Values Based Leadership and Career Planning. Financial Management Institute Victoria British Columbia October 20, 2010 Danae Johnson, Ingrid Bergmann

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1 Values Based Leadership and Career Planning Financial Management Institute Victoria British Columbia October 20, 2010 Danae Johnson, Ingrid Bergmann

2 Evolution of competitive advantage Consciousness Age Cultural Capital Information Age Intellectual Capital Industrial Age Quality & Skilled Labor Agrarian Age Basic Needs

3 New Principles of Business Principle 1: Cultural capital is a new frontier of competitive advantage. Principle 2: Organizational transformation begins with the personal transformation of the leaders. Principle 3: Measurement matters. If you can measure it, you can manage it. 2

4 Culture and Strategy Full Spectrum Leadership Compelling Vision Inspiring Mission Strong Culture Personal Alignment Group Cohesion Structural Alignment Good Strategy Clear Goals Measurable Objectives Key Performance Indicators High Performance 3

5 New Principles of Business Principle 2: Organizational transformation begins with the personal transformation of the leaders. Organizations don t transform. People do. 4

6 Culture CULTURE The culture of an organization or any group of individuals is a reflection of the values, beliefs and behaviours of leaders of the group. The culture represents the way things are done around here. 5

7 Values VALUES A shorthand method of describing our individual and collective motivations and what is important to us. Values can be positive or potentially limiting. Positive Values: trust, creativity, passion, honesty, integrity, clarity Potentially Limiting Values: power, blame, greed, status, being liked 6

8 The Iceberg Model Observable Results.. The Outcomes Behaviors....Our Habits Emotions... What We Feel Invisible Thinking... What We Think 7

9 Financial returns from long lasting companies Cumulative Stock Returns $1 invested on January 1 st,1926 until December 31 st, 1990 Long lasting successful companies 15 times general stock market 6 times comparison companies Jim Collins and Jerry Porass, Built to Last: Successful habits of visionary companies,

10 Business Needs Scorecard Long Lasting Companies Allocation of values of long lasting, successful companies Finance 6% Fitness 20% 19% Client Relations Evolution 18% 26% Culture 11% Societal Contribution 9

11 Best and worst employers in Australia 2008 Allocation of top ten current culture values BEST EMPLOYERS WORST EMPLOYERS Finance Finance Fitness Client Relations Evolution Culture Societal Contribution Societal Contribution BEST EMPLOYERS FOCUS ON CULTURE 10

12 Best employers have lowest entropy Staff Engagement Cultural Alignment Cultural Entropy Tier 1 (Best) 89% 83% 5% Tier 2 76% 66% 8% Tier 3 55% 47% 15% Tier 4 (Worst) 40% 34% 21% Cultural Entropy represents the degree of dysfunction in the culture bureaucracy, internal competition, etc. This research of 160 organizations in Australia was carried out by Hewitt Associates and the Barrett Values Centre in

13 Low entropy leads to high financial returns Entropy Level 3 Year Revenue Growth % <10% 32.87% 10% 19% 24.90% 20% 29% 11.39% >29% 11.07% Cultural Entropy represents the degree of dysfunction in the culture bureaucracy, internal competition, etc. This research of 163 organizations in Australia was carried out by Hewitt Associates and the Barrett Values Centre in

14 Conclusion Best employers (vision-guided, values-driven organizations) achieve high levels of performance! WHY? Values Alignment plus Mission Alignment Group Cohesion I can bring my whole self to work My work allows me to satisfy my deficiency needs (levels 1,2, 3) and my growth needs (levels 4, 5, 6, 7) High level of staff engagement and cultural alignment 13

15 From Needs to Consciousness Know Know and and Understand Understand Self-esteem Love & Belonging Safety Physiological 1. Expansion of selfactualization into multiple levels. 2. Substitute states of consciousness for hierarchy of needs. 3. Each state of consciousness is defined by specific values and behaviours. Needs Consciousness 14

16 7 Levels of Personal Consciousness Positive Focus / Excessive Focus Service Making a difference Internal cohesion Transformation Self-esteem Relationship Survival SERVICE TO HUMANITY AND THE PLANET Devoting your life in self-less service to your purpose and vision COLLABORATING WITH PARTNERS Working with others to make a positive difference by actively implementing your purpose and vision FINDING PERSONAL MEANING Uncovering your sense of purpose and creating a vision for the future you want to create PERSONAL GROWTH Understanding your deepest motivations and experiencing responsible freedom by letting go of your fears SELF-WORTH Feeling a positive sense of pride in self and ability to manage your life Power, Status, BELONGING Feeling a personal sense of belonging, feeling loved by self and others Being liked, Blame FINANCIAL SECURITY & SAFETY Creating a safe secure environment for self and significant Control, Greed others 15

