John Manning's Blog, page 6

Leave Bumpy Business Roads Behind, Tapping Company Accountability’s True Power

At some point or another, every company hits bumps in the road. Whether due to factors internal, external or a mix of both, organizations can suddenly face slips in performance, productivity and financial health, which may feel temporary or transient in nature. And, in fact, they may be.

Or, they might not be. The persistence of these bumps and slips over a number of months, quarters or even years, is like a big, flashing red light, signaling leaders to stop and assess their company accountabili...

Accountability Leadership: How Do You Measure Up?

If there’s anything that can be said about accountability, it’s that it’s impossible to build it into your organization if you—the leader—haven’t adopted it for yourself. And by that, we mean developing, practicing and sustaining habits that make and keep you accountable to your own leadership goals and results.

That said, there are a number of practices and habits that amplify accountability leadership, which is what we at MAP Consulting strive to cultivate with our clients and executi...

Ready to Improve Your Leadership Accountability? Then ACT.

It’s the beginning of a new year, an ideal time for you, as a leader, to make a fresh start on how you lead yourself, specifically, against the backdrop of accountability.

Why accountability? Because practicing, executing and living out your leadership without accountability is like steering a ship without a rudder. And in this case, you’re not just steering any ship without a rudder—that ship happens to be you!

If you’re ready to become a truly disciplined leader through effective, res...

One Thing Your Business Plan Needs—and May Be Missing!

With the new year right around the corner, we at MAP have got a question for you: How’s that business plan shaping up? And, more importantly, have you factored professional development for your employees into that plan?

If not, consider recent headlines from Gallup on the topic of “quiet firing.” In short, quiet firing “describes how managers fail to adequately provide coaching, support and career development to an employee, which results in pushing the employee out of an organization.”...

Three Fast Ways to Better Planning Productivity

With the yearend upon us, you may be feeling the crunch, particularly in regard to projecting, budgeting and planning. Down to the wire, it’s time to finalize those goals and strategies, letting go of what’s not been working and creating clarity around new directions and the necessary tools to help, such as the MAP Management System, which works like a GPS, helping you navigate and get results faster.

If you’re feeling stuck, under pressure, unproductive or all of the above in regard to...

Pearls of Planning Wisdom to Point You Toward Success

There’s no question that some leaders and their teams cringe when they think of planning. But planning can certainly be a positive, productive experience. What’s more, it doesn’t have to steal all your time, energy and passion for your job, especially when in the throes of projecting, developing annual plans, and budgeting for the year ahead.

Here are some pearls of planning wisdom to help you better grasp the value of planning.

Avoid thinking of planning as a one-off event. Get in the ...

Are You Putting Off Business Planning—Again?

If you could close your eyes and make a wish for a better business year, how would that look in terms of planning?

Having a vision is everything. That high-level idea or concept of a solid plan, as well as how the plan rolls out smoothly and gets results in your organization, is your starting point to planning success. But many leaders, albeit well intentioned, fall short on developing that vision, much less giving real definition or legs to their plans. Why?

There are a number of commo...

Take the Pain Out of Business Planning

About three months should be devoted to an initial business plan, according to Harvard Business Review. Then every year, if not more frequently (e.g., quarterly), attention needs to be given to this living document for ongoing review, analysis and updates. But how many business owners and leaders actually use their business plan to navigate their day-to-day strategies, tactics and goals?

Carving time out of your schedule to work ON the business (as opposed to IN the business) can feel d...

It’s Time. Take Your Business Planning to the Next Level—Today!

Failing to plan is planning to fail. You’ve heard that popular saying before. But how many of us leaders really pursue business planning as a consistent, ongoing activity?

At MAP Consulting, we believe planning is more than a one-off activity. It’s a discipline that, done well, can define direction for our leadership, our teams and the organization at large. When used as a blueprint around which your people are aligned and held accountable, it’s a powerful driver for success.

Yet many organizati...

The Three Fundamentals of Business Planning—Do This Before the New Year Arrives!

Are you and your leadership team in the thick of business planning right now? We bet you are. In the blink of an eye, we’ll be celebrating January 1st, which is why it’s important to make sure you, and any department heads possibly helping with this activity, aren’t wasting a second on any business planning pitfalls.

At MAP, we’ve been coaching clients around business planning since 1960. As we inch into fall, here are a few tips, three “fundamentals” of business planning for the upcoming year.

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