Guides
Recommended Guides
From Strategy to Success
0% Complete
Our strategic plans help us understand our bigger focus and the mission our organization sets out to achieve. By using specific routine meetings and progress monitoring tools, leaders can bring their strategic plans to life. This process increases each employees’ understanding of the most important actions to take to achieve our annual goals. Regular, clear communication about our most important metrics drives our team decisions and adjustments. The From Strategy to Success Guide supports teams in the breakdown of strategic plans into manageable improvement cycles focused on the measures that matter most.
The Hard Stuff
0% Complete
Ultimately, leaders want individuals and teams within their organization to be successful. We do our best to recruit and retain top talent and ensure they have the tools needed for success. To maintain high performing cultures and team morale, sometimes the leader’s role also requires that we have difficult conversations with toxic or underperforming individuals. The leader is the only person who can address poor performance, and when we don’t, our team may suffer the consequences. The Hard Stuff Guide supports teams in addressing performance issues and letting go of problem employees.
EILA # (Kentucky use): 20 EIL 2149
EILA # (Kentucky use): 20 EIL 2149
Recruit, Hire, and Onboard
0% Complete
Attracting the right talent, conducting interviews, onboarding new hires, and retaining employees is key to the success of an organization. In competitive job markets filling open positions with top talent can be a challenge. Once teams put time and effort into interviewing and onboarding, turnover can be costly to the organization. The Recruit, Hire, and Onboard Guide supports teams in recruiting, hiring, onboarding, and retaining the top talent in their organizations.
EILA # (Kentucky use): 20 EIL 2150
EILA # (Kentucky use): 20 EIL 2150
Setting the Right Goals
0% Complete
The long term and short term goals we set drive our daily actions within the organization. If we lose focus on what matters most, it is likely we will not achieve our goals. Clear, measurable goals communicated consistently with all individuals in the organization inspire employees to be successful. The Setting the Right Goals Guide supports teams in building a focus around what is most important and executing on those actions with our greatest potential.
EILA # (Kentucky use): 20 EIL 2119
EILA # (Kentucky use): 20 EIL 2119
All Guides
From Strategy to Success
0% Complete
Our strategic plans help us understand our bigger focus and the mission our organization sets out to achieve. By using specific routine meetings and progress monitoring tools, leaders can bring their strategic plans to life. This process increases each employees’ understanding of the most important actions to take to achieve our annual goals. Regular, clear communication about our most important metrics drives our team decisions and adjustments. The From Strategy to Success Guide supports teams in the breakdown of strategic plans into manageable improvement cycles focused on the measures that matter most.
The Hard Stuff
0% Complete
Ultimately, leaders want individuals and teams within their organization to be successful. We do our best to recruit and retain top talent and ensure they have the tools needed for success. To maintain high performing cultures and team morale, sometimes the leader’s role also requires that we have difficult conversations with toxic or underperforming individuals. The leader is the only person who can address poor performance, and when we don’t, our team may suffer the consequences. The Hard Stuff Guide supports teams in addressing performance issues and letting go of problem employees.
EILA # (Kentucky use): 20 EIL 2149
EILA # (Kentucky use): 20 EIL 2149
Recruit, Hire, and Onboard
0% Complete
Attracting the right talent, conducting interviews, onboarding new hires, and retaining employees is key to the success of an organization. In competitive job markets filling open positions with top talent can be a challenge. Once teams put time and effort into interviewing and onboarding, turnover can be costly to the organization. The Recruit, Hire, and Onboard Guide supports teams in recruiting, hiring, onboarding, and retaining the top talent in their organizations.
EILA # (Kentucky use): 20 EIL 2150
EILA # (Kentucky use): 20 EIL 2150
Setting the Right Goals
0% Complete
The long term and short term goals we set drive our daily actions within the organization. If we lose focus on what matters most, it is likely we will not achieve our goals. Clear, measurable goals communicated consistently with all individuals in the organization inspire employees to be successful. The Setting the Right Goals Guide supports teams in building a focus around what is most important and executing on those actions with our greatest potential.
EILA # (Kentucky use): 20 EIL 2119
EILA # (Kentucky use): 20 EIL 2119
Succession Planning
0% Complete
In order to thrive, organizations need to continuously develop people at all levels and across all teams. Each position is critical to success. Succession planning increases employee engagement and highlights the value of each team member’s role in the organization. Development is not just for retirement planning; it energizes and retains current employees.
The Succession Planning Guide supports teams in identifying aspiring leaders, developing new and aspiring leaders, and intentionally creating a succession plan before the need arises.
EILA # (Kentucky use): 20 EIL 2128
EILA # (Kentucky use): 20 EIL 2128
Hardwiring
0% Complete
Those on a journey to excellence realize the need for leaders and teams to adopt practices that will take the organization to the next level. They also realize adopting these practices is often not enough. The right actions need to be hardwired for improvement and excellence to be sustained.
The Hardwiring Guide offers leaders practical tools for establishing and ensuring consistent use of agreed upon practices for continuous improvement and organizational excellence.
EILA # (Kentucky use): 20 EIL 1952
EILA # (Kentucky use): 20 EIL 1952
Five Star Service
0% Complete
Excellent customer service is the result of high standards for how employees interact with each other and those outside of the organization. When teams work together to focus on the customer’s wants and needs, a high-performance culture built around service is formed. Customer expectations are higher than ever, providing five-star service is essential to developing loyal customer relationships and standing out amongst competitors. The Five Star Service Guide supports teams in building a culture around service and exceeding customer expectations.
EILA # (Kentucky use): 20 EIL 1524
EILA # (Kentucky use): 20 EIL 1524
Build Accountability
0% Complete
Accountability is a word often used in organizations, but not one that is always understood. What does real accountability look like and how can we develop cultures of accountability? It starts with the individual. The Build Accountability Guide supports teams and individuals seeking to increase accountability and build cultures of accountability.