17 7 Levels of Organizational Consciousness Service External Cohesion Internal Cohesion Transformation Self-Esteem Relationship Survival Positive Focus / Excessive Focus SERVICE TO HUMANITY AND THE PLANET Social responsibility, future generations, longterm perspective, ethics, compassion, humility STRATEGIC ALLIANCES AND PARTNERSHIPS Collaboration, environmental awareness, community involvement, employee fulfillment, coaching/mentoring BUILDING CORPORATE COMMUNITY Shared values, vision, commitment, integrity, trust, passion, creativity, openness, transparency CONTINUOUS RENEWAL AND LEARNING Accountability, adaptability, empowerment, delegation, teamwork, innovation, goals orientation, personal growth HIGH PERFORMANCE Systems, processes, quality, best practices, pride in performance, Bureaucracy, Complacency EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION Loyalty, open communication, customer satisfaction, friendship, Manipulation, Blame FINANCIAL STABILITY Shareholder value, profit, organisational growth, employee health and safety Control, Corruption, Greed 16

18 Full-spectrum Organizational Consciousness Service External cohesion Internal cohesion Long-term perspective Coaching/mentoring Creativity Transformation Self-esteem Accountability Productivity Relationship Survival Open communication Profit 17

19 Betta Group: (358) Level 7 Personal Values Current Culture Values Desired Culture Values Level 6 Level 5 Level 4 Level 3 Level 2 Level 1 PL= 10-0 IRS (P)= IRS (L)= PL= 8-2 IROS (P)= IROS (L)= PL= 10-0 IROS (P)= IROS (L)= Matches 1. commitment 198 Level 5 1. commitment 151 Level 5 1. customer centricity 182 Level 2 PV - CC 3 CC - DC 4 PV - DC 3 2. achievement 161 Level 3 3. enthusiasm 120 Level 5 2. cost reduction 140 Level 1 3. results orientation 128 Level 3 2. accountability 165 Level 4 3. empowerment 133 Level 4 4. accountability 115 Level 4 4. achievement 123 Level 3 4. simplicity 126 Level 5 5. making a difference 104 Level 6 5. teamwork 113 Level 4 5. innovation 123 Level 4 6. performance 97 Level 3 6. accountability 100 Level 4 6. teamwork 121 Level 4 7. integrity 96 Level 5 7. short-term focus (L) 99 Level 1 7. commitment 118 Level 5 8. creativity 94 Level 5 8. long hours (L) 88 Level 3 8. passion 107 Level 5 9. trust 92 Level 5 9. passion 77 Level 5 9. creativity 92 Level energetic 88 Level continuous improvement 76 Level communication 91 Level 2 Black Underline = PV & CC Orange = CC & DC P = Positive L = Potentially Limiting I = Individual O = Organizational Orange = PV, CC & DC Blue = PV & DC (white circle) R = Relationship S = Societal Values Plot Copyright 2008 Barrett Values Centre September 2008

20 Betta Group: (358) Personal Values Current Culture Values Desired Culture Values Common Good 43% 26% 41% 24% Transformation 25% 28% 34% Self-Interest 31% 2% 15% 31% 0% Cultural Entropy CTS Copyright 2008 Barrett Values Centre September 2008

21 Business Needs Scorecard: Betta Group (358) Current Culture Values Desired Culture Values Finance Finance Current Culture Desired Culture Finance cost reduction Fitness Client Relations Fitness results orientation achievement accountability accountability simplicity long hours (L) Client Relations customer centricity Evolution Culture Evolution short-term focus (L) continuous improvement innovation creativity Societal Contribution Societal Contribution Culture teamwork empowerment teamwork communication Societal Contribution Business Needs Copyright 2008 Barrett Values Centre September 2008

