BACK TO BASICS
7 Key Questions for Executives Today

The most criticial decision a company makes today is the selection of their management staff.

The second most important decision is establishing a corporate culture that embraces leadership effectiveness.

People want to be successful. People want to contribute. People want to give purpose to their work and know that the organization values their contribution.

Following the burst of the dot com infusion over the past five years the emphasis in 2002 is on a return to basic business practices. Major corporations have been reminded that what matters are sustained performance and solid results. Successful companies focus on the "measurables" of performance, such as profit, productivity and customer satisfaction.

Yet there is a growing recognition that world-class organizations which recognize these measurements are the outcome of performance rather than the cause. They tend to focus on leadership practices, cultural factors and development practices that drive performance.

Changes in the global economy, markets, technology and employees attitudes have affected management disciplines used in the past and are often ineffective in today's environment. A shift in the management paradigm to a shift toward an empowering working environment is needed. All players must be responsible and committed to collaborating, achieving objectives and seeking growth and new possibilities.

Studies at the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL), for example, found that the number one critical success factor for leaders was their relationships with subordinates. Executive derailment was related to insensitivity and the inability to understand the perspectives of others.

A study conducted by Manchester Consulting in 1997 found that executives frequently derail because they do not manage relationships well. Eighty-two percent of executives in the study failed to build relationships with teams, colleagues and subordinates. Confusion and lack of clarity about what was expected of them were also cited as factors in derailment. These are the people skills issues.

Today's successful leaders no longer have the time nor the capacity to control all aspects of the business. They must instead empower and delegate to create a culture of responsibility and self-generated actions. Leaders must commit to building trusting relationships yielding accountability and the freedom to explore new possibilities for action and achievement.

Today's successful corporations build on effective management of their people because people are the real vitality of the corporation.

Ask yourself the seven questions that follow.

Seven Key Questions
1. Does your organization have leaders who can strategically advance its mission?
2. Are there leaders in your company that performed at high levels in the past but are no longer meeting expectations?
3. Do your leaders realize their own behavior dramatically affects everyone else in the organization?
4. Are there leaders that were hired with great promise but are not performing to expectations?
5. Are there leaders who have great technical skills but is in continual conflict with their employees?
6. Are your leaders passionate and energetic and committed to their people?
7. Do your leaders listen intently to your employees and to your customers?

Your answers to these seven questions are important assessments of critical elements for success in today's business environment. J. Lillis Consulting can help you answer the questions and, more importantly, turn "no" answers into "yes" answers.

We question your corporation's current reality in a respectful and appreciative manner. We develop a confidential relationship with key individuals of your organization. We help create an environment of focused, open and honest dialogue. We help you enhance leadership skills, align your organization with its corporate vision, actualize your strategic planning and optimize your team's accountability. We help you create a more effective future for your corporation.

Back to Basics - now is the time - time to focus on people. They - and the insightful way in which they are managed - make the crucial difference.

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