Think about something you have a ton of passion for: Family, business, hobby, sports organization, etc.

I’ll keep it fun, and pick the University of Oklahoma Sooners Football Program. The great thing about passion for a sports organization, we get to play CEO outside the lines.  I feel I have all the answers and not worried to share those out loud to anyone that wants to listen.  Does that sound familiar for your passion? How about for your business?

So after OU lost in the football playoffs this month, as “acting” CEO I asked three very important questions (personally, the most important questions any leader can ask):

• WHAT IF?
• WHY NOT?
• HOW FAST?

I’m not sure the University of Oklahoma Football staff is actively seeking my “acting” CEO opinion to those questions. I would assume as hard as the loss was, someone did take the time to ask questions.  And if you think about organizations or businesses, I believe that extraordinary leaders create simple but effective questions to ensure they are doing everything they can to unlock the potential.

Let’s turn the script to my actual business. St. Patrick’s Day is a great time of the year for Guinness – everyone likes to be Irish on March 17^th.  Some might call it our “Super Bowl” for the year.  And as most FMCPG, (Fast Moving Consumer Packaged Goods), organizations set yearly targets, what you accomplished Last Year has to be cycled.   So our team came up with a different summit: we want to do more than just cycle a number, we want extraordinary performance.  We aligned our Diageo Beer Company National Account team to grow Guinness +XX% vs Last Year in our high value chains January-March (St. Patrick’s Day selling window).  The value of the opportunity/challenge could be potentially worth 7X compared to our strong 2017 performance.

But how do we do that? We applied the 3 question principal:

WHAT IF? – How would the team feel, how would retailers and our distributors feel? Would it drive incremental value?  Would consumer awareness and engagement expand?  The answer was YES to all.

WHY NOT? – Do we have the resources we need? Is that the right time to invest?  Is anything holding us back?

HOW FAST? – How quickly could we get our internal team aligned? Who else needs to be part of the plan?  What barriers could we remove?

I can’t wait to see the impact/results April 1. There will be a lot of celebrating success as I have a ton of confidence!

So asking questions can have a big impact. However, for me personally, it first starts with having a clear and strong PURPOSE (what impact can I make every day).  This is an even more powerful place to play than high performance.  I wake up every morning thinking about….

UNLOCKING POTENTIAL: A Blue Print for Breakthrough Teams and Performance

Over the last 20 years I’ve had the opportunity to be part of some great organizations and work for some great leaders. I would generally suggest there were some common formulas for success such as: passionate people, engaged teams, strong leaders, operated in growth/growing categories, had industry leading innovation and ultimately an extraordinary culture.  High Performance was the norm.  Losing was not an option.

Below is what I feel can help organizations or individuals accomplish greatness and play at an even higher level.

The 4 most common principles I find for UNLOCKING POTENTIAL are:

1. LIMITLESS CULTURE– Start with no boundaries, a white sheet of paper and create the possibilities.
2. Double down on LEADERSHIP capabilities.
3. Build the bridge from Control to TRUST.
4. Pause to CELEBRATE– let your emotions flow. Create fun and excitement, let everyone see or hear your moxie.

As organizations continue to work through consolidation, complexity, speed, data & insights, and consumer engagement, the challenge to win and win big becomes even more complex. That is why I am so passionate around My Purpose to UNLOCK POTENTIAL.

Leaders that can and are willing to over-invest in UNLOCKING POTENTIAL will drive greater success. And the great thing about UNLOCKING POTENTIAL, it is not limited to just one or even a couple of leaders….everyone can have a voice/impact.  As our Diageo Beer Company National Account team has seen, when we develop a purpose around UNLOCKING POTENTIAL, great things happen.

So whether you are looking to UNLOCK POTENTIAL across a Business, People, Performance or Brands, I suggest the “Frame-Work or Blue Print”. Each pillars has detailed thought-starters or concepts that have allowed our teams to out-compete:

BUSINESS

1. Start with creating and fostering a “NO-LIMIT CULTURE”.
2. Build out a clear “STRATEGIC VISION”.
3. From the vision, align and implement a “BLUE PRINT”.
4. Keep “EXECUTION” at the core of everything you do.

PERFORMANCE

1. Critical you create the proper “CADENCE”.
2. Develop process and a mind-set to “SIMPLIFY” will allow you to go faster.
3. Have a “SUMMIT” you are trying to climb.
4. Find reasons to pause, to “CELEBRATE” success.