22 An example of cultural evolution profit 2. cost-consciousness 3. accountability 4. community involvement 5. client-driven 6. Bureaucracy (L) 7. process-driven 8. client satisfaction 9. results orientation 10. silo mentality (L) 1. accountability 2. cost-consciousness 3. client-driven 4. client satisfaction 5. results orientation 6. profit 7. performance driven 8. Bureaucracy 9. teamwork 10. community involvement 1. client-driven 2. accountability 3. client satisfaction 4. cost-consciousness 5. profit 6. performance driven 7. community involvement 8. being the best 9. achievement 10. results orientation 1. accountability 2. client-driven 3. client satisfaction 4. achievement 5. teamwork 6. performance driven 7. community involvement 8. being the best 9. commitment 10. cost-consciousness ENTROPY 25% ENTROPY 19% ENTROPY 17% ENTROPY 13% 21

23 New Principles of Business Principle 3: Measurement matters. If you can measure it, you can manage it. 22

24 Leadership Values Assessment Leadership development and leadership coaching are all about the evolution of personal consciousness 23

25 The leader and the values The real role of the leader is to manage the values of the corporation. Tom Peters, In Search of Excellence: Lessons from America s best run companies,

26 From Leadership to Customer Satisfaction Public & Private Sector: Leader s Values/ Behaviours Customer Satisfaction/ Shareholder Value Organizational Culture Mission Assurance/ Customer Satisfaction 25

27 Leadership Self Assessment Take 5 minutes to answer the questions Total your scores for each section Plot the scores on the summary diagram at the end What is your preferred leadership style? 26

28 Stages in the Development of Leadership Consciousness Positive Focus / Excessive Focus Wisdom/Visionary Partner/Mentor Integrator/Inspirer Facilitator/Influencer Manager/Organiser Communicator Financial Manager SERVICE TO HUMANITY AND THE PLANET Social responsibility, future generations, long-term perspective, ethics, compassion, humility COLLABORATION WITH PARTNERS Strategic alliances, community involvement, environmental stewardship, coaching, mentoring INTERNAL COHESION Shared values, vision, commitment, integrity, trust, passion, creativity, openness, transparency CONTINUOUS RENWAL AND LEARNING Accountability, adaptability, empowerment, teamwork, innovation, delegation, personal growth HIGH PERFORMANCE Systems, processes, company pride, quality, best practices, Power, Status, RELATIONSHIPS Employee recognition, employee and customer loyalty, conflict resolution Manipulation, Blame FINANCIAL STABILITY Profit, compliance, shareholder value, employee health Control, Greed and safety 27

29 Cultural evolution begins with personal evolution LVA Feedback 14 Assessors CVA Current Culture PL = 1-9 IRO (P) = IRO (L) = power (L) 11 Level 3 blame (L) 10 Level 2 demanding (L) 10 Level 2 manipulative (L) 10 Level 2 experience 9 Level 3 controlling (L) 8 Level 1 arrogant (L) 7 Level 3 authoritarian (L) 6 Level 1 exploitative (L) 6 Level 1 ruthless (L) 6 Level 1 The Culture of an organization is a reflection of leadership consciousness PL= 1-10 IROS (P)= IROS (L)= short-term focus (L) 13 Level 1 2. blame (L) 11 Level 2 3. manipulation (L) 10 Level 2 4. caution (L) 7 Level 1 5. cynicism (L) 7 Level 3 6. bureaucracy (L) 6 Level 3 7. control (L) 6 Level 1 8. cost reduction 5 Level 1 9. empire building (L) 5 Level image (L) 5 Level long hours (L) 5 Level

30 Cultural evolution begins with personal evolution LVA 27 Assessors CVA Current Culture PL = 12-0 IRO (P) = IRO (L) = continuous learning 11 Level 4 generosity 11 Level 5 commitment 10 Level 5 positive attitude 10 Level 5 vision 10 Level 7 ambitious 9 Level 3 making a difference 8 Level 6 results orientation 8 Level 3 honesty 7 Level 5 integrity 7 Level 5 intuition 7 Level 6 leadership developer 7 Level 6 The Culture of an organization is a reflection of leadership consciousness PL= 12-0 IROS (P)= IROS (L)= customer satisfaction 16 Level 2 2. commitment 11 Level 5 3. continuous learning 11 Level 4 4. making a difference 11 Level 6 5. global perspective 9 Level 3 6. mentoring 9 Level 6 7. enthusiasm 8 Level 5 8. leadership development 8 Level 6 9. integrity 7 Level open communication 7 Level optimism 7 Level shared values 7 Level

