot of ideas of what we wanted to do, but we didn’t know quite how to pull it all together and build a distinct direction,” according to chapter coordinator Jim Pfeiffer, President of Pfeiffer & Associates, LLC/Time Plus Payroll,” so we turned to Capital Consulting Group to help us develop a vision and a direction.”
During two Saturday sessions, Board members met with facilitator Ray Patterson who led the group through the various steps of the process. After prioritizing the objectives, participants determined through consensus the accomplishment staging of each objective on a 0 to 10 scale. Precise characteristics define each stage. For example, at Stage 0, “We are opening ourselves to new possibilities in connection with our vision.” At Stage 4, “We are gathering the means to turn the plan into reality.” At Stage 9, “We are continuously improving our processes and products.” With Patterson’s help, the Board moved quickly through the staging step, according to Pfeiffer.
“Ray has a way of listening to information and nudging one way or the other based on how he sees things. That’s where his expertise comes in,” Pfeiffer says.
After the accomplishment stage of each objective was plotted on a diagnostic matrix, the Board had a clear visual of objective priorities, critical constraints and the context for subsequent action (i.e., research, development, implementation or production) aimed at fulfilling the vision.
“This is a well-organized and easy process,” Pfeiffer says. “Sure you’ve got to put the time in, but going through this really helps you get focused or re-focused on the direction you should be heading in as a company or an organization.”
Step Six: Leading the Implementation
The final step is leading the implementation. Collaboratively, participants organize the options within each objective into projects, prioritize the projects and assign the responsibility for each objective to a specific individual.
Having a list of projects and knowing who is responsible for each has been key for giving momentum to some projects and accelerating others, according to Eric Hamilton, chair of the Mohawk Towpath Scenic Byway Coalition (MTSBC).
In 2007, the Coalition’s highest priority was “Refine Internal Operations.” The organization realized that in order to be successful, certain processes, such as grant administration, needed to be defined and documented. The process of soliciting and managing grant projects was defined, documented and the responsibilities assigned to members of the executive committee, including the newly elected Treasurer. With the successful implementation of that objective, the more core mission of “Inform and Promote the Byway” moved from #2 to #1 on the prioritized list of objectives to accomplish the following year.
“Looking at the matrix from one year to the next gives us a real sense of accomplishment,” Hamilton says. “This has been a very worthwhile process to go through. It has been enlightening, and I would highly recommend the process to any other organization. Specifically, I would recommend Ray Patterson and Capital Consulting Group.”
Since the future is as close as tomorrow, smart companies and organizations need no longer struggle with developing strategic plans to guide them towards that horizon. The expertise of Ray Patterson and Capital Consulting Group combined with the power of revolutionary AMCat computer software yields an end result of focused organizational energy that takes groups from where they are to where they want to be – seemingly at warp speed. For additional information or to schedule a complimentary initial consultation, contact Ray Patterson, Capital Consulting Group, llc, by email at: RPatterson@CapConsult.net or by phone at: (518)857-6500.

About the Author: Pauline Bartel is president and chief creative officer of Bartel Communications, Inc., an award-winning corporate communications firm based in Waterford, NY that builds the images of companies with words. Ms. Bartel holds a Master of Arts degree in Public Communications and a Bachelor of Arts degree (magna cum laude) in English, both from The College of Saint Rose. Visit the Web site at www.paulinebartel.com. Pauline was contracted to contact my clients and gain their insights and responses after participating in our Strategic Planning and Implementation Process workshops.

2008-12-16T18:39:00.001-08:00

As a great friend pointed out with the recent ice storm, many of us lost electricity, but we did not lose power (unless we gave it up ourselves). What a lesson for all of us.

Stop Lights to Roundabouts - Analogy for Leaders

2008-11-26T05:33:00.001-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all! In these times of "ups and downs" and "round and round", I thought about an analogy for one of the more recent developments in the NY Capital District area. Take a look at the article found at: http://www.consultingalliance.org/Default.aspx?pageId=271820&mode=PostView&bmi=87055 and then please "join the conversation" on my http://capconsult.blogspot.com- Thanks!

Want to save some money on your telephone bill?

2008-11-26T05:18:00.001-08:00

I've been using Vonage for well over a year and saved between $800. and $1,200.00 per year!

Check it out!

2008-11-18T10:09:00.001-08:00

Sustainable Saratoga is getting organized! This effort was kicked off and is currently being led by Joanne Yepsen, Supervisor from Saratoga Springs NY. Join this effort by joining the google group, or LinkedIn group Sustainable Saratoga - together we can all make a difference and create a better world!

2008-11-17T05:20:00.001-08:00

As I mentioned last week, I was headed to the National SBIR conference. What a GREAT Conference! Deb Santy and her team did a GREAT job! Lot's of contacts! AND money available to help companies with new ideas! More Later....

2008-11-10T06:30:00.001-08:00

It is the beginning of an exciting week! New possibilities, opportunities, and the National SBIR Conference! Look for updates from this week!

2008-11-04T07:18:00.001-08:00

Check out the first in the series of works from the ACT Alliance. It is available at: http://www.vimeo.com/1092843

Let us know what you think.

Nov 3rd Update

2008-11-03T04:41:00.001-08:00

Getting the desk cleaned off and ready for a really good week! Any experience with the new ITouch?

Ping.fm - one item, mulitple postings at once

2008-10-27T05:07:00.001-07:00

I'm checking out Ping.fm and posting to three SN places at once (hopefully).

Exciting things are in the works at Capital Consulting Group, llc

2008-10-25T16:15:00.000-07:00

Be on the lookout for some exciting new developments at Capital Consulting Group, llc.

We are about to launch a new web site! We are also expanding the use of social networking to enhance our reach into the digital marketspace.

We are working with our collaboration partners, Jim and Pat Francek of TAVA Full Circle, LLC, (www.tavafullcircle.com) and Dr. Michael Kelly of Advanced Management Catalyst, Inc (www.amcinc.com) on new executive and corporate education offerings "Leading from and Emerging Future", and "Appreciative Leadership - Understanding Yourself and Developing Your Positive Leadership Core".

Collaboratively, we are also developing and will soon be announcing workshops for Appreciative Living.

We are certainly living in interesting times, and they are as rich with opportunity as any time has ever been! What will we make of them? It is truly up to each and every one of us to find the positive and create the emerging future that we truly want for ourselves, our children, our grandchildren, and the next seven plus generations!

Ray

FW: Wisdom from the web

2008-10-23T08:35:00.000-07:00

One of my major concerns has been how you get to an accurate view of context as quickly as we get from story to action agenda with the Catalyst. Take a look at this site http://www.gapminder.org/ . I thought something like this was possible so I am thrilled to see it done. Now think of populating such graphs in real time Wiki style.

Mike

Michael Thorne Kelly, Ph.D.

Advanced Management Catalyst, Inc.

207-442-0658