J.Ferm's Blog

The Challenge:
Grace, a senior consultant in a highly specialized consulting firm, struggled with the thought that she didn’t quite fit in. Her performance record was outstanding and she was considered an expert in her field, but she often felt like the “odd woman out.” The way she naturally thought about challenges and solving problems seemed very much out of the box and she often felt like an outsider among her peer group.

After taking a series of behavior and values assessments, Grace recognized that she truly was different! One of her driving motivators, Aesthetic, is not often found among consultants in her analytical and problem-solving focused work. The Aesthetic value is focused on creative and subjective experiences and is more common among creative professions such as artists, performers, musicians, actors, and other “right-brained” knowledge workers. The information truly hit home with Grace. She finally felt like she knew what was wrong with her, or rather RIGHT with her. It was as if the assessment put into words what she had been experiencing.

The Work:
With this insight, Grace asked HR if she could work with a coach to explore how her creative thinking could be further explored in order to tap into her motivation and contribute more effectively to the company’s bottom line. HR enthusiastically supported Grace’s initiative and together with her new coach, Grace began to explore opportunities that required and encouraged her unique right-brained approach.

First, Grace was asked by her coach to identify key stakeholders within the consulting firm who would be supportive of her new direction and who had expertise in exploring different types of opportunities. Second, her coach gave Grace a variety of resources to learn more about how successful companies use a right-brained approach to build their businesses including magazines and books like Inc., Fast Company, A Whole New Mind, and Good to Great. Finally, Grace was asked to “turn up” her right-brain thinking and turn the left side down a bit to stop trying to fit in and instead allow herself to be different in order to provide additional value to clients and the company.

The Results:
Once Grace recognized that her difference was unique and profitable, she began to communicate differently with peers and shared how her unique talents were integral to the problem-solving process. She began to promote her difference to clients to create a unique value proposition and she began appreciating her talents, which resulted in increased energy and motivation. Grace is confident that as she hones her skills and talents, she will be able to expand her consulting practice and explore a mostly untapped market with right-brained clients. She is thankful that her company and HR department were supportive and encouraged her to use her strengths and skills in a new direction. Now, the company benefits and Grace no longer feels like an outsider. She is determined to show her company that their decision to think outside the box was the right one.

The Challenge:
Joel, an HR Director of a medium-sized organization had a bad experience with a 360 degree assessment process and was reluctant to re-introduce assessments to his organization. The initial 360 process created confusion among participants and was poorly administered and delivered by the vendor. When approached by his new boss to interview a potential new assessment vendor, Joel was hesitant. He believed in the benefits of assessments (when implemented and executed well), but was unsure of what to ask the vendor to get the results he was looking for. He contacted J.Ferm to provide consulting expertise in successfully selecting, implementing, and sustaining an assessment process at his organization.

The Work:
One benefit resulting from the disastrous 360 process was that Joel knew what he didn’t want. Together with his J.Ferm consultant, he began formulating a “Top 3 Assessment Tool Must Have” list. Joel was crystal clear about a few things: (1.) The assessments had to be diverse with broad applications. He didn’t want tools that were overly specific and he didn’t want “one size fits all” tools. (2.) The assessment tools had to show a proven and sustained track record including recently updated validity and reliability studies. (3.) He wanted assessment tools that were easy to both administer and complete online.

Once he had clearly articulated the standards for the tools themselves, he outlined the “Top 3 Assessment Vendor Must Have” list. His top three were: (1.) The vendor had to show sincere interest in and commitment to learning what was important to Joel’s organization. He could not afford another assessment vendor mistake after the 360 debacle. (2.) The vendor had to be responsive, actively engaged, and willing to go through the assessment process step-by-step with Joel and his team to ensure that it was launched successfully. (3.) The vendor had to offer continuous training and support to staff and employees.

Armed with his two lists, Joel began interviewing vendors. Some possessed one or two items, some had three or four. Joel didn’t give up until he found a vendor who had all six.

