Tag: planning

9 Tips for Compelling Competition Entries in Sustainability

~ jo-anngarbutt ~ Leave a comment

Entering the project you are most proud of into an excellence competition is an exciting opportunity to showcase your hard work and achievements. But let’s face it, the competition can be stiff—especially when sustainability is a key judging criterion. Don’t worry, though; this post will guide you through how to focus on the right elements and tell a compelling story that highlights your project’s success without making things up. The secret? It’s all about having the right data, understanding what it means, and explaining why it matters.

Here are nine ways to make your project stand out and be memorable and remarkable:

1. Start With the Basics: Read the Rules

Before drafting your entry, carefully review the competition guidelines, especially sections on sustainability or innovation. These often hint at what judges value most—energy efficiency, water conservation, carbon reduction, waste avoidance, community impact, or even all of these. Align your entry with these priorities. And don’t stress over word limits—stay within 10% of the specified count, as they’re there to keep entries focused, not to demand a full thesis.

2. Tell a Story, Not Just the Facts

Before you start writing your entry, read the competition guidelines carefully. Pay special attention to any sections about sustainability or innovation. Competitions often provide clues about what the judges are looking for—energy efficiency, water conservation, carbon reduction, waste avoidance, community impact, or maybe all of the above. Tailor your entry to match these expectations.

3 Focus on Measurable Outcomes

Judges love numbers, so don’t shy away from sharing your data. If your project saved energy, reduced emissions, or cut costs, include the specifics. Here are some examples:

  • Energy Efficiency: “We installed energy-efficient lighting and reduced electricity usage by 30%, saving EUR 10,000 annually.”
  • Waste Reduction: “By reusing materials on-site, we diverted 95% of construction waste from landfills.”
  • Sustainability Impact: “The project’s solar panels now produce 20,000 kWh annually, enough to power 10 homes.”

Don’t have all the data? That’s okay—start with what you do have. Just be sure to explain how you measured these outcomes and why they’re meaningful.

4. Highlight What Makes Your Project Unique

Competitions are about standing out. Did you try something new that hadn’t been done before? Did you find a way to make the project faster, cheaper, or more sustainable? Maybe you combined existing methods or approaches in creative ways. For example:

  • “We used prefabricated components to speed up construction, reducing on-site waste and emissions.”
  • “Our landscaping included native plants, which cut water usage by 40% and boosted local biodiversity.”

Be clear about how your approach sets your project apart.

5. Talk About What You Learned

No project is perfect, and judges appreciate honesty. Talk about what went well but also acknowledge what didn’t. Maybe a new method didn’t work as planned, or you realized late in the process that a different approach would have been better. What’s important is that you show you learned from the experience.

For example:
“We underestimated the time required to train staff on the new energy management system, which delayed implementation. In the future, we would schedule training earlier to avoid this issue.”

6. Sustainability: More Than Just Energy

When we think of sustainability, energy efficiency often comes to mind first. But there’s more to it. Judges might also look for:

  • Circular Economy: Did you reuse, upcycle or recycle materials?
  • Water Conservation: Did your project reduce water usage?
  • Community Impact: Did the project benefit local communities or create jobs?
  • Biodiversity: Did your landscaping include native plants to support local ecosystems, or did you create green spaces that attract pollinators like bees and butterflies?
  • Positive Local Community Impact: Did you partner with local schools for educational programs or support community groups through funding or volunteer initiatives during the project?

By broadening your perspective, you can show how your project goes beyond energy savings to create lasting, meaningful impacts. Be sure to cover these aspects if they apply to your project.

7. Be Honest—Don’t Fake It

It’s tempting to stretch the truth to make your project look better but resist the urge. Judges have likely seen it all, and they’ll spot exaggerations a mile away. Instead, focus on presenting your project’s real achievements as clearly and confidently as possible.

8. Make It Easy to Follow 

A clear, well-organized entry can make all the difference. Judges don’t have time to untangle cluttered submissions, so present your work in a way that flows logically and is easy to digest. Use clear headings, concise bullet points, and short paragraphs to guide the reader. 

Think about your structure: 

  • Timeline Approach: Are you walking judges through processes, events, or project phases step by step? 
    • Top-Down Method: Are you starting with a big-picture overview and then zooming in on specific achievements or highlights? 
    • Comparative Lens: Are you showcasing measurable improvements by comparing past performance to present outcomes and projecting future benefits? 

If you’re including technical data, don’t let it overwhelm the narrative. Break it down into simple, relatable terms that anyone—even those without technical expertise—can understand. For example, instead of saying “airtightness of 0.6 ACH at 50 pascals,” explain how that translates into better energy savings or indoor comfort. 

A polished, intuitive format not only keeps the competition judges engaged but also ensures they don’t miss the full scope of your project’s excellence.

9. Think About the Future

Judges often like to see how your project has inspired or informed future efforts. Did it set a standard for your company or industry? Has it led to new ideas or processes? For example:

  • “The success of this project has prompted us to roll out similar solar energy systems at three other sites.”
  • “We are now working to integrate lessons learned into our next project to achieve even greater sustainability.”

