Organizational Culture Insights to Strengthen Leadership and Drive Change

Courageous Communications, Part 5: Conflict Is All Around Us – Are You Ready? Conflict is all around us—whether in the workplace, leadership, or daily interactions. But not all conflict is bad. In fact, when managed correctly, healthy conflict fuels innovation, strengthens relationships, and drives team performance. They have different perspectives on goals and objectives and the best way to accomplish them. Leaders and their teams have different perspectives on performance and how well people are supported in their efforts to perform well. Few people see eye-to-eye with their managers or peers all the time. Creating an environment for healthy conflict is critical to creating organizations where everyone can perform their best. How leaders resolve conflicts is one of the key indicators of their overall effectiveness as leaders. Organizations that relish healthy conflict and deal with it in positive ways tend to outperform those that shun conflict or believe that conflict and disagreement are bad. Conflict is imperative within any organization for growth, and can be managed in healthy and helpful ways. In Part 2 of this series we outlined the cast of an organization in which the outward appearance was that everything was okay, maybe even great. The organization was performing well. Yet, as we uncovered the challenges the division leaders had in dealing with conflict, it was clear that they were leaving far more opportunities on the table. They had the ability to perform so much better if only they were more skilled at dealing with the underlying conflict. Healthy Conflict in your Organization: How healthy is it? So, I’ll pose these questions. I’d love your thoughts and feedback: How effectively are you managing conflict in your organization? How willing are people to hold the Courageous Communications that are necessary? Is everyone in your organization having the conversations they need to be having with others? For that matter, are you holding the conversations you need to hold with others in your organization? What forces enable your organization to deal with the healthy conflict? What forces are blocking courageous communications from happening? Do people have the skills and abilities to handle those emotionally charged situations in which they feel their careers may be put at risk? Do you have mechanisms in place to ensure that if there is an issue with communications, people have an outlet to by-pass the blockage? I will much look forward to your thoughts and comments as we “dialogue about dialogue!” Intrigued by what you’re reading? Download our white paper on converting strategy into execution and learn more about us by visiting our website . WhiteWater International Consulting, Inc. helps organizations understand the challenges they face and helps enterprises achieve and sustain outstanding performance through unleashing the passion and capabilities of its people. Because an organization is only as good at the people who power it.

The final post in our four-part Scenario Planning Series  As I write this post, the U.S., where I’m from and work on a near-weekly basis, has delayed imposing 25% tariffs on most imports from Canada, where I live.  By the time this goes live, that may still be true. It may not. Retaliatory tariffs might have increased in the game of economic chicken Trump is playing with America’s closest ally. Or a near deal may have been reached. Or some other new twist may have developed.  We don’t know– can’t  know–what will happen, and this uncertainty has created incredible pressure on leaders who are grappling with multiple scenarios and their implications. This suspended state can be overwhelming and even paralyzing. And yet, even though so many things are out of our control or beyond our knowledge, we are not helpless, as Fernando F. Suarez and Juan S. Montes remind us in “Building Organizational Resilience,” a fascinating Harvard Business Review piece that we cite in our new, free Scenario Planning Whitepaper, which I invite and encourage you to download.   In their enlightening 2020 article (a time also notable for its volatility, uncertainty,  complexity, and ambiguity), the authors explore the value of improvisation—which they define as spontaneous, creative efforts to address an opportunity or a problem. They find that leaders who create conditions for more improvised responses are more successful overall.  In times of extreme uncertainty (i.e., now!) that fluency with shifting to approaches that aren’t “business as usual” becomes essential. “In fact, we believe that the ease with which teams refashion how specific tasks get done—whatever the level of turbulence—is the defining capability of a resilient organization,” they write.  And if “turbulent” doesn’t describe our current moment, I don’t know what does!  Open Up Your Processes to Navigate Uncertain Times The routines that we take for granted in relatively stable moments are upended. As we write in the whitepaper, scenario planning requires an intentionally flexible, open, and creative approach to uncertainty.  The approach is required when it comes to getting the work done. Enter improvisation. And while it may feel like things are spiraling out of control, as the authors remind us, “organizations aren’t helpless.” The more comfortable you become with uncertainty and changeability, the more resilient and responsible your organization will be as you navigate these turbulent whitewater times, and the more quickly you can move in a crisis. Click here to grab the whitepaper, which we made to give actionable ideas and more confidence to prepare for this unknowable future. It can help make your strategy as dynamic as the current business climate.  Open the Lines of Communication : A Key to Success in Uncertain Times Along with openness to new ideas and new ways of doing things, times like this also demand a new openness when it comes to communication within your organization.  Even in “normal” times, it is essential for any plan’s success. But the imperative to keep people informed and engaged only increases alongside uncertainty and the likelihood of change.  In my work with clients, I tell them that they almost cannot communicate enough. Too often, though, they’ll host a single town hall or presentation or send an email and consider the message sent.  Nope! However often (and how much) they think they need to share, triple it! That means ongoing and open communication across the organization. Sometimes, I see a tendency to keep information in a tight inner circle. But responding to change will require an all-hands effort. The sooner and deeper your communication, the more engaged your team will be when it’s time to act.  And when you add improvisation to the mix, dynamic responses to evolving situations, the need for ongoing communication becomes even more important.  As scenario planning demonstrates, there’s a power to being proactive, open, and flexible. It naturally follows that communications around the planning should share these traits.  Click here to download the Scenario Planning Whitepaper for free!

