Breaking the Stalemate
A facilitated workshop to overcome the obstacles that have left you feeling stuck and unable to see the way ahead on a critical project or business decision.
Enabling Boards & Executives to unblock the obstacles that prevent them agreeing a way forward
The problem:
Change is constant and ongoing, but when the Board and Executive are unable to confront contentious issues, it will be impossible to get genuine commitment from everyone to a new way ahead.
The outcome of a facilitated workshop:
You can define and come to terms with the core issue, find a dispassionate, objective way forward with an agreed plan to ensure the decision is implemented effectively.
Who would benefit?
Any Board, Executive or Senior Management Group experiencing:
- Conflicting uncertainty and competing pressures that undermine confidence
- Competing senior groups, each intransigent in their views and unprepared to accept alternative suggestions offered by colleagues
- Misalignment of the structure and energy of the business with the decisions of the Board and Executive
- Endless discussions in search of a resolution of issues that prevent the business running effectively
- Views limited by history and an inability to break out of the constraints this imposes
- Inability to secure the confidence of key stakeholders
For real examples of typical issues and their impact, click here
The workshop will not:
- Follow the party line and endorse one proposition
- Be a rehash of a grand Vision and Mission statement that looks impressive but does not engage the staff, or focus their energy
- Be a statement of intent which is not underpinned by clear commitments to convert intentions into reality
- Suit those unwilling to get to the underlying issues and resolve them once and for all
- Suit those wanting the adrenaline rush of constantly changing their mind as circumstances around them change
Assignment cost and time:
Each assignment differs to reflect the shape and size of the leadership team, the specifics of the business, and the matter to be resolved.
An initial discussion followed by a half-day workshop and a short document to summarise the outcome might be all that is needed. Alternatively, it might be necessary to plan several workshops followed by a review meeting.
We will agree the most appropriate workshop design and costing to meet your objective at the outset of the assignment.
Arrange a meeting to see how we could help to get your Executive back on track, taking the decisions that give clarity and certainty to the business.
“Many organisations are making decisions on autopilot, and this can lead to a number of mistakes being made, but if they were better able to better understand the individual and group dynamics of decision-making they would be able to make better decisions consistently.”
— Dr Sherril Kennedy, Founder and Managing Principal of Kennedy Business Solutions
How the Kennedy approach works
Kennedy will not ‘take your watch and tell you the time’ but seek to understand why you are stuck, the positions taken by members of the Board and Executive, and the conditions the resolution must satisfy to be successful. We will then work with you to reach an agreement on how to take matters forward.
Our objective, analytical skills will enable us to involve all members of the team and to develop an outcome everyone is confident to implement.
Next steps to implement the agreed approach will be recorded as a reference point. A subsequent meeting with the CEO or Chair will be arranged to review how the agreed decisions have been implemented.
As a rule:
- The Chair, CEO or a Company Director usually commissions Kennedy. With this support we can be confident that the outcome of the assignment will be implemented.
- We interview members of the Board and Executive to understand the context of the business and the motivation for the assignment.
- We facilitate the agreed workshop(s) to find a resolution to an issue that is leaving the top team stuck and unable to move forward.
- We agree the steps required to implement the decisions reached.
- We commit to getting everyone on the same page to avoid future disagreement and disruption.
See how we can help your team becomes its most effective
The Kennedy View of the World
Our work is underpinned by a core strategic management philosophy — The Kennedy View of the World — four interdependent organisation needs, necessary to making strategy a reality.
Effective Top Team Leadership
Kennedy offers a selection of services that enable the top team to shape and secure the future of the business. These services encompass:
- Facilitated resolution of a critical business issue or project
- Understanding of how the individual will impact individual and group decisions
- Detailed decision-making profile of the individual and aggregate impact on group decisions
- Review and recommendations for improving Governance and oversight arrangements
Winning Strategic Direction
Can your management team think strategically and are they contributing to your competitive vision and strategy? All must be making a positive contribution to success but is everyone focused on short-term imperatives rather than your longer-term goals?
Aligned Organisation Design
A new strategy demands that your organisation structure is re-aligned to eradicate the old silos and unify outputs. Unless an organisation’s structure and culture are embedded and it is made clear how everyone will contribute to the future success of your business, are you really going to grow to become a more successful force in your markets?
Successful Operational Delivery
Kennedy helps to deliver the following outcomes:
- An effective change management programme
- Establishing the best fit of people to roles throughout your organisation
- Providing supportive organisation and personal development
- Resolving key performance issues
- Embedding effective performance management throughout your organisation
- Establishing business processes that add real value to your business
For more information about The Kennedy View of the World, click here or contact us
Real examples of typical issues and their impact
Three examples where a significant waste of resource and opportunity could have been avoided:
Government Department - Cost-saving Re-structure
When an organisation is required to adapt to changed circumstances the response is often one of building from the familiar. An audit of current arrangements is undertaken and a plan devised to rearrange the blocks of work: reorganising the deckchairs on the Titanic.
