Are you curious about our programs but not ready to pick up the phone yet? This blog post is a little different from what we typically publish, but I wanted to take the opportunity to be transparent about our process and provide you with an idea of what to expect as a potential client. If you've never worked with Fierce, you may be wondering what t...
In my experience with current and prospective Fierce clients, one of the greatest training-related concerns that surfaces is around sustainability. More specifically, how do we successfully implement reinforcement tools in our organization to maintain behavioral shifts? Sustainability seems to be an anomaly for many and it's often mistaken as com...
Businesses are getting ready to transition to a new year and planning is underway. This transitional time invites reflection on what was successful over the past year, and what changes need to be made to ensure success well into the next. We recently released our 2018 predictions, and part of the selection process for these predictions involved r...
This week’s Fierce resource was originally published by The Huffington Post and describes the ten types of corporate innovation programs. With technology increasing at an exponential rate and new startups with bigtime financial backing popping up left and right, it is difficult for larger, well-established companies to keep pace. As much as technology helps us work faster and smarter, it can also be very disrupting, requiring companies to either change and adapt quickly or be left behind. To help cope with this ever-changing business environment, companies are looking to invest more in programs that aim to drive innovation and shift traditional business models. Most companies try to install several different types of programs and tactics to accomplish this, and there is not one formula that works for all organizations. Per Jeremiah Owynag, Forbes contributor and Partner at Altimeter Group, a research based advisory firm, some programs being deployed include: 1....
M. A. Rosanoff: "Mr. Edison, please tell me what laboratory rules you want me to observe." Thomas Edison: "There ain't no rules around here. We're trying to accomplish somep'n!" Motion pictures, rechargeable batteries, electric lighting. Thomas Edison and his research team managed to make a huge impact in the world. How exactly? By prioritizing innovation. Luckily, organizations don’t need to create a modern equivalent of something as pivotal as the incandescent lightbulb to make a positive impact. Innovation can take place in any industry and is present any time there’s a new improvement to a product, service, process, or strategy. When innovation occurs, positive impact is inevitable. Organizations often focus on initiatives and strategies that lead to innovation, such as strengthening leadership skills and promoting diversity of thought. But it's only when innovation is approached as a goal rather than a perk or side-effect that organizations can tap into their...
“A goal without a plan is just a wish.” —Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Whether you intend to grow revenue, improve your professional relationships, or gain knowledge in your field, one thing is for sure: planning is paramount. Without it, your desire will exist as nothing more than just that—a desire. Would you chart the Atlantic Ocean on a sailboat without planning your route, equipment and provisions? You wouldn’t if you want to make it across. Individual and collective goals in the workplace are no different. Without a plan, both the vision and the action are without direction. To avoid becoming stranded in the middle of the figurative ocean this year, apply the following tips to help steer the course of your goals. Write it Down Until you write something down, it exists in the cluttered recesses of your mind. And according to research, writing down your goals will make you far...
This week’s Fierce resource was originally published by Inc.com and shares ten practical New Year’s resolutions that you can actually accomplish in 2017. It can be very tempting to start the New Year off with grandiose plans that include overly ambitious resolutions. The reason that most people cannot fulfill their New Year resolutions is simply because they set the bar too high. It is always a great idea to get healthy and save money, but be practical. Start with a 10K instead of diving right into that marathon you want to run. Per Rhett Power, Inc., try to improve your 2017 by setting resolutions and goals that can be accomplished and add real value to your life. A few of these modest resolutions include: Reconnect. Try to call up someone you have been missing and would like to catch up with. It doesn’t have to be an all-day extravaganza. Simply...
Congratulations for arriving to the new year! You are in this exact place as a result of all of your conversations in 2016. Yes all of them. The successful and the failed ones. The clean and the messy ones. The ones with tears and the ones with laughs. The ones you had to redo. Each conversation brought you one step closer to this very moment, these exact results. So I ask:When you look back, are you happy with the results this past year? What relationships are the most fulfilling? What achievements are you most proud of? What do you wish you would have approached differently? Who deserved more of your time? When we take it seriously that we are navigating our lives one conversation at a time, it makes it less daunting to take on change because we know our job is to just show up, present and awake, for...
It’s that time again. Each year, top leaders within organizations are forced to address issues that take place both internally with the world as a whole. 2016 was no exception. From political climate shifts to new industry disruptors, change is continuing to be the new “normal” in the workplace. When we look into 2017, we see: Diversity and inclusion initiatives and programs will be expanded: Whatever your political views entail, there is no denying the great divide that has taken over much of our country due to this year's presidential election. This confluence of beliefs can create issues in the workplace if individual workers feel marginalized, unsupported, or even fearful. Taking control of this conversation is key for organizations to not only maintain the well-being of their employees, but to ensure that their workplace is one of acceptance across the board. Fierce anticipates that in the coming year there will...
