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Using RACI to Improve Organizational Teams

November 22, 2015 by Sharlyn Lauby

I’m a big believer in accountability. I also believe that, in teams, responsibility and authority go hand in hand. If you’re responsible for a task or project, then you should have the authority to make things happen. You are going to be held accountable for the results.

At this year’s Tucana HR Change and Transformation conference, I learned the acronym RACI. It’s a term used in project management to assign responsibilities. RACI stands for who is Responsible, who is Accountable, who should Consult and who should Inform. According to Wikipedia, here’s how the individual roles are defined:

Responsible represents the people who are doing the work. Now I understand not everyone working on a project is hands on, so I’m assuming this is focused on the hands on, in the trenches work to be done. I’d also like to think that being responsible doesn’t absolve you from being held accountable for completing the work.

Accountability in this context means the person who ultimately will be labeled a success or failure based upon the outcome of the project. It might be the project manager or the person who championed the project in the first place. They also may or may not be doing some of the hands on work.

Consult (or Counsel) are the subject matter experts whose expertise is needed to complete the project. Depending upon the project scope, they might have a regular role within the project team or maybe they are consulted if a specific problem occurs. I could also see this role not being confined to internal resources. Maybe the SME is an external consultant or contractor.

Inform includes the person(s) who are sponsoring the project. Every project has a sponsor that helps the team obtain resources and buy-in. The sponsors must be kept in the loop about the project status. Often this can be done with written reports and occasional one-on-one meetings, but it’s a critical piece of the project.

RACI intrigued me because I wonder how many teams actually spend time discussing roles as part of a project plan. I don’t recall ever being on a team where we had a deliberate conversation about this. And I wonder if teams spent more time on this aspect, if it would help the group reach their goals faster and with fewer setbacks. Each person knows their role, can operate effectively, and conflict is reduced.

Business professionals can benefit from project management tools in their daily interactions. Acronyms like RACI can add a level of clarity to the project…and to the outcome. Maybe it’s time for business pros to start reading project management blogs and keeping a PM book on the bookshelf. It could come in handy.

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Compliance Is a Part of Business – Friday Distraction

October 9, 2015 by Sharlyn Lauby

As human resources professionals, we see our fair share of compliance and legal issues. And there are plenty of people who want to pontificate that we’re not being strategic when we focus on compliance. Reality is, compliance and legal issues impact every aspect of business. It’s not just a human resources thing.

We can keep our “heads in the sand” where our obligations toward compliance are concerned. Sorry, couldn’t resist the pun. Our friends at Kronos understand this. Today’s Time Well Spent will make you smile.

Even issues like regulatory compliance involve a strategy. Our goal as human resources professionals is to be compliant within our corporate culture. That’s the challenge. To create strategy that’s both compliant and complementary isn’t an easy task.

How can we make that happen? Well, the first step is finding the right partners. Whether it’s your lawyer, consultant, freelancer or services provider, those individuals and organizations can help balance the need for compliance within the existing culture. Use them. Tap into their resources and expertise.

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The Top 3 Mistakes Consultants Make

September 8, 2015 by Sharlyn Lauby

I received a question from an HR pro via the SHRM Connect site. They are considering going out on their own and wanted to know about the biggest mistakes consultants make.

Some days, it’s hard to believe I’ve been consulting for almost 13 years. One of the things I did before going out on my own was talk to other consultants. I bought them breakfast, lunch, dinner, coffee, etc. and asked them about their successes and mistakes. I learned that consulting mistakes can fall into three categories: the consultant, the money and the lifestyle.

Mistakes Consultants Make #1 – The Consultant

It’s important to realize that declaring yourself a consultant can present its own set of challenges. First off, some people will view your transition to consultant as temporary – “until you get a real job”. After enough time has passed, they will realize that consulting is your real job. Be patient.

As a consultant, your credibility and integrity are everything. Consultants need to be true to their own point of view. If a client wants you to deliver a message on behalf of the organization, you have to make sure you genuinely agree with the message. In addition, if a client asks you to solve a specific problem, make sure you concur that it’s a problem (and not a symptom). Otherwise, your solution will not work and your credibility gets dinged. Clients have been known to misdiagnose their problems – not intentionally, but sometimes they are too close to the issue. That’s why you’re there.