This was the case when a Government Department was required to reduce headcount. A large external consultancy was commissioned to show how the financial savings could be achieved.
There was an awareness of the need to reduce costs, but the discussions took place behind closed doors. One day we found ourselves walking through a corridor of pinboards at the entrance to the cafeteria. Each one displayed a series of Departmental structures depicting the new arrangements.
This was a shock. Congestion built up as everyone scrutinised the boards wondering where their department would be placed in the organisation.
Staff were unhappy and felt disregarded. Implementing the new arrangements was fraught with difficulty. The expected savings did not materialise.
Had the Board and Executive agreed a more transparent process it would have avoided the disengagement and rebellion of staff. Had the project managers taken the views of staff into account it would have resulted in the staff feeling ownership of the plan; they would have felt able to embrace the recommendations and played their part in implementing them.
Environment Industry - Merging three organisations
Parties to a merger can be very different in size. This was the case when three organisations were merged.
One organisation dominated the new grouping contributing 80% of the staff. Its CEO became head of the new organisation, deciding to make little change in the first 18 months, at which point he thought a review might be appropriate.
Instead of embracing all parties as he built the new business, he considered it appropriate to impose the structures and operational arrangements onto the new organisation. Despite howls of protest from a smaller, highly specialist business, the impositions continued. There was little or no opportunity to challenge.
Many left, depriving the new organisation of valuable knowledge and expertise. Others shrugged their shoulders and adapted as best they could. As a result, the organisation had a difficult birth and failed to make the impact expected from its formation. The dominant business continues to overshadow all the policies and practices.
A small investment at the outset to identify how the success of the new organisation would be judged by the external stakeholders would have provided a sound basis on which to shape the new organisation. This would have clarified the fundamental purpose of merging three different businesses. A genuinely new and integrated organisation could have been created. Staff would have felt able to contribute and would not have felt like a carbuncle on the edge of a giant.
A large Health Organisation - Service Delivery Restructure
Change management programmes that fail to meet the original objective are not uncommon. This applies equally to projects in both the public and private sectors.
The decision was taken to maintain all policy development within the Health Organisation and devolve all service delivery to external organisations.
Kennedy bid for this assignment, but it was awarded to a large consultancy. Once the assignment was completed it was a shock to find that the staff who would be responsible for implementing the new arrangements played little or no part in designing the new structure. Senior staff felt unsupported. They didn’t understand what was required or the role they were expected to play. There was no ‘buy in’. The proposed changes in service delivery were never fully implemented as intended.
Being clear about the purpose of the assignment at the outset and involving those who would be responsible for implementing the final recommendation would have avoided a great deal of wasted time and resource. The taxpayer did not get a good return on the investment made, and the intention of bringing the services closer to the public became a wasted opportunity.
We have free resources available to assist your in your business
Frequently Asked Questions
Can our internal trainers run the workshops?
Yes, but do they have the status to be able to challenge you? And do they have the breadth of experience and discipline to create a succinct statement that will stand the test of time?
Can we do this ourselves?
All members of the Executive need to actively contribute to the session. It is not possible to do this while trying to be a facilitator. It will take longer and may not result in a robust outcome.
What do I do about some of my colleagues who are resistant to this sort of stuff?
If you reflect on the diversity of opinion you are unlikely to find that there is a common focus around the table. Without this energy, resource and impact will be wasted.
Will this cost too much?
This is a quick and easy way to reach a common view that will stand the test of time and allow you to shape the business of the future. The cost will be an investment that will save time and enable you to be more focused in the future.
How long will the process take?
If you are committed to the assignment it can be managed very quickly. It is the availability of the top team that will impact the time required.
Are your meetings confidential?
Confidentiality is central to all we do. Nothing will leave the Board or Executive meeting.
If you have any further questions, just let us know
About Dr Sherril Kennedy
The behaviour and decisions of the Board and Executive can steer the organisation to a great future; cause it to simply ‘get by’; or condemn it to a slow and painful death. The responsibility is huge and the consequences are plain for all to see.
Early in my career, I had the chance to research advertising effectiveness in 20 blue-chip companies. They had access to great talent and big budgets but often failed to leverage either successfully. Contributions from less senior staff were frequently ignored and the narrow view they ended up with often led to ineffective and damaging decisions.
I soon learnt ‘if you don’t know where you are going any bus will take you there’. And I observed that many Boards and Executives were doing their best to lead the company but had no clarity of where the business was going in the longer term. The demands of solving the immediate took priority; there was little opportunity to think through what the business should look like five or ten years ahead.
“The behaviour and decisions of the Board and Executive can steer the organisation to a great future; cause it to simply ‘get by’; or condemn it to a slow and painful death. The responsibility is huge and the consequences plain for all to see.”