The Results:
Today, Joel’s organization has successfully implemented an “assessment culture” and they use assessments for almost every initiative. Some include screening and hiring, leadership and management development, executive coaching, team design and development, and conflict resolution. The assessments are producing both measurable and intangible results and the organization is thriving. Joel is thrilled with his carefully selected vendor and realized that not all vendors are the same or offer the same products and services. More importantly, he realized that he needed to be crystal clear about what would work for his organization before he looked for vendors who would be able to match his needs.

The Challenge:
As the Managing Partner of a fast growing professional services firm, Carol wanted to take her firm from “good to great.” The annual retreat was coming up and this year she knew she needed external help to confront the firm’s most pressing matters. Specifically, the firm had experienced significant recent growth in revenue and new staff with little infrastructure to manage the growth and there was no succession plan to replace current partners and train the next generation of leaders

Carol felt stuck and decided to ask J.Ferm for help. She knew she needed a strategic plan that outlined action step for tackling the “brutal facts” and thought that an executive retreat would help generate the energy and enthusiasm she needed from her other partners.

The Work:
Together with her J.Ferm consultant, Carol began outlining the goals and expectations of a strategic plan. As she did, the J.Ferm consultant asked key questions to help Carol gain clarity about the plan: How did Carol perceive that the strategic plan would help the firm address the brutal facts? What resources was she willing to assign and allocate to take the firm from good to great? What was the level of commitment from the other six partners of the firm in executing a strategic plan? Did she, and the firm, recognize that the retreat would serve as a brainstorming session and wouldn’t provide a short term “rah, rah fix” to these challenges? After much deliberation and consideration, Carol and the J.Ferm consultant agreed to move forward and designed a strategic plan and a retreat that proved instrumental in the firm’s overall success.

The first step in the process was to include the other partners in the planning process. Each partner completed a series of assessments so that J.Ferm could generate an organizational overview of strengths and areas for development for the partner team. This overview was later used during the executive retreat to identify the specific strengths each partner offered to the team. It also helped the team to design action steps for allocating resources more effectively.

The second step included a pre-retreat workshop learning the concepts from the popular business book “Good to Great” by Jim Collins. Carol, an avid reader knew of the phrases: “confronting the brutal facts,” “leading with your ‘hedgehog’,” and “first who then what,” but for most of the partners, these concepts were unfamiliar. Reading the book literally brought everyone on the same page and allowed the partners to communicate using the same language during the retreat.

The third step was the retreat. All partners and senior administrative staff attended the retreat to dig deeper into the brutal facts, brainstorm solutions, and map out the initial action steps to the strategic plan. This three-day process got everyone involved and committed to the plan.

The fourth step was the post-retreat workshop. All participants in the retreat agreed to take part in the post-retreat to ensure that the “flywheel” kept moving and commitments were carried out. The J.Ferm consultant had warned Carol about not falling into the all-to-common pitfall of retreats: Inaction upon returning to the day-to-day activities.

The Results:
Today, Carol’s firm has a strategic plan that allows them to grow with the pace of business. They now have a formal coaching and mentoring program that connects new employees with more experienced individuals to increase their learning and retention. The firm also has a screening and hiring process that is consistent with the firm’s hedgehog concept (a combination of what the firm is passionate about, best at, and what drives their economic engine) to ensure that they hire the right people. Finally, the firm has a 5-year succession plan and a career-pathing program that ensures the firm’s sustainability. Today, Carol and her partners rely on their strategic plan to keep the right people “on the bus” in all the right seats and keeps the bus going in the right direction.

The Challenge:
Rob had known for a long time that he needed to make some tough decisions about his staff. He kept postponing the changes hoping it would get better with time. After an eye-opening call from his most important client, Ron learned that “hope” isn’t an action plan.