Conclusion: Show the Big Picture

Entering a competition isn’t just about winning—it’s about showcasing what makes your work exceptional. By focusing on measurable outcomes, sustainability, and what you’ve learned, you can create a compelling entry that stands out.

Remember: the judges aren’t looking for perfection—they’re looking for impact, innovation, and integrity. Follow this approach, and you’ll not only improve your chances of winning but also demonstrate why your project truly matters.

Now go tell your story—sustainably, of course!

Streamline Your Workflow: Start, Stop, Change Strategy

~ jo-anngarbutt ~ Leave a comment

Feeling overwhelmed by your to-do list? It’s time for a fresh approach. Whether you’re figuring out what new tasks to start, which processes to stop, or where to make improvements—including sustainability initiatives—this simple method will help you cut waste and boost efficiency. Think of it as a game-changer for your workflow, empowering your team to work smarter, not harder, while making real progress. Change doesn’t have to be overwhelming; it’s about making strategic, impactful adjustments that lead to better results, smoother workflows, and more sustainable outcomes.

A Fresh Approach to Tackling Chaos

Ever feel like your to-do list is out of control? This simple method helps bring clarity, meaning, and direction to your tasks. Whether you’re deciding what new actions to take, which processes need tweaking, or which habits to drop, this approach will streamline your workflow, boost productivity, and make your routine more manageable.

Even the best processes lose their effectiveness over time or fail to take advantage of the improved availability of better tools and templates, signaling the need to reassess. While big changes can be costly, small adjustments often get things back on track. The method I’ll share is perfect for team brainstorming, making it easier to identify areas for improvement together.

Think of it like tidying up a familiar room. Some things need to go, while others just need a small fix. This tool helps you do the same with your work, identifying what needs to change, what new actions to start, and what habits to stop.

Importantly, it’s also about working smarter with sustainability in mind. Rethinking processes to reduce waste, conserve resources, and adopt eco-friendly practices not only improves efficiency but also builds a more sustainable work environment for the future.

What to Start

Think of yourself as a gardener, planning to refresh and revive your garden. To improve a process or outcome at work or in a volunteer setting, you need to plant new “seeds”—ideas and actions that hold the potential to bring positive change. These are the things you want to start doing to make a meaningful impact.

Ask yourself: What new tools, strategies, or approaches could help streamline work, solve problems, or improve how people experience your organization or team? It might be a fresh approach to a recurring issue or an idea that could make things more efficient. Like planting new flowers in a garden, these initiatives will need your time and attention to grow and flourish.

By starting these key actions, you create opportunities for improvement and success and build an environment that thrives on new ideas and growth.

What to stop

When we talk about what needs to stop in the workplace, we’re focusing on behaviors and habits that hold everyone back. Think of gossip—it’s like a poison that erodes trust and divides teams. Then there’s micromanagement, which stifles creativity and leaves people feeling frustrated and demotivated. And multitasking? While it might seem productive, it often leads to mistakes and burnout. By eliminating these negative behaviors, we can create a more positive, collaborative, and efficient work environment.

Stopping isn’t just about behaviors, though; it’s also about simplifying how we work. This means cutting out unnecessary steps, avoiding redundant processes, and leveraging technology to make tasks easier and faster. It’s about working smarter, not harder.

The key to success is getting everyone involved. When the team collaborates and shares insights, it becomes easier to identify which tasks or processes don’t add value—and figure out the best ways to eliminate them. This not only streamlines workflow but also helps the entire team feel more aligned, motivated, and connected.

What to change

When identifying what needs to be changed, it’s about finding those processes or tasks that work to some extent but aren’t quite hitting the mark. These are not things you want to stop completely, but they could benefit from refinement or improvement. The goal is to enhance their efficiency or effectiveness rather than overhaul them entirely.

This step is about finding out with your team where bottlenecks occur, where confusion arises, or where inefficiencies creep in. Perhaps you uncover small tweaks that make a big difference. For example, a task might be taking longer than necessary because of an outdated step, or perhaps communication between teams could be improved to streamline a handoff.

Other possible candidates for change may lie in opportunities to improve: Are there tasks that could be automated? Is there a process that could be shortened or simplified without sacrificing quality? Sometimes it’s as simple as adjusting timelines or reallocating resources to better fit the demands of a project.

The key is not to throw out processes that have potential but to fine-tune them. By making small, thoughtful adjustments, you can improve the overall flow and outcomes. Involving the entire team in identifying these areas for change ensures that the solutions are practical, realistic, and beneficial for everyone.

Setting up time with the team

To kick off improvements, start by gathering input from everyone involved in the workflow. Set up a dedicated meeting where each person can share their unique insights. By involving the whole team, you’ll gain a diverse range of perspectives, helping you identify opportunities for improvement far more effectively than if you were working alone.

