Speed Lead Process

Successful companies grow, and as they grow, they become more complex and start to slow down. The fast, entrepreneurial spirit of the old days starts to erode and it becomes harder to get things done. People have to cooperate with diverse colleagues in many locations, managers have to control different business lines and function, coordinate complex activities and cope with the sheer scale of the organization.

Eventually this complexity starts to undermine the things that made the company successful in the first place. After 12 years developing ways of coping with increasingly complex teams in over 200 of the world’s leading companies – cross-cultural, remote, virtual, matrixed and global – we learned it did not have to be like this.

We realized that the problem was too much cooperation, communication and control. We developed a process for simplifying and speeding up the way people work together – as seen in our new book Speed Lead
– simpler, faster ways to manage people projects and teams in complex companies.

The Speed Lead ® process

Based on our unique tools and experience, working with our consultants is like having a personal trainer work with you to improve your team or organization.

We meet with you to discover your objectives and develop some specific deliverables and measures.
We design an intervention for you or your organization – this may include coaching, consulting, running a workshop or conference, distance learning or intranet content.
During the intervention, we will deliver selected tools, processes and learning from our clients around the world to focus on your specific needs. We will show you how to apply these tools and facilitate the creation of a detailed implementation plan.
We will stay involved to support the implementation of the plan and the achievement of agreed deliverables.

Typical deliverables will be to make your team or organization.

Deliver results faster
Easier and more cost effective to run
More satisfying to work in.

Do you need us?

If you are asking these types of questions then the Speed Lead process – can lead you to the answers.

Cooperation

Our participants tell us they spend 50% of their time in meetings and teamwork and that 50% of this is wasted.

Why do I spend so much time in meetings listening to information I do not really need?
If teamwork is so important, why does it seem to slow things down?
How can we organize ourselves so that everything I work on cooperatively is also relevant to me personally?
How can we get rid of 50% of the content of most team meetings without any reduction in quality or job satisfaction?
Why are the best parts of our meetings the breaks and evenings?
What should I do in face-to-face meetings and conference calls, and what is just not worth the time?
How can I make my meetings shorter, more participative and more effective?

Communication

The average manager receives over 130 incoming messages per day. Up to 20% of staff time in some companies is spent handling emails alone. Communication is growing fast and our participants tell us that more than 25% of it is completely unnecessary

People always ask for more communication but it does not seem to improve the situation, what should I do?
I spend up to 20% of my time on emails alone and many of them are not necessary, what should I do?
How can I organize my conference calls and net meetings to make them more relevant, shorter and more satisfying to attend?
How can I communicate less often but really get my message across?
How can I use communication technology as a tool without it taking too much or my time?

Control

A large majority of our participants tell us that central control is increasing in their organizations and that this creates delay, cost and frustration.

What is the right level of control and autonomy for my organization?
How can I make sure this changes as the needs of my company and team change?
How do I know when to give more autonomy?
How can I make sure I am informed of things I need to know but not dragged in to every issue that should be handled locally?
How can I get people to exercise control without filling my organization with rigid rules and processes?
My boss wants me to know everything that is going on in my area of responsibility but I just don’t have the time or travel budget, what should I do?
My people are smart and well trained but they still seem to want me to make too many decisions for them, what should I do?

Community

Our participants tell us that it is hard to build team spirit and identity in complex companies; particularly in matrix and virtual organizations. This module includes tools for deciding where (and how) it makes sense to build community, and where not

We are part of multiple teams and have several bosses, how do we balance our loyalties and obligations?
My organization is spread across several locations – how can I build community and team spirit?
How can I build a sense of community when I am not the direct line manager but still need to get things done fast?
It is very expensive to get my team together, when is it worthwhile and when is it a waste of time?
What are the practical tools I can use to build community and team spirit?

Culture

For international and multi-cultural organizations, how to manage cultural differences in a way that speeds up the way people work together.

What is the impact of national cultural differences on speed, ease of operation and job satisfaction?
What cultural practices encourage speed and cooperation?
Is it really possible to share values worldwide?
What is the “right” cultural profile for fast, effective international working?
How do we get the benefits of diversity and create an inclusive environment without slowing things down?
Where is building a common global culture a waste of time and effort?

We would like to keep you up to date in developments in our area of expertise. For free updates, tips and articles on working in complex companies and details of our book Speed Lead please visit our Speed Lead book site

Contact us now now to start making make your complex team or company faster, easier to run and more satisfying to work in, you will wish you had done it years ago... "

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