Rob was stunned by what he heard. Julia, his best client was outraged and had had enough. She was tired of the negative attitude from his staff, the constant re-scheduling of appointments, and the lack of client service she had come to expect while working with Rob’s firm for several years. Rob was shocked by her feedback and asked if there was any way he could turn the situation around and keep her as a client. She said: “Yes, fire 80% of your staff, and I may consider coming back.”

It was time to act and Rob called J.Ferm for help.

The Work:
Together with his J.Ferm consultant, Rob made a list of the changes he needed to make to get his firm back on track. After reflecting on the list, he realized that the common denominator in his people-problems was Rob. On the plus side, Rob was a participatory boss who had given his staff quite a bit of leeway. He empowered them to make decisions and to solve problems creatively. On the negative side, he had given up far too much control, had become too friendly with the staff, and was saying yes to things he didn’t agree with just to keep them happy. Essentially, his staff had “taken over the ship,” and it was heading into a perfect storm unless Rob acted right away.

First, Rob was tasked with creating a new vision statement for the firm. He needed a crystal clear statement that would leave no questions about where the firm was going. His consultant encouraged him to keep it simple and concise so he could repeat it to his staff, new hires, clients, and prospects. Second, Rob began outlining the standards and expectations to which he would hold himself current, and new employees accountable. After three revisions, Rob had three non-negotiable standards that, if executed, would retain and grow his client base. It would also produce a fun and positive working environment. Third, Ron set up a meeting with his staff to have some tough conversations.

Let’s just say the meeting wasn’t exactly smooth sailing! All but two staff members were outraged, threatened to walk out, and were generally unhappy about the changes. Luckily Ron had role-played the worst case scenario with his consultant and didn’t waver. He calmly asked those who were onboard to stay and those who weren’t to leave. By the end of the day 60% of his staff walked out, 30% stayed, and Ron made the decision to fire another 10%. It left a skeleton crew and for those who stayed, it was a tough next few months. Ron worked more than he had since he started the business, his wife parked the kids with grandma and manned the phones, and they made several tough financial decisions to get the firm back on track. Despite these difficult choices, Ron never looked back. He reminded himself and his team of the vision and didn’t let anything get in his way.

The Results:
Today, Ron’s firm is ship shape and ready to weather any storm. Not only did Julia, his biggest client return, she also referred him several new clients. The staff members who stayed and worked through the tough times were rewarded financially and took on additional leadership roles to ensure that the firm sustains the positive momentum. Best of all, the loose cannons are gone.

Ron feels like a changed man. He has re-gained his self-confidence, energy, and determination and has learned some important lessons. Now he knows that it is OK to be a manager and make tough choices. He also realizes that as the leader of the firm, he sometimes needs to make unpopular decisions to keep the firm on course. Now he won’t wait for client feedback to move him into action. Instead he moves into action a little each day to correct, re-adjust, and re-shape his team and his business.

The Challenge:
Martina never asked to be a manager. Her technical skills made her star performer, which put her on her boss’s “leadership potential radar,” and last year she was promoted to manage a team of four. Martina was less enthused. She could think of a lot of things she would rather do than deal with “people problems” all day long (like have a root canal, for instance.)

And people problems she received! John and Paul seem to engage in a never-ending personality conflict about petty issues, Mary’s performance was inconsistent at best, and Rawal seemed to spend more time and energy catching people doing things wrong in other departments than doing his work. All Martina wanted to do was to lock her office door and focus on her research.

After six stressful months, Martina’s manager suggested that she hire a coach to gain an objective perspective and strategies for becoming effective in her new role as a manager.

The Solution:
“I just want to tell them to grow up! Why can’t they just do their jobs?” Martina asked her J.Ferm coach. “I spend all my time trying to resolve John and Paul’s issues, getting Mary to come in on time, and listening to Rawal obsessing about others.” Martina’s coach (one of J.Ferm’s no frills, no fluff leaders) calmly said: “Stop getting involved and start managing.” After some reflection, and more detailed analysis of the situation, Martina realized that she was trying to resolve John’s and Paul’s relationship without asking them to take ownership and accountability of the issues, she recognized that she needed to tighten up her standards and expectations with Mary around her tardiness and lack of performance, and zap Rawal’s complaining and ask him to refocus his energies on his own work.