31 LVA: Jeff Vader Jeff's Values Assessors' Top 11 Values Level 7 Level 6 Level 5 Level 4 Level 3 Level 2 Level 1 PL = 10-0 IRO (P) = IRO (L) = PL = 11-0 IRO (P) = IRO (L) = Matches 5 balance (home/work) Level 4 balance (physical/emotional/ mental/spiritual) Level 6 empathy Level 6 fairness Level 5 internal community builder Level 5 nurturing Level 6 personal relationships Level 2 positive attitude Level 5 trustworthy Level 5 wisdom Level 7 balance (physical/emotional/m ental/spiritual) Level 6 compassion Level 7 empathy Level 6 employee development Level 4 forgiveness Level 7 humor/fun Level 5 listener Level 2 mentoring Level 6 nurturing Level 6 personal relationships Level 2 positive attitude Level 5 Orange = Values match P = Positive I = Individual L = Potentially Limiting R = Relationship (white circle) O = Organizational 30

32 LVA: Darth Vader Darth's Values Assessors' Top 11 Values Level 7 Level 6 Level 5 Level 4 Level 3 Level 2 Level 1 PL = 10-0 IRO (P) = IRO (L) = PL = 7-4 IRO (P) = IRO (L) = Matches 2 ambitious Level 3 courage Level 4 creativity Level 5 excellence Level 3 integrity Level 5 long-term perspective Level 7 passion Level 5 results orientation Level 3 strategic alliances Level 6 vision Level 7 achievement Level 3 authoritarian (L) Level 1 being the best Level 3 competitive (L) Level 2 demanding (L) Level 2 determination Level 4 excellence Level 3 knowledge Level 4 power (L) Level 3 results orientation Level 3 risk-taking Level 4 Orange = Values match P = Positive I = Individual L = Potentially Limiting R = Relationship (white circle) O = Organizational Leadership Values Plot

33 What we have discovered! Cultural Values Assessment Values Alignment Mission Alignment PV CC DC Increasing the alignment of the Personal Values with the Current Culture, and then Current Culture with the Desired Culture leads to improved staff engagement and an increase in customer satisfaction and/or revenues. 32

34 And then. Results (Profits, Customer Satisfaction) are significantly improved through a stronger cultural alignment and a reduction in cultural entropy. Level 3 15% 13% Level 2 6% 5% Alignment Level 1 Entropy 12% 13% Customer Satisfaction/ Profit PV CC DC 33

35 Cultural Transformation Begins with You Organizational transformation begins with the personal transformation of the leaders. Organizations don t transform. People do. As a result of doing a culture and values assessment, I am more accountable to our team and it opened my eyes to areas where I had been making assumptions.on a personal level, this has helped me as a leader because I know what people want more of from me. I don t know how we would have discovered this information if we hadn t gone through the process of this assessment and coaching around the results. Dave Veale, CEO and Founder, Vision Coaching Inc. Best Emerging Business in Nova Scotia,

36 Values Based Leadership and Career Planning Financial Management Institute Victoria British Columbia October 20, 2010 Danae Johnson, Ingrid Bergmann

37 Career Planning: 4 Important Concepts 1. What is the interplay between your interests, your abilities, your values and your career? 2. Do a regular self assessment on your career 3. How can you develop your career? 4. How to manage your transition into a more senior job?

38 Concept 1 What is the interplay between your interests, your abilities, your values and your career?

39 What Are Your Interests? Things that intrigue you and make you feel good when you do them They may or may not be things you are good at They offer relief from stress Examples: The Arts (music, design, theatre, dance) The outdoors Organizing things Community Development World Events

40 What Are Your Abilities? Abilities are things that you do well You may or may not enjoy doing them There is usually a connection between your abilities and your accomplishments Examples: Research Budgeting Presenting Negotiating Assembly Synthesis

41 What Are Your Strengths? Strengths lie at the intersection between interests and abilities They thrive from use They can define your career We often undervalue our strengths

42 What Are Values? Values help us find meaning in our life and work. They are foundational items for building a mission statement. They are an integral part of your personal foundation. Everybody has them. As you bring them into conscious thought and claim them for yourself you become stronger and more focused.

43 What Do Values Do? Help identify ideal work and working conditions Can be used as criteria for evaluating offers If they are not met: Affect performance Cause unhappiness Lack of fulfillment

44 What Are Beliefs? Beliefs are assumptions we make about the world. Our beliefs grow from what we see, hear, experience, read and think about. From these things we develop an opinion about what we hold to be true. We derive our values from our beliefs.

45 What Are (Action) Principles? Values guide and motivate our conduct only when they are translated into principles. Principles are rules of conduct or behaviors Values give rise to many principles in the form of specific do s and don ts that mean something to you.

