Teams are the heart and soul of our organizations. When teams do not function to their maximum potential, it costs your organization in lost profitability from reduced productivity and missed deadlines.

Many groupings of people that are labelled Teams are simply not demonstrating high performance. These people are often thrown together under stressful conditions and are expected to succeed without any further instruction.

The first Team of which we’re a member is our family. Determining how well our family functioned in this respect will, in large measure, forecast our own Team Behavior … particularly when we’re under stress.

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“You made a difference for our Board and helped us in our quest to make a difference.”

E.D., LMP

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Futures Consulting’s core strength is transforming teams in conflict into high performance teams who work together effectively. We have done this for hundreds of teams in hundreds of organizations.

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“Lin accomplished great feats with a medical doctor and his team; then led a reorganization team with an Engineering Firm.”

Consultant (Retired HR Executive, Northrop Grumman)

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Futures Consulting is expert at:

• Assessing whether your teams are functioning at an optimum level
• Moving dysfunctional teams to self-managing teams which lowers costs and greatly enhances employee satisfaction
• Measurably reducing turnover
• Ensuring the healthy spread of intellectual capital
• Creating new teams
• Dissolving less-than-effective teams
• Re-energizing teams and team spirit
• Meeting and exceeding your goals

Contact Lin O’Neill at Futures Consulting to discuss how we can transform your teams. Call us at 214.557.6555.

An often seen Strategic Planning mistake is to totally separate the Strategic Plan and/or the Strategic Planning Process from the day-to-day business/business processes.  For a strategy to be realized at the cellular level of the organization, it has to get into the drinking water of the organization.

Strategic Planning:

• Begins with the Vision
• Includes Strategic Plan DEVELOPMENT and Strategic Plan IMPLEMENTATION
• Is based in Business Best Practices
• Always emphasizes Profitability & Productivity
• Is Inclusive
• Incorporates both Theory and Pragmatism
• Requires consistent Monitoring
• Often involves Coaching & [positive] Conflict Resolution
• Elicits “real time” Feedback
• Builds a Team for the “long haul” that is in search of Personal & Professional Success

Examples of Strategic Planning Experience:

1. 1. As a Vice President and Corporate Officer, [with my Team] designed and implemented a Strategic Plan that successfully took an operation of 3,300 employees and a $300MM P&L through a Chapter 11 Filing, Replacement of 4 Unions and Sale of 3 businesses.  The RESULT:  Return to profitability, Successful Union recall, 500% growth in Customer Commendations.

1. 2. As a Consultant, guided the Strategic Planning Process (from development through and including implementation) a working unit for a major international agricultural firm where the Vision was to become profitable through cost containment and employee engagement.

1. 3. In 2009 and again this year, I have been selected to lead a group of 15 CEOs with gross revenues of $400K – $30MM through a 6-month process of Strategic Plan Development.  This is a prescribed process that specifically addresses Operational Strategy, Finance, Sales & Marketing and Resources (including H.R.).  The Deliverable is presentation of a 3-year Strategic Plan for their business by each of the 15 CEOs.

1. 4. Continue to Develop and Implement the Strategic Plan for Futures Consulting (opened in 1980)

1. 5. Facilitated the Strategic Planning Process for more than 12 cross-functional teams in industries as diverse as:  manufacturing, professional services, sales and marketing, new product development and utilities.

1. 6. Assisted 6 CEOs over the years with organizational restructuring planning to ensure infrastructure design to support Strategic Plan.

1. 7. Participated as a Member of the Strategic Planning Teams for 3 Divisions of a Fortune 100 company.

1. 8. Facilitated [at some points], Participated [at some other points] in the Strategic Planning Process preceding major contract negotiations.

They like to debate every assignment or instruction. They blame others for their mistakes. They fail to meet their objectives. You want to sigh when they are headed in your direction!

Involvement in the coaching process enables a downward spiral to be corrected prior to free fall.

Coaching can also provide enhancement for even the most effective styles.

“I would like you to know that I do believe that your class helped get me a new job! I answered an ad and got to the interviewing process, when the Director of the program began asking me personality questions that sounded as though they had been taken out of your chapter! So I used my most recent knowledge and experience and answered them honestly…and a week later I was job offered! My title will be Senior Program Director [and my new office will be] THREE miles from my house!!! The interview process was one I have never experienced before. So I would like to personally thank YOU from the bottom of my heart! It was great having the knowledge to discern her motivation for certain questions. Thank you again! I will stay in touch.”

Social Worker

A number of things can make an employee high  maintenance.

• They could be in the wrong position.
• They may lack a connection to the vision or mission of the organization.
• The company’s recognition system may be ineffective for this employee.

The high-maintenance employee is likely to think that negative attention is better than no attention.

High-maintenance employees are a “direct hit” to the bottom line of a business. Each one can cost your organization from $20,000 to $100,000 or more in lost productivity, disruption, turnover, and employee dissatisfaction.

“Your manner of handling people and issues is truly professional. Never judgmental, but real humorous and so positive. We all came away with so much insight and knowledge.”

Board Member

Futures can help you turn high maintenance employees into productive team members. Futures utilizes a proven action strategy that has worked in hundreds of organizations.

Contact Lin O’Neill at Futures Consulting to discuss how we can transform your high maintenance employees or call at 214.557.6555.