The Drivers Model is the tool I have been using for over two decades to provide a robust yet simple method for taking an organization through strategic planning, project planning, program planning and numerous other planning activities. The Drivers Model is fully scalable and applies to Fortune 500 companies, non-profit organizations and government agencies, as well as an entire enterprise, a business unit, a field office, an individual department, or a work team. Let's start with the four key strategy questions the Drivers Model answers.

"Let's set some ground rules." How often have you heard this at the start of meetings? Hopefully often! When starting a facilitated session or meeting, the establishment and adoption of ground rules is key.

How do you measure whether or not a document is communicating what it should? How do you define good documentation? – I define it as being applicable, usable, and error free. Documentation has to be written for the target audience as everyone has different roles and responsibilities. The following questions can be asked via feedback …

Keep your ear to the ground and catch the need for crisis management early on The earlier you detect a building crisis, the more effective your crisis management is able to be, but how can you catch a crisis that’s barely beginning to bubble up? These days, social media serves as the world-wide watercooler, fostering …

Short and Sweet: The Ideal Crisis Communication Messaging Mold crisis communication management messaging to fit a Tweet and reap the benefits. Today you’re more likely to catch a breaking story on Twitter than on the evening news. Both professional and amateur (read: everyone else) reporters are using Twitter to share and discuss current events every …

This year I want to highlight stories from my book “Path for Greatness: Work as Spiritual Service” as well as enlightened companies. In the last two chapters of my book, I refer to such companies as Higher Consciousness Organizations (HCOs). I was recently introduced to Café Gratitude in Kansas City. From what I can tell …

Are you your worst enemy? Are you holding yourself from moving up? A Business Week article listed 20 of the most common behaviors or bad habits – compiled by executive coach Marshall Goldsmith, that can hinder an aspiring manager or professional from moving up. Whether you’re a leader today or want to be one tomorrow, …

With the emergence of so many “social businesses,” there’s been a widening distinction made with what many people are now calling non-social businesses. The distinction is that social businesses are built around a heroic mission to make the world a better place, while their non-social cousins exist for a crass purpose — solely to make …

Preparedness lands cookie company in the perfect position to make a move Unless you’ve been living under a rock you’ve probably heard about Oreo’s spur of the moment ad, crafted literally DURING the Super Bowl blackout, that has the social media world abuzz. For those who missed it, this is the ad Oreo tweeted during …

Owner Director Dilemmas: Navigating Tough Choices Sam is an experienced manager and has worked for over twenty years in his industry. He has also sat on two not for profit boards and enjoys the governance role. Now he has an opportunity to buy an equity stake in a small business that has a product and …