— Dr Sherril Kennedy, Founder and Managing Principal of Kennedy Business Solutions
I developed a very flexible and robust approach to address the stumbling blocks that prevent businesses moving forward.
For example:
- Different business units were brought together to meet changing demands. Without commitment to create a new entity the different groupings became entrenched, competitive, and uncooperative.
- An organisation was tasked with developing a new market segment. Being clear of the purpose, and having everyone committed to an agreed approach, enabled it to organise the work and the people in an optimum way to meet the needs of the marketplace.
- The Trust Board of a Charity had a very uncomfortable and rather dysfunctional relationship with the Executive. This reduced the impact of the Charity depriving the community it served with a less than satisfactory service. The Board and Executive developed and signed up to a statement which clarified how the success of the organisation would be judged by its key stakeholders, and what would be required to secure that success. This statement became a reference point that allowed them to operate more effectively and in a more constructive manner.
Facilitation is a core skill that Kennedy has deployed in a wide range of organisations and market segments. We don’t presume to know the answers but do know the questions to ask to gather the relevant information. And we know how to get genuine agreement to the decisions taken.
Clients say we have developed an impressive ability to tackle issues others may find too daunting, and of embedding sustainable solutions that bring significant benefits and added value to client organisations. See our case studies here.
Kennedy’s philosophy is to equip clients with the insight, tools and techniques which they can use without a dependency on external support.
Find out more about Sherril and the team
“I have known and worked with Sherril for many years and I never hesitate to put her in front of my clients.
She is very comfortable (and very good) in dealing with teams of executives and Boards. She also has very good diagnostic instincts and capabilities.”
Jean Pousson, Finance and Strategy Trainer
“Sherril is an outstanding OD practitioner. The task she took on with me and my colleagues in a major public sector organisation was quite daunting but she tackled it with total confidence and carried it through to a highly successful conclusion. She is a one-woman poster-person for the arts and science of OD and a pleasure to work with. I can whole-heartedly recommend her as offering powerful direction and support for top teams and HR departments who want to achieve transformational change in their organisation.”
Mike Emmott, Associate adviser at Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
“Sherril undertook an Organisational Review of an organisation on whose Board of Directors I have served for several years. She worked closely with the Executive team and Board during several months developing a Governance & Strategic Framework clearly identifying Purpose, Priorities & Objectives as well as critical success factors. As a consequence, the Board and Executive have a clearer focus, work more effectively, and provide clear and consistent leadership.
Sherril has a remarkable capability to get everyone engaged, involved and contributing to the process. She is a clear thinker and very focused as well as highly analytical. She is a pleasure to work with and a true team builder and leader.”
Eva Wisemark, Owner of Optima Management (IOM) Ltd
“Sherril provided highly valuable insights into the senior management of my company and assisted in the successful restructuring of the whole organisation.”
David Wertheim, Chairman at Arts Aid
“Sherril is a highly skilled development professional. She works very successfully with complex teams and individuals, working in high-pressure areas where relationships and achievement were critical. Her work is challenging, but the outcomes are both impressive and long-lasting.”
Zoe Van Zwanenberg
“I had the recent pleasure of working with Sherril on an Executive Coaching, Board Development and Change Programme, working with the Executive and Board Directors of DHU Health Care. Sherril very quickly assesses the issues and main drivers for effective change and quickly gets to work in providing tools, experience and recommendations based on underpinning knowledge and academic resources. Sherril has the ability to work with the participants to understand the root causes, analyse the findings and guide colleagues into a new way of working and thinking. Sherril successfully removed red tape and complex processes and provided a framework for effective decision making, responsibility matrices as well as designing a more succinct Board Reporting structure. I would highly recommend Sherril in supporting with Board Development, Executive Coaching and Organisational Design and Development.”
Lisa Wallis, Executive Director of HR & O.D. Derbyshire Health United
“Thank you for the summary and the session, it was really enjoyable. I picked up some reflective moments and certainly an approach to factor into Board behaviour and their own preferences and styles that once smartly considered will improve their collective performance. The session was the right amount of time. The interactive chat worked well, and allowed us to get involved and share and you picked up our questions – made it feel more personal across the screen.”
Karen Malone, Deputy CEO (Governance), Department of Health and Social Care, Isle of Man Government
“When we were faced with extremely tight timescales, Kennedy were able to design an organisation structure and detailed role profiles for all staff within a remarkably short period. The result was robust, comprehensive, and helped us change our whole approach to providing client-focused services.”
Taroub Zahran, Director of Organisational Development, Glasgow Housing Association
“Kennedy developed the model that enables us to tackle a key issue - the prevention and control of infection and communicable disease. The model details how each person in the healthcare system contributes to preventing and controlling infection and provides the tangible measures by which we can monitor our success in tackling this issue. The innovative and professional approach taken proved to be great value for money, and was undertaken at remarkable speed.”
Mary Henry, Nurse Consultant, Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health