This week’s Fierce resource was originally published by Entrepreneur and showcases four ways that a company can benefit from giving back to the community. Although charitable acts are supposed to be made for selfless reasons, without the anticipation of a return on investment, there are rewards for businesses that give back. Per John Boitnott, Entrepreneur Contributor, some of the ways companies can gain from giving back include: 1. Building respect and a good reputation in the community. The relationships formed through giving back to local organizations can add great value to businesses. When other people and businesses see the positive impact of charitable efforts, they want to support the company. Goodwill can go a very long way, and solidify a business as a steward to the community. 2. Improving the community. It goes without saying that giving back to the local community makes it a better place to work and...
This week’s Fierce resource was originally published by Harvard Business Review and discusses why so many corporate wellness programs fail, and explains how to create ones that stick. There is a lot of discussion around “wellness programs,” also known as workplace health promotion programs and their effectiveness. A wellness program, like any other company-wide initiative, can only be successful if it is designed and executed properly. Many times, organizations try to pass off a single effort or one-time event as a complete wellness program – these are destined for failure. Employees need follow-up and structure to continue making smart decisions about their health. To figure out what is working, and what isn’t, HBR prepared a report, “From Evidence to Practice: Workplace Wellness that Works.” Hector De La Torre and Ron Goetzel, Ph.D., Harvard Business Review, identified certain trends that led to successful and failed programs. Per Torre and Goetzel, a...
This week’s Fierce resource was originally published by Fast Company and explains how to create organization habits that will stick. Everyone wants to be more organized. Whether it is a constantly overflowing inbox, or that stack of documents on your desk that never seems to dwindle. The issue is finding organizational practices that you can actually sustain in a business world that can be chaotic. Many leaders and business professionals feel there is never enough time in the day, yet they devote little or no time to the biggest time saver available to them: organization. Leo Babauta, Fast Company, offers some tips for forming habits of organization that can last. There are countless options for tools and software to accomplish these various tips, so it is a matter of finding what works best for you and your needs. A few of the habits are: Create a place for everything. Whether...
This week’s Friday Resource was originally published by Harvard Business Review and provides six rules for building and scaling company culture. A rich company culture is one of the most sought after qualities in today’s workforce. It attracts and retains the top talent across all industries and is the driving force behind the work of a company. “Great performance can never come without great people and culture, and the opposite is also true – great people and culture are affiliated most with high-performing organizations.” Although organizations understand the value of company culture, not all of them are getting it right. It needs to start with mission of the company. Do your employees identify with it? Are their personal goals in close alignment with the company’s? Once the purpose or “inspiration” is defined, a few tips for building and scaling the culture according to Anthony Tjan, CEO and Founder of the...
This week’s Fierce resource was originally published by Inc 500 and details six steps that can lead to a company culture of accountability. In his article, Gleeson defines six steps, some of which may seem obvious but are often overlooked at organizations. Things like getting feedback, creating ownership, and consistency. Leaders within organizations continually identify empowering their employees as a critical piece to organizational success, and employees constantly seek to be empowered within their roles. So why is the issue of workplace accountability so pervasive? In short: Accountability can be a difficult thing to track. As companies grow and teams are spread out over state lines or even countries, this task becomes even more problematic. Accountability is often defined by a job description and whether an employee is meeting or exceeding the standards set forth in it. This is all wrong. Accountability needs to come from the top down and resonate...
This week’s Fierce resource was originally published on Ted.com and explains the business logic behind sustainability. In 1973, Ray Anderson read “The Ecology of Commerce” and it changed the trajectory of his business. As the CEO of a carpet manufacturer with petroleum intensive processes, he was in a unique position to make a difference and challenge the status quo of the “take/make/waste” industrial system. He decided to embrace technology to improve sustainability efforts and found that there was also a compelling business case behind this approach. Anderson died in 2011, but his legacy and sustainable impact lives on through the Ray C. Anderson Foundation . Through Anderson’s efforts, his carpet company has doubled profits while decreasing its greenhouse gas emissions by over 82%. Anderson’s achievements indicate a few things: If a petroleum intensive company can make dramatic environmental strides, while simultaneously increasing profits – any business can do the same....