We are excited to announce that Whitewater International Consulting Inc. has joined three leading Chambers of Commerce in New Brunswick, Fredericton, Saint John, and Greater Moncton! This step reinforces our commitment to building strong business relationships, expanding our reach, and contributing to the province’s thriving business community. Why We Joined: Joining these chambers enables us to: Network with other business leaders at networking events, speaker series and industry mixers. Stay aware of top-level business policy issues and make your voice heard when shaping a more substantial business climate. Increase brand visibility with directories, social media promotions, and marketing opportunities. Benefit from member-exclusive discounts, group health plans and business development tools. About Each Chamber of Commerce in New Brunswick Fredericton Chamber of Commerce  – The Fredericton Chamber of Commerce acts as a main spot for help and business growth, backing firms at all levels. Saint John Region Chamber of Commerce  – The Saint John Region Chamber of Commerce is one of the oldest in Canada. It has a big network and helps businesses grow. Chamber of Commerce for Greater Moncton  –A long-standing advocate for business success that provides valuable networking and promotional opportunities.   Becoming a member of these chambers is not just a membership, but a vehicle for connecting, learning, and growing with other like-minded businesses. We look looking to connect with more members, utilize new opportunities and help the New Brunswick business community thrive. As a business looking to grow, if you want more from it, try the benefits of being a member of your local chamber.

Creating Effective 360 Degree Feedback: Our Thoughts Over the years, we’ve developed some thoughts about how to make the 360 process work. They include: The Purpose of 360-Degree Feedback The focus of the process should be on learning and growth for the leaders, not creating accountability for the results. However, we must create accountability for following the process, but not for the numbers people receive in their feedback. Leaders who choose not to participate in the process probably need to find other things to do. Key Principles for an Effective 360-Degree Feedback Process The feedback can, and should be used, to support both individual and collective leadership development strategies. Patience is required. Real growth and improvement takes two to three iterations of the process. Most people don’t really think you’re serious after the first try. (And, most organizations quit after the first time.) Feedback from the leader’s boss and peers can be helpful. Feedback from the leader’s direct reports is vital. Best Practices for 360-Degree Feedback Sharing is critical. Most leaders improve more rapidly when they share their feedback with their direct reports and use it as a forum to gather more feedback, prioritize key issues and establish action plans. Worse, not sharing the feedback with the survey participants indicates (perhaps, unintentionally) a lack of caring about the feedback. Repeat at regular intervals. Most organizations collect financial performance data monthly. Sales data is daily or weekly, and maybe even hourly. Some organizations collect manufacturing and quality process data continuously. Hence, it’s great folly to think we can collect 360 degree feedback data once and think we’ve given our leaders enough feedback to significantly improve. Confidentiality is key. This is a difficult process for both those getting feedback and those providing the feedback. It’s critical to protect the confidentiality of those providing feedback so that you can collect the most open and honest feedback possible. Even then, expect that it will take two or more iterations before people really get comfortable with the process. Any leader who attempts to figure out exactly who provided what feedback in the process needs to be shot on sight. It’s natural to want to know. Almost everyone asks, “Who said that?” in their survey feedback. But, actually attempting to find out lifts that security that confidentiality provides…which limits the effectiveness for everyone. Need help implementing 360-degree feedback in your organization?   Contact us today to get started! Intrigued by what you’re reading? Download our white paper on converting strategy into execution and learn more about us by visiting our website . WhiteWater International Consulting, Inc. helps organizations understand the challenges they face and helps enterprises achieve and sustain outstanding performance through unleashing the passion and capabilities of its people. Because an organization is only as good at the people who power it.

Leaders Practice Performance-Driven, Values-Based Leadership™ True leaders are responsible for both WHAT (Performance-driven) gets done and HOW (Values-based) those results are accomplished.  They create value for the organization, its owners and its employees AND they do it in a way that engages people and inspires them to perform their best.  HOW results are achieved becomes as important as WHAT results are achieved. Is there a set of consistently applied values that guide peoples’ actions? Are results achieved with, or at the expense, of others? Does the organization succeed in the short-run only to put its long-term viability at risk? Are people engaged and committed or are they run over or de-valued? Is everyone shown respect? Does everyone behave with honesty and integrity? Do differing opinions count or are they disregarded? Do people feel valued and do they have the opportunity to contribute their best? Intrigued by what you’re reading? Download our white paper on converting strategy into execution and learn more about us by visiting our website . WhiteWater International Consulting, Inc. helps organizations understand the challenges they face and helps enterprises achieve and sustain outstanding performance through unleashing the passion and capabilities of its people. Because an organization is only as good at the people who power it. Performance-Driven Values-Based Leadership.