PEOPLE

1. It all starts with a high level of “TRUST”. Think about how you bridge from control to trust.
2. Invest in TALENT.
3. Invest in LEADERSHIP.
4. Push outside the BOUNDARIES.

BRANDS

1. Play to WIN.
2. Think OUTSIDE IN.
3. CONSUMER first.
4. SPEED matters.

Like the University of Oklahoma Football team, I would bet their version (or Blue Print) moving forward is well beyond just returning to the Final 4. I would have to imagine it is to create a dynasty, to WIN the championship the next 4 years in a row.

How will that happen? As with my organization, individuals and leaders will have to inspire the UNLOCKING POTENTIAL Blue Print.

Ty Gilmore

*Vice President of National Accounts – Diageo

 

 

 

*Title and company of the author reflect their position at the time article was written.

The opinions expressed here by guest bloggers are their own, not necessarily those of Stout Executive Search.

We are fully into the holiday season … it is time to close out the year, spend time with friends and enjoy the moments that matter with family.

At some point over the next six weeks you are going to reflect on 2017 and set goals for 2018. I am sure your goals will include a mix of how to develop your team, improve customer engagement, and grow share and drive shareholder value … as I know mine will.  That said, I am going to start with, and build a detailed plan to achieve Better Balance.

To get you into a Better Balance mindset, I’ve included a portion of former Coca-Cola CEO Brian Dyson’s 1991 Georgia Tech commencement speech.

‘As intelligent and active participants in a dynamic society like America, you must bring balance into your lives. Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them — work, family, health, friends and spirit — and you’re keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls – family, health, friends and spirit — are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life.’

Where I love to build, contribute to, and be part of a winning team, I have justified winning at all costs throughout times in my career and the cost has often been friends and family. If that sounds familiar to you, I welcome you to take on the same challenge that I have given myself.

Set a two year plan for the four glass balls that you want to achieve en route to 2020. What moments will you create with your friends, parents and children?  Which trip will you finally take?  How will you invest in your health to enjoy more of those moments beyond 2020?  And how will you ensure your spirit is in line with your actions and ambitions?

When setting goals, the overly ambitious part of me usually kicks in; trip to Napa with my wife, go to five different football stadiums with the boys, build my daughter a two-story princess castle, etc…but I recommend you set many simple goals that can build over time. As you do them repeatedly, they will be deeper and richer connections as you work toward your 2020 goals.

My Better Balance commitments for the next 12 months are below. Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn to share your commitments and to hold me accountable to mine!

Family: Weekend morning coffees with my wife, weekly baseball, basketball or football time with each of the boys, and whatever my daughter wants, pretty much whenever she wants it. Weekly phone calls to my parents and in-laws. I am sure my Mom will hold me accountable to this one!  I suspect what will come out of this could be the family trip, Green Bay in December, etc…but I want to start with small, simple, rich actions.

Health: Continue on the journey my wife and I started 5 years ago which includes healthy eating with balanced fun, teaching our kids through our actions the benefits of putting good things into your body, and as the kids get older, incorporate them into our training, where it makes sense for them.

Friends: For the friends in Arkansas this is easy. Friendships are growing fast, and it’s a great time, so I will stay on the train.  For friends from previous locations or homes, when I travel, I will reach out a week in advance to see if any are free for something as simple as coffee or dinner or a ball game.

Spirit: For my spiritual wellness, I will continue to live my purpose which applies to both my personal and professional life, and building things that will grow.  {Things} can be relationships, teams, businesses, etc…with integrity and fairness as the core values.

I hope this inspires you to take a different view on your goals for 2018 and beyond, and to get you into a Better Balance mindset.

 

John Ozgopoyan

*Vice President of Sales – Household, Walmart – Reckitt Benckiser

 

 

 

*Title and company of the author reflect their position at the time article was written.

The opinions expressed here by guest bloggers are their own, not necessarily those of Stout Executive Search.

I recently went through a corporate restructure and found myself searching for what would be the next step in my career. Many of you have also found yourself in a similar situation and regardless of the circumstances, this type of change is rarely ever easy. I quickly realized that this change was similar to many of the other changes I have experienced in my life. While each occasion of change has its own unique characteristics, the fact of the matter is that change is not something that most of us enjoy. In fact, many individuals that experience change, struggle to thrive in that change believing the worst case scenario, when in fact we should all seek out how the change can make us better!

