Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Trust and Employee Engagement


Over the years, there have been several studies that show a direct correlation from employee engagement and business results.  Engaged employees are more innovative, give their best at work, take less sick time, stay with companies longer and the list goes on and on.

I recently came across an infographic on Inc.com that shows the real costs of bad bosses.  There were several parts that caught my attention.  Here are just a few:

·         Three out of four employees report that their boss is the most stressful part of their job
·         65% said they would take a new boss over a pay raise
·         The average cost to replace a minimum wage employee is $3,500 (includes recruiting, interviewing, hiring, training and reduced productivity). 
Keep in mind It’s much higher for a knowledge worker! 

If you want to view the full infographic, followthis link.

So why am I writing about this?  Because there is a real need for leadership and a real value to an organization that has it.  At FranklinCovey, we believe that there are 4 cores to a great leader:
 
·         Inspire Trust
·         Clarify Purpose
·         Align Systems
·         Unleash Talent

The first of the 4 Cores is Inspire Trust.  The reason that this is first is because trust is The Performance Multiplier that affect everything in your organization.  Trust is the number one leadership competency needed today.  It is a measurable, trainable and learnable skill.

We also know that trust has a direct correlation to employee engagement.  The number one driver of employee engagement is trust!  The most leverage can be found between a supervisor and their direct report.  If organizations focus on instilling trust in their culture (beginning with the leaders), they can dramatically affect their speed and cost!  Read an article titled, How the Best Leaders Build Trust, written by Stephen M.R. Covey, author of the best-selling leadership book, The Speed of Trust.

Lastly, when organizations are going through change (downsizing, merger, systems, etc.) the leaders that focus on exhibiting trustworthy behaviors during the change, yield the best results.  Click here to watch a video that will explain more.

If this intriguing to you, then consider joining us for one of our complementary executive sessions titled, Creating a Culture of Trust  February19th - Dallas.
 
Seats are open to senior leaders and executives and training decision makers and HR leaders.  Please contact me today to RSVP.

Growing trust one organization at a time,

John Vakidis
214-387-9960

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Project Management Essentials North American Tour


In more than 50 cities in North America, FranklinCovey will be holding exclusive 3-hour previews of our newest business solution: Project Management Essentials - For the Unofficial Project Manager. We would like to invite you to be one of the first to preview this Project Management Institute accredited workshop in Dallas on Tuesday, February 5th and Oklahoma City  on Friday, Feb 8th, 2013.

Project Management Essentials is designed for unofficial project managers - nearly every knowledge worker in organizations today oversees projects of some size. Not understanding how to do this effectively leads to increased costs, slow results, and damaged relationships between colleagues.

These event are not meant as a complete training solution, but rather an opportunity for industry leaders to evaluate FranklinCovey's new approach to the topic, and discuss if it makes sense to bring the full solution to your organization.

Please contact me directly to RSVP, or if you have any questions.

Thanks for your consideration.

John Vakidis
214.387.9960
 
 
 

LEARN VALUABLE REAL WORLD SKILLS FROM FRANKLINCOVEY
Today’s knowledge workers have quietly slipped into the role of the unofficial project manager. Stakeholders, scope creep, no formal training, and a lack of process all combine to raise the probability of project failure, costing organizations time, money, and employee morale.
 

People + Process = Success
Project management isn’t just about managing logistics and hoping the project team is ready to play to win. The skills of “informal authority” are more important than ever before, so team members are inspired to contribute to project success!
 
 
This overview session is designed for decision-makers and leaders to evaluate the relevance of the Project Management Essentials™ For the Unofficial Project Manager Solution in their organizations.

Creating a Culture of Execution 1.16.13 Dallas

 
 
 
 

Friday, December 7, 2012

4DX and The Strategy Map

In October of 2011, I wrote a post titled, The5 Stages of Performance Improvement, about how it relates to organizations executing strategy.  This was by far one my most read posts and it is always a great discussion point for leaders.  Executing a strategy that requires a change in human behavior is probably one of the most difficult challenges a leader will ever face.

After studying execution and working with thousands of teams globally over the last decade, FranklinCovey built a process to help leaders with this challenge known as The4 Disciplines of Execution.  This methodology was released earlier this year as a Simon & Schuster book and has been at the top of the Wall Street Journal Best-Seller list.  You can download an introduction here.

To better understand the basic principles, consider watching this 16-minute video:  The 4 Disciplines of Execution Overview.