In early June, my wife, Heather, a professional chef and the best baker you’ll ever meet, hosted a cooking class at our home. The hands-on session was a team-building exercise for a half-dozen staffers of a local business.   As I popped upstairs to grab a coffee, I could tell everyone was having a great time. After a long winter here in Atlantic Canada, the sunshine and lilacs were a welcome boost, but it was more than the perfect spring weather that was making them so happy: they were also genuinely enjoying the chance to be together in person.  Like many workplaces, this team began working from home during the pandemic and continued working virtually when the high risk of COVID-19 passed. While the benefits of virtual or hybrid work arrangements are well-known, there’s nothing quite like being together in living color.   So, a couple of times a year, they make a point to get together physically for a fun, team-building exercise, like Heather’s cooking class, followed by a strategy session.  As the group laughed and tasted each other’s culinary creations on our back deck, I was reminded of the importance of these kinds of gatherings. It’s so essential for team cohesion, morale, and strong relationships (which I’ve written about lately through the lens of empathy, a vital leadership trait).  While vacations and holidays make an all-staff session challenging, if not impossible, this time of year, you can still take advantage of the warm weather, longer days, and summer’s more casual vibe to find creative ways to connect at a deeper level with your teammates one-on-one or in smaller groups.  Speaking of team fun, I’m reminded of a time when I was consulting with the parent company of Chili's restaurants. A staffer cryptically warned me in advance of a Friday meeting at their corporate offices outside Dallas: “Look, our motto is ‘Work hard, play hard.’ So don't be surprised when you come in.”  When I arrived for my meeting, I literally ran into a lively foursome playing elevator golf. They were clearly having a ball. This kind of activity was authentic to Chili's light-hearted culture.  I share this to remind you to ensure that whatever you plan for a bit of summer team time genuinely connects with your people and aligns with your culture. Forced fun is no fun at all, and silliness is no substitute for actual bonding with people.  Here are some creative ways to build connection and camaraderie this season.  Simple Summer Team Building: Go for Ice Cream If possible, spend a little one-on-one time with each team member over the summer–and leave the agenda at the office. This is all about getting to know each other. Go for lunch, a coffee or beer (if appropriate in your organization), or even just an ice cream. The idea is to spend a little unstructured time out of the office.  Outdoor Team Building: Join a Summer Sports League If your team is athletically oriented, joining a recreational summer league is a fantastic way to spend time together outside work. From slow-pitch softball to ultimate frisbee, soccer, or beach volleyball, a little friendly competition is a fun and healthy way to strengthen team bonds. Take an outdoor meeting Remember how exciting it was in grade school when your teacher would hold class outside at the end of the school year for a treat? That same strategy is an excellent way to break up the boardroom routine. Change up the usual location by holding some meetings outdoors, in the park, or on a patio. The change of scenery is refreshing–and it might even spark some creative ideas! Host a Friday barbecue End the week with the quintessential summer meal: a barbecue. These casual gatherings provide an informal opportunity for team members to unwind, socialize, and connect on a personal level outside the typical structure of your work environment.  Support a community project If your team likes to give back, look for opportunities to come together to support community initiatives. Whether it’s a fundraiser for a local charity, a fun run, or volunteering at a local shelter or other non-profit, this kind of community-minded activity is rewarding, builds relationships, and fosters a shared sense of purpose—a triple win!   And there you have it, some simple ways to build camaraderie and connection over the summer. What are we missing? And what does your organiza tion do to build bonds before Labor Day?  Discover more tips, success stories, and creative strategies on our blog . Click below to explore additional insights that can help your team thrive! Summer Team Building.

