Cultural Assessment: A Vital Part of the Road Map to Success for Your Organization

Have you ever noticed how preoccupied businesses are with communicating their image? Marketing plans, slogans, advertising strategies—all designed to convey who they are and where they’re going.

How about you? Have you been working on a long-range plan? Maybe you’ve thought about creating a new slogan or logo to give you a fresh outlook.

On the surface, those things look great. However, when it comes to long-range planning, there’s a vital question to ask: What if you don’t make it? More to the point, what if you can’t make it?

The simple truth is this: It’s impossible to get to where you want to go—to reach your goals as an organization—if you don’t know where you are to begin with.

Let’s say that your business has been going gangbusters for several years, when suddenly a game changer appears. One or more competitors arrive on the scene with new business or operating models that change the marketplace for your industry. How well would your company respond such a dynamic challenge?

Think of the leaders and team members in your organization. How prepared are they to compete in this fast-moving, digital age—to adapt swiftly, effectively and collaboratively to keep your company in the game?

I recently read an article suggesting that global Internet traffic will increase eight-fold by 2025. This, after it had already surged 18-fold since 2005! The pace of change in business and technology today is mind-boggling. It’s a challenge to keep up, let alone get ahead.

That’s why it’s important to do a cultural assessment, to determine what your company’s strengths are and how prepared you are for the challenges you will face. What opportunities do you and your leadership team see for your company? Likewise, what are the challenges that threaten your business? Are you able to adapt to those? You need to know where you stand—right now, today.

Many of the decisions that you and your leadership team are going to make could very well be “bet your company” decisions; in other words, the very future of your organization is at stake! That’s why it is imperative to know if you have a leadership team and a corporate culture that will rise to the challenges at hand.

As a leader, it is your responsibility to initiate the assessment process. Individually and organizationally, it’s important for everyone to clearly understand how success is going to be measured, as well as how and why adjustments will need to be made. Set the tone by starting with your self, and asking others on the management to do the same.

For many years companies were encouraged to develop five-year plans as a road map for success. But times have changed; today, a two-year or three-year strategy is recommended, due to the rapid pace of change in our technology-driven world.

Do you have a plan? Think about how you can involve your entire organization, including management and employees, in the process of completing a cultural assessment. Determining where you are as an organization is the vital first step that will help you manage change effectively and bring about the results you desire.

“If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself" — Henry Ford

Jim Ondrus pioneered the management concept of Leadership Transitioning™. He is president of JA Ondrus, LLC, a Canton, Ohio executive coaching firm.

How to Truly Make It a Year to Remember

“Let’s make it a great year!”

We’ve all heard motivational statements like that one. Maybe you’ve even said something like it.

While it’s a great sentiment, it can be pretty intimidating. A whole year? That’s a big challenge.

But you can do it, and the simplest, most practical way is to break that year down into smaller portions.

Before you can have an excellent year, first have an excellent month. Before that, an excellent week…day…hour…and so forth.

When I say excellent, I don’t just mean in the business sense. Remember, it’s important to have balance in the four key areas of life: physical, spiritual, intellectual and personal.

Too often we feel like we need to fill every minute with activity and accomplishment. That can cause us to lose sight of what’s truly important in life. Relaxation and quality personal time are important to accomplish our goals in all aspects of our lives.

So how can we achieve that balance? By creating a plan, reviewing it on a regular basis, and remaining committed to carrying it out.

I’ve written before about the importance of reminding yourself when you were at the top of your game. Maybe you’re there now. Maybe you were there in the past. How did it feel? What were you doing? Who were you spending your time with, or working with, and how did they influence you in a positive way?

Sometimes the secret to personal success can be found in recapturing those moments and making them a reality once again. When we’re at the top of our game, we’re more focused and more balanced in our professional and personal lives. Just as important, we need to be surrounded by the right people, people who support us and are willing to give honest, constructive feedback, because they have our best interest at heart.

How is this year going for you? If the big picture has you feeling overwhelmed, break it down into smaller snapshots. Make the next hour a great one. That can lead to a great day…week… month…and you’ll be on your way.

