As I reflected on my personal and professional experiences I am struck by an interesting parallel between my white water rafting adventures and my experience as a Corporate Executive.
All of my white water experiences followed a similar process - a group of people, with varying skills and different experience levels, gathered together to maneuver a raft down through unknown obstacles and challenges. Some are friends and others strangers. A guide at the helm, whom everyone trusts, is assumed to know the river and have the skill to get us safely down. However, we all know this isn’t a one-man job.
After introductions and assurances of his competence, the guide assessed this group to identify personalities and skills. Through this assessment, he assigned roles and responsibilities aboard the raft.
He recited a very complete script. This explained the mission, vision, known hazards, strategies to navigate around them and the rescue plan if one was needed. There were rules of conduct, things like: don’t stand up in the raft, keep your paddle under control, hold onto the guide rope, listen to the guide, and follow directions quickly and concisely. These were non-negotiable.
He then confirmed that all paddlers had a clear understanding and agreed to participate fully. All were invited to withdraw from the adventure if they were not in full agreement. Some paddlers changed their minds at this point and opted out of the raft.
To read the remainder of the article, click here.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Thursday, November 22, 2012
NEW MANDATE - 10EQS
We are pleased to announce a new assignment with 10EQS, a Switzerland-based knowledge platform connecting clients with global top talent in a structured, online collaboration environment. 10EQS enables clients to access targeted, to-the-point knowledge fast and affordably. They enable experts to leverage their skills through working with clients around the world. Principal Dan Brozic will offer executive advisement for a 10EQS multi-national oil and gas client.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
TAKING THE LONG VIEW - A PRACTICAL HUMAN RESOURCE PERSPECTIVE
Business strategies in newspapers, magazines, TV shows and books are dissected, analyzed, proselytized and change as often as the latest poll in a US Presidential campaign. Each one offers the next great solution to the dilemma facing a business, but never seems to be the answer after publication of the company’s next financial report. Pressure builds from outside forces solely reflecting on share price, and then change comes again.
My experience as an HR Director and petrochemical business leader has seen different business strategies tried, tweaked and then change again with a shift in senior management. However, with the benefit of hindsight, the successful business strategy taught to me in my early years stressed to look at the horizon, not the next signpost, as the way to conduct business. With the company I worked for, its success was measured by an increase in our asset base, greater community employment, stable dividends and an increase in employee engagement through company share ownership. If you built up your own team’s skill and talents, this too would result in increased share price, profit and business success over the long term.
This reflection was spurred by reading the article “Encouraging your people to take the long view” (September 2012: Toby Gibbs, Suzanne Heywood and Matthew Pettigrew) in the McKinsey Quarterly. It offers the thesis “when people don’t have real targets and incentives to focus on the long term, they don’t. Over time, performance declines because not enough people have the attention, or the capabilities, to sustain and renew it.” Examples were given of companies that have stepped back and instituted metrics to measure long term sustainable targets on their desired corporate culture. For instance, safety performance, employee development etc. It was also stated that compensation practices, in particular executive compensation practices, have had the opposite effect on looking at the long term view related to organization culture and have been used only as a “top-up” measure to their executive plan. The article offers three processes that companies should follow: 1. Root out unhealthy habits; 2. Prioritize the company’s values; and 3. Keep the metrics simple, but meaningful.
To read the remainder of the article, click here.
My experience as an HR Director and petrochemical business leader has seen different business strategies tried, tweaked and then change again with a shift in senior management. However, with the benefit of hindsight, the successful business strategy taught to me in my early years stressed to look at the horizon, not the next signpost, as the way to conduct business. With the company I worked for, its success was measured by an increase in our asset base, greater community employment, stable dividends and an increase in employee engagement through company share ownership. If you built up your own team’s skill and talents, this too would result in increased share price, profit and business success over the long term.