Want better results? Challenge your thinking. You’ve had your rest. Now it's time for reflection. As Labour Day approaches, it’s the perfect time to get into the right headspace for a solid fourth quarter. I’ve often said that leaders really only have two assets: their brains and their time. How you harness the latter to maximize the former is the great differentiator. So, use this last stretch of summer to actively examine your underlying thinking – the mental models, beliefs, assumptions and perceptions that shape your actions and, ultimately, your outcomes. Because exceptional leadership starts in your head. The TAO of leadership Your thinking has a far more dramatic impact on your leadership outcomes than anything you say or do. Until you get clear about your motivations and assumptions, shine a light on your mental blind spots, and examine those unconscious things driving your actions, you can’t begin to draw others into the collective work that will take your organization to the next level. This idea is so important and powerful that it’s our core philosophy about how leaders grow and thrive. We call it Thinking-Action-Outcomes or TAO. It answers a simple question: what is that voice in my head, why does it say what it does, and what are the implications of listening to it? Being able to identify and question your underlying mental models is foundational to your journey to becoming a more thoughtful, empathetic, and effective leader. Leadership roles come with big blinders. Part of your job is to keep removing them, questioning and challenging yourself and others. Thinking IS work This might be a tough assignment if you have a bias for action. Most leaders like to be busy, getting the work done and knocking down deliverables. But while it might look like nothing’s happening, this kind of deep reflection is actually one of the best investments you can make in your leadership development. And, frankly, it’s one of the most challenging things you can do to make a real change. This kind of deep, personal learning means challenging your unconscious idea about how the world operates. That can be challenging and uncomfortable. But it can also unlock more of your leadership (and personal) potential. Remember: Focusing exclusively on doing is not necessarily the best use of your time. It’s too easy to get caught up in the task treadmill. You can’t outwork every problem. Real change goes deeper. When it comes to making change for better outcomes, most leaders engage in what Chris Argyris, the brilliant business theorist and professor emeritus at Harvard Business School, calls “single-loop thinking,” devising intelligent solutions to external issues. But the complex challenges and accelerated change we’re contending with today cannot be solved by slight tweaks to what we’ve always done. Pre-conditioned responses result in predictable outcomes that can only deliver slight variations on previous results. Nothing much is likely to change when nothing really changes about our thinking. Simply put, better actions that lead to more successful outcomes rest on better thinking, which starts with becoming conscious of what you believe, assume and perceive. That’s why it’s so essential to develop a habit of self-reflection or self-interrogation. Your thinking isn’t just in your head: it affects every action, which in turn generates a three-dimensional ripple effect: An effect on the present situation An impact on the culture via the story that action creates Lessons learned by those who hear the story over time. The forces that shape us Where and when you were born, your family’s finances, education, your religion, gender, sexual orientation, race, and many other factors affect your worldview. Challenging how those influences shape your thinking and actions can feel existential like you’re questioning the core of yourself. But the ability to self-reflect doesn’t necessarily mean abandoning your beliefs and worldview, just becoming more aware of them and how they influence your choices. For instance, “Don't just stand there, do something” was a phrase I often heard growing up, and it taught me to put a premium on action. It’s taken me years to identify how this kind of thinking has influenced how I work. Once I was able to name it, I could tame it. How to start challenging your thinking The prospect of examining everything you think, feel and believe may feel overwhelming. But like any other challenge, you can train for it. Here are some concrete ways to start the process of challenging your mental models: Read—a lot. Go outside your usual reading list to expand your thinking. (Check out our summer reading list for leaders for recommendations). Talk to strangers. Seek out people with different points of view. Cultivate curiosity about their perspectives and experiences. And listen. Reflect upon your leadership . Some questions to ponder: What do I think about leadership? What is my role as a leader? When faced with tough decisions, what are my thoughts, beliefs and assumptions about the situation? What about this situation may be different from what I perceive? What data am I missing? Am I filtering anything out? Who has a different perspective from mine? What are the unintended consequences of my decisions on critical stakeholders? What challenges do I face? What have I done about them? What were the results? Argue another point of view. When making a decision, make a case for taking action different from your default. When debating a course of action with others, have everyone “flip” their thinking and argue a different point of view. Keep an open yet critical mind. Apply it to everything you read and hear. Keep a journal. Record your thoughts, feelings, beliefs and assumptions about your role as a leader. Watch how your mental model may change as you are exposed to new perspectives or experiences. This work is challenging. But if you can build a practice of self-reflection, you’ll develop the awareness, empathy and flexibility that leaders today need. And while you’re here, I’d love to know what mental models you’ve noticed guiding your thinking and, thus, your actions and outcomes?