After you watch the video above, you might wonder how this 4DX fits into your overall strategy.  The graphic below helps illustrate that.  This graphic differentiates the 3 aspects to most strategies:

·         Stroke of the Pen
·         Whirlwind
·         Behavior Change


 
 
We also have another great video that illustrates The Strategy Map above.  Click here to watch.
 
 
If you would like to learn more about how our 4Disciplines of Execution Process might be able to help you in the coming year, let’s set up an introductory meeting with your local Client Partner.  It will be an hour well spent and we’ll be sure to bring you a copy of the book.
 
Let FranklinCovey become your ultimate competitive advantage in 2013 and beyond!
 
John Vakidis
Business Partner | FranklinCovey
214.387.9960 |
john.vakidis@franklincovey.com
 
PS - Check out these quotes below about The 4 Disciplines of Execution!
 
"What Six Sigma and Lean are to manufacturing, The 4 Disciplines of Execution is to executing your strategy. 4DX is a practical methodology that can solve every leader's #1 challenge: execution."
-Ram Charan, coauthor of the best-selling Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done and author of What the CEO Wants You to Know
 
"Many of the foundational values of Marriott are embodied within The 4 Disciplines of Execution. By utilizing this process inside our organization, our leaders and teams have been able to set and achieve extraordinary goals, which have had a significant impact on making ‘Our Guests' Experience' truly remarkable. Any organization can create these same kinds of breakthrough results if they apply the principles and processes taught in this book!"
-J. W. Marriott, Jr., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Marriott International, Inc.
 
"The 4 Disciplines' practical guidance on goal-setting and measurement resonates with groups at all levels in our organization. Many teams have applied this intuitive approach to build engagement and increase execution and accountability."
- Dave Dillon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, The Kroger Co.


Wednesday, November 14, 2012

THE WISDOM AND TEACHINGS OF STEPHEN R. COVEY


New Book Features The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Author, Stephen Covey: 
THE WISDOM AND TEACHINGS OF STEPHEN R. COVEY
 

Invaluable Gift Book – The Most Memorable and Important Teachings of Stephen Covey, Beloved Leadership Expert and Bestselling Author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

NEW YORK & SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Simon & Schuster and Franklin Covey Co. (NYSE: FC) today announced the launch of a new book featuring Stephen Covey, the bestselling author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, entitled THE WISDOM AND TEACHINGS OF STEPHEN R. COVEY (November 13th, 2012/$18.00 hardcover).

Stephen Covey passed away in July 2012, leaving behind an unmatched legacy with his teachings about leadershiptime managementeffectiveness, success, love, education and family. A multi-million-copy bestselling author of business and self-help, Stephen Covey strove to help readers recognize the key elements that would lead them to personal and professional effectiveness. His seminal work, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, transformed the way millions of people act on their problems with a compelling, logical and well-defined process. Indeed, many of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People have been assimilated into everyday thinking and everyday conversation. For example, the expressions “win/win” and “first things first,” to name a few, have been incorporated into almost every culture around the world.

THE WISDOM AND TEACHINGS OF STEPHEN R. COVEY is a compilation of Stephen Covey’s most insightful, inspiring teachings and sayings. His profound influence spread beyond individuals and businesses and continues to be integrated into governmentseducational systems, and many other institutions with great success. This book covers Stephen Covey’s most impactful topics: time management, success, leadership – including principle-centered leadership – all of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, love and family. This powerful collection is a lasting tribute to the luminary that will be missed by so many.

THE WISDOM AND TEACHINGS OF STEPHEN R. COVEY is a collection of my father’s most memorable and important teachings, all from his bestselling books, such as The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” said Sean Covey, Executive Vice President of Global Solutions and Chief Product Architect, Franklin Covey. “For anyone who has read Stephen Covey’s books, they have personally experienced his approach and commitment to teaching universal principles. His teachings are enormously empowering and transcend differences of every kind in every culture, in every age. These principles have withstood the test of time with millions of people throughout the world and will continue to do so in the future. My father’s legacy continues on.”

About the author

Stephen Covey, one of Time magazine's 25 most influential Americans, was an internationally respected leadership authority, family expert, teacher, organizational consultant, and author. He sold over 25 million books (in 38 languages), and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People was named the #1 Most Influential Business Book of the 20th century. Stephen Covey was the co-founder of Franklin Covey Co., a global performance improvement company with more than 40 direct and licensee offices providing professional services in over 140 countries. Stephen Covey was also professor of management at the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University, where he held the first Jon M. Huntsman Presidential Chair in Leadership. He passed away in July 2012.

