,

V. The A-B-C-D Systems Model

The tools in this chapter are designed to increase your success with a number of key management processes and activities. They will help you apply the A-B-C-D Systems Model within the practical dimensions of the workplace.

TOOL NO.	THE APPLICATIONS
17.	“Organization as a System” Model*
18.	Reinventing Strategic Management
19.	Strategic Life Planning
20.	HR Strategic Planning
21.	Systemic Team Building
22.	Leadership Development as a System
23.	Hiring and Promotion as a System
These Tools Will Help You with Key Management Processes!

^*Essential reading for all the tools in this chapter.

Application of Standard Systems Dynamics
— 1. Holism
— 4. Input-Output
—10. Interrelated Parts

In this tool, we will focus on a primary application of the third concept of systems thinking—the A-B-C-D Systems Model. In Chapter I, we took an in-depth look at this model as an overall systems concept. Here we will discuss it as an application to the organization as a system—as a way to create alignment and attunement for the organization’s competitive edge.

Refer to the close-up section below whenever necessary, to ensure you fully understand the “Organization as a System” Model (for a graphic depiction of the model, see Figure 8). As was noted earlier, this is essential reading for the other tools in this chapter, all of which are based on this model.

CLOSE-UP: “ORGANIZATION AS A SYSTEM” MODEL

Phase A: Customer Value (Output)

Systems thinking “begins with the end in mind,” to borrow a phrase from Stephen Covey. Outcomes, purposes, missions, visions, goals, objectives, and ends are all terms that describe Phase A, the outcome of the organization as a system (also defined as the customer edge). The vital move here is to define who your customers are and what they want, and then to position the organization so it has a unique edge over the competition. This is the first and foremost strategic and systems thinking task any organization must invest its efforts in.

FIGURE 8. “ORGANIZATION AS A SYSTEM” MODEL

Obviously, to satisfy customer needs and thus achieve the desired outcomes, an organization must deal with a dynamic, changing environment. Good strategic thinking helps the organization look at future environmental trends to define where it wants to be within the context of that environment.

Phase B: Key Success Factors (Feedback Loop)

Phase B corresponds to the feedback loop, or in organizational terms, the key success factors. These factors are the quantifiable outcome measures of success and should be constantly fed back to the organization. (They are sometimes called goals and objectives.) Feeding back quantifiable measurements of how the organization is functioning is essential to organizational learning. It guides corrections and adjustments throughout the year to ensure achievement of Phase A, Customer Value.

Whether you describe this phase in terms of objectives, goals, key success indicators, critical success factors, or the like, it is all about building a scoreboard of organizationalsuccess measurements and feeding the status of these back into the organization so it can learn from them and correct its actions as necessary.

Phase C: Strategies (Input)

This is where inputs into the organization as a system deal with creating the strategic edge. The 64-million-dollar question for organizations is “What core strategies do we need to adopt?” These strategies are crucial, for they are the primary means to our ends of achieving organizational outcomes, especially customer value. They represent strategic thinking at its very best.

Phase C includes the conversion of strategic plans into business plans and operational or annual department plans for each aspect of the organization. The operational or annual department plans are what you implement—not the strategic plans. A strategic plan is a blueprint and living, breathing document—a framework for creating business and operational plans. Thus Phase C inputs are crucial in defining the core strategies and, through conversion, the operational plans for implementing change throughout the organization.

Note that the Phase C tools in this chapter show all the aspects of strategic planning that lead to developing these core strategies. I have focused the material in this way, describing it in one place, for reasons of coherence. Technically, however, strategic planning includes parts of the other three phases—A, B, and C—as well.

Phase D: Strategic Change Management Process (Throughput)

The throughput of the organization as a system has to react to today’s dynamic organizational changes. This phase details the inner workings of the organization in terms of systems and horizontal interdependent process (much as TQM and reengineering does), rather than by using the separate “functional boxes” so common in analytic organizational charts. It has four main components:

The master component is putting in place a strategic change management process. It is the overall guiding leadership and management mechanism to assure that integrated and systemic change occurs. Instrumental to that success are the tasks of defining and putting in place the change processes and structures.

The second major component deals with the operational or technical part of Phase D throughputs—creating the process edge. This is done through the alignment of the delivery processes of the organization. In Figure 8, our model’s alignment component is depicted not as a straight line, but as a wavy one, for in effect it occurs more in keeping with the Rollercoaster of Change (systems concept 4). It is half of the web of relationships (the fourth component, which strongly influences effective or ineffective delivery processes) and includes the five elements of organizational design, resource allocation, teams, process improvement, and technology tools. Note that most change efforts focus on this more operational or technical component (often to the detriment of the organization).