Reclaim your calendar by empowering your team Do you feel like your calendar is running you, not the other way around? Are you frustrated trying to “manage your time,” only to have reality lay waste to your best-laid plans? I hear this a lot. Leaders have a lot of priorities that come at them fast and furious, fighting for attention. In ‘ Top-Down Bottom-Up Time Management: Getting the Right Things Done In the Midst of Chaos ,’ our signature priority-setting program, I’ll often start the first session with a simple question. “How many of you are looking for more work?” Of course, not one hand goes up, not once, in over 30 years of asking. But I do get many knowing smiles from leaders who feel there aren’t enough hours in the day. As somebody once said, “If you can’t get your work done in 24 hours a day, you might have to work at night!” Think of how it feels when you’ve got that rare blank space on your planner. Or that feeling of joy when a non-essential meeting gets cancelled, giving you that gift of time? (By the way…if the meeting is “non-essential,” why is it on your calendar in the first place?!?!) What if you could give yourself more of that? With delegation and discipline, it’s possible. TOP-DOWN, BOTTOM-UP TIME MANAGEMENT There are two traditional schools of thought when it comes to time management. The top-down approach that emerged in the 1960s focused on effective planning, allocating your time to align with your priorities. Then there’s the bottom-up school of thought, which our team affectionately calls “managing the mess.” This is about putting everything you have to do into the buckets and being super-efficient. Here at Whitewater, we see a lot of value, as well as gaps, in both of these approaches. So we took the best of both. Our approach blends the top-down approach, allowing you to focus your efforts on the most highly leveraged activities for your time with the efficiency of bottom-up planning that accounts for the messy realities of life, such as interruptions and the unexpected. This hybrid gives leaders the ability to manage both their high value-added priorities AND the dozens of stimuli coming at them in a rapidly changing, often high-stress environment. That sweet spot in the middle is your planning center, and we’ve seen how, instead of constantly being in reaction mode, it gives you the tools to proactively plan and build the skills to set long-term goals and then translate them into high-impact daily and weekly activities. THE ART OF DELEGATING Delegating is at the heart of our hybrid time management model, and for good reason: the best classic case studies on time management highlight it as the great differentiator between leaders who control their time and those who do not. There’s MacGregor , Arthur Elliott Carlisle’s classic 1976 case study on the super-organized manager of a large refinery who has so much white space on his calendar he’s free for leisure. While the golf references and all-male workforce date the article, the author’s observations on the value of what he terms “participative management techniques” are as relevant as ever. As Carlisle noted, many leaders think they are good delegators, but their behavior indicates otherwise, as they hold on to the lion’s share of decision-making. Contrast this with “MacGregor” (an alias and an easter egg, referring to Douglas McGregor, author of The Human Side of Enterprise from 1958), who strategically, systematically refuses to take on his subordinate’s problems, the work he rightly sees as theirs, not his. Relinquishing decision-making is easier said than done. It brings with it the risks of learning, namely mistakes. But to MacGregor, it’s worth it when mistakes are framed as learning experiences and decisions as growth opportunities. Or, in more modern times, as an executive coaching client of ours likes to say, “Why should I deprive my team members of a development opportunity by doing their work for them?” DELEGATION IS DEVELOPMENT MacGregor challenged the prevailing idea, then and even now, that a leader’s role is “chief decision maker” for those who report to them. MacGregor saw his job as setting clear performance objectives and staying informed about how his team was measuring against them. He’d “quit making other people’s decisions” to be a proper supervisor. MacGregor saw his time as a scarce commodity, so he guarded it with an intentional and disciplined managerial system that provided clarity around quotas and budgets, so objectives were clear. He prioritized communication in the form of weekly Wednesday reports and Thursday meetings. As he told the author, “A lot of managers feel that they have to keep proving to their people that they know more about their subordinates’ jobs than the subordinates themselves by doing their work for them. I refuse to do that anymore.” Who’s Got the Monkey? , William Oncken, Jr., and Donald L. Wass’s oft-cited 1974 Harvard Business Review article provides a compelling visual representation of problems and work in the form of a monkey. How do you keep them from ending up on your back? It’s all about developing your team’s initiative. “When you encourage employees to handle their own monkeys, they acquire new skills—and you liberate time to do your own job,” the article states. HOW TO KEEP THAT MONKEY OFF YOUR BACK The most effective managers of time share some common traits. They: Set clear goals for themselves. Identify the highest priority actions that lead to the accomplishment of those goals. Adopt a weekly or longer scheduling horizon to ensure they structure their time for those important activities. Constantly ask: “What is the best use of my time right now?” Adapt daily. Recognize that people are the most important thing, and prioritize decisions to spend time on important “people” issues as the need arises. Building these habits takes time and discipline. For a few days, keep a time journal. Write down every task you do in those days. Write a list of your top three goals and prioritize them. At the end of the week, map your tasks on the simple, four-quadrant time management matrix. Along the top, make two boxes: Important and Not Important. Along the side, add two more: Urgent and Not Urgent. What is both not important and non-urgent? Those are low-hanging fruit for elimination or outsourcing. Next, check out your Important and Urgent categories. What can you stop doing to make more time for your high-priority goals and activities? If it still needs to get done, does it need to be done by you? If you follow this simple exercise, you’ll likely be surprised at how much more spacious your planner feels and how much more focused you are at getting the right things done.