Not only is managing your credibility essential, but the quality of your results must be outstanding. Consultants need to be prepared, follow-up and meet deadlines. Clients pay a lot of money for your service, and they expect nothing short of perfection.

Speaking of clients, consultants must remember not to get too dependent upon one client. As tempting as it might be to get a sweet gig that’s 30-40 hours per week with a great rate, it’s easy to get deeply entrenched with one project and not worry about networking to build some additional clients. Then that day comes along and the “sweet gig” comes to an end – often abruptly.

It’s equally important for consultants to make investments in themselves. Take time to attend conferences, classes, etc. even if it means leaving some billable time on the table. Clients want to know they are hiring the best. Developing yourself and building new skills gives clients confidence in your ability to develop relevant solutions.

So, becoming a consultant requires credibility, integrity, timely and perfect results. While we have a lot of responsibility, we can never get lulled into thinking that we’re smarter than our clients. We do, however, need to be skilled at operating within a client’s corporate culture and value working relationships and office politics when engaged on a project.

Mistakes Consultants Make #2 – The Money

I’ve always said consulting is not about the money. Well, let me make one caveat – consultants have to learn how to properly price their services. That is about the money. If you don’t learn how to charge correctly, your consulting career will be short-lived.

On the expense side, it might not look like it but it takes a tremendous amount of money to run a consulting business, even when it’s out of your home: liability insurances, accounting / attorney fees, computer equipment and software, salaries, health insurance, etc. It’s true you will realize a savings in some areas, but increases in others.

Money management can potentially be a challenge because you don’t have the steady income a regular paycheck provides. One minute your checking account has $15K and the next it has $1K. It’s easy to develop poor spending habits because the money is so erratic. Consultants have to learn how to budget and plan.

Mistakes Consultants Make #3 – The Lifestyle

Most people enter consulting to get flexibility in their lives. And it’s true, there’s a lot of flexibility. But it takes a lot of energy to maintain balance. Because you have so much flexibility, it’s tempting to work all day, every day.

And the reality is, consulting can be a lonely occupation. You don’t spend every day all day with people. That’s not to say you won’t be busy. You will have clients who expect you to be on call 24/7/365. No kidding – I know a consultant who said his business partner was once called out of the shower to answer a question.

You can also consume a lot of time traveling. Some people love travel. Others hate it, especially if you have kids or family obligations that prevent you from spending time at home.

Bottom line: Consulting can be a fabulous occupation. In my consulting work, I have terrific clients and work on interesting projects. I couldn’t ask for better. But consulting requires a disciplined balance of marketing, administration, finance, project management AND client service. All of which must be executed perfectly in less time than required.

When I started consulting, I expected to get pushback from my friends who were already consultants. They said, “Welcome to the club. There’s room in the sandbox for everyone.” Over the years, I’ve learned that a good consultant will tell you the upsides to consulting; a great consultant will tell you the pitfalls as well.

For my consulting colleagues, what do you think? What are the biggest mistakes consultants make? Share your expertise in the comments.

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What Happens At the Meeting After the Meeting

August 27, 2015 by Sharlyn Lauby

(Editor’s Note: Today’s post is an excerpt from my book, “Essential Meeting Blueprints for Managers.” The book is available on Amazon in hard copy and Kindle, in the iTunes store, and directly from the publisher.”

Yes, it’s true. The meeting after the meeting does exist. It’s not an urban legend.

In fact, the meeting after the meeting (or let’s call it the MATM for short) can actually be more important than the original meeting. Many people think it’s really a big gripe session about the meeting. But a true MATM is very important – it often provides insight into the people and discussions that you usually can’t get during the meeting itself.

As a business professional, you want to be included in the meeting after the meeting. Here are six dynamics to watch for:

#1 The Purpose. Typically, the MATM is part venting and part strategy. Usually, participants are frustrated about something that happened during the meeting (the venting part) and the conversation turns toward brainstorming ways to fix the situation (the strategy part).

