June 2008
Leading Your Team Through Challenging Times
In an ideal world, there would be no problems. But of course, the world in which we lead our organizations is filled with challenges; and to complicate matters even further, the challenges constantly change. Nonetheless, good leaders realize that some of an organization's greatest assets -- for solving problems or implementing any other changes -- are their human assets, including the intellectual curiosity, pragmatism, and commitment that they and their team possess.
In this month's newsletter, we have for you two wonderful articles on these themes. The first, by Win-Win managing partner Rick Kiel, is "Leading in Uncertainty." Although the only guarantee in life is that there are no guarantees, uncertainty should not lead to indecision; rather, challenges can be turned into opportunities -- by defining the problem, taking incremental actions, and learning from your mistakes.
The second article, by management consultant Linda Andreani, "Changing Our Thinking About 'Human Resources,'" reminds us that one vital constant in an ever-changing business environment is the need to attract, retain, and develop talent. Moreover, the traditional mindset that relegates Human Resources to a spectator's role must itself be changed for an organization to succeed in a changing world: HR must be integrated with all the other parts of an organization, each relying upon its human resources; furthermore, HR must be empowered with the tools it needs to assess business performance and take necessary action.
Although some organizations have the appropriate expertise within an in-house HR or OD department to manage the often-complex changes they face, many for-profit and non-profit organizations have called upon our experience and success in change-management projects. We at Win Win Workplace Solutions can offer you creative solutions for otherwise daunting problems, so that your organization can not only survive but also thrive in our ever-changing world.
To your success!
Rick and Gail