THE THREE Rs FOR A STRONG, STRATEGIC Q4 Just a few weeks ago, my family and I had a whirlwind Labor Day weekend in Toronto to wrap up the summer. Over three jam-packed days, we took in all the city had to offer, including the Canadian National Exhibition, an outdoor concert by Arctic Monkeys, and roller coasters and fireworks at Canada’s Wonderland. It was hot, humid, and tons of fun. Since then, my son’s gone back to school, the leaves have started to change to orange and red, and my clients have well and truly returned to the office, some refreshed from vacation, all refocused on the last quarter of 2023. For many people, September, more than January, is the actual new year, a reset for a last chance for a solid finish to the year. Bon voyage, vacation vibes! While this clean slate can be invigorating, it can be overwhelming. We’ve all had that feeling of returning to work after a holiday, all rested and renewed, only to find that freshness evaporating by noon. Sadly, vacation vibes tend to fade quickly in the face of workplace realities. You’ve got real work to get done, goals to accomplish, strategy to execute. Team members still need attention. Competitors are still competing. Customers are still demanding. If you’re already feeling overloaded by accumulating demands, let’s take a breath, step back from task mode, and refocus on what matters most so you can effectively drive your strategy to results by year’s end. Here are three ways to head into the rest of the year with clarity, calm and confidence. Sure, it might not be the Zen of vacation, but it beats the frantic busyness that is the norm for far too many leaders. 1. Revisit your map The first step is to revisit your big picture: your strategy. Things change quickly in today’s hyper-accelerated business climate, including, perhaps, your company’s highest priorities. It’s easy for even small shifts in direction to get lost in the summer shuffle. So, before you launch into action mode, confirm if there have been any changes to your strategy that might have a knock-on effect on high-priority items. Talk to your colleagues and higher-ups to ensure you’re up to speed, and confirm your course. Even subtle shifts in focus can compound results if you’re not aligned. It’s a lot easier to get clarity now so you can make any necessary adjustments to your team’s work plan for the rest of the year rather than trying to correct your course weeks or months down the road. 2. Reconnect with your team. It’s easy in the summer to go days or even weeks without communicating with your colleagues and team members, especially since so many people now work in remote or hybrid models. Fall is the perfect time to get the band back together. Make time to connect with your key team members individually and bring everyone together. This is important for a couple of reasons. First, it’s a chance to reconnect around priorities and tasks and convey any shifts in direction. It’s also an opportunity to hear from your people about how their work is going and get debriefed on what they’ve been up to. What progress have they made on key projects? What challenges are they anticipating or experiencing? Along with the work-focused part of this outreach, actively connecting with your people is also a chance to renew your relationships and show them that you care. This is crucial to engagement and employee satisfaction. People want to feel seen, valued and respected,to know that their contribution matters. Once you’ve reconnected, make intentional regular communications, both one-on-one and as a group, part of your plan moving forward. 3. Reclaim your calendar I’ve said it many times: leaders really only have two assets: your brain and how you choose to allocate your time to optimize it. But too many leaders live deep in the weeds, lost in the day-to-day busywork of keeping things running. Delegation is critical to reclaiming your calendar and focusing on high-level thinking and tasks. I’ll dig deeper into this vital topic in our next post. Along with an overview of the leading time management theories, I’ll share our tried-and-tested framework for getting the right things done, even amid the chaos. You can take back your time and head into the last few months of the year feeling calm, confident and in control. For now, make a list of those things only you can do. Avoid the roller coaster. Anything that doesn’t make the list, delete or delegate. As always, we love to hear from you. How do you refocus in the fall? What are your greatest challenges heading into the last stretch of the year?

Our team reflects on what we’re grateful for in 2024 As the end of 2024 draws near, Heather and I wanted to take a few moments to stop and look back on this whirlwind year. Like many growing businesses, our usual mode is GO!, so this kind of quiet contemplation is too rare. Our team members share our passion for the work and our clients, so even when we catch our breath, we’re pretty happy to talk shop!  That said, there is a time for work– and a time to reflect. I invited my team to join me in this exercise, asking them to share what they were grateful for over these last 12 months.   What struck me in their replies was the consistency: ultimately, close and loving relationships mean the most to us. Our careers are important, gratifying, and a key source of meaning and connection for many of us, but they are not everything. And that’s as it should be.   I hope you enjoy these heartfelt reflections. And if it encourages you and your team to also count your blessings, we’re grateful to have provided the prompt! Darlene Miller, Facilitator, Instructional Design In October, I celebrated my first anniversary with WhiteWater! I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to work with amazing clients who are truly committed to developing their employees and fostering leaders who exemplify both caring leadership and a results-driven mindset—the perfect balance of heart and impact. This journey has been a rewarding step toward building a future where I can fully support myself and my family through work I’m passionate about.  Howard Wellema, Facilitator I am thankful for faith, family and friends. For me, nothing comes close to these. There is no greater joy than to see my family healthy, happy, and with hearts that are loving and kind. I'm very thankful. Very grateful. And I am very happy to be in a comfortable groove with WhiteWater’s fantastic content and materials. Survey results from sessions confirm we are making a positive difference.  Jillian Gentleman, Operations Manager  I am thankful for my family and friends, who have become my family. Without them, I am not sure where I would be. The people in my life are few, as I have a small circle, but they mean the world to me.  