Building Teams.  Achieving Goals.  Developing Trust.                                                    Winter 2004, Issue 5

"Leaders do not elicit trust unless one has confidence in their values and competence (including judgment) and unless they have a sustaining spirit that will support the tenacious pursuit of a goal."

-Robert Greenleaf

The Way of Discovery Quarterly Newsletter is provided to give you a moment to reflect on the value of collaboration, trust and current leadership models. I welcome your thoughts on the "Question of this Issue." If you have any comments or suggestions, feel free to contact me.

-Victoria Crawford, Founder

The ROI of Intangibles

What is the ROI of leadership and team development? What is the value to the organization when the staff 'buys into' the company vision, mission and values?

Are you looking for a good book to read on the subject of leadership?

Try Servant Leadership. It's as relevant now as when first published in 1977. In fact, more so! Robert Greenleaf, a retired AT&T executive, explains why service ought to be the distinguishing characteristic of leadership.

With a forward by Steven Covey and an afterward by Peter Senge, this book, now a 25^th Anniversary Edition, is a must read for those leading during these times of uncertainty and change.

This April I will be presenting a 4-hour workshop called Best Year Yet. This workshop will help you create balance between your work and personal life as well as teach you a system for creating and achieving goals.

Invitational Workshop
April 16, 2004
8:00-12:00
University of Phoenix
4605 East Elwood

E-mail here to register.

Intangible assets have always been difficult to measure. For one thing they are worth different things to different people. Another is that by their very nature they are subjective. Unlike financial and physical resources that can be measured, the value found in intangibles depends on how well they serve the organizations that own them.

Robert S. Kaplin and David P. Norton, (HBR, Feb. 2004- Measuring the Strategic Readiness of Intangible Assets) use a tool called Strategy Map to determine the alignment of an organizations intangible capital with its business strategy.

Kaplin and Norton say that intangible assets actually determine the performance of significant internal processes that in turn make possible the company's success. And they have been able to measure this.

Using the Balanced Scorecard method they created, Kaplin and Norton identified three categories of intangibles that are essential for implementing strategy. They form the foundation for productivity and growth that translates into sustained shareholder value.

Human Capital - Knowledge, skills and talent of employees.
Information Capital - Technology and informational infrastructure.
Organizational Capital - The company's culture, its leadership, alignment and goals.

The article shows how intangibles assets have a direct effect on determining the performance of operations management, customer management, innovation and environment. This effect translates into the success of the financial perspective.

According to the authors, "Organizations introducing a new strategy must create a culture of corresponding values, a cadre of exceptional leaders who can lead the change agenda, and an informed workforce aligned to the strategy, working together, and sharing knowledge to help the strategy succeed."

Are your human, information and organizational capital aligned with your strategy? Do you have clear vision, mission and values? Is your culture based in trust? Is collaboration and accountability part of the mainstay? Are your leaders exceptional and your workforce informed?

If so, congratulations! Research shows that the time, energy and financial resources that you have committed to creating a result oriented-trust based culture will pay off. You have access to the greatest resource available...the hearts and minds of your people.

If not, call us! We are committed to creating cultures that not only achieve measurable results but do so within a foundation in trust.

Interested in a copy of Kaplin and Norton's article? Send us an email and we will gladly send you an executive summary and/or a copy if you prefer.

Archives:

Fall 2003, Issue 3
Summer 2003, Issue 3
Spring 2003, Issue 2

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