• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

JP Cornerstone

Just another Cornerstone Accelerator site

  • JP Cornerstone
  • About
    • About JP Cornerstone
    • Code of Ethics
    • Professional Practice Guidelines
    • External Privacy Notice
  • Offices
    • Stockholm
    • Helsinki
    • Oslo
    • Copenhagen
  • Services
    • Executive Search
    • Board Search
    • Leadership Consulting
    • Interim Management
    • JPC Selection
  • Insights
  • News
  • Contact

Archives for February 2020

Survey Outlines China Business Recovery

February 25, 2020 by Cornerstone International Group Leave a Comment

The world’s largest economy has been staggered by the outbreak of a tiny virus but, step by step, China is mobilizing its workforce to return to work and business in face of the pervasive spread of COVID-19.

Cornerstone International Group, with six offices in mainland China and Taiwan, conducted a short online survey this week of 17-21 February among our business partners and friends, to gauge the current status of Back to Business in China.

The data is based on 126 responses to the questionnaire, from Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong and other locations such as Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Guangdong. All of the cities have been affected by the outbreak and many are bearing the brunt of the disruption.

Here is what we learned:

 

Current Status of Work in China

98.4% of companies returned to some form of work this week but only 4.8 % are truly back to normal and fully operational.  Most employees are either working from home or a mixture of some office and home.

The Status of Work Anticipated This Week (Feb. 24-28)

Starting the week of Feb. 24, the government is promoting policies and guidelines on both the prevention and control of the Covid-19 outbreak and on best efforts to resume business and production.

As a result, the survey shows a majority of respondent (73.6%) expect to be back to normal or semi-normal operation during the coming week. (19.2 % fully normal and 54.4% semi-normal).  By March 2, a majority of companies will be returning to normal from semi-normal office mode..

Chinese HR Needs Anticipated In 2020

An ability to doing more with smaller staffs, to expand performance and to engage young leaders are key in the months ahead.  The Cornerstone Survey shows highest response on the need for Performance Improvement Training (40.8%) & Workforce Restructuring Consulting (40.0%).

China Business Survey Conclusions

Be Flexible

In addition to home office and flexible working hours, CEOs will need to empower employees to manage and plan their daily work with freedom to undertake family responsibilities.   Companies already proud of a flexible culture must be even more flexible entering the year of 2020.

Build Up Closer Connections

Provide IT support and solutions to ensure efficient and reliable remote working.  Internally, adopt more timely and transparent communication methods such as WeChat groups, Zoom calls, Go to meetings, etc.  Externally, keep in touch with clients and business partners actively and regularly.

Leaders must actively support any initiatives that could help employees and customers to steer through this crisis together as a partner and friend.

Focus on Human Capital Effectiveness

Many companies in 2020 are focusing on Performance Improvement. Other popular initiatives include Digital and Online training for Crisis Management, Stress Management, Continuous Improvement and Leadership Coaching.

Stay Calm and Reduce the Panic

Set up a CMT (Crisis Management Team) if you do not have one already, to ensure urgent action will be taken when needed. Encourage staff to share their own stories during the outbreak. Psychological assistance may also be needed for special cases.

Boost Morale

Mature Leadership is needed during the crisis to show real caring and encouragement to people and help rebuild their confidence.  Remind colleagues of the old saying “No winter is insurmountable, no spring will not come”

Search Out New Business Opportunity

Times of change are times of opportunity. Conservatively managed  businesses are now forced to make changes and incorporate business activities in new ways and new directions.

Enhance Company Safety System

During this critical period of recovery of production and business in the coming 3-6 months it is important to provide safety training in the plant or office, especially on COVID-19 protection and prevention.

This is also a good time to re-ensure every employee understands the company’s medical insurance policy, fire prevention & control and Employee Assistance Program.

Filed Under: Cornerstone Blog

Leading Through Change

February 19, 2020 by Cornerstone International Group Leave a Comment

Is leadership changing? The answer is yes, but in application, not in essence.

The essence of leadership can be summed up in three components:

  1. VISION (the leader sees what others haven’t yet seen)
  2. DECISION MAKING (particularly in selecting people)
  3. INSPIRING (helps others to realize their full potential)

These core aptitudes to successfully exercise the leadership role have not changed.  But the manner or techniques of exercising leadership have indeed changed.

In the past, the method of leading could be seen in the image of the Maestro, conducting the output of orchestra members within the confines of a traditionally rigid musical score. A task of Management.