This week’s Fierce resource was originally published on the Harvard Business Review , and explores how empowering the lone wolves in your organization can actually fuel your team’s success. Leaders are tasked to find ways to constantly innovate, otherwise they risk falling behind the competition into obscurity. Yet in the search for the next great idea, they still cling to workplace cultures that promote conformity and alienate the troublemakers. History has shown that the world’s most prolific visionaries are often labeled rabble-rousers, disrupters, heretics, and radicals. Even Albert Einstein, one of the greatest minds of the 21 st century, was labeled a troublemaker by a teacher. In order to promote original thinkers and innovators in your organization, you first need to build a culture of inclusion. It starts with empowering your employees to speak up. Learn how one junior officer in the U.S. Navy transformed the ultimate bastion of bureaucracy...
This week marks the start of the last quarter of 2015. Yes, that means you have three more months to achieve what you set out to do this year. Does that make you feel excited…or overwhelmed? Many leaders I am talking with are overwhelmed with planning for 2016, while working to simultaneously close out this year strong. It is a constant juggling act at this time of year. Throw in the holidays and family obligations, and it is surprising that many of us can achieve what we do! When you are feeling overwhelmed, the biggest Fierce guidance is to lean on our principle: Tackle your toughest challenge today. And yes, that means this moment do what you need to do – not tomorrow, or the next day. It is about having the conversations you need to have right when you know you need to have them. It seems difficult, yet...
This week’s Fierce resource was originally published on Harvard Business Review and argues for greater alignment between the executive suite and the chief human resources officer (CHRO). An organization’s success depends on how well individuals work together to overcome obstacles and adapt to an ever changing business landscape. Yet most companies relegate their Human Resource department to a supporting role that is only brought in to implement decisions that have already been made. People Before Strategy: A New Role for the CHRO contends that by bringing the CHRO into the strategic fold, companies can better assign talent towards corporate initiatives to unlock the full potential of an organization’s human capital. Is your organization prepared to bridge the leadership competency gap? “Because a company’s performance depends largely on the fit between people and jobs, the CHRO can be of enormous help by crystallizing what a particular job requires and realistically assessing...
This week’s Fierce resource was originally published on Harvard Business Review and debunks five myths for translating strategy into results. Myth: Communication Equals Understanding Many executives believe that relentless communication is the key to corporate success. But Why Strategy Execution Unravels—and What to Do About It finds that even with the unending stream of emails and team meetings most communication still gets lost in translation. Only 16% of front-line supervisors and team leaders understand an organization's strategic priorities. Myth: Execution should be driven from the top “Concentrating power at the top may boost performance in the short term, but it degrades an organization’s capacity to execute in the long run. Moreover, if top executives insist on making the important calls themselves, they diminish middle managers’ decision-making skills, initiative, and ownership of results.” Is your organization plagued by the “corporate nod”? Read the article.
This week's Fierce resource was originally published on Gallup.com and was written by Chris Groscurth and Bryant Ott. Maybe you've heard something like this in the halls of your organization, HR Isn't Meeting Global Business Demands and perhaps you haven't. This article explores what it will take to revolutionize human resource departments and the traditional responsibilities for hr personnel that may need to be a thing of the past . In today's ever-evolving workplace change is taking place in every shape and form so what does that look like for HR? Think about: What are your business initiatives? What changes can you initiate to restructure your HR team to be a strategic business partner? What is your desired outcome? "Leaders and executives tasked with solving complex business problems require development , not training. Rethinking training will require HR to educate managers and leaders on how to foster learning and development through key experiences and real-time coaching,...
This week's Fierce resource was originally published on 99u.com and was written by Hamza Khan. Forget SMART Goals, Set CLEAR Goals Instead highlights a new way of setting goals and achieving them. Farkas shares that SMART goal setting is static yet, CLEAR goal setting allows for the individual to refine goals in an ever changing and fast-paced environment. What's the most important thing you should be working on? How often do you check in with yourself to determine if your goals are still relevant? "No matter where you’re setting a goal (in your personal life, or in the workplace), Economy says that it must be a “clear and compelling” one. One that can be realized, embraced, and acted upon by every member of the team. Safe to say, clear is the new smart. " Read the full article.
It is the first full week of 2015. So I ask: How much pressure have you put on yourself for this week, this month, this year? It is the season. This time of year tends to be packed full of new goals, resolutions, and desires to be different. Are you trying to be healthier? Be more on time? Do what you say you will? Go see more of the world? Be happier with the everyday moments? Whatever it is, you aren’t alone. Whatever your goal is, treasure it. And ask yourself: How realistic is it? What will get in my way? Break it down, so that you can see progress and have small wins. We shouldn’t expect things to change overnight, so why do you expect yourself to? This week’s tip is to have grace with yourself and make your goals realistic. Having grace is not easy. When you start...