This perspective became very clear during this most recent change. You see, I was cleaning out my desk and I ran across an old poem that a former VP had given to me titled “Don’t Quit”. As I sat quietly in my office and read over this poem, I quickly realized it was definitely meant for me at this moment in time. But, as I read through it several more times, I began to realize that this wasn’t just meant for this moment but for many moments in my life.

As our world continues to evolve and change around us, as obstacles continuously pop up in front of our eyes, we must continuously forge ahead. As a leader in my home and on the job, it is essential to have a positive outlook on how events in our lives can impact us. The fact is that very little remains constant in this world. Technology has changed, families have changed, how we work has changed, how we are educated has changed and like it or not these things and many others will continue to evolve and change. I love the line in the poem that says, “When he might have won had he stuck it out”. How many times do we quit without really trying, I mean really trying and giving it everything that we have? It reminds me of a story of a young man who loved the game of football. This young man tried out and made his junior high football team and he quickly began to see that what happened on game day was the culmination of a lot of hard work and effort, so he quit. As the years passed he continued to look back on that choice to quit and was constantly filled with regret and wonder about what could have been. Had he stuck it out, could he have played college football or even in the NFL? But that is something he will never know and he will always regret, all because he quit. I know this story all too well because it is mine. You see, because quitting football has led me to asking, “what if”, all of the time.

So now I keep this poem right in front of me as a reminder each and every day that I must not quit. I am reminded there is usually something in my life either personally or professionally, that requires perseverance to carry on. Life is simply too short to say, “I Quit”! In fact, it reminds me of a line in Kenny Chesney’s song Don’t Blink that says, “Cause when your hourglass runs out of sand, you can’t flip it over and start again”! There is simply not enough time to be filled with “what ifs” in our lives.

I don’t know what is going on in your life, personally or professionally. However, what I do know is life is full of twists and turns and ups and downs. In our careers, we will face adversity, but as the poem says, “Success is failure turned inside-out”. So stay the course and fight the good fight because “It’s when things seem worst that you MUST NOT Quit”!

Don’t Quit
When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but don’t you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow–
You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than,
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor’s cup,
And he learned too late when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out–
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit–
It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit.

– Author unknown 

 

Steve Wood

*Category Team Leader, Walmart  – Bayer

 

 

 

*Title and company of the author reflect their position at the time article was written.

The opinions expressed here by guest bloggers are their own, not necessarily those of Stout Executive Search.

It was an exciting day when the private equity backed company I worked for, announced we had been purchased by a global consumer products giant, until the anxiety set in. My team was assembled in our local conference room to hear the announcement. Immediately, I felt uncertainty in the room as people quickly jumped to concern for their jobs. As the closing process progressed, to keep us up to date, the company did a fantastic job of holding regular town hall meetings with senior leaders. I would hold similar meetings locally to brief the team and provide a relaxed atmosphere where they could ask whatever was on their mind. I answered as many questions as I could, but unfortunately, didn’t have many. The team understood as I committed to share information quickly and as soon as I was able.

The deal closed in September and I learned of my new role to lead the combined team in October. Everyone else would be informed of their role in December. The teams were in two different locations, Rogers and Bentonville. I clearly recall my first visit to meet my new team in Rogers. Here I am the guy that was leading the team for the company they acquired and I am now their boss. It was awkward at first, but it quickly became a discussion about business opportunities and challenges and how we might be able to leverage our strengths to win. It was refreshing to be able to talk with whom once was a major competitor, only to find out we both faced similar challenges, and neither was perfect, as each had believed.

It was now time to have the teams meet and begin the integration process. We held the meeting in Bentonville and as you would expect it was uncomfortable. For the first time, people were sitting in a room staring at the person that did the same job they did for the other company. Once we broke the ice and the “sizing up” subsided, we started to share plans, war stories, opportunities, and challenges. I was shocked to see how quickly the two teams became one and started to problem solve. It was at that point I realized the faster I got these two groups under one roof the stronger we would be as a cohesive winning team. We had space in the Bentonville office so I asked the Rogers folks to move; again this was prior to anyone but me knowing their future with the company. Move-in day was a technical nightmare. Evidently competing company’s firewalls don’t appreciate being in the same location. We quickly got through the IT problems and everyone was settling into their new offices. It was business as usual and the teams quickly gelled.

