C2 Advising 2/14/17 C2 Advising 2/14/17

The Evolution of Organizational Performance

How organizations achieve and sustain success is evolving. This much is clear to all of us. Just look at the time line dating back to before the industrial age and it is apparent that what’s important, the focus, motivation, accountability and the drivers of success have evolved and continue to evolve at an even faster pace.

So is your organization evolving as well or are you stuck in the past trying to compete for talent and results? Is your organization moving to an employee-led, leader supported, and organizational enabled performance model? Are your leaders making that leadershift in actions and behaviors required to lead more effectively in a rapidly changing and increasingly competitive performance environment? Is every employee from the very top to entry level appropriately trained, equipped with expectations set to lead where they are?

It is going to take time to evolve your organization. Start by asking the tough questions. Do we have a performance culture by design or are our results by default? Are we leading change or trying to survive and manage it? Who truly owns performance, your leaders or everyone in the organization?

Organizational Performance is evolving, what is your next step?

Cornerstone Learning is a performance and leadership consulting organization that has worked with clients all over the world. Our focus is working with individuals and organizations to create performance solutions that deliver top-tier results by inspiring, enabling, and developing employee-led, leader supported, and organization enabled performance. We are able to successfully deliver this through multiple products and services such as employee surveys, online training, performance assessments, and performance coaching. The goal at Cornerstone Learning is to assist our clients in developing a dynamic and customized blue print to deliver role model organizational and personal performance.

C2 Advising 1/24/17 C2 Advising 1/24/17

Sustained Success - These two organizations know how to enable it!

By any standard of measure two of the most successful organizations that consistently show excellence year in and year out are the Pittsburg Steelers and the New England Patriots. And if you get past the fan passion and get down to the undeniable success on the field and how that is accomplished, I think you can gain real insight on sustaining success by reading this ESPN article.

Bottom line, each organization enables their success with C.A.R.E. Senior leadership is visible and connected with their C.A.R.E. They define their culture and they live their culture. Leaders support the culture and the players lead it on the field. If you want sustained success that stands the time of time, then how effective is your organization at C.A.R.E?

C2 Advising 1/10/17 C2 Advising 1/10/17

New Year. New Goals.

New year, new goals. That's right, it's time to sit down and focus on what we want 2017 to look like. We know, we know, most people dread them and avoid them, and yet, setting goals is incredibly important and directly correlated to the productivity in our personal journey, in our jobs, in just about every aspect of our lives. Thinking about and writing down goals is the foundation for achieving. If you don't know what you want to achieve, how can you achieve it? Well, whether it's increasing sales within your department, looking to gain a promotion this year, or just setting aside time for a family vacation, Cornerstone Learning is here to help you through the process with our Goal Setting online training course! Using a tried and true model for setting goals, we set you up for yearly success by guiding you through what your goals should look like, how you can measure them, and most importantly, how you can achieve them. We provide you with resources to assist in the goal setting process as well as tips and reminders that can keep you focused throughout 2017. Don't procrastinate any longer! Knock out your goals before you blink and we're already at mid-year!

Click to get started.

C2 Advising 12/21/16 C2 Advising 12/21/16

Employee-Led Goal Setting: Accountability

In our final Goal Setting blog our focus turns to Accountability. Establishing clarity, alignment, and now accountability are the primary reasons any individual or organization should set goals. Goals, even if they are clear and completely aligned in the organization are nothing more than a “wish list” if accountability is not established.

When working with coaching clients we use a 4 A model to accountability that moves the goals from well-intentioned to completed. The 4 A’s of Accept, Act, Adjust, and Achieve will give you the framework for goal success.

Accept – Accept that you are accountable for delivering on your goals and the milestones created “no matter what”. Circumstances are going to happen (some even beyond your control) on the road to goal completion, however, once you accept accountability no matter what you will persevere through the obstacles and barriers to find your way to success.

Act – Turn your goals into action. Don’t wait to start and every day chart your progress. This is your personal measure of accountability. Keep your actions and reactions consistent and positive while giving deserving credit to others along the way.

Adjust – We must adjust along the way to goal success! While you don’t have control over all circumstances, you do have control over your reactions and your go forward responses. Be willing to adjust your plans, attitudes, even your perspective and thinking as circumstances dictate. Be persistent but flexible at the same time.

Achieve – Achieve one action, one milestone, one project, one goal at a time. Continually update others as you make progress. This enhances both clarity and alignment. Establish a personal record of success; accountability breeds success.

Now with your goals clear and aligned, with accountability established, if you stay focused on your plan, a firm foundation for 2017 success is set. Now go and make this year the best you have ever had. Wishing you the best in the holiday season and great success in 2017!

C2 Advising 12/14/16 C2 Advising 12/14/16

Employee-Led Goal Setting: Alignment

As we continue our efforts to assist in making goal setting more effective and a meaningful investment of time, you know, not just another check the box activity, we want to focus this blog on the second element of effective goal setting, alignment.

Imagine if a team of sled dogs were not aligned and pulling in every direction. You would get nowhere quickly and chaos, frustration, and ultimately resignation would ensue. The same holds true with organizations, departments, and individuals. If the actions, activities, behaviors, and priorities where not all aligned, the same chaos, frustration, and ultimately resignation would rule.

Once we have achieved maximum clarity on the vision, mission, values, and our role in supporting each, we now need to consider the actual activities, the time lines for those activities, and equally important, how we will be going about delivering those activities behaviorally, as well as what resources will be required. Creating specific, measurable, and time-bound goals is critical, but what is even more important is ensuring those actions, activities, and behaviors are aligned with the organization, department/business units, and those individuals you will be working with and around.

So how do you gain alignment? It starts with mutually defining success. First define success on each goal/activity from your perspective then connect with those identified resources that will be impacted or will be necessary in achieving each goal. Sit with them and ask them what success looks like from their perspective. Then align all of those visions for success into one mutually defined vision and path. End by stating “Here is what you can expect from me.” and have them express to you the same. Then and only then do you have both clarity and alignment that will lead to the final element of successful goal planning, Accountability.

Start with you defining success. The magic is when everyone is completely aligned with you and just like that dog team, the speed and power that is generated driving for that success is unstoppable.

C2 Advising 12/12/16 C2 Advising 12/12/16

Goal Setting Online Training Course

Cornerstone Learning's Goal Setting Online Training! Sign up now for only $12.99! Includes guidebook and planner! Click here to learn more and sign up.

https://cl.learnupon.com/store/76551-performance-development-series-goal-setting