Today’s image of leadership in action is closer to that of a Rock Band Leader, whose role is to allow individual instrumentalists freedom to excel within a loose but harmonious framework. A task of Coordination.

Another difference can be seen in the leader’s motivation.  The pursuit of material rewards such as stock options and status symbols is less prevalent today. Nowadays, the leader is more likely to be seeking meaning and purpose in work which aligns with a sense of personal fulfillment and mission.

The characteristics or qualities that a true leader should have in order to stand out from the crowd have not changed. Valid as much today as in the past, these are:

  • Willingness to lead (it is much easier to be led than to lead)
  • Desire to excel (the leader is never satisfied with what has already been achieved)
  • Charisma (the magnetism that true leaders possess which attracts people to them).

Here’s another way of putting this.  A genuine leader is:

  • One who does not know … and asks.
  • One who knows … and teaches.
  • One who teaches … and practices (Walks the Talk!)

Here are some basic differences that separate an administrator from a true leader :

In truth, Leadership is not a question or function of status, title, inheritance, or of bravado … but rather of credibility, influence, mastery, wisdom, and, especially, attitude.

So exercise your Leadership with Wisdom (the supreme Wealth we have) and with Responsibility (not only duty or obligation, but to respond to your Abilities, that is, to realize your Potential!).

 

START BY BEING A LEADER OF YOURSELF!

Filed Under: Cornerstone Blog

When Good Leaders Hand Off

February 10, 2020 by Cornerstone International Group Leave a Comment

Business leaders face the daily choice of how to use the most limited resource available to them: time. Their challenge is to continually lead more effectively and efficiently at higher levels of organizational complexity.

Almost every leader I have met admits that week after week they do some things that someone else on their team could easily do. Their rationale includes not wanting to lose the time it would take to get someone up to speed on the task and often an assumption that they can do it faster and better than anyone else.

That choice to keep doing what another could do keeps them from letting go of the urgent to address the more important. It’s the danger of defaulting to one’s subject matter expertise in operational tactics rather than stepping away from operations to think about strategy.

The strategic role of leadership is to see around the corner—to see what others do not yet see. It demands time away from operations by climbing to that 30,000-foot perspective to discover what’s ahead. It requires the analysis and synthesis of relevant data: the latest information about the industry, the market, the customer, the competition, the vendor, the employee base, and the changes in technology.

Since time is limited, the invitation to every leader is to offload some tasks so they can address more important responsibilities.

It is the “urgent important” dilemma. How do leaders address the conundrum?

Handing Off and Letting Go

Delegation is a handing off process combined with a letting go process. Responsibility (handing off) is an assignment the leader gives to a team member along with accountability for results. Authority (letting go) is the appropriate power a leader gives to a team member to use time and organizational resources to reach a shared outcome.

The return on investment?  The team member gets a stretch assignment that enhances their leadership capacity. The leader frees up time and resources to give attention to strategic issues of greater organizational complexity.

There is a four-step process of getting a team member ready for full responsibility and full authority. When leaders don’t go through all four steps,  it diminishes their ability to lead at higher levels of organizational complexity. It also prevents the development of direct reports through the stretch assignments that are handed off.

And together it keeps the organization from achieving its productivity potential of delivering services or products efficiently and effectively.

Answering the “Who” Question

First, there are four delegation selection questions when a leader is considering which team member is ready for a stretch assignment.

  • The Competence Question: Can they do this delegated assignment?
  • The Bandwidth Question: Do they have time to do this delegated assignment?
  • The Personal Drive Question: Will they successfully complete the delegated assignment?
  • The Cultural Fit Question: Will we like them while they do the delegated assignment?

The Delegation Matrix

Developmental delegation is a process that leverages four messages designed to meet team members at each stage of readiness to take on a new responsibility.

  • Stage One: Low Responsibility/Low Authority. The leader communicates to the team member, “Come watch me do this.” Then they debrief on what the team member observed.
  • Stage Two: High Responsibility/Low Authority. The leader communicates, “Let’s do this together. You help me.” Then they discuss what the team member observed, experienced, and learned.
  • Stage Three: Low Responsibility/High Authority. The leader says, “Let’s do this together. This time, I’ll watch you do it.” Then, the leader provides feedback for discussion from what was observed.
  • Stage Four: High Responsibility/High Authority. The leader finally says, “Now you do it, and I will be available to support you.” Then, the leader delegates full responsibility and full authority with ongoing review and support.