Fierce CEO, Halley Bock, wrote a piece on how to define your corporate values for the Human Capital Institute and we wanted to share it with you. Published Wednesday, July 2nd. Defining your company’s corporate values can seem like a daunting task given its importance in setting your corporate culture. After all, your culture determines how your employees will achieve all those lofty goals you made. While it isn’t an exercise to be taken lightly, it doesn’t need to be weighed down in process. Follow these 3 steps to uncover your values while fully engaging your team. Answer 3 Questions. As a warm-up and to get the juices flowing, present your employees with the following 3 questions: Why does {insert your company’s name here} exist? What difference do you want to make here? And, finally, who is your customer(s) and how would you want them to describe their relationship with you? With...
This week’s Fierce Resource was first published on FastCompany.com and was written by Stever Robbins. How to Set Goals for the Life You Actually Want explores the idea of setting goals based on the journey you want to take to get there. Rather than determining where you want to be in 50 years and then figuring out how you will get there, determine what makes you happy and create your journey. What big, hairy audacious journey have you always wanted to take? What is something you've wanted to learn? What action will you take to start your journey today? “ We adopt goals for one reason and one reason only: to change our lives. Rather than adopting a goal you hope will change your life once you reach it, do it the other way around. Choose the journey that for you would be awesome --the activities, personal growth, and friends. Then choose a...
"Tressie Armstrong is a shining star, a model for how to build a strong, trusting school community that can and will do the right thing should the worst thing imaginable occur. When bad things happen, it is too late to talk. Armstrong started early." — Susan Scott The reality of the world we currently live in is that a school needs to have safety plan. It's no longer a nice to have, and instead, it is a must. Educators are faced with asking themselves incredibly difficult questions; what happens when the unthinkable becomes reality? When the unimaginable is happening to your students and teachers? How do we support the individuals, the school, and the community to cope with the aftermath? At the core of any solid safety plan are the relationships of the people who will execute on it. Strong relationships in that school and community before the crisis happen...
This week's Fierce Resource was first published Monday on Seth Godin's blog. Memo to The Modern COO , makes the case for redefining the job description of COO to fit the new demands of an organization. " In the industrial era, the job of the chief operating officer revolved around two related functions: Decrease cost, Increase productivity. The company knew what needed to be done, and operations was responsible for doing it...In the post-industrial age, when thriving organizations do something different tomorrow than they did yesterday, when the output is connection as much as stuff, the objectives are very different. In today's environment, the related functions are: Increase alignment, Decrease fear" To read Seth's full blog, click here .
This week's Fierce Resource was first published on Managing Your HR website and was written by Fierce CEO & President, Halley Bock . How to Determine the ROI of Training Programs explores three specific ways you can measure the tangible ROI of your training efforts. These examples can help you show the leaders within your organization the value of investing in your employees. "Successfully measuring training ROI can seem more difficult than it is for hard expenses, like a new piece of equipment or a recent hire. One key reason is that uncertainty exists around what to expect from the training program in concrete terms that directly relate to the organization’s strategies and goals. In addition, organizations often have no base against which to measure the changes training will bring about." To read the full article click, here .
This week's featured blog was first published on OnlineCollege.org , a website dedicated to keeping its readers informed about the latest higher education and learning issues. Top 25 Education Blogs for Proactive Parents is an insightful and helpful list of blogs for parents. With topics ranging from K-12 Education to making informed choices when looking at colleges - it's a comprehensive resource list. "Perhaps one of the most important things parents can look ahead to is education. School reform, college, and getting involved as a parent are all important topics for parents to stay on top of, and these blogs all offer great ways to do so." To read the full blog click here .
Fierce would like to share a blog written by Kyle Lagunas, an HR Analyst at Software Advice . Using his blog as a vehicle for driving conversation in his market, he reports on trends and best practices in HR and recruiting technology. To read the full blog and his other pieces, click here . In a breakout session at TLNT Transform this year, Nick Araco--co-founder and CEO of The CFO Alliance --discussed the increasing number of HR chiefs who are now reporting directly to the CFO rather than the CEO. This trend is meeting resistance from HR. The idea of reporting to the stereotypical “cold-hearted number cruncher” who doesn’t understand HR is objectionable, if not intimidating, to many HR leaders. But can HR leaders learn from the CFO? Most definitely. I caught up with Araco last week to find out what... and how. Based on our conversation, there are five...