A MATM of only griping? Well, that’s just a gripe session. Not to say a gripe session isn’t noteworthy, but it’s beyond the scope of this book. Often gripe sessions are about not communicating something well or not getting proper buy-in. We covered getting buy-in with pitch meetings. Meeting where you discuss strategies to fix something, i.e., make a decision. That’s reason for a “real” meeting.

#2 The Attendees. From an office politics perspective, the individuals who attend a MATM are influencers where this particular matter is concerned. The influencers can change from issue to issue. In each chapter, we’ve talked about power during meetings and who has power based upon the meeting. In most cases, the influencers are those with the most power.

Something to note: try to notice who initiates the MATM. Figure out if they are the person who ultimately is accountable for this issue (and it appears they’re soliciting feedback) OR are they trying to influence the person who is ultimately accountable?

#3 The Timing. Sometimes the MATM is spontaneous and other times, it’s planned. If the influencers happen to be at the same place together, the original meeting might just turn into a conversation. “Hey, what did you think of yesterday’s meeting?” And the conversation starts.

The other way is that someone might plan to get a group together quietly. For example, I invite a couple people to lunch. Either before or during lunch, I say, “Hey, I’ve been thinking about last week’s meeting and wanted to get your thoughts.”

#4 The Location. Often, but not always, the MATM takes a more casual tone. It might be a midmorning coffee run, lunch or drinks after work. I’ve seen a lot of people miss the opportunity to participate in a MATM because it looked like a social event and their opinion is “work is work, and I don’t want to socialize with my co-workers.”

It can be unfortunate because, if you don’t recognize the signs, then you can’t participate. On the other side, I’ve seen organizers of the MATM intentionally choose a venue knowing certain people wouldn’t attend. For example, Carol doesn’t ever join us for happy hour, so let’s meet then.

This is a tough decision. I can’t tell you the right answer. What I can recommend is don’t be naive and believe business only happens in office buildings and boardrooms. It happens everywhere – on golf courses, social networking platforms, at coffee shops and during happy hour.

#5 The Discussion. I mentioned earlier that the MATM can often be a gripe session. If you’re at a MATM, listen carefully to the complaints. Try to understand the frustrations and also why that frustration may or may not have been addressed during the meeting.

The other conversation that happens during a MATM is strategy. What people plan and agree to do next, as a result of the MATM. This can offer valuable insight into what happens behind the scenes in the organization. It can also tell you a lot about the individuals involved and their comfort zones, spheres of influence and workplace power.

#6 The Commitment. There’s an over quoted line from the 1999 movie starring Brad Pitt and Edward Norton called “Fight Club”: “The first rule of Fight Club is: You do not talk about Fight Club.”

The same rule applies here. What people share in the MATM must be respected. The reason MATMs are important and can work well for organizations is because people let their guard down. They talk about what challenges them and they might share something they plan to do. Unless your role in the organization is to go forewarn someone, then you have to respect the tradition of this meeting.

Instead of trying to eradicate the meeting after the meeting, find a way to play a positive role in them. As a human resources professional, I found that, when I was being invited to the meeting after the meeting, it was to help the group in a specific way.

To clarify something. Someone at the meeting didn’t understand something that happened. Instead of asking during the meeting, they might choose to wait until after and ask some questions. They might also choose to ask someone other than the meeting leader.

This can occur a lot with new supervisors and managers, especially when they haven’t had prior exposure to these types of meetings. They need to learn from someone they can trust. This is the part of business that never shows up in the employee handbook or in a training program. Years ago, I had a boss tell me, “Over the years, with each job, I learned a little bit about human resources and a whole lot about office politics.” That line stuck with me. It’s my job as a manager to share the realities of the workplace with others.

To be a sounding board. Participants want to say something, but they don’t know how their comments will be received. They are looking for someone to offer a different perspective. Not approval or support, only a point of view.

This relates to my comment about sharing the realities of work. Books, articles and media will tell you it’s important to be open, honest and share with your boss. This is totally true and I completely agree with it. This doesn’t mean you should be unprepared. Having a sounding board gets you prepared. If you choose the right person, they can help you to potentially see a different point of view.

