The best way to understand how to use Responsibility Charting is to think of a situation where the outcome failed to achieve the results you expected. Then, make note of the various tasks each of the folks involved should have undertaken and the order in which each task should have been completed. Now, visualize each […]

The purpose in forming an organization is to create a place where individuals achieve collectively what they cannot accomplish alone. According to Christopher Avery, author of Teamwork Is An Individual Skill, “Becoming skilled at doing more with others may be the single most important thing you can do to increase your value—regardless of your level […]

Doers are known for solving problems outside their formal sphere of influence. They find the problem solving guide that follows particularly helpful when dealing with unintended consequences and there is no clear place to start. Put on your Doer hat and use the four-step guide as your template, filling in each section as the details […]

Remember how nerve-wracking it was the first time you were hired or moved into a new position? In the beginning, you had no sense of place. You probably felt a little alienated and lost. After a while, if nobody gave you guidance or support, you began to wonder if you made the right decision. The […]

When you set out to resolve problems that are outside your sphere of influence, there is often no clear place to start. Unless a particular situation is begging for your attention, start by making a list of outcomes where the results failed to meet expectations. Use the four-step, problem-solving guide as your template, filling in […]

Our education system teaches students to compete against each other for recognition and rewards. Having been taught collectively and tested individually throughout their formative years, graduates find the transition from learning to earning difficult because the teaching and testing processes are reversed. First-time job placements enter the workforce valuing only what they can do for […]

The Planning Wheel is a contemporary model resembling a ship’s helm, which controls the rudder, and therefore, the direction of the ship. At the center of the wheel is the hub, representing the purpose of the “voyage.” Radiating outward from the hub are the spokes representing communication channels, connecting the hub with the rim of […]

The Planning Wheel is a contemporary model resembling a ship’s helm, which controls the rudder, and therefore, the direction of the ship. At the center of the wheel is the hub, representing the purpose of the “voyage.” Radiating outward from the hub are the spokes representing communication channels, connecting the hub with the rim of […]

An organization without a plan or at least a planning process is not likely to update its vision, mission, goals and objectives, which means that there is no reliable method for Doers to establish and meet performance expectations other than by gut feeling. If management merely relies on the winds of fate as their guide, […]

Comparing the flow of information in a functional and a dysfunctional organization can best be illustrated by thinking of an hourglass. An hourglass is a device that measures time by the flow of sand between the upper and lower chambers. A narrow opening between the upper and lower chambers controls the flow. Imagine the hourglass […]