To make the session productive, team up with coworkers and dedicate about an hour to look for ways to enhance how you work, the environment you work in, or how your organization delivers value—whether it’s to customers, clients, or those benefiting from your volunteer efforts.

Here’s how to structure your session for success:

  1. Define the Focus: Clearly outline what the session is about. Are you looking to improve a specific process, boost safety, streamline workflows, or enhance customer/recipient satisfaction? Make sure everyone understands the goal before diving into discussions.
  2. Encourage Open Dialogue: Create a safe space for everyone to share their ideas, frustrations, and suggestions. Emphasize that all feedback is valuable and will contribute to positive change.
  3. Brainstorm Together: Work as a group to explore ways to make things better, smarter, and safer. This could involve improving the way tasks are done, optimizing the workspace, or enhancing the delivery of value to customers or the community.
  4. Capture Ideas: Use Stop, Start, and Change flipchart pages to organize ideas. After brainstorming, categorize the suggestions:
  • Stop: What isn’t working and needs to stop?
    • Start: What new actions, processes, or tools should be introduced?
      • Change: What existing processes could be improved with a few adjustments?

5. Assign Actions: Once ideas are gathered, assign ownership for each action. Ensure there’s follow-up so the insights gained from the session translate into real improvements. Also, set up a follow-up recurring meeting to review how things are going to discuss if you need to change or improve how you are implementing actions to be more successful and avoid obstacles to success.

By following this structure, you’ll ensure that your team collaborates effectively and walks away with actionable steps to make meaningful changes.

Keep Stakeholders in the Loop

After the meeting, it’s important to keep key stakeholders, such as your supervisor or others involved in the implementation, informed about the progress. Provide them with an update on the discussions, including the proposal for items to start, stop, or change. This transparency ensures they are aware of the team’s efforts and can offer support as needed. Additionally, ask for their feedback and suggestions. This will help ensure that no key opportunities for improvement are missed and that the plan is as comprehensive as possible. Engaging others in this way enhances collaboration and strengthens the overall success of the initiative.

Now It’s Your Turn to Change the Game

Taking a structured approach to what you start, stop, and change can really improve how your team works and help you reach your sustainability goals. I encourage you to take a fresh look at your team, your environment, and how you get things done. Find ways to not only make customers happier and save money, but also to reduce waste, save resources, and lessen your impact on the planet. Involving your team in this process will help everyone work smarter and feel more motivated as they see their ideas making a difference. Whether you’re working or volunteering, these changes can lead to a more rewarding and sustainable experience. Now is the time to act—start looking for where you can make a real difference for your team and the environment.

Protect Your Organization: Your Risk Assessment Step-by-Step Guide

~ jo-anngarbutt ~ Leave a comment

In today’s world, unexpected things happen. That’s why it’s important to be prepared. This free template download below will help you identify potential problems and figure out how to fix them. You can keep your organization safe and strong by staying ahead of risks.

Remember, this isn’t a one-time thing. You need to keep reviewing and updating this checklist to make sure it’s always relevant. With a little effort, you can create a stronger organization that is able to withstand life’s little surprises.

Here are two examples of big problems that can hurt an organization:

  1. Hackers stealing information: Bad guys can steal important stuff like customer data or company secrets. This can ruin your reputation and cost you a lot of money.
  2. Mother Nature strikes back: Hurricanes, floods, or earthquakes can damage your business and disrupt operations.

A Risk Assessment: Your Roadmap to a Safer Future

Risk Assessment LogDownload

Notes about the Downloadable Template above:

You will notice that the template comes prepopulated with some headings for your identified risks – feel free to add more if your organization has important categories that are not listed there and feel free to remove the ones that do not apply to your organization. Every organization could have categories of risks that are unique to the industry or the services or goods provided.

In today’s uncertain world, risks are everywhere. From financial losses to reputational damage, the potential consequences can be severe. That’s where a risk assessment comes in. By identifying potential threats and understanding their impact, you can take proactive steps to protect your organization.

So, what exactly is a risk assessment? It’s like a crystal ball, helping you see potential problems before they happen. Think of it as a map that guides you through the dangers ahead. By understanding the risks you face, you can develop strategies to avoid or reduce them.

But how do you do it? It’s actually simpler than you might think. Let’s break it down into two key steps:

  1. Identify the risks: Think about all the things that could go wrong. Financial losses? Safety issues? Reputation damage? Write them down.
  2. Assess the impact and probability: For each risk, figure out how bad it would be if it happened (the impact) and how likely it is to happen (the probability).

By combining these two factors, you can rank the risks that pose the biggest threat to your organization. Then, you can create a plan to tackle them.

Have a strategy for risk management

A strong risk management plan is like a safety net for your business. By spotting potential problems and having a plan to deal with them, you can protect your money, keep your good name, and build a stronger, more stable company.