This reflection was spurred by reading the article “Encouraging your people to take the long view” (September 2012: Toby Gibbs, Suzanne Heywood and Matthew Pettigrew) in the McKinsey Quarterly. It offers the thesis “when people don’t have real targets and incentives to focus on the long term, they don’t. Over time, performance declines because not enough people have the attention, or the capabilities, to sustain and renew it.” Examples were given of companies that have stepped back and instituted metrics to measure long term sustainable targets on their desired corporate culture. For instance, safety performance, employee development etc. It was also stated that compensation practices, in particular executive compensation practices, have had the opposite effect on looking at the long term view related to organization culture and have been used only as a “top-up” measure to their executive plan. The article offers three processes that companies should follow: 1. Root out unhealthy habits; 2. Prioritize the company’s values; and 3. Keep the metrics simple, but meaningful.
To read the remainder of the article, click here.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
HOW FAMILY BUSINESSES CAN BENEFIT FROM AN OUTSIDE PERSPECTIVE
How is your family business going? Is it ticking along and just meeting expectations? Are the objectives being realized? Is it continuing to prosper or has it become flat? Is it financially sound? Could it be doing better?
I grew up working in the family business. It was a part of my life from age nine until I graduated from university. Like my father, it became a full-time commitment and responsibility, even when I was in grade school because if we didn’t respond to the daily needs there wouldn’t be food on the table next month. While the business grew organically and became more successful and we had more time to think about areas of expansion or better focus, the only thing we really did know was our family business. Yes, my dad had earlier experiences to build on, but each of those was also a family business.
Something entrepreneurs don’t take time to consider is that there is a wider world out there. Perhaps the paradigm they are comfortable in when viewed within a larger context has opportunities that would otherwise not be feasible because their view is hindered by a narrow focus.
To read the remainder of the article, click here.
I grew up working in the family business. It was a part of my life from age nine until I graduated from university. Like my father, it became a full-time commitment and responsibility, even when I was in grade school because if we didn’t respond to the daily needs there wouldn’t be food on the table next month. While the business grew organically and became more successful and we had more time to think about areas of expansion or better focus, the only thing we really did know was our family business. Yes, my dad had earlier experiences to build on, but each of those was also a family business.
Something entrepreneurs don’t take time to consider is that there is a wider world out there. Perhaps the paradigm they are comfortable in when viewed within a larger context has opportunities that would otherwise not be feasible because their view is hindered by a narrow focus.
To read the remainder of the article, click here.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
MAJA VELJKOVIC & BRENDA JACOBSON JOIN THE OIM TEAM
Osborne Interim Management is pleased to welcome Brenda Jacobson (CMA) and Maja Veljkovic (M.Sc, P.Eng) to the organization as a Principals.
Based in Calgary, Brenda is an engaging leader supporting companies to set, align, measure and attain financial goals. She specializes in small team environments with experience across multiple industry sectors and expands beyond traditional financial reporting to integrate all aspects of the corporate strategy with the financial vision. With expertise in financial reporting, financial modelling, business analysis and structure, people strategies and team building, she is gifted at identifying challenges and developing creative solutions.
Maja, who resides in Edmonton, has achieved successful technology development and transfer with a solid engineering background in senior management and leadership positions. She has demonstrated the ability to design and establish effective and productive technology collaboration arrangements among industry, universities and government, particularly in the energy and alternative energy fields. With a combination of technical acumen, and a flare for transforming groups into productive working teams, Maja can be a potent management force in any innovation-based enterprise.
Based in Calgary, Brenda is an engaging leader supporting companies to set, align, measure and attain financial goals. She specializes in small team environments with experience across multiple industry sectors and expands beyond traditional financial reporting to integrate all aspects of the corporate strategy with the financial vision. With expertise in financial reporting, financial modelling, business analysis and structure, people strategies and team building, she is gifted at identifying challenges and developing creative solutions.
Maja, who resides in Edmonton, has achieved successful technology development and transfer with a solid engineering background in senior management and leadership positions. She has demonstrated the ability to design and establish effective and productive technology collaboration arrangements among industry, universities and government, particularly in the energy and alternative energy fields. With a combination of technical acumen, and a flare for transforming groups into productive working teams, Maja can be a potent management force in any innovation-based enterprise.
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