46 Values Exercise Value: Honesty Meaning: An honest person is fair, straightforward and trustworthy. Action Principles (Do s and Don ts): Don t lie, steal or deceive; Do tell the truth and stick to the facts What beliefs do you hold that support this value? I believe that the truth comes out in the end so its best to be honest in the first place I believe that honesty is a sign of respect for others I believe that it can be hard to be honest and sometimes you have to be careful how you say things so as not to be hurtful

47 Ideal Job Interests Abilities Ideal Job Values Market

48 Concept 2 Do a regular self assessment on your career

49 Career Assessment Objectives To identify ways to market yourself To clarify job strengths, interests and ideal work environment To understand your best work style and reaction to stress To identify values in order to find best fit To assist in managing transitions 2.

50 Important Questions to Ask What are my strengths? How would others describe me? Name 2 accomplishments? In what kind of work environment do I do my best work? What s most important to me in my work? How do I like to be rewarded? How can I serve easily and effortlessly?

51 Concept 3 How can you develop your own career?

52 Career Development Options Education and Training ($) Online Resources Self Study Rotational/Stretch Assignments Mentoring Corporate Coaching ($) Grow in Place Grow Up Grow Out Action Learning Projects Self Observation Personal Coaching ($) (short program for career)

53 Coaching, Mentoring, Counselling, Consulting Consulting a consultant is an expert who is called on for professional or technical advice or opinions. They are relied on to understand the problem and present solutions. Counseling In general, counselors are trained to diagnose and help client with emotional problems, the past or dysfunction while coaches are not. Mentoring a mentor is a wise and trusted guide and advisor. The mentor is the teacher that shares their experience while bringing the mentee up the ranks. Coaching according to the International Coach Federation is defined as partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential. ACTION PLANNING

54 Coaching Definition Coach: from the middle English expression coche. A secure means of conveyance from one location to another.

55 Products of Coaching Self generating, self correcting, long term excellent performance. (Flaherty: Evoking Excellence in Others 1999)

56 Coaching Styles A continuum Pure Coaching: The client has all the answers and the Coach draws these out. Coach / Consult: The Coach draws out the Client but is also prepared to introduce new models and knowledge where appropriate to enable new action.

57 Coaching Styles Cont d. Finding the sweet spot Support Challenge

58 Evolution of Coaching Applications Coaching has evolved differently in various regions across Canada and the United States Generally Performance Management, A Perk, and finally A strategic OD investment

59 Why a Strategic OD Investment? Connected to your business strategy Addresses retention Learning insurance for Skill development Increasing your organization s existing leadership capacity Demonstrated ROI (ICF 2009): Individual: median is 3.44 times the amount spent Corporate: median return is 7X the initial investment

60 ICF GLOBAL COACHING CLIENT STUDY N: 2165 COACHING CLIENTS from 64 COUNTRIES 2008 Types of Coaching Experienced: Life, Vision and Enhancement 58% Business/Organizational: 36% Leadership: 33% Executive: 30% Career Transition: 25% Relationship: 17%

61 TOP 5 REASONS FOR SELECTING A COACH Self-esteem/self-confidence: 41% Work/life balance: 36% Career Opportunities: 28% Business Management: 25% Relationships: 25%

62 OTHER FINDINGS 72% of respondents selected their own coach 93% selected external coaches 58% engaged the first and only coach they contacted 46% found their coach through referral/word of mouth What do clients look for: Coach s confidence Personal rapport/compatibility Effectiveness of coaching process

63 OTHER FINDINGS How long do engagements last? 12.8 months on average How often are sessions held? 2.5 sessions per month Primary method of conducting session? 50/50 in person/by phone How long do sessions last? 70 minutes in person, 48 minutes by phone Client Satisfaction: 95% rating the experiencing as good or excellent and 96% said they would repeat the process

64 TOP 10 IMPROVEMENTS ACHIEVED Self esteem/self-confidence: 80% Relationships: 73% Communication skills: 72% Interpersonal skills: 71% Work Performance: 70% Work/Life Balance: 67% Wellness: 63% Career Opportunities: 62% Personal Organization: 61% Business Management: 61%

65 Organizational Benefits: Tangible: Decreased employee turnover Decreased absenteeism Improved productivity Fewer customer/employee complaints Intangible: Reduced conflict Better teamwork More productive meetings Improved employee morale Improved development of subordinates