The company decided to operate two separate business units by category. At the time, the other unit was still located in Rogers under a different leader. Office space was secured in Bentonville to bring both business units under one roof, which clearly was the right thing to do. The challenge was telling a team that had already been through quite a bit, they would be moving to a new office and an open concept. In both locations, 99% had offices with walls and doors and now they were about to move into a completely different environment. Did I mention we still had not announced roles?

December came. Roles were announced, the team was in place, and we were waiting for the new office to be completed with a target date of July. The team operated like they had been together for years. As I look back, they have been working that way from the beginning. They never got caught up with who was working for whom and who they needed to compete against. They simply became a TEAM.

We headed out to our first combined national sales meeting as one team, with a theme of “Better Together”. I have been to many national sales meetings in my career and have seen a lot of themes. Most are words, but this one hit home, and was completely relevant. This group is clearly a better together cross functional unit, and I am proud to be a part of it.

Lou Salvatore
*Global Vice President of Customer Development – Laundry & Homecare, Walmart & Sam’s Club – Henkel of America

 

 

 

*Title and company of the author reflect their position at the time article was written.

The opinions expressed here by guest bloggers are their own, not necessarily those of Stout Executive Search.

As the world continues to change at such a rapid rate, we must embrace and become experts in meeting those changes with a positive attitude that can enable us to excel!

I would challenge you to think about how the pace of change affects you daily. Does it have an impact on your family, your parenting, your team through managing, directing, or leading? I believe you would say change affects all aspects of your life, not just your professional life.

I have personally seen a substantial change in my professional career over the 30+ years I have worked in CPG. Change is absolutely the only consistent thing we all can count on. So many ask how you can thrive in a constantly changing environment. I always suggest you go back to the basics of Planning & Communication. I share the chart below as a roadmap to assist you when you are trying to affect a change or being effected by a change. In order to truly be successful in dealing with change, I find this guide very helpful. A successful change needs to have these five components thoroughly covered:

In order to fully implement change, whether personal or professional, this guide provides a simple roadmap that results in my focus for time to plan the year, the quarter, and the month, while assessing and updating every morning what really are my priorities for the day. I highly recommend you utilize all of the planning, follow-up, and reminder tools that are at your fingertips, to seamlessly build a plan and help you thrive. Clear, concise communication, whether written or verbal, is critical to avoid anxiety, resistance, frustration, and false starts.

As you manage through the next round of inevitable change, I believe following this guide will help you thrive in the next chapter of your life both personally and professionally.

Regina Bailey
*Director of Category Leadership, US & Canada – Newell Brands

 

 

 

*Title and company of the author reflect their position at the time article was written.

The opinions expressed here by guest bloggers are their own, not necessarily those of Stout Executive Search.

In a business world where sports-related quotes and clichés have become ubiquitous, and perhaps overused, I recently read a quote written on a leader’s white board that said “don’t mistake activity with achievement” (John Wooden). After contemplating it for a few moments, and agreeing with its essence in today’s results-first world, I wrote my favorite, and believe more relevant, sports quote right above it:  “Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth” (Mike Tyson).

What I love about this quote is its relevance to so many areas of our existence and life experiences, none more than in the business world. Over the course of 26 years in the consumer packaged goods industry, I have been a part of hundreds of discussions about business planning and execution; and in each instance, the focus is unfailingly on optimism and stretch goals, and the associated costs to achieve those goals.  The SWOT analysis is completed, risks are assessed, details are scrubbed, and numbers are rolled-up and ticked and tied; presentations are generated and senior leadership signs off.  Ultimately, we plan hours upon hours with a singular focus on one thing:  Success.  Perhaps it’s counterintuitive to our human nature, but I’m convinced that the biggest miss in business planning today is the importance of “Planning for Failure”.  What do you do and how do you react when plans don’t come to fruition, or when the customer says “no”?  In the words of Mike Tyson, what do you do when you get punched in the mouth?

Planning for failure is nothing more than contingency planning, with the difference being in timing. It cannot wait until you get punched in the mouth in the form of plans unraveling or not coming to fruition.  It must be ingrained in the process of annual plan development with the same effort, energy and focus that’s invested in planning for success, with predetermined triggers for execution without delay with little to no reactive behavior. This behavior would include deep dives into a never-ending cycle of “why?” or dialing-for-dollars, followed by another round of senior leadership approval.