  • Find potential threats: By understanding the risks you face, you can take proactive steps to prevent or mitigate them.
  • Protect your assets: Effective risk management helps safeguard your organization’s financial resources, reputation, and operations.
  • Make informed decisions: Risk strategies give valuable insights that can inform smart decisions and resource allocation.
  • Guarantee long-term sustainability: You can build a more resilient and sustainable organization by managing risks effectively.

What is risk?

A risk is simply a potential problem or danger. It’s something that might happen in the future that could cause harm or loss to your organization. Think of it as a threat that you need to be prepared for.

A risk assessment is a proactive tool that helps you discover potential threats to your organization and develop strategies to mitigate their impact. By understanding the risks you face, you can take steps to avoid or manage them effectively, protecting your assets and ensuring long-term success.

Unpacking the two ratings

What is the meaning of risk impact?

Impact refers to the potential consequences or severity of a risk event. It measures the harm or damage that could result if the risk occurs. For example, a high-impact risk might involve significant financial loss, reputational damage, or operational disruption.

How to look at probability or likelihood

Probability refers to the probability of a risk event occurring. It measures the chances that the risk will materialize. For example, a high-probability risk is more likely to happen than a low-probability risk.

By considering both the impact and probability of a risk, you can focus your efforts on mitigating the most significant threats to your organization.

Assessing Risks: A Step-by-Step Guide

Identify Potential Risks:

  • Brainstorm a list of potential risks that could affect your organization. Consider risks that could impact your financial situation, the way you are able to run your organizational processes, your reputational, and risks that relate to legal issues – think about compliance and adhering to legal requirements and regulations.

2. Evaluate Impact:

Assess the potential impact of each risk on a scale of 1-5 where you use either a 1 a 3 or a 5 to rate the impact of every risk you noted in case they happened:

  • 1: Low impact (minor financial loss or inconvenience)
  • 3: Medium impact (noticeable financial loss or disruption)
  • 5: High impact (significant financial loss, reputational damage, or operational disruption)

3. Assess Probability:

  • Estimate the probability of each risk occurring on a scale of 1-5. Use a number 1, 3, or 5 to rate the probability or likelihood that the risks you have would happen:
    • 1: Very low probability
    • 3: Medium Probability
    • 5: High Probability

4. Calculate Overall Risk:

  • The download template below will multiply the impact rating by the probability rating to determine the overall risk level.
  • Rank risks based on the calculated overall risk score. The higher the score, the more important it is to have a plan to avoid it, lower its impact (mitigation), or manage it if there is no way you can avoid it.
Risk Assessment LogDownload

5. Develop Risk Strategies

This is where you spot potential problems and make a plan to deal with them. It could be to protect your money, keep your good name, and build a stronger, more stable organization.

Here are some types of strategies that might be needed:

  • Risk Avoidance: Remove or avoid the risk completely by putting some form of protection in place to ensure it can’t easily happen.
  • Risk Reduction: Instead of just letting problems happen, take steps to make them less likely or less harmful. Or you could say it is about implementing measures to reduce the likelihood or impact of the risk.
  • Risk Transfer: Instead of taking on the risk yourself, pass it on to someone else, like an insurance company.
  • Risk Acceptance:  Sometimes, risks are unavoidable. Instead of trying to stop them completely, be prepared for them. Have a backup plan in case things go wrong.

Taking Action: Protecting Your Organization

Once you’ve identified and assessed your risks, it’s time to act. Focus on the risks with the highest scores and implement your mitigation strategies. Remember, a risk assessment isn’t a one-time thing. Review it regularly to make sure it’s still relevant and up to date.

Share your risk assessment with key leaders in your organization. Their insights can help you refine your strategies and check to be sure they align with your overall business goals. By actively managing risks, you’re taking a proactive step toward protecting your organization and securing its long-term success.

5 things to consider before launching your own surveys

~ jo-anngarbutt ~ Leave a comment

It is easy to think “I will just create a quick survey for that” and then go off and email a link out to a group of people to collect responses. Looking at the big picture perspective, firstly be clear on your overall survey objectives and how you will use the input you receive.

Once you have defined that, take a few more minutes to think through 5 key aspects of launching a survey before you proceed:

  1. What exactly is the message?
  2. The platform you plan to use
  3. CHECK the text
  4. The intro matters
  5. The thank you

The message

Launching a survey is a message too

(It says: I want to know, I value your opinion, I am listening, Tell me what you think)

Take the time to write down all the messages about the survey that intended participants need to know. What do other stakeholders need to know – think of managers who may need to help you communicate to their groups about the survey. What do you need to make sure they know about it before your launch date?

People need to know what the survey is for and why it is important. What is this survey linked to and how do you hope to use the input to drive decision-making?

When can they expect the survey to be open and how will they access it? Link via email or QR codes around the building/email or will it be an app on their mobile devices?