I am so fortunate to have WhiteWater as part of my career. I'm very proud and thankful to be part of this team, even part-time. It goes to show that WhiteWater can bring out the best in people. Tracey Ross-Watmore, Instructional Designer I am thankful for my friends and family. No matter what happens, I remain so fortunate to have these lovely people in my life. Seeing my children thrive and pursue their dreams has been extraordinary, and I am grateful to be around to experience that. This was my 15th year as part of the WhiteWater family. I have had the privilege of doing meaningful work, meeting amazing people and working with wonderful colleagues every day. That counts as a blessing in my book. Fatima Hassan, Communications Manager I’m incredibly grateful for the blessing of welcoming my baby and celebrating a milestone wedding anniversary this year—a time filled with love, joy, and growth for my family. I’m proud to work alongside the amazing team at WhiteWater, whose support and collaboration make every accomplishment meaningful. Being part of such a dedicated and innovative group is truly rewarding. Heather Ryan, COO, CFO Can you believe 2024 is already wrapping up? It feels like the year just started, and we were waiting for our annual March break shenanigans. Somehow, here we are, planning our next shenanigans already. What a year it’s been—a mix of chaos, insane travel, and moments that made me stop and think, “Wow, I really don’t have it all figured out.” (Like there was ever any doubt). So there’s my family. They’ve been my constant source of love, support, and unsolicited advice this year. Whether it was celebrating the wins or reminding me that everything happens for a reason, I wouldn’t have made it through without them. That’s what we all need–equal parts cheerleaders and reality-checkers. Then there are my friends. You know who you are. You’ve brought the laughs, the vent sessions, and occasionally the bad ideas that somehow turned into the best memories. If I ever wrote a memoir, you’d each get a chapter entitled “ They Did What?!” Thank you for always being there—whether in person, on FaceTime, or via group chats full of memes. Business-wise, 2024 has been like juggling flaming swords: exciting, terrifying, and surprisingly rewarding. There’s been growth (yay!), some missteps (oops!), and a lot of figuring things out on the fly. But through it all, I’ve learned so much and gained an even deeper appreciation for my team and everyone who’s been part of the journey. Looking back, this year has been a reminder of how much there is to be grateful for. The big wins? Amazing. The tough days? Character-building (so they say). The small, everyday moments? Those are the ones that make my heart and life full. So, here’s to family, friends, work, and all the little things that made 2024 unforgettable. Thanks for the love, the laughs, and occasionally putting up with my nonsense. Let’s bring on 2025—hopefully, with a little less chaos and a little more sleep. Sean Ryan, CEO  It all starts with the WhiteWater team. I’m incredibly grateful for the passion, energy, expertise and commitment they bring every day. They genuinely care about our clients’ success and put enormous effort into being their best. It’s both incredibly exciting and humbling as our team has made us better than our wildest expectations.  I’m so grateful for our clients who have fueled our continued growth and success while we try to contribute to theirs. We are honored to be invited to work with them and do our best to earn their continued trust. And, of course, none of this happens, or even matters, without my family and friends. Heather has always been supportive of the WhiteWater journey. Over the past few years, she has been an integral part of our growth, most of which would not have happened without her. Shockingly, she still talks to me (at least, most days!) As our son finishes his last year of high school, I am incredibly thankful for his growth as a student, athlete and as a human! Finally, we are blessed to be surrounded by a huge circle of friends. We love you all!

It’s not too late to set targets for this year! Did you intend to do your 2024 planning in December, but here we are, already deep into January?  No worries. It’s not too late to set some goals. In fact, it’s the perfect time, as you’ve hopefully had a little break and are coming back fresh and rested after the holidays. You don’t need to bring in a consultant or block off a whole day to map out your targets. A couple of hours of focused work can set you on a good course.  In this post, the first of our three-part series on moving from strategy to results, we outline some simple ways to get going, focusing on your strategy. In Part 2, we look at how to set results-oriented goals using our SET form. In Part 3, we’ll look at the high-value actions, what we call performance drivers, and what it takes to make them happen. But first:  START WITH YOUR STRATEGY. In early January, I got a rather panicked call from a new client who’d recently been named general manager of a national construction company.  The industry was new to him, and he was busy learning about the business. Meanwhile, the annual sales team meetings, where the year’s targets would be set, were fast approaching.  “I'm trying to figure out how to make our time together valuable,” he says.  Let’s start with your strategy, I suggested. What does it say?  “Well, instead of quoting every job, which we used to do, now we’re only going to quote jobs that matter.”  Hmm. I was starting to see why he was struggling. For starters, their “strategy” wasn’t a strategy at all. It was a tactic.  This happens a lot, and it helps explain why so few organizations successfully get the results they want.  Many clients confuse goals, strategies, tactics, and actions. When the relationship between these ingredients for results is blurred, it creates confusion and makes it hard to get everyone aligned to move forward together.  So, just to recap:  Strategy  tells us, at a high level, where the organization wants to go and how it will position itself to create a competitive advantage.  Goals  give us specific targets to move in that direction (more on that in Part 2 of this series) Performance drivers  (or critical actions) are the things we need to do to get there (see Part 3)  Your strategy is your North Star that guides all of your goal-setting. It really is the first step to driving results.  But too often, these plans collect dust. If that’s the case for your organization, pull out the document, determine what’s still relevant, and think about how to flow this into three to five specific strategic goals. Some general questions to kick off the discussion: Where are our growth opportunities? What differentiates us? What target markets do we want to be in? What do customers in those target markets value? Where should we consider reinvesting? And if your strategy needs refreshing, check out our earlier post  on how to design and execute your best strategic thinking session yet.  MAXIMIZE YOUR ASSETS. We see many clients burning themselves out pursuing new customers, building new products, and chasing new markets when their existing assets still have a lot of juice left to be squeezed.  Instead of always going after what's next and what's new, the smartest move might be doubling down on what’s already working.  