About Franklin Covey

Franklin Covey Co. (NYSE: FC) is a global company specializing in performance improvement. We help organizations achieve results that require a change in human behavior. Our expertise is in seven areas: leadership, execution, productivity, trust, sales performance, customer loyalty and education. Franklin Covey clients have included 90 percent of the Fortune 100, more than 75 percent of the Fortune 500, thousands of small- and mid-sized businesses, as well as numerous government entities and educational institutions. Franklin Covey has more than 40 direct and licensee offices providing professional services in over 140 countries. For more information, visit www.franklincovey.com.

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Project Management Essentials for the Unofficial Project Manager

In today’s Knowledge Worker Age, virtually everyone manages projects of some type, big or small with little or no formal training, raising the probabilities of project failure. Pervasive and sustainable project success will come to those who intentionally choose to implement a disciplined process and master the skills of informal authority.

 
Project management isn’t just about managing logistics and hoping the project team is ready to play to win. Project Management Essentials strengthens a participant’s ability to implement a powerful process framework AND engage a team around project accountability.






Project Management Essentials for the Unofficial Project Manager is FranklinCovey's newest solution and we are happy to announce that this program is available for onsite deliver and licensed certification. Whether a FranklinCovey Consultant or someone from your organization facilitates, it can be facilitated traditionally in the classroom (1-day or 2-days), online through a series of LiveClicks Webinars or through blended learning. 
 
  
 


Learn more about this content during one of our many upcoming webinars in November or our LIVE executive showcase coming to Dallas on Nov 13th.

Visit our program site: http://pm.franklincovey.com/.  For more details about partnering with FranklinCovey, please contact us to learn more.


Wednesday, October 31, 2012

FranklinCovey Online Learning Special!


 
Online Learning Special for a Limited Time!

77 On Demand Courses for only $299!

Access to FranklinCovey’s On Demand Catalog includes 77 online self-paced courses which cover a wide range of leadership, productivity and business skills. They incorporate concepts from the FranklinCovey popular workshops including The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Leading at the Speed of Trust and Great Leaders, Great Teams and Great Results.  Catalog includes:

LiveClicks Encore
Access to 10 self-paced courses which are 30 to 60 minutes in length. All courses are online and include content-based instruction through videos, animation, interactive quizzes and assessments, PDF toolkits as well as other resources and tools

The 7 Habits Jump Start: Habits 1–3
Learn to: Be proactive, keep commitments, become accountable for your actions and have a positive influence.

The 7 Habits Jump Start: Habits 4–7
Learn to: Collaborate effectively, form productive business relationships, develop listening skills and apply effective persuasion techniques.

Building Process Excellence
Learn to: Create excellent systems and processes using the Six Building Blocks of Process Excellence.

Building a High-Trust Organization
Learn to: Develop trust in your role and identify processes that need improvement by using the 13 Behaviors of Trust

The Speed of Trust Foundations
Learn to: Increase speed to market, accelerate growth and enhance innovation
 
Time-Management Fundamentals
Learn to: Apply time management principles to your life and master the skills of planning your weeks and organizing your days.
 
Business Writing Skills
Learn to: Increase writing productivity, resolve issues and avoid errors and write faster with more clarity

Unleashing Your Team’s Talent
Learn to: Engage in meaningful conversations that enable team members to contribute their talent to the organization’s needs.

The Diversity Advantage
Learn to: Increase understanding, gain deeper trust and achieve high levels of collaboration.

Resolving Generational Conflict
Learn to: Manage employees from different generations and understand why and how each generation responds differently in the workplace.

 

Excelerators
Access to 4 self-paced courses which are 45 to 60 minutes in length. Excelerators offer a highly interactive experience  through videos, animation, interactive quizzes and assessments, PDF toolkits as well as other resources and tools.

Clarifying Your Team's Purpose and Strategy
Learn to: Connect your team’s purpose to the mission and strategy of the organization and gain the skills for leading your team in executing on goals

The Speed of Trust: Relationship Trust
Learn to: Set a positive example, take responsibility and restore trust

The Speed of Trust: Self Trust
Learn to: Act with integrity, take responsibility, and build confidence

The 4 Imperatives of Great Leaders
Learn to: Inspire trust within your team, identify and address the four chronic problems that undermine success, creating an environment where productivity and creativity thrive

 

InSights On Demand
Access to 63 single-point lessons based around FranklinCovey's award winning vidoes. These bite-sized courses are 10 to 15 minutes in length and fall under 15 competencies below:

Business Acumen
3 Courses: The Power of Keeping Score, Make Your Systems Succeed, Understand How You Affect the Bottom Line

Learn to: Set clear objectives, create effective team processes and be accountable for key measures.
 