Will you be emailing out the announcement of the survey or is there a communication plan that is much broader than the survey? Perhaps some messages will be on social media or notice boards? If you need to make a communication plan, this template can help:

annual-communication-plan-templateDownload

Be sure to share this information with intended survey participants when you map out your communication messages:

  • This survey is coming on (date)
  • The reason we do this is (….)
  • What we hope to review/change/update/introduce as a result of this survey is (…)
  • Why we are asking for your input is (…..)
  • It will only take (…..) minutes of your time to complete
  • We will let you know about the results (time) and (how/where)
  • How will you protect their privacy and if the survey contains sensitive information – who will see it and how long will you maintain the data before destroying it?
  • Can they participate anonymously?

The platform

There are various survey platforms available these days – some are free, and others are not. In general, those with paying options come with additional features such as help to analyse your data, automatic graphic creations for communicating your survey results, text analysis options etc.

Whichever platform you choose to use, test it first. Create a quick survey and send out the link to some trusted colleagues or to yourself to see how it displays. Can you access the survey using the link without any firewalls or other error screens interfering with ease of access? Is it easy to complete the survey online? Is there a phone app for it? How well does the phone app work?

Also look at the reports you can get from the platform. To what degree does the platform offer you some level of analysis as a download? Can you download a spreadsheet which you then need to analyse yourself to create a presentation or a report? Knowing what remains for you to do is an important consideration in choosing the right platform for the survey.

Check the text

Make sure you have read each sentence out aloud. Missing words or repeated words can be overlooked when you just glance through your survey. Reading it out loud – word for word – often highlights areas that may need to be reworded or corrected. Answer these questions about your survey wording:

  • Do the instructions make sense? If I ask other people how they would interpret the instructions you plan to use, would they know what to do next?
  • Is each question or statement to be rated constructed in a simple way to avoid confused answers? i.e. do not ask about more than one thing at the same time such as “do you think it was easy to do and did you like the fun tests we handed out at cafeteria last week?” In this case your results could be hard to interpret. If the final scores are low, was it because people thought it was NOT easy or was it because they did NOT like it? Or was it both?
  • If the platform has a spell check function, use it. If it does not, copy and paste the text into a document where you are able to check spelling before you proceed to launch the survey

The intro matters

Even if you did a great job at communicating about the survey in your communication plan activities and presentation messages, people may not have seen or heard all of your early messages. Tell them the highlights in the introduction section of the survey: (after the survey title and before you start with your questions or statements to rate etc).

Intro points:

  • What it is FOR?
  • Why are THEY asked for input?
  • What will you DO with the information obtained?
  • Is it anonymous or will you be telling others what they said in the survey?
  • By WHEN do you expect their response to have been completed after which you will close the survey?
  • HOW LONG is it likely to take participants to complete the survey?

Say thank you

When people answer your surveys, they are prioritizing your request given other tasks that lie before them. They are making time out of often busy days to provide you with feedback. A simple thank you message can go a long way to ensure people are open to respond to future survey participation requests.

And while you are saying thank you, it may be an idea to provide a link to a website to visit if they want to find out more, volunteer or whatever other actions you would like them to take after completing the survey.

Surveys are so easy to create these days and the need to collect recent data and employee feedback is becoming more mainstream in companies than in previous decades. The annual employee survey is no longer the only way that change managers and management obtain feedback. Surveys can be a powerful feedback tool and yet, they can also create confusion and frustration if they are not communicated and launched with some forethought and planning.

Steps to creating a life you love

~ jo-anngarbutt ~ Leave a comment

sketchguru_20200521195945

When someone wants to change something about his or her life or create new outcomes in key areas, they often need more than just someone telling them to create goals and then implement it. Most people seem to need the steps more clearly spelled out and a workbook or playbook is something they really appreciate.

The steps can be broken down in the steps shown below. The downloadable worksheets link is right here:

personal-operating-model-templateDownload

Step 1:

Understand the process:

Step 2:

What matters to you?

Being clear on what matters to you makes it easier to understand WHY you would want more of some things in your life and less of others things in your life. While most people think they know the answers to these questions, you will notice how much clearer it gets when you have to write it down and then read it back to yourself.

Step 3:

Do I have time for this?

Most of us would have more time to work on projects that matter to us if we simply started eliminating activities that do not add value to our lives – based on what is important to us. The next two sheets first of all help to highlight how you spend your weeks (typically) and then help you identify how much time you could potentially free up for working on meaningful activities to get you closer to the life that you want for yourself.

Step 4:

What would I like to achieve?

This sheet starts with jotting down new outcomes that one would like to see in some key areas and then it moves to the right planning needed – which activities would do you plan to do in each month? The overall objective is to avoid having competing priorities within the same time of the year. Spacing activities out over a year period helps to ensure you keep focused while making progress in the most important areas over a 12-month period. Note that is is almost always a good idea to pick only maybe two or three projects to work on every month to avoid feeling overloaded and overwhelmed. Those two can lead to feeling demotivated and abandoning all of your plans to create a life you can love.

Step 5:

How will I move forward?