The third major component, attunement of people’s hearts (and minds), is crucial to creating customer value— the people edge. It is also the other half of the web of relationships, which ultimately creates your organizational culture.

For purposes of explanation, I have separated the social (the attunement of people’s hearts) from the technical or operational (the alignment of the delivery processes); however, both are inextricably combined in Phase D as the organization’s internal web of relationships that must integrate well and fit together in support of creating customer value (Phase A). Without integration and fit, we not only lack the synergy of 2 plus 2 equals 5, but face the likelihood that elements in the attunement and alignment will work against each other. Fit—a word that should be used with caution when it comes to systems thinking—is only applicable here in the sense that the basic purpose of these components is to assist, and work in conjunction with, other components to help the entire organization create customer value.

We thus encounter (and must manage) a systemic phenomenon: that maximizing any functional department’s effectiveness sub-optimizes the whole organization. We must always remember: the whole is primary and the parts should only be optimized as a secondary consideration.

Application of The A-B-C-D Systems Model

Reinvented strategic management, a process from the Centre for Strategic Management, is a different way to apply systems thinking and the A-B-C-D framework. Use it to tailor and build various strategic planning processes and integrate them right into strategic change. The details of the process model are shown in Figure 9, on the next page.

The process model illustrates there are many uses of the four phases of systems thinking.

A.   Creating your ideal future (Output)

B.   Measuring success (Feedback Loop)

C.   Converting strategies to operations (Input, to action)

D.   Achieving successful implementation (Throughput, action) And scanning the environment on a continuous basis

  For Example

Potential applications of this process include:

1.  Comprehensive Strategic Plan, to do a comprehensive strategic planning process for an entire organization. Requires 10 to 16 days offsite; full steps 1 to 10, yet tailored to the organization. (Explaining this full process is beyond our scope here; for more information and a four-page summary article about it, contact the Centre for Strategic Management at 619-275-6528.)

2.  Strategic Planning Quick, to conduct a shortened and less comprehensive version of strategic planning for an entire organization. This requires five days offsite. (See the “plan quick” version of the process model, later in this tool.)

FIGURE 9. PROCESS: REINVENTING STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT

3.  Business/Functional Strategic Planning, to conduct a shortened three-year business planning process for a line business unit or major support function/section/program (i.e., element of the larger organization). Requires 5 to 10 days, depending on if a comprehensive strategic plan (no. 1 above) is first accomplished. (See process model, this tool.)

4.  Micro Strategic Planning, to develop a strategic plan for a small organization or business. Requires two days offsite; do the rest without meetings. (See process model, this tool.)

5.  Strategic Life Plan, to conduct a personal (person, family, couple) life plan. (Use with Tool 19.)

6.  Strategic Human Resource Management, to create “the people edge” in your organization. (Use with Tool 20.)

7.  Leadership Development System, to enhance your leadership roles and competencies as a competitive business edge. (Use with Tool 22.)

8.  Organizational Systems Model, to systematically diagnose any change effort and dramatically increase your probability of success. (Use in conjunction with Tool 17.)

9.  Team Effectiveness, to comprehensively focus on all aspects of teams to dramatically enhance their outcomes and effectiveness. (Use with Tool 21.)

Tailoring and Rating Sheet

Complete the following tailoring and rating sheet, basing your ratings on your current understanding of reinventing strategic planning, using your organization as a model.

Strategic Planning Quick

For a quick-planning variant of reinvented strategic management, see the process shown in Figure 10, on the following page.

Three-Year Business Planning or Mini-Strategic Planning

There are three major steps to this kind of planning. The steps listed below should be taken for all strategic business units and major organizational support units.

Step 1:   Create Your Ideal Future Vision

•   Duration—two days

•   Conduct educational briefing and Plan-to-Plan or Corporate Strategic Plan review.

•   Refine or develop your vision, mission, and values in draft form (Step 2 of SPQ model), using Corporate’s as a guide.

•   Develop Corporate goals with outcome measures of success (alternative).

•   Develop key-stakeholder parallel process.

Step 2:   Convert Strategies to Operations

•   Duration—two days

•   Finalize your ideal future vision (Step 2).

•   Conduct current state assessment (Step 4).

•   Develop your core strategies (Step 5) and toppriority action items for the next year—the “glue.”