Fierce CEO, Halley Bock, is currently writing a column for Seattle Business Week Magazine focusing on family owned businesses. We wanted to share with you her most recent article , published Monday March 26th. To read all her articles for the Family Business Corner , click here . Family businesses are by nature very insular, but keeping strategy and other important discussions within the family fold can stifle ingenuity. Instead, savvy business owners should adopt a collaborative decision-making approach and learn to solicit diverse opinions for a stronger, healthier business. Here are 5 steps to take when a high stakes decision is at hand. Shift your perspective. Imagine your company as one giant beach ball, where every employee is occupying a different colored “stripe” and experiencing reality from their own unique vantage point. As a leader, your main objective should be to make the right decisions for your organization, rather...
Fierce would like to share with you a brief portion of an article published last week on the Inc. Magazine website , written by reporter Geoffery James . The piece was based on an interview Mr. James conducted with Fierce Founder Susan Scott , last October for the article Manager Your Sales Team: Critical Candor . Use these quick and easy rules to make sure your customers keep coming back for more. It's easier to sell to existing customers than to acquire new ones, so it's good sense to keep the customers you've already got. Here are some simple rules to ensure that customers continue to come back for more. DO put connection before content. Clients don’t want you to sell to them; they want you to genuinely care about them. Take the time to build a personal connection before you start talking business. DON'T badmouth the competition. Only people...
I’m a grade “A” plan maker. I make beautiful plans that involve elaborate outlines, detailed schedules and helpful drawings. They’re works of art. The big flaw? I leave no room for reality. I learned this lesson while building my first household budget for my husband and I. It included red and black columns that detailed out specific expenses. It was beautiful! The problem is that my budget had no room for unforeseen things that would come up. Our savings was slowly chipped away for tires and household supplies that needed to be purchased months before their scheduled replacement dates. The truth is, none of us live in vacuums. And as John Lennon said, “Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.” So what does that mean for your organization? First, when envisioning the future, it’s never a bad idea to look back at the past. You can bet...
Defining your company’s corporate values can seem like a daunting task given it’s importance in setting your corporate culture. After all, you culture determines how your employees will achieve all those lofty goals you made. While it isn’t an exercise to be taken lightly, it doesn’t need to be weighed down in process. Follow these 3 steps to uncover your values while fully engaging your team. Answer 3 Questions. As a warm-up and to get the juices flowing, present your employees with the following 3 questions: Why does {insert your company’s name here} exist? What difference do you want to make here? And, finally, who is your customer(s) and how would you want them to describe their relationship with you? With the company? Ask them to write down their responses and then report them aloud to the team. Be sure to emphasize there are no right or wrong answers. This...
We are just two weeks out from the American Society of Training and Development (ASTD) International Conference and Expo . Fierce is very excited this year to be both exhibiting and presenting at the conference . One of the tracks that will be explored during the conference is organizational effectiveness. There is a lot of research out there that explores what makes an organization more effective. One of the ways that I find most compelling, is when a company and its employees share the same core values. In April, I read an online article in Chief Learning Officer magazine about a nationwide telephone survey that CO2 Partners, a Minnesota leadership development firm, did about employee’s attitude toward their core values and how they aligned with their organizations. One third (30%) of people surveyed said that the values of their companies are not always consistent with their own. That’s a pretty...
At the risk of alienating myself from OD people around the world, I can’t help but spout off. I just got off of a discussion about capability indices and readiness assessments, and it's making my head hurt. It's amazing, what we will do in Training and Development to prove our worth! The idea of a capability index may be intriguing although I believe its complexity will send eyes rolling in even the brightest boardrooms. I also believe everyone is ready, but perhaps not willing, to become a better leader, but that’s another topic and a different challenge. Believe me, I'm all about measuring. And I believe that we all have plenty of metrics in place throughout our businesses. Partner with an operations/finance/sales/safety/IT person who has clear deliverables and the insight and desire to become a better leader; someone who understands the connection between conversation, relationship, leadership and results. Develop an...
As a new year rolls over, many companies have new strategies to undertake -- some more scary than others. Here at Fierce, we have identified a new business model that stands to add quite a few dollars to the bottom line in addition to bringing us more in line with our vision. It also requires a significant shift in thinking along with a large dose of courage. Because this one, you see, will require some serious risk-taking. That said, I know it is perfectly natural for fear to emerge along with the need to discuss the “why” and “how” of the plan all over again. It’s a way to reassure one another why we are going where we’re going. And, at the end of these meetings, not only is there a renewed sense of commitment but the team bond deepens. I can almost hear the shift occur. I appreciate these...