This step gets into more detail regarding your plan. There is an area to select what the next step may be for each of the projects you want to work on. It could be that you may need to gather more information or maybe you need to reach out to more people to learn from them or get advice from them- but who? Perhaps you need to build a prototype or get others to give you feedback on your idea? Maybe you need to try to see how it works for you – trying a new way of doing something? The page continues on with identifying whom you know who could help you with advice or maybe introduce you to someone who could help you. And then finally identifying where (place or area of interest) you need to do some research to find out more about what you could explore next and which organizations in your area may be able to help you move forward.

Step 6:

What is my plan for the next few months?

Looking at what needs to be investigated or one over the next few months, this sheet provides a space to keep rack of the top 2 or 3 things you would like to achieve this month to move forward on the projects you have picked for the next few months. There is also a handy check-box which helps you keep track of completed activities versus ones that are still open.

Step 7:

How am I doing?

Sometimes we start on the path of working on life improvement projects and then we get stuck or we get so distracted that we lose our focus. There are many reasons why we might get stuck but getting unstuck is not always easy. This sheet helps you do that.

Taking you from your original objectives, this sheet helps you acknowledge how far you got and what you have completed. Then it helps you think through what the next steps would be. You may need to continue making progress and maybe you need to stop and ask for advice or get more information in order to move forward.

Step 8:

Go back to Step 2 and renew your plans

When you have worked through the sheets and some months have passed it is a good idea to go back and review the reasons you are working on the projects – which are captured in Step 2. Then follow through each of your completed sheets to consider what you might like to change or add to your planning to renew your approach. Some projects end up unfinished because they seem less important once yo have taken more time to do research and talk to people with more knowledge in a specific area. It is okay to decide to abandon these project if they do not matter to you anymore.

Other new projects may be started while a few may continue from your earlier efforts and enter new phases – maybe you are ready to finalize a website or start selling something you have been meaning to put on the market.

I hope these workbook/playbook pages have given you new enthusiasm to plan out and move forward on creating more outcomes in your life that matter to you resulting in having a life that you love!

Organize your message

~ jo-anngarbutt ~ Leave a comment

speech

Many of us have heard about the power of three items or 3 key messages, but most people have not been shown how to use this in practice. While it is easy enough to make a list and restrict it to 3 items, picking 3 items that make sense from a logical perspective takes a little more thought. Our minds are highly responsive to patterns. Knowing that we will hear 3 key points and then having somebody deliver the 3 points in a logical fashion is something we are more likely to remember afterward. It comes across as more credible when we are able to recognize a pattern in the delivery of the key points.

Maybe you are coaching someone on how to deliver more impactful messages. Or perhaps you are preparing your own answers to questions in a group setting or you are planning a short speech on an important change initiative or project update? This resource can help you. It aids in formulating your thoughts in a logical way, which enables you to deliver a message that is easy for your audience to interpret and remember.

3 Step process to deliver powerful messages

model org message
organize-your-messageDownload

The three key ideas you wish to communicate or the three top reasons why you suggest a certain course of action cannot be random or they may still fail to be memorable. The 3 key concepts should be structured in a way that would make sense to others so that they can easily be recalled after people hear them.

Grouping the 3 points in a logical way:

  • Three linked ideas like quality, time, money/costs; good, bad and ugly (see the specific example in the downloaded document )
  • Forward or backward motion – tell the story sequentially either from the present into the past in 3 steps or from the past into the future in 3 steps. For example: in the past, we used one process which worked, but since then many things changed to where we are today (with challenges and in need for things to change) and in the future, we will have additional challenges which simply requires us to make changes now. (You can fill in the details of your own message to explain the situation when you choose a structure that moves forward or backward in time).
  • Perspective – the 3 concepts move from a big idea to a small idea or from small ideas to big ideas/reasons. For example (out of) from this small team which will be impacted by the change to the bigger team and then to an even bigger group of people who may be impacted. (see the specific example in the downloaded pages)
org message structures

Use the practice sheet or template (included in the download file above) to learn this approach. It helps you to become more familiar with using this way of organizing your message or your answer to a group of people. Once you get used to how it works you will no longer need the template and you should be able to organize your thoughts while you are in the meeting or in transit to the meeting.

organize your message template

Some ideas of where to use this approach:

  • You are in a meeting and they are going around the table collecting everyone’s thoughts on a proposal (You take a moment to quickly organize your own response using this method.)
  • You have been asked to provide an update at a meeting, which starts in a few minutes. (Remembering this approach you are able to jot down your initial thoughts, choose a structure and then revise your points to fit your chosen structure of 3 points to make.)
  • You are attending a conference and have to introduce yourself or someone else (Using the structured way of choosing 3 key aspects to mention, your answer is memorable to the conference attendees.)
  • During lunch, some colleagues ask you why you support a particular proposal. (You easily recall the structured options and formulate a response consisting of 3 key thoughts to share after you have swallowed the food.)

Listening to long unstructured answers in meetings or trying to make sense out of facts presented in a complicated way in a meeting can be a confusing experience. Using a simple structure with only (no more and no less than) 3 key points, makes it much easier for you to avoid the same mistake. Instead, you can use this approach to deliver a message that they will easily understand and remember.