•   Set up second key-stakeholder feedback.

Step 3:   Strategy Implementation and Change

•   Duration—at first, one day every two months

•   First set of tasks: finalize core strategies and actions (Steps 5 and 7).

•   Set up quarterly meeting of the Strategic Change Leadership Steering Committee (Step 9) to maintain plan success and/or decide on SBUs (Step 6).

•   Conduct Plan-to-Implement (Step 8).

FIGURE 10. STRATEGIC PLANNING QUICK PROCESS

Note on Feedback Loop: Key success factors (Step 3) are not recommended due to time limits; instead, monitor core strategies and existing financials; survey customers and employees.

“Micro” Strategic Planning, for Smaller Organizations

Step 1:   Create Your Ideal Future Vision (one-day offsite)

•   Conduct educational briefing and Plan-to-Plan before the offsite. (Include key-stakeholder parallel process.)

•   Refine or develop your vision, mission, and values in draft form (Step 2 of SPQ model).

•   Develop a “key success factor” process outside the offsites.

•   Set up a current state assessment to be accomplished between Steps 1 and 2.

Step 2:   Plan-to-Implement Your Future Successfully (one-day offsite)

•   Finalize your ideal future vision (Step 2).

•   Present/Review current state assessment (Step 4).

•   Develop core strategies (Step 5) and action items.

•   Set up annual planning/budget process to follow this micro strategic planning.

Step 3:   Strategy Implementation and Change (one-day offsite)

•   First set of tasks: finalize core strategies and annual plans (Steps 5 and 7).

•   Set up quarterly meeting of Strategic Change Leadership Steering Committee (Step 9) to maintain plan’s success; decide on SBUs (Step 6); conduct Plan-to-Implement (Step 8).

Note on Feedback Loop: KSFs (Step 3) are not recommended; instead, monitor core strategies and existing financials; survey customers and employees. Do this outside planning steps and offsites above; when completed, present to board/planning team for final approval.

Application of
• Seven Levels of Living Systems
• The A-B-C-D Systems Model

Look before, or you’ll find yourself behind.

—Benjamin Franklin

(Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations, 14^th edition, 1968)

The clarity of an individual’s search for meaning is important to the organization’s success as well as the individual’s. The better the match, the better the results organizationally and professionally. Thus managers need to help employees develop not only a career path but also a strategic life plan to stimulate employee initiative and focus their energy. The A-B-C-D framework is fully applicable to this goal, as shown in simplified form below and in more detail in Figure 12 (see next page).

FIGURE 11. STRATEGIC LIFE PLANNING PROCESS—SIMPLIFIED FORM

FIGURE 12. STRATEGIC LIFE PLANNING PROCESS

Exercises: Personal Vision and Personal Values

Use the following worksheets to begin putting strategic life planning into practice, and to work, in your life.

NOTE: If a person’s vision and values don’t match the organization’s, you have a motivation gap. Identify such gaps and deal with them personally and organizationally.

Application of
• Seven Levels of Living Systems
• Standard Systems Dynamics
   — 4. Input-Output
• The A-B-C-D Systems Model

This tool presents a systems approach to creating an HR strategic plan by combining the A-B-C-D framework with strategic HR areas. A planning model is shown below; an HR management model is provided later in the tool.

FIGURE 13. HR STRATEGIC PLANNING MODEL

Human Resource Strategic Planning

Using HR Strategic Planning

The steps for HR strategic planning are the same as those for organizational strategic planning; however, in this case, you do the planning for the HR function or department, not the entire organization. The steps are ordered in accordance with the A-B-C-D framework, as shown below.

Step A:   Future State

•   Conduct educational briefing and Plan-to-Plan on entire process.

•   Link to organizational vision, mission, values, strategy.

•   Ensure senior management commitment to the process and its outcomes.

•   Define Human Resource ideal future vision.

•   Develop clear HR systems model/framework. (Use A-B-C-D framework; see Figure 14 for guidance.)

Step B:   Feedback Loop

•   Use HR information systems/HR key success factors based on the HR Systems Model.

•   Set HR standards, measures.

•   Use surveys to measure them.

•   Use rewards system for HR plan achievement.

•   Get stakeholder involvement and input.

Step C:   Current State

•   Conduct organizational diagnosis on HR system’s effectiveness along with its fit with the other tracks.

•   Develop strategic action items to support the plan.