The Results:
After some practicing and fine-tuning, Martina has become an objective manager. She recognizes that the management part of her job is to set standards and expectations for her department and to hold the team accountable. It is also to encourage others to be independent problem-solvers, team players, and effective communicators. She offered her team access to training courses to build their skills and confidence and today, her team works like a well-oiled machine. John and Paul, while not best buddies, respect each others’ differences, Mary’s performance is consistent, and Rawal has become an effective producer. Today, Martina sees managing as more akin to daily flossing, rather than an ordeal on par with major dental surgery.

If you would like to learn more about the techniques Martina used in her organization, email jessika@jferm.com.

You may have heard the expression: “You MANAGE systems and LEAD people.” To be an effective delegator, you need systems that keep you or­ganized and structured. They will free up time, prevent performance confu­sion, and ensure that your team is working at maximum capacity. Take a moment and check in on your dele­gation skills. Is your answer “true” or “false” to the following questions?

I can, without hesitation, state my top 3 performance expecta­tions.

True: Great. Have you shared them with your direct reports, supervisors, clients, vendors, and/or peers? If not, do so right away and check for increased effectiveness, reduced con­flict, and heightened awareness.

False: If you can’t easily state them, chances are that your people are confused about what you expect. A lack of standards and expectations is often the source of conflict and stress in the workplace. On a piece of paper, list three non-negotiable standards that you can share with your direct reports, supervisors, clients, ven­dors, and/or peers. Keep it short and sweet. Here is a great example: Deadlines are not arbitrary. When we have agreed on and have promised to deliver on a deadline, the recipient can trust that it will get done.

When my team isn’t performing, they know exactly what the con­sequences are.

True: Wonderful. You have com­municated your standards and are probably experiencing few misun­derstandings or miscommunications. Remember to reinforce and share them with new employees, vendors, peers, etc.

False: Even when we have been perfectly clear in our delegation, we often forget to share how a lack of performance affect the end result. Review your non-negotiables and state the appropriate consequences for failing to meet each. If we take the deadline example previously stat­ed, we could add: If more than two deadlines per quarter are not met, it will affect the responsible person’s annual performance evaluation.

When I delegate work to others, they know exactly what is ex­pected of them and by when the job needs to be completed.

True: Perfect. Keep setting deadlines and delegate responsibilities appro­priately. Don’t forget to share this skill with your team members.

False: Most managers and leaders think they are clear when the truth is that most of the time they are not. Work on being crystal clear and always assign deadlines. The fol­lowing statements are not effective responses when your delegatees ask you by when you want something done: “When you get to it.” “Soon.” “When you have a free moment.” These statements are too vague and imply that the delegated activity isn’t very important. Instead, be specific and state a date and time for review.

No one is born a perfect manager or leader. To do more with less time and resources require excellent delega­tion skills. Keep practicing and re­member to share your new strategies with your team for maximum impact.

Practice Using Upfront Agreements

Now that you have identified areas where upfront agreements can be beneficial, designed best case sce­narios, and checked for feasibility, it’s time to begin practicing your strat­egy. Pick one of your scenarios and best case outcomes. For example, it may be that you want to set an upfront agreement about how to address conflicts should they oc­cur. Your best case scenario may be that conflicts are addressed directly with the person involved and dis­cussed with respect and honesty. An effective way to design an upfront agreement around conflict could be to state, “I know that conflicts are unavoidable in the workplace. I would like to discuss how to best handle them before they occur so that we can manage them more effectively. Would you be open to designing some clear standards for how we will approach each other and communi­cate about issues we may disagree on in advance?”

Another upfront agreement may be to address performance issues. A way to engage in that conversation may be, “As your manager, my job is to help you grow and develop in your role. How would you like me to address possible performance issues with you? Once we have decided on a plan, what can I expect you to do to follow through?”