Planning for failure shouldn’t be difficult. It just requires the realization that there’s no perfect plan and a discipline to the following:

 

 

 

*Title and company of the author reflect their position at the time article was written.

The opinions expressed here by guest bloggers are their own, not necessarily those of Stout Executive Search.

If you give a shopper a sandwich, they might want something to drink. If you give them something to drink, they might want a place to sit down. If you give them a place to sit down, they might want to stay a while.  If they stay a while, they might get hungry.  If they get hungry, they might want a sandwich.

Today, shoppers are making fewer trips to the grocery store. Fewer shoppers rely on the supermarket as their go-to grocer.  Growing eCommerce models threaten both the traditional store trip and the size of grocery baskets.  Retailers must make better and faster strategic decisions based on how the shopper thinks and navigates.  They must make the shopping experience simple and inspirational.  The challenge with this is a fundamental shift away from “category” management where profit and loss statements are confined to a single category.  It is a fundamental shift away from a static amount of in-store real estate and a staff that stocks shelves.  It is a strategic shift towards shopper centric “total store” management.

I was on vacation last week at the beach. Don’t you just love vacation, a time to unplug and unwind? I was so proud of myself.  For the first time, I used the click and collect service at a local grocery store.  It was awesome!  It saved me at least two hours of precious beach time.  However, while I was very excited about the time I saved, I arrived at my condo with my groceries, and realized I didn’t have a full meal.  Not once during my online shopping experience was I shown a recipe or meal idea that would complement the products I purchased.  What a missed opportunity!  Ultimately, I made a menu and returned to the grocery store.  Sure, this could be considered poor planning on my part, but did you know that over 80% of shoppers do not know what they are going to eat an hour before dinner?

If only the retailer I shopped had a better idea about total store management (online and in-store), I would have had a larger basket ring, a better shopping experience, and a better chance I would be loyal to them in the future.

The idea behind total store management is that an in-store shopping experience should be designed in such a way that it would provide solutions, ideas, and inspiration for key eating occasions or meals. Most shoppers in a grocery store revolve their shopping around the idea of meal times; breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner.  Therefore, it’s important to start considering the role of a category in a total store/aisle context and how the location of products can be a better intuitive fit for the shopper.  If we know that most shoppers think about meal times on a stock up trip, wouldn’t it make sense to layout a store that way? I know this is easier said than done. Traditional operational hurdles are likely the most difficult to overcome.  However, more and more grocery stores are starting to show signs of progress. Some stores are displaying meal solutions on end caps that include refrigeration such as a roast or cuts of meat, with all the accompanying vegetables displayed together.  Other retailers are putting food like refrigerated dips in the aisle with chips, while others are grouping together breakfast items like eggs and sausage.  There are even retailers adding restaurants inside their stores or providing a space where a bottle of wine can be purchased, opened, and enjoyed with an in-store deli meal.

Clearly, total store management methodology isn’t rocket science but it has taken a long time to get here. The pressure of competing with the convenience and ease of online shopping is helping us realize the need to give shoppers a reason to leave the comfort of home shopping.  Shoppers have said they want a value and seamless shopping experience.  A knowledgeable sales staff who can demonstrate product offerings, explain product, help assist with on line look up, and who is friendly, is still the best weapon to defend against online sales.

In the end, retailers who find a way to interact with shoppers will likely be the ones offering the shopper a sandwich.

Julie James
*Director, Category Leadership, Walmart & Grocery East – Tyson Foods

 

 

 

*Title and company of the author reflect their position at the time article was written.

The opinions expressed here by guest bloggers are their own, not necessarily those of Stout Executive Search.

From a very young age, I always knew that I wanted to have a career and a family. Whether it was my dreams of being a ballerina, a doctor or a business woman, my dreams always included a family. I had great examples from my parents of how to balance a happy family and successful careers. It all looked so simple.

A wonderful husband, three beautiful daughters and a successful career; I’ve learned it’s not as simple as I thought it was.  Life gets busy. Laundry piles up. Work gets demanding. One child locks the other in the dog kennel while you’re on a conference call (true story). There have been times when I felt guilty over not being at work because I had a sick child or had to miss the Valentine’s Day Party at school because of a meeting. It can all be overwhelming and balancing everything seems impossible.