•   Ensure HR Strategic Plan includes a consideration of all aspects of the HR Systems Model, including:

— Succession/manpower planning

— Career development

— Hiring, assimilation, start-up

— ER/HR policies

— Union/management relations

— Organization/management development system

— Training, education system, programs

— Performance/Rewards management

— Compensation and benefits

— EEO/Wellness/QWL

— Internal communications systems

— Job/Organization design and descriptions

— HR MIS

•   Provide resource allocation to support the desired changes.

Step D:   Strategy Implementation and Change—Major Activities

•   Educate management on HR systems and organizational behavior.

•   Roll out/Communicate the HR strategic plan.

•   Become steward, and maintain stewardship, of the HR strategic plan, organizational culture, values.

•   Ensure fit/integration/coordination with any other major improvement processes (i.e., systems fit— alignment and integrity).

Human Resource as a System: The Human Resource Management Systems Model

Are all of your HR programs and processes linked to your organization’s strategic plan, especially its vision, values and strategies? To ensure this linkage, use the Strategic Human Resource Management (HRM) Systems Model, shown in Figure 14, on the next page. This model will help you gain the crucial “people edge”—a system of people flow and movement over time.

The HRM Systems Model is followed by a comprehensive list of HR practices and programs that will give you a hand with assessing your “people edge” (see Figure 15).

FIGURE 14. STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS MODEL

FIGURE 15. STRATEGIC HRM SYSTEMS MODEL: DETAILS

GUIDELINES FOR USE
1. Use the detailed list in Figure 15 to do a comprehensive assessment of your organization’s “people practices.” 2. After the comprehensive assessment, use the Strategic HRM Systems Model as part of your HR strategic planning process. The model will provide you with clear clues to the strategies you need to implement.

Application of
• Standard Systems Dynamics
   — 4. Input-Output
• The A-B-C-D Systems Model

Systems thinking is the method for problem solving and team building. The systems approach to team building is shown below in Figure 16. Here are the steps:

Step 1:  Phase A. Define the idea state in the future.

Step 2:  Phase B. Develop feedback mechanisms and norms for people to learn and grow as individuals or as a team.

Step 3:  Phase C. Diagnose where we are now.

Step 4:  Action-plan how to get from today (C) to future (A).

Make your team building and development more systemic, thorough, and long-lasting by using the A-B-D-C systems framework.

FIGURE 16. SYSTEMS APPROACH TO TEAM-BUILDING

Developing High-Performance Teams

High-performance teams are the way to run the business. Needed is team development of all types and at all levels of the organization. The actions below, if taken in the order presented, will lead to such development.

A.   Future State

•   Conduct education briefing and Plan-to-Plan on entire process.

•   Ensure senior management’s commitment and willingness to undergo personal growth and guided self-change.

•   Clarify ideal future vision for teams.

•   Develop clarity on levels and types of teams desired (by priority); for example, project teams, functional teams, cross-functional teams, self-managed teams.

•   Link to organizational vision, mission, and values.

B.   Feedback Loop

•   Team standards and inter/intra-team feedback.

•   Stakeholder involvement and input.

•   Follow-up/reinforcement systems in place.

•   Continual improvement/renewal philosophy in place.

•   Rewards systems to reinforce desired changes.

•   Best practices research.

C.   Current State

•   Conduct a team diagnosis of each team and its fit with the other tracks.

•   Develop strategic action items to support the plans for team development.

•   Provide resource allocation to support desired changes.

D.   Strategy Implementation and Change—Major Activities

•   Ensure education and understanding of the team development model.

•   Conduct team-building process for teams selected with regular follow-up check points.

•   Learn skills in:

— Meetings management and role clarification

— Group dynamics, process, and facilitation

— Team leadership and management functions

— Interpersonal and influence management, as well as communications

— Ethical persuasion, decision making, and conflict resolution

•   Develop a proactive management fit and coordination with outside sources of impact, the other tracks, and any other major improvement projects (i.e., systems fit, alignment, and integrity).

Team-Building Effectiveness

Effective team-building is accomplished by the A-B-C-D Phases as shown in Figure 16. Each phase and its accompanying actions are explained below.

Phase I—Data Gathering and Data Analysis/Synthesis

•   Personal interviews/other methods

•   Observation on the job and studying records

•   Requires time to gather input from other specialists and people with relevant information on team.

•   Necessitates time by consultant to collate data into summary report.

•   Preparation of client (team leader) for offsite meeting

Phase II—Offsite Meeting

•   Definition of A (clear future vision).