Delegation Readiness and Stretch Assignments

Recent leadership development research indicates the value of stretch assignments as the optimum approach to move emerging leaders from a talent pool into a leadership development pipeline.

The formula includes four components: microlearning around leadership competencies; coaching conversations around learning application; on-the-job application to develop new leadership habits, skills, and behaviors, and reflection that leads to more learning and new application.

Investing in the development of team members not only frees up the leader to address more strategic concerns, but it contributes to the engagement and retention of your best talent.

It also shapes an organizational culture with a reputation that attracts the best talent in the competitive landscape.

Delegation only happens by choice, never by chance.

 

(Editor:  Dick Daniels is founder of the Leadership Development Group, a Cornerstone Certified Leadership Executive Coach, and a regular contributor to the global blog. This article first appeared on the web pages of the Association for Talent Development)

Filed Under: Cornerstone Blog

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • PRESS RELEASE: Cornerstone Kansas City Expands Midwest Market
  • PRESS RELEASE: Cornerstone International Group Launches New Logo 
  • Leadership Academy: In Your Corner- Emotional Intelligence: An Important Leadership Skill for 2023 and Beyond
  • The Cornerstone Eagle – December 2022 – Pause, Reflect, Learn and Take Action.
  • Making Certain Your Organization is Resilient  

Recent Comments

    Archives

    • March 2023
    • February 2023
    • January 2023
    • December 2022
    • November 2022
    • August 2022
    • July 2022
    • June 2022
    • March 2022
    • February 2022
    • January 2022
    • December 2021
    • November 2021
    • October 2021
    • September 2021
    • August 2021
    • July 2021
    • June 2021
    • May 2021
    • April 2021
    • March 2021
    • February 2021
    • January 2021
    • December 2020
    • November 2020
    • October 2020
    • September 2020
    • August 2020
    • July 2020
    • June 2020
    • May 2020
    • April 2020
    • March 2020
    • February 2020
    • January 2020
    • December 2019
    • November 2019
    • October 2019
    • September 2019
    • August 2019
    • July 2019
    • June 2019
    • May 2019
    • April 2019
    • March 2019
    • February 2019
    • January 2019
    • December 2018
    • November 2018
    • October 2018
    • September 2018
    • August 2018
    • July 2018
    • June 2018
    • May 2018
    • February 2018
    • February 2017
    • January 2017
    • July 2016
    • April 2016
    • March 2016
    • February 2016
    • October 2015
    • April 2015
    • March 2015
    • October 2014
    • June 2014
    • April 2014
    • March 2014
    • February 2014
    • December 2013
    • August 2013
    • May 2013
    • April 2013
    • October 2012
    • September 2012
    • August 2012
    • May 2012
    • March 2012
    • January 2012
    • December 2011
    • November 2011
    • October 2011
    • September 2011
    • July 2011
    • May 2011
    • March 2011
    • January 2011
    • December 2010
    • August 2010
    • June 2010
    • May 2010
    • April 2010
    • March 2010
    • February 2010
    • January 2010
    • December 2009
    • November 2009
    • October 2009
    • September 2009
    • August 2009
    • July 2009
    • June 2009
    • May 2009
    • April 2009
    • March 2009
    • February 2009
    • January 2009
    • December 2008
    • November 2008
    • October 2008
    • September 2008
    • August 2008
    • July 2008
    • June 2008
    • April 2008
    • March 2008
    • February 2008
    • January 2008
    • December 2007
    • September 2007
    • August 2007
    • June 2007
    • April 2007
    • December 2006
    • November 2006
    • September 2006
    • August 2006
    • July 2006
    • June 2006
    • March 2006
    • February 2006
    • January 2006
    • November 2005
    • October 2005
    • September 2005
    • August 2005
    • July 2005
    • June 2005
    • May 2005
    • April 2005
    • March 2005
    • February 2005
    • January 2005
    • December 2004
    • November 2004
    • October 2004
    • September 2004
    • August 2004
    • July 2004
    • June 2004
    • May 2004
    • April 2004
    • March 2004
    • February 2004
    • January 2004
    • December 2003
    • November 2003
    • October 2003
    • September 2003
    • August 2003
    • July 2003
    • June 2003
    • May 2003
    • April 2003
    • March 2003
    • February 2003
    • January 2003
    • December 2002
    • November 2002

    Categories

    • Cornerstone Blog
    • Uncategorized

    Meta

    • Log in
    • Entries feed
    • Comments feed
    • WordPress.org

    Copyright © 2023 · JP Cornerstone · Sitemap

    Website Development by LimeCuda