Bottom line, your reputation and relationships matter. They will help you get a seat at the meeting after the meeting.

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9 Public Speaking Tips for Your Next Business Presentation

August 25, 2015 by Sharlyn Lauby

I feel very fortunate that I learned about public speaking early in life. One of my first jobs was being a tour guide at an aquatic marine life theme park who has an Orcinus orca as their mascot. (I’ll let you guess which one!) While I didn’t realize it at the time, the experience was priceless.

After attending a few events lately, I wanted to share a few observations about public speaking. We’ve all heard the old cliché about more people fearing public speaking than death. As business professionals, it’s essential to learn how to speak in front of groups. It’s part of our job. Even if we don’t do it every day. Let me share a couple of examples that might hit home:

At conferences, major sponsors are invited to speak about their company at the podium. Or a volunteer leader is asked to introduce a speaker.

I once worked with a software company that held an annual users conference. During the event, their programmers (i.e. the subject matter experts) would conduct the sessions. The programmers had to not only work on their sessions but also their presentation skills.

Don’t make excuses like “I’m not a professional speaker.” or “I don’t need to learn public speaking.” because someday you might need to do an introduction, a short talk about your company, or a presentation demonstrating your expertise. The next time you’re invited to do any kind of public speaking, here are 9 tips to help you:

PRACTICE! And practice some more. Whether it’s your first for fifty-first presentation, it doesn’t hurt to do a little practice. Review the material. Make sure your PowerPoint works. I like to practice in front of a mirror – it gives me reminders about my posture and body language. I also practice saying the words out loud. Not only does it allow me to get comfortable with the material but I can time myself to see if I’m over/under.

Arrive early and stand in front of the room. And I don’t mean stand there for 30 seconds. Stand there long enough to get comfortable with the surroundings. If the room has a podium, stand behind it for a couple minutes to see how it feels. If the podium is on a riser, stand on it so you know what it feels like to walk up the steps and be on a raised platform. The more comfortable you are, the more you can focus on the content you are sharing.

Test the microphone. The room has a microphone for a reason. People think their voice will project – it doesn’t. When you are supposed to use a microphone and you don’t, you give the audience a reason to stop paying attention to you. Don’t use “Test one, two, three…” When I test a microphone, I try to use a couple of sentences that allows me to get used to the sound of my voice amplified. For instance, “I have a Dalmatian. She likes to eat Pop-Tarts.” I like the sentence because it has a “P” word in it – and I can hear how it sounds.

Don’t say your content is boring. This might seem like a no-brainer. But I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard someone refer to their material as boring. And it’s only because it might be technical. If you say it, then people will believe it before they even hear you speak. You’re the expert and what you have to say is important. ‘Nuf said.

Put the event hashtag and your Twitter handle on every slide. PowerPoint is at most events these days. Instead of hating it…use it as an opportunity. I was at a conference recently where some of the presenters put their Twitter handle, the conference hashtag and soundbites on their slides. Twitter gold – make it easy for me to Tweet and they get rewarded with their soundbites filling the Twitter stream.

Get a photo. This is a biggie! If there’s an event photographer, find out if you will be photographed and if you can get a copy of the photo. As a business person, a photograph of you standing behind a podium is gold. If there’s no event photographer, ask someone in the front row if they will take a couple photos of you while you’re speaking. Give them your phone. Buy a $5 gift card to Starbucks or Amazon before the event and thank them with it.

Speaker selfies are “in”. If you don’t want to hand over your phone over to someone, do a speaker selfie. Turn your back to the audience, ask them to smile and wave, then snap a photo with them in the background. Or just take a picture of the audience and send it out via social media. It’s a way to get the audience involved and have some fun.

Take your name badge off. Why? See reasons 5 and 6 above.