•   How will we know we are there? (B)

•   Presentation of findings in summary report (C)

— Exactly that—what we looked for, what we found

— Assimilation/analysis of data—what it means

— Problem identification, action planning

•   Decisions/Action planning

FIGURE 17. EFFECTIVE TEAM BUILDING

— Given the implications of being at C and desiring to be at A, what needs to happen to get there? (D)

— Result: Plan of specific actions that need to occur, in what order, involving how many people, by when

Phase III—Implementation of Action Plan (D)

•   Accomplish task (i.e., achieve goals).

•   Begin to build independence from consultant; do selfdiagnosis of your team effectiveness on an ongoing basis.

Phase IV—Monitoring/Follow-Up (Feedback Loop = B)

•   Minimum of two half-day team meetings with consultant within four to six weeks of, and within three months following, first offsite meeting in order to assess results to date and further actions needed; can be on site or off site as needed.

•   Consultant makes periodic visits to staff meetings as process consultant.

•   Consultant works with designated person to monitor progress of action plan developed at first offsite meeting.

•   Involvement of consultant in action steps as appropriate.

Application of
• Standard Systems Dynamics
   — 4. Input-Output

If we know one thing today, … it is most managers are made, not born.… There has to be systematic work on the supply, the development, and the skills of tomorrow’s management.… It cannot be left to change.

—Peter F. Drucker (Tarraut, 1976)

Thinking of leadership development as a system, instead of just providing training programs, is an entirely new way of thinking. Every leader and organization should think this way, for when we boil competitive edges to their essence, leaders and managers are the only true sustainable edge over the long term. Thus using a system of development is one of the best ways to gain and maintain this edge, individual and collectively.

Leadership practices are the ultimate competitive advantage and the foundation for all else.

  For Example

Leadership is needed at all organizational levels.

•   Executive

•   Managerial

•   Supervisory

•   Professional/Technical

•   Team

•   Operational

  For Example

Senior management defensiveness is one big barrier to leadership development. This seems to be a common problem in change programs, where managers reason defensively and change becomes a mere fad. Change has to start at the top, as defensive senior managers are likely to disown any transformation in behavior or pattern of reason coming from lower levels.

System Concepts: Strategic Leadership Development

The system concepts below are essential to effective leadership development and gaining “the people edge.” (A leadership development system model will follow.)

Core Concepts of Leadership

Set of core concepts …

•   is the responsibility of senior management.

•   is usually carried out and led through an executive/employee development board (an EDB).

•   includes the concept of individual development plan.

•   is tied to the strategic plan, especially strategies/values.

Alignment of People Process

The EDB’s role is to align the following processes to the strategic plan in order to create “the people edge” at the executive and lower-management levels.

1. Selection/Hiring

2. Promotion/Succession planning

3. Executive development

4. Management development

5. Career development/Life planning

6. Rewards, both intrinsic and extrinsic

Individual Development Plan (IDP) Concept

This needs to cover at least three levels of management:

1. Executives

2. Middle management

3. First-line supervisors

Core Skills and Values

While the continuously changing environment creates the need for a living, breathing, flexible leadership development system, it also requires a set of core skills such as:

•   Self-mastery

•   Coaching and Counseling

•   Learning how to learn; reflection time

•   Training others/Mentoring them

•   Facilitating groups and teams

•   Handling disagreements constructively

It also requires valuing the following:

•   Integrity

•   Curiosity

•   Discovery

•   Dialogue

Building a Strategic Leadership Development System: Model

Our model is shown in Figure 18. Here are its details and focal considerations, in sequence:

1.   Plan-to-Plan

•   Hold executive briefing on leadership.

•   Form leadership development board and support team.

•   Review best-practices research on leadership.

•   Tailor the strategic leadership development system to your needs.

•   Make commitment to proceed.

(Note: As preparation for the above, you can read the Centre for Strategic Management’s summary article on leadership; contact CSM at 619-275-6528 for details.)

FIGURE 18. LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM PROCESS

2.   Shared Leadership Vision

•   Clarify organizational vision, values, strategic plan.

•   Establish leadership vision, principles, and mindsets tied to strategic plan.

•   Tailor the leadership competencies/outcomes.

3.   Reinforcement and Feedback Systems

•   Leadership progress and success factors

•   Best-practices benchmarks

•   Create or refine feedback on leadership competencies

4.   Assessment of Collective Leadership Competencies

•   Self and others (360-degree)

•   Competency maps

•   Other tailored assessments—leadership styles, etc.

