jdean3 - Tales of Transformation

Point of View Graphic

Background: Perhaps one of the greatest internal developments within Ford Motor Company during the 90′s (Nasser Era) was the institutionalization of BLI (Business Leadership Initiative) and specifically the personalization of the “Teachable Point of View”.  Forcing every employee to develop and articulate a statement of what they valued and how it translated into their decisions and actions was a tremendous revelation to many people.  Initially, the simple act of slowing down enough to reflect inwardly was awkward but when we really applied the process truthfully (some did) and accurately acknowledged the conflicts that existed in our work-lives/personal values, it became a powerful tool to help launch a mentoring mentality, a collaborative mindset and greater sense of openness and honesty that was absent within our culture.  I have found no greater tool than the expression of an individual PoV to drive synergy or teamwork in an organization.

My First Attempt: The bulk of this posting was taken from my first presentation of my own point of view of success.  It was given on August 11-12, 1998 at the Tanglewood Resort in Lake Texoma, TX to my staff of 18 Zone Managers/Schedulers in the Southwest Region.  I’m sure I spent weeks preparing for the presentation as my notes were extensive and my outline on the entitled “IRA & Six Pack” (9 concepts and values that formed the basis of my PoV) was three pages long.  It was a huge success with the team and gave me the confidence to keep building upon my PoV as I matured.

Use of Graphic: Not everyone uses a graphic to depict their professional PoV, but I have found it invaluable.  Although I have amended the core values “titles” from time to time, the main message remains intact.  I have utilized the Powerpoint triangle graphic because it was easy to recreate, but I have long since wanted to develop a different/more appropriate depiction that doesn’t prioritize or minimize the value discussion points.  Any suggestion?

Basic Tenants of my PoV: Each of these tenants deserve their own postings, so I will only summarize them here.  [Note:  I will update this posting with links to a more thorough explanation of all points when they are available]

• Data Driven Decisions. The foundation of my PoV rest with the notion that all decisions, evaluations and forecasts must be based upon the facts.  Quantifiable and qualitative data collection is easy to collect in our industry and yet we often fail to hold people accountable for them or to use the data to make our decisions.  It is also imperative that we clearly articulate an individuals contribution to the data results.  This is especially important when there are so many variables that impact product performance in a market.
• Sustainability. We simply must get comfortable with doing the right thing for the long term.  This isn’t about doing the same thing, however.  To truly sustain something it must be evolutionary.  It must adapt, and conform to maintain.
• Mentoring. Everyone needs a mentor and you can not lead without becoming a coach for business acumen, courage and personal intiative.
• Accountability. The assumption of responsibility is one of the key drivers of success and is often avoided at all cost.  A leader must step forward and take control and ownership even when things aren’t going smoothly.
• Efficiency. On one hand this has to do with “getting more output than input given”; on the other it has to do with effectiveness.  Success has to do with your ability to clearly demonstrate INITIATIVE.
• Transparency. Honesty and consistency are paramount to successful leadership.  The comfort of predictability is what creates followers when you need them most.  Open door communication is not enough, you must walk the talk and encourage your team to push back when something seems inconsistent.
• Focus on Others. This is the true test of a leader worth following.  If “its all about me”, no one will care to join. Your teammates want to know your focus isn’t on yourself.
• Fostering Passion. We need more passionate employees!  Providing an environment for that passion to excel will drive huge returns to the team.  Our rules and constraints too often do the opposite of what we need to unleash the power of passionate employees.
  
• Inspiring Purpose. Although not every employee aspires to passion in their work, everyone needs a sense of purpose in their job.  Knowing how they contribute to the objectives and success of the organization seems obvious, yet it is most often missing.