As you think about potential goals, ask yourself:  What do we do exceptionally well?  How might we expand our offerings?  For service-based companies, how might we productize our expertise?  What opportunities do we have to upsell to existing clients?  In many of our client's businesses, we see the 80/20 rule play out in terms of products and profit, with 20% of their offerings generating the majority of the business. What’s your 20%? What goals might maximize it?  CONNECT TO YOUR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE. I know a builder whose differentiator is an iron-clad commitment to project timelines. If he says the roof will be on by Dec. 1, it’s as good as done.  This delivery commitment creates a huge advantage over the competition, who won’t make promises because of the challenges of scheduling subcontracting tradespeople.  This example is interesting because the service he provides – the construction – isn’t innovative. What is unique and gives him an edge is how he manages the tradespeople on which the construction industry depends.  What advantages, unique value propositions, or proprietary products or services set you apart from the competition? How might they be leveraged to help you reach your goals?  In our next post, the second in our three-part series on moving from strategy to results, we look at how to set results-oriented goals using our S.E.T. form.  In Part 3, we’ll look at the high-value actions, what we call performance drivers, to take to make it happen. Goal Setting

When we ask our clients what their company’s goals are, very often, they don’t know.  This is typically true at all levels of the organization, from senior management to the front line.  Yikes! And when they do think they know what the goals are, very often, what they report are, in fact, activities  rather than actual results. Or their stated goals are so abstract as to be meaningless: “We want to be better this year than we were last.”  This vague vision is not helpful. Our last post looked at how there must be a natural flow from strategy to goals to results. In this post, we’re peeling another layer of the onion to show you how to take the general ideas from your initial reflections and shape them into clear, crisp, results-oriented goals. (In our third post in the series, we will dig into actioning them).  INVOLVE YOUR TEAM IN GOAL SETTING In a lot of organizations, the goal-setting process happens at the top. The leadership team hands down the goals as a proclamation from on high: “Here's your target. Go hit this number.”   This top-down approach is typically doomed to failure because the people responsible for hitting the goal don’t know where those numbers came from or how they align with the company’s overall strategy (which should be the North Star for everyone).  A client once told me their department’s goal was “10% fewer product defects in 2024.”  Ok, great. But why? How does that relate to your strategy? How does it create value for your customers? Is that achievable for your team? Does it make sense based on your resources?  There is also the risk that it may not be realistic, setting up your team for frustration and failure, which is a major motivation killer. It can also create confusion or even resentment because, really, who among us likes receiving orders that seem arbitrary?  NAME THE RESULT We once worked with a telecom company with the strategic objective of increasing brand loyalty. Love it.  But when it came to goals, this strategic aim was nowhere to be seen in the priorities guiding the front-line customer service reps, who are crucial to customer experience. Their performance was primarily based on a metric: take at least 100 calls daily. (Ironically, this target actually ran counter to the strategic goal because it encouraged reps to end calls quickly, even to the point of intentionally hanging up on customers to hit their target!) Instead of activities, they should have been promoting outcomes. This is where setting results-oriented  goals comes in.  Results-oriented goals are a game changer because they define what you want to accomplish  rather than what you should do . By setting these types of goals, everyone in the company can understand how their work contributes to the larger picture. It also sets you up to easily track progress and adjust as needed.  Results-oriented goals can be either quantitative or qualitative. Some examples of the former include increasing market share, profitability, or new product development. Some examples of qualitative goals are improved service levels, elevated thought leadership, or better client satisfaction.  The important thing is to look at the result rather than the activities to get there.  REFINE INTO S.E.T. GOALS OK, so now you’ve got one or even a few results-oriented goals defined for 2024. You know what you’re hoping to achieve.  Now, we’re going to take things a step further, refining your goal into SET form so it has a:  S tarting point  E nding point T imeframe The starting point is where you’re at now, and the ending point is – you guessed it – where you want to be. This is as simple as it sounds, but it’s incredible how articulating these three simple boundaries can help focus your team. Just defining this gap can help motivate your team and provide a healthy tension to drive performance.  And the timeframe? That’s just the deadline or target date for achieving your goal. It helps your team manage their time and priorities. It also allows them to direct their energy and focus. A goal with no timeframe feels arbitrary and formless. The chances of realizing it are slim indeed.  So, going back to our telecom company, a SET goal might be to increase the Net Promoter Score, a critical measure of customer loyalty, from 65 to 75% by the end of the year.  The specificity of the result and the timeframe aren’t just motivating; they will help you determine if you’ve met your goal in the future. It also makes planning and provisioning around the goal easier because the tools and talents needed to succeed should be pretty clear. Not having the right architecture – the systems and processes – to deliver is one of the most common reasons organizations fail to transmit well-formulated strategies to results. BE BOLD YET REALISTIC By now, you should have at least one (but maybe a few) results-oriented goals that align with your overall strategic objectives, defined in S.E.T. form.  Amazing! You are already ahead of more than half of organizations and on track to hitting your targets for 2024.  Now, look at your list and ask yourself: what can we reasonably expect to accomplish this year? There’s no point in setting goals that are impossible to hit based on your team, processes, or other factors.  More on that in our next post, which will show you how to break your goal into  bite-sized actions and focus your team’s energy and time to align with the goal. We’ll also show you how to measure your progress as you transition from naming goals to getting results. Before you know it, you’ll be on your way to achieving your goals for 2024.