But, through all of this, I have stuck to my original promise that I will always set an example of work-life balance for not just my team, but also for my daughters. I have not perfected it yet, but have learned some valuable ways to keep things in check:

1. Throw the guilt out the window. We are all doing the best we can for our families and our companies. I’ve learned that I am my toughest critic. So, as long as I am doing my job well and my family is happy, I have nothing to feel guilty about.
2. Be present. Whether it is time with your family or a big work meeting, don’t get so caught up in the other things you have to do, that you miss out on the moment you are in. Focus on the good happening in that very moment, rather than rushing from one thing to the next.
3. Just say no. I found that I don’t always have to go to every single after hours work event. I don’t have to take lead on every school party. It’s ok to miss a work dinner. It’s ok to let another parent be Homeroom parent and plan the parties. Allowing myself time to breathe and time to unwind without being over committed has been one the hardest, yet fulfilling lessons I’ve learned.
4. Keep a planner. I am super Type-A, and always need a plan. I have found I am the calmest and am able to enjoy the moment when I know what the coming week looks like. This helps me plan things like sitters to take the girls to dance/gymnastics, coordinate work meetings and school events, and even meal plan. Whether it is on paper or on your phone, having a schedule helps make sure everything that needs to be accomplished can be. It also helps set realistic expectations for those around you, both at home and at work.
5. Have a good support system. Having a good support system in your family and your boss are key. Knowing that if something comes up, your spouse can help with dinner or if your child is sick, your boss isn’t going to be angry, makes having a good work-life balance a reality.

As a leader of a team, I fully believe that modeling a good work-life balance, in addition to servant leadership, is a characteristic that sets good leaders apart from great leaders.

Everyone knows the pressure felt, to work at night or on vacation, when you see that your boss does it. It feels necessary to do the same. I am one to tell you right here and right now that zero down time from work equals zero patience for all the things that get thrown your way in a day.

When I get back from vacation, I feel ready to go again; recharged and ready to press forward. Without a break, stress mounts up and people burn out. I never want to look back at life and realize that I “lived to work”…no way! I want to work to live. I want to work so we can take those family trips that I cherish so much. And as a leader, if I do not unplug on vacation, I am not setting a good example for my team or my daughters.

Be that good example for your team and your children. Model a good work-life balance. Give yourself grace. Most of all, take time to unplug and enjoy life!

Boni Williamson
*Director of Sales, Walmart – InComm

*Title and company of the author reflect their position at the time article was written.

The opinions expressed here by guest bloggers are their own, not necessarily those of Stout Executive Search.

As leaders in organizations, we are consistently striving to improve performance with an acute focus on developing and promoting team members.   Throughout the process of developing a team member, we typically focus on important skills such as leadership, problem solving, and negotiation.  However, one of the most essential aptitudes in order to drive a high level of performance is collaboration.   As we develop our teams, do we emphasize collaboration as a key business driver?  Do we provide feedback and build the finesse of collaboration throughout our teams and organizations?

Collaboration is certainly not a new approach to driving the business; however, the most successful cross-functional teams coalesce under a common goal and are willing to embrace new ways of working together.  Even amidst an environment of strong individual performers, to be successful and to solve today’s complex business challenges, collaboration should be at the essence of our solution-based approach.

In reflecting upon collaboration in a business setting, I’m reminded of a recent business issue and the need for an immediate solution to accelerate performance.  As the issue intensified in complexity, it became apparent that we needed to bring in cross-functional experts to arrive at the best solution.  Though we have strong individual performers across the business, this was not enough. We needed to integrate various functions to drive to a solution. Thus, as we outlined the issue, we brought in experts from six separate and distinct functions of the team.

As we worked through this complex issue, key lessons emerged which further emphasized the importance of practicing collaboration:

Clearly define the challenge.  Answer the question, “What does success look like?”

• Stress the importance of working collaboratively to arrive at a creative solution that addresses the issue.
• Team members should think beyond their individual efforts and be solution-oriented. Encourage new ideas and create an environment where individuals can speak openly and with transparency.

Ensure the goal is clear and at the focal point of discussion.

• At times it can be challenging to remain focused on the overarching goal within an organization. When dealing with complex, or multiform issues, we can remove focus from the solution.  Remaining disciplined and focused is key.
• Leaders often see the issue from a perspective of “30,000 feet” and can guide the group to remain focused on the key issue.
• Identify the project leader to ensure the group’s work is progressing.

Data. Data. Data.

