Rapid Results Program

Rapid Results Program

Interactions Assessment & Intervention™

Overview

 

 

 

We believe that a critical performance driver is being overlooked: collective human effectiveness, which is the product of the efficiency of day-to-day interactions. When considering cost, competitiveness, performance and satisfaction, the business value of human interactions is undeniable. How effective people are when making requests of each other, how they negotiate priorities, disputes and customer needs, how they coordinate and communicate across departments, functions, even companies, often determines real success. Moreover, the quality of interactions directly influences trust levels throughout, which translates to the bottom line.

 

The Rapid Results Program Assessment & Intervention quickly and visually reveals the web of interactions in play across an organization. Our facilitation methodology and tools propel rigorous dialogue among the people that do the day-to-day work about what really matters, how things are actually done and specifically what each participant can do to improve overall results - now.

We begin with facilitated dialogue sessions which produce, in real-time, an Interaction Map (see Fig. 5) showing how work in the organization is interrelated. But the map is much more than a workflow diagram. It is also richly annotated with the participants' observations and recommendations' regarding what is and is not working within the organization.

 

Perspectives change as a practical overview takes shape and establishes a common understanding. Participants are often surprised how their work indirectly affects roles and work in other areas, both upstream and downstream.

 

Interaction Maps make it possible to quickly develop consensus and inclusion throughout the organization. Participants themselves bring to light their behaviors and practices that inhibit performance, then develop, and articulate recommended changes and actions for better outcomes.

 

Fig. 1

 

 

The Interaction Map becomes a visual aid highlighting the most relevant vetted issues, recommendations and sets the stage for breakthrough dialogue between workers and managers up through CEOs, across the organizational boundaries and silos.

 

Decisions reached through the process of Interaction Mapping will naturally result in more readily accepted change, and builds trust throughout the organization.

 

For practical reasons, not everyone in the organization can directly participate in the dialogue sessions. However, the benefits accrued from the sessions can be propagated through the organization by producing enhanced communication using technology tools. Video segments (podcasts), web-based commitment management and the visual Interaction Map itself to capitalize on the knowledge and excitement achieved in the sessions.

 

Within weeks, the facilitated sessions and enhanced communications yield both immediate and longer-term solutions for improvement and innovation. More importantly, they create an ideal environment for continued meaningful inclusion, engagement, trust building and measuring improvement.

 

 

 

 

 

                                                    Fig. 2

 

 

 

What is the value / cost of interaction issues? Consider this question: what percentage of your employees' time is diverted by or misspent on the kinds of issues described in Fig. 3?

 

 

We have worked with companies from cottage industries to members of the Fortune 50, and our experiences have been surprisingly consistent: self-reported waste and inefficiency is seldom less than 30%, and is often much higher. The impact on the bottom line is dramatic – and the prospects for cost recovery are equally impressive, using the Leeds methodology (see Fig. 4).

Typically, organizations employ technology and traditional improvement methods that focus on process and data. Yet the results are seldom satisfactory.

 

The Rapid Results Program Interactions Assessment and Intervention is Leeds' initial offering. It provides an affordable, results-oriented discovery of the performance impact and return on investment that inevitably follows from improving the effectiveness of interactions.

 

 

 

 

Fig. 3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fig. 4

 

 

 

 

For over 18 years, we have dedicated ourselves to the business of helping businesses to help themselves. By coupling a revolutionary approach with state-of-the art tools, we can support your organization in making real, lasting change – by changing the way your employees think and interact.

 

 

Fig. 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fig. 6

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Past clients include: General Electric Aircraft, Banana Republic, American Water, Frito-Lay, Standard and Poors, Capital One, Proscan Imaging, Sungard, and McKesson.

 

For more information, please contact Rubi Leeds, Partner. rubi@leedsandassociates.com or 513-253-4711

Liberating Potential

I am dedicated to liberating the full human potential currently suppressed in many organizations. How do you know if an organization has untapped human potential? Talk to people working there. Walk around and ask people a few key questions:

Ask them how they feel when they are on the way to work in the morning, walking in from the parking lot? There are three kinds of answers.