Have one piece of “filler”. I’ve been to several sessions lately where the speaker has ended early. Not 5-minutes early but 15-20 (and one even 30) minutes early. But I can empathize. It’s happened to me – you anticipate more interaction or questions, etc. Create a safety net by having a piece of extra info. Make it something you know really well that doesn’t need a slide or handout. If you don’t need it, that’s fine – it didn’t make or break the session. But if you notice you have time, share it.

Public speaking is one of those things that gets easier with frequency. And having a few jitters is okay. It’s about focusing on being comfortable with the room so you can showcase your expertise and knowledge.

Got any public speaking advice? Let us know in the comments!

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Healthy Business Competition

July 23, 2015 by Sharlyn Lauby

Admittedly, I’m a very competitive person. My father was extremely competitive, and I learned it from him. But over the years, I’ve tried to direct my competitive nature in a healthy way.

As the owner of a small human resources consulting firm, I know there are other owners of small HR consulting firms that offer the same services. When bidding on business, some days I’m selected for the assignment. Other days, another firm is selected. And some days, I partner with another firm to work on a project. That’s because our combined talents are what’s best for us and the client.

In theory, is that other consulting firm a competitor? Sure. But they’re also a potential collaborator. That’s why it’s important to network with your competition.

Should you do your business intelligence and pay attention to what the other firm is doing? Absolutely. My guess is they’re paying attention to you. But that doesn’t mean everything someone else does will be right for your company – and vice versa.

Over the years, I’ve discovered the best way to deal with competition is to point it inward. That creates healthy business competition. When I meet people who are doing really exciting things that inspire me, instead of focusing my energies on squashing them…I use that energy to make myself better. There are two reasons for doing it:

1) I get better at something.

2) I can eventually collaborate with that awesome person.

Obviously, there are moments when the situation calls for one winner for a piece of business. And that’s fine. When it happens, being a gracious winner and/or loser will say volumes about you. Are you allowed to celebrate the win? Of course! And your competition (for lack of a better word) will be happy for you, because now you’re inspiring them to be better.

That’s what competition is all about. It’s a balancing game. It’s about knowing the difference between situations that only allow for “winners and losers” versus opportunities to create a “win-win.” If you play your cards wrong, it can alienate people. And when you need collaborators, none will be around.

But, if you play the cards right, you can “win” beyond your wildest dreams. That means having a network that includes healthy business competition. And, isn’t winning what competition is all about anyway?

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Creating Strategy and Being Strategic Aren’t the Same Thing

July 1, 2015 by Sharlyn Lauby

Before we can talk about strategic planning, it’s important to discuss the difference between creating a strategy and being strategic. Just because someone can create a strategy doesn’t mean they can think strategically.

According to the Cambridge dictionary, strategy is a detailed plan for achieving results. There are many different kinds of business strategies – marketing strategies, compensation strategies, recruitment strategies, social media strategies, even strategic plans. You get the point.

Thinking strategically means a person is capable of a thought process that allows them to facilitate a dialogue of critical thinking and innovation. This isn’t to say that the two aren’t interrelated. Creating strategy is important for business. But strategic thinking is a competency that needs to be developed.

If you are interested in exploring the connection between these two concepts, Jeanne Liedtka penned a fascinating article on the five elements of strategic thinking titled “Linking Strategic Thinking with Strategic Planning” that really deserves a read. As business professionals, I wonder how much time and emphasis we are placing on these elements:

Systems perspective (i.e. having the ability to see the entire picture).
Intent-focused, which is being able to create a focus for employees to concentrate on the goal.
Intelligent opportunism reminds us of the conversations happening about the opportunity economy and being open to new ideas that are good for business.
Thinking in time refers to the view of referencing the past to create the future. And using the proper analogies to create linkages and anticipate trends.
Lastly, being hypothesis-driven. Yes, the classic scientific theory rears its head. Being able to reason and test a hypothesis is key to effective strategic thinking.

For business professionals, this means relying less on gut instinct and more on analytics. We need to shift our focus from a “been there, done that, so I know the answer” to a “been there, know what happened, now let’s apply the learnings to our current situation.”

It’s easy to see the value in strategic thinking. Being able to effectively apply our theoretical knowledge and in-the-trenches experience will serve us well.

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