• Evaluate the data and bring forward insights and potential actions. Share the data with the team and garner different points of view.
• Leverage immediate and real time data and be willing to quickly pivot and make adjustments based on findings.
• Flexibility and open-mindedness is key.
• Discuss the path forward openly and evaluate the pros and cons of proceeding in a particular direction.
• Utilize the data and align on next steps to solve the challenge and move towards execution.

Share learnings and results.

• Keep the team informed on progress, in real-time. Share the methods and results.
• Be open and willing to adjust the strategy.
• Apply key learnings to current, as well as future, challenges.
• Share learnings broadly throughout the organization so others can apply the approach to similar challenges within the business.

After working through the challenge collaboratively, we were able to resolve the issue. This resulted in an acceleration of the business – exceeding expectations.  Though we have strong individual performers, our overall success was dependent on the group’s ability to remain focused on the overarching challenge and communicate openly and with a sense of urgency.

A leader is only as successful as his or her team’s ability to work collaboratively to generate creative solutions and apply these solutions cross-functionally. When we encourage our teams to work together toward a common goal, we are ensuring the growth of the business and our people.

Kevin Macero
*Walmart Team Leader – Pfizer

*Title and company of the author reflect their position at the time article was written.

The opinions expressed here by guest bloggers are their own, not necessarily those of Stout Executive Search.

Thinking about core competencies and how they impact our life is interesting. Sales skills, problem solving, leadership, business acumen, planning, and organization are some of the key traits of being a successful person. All of these qualities are important factors to being successful in any business and everyday family life. It is important to point out that a person’s experiences build their core competencies over time. One of the elements I want to discuss today is partnership. What does it mean? How does it work? What barriers need to be overcome? What does success look like? Is there a methodology for developing a partnership? Many people do not understand that having strong partnership skills is a vital element of being successful. My objective is to touch all these points to success as I walk you through my thought process.

According to The American Heritage Dictionary, the definition of a partnership is “a relationship between individuals and groups that is characterized by mutual cooperation and responsibility, as for the achievement of a specified goal.” Partnerships are critical to business success and personal prosperity. In most businesses, collaborating with both internal and external parties will determine success.   What I have learned is there is never a single course of action when making a business decision. It is imperative to keep an open mind and to consider different points of view. This is often a difficult task because people are more concerned with getting credit or recognition rather than partnering together to develop a better solution. When it comes to business, it is not the time to think about you, but it is the time to practice working as a team. Disagreements and tension are key elements to building trust in a partnership which fundamentally is the most important component.

For me, I first learned about the importance of partnership through competitive sports. If you think about it, playing sports is about learning how to compete and striving to win. I learned that working together for a single goal was the toughest element of sports, but also the most rewarding. This is the same for business, as the hurdles for partnership can be difficult to overcome. However, the reward makes the process that much easier to stay on task. Below, is a methodology I have developed, that centers on bringing people and organizations together.

Step 1: Discover

• Team defines the key goals by determining how the partnership should work.
• Team brainstorms as a group to create ideas on how to put the proper framework in place.
• The final stage of the discovery phase, is defining roles and responsibilities for alignment purposes.

Step 2: Develop

• Team starts to put specific actions in place around the partnership objective.
• These actions start laying out the areas of focus and how to win by developing a partnership.
• Leverage the group to define the risk and responsibilities involved in the plan.
• Part of the group builds out a key deck capturing the methodology and specific opportunities.
• Documenting the plan is a key element of a successful partnership. This provides a roadmap to track progress against the key milestones.
• The final step of the develop phase is to cross collaborate review for an alignment before moving into the execution phase.

Step 3: Execute Partnership

• Goals and objectives are set and agreed to.
• Create the internal or external presentation for kick off purposes.
• Sell, Sell, Sell!

As you think about your professional and personal relationships going forward, I would suggest you look at things differently. Specifically, evaluate your perspective on what partnership means to you. The meanings and applications are different to each individual, which is completely fine. The main take away is to make sure to incorporate a partnership mentality into your everyday life. The benefits, rewards, and relationships built by this way of thinking will open up your eyes to new ideas and new learnings. This will reinforce the relationship you have and lead you to new opportunities in the future.

Brent Addison
*Vice President of Sales, Walmart & Sam’s Club – MGA Entertainment

*Title and company of the author reflect their position at the time article was written.

The opinions expressed here by guest bloggers are their own, not necessarily those of Stout Executive Search.