At J.A. Ondrus, LLC, we personalize our coaching process to fit your specific needs and goals. Give us a call at (330) 754-5767, and let’s talk about your business and what we can do to assist you.

Jim Ondrus pioneered the management concept of Leadership Transitioning™. He is president of JA Ondrus, LLC, a Canton, Ohio executive coaching firm.

Don't Just Set Goals...Achieve Them!

One of the unique aspects of living in the Canton, Ohio area is that we have the Professional Football Hall of Fame located here. I have been to numerous events sponsored by the Hall over the years and I am continually inspired by the stories behind the men who are forever enshrined there.

Inside each of those stories are accounts of their dreams, goals, successes, failures, challenges, coaches, family members, mentors, endless practices, courage, pride and lifetime friendships—just to name a few.  If there are some common themes that I note, it is how they emphasize that they did not do it alone, never gave up and are honored to have earned the right to be a member of this elite fraternity.

So as you and I focus on achieving our goals for this year and beyond, let’s be clear on why we are doing so and how they will help us attain the legacy that we are striving for.

One thing I stress to my clients is that it’s critical to surround ourselves with people whom we trust and who believe that we can accomplish our goals and are willing to give us honest and valuable feedback on how we are doing. It might be a family member, a close friend, a mentor, or a business associate. Not only will they serve as a source of encouragement, they’ll help us be accountable to do the things we need to do to succeed..

At our company, we model our programs, coaching and training techniques on helping our clients focus on balance in four key areas of life: physical (health), spiritual (service), intellectual (wealth) and interpersonal (communication/relationships). We firmly believe that BALANCE is a key to power and success.

So here’s a quick way to be more productive, personally and professionally. In each of those four areas, set three important manageable goals. Then, assess yourself daily on how you are doing by asking three simple questions:

   1. Are my goals clear, and am I properly focused and willing to pay the price to achieve them?

   2. What have I learned about myself today and what do I need to adjust?

   3. What is my level of commitment and how will I feel when I attain my goals?

We must also make sure we have the resources to achieve our goals, and then be sure to do something every day to take us one step closer to achieving them. One helpful technique is to keep a journal, and write in it every day. You don’t have to say a lot, but keeping track of your progress and key learning by writing it down will give you a greater sense of accomplishment, while always keeping you focused on where you want to go.

Declaring a set of pie-in-the-sky New Year’s resolutions that end up tucked away in a mental drawer leads to nothing but futility and frustration. Focus instead on the key areas of your life and set goals that are realistic and measurable. The results will be longer-lasting, and well worth the effort.

Jim Ondrus pioneered the management concept of Leadership Transitioning™. He is president of JA Ondrus, LLC, a Canton, Ohio executive coaching firm.

'Tell Me Something I Don't Know'

How many times have we heard someone say that, or said it ourselves? It’s an expression we use when someone overstates the obvious—a way of agreeing with what they just said.

But think about it: How often do we actually say that, and mean it?

Over my years as a business advisor and consultant, I’ve been struck by a simple truth: We don’t know what we don’t know. We look for solutions, but we don’t know where to look—or, in some cases, what we should be looking for.

Usually, that comes from not asking the right questions. It’s important in business, as in life, to look at ourselves and our circumstances honestly. Too often, we see managers make the mistake of surrounding themselves with people who tell them what they want to hear, instead of what they need to hear and what would be valuable for them to hear.

How about you? Do you have one or more trusted advisors who will tell you the truth? They might be internal, such as key managers or associates, or external, such as a business coach or a collection of peers in an executive networking group. Wherever you can find them, it’s important to have your “go-to” people who can help you assess your strengths and weaknesses and do something about them.

Too often I’ve observed executives and managers who appear concerned about bringing in strong people to work with them. It’s as if they are intimidated by people who have skills they don’t have. They want to appear in control, and behave as if it would be a sign of weakness to surround themselves with accomplished and experienced professionals. Unfortunately, those are the people who end up spiraling out of control.