• Engaged, excited and energized
  
• Stress and dread
  
  • Stress and dread don't come from dreadful workers; it's born of poorly designed work, where people feel hopeless that what they do every day matters. The good news is, if they didn't care it wouldn't stress them. More good news, if you let the people that are stressed by the work have a hand in fixing it, they will become excited and energized. The difference is about 45% productivity.
    
• Indifference    
  

If you can't get an honest, sincere answer, well, you should count those as stress and dread, teetering on indifference. They need help quickly.

 

New Ideas – please comment

And some random thoughts on the "Story Approach"…

Influenced by: Daniel Pink, "Free Agent Nation"

http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/12/freeagent.html

and his new book "Whole new Mind"

Eckhart Tolle, Marianne Williamson, Fernando Flores, Phil Hallstein, Annette Simmons

Functioning Theories: (help me find evidence of these) is there anything here that is not accepted as true in business?

1. People, generally, want to be part of something successful.
   
2. Understanding a problem from all perspectives leads to better decision-making, locally and globally
   
   1. Video is the most effective means of communicating the perspective
      
3. Improved decision-making has bottom-line impact
   
4. The greater intent to be inclusive when problem-solving is undertaken, the more likely positive improvements in sustainable effectiveness will develop among those included.
   
5. When groups have the ability to clearly communicate their challenges they are more likely to take responsibility and improve.
   
6. Groups are currently missing an effective and cost effective method to articulate issues. There is no way to listen to the front line, an age old problem we can solve.
   
7. Improvements can be both organic and spontaneous or designed and orchestrated. One is achieved through understanding and inclusion the other through planning, building consensus and negotiating.
   
8. Community based groups are more productive than "every man for himself" cultures.
   
9. People that have meaning in their work are more productive workers.
   

Unique New Offering : Investigative Video Journalism - for the sake of understanding, inclusion, engagement, participation and ultimately improvement in any organization. Storytelling, with practical and strategic implications.

Establish organizational investigative journalism as the new generation, interaction based Six Sigma, but as Free Agents. (See Free Agent Nation, Daniel Pink) But make it free, and train any students that want to learn. Anyone wanting to improve their interactions with other should have access.

Business application for film students, plus

• Rapidly developed segments that bring positive change, much like the work we've done, but with video storytelling and social networking communication. –THE BEST STORY TELLER WINS!
  
• Facilitated social networking
  
• Community informed decision-making (we will have to define this)
  
• We could set a new tone for problem-solving in community. Provide templates and structure for communities to discuss issues, real-time, as issues and breakdowns are experienced in a civil spirit, help highlight the meaning in work for people
  
• Provide much needed transparency - This process could allow tax payers and stock holders in organizations, to see how any part of the organization is working and what is being done to improve. Improvement Gurus could emerge, and we could help shape the standard for how civil and whole oriented decisions are understood and made! A new role is born that revolutionizes inclusion, cooperation and participation.
  

Maybe every organization needs a Story-Teller (slang for the role)? It would be an amazingly useful role. They would have to take an oath to be impartial in their reporting for the sake of excellence, but with more of a skilled eye for facilitation, the goal to produce positive results not "rat people out".

• We could instruct roles to gather X minutes of footage on their challenges on mini cams and upload, we compile, ask clarifying questions, diagnose and make recommendations or help clients set up an internal center where decisions are made fully informed of any issues under consideration. Be sure to weight the issues – look back at the GE and GAI work. How could we achieve the same or better information gathering with surveys that are almost self managing once deployed.
  
  • Does the wisdom "people will tell you about themselves, if you just listen" (Maya Angelo) apply?
    
• We could have editors (Cutters) and fact checkers (Journalist) that works like Proscan has Radiologist reading MRIs. With "reporters" on-site – you (Ben) have to see Final Cut! Movie Night, my house, invite Brook and Yoohee too.
  
• We could develop a few styles of doing this. For example, PBS, Talk Show with clips, with humor where appropriate.
  