Let me know how this approach works for you or the person that you are coaching!

Creating an Annual Communication Plan

~ jo-anngarbutt ~ Leave a comment

comm plan graphic

Unless you are in a senior role in the communications group or department you probably never had to make an annual communication plan before. Recently I  was asked to help two people (one from a mid-sized and the other from a small company) who never had to make an annual communication plan before but were expected to create one now. Perhaps you are also tasked with making one? Or maybe you are asked to comment on one?

The basic idea behind an annual communication plan is to ensure that someone is planning to address targeted communications activities to various groups of people across all the available platforms that are used by the group or organization. The plan should typically include specific mention of dates, details of the intended contents of messages or specific focus areas, and be specific about who is responsible for each of the actions. That way everyone involved in executing activities from the communication plan is aware of his or her role and when deliverables would be due.

Planning to communicate is not the hard part of the assignment as most people are quite creative during brainstorming sessions related to what we can do and how to do it. The hard part is to write it all down so that we all know what will actually happen after we leave the meeting or brainstorming session.  And the next hard part is to apply self-discipline to execute according to the plan and update and review the plan on a regular basis.

annual-communication-plan-templateDownload

The downloadable template above shows various aspects to consider when you look ahead to a year of planned communications. Of course, we know that plans are subject to changes happening around us on the project or changes in the company or in client needs. This means the plan is not static and you should review the plan on a regular basis to add or change items as needed. Remember to share updates you made with other team members who have activities assigned to them.

comms plan first column

The first column in the template contains a few communication channels to consider as you look at the messages you want to share and the intended target groups that your messages should reach. Ensure that you are using the right communication channels that you know to be in broad use by your intended target group of readers. And each of the headings could have multiple options for example meetings could be global meetings, regional meetings and local meetings where you would like the same message or a different version of the main message to be shared.

coms plan headers left side

The columns across the top of the template are mainly there to document who is doing what by when and when you are ready to publish and have published or delivered the message. This helps you measure progress on planned activities and shows where you may need to apply special focus to avoid delays.

comms plan measures.JPG

The published date is important, not only to ensure that your intended actions were completed but also to measure the success of your communication activities after the activity has been completed. 

In this simple template, the only measure shown is based on the number of people reached. There are many more ways to measure the outcomes and success of your communication actions including:

  • How many people took a further action after reading or watching (if video) or listening to (if podcast) your message (i.e. liked it, clicked on the button for “more information etc),
  • How many people used it as a reference or highlighted it by linking to it, sharing it or tagging it,
  • How many people visited your website right after you have published or shared a new message?

Add additional columns to your plan (as needed) in order to capture any other important measures that you wish to track per message, date and communication channel.

General tips
  1. Plan to share the same message in many different ways to optimize the number of times and ways that your intended audiences receive the message during a relatively short timespan.
  2. Not every communication message can be forecasted and planned over a 12-month period but without at least a guideline of topics that you would like to share over a 12-month period, the chances of missing opportunities to impact your intended audiences are bigger. Remember, you can always update and make changes when unplanned events occur while you progress through your plan.
  3. Experiment with a mix of ways to communicate – create messages to be shared face-to-face with credible speakers and follow up with something online and perhaps also a film on your website.
  4. Do use metrics to track results against your goals. It is the best way to know what works and what needs to be improved. Having proven successes also adds credibility to your communication plan and activities.

When tasked with creating an Annual Communication Plan, you may never need to become an expert at creating this kind of plan, yet it is still in your best interests to capture your thoughts about planned communication activities, responsibilities, deadlines, and metrics in a concise way. This template is only one way to achieve this. Once you have created the plan in a structured way people can review it, comment on it and manage to it and it ensures alignment within the team as you make progress with your communication objectives.

Renewal Exercise for an Existing Team – the journey

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journey

Existing teams often go through phases of renewal, which requires that new team members and existing members come together to create a new or changed vision and way forward. This could happen when the project changes from design to implementation or from one conceptual to design. It could also happen if the leader is replaced. There are many reasons when an existing team can benefit from a renewal exercise to remind them of what they need to do, how they will do it and how they will measure success and collaborate.

Elements that can hold the new team back include existing members holding on to the past too strongly and new members not understanding why some things are done in a certain way within the team. Lacking the background and context of the past and a shared vision for the future the team could easily remain divided between the “new comers” and the “old timers” who know everything.

existing-team-exercise-the-journeyDownload

This exercise has two parts and helps to make the past easier to understand especially in terms of how it may have shaped the current belief system of existing team members – i.e. what they believe works and what does not work. The second part of the exercise helps new teams map out the new way forward together, which helps all team members be a part of what they plan to achieve and do going forward.

