Coach Dan's Blog

Painting a new process overtop of the same organizational structure will not result in the meaningful improvements you're hoping for. Successful transformation leaders reorganize their people to improve effectiveness, efficiency and engagement. Just look at the data! ·  McKinsey found that organizations that adopted cross-functional, agile teams were able to improve decision-making speed by as much as 40%, compared to traditional hierarchical structures. ·  Stanford University found that an organization’s time to market decreased by 30% after implementing cross-functional teams in an agile setup. ·  Forrester Research indicates that cross-functional teams in product development (especially those aligned around customer needs and business outcomes) can lead to 20-30% faster time to market compared to traditional, siloed teams. ·  HBR published research that found that cross-functional teams led to a 25% improvement in team effic...

  For anyone who needs to hear it today - “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson Emerson is on to something. Is it possible to spend so much time trying to meet the expectations of others that you forget the value you bring as a unique human being? Are we so busy pleasing others, that we miss the chance to contribute our own uniqueness to a problem or an opportunity? How many incredible innovations have we missed out over time because of the phrase, "The boss wants it done this way...?" YOU are amazing. YOU are unique. YOU are valuable ideas and perspectives. BE who you are and give your best. That is the greatest accomplishment.

Painting your current organization with a “new” framework doesn’t address the challenges in the structure. Installing a new framework without rethinking team composition won’t get you far! Recreating teams to be cross-functional and focused on a common outcome is the first step to truly unleashing your organization’s potential. Agile Transformations without Organizational Re-design misses the mark almost every time!

  To unleash your people's full potential, it's essential to eliminate barriers that hinder collaboration. Form cross-functional teams. Set challenging shared objectives. Equip them with the necessary data and tools. You have now paved the way for their growth and success. Collaboration and empowerment are the cornerstones of a thriving team environment.

"The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking." - Albert Einstein Leaders have worked hard to make their organization how it is today. It's a reflection of how they lead and what they believe. Is it any wonder that it's so hard for organizations to change? Changing an organization requires the leader to change how they lead.  Transformations fail because leaders fail to reimagine themselves. Do you want your organization to change? Start with yourself! 

  Gallop's study of 230 companies reveals a compelling link between team engagement and performance. Organizations and teams with high engagement levels consistently outperform those with lower levels.  Leaders fostering an environment where teams can collaborate, balance, and enhance their effectiveness and engagement drive superior results for stakeholders. 

High performing teams are transparent with their Three Es. Take every opportunity to tell the full story of a teams effectiveness, efficiency and engagement. Stakeholders who understand the full picture of how a team is performing, can do more to enable and empower their teams. Share your Effectiveness, Efficiency and Engagement every chance you get!