Upfront agreements are especially powerful because they address issues before they happen and map out a plan of action that both parties agree to. The more comfortable you get using this strategy at the start of a new relationship or the beginning of a new task, the more painless your relationship will be.

List a “Best Case” for Each Scenario

Once you have your list of scenarios, brainstorm a best case outcome for each. For example, one of our best case outcomes for collecting pay­ments from clients is to ask them to pay for the invoice in full prior to starting the engagement. This is the suggestion we first offer our clients and, if their internal system is flexible enough, we have reached a solution that works for both of us. This way, we don’t have to worry about when the payment is coming and we don’t have to waste everyone’s time fol­lowing up on missing payments. This system works really well for us (and for most of our clients) but some­times clients counter with a different strategy and then we have a chance to decide what the second best op­tion is. The key is to describe your ideal the first time around. It’s less important at this stage if the client or other person is able to offer it to you.

Check for Feasibility

Just because we want something, doesn’t mean we can always have it. Review your best case scenarios and take an objective and honest look at how feasible or likely it is that another person or organization would be willing to accept your request. Ask yourself, “What is in it for them?” “How can this be a win-win for both of us?” “If I were at the other end, how would I perceive this request?” If your answers to these questions are positive, you may be on to something good. If your answers are mixed, you may need to fine-tune your plan to make sure you can have most of your needs met as often as possible while also making the other party happy.

Would you like to drastically reduce the amount of stress, confusion and hassles on the job? If so, you are in for a treat. The strategy I am about to describe is one of the most power­ful and underused ways to take the pain out of managing and drastically improve attitudes and outcomes. It’s called “Upfront Agreements.” Upfront agreements involve anticipating and discussing possible issues ahead of time, thus eliminating excuses and conflicts. Here are some key aspects to using this strategy effectively:

Identify Areas for Possible Confusion, Disagreements, or Discomforts

The first step is to consider situa­tions or scenarios where having an upfront agreement could be benefi­cial. I always use them when I start a new relationship (personal or pro­fessional) to establish some ground rules. For example, I can think of few things that get me as agitated or an­noyed as when my clients don’t pay when expected and I have to follow up. Therefore, I have an upfront con­versation and agreement with all new clients to specify how and when they will pay their invoices. Also, even though it’s not intentional, sometimes in relationships people’s feelings get hurt. It might be wise to have an up­front agreement to establish how this situation will be handled.

As a first step, take out a piece of pa­per and list 3-5 areas that you know have a tendency to become issues for you in your personal or professional relationships. Look to past stressors or conflicts for clues.

Step 4. Develop a Directness Ac­tion Plan

Once you have identified opportuni­ties to be more direct, map out an action plan to practice. For example, if you scored yourself lower on being direct when addressing performance issues, practice identifying the core of the issue right up front next time you have to meet with a trouble perform­er. If a person consistently makes excuses for not getting things done on time, simply state, “The last three times I asked you to deliver a spe­cific result at an agreed upon time, you didn’t follow through,” instead of asking the person questions about the situation. When you use facts to support your statements, it is easier to be direct.

For each of your key areas, list a strategy you will use to improve your management or leadership skills. If you are just getting warmed up to being more direct, try using the directness strategies for positive situ­ations. For example, offer someone direct and unsolicited positive feed­back to something they did or a re­sult they delivered. If your tendency is to be too direct, bordering on being blunt, practice starting a conversation with a question. Avoid “why” ques­tions and focus on sentences that begin with “what,” “how,” “when,” or “where” to avoid leading the conversation. The question, “How can I help you be more effective?” is a great option instead of saying, “Here is what you are doing wrong.”

When we increase our clarity and directness as managers and leaders we eliminate unnecessary confu­sion, frustrations, and stress. It may take a while to fine-tune and balance these skills, but the more you prac­tice them the more effective you will be.