Don’t make that mistake. What can you do now, today, to start down a different path? Where can you turn to learn from others and gain honest, valuable insights that will make a difference for your business, and for you as a leader?

Ask the right questions. Find the person, or group of persons, who will give you a no-holds-barred assessment of where you stand. See your world through their eyes, and see for yourself how what you don't know has been holding you back. It’s a critical way to improve your circumstances and truly move forward.

Jim Ondrus pioneered the management concept of Leadership Transitioning™. He is president of JA Ondrus, LLC, a Canton, Ohio executive coaching firm.

Common Characteristics of Dynamic Leaders

With more than 30 years of Executive Coaching Experience and conducting Leadership Development Seminars, I’ve had the opportunity and privilege to observe a lot of outstanding leaders at work. Even though clients engage me as a consultant, they haven’t been the only ones doing the learning; I’ve also learned from them. So I thought that I would use this blog from time to time to discuss a few key characteristics that, from my experience and observation, are key traits that successful and dynamic leaders share.

1. Dynamic Leaders are passionate, focused and disciplined workers

On the one hand, effective leaders see the potential in their people and focus on what will make them successful, and readily give credit where credit is due. On the other hand, they also know that it’s “all about them” — about how hard they personally work, the example they set, and the shadow of influence they cast. That shadow of influence of the leader means setting high standards and then leading by example. It recognizes that people watch leaders, to see what they do and how they live the principles that they espouse.

2. Dynamic Leaders lead from the front and love what they do

Seems obvious, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, many managers and supervisors don’t engage their team members or communicate clearly their goals and objectives. Employees don’t function well in a vacuum. Effective leaders aren’t afraid to get down in the trenches with their colleagues to learn what their strengths and challenges are, learn about their goals and dreams, and discover how to best support them so they can aspire to being the best that they can be.

3. Dynamic Leaders focus on growth—their own and others’

In fact, dynamic and effective leaders are passionate about such growth. They don’t just hire the best and the brightest and then sit back and expect them to perform at the highest possible levels automatically. They recognize that life is a learning process, and that it’s important to invest in their people and in themselves, so that everyone can be at the top of their game. A true leader knows that everyone has leadership potential and that the measure of a leaders skill is to enable others to unlock that potential.

There are many more important characteristics that effective leaders share, and we’ll continue to explore those in future blog posts.

Jim Ondrus pioneered the management concept of Leadership Transitioning™. He is president of JA Ondrus, LLC, a Canton, Ohio executive coaching firm.

Stay At the Top of Your Game

Are you at the top of your game? More important, have you taken the time to consider what that means?

We’ve all heard the conventional wisdom about listening to our “inner voice.” It’s that gut instinct that reminds us of what we already know, deep down inside.

So what is your inner voice saying to you about being successful, in business and in life?

Think about when you’ve performed at the highest level—in other words, when you’ve been at the top of your game.

What was working for you? Who were you working with? What were the contributing factors to your success?

When we take the time to stop and think about those occasions, we usually find that there was clarity to our thinking and actions. We understood the task or assignment, and no doubt felt passionate about what we were doing.

Contrast that with those times when you weren’t as successful—when you felt like you’d failed or were not at the top of your game.

Chances are you lacked clarity about the project or assignment. What were the distractions that got in your way?

You may have tried to do too much by yourself, perhaps to try to prove yourself and your abilities rather than to achieve a desired result. Or you simply might have had a wrong mindset—been in a low mood, in other words—and felt overwhelmed by challenging circumstances or a faulty relationship.

That’s understandable, because it happens to us all. We’re human. We have bad days, we struggle with relationships, and we make mistakes. The important thing is to not let those things dominate and control our lives.

The late Zig Ziglar was famous for saying, “See you at the top!”

Can you see yourself there?

Identify those things that have made you successful in the past, and make them a regular part of your life. It takes honesty, and it takes discipline. But it will also put you where you want to be—at the top of your game.

Jim Ondrus pioneered the management concept of Leadership Transitioning™. He is president of JA Ondrus, LLC, a Canton, Ohio executive coaching firm.