EILA # (Kentucky use): 20 EIL 1525
EILA # (Kentucky use): 20 EIL 1525
Intro to the Nine Principles
0% Complete
The Nine Principles for Organizational Excellence are the guiding beliefs and standards of practice that support excellence in any organization. They present a guide for all professionals on the path to excellence. The Introduction to the Nine Principles Guide supports a greater understanding of the impact of each principle and how commitment to all nine promotes the highest levels of achievement.
EILA # (Kentucky use): 20 EIL 1486
EILA # (Kentucky use): 20 EIL 1486
Continuous Improvement Mindset
0% Complete
Successful organizations aren’t high-performing by accident. They are constantly looking for new ways to innovate, improve, and achieve results. Establishing a continuous improvement mindset is key to sustaining and increasing results year after year. This guide provides leaders with strategies and tools for adopting cycles of improvement to support a high performing organization.
EILA # (Kentucky use): 20 EIL 1045
EILA # (Kentucky use): 20 EIL 1045
Tools for Continuous Improvement
0% Complete
At its core, the aims of continuous improvement are to reduce variance and eliminate waste. One of the most important ways to accomplish this aim is to examine and improve processes. There are several tools available to assist teams in simplifying and using data to get to the root cause and guide improvement.
The Tools for Continuous Improvement Guide and use of 9P resources provide teams with actionable steps to continually improve areas across the organization.
EILA # (Kentucky use): 20 EIL 0895
EILA # (Kentucky use): 20 EIL 0895
Transparently Share Results
0% Complete
Organizations are not short on data. It can sometimes feel that way, if results are not shared and used to inform action for improvement. Transparently sharing results with our teams engages and encourages a greater understanding of what is needed to improve. It also provides leaders with additional feedback and priorities for action. The Transparently Share Results Guide supports leaders in rolling out results to teams and action planning for improvement.
EILA # (Kentucky use): 20 EIL 0897
EILA # (Kentucky use): 20 EIL 0897
Morale is High
0% Complete
No leader wants to hear “morale is low.” This declaration is most often the result of ineffective communication, a disconnect between individual efforts and the mission, or employee perception that their contributions are not valued. We all play an important role in improving and maintaining morale. The Morale is High Guide provides leaders with strategies and resources for creating positive morale.
EILA # (Kentucky use): 20 EIL 0900
EILA # (Kentucky use): 20 EIL 0900
Breaking Bad Habits
0% Complete
You may find yourself in an environment of people who place blame and point fingers at others or obsess over obstacles rather than take initiative. This behavior drains the energy and productivity of the rest of your team. The effects are high turnover, disengagement, and passive/aggressive communication. Create a positive culture by eliminating subconscious behaviors that have negative impacts. The Breaking Bad Habits Guide provides leaders with strategies and tools to reduce negative behaviors that can be poisoning your culture.
EILA # (Kentucky use): 20 EIL 0896
EILA # (Kentucky use): 20 EIL 0896
Strategic Planning Process
0% Complete
A strategic plan provides the overarching, system-wide goals and strategies that guides an organization for 3-5 years. This process results in a shared vision of success through intentional engagement with a variety of stakeholders. The Strategic Planning Guide supports a team through the strategic planning process.
EILA # (Kentucky use): 20 EIL 0898
EILA # (Kentucky use): 20 EIL 0898
Validating Practices
0% Complete
The Validating Practices Guide provides leaders with strategies and tools for validating that the team is doing what it said it would do.
EILA # (Kentucky use): 20 EIL 0899
EILA # (Kentucky use): 20 EIL 0899
Organizational Culture
0% Complete
Most of us know Peter Drucker’s famous line, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” Chances are, anyone leading in the last 20 years would emphatically agree with the sentiment (Alton, 2017). To get to the strategy, and the results, attention and effort to build organizational cultures that support the highest levels of engagement and performance must come first.
EILA # (Kentucky use): 20 EIL 0890
EILA # (Kentucky use): 20 EIL 0890
Keep the Team Moving
0% Complete
Leading is hard. It’s also a choice. Those who take up this charge experience some of life’s most fulfilling rewards and its most unexpected challenges. As our teams experience success and adversity, it is the leader’s responsibility to keep them moving forward. When exhaustion is high, align hearts and minds to what matters most.
EILA # (Kentucky use): 20 EIL 0891
EILA # (Kentucky use): 20 EIL 0891
Leader Transitions
0% Complete
Leader transitions can be challenging for those assuming the new role and the teams affected by the change. When up to 60% of executives fail in the first 18 months of a transition, it is clear these adjustments need to be strategically maneuvered and supported (Frangos, 2018). There are specific strategies leaders facing, or experiencing, transition can utilize to set themselves and their teams up for success.
EILA # (Kentucky use): 20 EIL 0892
EILA # (Kentucky use): 20 EIL 0892
Leader Communication
0% Complete
Communication is a consistent challenge for leaders. 91% of employees are dissatisfied with communication from executive leadership (Solomon, 2015). When asked, most employees will explain they are not interested in more communication. They are looking for better and more relevant communication.
EILA # (Kentucky use): 20 EIL 0893
EILA # (Kentucky use): 20 EIL 0893
Employee Retention
0% Complete
We must engage our high performers if we want to retain them in the organization. Employee retention begins and ends with meaningful connections. The strategies and engagement steps in this path guide leaders through a process of establishing and maintaining those connections beginning with an employee’s entry into the organization.
The Employee Retention Guide provides leaders with strategies and tools to support the retention of high-quality employees.
EILA # (Kentucky use): 20 EIL 0894
EILA # (Kentucky use): 20 EIL 0894