66 Vehicles for Measuring the Benefits (conducted both before and after the coaching occurs) 360-degree surveys of the client's bosses, peers and reports Climate surveys Customer surveys Surveys of sales, costs, and other business results Employee turnover and retention

67 Coaching Augments Training Limited results Coaching delivers increasing, sustainable results

68 Nurturing the Growth of Emerging Leaders Exposure to new ideas Understanding/navigating the organization Self Understanding and insights Impact Awareness Skill building

69 Refining the Skills of Developing Leaders Analyzing past achievement Changing specific behaviours Meeting current challenges Altering current results Enhancing Interpersonal skills

70 Harnessing the Skills of Senior Leaders Building their strategic view Developing confidence Perspective on systemic issues Skill building Sounding Board

71 Team Coaching Usually linked to a desire to increase team performance through enhanced productivity, more efficient decision making, smoother conflict management, and better communications. Usually the Coach attends occasional team meetings, assists in the development of objectives for each team member and works closely with the team leader.

72 Assessments & Coaching Instrument Personality Typing (MBTI, DISC, Insights, Lumina) Motivational (Leadership Values Assessment, Values sorters, simulations) Cognitive Ability (Watson Glaser, Critical Thinking Test) Stress 360 s statistical or narrative What is Measured General personality characteristics, introversion/extraversion An individual values and the fit between values of an individual and the culture of an organization Problem solving, conceptual, numerical or deductive reasoning, critical thinking Identification of stress factors Personalized feedback against expectations and goals

73 Selecting a Good Coach Self funded or Corporately sponsored? Word of Mouth Local ICF Chapter: ICF Website: Leadership Centre Business acumen / chemistry But most importantly, what change, growth or development are you looking for and how does a prospective Coach envisage supporting you on the journey. Set interim 3 or 6 month goals and use those as an objective performance benchmark.

74 A Word from Fast Company Executive Coaches are not for the meek. They re for people who value unambiguous feedback. All coaches have one thing in common, it s that they are ruthlessly results-oriented.

75 Self - Observation Develop greater self-awareness and presence Develop the capacity to observe our behaviour objectively Become familiar with the earliest indications that a habit is arising Replace the inner critic with neutral self-acceptance Stay present and at choice during a triggering event Source: Shifting Behavioural Habits through Multi Level Self-Observation

76 Self-Observation What happened that triggered your habitual behaviour? What did you notice in you body just before your habitual response? What emotions or feelings did you notice just before your response? What action did you take? What did you tell yourself so that the action made sense? How did you justify it in your mind? What were the result of your action?

77 Concept 4 How to manage your transition into another job?

78 Managing Transitions Voluntary or involuntary Personal Agility What you bring with you to any transitional situation is a style you have developed for dealing with endings. William Bridges Avoidance; Resistance; Refocusing; Renewal

79 Leadership Transition Statistics 25% of all business leaders make a transition to a new role each year It takes an average of 6.4 months for a new leader to move through his or her transition deficit 40% of new hires at the executive level don t meet expectations within the first 18 months, 60% at the CEO level Source: Manchester Consulting, a Right Management Company, ROI of Coaching Research 2003

80 Why Leaders Fail Two out of every five new CEOs fail in the first 18 months (HBR, January 2005). "Failing" includes being terminated for performance, performing significantly below expectations or voluntarily resigning from the new position. Here are the major reasons for failure in the new job: They fail to establish a cultural fit...75% They fail to build teamwork with staff and peers... 52% They are unclear about what their bosses expect...33% They don't have the required internal political savvy...25% There's no process to assimilate executives into the firm...22% (Source: Manchester Inc.)

81 The First 90 Days Get In Shape Because the early days of any job can be a grind, it's important to be physically prepared. Eat well, sleep well, exercise, do anything you can to keep your energy level up going in. Do Your Homework Learn all you can about your new employer. Researching your company and industry can help you predict trends and make your name by delving into areas your co-workers and competitors haven't considered or wouldn't ever consider.

82 Learn Learn Learn The first weeks of a job can be difficult because you don't know what you don't know. What are the company's unofficial policies, how do you weave your way through politics that predate you, how does most communication occur in the company? Get A Mentor It's vital to have an ongoing dialog with somebody who knows the company well.

83 The First 90 Days Say It Right It's also important to know what to say and how to say it. If you're not a good speaker, practice or get coaching. Play to Your Strengths Know what your strengths are and how you can use them to quickly make an impact. One thing that can set you apart immediately is taking charge in just the right way. Make decisions according to your values!

84 Questions?