Tips/Comments:

  • This exercise does not replace any classic team chartering activities i.e. crafting a new or changed purpose statement, or reviewing/creating new roles and responsibilities going forward or agreeing on key team performance indicators. This exercise forms more of a bridge towards renewing the team and its activities and path forward. This exercise can best be followed by some more classic team chartering activities and exercises.
  • Monitor the communication process closely during the first part of the exercise: the sharing that happens has to remain constructive vs existing team members slipping into defensive behavior and/or new team members being overly critical of the lessons learned from the past.
  • This exercise has also sometimes been used as an ice-breaker to start off a one- or two-day team-building activity. It would be good to schedule this just before a natural break to allow team members to spend unstructured social time together as an aftermath of this exercise.

Organizational Strategy Framework

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framework final

Setting a strategy for an organization requires a focus on aspects internally and external to your organization. Once you have set your strategic growth targets you would need to look at how you need things to change internally to support those growth targets. You may want to set your signs on improving profitability, increasing organizational effectiveness or moving leadership behaviors closer to your values and vision for the organization.

The resource I am sharing can help you align some of the most important internal aspects with your strategy to improve your chances of successfully executing on the strategy.

Most organizations are able to successfully navigate through the process of setting a strategy. Many organizational leaders find execution and implementation of the strategy the hardest part to achieve. I believe this is mostly because internal aspects that are needed to support the strategy are not always taken into account in the execution plan.

framework-for-org-strategyDownload

The framework (See download option above) and questions to address in each case help you by acting as a checklist. Reviewing the execution plan, this list will help you consider how to engage, involve, and inform stakeholders in the process. It helps ensure that every aspect of your execution plan reinforces your strategic objectives leading to a better implementation plan.

The areas to ensure alignment are:

  1. Company values and culture
  2. Leadership (behavior and mindset)
  3. Workforce capability
  4. Organization structure
  5. Organization processes
  6. Systems (Automation)
  7. Performance Management and Metrics

The sequence would always be to first select a strategy you would like to pursue with the organization and then use this resource to plan the implementation portion of the activity.

Setting strategies is often an iterative process as changes from inside or outside of companies require an adjustment in approach. Remember to check the impact of further changes on the same checklist (see above) to ensure you maintain the strategy alignment.

Preparing Managers for a Staff Reduction process

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1453990358937

Staff reduction, mass employee lay-offs or a reduction in force, is a critical process. Consequences for not complying with labor laws or not acting and communicating correctly can be far-reaching.

Declining workloads or under-performing groups are some of the reasons that lead to the decision to reduce staff. Not executing staff reductions correctly can expose the company to many liabilities and potentially law suits.

There are several steps to take in this process and in most countries there are specific requirements which may include employee and/or union consultation and involvement and some steps could also be subject to approvals by governmental organizations. In many countries there are very specific justifications that a company has to be able to provide to show that the process of selecting who to lay off was fair and equitable and that no discrimination took place.

It is important that managers understand the correct process to follow for staff reductions and that they are able to for example conduct employee notification meetings in the right manner.

staff-reduction-review-process-for-managersDownload

The resource you can download above contains a few slides which may be useful at a manager orientation meeting to ensure the principles and approach to follow with this staff reduction is well understood by the managers. There are also slides highlighting the human impact of staff reductions and the need to ensure that those who remain with the company are supported through the emotions when they see other trusted and well-liked colleagues leave.

Without proper preparation of the managers/supervisors before the notification meetings take place you risk them making incorrect statements or forgetting to make important statements. Sometimes unprepared managers act in ways that could be interpreted as discriminatory. The slides will help you minimize that risk as you first orient managers/supervisors in a group and then have each manager/supervisor work with his/her HR Representative to practice how to conduct the notification meeting correctly during the staff reduction process.

Remember:

  • It is not only the impacted employees who are going to have an emotional reaction to the staff reduction, employees intended to remain at the company may be losing valued friendly connections with peers – even friendships. Be sure to reassure those whom you intend to stay with the company to stop them from looking around for other jobs during the uncertainty that is created in the workforce when a reduction in staff is planned or in progress.
  • It is very important to plan the notification meetings to take place very fast. The shorter the time of uncertainty and people waiting to be called in for a meeting, the better your chances of restoring the morale of the remaining employees and avoid retention risks.
  • During times like these is when your company’s values should drive decision-making and how you talk to employees. Your branding messages can claim honorable conduct and make promises of fair treatment, but it is during staff reductions that you get to prove that you meant it. Employees will remember how you conducted the staff reduction more than they will remember what is written on your posters about company values.
  • (HR/Office Manager) Remember also to check in with the managers and supervisors who conducted the notification meetings. It is tough to tell a number of people that their jobs will go away and watch their emotional reactions to that.

The staff reduction process is tough on everyone and it is vital that you plan it and conduct it exactly according to the rules and laws of the country where the people are employed. Internally you also need to make sure your planning includes an orientation process for those managers and supervisors who have a role in the notification meetings. And most importantly, check in with those who will remain after the notification meetings are complete to ensure that your business activities can resume soon after.