Communication
3 Courses: How to Give and Receive Feedback, Empathic Listening, Win-Win Thinking

Learn to: Communicate candidly and respectfully, create a “win-win” culture and respect the viewpoints of others.
 

Conflict Management
5 Courses: Resolve a Conflict, Build a Relationship, Turn Your Adversaries Into Allies, Negotiating Breakthrough Solutions, Win-Lose Conditioning

Learn to: See conflicts as opportunities, eliminate sources of unhealthy competition and collaborate for the good of the team.
 

Customer Focus
4 Courses: Build Your Brand, Know What Your Customers Really Want, Earn the Loyalty of Your Customers, How to Partner With Your Customers

Learn to: Build a trusted brand, build relationships with customers and make customers into promoters.


Execution
7 Courses: Overcoming the Execution Gap, Staying Focused on Key Priorities, Lead Measures, Steps to Effective Team Execution, Whirlwind, Creating an Accountability System, Turn Strategy into Action

Learn to: Execute strategy with excellence, eliminate barriers to achieving goals, and focus on the “critical few” instead of the “trivial many.”


Innovation/Creativity
3 Courses: Building an Innovative Culture, What Positive Difference Can Your Team Make?, Achieving Creative Breakthroughs
Learn to: Come up with innovative solutions to problems, develop a creative approach to work and leverage diverse points of view.


Managing Change
4 Courses: Taking Charge of Your Life, Becoming a Force for Positive Change, Initiate Change, Navigate Through Turbulent Times
Learn to: Take responsibility for results, see opportunity in adversity and deal successfully with a changing and uncertain environment.
 

Performance Management
3 Courses: Holding Each Other Accountable for Results, The Art of Demotivation, Win-Win Agreements

Learn to: Demonstrate accountability for results, develop individual talents and leverage the potential of each person.
 

Personal Productivity
7 Courses: Big Rocks, Circle of Influence, Understanding the Stress Cycle, Sharpen the Saw, Survival/Revival, How to Manage Your Time Effectively, Weekly Planning

Learn to: Focus on what is important, handle stress productively, balance work and life priorities and take initiative and plan daily and weekly.


Problem Solving
3 Courses: How to Change the World, Prevent Crises Before They Arise, See-Do-Get

Learn to: Anticipate and prevent crises, attack problems at their roots, make a meaningful contribution and deal successfully with change and ambiguity.
 

Strategic Leadership
5 Courses: Create a Clear and Compelling Strategy, Principles of Long-Term Success, How to  Lead a Team to Victory,  Balancing Short- and Long-Term Thinking, What Great Leaders Are Made Of

Learn to: Think beyond the short term, become principle-oriented, develop the leadership qualities of character and genuine concern for people.


Talent Development
4 Courses: Seeing the Potential in Others, Empowering Ourselves to Succeed, Light the Fire, Unleashing the Full Capacity of People

Learn to: Empower one another to succeed, build the confidence of others and create a climate where everyone wants to give their best.

 
Team Building
3  Courses: Reaching the Summit as a Team, Build a Great Team by Leveraging Diversity, Speed Up Your Team

Learn to: Develop team routines and processes to ensure excellence, learn to solve new problems and value diverse perspectives.


Trust/Integrity
5  Courses: How to Destroy Your Credibility, Building High-Trust Relationships, Building Personal Credibility, The Case for Trust, The High Cost of Low Trust

Learn to: Build trust by demonstrating  integrity, restore trust by being truthful and righting wrongs, extend trust to others, walk your talk” in living up to your values.


Vision/Purpose
5 Courses: Develop a Powerful Personal Mission, Contribution, Discovery of a Character, Live, Love, Learn, Leave a Legacy, Paint a Picture of Your Best Life

Learn to: Think beyond the short term, define a set of core values and engage your passion and sense of purpose.

 
After purchasing, you will receive an email containing the details you need to access the entire library. All courses are organized by competency. You can move through the courses as you please. You will have access for one year after the time of purchase.

Ready to get started?  If so, contact your regional Business Partner, John Vakidis at 214-387-9960.