We have iPods now; this interactive communication was not possible just 2 years ago. Distribution is no longer the issue, it's the innovation in how the messages in the pieces are produced, edited and used. , finally the structures are in place so it doesn't have to be about the tools

Smaller scale: Thoughts on offers

    What is the value of this? Bring the "a day in the life of" each role, to the board room and then facilitate reasoned, practical, inclusive problem solving and innovation – EVERYONE is hungry for practical! Describe the interarchy story; I propose we play the map down, but use the clarity it brings in the way we approach finding out what's the story, really. And quickly produce a digestible piece for each role.

1. Develop the scope of participation and financial goals of the program – do this work for a minimal fee, with upside payment when goals are achieved
   
2. Prepare a video that clearly defines the project and evokes an emotional connection for the purpose (If we can't tell a compelling story, we shouldn't be doing the project)
   
3. Hold a kick-off meeting with sponsors to:
   
   1. Agree to the problem we will solve together
      
   2. Articulate their commitment to change
      
   3. Identify the up to 20 roles that are affected by the problem or unmet goal, up or downstream, regardless of what group or organization they belong.
      
   4. Agree to the metrics to measure success
      
4. Each role prepares, with our help, a 15 - 30 minute video showing their challenges. These are created prior to the initial gathering.
   
5. Get everyone together, show the videos and hold Open Space or virtual Open Space
   
   1. Develop the next steps for success
      
   2. Plan the next steps and get commitment
      
6. Facilitate continued discussions and decision making. Establish decision making criteria with the client
   
7. Measure the financial results and update often for all to see.

Interarchy Innovations

New company name?

Work on the new company

What to name the new company. I'm thinking Interarchy Solutions.

From discussions on the first day of work with Trish
What do you think of when I say hierarchy?
The hierarchy represents who is important and to some degree pay scales
What do you think of when I say Interarchy?
The interarchy represents how work is done. We think this is what really matters!
Potential Company Names:
Interarchy Solutions – workplace /workspace interventions for today's business
Interarchy Dynamics
Interarchy Interventions

Input anyone?

Potential Offers:
Intervention
Strategic Design – Intervention by Design
Assessment / Integration (when companies merge)
Potential Book Titles:
Happiness @ Work
One Minute Manager Format and Length
for Dummies
What Every Boss Should Know about Employees / What Every Employee Should Know about their Boss
Trish suggested I visualize what I want my work to "feel" like. This is very appealing and I think helpful as we design the company. I hope she will do the same.
Action Items:
Trish read:
a Interactions Intervention
a Tapping the Knowledge of the Front Line Employees
a Letter to Oprah
Trish took some books to look over. I would like her to come with any concept or idea, from any part of any book, as a topic for discussion.
Crucial Conversations
Web of Inclusion
A Safe Place for Dangerous truths
Trish will attend the process meeting at Obama Virginia HQ on Tuesday at 10:00, with Cheryl Zando, Volunteer Coordinator
This project is small and a good training ground for Trish – a defined problem to solve in a short period of time.
I will make a decision for a company name by the end of the week.

Rubi Leeds Bio

Rubi Leeds

Rubi Leeds, principal of Leeds & Associates LLC, a Richmond, Virginia - based management consulting firm. With roots as a technologist and CEO of a software development company, Rubi noted that her client's solutions often were not complete via technology alone. This began a passionate quest to provide meaningful, lasting resolves to organizational issues with an emphasis on creating a holistic overview of the organization to serve as the foundation for rich dialogue, dramatically improving all levels of engagement, and aligning efforts across the organization to impact results.

Through evolution of an innovative methodology utilizing the Human Interaction Model™, she has designed and incorporated mapping, metrics, employee team sessions, and process design/re-design methods in a product called the Rapid Results Program™. Her team has delivered significant and practical results to clients via trust building, cost reduction, process improvement, increased employee effectiveness, organizational alignment, and client and employee satisfaction.

Nearly 20 years of process improvement success has benefited clients, such as Banana Republic, Frito-Lay, Abbott Labs, Tandy, AirLogix, PROSCAN Medical Imaging, WilTel, Cincinnati Bell, Great American Insurance, General Electric, Standard and Poors, American Financial Corporation, American Water, MedPlus, Clinton Memorial Hospital and Sungard along with numerous joint projects with other consulting professionals.