5.   Leadership Development Strategies (and Actions)

•   Master Personal Development Plan (PDP) inventory/format

•   Modular development options

•   Resources, timing, and reinforcement

•   PDP administration and support structures

•   Rewards, recognition, and succession planning tied to development

•   Performance appraisal ties to strategic plan and development

6.   Plan-to-Implement—Leadership Development Board

•   Expectations

•   Kick-off development

•   Buddy system

•   Develop coaching and mentoring skills

6A. Personal Development Plans

•   Established for each executive, with individual priorities

•   Individual skills assessment; leadership-styles instruments

•   One to three years in length

•   Clear sign off of authority

7.   Implement Leadership Development

•   Implementation of coaching and mentoring

•   Sharing and spreading our learning

•   Track, report, adjust …

— quarterly reports

— supervisor reviews

— performance appraisal ties

8.   Annual Leadership Review (and Update)

•   Yearly revisions/updates

GUIDELINES FOR USE

1.   Use this process to create a culture for life-long learning. A positive culture includes: •   Stairway of Learning •   Supportive, challenging environment •   Positive reinforcement Remember key stakeholders and environmental scanning. This includes: •   Customers •   Suppliers •   Board of Directors •   Employees 2.   For further information on this process, presented in a four-page article, call the Centre of Strategic Management at 619-275-6528.

Application of
• Standard Systems Dynamics
   — 9. Hierarchy
• The A-B-C-D Systems Model

Ensure every selection decision you make is successful. Take the guesswork out of selection each time and every time with the A-B-C-D systems approach shown below.

FIGURE 19. HIRING AND PROMOTION AS A SYSTEM

Phase A and D are notably important areas of the model. In this tool we’ll take a look at these two phases, which involve, respectively (and in part), building a strategic job profile (SJP) and making the selection decision.

Focus on Phase A. Building The Strategic Job Profile (SJP)

This is the beginning of your search for the right person for the job. Start by defining your expectations of the new hire, (Phase A), including job outcomes; then convert them to your strategic job profile. Use the profile as your input to drive decision-making (Phase C).

Here are some questions you will need to consider:

•   What is the job title? Pay range/expected offer? Expected start date?

•   What are the responsibilities and design of job?

•   Other key jobs and reporting relationships (three-way: up, down, and sideways), and their fit with this job?

•   Hiring manager’s goals and expectations for this job?

•   What is the supervisor’s managerial style and personality?

•   What are the initial priorities and tasks of this job?

•   What challenges and problems are connected to this job?

•   What resources are available (people, money, materials) to do the job?

•   What qualifications (knowledge and experience) are required/preferred?

(a) Required?

(b) Preferred?

•   What personal values are desired of the person for the job?

•   What mix of skills is needed?

— Technical	________
— Interpersonal	________
— Managerial/Leadership	________
— Conceptual/Strategic	= 100%

•   What type of personality/communication style is desired? (For example, do you want someone who is expressive? amiable? analytical? driving?)

•   How does this job fit in the life cycle of the organization?

•   What organizational strategic thrust(s) must this person agree with and help implement?

Focus on Phase D. The Selection Decision Process

The selection process involves a number of tasks and considerations. Among them are the following:

1.   Hold decision meetings.

2.   Consider whether a quick decision will mean the right decision.

3.   Make sure someone is responsible for reference checks. (Ask: “Whose responsibility are reference checks, back doors?”)

4.   Verify resumes, especially education section of them.

5.   Hold informal interview to get to know the person. (Consider having dinner with him or her.)

6.   Your strategic job profile should act as criteria.

7.   Watch out for personal biases. (Do you have biases to overcome?)

8.   Consider whether there are any reasons not to hire the person (if you “like” him or her).

9.   Be aware that assertive people may be threatening or aggressive types after hire.

10. Be aware that friendly people are sometimes “wimps” after hire.

Selection Decision Matrix

When hiring for a key position in the organization, put two to four finalists into a “selection decision matrix” like the one on the following page. Then compare each finalist against your decision criteria. Note the use of the SJP in the selection decision matrix.

GUIDELINES FOR USE

1.   Note that successful hiring is most effectively done through the following best practices: •   Multiple interviews •   A group decision process •   Comparing perspectives •   Full references •   Checking past success/behaviors as a guide to future success/behavior 2.   This systems approach can be used for promotion as well. Add performance reviews and supervisory recommendations to your list of considerations. Also pay attention to the outcomes of the job the person now holds and the outcomes expected in the new position.